The Rosicrucians

"The Rosicrucians" ink, watercolor, gold paint

The cross of the Rosicrucians, a mystic sect of mediaeval Germany. They "held a doctrine 'built on esoteric truths of the ancient past', which, 'concealed from the average man, provide insight into nature, the physical universe and the spiritual realm. '" I got the imagery from watching Jodorowsky's Holy Mountain, one of my favorite movies. In the scene where the master is showing his disciples examples of holy mountains throughout the world, he describes the 9 immortal mystics of Rosicrucianism assembling atop their sacred peak.

Concept sketches for "Total Life"

A series of mixed media sketches meant to symbolize a forgotten language. It would have been used by primitive peoples as a means to record their hallucinatory experiences during their nature worship rituals which would include usage of naturally occurring psychedelic substances.

Good Jams

I'm going to see Throbbing Gristle when they come to Chicago in April. Really looking forward to the show! They'll be playing two shows (one at 7PM and one at 10PM) at a church called Epiphany Episcopal. Should be a once in a lifetime performance as well as a truly religious experience. They haven't played Chicago since 1981!

I was also really excited to see that Midwestern US electronic/drone trio Emeralds are opening for them. If you haven't heard them check 'em out here. They're kind of the torchbearers for the legacy of experimental electronic music that TG helped create. From Cleveland too, of all places! Love that city!

Also in the mix, some extremely unnerving and darkly evocative ambient music from Norway (one of my other favorite places) ala Svarte Greiner, one half of the dark ambient duo Deaf Center. I can honestly say I've never heard anything quite like this album with its exquisite textures and emotionally devastating sonic landscapes created from cellos, female vcals, field recordings, and assorted ephemera. Also, another real eye-opener, a great Portuguese psych/dub troupe called Gala Drop. Got turned on to these guys by Six Organs' Ben Chasny. Yet another group of newbies culling electronic sounds and inspiration from the deeply influential waters of Throbbing Gristle.

TG in their Heyday circa 1980

Svarte Greiner-Knive

Emeralds-Solar Bridge

Gala Drop-S/T

Better News

So I finally got my shit together and created a pedal board for all my guitar effects. I figured since I'm actually playing in a real live band, I should do myself a favor and have somethin' nice and reliable. Thanks to Jim for lending me some supplies and a few pedals too! I've actually got a pretty nice setup and I'm happy with the results. Got the quintessential psychedelic implements: Morley Bad Horsie Wah, ZVEX Fuzz Factory, Danelectro Fab Tone, T.C. Electronics XII B/K Programmable Phaser, Ibanez Soundtank Digital Delay, and a Boss RC-20 XL Loop Station. Got it running through Jim's Voodoo Lab 2 Plus Power Pedal supply. Nice!

No band name yet, although we'll be voting on one this Sunday, very diplomatic!

Bad News

Tragic! I lost my newest sketchbook that houses some of my more recent ideas, writing, etc. This is very important to me and if anyone who reads this blog lives in the Chicago area and has any info on the whereabouts of it please let me know.

I last saw the sketchbook at my house before I left to go to the Green Eye Lounge (Western and Homer) in Bucktown on Saturday Feb. 7. I put it in my coat pocket and rode my bike to meet my fiance and a friend at the Green Eye. Shortly afterwords I rode to Goose Island in Wrigleyville to catch a friends' band. I took Armitage to Damen to Roscoe to Clark as my bike path to get to Goose Island.

It's a small black Moleskine sketchbook held closed with an elastic band. It contains 2 of my business cards as well as a few loose pages of notes. If you have any information please e-mail me at johnnydeckermiller@gmail.com. All of my contact information is contained on the business cards.

Support Your Local Industries

Support Your Local Industries is a Chicago-based T-shirt company run exclusively by my good friend Meng Yang. Meng is an extraordinary designer and in the past year has developed his company with the intention of ,well, supporting local businesses, albeit with a particularly creative bent. Check it out here and support!

SYL sells shirts designed by Meng and come packaged in beautiful silkscreened posters on craft paper designed by local artists. Meng recently approached me to do the next batch of posters.

Below, I've uploaded some rough mock-up images of my idea for the art. It'll be screened at Spudnik press here in the city on 24"x24" brown craft paper. Hopefully, I'll be able to do 2 variations, one with orange text and one with green.There's a link to the previous poster here, by Angee Lennard. More info to come soon.

Newest Sketches

Alan Moore "Magician"-Ink Pen

Rain Coat-Pencil & Whiteout