Category Archives: Retro Futurism

Thomas Rinaldi returns to talk about Neon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Pilleater talk to returning guest Thomas Rinaldi. He is the author of New York Neon and blogs at nyneon.blogspot.com

Topics:

Thomas’s Tours of West Village’s Vintage Neon Signs, his Greenwich Village Neon Walking Tour, and how those areas have the highest concentration of surviving Neon in New York City
Thomas’s observation that Neon has declined in both corporate chain dominated, as well as lower income communities
How ironically in the 60’s Neon was synonymous with commercialization(ex. Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence)
The association of Neon with 80’s Retro-Futurism(ex. RetrowaveClub NEON) and the irony that Neon hit rock bottom in the 80’s
The decline of Neon in Time Square, Robert Brenner’s Gritty Old Time Square Tours, and the few remnents including the West 43rd Garage and the McDonalds from the 80’s
Lights Out 2016: Signs We Lost That Year
The Colgate Clock in Jersey City, which has been LED’ed
Clock Towers Signs in New York including the Paramount Theatre, the Consolidated Edison Building, the Met Life Tower, and the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower
Soviet Neon Stars at the Kremlin and Neon in Communist Cuba
Williamsburg’s Domino Sugar Refinery redevelopment; the outlawing of waterfront signs in New York City
The C & H factory Sign in Crockett, California
Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco as one of the best examples of a renovated former industrial site
Georges Claude, the father of the commercialization of Neon
The popularity of Signs Inside
Fake Neon
Animated Neon Signs, the peak in the 50’s, and San Francisco’s “Coca~Cola” Sign
Bulb Signs which were proliferate in the 1920’s, and Robert’s observation that they were also popular with 90’s era Las Vegas Casinos
Wildwood, New Jersey Neon
Mid Century Road Signage; Route 66
Downtown LA; The LA Museum Of Neon Art
Neon in Buenos Aires, Argentina; The Art Deco Kavanagh building and Estadio Luna Park
Thomas’s observations from Stockholm and Amsterdam
How Neon is declining in both Mega Cities such as New York and London as well as the poorest cities in the developing world
Hong Kong Is Slowly Dimming Its Neon Glow


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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings!




Robert Stark interviews Musician Dean Clarke of Brutalist Architecture in the Sun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Pilleater talk to musician Dean Clarke. He does vocals and electronics for the band Brutalist Architecture in the Sun based in the UK. Check them out on Facebook and YouTube

Topics:

Intro Song: Love & Science (feat. Paul Humphries from the Concrete Pop Album
Dean’s background in music and his original band 3D the band
Influences from electronic music from the early 80’s including Gary Numan and Tangerine Dream
90’s influences including Front 242Nine Inch Nails, and Skinny Puppy
The New Retro Wave genre; FM-84
Darkwave
Minimal Wave Records
The hybrid sound of 80’s Synthwave and 90’s Industrial Music, and the trend of fusionism
Performance at Zigfrid von Underbelly in London
Band of the month for Artefaktor Radio
Dean’s vocals, and Cye Thomas who also does vocals for the band
The use of the Korg MS-20 Synth
The aesthetics of the album covers Dean designs, fusing Brutalist and Industrial imagery with bright fluorescent colors
Brutalist architectureTrellick Tower, The Underground, and Centre Point in London, John C. Portman Jr., and the revived interest in Brutalism
Cyberpunk, the London Trocadero, and 80’s arcades
Victorian era Railway Stations in London
Urban exploration and dead mall enthusiast
Economics and political themes in music
The de-industrialization of the UK
Depeche Mode’s Where’s the Revolution
The marketing and consumption of music on the internet
The band’s new album Post Democracy from live performances


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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings!




Robert Stark, Pilleater, & Richard Wolstencroft discuss Ghost in a Shell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark, co-host Pilleater, and director Richard Wolstencroft discuss the new film Ghost in a Shell based on the 1995 anime.

Topics:

How it compares to the original film
The plot and characters
The film’s aesthetics, 1980’s retro-futurism, holograms, and cyberpunk
The synth soundtrack
The Robot Geisha scene
The fictional  futuristic Asian city filmed in Hong Kong
Richard Wolstencroft’s experience in Hong Kong and observations on Asian culture
Comparisons to the films Akira and Blade Runner, and William Gibson’s Neuromancer
The Anime Right
The “white washing” controversy about a White actress playing an Asian role
Scarlet Johansson
Takeshi Kitano
Themes of Trans-humanism and Cybernetics
Ray Kurzweil’s Wildest Prediction: Nanobots Will Plug Our Brains Into the Web
The Philosophy of Mind, ‎Gilbert Ryle’s Ghost in the machine, and Arthur Koestler’s Ghost in the machine
Hubert Dreyfus’s views on artificial intelligence influenced by Martin Heidegger
Political messages in the film
“Ghost in a Shell” as a metaphor for the rootless atomized society where people lack any real identity
Richard’s upcoming film The Second Coming Volume II


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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings!




Robert Stark talks to Giovanni Dannato about Solutions to Social Problems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Pilleater talk to Giovanni Dannato. Giovanni blogs at Colony of Commodus and is the author of A Kingdom For the Introvert. Follow Giovanni on Twitter.

Topics:

What Might A Post-Western Aesthetic Look Like?
Paolo Soleri’s Arcosanti, the concept of arcology, and self contained cities
David Lynch’s Film Dune and the Game Riven
Sci-Fi Inspired By WW1: Future Best Shown Through The Past
How Singapore Went From A Fishing Village With Slums Full OF Shacks To A Thriving City-State With Skyscrapers
Singapore’s founder LEE KUAN YEW
The Human Life Bubble
The Backwardness of Consumerism and Consumer Capitalism
The 60s Revolutionary Order Has Fallen: Now What?
No Going Back to the 1950s – And What Lies Ahead
New Balance Hysteria Shows Us Meaning Beyond Markets
President Trump’s First Baby Steps (And the Big Picture)
How To Turn The Educated Against Political Correctness
Internet Benefits People Asymmetrically
Millennials as a lost generation, and why Giovanni is more optimistic about Generation Z
Discrimination and Why Nepotism Is Necessary
The need for Smart Socialism
Mercantile Diasporas
Neo-Tribalism
The Future of Alt-Right Populism
How the Alt-Right is limited mainly to the white working class and how a larger populist movement could attract progressive voters who have been neglected by the democrat coalition
What Giovanni Believes

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings!




 

Robert Stark interviews Vincent Law

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Pilleater talk to . Vincent is based in Russia, blogs at Atavistic Intelligentsia, and co-hosts the Red Dawn Podcast

Topics:

FROM RUSSIA WITH A SHOVE
Vincent’s background being born in the Ukraine, growing up in the United States, and living in Russia
Identity and the importance of understanding ones roots
The generational divides in Russia
The effects of Communism on Russian Culture
The Yeltsin era in the 90’s, the populist backlash, and the rise of Putin
Social Nationalism, rejecting right wing economics, and why it’s crucial to appeal to factions of the disaffected left
Bobo Nationalism
The Bronze, Silver, and Gold Soul Theory
THE POZ IS A WEAPON OF CLASS WARFARE
Cultural Appropriation, LARPING, and Elite Slumming
Chad Nationalism is a Bad Idea
Vincent’s observations from his recent trip to Sweden
Singh – A Sikh Perspective on the Alt-Right
The Alt-Right Should Support Gentrification
Moscow and Saint Petersburg’s architecture; Archeo-Futurism
Vince’s Cyberpunk Sci-Fi Novel Jak’s Play set in Saint Petersburg in the future, and the upcoming sequel set in Sweden


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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings!




 

Robert Stark interviews Italo Disco Artist Andy Fox

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Pilleater talk to Italian musician and composer Andy Fox. Check out his music on SoundCloudBandcampFacebook, and Twitter

Topics:

Intro Song: “Tempus Fugit EP” (OUT NOW! on Sunlover Rercords)
Creating New music inspired by 80’s Italo disco; The New Retro Wave Genre
Andy’s background in music and early influences including Martinelli and Scotch
The aesthetics of Andy’s album covers
80’s Italian Design, Car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, Fashion, and Ugo La Pietra’s Interior Designs
The Synth of Nu Shooz – “I Can’t Wait”, and how it reminds Pilleater of Andy’s music
The Nu-disco genre
Andy’s music based on work by new artists
Vocals by Laura for his song Fly Away 
Andy’s favorite synthesizers


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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings!




 

Robert Stark interviews Darren Toni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Pilleater talk to Darren Toni. Darren is the producer of DRIVE Radio and Lazerdiscs Records.

Topics:

Intro Song: Aileron – Stratosphere
The release of Robert Parker’s Lazerdiscs album Awakening
Darren’s background in the music industry, and how he got involved with Drive Radio
The New Retro Wave Genre, it’s unique sounds, and audience
The Film Drive, featuring College, Electric Youth, and Kavinsky, and how the film exposed the genre to the masses
The Artists produced by Lazerdiscs Records and Drive Radio
Darren’s nostalgia growing up in the 80’s, and the original New Wave Genre
90’s Euro House Music
80’s Aesthetics, Video Game Arcades, The London Trocadero
80’s visions of the future, and New Retro Wave illustrations
Brutalist Architecture in the Sun
Darren’s book New Heights, the Surreal Aspect of the book, and the illustration by artist William Holder
Themes including the meaning of life, love, despair, and death
Video Synthesis
Darren’s next book which is a science fiction novel murder mystery that deals with themes of social inequality
Vaporwave


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Check out Robert Stark’s Paintings!




Robert Stark talks to Greg Johnson about the Alt Left Dilemma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark, co-host Pilleater, and AltLeft blogger Rabbit talk to Counter-Currents editor Greg Johnson.

Topics:

The Concept of the Left Wing of the Alt Right; The Alt Left
Greg Johnson’s essay on SWPL Identity and Rabbit’s Alt Left Manifesto
Millennial Woes’ talk with Rabbit and Greg Johnson about the Alt Left
The 60’s Left Counter-Culture as a fusion of Tolkien and Marcuse, and the need to reclaim the positive attributes of the left, such as ecology, historic preservation, and anti-consumerism
The Alt Left dilemma identifying with SWPL Culture, and urban aesthetics, while supporting forms of identitarianism that often lack strong aesthetic visions
The lack of cultural sophistication among conservatives, and the left’s monopoly on cultural institutions
Suburbia as a by product of the middle class being cleansed out of cities, and the need to sustain a strong urban middle class
Affordable family formation
The Basic income, how it should be implemented, and who it should favor
Putting caps on high incomes with the exception of artist and inventors
The Nietzschean concept of the artist as the ruler
The conservative outlook that judges people on their material wealth over their aesthetic taste, and creative potential
Overpopulation, and how the ideal is to have immigration reduction with a stable or slowly rising birthrate
Greg’s experience living in San Francisco and Berkeley, San Francisco as a SWPL Utopia, and the aesthetic and ecological attributes of the region
The Transamerica Pyramid and Embarcadero Center in San Francisco
Rabbit’s interest in Mid-Century Space Age aesthetics, and his observations going to Mid-Century Modern home tours
Frank Lloyd Wright
Art Deco, which was a heroic vision of the future with respect for tradition; Art Deco in New York and San Francisco
Film noir, and the Blade Runner
David Lynch’s Archeo-Futurist aesthetic in Dune, and ruin porn
The tradition of right wing modernism; Italian Futurism which captured the vitality, optimism, and new possibilities created by technology
The concept of degenerate art, distinguishing between modernism and postmodernism
Defining what is degenerate; Robert and Pilleater’s show on Avant Garde Film

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Check out Robert Stark’s Paintings!




Robert Stark interviews Count Isidor Fosco

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and co-host Pilleater talk to Count Isidor Fosco. He is an actor based in Toronto, Canada.

Topics:

Count Fosco’s background in the Film Industry in Toronto
Count Fosco’s background in Philosophy
Count Fosco’s Catholic upbringing and Catholic Social Teachings
Toronto as the Neo-Liberal, Multi-Cultural capital of North America
The Eurasian scene in Toronto, The Mixed in the Six club, and Pilleater’s Asian Aryanism
The Secessionist movement in Quebec, Native American Secessionist movements, and Calexit
CPAC organizer denounces ‘alt-right’ as ‘left-wing fascist group’
Neo-Liberal Feudalism and how the mainstream Left has abandoned class issues
Third Positionism, Social Nationalism, and historic figures including Juan Perón, and Sir Oswald Mosley
Why Mosley was an admirable misunderstood figure, and a true Anti-Globalist who would have made a more logical “third power” to America
The need for an Aristocratic form of Socialism, and why socialism isn’t contrary to hierarchy
Karl Marx’s hierarchy of labor
Social Credit and the Basic Income, and how it should be implemented
Affordable Family Formation
What an aristocrat is in today’s capitalist society
The idealistic definition of a True Aristocrat as a revolutionary figure
Georges Palante and Aristocratic Radicalism
Jonathan Bowden and the Angry Young Men
Working and middle class people who view the Trump family as Aristocrats
Trump’s “Aristocratic Futurist” aesthetic and Rockefeller Center in New York City

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Check out Robert Stark’s Paintings!




 

Robert Stark interviews Constantin von Hoffmeister

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark, co-host Pilleater, and Rabbit talk to Constantin von Hoffmeister. He is an advocate of National Futurism and blogs at Oge Noct

Topics:

Constantin’s National Futurist Manifesto
How Futusim captures the Faustian Promethean nature of Western Man
Taking a materialistic over spiritual outlook toward identity
The Italian Futurist who wanted to re-create the glory of Rome in a futurist setting
The Dada movement, and Constantin’s flirtation with the concept of National Dadaism
The concept of Eurosiberia and Imperium Europa
National Bolshevism, Eurasianism, and Aleksandr Dugin
The European Migrant Crisis, and why Constantin is pessimistic about his home country Germany’s future
Why Constantin views Islamization as Europe’s primary threat, but America as a rival
How the election of Trump has improved Constantin’s view toward America
Constantin’s support for Israel and Secular Arab Nationalism as a bulwark against Radical Islam
The Cultural effects of Communism on East Germany and Eastern Europe
The Faustian Imperial Nature of Brutalist Architecture
Le Corbusier’s Plan To Overhaul Paris
Using Le Corbusier’s ideas to redevelop decaying suburbs into garden cities
The glitzy Neo-Brutalist Architecture of John C. Portman Jr, and his inspiration from the Champs-Élysées
London’s Architecture, Ernő Goldfinger’s Brutalist towers, Centre Point, and the BT Tower
The Bauhaus White City in Tel Aviv, Israel
Art NouveauArt Deco, and Mid-century modern
The Palace of the Soviets proposal in Moscow
The Russian Futurist movement
1970s Soviet futurism
New Arbat and Cyberpunk in Moscow
Constantin’s experience in India, and Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh, India
Constantin’s Poetry

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Check out Robert Stark’s Paintings!