In the 1990s, something special was beginning to take place in Minneapolis. On the West Bank, street artists would congregate over a slice of pizza at Rocky Rococo, challenging one another to who could paint the most elaborate graffiti throughout the cities. For people of a certain generation, names like Emer AKB, YEN 34HM, and Ewok MSK HM AWR all evoke a golden age of street art covertly tagged on Minneapolis South High School or the tracks near the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. What was once regarded as petty vandalism has morphed into an indelible feature of our local history.

The rebellious spirit of these artists has paved the way for others to use artistic expression for chronicling history. In a tumultuous post-George Floyd moment, the question of what responsibility artists hold in speaking for, and with, their communities remains a delicate one. Which is why Joe Ellis, a native of South Minneapolis, has dedicated his career as a curator and gallerist to amplifying the creative voices of his community through various projects. KFAI’s Nick Kouhi sat down to talk with Joe about what inspirations guided his practice, as well as his hopes for the sixth edition of the Lyn Lake Street Art Series, set to open on July 14.

More information about the Lyn Lake Street Art Series is available here: https://www.lynlakestreetart.com/

Ellis and and LLSAS have created a limited addition silkscreen print for Lyn Lake Street Art Series which will be available for public purchase at the event. 

Support for MinneCulture on KFAI has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

Joe Ellis Traces History Through Street Art

Senior resident Joe Ellis reunites with Cam Moore for a very special b2b to close out our Essex Garden on our recent Mason Collective show..

Joe Ellis b2b Cam Moore // Mason Collective 24th June 2023 (LIVE Set)

OMM Transmission - @untilmyheartstops

For the 18th edition, we welcome Joe Ellis - a quietly influential presence in the UK’s deep techno and experimental landscape.
A long-time resident of @freerotation and one of the minds behind the beloved label UntilMyHeartStops, Joe has spent years shaping a musical world rooted in sensitivity, depth, and emotional nuance.
His curatorial vision continues through Lamassu, where he explores the outer edges of dance music with the same careful devotion.

Joe’s approach has always been unhurried - a patient ear, a deep trust in atmosphere, and a way of letting sound unfold with intention.

This mix is an ambient–experimental journey that drifts through downtempo landscapes and dissolves into subtle drum & bass spheres.
A space of shifting textures, quiet tension, and fluid transitions - where the boundaries between moods blur into something immersive and unreal.

A transmission of deep listening, suspended motion, and gently evolving states.

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̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶

𝑂𝑀𝑀 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 — 𝑂𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐.
𝐼𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑂𝑀, 𝑤𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑎 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑠 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠.

̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶•̶~̶

SC: @untilmyheartstops
@freerotation
BC: https://untilmyheartstops.bandcamp.com/
https://lamassu.bandcamp.com/album/sa-pa-borders-of-the-sun
RA: https://ra.co/dj/joeellis

Artwork: OMM Transmission
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OMM Transmission 018 || Joe Ellis

MinneCulture is KFAI’s award-winning audio storytelling program. We produce audio documentaries exploring Minnesota’s art, culture, and history — stories about musical sensations, small town heroes, cultural icons, local lore, and everything in between. We produce two types of stories: short form under the name "10,000 Fresh Voices" and long form under the name "MinneCulture"

~ 𝑀𝑢𝑡𝑙𝑖-𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 ~

ℙ𝕠𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕤𝕥 | 𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤 | 𝕃𝕒𝕓𝕖𝕝

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𝓞𝓜𝓜 𝓣𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓼𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷

OMM Transmission is a platform where music transcends boundaries, creating a space for true connection and free expression. Drawing inspiration from the sacred OM, a sound that represents unity, balance, and the vibrational essence of the universe, OMM is about harnessing the power of music to bring people together.

At its core, Open Mind Music is more than just a name—it’s a philosophy. It's a call for openness, for creativity without limits, and for collaboration that bridges minds and hearts. OMM invites individuals to share their unique soundscapes, creating a collective experience that blends the emotional with the intellectual, the personal with the universal.

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Artwork & curation by: 
@toxido-mask

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𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇: 

ᴄᴀᴛʜᴀʀꜱɪꜱ

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For enquiry:
💌 kuh-thahr-sis@hotmail.com

Music that takes you to a place you know you wanna go #GoodLife

A&R/Demos and Label Enquiries: Buenavidabookings@gmail.com

New tracks tagged #Joe Ellis