Archive for August, 2012

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ATTN SF MUSIC FAITHFUL: Mux Mool is playing with Nosaj Thing TONIGHT at Public Works, hope to see some of you there.

I rarely lead off with something at this tempo but its Friday and Devonwho is SF based so it felt right and not only that this a easy jam to settle into, expect more from Devonwho soon on the blog.

The TRUST album(came out in Feb.) is the most underrated record of the year, its locked into my top 5 albums of the year. This remix comes as no surprise as being magnificent, the vocals fit perfectly with Robert Alfons production.

XXYYXX is 16 or maybe even 17 by now and has caught peoples ears, this track is one of his more slower edits(i’m saying edits because i’m putting my money on him not having a guitar, violins or drums in his studio). Definitely a fan, I just always think about the musician that have made a name for themselves at 16 and thinking what they think of their old music when they turn 30? it worked well for rock bands but this wave of electronic artists will be interesting.

Kruisemode was a hard choice to pick up and put on here because 1. the gun sound used as a transition is the most uncreative sound i’ve heard all year and thats a fact. 2. the name is a bit late to the game but thats not stopping me because after you throw those ideas to the side this track really enjoyable, i’d edit it and be really happy with it.

Japanese artist Yamamoto Motoi was born in Hiroshima, Japan in 1966 and worked in a dockyard until he was 22, when he decided to focus on art full-time. Six years later, in 1994, his younger sister died from complications due to brain cancer and Yamamoto immediately began to memorialize her in his labyrinthine installations of poured salt. The patterns formed from the salt are actually quite literal in that Yamamoto first created a three-dimensional brain as an exploration of his sister’s condition and subsequently wondered what would happen if the patterns and channels of the brain were then flattened.

Although he creates basic guidelines and conditions for each piece, the works are almost entirely improvised with mistakes and imperfections often left intact during hundreds of hours of meticulous pouring. After each piece has been on view for several weeks, the public is invited to communally destroy each work and help package the salt into bags and jars, after which it is thrown back into the ocean.

Via Colossal

Friend of the blog and Tim Navis collaborator Cameron Ballensky shares some beautifully shot images of his camera collection. I first met Cameron when he assisted Tim on the Tycho shoot, this guy is a technical wizard. He was the one in the car doing donuts around us to kick up the dust in this picture; came out amazing.

Lots of other goodness at his blog

Incase isn’t just the brand that you know for their backpacks, headphones, casings, and other attractive accessories, they offer some of the most interactive and cared for ways to collab with other creatives. Room 205 is on the top of my list of going above and beyond in their efforts:

Working in collaboration with visiting musicians and a revolving cast of filmmakers, set designers, audio engineers and friends, Room 205 exists to share our collective passion for art and music and showcase the people that inspire us.

I mean to take the time and rebuild a space for each musician to perform in a space that is imagined up then documenting it is a dream for any musician with a vision, for me its like telling an 8 year old that Disney World is coming to your room, be ready. Take a second and check out their site and all the musicians that have came thru, its one of the most ideal ways to experience music in my opinion.

Room 205

1996 was a pivotal year for me musically. It was the year DJ Shadow released Endtroducing and it was the year I was first properly introduced to electronic music, an experience that certainly altered the course of my life. Although Endtroducing probably ended up having more of a direct influence on my sound, the impetus for me wanting to create my own music was without a doubt LTJ Bukem’s Logical Progression, a continuous mix of what was later referred to as “Intelligent Drum And Bass”.

I was given the album by a friend (on MiniDisc of all things) and it served as the soundtrack to an entire semester of school. We ended up building a battery-powered backpack and walking around in the forests above San Francisco, blasting this sort of music through the mist and Eucalyptus trees; some of my best memories of this city. Sadly, Drum And Bass took some pretty hard turns a few years after this and I just couldn’t keep up. There were a few practitioners of this sound still releasing (most notably, perhaps, Big Bud) but in general things sort of devolved from here on out — to my ears at least. There were several more Logical Progression compilations released after this one (which was later referred to as Logical Progression: Level 1), but none managed to capture the zeitgeist quite like the first.

I think beyond the music, the associated artwork also had a big impact on me. One of my first forays into Photoshop was essentially just a bad ripoff of this cover. I did a little digging and it looks like it was designed by Phillip Wells (aka Basement Phil). Here is a quote from him (unverified of course) on the Logical Progression Discogs page:

I organised the deal for this compilation with Pete Tong at London Records on behalf of Dan aka LTJ Bukem.

When he was sent to an artist studio to do the sleeve, I got a phone call late in the afternoon from Dan saying he could not come up with a sleeve he was happy with and would I come and help. So I left my office at Vinyl Distribution in Reading and made my way up to London and when I arrived Dan was all flustered as the sleeve had to be done that day.

I looked through loads of pictures before coming across the picture used. I knew it was the one because of the ray of light shining down on the Earth, and remember saying to Dan that it was the perfect image as I saw the music that had been released on the label over the three previous years had been a shining light for the DnB scene. – Basement Phil

So enough background, on to the tracks. These are a few of the standouts for me. Photek’s Pharoah (referred to elsewhere as Rings Around Saturn) is far and away the best song on the album and would definitely make my all-time top 100 list.

Photek – Pharoah

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3hwd3A6-_M

Chameleon – Links

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C3iuUCZmUM

DJ Crystl – Mind Games

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXP9CqMrb50

I see even bigger things happening for Soundcloud in the future, mainly the community within it coming closer so I decide to start a guide of people to follow if you like what’s on ISO50. Below I started off with frequent users that make your feed more enjoyable with quality posts.

This week we start off with San Francisco locals and good friends Yourstru.ly who are one of my favorites to follow on Soundcloud, they have plenty of material and are always actively finding and sharing new artists. Moderna has a growing collection of short mixes that always are perfect for weekend nights, making her someone to see if you’re in LA. Since astrangelyisolatedplace started their label they are one of the higher quality labels in the ambient world, recently they got to share a new Markus Guentner EP with the world which is undeniably lush and perfect.

ISO50 Blog on SOUNDCLOUD

FRIENDS: Yourstru.ly

DJ: Moderna

RECORD LABEL: astrangelyisolatedplace

This is Nemo 33, the deepest swimming pool in the world. Located in Brussels, Belgium, the 113 ft. deep diving facility was designed by diving expert John Beernaerts for instruction, recreation, and film production.

I love the layout and colors of the space; the multi-level plateaus at the top are incredible. This really has a sort of 2001 vibe with a healthy dose of spent fuel pool thrown in. Would love to have a swim in there.

More on Nemo 33

Here we are, probably my favorite livery from the heyday of Formula 1: John Player Special. As Lotus’s title sponsor for much of the 70’s and 80’s, these beautiful black and gold machines spent alot of time in the winners circle. Emerson Fittipaldi, Jochen Rindt, Mario Andretti, and Ayrton Senna, to name a few, all drove JPS sponsored Lotus machines.

JPS was also active in touring cars and motorcycle racing, the black & gold scheme so iconic that many manufacturer’s road-going variants usually had a complimentary paint option – albiet without the lucrative cigarette advertisements.

The colors have proved so nostalgic that Lotus has donned them once again (without any association to the extinct cigarette brand) in their Formula 1 and Le Mans prototype cars, and I must say that it’s a hero’s return for most.

What I’m really looking forward to is checking out the Historic GP at this year’s inaugural F1 race in Austin, a little birdie told me that Mario’s old Lotus 79 will be buzzing around the new track.

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Its never intentional to match the music with the image above but these 4 songs are pretty fitting. Dirty Beaches yesterday shared the what sounded like a soundtrack to one of those days everything is still because of the blistering heat, so you find yourself indoors in the shade of sitting among dusty wood furniture watching the dust float by the last bit of sun.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: This is just the beginning of what i’ll share of the Loscil album, maybe we can get an exclusive preview of the whole album on the blog? look for pre-orders here.

This is pretty beatless spaced out guitar version of “Snooze 4 Love” by Todd Terje, its always a fine time to put this on.

Avey Tare of Animal Collective uploaded 3 tracks new songs today possibly for an upcoming release which makes this post all together maybe the most relaxing collection of track’s i’ve ever posted.

Wim Crouwel: A Graphic Odyssey – Digital Catalogue for iPad is an expanded and enhanced version of the printed catalogue published by Unit Editions and the Design Museum to accompany the recent Wim Crouwel exhibition at the Design Museum in London.

The App is more than the just the printed catalogue, it offers a comprehensive overview of the work of the great Dutch master, not only in pictures, but in words as well. The viewer also has access to a filmed interview with Crouwel, a photographic record of the show itself, and a range of animations using the letterforms designed by Wim Crouwel during his long career.

This all-encompassing digital catalogue offers a unique insight into Wim Crouwel’s work and archive, as well as the successful exhibition co-curated by Unit Editions co-founder Tony Brook. It’s a chance to either discover or relive the exhibition.

Editors: Tony Brook and Adrian Shaughnessy
Compatibility: iPad2 & iPad3
Size: 364 MB
Design: Spin
Price: $5.99

Available on the iTunes Store