Gwen Stefani made Harajuku Girls popular and accepted outside of Japan. But Gwen’s music isn’t exactly the kind that Harajuku girls would actually listen to. These candy-colored underaged girls hanging around Tokyo’s Harajuku and Shibuya districts with their candy-colored headphones and accessories are much more in tuned with Shibuya-Kei, a kind of candy-colored electro-pop music made famous by DJ’s like Fantastic Plastic Machine (FPM, see left).

Just like our two friends below, Shibuya-Kei truly is rainbows on acid, and is gaining grounds outside of Japan. Even its less extreme, hyper flying J-Rock agents – Puffy AmiYumi have landed safely to America, bringing us music with beats averaged over 160 bpm, and girls that made us feel old and detached from reality.

FPM produced a commercial animation on behalf of Luis Vuitton (click below). The short featured a young girl eaten by a cute LV monster, and then fallen into a LV rabbit hole. The graphic movie isn’t as well-known as Takashi Murakami’s (remember the psychedelic LV inspired graphics and plastic sculptures exhibited in New York’s Brooklyn Museum), but, you get the point – LV is everywhere, even living inside a 6 year old Japanese girl’s cellphone.

If you want a true taste of Shibuya-Kei through FPM, we suggest to start with FPM’s Beautiful, (click here for Beautiful Days MV on YouTube) a 2001 classic that sweetens your ears without making them bleed.

The logical continuation from last Tuesday’s trip through the definitively/purposefully non-sensible streets of Haight & Ashbury comes a humbly sensible inner reflective of our guest MDS. As the rabbit hole suggests, one must regress in order to progress. Please also stay tuned to other GEDDEM Interviews. If you are interested to be interviewed by GEDDEM please contact us.

GDM: Your background?
MDS: Born in rural Southern Taiwan in 1947. Even as a kid I was into art. Just always saw things a little differently. Put myself through 1969, Taiwan Shida University, Fine Arts Department with first honors in oils, watercolor, and graphic design. Then, exchanged 8 years for 2,500 sketches as an essay illustrator for The China Times. 1977. Decided to take my wife and daughter West in chase of the American Dream. Wanted to go fine arts, but after a few gallery shows, things didn’t work out so well, so decided to head back home. After 30 more years of commercial arts, now retired in San Francisco, happily/luckily with the same wife [laugh].

GDM: About Inspiration?
MDS: Creation is the goal. In the beginning, the water colors were experimental. To strip away excess. Bringing art back to an absolute rudimentary style and color. Simplistic. Experimental. Technical. Emotional, I’ve always had a thing for humanity and society. The human touch of emotion and concern. It’s the sensitivity of emotions. Art is explanation. I want to explain why people are the way they are.

GDM: Who is Chen Hui-Kun?
MDS: My Mentor. He was a good teacher. Learned his craft in Japan. Then refined in Paris. A dedicated, diligent artist. It may have been him who inspired my understanding of the human connection to art. That regardless of time, language, culture, space, that the human emotion is universally true. Perhaps his work ethic was most inspirational. Strict. Diligent. The Japanese way. I’ve never met another man more hard working. Short with words, but you can tell that he wants you to do well. Almost fatherly. We were all poor kids from the countryside then. And he understood. “咱巄是甘苦囝仔” he once told me. And it moved me.

Please note images shown in this entry are the properties of MDS, courtesy of GEDDEM, and cannot be used or reproduced in any way without the written consent of MDS or GEDDEM.com.

From the archives: a great feature on Aaron Young in last October’s Interview Magazine (the James Franco cover). If you didn’t already know, and as mentioned in an earlier post, Interview is back.

The piece sits Young down with fellow downtown artist Adam McEwen in his NYC loft apartment for a lively chat about motorcycles, trading art for clothes and the territoriality of surfing. How does it all tie together?

L-R: Jack Kerouac’s ‘Big Sur’; Adam Young’s 2008 piece ‘Go Home’

Young grew up in California, bobbing in the surf around Carmel, Monterey and the bohemian paradise Big Sur, where ‘there are only enough waves for a certain amount of people.’ A few of his pieces carry the spirit of this upbringing with them — rock and bronze sculptures emblazoned with phrases like ‘Go Home’ and ‘Locals Only’ — phrases he wrote around his childhood surfing spots, and ones that translate perfectly to a New York City downtown art scene plagued by gentrification, rising rent costs and every variety of culture-vulture.

Lately, he’s made different waves working with motorcyclists on some distinctly masculine, large-scale pieces. In the fall of 2007, Tom Ford and Sotheby’s Auction House hosted a show for Young at the Park Avenue Armory, where he enlisted ten motorcyclists to pop burnouts on a set of painted boards. Christopher Bollen, who replaced Ingrid Sischy last year as Interview’s new editor-in-chief, was on-hand to report for New York Magazine.

It’s the choice to work in this type of medium that’s gotten Young pegged as a ‘jock artist’ — a loose term that sees him lumped in with art stars like Richard Prince. But jock isn’t perhaps the right word to use for someone like Young, who explains to Adam McEwen his art-for-clothing arrangement with designer Adam Kimmel (of the now-infamous Claremont hill-bombing video, above, and a California kindred spirit), who recently gifted Young six or seven three-piece suits.

Teragaki-Labo debuts today its new $33,000 TERRA-SP3000 (2,940,000 Yen), a pair of speakers developed from founder Teragaki Takeshi‘s 30 years of research on the Matter-Wave Theory. So what does that mean? Well, according to AV Watch Japan, the SP3000 tackled and eliminated some of the vibration issues associated with speakers panels. By minimizing internal speaker vibrations audio clarity is therefore enhanced. Audiophiles can now listen to their favorite classics just like “hearing a clock at midnight,” said AV Watch.

So it’s not completely revolutionary, but could it possibly rival a $5000 pair of Stax Electrostatic Headphones in sound clarity? We’ll have to have some other reviewers be the judge on this one. The 360 degree projection of sound and the beautifully crafted wooden housings, though, made us sweat in our New York office on this snowy day.

With Inauguration day less than 24 hours away, ObamaMania is at an all-time high and climbing, and GEDDEM is here to bring you all of the Obama gadgetry goodness you can handle. From the tricked out new wheels of the Cadillac One to unofficial (and hilarious) Obama merch to details on how to get yourself equipped like the Commander in Chief , the The GEDDEM Inauguration Gadget Guide is on the ball!

The Wheels
Batman sure is going to be jealous when he gets wind of this. The new Presidential Limo is so tricked out, even the Batmobile is showing signs of envy. The Cadillac One, as it’s come to be known, is a completely custom built stretch Cadillac Deville Touring Sedan (that means limo) built on a GM four-wheel drive platform. The car has been around since year 2 of the Bush administration, but is getting a complete overhaul for the new presidency.

New Features include:
Price: $650,000
Fuel Consumption: 8 Miles/Gallon (Editor’s note – sure keeps our American tradition going).
Bumpers: Night vision cameras embedded in the front and rear bumpers
Tires: Kevlar reinforced, shred and puncture resistant tires with steel rims underneath, meaning that the Cadillac One can drive at top speed even if the tires are blown clean off.
Body: Reinforced with a five-inch thick steel plate, the Cadillac One is protected thoroughly against under-body explosives.
Doors: Eight inches thick with armor plating, each of the doors on the One weigh as much as a cabin door on a Boeing 757.
Passenger Cabin: Equipped with an executive package straight out of Pimp My Ride, Obama’s seat has access to a foldaway desktop, built in laptop with wi-fi, and a satellite phone that can call everyone from Joe Biden to the International Space Station. Panic button also included.
Gas Tank: Armor-plated and coated with antiballistics foam for explosive protection from the inside out.
Trunk: Pre-equipped with oxygen tanks and a complete firefighting system.

Pong, circa 1988

The Game: Pong Obama has your number. In a pre-election interview for Entertainment Weekly, Obama told us that his favorite video-game of yesteryear is, in fact, Pong. Granted, he also admitted that he hadn’t played it since its initial release, but for a president to have been into video games ever is a wicked awesome first.

Yes Wii Can!

The Console: Nintendo Wii After the election, the Obama girls (Sasha and Malia) got two things that virtually every kid in America wanted for Christmas – a puppy, and a Nintendo Wii. And don’t think that the Presidential Papa is letting his family have all the fun while he sits on the sidelines. Word around town is that Barack likes Wii Bowling better than the real thing.

Welcome To The Uh.... Social.

The Tunes: Ipod or Zune? Recently, a Philadelphia City Paper blogger reported spotting Obama at a hotel gym, watching himself on CNN and listening to a Zune. This, of course, caused an uproar from Ipod and Zune fans alike. Not to be anti-Zune or anything, but honestly it would be kind of surprising for Obama to be using a Zune considering that he is unofficially known for being an Apple fan. For 24 hours Zune users had a field day, until an Obama rep stated officially that “Barack Obama does not use a Zune.” The reporter responded by saying, “I’ve seen a zune before. I know what one looks like.” So the answer is debatable, but on the record, the win goes to Apple.

The Smartphone: The Blackberry 8800

Since the early days of the campaign trail, Obama has been a self-proclaimed Blackberry addict, to the point that when the NSA told him “No Blackberries Allowed,” he turned it into a legal battle royale. It’s understandable why he would fight for his right to blackberry as well, when you get a look at the NSA Approved Smartphones he has to choose from.

The two sides went back and forth for a while, but CBS News announced yesterday that the NSA has agreed to allow Obama to keep his Blackberry, as long as he doesn’t use AIM on it. It’s hello, blackberry, bye-bye buddy list.

Obamarama Gear!

Whether you’re going to the Inauguration Ball, watching the ceremonies on tv in your favorite bar, or just hanging out on the couch, we’ve got the latest gadgets to keep you set up in secret service style (oh, the alliteration!)

First, everyone knows that the President has access to a Panic button, but not everyone has a panic button of their own. Introducing the USB Self Destruct Button Hub, for when you need your own panic button. Featuring 4 USB ports with fast connection that corresponds with Windows XP and MacOS X. On the front panel, the key, button, and the switches actually work. You know, just in case you need it.

Whether in Michigan or Mumbai, the Commander in Chief always needs to know what time it is. SuckUK is here to help with their svelte line of internationally inspired clocks. The Timezone Clock displays the actual time, as well as the differences in time based on time zone on the map next to it. If you’re into international time in a more literal sense, there are’s also the Time Flies Clock Trio, bringing you the time in London, Hong Kong, and NYC.

For the Secret Service agent with style, there’s always a hot new set of earbuds waiting for you. Aiaiai’s Y-Com Earbuds are ready to go, complete with Secret Service style coil and built-in microphone, these guys look super cool and are iphone compatible.

With the Obama Inauguration and Valentine’s Day coming up, I’ve got plenty of work on my hands, but I just couldn’t pass this one up. What you’re looking at is the Cadillac WTF. No, it’s not a joke, that’s really what it’s called – the WTF stands for World Thorium Fuel, and is one of the latest concept designs from New York industrial designer Loren Kulesus. Featuring sleek, organically inspired curves, the WTF looks wicked awesome, glows, and runs on Thorium – an alternative radioactive fuel to Uranium.

Click above for a tight list of 13 from this year’s Consumer Electronics show, which took place last weekend. The oddball? A wireless speaker system from Linksys. Promising as it looks, it’s tough to shake the brand association.

As Men.style.com puts it, “After all, we hardly expected a stylish in-house music system from the company responsible for our wonky router. Consider it 2009′s first example of change we can believe in.“