READY: Live Art

March 4, 2010 by adamwallenta

I originally did this piece for an interview I did for Fiona Bloom’s Efficacy web series. You can view the original video here- EFFICACY

The artwork was done on heavy stock paper and is a combination of pencil, ink, watercolor and acrylic.

The music is from my new album- FEEL GOOD MUSIC and was produced by J.J. Brown. The album is available on ITUNES, Amazon, Bandcamp, Reverbnation and more. See below. Go get it today!

The artwork is for sale for $200.00. Anyone interested should shoot me a message.

I also do commission pieces and custom artwork. Hit me up with requests and I will give you a price.

Peace!

Listen and Buy My New Album- FEEL GOOD MUSIC

February 27, 2010 by adamwallenta

FEEL GOOD MUSIC by ILLUS and J.J. brown

Fiona Bloom’s EFFICACY: A Personal Interview with ILLUS

February 24, 2010 by adamwallenta

Happy Hump Day to all!

I recently conducted a personal interview with Fiona Bloom for her new online series, EFFICACY. Fiona is the creator of the BLOOM EFFECT and is a promoter and all around marketing genius specializing in international marketing, events, product launches/listening parties, branding, publicity, touring, consultation and A & R. She is a legend in the music industry and all around nice person.

My interview is a little longer than the average but it also includes some treats from beginning to end, plus we all know I have a tendency to get wordy (but hopefully still entertaining and informative). I hope you will take some time to watch it and leave comments as well as support my new project- FEEL GOOD MUSIC (now available on ITUNES, AMAZON, BANDCAMP and more!)

Please help spread the word and tell everyone you know about it as well as re-tweet, re-blip, re-post, re-whatever!

Thank you for your love and support!
Peace!

Adam ILLUS Wallenta

ComiCONN 2010: Save the date!

February 10, 2010 by adamwallenta

To all my CT, New England and Tri-State comic book fans, make sure to save the date of May 15th, 2010, for the first annual ComiCONN celebration. If you love comic books, sci-fi, fantasy and gaming, this will be the place to be. There will be a lot of big name artists, creators and celebrities in the house signing autographs and meeting with the fans and there are a lot of free goodies being handed out. I will be on hand with my copies of my new PUBLIC ENEMY graphic novel to sell and sign as well as lots of other comics, original art, music and more.

You can pick up a copy of the official PUBLIC ENEMY graphic novel now while it is on sale at AmericanMule for $16.99 (with FREE shipping, 2 FREE cds and 3 FREE comics) or you can wait to get it for $20.00 at the con. Your choice. I hope you will all swing by my table and say hello and support a local artist.

I also illustrated the image below for the official ComiCONN program. It’s my first Iron Man piece in years. He’s a tough character to draw correctly. I used to work for Nelson Yomtov and Michael Marts at Marvel Comics. They were the editors of Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Force Works, Fantastic Force and others and I worked first as their intern, then assistant and colorist. This was several years ago of course and I would love to get my foot back in the door over at the House of Ideas but we’ll see what the future holds. For now- enjoy!

ILLUS: FEEL GOOD MUSIC (Official Music Video Release)

January 29, 2010 by adamwallenta

Hey all,

I hope this finds you all happy and healthy.

As many of you know by now I just released my new album, FEEL GOOD MUSIC. If you haven’t downloaded a copy yet, you can now get it at the following locations.

ITUNES

AMAZON

BANDCAMP

Physical copies will be available soon. More news on that to come.

For now though I am proud to announce the release of the first official video FEEL GOOD MUSIC. Check it out at and please leave a comment on YOUTUBE and spread the word.

Thank you for taking the time to give my music a listen and show some love. I appreciate the support.

Peace!

Download and Listen to My Interview w/CHUCK D.

January 26, 2010 by adamwallenta

I’ve made the necessary upgrades so now I can upload mp3 files for all of you. Hopefully someone here appreciates it and will show some love and purchase my new album at BANDCAMP or on ITUNES or at AMAZON. Please make sure to leave reviews at both ITUNES and AMAZON.

You can now listen to my interview with Chuck D for his ON THE REAL radio show, originally broadcasted on Air America on 1-17-2010, just a week before they closed shop. You can also download the file by right clicking on it and saving it to your computer. My segment begins around 39:40. Enjoy!
AIR AMERICAL ON THE REAL w/CHUCK D Interview 01_17_2010

ILLUS Interview with Chuck D for ON THE REAL on Air America

January 18, 2010 by adamwallenta

UPDATE: Air America has gone out of business. Apparently I was one of the last guests on Chuck D’s show. I do have a copy of the interview and will post it soon.

Last night I had an unexpected radio interview with Chuck D from Public Enemy for his ON THE REAL radio show on Air America. We discussed my new album with J.J.Brown, music, art and life. Chuck even slipped three of my songs into the mix (Ready, Beautiful Day and Feel Good Music). I have a real appreciation for people that can give great interviews because I find giving short, precise and interesting answers very difficult. There is limited time to convey your thoughts and carry on thorough conversations so you have to be quick and clear. We conducted the interview over the phone, I was at home in CT and Chuck was in CA, while the program director was in NYC. Good old technology. We are supposed to do an in-studio interview with J.J. brown soon, so I will keep you all posted on that so you can tune in. In the meantime you can check out the archive of last night’s interview here. Air America Interview with Chuck D My actual segment starts at 39:40. You have to dl some software but it only takes a second.

FEEL GOOD MUSIC – Live Art with ILLUS

January 15, 2010 by adamwallenta

I’ve been wanting to do some live-art for awhile so I put this little piece together to stretch my legs a bit. I haven’t painted with acrylics in over 15 years. I’m an oil and watercolor guy myself. It was a lot of fun to experiment with the medium again, especially on such a rough surface.

Feel Good Music is the title track off of my new album. You can purchase it at BandCamp or at Amazon. Please make sure to leave a review. It will be available on ITunes soon, I promise.

FEEL GOOD MUSIC: Reviews

January 10, 2010 by adamwallenta

FEEL GOOD MUSIC is finally out there for the world to listen to and I have been receiving some really nice reviews on Amazon. If you haven’t purchased a copy or left a review yet, please do so. You can also now purchase the album at BandCamp, where you can also read some liner notes and get some insight into the creation of the album. Here are a few reviews to give you an idea of what you can expect from the new album

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally! Some “Feel Good Music!”, January 9, 2010
By Johnny “Juice” Rosado “Public Enemy/X… (Strong Island, NY) – See all my reviews

Illus is not new to the Hip-Hop landscape but has put out quite a few underground offerings that were unfortunately overlooked in favor of the standard commercial fare pushing the same negative images into our collective minds.

Enter “Feel Good Music.” Produced by J.J. Brown and expertly navigated by Illus, I feel this may be his breakthrough work.

Kicking off the EP beautifully is “Ready.” The track is hard yet still has that bounce to it that makes you want to move. Illus rhymes flow with an intensity that is also enthusiastic and contagious.

“Beautiful Days” brings a nostalgic feel that is hard to shake as he brings you back to an early 1990’s zone that makes you feel like if you were wearing Cross Colors and an 8-Ball Jacket!

Continuing that vibe is “Old Friends.” This is one of my favorites. He actually sounds a little like LL Cool J on this song and that isn’t a bad thing.

“Have Fun, Will Travel” and “Happy Little Accident” both sound like they came right of Hip-Hop’s Golden Era.

“Super Secret Identity” sees Illus using his background as a comic book illustrator to great effect. Great imagery and fantastic story telling round out this EP.

As I mentioned, I believe this to be Illus’ breakthrough work and I wish to hear more from him in the future.

Johnny “Juice” Rosado
Emmy-Nominated Composer
Producer/Turntablist/
Engineer/Musician
Public Enemy/X-Vandals

5.0 out of 5 stars An example of golden-era hip-hop for today…, January 8, 2010
By mGee (O.O.B., Maine) – See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
I grew up during the 80s and no matter how much I wanted to keep up with the changes that hip-hop has undergone, IMO the US mainstream branch of it has failed to engage me and many others of my generation. There’s not a thing wrong with change, but there’s something wrong with music being made for the wrong reasons. Nowadaze true heads need to do some digging to find the real thing. When you do find it, it’s like a deep breath of fresh air after you’ve been breathing nasty, stagnant air for what seems forever. Illus’ “Feel Good Music” is that desired FRESH AIR. Positive… feel good… genuine hip-hop!

5.0 out of 5 stars ILLUS…!, January 8, 2010
By Baird M. Warnick “Flatline” (Seattle, WA) – See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
Illus’ “Feel Good Music” is just that. A must-cop for listeners who appreciate real deal, genuine hip hop. With dope beats provided by J.J. Brown, Illus rips the mic on the positive tip. Talk about a breath of fresh air.

Favorite tracks are Beautiful Day, Have Fun Will Travel, and Feel Good Music. But make no mistake, solid from start to finish. And props on that album cover – captures the spirit of Feel Good Music perfectly.

“For peace, for love, to be free, for justice…are you ready?”

FEEL GOOD MUSIC

January 8, 2010 by adamwallenta

My new album, FEEL GOOD MUSIC, is now available for purchase on AMAZON. It will be available on ITunes within 2-6 weeks. It will also be available on every other major digital distribution site, so if you have a preference then keep your eyes peeled and make sure to order a copy as soon as possible.

Even if you can’t order the album, please take the time to give it a listen and leave a review on Amazon for the world to see. It is extremely appreciated.