I am trying to contain my excitement. Not sure if I can but I'll try. For PB's latest project I've reached out to the creme of the crop to help and the results are quite fantastic.
Michal Pachniewski
Even after winning multiple awards for his photography, Michal continues to hone his eclectic eye onto the shapes and colors that make photography special. Now, most people take pictures of crazy things like sharks and dead animals to get people to engage the shock & awe of their material. Michal doesn't. He has such an eye for time and energy that scoops you up into the moment, allowing the dimensions of the imagery to draw you further and further in without ever needing to explain what the image is about. Truly a spectacle. He is one of the few photographers I am moved by today. Michal has offered to provide artwork for each song on both EPs and the hardest part was having to choose, as I liked everything he sent. Each window of imagery makes contact with the cinematic quality of every song. I could work with him again and again and again. I'm beaming as I type.
You should definitely check out his work:https://www.flickr.com/photos/lilleabe/
Du Kun
What to say about this guy? One look at his paintings and you'll simply say "Holy (explicative)". In this age of Photoshop and digital recreations, you'll find his work stunning. There is simply not one of his works that doesn't jostle me. The detail and precision of his painting is awe-inspiring. I met him through WeChat (Chinese whatsapp) through our previous drummer. He wanted to do a painting of me. We signed contracts and then I didn't hear from him for a few months. The results were mind-blowing.
The actual painting is quite large and will be displayed in a museum in Japan. It's called Temple of Butterfly Dreaming. If you ever get a chance to go to Japan, go to the Mizuma Art Gallery and check out his work. He was born in Sichuan, and we grew to know each other through the world of art. He told me that he painted while listening to our music. What an honor. He's incredible. Check out more of his work here: DUKUN ART
Chenduxi
This guy I have known since my first days in Chengdu in 2002. Our stories go way back. He actually used to be the original drummer of the band. He was in art school and had some metal bands that a lot of people knew about. He worked making tattoos and I met him through a guy at Sichuan University's philosophy department. We all liked music and art. Chenduxi suggested we find a drummer at this music school. So we all went out there one day. We listened to a bunch of drummers and nothing seemed right.
While we were waiting for one guy to finish his class, Chenduxi just grabbed the sticks and started banging away. I was playing acoustic guitar on the floor and BAM!, that was it. I knew right away that this raw energy was unlike anything else. He released three albums with us, toured all over the country (Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Chongqing, Wuhan, EVERYWHERE). But after our album with Modern Sky was dealt with poorly by their management, he decided that it was time for him to be a painter instead of a drummer. Painters last longer than drummers and painting was always his first love anyway. We parted as lovers of art, knowing that our paths would cross again, and they did. It was sad, but we all knew this was what we needed. We've been brothers ever since. He's done every album cover except Poltergeist (Heather Love)
and Medusae (Sara Kala Ruiperez).