For Episode 74 of Stark Reality, Host James Dier aka DJ $mall ¢hange rolls the tattered red carpet out to the Bay Area and welcomes visual artist/DJ/producer EZRA LI EISMONT. Ezra is a multi-disciplinary artist living and working on the Mendocino coast in Northern California, with primary emphasis on painting and sound. Born in North Carolina 1974, he moved with his family to NYC 1977 and was raised there through the 1980s until moving to Oakland, California in 1990.  A graduate of the California College of Arts and Crafts (BFA 1997), he has been an active member of the Bay area art and music communities since the mid Nineties, lending his artistic flavor to many Bay Area music albums and flyer art over the past decades. Ezra is a founding member of the electronic music group Cat Five (1999-2005) and music producer under the name Dj Darkat. He was an active attendee of the Burning Man festival between 1999-2016, including working for the Burning Man Department of Public Works between 2007-2015. From 2009-2022 he broadcast a weekly online radio show called Sound Dimensions broadcast on Spaz.org

In this episode we get into Ezra's history in both painting and sound, talk about different projects he's worked on, his 'Zombie' series of paintings, weird records like industrial musicals, collecting and selling records, doing cut up / sample type tracks (and literally cutting up flexidiscs to make collage records), Burning Man, working for them, our issues with the event and its politics, the Ghost Ship fire from some years back, fighting landlords trying to kick you out of your space (which Ezra was involved with for a number of years in Oakland), throwing raves (happenings) back in the day, and what inspires his art. Jim met Ezra way back in 2000 on the playa, he is top ppls and a very talented artist. He was one of the ppl $mall ¢hange was thinking of when he started this podcast a few years back so glad to finally interview him for Stark Reality. Recorded Feb 17th 2025.

For more information and links go to www.Ezrali.wordpress.com

To hear Ezra’s exclusive STARK REALITY Playlist, the “DJ Darkat Freedom of Speech Mix,” a funky and eclectic set of hip hop, punk, random soundscapes and samples to go along with the interview, go to Episode 74 of STARK REALITY PLAYLISTS on Apple or wherever you get your music podcasts, or live & direct on the uptownradio.net Music Channel STARK REALITY series page. don’t forget to subscribe to both STARK REALITY and STARK REALITY PLAYLISTS on Apple Podcasts.