Like Fuji has been doing for the past few years with their X-series cameras, it seems Nikon wants in on the growing retro-inspired camera market. Nikon’s offering, however, comes across as a lot more serious than anything Fuji has released so far. The ‘Made in Japan’ camera uses the same full-frame 16.2 megapixel sensor and processing engine as their flagship D4 housed within a robust, dust and water resistant body. Interestingly, the camera omits any video capabilities and focuses on providing the dedicated photographer a dazzling array of mechanical dials. Just look at them – they’re beautiful!
Of course, this package doesn’t come cheap. Pricing is set at $2,746.96 for the body-only, and $2,996.95 with a special edition 50mm f/1.8 kit lens. You can expect this price to drop sometime after Christmas, but you have to wonder how willing people will be to buy the 16mp DF over the the fully-professional, 36mp Nikon D800e ($2,996.95 body only) or the now-oil-spot-free D610 ($1,996.95).
I try not to set too many guidelines when I put together a new mix, this one for Self-Titled Mag had a theme though which was remixes that weren’t dancefloor based. Over the years i’ve kept small playlists of tracks to use during mixes, tracks that I like to listen to when I work, or tracks that i’ll play out, this is definitely a home/work listen in a quiet space. I hope you all enjoy, remember Dettinger and Echospace are two of the most underrated music projects for relaxation, I couldn’t imagine my collection of music without them.
“‘Pouring Embers’ is a continuous 10-song playlist of remixes that might be overlooked because they aren’t dancefloor based. If I picked dancefloor favorite remixes this mix would have been for peak hour Berghain in Berlin or some cozy Scandinavian sea voyage. These deconstructions and reworks all have a certain concentration to them, a focus on release and a wandering curiosity because they explored the sounds that were given to them of a song that most likely picked out, that breakdown has always been fascinating compared to realigning percussion.”
—Heathered Pearls
“Pouring Embers” Tracklist The Sight Below – The Sunset Passage (Biosphere Mix) Deepchord – Vantage Isle (Echospace Spacial Dub) Closer Musik – One Two Three No Gravity (Dettinger Mix) WHITE RAINBOW – Gnar (remix of Gnar) Standish/Carlyon – Nono/Yoyo (HTRK Remix) Bell Orchestre – Water/Light/Shifts (Tim Hecker Remix) Marumari – Untitled (L’usine remix) Aphex Twin – On (U-Ziq Mix) Sally Shapiro – Lives Together (The Field Remix) Brian Eno & David Byrne – Help Me Somebody (Rollmottle Remix)
We are proud to premiere an exclusive stream of the Teen Daze “Glacier” LP on the blog today. The record has dynamic motion to it that touches all different varieties of enjoyable glowing melodies. Below are links to the limited vinyl and tour dates, hope that if you enjoy the stream then you’ll be able to pick up a record or see him live on an upcoming tour date:
10/2 Calgary, AB – Saits the Gateway
10/4 Edmonton, AB – Wunderbar
10/5 Woodbury, TN – Music In The Middle Fest
10/6 Saskatoon, SK – Amigos Cantina
10/8 Winnepeg, MB – Union Sound Hall (Side Room)
10/9 Fargo, ND – The Aquarium (Dempseys Upstairs)
10/11 Madison, WI – The Frequency
10/12 Chicago, IL – Beauty Bar
10/15 Kingston, ON – Clark Hall Pub
10/16 London, ON – The APK
10/17 Toronto, ON – Parts & Labour
10/18 Ottawa, ON – Mercury Lounge
10/19 Montreal, QC – Le Divan Orange
10/20 Burlington, VT – Signal Kitchen
10/22 Philadelphia, PA – Boot & Saddle
10/24 Hartford, CT – The Arch Street Tavern
10/25 Baltimore, MD – Golden West Café
10/26 Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands
10/28 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
10/29 St. Louis, MO – The Demo
10/30 Lawrence, KS – Bottleneck
10/31 Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
11/3 Phoenix, AZ – Last Exit Live
11/4 San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
11/5 Los Angeles, CA – Echo
11/6 San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar Music Hall
11/7 Portland, OR – Holocene
11/9 Vancouver, BC – Electric Owl
11/10 Bellingham, WA – The Wild Buffalo
Autumnal days feel exceptionally short in Abbotsford, BC, Canada. The sun rises but hardly invites. The inevitability of night is impending. As 2012 came to a close, Teen Daze entered a state of repose. He wrote new material, and for the first time he found the process not to be a means of escape or refuge. Rather than imagining an outward utopia, or seeking an inward sanctuary, he simply engaged his work with his reality, his physical world. Like it’s namesake, Glacier is more than solidified water adrift in a sea of home-produced electronic music. It is a collection of moments, historical particles and physical experiences, gathered into a whole. Varied yet cohesive, Glacier finds Jamison confident both as a drifter and a romantic. Lyrics are used personally and sparingly, often drifting in and out on a single phrase. “No one sees you, the way I see you”, he repeats through opener “Alaska”. Album centerpiece “Ice On The Windowsill” celebrates the notion of remaining indoors with the one you love as the world frosts over. Connecting each epiphany are wordless ruminations—like the twisted pitch of“Tundra”, the cool warmth of “Forest At Dawn”—some of the most evocative sound design in Teen Daze’s career to date. The album’s fixation on manifesting physicality translates to being a highly performative production. The role of live instruments, field recordings, and general human presence is evident in these songs. This was a deliberate choice; Teen Daze plans to tour in support of the release for the first time as a full band—essentially to actualize Glacier in the physical world.
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I’m really into this Jacques Greene track, its definitely #1 on my “DJ Chart”, it has the beautiful and clarity of the more colorful material Four Tet might make. There’s no tricks and backflips trying to follow a trend, just a softer dance track.
Now for something more modular and shape shifting yet still structured in 4/4, Jin Choi starts off with a smokey swing cut that evolves into something you’d hear in a DJ Koze mix, in love.
I’m going to go deep with this CFCF album when it comes out, his style grabs my ear, always a perfect loner sound but instead of wanting to put on headphones I want to hear it in a cathedral sized cabin with huge windows overlooking an aggressive waterfall.
Last but not least, the first Washed Out single, i’m ready for the album, I think its going to feel honest and exciting but for a smaller crowd to share.
This iconic Bubble series was created by fashion photographer Melvin Sokolsky for the Harper’s Bazaar 1963 Spring Collection.
Haunted by a particular image from Hieronymous Bosch’s ‘The Garden of Delights,’ Sokolsky experienced a re-occurring dream in which he saw himself floating inside a bubble across exotic landscapes. Inspired, he quickly used the idea for the series. The Bubble was crafted to emulate a Faberge Egg, for which Sokolsky had great admiration for its design and workmanship.
Complicated and unrealistic at first, he was able to realize his dream. Sokolsky commented:
“With the awareness that I was prone to live in my own head much of the time, and inclined to severe self-criticism, I began to have doubts whether I could create images on film that reflected the images in my mind’s eye.”
The Bubble was produced in ten days of Plexiglass and aircraft aluminum for the hinged rings. After a successful test run, Sokolsky was off to Paris to shoot the Spring Collections for Harper’s Bazaar. The challenge was to position a telescopic crane at each location from which the Bubble would be suspended. Using his favorite model at the time, Simone d’Aillencourt, she would get into the Bubble that was suspended a few feet off the ground, (hinged at the top like a Faberge Egg) so that it could easily swing open for entry. After being locked in safely and able to breathe due to the space between the hemispheres; the Bubble was raised into the final position. Sokolsky describes one particular event:
“There were times when this choreographed dance turned into a Laurel and Hardy comedy. The morning we shot on the Seine, the Bubble was lowered overzealously into the water, flooding it up to Simone’s ankles, and in turn ruining an important pair of designer shoes.”
Turning out to be an amazing adventure for him, Sokolsky was praised and congratulated for his unconventional yet triumphant work. He had ignited the world of fashion photography with his innovative style.
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I did a mix and interview today for Stadiums & Shrines, the mix includes some exclusive edits of Com Truise and Black Marble along with some favorites from Byrne & Eno, radio recording of Panda Bear, and kicks off with OMD.
The guys over at S&S have great questions and post huge versions of images so its a great nice blog to explore. Its pretty much the first i’ve ever talked about my design and influences, let me know what you think.
Future Totems is playing right now (above). Where is this mix coming from…what kind of space does it live in?
Future Totems is similar to some of my other mixes which are about communicating the beauty of how I see sound expanding slowly. I see it living in a naturally carved out, small cove full of very simple, large vegetation surrounding a huge slow-moving body of water; it’s a calm place yet there’s plenty of moving parts, and once in awhile everything aligns and you get these still moments.
A very inspiring and truly calming short interview by Milton Glaser, might help you slow down and not focus on the finishing line on your own personal work, I wish I spent more time with ink and watercolor, comes out very attractive.
I did a 34 minute calming mix for Ryan Griffin’s perfect music site AStrangelyIsolatedPlace, I hope you all enjoy.
As with all isolatedmix curators I invite into the series, they have inspired me in one way or another. Jakub Alexander, is probably the only artist that actually started off inspiring me through words; his posts, his ears and links on ISO50 have been the only longstanding articles to remain in my reader for the last three or four years, constantly unearthing new artists and brilliant music – an approach I aspire to today. Recently, it’s Jakub’s music which has took this admiration to another level.
Jakub’s latest masterpiece is set to be released on Ghostly early next month and i’ve been lucky enough to wrap my ears around it several times already. For those familiar with Heathered Pearls earlier work (‘Vaults‘, or ‘Intervene‘ for example) you would have seen the potential Jakub has been cultivating for some time now. And it’s fair to say, that ‘Loyal’ is Heathered Pearls most defining moment so far.
‘Loyal’ came to life after an introduction to ambient music by his mother ten years ago and the album is Jakub’s dedication to that moment. His love for grainy, repetitive, processed textures is a dream approach for many of us and the most simple pictures come to life with subtle looping melodies and beautifully nurtured sounds that are easily visualised, imagined and immersed in. ‘Beach Shelter for example, available as a free download, is the perfect example of Jakub’s vivid imagination coming to life through constantly crashing, looping waves, a hazy blur from a low sunset, and a slow-motion pan across a heavenly vista. There’s hints of many of our favourite artists throughout Jakub’s work, from early Wolfgang Voigt (Gas), to his self proclaimed influence, Markus Guentner, who has provided a stunning bonus remix on the album alongside the equally legendary Loscil.
Until ‘Loyal’ sees the light of day on December 11th, we’re lucky enough to have an isolatedmix from Jakub, taking us through some of his inspirations. But before you indulge, I recommend you preview ‘Loyal’ over at Ghostly, then jump back into the mix to dissect the many forms and textures that have been instrumental in shaping Heathered Pearls most perfected sound to date.
1. Mr. Rogers Speech to Congress My hero when I was little, I always tried to picture myself being able to deliver a speech like this, impossible.
2. KIDS Soundtrack – Second To Last Scene This song always stuck with me, its one of those songs on my short list of songs I wish I made
3. Foxes In Fiction – Static Cults Warren beautifully put together a state of in limbo in music form
4. Steve Hauschildt – The Impossible Flower One of my favorite releases from last year, glides along with these perfect dips
5. Yagya – Rigning Níu Yagya and a few others make up the 3% of newer trance that is well done
6. Cuppcave – Circuit Fade I found this song to be that missing link to what I wish I made, the lo-fi silence with a pulse slowly swelling in and out, I truly wonder if it didn’t end I wonder how long i’d let it play for? 1 day? 1 week? who knows.
7. Pub – Derail Pub is up there with Wolfgang Voigt, Erik Kowalski and Scott Morgan as my main reason I love to make music, when I first heard Derail I was soo floored by the control of how steady he kept this song, how he never used extremes but the whole song sounds like your standing in 100ft+ tall wind tunnel.
8. C V L T S – Realiser lo-fi digital meditation zone
9. The Sight Below – Unforetold The master of giving the ambient of shoegaze a pulse
10. Piano Magic – Halloween Boat I have a soft spot for arpeggios and water
11. Loscil – Coyote Scott has a way of making it okay to drop everything you’re doing and calm down, i’m sure if you were at work and your boss saw you stop working and then heard what you were listening to he’d understand and let the song finish, always powerful, heavy and genuine.
12. Heathered Pearls – Raising Our Ashes The song title always felt a bit morbid after seeing it written down but has grown on me since thats the visual I get when I hear it again. This track was written when I wanted to imagine a song to play out that the whole venue could slowly leave the ground and it would be the last you’d ever hear because you’d just have tinnitus for the rest of your life.
13. Solar Year – Currents These guys are my latest favorites, such a pleasure to hear vocals slowly swirling, I hope to work with them in the near future.
14. Boards Of Canada – Unknown I got an email from Marcus once after sending BoC a package of Ghostly vinyl and cds, would it be odd to frame an email?
