Midisport
Uwe Schmidt aka Atom TM designed most if not all of the inserts for his legendary techno imprint Rather Interesting under the credits “design sampling by linger decoree”. The CD booklet for Midisport – 14 Footballers in Milk Chocolate is a favorite example of the deadpan humor, fearless oddity and demonstrative detail found throughout the Rather Interesting catalog both visually and musically.
Acacia
A beautifully shocking portrait that we love. I still always look twice when shuffling through house crates. From 1997, the ‘Monsieur Guy a Paris’ mix of Acacia’s Maddening Shroud from this 12″ remix ep is a perfectly cunning piece of french house.
Ariel Pink
We love Ariel Pinks drawings of detailed sexual dysmorphia. The original drawing used for the My Molly 7″ is in Austin’s personal art collection. Here Ariel musically clones a song by an asexual man with “This Night Has Opened My Eyes” (Smiths cover).
Donald Byrd
Donald Byrd (Donaldson Toussaint L’Ouverture Byrd II, Detroiter 1932-2013) leans suavely aloof behind his spaceage sportscar on the cover of A New Perspective. This is a favorite cover by graphic designer Reid Miles who created all of the Blue Note album covers in its first 10 years of existence thereby inventing the classic look of the legendary jazz label. Ironically Reid Miles did not particularly like jazz.
Plunderphonics
The art for Plexure by Plunderphonics (John Oswald) which blends the defiant stances of Bobby Brown, Bruce Springsteen and Garth Brooks is an icon of the “audio piracy as compositional prerogative” movement. This is Urge (Marianne Faith No Morrissey).
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Once in a while we have artists that we post about Guest Post music they’re listening to. Today we did something a little different had Jensen Sportag share their favorite album covers.
Jensen Sportag’s “Stealth Of Days” is out now on Cascine, available on vinyl.
I haven’t felt this privileged since releasing Casino Versus Japan on Moodgadget. Here’s a perfected EP from Pop Ambient legend Markus Guentner. We’ve been sitting with this album for a few months just trying to find the right time to release and work up the right artwork. Would love some feedback to share with Markus, trying to get him to come out to the US for a tour. Also, download the single “Shadows of the City” for free in the Soundcloud player.
It wasn’t until the advent of time-lapse photography that humans were able to perceive slow and subtle processes on a comprehensible scale. New wisdom can be found in being able to perceive clouds flowing like a river, or the way heavy traffic on a city street begins to resemble the circulation of blood vessels through an artery. In many ways, “Shadows of the City,” Markus Guentner’s latest release captures this fleeting sensation of experiencing time and space on a novel but disarmingly-familiar scale, enthralling listeners with deftly-constructed soundscapes that tell a story widely-open to individual interpretation.
Opening with the track “Chromatic Fields,” Guentner envelopes the user in a warm, resonant sphere of energy, gliding over the shimmering surface of a moonlit pond. Continuing with “Ashes,” a stark but uplifting and meditative movement, the listener is prepared for the first of two longer pieces as the sense of anticipation grows. The title track emerges from the shadowy silence before a Voigt-like four-to-the-floor beat takes hold of the listener and carries them through canyon-like resonance separating monolithic structures of percussion, snaps of air and cracks of sunlight flashing through to illuminate the dust. With the following track, “The Run,” Guentner releases the built-up energy, returning the listener to the center, preparing them for what comes next. “The Coral Crowd” is ushered in much like it’s long-playing counterpart (or counterpoint, to some), graceful yet grounded, organic, but orderly. Ending symmetrically with “Eternal,” listeners are gently returned to consciousness, new insights revealed and ready for the next play-through. A wholly satisfying low-levels listening experience from beginning to end, “Shadows of the City” may represent some of Markus Guentner’s finest and most mature work to-date.
I saw Italian trio Soviet Soviet last week in Brooklyn, I was super attracted to the quickness of getting in and out of the hooky driving songs. They obviously have their similarities to old bands but they deliver it with youth and catchy basslines. I highly suggest checking out “No Lesson” first and then streaming the album
The Colorvision series is still rolling here on the blog. Just some of the latest appealing music videos, found video, vintage revival footage.
Nils Frahm: In America this music isn’t appreciated enough for what it is, if it does get any bigger its because of Nils live performances.
Blondes: New video from a Brooklyn favorite duo, if you haven’t heard the Swisher album I highly recommend it.
1989 Enya: I’ve been going deep on the live and studio Enya videos, she’s up there with Gary Numan on shows that I wish I was born earlier to see live.
The Miracles Club: This band sort of came and went here in the states, I wish I could see them again.
Do you have a friend that doesn’t buy physical music? does it make you want to pull out your hair? well send him or her this. Its literally physical music porn weekly in your inbox. I just get the email and instantly become jealous and fall in love with vinyl. Cheers to the guys at Boomkat for making these photos always unique.
I know some of you have been bugging me for this stream so i’m happy to be able to share the NitemovesThemes LP on the blog. Rory is one my dearest friends and the talented man you see on stage with Tycho and Com Truise and the one that posts the great vintage motor posts here. I hope you enjoy and give feedback, i’m sure Rory will stop in here and answer any questions below in the comments.
Like a dusty memory whose vivid nostalgia renders you powerless to resist smiling, the newest full-length from Nitemoves, Themes has a certain power to flood your mind with imagery, but not without reminding you of your frame of reference in the now. Setting out to refine his sound following the release of his Moodgadget debut, Longlines, Rory O’Connor, who over the past few years has been touring the world as the drummer for both Com Truise and Tycho, has left us speechless over how far things have advanced. A colorful collage of live instrumentation, modern technology, and analog recording techniques, Themes holds the listener from start to finish.
Opening with the frenetic Polypel, the tone of Themes is established in subtle details that shimmer as the horizon comes into view. Not long into the second track, Veaquis, the listener is engulfed in warm synth-drenched nostalgia that washes over the ears, punctuated by live drums. Drawing on decades bygone, Themes continues to flutter like the reflection of light off water, giving in to raw emotion that plays out in syncopated drums, F1 screams and ambient swells, fading away to gently return the listener to their childhood bedroom with a music box at their feet.
Details:
– All pre-orders include an instant download of the complete vinyl edition, which includes the tracks “Cascade” and “Phoenix,” previously unavailable on the original release.
– The vinyl edition is limited to 2,000 pressings only. It features a 4-panel, tip-on art jacket with a matte laminate finish and original inner art sleeves on standard 160 gram vinyl.
Also, we have released a limited 11 color gorgeous version of Past Is Prologue on a shirt*.
* Mock up below, not actual shirt.
** Ships on December 2nd.
You may know part of Dukes Of Chutney if you’ve been on the ISO50 blog for a few years. Part of the duo is Tom Croose who has done mixes and playlists for us in the past. He is now releasing with long time surfing buddy Dustin Lynn on Tim Sweeney’sBeats In Space label.
We’re proud to be premiering a video for their Domino EP which the vinyl is ONLY $10(I ordered mine up last week) – order/support here.
