Design of the year..

Sure I post a lot of crazy things that all have merit but truth be told, I'm not really into most high-end design other than eye-candy. Furniture design mostly bores the shit out of me..'product design' is usually pointless or wasteful..automotive design is relatively stagnant..and overall, most so-called industrial design is only concerned with commercialization and catering to only about %15 of the total world population. Sure, people need jobs but there is plenty of money and opportunity to be made by doing good and charitable things as well. (hint* governments, charities, philanthropists...) The stuff that really matters to me is the stuff that actually does something good and positive for people that need it most. The industrial design profession a whole lacks actual visionaries with the drive and passion to do something good for anyone besides themselves and their own careers all for the sake of money. Which is probably why some of the best actual industrial design comes from scientists and engineers who are sincere about doing good and are empathetic to people's needs. Prime example is the Life Straw that is helping millions of people to have cleaner drinking water and thus be healthier (those scientists are PAID!!). The OLPC program is also worthy of mentioning as well as the Play Pump program in Africa.

Anyway, what you're looking at is an amazing invention that is enabling thousands of people with bad eyesight to see clearly again. A scientist at Oxford developed a way to make an easily modifiable lens with two thin membranes that shape according to the amount of water in-between them. The patient can do it themselves and adjust each lens to what's best for them by pushing or pulling a water-filled syringe. Once adjusted, they just take the syringe off and tighten the screw. The over all costs are immensely cheaper since they only have to produce one lens and this also saves huge amounts of money and time with distribution. The intent is to distribute 1 billion pairs over the next 11 years with a target cost of only $1. Oh, and he's just doing this to do it and takes no money from this project. Surely, these form of these glasses could be refined but all things considered, this is great design. Read the article..

It's about time...

I can't claim to understand the world of 'high fashion' but I know a good idea when I see it. Any dress that can automatically transform to be more revealing just makes sense. This is very practical for summertime weather and for making guys horny. Wait until the end for the best of the collection.

Yes, we can..

Here's some songs that came to mind when Barack Obama got elected and I posted his speech from Chicago here. I was just reading about him in the Person Of the Year issue of Time and it reminded me to post these songs. It's always amazing to me how some songs with political or social messages can always remain current and relevant. This post could really go on and on and on....there is sooooo much good music to choose from for this. Keep in mind that this is just a handful of hundreds of songs I could put here. Enjoy!

This is one of my favorite songs by great Curtis Mayfield. His genius is felt in the way the arrangement and feeling of the music complements the lyrics perfectly. One of the best songs ever made in my opinion which is why it's at the top of this list.
Curtis Mayfield "Move On Up"



I don't know any other material from Steve Parks but I'm sure it's good based on this tune. This is been in heavy rotation in my collection for years now and I'd like to share it with more people.
Steve Parks "Movin' In The Right Direction"



Another one of my favorite songs of all-time. This never goes out of style and has been remixed and remade several times in recent years. Still, the original is always my favorite and blends well with the Movin' In The Right Direction (mentioned above).
Cymande "Brothers On The Slide"



This is some obscure soul/disco track by Heem The Music Monsters from the mid '70s. Thanks to Jazzman Records for re-issuing this gem.
Heem The Music Monsters "Wake Up People"



I've been playing this track a lot since I bought it. One of my favorite 12"s in the past 5 years by far. I own the original 12" also but this just seems to work better. This re-edit by Samuri 7 keeps all the important pieces of the original in-tact and just puts a little modern twist on it to make it more workable on a 21st century dance floor. This track KILLED when I played at Back 2 Basics a few months back. As Norman Jay might say "epic"! haha..
Willie Hutch "Brothers Gonna Work It Out (Samuri 7 rework)"



This is a track from the "one of the best albums I'm glad I bought but don't get to play enough" category. (yes, that's a real category for real DJs/collectors..heads know the deal..) It's produced by Blaze..do I really need to say anymore. But DAAAAM! This cut really hits a nerve with me and even without some live band, this still has more soul than a lot of new 'afro-soul' groups coming out. This is an old formula for Blaze though...their "25 Years Hence" album in the early '90s was also amazing. (I still need that on vinyl..*hint*)
Blaze presents: James Toney Jr. Project "Revolution Poem"



Next is another modern banger from the Ubiquity label. So, you know it's flavour. This was one of the standout tracks from the HVW8 Presents: compilation. Unfortunately the compilation as a whole was lack-luster but there were some really solid tracks that made it worth buying. This is one of them. This was also on John Arnold's "Style & Pattern" album. Vocals by Paul Randolph, who seems to be everywhere!
John Arnold f/ Paul Randolph "Rise Up"



This next track is kind of an underground classic now. Only a few years old, it's become a staple in many DJs sets. Nice remake of a classic Billy Paul tune. At the right moment, this can still work the crowd in even a full room of people that don't even know who Steve Spacek or J Dilla are! That's how dope Dilla is/was...R.I.P.
Steve Spacek "Let The Dollar Circulate"



Ok, and finally a tune that everybody in America above the age of 4 has probably heard at least a few times in their life. There's just something about this song that never get's old. It's catchy and not too rock, not too soul but is well written with a positive message. There's something to be said for songs that are played in supermarkets and clubs 3 decades later. Essential for all humans to own this song..some people could really benefit from really listening to the lyrics. I think this song really hits home with people that work their asses off to barely survive in this country.
Robert Palmer "Every Kind Of People"

Jazzanova's new album: GET IT!

I can't believe I'm a couple months late on getting this. Usually I'm pretty on top of new releases as important as this but as I've said before...school's a muhfuka! That's still not a good excuse for missing this release... Ahhhh...where to start!! Well, how about with the immediately apparent presence of mostly live instruments...not what I was expecting from Jazzanova but not surprised either. (remember the Sonar Kollektiv Orchestra album from earlier this year?) As producers of quality music, Jazzanova rarely let me down but there's not much they've done that really blows me away or gives me chills. Oh, and keep in mind, these dudes are from Berlin! It seems like a lot of the best soul & funk music is coming from Europe (or at least gets more support there). I have to wonder though...what happened to their sense of album art??!!! Seriously..it's some of the worst album art I've ever seen in my life and I'm being as nice as I can with that statement! hahahaha.. SUPPORT GOOD MUSIC, BUY THE ALBUM.

Let Me Show Ya



So Far From Home f/ Phonte of Little Brother



Gafiera



I Can See


BUY THE ALBUM




BONUS: Sonar Kollektiv Orchestra







Boom Clicky Boom Klack (Jazzanova)


BUY THE ALBUM

EMPAC building..

The Experimental & Performing Arts Center is part of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. Completed earlier this year by Grimshaw Architects. Absolutely beautiful.

view more images at Grimshaw Architects' site and at the EMPAC site..must see!

Kunsthaus Graz

This is an art museum in Austria and is awesome. Not only is the form unlike anything else, the exterior is a skin that is also a giant screen for motion graphics. Plus, they showcase some very different contemporary art. You can see more on their website- Kunsthaus Graz.

I LOVE this..

This is one of the best concepts I've seen this year. I had some ideas a couple years ago for visualizing sound and sound waves but this isn't one of them so it's cool to see something done like this. I DO have a line of items coming out next year that will incorporate sound waves but nothing like this. This was designed & prototyped by Sounds Butter. Their other projects are also worth checking out.

Mmmmmm...she's delicious!

This dress makes any woman go from just ordinary to absolutely delicious looking in just a few seconds. Designed by Joy Kampia.

One of my favorite designs of 2008

I know it's 'just a curtain' and it's not really something practical but this design is dope! If I could afford them I'd definitely buy these. They'll be on my wishlist of things to get when I make more than $100/month. Designed by Florian Kräutli and available through Droog. Most of the other work by this designer is questionable but still worth looking at.

Eye candy...(not porn you perverts!)

Here's some new content I've recently discovered...some is brand new and some isn't. Sorry about the misleading title for this post. I wasn't using the term 'eye candy' in the proper context :[ However, I WILL be starting a new section simply titled 'girls' which WILL be all eye candy :]

This video by the Magic Wands is ridiculous and honestly it's pretty lame/gay to me. I don't fully understand the whole style of rainbow colors, glitter and lasers mixed with sub-saharan wildlife. Sometimes it IS pulled off really well but sadly this isn't one of those cases. The reason I posted this video is actually not for the video at all. The music touched my soft spot for obscure '80s disco. This song is brand new but really has that sound of some super rare underground disco joint from like '83. (their song 'Black Magic' is also worth listening to)


Next up is the video for Someone Great by the almighty LCD Soundsystem. The video is simple and effective and really works with the song (which happens to be one of the best songs of 2007). Unfortunately EMI UK won't allow people to help out the band and post the video on other sites so just right click on the image and you'll go to the YouTube page for the video.


I thought I posted this next video by Robot High School a while back when I first saw it but apparently I didn't. I think the music for this is WACK! The video seemingly has nothing to do with the music but is still nice to look at. The director used a stop-action technique and emphasized the focal points in the shots to trick us into thinking we're looking at toys when in-fact everything is real.

Fuck it...I'll post 2 videos from this group I really don't care for because they have good taste in visuals..Here they use another super simple yet effective method to creative something visually interesting. If you didn't figure out how they did it by the first 30 seconds, they reveal it to you in the last part of the video. To their credit, this song isn't too bad.



I just saw this video earlier today and it kinda blew me away. It's both simple and intriguing using no special effects and the low-budgetness clearly seen....I mean c'mon, you couldn't spring for some more more exotic wild life! hahaha..Mallards are beautiful though and it's a cleaver usage of quail and standard field mice and mirrors. All the perfect elements for a live-action fractal art show. The Kraftwerk-esque music enhances the visuals to a point where we anticipate more and want to peer deeper into the complexity of the visuals to find more patterns and meaning.



AHHHH...this next one is straight up drugs! Watch all 3 parts!! Especially part 3..if you have a really fast internet connection view it on YouTube as higher quality.


UPDATE:
I totally forgot to include this in the post originally. This video is weird and looks painful but is highly entertaining. Turn the volume down if you need to..I did!

Weird video of the week...

I really haven't seen any videos in a few weeks but this week this is the weirdest thing I've seen in terms of music videos. The music is OK but the video is great and has everything a weird video needs: empty airport, dying fish out of water, half naked girl (alone- in hotel and in airport), mysterious bubble that seems to stalk the half-naked girl...oh yeah and they show ariola!

Poni Hoax - Antibodies - music video directed by Danakil from Danakil on Vimeo

Finally back to the [virtual] world...

I've been unable to add new content as frequently as I would like to these past few months because I've been in HELL. By HELL I mean I've been finishing up another semester. Warning: DO NOT GO BACK TO SCHOOL FOR A DESIGN DEGREE! (unless you really think it will get you somewhere you really want to be someday.) I have been doing some good work though and I'll be posting some of it soon once I update my portfolio.

Eat me

It's been recommended to me that I start posting some of my own designs. I've been meaning to make an 'about me' section where you'd learn that I do a lot of things. One of the main parts of my life is being a designer and currently being in school for industrial design (that's why I don't update the site often enough).

Anyway, here's the first posting of one of my latest designs. It's a masterpiece and it's delicious! Possibly the best tasting design I've ever done unless you like to eat wood, plastic, glass or metal. This is where I'm supposed to say how great it is, so...This is the best damn Graham Cracker house you will ever see in your life EVER! If I were a better writer, or maybe just better at bullshitting, I could go on and on about the connections and references to great architechts and sound real 'designy©'. (I made that word up this week too...it's one of my recent creations and will be copyrighted so I get credit every time someone uses the new most awesomest word in the world- DESIGNY©) Eat your heart out Rem Koolhaas! Oh, this model is only 1:16...in "real" life this would probably just be a temporary tree house or fort structure for kids and other child-like humans.

UPDATE>> Grown Folks : A Party For US

This party will be every Saturday night. Don't miss it. The crowd is beautiful and the music is great. Philly needs this! (if that statement means anything to you, you should be there ;)


So, it's been a WHILE since I've done a weekly party but a good opportunity presented itself and the wait is over! Starting December 6th I'll be rockin' every Saturday night at Sakeya from 10p-2a. Cover is only $5 and Free for ladies until midnight. (and Free on the guestlist). There's drink specials until midnight and the kitchen will be serving until 1! (the food here is amazing!!! authentic Japanese & Korean dishes and some of the best sushi I've ever had)

Ok, ok....enough about all that stuff...what you really need to know is what the music & vibe will be. We just want a nice & open-minded crowd. Grown Folks isn't just about ol' heads or some pretentious bullshit...it's for anyone that needs something besides the typical top40/frat party vibe. Classics, House, Soul, Hip-Hop, R&B, Latin, Disco, Afro-Beat and of course Polka!

For a small sample of what to expect, listen to my mixes on the main page of this site and download some of the sets in the downloads section. I'll be recording live at the party too so check back for some snippets from each party.

Listen!

This video is ill and it's for one of the best songs on the album. (btw...why is the vinyl so fucking expensive! A 2xLP should only be about $15 (or less) for domestic releases!)

Breakfast

Nothing like some good ol' sleazy house music to get your day started! This has been out for a while but still worthy of posting.

Monkey Bee?

This video is crazy but I'm not feeling the music.

my vote for the nobel prize in architecture

This is a Buddhist temple in Thailand made almost entirely from beer bottles! Brilliant! Talk about dedication...the local people held a huge 3 day event to drink this much beer which is about a million bottles. There's only 20,000 people in the town so do the math....they even had the kids helping them.




*just kidding...they didn't make kids drink or have a big rager for three days...they were collected over time using Heinekin and Chang bottles.

New Grace Jones video!!??

Grace Jones - Corporate Cannibal
by colaress

English as a Second Language

Universal Mind Control

One of the best singles to come out in the past few months in any genre. The video is dope too.

Common - New Music - More Music Videos

Water For Life ?

This is a cool video showing design process but it's clear that the designers are out of touch with the purpose of raising awareness about the water crisis that nearly half of the world's population deals with. Somehow a giant expensive foam & plastic sculpture doesn't raise awareness about anything other than form and expensive CNC modeling. The end result is cool but waaaaay off target....hint: for the cost of this sculpture about 5 or more play pumps could have been installed somewhere in Africa and provide clean drinking water to thousands of people. Yeah, come to think of it, maybe it's better that the money was spent on some expensive temporary sculpture.

another Gnarls Barkley video..

I realize that I'm probably a little late on this one...as I've said before, I live in a cave. I like this song but the video scares me! I haven't slept since I've seen it and I'm still having nightmares. HELP!

Video of the week

yes, you're right...I really don't have a consistent 'video of the week' section but if I did this would surely be the video of the week. just watch! This is by a group called Zeitguised and the do some really dope motion graphics for fun and also for big clients. Check out more of their work here


Peripetics by ZEITGUISED from NotForPaper on Vimeo.

Cool is sooooo much better than Green

This clever little "why didn't I think of that" design is the work of Joonhyun Kim from Korea. If you haven't heard, they are rearry smart there. I wonder how they got a machine to smash lightbulbs without breaking them...amazing! Also, I like how they're kinda like "fuck the 'green' movement!" Seriously, this is much cooler than those spiraly cfl's that we all hate but use anyway so we can have a clear conscious about drinking 5 bottled drinks per day.

Check out more of his designs here

Battlecats

I know this seems like a ridiculous commercial but cats can do some pretty amazing things. Although, I really don't think a cat could possible drive that good...no way! So, this is probably just made using some fancy trick cinematography.

Yes we can!

Congratulations to Americans for actually going out and voting this year. See, it CAN and DOES matter.

UPDATE: Philly <3 Design

Here are a pic from the event on Core77..it shows the party later on when it started to thin out but you can still see me in the distance giving a sermon there. (yes, that is an actual altar in an old church! haha) Right there in the foreground is my piece that was in the show. (plug....the Gangsta Lean modules are $33.33 each and work as shelving, sitting or side table. This is only the second time I've had something on Core77 but still pretty cool even if my name isn't mentioned. (people still see it, right?!). And as a side not to DJs....beware of Serato!!! I've been using it for years but it STILL gives me problems at the worst times...such as at the beginning of this event when I had 300 or more people in a room with no music thanks to a signal error between the mixer and the program...it all worked out in the end though.


I probably should have posted this a couple weeks ago but I've been 'busy'. This is going to be a blast and will definitely be the best party during 'Design Philadelphia'. This show features some of the best designers from the region and is curated by Issac and Jaime Salm from Mio. If you live in or near Philly and you like or love 'design' you should come. Yeah, that sounds weird since everybody likes 'design'. Well, there's also FREE food and drinks and it's FREE to get in for anybody.

I'll be the DJ for the event and coincidentally am one of the featured designers (more on that later). Expect to hear one of my loungy-artsy sets early in the evening and after everyone's got a drink (or 5) in them it will be party mode. Hopefully people will really put the designs to the test by dancing on them. Yes, dancing is encouraged but please....no fucking on the dancefloor!

Risin' Up this Saturday at Sakeya

DO NOT miss this party!! The Record Player spinning across the board at this new Japanese lounge. As the say in Japan, I'll be spinning "All Mix". Be on the lookout for the hand made flyers too! (designed, silk screened and cut by me!) Sakeya is located at 1420 Locust St under the academy of music.
more info at their myspace page- Sakeya
link to me on Myspace and Facebook to know when other stuff is happening.

Spinning Halloween festival on South St

Yes, you read that correct. I'll be playing at the big outdoor festival for thousands of freaks along side my long-time friend Papa Fz (of Solomonic Sound System). We'll be playing for the masses but will also playing some nuggets for the rastas, the house heads and the hip-hop heads at 2nd & South. Go to the South Street website to read more...

Weird video of the week

I know this isn't really a weekly type of posting but this is by far the weirdest video I've seen this week. Oddly, I think this actually enhances the music in an LCD induced synesthetic kinda way.

I don't know why

Ok, I know you're probably thinking "Dude, what's up with this gay-ass Euro-Pop bullshit!?" I don't know...for some reason I'm feeling this track. Although, luckily for you, you'll probably never hear me play it out. I'm waaaaaay outside of the loop for getting bookings in the 'hipster' scene.

Psycho!!

I've seen some really crazy movies (that weren't even porn)!! But this Korean movie by acclaimed director Park Chan-wook. This movies is total chaos, a little violent and really plays with your mind. What seems like just another crazy movie happens to be one of the most bizarre love stories ever told. Great editing and cinematography too. Maybe I'll just pirate this and give it away to people so they watch it. This short little trailer doesn't really do the movie justice...you just gotta see it- a couple times. I'll warn you though...one of the scariest parts for some people is---> it's subtitled!! uh oh! Guess you illiterate movie lovers better learn to read or practice your Korean language skills.

Back To My Roots

So, a couple weeks back I had the pleasure of rockin the house at Back 2 Basics. For those that don't know about this legendary Philadelphia party, CLICK HERE. This is the kind of party that made me want to DJ. For some reason though most of us get lost in the paper chase and are forced to compromise. Back 2 Basics isn't about compromise and is a great feeling to be surrounded by musically and culturally intelligent people. The song featured below has been one of my favorite records for years and gets played as often as I can both with hopes that people get into it but also so I can hear it on larger speakers. I'm not sure if it was just a matter of timing or that a few heads in the room really know this record but it was beautiful to see nearly everyone in the place getting into this. I got to play a bunch of records I rarely get to play out and the crowd loved it all...where else can I play stuff like this in Philly (and have people dancing)?

Richie Havens


Back To My Roots

(Also check out the version by Oddesy)

Weird video of the day

This video for Ratatat is kinda weird..I like the simple and effect technique of reversing some facial features but what I'm not getting is why there is really no storyline or any real meaning with the video.

Quantum of Alicia

I'm feeling this song...and I'm really feeling Alicia Keys here. Seriously, she's sitting on my lap as I write this. Neither of us know why there's no clips from Quantum of Solace or even more 007 references but her and I agree it was very tastefully done.

Wow! A cardboard box...seriously, amazing.

Ikea pack furniture in it. Gehry has made furniture from it. Now architects are shaping spaces with it. Is there any limit to the creative re-use of corrugated cardboard? With its unique physical consistency, its decidedly axial strength, and its deadening acoustic absorption, corrugated cardboard has many inherent qualities. As such it was the perfect material for this particular sound installation:

Made from 720 half square sheets of 7mm thick corrugated cardboard, stacked in 360 layers, this cavernous sound space is set within a 2.5m cube. As a space for listening to and experiencing music, the initial concept for the design developed from the architect’s ambition to create a strong spatial intensity and a distinct internal atmosphere. With an irregular free-form interior set within a regular cubic volume, the object has a profound duality. Made from one material it also has an implied solidity that strengthens the architect’s distinction between inside and out – a distinction that is heightened when the full acoustic ambience is experienced from within.

Cutting the cardboard took three working days, and assembly just one. The structure sits under its own dead weight, without any fixings or glue. And, for those of a technical persuasion, a simple calculation reveals that the combined compression of the 360 layers of cardboard is 20mm over the 2.5m height, or an average of 500ths of a millimetre per sheet. All services are integrated within the stack, including cable runs and apertures for the six-speaker surround sound system.

*I wish I knew the names of the designers to give them credit for their work. This site on which I saw this rarely gives credit to the artists/designers. I asked why and they told me they do not make an effort to give credit to the artists because: " We're a trends agency - we don't give all our content away for free and we only put a limited of posts up - Most cases we do -but on larger posts we keep these for our paying customers

We'll soon be launching a section for those who want more high end content which you'll have to pay to access it

Thanks

Bill"
Well Bill, this is a 'lifestyle' site too so I guess I don't have to them credit either.?

...And Now You Know PSA's

This is part of a series of Public Service Announcements that aim to educate and raise social awareness of serious issues facing America. I don't have TV, so I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure these are being aired on all the major networks. If they aren't yet, they should be! I would encourage you to watch the other ones in this series too. Very enlightening.

Reasonable Doubt documentary

Can't Knock The Hustle...even if you're not even into hip-hop you should watch this. I almost forgot just how good that album really is.

Delivery Man

I can't front, I like The Cool Kids. Just some good Hip-Hop for the dome piece. Nothing real fancy or gimmicky..their K.I.S.S. approach is workin. Plus, these dudes are seriously grindin' and are 2 of the busiest and hardest working in Hip-Hop right now.

Glaciers of Ice

Still one of the best songs about drugs and murder ever made. One of my favorite RZA productions too.
don't sleep.

No F***ing way!!

This is what happens when people don't speak up in those boardroom meetings. Great a giant fucking loop on a freeway making miles of road unusable to people without balls. At least the people that let this happen won't be in our way! Maybe it was the civil engineer's last day before retirement and decided to finally have some fun? Either way, they've created something amazingly awesome!

Really!!??

"It's the ultimate political souvenir," said the creator of this shameful attempt at political satire.

Read the whole article >

It's about damn time...

Thank you science! Finally I can have a pet just long enough to love it and be sad when it dies in just 1-3yrs time. Scientists have cloned sheep, grown teeth in petri dishes and teleported metal. So, some of these mad scientists got together and thought this would be a great idea. You get the best of both worlds: you get a pet programmed to your needs AND you get to question humans' involvement in nature, life and death. This reminds me of that lesson that's taught to kids...you know, the one where the parents buy the kid a pet chicken, let the kid start to love it, then chop it up and eat it for dinner. Wait...you weren't taught that lesson?! Well, it was a good lesson and a delicious meal. This has me thinking..what do GenPets taste like?

New download: Eavesdrop radio mix

I think I mentioned before that I did a mix for Eavesdrop radio.? Well, it aired this past friday. So, now you can have it! You can also dowload the entire radio show from RecordBreakin.com everyweek if you can't tune in live. Every Friday from 6-9est on WKDU, DJ's Junior & Lil' Dave inform the world of the best music they can give from all genres & all times. In Philly, tune in to 91.7fm or worldwide go to wkdu.org








Eavesdrop radio mix (© August 2008)


DOWNLOAD NOW

Ants are smarter than you are

Memory power + drawing

I don't know why I didn't post this sooner but it came to mind since my trip to Japan. (don't worry...you'll see some of the pics soon) It's a video showing the artist, Stephen Wiltshire, drawing a 360º panoramic view of Tokyo..from memory! This is amongst the most impressive things I've ever seen done with a pen or brush. Yes, even more impressive than elephants painting or seeing HeavyWeight artists painting or that video by Blu.If you've seen aerial pictures of Tokyo or have seen how insane this challenge is you can start to realize how amazing this is...if not, just watch and you'll see what I'm talking about. Hint: most of the best artists in the world could not do this if the could see what they were drawing. Oh, and keep in mind this is with ink (no erasing).

Liberation song

Some people may think this video is really out there and weird. Me, well...I think monkeys are quite normal and I relate to them. But what is weird is that this song is not sung in American. I mean, c'mon dude..everyone knows that there's only one language for sangin' in. Either way, it sounds cool. I may not understand French but this is clearly a song speaking out against household chores and promoting equal rights for monkeys that want to play in bands. (I know what you're thinking..Chimpanzees are not monkeys. Stop discriminating! They can wear diapers, ride motorcycles and throw feces just like monkeys and my cousins. )

Alles Neu - Peter Fox
by sgkmuc

100th post...finally

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know it's only taken a month but here it is finally. I have good reasons why it's taken this long though. Between teaching DJing classes to kids all summer followed by a 17 day trip to Japan I just didn't have enough time.

Originally I was going to do this big long post with tons of info but I'm just gonna keep this one brief. I had already had a nice post all typed up when Safari decided to crash. So, you're not even gonna get the good brief one..just scraps. Sorry :(

There have been some good changes to the site though which you may have noticed:

-More mixes in the player: you can't download these but there is enough music here to get you through your 9-5.

-Last FM player added:
This thing is awesome. I used the desktop software and it scanned my iTunes library (which is huge) and plays stuff based on that and makes similar suggestions for songs that aren't even in my library. You could listen to this thing for weeks on end and not get bored. Listen to it right on the site or use the pop out option to open it in it's own little window.

-Muxtape:
I want to make this a weekly updated list but I haven't got much feedback from this yet. So, for now it will just be updated periodically. When I see that more people are interested, it will get updated more frequently.

-Travels:
So, I finally went on a 'real' vacation. (I don't consider a day in NYC a vacation) The last time I got away from Philly was in 2002 when I went to Paris for 12 days. So it's been 6 years since my last vacation and it was well-deserved!! Japan was/is amazing and it wouldn't have been possible without a few solid connections that really helped me out. I'm not really caked up so with out them I couldn't have went at all. Ok, I'm lyin...I got more money than I know what to do with and though a long trip to Japan was a good way to spend some of it. I'll start posting some of my adventures from Japan next week.

-Events:
I don't go to a whole lot of events anymore compared to back in the day but I do go to some good ones. I'll start posting some of those soon as well. They won't be in any particular order but will be based more on when I'm looking through pictures.

-Diggin' At Home:
Over the last couple months I've recorded a bunch of my vinyl and am still in the process of making the mp3s (I'm one of those types that likes to have his music sounding proper so it takes some time with some records to enhance the sound). Here's a couple recent purchases and both are soulful disco bombs! You NEED these in your life...go buy them immediately!








Holding On - from We Can't Take Life For Granted... (anthology)


Eugene Blacknell
buy this anthology here








Save The Youth (Kenny Dope mix)


Mellow Madness
buy this 7" single here

99 Problems

Really I have more than 99 problems but this is the 99th posting on here and that was a good, catchy and obvious title. Aren't I clever?! (*patting self on back) Maybe I should have something better to post than just some jibberish about this being the 99th post but the truth is, I don't.

Oh....I just thought of something...I recently got this dope 7" by Kissy Asplund which is a modern R & B version of the classic drunkard song '99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall'. I'm a drunk so which is mostly why I like it. SHIT!!! just spilled beer on my keyboard! Yeah, so what if it's only 11 and I've already had a 6 pack.? You can buy that record and other good stuff from my man DJ Junior's site RecordBreakin.com.

Listen to the song and buy it here

(oh...be on the lookout for the mix I did for DJ Junior & Lil Dave's radio show- Eavesdrop.

Friends & Family

Future Shock 086 (download)

Future Shock 086 is one of the parties DJ Skipmode (ill!) does. It's a monthly party that takes place at The Kyber here in Philly. I've rocked this party with Skipmode on several occasions and although the money is short it's still one of my favorite parties to play. Everything from hip-hop, classic and underground '80s dance trax, funk and even current 'hipster' tunes. This is the only party where I get to play some of my weird punk/disco/house/rock tunes and people love it. This past month was pretty slow at the gate but everybody there was on the dance floor gettin' it in. Here's a sample from the last hour of the night (sorry about the recording quality...it sounded right in the club and that's more important than the recording. enjoy!


Live from Future Shock 086 (July 2008, end of night snippet)
Download this mix

I'm covering for Skipmode this month too....bring your stankin' ass out! It's free, there's cheap beer (only $1 until 11!!) and the music is on point.

The Man Machine

Classic! I Love the minimalish Bauhaus inspired design aesthetic here.
black + grey + red + white + lines + rectangles = everything you need.

Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization

That is the title of the cover story for the new issue of Adbusters magazine. I don't think this is the full article but is still highly recommeded. Personally, I don't quite understand that culture and don't like most of the music. I'm not a hater though, and really like some of the music emerging from that scene and have dated some girls that would be considered 'hipster' and they were actually some of the best girls I've known. I guess I'm on the outskirts of it then in some weird way. I think the author of this article certainly raises some great points about how it is a culture based on following trends instead of following yourself. This has always occurred in fashion and music but not on such a broad scale. Ultimately, it is a result of the technology that has allowed for nothing to be truly underground and allows for all 'counter' cultures to have fair share of the 'mainstream' market.

The biggest difference is that en masse, the followers of this trend have traded their individual purpose for the purpose of the companies they support. Most people feel that there should be more to life than partying and consumerism which is why the 'hipster' trend is so bizarre. Governments and companies love these people though because they are very obedient and predictable without even realizing it. I'm curious though, why so many people criticize this trend. Sure it is ridiculous and funny but, is it really different than any other trend? Well, according to this article, "yes!" The main difference is the people in this scene don't acknowledge it and they themselves have no definition of where their scene fits in society or even where they fit as individuals within their scene. This is very different from other scenes driven by music/club culture. Ask a die-hard punk, b-boy, house head or rasta and they know where they and their culture stands and what it means for them and society. They have styles that they have openly adopted as theirs. Not the 'hipster' though. It is a very curious and interesting point in the global society.

read the article here

Die Hipster is kinda funny too...a blog from somebody in NY who really dislikes 'hipsters'

A great bad idea

I love this kinds of installations that are funtional, fun and question human behavior and consciousness. One such project opens tomorrow in Dale, Norway. People from anywhere in the world will be able to call a phone number and broadcast their message over the fjord for the people in Dale to be annoyed with. Telemegaphone is the pre-project for something larger (and probably more annoying) called Parafunctional Payphones by Unsworn Industries. My guess is that they are going to hate the artist for erecting such a thing. I'm going to get extra drunk just to talk to myself and broadcast it to the people there to let them know I AM their messiah! muwahhahhahahahahahaha...
Or maybe I'll just say a bunch of jibberish in a Swedish Chef accent. Yeah, I know they're not in Sweden but does anyone know what a Nordic accent sounds like?! Ya?

Read more about this project here

Amazing water-proofing material

Some of you have probably seen this already on the interweb but for those that haven't, it's called Golden Shellback and it is amazing!!! It was developed for the marine industry but somebody there had an epiphany- we all have electronics and get near water. Except for me, I avoid water unless it's mixed with fermented hops & barley. I haven't showered in years either...that's what deodorant is for.

Golden Shellback Waterproof Coating from gCaptain.com on Vimeo

What it's like for a man

I live in a cave that makes time stand still. This explains why I don't catch on to some things until after everybody else. Case in point, the "Who's Gonna Save My Soul?" video by Gnarls Barkley. I've liked this song since I first heard it but the video is really powerful. I'm soooo glad I don't feel like the dude in this video. (been there, done that, never again) Ugh....I could go on and on about what's wrong with women and how they fuck with our minds (and their own) but I will refrain. Watch the video-

• MTV
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• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

The other side

Global warming exists. Nobody will deny that. The problem is that we have being led to believe that it is all due to humans. This is not the case. I'm one of these people that likes to know 'why?' so I've done some researching into this matter quite a bit over the last year. People really thought I'm crazy when I said that there is no way global warming could only be due to humans. I remembered learning about the earth having several shift in climate in various regions long before humans and certainly millions of years before this new industrial era. What really amazes me though is that a lot of people that would deny that humans are not solely at fault are also people that denounce the way in which advertising has infected our society. Well folks, the human-caused global warming campaign is one of the biggest advertising scams ever!

I will say, however, that the intent is for the right reasons and I do not believe the people behind that train of though are seeking to steer people in a wrong direction. The threat of us as humans causing the earth to fail is large enough to make people more conscious about the way they consume and discard objects. Because of this higher sense of awareness it has forced companies to, once again, be more responsible both socially and environmentally. It is great to see the changes being made because of this threat and I advocate these efforts to promote more recycling, upcycling, sustainability and so on. Yes, we have done A LOT of damage to the earth and we do need to acknowledge this and change our ways. There is no denying that humans do contribute a percentage to global warming but guess what- so did the dinosaurs. Pollution and global warming are both separate and intertwined topics facing our modern societies.

My point is that I just wish that the public were told both sides of this story. People should also take a few moments to do some of their own research and balance out what they learn. I'd like to hear what some of you think about this.

Jump

Jump Studios has a very impressive portfolio definitely worth checking out. They're gooder than good.

What the (bleep) do we know?!

Here's a clip from the movie "What The Bleep Do We Know? (Down The Rabbit Hole)". More specifically it's from the 'quantum edition' which allows the viewer to watch the movie in potentially infinite ways by jumping in and out of 'rabbit holes' of information. By information I mean rants by people who don't know much but are really, really good at wondering and observing. By not knowing much I mean that they only know about 100 times what most of us morons do but still, I think they're on drugs. Yes, drugs of information that they vomit back at us morons who don't know what the bleep they're talking about.

Oddly enough, this really is one of my favorite movies and I do actually understand what they're talking about. I love all this nerdy shit though. It doesn't make my brain hurt either because I've been smart enough to fill my brain mostly with beer and junk food.

I highly recommend watching the other clips or just do yourself a favor and rent or buy the movie. Make sure you get the second edition and rent it for at least a week or so to assure you have time to get through even half of the bonus features.

Fishing the way psychos do it: Heli Fishing

I saw this last week and forgot to post it. Basically, these guys were bored of just catching really large game fish the old-fashioned way and apparently the good ol' method of c-4 explosives just doesn't do it for them anymore. So, they decided the next logical choice would be to catch fish by diving out of a helicopter. Makes sense to me.

Yeah, I know you must be thinking, "what a waste of money & gas!" See, but now their internet celebrities and that is sooooo worth the cost of a helicopter rental and fuel.

Objectified, a film about objects

No, the title is not referring to the way that women are portrayed in modern American culture (and other cultures around the world). This is a feature length documentary about objects, how they affect our lives and the designers who create them. I'm really looking forward to the release of this film mostly for other people. So, when I say "I'm an industrial designer." I don't get some weird look followed by the predictable question, "What is that?"

Read more about the film here

New download: Live at Adidas Originals

Here's the first part of a session from the Adidas Originals store here in Philly. It's always weird to play these transient kinds of gigs but also a lot of fun since it's like spinning for several micro parties within the course of the set. It's too bad I didn't get a recording of my set from the Armani Exchange in-store I did a few months back. It was a weird day but the set was really good...isn't that always the case though- you play a great set and it's all just a memory. That is part of the beauty in the artform though...it can be either temporary or permanent. Basically DJing is the equivalent to graffiti. Yeah, aural graffiti. Ok, time for bed.



Live from Adidas Originals in Philly (September 22, 2007 pt.1)
Download this mix

Somebody went a little crazy (not me this time!)

I just saw this and had to post. Some guy in San Francisco has A LOT of free time. So much free time that he built a sculpture entirely out of toothpicks...over 100,000 of them! Just click the link and let him explain why he does what he does.

click here to WATCH NOW