Time Lapse Appreciation

"I had the pleasure of visiting El Teide.  Spain´s highest mountain @(3718m) is one of the best places in the world to photograph the stars and is also the location of Teide Observatories, considered to be one of the world´s best observatories.

The goal was to capture the beautiful Milky Way galaxy along with one of the most amazing mountains I know El Teide. I have to say this was one of the most exhausting trips I have done. There was a lot of hiking at high altitudes and probably less than 10 hours of sleep in total for the whole week....

A large sandstorm hit the Sahara Desert on the 9th April (bit.ly/​g3tsDW) and at approx 3am in the night the sandstorm hit me, making it nearly impossible to see the sky with my own eyes.

Interestingly enough my camera was set for a 5 hour sequence of the milky way during this time and I was sure my whole scene was ruined. To my surprise, my camera had managed to capture the sandstorm which was backlit by Grand Canary Island making it look like golden clouds. The Milky Way was shining through the clouds, making the stars sparkle in an interesting way. So if you ever wondered how the Milky Way would look through a Sahara sandstorm, look at 00:32."

                  via Terj Sorgjerd and Johnny

Happy Friday

image - Jeff Masmori

Diskjokke - Panutup (smalltownsupersound, 2011)

I have been waiting all week to share this as a Happy Friday post.  It has that lighthearted feel that works so well on a Friday afternoon, but is really made for a sunny Saturday when your packing up a backpack to take for a day of adventures.
  I think I like it so much, because it is not too eager to get to the hook.  Most of the elements are there in the beginning, but it does not hit the sweet spot until halfway through.  It reminds me of looking at one of those 3D illusion books.  At first it looks like a bunch of blue triangles, but if you stare at it cross-eyed long enough you eventually see the unicorn.

The Long Run.

image: Luciano

Marco Carola - Resident Advisor Podcast 252 (April '11)

I get a kick out of listening to laid back house and tech-house dj tracks when I'm on a relaxed jog.  The type of dance music that doesn't make it to the top of the mainstream charts is heavy on the groove rather than lyrics, gimmicks or tempo changes every two seconds.  Tracks by themselves may seem simple and stripped down, but in the hands of a good dj they can be expertly placed and instruments can be muted or distorted so that the overall tension is stretched out over the entire set with subtle yet meticulous changes in the flow. 
   The rhythm is always there and the occasional peaks and valleys keep you intrigued.  And this is why it can be great when set to a long run.  When you're on a long run you're not really in a rush, but rather trying to cover mileage so the mindset is very similar to a dj set: warmup, set the pace and provide a peak here and there to make sure you keep up, but don't play the latest Gaga, because the goal is endurance not speed.

That brings us to Mr. Carola.  This is one of the better and more accessible Resident Advisor podcasts that I have heard.  Carola is a globe-trotting, superstar dj from Napoli.  Go here if you want to skip around in the mix. I didn't spend the time to figure out which tracks these were, but some highlights are at minutes 13, 18, 35, 53 and 1:00.  At minute 35 especially the groove fits liiiiiike a glove.

A/V Sidebar

I have added an Audio & Visual sidebar for revolving videos and clips that need to be shared.  As always forward me some quality ones that you come across.

This video from Betty Wants In is nothing short of jaw-dropping.  I could frame almost every still frame in this piece.  Really, really nice work.

Also I have linked my Flickr page at the bottom of the site in case you want to see some mediocre pictures of flowers and the ocean.

Experience Human Flight from Betty Wants In on Vimeo.

Stay In School Sidebar.

image: the trad

“Education is a continuous process ending only when ambition comes to a halt.”

-Col. R.I. Rees

You may have noticed that I added a sidebar with links to news articles.  This is not a way to force my worldview down unsuspecting music lovers' throats, but rather a reminder that music is not the most important thing in this world.  The point of this blog was never meant to experience music in isolation, but rather a medium through which music can be experienced as a way to process and communicate with the world around us - however scary it may get. 

   I have limited the bar to a few choice selections that I see as required reading to get some sort of grasp on current global events.  So feel free to look through the articles (maybe while you listen to the tunes on here) and suggest others that I should know about.   

Earth Day Playlist

via panopticamx

Spring!
Keep it light. Keep it hopeful. 

It's Earth Day. 

By all means go outside and do somersaults.  This playlist was meant for just that.  

 If you have a second, read something - here and here to make sure you stay in the know. 
Ride a bike.
Support your local CSA or Farmers Market.
Make a Meatless Monday plan.
Donate one dollar.
Write a letter.

But like I said, do some somersaults too.

1. Windsor for a Derby - Melody of a Fallen Tree (We Fight Til Death, 2004)
2. Tycho - Costal Brake (Coastal Brake 12", 2010)
    Pay attention. Everything Scott Hansen touches turns to gold.
3. Fat Freddy's Drop - Roady (Based on a True Story, 2006)                                                                      Fat Freddy's Drop is a New Zealand powerhouse of soul, reggae, dub... you name it.
4. The Dining Rooms - Cosi Ti Amo (Numero Deaux, 2009)                                                                      You know those movies where the little league players aren't working together, but you know they have so much heart and could be great if they just played naturally?  Then there's an inspiring speech by the unlikely leader of the group and all of a sudden there's a montage where they're catching fly balls, hitting homers and laughing while leaving the field... yeah this is the song for that scene.
5. Benoit & Sergio - Boy Trouble (Boy Trouble 12", 2011)                                                                      Really more of a summer jam, but maybe if you start playing it enough now, by mid-summer it will be the jam.  For open air parties where your friend of a friend brings his fog machine so you're worried about the cops, but it ends up being a great night.
6. Lemonjelly - The Staunton Lick (Lemonjelly.KY, 2000)                                                                 Lemonjelly gets trashed on, but this is just so feel good I couldn't resist.
7. Bibio - K is for Kelson (Mind Bokeh, 2011)                                                                                               As noted before.
8. Paul Simon - Rewrite (So Beautiful or So What?, 2011)                                                                      Paul Simon's new album came out this month.  This song is so clever that it was published in the New Yorker.
9. Air - Ce Matin La (Moon Safari, 1998)                                                                                              Classic.
10. Sugar Minott - Oh Mr. DC (Oh Mr. DC, 1978)                                                                                      Some ace Studio One reggae to finish it out. 

Phoenix Salon

image: Luis Beltran

So you just moved to Phoenix to open a hair salon.  You're pretty excited about the potential especially since you landed a small spot in the cool part of town.  You want to be different than those other clunky places.  Maybe you could serve cocktails?  Have a choice magazine rack and show old films? You know you want to attract the hip, younger crowd so before you start playing the newest Buddha Bar over a boombox - get a legit soundsystem, wash the windows, and put this on.

1. Thievery Corporation - All That We Perceive (The Richest Man in Babylon, 2002)                                No messing around.  We're starting this off right away.  This is my go-to if a friend has some serious speakers.
2. Wax Tailor - Que Sera (Tales of Forgotten Melodies, 2006)                                                                   Crisp intro.  He gets points for sampling Doris Day singing in Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much.
3. Thievery Corporation - Amerimacka (The Cosmic Game, 2005)                                                             I hate to post two tracks from the same artist so early on, but Thievery Corporation has this sound down.
4. Dusty Springfield - Spooky (Dusty Definitely, 2001) 
5. St. Germain - So Flute (Tourist, 2000)                                                                                               Business is picking up...
6. Affkt and Felipe Vargas - Meilan (2 Years Cecille, 2010)                                                                       LOVE the breakdown.  A patient groove.  I see this going over well in Majorca.
7.  The Chemical Brothers - Lost in the K-Hole (Dig Your Own Hole, 1997)                                     
8. This is where I would put Chris Joss -Atomic Tape                                                                         (Terraphonic Overdubs,  2008) but I could not find an mp3 version.  You might question it at first.  Wait until the private eye guitar kicks in.
9. Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band - A Special Morning                                                              (A Special Album, 2008)  The reverb on the whistling makes this sound so surreal.
10. Nujabes - Kumomi (Metaphorical Music, 2003)                                                                                     If you pick up one artist from this mix make it Nujabes.  Modal Soul and Metaphorical Soul are essential listening.
11. Red Astaire ft. Erykah Badu - Rollin' Stone (Nuggets for the Needy, 2007) 
12. Lemon Jelly - Come (Lemonjelly.KY, 2000)                                                                                       After putting in a solid day of hard work.           

Happy Friday

Bibio - K is for Nelson
(Mind Bokeh, 2011)


In my opinion, Bibio is one of the most creative and intelligent artists out there at the moment.  He manages to capture a childish playfulness that is both catchy and new.  It's lo-fi samples with quirky percussion and hip-hop beats.  Makes me want to play on one of these.

Mind Bokeh was released this week and I will mot definitely be buying it.  That's right.  I will pay for music.  You should too.  Its the kind of album you want on vinyl.

Stay tuned for a spring mix sometime next week.

PJ Harvey

Happy Friday

image TangYauHoong

Ndumiso - Mofolo Hall
                 (African Groove, 2003)

           Heres a great one for Friday at 5 o' clock.  I can see Tadhg dancing to this. Alone.
           Relax, I know it's cheesy.
           Embrace it - you'll have fun.  Thanks to Hank for this.

I couldn't resist throwing this in there as a little bonus:
           Austra - Lose It 
           (Feel It Break, 2011)
        
           Fans of Florence and the Machine will dig this.
           Schmidt will be singing along to it in about a week.