Archive for May, 2009

Straight out of Logan’s Run (or was it Tron?), the all electric Mission One motorcycle gets up to 150 mph with a 150 mile range and 100 foot pounds of instantly available torque. Interesting design, that front headlight seals the deal. More info

Assorted works by Designunit. One of my teachers at school likes to use the expression “swipeable” when describing cool/inspiring work. Our goal in class is to create something badass enough for people to want to “swipe” and use for inspiration. The above work by Designunit meets that criteria for me (and for people on Dropular just about every other day…). It’s been a mainstay in my inspiration folder for some time now.

My favorite medium of design is the magazine and I consistently look to them for inspiration when starting a new editorial project. They have a interesting approach to layout—grid based but still somewhat loose—and I find it to be very polished and refined. It manages to maintain a classic quality while still seeming hip and progressive. Designunit is based in Copenhagen and you can see the rest of their work on their site.

I’ve posted on Expo 67 before but it’s so good I thought it was time to bring it up again for the uninitiated. Alamedinfo has what looks like the full collection of Expo67 postcards from the Montreal World’s Fair. I will never get over this style, it’s just so perfectly executed. It says a lot about the spirit of an age when they had such fanciful visions of the future. Of course, it could be that very kind of irrational exuberance that landed us where we’re at now — and it’s probably a good thing given way to a more pragmatic vision — but it’s still nice to look back and smile. Link

Poster Cabaret’s collection of prints is a great resource if you’re looking for inspiration or just something nice for the wall. Sign me up for every Jason Munn print. I really do like the style, but I feel like most shops like this cater too exclusively to the indie rock concert poster thing. I’d like to see more sites like Blanka Supersize with the modernist, purist design stuff going on.

Via Grainedit

I’m not sure how well they sound walking the streets but they might be worth(15 USD price tag) checking out if you have a few minutes to kill and your ears hurt from headphones, seems like the good guys at Turntable Lab enjoy them…

“From the makers of the bestselling Chill Pill speakers comes the Rapcap Mini iPod Microphone. This genius gumdrop-sized device allows you to record crisp, clear audio onto your iPod simply and easily (just plug into your iPod’s headphone port to switch on recording mode). A durable, ultra-compact design and plug-and-record functionality make this device an easy addition to your daily digital life. Use it to record memos, field samples, music sets, and more. The mic itself is wind-resistant, optimized for voice recordings and saves files in easy-to-edit WAV format. Works with iPod nano4G, iPod classic 120GB, iPod Tough 2G/3G, and iPhone 3G. No batteries required.”
15 USD @ Turntable Lab

You probably remember Teenage Engineering from their beautiful OP-1 Synthesizer and now they’re at it again with the Styrofoam Turntable Prototype. So clean, Beamer probably has his order in already.

ITunes has a decent layout, I mean you can’t do much especially if you end up updating it weekly and the artwork can range from pretty good small album art icons to just awful ones. One way of making the pages on iTunes more appealing is these custom artist pages that iTunes staff picks out, the photos seem to be exclusive which is always a nice addition.

Bradford Cox of Deerhunter has a great blog for a musician, it might be one of the best if you like humble, talented and informative people. I’m guessing he makes these mixes on the computer because there isn’t much mixing going on but the eclectic tracklist caught my eye even if the mix is a few seasons old.

TRACKLIST
Beach Boys – Three Blind Mice (Smile Demo)
Lee Hazlewood – My Autumn’s Done Come
Bobak, Jons, Malone – On a Meadow Lea
Telepathe – I Can’t Stand It
Supremes – Where Did Our Love Go
Residents – Is He Really Bringing Roses?
Suicide – Cheree
Evie Sands – I Can’t Let Go
Autechre – Drone
Nico – Camera Obscura
Aaron Neville – Tell It Like It Is
Shugie Otis – XI-30
Alvin Curran – At Harmony Ranch
Robert Wyatt – Little Red Robin Hood (Hit the Road)

DOWNLOAD IT HERE

Bradford Cox Micromix

Still relaxing in Miami before heading up to Detroit for the Ghostly 10 Year show at Magic Stick this Saturday. I’ll be playing with Telefon Tel Aviv, Deastro and Michna. You can score tickets early for $15 ($20 @ the door) here. Hope to see you out.

After that I’ll be heading up to Toronto for the Wednesday (5/27) show at the Drake. You may have read Sam’s earlier post on that show, but in case you missed it he included a preview of the next Tycho single in the form of Manual’s superb Coastal Brake remix. Check it out!

A few illustrations by Jonathan Calugi. I first came across his portfolio when he was featured on Behance, and have been following him ever since. The majority of his work is illustration based, but he also has created a few custom typefaces consistent with his whimsy aesthetic. His style reminds me a bit of Sanna Annukka (especially her Keane project), but with a little more playfulness thrown in. I love how random and awesomely weird it is. See the rest of his portfolio here.

Side note: I am currently blogging this on a WiFi equipped airplane, which i have to say, is pretty awesome. It’s actually a faster connection than my one at home (sigh). I usually hate flying, but Virgin America continues to make it easier and easier.