I finally got a copy of the new album Zonoscope by Cut Copy last week and it has been on repeat basically this whole week. Most of the songs on this album stir together an array of electronic textures and nocturnal rhythms, which gets your body swaying. There use of kaleidoscopic synths, soothing vocal hooks, tropical percussion and bouncing disco beats is a mix of different ages mixed with a new sound. Cut Copy who has been around for almost a decade now is very ambitious and they strive to explore different options in sound. The new album does just that and it might be because Ben Allen from (Deerhunter, Animal Collective and Gnarls Barkley) helped produce this album. Give this album a listen and in a couple of minutes even the most jaded person will become victim to the awesomeness that is Cut Copy.
Nick Sheehy is an artist who enjoys drawing various weird things that catch your attention and it works. His style for some reason caught my attention. It kinda of reminds me of "Where the Wild Things Are" but more for adults. Each of his pieces have so much detail in the design of these odd characters. The color palette used in these images work well with the style and feel that he is going for. Check out more of his work on his Flickr.
On Iso50 this morning Tycho released a video of raw footage for his new Tycho Live Set. The song that is playing in the video is from his up and coming fourth album. To catch this new live set you'll be able to see it at his next show in San Francisco on April 7th.
The new visual design for his live sets are being generated on the fly with VDMX effecting / compositing video on a Macbook Pro. Everything is being triggered / synced by another machine via MIDI over IP running Reaper which is handling all the audio duties. He stripped down the entire live set — audio and video — and started from scratch. With the new album pretty much wrapped up he decided to rework the visuals to go with all the new material and to have everything work better with the new live band.
From the article I read it looks like Tycho is looking to finish up and release the new album in the summer of 2011. It seems far away at this point but it will slowly creep up quickly and we'll be able to enjoy some new Tycho music. If you've never seen Tycho's Live Set. I have added some video's from when I saw him in San Fransciso at the FITC event last year.
It just been one of those weeks where you're all stressed out, but wouldn't be great to have a place to escape. How about escaping to this serenity moss-covered secret garden designed by Kazuyuki Ishihara. It's filled with enchanting botanical arrangements, lush living walls and even a crystal clear waterfall. Called Midori no Tobira (The Green Door in English), the greenery-rich installation for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show was based on Ishihara's desire to create a rooftop garden so spectacular that anyone who experiences it simply forgets that they're standing on a roof - not to mention all of their worries. I would definitely feel at peace hanging out on this rooftop garden.
Talk about a different way to use sustainability. LA based WeWood has a line of wooden watches ($119) that have been worn by famous wrists as Ke$ha and APL of the Black Eyed Peas. Their beautiful wooden sustainable watches demonstrate that being eco-friendly has no barriers. These natural watches are available in two classic designs: Date and Chrono, and come in four different types of sustainable wood. (Maple, Ebony, Guaiaco and Red Wing Celtis).
The beautifully carved wood not only looks super stylish, it is feather-light and silky-smooth. This organic matter is recyclable, biodegradable and takes less CO2 to produce, than materials traditionally used in watch production, such as stainless-steel, platinum and gold. Each watch is hypo-allergenic, free from toxic chemicals and has a traditional Miyota movement.
WeWood also plants a tree for every watch that is purchased. They've teamed up with American Forests, a not for profit conservation organization, which is dedicated to restoring eco-systems that have been damaged by natural or human cases.
Well it is that time again for a New Playlist. In this months Playlist-24 it will mark 2 years of The Collective Loop putting together playlists for your enjoyment. When creating a playlist for the month, it's actually a lot of fun. Finding new bands and new sounds and the enjoyment of making Playlist covers have all been a great experience. The Collective Loop looks to continue to bring you new music each month. So go ahead and have a listen and share with your friends.
If you want to check out any of the other Playlist then click on Archived Playlist in this post or on the right hand side of this blog or in the menu.
Cover Art by: Damion Schweizer
Tracklist
1. Bikini by American Mourning
2. Boy Trouble by Benoit & Sergio
3. Bury Us Alive by Starfucker
4. Colours by Grouplove
5. Take Me Over by Cut Copy
6. Dark touch by Starfawn
7. Distance by Beach Fossils
8. Give Me Every Little Thing by The Juan Maclean
9. Booty Swing by Parov Stelar
10. Good to Sea by Pinback
11. Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes
12. Ordinary by Red Riders
13. Should Have by Cloud Nothing
14. They Like it Slow by Star Slinger
15. The Funeral Butch Clancy Remix by Band of Horses
The weather is getting warmer here in Florida and the first things that come to mind is Skimboarding and Surfing. It's always exciting to get out there and show your skill but if no one is around to take photo's or video what do you do? Well here is your answer. Get the new HD Surf Hero ($269). The Surf Hero is the worlds only 1080p HD on-board video and still photo surfing camera. It has professional quality 1080p / 960p / 720p HD resolutions recording at 30 and 60 frames per second (60 fps in 720p). Easily mounts to any surfboard in seconds. It also can shoot 5MP photos automatically every 2 seconds while you surf. So no more trying to hold on to that waterproof camera and fumbling around and lose your ride cause of your camera. The batteries last for over 2.5 hours of HD video or automatic photo taking on a 32GB SD card (not included), so you can document your entire surf with a single push of the shutter button on the paddle out.
There is something nostalgic about a motel pool that looks empty or deserted. J. Bennett Fitts a photographer now based in LA started a great series called:No Lifeguard on Duty. His series gives us an insight into some of the motels and public pools in the Los Angeles area, and explores the decline of these sites and there abandonment.
His style of photography seems to be of artificial landscapes and just the sheer emptiness and wonder that still lurks. When you look at the photos it makes you take a step back and wonder what was happening in the past and how it got to the present. It quite fascinating if you take that approach. If you want to check out more of his work then check out his website.
My buddy was in town last weekend and while he was here we decided to throw together a dubstep mix. It was a one time run through so there maybe some mistakes but there is no mistaking that this mix is raw and dirty. My friend DJ Indigenous who started up his Unit2Productions blog also has it on his site. So if you want more mixes then head on over to his site. In the mean time take a step into this Dubstep!
