Artist Guest Blog: Why Stickybuds Loves Chewbacca So Much

Guest Blog by Tyler Martens aka Stickybuds

So why do I like Chewbacca so much?

Lately people have been asking me, “What is up with you and Chewbacca?”. I am home now from touring and currently relaxing in my studio, so I thought I’d take a few moments to explain my love for the furry Wookie from Kashyyk.

It all started when I went to Shambhala many, many moons ago. There was a giant painted mural of Chewbacca in the Fractal Forest.

To my knowledge, Robbie Campell, “aka” Soup… painted it… (biggups).. I really just loved this banner, and thought to myself, “man, Chewbacca is awesome!”. I looked forward to seeing him every year when I returned to the forest to party… Years later, I was sad to see that Chewbacca was not there. I can’t remember which year this was, but I estimate 2005 or 2006, right when I was lucky enough to start dj’ing in the Fractal. I asked Rich E Rich (the main man behind Fractal Forest) why Chewbacca was not hanging out with us? He told me that it was because the Chewy mural had become weathered and was in need of some TLC…. I expressed how much I liked him and that we should bring him back next year…

I came up about a week early to Shambhala the next year to volunteer in the Fractal and help get it ready for another great party…. Rich was awesome and surprised me with the task of re-painting Chewy! I just went over all the lines and gave him a touch up, giving the Wookie a fresh makeover for his triumphant return to the Fractal Forest… That year we also put him on the giant tree stump that is behind the fractal booth, towering over the forest for all to see.. he protects us.

So! After that, my bond with Chewbacca turned more to a friendship. To me, Chewy is a great part of Fractal Forest family, and I wanted to start representing him in my sets… I have played at the Fractal every year since 2005 (a few years with my homey Jpod) and since I repainted him, I have been slipping Chewy “Rwwhgahaahaahaghga’s” into my sets very sparsely… Maybe in transitions, or scratching it in at very random times… It’s all just a fun thing to do to give Chewy a voice in the Fractal, since he is there partying with us.

Skip ahead a few years (2010), I decided to dedicate one of my mixes to him… I called it the “Wookie Shuffle”, which I defined as a set that had many different tempo’s and transitions into different styles of music. Chewbacca also has a cameo at the start and end of the mix.  Here is the cover art and DL link for said mix.

http://soundcloud.com/stickybuds/stickybuds-the-wookie-shuffle-2010-promo-mix

After that I guess I just started posting more things about Chewbacca, more people started knowing that we are tight… I started growing my Chewbacca toy and art collection… The rest is kind of just a natural progression of the friendship of him and I….

Lat year at Shambhala (2011) Chewy gave a few roars, and I also wore my Chewbacca necklace during the Sunday Funk Jam, where I love to dance and hangout with my friends…

Now that people are well aware of this, I have received some awesome gifts from friends (Adam, Todd + Kelly, Nikki, Becca + Pod, Joe and Brian)… I really appreciate and love every one… Here is a picture of my current and ever growing Chewbacca collection…. And then funny pictures that my friends have posted on my wall over the last few months…

And now you know why Chewy is one of my best friends.

Peace and Wookie noises.

Tyler Martens / Stickybuds

See you in the forest in 2012.