Los Angeles, CA - On Saturday, June 1, 2002, 3:00pm to 6:00pm, in cooperation with the record label Beta Bodega Coalition and the activist organization Union de Vecinos, Ultra-red will present a special release party for the full-length CD, Desarrollos Sostenibles/Sustainable Developments. This event is part of Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions’ (LACE) exhibit "Democracy When? Activist Strategizing in Los Angeles." The event will take place at their LACE gallery in Hollywood - 6522 Hollywood Blvd., just West of Cahuenga. In addition to sound and video by Ultra-red, also on hand for the festivities will be DJ Jose Salguero from KXLU radio’s "Headspace."

Desarrollos Sostenibles/Sustainable Developments is an album of remixes from Ultra-red’s 2000 CD, the critically acclaimed Structural Adjustments (Mille Plateaux/Germany). The new album, soon to be released on Miami-based Beta Bodega Coalition features remixes by an all-star roster of electronic musicians from the US, Europe and Japan. Remixers include Alejandra y Underwood (Lucky Kitchen, Spain), G.R.R.L. (aka Terre Thaemlitz/Comatonse, Japan), Mannequin Lung (Plug Research, Los Angeles), Patcha Kutek (Phoenicia's Romulo del Castillo/Schematic, Miami) and other members of the electronica international.

Both albums (Desarrollos Sostenibles and its predecessor) focus on Ultra-red’s collaboration with the public housing activist group Union de Vecinos which has fought to stop the demolition of public housing in Los Angeles and to ensure access to safe and affordable housing for LA’s public housing residents.

The June 1st event will serve as the kick-off of the Union de Vecinos’ campaign to stop the demolition of five more public housing projects in Los Angeles. Those projects being considered for demolition include Nickerson Gardens and Avalon Gardens (both in South Central LA), Rancho San Pedro (San Pedro), Mar Vista Gardens (West LA) and Estrada Courts (East LA).

Under the funding regulation’s of HUD’s HOPE VI program, the Los Angeles Housing Authority has been demolishing public housing only to rebuild new developments at a fraction the number of units, providing little to no guarantees that displaced residents will be able to return to the completed projects. With a severe housing shortage in Los Angeles, it’s a scandal that the Housing Authority would spend millions of dollars to demolish existing housing stock then rebuild fewer units. The Union de Vecinos and their allies argue that the city should instead renovate existing housing stock and expand public housing for the nearly 300,000 people in need of immediate housing.

This event is part of Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions’ art exhibit "Democracy When? Activist Strategizing in Los Angeles" which runs for 10-weeks from April 4th thru June 15th. Curated by Tone O. Nielsen, "Democracy When?" is an exhibition about activism in Los Angeles, or to be more correct, activisms in Los Angeles. Its participants come from a variety of communities struggling for social change for different reasons and in different ways. Ultimately, "Democracy When?" is an exhibition about the process of democratization and the various strategies employed by the participants toward that goal. For more information about the "Democracy When?" exhibit and LACE, call 323-957-1777, or visit www.artleak.org.

 

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For press contact Lynn Hasty at Green Galactic 323-466-5141 or lynn@greengalactic.com or contact Union de Vecinos rep Elizabeth Blaney 323-816-4961 or visit uniondevecinos.org.