ISO50

RSS

Hatchback & Sorcerer release new LPs

Posted by Jakub

HatchbackYour soon to be favorite replacement for any downtempo/lounge music is here. As Thievery Corporation grow distant with their outdated world music people need something fresh and need to wipe their hands clean of their 2001-2002 lounge playlists. Hatchback and Sorcerer offer up some of most lovely composed albums which are at a slower tempo and are filled with lush sounds for outdoor beer gardens or creative workspaces. I can only take so much “Lebanese Blonde”, “insert latest Hotel Coste compilation track”, and “Surfing on a Rocket” while I walk thru some local overprice small plate wine bar and walk out. Let this slow motion disco grow and support it, i promise it won’t disappoint. (please note i’m definitely not comparing this music to downtempo/lounge, i think of it as a replacement for that genre)

Hatchback – Jetlag

[audio:jetlag.mp3]

Sorcerer – Tennis (Game Set Patch)

[audio:tennis.mp3]

Big In Japan: Foldable Rooms

Posted by Scott

200810020200.jpg

This video for Toshihiko Suzuki’s Kenchikukagu first struck me as sort of funny just for the fact that it’s highly reminiscent of those “Kitchen of The Future” type ads from the 50’s showcasing a bunch of “innovations” most of which were either highly impractical or just downright ridiculous. But after watching it, I want the whole set. Suzuki’s folding rooms are just that, rooms that fold up when not in use. They’re quite well designed and actually seem very practical for the space-challenged and/or OCD level organizers among us. I don’t think I would go as far as to outfit my entire home with these but one or two for choice tasks would be nice. The best part of the whole deal is that these aren’t just concepts, you can actually buy them from Amazon Japan. The worst part? They’ll run you around $7,500 each.

Via Complex

Landscape – Shake the West Awake (1981)

Posted by Beamer

From the Tea-rooms of Mars...
Here’s a little New Romanticism for you, coming from the source: Richard Burgess.

Two years before this album was released, Richard teamed up with Dave Simmons to invent the Simmons SDS-V drum machine (you all know it). This was the first commercially available electronic drum kit.

This is Landscape’s second full-length, titled “From the Tea-rooms of Mars… to the Hell-holes of Uranus,” produced by Richard. This album is most known for its hits: “Einstein A Go-Go” and “Norman Bates.” I stumbled across this, and I just can’t get enough of this track.

After this release, Richard Burgess went on to produce Spandau Ballet’s Journeys to Glory and Diamond, along with countless other albums, including one of my faves: New Edition.

Landscape – Shake the West Awake (1981)

[audio:landscape_shake-the-west-awake.mp3]

John Chiara and The Giant Camera

Posted by Scott

Chiara_JohnShelly-XL Chiara_23rdStarr-XL Chiara_BernalEsmer-XL

John Chiara is a local San Francisco photographer who built his own truck-sized camera. He details it’s operation in the above video and it’s nothing short of impressive the way he creates and manipulates the exposures. John’s process and results are fascinating, and it’s not just about the scale of the camera, the results themselves are truly beautiful. You can see more of his work at the Von Lintel Gallery site and get more info at the LighDark site.