Maybe So, Maybe No

Loving this video by Mayer Hawthorne...Go get that album if you haven't already!

The RZA conquers all

Over the years The RZA has always impressed me. I may not always like his music but can't deny how prolific he's been and how he's been able to transcend beyond hip-hop. I'll never forget meeting him like 11 years ago. I've met a lot of people in the music world, specifically the hip-hop world, and he really stood out. He talked to everybody he could, was friendly, warm and lacked any ego that you would expect. (at the time Wu-Tang was on top of the world) He just really seems connected to people and is very open-minded, positive and empathetic to the world but at the same time has been very business savvy. Now, what seems to be no surprise, he's gotten into 19th century style painting. It seems kind of humorous at first but then when you realize that he's reinterpreting classic paintings with white guys and placing himself and other Wu-Tang members in the pieces, the message becomes more profound. This project is a joint venture with W.A.I.L. I'd definitely buy one of these if I had the loot.

Oh, and The RZA is getting into making movies now too!

You can register to purchase one of the prints at When Art Imitates Life

Architecture Graffiti

I love seeing people really elevating the art form of graffiti. This is from Libson, Portugal. I have no idea whose work this is. Please let me know if you do so I can give proper credit.

You can see more images of this wall > HERE <

Mos Def - Super Magic

Another video off the Ecstatic album...a.k.a. one of the top 5 albums of the year. If you don't got it, GO GET IT! The video kinda gives me seizures but maybe that's the effect he was going for? And some newness produced by Ski. Be sure to find that 24hr Karate School track too! Mos is killing shit right now..oh yeah, the BlacRoc album is out which he's one as as well! Make sure to watch that other video I posted of Mos Def in Nippon too!

MOS DEF "Supermagic" from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

Snakes

This new Massive Attack video is dope. Black and white graphics NEVER get old when done well. The song's pretty good too.

45 King on HandyTrax

Had to share this...it's a video of Mark The 45 King KILLING a breaks set on a pair of Vestax HandyTrax portables and a stack of 45s.

Mos Def in Nippon

Definitely worth watching! Check the Ecstatic Mos Def on tour in Japan and get some perspective on where his head's at, the importance of hip-hop and how the culture affects the world. Oh, and go get the new album, The Ecstatic!! One of the top 10 albums of the year...sure, there were plenty of good songs (Drake, Kid Cudi, Kanye, Jay-Z, etc...) but very few good albums...in hip-hop, the only full hip-hop albums worth getting this year are the new Raekwon, Q-Tip & the new Mos Def...period. It's a RAP!

I'll Kill Her

Beautifully done video by Joerg Barton as his thesis project!

I´ll kill her from Joerg Barton on Vimeo.

Visualizing Music

Really dope motion graphics by Belgian artist Gwen Vanhee exploring new ways to interpret music. Finding new and innovative ways to translate sound to visuals and vice versa always fascinates me. The graphics by themselves are great but the context and execution really brings them to a higher level. I highly recommend checking out some of his other work on Vimeo and Flickr.

Here, take my card..

(I usually wouldn't post my own designs like this but...this relates to music and people have really loved this design since May. So, why not.?)

Designed by Matt Braun (aka The Record Player). Laser cut & engraved business cards that work come with a 45 insert. Shown in here is the version on black mat board. They also come in other colors variations. If you're interested in working with him on similar concepts for your record label or for your self, contact him. Check out some of his other work on-

Coroflot
Behance
Etsy

More amazing animation by Blu

One of my first posts was an animation by this artist by the name of Blu. His style of animation blended with painting and graffiti is really dope. His newest animation is a collaborative piece done with David Ellis and is one of the best motion graphic pieces I've seen in a long time.




Here's another older video by Blu:

Not Your Typical '80s Jam Pt. 1

This came up today while my iTunes was on shuffle. I did this mix to be given out at a party I did back in 2004. This was recorded at about 10am on a Wednesday in one session with just a stack of some of my favorite records from the '80s. The theme of the party and the mix was to highlight some of the '80s joints that get overlooked when people talk about "80s music" and to put in context with some of the more familiar classics. Enjoy!

Also, go download Not Your Typical '80s Jam Pt. 2 if you haven't already. > HERE <


Not Your Typical '80s Jam Pt.1 (©2004)


DOWNLOAD NOW

Neurosonics Audiomedical

WOW! This short little movie titled "Neurosonics Audiomedical" is dope on so many levels! You really just need to watch it and see for yourself...

Neurosonics Audiomedical Labs Inc. from Chris Cairns on Vimeo.

Paul Henry Ramirez

The first time I saw a picture of something by Paul Henry Ramirez I really didn't pay attention to it and just glanced over it as if it were just some other contemporary graphic design that I've seen thousands of times before. I think the piece was "Chunk 5". The second time, however, his work immediately caught my eye. Sometimes we just need to be in a certain frame of mind to really appreciate something. When I did a little investigating to see more of his work I was hooked!

The thing is, his work is so simple it could be easily glanced over. When you take more than a second to really see the life in his pieces. The bold colors, simple forms, balance and contrast all work in harmony to create depth and movement. In many of his works, shapes seem to assume the role of machinery and the composition is presented as one frame, frozen in time, of the workings of a larger machine and you wonder, "how this machine is working and why?" In his installations, Paul Henry Ramirez gets to show us how his canvases work with a larger machine and each piece works with the others to create a cohesive stystem that seems to be part of the architectural space.

I highly recommend visiting his website

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.

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 <

High Voltage animation

Voltage from Bam Studio on Vimeo.

Requiem for an idiot

Classic jazz/funk break by French mastermind Serge Gainsbourg.


This version by Placebo is pretty good too.


I'm really feeling this performance by French songstress Vanessa Paradis.

More wooden turntables

Remember those dope handmade Audiowood by turntables by FiveTen Studio I posted a few months ago? Well if, not just click that link and check out these other ones by Thai artist/designer DEr' (maybe someone can help with the translation and tell me a little more about him, his design statement or just something worth knowing. In the meantime, those of us that do not understand Thai can just admire the craftsmanship and the idea of turntables as furniture.

See more at Passion Turntable

The Ecstatic

You NEED to go get this new Mos Def album when it drops later this month on Downtown records. I'll admit that I was a little skeptical at first but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a refreshingly dope album. No fluff, a couple little anecdotal skits and only 3 cameos. After learning what a huge fan Mos Def is of Doom (here)I was hoping to see a collabo...maybe soon?. My only issues with this album are that some of the songs aren't mastered well and I get tired of hearing Mos Def just rambling for about half of every track...take out the rambling though and each song would only be about 90 seconds! hahaa... It was really hard to pick out 'the best' songs but here are 3 of my favorites:

History f/ Talib Kweli

Workers' Comp.

Priority

Bonus (I think you should hear this too)

Pretty Danger