Blurb from YAMS:

Nearly, two years ago I met with Todorovic, a special director from Serbia. I am in love with her subjects. Her work hurts and inspires. Now, she is on her way to showing her documentary at the Cannes Film Festival! Kindly, click this link to donate via Kickstarter. Thank you. For more about Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E. and Ivana Todorovic, kindly click here.

About A Harlem Mother:

Life is good as long as you’re living. A tragedy inspires a mother toward action, in the hopes of stopping deaths of the innocent by gun violence. A reason to get out of bed in the morning. In 1998, 18 years old Latraun Parker made documentary about harshness growing up in Harlem. Eights years after, he was shoot dead on the street. Today, his mother Jean fights youth gun violence and helps other parents survive the pain. Short documentary ‘A Harlem Mother‘ tells its story from the dual perspectives of Jean and Latron, using footage from his own documentary.

Photos: Courtesy of Cinema Stereo

Blurb from YAMS:

I was and I still am completely intrigued by Cinema Stereo.

Cinema Stereo’s Bio:

Cinema Stereo is Alicia Spargo, a computer, a keyboard and several redbulls. I make music on my computer and then sample video to be projected behind me when I perform live. I am a composer, freelance studio musician, producer and lyricist. I also do video production for my solo project and for other artists. *Drummer for Murph and the Blackouts.

GrungeCake: Like GrungeCake, Cinema Stereo sounds like a joining of two separate entities becoming one. Where’d you get the name?

Cinema Stereo: When I perform live, I make videos to be projected behind me while I perform my songs. I’m terribly shy and I don’t like the focus of my music to be me, so I give the audience (hopefully) a beautiful distraction. Since I sample cinema, videos that I make, and random videos that I find on the net to make these projections. I thought the name Cinema Stereo fitting.

GrungeCake: We met a few years back in Los Angeles. When we met and you learned the name of my company — what were your first thoughts (about the name and the plan)? What were your vision/s for the company?

Cinema Stereo: It made me hungry and I wanted delicious cake. I loved the name. It sounded fun, gritty, daring, and new. My thoughts were that GrungeCake would offer coverage of anything that needed attention, whether it be a new clothing designer, artist or music group. I loved you immediately and I was curious about what a person like you would produce. You constantly had that camera like a gun on your hip and you had an eye for interesting things. You had an excitement that was contagious.

GrungeCake: If I were to describe you, artistically, you’d be a head on collision of Bjork, Bukowski, and Quentin Tarantino films with an appreciation for science, voices, religion-supernatural, theatre, machinery and anatomical beauty. Who or what inspires you?

Cinema Stereo: I’m inspired by everything. Beautiful and ugly. A lot of the reason that I make music is because it is a diary of sorts. I don’t sit down with a definite idea of how I want a song to sound, I sort of wait until I’m at the pinnacle of an emotion and then try my best to make what I am feeling have a musical equivalent. I make it up on the spot. If I try to make music with an idea already in mind, it tends to sound forced and uninspired. But things that I love probably have an effect on my music whether it’s subconscious or not. My favorite things are neuroscience, technology, modular robots, the beauty and vastness of outer space, space travel, comedy films from the 80’s, all action films, shock/horror cinema, anything by Takashi Miike, and all the ridiculous human emotions. Recently, I’ve been interested in what makes things funny, the honesty and timing of comedy and also, in the direct opposite, what type of music makes a person feel devious and devilish.

GrungeCake: How long have you been a composer? Are you an artist of the DIY era or were you professionally trained via school or trade?

Cinema Stereo: I’ve been playing instruments for as far back as I can remember. Starting with piano at 2, trumpet in 7th grade, bass in 10th and drums in 11th. I remember many hours of being a kid, sitting alone in my room and playing a keyboard or making a drum kit of assorted household items and playing along with the radio. After graduating high school, I moved to L.A. and after being in a string of many bands and dealing with coordinating schedules and egos, my friend Kenny Segal suggested that I learn to make music with software. I already knew piano, bass, and drums. He felt that I should just be the whole band using software. At the time, he was a recording engineer student at USC making beats for Freestyle Fellowship and was already an amazing composer of jungle as well. He took me under his wing. We’re still close to this day. That was about 12 years ago. I never went to school but I was fortunate to be taught by someone who did.

GrungeCake: What inspired the idea of mixing Chris Crocker’s voice into a song called, “Chris Crocker Don’t Play?”

Cinema Stereo: Haha, that boy is crazy. I’m hoping that he is playing a character. You can tell by reading my blog on the Cinema Stereo MySpace that I love silly videos. He just made me laugh with his “ghetto” vengeance monologue and I thought that it would be funny to put it over a track. So, I did. He’s just a crazy kid that wants so badly to be accepted. Hell, I’d bake him cookies.

GrungeCake: (Chuckles) You’ve also used vocals from grunge band 7 Year Bitch for your “I Want It” track. You’ve stolen my heart. Did you plan to steal my heart?

Cinema Stereo: I didn’t plan on stealing your heart…but we can pretend I did. “The Scratch” by 7 Year Bitch was on my iPod. I heard it, felt connected to the song and wanted to make it harder with synths, and drums. So, I did. I’m glad you liked it.

GrungeCake: I feel like you might be a feminist. Is this true?

Cinema Stereo: I love strong women that try to be aware and are kind. But I wouldn’t say that I’m a feminist.

GrungeCake: My favourite Cinema Stereo sounds have to be “War Paint” and “Into It All.” As of today, what is your favourite (Cinema Stereo) released song?

Cinema Stereo: I really like “Paper Cut Valentine” and “I Chose This.” I also like “I Want It.” But honestly, I never really feel that a song is ever done or finished. I always feel that it could be better. Mixing is a never-ending process.

GrungeCake: Perhaps, this notion is what gave birth to ‘the remix’. You’re very beautiful and seemingly strong via your photography and music. In your industry, is this an advantage or disadvantage? List the pros and cons.

Cinema Stereo: Thank you… look, I live in L.A. There are 10’s walking all over the place who are talented and have something to offer to music. When I first started, I was one the few female electronic artists. Now that it is so affordable and trendy, every girl and their grandmother is making music. Which is great. It takes the focus off the rarity of it and puts it back where it should be, the quality of the music. But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t nice to hear you saying I’m beautiful and strong. A girl could get spoiled and I’m blushing.

GrungeCake: I have been able to call and see star quality in artists before they see it themselves. Your face and body reek actress. Do you see what I see?

Cinema Stereo: Haha, nope. I appreciate the compliment but acting is nowhere in my future. Unless someone offered me a love interest role opposite Benicio Del Toro. Then, I feel I could play a convincing and riveting performance. I’m pretty sure I could win an Oscar.

GrungeCake: (Continues to chuckle) I tried people. What genre of films do you find yourself watching the most? Which genre do you work with the most?

Cinema Stereo: I absolutely love horror/ shock cinema. Koreans and Japanese do it best. But there is a film called “A L’ Interior” that is currently my favorite and it is French. I also love all action films. These two genres move me the most. They make me want to recoil, squirm in my seat or kick ass. The more uncomfortable or amped up I am, the better. As far as what kind of genre I sample from the most, it’s so varied. I get most of my videos from Youtube and then a site called vixy.net to convert them into QuickTime files for editing. Look it up. (Whispers in delight) It’s free! The videos I sample from the most are mainly under the umbrella of science.

GrungeCake: Where are you from? Has your town taken to your style of music? Are they receptive?

Cinema Stereo: I’m from a small town called Hot Springs, Arkansas. I’ve only been back two times since I moved here 14 years ago. I don’t dislike the place. It’s beautiful. I just don’t feel any connection to that culture.

GrungeCake: Ever given thought to becoming a film director in the future?

Cinema Stereo: I would like to try music videos. Or interview people for a digital database of family trees. I would love to watch a video of my grandmother being interviewed as a child. I interview my nephew regularly and am fascinated of the possibilities of future viewing. His great grand children will be able to watch the videos I recorded long after both of us are gone. I want to record everything.

GrungeCake: Beautiful. Entirely. Which collaboration or joint project has been most rewarding thus far?

Cinema Stereo: I made a music video for Mike Slott, a musician I greatly admire. His music is so amazing and polished. The song is called “Soul Investigators.” It is the first video I made for anyone other than myself. I didn’t expect him to use it as the official music video. He released it and it was blogged and rated everywhere. He is a huge underground success with a lot of people watching what he does. I was so honored.

GrungeCake: What were your experiences like working on the “Remembering Charles Bukowski” art exhibit? I am big fan of Bukowski’s work and a groupie for his words.

Cinema Stereo: I actually didn’t work on that exhibit. Haha, I rigged my car to give out enough power through the manipulations of phone chargers to operate my DVD player and projector. I projected it on the side of the building. It ended up cutting out halfway through. But hey, you can’t blame a girl for trying. To this day, I’m still trying to figure out how to get enough power to do shows on the sides of random buildings for whoever happens to be driving by. One day… one day.

GrungeCake: (Laughs terribly hard) One day Cinema Stereo will have a modern drive-by movie. Id drive by until the film is over. Parking wouldn’t be fun enough. (Shows teeth) What’s the last book you’ve read?

Cinema Stereo: It was a book called “The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge” by Carlos Castaneda. I sadly admit that I don’t read often. If I have time to read, I have time to make music.

GrungeCake: What do you like to listen to?

Cinema Stereo: Right now, I’m really into punk music. I realized a little while back that I didn’t know much about it so I wanted to study it. I am into Big Boys, Agent Orange, Black Flag, The Dead Kennedys to name a few and I am in love with Minor Threat. I now play drums in a 3 piece punk band with two good guys that look like they could stunt double for Brad Pitt. We’re called “Murph and the Blackouts”. I also love AFX, Amon Tobin, Autechre, Bjork, Buraka Som Sistema, Phillip Glass, Venetian Snares, and anything that is pushing the envelope for electronic music.

GrungeCake: Healthy list. Who would you like to collaborate with for 2010?

Cinema Stereo: “Bring me everyone… everyone!!!” (Quote from The Professional)

GrungeCake: How can we book Cinema Stereo?

Cinema Stereo: Email me at cinemastereo@yahoo.com
You can also email me to collaborate, edit videos for songs, or make videos for entire sets for live shows.

GrungeCake: Serious inquiries only, please. What’s next for Cinema Stereo?

Cinema Stereo: You’ll just have to watch and see…