27.8.09

House of Flying Daggers

I'm really into this right now...even thought the beat gets pretty boring after about a minute of the same loop. The rhymes are thorough and the video is tight. The Chef Raekwon went with a recipe that works cooked up a classic.

24.8.09

Lego my video

Where do people find time to do these things!!?? Oh yeah, I forgot, some people don't have to actually work or pay bills...or just neglect everything to make awesome lego videos like this for 1,500 hours!! (or roughly 4 months of full-time work.


22.8.09

Yuri Suzuki


I need to apologize to you for not posting any of this guy's work sooner! I swore that I did but when I was looking for the back links I realized I did not :( Yuri Suzuki has done some of my favorite installation works that I've seen maybe ever. He is a very multi-disciplined creator but what I'm most interested in is his "sound art" pieces. He really pushes the limits of new uses for vinyl records and turntables in art and finds new and interesting ways to reinterpret how we interact with sound and the connection between music and the tangible medium. In addition to being a great artist, he's also an electronic music producer and an industrial designer. Go to his website and do some searches for him to learn more.


His most recent exhibit is going on now in Luxembourg and is part of a show titled "Coalition Of Amateurs". For this show, Yuri set up a full music production system which recorded music from 3 bands direct to master disk and then they pressed their own vinyl all in the same day!! I haven't been able to find out details yet on how exactly he did it but it appears that he made is own CNC cutter to make the masters on a standard Technics 1200 turntable.


Of all of Yuri's work I've seen thus far, the pieces created for his well-noted "The Physical Value Of Sound" exhibit last year at Clear Gallery in Tokyo. This show included a turntable with 5 tonearms, jewelry with sound etched onto it to be played on a turntable, a piece called "Sound Chaser" that used pieces of records as train tracks for a miniature train engine with a cartridge and speaker in it and a piece simply called "Digital and Analog" which is just a regular CD on one side and the top has grooves etched in to play sound (I REALLY love that one). Some others I really love are his "Jellyfish Theramin","Finger Player" and his "Graffiti Radio" project.




18.8.09

D-Touch

WOW! This is essentially an interface that requires only a computer, a webcam, a printer and a lot of ideas. The D-Touch sequencer and drum machine are available for FREE (both Mac and PC versions). Just watch the video and definately go to their site. Simply amazing.


13.8.09

Light Art Performance Photography


This is some of the best examples of this kind of work that I've seen. Beautiful, well thought out compositions by this team of German photographers simply called LAPP. Check out more of their work and learn more about them at their site > HERE




Let Yourself Feel

Nice animation, I think made with Processing, just simply using graceful strokes of color and quotes from famous designers and artists. This guy has a really impressive portfolio of motion graphics that you should check out.

12.8.09

Weird video of the week

I know I've missed a lot of weeks but don't worry, I got you covered! I just got to edit that post a bit but be on the lookout for a mega "Weird Video Of The Week" post with probably 6 or more videos. In the meantime, Major Lazor wins again. First it was the epic video for "Zumbies" and now this!

Pon De Floor featuring Afro Jack & VYBZ Cartel

11.8.09

Malice (of The Clipse)

Wow! All I got to say. Just watch the video blog from Malice (of The Clipse).
Check out all the videos > HERE <

Video Game Hell/Heaven

Interesting piece by German studio Muscle Beaver. I guess with a name like that you need to be dope...really, dope! Which they happen to be. Really good quality work on all fronts and a good range of styles.

Video Games from MUSCLEBEAVER on Vimeo.

Serpentine Pavillion 2009


This year's pavilion at the Serpentine Gallery is one of the best pieces of architecture constructed this year. Designed by the team SANAA, this structure is meant to reflect on the natural environment of the park both figuratively and literally. The amoeba-like form seems to naturally flow as if it were water or a cloud. It's a shame this will only be here for a short time. Since the Serpentine started it's annual pavilions in 2000 it has hosted some of the most important contemporary architects today including: Zaha Hadid, Daniel Liebeskind, Frank Gehry and Toyo Ito. Click on those links to learn more or do a search on Google or Bing.


image © 2009 Graeme Robertson


image © 2009 Kenn Munk

10.8.09

Music In My Head


I hope I never need hearing aids but now at least there are options to make my hearing as good or possibly better than before. Plus, I can have music right in my ears via external source- MP3 player, radio, etc... These are attched to your bone behind your ear via small titanium screws that sense vibrations. So, it's basically like dolphins' ears (which have some of the best sense of hearing in all of the animal kingdom by the way). Read more and get your nerd on >
HERE<.

Burial

It took this video for me to like this song by Mike Snow. I wasn't really into but the video definitely does it justice. Really high quality video shot in India.

Hairy Situation


The pavilion at PS-1 this year by MOS architects is awesome! It's actually palm fibre but it looks like hair from a wooly mammouth to me. Actually, I was disappointed when I learned that it is not synthetic fur. Yeah, I know this is technically more 'sustainable' but this is more about making something cool on a smallish budget. I still like last year's installation by Ball-Nogues Studio better, but this is really good.

Record Ratchet


I only posted this because it has records in it. As a DIY project it's fine but I think it's silly as a designer piece of furniture. I do like the concept using soft materials to make something strong and I like the idea of using what's around you to build something. However, Harry Hasson's ratchet furniture is just another example of why this concept just doesn't work 99% of the time.

9.8.09

Four the love of music

I've been overwhelmed by a tidal wave of music recently. Here are 4 of my favorite songs from the past week. Unfortunately all this new music has been digital :( someday when I'm really ballin' I'll buy these on vinyl. That's about $1200+ worth of wax right there IF you can actually find copies for sale. I know the Magnum LP has been reissued and songs off the Copa 7 LP appear on compilations. Good luck on finding clean copies of the Ofege albums..they had 4 albums between 1974-78 and they're all exxxxxpensive!

Everybody Feels The Same by Ofege from "The Last Of The Origins" LP EMI Nigeria 1974



















Natural Juices by Magnum from "Fully Loaded" LP Phoenix 1974








BUY IT!










Mulher Absoluta by Copa 7 from "O Som Do" LP Top Tape 1979



















You Are Beautiful by Mr Something Something & Ikwunga The Afrobeat Poet from Deep Sleep LP World Records 2007








BUY IT!

Second Skin

Great documentary about gaming addicts. It's presented and put together in such a way that it teeters on the edge of fiction which is fitting given the subject matter but is very real, bizzare and beautiful at the same time. I thought I'd fall asleep watching it at 3am but ended up watching the whole thing. Second Skin is the best documentary I've seen this month so far..highly recommended! It may be coming to a theater near you soon. Check the comments for more info.

6.8.09

Lou Beach


I think this guy is a modern incarnation of Hieronymus Bosch. Seriously, this guys stuff is just weird, fun, witty, deep and layerd with meaning and interpretation. Lou Beach's work is no secret though and new pieces are published on a consistent basis the same as they have been for over 30 years. Beach's illustrations have scattered the print media landscape to the point where they are in our subconscious. In fact some of his works have become staples of pop culture. On any given month you may see his work in Wired, Time, The New York Times or even the cover art of some band. When you see Lou Beach's work you suddenly start to realize just how unoriginal a lot of this new 'hipster' art is. Heads of animals fused with people, bright colors and weird collage is old news. His commercial work is really good but his personal stuff is where the truly bizarre happens. Seriously though go back and look at Bosch's epic tryptich "The Garden Of Earthly Delights" and tell me you don't see the resemblance.

Go to LouBeach.com and play with his monkey! (it will make sense when you go to the site)

High Voltage animation


Voltage from Bam Studio on Vimeo.


Warped space


I'm really feeling this project. I've seen similar methods of using optical illusion to transform architectural space and have wanted to explore that stuff myself. This is just one of the best landscaping solutions I've ever seen for a tight space. Great work by Faulders Studio from Berkley, CA.

You can see more images of this project > HERE <

Halo virtual Graff


I love this stuff...I've posted a fair amount of graffiti-based projects (click here) and this is one of the better ones I've seen in a while. I like the simplicity of it and that it speaks to the temporary nature of graffiti. Unlike traditional graff that can been seen and exist with out photography but is sustained by photography, Halo requires photography to capture the moment making the act of graffiti an interactive experience.

Halo is one of many projects by French designer Aïssa Logerot go to his site for more info and other projects which really don't add up compared to this one. AissaLogerot.com

Michael Jackson 1958-2009


Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know this is a little late but I wanted it to be proper and not just a sentence or 2 and 1 song. Nothing against those that did that but as a blog with a main focus on music I think this post deserved more attention.

For most of us soul music fans, aficianados and DJs the last few weeks has been somewhat emotional to say the least. I just wanted to take a couple minutes to reflect. I'll start by saying that I wasn't an obsessed fan like some people are but that I appreciate good music for what it is no matter who it's by. I can say that Michael did have a considerable influence on me as a young kid and of course as a DJ. When I was 6 years old I remember trying to recreate the video for 'Bad' with my friends and play that album back to back on my friends' boombox that was literally about the size of us.

As a DJ of course Michael got PLENTY of play. I think most DJs would agree that the MJ requests did get a bit ridiculous at times and you wished you could go a few gigs without playing anything by MJ. But at the same time you loved making all the ladies happy and also loved playing the forgotten MJ & Jackson 5 songs or just playing their classics in different ways. Don't lie..you know you've played New Edition's 'Candy Girl' just before or after 'I Want You Back'. The point is that there was no escaping the genius of Michael Jackson, he was THAT good! Most of you DJs reading this have probably worn out at least 2 copies each of Off The Wall and Thriller. The constant stream of excellent remixes also kept him at the forefront for many DJs and admittedly, I usually only played remixes of certain songs more than the originals. The 4 Hero remix of ♪"Get It Together", the Todd Terje remix of ♪"I Can't Help It" and the Sean Smith vs. Karu remix of ♪"The Mirrors" are a few of my favorites.

There is no denying that Michael Jackson was a weird guy and struggled with a lot of inner conflict and pain. Yet through all of his personal pain he always gave back to the world. Essentially, he sacrificed his life to giving enjoyment to others through music. No matter what he did, he always gave a lot too the world and was genuinely a good person. Perhaps to his disadvantage he was not too good at explaining himself in interviews. True, he shouldn't need to explain himself but when in the spotlight he was very different off stage. Unfortunately the American tabloids and 'news' media helped to crush his main stream popularity here in the US which caused him to spend a lot of time in other parts of the world.

From the first allegation in 1993, the child molestation charges damaged him severely and I think hurt him immensely. I never believed it. As weird as he was, he was no child molester. Michael Jackson is a man that devoted millions of dollars and thousands of hours of personal time to do good things for children and especially children who had special needs. Children meant the world to him and he truly just wanted to help kids to be kids and prolong a period of innocence. He was often critical of the media for corrupting children too young and honestly just wanted to do for others what he was not able to have as a youth. Every sunday at his Neverland ranch was a free day for children, often from hospitals and charities, to come there and just be kids and feel loved. No individual has personally donated more and been involved with more charities than Michael Jackson. (most famous people are not donating personal money) The American media usually neglected to speak of all the good things the man did around the world...good news isn't really 'news' in America anymore. I can't imagine how hurt I'd be knowing that I only did good in the world and to then be villified. Behind the plastic surgeries, drug addiction and stardom was a good human suffering inside.

The man was a musical GENIUS..absolute prodigy. Most brilliant minded people experience some suffering so maybe it's no surprise that Michael Jackson was a bit 'out there'. It's well known that, similar to Motzart, he heard entire songs in his head before they were recorded and would tape record himself beatboxing, humming and describing every nuance. Even more amazing was his humility and respect for people he worked with and is also known as being one of the best people in music to work with.

Selfishly, most of us would like to have seen MJ live a full life. At the same time people can find solace knowing that he is not suffering. Michael Jackson dedicated his existence to the world through music and humanitarian efforts and we can all learn from his examples, both the good ones and the bad ones. On that note, here's some of the hundreds of great examples of his musical genius.

A great forum of people sharing stories about Michael Jackson > HERE <

Here's a good clip of MJ showing his process of how he starts a song and his writing/anti-writing process...dude was an ILL beatboxer! check it out > HERE <

?uestlove's 132 Michael Jackson memories is good too. Check it out HERE.

Artie Wayne, life long friend of Michael Jackson and all around everything man (seriously, Artie Wayne has done more than you ever will) has posted some good stories and even a lost song he did with Michael.

The Jackson 5 “Body Language” video

In no particular order:

I Want You Back by The Jackson 5








I Wanna Be Where You Are by Michael Jackson








It's Great To Be Here by The Jackson 5








The Mirrors by The Jackson 5








Workin' Day And Night by Michael Jackson








Baby Be Mine by Michael Jackson








I Can't Help It by Michael Jackson








Human Nature by Michael Jackson








We're Almost There by The Jackson 5








And we're back....


After a long week of frustration and hard work TheRecordPlayer.net is completely revamped! So what's the big deal? Well, for someone that barely knows any programming I did a pretty good job hard-coding CSS & HTML for a custom domain FTP blogger site. What does that mean in basic terms? A total pain in the ass! Apparently, you're very limited to what you can do with blogger on a custom domain unless you really tweak the template code...which I learned isn't truly a "template". So, unfortunately I can't use any cool XML stuff until I move the site over to a new service in a couple months. For now I am satisfied but will continue to add some features and tighten things up along the way. If any of you know a good work around to include a good tag/label cloud and solid code for pagination on an FTP blog, please let me know!! I tried everything I could find for both features and nothing worked.

So, starting tomorrow we'll be back to our irregularly scheduled programming.

Thank you for your patience! (it was worth the wait)

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