Archive for May, 2012

I’ve been a fan of Ash Bolland‘s work at Umeric for a while now, but I only realized tonight that these scattered pieces I had kept coming back to over the years were all his. There’s something about the live action mixed with 3D that’s other worldy and strange that I absolutely love. Some of these organic models make no sense, but they’re beautifully designed and rendered and also amazing to watch interact with the environment. The four above sort of detail his latest work first, middle work second and third and oldest work last. Really love the sound design in the fourth piece.

Head over to his site to check out the rest of his work or Umeric’s Vimeo, it’ll be worth the half hour.

Browsing for inspiration this morning, I came across this set of beautiful vintage Psychology book covers by the ever so great publishing company Penguin Books.

There’s also a great set of Penguin Book designs on this Flickr account.

Posted by B3PO via Flyer Goodness

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVSiwMVaKe4

I don’t usually go too deep trying to interpret films and videos simply for the fact that I’m not good at it. Can you really ever truly determine the intentions of an artist? True, some are pretty forthright and wear it on their sleeves as a sort of art-form in and of itself, but for the most part art and expression are purely personal exercises, the products of which can’t be expected to be faithfully interpreted by others. And that’s the beauty; that others are free to take the form and mold it to their own experience, to derive a more personal meaning from it. I for one hope that the majority of people who consume my work perceive it in a completely different way than I do. I know that by and large that’s not the case, but I’d like to think it could be if properly framed.

But this video struck a chord with me as an artist and as a human being in general. How can we reconcile our passions and goals with the biological imperative and our desire to find true meaning in life? Is our work the true meaning? On your death bed will you praise yourself for the things you’ve achieved as an artist, be fulfilled because you followed your “dream”. Or will you be thankful for the the relationships you’ve forged and the lives you’ve touched? Hopefully both. But as I grown older and learn more of myself and my work, I begin to fear these goals are mutually exclusive in some respects.

Curious to hear other’s thoughts. And I’m not missing the lighter side of this, it’s downright hilarious in it’s own way. But on a more serious note I think this is outlines some conflicts we all must face as artists striving towards our self-oriented goals.

Electric Guest – This Head I hold Directed by Keith Schofield

Via Dusty Brown

Before too many electronic musicians start thinking they’ve started a new genre i’d like to keep sprinkling IDM in playlists every month to remind them that IDM came and went and it was a beautiful time, this Nautilis was a recent dig up, a pretty rewarding 2 minute listen.

I love Four Tet’s sequencing style, its like a swift kick to pop musics balls.

Really into this Indian Wells track, it looks like it his first release, he’s really into tennis, tried to find some info and it was just some more tennis so I gave up writing about him and just posted his track.

Would love some edits from Nacho Patrol, Tom Croose or Daphni of this Shah Marg cut, proper psychedelic bliss.

The Instagram Socialmatic camera. It’s only a concept, but it’s still pretty cool. Antonio De Rosa created this concept out of curiosity over Facebook’s massive purchase of Instagram. Check out some of the desired features below, but first let’s connect.

Socialmatic is the first Instagram photo camera and it would even have its own OS called InstaOS. Here are some of the hoped for features:
– 16 GB mass storage
– Wifi and Bluetooth
– 4:3 touchscreen
– 2 main lenses: first for capture, second for 3D filters, webcam applications and QR Code capturing
– Optical zoom
– LED Flash
– Internal printer to make your Instagram photos real
– Paper cartridge with Instagram Paper Sheets
– Dedicated 4 colors ink tanks
– InstaOS 1.0, the operating system built by Facebook and Instagram

If you want you can print it directly on Instagram Paper Sheets, thanks to the internal printer. Also every Instagram photo printed from the camera has the persons Instagram username and a QR code pointing to their Instagram account.

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Just catching up on Neil Krug’s recent work, I don’t think enough people saw the stunning video work he did for Gonjasufi along with the latest book he has coming out in June.

Designed as a companion book to the LP-sized “Pulp Art Book: Volume One”, this much anticipated second volume builds on the first, introducing several new characters and vignettes, while solidifying Joni Harbeck and Neil Krug’s position as the hippest ex-Kansans in the contemporary art world. Poliziotteschi films were a major influence for Volume Two, in particular with the “Heist” series, which introduces Farrow, Patti and Tash. Jackie, Mystic White Flight, SummerLovers and other favorites make their appearances as well. Taken together, the characters and imagery in this fresh new collection take Pulp Art Book to a new level.

AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER, EXPECTED JUNE 2012.

These photos above by Neil i’ve been swapping as screen savers, contrast and saturation done very tastefully, its pretty thin line.

While doing a completely unrelated search for “Dinaric Alps” I came across this wonderful collection of vintage photos from an “overland trip” made by Tony Stead from England to NZ in 1962. Stead’s son has posted the images along with excerpts from his father’s written account of the journey.

In 1962, my father travelled from England to NZ. He wrote a diary (B5, hardcover, blue) and shot his first rolls of colour film.
The slides sat alongside the journals in the attic for the last few decades before being digitised.

The details of the trip are fascinating, the Intro portion is a must read. Love the tone and exposure of these. And that Land Rover makes pretty much any picture amazing.

More pictures and info at Wallasey to Waitaki

Trying to put together one of those summer mixes for a friends party, this track by Crazy P is the perfect wind down cut to place towards the end, almost the best reflection selection if your playlist was disco heavy, I hear a Rod Stewart vocal if i’m not mistaken.

Detroit Techno classics are popping up everywhere these days again, this is a must have, i’m actually surprised i’ve never posted it yet. I remember when I first heard it in a Detroit warehouse when I was probably even too young to drive, I didn’t know how to ask the DJ or if it was even okay to ask what was playing.

If you follow Mark E closely you’ll get edit treats at the same quality as Todd Terje, this one is my latest discover even though its older, the tempo has been perfected, looking to debut a DJ set in SF if anyone knows of any spots? I think this would work nicely early into the evening.

Alright on the other side of the tempo spectrum comes a classic from DJ Hell, don’t even waste your time with the song, GO DIRECTLY TO THE MUSIC VIDEO AND WATCH IT BEGINNING TO END, thank me later.

Invisible Creature is a Seattle based design studio comprised by brothers Don and Ryan Clark. From music packaging and band posters, to logos and identity, these guys do it all and they do it well, to the point of even being nominated for 4 Grammy awards for their music packaging.
Really enjoy their great use of textures and clean vectors.

They are also behind the Sasquatch Music Festival identity, which Tycho will be playing at the end of this month, along acts such as Beck, Apparat, Purity Ring, Gardens & Villa, Com Truise, Star Slinger, Active Child, Lord Huron, to name a few.

Posted by B3PO

Tropical Space Juke? i’m not sure what to call it…does it matter though, the man cares about melody and unique direction and split for upbeat relaxation and dancefloor, pre-order this 2LP its going to be one that you’ll revisit plenty this summer.

I should be suggesting more Soundcloud accounts to follow, the top of my list has to be Wisp, this track below is just the tip of what this man does, not one idea Reid Dunn has had has ever bored me.

RxGibbs is keeping me still interested in the hazy wave of ethereal dream pop, its hard to hate something this charming.

This Four Tet cover of Black Sabbath will bring some people back and some others even further back, this is Rounds era.