- VIRALOPTIC - the aural+visual workings of Kevin Gan Yuen

2012-01-25T15:13:00.000-08:00

2012-01-16T11:37:00.000-08:00

☦

♆

SUTEKH HEXEN interview in REGRESS ZINE #02

2012-01-15T02:58:00.000-08:00

"REGRESS ZINE issue 2 now released.
Interviews with VUCUB CANE / SUTEKH HEXEN / ONE TAIL, ONE HEAD / SVARTRIT / NASTRAN / GRAVE MIASMA / TERENCE HANNUM + reviews

Ordering information: USA orders $7 / WORLD orders $8

Make payment via paypal to republikawake@Hotmail.com

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO PUT MAILING ADDRESS

WHOLESALE PRICES AVAILABLE. All zine related inquires:REGRESSZINE@GMAIL.COM"

2012-01-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - PLEASE CIRCULATE THROUGHOUT ALL RELEVANT CHANNELS

SUTEKH HEXEN Announce February Release Date for 'Larvae'

"Black noise" seems like the most vague description possible for a metal (or metal-influenced) sonic entity, but take one listen to the malignant sorcery conjured up by Bay Area entity SUTEKH HEXEN, and it becomes the most apt title imaginable. Swirling vortexes of chaotic distortion, overwhelming walls of fuzzed-out, menacing noise, tormented howls and sepulchral murmurs - this is black metal forced through a madman's synapses. Black metal, drone, noise, field recordings, spoken word, acoustic guitars, blighted melodies - this is what they offer, these are the elements they harness.

SUTEKH HEXEN have gained well-deserved recognition as of late, thanks to a slew of sold-out releases and West Coast live actions, but with this, their debut release for eclectic collective Handmade Birds, the project has truly reached its apex. Larvae is manifested as a three song, thirty-minute LP, which will be released on February 21, 2012 on digipack CD and a special edition, colored gatefold vinyl (100 on clear with pink splatter, 200 on black).

LARVAE TRACK LISTING:

A1. Isvar Savasana

A2. Lead Us In Warfare

B. Let There Be Light

As part of a longer, glowing review, Lurker's Path described the album as,"the platonic form of catharsis. That is Larvae by Sutekh Hexen, who have grown over this last year to become the forerunner in noise addled black metal. Layering their din over barely audible drums, treble-firey guitars and a vocal approach akin to murder are all just the starting blocks. What ascends from beneath the raging waves of sound is nothing short of uplifting, transcendent. Larvae is the crowning achievement of this rising star... I give Larvae LURKER’s highest recommendation for its colossal ability to affect the listener. "

Aquarius Records described the band itself as something "more than black metal...it's a darkly epic, strangely textured assemblage of buzz and blast, howl and pound, the sound a living black entity, sonic chaos given form. This is the real transcendental black metal. All should be worshipping before the altar of the priests of SUTEKH HEXEN”

Larvae features the talents of many. The album was mastered at 45rpm by James Plotkin and brought forth from the void by Scott Miller (electric guitar, field-recordings, found objects, vocals), Lee Camfield (acoustic guitar), Kevin Gan Yuen (electric guitar, field-recordings, found objects), Dwid Hellion (vocals), Thomas Rodahl Dedekam (vocals), with a pair of conspirators (Yuen and Hellion) collaborating on the haunting album artwork as well."

SUTEKH HEXEN - "LARVAE" LP/CD // 2012 and beyond...

2012-01-09T00:59:00.000-08:00

New Years Greetings to all:

The lack of digital-presence should not be measured for a lack of creative activity...

In these last few months, between my day-job and personal-life (or lack of) I have been working on the completion of several recordings for my band SUTEKH HEXEN. We have been very proactive as a unit since our inception in 2010 and in fact, have expanded from our core-duo of Scott Miller and myself into adding a new member: Lee Camfield and are now performing as a trio.

Specifically, I have been focused on the deadline and release of our forthcoming, second full-length LP titled "Larvae" which will be released on 21 February, 2012 via Handmade Birds (TX) in LP/CD formats, the latter being packaged in a lavish DVD-digipakage with spot-UV printing. This has been over a year in the works. The opening-track: "Isvar Savasana" was actually our opening track that we played on tour in 2011. The logistics alone with this effort has been a massive undertaking to get all of our parts edited/mixed and mastered alone: it was recorded in San Francisco, CA // Oakland, CA, Ghent, Belgium and Oslo, Norway.

Anyone who has ever been involved in a working band, a professional artist or a player of team-sports can vouch that there is immeasurable time and hard-work invested in "making it work". With that being said: with the new record(s) on the horizon, immense support from the underground and vision: We are doing good.

A preview of the artwork/packaging are attached below: It was a collaborative effort between Dwid Hellion and myself; the photographic collages and dark-paintings succesfully evoke the haunted visions inspired by the three tracks on this record... although texturally rich: we decided the less is more approach would be most effective: black and white gatefold printing, spot-UV elements (logos/lyrics).

There will be updates of personal projects and art/design-related works for close-friends/associates in the coming weeks (there are 2-3 in the works), but I will be taking a back-seat on visuals for a bit while we prepare for another tour in support of the new record(s), write/record/rehearse. etc.

Thanks for reading.

Wolves in the Throne Room: Celestial Lineage tour 2011 prints now available for purchase.

2011-12-18T16:44:00.000-08:00

My design for the WITTR 2011 tour series curated by Andrew Crawshaw (Brokenpress, Seattle, WA) is now available for purchase: $15 + shipping. These are hand-screen printed, numbered and signed by the artist. Please email: kevin at viraloptic dot come for details.Print details:

- 18x24" black poster stock

- x3) color print: metallic copper, gold and silver inks

- coverage dates for the tour:

9/16/11 Bethlehem, PA
9/17/11 Richmond, VA
9/18/11 Greensboro, NC
9/20/11 Sheffield, AL
9/21/11 Nashville, TN

Printed by Andy @Brokenpress in Seattle, WA.

2011-11-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

777 & SUTEKH HEXEN pt.II

2011-11-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

Sutekh Hexen // @ Eli's // 110411

2011-11-06T13:50:00.000-08:00

SUTEKH HEXEN - "Luciform" ltd CD/CS editions.

2011-11-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

Out soon on WANDS.

Servile Sect - "Realms of the Queen" vinyl edition

2011-11-04T02:04:00.000-07:00

"Realms of the Queen is our proverbial popcorn trail stretching into the dripping mysteriis of psychedelic mindfulness. Re-issued for vinyl by King of the Monsters. Featuring a beautiful

re-design by Thee indica arsonist/tryptamine visionary Kevin Gan Yuen. Limited edition flying saucer-inspired artwork with "irradiated cum from Christ's cosmic cock" 12" vinyl INSANITY"

Process: layout and photography. the primary photograph that makes up this design is a close-up of our tour-van's break-pads that was taken with my iPhone, while on tour with Sutekh Hexen and Folivore back in August. Days prior (coming back through Arcata, CA), I had noticed an awful grinding sound under the floorboard and lack of responsiveness from the vehicle when I was driving. At that point, in L.A. I said: "when we get to San Diego, we absolutely needed to get them inspected..." sure enough, the break-pads were completely fucked.
As per-usual, it is in the details...

CMYK + 1 (metallic silver ink) on the strips of lighter gray in the photograph and the vinyl center-labels and spot UV (raised-ink) on the LP jackets lettering, which will only be visible at certain angles.

The guys in SERVILE SECT asked me to do something textural with simple typography. When Luke mentioned textures, he wanted something akin to the side of a crash-landed flying-saucer... not that any of us have ever seen one, but it made sense to me and this was the end-result. I will post pictures of the complete packaging/etc when they arrive. Out soon from: KING OF THE MONSTERS RECORDS.

2011-11-02T10:10:00.001-07:00

SUTEKH HEXEN - (live) 10.21.11

2011-10-22T11:52:00.001-07:00

NOOTHGRUSH @924 Gilman 10.23.2011 "Dualistik Pantheism" print

2011-10-22T02:15:00.000-07:00

A collaborative effort between myself and SF print-maker M. Osborne. It is a ltd. screen-print to be sold @924 Gilman tomorrow night (10/22) >> celebrating the reunion of the Bay Area sludge/doom band NOOTHGRUSH. They were one of if not thee West Coast forerunners in the metal sub-genre that really brought about the new wave of unapologetic, down-tuned filthy-aggression to the unassuming ears of the masses. DISPRIT and ATRIARCH are equally amazing as well - but, I will leave you to check all these bands out on your own accord... assuming that heavy-metal is your cup of tea... this will be a true night of sonic-variety.

Process: this a involved 12x15" wood-block carving, photography, typesetting and hand-pulled // screen-printed by yours truly in 3-colors: metallic-turqoise, wine and black on French Paper Co. (Kraft) stock. Measuring 18x24" ltd. to 35 hand-numbered/signed prints. These are literally still drying as I type this post!!!

I can't really say too much more about this other than projects like this make me feel truly alive... that is:
Working with my hands and creating an end-result: being tangible item that is not on your cryPad, cryPhone of cryPod...

GATES - "Moths Have Eaten the Core" repress

2011-10-22T02:01:00.000-07:00

The IMMENSE debut album from Toronto's drone-scape mastermind Bryan Walker Bray's project: GATES is getting the second-pressing treatment through dear friends @IVORY ANTLER shortly and the artwork/packaging was moderately altered to distinguish this between pressings: the violet-theme, updated disc graphic and I believe this edition will be printed on matte-uncoated stock.

Please tune-in to GATES here and take some time to check out/support IVORY ANTLER releases here.

777 & SUTEKH HEXEN

2011-10-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

A preview of the tri-fold, screen-printed packaging that will house three 7-inch records, collecting the first three out-of-print cassette demos: "Constellation", "Ritualistic" and "Alters" // Forthcoming on DEAD SECTION (Denmark) // the glare is caused from the metallic silver ink. Art direction by myself and the haunting illustrations were executed by the highly skilled Si Clark (UK) whom we worked with previously on the "Daemons" 7".

2011-10-15T19:15:00.001-07:00

2011-10-13T10:49:00.001-07:00

SUTEKH HEXEN - "Ordo Adversarial : Daemons : Shadows" CD

2011-10-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

OUT NOW: breaking the vinyl format with this disc, collecting the first three 7" releases + a scathing live recording from our set @₮ΣRMI₦ΛL in Oakland, CA. Respect: Karl @Fall of Nature, S. Wilson, R. Jencks @TERMINAL and L. Camfield.

You can order it HERE.

via. Fall of Nature:

"Pitch black and malevolent, noise drenched occult Black Metal. These hymns demonstrate a sonic representation of ritualistic sounds and occult darkness, collected from extremely limited and sold out vinyl releases and live material.

Professionally pressed CD, limited to 250 pieces in a high quality digipak with artwork S. Wilson / Black Uroboros Illustration."

We will have copies of this CD, the "Shadows" 7" and a new shirt design by Demian Johnston. for sale on our upcoming CA mini-tour Oct 21-23.

2011-10-08T01:29:00.001-07:00

BFC - "Summoning Aural Hell"

2011-09-15T02:32:00.000-07:00

Largely inspired by the now classic and forever mythical LLN cassette packaging and presentation aesthetic. See also: VVORLD VVITHOUT END. 6-panel fold-out poster style packaging to be printed on 100lb. red card stock, folded and inserted into resealable pouches with black/black CDr's. Edition of 140 copies. Process: pencil illustration, photography and digital.

truth in typos.

2011-08-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

Wolves in the Throne Room: Celestial Lineage 2011: tour print series II

2011-08-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

My design to be available for purchase via WITTR's upcoming dates // coming from the skilled hands of Seattle's @Brokenpress. (click image to enlarge).

Print details:

- 18x24" black stock

- metallic copper, gold and silver inks

- coverage dates for the tour:

9/16/11 Bethlehem, PA
9/17/11 Richmond, VA
9/18/11 Greensboro, NC
9/20/11 Sheffield, AL
9/21/11 Nashville, TN

"Shadows" 7" arrives...

2011-08-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

(click image to see an animation of the variant and back cover) Available @http://www.holyterror.com/store

2011-08-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Aidan Baker - "Noise of Silence" reissue

2011-08-09T00:22:00.000-07:00

"The always impressive and prolific Aidan Baker creates thick walls of doomgaze on the Nadja duo, but under his own name he manages to explore a much more personal world, offering inspiring and mind altering drone music to his established fan base.

Released in 2007 as a very limited edition CDR, Noise Of Silence is one of our top favorite Baker’s lost gems that truly deserved a special treatment.

A single, spontaneously composed, yet majestically structured 50 minute opus of swirling processed guitars, tape loops and noise bursts. Fear-inspiring in essence, the album slowly builds up a suffocating and trance inducing atmosphere around fragmented subliminal messages from a suicidal voice. Dangerously persuasive, we dare to say. Utterly intoxicating, Aidan exercises patience to reach the disturbing climaxes of Noise Of Silence. Definitely not your typical dose of gentle and dreamy Baker solo.

As an interesting note, a friend and fellow Baker fan reveals that the suicidal voice heard on the album is from Romeo Dallaire, a Canadian general who in the 90′s headed the UN troops ill-fated attempt to stop the genocide taking place in Rwanda. He returned to Canada with post-traumatic stress syndrome and actually attempted suicide in 2000.

We care for sound quality as much as we care for presentation, so the album is now fully revised and remastered by James Plotkin, unveiling buried sounds we couldn’t notice on the original release.

Beautiful 5-color printing on a custom 6-panel packaging. Limited to 400 copies.

Also available as a boxset edition."

Format
CD
Edition
400 copies
Packaging
6-panel custom pack
Credits
Recorded, performed and composed by Aidan Baker.
Remastered by James Plotkin.
Artwork & photography by Kevin Yuen.
BOTH EDITIONS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE HERE.

SUTEKH HEXEN - "Luciform" LP

2011-08-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

Available now from WANDS. 6-track debut LP available now. Limited to 350 copies, 100 on purple. If you order multiple copies you will get one on color.

.:A haunting in Santa Cruz:.

2011-07-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

2011-07-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

סגולה

SUTEKH HEXEN with FOLIVORE tour MMXI

2011-07-21T04:49:00.000-07:00

SUTEKH HEXEN West Coast 2011 Tour Itinerary:

7/22 Alleyway: Portland, OR
7/23 the Highline: Seattle, WA
7/24 the Big Tree: Aracata, CA
7/25 Munoz Gym, Bakersfield, CA
7/26 the Rouge West, Phoenix, AZ (pending)
7/27 tba
7/28 the Shakedown: San Diego, CA
7/29 tba Ventura, CA
7/30 Pioneer Street: Santa Cruz, CA
7/31 Hazmat: Oakland, CA

Servile Sect - "Demos 2005/2006"

2011-07-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

Preview of the artwork/design for SERVILE SECT's forthcoming proper-issue of "Demo's 2005/2006" tape via. Chicago's LAND OF DECAY (run by the members of LOCRIAN). Continuing the psychedelic/sci-fi theme - the visuals are a combination long-forgotten dreams of the cosmos, combined with our visions of space-travel and existence. (above: the j-card design and there will be metallic gold on-shell printing on the kelly green cassette-shells).

Here is what Luke from SS has to say about the release:
"This cassette is a selection of demos from 2005/2006. This tape collects some of our earliest explorations. We gave Kevin free-reign to create a visual representation of the vibes captured in these recordings. Releasing soon in an edition of 100 kelly green C-30 cassette tapes on Land of Decay."

All material contained on this c30 was the precursor to "Stratospheric Passenger", "Eternal Mind", "Realms of the Queen" and most recently "TRVTH" --- to be honest - this material stands the test of time VERY WELL, but is definitely their darker and heavier material: which is appropriate for LOD to be handling this release.

Infinitum.

No Funeral - "Six Song EP"

2011-07-17T06:07:00.000-07:00

Here are the new No Funeral 12" LP jacket and cassette edition layout/designs. They play noisy, very RAW blackened punk. R. from NF asked me for "the idea i have in my head is some type of sad nature picture , something thats depressing and dark". I don't know if these shots really convey sadness or the emotional void... maybe my perception of beauty is really fucked-up; but we agreed on the visuals and that works for me! Details: this features two of my b&w nature photographs from two locations: one in Southern CA and there other here in Northern CA. On the back, a quick ink-illustration, refined digitally and combined additional elements to complete it. Mixed and mastered by Scott Miller. "Six Songs" will be available from WANDS
and on their upcoming tour with Sutekh Hexen with Folivore.

Opposites attract: WUGAZI

2011-07-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

THIS RULES! check it out HERE.

"Wugazi is a labor of love by Cecil Otter & Swiss Andy. A year’s worth of cutting up every imaginable Fugazi record and trying out every Wu-Tang acapella they could get their hands on, resulted in Wugazi: 13 Chambers (a must listen for anyone who even looked at a skateboard in the 90’s).

Cecil Otter is an emcee & producer, and one of the founding members of Doomtree. He has contributed to over a dozen records. His most recent full-length, Rebel Yellow, was re-released by Sage Francis for Strange Famous Records. He’s now recording his solo project, Porcelain Revolver.

Swiss Andy is a musician & producer residing in Minneapolis. He has been a contributor to several bands including The Millionth Word, Field Guide and The Swiss Army. He is currently working on a remix of Rebel Yellow.?"

too close to home...

2011-07-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

SUTEKH HEXEN - "Trinity" x3CS

2011-07-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Now available for purchase from Zeitgeists Publishing. and also, preview some detailed assembly process HERE.
"Cassette compilation of American black noise plague, SUTEKH HEXEN.Featured here are all three demos, "Constellation", "Ritualistic" and "Alters" in an elaborate fold out box.

- 3 different colored pro-dubbed cassettes (black, gray and white) with a label-sticker on each of them, housed in a black on black printed paper shell.

- Inside the box there are 4 art pieces, 3 are showing a subtile evolution and the fourth is a photo printed on semi-transparent paper framed in a black heavy carton frame

- This all is housed in a heavy dark grey polished carbon type of carton.

- Sealed with a gold obi strip.

Edition of 47"

Sutekh Hexen West Coast 2011 tour // Seattle + San Diego flyers:

2011-07-07T01:02:00.000-07:00

Testimonium Veritatis #01

2011-07-02T22:51:00.002-07:00

A new large-format zine from Germany that "will not only focus on Black Metal musicians but rather feature graphic designers, writers and other artists addicted to the black flame in one way or another". I had the privilege to be featured in an in-depth interview for issue no.1 that is now available for purchase.

"The first issue is limited & handnumbered to 100 copies
and contains interviews with:

Justin Bartlett
Devil (Nor)
Urfaust
Árstíðir lífsins
Kerbenok
Timo Kölling
Nucleus Torn
Clandestine Blaze
Skardus
Kevin Yuen /Viral Optic

All Interviews in english except the Timo Kölling.
The price will be 3,5 Euro (5,- with shipping included).
Mailorders can get in touch for wholesale.

to order write to: gnosis@hotmail.de

It will also be available from Van & Northern Heritage later.
Terratur Possessions (Nor), Masters Throne (Ger) and Astrum Tempestats (Ger) will carry copies too.
I'm running out of copies so try the mentioned mailorders please."

I still have a few extra issues if anybody who wants one missed out. Domestic inquiries ONLY due to the outrageous postage rates. These will ship in a USPS flat-rate mailer with some bonus items (stickers, CDrs and whatever I feel like throwing in that will fit. Feel free to get in touch: kevin at viraloptic dot com.

.:A:. Son of Mourning ∞ .:B:. Will and Banishing

2011-07-02T01:29:00.000-07:00

SUTEKH HEXEN - "Dæmons" 7"

2011-06-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

...manifesting. side A: Haunting // side B: Haunted // Available from DEAD SECTION and now available domestically (until sold out) via. YOUTH ATTACK. Artwork by Si Clark.

Here is a preview of the B side track "HAUNTING":

SUTEKH HEXEN - "Ordo Adversarial:Daemons:Shadows"

2011-06-28T15:06:00.001-07:00

Forthcoming on FALL OF NATURE (AUS). CD-digipak design and illustrations by Stephen Wilson @BLACK UROBORUS and some words from the young progeny on the visuals here: "The inspiration for the artwork featured on the cover of "Ordo Adversarial:Daemons:Shadows" was inspired by unsettling fears and rampant paranoia present since my early childhood to now. The drawing is solely based on the notion that laughing shadows blanketed in darkness shift and change, coalescing into demons and deconstructing into shapeless horrors. It's more or less a nod to that damn near constant unshakable anxiety riddled pit in my stomach that something is watching and hunting, making itself ever so vaguely known while mocking through fear."

FERMENTÆ: 062411 @Retox

2011-06-25T23:45:00.000-07:00

It was an extremely successful, memorable and mystical evening thanks to PALE CHALICE, THEY ARE ALL DEAD and everybody involved with said event. A special thank you to Kevin Hobbs and Bryan Proteau @SFSLUDGE for the captures.

.::LAST MINUTE SHOW TONIGHT::.

2011-06-24T10:57:00.001-07:00

I am playing a solo set tonight @Retox Lounge with Pale Chalice and They Are All Dead // 628 20th st. (cross-streets 3rd/20th in Dogpatch) // $5 // 21+ // fog and bass procession starts at 9PM

SUTEKH HEXEN - "Shadows"

2011-06-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

Holy Terror Records presents:

a new 7" ep from

SUTEKH HEXEN

This record will be ltd to a total of 300 records.

100 Opaque Orange Vinyl (Pre-Order)

200 Black Vinyl

the vinyl is laser etched on the B-side with a half flap cover to reveal the etching of the groups logo.

this record will also feature an exclusive embroidered SUTEKH HEXEN patch.

this is a Graceboard early offer . . .

at the time of this post only 75 copies remain available

Pre-order a copy HERE.

The Flenser // new logo

2011-06-23T00:17:00.000-07:00

flense [flɛns], flench [flɛntʃ], flinch [flɪntʃ]

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Fishing) (tr) to strip (a whale, seal, etc.) of (its blubber or skin)

[from Danish flense; related to Dutch flensen]

flenser , flencher, flincher n

New identity for local imprint the Flenser.

Check them out HERE.

Mamiffer, HOLC, Locrian & GATES // print design

2011-06-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

Ltd. print design that will be available @said event // Mamiffer • HOLC • Locrian • GATES

the final frontier

2011-06-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

Pardon the shitty cell phone pics.

"Edtion: 250 (125 classic black, 125 pink with mint green splatter), insert. Since 2006, everything Servile Sect has released is sold out, minus the few remaining copies of last year's "Realms Of The Queen", which we have secured and are offering to ALL preorders of "TRVTH". Preorders will get a free copy of the 2010 Servile Sect masterwork "Realms Of The Queen" CD along with their order.

$15"

Handmade Birds Store

Sutekh Hexen @Retox 06/04/11

2011-06-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

footage via. Roseman

SH x3CS

2011-06-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

via. Jansen:

"Keep Your Hands" now available @Aquarius Records

2011-06-04T00:25:00.000-07:00

Show Demian some love HERE, check out Debacle Records and visit AQ: one of my favorite record stores HERE.

MAY/JUNE

2011-06-04T00:19:00.000-07:00

Thank You: K. Utech, A. Connors, N. Clement & L. Ranker, J. T. Tuite and D. Hellion.
You guys Rule.

consumption:

2011-05-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

the remaining Merzbow and Gates screen-prints are now available and shipping!

"We still have some posters available from our show with MERZBOW

15" x 22"
2-colour prints on maidstone paper
$5 each

design by Kevin Gan Yuen of Viraloptic
printed by Team Terrible

please contact me at 'urforms at g mail dot com' with the subject "MERZBOW prints"

and read a great write up of the show here http://www.aux.tv/2011/05/noise-god-merzbow-deafens-toronto-with-first-show-since-2002/"

ALSO: available now are a limited quantity of Sutekh Hexen logo shirts from the Handmade Birds store; very likely be the only "logo tees" SH may ever have.

Live set at Tokyo Garden 5/21/2011

2011-05-23T22:38:00.000-07:00

via. Chris and Elli Reid.

Servile Sect - "TRVTH" LP

2011-05-10T01:16:00.000-07:00

Design and layout for Servile Sect's forthcoming and much anticipated album. The artwork process was the perfect combination of hand-illustration, found-art and photography. All inspired by hallucinogenic visions, 50's sci-fi, and the never-ending search for knowledge. Sonically: this album SLAYS - from field-recordings captured by Luke in Kathmandu to the buzzing Black Metal riffs - it traverses so much sonic territory and evokes time-loss that I thought it was a double-LP up to point of approving the artwork proofs from the pressing plant... insanity. Exceptional and already one of my favorite albums of the year. (click to view the details)

from Handmade Birds:

"Follow up to the 2010 full length "Realms Of The Queen" released on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace label is the psychedelic/ambient/sci fi/black metal masterpiece "TRVTH" encased in an incredible full color gatefold designed by Kevin Gan Yuen (Sutekh Hexen, Viral Optic) and mastered for vinyl by James Plotkin.

Edtion: 250 (125 classic black, 125 pink with mint green splatter), insert. Since 2006, everything Servile Sect has released is sold out, minus the few remaining copies of last year's "Realms Of The Queen", which we have secured and are offering to ALL preorders of "TRVTH". Preorders will get a free copy of the 2010 Servile Sect masterwork "Realms Of The Queen" CD along with their order."

You can pre-order it HERE.

05/21/2011 solo performance to usher in thee End Tymes

2011-05-09T00:47:00.000-07:00

Sutekh Hexen @the Hemlock // 050111

2011-05-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

Photos courtesy of the SFSLUDGE blog.

2011-04-28T01:50:00.000-07:00

"Told Outloud Indoors"

2011-04-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

someone recently made a really cool video-collage for one of the tracks from our "Keep Your Hands" split, check it out:

New project :: New territories

2011-04-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

(below:) An in-progress piece for fine film-makers @ Scultping With Time Productions in Houston, TX. Process: photography, tea-stained bristol board and digital. Stylistically, for me - this is new territory and I have been challenged by these guys to attempt new techniques out of my "comfort-zone", but texturally I am right @home.

More soon...

ITHI - "The Persistence in Meaning"

2011-04-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

ITHI evoke sonically rich and shifting atmospheres, from vast and growing-worlds one moment and into tense/claustrophobic nightmares the next. What stands out with this release is the underlying rhythmic pulses within each and every track and within the genre of experimental/drone/noise -- this aural element is crucial and MUCH appreciated.

I was asked by Keith Utech, owner of the fantastic UTECH records to be in-charge of hand-rendering and arrange the typographic accompaniments for the inner-panels of this release. Combined with the amazing cover photograph taken by Shawn Convey of a shrine, while visiting India (BELOW:) you can view the original sketches that I made and arranged for said release. The logo was pieced together from foundational "letter-forms".

It is a blessing to have technology at my disposal to scan/chop/arrange hand-rendered art; an aspect in modern design that always had me highly respecting the early days of the graphic designer, back when everything was painstakingly cut out and arranged by hand. This is not even the surface-level of what those guys did back then!!

ALSO: What an honor to have our logo LETTER-PRESSED as an additional sleeve. (another once-popular incredible print-form making a come back). "The Persistence in Meaning" will be available @the UTECH RECORDS MUSIC FESTIVAL // June 11, 2011 // Cactus Club Milwaukee, WI // 7 PM OR shortly @the Utech Records site:

Darkness looms over Oakland

2011-04-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

Flyer illustration/design by Stephen Wilson:

Sutekh Hexen - "Ordo Adversarial" 7"

2011-04-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

OUT NOW or available @our upcoming show on May 1st.
Visit WANDS to purchase.

"SUTEKH HEXEN
ORDO ADVERSARIAL 7”EP
WANDS 01

After three instantly out of print cassettes released in Europe, Sutekh Hexen once again call upon the demons of hell with their first U.S. domestic release, Ordo Adversarial. This 2 song 7” ep is a violent mix of blown out raw black metal guitars, psychedelic atmospheres, tortured screamed vocals and scathing white noise. Steeped heavily in the occult, Bled thy Likeness b/w Murmur take no cues from the derivative, watered down black metal that plagues the scene, but rather push the envelope and make their own path. Sutekh Hexen is about Satanism, and their songs express hatred and depression from the bowels of their blackened souls. These are ceremonial rituals drenched in the blood of the weak, this is cult, this is the Ordo Adversarial. Limited to 400 copies"

Cover illustration by Demian Johnston

Preview:

2011-04-08T23:06:00.000-07:00

Drawn, scanned and arranged asset for an EXCITING new project... MORE to come.

SERVILE SECT - "Eternal Mind" digital edition

2011-03-30T01:06:00.001-07:00

***FREE download of the last EP from SERVILE SECT - "Eternal Mind" via Radical Matters with downloadable packaging by yours truly. You can get it HERE. Enjoy!

from RADICAL MATTERS:

"This is the first official digital re-issue of the great seminal tape-cassette of this weird and unconventional group-collective, with the artwork realised by Kevin Gan Yuen.

Note: the first track is a collaboration with Nick Phit from Graves at Sea, and the second track is a collaboration with Leudke.

Genuine experimental black psychic weirdness!!!

Full lenght audio: 27':00"

Edition, Curating By RMEDL | SG

Artwork Design by Servile Sect | Kevin Gan Yuen

Catlogue: R.M.W.E.83"

***really, it's free - so you have no excuses.

CIRCLE of EYES - S/T and "Keep Your Hands" collaboration w/Demian Johnston

2011-03-14T00:08:00.000-07:00

Circle of Eyes - s/t C60

Flenser Records

FR09

Demian Johnston & Kevin Gan Yuen - "Keep Your Hands" CD

Debacle Records

DB056

SONIC:ECLIPSE // everything in between
The CIRCLE of EYES full-length will finally be seeing the light of day via. Flenser Records, the layout/design features personal cloud photography, intricate illustration work and found-art. This release documents our progression towards the more progressive and ethereal-side of COE and I feel is the precursor of things to come.

The split w/Demian Johnston features two of his amazing (as always) illustrations, found-art and even I picked up a pencil for this one (see the back panel). This was a collaboration formed on the love of layering/dissecting audio and seizing the moment :: my parts consists of brooding electric guitars and field-recordings from Golden Gate park, Chinatown SF and my apartment during a nightmare renovation session. Pure density.

In other sound-related news, the follow-up split with ZIZ should be wrapped up shortly and the collaboration project named OGHAM w/Thomas Ekelund is finished on the horizon for release. Staying busy as always.

I promise to write more about than album-art and music when time allows.

Kevin.

BRING YOUR LANTERNS:

2011-02-25T00:23:00.000-08:00

GATES tshirt design

2011-01-01T23:22:00.000-08:00

T-shirt design for Canadian soundscapists GATES.
Forest photography + logo (front) provided by Bryan Walker, cave mouth, layout and abstractions by myself.
These and other merch items will be available @their upcoming shows or through the band directly. The live ensemble is comprised of some of Toronto's best and inimitable artists currently active. Contact or go see them live if you can!

Check out their awesome material HERE and read more about Bryan's activities HERE.

make your own path...

CONGRATS to the Johnsons

2010-12-22T01:47:00.000-08:00

Welcome Willow to this World.

The Passage

2010-12-17T17:12:00.000-08:00

"The existence, maintenance, and development of the Panama Canal is of global interest. It is the primary shipping route for world trade between the Atlantic and the Pacific and provides Panama with great economic stability. During a 2007 trip to Panama, Alex Douglas began to investigate the canal's impending expansion due to global economic and technological demand. As well as interviewing those directly involved in determining the canal's trajectory, he turned to voices that were not normally included in the dialogue, people with whom he lived for months at a time. His immersion in the lives of people from all backgrounds surfaced a more pressing need to examine the country's distribution of wealth. In 2008, Alex returned with a small team to document the people and landscape implicated the canal and its success.

The documentary in progress contains extensive footage and interviews, gathered from more than a year spent in Panama. It includes interviews with Nicolas Ardita Barletta (Former President of Panama, and Vice President of the World Bank), Jorge Quijano (Director of Maritime Operations for the Panama Canal), Juan Wong (Chief Engineer for the Expansion of the Panama Canal), and Stanley Heckadon (Director of the Smithsonian Institute in Panama) as well as voices from outside the larger sphere of influence: Anna Crossdale (single mother of three, living in the colon slums), Bienvinedos Montenegro (70 year old taxi driver in Panama city), Carlos Valderrama (sugar cane farmer in rural Coicle), and Manuel and Maxwell (two fishermen from San Blas). These voices, mingled with vivid scenery ranging from the slum to the city form a fuller spectrum of thought and implication surrounding the Canal's expansion. With billions of dollars being spent, heavy Western involvement, and the assurance of more money being channeled back into the economy, there has never been a more important time to closely examine these rapid developments and their effects on the lives of people."

(below:) the packaging design/layout for San Francisco filmmaker Alex Douglas' stunning documentary "The Passage". The DVD is presented in a high-quality 6-panel digipak. Film-stills kindly provided by A.D. and graphics by myself.

Please view the trailer HERE and check out Alex and co. HERE.

AU:TONE:NAL - Live performance/download

2010-12-11T23:56:00.000-08:00

I got the go ahead from Andre and Dave Ed to get this out there.
Attached is a live recording from our first live excursion for the project titled AU:TONE:NAL which consists of:

Andre Custudio - VOX, EFX
Dave Ed - Synths, EFX
Kevin Gan Yuen - Guitar, Amp

the performance took place on the second story of the Luggage Store Gallery on Market Street in San Francisco, CA on 09.30.10. Results were captured on a Zoom H2, edited and presented to you below as a digital download.
There MIGHT be a short-run, physical release - but for now...

You can download it HERE

Enjoy.

CONGRATS to the Millers

2010-11-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome Hope to this world:

2 NEW PRINTS FOR SALE

2010-10-28T00:19:00.000-07:00

Hi All, available for purchase through me directly are two of my most recent works. If you have room on your wall, cubicle or need even more badass wall-material, you have come to the right place! Read for details below:

(above:) Artcrank 2010 design, titled: "COMMUTED" measures 12x18", hand-illustrated CMYK print and EACH piece was painstakingly embellished/signed by hand with metallic silver inks. Details on the creative process are below in a previous blog entry. There are about a dozen left! $15 + shipping
Edition of 35 prints.

(above:) Triptykon, 1349 and Yakuza "Weltenbrand 2010 Tour" 10.23.10 San Francisco print, now available for purchase. Measurements: 18x24" (in reailty: 19x25" >> an inch available for matting/framing if desired), illustration, design and hand-pulled screen-prints by yours truly. 4-colors: metallic silver, black, metallic gold and white on French Slate Durotone stock. HEAVY!!! These are being shipped FLAT in kraft/tab mailers.
$20 + shipping domestic // (international rates vary). I only have a dozen numbered copies left. Edition of 75 prints + over-run copies (less than a dozen available, numbered @0/75). Eternal praise to Tom G. and the support from the TRIPTYKON forum.

Triptykon in San Francisco

2010-10-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

(above:) the digital representation of the poster for Triptykon's concert at Slim's, San Francisco, October 23, 2010. Print details: 18x24", metallic silver, metallic gold, black and white). Edition of 75 hand-screen printed on slate-gray French stock and artist numbered/signed pieces. All remaining prints will be for sale through myself, please keep checking for more info.

Illustrated with pen/pencil and digitally refined by myself. I will post more progress pictures when I get the chance, but here was my summary to Tom: "It plays on the concept of Earthly chaos and the "perfection process" and end-result(s) birthed from chaos (hence the symbolic diamonds @the stumps of the severed arms I illustrated, gripping each other into formation; It can also be interpreted as an icon of awakening in modern-times of madness and struggle as primitive conquerors within."

Chrome presents: Artcrank 2010

2010-10-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

I am one of the featured artists @the Chrome 2010 Artcrank exhibition. (below:) my illustration/print for said event titled "Commuted".

The original consisted of pencil, ink and digital // the final results are CMYK prints with metallic ink embellishments. I originally intended this piece to be screen printed, but realized that I would not have been able to archive satisfactory results with that method.

Necrite - "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi" + tshirt

2010-10-08T00:59:00.000-07:00

(above): 6-panel CD digipak for the highly anticipated full-length. Under my artistic direction and understanding of relevance with the albums concept and "nature". I attempted to visually represent the decaying and cyclic nature of mass in (A) perception of time and space. Cover illustration/pencils by Ven Latimosa and I handled the inking/coloring of said drawing and as well as the layout. To be released on Flenser Records in November 2010.

Necrite's first ever shirt I was also asked to design, thematically travels a similar path as the album artwork. These will be available at the record release show on 11/17/2010 with Watain , Goatwhore , Black Anvil and Pale Chalice as well.

from Blabbermouth.net:

"After five demos and six years of anticipation, Bay Area black metal tyrants NECRITE will finally unleash their debut full-length, "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi", on November 2 via Flenser Recordings.
Seamlessly fusing elements of droning doom, funeral ambience, and thrashing black metal, "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi" is a monument in the legacy of West Coast black metal along with the likes of WEAKLING's "Dead As Dreams" and LEVIATHAN's "Tenth Sublevel of Suicide". NECRITE has created something very special and very creepy on "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi", brandishing over 66 minutes of horrifying, ambient black metal of the most oppressive and bleak type.

"Sic Transit Gloria Mundi" track listing:

01. A Mass for the Harvest of Death (16:04)
02. Bereft of Hope (11:33)
03. Bathing Open Wounds with Shards of Glass (7:55)
04. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi (27:07)
05. Worship the Sunn((O)) (7:33)

NECRITE is a three-piece: Thrull (vocals, guitars, studio bass), Tenspyr (guitar, live bass), and Malick (drums, vocals). Thrull himself recorded "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi" in a basement hole over the course of two and a half years; Thrull, along with Eric Medina, mixed and mastered the album.

Since its debut, NECRITE has shared the stage with acts such as WATAIN, DESTROYER 666, ENTHRONED and more, and has become a well-kept secret in the San Francisco black metal community.

NECRITE has managed to craft some of the most visceral and demonic audio terror around, forgoing traditional song structure and predictability in lieu of a pure unflinching devotion to creating the aural essence of death bathed in a drone of tingly creepiness.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/necrite."

AU:TONE:NAL screen print available for purchase!

2010-09-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

AVAILABLE NOW:

These beautiful screen-printed posters for the AU:TONE:NAL performance involving: Andre Custudio (Say Bok Gwai), Dave Ed (Neurosis) and Kevin Gan Yuen (FERMENTÆ) @the Luggage Store, SF.

Designed and hand-screen printed by artist Molly Osborne. Printed on high-quality French speckled stock in an edition of 30. Each print is unique due to the nature of the manual CMYK process utilized for the photorealistic qualities of these prints.

To purchase please click HERE.

THOU & MOLOCH 2010 Summer Tour print sale

2010-09-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. The remaining 2010 Summer tour prints are now available for sale for $10 each + shipping // please contact me directly for payment/shipping info: kevin@viraloptic.com
These will be shipped wrapped and flat.Print details: measures- 13x32", 4-color (black, red, silver and white) screen print on super thick chip // illustrated, designed and hand-printed by Kevin Gan Yuen and Molly Osborne in San Francisco, CA. in an edition of 175 and we have less than 80 left.

Thanks!

-Kevin

ÆRAKNIDS DEKÆ VR KRESTS

2010-09-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

Hi All, a heads-up that the split w/Mark Bradley are SOLD OUT @the source // Scotch Tapes Records.
I have a VERY FEW left for sale $8 >> contact: kevin@viraloptic.com

AU:TONE:NAL // one-shot performance

2010-09-01T10:09:00.002-07:00

AU:TONE:NAL

André Custodio (Say Bok Gwai), Dave Ed (Neurosis), Kevin Yuen (Fermentæ)

Our premier. May be a once-in-a-lifetime. Lube up the ear hole.
Also on the bill:
Animal Vegetable Television

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCRdDPoq3g0

AU:TONE:NAL

Location:Luggage Store, 1007 Market St, San Francisco, CA

Time:8:00PM Thursday, September 30th

Be there!

RECAP: GATES - "The Moths Have Eaten the Core"

2010-08-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

This is a project I had worked on sometime last year, that saw full realization recently and are NOW AVAILABLE to the masses in an edition of 100 copies. Please see below for more info:

"tracklisting:
Outer Labyrinth
Inner Labyrinth
Dust of Absence

edition of 100 CDs
6" x 6" 3 panel folio style jacket w/ Obi
design by Kevin Yuen at Viraloptic
photography by Bryan W Bray
printing and construction by Scott Sokoloski at Firebrand Inc

Gates began as a sonic experiment turned into a ritualistic cathartic process. As a way to further cleanse the mental palette in a continuing ritual that took place after practices and shows with ORCAand always initially beginning with simple multi-tracked ideas. The music spans the worlds of doom, psychedelic drone, ambient, experimental field recordings & intense audio processing all filtered through the bleak aesthetics and sonic darkness of black metal. Recording began in the fall of 2008 and finished January 2009 in the depths of winter. The music ventures into themes of claustrophobia, nothingness, the unconscious passageways of the mind and the transcendence of the self.

Package design was executed by the talented Kevin Yuen (Fermentæ,Circle of Eyes), using photos of caves and statues accentuating the immersive sonic environment. Printing of the packaging was of the utmost quality, 167lbs coated cover stock with wax polymer printing (sleeve & obi) and pro-duplicated/printed cds attached with foam hub all housed in a resealable poly-bag.

(above art is slightly different than the final version)

Listen to 'Inner Labyrinth' here http://gatesritual.bandcamp.com

Contact for copies, (mailorder etc)
gravitationaldoom at g mail dot com
$10 each. Please get in touch for exact shipping costs.
Mailorder copies (or purchase at a show) will include a sticker and 1" pin
Also available at Soundscapes & Sonic Boom in Toronto.

Available as a digital download via Bandcamp at the the link above.

Huge, infinite thanks to Kevin Yuen & Scott Sokoloski for enabling this project to come to light(dark).

Through the howling infinite....."

2010-08-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

Liz Ryder - "Ghost Letters From the Sea"

2010-07-15T23:07:00.001-07:00

Design/layout by myself and the cover photograph by Alex Douglas.

lizrydermusic.com

FERMENTÆ: there is a new release out (!!!)

2010-07-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

Copies the new split w/Mark Bradley are now available and will begin shipping next week. You can hear excerpts from said release HERE and Scotch Tapes for physical purchase.

"Fermentæ/ Mark Bradley split

Creepy, wonderful droned out guitars and ambient synths with subtle beats litter this long in the works release. Both artists have seen substantial growth since I last listened to them. A great album. If you are a fan of Dreamcolour, Great Slave Lake or Rambutan, you will really dig this tape.

Limited to just 50 copies.

$8.00"

2K10: May + June haul

2010-06-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

Gratitude: A. Bursese, T. Ekelund, T. Hannum, B. Handy @HSS, Buzz + Mackie Osborne, T. Olsen II, W. Funk, A + A from MALEFICIA, J. Way and thee Image Comics familia.

screen-printing posters pt.1

2010-06-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

"And thus lay before him the culminative creation wrought from his blood (literally), sweat and coffee... "

GREAT FALLS + PASTOR TONAL split

2010-05-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

BELOW: the folio-style packaging design/layout by yours truly (with this project, I drew inspiration from: 80's skateboard graphics, Mercyful Fate and John Carpenter's THE THING); these will be screen-printed (3-colors: sky-blue, black and metallic silver on chipboard stock) and assembled @BROKEN PRESS. NOTE: the menacing hand + devil-skull illustrations are by Mr. Demian Johnston and were mangled at my own discretion. This release will be available on the DEAD ACCENTS imprint shortly in an edition of 300 copies.

THOU + MOLOCH Summer tour 2010

2010-05-12T03:33:00.000-07:00

We will begin screen-printing these SOON - you can get more details about the tour HERE. These will be available for purchase starting next month at their shows and then through me afterward. Personally, I had been really slacking as a "graphic artist" the last few years and had shamefully disregarded the power of the pen(cil) and paper. Below is one of the first re-visitations of hand-rendered projects that I have been proud enough to post in recent time. I spent some time sketching the hourglass and Molly handled the lettering (dates) within. I will be posting photographic documentation of the whole process on here as things develop... it's going to be a good one!

Details:
- designed by Kevin Yuen + Molly Osborne
- measures 13x32"
- printed on very thin chip stock
- colors: red, black, white, metallic silver
- edition of 200 prints

die.