Archive for January, 2010

Opened up my Bose 901 Series V’s today and found that all the driver foam was completely disintegrated. So sad, such a beautiful set of speakers. Apparently you can re-foam them but seems time consuming and I’m not sure I have the skills anyways. Anyone have any experience with this? Mr. Coles?

The new Four Tet LP came out today, its a pretty massive album to come out for a January release which is usually a slow month to put out albums. I tried to describe the opening song to the album as its like an organic cover by The Field of Sally Shapiro if she was fronting a Dream Pop group instead of doing Disco.

Here’s a preview/leaked single of the upcoming Caribou LP that’s coming out in March, Dan Snaith is sounding like Erlend Oye here in sections, really nice and upbeat but has a lo-fi touch to it, I wonder what this will do for Caribou live?

Joy Orbison may only have his second EP out and seeing how much talk there was about him in 2009 he will definitely make an impact on 2010 if and when he drops his LP for everyone. Its a nice take on Dubby Techno with small reference’s of Burial meets Pepe Bradock.

Now we completely change gears with a Southwestern feeling song by Taken By Trees, I know its maybe filed under indie rock but I can see slow disco heads playing the the crap out of this song.

From Square America — the same people who brought us the excellent “IBM Slides: 1975” — comes this set of images depicting what seems to be a Moose Lodge-sponsored neighborhood watch program of some sort. I love hand-set type like that; so perfectly imperfect.

Also love the name, reminds me of this.

This is Vanishing Point, an absolutely mesmerizing video by Takuya Hosogane. There are some amazing compositions here, even when just viewed as stills. Seriously you could pause this video, print out half of it, and have yourself all the artwork you would ever need to decorate your place (or an art gallery…). The coolest part is how every single musical element effects the visuals — even the smallest little glitches cause something beautiful or cool to happen. All about the details. Song is awesome too; “LePetitPrince” by cubesato. Wish it was longer…

via today and tomorrow (one of my favorite blog names)

It was my birthday this weekend and I went out on a limb earlier in the week for a last minute HUGE favor from some close musician friends to do covers of some of my favorite songs or songs I thought the musician would do a cover of really well and surprisingly they agreed….20 of them! So here are the first 5:

Benoit Pioulard covers Hum: This is absolutely stunning, Benoit has a voice that i’d want to have if I could sing. I heard once that Benoit liked Hum so I asked him to cover a song by them and everyone should be more glad with this outcome.

Corbu covers Colder: This one was a touchy song since its probably one of my favorite songs of all time but I didn’t want an all electronic or post rock group to cover it so I asked Brooklyn’s experimental guitar duo to do it right and they did by taking it to a very unique and detailed level that i’m sure you’ll enjoy.

Alex Cornell covers Empire Of The Sun: You know him from his phenomenal work and posts on the blog and if you haven’t already seen him on youtube then here’s a very fine example of what he’s capable of creating musically.

A Setting Sun covers Tracy Chapman: A Setting Sun probably had the most challenging and off the radar cover to do but I thought a brighter doom metal approach might the only thing that would make this matchless pair up work and he killed it, especially check out how he gets to the end which is surprising after you hear the first few seconds.

Shigeto covers Boards Of Canada: This one is out there, as some of you may know Shigeto is a drummer that makes beats similar to Dabrye meets Caribou or something of that nature but loves to experiment so I thought why not see what he could do with a Boards Of Canada song since I know he’ll try to get crazy with it and not steer towards the guitar angle which I had to hear.

DOWNLOAD THE COVERS EP FOR FREE HERE

I hope you enjoy and collect them all. 5 more coming up next week.

It’s been about 4 months now since I was able to get my hands on the Embody — Herman Miller’s latest flagship work chair — and now I feel like I’ve spent enough time in it to give a proper review. The Embody seems to be the logical successor to the throne of the ubiquitous Aeron chair and I have to say it’s a worthy one. I’ve had various repetitive stress related injuries throughout the course of my career so I’ve always been very sensitive to ergonomics. I’ve had Aerons and various other chairs but I’ve never really been truly satisfied with any of them. So it was with a healthy dose of skepticism that I approached my experience with the Embody.

Before I got the Embody, I had a hard time finding any definitive information as to whether it did in fact live up to the initial hype surrounding it’s release. I guess chairs are pretty subjective, there’s never really a one size fits all solution. I heard a lot of people debating whether it was better than the Aeron and Humanscale’s Freedom Chair, and still more debating whether it was worth the decidedly high price point. But everything I had read pretty much went out the window when I sat in the Embody. It really is as incredible chair, it’s the first one I’ve had that I’m not constantly aware of. It acts almost as an extension of your body allowing for much longer periods of sitting without the common issues I’ve had with most chairs in the past. The unique seat back isn’t just there for looks, it does wonders for my back which was usually the biggest issue when working for extended periods. The arms are very flexible and can be easily dialed in for a perfect height which goes a long way to alleviate wrist pain issues. All in all, the fit and feel are top notch and honestly like nothing I’ve ever experienced. The bottom line is that this chair allows me to work longer and focus better. And the Embody is definitely a step up from the Aeron and light years beyond the Freedom Chair (which I really don’t like at all) or the Mirra (which many recommended as a cheaper alternative to the Embody).

As much as I love the Embody I do have a few issues with it, none are deal breakers for me, but you should be aware of them if this chair is on your short-list. First up is the design. Yes, I ordered the orange/white which in retrospect was a mistake. It can really overwhelm the space visually. The chair is also rather large so between that and the color, it certainly is a presence in the room. I have since seen the black on black version which is much more subtle and highly recommended. Second is the mobility of the chair. In the studio I have to move around from station to station a lot and the sheer weight of the Embody makes this difficult. The thing is build like a tank which is great for durability, but it’s not a chair you’re going to be gliding around the office in. Or course, this would be less of an issue on hard surfaces, but the downstairs at the studio is carpeted and you almost have to get out of the seat to move it around. I do have the optional chrome base and I would imagine the standard plastic base is a bit lighter. Finally, at around $1100 (which is at least better than the insane introductory price of $1700 and can be much less with an industry discount, see below) it is prohibitively expensive. But as they say, “buy it nice or buy it twice”. As someone who makes a living sitting in a chair all day it’s not hard to justify spending a chunk of that living on a high quality chair. It allows me to get more work done and avoid injuries that in the past would put me out for a while making it well worth the premium.

All things considered the Embody is a huge winner in my book. It’s the most comfortable and functional chair I’ve ever used and will be in my studio for a very long time.

I am told that discounts are available on the chair through Herman Miller. I got mine direct and at the time they had a promo deal going on that brought the price down to $800 fully loaded. You might try contacting them directly to find out whether they have any promotions going on or whether you can get a designer discount.

The pleasing Danish popstars Efterklang have stepped it up with a new LP entitled Magic Chairs, the song I grabbed has a Coldplay feel maybe to some people but Efterklang puts more personality into the sound by not taking it to uncomfortably perfect epic studio music. The band still holds their glimmer in my eyes by keeping their lively instrumentals which include trumpets, tubas and shakers.

I recently went to see The Drums play in New York and surprisingly Surfer Blood was on the bill as well. Their singles Take It Easy and Swim really stand out, those songs were something that sounded so easy to like. I hope this makes it in the mainstream but I know most people won’t “get it” but what is there to get? its serenading updated 50’s feeling pop completely transformed into an easy to swallow pill called indie rock.

The new Hot Chip LP is out and they made a great song for all the girls with cats which is pretty much every girl if i’m not mistaken.

If Surfer Blood had a bad boy cousin that did speed and listened too much older Animal Collective and he made music in the basement this Surf City band would be that cousin and I kind of want to hang out with him on weekend nights.

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGQjyGT1-mc
The Jack Kubizne directed video for Animal Collective’s “Brother Sport” came out earlier this month. The song is a favorite of mine but not since Blonde Redhead’s 23 has a video for a song I love met my expectations so I didn’t go into this one hoping for much. During the first minute or so I wasn’t sure how I felt; I’m not a huge fan of the MGMT / kids running amok / Where The Wild Things Are vibe that sort of got bludgeoned to death last year. But the song is so solid it works and the final freakout pulls it all together. All in all a nice trip. Although I think the animation would have meshed better if the live action was shot on film.

I wonder how much input the band had on this? I think I’d find it very difficult to hand over the reigns and let someone else interpret my music visually.

Video link

A while ago I posted on an article about different techniques for naming your brand. I’ve found that method of brainstorming to be particularly helpful, but sometimes you need an extra spark. I wanted to put another tip out there I’ve found success with recently. Maybe if you’re in need of a brand name this will help you find what you’re looking for. (Of course this sort of thing works for band names too — really any entity that you’re charged with naming.)

So if you’re like me, eventually you run your brain dry of ideas if you’re just sitting around trying to think of the perfect name. Per project, I usually have about two or three days worth of *just* thinking in me. After that I go crazy and try desperately to convince myself that something I thought of is actually amazing. One week later, when I realize I’m delusional, I am back to the drawing board, nameless. My favorite place to look for inspiration these days is no longer song lyrics or the dictionary — it’s fashion magazines.

I suppose any sort of magazine would do, but fashion magazines seem to work best. The titles of articles and photo spreads in fashion magazines are rife with clever turns of phrase and exciting word combinations. Basically anywhere they have to think of clever titles for something pretty abstract is where you want to look. A photo shoot where everyone is wearing black for example, probably has some unusual name (otherwise it’d be really boring). You don’t really see it on blogs, but print writers seem to have a insatiable desire to think of the cleverest name for every article they ever write. Some are completely useless for our purposes, but you can usually find enough of a catalyst to get on the right creative track. I like to make a two column list and combine cool words at random, in hopes of striking something exciting. Here is a short list of a few I noticed in the magazines sitting on my desk (and my thoughts on what they could refer to):

Away with Words (maybe for a publisher?)
Under Statements (minimalist clothing line)
Mind Field (think tank or angel fund)
Sharpsuiter (lame prom-type clothing line)
Her Friend the Bandit (versatile…could be clothing, or maybe a hipster joint)
Elements and Gravity (probably for a jewelry line OR cosmetics)

Some fun ones — if you look for long at all you are bound to find something amazing. Of course it may be perfect for a project you aren’t even working on, but it’s always good to keep a running list. I have the PERFECT name for a bar if I ever decide to start one (I’m not telling). Anyway, it’s an idea, hopefully it helps out!

(I realize there are elements of creative thievery at work here. In a way, you are harvesting another person’s creativity for your own benefit, but I don’t think there are any trace elements of plagiarism at work. In most cases, the phrases or words implemented by the writer are common, and are structures you would have come across eventually, either in conversation or everyday life etc. People may disagree, but I think this is a safe technique.)

ISO50 Playlist #7 is now available for your listening pleasure. This time around Aarnio (Jakub’s alter-ego) does the honors and it’s a little out of hand.

So sit back and enjoy… And if you like what you hear, let us know in the comments.

ISO50 Playlist 7 – Compiled By Aarnio

Track Listing:
Black To Comm – Trapez
Paul White – Highlife
Beach House – Norway
Juana Molina – Un Dia
Lone – Karen Loves Kate
Pogo – Alice
Grizzly Bear – Cheerleader (Neon Indian ‘Studio 6669’ Remix)
Little Dragon – Feather
Beach Fossils – Daydream
Caribou – Schedules and Fares
The Mercury Program – Stand & Sing
Arovane – Seaside
Boards Of Canada – Kaini Industries (Bibio cover)
Kurt Vile – My Best Friends (Don’t Even Pass This)
Cocteau Twins – Lorelei
Peter Broderick & Machinefabriek – Homecoming
A Setting Sun – Raspberry
Brock Van Wey/BVDUB – Lest You Forget
High Wolf – Don’t Fuck With The Tropics
Lusine – Cirrus
Studio – Radio Edit