The Gotryke Mix Series debut with the right kind of pedigree from DJ 3000, a musically-inclined car connoiseur.

“Motech’s vision was born from the dust and destruction of the automobile industry in the Motor City,” said Frankie Juncaj, who records as DJ 3000. “Once a booming industry that influenced the world, it was reduced to shambles in one fell swoop and left a permanent residue on the city it once inhabited. Drawing from the never ending influence that Detroit had to offer, we began looking back to our ethnic roots. What eventually emerged was a unique blend of Detroit electronic rhythm combined with the sounds and textures of generations long past.”

The name is a play on Motown and techno, but also references an automotive trade school in Detroit from the 1980s. Falling in love with cars was natural for Juncaj, who grew up in Detroit. His father and most of his relatives worked at Chrysler and he hung out at his next door neighbor’s whose who built race cars for fun. Juncaj is into classic Chevrolet muscle cars and slick styled Euro- rides. “If I could buy one classic Chevy it would be a ’67 Chevy Camaro because to me it screams classic American muscle. I grew up seeing that car in my neighborhood. Yes, I know my dad worked at Chrysler but he even had a Chevy Monte Carlo.”

Juncaj relocated to Amsterdam, but if he moves back to Detroit he’ll buy a used 2004 Audi RS4. “Its fast and looks slick and without looking loud so this is the perfect car for me. I plan to buy one in the future….I hope!”

DOWNLOAD: View dj3000-karma-mix-mp3
Motech Records

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By Tamara Warren

Lush green, idyllic European roads are lined with cafes, castles and quaint locales. Here is authentic European charm, outside of large metropolises where exotic cars find their calling on large expanses of highway. Here along winding stretches of road, exquisite, handcrafted cars that operate at lightening speed are in their element. This is where Maximilian Riedel, C.E.O of Riedel Crystal, spends much of his free time.

“The question is what sort of vehicles have I not take on these roads?” 31-year old Riedel proudly exclaims. The 11^th generation glassmaker is an avid enthusiastic car collector.  Ferraris are prominent in his stable. (He has four including a vintage Daytona and a new Scuderia). He keeps a canary yellow Lamborghini Murcielago and Mercedes-Benz S65 in his New York City garage. The pristine cars are not for show.  Every year the Austrian native who lives in New York, carves out time in his schedule for long drives through the European countryside.

While the clichéd image of European road racing is the iconic Autobahn, Riedel believes this perception is outdated. “Even though people say Germany on the Autobahn is the place to be because you can go as fast as you want to that’s not true,” Riedel explains. “Those days are over for the last 5 to 10 years.  There are speed limitations. The police are really hot on teaching the people who still live the dream of the 1990s.”

Riedel designs his travels to be conducive to the overall experience as the ambassador of the crystal wine glasses made by his family business. Top on the list are roads of the French countryside where he is planning his next trip through Strasbourg and the Loire Valley onto Burgundy in one of his Ferraris. “If you want to drive a car, if it is a nice car, if it is a fast car, if it is an old car, there is only one place to do so because the roads are absolutely the finest in the world and this is the northern part of France,” he says. “For sure one of the nicest routes is from Kufstein to Bordeaux, which is 800 miles.” Riedel stops at scenic outlooks and dines in fine restaurants located along the route.  “You can do it quick, you can do it in one day, you can do it in five days.”

Timing is everything – most Europeans take holidays in July and August, but Riedel thinks June is best, when the weather has turned warm and inviting, but the roads are still relatively empty. Also top on the list of routes is to begin in northern Italy and head south to Monte Carlo and onto Marseille. “At the same time if you like Italy and you like the small Autostrada then the Almafi coasts is one of the special trips,” he adds.

This passion for travel is an extension of boyhood nostalgia. “I started when I was 12. My parents bought a vintage 1989 Porsche. They forced my sister and I to drive with them with BMX helmets. I’m not a fan of convertibles because of this.” The Riedel family has an extensive car collection near their headquarters in Kustein, Austria. Maximilian has driven the family cars.  At other times, he’s shipped his cars from the U.S. “Last year I took on that road the Scuderia Ferrari.  This year I’m thinking of taking the F40, because I haven’t taken a long trip in the F40. In August, my Daytona is done so I could consider driving this as well.”

For U.S. travelers, he recommends shipping cars to Europe. “If you are American and you want to go drive in Europe you can do so with about $1000. You can put your car in a container and it takes about six weeks. Don’t rent your car, bring your own. It’s affordable, it’s less expensive than renting a car, and it’s really easy.”

These trips are for more than nostalgia for Riedel, they provide the research and  influence for the next collection of Riedel crystal. “I get very much inspired by my trips. I build the trip around good food and restaurants. You can read about them, but you have to see them. You’re out in nature. You smell, you see and you taste.” Another journey that he adds are regular visits to racetracks for training and recreation with his fast car.

Of course an essential part of Riedel’s luggage are his wineglasses, of which he has won awards for designs, particularly the O Glass.  He has a customized Louis Vuitton case for travel.  “ I carry my glasses with me wherever I go.”

Maximilian Riedel and his vintage Ducati

When Riedel’s not traveling, he’s still on wheels at home – he has a vintage Ducati 996 motorcycle installed into his apartment. “I sit on it to relax and be creative. The gas and the oil have been taken out, so the bike is not going to go bad.” While Riedel doesn’t ride motorcycles, his passion for motorcycles is sentimental. Riedel’s grandfather was a professional motorcyclist in the ’50s. “For me bikes are more of a piece of art.” The art of motion that pervades Riedel’s lifestyle is crystal clear.

More on Riedel:

Coolhunting

TamaraWarren.com

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There’s something roguishly sexy about drifting. Drifting involves whirling, twirling and spinning for sport. That’s the spirit of the new Mustang RTR. The Mustang RTR is the brainchild of drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr., driver of the Monster Energy/Falken Tire 2011 Mustang GT in the Formula Drift series.

The juiced up Mustang features Ford Racing Falken FK-452 tires, unique 19-inch wheels, and RTR-exclusive interior details and striping scheme, and is available at select dealerships

Michigan-based Classic Design Concepts, orchestrates the custom job for the package which is available at select Ford dealerships for the 2011 Mustang GT. A souped-up carbon fiber addition is on the way.

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Common was among the head turners who showed up in a 2011 Jaguar XJ for the LA, Los Angeles Times Magazine’s “Rock/Style: A Night of Music and Fashion” event at Drai’s in Hollywood on June 1. Common hosted and performed at the event.

The night was chilly, but that didn’t stop Ben Elliott, Nikki Lund, Lauren Mayhew, Terrell Owens, Donald Strickland and choreographer Robin Antin from pausing to gaze and pose with the all-new XJ.

Related Coverage:Racked.comLos Angeles Times MagazineInside Black Hollywood

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Jeff Koons provided a sneak peak of the schematics for his forthcoming 17th BMW Art Car alongside the crisp white BMW M3 GT2 race car that will bear the artist’s designs zipping by at extremely high speeds.

BMW announced that the car will be raced at the 24 Hours at Lemans race on June 12 and 13. The last art car to race was Roy Lichtenstein’s M1 art car in 1977. The Koons car will run as #79 in tribute to Andy Warhol’s 1979 M1 art car, who is among Koons’ idols and motivations for participating. Warhol hand painted the car for the collection that includes Alexander Calder, Frank Stella and Jenny Holzer in its 35-year old history.

Koons digitally developed the graphics for the car in his studio with his team of assistants. “I was inspired by Christmas tree lights,” Koons said. “I’ve received a lot of stimulus from it and improved my 3-d skill in with taking 2-d and 3-d scans.”

The car will be shipped to BMW who will paint the car based on Koons’ renderings, which include vivid brightly colored stripes that fan out across the exterior sheet metal, creating a sense of kinetic, electric motion. The Koons car will be unveiled at the Centre do Pompidou in Paris on June 1, where Koons will sign it, and it will remain on display for one day before getting prepped for the race.

“It could be two to three years before we do another art car,” said BMW President Jim O’Donnell. “We knew it would be interesting and it might be controversial.” From the look of Koons’ design, he kept it safe. The only stipulation was that Koons couldn’t add extra weight to the car, which would slow it down.

Koons said he was motivated by the competitive aspects of motor sports, though he does not proclaim to be an avid fan. “I wanted the viewer to have an understanding of what they are interacting with,” he said. “I wanted it to look fast.”

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In an ad that avoids controversy, Hyundai goes for the drive –running the ball with consistent offense and a surefire quarterback sneak peek. The rising car company opts for elegance and virtue with it’s Super Bowl blitz.  The Hyundai aesthetic will seem familiar with a total of eight airings for the Super Bowl XLIV Sunday.

“Paint” features the strokes of the new 2011 Sonata, and cues in on the visible design of the car with lush imagery.

The golden quarterback and everyone’s favorite sage quarterback Brett Favre shows face for Hyundai as the 2020 MVP, imagining a future where Hyundai reigns safe and supreme as Favre ages like wine on the field. The NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings QB is the NFL“iron man”  for most consecutive games started. It’s all to highlight Hyundai’s 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty. Clever, clever.

The Making of Michael Strahan’s 1963 Lincoln

Land Rover at the ESPYs

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A glimpse of the studio belonging to Jeff Koons

Gotryke’s insider artist Lee Quinones attended a reception at Jeff Koons’ Chelsea studio, in which BMW announced that Koons will create the 17th art car, joining an esteemed group including Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer, Andy Warhol, David Hockney,  Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, Robert Rauschenberg, and Alexander Calder. A packed room of art world luminaries, socialites, journalists and car executives roamed the studio to munch on food prepared by Chef Thomas Keller.  Here are Lee’s impressions.

When I arrived at the studio, the first work that caught my eye was a series of paintings in progress depicting the subject of pinup girl Betty Page. It appeared that the paintings would eventually reflect the bulbous sculptural work that is pure Koons.

In the pieces I saw in progress, everything was meticulously detailed on every point of the canvas. It seemed as if the imagery was projected onto the canvas, because there was no evidence of the telltale worked lines of pencil sketching. In his work, everything is broken down into grids to ensure the realization of the photo-realist qualities that are found in his painting style. His assistants were at it, painstakingly working fine brushes and custom-mixing oils blended to match the imagery on the computers. The resulting paintings were hypnotic. The pieces were filled with messages enhanced by lush oils.

I was drawn to a monochromic abstract painting that reminded me of a John Chamberlain sculpture. One of his assistants, Abby, was watching over the still-wet oil painting. She told me that each painting takes one year to complete, even with all the assistants. This particular piece was a recreation — the original painting was damaged in transit and Koons opted replace it.  He destroyed the original. “Everybody has their process,” she said.

The studio was well kept and orderly with posted signs that workers should return things to their place to ensure order. It was like a series of garages joined at the hip to make one large space to accommodate the enormous spectrum of his work. Koons has everything in this space — giant sculptures, paintings, a research area,and drawing centers.

In some ways, the efficient production reminded me of my visits to Keith Haring’s studio in his heyday, but Keith only used five or six assistants and participated in the painting himself.  Koons has 130 workers, most of whom are artists and create the factory ambiance that he cultivates with a highly refined vision. It made for a polished environment. Each Koons worker takes a tremendous amount of prides in the work that they do — working for one of the world’s best known living artists. They took time out to cheerily explain their process to the guests.

When the announcement was made by BMW President Jim O’Donnell, that Koons would create the next art car, it came across to be a partnership based in sincerity.  The car was nowhere in sight, nor any imagery of the car, because they said it was still in the beginning stages. Koons said he was a fan of the BMW art cars and was seen in deep conversation with David Hockney. It was a fun eveining — I ran into several old art world pals, and one friend-of-a-friend one who told me that he had crashed the party with skater Oksana Baiul.

Yvonne Force Villareal, Dorothy Lichtenstein, Jeff Koons and Doreen Remen celebrate the announcement that Koons will create the 17th BMW Art Car at Koons’ Manhattan studio Tuesday, February 2,

All in all, it was an evening that created anticipation for the coming of the 17th BMW art car– keeping them curious is always an effective approach in the art world spectacle.

More cars and art on Gotryke:

Site Unseen: Miami Art Basel Murals
Lee Quinones is BMW X6
Related articles:

15 Examples Of Awesome Automotive Art (weburbanist.com)

BMW Chooses Schlock for Its Next Art Car (wired.com)

Jeff Koons has more than 120 Assistants (artnewsblog.com

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photo: Santa Fabio

Carl Craig is known for his electronic musical wizardry, sophisticated DJ skills and curatorial ear that play out on his Planet E Communications label in classic tracks like “Bug in the Bassbin” and “Throw” and high profile collaborations/remixes with Herbie Hancock and Tori Amos. A visionary in his own time, Craig was brought back on board as creative director of the upcoming 10th-anniversary Movement Festival in Detroit.

But what most people don’t know about Carl is that he loves to drive fast cars, unless of course close attention is paid to the intro of his 1995 album

“> Landcruising.

“I did an album called Landcruising and the first note is the 318i and it goes into the track,” he says sipping from a glass of white wine in his Michigan kitchen. “I took microphones and turned on the ignition.”

Carl called me last summer with an interesting objective — he wanted to document his search for a new car. A longtime BMW loyalist, the lease on his 7-series was winding down, and he wanted to explore the world of speed. And so Carl and I set forward on a journey through the particulars of his car buying aesthetics. The search took Carl high and low, from the fast to the furious, as he navigated through the particulars of financing his car taste.

One of the highs was at 180 mph, when we spent on the race track with Carl Craig, test driving Aston Martins at the Ford Proving Grounds in Romeo, Michigan as a guest of the British manufacturer. Read the story in the February issue of Hour Magazine about Carl’s affair with the Aston Martin DBS, DB9 and V8 Vantage at the newly opened performance driving school with top-notch instructors.

We’ll bring you more of our story of what happens when Detroit techno and cars converge, and how Carl narrowed down a shopping list that included an Aston Martin DB9, BMW 750i, Mercedes-Benz CL, Mercedes-Benz E class, Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte. Decisions are the worst, (but so much fun to watch other people make.)

Carl Craig on Rolling Stone

Carl Craig on Royal Oak Daily Tribune

Carl Craig on Stylus Magazine

photographer: Santa Fabio

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Audi trumped the LA Auto Show with impeccable timing, unveiling the 2011 Audi A8 at the Art of Progress, an event held on the opposite coast inaugurating Design Miami and Miami Art Basel.

Audi is an established part of Art Basel as title sponsor of Art Basel for the past four years, but this is the first car they’ve revealed outside of a traditional auto show setting. It makes perfect sense to use an event that is essentially Audi branded to woo design and art devotees, while adding emphasis to the aesthetic of the redesigned car.

The Audi A8 is the German automaker’s flagship sedan, a lustrous powerful full-bodied creature, completely redesigned from the engineering DNA to the exterior skin. The outside is sculpted to refined proportions that join together in a distinctive grille, using a linear format to juxtapose the bulbous contours.

The interior is made up lush materials that position new technologies in an unobtrusive way, balancing classic leathers and woods with the buttons and whistles of the multi-media interface and a refined option for Bang & Oluffson stereo system with 19 speakers.

Audi’s biggest story with the A8 is what isn’t seen — the massive fuel economy improvements for a car that operates in the US with a big 4.2-liter FSI V8 engine. There’s more power here (372 horses) and an eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox that still manages to cut fuel economy, with reductions ranging from 13 to 22 percent. Lightweight materials like the aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF), weighing about 40 percent less than a comparable steel structure, are partially accountable for this engineering coup. The A8 is leaner and meaner car that has the language of Audi’s latest slinkier reveals.

By creating the exhibition space deemed The Art of Progress, Audi reached beyond the confine for a generally traditional corporation — a point that will go unnoticed by car journalists in search of nuts and bolts. Over 900 international media were brought in for the unveiling — most of them are auto inclined. (I did meet a few German art critics.)

What Audi achieved was an event that had real artistry and design nuances. Famed art collectors, the Rubells, curated the exhibition that matched Audi design speak with art world luminaries. The Rubells are a savvy couple that have devoted their lives to acquiring one of the world’s most coveted art collections. The best part is that in their travels far and wide there known to fly coach in pursuit of their next great piece. The Miami-based Rubell Family Collection is a testament to their painstaking efforts. Audi invests in their show that opens Thursday Beg, Borrow and Steal.

Kehinde Wiley

More than a tag-along to an existing marketing partnership, the event had depth to it that went beyond branded materials. Kehinde Wiley’s piece was the first glance patrons have when they arrive in the space.

Celebrities were escorted in the premised, but remained low key including the likes of Twilight’s Kellan Lutz, Chris Noth, Pharrell and Christina Ricci. Host Lucy Liu moderated a round table with Audi Design Chief Stefan Sielaff, Design Miami Director Craig Robins and designer Tom Dixon that at times seemed choreographed. The conversation touched on few interesting points by the panel about the importance of design and taking the unusual paths to build something innovative.

Audi Chairman of the Board Rupert Stadler introduced the redesigned A8 with car speak that sounded more like auto show territory again. But Tom Dixon’s dramatic light installation was a sight to see as the car descended from the ceiling — and alas cars, art and design converge.

The Art of Progress Pavillion
Audi Pavilion
46th & Collins Avenue
Miami Beach

December 2 through 5, 2009
Open daily from 12-8 pm

We’ll be bringing more on Audi’s Art Basel connections and the 2011 Audi A8 soon enough.

Audi on Gotryke:Audi S4

Car & Driver was there.Jalopnik was there.Coolhunting was there.AutoBlog was there.

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Red. Sex. Lips. Sky. Rocks. Wings. Blood. Lust. Heart. Pepper. Sauce. Stop in your tracks. Love letter. It’s red, it’s the 2010 Shelby GT 500 Ford Mustang and it’s waiting for me.[click to continue…]

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