iikki.com

Heart by The Redundant Rocker

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:17:10 +0200

Heart is the title of the new album by the German artist Bernhard W�stheinrich aka The Redundant Rocker, to be released very soon. I have already uploaded the artwork for this album on the Covers section of iikki.com.

iikki at MadinSpain'08!!

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:06:20 +0200

I have the incredibly big honour of having been invited to participate at this year's edition of the festival MadinSpain (madinspain.com). Now that OFFF has been moved to Lisbon, Portugal, MadinSpain is the only big design event celebrated in Spain. It will take part on September 12 and 13 this year, in Madrid. Some of the best designers all over the world will be here, including Albert Folch Studio, Helio Vega, Joshua Davis, Waskman... My conference will be a Motion Graphics Panel with Tavo Ponce, Cocoe, Boolab, TBWA and Digital +. Thanks a lot to the MadinSpain crew for their support!!

Lanzarote, Flickr set

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:34:09 +0200

Hey friends, we have just came back from a week in Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands, in Spain. I have already created a Flickr set where you can find most of the best pictures I have taken in this lovely island. You can have access to it by clicking here. Enjoy them!!

Caliveras

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:36:50 +0200

I have created the official logo for the new American company Caliveras. The name is made from the state of California and the panish name for skulls, Calaveras.

Holydays

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:27:56 +0200

I will be out with my friends, from today (August 8th) to next Monday August 18th. Let's talk when I am back!!

Motstoyfestivalen 08 poster

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:08:49 +0200

I am so happy to announce the new official poster for the 2008 edition of Motst�yfestivalen, one of the most important Extreme and Prog Metal music festivals, to be celebrated in Notodden, Norway, next October 10th and 11th. Go to Print section of iikki.com to check it out.

iikki at Spain in Motion

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:25:07 +0200

I have the big honour of having been featured at Spain in Motion, the new special issue from the AyD collection, exclusively dedicated to Motion Graphics in Spain. It is a more than 160 pages magazine with reports and interviews about the most important Spanish Motion Graphics designers and studios, including Tavo Ponce, Espaun, Dvein, Vasava... and many more. There you will find a extended report about my work (5 pages) and also some of my video pieces included on the attached DVD. Thanks a lot for the support.

Tuner, M��t. Live in Estonia 2007

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:11:23 +0200

I am happy, and pleased, and honoured, and proud, and everything... of introducing you to my last cover work, as I am sure it is going to be one of the best music albums of 2008. I am talking about M��t, the new masterpiece by the duo Tuner, formed by masters Markus Reuter (Centrozoon) and Pat Mastelotto (King Krimson, KTU...).

This project is so special for me as I am a truly fan of Tuner and this is the first full album I entirely design for the band, while Totem was an updating of original artwork. M��t was recorded alive in Estonia in 2007 but it only contains original tracks, no live versions of past songs, so it can be considered the third album of the band, after Totem and Pole.

Be sure to check the full artwork at the Cover section of iikki.com. Thanks to Markus and Pat for their ongoing support!!

Michael Turner

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:17:39 +0200

So sad news today. I have never been a big fan of comics, but Michael Turner one of the very few authors that made me buy some collections in the past, Fathom and Witchblade, unfortunatelly died some days ago at the age of 37, after 8 long years fighting against cancer disease. Rest in peace Master, thanks for your work!!

Teacher at Motion Graphics master

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:10:23 +0200

This year I have been teacher for animation skills at a Motion Graphics master at Istituto Europeo di Design in Madrid. Last night, it was the final event of showing all the students projects. We had a lovely experience during the playing and the rest of the night. From here, I would want to wish all my students the best luck on this new step of their lifes. Big hugs and thanks for being so good people!!

New Flickr set

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:46:21 +0200

There is a new set on my Flickr account with pictures from San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Matxitxako, Bermeo and other lovely places at the coast of Bizkaia (Biscay), the Euskal province where I was born. Check the set here.

VivaCalaca at Digital Arts!!

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:29:45 +0200

And more recognition for the VivaCalaca!! project. Apart of being featured at hundreds of blogs and sites from all over the world, an interview about the creation process of the piece has been published at the online version of the well known design magazine Digital Arts (digitalartsonline.co.uk), from the UK. Digital Arts is the 'UK's leading title for digital creatives across all disciplines', from their own works.

And the piece will also appear in a future edition of the printed magazine. Thanks a lot to them for the big support!!

Read the interview here.

VivaCalaca wallpapers

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:53:56 +0200

Some people have asked for it, so I have updated the Download section of VivaCalaca.com to add some wallpapers with the skull symbol. Hope you like them!!

My Top albums. Chapter II; Black Metal

Sat, 31 May 2008 13:48:37 +0200

After posting my Top Power Metal albums some days ago, this is time for Black Metal, which was the next style I liked after Power. I have to say at first that I am not a typical BM listener, as I don't like raw releases with just a couple of black and white photos. I love well produced albums, with quality sound and some symphonic elements. So let's go, these are my Top Black Metal albums:

- Dimmu Borgir, Spiritual Black Dimensions (1999). Some purists could kill me because of this one, but that is what I feel. This album is Magic for me, Black Magic of course. I can still remember the first time I listened to it lot of years ago, and I can still feel those poisoned atmospheres. One day I said that I would want to die listening to this release. It was a pity that Dimmu stopped working on those magic atmoshperes. After this one, Puritanical... was still an amazing release, but the following ones did not say anything to me.

- Emperor, IX Equlibrium (1999). And it is more or less the same with this masterpiece. Critics would say that it is Emperor's worst album but I can only tell you that it is just perfect for me, and feel the same as with Dimmu's, I still remember the first listening, and that only happens with jewels. The only difference with Dimmu is that all Emperor's albums could be on this Top, but this is without any doubt, my prefer one.

- Cradle of Filth, Cruelty and the Beast (1998). Before they turned into a very commercial band, CoF made some good albums, as Vempire, Dusk and her Embrace, Midian and this release over all of them. Good conceptual album in a different way of playing Black Metal than Nordic bands. I was not interested in their stuff after Midian.

- Anorexia Nervosa, New Obscurantis Order (2001). This is the only album I like a lot from this French band, but what a brutal release!! Maybe the perfect album when mixing extreme music and romanticism. It is like a rose, so beautiful but with hurting stings...

- Arcturus, Le Masquerade Infernale (1997). Even when not being a pure Black Metal release, this MASTERPIECE (with capital letters), could be at the top of this list without any problem. They invented a new way of playing music. And their next albums, more oriented to Black Metal, were still treasures. Just genius.

- Limbonic Art, Ad Noctum (1999). This band has always be a very special project for me, because I have always adore them even when they are not at the top of the genre. After two amazing symphonic releases, they surprised the public with this album; something extreme, and probably, the hardest Black Metal album I have ever listened to.

- Covenant, Nexus Polaris (1998). Not so much to say about this album that had not been said before. Considering the music style change of the band after this one, it can be seen as an unique treasure.

And that is all, there are other good releases but they would never be on my Top. Next chapter, Death Metal!!

Thankskull!!

Sat, 31 May 2008 13:23:31 +0200

We, the little skulls of Viva Calaca!! (VivaCalaca.com) would want to say 'THANKS!!' to everybody, beacuse of the incredibly good reviews that the video has got all over the world. It has been featured in dozens of design sites and blogs and there are only good words for it.
Thanks a lot again, and we can only promise, that due to this people's support, there will be more skulls soon!! Stay tunned!!