Check out the February/March edition of Urban Climber magazine!

I had the good fortune of being interviewed by pro climber, Matt Burbach of Granit Life, in the Ear Candy section in the February/March edition of Urban Climber magazine!

Read the interview HERE

Check out the King Lines Trailer featuring Abel Okugawa Music on Apple’s HD web site.

Watch and Listen in three HD versions HERE !

The King Lines film/DVD features three of Abel Okugawa Tracks, as well as his music for the trailer.

“The first major climbing film shot entirely in HD, King Lines also represents the first collaboration between the leading producers in the industry – Josh Lowell, of Big UP Productions, and Peter Mortimer, of Sender Films. King Lines is currently touring the country as part of the Reel Rock Film Tour. Footage from the film was featured on NBC’s Jeep World of Adventure Sports, and was honored with a Sports Emmy award for Outstanding Camerawork.” www.apple.com

iTunes Download – ! International ! -
Magic Cuts – 816:MIX – The Force No.3

Fake Science – Berkely CA -
- Magic Cuts – 816:MIX – The Force No.3 -

Verizon V-Cast – Cell Phones ! -

Watch and Listen : Abel Okugawa has crafted all original sounds for Big Up Productions feature Film : King Lines. Due for release oct 2007 . Check out the Trailer !
Video Description

King Lines follows Chris Sharma on his search for the planet’s greatest climbs. From South American fantasy boulders to uncharted deep water soloing in Greece to the future of sport climbing at Mt. Clark, Sharma and friends find and climb the most spectacular routes in the world. You can pre-order the DVD at www.bigUPproductions.com, which will ship October 1st

Download Abel Okugawa music at iTunes
iTunes Download – ! International ! -

This is the awesome segment that included the song ” Thanksgiving ” by Abel Okugawa & Loren Oppenheimer .

You can catch more in Josh Loewll’s upcoming film King Lines coming to a theatre near you .

Climbing News !
Climbing Segment Wins Sports Emmy
Jeep “World of Adventure Sports” series will continue airing in 2007.
by Jeep World of Adventure Sports May 10th, 2007 PORTLAND, Maine — Jeep World of Adventure Sports, the action-adventure sports series that brings the heart of the action to millions of viewers on the NBC Sports network, has received an Emmy award. The Emmy for Outstanding Camera Work was awarded for a segment featuring rock climber Chris Sharma and shot on location in Mallorca, Spain by the camera team of Josh and Brett Lowell.

The award-winning segment is an excellent example of the extraordinary feats and masterful camera work that are at the core of the show itself. From adrenaline sports to expedition adventures, Jeep World of Adventure Sports captures the world’s greatest events and behind the scenes stories that reveal the passion of those who play to the edge. More…..

- Listen to Thanksgiving mp3 -

- Thanksgiving will be available fall 2007 ! -

Here is a snippet from the full article in the C’ville newspaper .

Zen and the art of Monkeyclaus maintenance

Or how to record music in the new century
Issue #19.21 :: 05/22/2007 – 05/28/2007

In 1995, on a couch in Boston, Peter Agelasto sat up suddenly and said, “Monkeyclaus! That’s what I’m going to do with the rest of my life!” He then went to India to try and figure out what that meant.

Going bananas: Matthew Clark (left) and Abel Okugawa (right) behind the boards for a recording session at Monkeyclaus. Bands occasionally let their inner animals out to participate in a live recording/interview/social event, dubbed a “Monkey Session” by founder Peter Agelasto.

“Monkey” refers to Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god, and “Claus” refers to Jolly ol’ Saint Nick. Peter tells me that his Greek surname means “One who doesn’t smile,” and this is the worst misnomer I can imagine. Right now Peter Agelasto, founder and CEO of Monkeyclaus, is doing nothing but smiling as he tries to explain to me just what it is he’s doing out here.

Let’s be more specific. By “now” I mean April 30, 2007, and by “here” I mean in Nelson County, past Nellysford, down the road from where Agelasto spent much of his childhood. Ten years ago, with the help of 100-plus volunteers, he built the small, wooden, barn-like structure that is Monkeyclaus Recording Studio. With at least one-quarter of it made from recycled material, it’s all golden wood and carved sculptural details. The area where the band plays has translucent plastic panels that let in sunlight and make you feel like you’re in the open air. The recording equipment is awesomely complicated; with high-tech mixing boards and brand new computers, all encased in unfinished wood and adorned with monkey statues.

Already a recording studio, Monkeyclaus will soon be a record label, too. It also calls itself a “music distributor and social movement.” Since its birth in 1998, hundreds of bands have been through to record, from Portland, Oregon’s Jackie-O Mother Fucker, to Charlottesville’s own Sarah White. There are plans for expansion; a covered loading dock, a concert stage and an outdoor movie screen. Not unexpectedly, Monkeyclaus want to develop wind and solar power and eventually get “off the grid.”

BY J. TOBIAS BEARD

Read more and Listen at www.c-ville.com