David Cotner Dublab Covers Project 18 June 2004 LA Weekly p. 158
One of the greatest catalysts for cultural change-via 20th-century pop music-is the record sleeve. Standing for decades in record stores like Isaac Asimov's monoliths, the sleeve drove countless millions to step away from their basements and discover new worlds and unknown pleasures. The web radio station/DJ collective Dublab takes this to its logical nth with the installation "Up Our Sleeve," showcasing over 450 one-of-a-kind sleeves designed by a global roster of artists. Since 1999, Dublab's listeners have reached those new lands like those earlier purveyors of the vinyl anachronism, connecting with the Web site's audiocasts and DJ appearances worldwide. Amid the vast panoply of personal artistic tomfoolery through "paper, paint, ink, ribbons, paste, plastic, photos, metal, mannequin heads and magic," and blank 12-inch record sleeves (examples of which can be seen online at www.upoursleeve.org ), is live action from nearly everyone at Dublab, including Ale (of Languis), Daedelus, Derelict, Dntel, Flynn & Morpho, Frosty, J-Logic, Kutmah and Carlos Niño. After this evening, the entire collection keeps on truckin' with a multicity Dublab Soundsystem gallery tour. It's a rare opportunity to connect the actual object (what do you want on your tombstone?) with the virtual and surreal (the faraway voices down the telephone line).Up Our Sleeve: The Dublab Covers Project at Inshallah Gallery, 244 S. Main St., downtown.; Sat., June 19, 6 p.m.; all ages; free.