SFR Digital Picks—Week of May 20

Electric Oceans

AudioBuddha takes to Twitch to calm your nerves

After decades in the DJ trenches, AudioBuddha (aka Steve Brisk) knows how to soothe the soul. He's long been a fan of chill-out jams, a purveyor of everything from techno to house to ambient soundscapes—but with a new piece of music called Commodity Ocean (audiobuddha.bandcamp.com) just completed, he's entering more experimental territory.

"I've been sheltered in place since mid-March, and this is a result of me staying at home and meditating," he says. "I decided to do something with an -oceanic theme. I wanted to play on the intersection between oceans and commerce."

If your mind snaps to -visions of environmentalism and politics, you're not so far off, according to Brisk. With a combination of his own audio libraries and found sound pieces like grocery store background noise, -shopping bag instrumentation and a rhythm track created with Coke cans, he's definitely making a statement. But rather than a finger–wagging how-dare-you opus, Commodity Ocean is more about reflection and possibly stirring change within oneself.

Though Brisk is known for chillout, he's often been fairly danceable—this time out, though, his music feels more like a guided meditation piece.

"Honestly, it was surprisingly ego-less," Brisk explains. "I was really blanking. I was really removing myself from the process as much as a I could, if that makes sense—working slowly, slicing it up and arranging the various sounds. It naturally evolved."

As for live performance, Brisk is set to kick off a series of Wednesday livestreamed AudioBuddha events on platform giant Twitch this week. He says these online events will generally stick to darkwave, '80s and '90s electro remixes and "a nice gothy edge." But with experiments in new methodology and a renewed emphasis on creation, the shows really could be anything.
(Alex De Vore)

AudioBuddha Wednesdays:
7 pm Wednesday May 20. Free.
twitch.tv/AudioBuddha

Puro Nuevo Mexicano

Once upon a time, the distinguished journalist Arnold Vigil spent a whole bunch of years creating a very enjoyable column for the Albuquerque Journal North known as ¡ÓRALE! SANTA FE. Vigil took the space to discuss pretty much whatever, and it was always something certifiably New Mexican in nature. In 2008, however, as the newspaper economy took a particularly nasty downturn, the paper tragically cut Vigil's column. Now, however, he's compiled some of his very favorites into the new book Santa Fe Different: 22 Years and All I Got Was a Cheeseburger, and folks who live and love in this state should take notice. Vigil reads from his new tome and gets together with fans via Zoom chat presented by Collected Works Bookstore and Coffeehouse this week, and for people who love this state, it's sure to be all bad. (ADV)

Arnold Vigil: Santa Fe Columns:
6 pm Thursday May 21. Free.
collectedworksbookstore.com

A Scottish Still Life

Get all your "It reminds me of Van Gogh!" ya-yas out and really take a closer look at Scottish painter Angus Wilson's still life works. Wilson opens the digital exhibit New Life in Still Life at Ventana Fine Art this week, and though we've definitely been humming Don McLean in our heads while perusing the images, we're also catching bold color choices and a dreamlike number of floral and tree pieces we swear we could almost smell. Before going into painting full time, Wilson worked in the entertainment business. Since 2004, he's turned a part-time painting hobby into a full-on practice. Yes, there are throwback elements to the work, but there's a decidedly contemporary edge, too. You know these pieces, but only kind of—and that familiarity feels nice, particularly as Wilson surprises and impresses on a more subtle and -nuanced level than expected from the time–honored still life. (ADV)

Angus Wilson: New Life in Still Life:
5 pm Friday May 22. Free.
ventanafineart.com/angus

Aw, Hell Yeah, Dawgs!

We couldn't even imagine living through this point in time without our pets. No offense to the pet-less, but when we're having a tough day and one of those four-legged bastards wanders in all wide-eyed and cute, everything else seems to melt away. The fine folks at Back Road Pizza have similar feelings, and that's why they're hosting the special Pints for Pups fundraising event to benefit the Santa Fe Animal Shelter—which has provided free food to laid-off or furloughed employees of late and which does all kinds of great stuff all the time. On Saturday, May 23, Back Road offers up special custom pint glasses, a raffle, prizes and pizza, and proceeds go to the shelter. Eat pizza and help adorable animals? This might be a flawless plan. (ADV)

Pints for Pups:
All Day Saturday, May 23.
backroadpizza.com