Us- State your full name, any aliases you may go by and your Japanese Zodiac sign?
Him- My name, I wont tell you, everyone calls me ‘Rockin Jelly Bean’, and my Japanese Zodiac sign, the year of the sheep. I took the ‘Rockin’ part from a performer who went by ‘Rockin Thunderbolt’, and the Jelly Bean is from my grandmother who called me Jelly Bean when I was young, because of a bean shaped mole on my back. ‘Rockin Jelly Bean’ is also my stage name for my band Jackie & The Cedrics.

Us- Why the Mexican wrestling mask on your opening nights?
Him- A while back I got into a bad motorcycle accident that left me with a big scar, so I started using a Mexican wrestling mask to cover up.

Us- Are you a fan of Russ Meyer movies?
Him- Yah, yah, I am. When I was a kid it was my dream to make movies. Later I saw some Russ Meyer movies and he was doing the style of movies I wanted to do. Motorcycles, fast cars and big boobs, ‘Faster Pussycat Kill Kill Kill’ is my all time favorite. My style of art is like his style of movie.

Us- If I was to commission a piece from you, and I wanted the title to be “suck my love pump” what images would you use?
Him- (laughing and contemplating) Girls in bikinis being pumped in the ass by bikers with old school hand pumps. Or something along those lines.

Us- Wow, that’s descriptive.
Him- It’s your commission.
Us- Touché.

Us- Where do you draw your influences from?
Him- So many things in life, really…fast cars and faster women, then I will think about the subject and go to sleep. Then when I dream about the piece I will wake up and write down my dream or start working on it right then.

Us- Are you a Black Sabbath man?
Him- Yes when I was kid I would copy and sing Ozzy songs and Black Sabbath songs. So yes I am.

Us- Can you teach us how to say, “suck my love pump” in your native tongue?
Him- Yes I can. Pai Zuri. It’s not exact, but along the same lines.

Us- Has any of your pieces been banned or censored, and if yes by who?
Him- No never banned or censored.

Us- In my past life I was a sushi chef, would you ever order sushi from a Californian with a wicked mustache who loves the taste of good cold Sake as well as crap hot Sake?
Him- Yes I would eat your style of sushi, but I prefer traditional Japanese style. 

Us-Are you a lover, or a Karate fighter?
Him- Lover of course, yes lover. Why not.

Us- Are you familiar with the magazine Heavy Metal?
Him- Yes I collected them as a kid. They interviewed me while I lived in L.A. and when I was young; it was the drawings of R. Crumb that opened my eyes to the woman’s body.

Us- What does your mom think of your art?
Him- She loves my art; she has a Rockin Jelly Bean gallery in her house.

Us-Well, I feel a little dirty, but really interested in your show at the Deus Gallery this Wednesday the 16th of May. Jelly Bean your one hell of an interesting cat and I’ll see you Wednesday. Domo arigato…
Him- Sama Sama…

There you have it, Rockin Jelly Bean in a nutshell, mostly nuts, but out of his shell. This guy is a kick ass artist with a vivid imagination. We here at Deus Ex Machina are very stoked to have him be a part of our ever growing ‘Residency and Arts program’. And if you haven’t heard the news by now, Rockin Jelly Bean’s show is this Wednesday the 16th of May, at 7pm sharp, and at 7:30-8:30 there will be a free flow of wines complements of ‘Zero Spirits’, just to get you, all good and lubed up, for his art will be dripping from our gallery walls on this night, he will also be joining forces with Bali’s own Rock-a-Billy mad men “The Hydrant” for a one time only show. This is not a night to miss, so slick back your hair, give yourself a beehive hairstyle and do that voodoo that you do. So come on down to the Deus Gallery opening of Rockin Jelly Bean and prepare to be aroused in more ways than one.

Call for reservations 0361 368 3395.

The day was a blast and quickly unfolded in to our Sunday Sunset Sessions with the return of Ozlem on the decks. There was great live music all night including Reno, the man with the slow hand and voice that sounds like whiskey on the rocks. He and his and his band ‘Remprat and the Soul Brothers’ shared the stage with with many talented Musicians.

A good time had by all! Now the ramp is open to the public and 100% free of charge. We we’ll see you on the coping…

What some don’t know is this bike was innovative, sporting Honda’s first endless chain driven single overhead camshaft. The power plant, parallel twin cylinders with dual carburetors toped off with a tidy five speed gearbox. So good that thousands still punctuate the asphalt of the world, making it something of an ageless beast. Across time they’ve been prototypes, archetypes and stereotypes. Jamaican artist Dillinger immortalized himself and the CB200 with his 1977 song of the same name. So little wonder that we finally got around to adding the Deus touch to this milestone machine.

The idea wasn’t new though time and a plethora of plastic fenders had hidden it from view. It’s rediscovery during a clean out of the gudang (Indonesian for storeroom) found the bike laying in waiting, literally buried under the flotsam and jetsam that is discarded from a donor bikes as they get striped and made ready to be customised.

From the street, and off the road. Only one thing for it, that’s how this Street Tracker evolved. Venture Handle bars top off a Deus customized frame. A little brand cross pollination came with the addition of the GS 250 swingarm made comfortable with Ikon black rear shocks. Front needed to balance with back and the heavier looking front end from a FZ-1 was brought in, man it’s a perfect fit. Japanese Alloy tank with a simple black spray, Hand made stainless steel header pipes and reverse cone stainless muffler. Silver & black, silver & black don’t they add that touch a class to what has now become an austere classic.

Ladies and gentlemen, the CB200…

We ask you, is this a flower child or something to take you into the future?
Full list of modifications…

• Veutura Handle Bars
• Japanese Alloy tank with custom spray
• Custom Small Switch
• HD Front Light
• Posh Stop Light
• Posh Small Chrome Speedo
• Custom Header Pipe Stainless Steel
• Custom Reverse Cone Stainless Exhaust
• Swallow 120/80/18 Front And Back Tires
• Wrinkle Black Engine Finish With Polished Side Cover
• Ikon Rear Shocks
• Modified Frame
• GS 250 Swing Arm
• Clear gum grips
• Yamaha Byson FZ-1 Front Shocks and Triple tree
• Custom Deus bubble seat

10am Sydney, Aus Wednesday morning:

Him- Hello?
Us- State your full name and age.

Him- Allen Dare Jennings, and I’m 61, wait, yep 61.
Us- Wait a second I thought your name was Dare?
Him- Wait, who is this?

Us- It’s Tyler Mars.
Him- Tyler, I should have known. Yes, Allen is my first name and Dare is my middle as well as my grandmother’s maiden name.

Us- Wow, I did not know that about you Dare.
Him- Well, that’s why you ask the good questions.
Us- Thanks for the vote of confidence. Ok, lets do this.

Us- You’re a fan of music and were in the business for a bit, what bands do you hear now that tickle your fancy, if any?
Him- Well, you know I’m a huge Tom Waits fan and a massive fan of C.C. Adcock, I really like the soggy yet funny style he does. It’s the ‘True Blood’ style of music, good ole southern blues. Music you can sink into, so to speak.

Us- Where were you when the idea for Deus Ex Machina came about? And when did it become a reality for you?
Him- Well, probably around the 2000 era, after I sold Mambo. I found myself bored, but felt I still had a few tricks up my sleeve. I really like the surf culture, but feel it takes itself way to serious sometimes. I love motorcycles and being a child of the 70’s, I wanted to combine both genres. It became a reality when my good friend Rod Hundwick, who already has a few motorcycle shops in Sydney, asked me what I thought about what he was doing. I told him I did not care for that style of motorbike. He asked me to show him what style I did like. So, off to Tokyo we went to look at stripped down styles of custom bikes. From that trip, the birth of ‘Deus Ex Machina’ came about.

Us- How is it working with the legendary, D.Hump?
Him- Well, we met in Bali and he was already doing custom bikes as a hobby under the name ‘Hiro’ and we figured that we should join forces, work and learn from each other. And so it began. It’s great.

Us- And, now the question we’ve all been waiting for. Why the Suzuki DR650?
Him- The whole idea was based around what was being done with the Yamaha SR400. The DR650 is a simple big motor and frame; it’s probably the biggest single cylinder four stroke out there. The bike is very adaptable. Once you strip off all the plastic, you find a frame and engine that is prime for customizing. They have power. They look great when stripped back and done up our way and they’re fun as hell to ride.

Us- You a Black Sabbath man?
Him- I saw Black Sabbath in 1978. I liked the music and the theatrics, but I would not call my self a card-carrying member.

Us- If you could drink martinis with anyone, who and what would you talk about?
Him- (laughs) That’s a loaded question. I seldom drink martinis, but when I do, it’s with you. We normally talk music and vintage rock-n-roll t-shirts that are in closet.
Us- Good times…

Us- What was the first bike you ever owned and what is your favorite bike you own now?
Him- Oddly enough it’s the same thing, a 1942 Harley Davidson. It’s not the same bike from my younger days but the same model, a foot clutched, suicide shifting iron steed I bought off a local hoodlum in my town. I read Hunter S. Thompson’s book about his times with The Hell’s Angels when I was living and working on my family’s farm. And, like so many of that generation that experienced or read something that opened their eyes to something new, not in their current life… well, that was the beginning for me, and I never looked back.

Us- Any words of advice for up and coming fabricators or entrepreneurs?
Him- It aint no way to make lots of money, but you can have one hell of a good ride with lots of creative outlets.

Us- Well that’s it folks, everything about the DR650 everyone wanted to know but didn’t know who to ask…

Oh wait, one more thing… we got our mitts on a 1997 Suzuki DR650 and stripped her down to skin and bones. We pulled the engine apart to clean it up and gave it a wrinkle black HD finish, custom oil cooler, custom reverse cone exhaust with alloy tip so you can hear her coming down the road. Added a custom Deus tank and seat combo, CRF suspension, custom tins front and back, Tk black 350-18 wheels with Heidenau tires, KNN air filter, slick little speedo, bullet turn signals, custom chain guard and Ventura street tracker handlebars. So the question at hand is… can u dig it brothers? We think you can. See you on the streets…

Over the past few weeks we’ve seen of fare share of people who stop at “the Temple” for a beer, coffee, lunch, game of stick, bit of a walk around and then off. And then there was Matt Chojnacki. He flew over with Elis and Noodles for a bit of those swells that were on the go, and bit of R&R. He showed up at “The Temple” with Salsa and the rest of the crew and basically took one look at what was going on at the playground in the paddies and said “Hell Yes” jumped the bar like one of “The Duke’s of Hazard” and wrangled us up some coffees that made are hair stand on end, even Salsas, now that’s impressive. In a time where styles change so quickly like fad diets, Matt chooses to immerse himself in times past, The 50’s-60’s era, Hot rods, pinup girls, punk rock, pompadours, pinstripes single fin Trackers and Long boards to be exact.  He dabs a bit of Uppercut Deluxe grease though his hair each morning, gives a bit of a comb to his pencil thin stash, grabs his Wayfarer’s and hits the sand with board of choice underarm. He definitely brings his own shtick to the pool hall of life, and now days, that’s a good thing. In a time where your sponsor hat must be on your head, Matt throws his, threw his hair, Uppercut Deluxe, hence “The Wax Head”. When others are grabbing their Thrusters “Chono’s” grabbing his Tracker and adding a touch of class to every spot he surfs on and off the island.

All and all it was a pleasure to hang, surf and get to know Matt Chojnacki and were quite sure it wont be the last, so if your ever up in the upper points of Aus and find your self in a through back situation, welcome to Matt’s world… We’ll see you at the drive in…

So without further adieu, Ryan Burch…

Us- How old are you?

Him- 23.

Us – Hmmm, a young pup.

Him- Maybe you’re an old guy.

Us – Touché.

Us – How many years have you been shaping boards now? And, what started the desire to take matters into your own hands so to speak?

Him- About four years now for the shaping aspect, and it all came about when the shaper who was shaping my short boards wanted nothing to do with the request to shape me a long board. So, I figured I would get a blank, post up in my friends shaping bay and have a crack at it.

Us- And how’d that fair for yah?

Him- Good, for the first try.

Us- Where do you grab your influences?

Him- Hmmm, anything really, shapes and curves of everyday life I guess. I started getting into the asymmetrical style of shaping after I saw a coffee table.

Us- Really, a coffee table?

Him- Yah but it was shaped by Carl Ekstrom.

Us- Well, there you go.

Us- You a “Black Sabbath” man?

Him- Hell yah…

Us- Good…

Us- Now I know you’re a bit of a self-proclaimed pizza aficionado, have you dabbled in any of Bali’s pizzerias?

Him- Nah I’ve had of a bit of a sour stomach. I have poked my head into some spots, but they didn’t look up to my standards. You know I’m a Cardiff “East Coast Pizza” kind of guy…

Us- Well said, well said…

Us- Are you shaping boards for anyone else besides yourself?

Him- Yes for some of my friends, but I primarily surf and surf what I shape…

Us- What was the drive you had for the film “Stoked and Broke”?

Him- It started with my bro Cyrus wanting to do a film together. The first ideas that we had were to get a 3 person pushbike and ride from Canada to the Mexican border surfing all the spots along the west coast.

Us- Damn, that’s a lot of saddle time, let’s hope you had comfortable seats lined up.

Him- Yah, well that kind of fell out and Cyrus, who does “Korduroy Blog” and is a big ‘do it yourself’ kind of guy, liked the idea of building our rickshaws, shaping our own sleds and skating on Sector Nines while camping in bushes and cooking on open fires. All and all it was a 10-day production, 2 on the build out and 8 on the road.

Us- That’s so radical.  Did you guys have to fend off hobos for choice sleeping spots on your journey?

Him- Nah, we kind of steered clear of those heavier spots. We would find a good spot, set up our make shift home for the night, cook, crash out then get on down the road come sun up.

Us- Killer. Ryan thanks for your time. You’re on the island for a few months, what are your plans?

Him- Yah just surf, shape, hang here at “The Temple”, and you know, be happy live the dream…

Us- And that sound good to us. Well, there you have it “The world of Ryan Birch”, according to the questions asked…

Hello Deus,
I have written this music in homage to what you represent, a present
in fact!
Enjoy and thank you for your inspiration,
David H

Thank you David and all the other talented musicians who put this rad piece of music together. We our honored!

All swells have a bit of a shelf life. Could be a week, could be a day. This last swell that ripped though Bali lasted about a three days, and brought us more pro’s than a Las Vegas trade show in the late 90’s, any way I’m off subject. So the crew got their fare share of the swell. But what to do when it’s gone? Sit around being derelicts? Well you could and we have. But over here at “The Temple” we like to make the most of our down time. Not only do we re-plant our roots back into our local spots we surf at daily ‘The Goo’. We also like to get into the ‘Shaping Bay’ or ‘Bowels of Originality’ as I like to think of it as, and get scratching on the next stick for the next swell. Our new friend Ryan Birch washed up on our shores during the swell and has been mucking around “The Temple” chatting up Chris Garrett on different shaping techniques, (oh to be a fly on the wall for that conversation) Ryan has also been getting a little dusty in the bay himself. Ryan is a free thinker when it comes to board designs, and that’s a good thing, we are to. Not all waves are the same so why should all boards. Lately we’ve been with him as he’s slayed all types of on his hand and head designed peach colored fish. I mean why not.

Matt “The Greaser” Chojnacki has been quite busy himself, surfing the McTavish quiver hw brought and getting to know a river mouth down the road pretty well if I do say. Matt’s a bit of a coffee madman and he has been working the grinder, turning out some wicked brews for the boys to enjoy, both hot a cold. Like I said we like to make the most of our down time, don’t worry we still found ample time for cold beers and derelict activity’s. Just because we play in “The Temple” doesn’t mean were saints. Stick around things are only getting better with time, we’ve got a long shelf life…