Week 4 or 5, I'm not even sure at this point. I've settled in and think I've hit the stable point. Honeymoon period is over but I still love it here. In fact I still love all of Scandinavia.
I could definitely retire here.
Music to come if I find the free time and motivation to write some entries. Soundcloud has been ALIVE with incredible music lately.
It's been a nutty two weeks. Two think that 14 days ago today I was still in Marietta -- it seems like only a dream. 30 hours, 3 cities, 2 flights, 1 train, and a missed stop and have placed me in Karlstad, Sweden for the next 5 months. New faces, new languages, new tastes, sounds, and temperatures. I've come severely under prepared but recklessly open and am ready for anything. Friends, I've made many, new connections, I've forged them. I hope this is an opportunity to begin anew and start strong. Only time will tell, här ärtill Karlstad.
As promised(though I'm sure no one was keeping record) here is my monthly picture post.
Every day I am learning more and more about photography. I truly think this is the hobby I've been missing out on my entire life. I've played guitar, piano, attempted sports, had a hand at writing -- all of these I enjoy and feel I am comfortable with, but I have never felt that spark that drives me to peruse each on a deeper level. This is not the case with photography though. The whole process is incredibly therapeutic to me. From scouting locations to composing a shot to processing and tinkering, each step in developing a final picture is sublimely enjoyable and just makes me feel good.
To add to the personal enjoyment of the workflow is the amount of knowledge I still DON'T know about photography. I've recently joined a few photo forums and taken upon myself to embed deeper in flickr and Google+ now and the sheer amount of techniques, styles, and nuance to both composition and processing I do not understand is astounding. I love this though -- having a field I can so readily thrown myself in to head first is a joy to me. Each day is a new quest for knowledge and I have an unquenchable thirst for it. Photoshop, Lightroom, masking, hues, exposures, layers. It's all mindblowing and far beyond my reach....for now. Watch out world, here I come.
Oh. And my title is a request for Anonymous from my last picture post to reappear. Who are you? More advice please? I relish it.
I'm in the music listening business and let me tell you, business is booming. I've got a veritable honeypot of excellent artists that are long overdue in garnering some praise. So without further ado, let's dive in! (P.S. Next post will be pictures, stay tuned!)
Zach Saginaw, aka Shigeto, is a Michigan-bred electronica genius. Known by his middle name, which means "to grow bigger", he has definitely lived up to his moniker. With a solid library of stunning tracks under his belt Shigeto is a superstar in the field of modern electronica. Characterized by rich, textured beats and powerfully nuanced melodies brought forth through a multitude of mediums and sounds Shigeto stands on a high pillar, his style is unique among his peers. Two EP's and a full-length album, Full Circle , have carried Shigeto to new heights as he continues to shatter the norm. This is an artist you do not want to miss out on.
Shigeto's remix of Dennis Coffey's "All Your Goodies Are Gone" pays homage to his early childhood influences of motown and funk by taking the soul of this smooth heartbreak ballad and catapulting it to new heights. Cascading bass beats and twitching percussion layered atop spacey guitar samples and brass set the atmosphere for this tonal masterpiece. As Dennis Coffey's aching voice enters the aural landscape the mood is finally set, the smooth style of the original piece is preserved yet enhanced by the funky manipulation of Shigeto. Absolutely brilliant.
Hanbook, a UK-based beats maker and producer, has been on my list for a long time now. Cranking out new sounds like a madman this avid beat wielder has been developing a sound and following on Soundcloud for quite some time, even collaborating with rappers on a few songs to create absolutely sick tracks.( <a href="http://soundcloud.com/handbook/water-molecules-feat-shuteyes">Water Molecules</a> , I'm looking at you). However with the release of a new track just days ago I figured it is about time to feature him, as the future may be a-changin.
Amnesia is a chance of pace for Handbook. As mentioned in his description it is the first track he has produced in awhile that contains no samples -- original sounds only inquire within. Brimming with waves of electronic sines and heartfelt strings this track takes a different turn from his usual, evoking an nebulaic image that is completed by the presence of eastern-eque string plucking. A refreshing deviation from the norm, I'll be eager to see what else Handbook is cooking up. Stay tuned!
Next up is Shlohmo, an LA-based trip-hop and electronica producer. With a plethora of tracks behind him and very little bio info to be found, Shlohmo comes off as the kind of artist who focuses on the music, not the publicity. From the wedidit collective of which Shlohmo is a part of ," Wedidit is a collective of dudes and guys, mostly from the LA area, who make shit and want to give you the shit we make. -Professionally Unprofessional since 1990"
And that just about sums up the intro for Shlohmo, let's let the music do the talking now.
In his remix of the classic "Shell of Light" by Burial Shlohmo takes the already ethereal and minimalist style of Burial and brings it to a new level. Complete with sparse percussion, deep, penetrating bass lines, and a level of reverb reserved for the only best of trip-hop and minimal dubstep Shell of Light is transformed in to a other-worldly, floating abstract of musical euphoria.
Make sure to watch for more Shlohmo soon, his Soundcloud tracks are few, but their quality is immense.
A recurring favorite of mine, Max Tannone is the creative genius behind Mos Dub, a mashup of Mos Def lyrics and fantastic reggae/roots, Dub Kweli, a fusion of Talib Kweli and reggae, and a multitude of other mashups featuring the Beastie Boys, Radiohead, and Selene. Among the mash-up scene Max Tannone stands alone as one of the most innovative and talented in his field. He has a knack for throwing together clashing genres and blending the two in to a work so superbly addictive and surprising you can't help but raise your eyesbrows on every track change.
In his newest project Max combines the forceful rhyming of Ghostface Killah with retro afro-funk and psychedelic rock to forge an high-energy, fantastically spunky jumble of organ solos, cowbell, and heated words. Funky Criminology, the last track on the album, upholds the quality mashing skills Max is so known for and keeps you nodding your head the entire span of the track.
In a change of pace, instrumental artist Clear Blue sets the stage for a new take on Hip-Hop. Based in New Jersey this creative force and musician-for-hire has been blowing my expectations out of the water for some time now. His style, though backed by standard rolling/off beat percussion so familiar to the instrumental hip-hop genre, presents an element of off-the-beaten-path production that is new, at least to me, for hip-hop. A mix of samples, synths, and targeted, themed continuity to his beats breathe a magic in to his style that keeps me coming back for me.
In his latest release, Awakenings, a wall of unique, droning synths and sitar-style melodies emanate from the background of this mesmerizing intrumental. Along with perfectly inserted bass and a tamborine that constantly unwinds like a toy the atmosphere set in this track is dreamy, yet powerful and very much danceable. The subtlety found in this track keeps me coming back for more, I hope to see great things from Clear Blue in the future. Keep an eye on this one!
Wow. What can I say about this track that doesn't include the word STUNNING? Imogen Heap, known most for her song Hide and Seek, is so much more than that. Since her first album, Speak for Yourself, Imogen Heap has released two albums each trumping the last in creativity and individuality. Now, as she approaches her 4th solo album, she has taken a new approach to sound shaping.
As exhibited in Propeller Seeds, Imogen Heap has developed an incredibly strong sense of sound staging and story telling through her music. Though the concept is not new, her use of these elements is unprecedented in today's mainstream culture. To see a relatively pop-music associated artist change her sound so vastly over the course of her career, and explore such strong concepts is deeply touching to me and greatly deserving of respect. From the ambiance of a restaurant to the perfectly crafted sounds of limbs creaking and leaves rustling, every second of this track, and what I am assuming will be the album, is expertly crafted and painstakingly attended too. This album will be phenomenal.
So Part 1 was all about the beats, this post is all about the....treats? The photographic treats I guess. A few weeks ago I acquired a Canon T3, as photography has been a long-standing passion of mine, and have been putting it to good use. This post is just to show off, shamelessly, some of the pictures I like the best.
There's something to be said about small aperatures and me. As a commenter mentioned on my last picture post, I like close up shots of objects. I feel this stems from a lack of focus in my life in general. I've never had the capability to throw my creative passion in to an outlet and never been able to focus it well. I constantly see images, places, scenes in my life that I wish I could capture and mold, in order to express my own world view but have rarely had the chance to. I guess that since I've bought this camera I've been overcompensating, purposefully focusing in on the little details around me to make up for the time I haven't had the ability to do so before. So for right now a bug, a leaf, someone's smile, a railing, whatever I see and want to focus on will be my subject. At least until I fufill this desire to see the fine details and allow myself to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Until then, this is what you get:
I also got(as a steal) a telescopic lens. Canon 70-300mm USM. It works well when its bright outside, other conditions not so much.
Jeykll, Island, GA
Direct Positive is a fun filter
The cottage we stayed at in Nova Scotia
Fort Liousberg, NS
On Cape Breton, NS
Sunset in Inverness
House down the beach from our cottage, what a view!
It's been awhile hasn't it! I've got quite the post for you here, pictures, music, praise and musings! Where to start...well it's been three week I believe: I've finished In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson, an amusing and thoroughly entertaining travel guide and history of Australia; Traveled to Nova Scotia, Canada with my family for a vacation; caught up on much of the music I've been meaning to listen to; and been working my camera for all it's worth!
Since I'll be linking many tracks from soundcloud to this page I will spare all you visitors the experience of having to scroll through my shoddily produced photography attempts and just start with the music. But where to start??
First come first serve eh? This EP, released by Sirkri whom has been mentioned before is a hidden trove of high-energy, fast-paced chops and cuts that give new meaning to the idea of a beatstrumental. Swirling with barely intangible after-thoughts of the original song, each track on this EP sets itself apart from the last in a unique and subtle style that can only be the work of Sirkri. It's as if each track has a mind of its own, with each track being a different facet of a whole unseen by the listener yet there all along.
Next up is Handbook , a beatstrumental maestro from York, United Kingdom. This master of chill has been throwing up tracks for quite awhile now and, to be honest, I'm not sure why it's taken me this long to sling him some praise. Exquisitely produced, full of soul AND body I can't stop my head from bobbing regardless of the track I'm listening to. Powerful basslines and soaring strings, accompanied by expertly executed vocal samples characterize the essence of Handbook's style, though there is a hidden shine always present between the beats that give me the sense that an outpouring of emotion crafted each song in to the remarkable production it is today.
In Triumphant Flow a rollin, flowin clash of grandiose brass and strings layer on top of the powerfully literary sermons of Divine Victory, an intelligent rap group from the U.S. Broiling seas of hip-hop soul and sick lyrical musings culminate to form a track that is top-notch on all fronts: production, dialogue, mastering, riddim -- it's all there.
In an earlier work from Handbook the funky bassline and beat play from the bass and cymbals smooth together with the rich female vocal samples and background strings in a perfectly sublime mix that leaves me grasping for more. If only it wasn't so short!
Dear God, it keeps getting better?! In this mashup of Old Fashioned from previously showcased Tekst and Swedish rapper Erik Johnsson an already perfect beatstrumental is catapulted to stratospheric excellence with absolutely stunning vocal skills of Johnsson. Folk, this is what I like to hear. This might as well be gold to my ears. An achingly funky beat and string melody, masterfully cut to perfection, matched with the dictation of an grade A vocalist. In perfectly complimented synchronicity this dynamic duo manage to pull off a stellar performance with the grace and ease of sleeping. It's absolutely fantastic!
Time to chill with Q3000, a Berlin-based producer who puts brings new meaning to the word "cosmic". Smooth like a well aged scotch Q3000 showcases the slower side of jazz hip-hop, sending this track hurling in to outer space in what I can only assuming is a sleek, stylish spaceship headed for the planet Cool. Powered by gliding cymbals and a sauntering bassline, the sampled vocals and cosmic background reverbs floating throughout this track give it a spacey vibe sorely needed in the realm of jazzy hip-hop.
Finally, on the other end of the chill jazz sector is the venerable proflogik. A guru of jazzy, spacey beats proflogik has been churning out dazed gems for quite some time now and his style of trippy, cosmic echolations shows no signs of stopping. This track, Keter, exhibits scratchy, analogue melodies lofted by bouncing basslines and ethereal synths that fly through space at, what I'm hoping, is the speed of light on their way to greet aliens in another galaxy. This track is perfect if you are flying high or back down on earth just trying to chill. Make sure you check out the rest of his cosmic beats on his soundcloud page.
This is Part 1, Part 2 is pictures and Part 3 is more music, make sure you check them all out!
Summer is a time for recuperation -- for relaxing and re-centering oneself after a long year of school. For me this summer holds even more importance due to the fact that I will be leaving for Sweden in August. This summer represents a time for me to base myself, to find an anchor I can ground my mind in and prepare for the trials ahead. Because of this I find that my musical tastes vary widely in the sizzling, humid Georgia summers -- from abstract new age to bluegrass I touch on all musical styles. Mostly though, I see themes of slower tempos and more relaxed sounds rise to the surface. So this posts strays from the beaten path as I explore some less commonly frequented sounds.
Opening today's post is Greenland based M&Ms. A virtuoso with ambient and classical tastes Martim, aka M&Ms, has taken the definition of epic mixes to a whole new level. Weaving together floods of classical, lo-fi, and electronica music Martim effortlessly controls the energy and dynamic flow of his hour long masterpieces creating an ocean of musical emotion that ebbs and flows at the whim of its creator. Beset with achingly beautiful minimalist string pieces and dotted with shamanistic influences that manifest into the whistling of spirits and the call of otherworldly beings, Martim does justice to the psychedelic Ayahuasca potion this mix is named after.
I suggest finding a quiet, isolated space to listen to this track in. Close your eyes and let it take you.
I can see the road up ahead! Based in Los Angeles Jennifer Lee began her musical career as a young classical pianist before moving forward in to the rich world of digital production where the fusion of all areas of music boosted her into a dazzling career of superb musical production.
Are we back on the beaten path yet though? Not likely, Breathe on my Contacts by the venerable TOKiMONSTA, is a trip of its own -- taking the fast-paced lo-fi Just Breathe by Telepopmusik and conjuring up a, dare I say, even more chill version that respects the original mood of the song while taking it's ethereal heights to a new altitude. An accentuated bass beat, slower tempo, and plenty of reverb work in unison to send this originally down to earth piece rocketing in to the far reaches of deep space.
If you remember from my last post I reviewed another track collaborated on my LGWBB. Yes, the same artist two posts in a row, I know, but trust me IT'S WORTH THE LISTEN. I never cease to be amazed by the sheer diversity in the sounds and style LGWBB harnesses in his productions. At this point I'm going to start referring to him as a sound engineer rather than an artist, his mastery of production is truly out of this world.
Working in tandem with another fellow Russian artist hvnrd, the duo have built a aural landscape reminiscent of the old SEGA handheld. I imagine this is what Sonic The Hedgehog 2 would sound like if it was both made of hip-hop and comprised of pure awesome. Old school synth soundbtyes and a grandiose beat backed by electric organ turn this beatrumental in to a strangely arousing(oh god) cross between a 80's porn soundtrack and roots video game overture title. An interesting(and funky!) combination to say the least.
Ok, we're in the high grass now. The IP Group, a musica/visual/theatre art project based in Poland, has created a multimedia music performance dubbed Lila Negr inspired by Alexander Vertinsky, a Soviet singer, poet, and cabaret artist deeply entrenched in traditional Russian art. This track is an excerpt from the whole performance and features only the music part. The dark minimalist elements emphasized in the piece were full of raw emotion and set the atmosphere with clarity through the powerful lack of huge sounds. I'm usually not a fan of abstract pieces but this one was exceptional. Check it out and let me know what you think of it!
Finally, on a lighter note, is the german based group Schlachthofbronx. A heavy hitter in the Bass genre, they have released a killer EP on Maddecent this year named Nasty Bass EP from which this track is originally from. Infused with copious portions of horns, cumbia style beats, and south american tropical influences this European group brings the latin heat and brings it hot; great for parties, better for beaches, awesome for the car on hot summer days. Make sure you watch Schlachthofbronx for more big drops this summer, there are bound to be more groovy hits like this on the way.
