 Michael Masterson gives fashion a reboot. Eco-conscious clothing is becoming more popular, but Pennsylvania’s Michael Masterson of House of Reboot takes the eco title to another level. Michael was one of the exhibitors in BUST magazine’s”craftacular” section of Maker Faire New York. Not only does he source his wool, denim and other materials from surplus bolts of fabric that date as far back as the early 1960s, he hand sews all the garments himself on heavy duty, retooled sewing machines, some of which are from the early 1900s. So you get reclaimed, re-purposed materials made on reclaimed and recommissioned machines. Many of the old machines were destined to be melted down into boat anchors before Michael gave them a new life. Michael, a former music producer who also designs all the clothing, taught himself how to take apart, repair and modify his machines. Because of their built-to-last construction and slow-sewing movement, he says the machines are far superior to modern, plastic-housed sewing machines on the market. His designs are meant to last, too, since they’re made from heavy duty fabric culled from American and European textile mills. While other clothing lines seek to capture the classic, utilitarian looks of American work clothes, House of Reboot doesn’t have to try to look classic because it is. House of Reboot is about to launch a line of denim shirts that came from fabric made in 1962 for Folsom Prison inmates. I suggested he name the line “Folsom Prison Blues.”(With acknowledgements to Johnny Cash). Catchy, right? Filed under: Art & Design, Maker Faire, Remake         
  Adam Matta plays his “Duchampion.” One of the coolest things I saw at Maker Faire New York was a performance by Tuvan throat singer Liron Peled and human beatbox artist Adam Matta. Tuvan throat singing is an ancient vocal technique practiced by the Tuva people of southern Siberia. Human beatboxing, imitating percussion sounds with the voice, grew out of hip hop culture in the 1980s. The juxtaposition of styles sounds unlikely, but it was strangely euphonious. In addition to making amazing looping and rat-a-tat beats with his voice, Adam the beatboxer created a turntable of sorts made out of a bicycle rim, magnetic tape, an old Walkman, and a pedal-activated vocal looping device that samples and repeats vocal beats that he lays down. He had it on display at Maker Faire. The bicycle rim has twin strips of cassette tape running around it and a tape head on the fork that “scratches” as Adam moves it back and forth, turntable-style. Once he lays down a looping beat and starts scratching away, he layers on another level of his own live vocal percussion. It’s very cool. His “Duchampion” device is an ode to Michel Duchamp’s readymade sculpture known as “Bicycle Wheel.” “It combines my love of mountain biking, art and beatboxing into one,” Adam said. Check it out. Filed under: Art & Design, Maker Faire, Music         
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