In 2003 I remember hearing this mix by Tobias Thomas and it being the first mix to really catch the beauty in melody in house/techno while venturing off into indie electronic, it was super inspiring and probably shaped me and my taste in music from there on. It has this gradual gentle ramp up into the dance music like a friendly tap on the shoulder, such a welcoming collection of tracks too, if you lend this CD to someone that didn’t like house music but liked Erlend Oye then I think you’d have that person asking for more. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED mix to own.
Smallville by Tobias Thomas
11.11.2009
The World From Above
11.11.2009
Happy 11/11! For us in The States it’s Veterans Day (Armistice Day for much of Europe), I’m not sure if anyone besides students and librarians get the day off, but it’s a good opportunity to reflect on the state of affairs in our world and to show our appreciation (regardless of political stance) for the men and women who walk the line for us every day of the year. Although not all that related, Smashing Magazine’s piece on aerial photography seemed like a fitting post. Seeing shots like this always seems to give some perspective on things.
Aerial photography has always fascinated me, unfortunately it’s prohibitively expensive. You pretty much have to be a pro to even get near these sorts of photo ops. I always have my D80 close at hand when I fly just in case something presents itself, but it seems like polarization or a random overhead light always ruins the moment. I think this is the closest I ever got to anything halfway decent.
Anybody here have any experience with aerial stuff? I’ve heard they rent ultralights out in Davis, CA. Seems like it would be worth it just to go up with a decent camera.
More photos and all credits for above images can be found here
ISO50 Music Exclusive: FREE MP3 EP PART III
11.10.2009
Cover Art by Alex Cornell
Since the success of the first two exclusive FREE EP’s ( 1st & 2nd ) that we did on ISO50 blog I asked for some musicians for more tracks of covers and edits.
Our very own Tom Croose who has helped with Playlist #4 made a dreamy edit of Beirut’s Venice track, i’ve posted this song before but I never felt like it received the proper love.
I’m sure many have covered Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling In Love but 800beloved’s cover comes to us as one of the more unique and stylized one’s that i’d actually listen to. There is a bit of a 50’s slow swing plus some goth that meets post rock, so if you have your finger on the indie pulse I can only explain it to you this way: it’s like if The xx and the Editors covered Can’t Help Falling In Love, yeah something like that.
One guy to watch in 2010 is Shigeto, he can do what that Los Angeles Flying Lotus crew does but he actually plays the drums live at all of his shows and comes from the same town as Dabrye and Samiyam. His edit of Ravi Shankar is a better representation of his rhythms in his original work, you definitely should check those out if you like fatty synths and dub style kicks.
If you downloaded the last FREE EP here you might of heard the M83 You Appearing edit which might be a favorite of mine still. Well Ryan Cavanagh who is half of producing duo Worst Friends, DJ’s as Slowhands, and produces as Addled comes back with an edit of an IDM classic by Aphex Twin. It has the right amount of the original and hints at taking it to soft Tech House land but is definitely more dreamy than dancey.
DOWNLOAD THE FREE EP HERE
[audio:be_tc.mp3] [audio:ep_800.mp3] [audio:rs_sh.mp3] [audio:at_ad.mp3]Tom Balchin
11.10.2009
The work of Tom Balchin stopped me in my Google Reader tracks this evening. His Pax Europa project was my initial favorite, for the bold simplicity and terrific layouts, but there is a ton of terrific work in his portfolio. I came across the phrase “talent turbine” in the NYT Magazine the other day and have been itching for an opportunity to use it, so here goes; Tom Balchin is a talent turbine.
Alex Cornell Desktop For Kitsune Noir
11.09.2009
Desktop by Alex Cornell
Our very own Alex Cornell created a wallpaper for the Kitsune Noir Desktop Wallpaper Project. Loving this one, they need to start printing these as posters! More info and downloads here »
Patrick Daughters for Grizzly Bear
11.09.2009
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjecYugTbIQ
Grizzly Bear’s last album, Veckatimest, has been on constant rotation over here for a while now but I had somehow missed this Patrick Daughters directed video for “Two Weeks”. It’s been haunting me ever since, I can’t stop watching it. At first it’s seems a little strange, but it’s just so beautifully shot and somehow very fitting for the vibe of this song. I love effects like these (the big eyes, etc) where you can’t really tell what’s going on for a while, it’s so clean and subtle. Warp has a full HD version posted up on Youtube here that really highlights the attention to detail. I love seeing such simple compositions that are so moving. This is all essentially one shot and it’s got me glued to the screen. The rest of Daughters’ videography reads like a who’s who of indie music, with work for bands like The Shins, Feist, Snow Patrol, and Interpol among many others.
Tycho – Coastal Brake Pre-Order
11.09.2009
The new Tycho Coastal Brake 12″ single is now available for pre-order at the shop. This 180 gram vinyl pressing is limited to 1000 copies, the first 50 of which are signed and numbered. Each order includes the MP3/WAV version which will be immediately downloadable on the release date, December 8th, 2009. Here are some audio sample clips:
[audio:https://blog.iso50.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Tycho-Coastal_Brake-Lusine-Remix-CLIP.mp3]
A limited edition lithograph featuring the alternate artwork is folded into each sleeve. Printed on 100# Superfine Eggshell Text, White paper.
You’ll find more pictures and info over at the shop.
Windsurf – Weird Energy Video
11.06.2009
Highlights:
– 1:38 Caped shirtless dude grabs floating guitar
– 3:33 Guy with Uzi doing frisbee tricks
– 4:42 Cymbal crash synced with car explosion
– Every Jeep and helicopter chase scene
Whoever compiled this deserves a medal made of platinum and diamonds, enjoy your weekend.
P.S. There’s also this via pZimmer.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOBbmdJTLdE
ISO50 Playlist 6
11.05.2009
Cover by S.Hansen
I know it’s been a long wait but the sixth installment of the ISO50 Playlist is finally up. Sam Valenti IV — the man behind Ghostly International — was kind enough to put together this latest edition of the playlist. Here’s a few words on the selections from Sam:
“This playlist is beats-heavy, they feel right for uncertain times.
There’s also a tip of the hat to some 90’s nostalgia: a hint of Drum &
Bass and filtered House thrown in for good measure. All in all, it’s
a set of listenable wares, without a lot of tire spikes to get caught
on.”
So sit back and enjoy… And if you like what you hear, let us know in the comments.
Playlist 6 – Compiled By Sam Valenti IV
Click to Play, or use player at top of middle column.
Track Listing:
Phantogram – When I’m Small (Barsuk/BBE)
Memory Tapes- Run Out (HSR)
Zomby – Digital Flora (Ramp)
The Go Find – Over The Edge (Morr Music)
Omni Trio – Skeleton Keys (Omni Trio Remix) (Moving Shadow)
A Mountain Of One – Freefall (10 Worlds)
Lali Puna – Clearcut (Arovane Remix) (Morr Music)
Syntaks – Buio Omega (Ghostly)
CFCF – Letters Home (Paper Bag)
Paul White – The Punch Drummer (One-Handed Music)
Bear In Heaven – Ultimate Satisfaction (Home Tapes)
Midlake – Roscoe (Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve Remix) (Bella Union)
BGM – 900X (Asthmatic Kitty)
Mux Mool – 1st and 4th (Ghostly/Moodgadget)
Grizzly Bear – While You Wait For The Others (Warp)
DJ Q- We Are One (Filter)
Dominik Eulberg – Daten-Uebertragungs-Kuesschen (Sistema Remix) (Traum)
Saint Etienne – The Place At Dawn (Sub Pop)
Snansen: Norwegian Outlet
11.05.2009
