Archive for November, 2013

A big heads up that we’re having a 30% off sale now through Monday on Tycho / ISO50 prints and shirts at the shop. We’re also doing free shipping on US orders of $50 or more and $5 flat shipping on International orders of $75 or more through the end of the year. We’ve restocked a lot of designs and there are some brand new items available as well so there’s a lot more to choose from now.

ISO50 / Tycho Shop

I haven’t felt this privileged since releasing Casino Versus Japan on Moodgadget. Here’s a perfected EP from Pop Ambient legend Markus Guentner. We’ve been sitting with this album for a few months just trying to find the right time to release and work up the right artwork. Would love some feedback to share with Markus, trying to get him to come out to the US for a tour. Also, download the single “Shadows of the City” for free in the Soundcloud player.

The EP is only $3.99 for the first 2 weeks

It wasn’t until the advent of time-lapse photography that humans were able to perceive slow and subtle processes on a comprehensible scale. New wisdom can be found in being able to perceive clouds flowing like a river, or the way heavy traffic on a city street begins to resemble the circulation of blood vessels through an artery. In many ways, “Shadows of the City,” Markus Guentner’s latest release captures this fleeting sensation of experiencing time and space on a novel but disarmingly-familiar scale, enthralling listeners with deftly-constructed soundscapes that tell a story widely-open to individual interpretation.

Opening with the track “Chromatic Fields,” Guentner envelopes the user in a warm, resonant sphere of energy, gliding over the shimmering surface of a moonlit pond. Continuing with “Ashes,” a stark but uplifting and meditative movement, the listener is prepared for the first of two longer pieces as the sense of anticipation grows. The title track emerges from the shadowy silence before a Voigt-like four-to-the-floor beat takes hold of the listener and carries them through canyon-like resonance separating monolithic structures of percussion, snaps of air and cracks of sunlight flashing through to illuminate the dust. With the following track, “The Run,” Guentner releases the built-up energy, returning the listener to the center, preparing them for what comes next. “The Coral Crowd” is ushered in much like it’s long-playing counterpart (or counterpoint, to some), graceful yet grounded, organic, but orderly. Ending symmetrically with “Eternal,” listeners are gently returned to consciousness, new insights revealed and ready for the next play-through. A wholly satisfying low-levels listening experience from beginning to end, “Shadows of the City” may represent some of Markus Guentner’s finest and most mature work to-date.

A very impressive Panoramic audio visual installation title, The Void by Tundra.

Audiovisual installation “Void” is an attempt to visualize the idea of emptiness.
Emptiness here is regarded not as an absence of everything, but as an initial state when anything can appear. To see how dark room turns into the Big Bang epicenter a visitor should become “empty”. Every move and sound, captured by sensitive equipment, stops the 360 degrees audiovisual flow around.
“Void” is a social experiment, to see how long today people can stay totally calm.

My hat is off to this crew for the design and implementation. I’d love to see this in person. It does appear that the young man in the third photo is having a meltdown, poor guy.

I saw Italian trio Soviet Soviet last week in Brooklyn, I was super attracted to the quickness of getting in and out of the hooky driving songs. They obviously have their similarities to old bands but they deliver it with youth and catchy basslines. I highly suggest checking out “No Lesson” first and then streaming the album

SUPPORT, BUY VINYL or CD/DIGITAL

The Colorvision series is still rolling here on the blog. Just some of the latest appealing music videos, found video, vintage revival footage.

Nils Frahm: In America this music isn’t appreciated enough for what it is, if it does get any bigger its because of Nils live performances.

Blondes: New video from a Brooklyn favorite duo, if you haven’t heard the Swisher album I highly recommend it.

1989 Enya: I’ve been going deep on the live and studio Enya videos, she’s up there with Gary Numan on shows that I wish I was born earlier to see live.

The Miracles Club: This band sort of came and went here in the states, I wish I could see them again.

French photographer Renaud Marion created the Air Drive series, to show how he imagined in his childhood what cars would look like in the 2000′s.

Being someone that loves to doodle all day and create little simple worlds from my imagination, Wilmer Murillo‘s illustration work stuck out to me instantly. Wilmer is a Honduran graphic artist and illustrator currently living in Taiwan. He cites ancient cultures, mysticism, and sci-fi as some of his influences and I think that really comes across in his art. It’s like a Mayan culture was transported to another planet where the only language is downtempo electronic music. Wilmer’s colorful take on central American art is a breath of fresh air. Check out his website for more and you can even purchase his incredible illustrations on Society6.

P.S. Check out this new track from some of my Nashville/LA friends Wild Cub & Madi Diaz.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/59768211″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Posted by Pope Saint Victor.

Do you have a friend that doesn’t buy physical music? does it make you want to pull out your hair? well send him or her this. Its literally physical music porn weekly in your inbox. I just get the email and instantly become jealous and fall in love with vinyl. Cheers to the guys at Boomkat for making these photos always unique.

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Sam Smith is one of my favorite designers and an all around great guy. Living in Nashville he produces many posters for the independent theatre The Belcourt. I’m always impressed with Sam’s ability to use simple shapes and warm colors. His art is anachronistic, moving and always makes me take a second look. Check out more work on his website and don’t forget to take a look at the numerous covers and packages he has created for The Criterion Collection.

Post by Pope Saint Victor.

We’re wrapping up the last Tycho tour of 2013 with a show tonight (11/13/13) in Santa Ana at The Observatory and then on to San Francisco for the show with Pretty Lights on 11/29 at Bill Graham Civic Center.

Hope to see you out there!