Archive for December, 2009

Pantone has just announced that PANTONE® 15-5519 Turquoise is the Color of the Year for 2010. I gather that they are predicting its heavy saturation throughout the fashion and interior design worlds, but I’m not entirely sure what “color of the year” is supposed mean. Besides gut feelings and casual observations, I’m not sure how on earth a color of the year would be chosen. Perhaps there is some magical color metric that I am not aware of. Personally I think the color of the year is grey but that might be a little too depressing for Pantone. Last year was yellow after all…

An interesting aspect of this story that I’ve been struggling with is which version of PANTONE® 15-5519 to trust when you come across it reblogged on the web. I’ve seen some pretty divergent interpretations of the color that are clearly the result of some wacky color profile. Even the one I’ve saved above looks a little darker than Pantone’s website to me. Anyway, you get the point, turquoise is the color of the year. Now paint your walls and buy a new shirt.

Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.

More info here.

The new Tycho 12″ EP, “Coastal Brake” is officially out in physical (12″ Vinyl+Digital) and Digital (MP3+WAV) formats. You can get it directly from The ISO50 Shop, iTunes, or your favorite online retailer. There are very few copies of the limited edition 12″ vinyl (which includes the digital edition MP3+WAV) left, those can be had here.

On a related note, after their Forkcast post last week, Pitckfork did a full review of the track this week. Check it out here.

For those of you who already ordered the vinyl, those began shipping yesterday (some orders going out from Merchline). You should have received a download code with instructions for getting the digital files as well. If you bought the vinyl at a show prior to the official release, email talk (AT) ISO50 with the UPC code from the back of the cover and we’ll send you a download coupon.

As far as Italian prog goes, PFM are the poster children. I’ve yet to find another group in the genre that makes it so smooth and buttery. The segways between movements (or lack there of, generally) is to die for. This album fails to leave my rotation.

There’s not much to say. The music speaks for itself. There’s quite a few movements, so give it a full listen.

If you’re looking for similar stuff, be sure to check out:

• Locanda Delle Fate’s “Forse le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più”
• Camel’s “Moon Madness” (England)
• Grobschnitt’s “Rockpommel’s Land” (Germany)

Premiata Forneria Marconi – Appena un Pò (1972)

Premiata Forneria Marconi – Per Un Amico (1972)

I am in the process of moving into a new apartment in San Francisco. Amidst the endless furniture shopping, cleaning, painting, and waiting during absurdly long delivery-time windows, I have been planning the construction of the ultimate apartment-based graphic design studio. As I’ve always set up shop in a room with another purpose (currently my studio also serves as my bedroom and recording area), the prospect of having a dedicated design room is very exciting. I figure this move will be a good opportunity to really take my time and build the perfect work room — from the paint on the walls, to the the table tops and filing cabinets — every detail will be meticulously considered.

The room itself is 11.5′ x 9′, plus a generous closet. The purpose of the room will be a place where I can work, file, cut, store, display, print and create. Basically a little graphic design super room. Unfortunately there will not be space for my music set up, so my guitars are going to have to bunk with me in the bedroom. You’ll notice there is also a small window. Ideally, for consistency reasons, I would prefer to have no window — but I’ve come around on the issue in hopes of the keeping studio morale high…

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Mid-Century Modernist posted a couple interviews with Dieter Rams. One is by Gestalten and the other by The Design Museum. It’s great to see this pioneer of product design is still getting the recognition he deserves.

By the way, can you believe this guy is still around? He’s the true definition of a living legend. That’s one of the coolest things about graphic design, our heroes don’t overdose on heroin at 27. They seem to live long, healthy lives, maintaining productivity well into later life. Must be all the sitting, or maybe all the designer reading glasses.

“Weniger, aber besser”

Via The Mid-Century Modernist

Jónsi of Sigur Ros is back with a more daily listenable LP but still keeps the classic Icelandic sound that he’s known and loved for. This song gets me excited to think there might be more days ahead that will make me what to put on albums by Jónsi.

Now with David Letterman and Rolling Stone fame I wonder what Fleet Foxes has has in store for us in 2010, I hope we get something like Blue Ridge Mountains, it has that Midlake, Band Of Horses and Choir Of Young Believers touch with infectious piano and strumming.

One thing I like to ask certain boutique record stores is what is the most surprising selling record and a couple times the clerks have said Pantha Da Prince, Etherea which was in East Village in New York told me they went thru over 200 copies which blew my mind. Well his new release is on Rough Trade and the only song i’ve heard is pretty interesting, a lot of random bells, glasses, and maybe even ornaments being played over Bola like IDM techno, looking forward to the rest of the LP.

If Hollywood decides to keep butchering up our childhood favorite cartoons then I hope when they get to He-Man they atleast get Gatekeeper to do the soundtrack, they’d be perfect for it, its like Moroder-esque with these more distort organic field recordings during the epic parts, looking for more from these guys.

Jónsi – Boy Lilikoi

Fleet Foxes – Blue Ridge Mountains

Pantha Du Prince – The Splendour

Gatekeeper – Forgotten

I just got back from Portland tonight, I had a great time up there, thanks to everyone who made it out Friday for the show. I’ve always been impressed by Portland’s overall design sensibility, they have that very distinct kind of industrial aesthetic that is the hallmark of the Pacific Northwest. Portland based Parliament Design’s studio embodies that ethic to a tee. The reclaimed warehouse space has been meticulously crafted into a living, breathing workspace that oozes creativity. The really striking part is that most of the space was purpose-built for the studio from reclaimed materials and design relics. More pictures here.

I’ve never taken the aesthetics of my workspace very seriously, but seeing this makes me want to reconsider. I do envy pure design studios like this, it seems much easier to make a space look clean and minimal with just computers and graphic design tools. Trying to house my music and design studio in the same space has always posed a challenge, I end up feeling crowded by all the equipment and it’s hard to create a layout that’s both accessible and clean. Hopefully someday I can split them up, but until then I will have to look at pictures like these and be jealous.

How about you? How important do you feel the look and layout of your workspace is to your overall creativity and productivity? Sound off in the comments »

Design Matters, the long running design radio show by Debbie Millman, is making the jump to the small screen. SVA is producing a TV version of the show and will be taping the pilot episode this Friday. The first two guests are Milton Glaser and Stefan Sagmeister. To top it all off, the show will be directed by the wonderful Hillman Curtis. I’m not sure where the end result will be available, but I’m sure those details will be revealed in the coming days. I’m hoping for the Thursday 8pm slot on NBC.

If you’re in New York, the taping is open to the public — more information can be found on the Facebook event site. Why don’t I live in New York. Sometimes I want to defollow all of the New York designers on Twitter because all these cool events make me jealous.

I recently met Debbie Millman when she was in town to give a talk at school. Her talk was terrific and I’ll try to do a short write up later this week after I go over my notes. I also participated in her workshop about visual storytelling, which she led having just released her new book. She had each of us write a short story, which she reviewed and then set us on our mission of illustrating the story using all sorts of fun tools. It was fun to write fiction — I’ve become rather used to this “blog style” of writing that I forgot there was a whole other way to go about things. (My story is here if you’re feeling adventurous.) The workshop was great — I love periodically going back to the drawing board, literally, and breaking out the pencils pens and crayons. It was also great to just let loose creatively with no rules, objectives, or criteria. Something I certainly don’t do enough.

via swissmiss

Neon Indian probably gets played once a day in my room in some form of an original, remix and now a live version for Daytrotter. His band sounds great to me, hopefully we get some of these 80s TV field recording samples live when he comes to Brooklyn.

Grizzly Bear + Neon Indian + …I think I hear a Madonna sample in the intro = amazing

Another strong FREE LP from Paul White! The man is on a roll, beening loving these 2 LPs.

Mount Kimbie are promising some young lads, they take unique production to a new level for Dubstep or whatever else this kind of music is. There is a ton to listen to which makes replaying songs that much more enjoyable.

Neon Indian – Should Have Taken Acid With You (LIVE) – N/A

Grizzly Bear – Cheerleader (Neon Indian ‘Studio 6669’ Remix)- N/A

Paul White – A Quiet Place

Mount Kimbie – At least

I’ll be joining Casino Versus Japan, A Sunny Day In Glasgow, and Shigeto in New York December 13th for the Wordless Series at Le Poisson Rouge. This will be mine and CVJ’s NYC debuts and I’m really looking forward to it. You can score tickets here and check out all the details on the Facebook event page. Hope to see you out there.

On a side note, I just arrived in Portland for the show at The Crown Room tomorrow night. This and the NYC show (along with an Amsterdam date in February — details on that coming shortly) will be my last musical performances before I lock myself in the studio to complete the next full length Tycho album — which is due at the end of March, to be released later in 2010. I’ll be touring more often after the release so I’ll be trying to hit all the cities I’ve missed over the past couple years.

A Ghostly International / Moodgadget Holiday Concert
Presented by Wordless Music

Sunday December 13, 2009

Live Performances by:
Tycho
Casino Versus Japan
A Sunny Day In Glasgow
Shigeto

@Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker Street New York, NY Map
10pm

$10 Pre-Sale – $15 at the door

Buy Pre-Sale Tickets
Event details @ Facebook