Nuno Laranja

Music for 2012 - Part 1

2012-03-08T19:30:00.000+01:00

So, it's time to update your music library. Here are some suggestions from me. For this blog post I carefully selected a few records out of the 16 that landed on my desktop so far. Click on the covers, read my impressions in broken engrish and enjoy!

Queen Of The Wave

by Pepe Deluxé
7.2/10

I don't know much about this Finnish band but I decided to check out their latest release after a random recommendation I got on RYM. This album sounds like a compilation of theme songs of American TV shows from the 60s or something - let's take another look at the cover above (and click it) - it's an electrifying esoteric pop journey riding an H. G. Wells time machine. A concept album in the style of Ayreon rock operas except that it's filled with James Bond themes instead of prog rock riffs. Anyway, this is a quite refreshing listening experience and was a good way to inaugurate the year with new music.

The Horror

by Pop. 1280
7.2/10

Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes! Bodies in the dunes!

Tramp

by Sharon Van Etten
8/10

This is a grower, give it some time and it won't let you go. At times I find Van Etten's voice very similar to The Gathering's ex-vocalist Anneke Van Giersbergen's (they both even own a Van, badum-tish). But this is a lot more mature in lyrical terms and not too overdone on the instrumental side (unlike Giersbergen's heartbreakingly awful solo releases). Oh Sharon, you're the reason why I'll move to the city. Give Out, In Line, We Are Fine (a duet with Zach Condon from Beirut), Serpents and Leonard are songs that you should check out right away in case you're still in doubt.

Other good albums to listen to: Visions by Grimes and Narrow by Soap&Skin. I'm also currently trying out Toward The Low Sun by Dirty Three, Eternal turn Of The Wheel by Drudkh and Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II by Earth.

Finally rain (instead of snow)

2012-03-05T19:00:00.000+01:00

up da punx

2012-03-04T19:30:00.000+01:00

"Swissted is an ongoing project by graphic designer Mike Joyce, owner of stereotype design in new york city. Drawing from his love of punk rock and Swiss modernism, two movements that have (almost) nothing to do with one another, Mike has redesigned vintage punk, hardcore, and indie rock show flyers into international typographic style posters. Each design is set in Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk Medium, all lowercase. every single one of these shows actually happened."

Don't say a word...

2012-03-01T19:30:00.000+01:00

Never speak of it again by The Holiday Crowd

Konterrevolutionär

2012-02-29T19:30:00.000+01:00

Memento - wilted, 2011, by Ryan Pfluger

Architecture in Reykjavík

2012-02-28T19:30:00.000+01:00

...in the first half of the 20th century.

via Zeit Online

Another excuse for not posting so much lately

2012-02-12T21:49:00.000+01:00

Will be back soon...

Multiplicity. Forms of Silence and Emptiness

2012-02-08T19:30:00.000+01:00

So, this week I was taken to the local theatre to see what would be my very first ballet piece. I lost my virginity to an enticing two hour long performance called Multiplicity. Forms of Silence and Emptiness by Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato - a modern dance piece based entirely on Johann Sebastian Bach's music. *orgasm* It was a very fluid and sensual (even sexual, I dare say) choreography with a few humorous insinuations. I have no other reference for comparison so the impact it had on me was significant. I was amazed by the dancers' perfect execution of the movements because so far I had never observed it this close or with that much attention. I honestly never really cared for ballet but it won all my respect as the truly high form of art that it is. I will certainly try to attend more of these events in the future.

Performance by the Bayerisches Staatsballet Ensemble 2011/2012.

There's nothing I could do

2012-01-31T19:30:00.000+01:00

Onwards To The Wall by A Place To Bury Strangers

Gone

2012-01-25T19:30:00.000+01:00

Sky photographs by Eric Cahan.

Promises from a slug are meaningless

2012-01-15T19:30:00.000+01:00

by Hannah Richards

Creative Workflow

2012-01-14T19:30:00.000+01:00

Frank Chimero

Listomania: favourite albums of 2011

2012-01-01T19:30:00.000+01:00

Happy 2012, everyone! Here are my top 10 favourite albums from the freshly finished year of 2011. (Each album links to a goodie, by the way.)

#10

1000

by Cheveu

#9

Cherish The Light Years

by Cold Cave

#8

Feel It Break

by Austra

#7

Burst Apart

by The Antlers

#6

The Hunter

by Mastodon

#5

Belong

by The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

#4

We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves

by John Maus

#3

Common Era

by Belong

#2

Let England Shake

by PJ Harvey

#1

Bon Iver, Bon Iver

by Bon Iver

You can find the complete list over here. This past year I tried to be more up to date regarding new releases. Obviously I didn't find out about EVERYTHING, but that's not the point. I just want to be a little bit more musically aware about the right now, the time I'm living in. It's always easy to look back and get hold of the classics but I want to be able to tell my kids later "I remember when that album came out". There's time to lay back and delve in the past but for the present you need to keep a certain pace. And keeping that pace has become my hobby.

Twelve fluid ounces

2011-12-28T07:00:00.000+01:00

"Twelve Fluid Ounces is an ongoing series of drawings inspired by vintage beer cans." I'm a sucker for hand-drawn style (obviously) and love this website, check it out here. And maybe I should add another blog topic called beer.

Dnaleci

2011-12-26T19:00:00.000+01:00

Obligatory: click to view larger.

I'm probably going to post pictures of Iceland until I'll be able to see these beautiful landscapes with my own eyes.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T15:00:00.000+01:00

Young and stupid

2011-12-23T19:30:00.000+01:00

by Regina Puno

I want to go back

2011-12-22T18:11:00.000+01:00

Kraków, Kraków, Kraków

2011-12-14T19:30:00.000+01:00

About my trip to Kraków, two weeks ago.

▼

2011-12-09T19:30:00.000+01:00

I've been neglecting my own craft lately so I decided to look up something interesting in terms of design that I could share here. Coincidently I found this wonderful project by Berlin based creative agency HelloMe in collaboration with a local florist.

"Client: Videoclub
Work: Music Packaging, Visual Identity

For Videoclub’s Delta Amacuro Tour 2011 we created a colorful reinterpretation of their existing visual identity. The aim was to eliminate the cold, geometric shape and reinterpret it with a vibrant visual language reflecting their eclectic sound. For the beautiful flower arrangements we worked with Annett Kuhlmann of Marsano.

We art directed the photoshoot, as well as designing the limited edition Delta Amacuro EP, accompanying tour-posters, flyers, teaser-graphics and additional merchandise."

Music for 2011 - Part 4

2011-12-08T19:30:00.000+01:00

And before I publish my carefully dissected top 2011 albums list, I'd like to mention a few other releases that have been metaphorically spinning in my record player lately.

The Hunter

by Mastodon
8/10

My favourite metal album for this year with one of my favourite album covers as well. Designed by AJ Fosik, his bizarre compositions of beasts with multiplied features in colourful layered scales describe Mastodon's recent work pretty well. It's quite catchy and therefore might put off some older fans of the band. But to me it opened the doors to Mastodon's kaleidoscopic soundscapes. STARGASMS!

Celestial Lineage

by Wolves In The Throne Room
7.1/10

Hipsters' favourite black metal band - yeah, I can assure you that after attending one of their shows last month. (Guilty as charged, by the way.) I was kind of surprised to see so many even though I was still expecting it. Anyway, this one is slightly better than Black Cascade and has an epic opener. In other words (and because I want to fill some more space with text): still worth checking out.

Believers

by A.A. Bondy
7.1/10

Found out about this American singer-songwriter through a mix-tape I got for Christmas a couple of years ago. Since then I've been following his work and despite not being anything particularly brilliant (if compared to the likes of Nick Drake or Townes Van Zandt) he can craft some really beautiful songs. I myself love this guy.

Hearts

by I Break Horses
7/10

My Bloody Valentine meets Cocteau Twins. Or something like that. This album makes me happy.

Nothing Serious

by Montage Pupulaire
7.7/10

Proof that radio can still be a good and valid resource to find interesting new music. You just have to tune into the right alternative station. You can download this EP for free on the band's blog here. This was a good tip and I'm looking forward to their debut album.

You can find a track from each of these albums on my playlist of favourites songs of 2011:

2011 songs by Nuno Laranja on Grooveshark

Fore more music here is Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

A botany lesson

2011-12-07T14:55:00.000+01:00

Allium SP

Arisarum vulgare

Calendula arvensis 2

Daucus carota

Freesia sp.

Galactite elegans

Hyacinthaceae

Lathyrus sp.

Eryngium Maritimum

Photos by Erwan Frotin.

Hey kid, you want a toothpick?

2011-11-28T19:30:00.000+01:00

Drive 2011

by Nicolas Winding Refn, Crime/Thriller/Neo-Noir, USA, 100'
8.1/10

Yeah, I saw this trailer too and was wondering why I would ever want to watch this film. But all my trusted sources regarding cinema published really good reviews about it so I decided to check what all the fuzz was about. And WOW, they were right! Best film I've seen so far this year.

Copy-pasting the short imdb synopsis: "A Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong." You already get the story more or less from the trailer. But it's slightly misleading because it fails to show how stylish the direction work is. Better keep an eye on Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn from now on. He even got an award for it on this year's Festival de Cannes.

First positive impact for me was the music (which I'm listening to as I type this) - minimal synth pop in the ongoing 80s revival style - but very well placed to create a unique gloomy and desolate mood in every scene. The movie keeps going with unexpectedly beautiful camera work and photography of a noir ambient mixed with a certain vintage feel (again, the music). I also got a lot of vibes from Tarantino's Death Proof, David Lynch's Lost Highway and Gaspar Noé's violence. I smell a cult movie here.

Many might complain about a weak and unoriginal plot or something but if you have good directing, beautiful cinematography, solid acting and fitting music like this the plot itself becomes kind of unimportant. Watch it!

I even dug up the Little White Lies issue dedicated to this film:

Gotta keep fighting...

2011-11-24T20:00:00.000+01:00

Oh how I relate to this.

Art Directors Club Awards
via designworklife

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T19:30:00.000+01:00

by Lisa Hanawalt

Telling the truth is a maneuver

2011-11-22T19:30:00.000+01:00

So just like last year I found some time to visit the 2011 edition of the Munich Filmschool Festival. There were lots of interesting things to be seen by young and promising directors from all over the world. Here are the one's I've seen (apart from the not so good ones) and a short impression about each one:

Sister Of Mine 2011

by Oshrat Meirovitch from MSTFA – Israel
7.7/10
This was a very emotive piece about how strict religious traditions (in this case Orthodox) can be to the point of limiting someone's freedom and determine their future. Our main character's only options are to either loose everything or conform and sacrifice her happiness. A small well acted drama finishing with an adequate powerful scene at the end.

Silent River 2011

by Anca Miruna Lazarescu from HFF/M – Germany
7.5/10
Romania in the 80s and a story about how two men in distrust to each other try to leave the country by crossing the Danube over to Serbia. Proud to announce that this is a fine production from the local film-school here in Munich. You can watch the trailer here.

Maniobra (Maneuver) 2010

by Ricardo Fontana from EICTV – Cuba
8.2/10
This was definitely my favourite one from the first session I went to. It's a very short movie about Cuban military, hierarchic relations and corruption within the system. Despite the director's work getting lost with the action scenes I thought there was an abundance of psychological meanings to be taken from the characters and their attitudes. It's about faults in communication and how telling the truth can turn into a complicated maneuvre. Those were some well acted and rich 11 minutes on the screen.

Wie Immer (The Usual) 2010

by Zubin Sethna from DFFB - Germany
7.8/10
Probably the shortest one I saw but left a very strong message in a quite charming way. A trailer can be seen here.

Miten Marjoja Poimitaan (How To Pick Berries) 2010

by Elina Talvensaari from SAD – Finland
7.8/10
This is a documentary about... picking berries in Finland. Correct. About how locals are loosing their income and jobs in the jam industry due to cheaper workforce imported from Thailand. I thought the way it was shot to be pretty interesting as it looked more like what you would get from a horror film. It was still a fitting aesthetic concerning the serious subject of the documentary. And lots of beautiful photography as well. But hey, Finland is indeed a beautiful country. You can watch the trailer here.

Geen Weg Terug (No Way Back) 2011

by Shariff Korver from NFTA – Netherlands
8.3/10
My personal favourite would have to be this well directed and acted Dutch drama. It takes place in a refugee centre and our main character, Mark, has possibly one of the worst jobs ever. Being in charge of some of the refugees, who come from the most diverse and tragic backgrounds, he faces a lot of psychological pressure telling them, in the most formal way, that they are going to be deported back. Everything complicates when one of his own friends faces the same destiny putting mark in a moral struggle between external authority and personal intuition.

I can't believe the last time I wrote about cinema was also for last year's edition of the festival. I really should dedicate a little more time to this.

I want candy

2011-11-21T19:20:00.001+01:00

Paris can wait

2011-11-19T19:00:00.000+01:00

Will Eustace for Zoe Karssen

My plants are dead

2011-11-18T19:28:00.001+01:00

Let's remake art

2011-11-10T19:30:00.000+01:00

“Self Portrait 1889″ remake by Seth Johnson

“Self Portrait 1889″ by Vincent van Gogh

“La bonne foi” remake by Noemi Mazzucchelli

“La bonne foi” by Magritte

“Lady with an ermine” remake by Sarah Hertzman

“Lady with an ermine” by Leonardo da Vinci

“Narcissus” remake by Max Zerrahn

“Narcissus” by Caravaggio

“Gabrielle d’Estrées et une de ses soeurs” remake by Emile Barret

“Gabrielle d’Estrées et une de ses soeurs” by Unkown Artist

“Creation of Adam” remake by Ward Swan

“Creation of Adam” by Michelangelo

“The Infanta Margarita of Austria” remake by Jessica Rossi

“The Infanta Margarita of Austria” by Juan Bautista Martinez del Mazo

“The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp” remake by Carlo Nicolucci

“The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp” remake by Iris Encina Baranda

“The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp” remake by Bruna Pelissari

“The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp” remake by Avi Naim

“The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp” by Rembrandt

More info and other awesome submissions for this contest can be found here.

Skin

2011-11-09T19:30:00.000+01:00

I'm still looking for ideas to improve my tattoo. Maybe this will help:

Ryan Hope's debut film, Skin, is a documentary that tests the boundaries of art and the human body, Skin is a dark, stylish examination of tattoo culture as high art. Featuring contributions from Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Raymond Pettibon and in association with Dasha Zhukova’s Garage Magazine, the film is a beautiful visual essay from the frontiers of contemporary British art.
www.stamplondon.com

Weiwei is back

2011-11-03T19:30:00.000+01:00

After emerging four months ago from a prolonged detention by the Chinese government for alleged economic crimes, Ai Weiwei is back with a new installation made from 1000 bicycles. The piece is called Forever Bicycles and part of the Ai Weiwei Absent, exhibition at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum in Taiwan. The artist himself, however, will not be present as he is prohibited from leaving Beijing.

In a pamphlet for the show, Ai writes that his absence "is a part of my art, my portfolio and my cultural state." (...) Taipei Fine Arts Museum officials said Ai gave instructions about mounting the exhibition through daily email exchanges. "He believes he can achieve interactions with Taiwanese audiences through his work without his physical presence," museum official Weng Chih-tsung said. The holding of the exhibition in Taiwan has a political significance of its own. Unlike the Communist mainland, the island of 23 million people is a freewheeling democracy with few restrictions on expression.Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949. China continues to insist that the island is part of its territory. - msnbc.com

The artists

2011-10-28T19:32:00.000+02:00

When will we discover the place that we buried love?

2011-10-20T19:30:00.000+02:00

I want to to go to Iceland

2011-10-16T19:35:00.000+02:00

by KRISATOMIC

The Dune House

2011-10-16T19:30:00.000+02:00

by Jarmund/Vigsnæs. Architects.

"The Dune House is a stunning reinvention and reinterpretation of the English seaside dwelling. Designed by a Norwegian practice celebrated for their creative responses to the highly seasonal Nordic landscape, The Dune House will be JVA’s first UK building. It is located on the southern edge of the village of Thorpeness, on the Suffolk coast." - Architizer

Dead Love

2011-10-14T19:25:00.000+02:00

Circles by The Soft Moon from the self-titled 2010 album.

The world that summer (4)

2011-10-13T19:30:00.000+02:00

Part 4 about my summer vacation in 2011: Austrian Alps, Italian cities and Croatian coast.
Click to view (slightly) larger.

The Alps (Austria)

Udine (Italy)

Aquileia & Grado (Italy)

Trieste (Italy)

Poreč (Croatia)

Rovinj (Croatia)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

shrug

2011-09-27T18:47:00.000+02:00

by Chris Piascik

Beer tastes better...

2011-09-22T19:30:00.000+02:00

...with a friend.

via Stuff No One Told Me

Music for 2011 - Part 3

2011-09-19T19:30:00.000+02:00

Lots of new stuff lately. I had to make a small selection to be featured here. People need to stop complaining about how modern music sucks. There is so much good stuff out there, you just need to make a bigger effort other than turning on the radio. To make things easier I'm linking every album cover to a song I enjoy by the respective artist and from the respective album, of course.

Total

by SebastiAn
6.5/10

Party music! This is a quite varied electro house album. Unfortunately there are a lot of annoying and harsh interludes/songs scattered throughout the whole record. Still worth trying out.

Summer, Jesus

by Soviet Soviet
8/10

I thought I had enough of new post-punk revival bands... until I heard this one! A familiar style but refreshing sound on this EP.

Strange Mercy

by St. Vincent
7.3/10

Annie Clark is adorable. In this album: cruel and merciless fun music to stomp around to.

Baroque Primitiva

by Alvarius B
6.8/10

Started listening to this without any desirability. But being queued with all my new music I just left it playing. Before I realized I was humming songs I couldn't recall where I got them from. This definitely deserves a spot on my lists.

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

by M83
6.9/10

I was really excited for this release when the single Midnight City came out. Unfortunately it's a bit of a let-down. As a double album it comes with too much filler and could have been

Telebossa

by Telebossa
6.7/10

This is the James Blake of Bossa Nova. I hate James Blake but I meant this as a compliment.

Knife Man

by Andrew Jackson Jihad
??/10

The Michael Jordan Of Drunk Driving, Fucc The Devil, Zombie By The Cranberries By Andrew Jackson Jihad,... Another fun one, but guys: it's getting too much now.

Gravity the Seducer

by Ladytron
6.4/10

Strong singles but slightly underwhelming album. Needs more discotraxx!

We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves

by John Maus
8.2/10

Reviving music styles from 20/30 years ago has been fashionable for a while now. But (as far as I've heard) no one took the same approach John Maus has been trying out. This album sounds like an 80s sci-fi movie soundtrack. Or like floating through infinite galaxies à la 2001: A Space Odyssey and being displaced in endless, dark, neon-lighted futuristic cityscapes of Blade Runner. Or Joy Division composing for The Neverending Story. Or something like that. Just listen to it. It is also less goofier than previous releases but stilljust as inane and dopey.

Fore more music here is Part 1 and Part 2.

Distance doesn't ruin a relationship...

2011-09-18T19:30:00.000+02:00

Oktoberfest

2011-09-17T19:30:00.000+02:00

By the time you finish watching this video I'm probably in one of those tents dancing on the benches in my Lederhosen and drinking my huge Maß of beer! Prost!

The world that summer (3) - Taide/Konst

2011-09-16T19:30:00.000+02:00

Part 3 about my summer vacation in 2011: Art in Helsinki and other impressions.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4

The world that summer (2) - On Battleship Hill

2011-09-01T19:30:00.000+02:00

Part 2 about my summer vacation in 2011: A day trip to Tallinn.

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4

The world that summer (1) - Architecture in Helsinki

2011-08-31T19:30:00.000+02:00

Part 1 about my summer vacation in 2011: Impressions of Helsinki.

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

The world's smallest, toughest crossword

2011-08-30T19:35:00.000+02:00

by Russell Weekes

Not getting there

2011-08-30T19:30:00.000+02:00

Blonde Redhead live at Muffathalle, Munich, 2011.

Instead I'm just crazy, and totally mad

2011-08-12T19:00:00.000+02:00

Warning, this video contains cool moments of risqué visuals!Lust for Life by Girls

Vodka with milk

2011-08-11T19:00:00.000+02:00

Illustrations by Aaron Thong

Nocturnes

2011-08-05T20:00:00.000+02:00

Series of digital works by Chad Wys.

Looking for something?

2011-08-05T19:45:00.000+02:00

As I mentioned previously, I just moved in to a new flat and it's going to take a couple of days until my internet connection is set up. This means I won't be serving a lot of fresh oranges in the meanwhile so all you can do is look through my previous posts and put my new comment platform into use. I recommend all my fellow blog users to try it out as it is a lot more interactive and works with a reply system and everything. Just go over to DISQUS and register. It's easy to install and with a quick import you get to keep all the previous comments from the old system. Try it out below and see if it tickles your fancy. Enough advertising now, see you around!

EDIT: Since blogger finally improved the comments box with a proper reply system I decided to remove disqus again. (5.3.2012)

Marble House

2011-07-28T19:00:00.002+02:00

I'm finally moving into my own place soon and I couldn't help but look up some blogs about interior design and decoration to turn my modestly sized one-room apartment into something really cosy. The following pictures are just a collection of things I think look nice (but not necessarily to put into practice) that I found via Brickhouse.

My excuse for not posting so much lately

2011-07-17T19:06:00.000+02:00

Why don't you like me?

2011-07-15T19:00:00.001+02:00

Illustration work by Jean Julien. (Funny how they fit my blog style so well, colours and everything.)

People want my power and they want my station

2011-07-14T23:06:00.000+02:00

Santigold live at Backstage, Munich, 2011.

Porto from inside

2011-07-01T19:00:00.001+02:00

Casa da Música, 2006

Palacete Pinto Leite, 2010

Águas do Porto, 2011

Casa de Serralves, 2011

Faculdade de Economia, 2011

Hotel Dom Henrique, 2010

Hospital Conde de Ferreira, 2011

Contagiarte, 2011

Plano B, 2006

Mercado do Bolhão, 2007

Aeroporto F. Sá Carneiro, 2006

Espaço T, 2006

Escadas na Rua do Almada, 2006

Hall na Formosa, 2007

Belas Artes, 2007

Passos Manuel, 2007

Photography project Porto Interior by Inês D'Orey portraits beautifully the interiors of diverse public buildings in Porto.

How past and future are cross-fertilized

2011-06-22T19:00:00.001+02:00

by Pam et Jenny

Music for 2011 - Part 2

2011-06-21T19:00:00.000+02:00

Lots of interesting new music was released these past months. I'm just going to list what I've been listening to and add a few words to each.

Gloss Drop

by Battles
6.8/10

Some nice songs on here but as whole it's not as concise as the previous one. Futura would be a good track to check out though.

Belong

by The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
7/10

Long have I dismissed this band for several reasons. One of them would be the terrible band name. The other one was because I expected them to sound like The Jesus and Mary Chain and quickly forgot about it because I wanted another Psychocandy and this wasn't one. On the new record however, they actually do sound like TJ&MC but from the Darklands era. Good enough for me as TJ&MC haven't been active since the 90s. A favourite would be Heart in your heartbreak.

Apocalypse

by Bill Callahan
7.1/10

Interesting discovery but I don't know why I have a feeling that he must have revealed his potential on a previous project. Let's go check it out. In the meanwhile listen to this song.

May

by Led Er Est
7.2/10

This is no full length album but a really freaky and dark minimal synth punk EP. Me likes and wants more of this. Try it out here. Those synths sound displaced from our time.

Hot Sauce Comittee, Pt. 2

by Beastie Boys
7.8/10

Old news, I know. But I was positively surprised by this. Almost lives up to their former glory days. The track with Santigold would be my favourite on the album.

Common Era

by Belong
8/10

Ha, I haven't read any good reviews on this one so far. Apparently they changed their sound from ambient drone to something more "generic". Well this "generic" sound is totally up my alley: melancholic and distant soundscapes with layers of noisy shoegaze effects. So sad and subtle. I'm not going to point out any particular track because one should listen to the whole thing!

Bon Iver

by Bon Iver
8.9/10

Guess what album is leading my top for this year so far? Yep, wonderfully well produced melodies of a healthy mix between folk and the 80s and some pinches of Peter Gabriel sophistication (specially on the last track which is borderline cheesy, but the best sort of cheese you can imagine). Obviously I have also to point out the great artwork for the album done by Gregory Euclide.

There are a few more albums that I could list here but they're mainly just metal releases. I always take a little bit longer to form an opinion on those. Also, take a look at Part 1 if you missed it.

The Maria Dimension

2011-06-15T21:00:00.001+02:00

Sculptures by Jen Stark.

Yes, sculptures!

Red Barked Tree

2011-06-14T21:00:00.001+02:00

Paintings by Tzu-chi Yeh.

Yes, paintings!

God, Sex, God

2011-06-13T21:00:00.010+02:00

19th of May, 2011 - Swans live at Hansa 39 (Munich) with James Blackshaw as opening act.

Setlist:
No Words / No Thoughts
Jim
Sex, God, Sex
The Apostate (new song)
I Crawled
Avatar (new song)
Eden Prison
Little Mouth (encore)

What's he building in there?

2011-06-10T19:30:00.001+02:00

New Tom Waits album soon??? Yes, please! Since we're on the subject, here's a small mixtape list of my favourite Waits songs in the form of "Song Title (Album Name)".

01. Misery Is the River of the World (Blood Money) listen here >>
02. I'll Be Gone (Franks Wild Years) listen here >>
03. Underground (Swordfishtrombones) listen here >>
04. Earth Died Screaming (Bone Machine) listen here >>
05. Rain Dogs (Rain Dogs) listen here >>
06. God's Away on Business (Blood Money) listen here >>
07. Dirt In The Ground (Bone Machine) listen here >>
08. Goin' Out West (Bone Machine) listen here >>
09. Kommienezuspadt (Alice) listen here >>
10. Lie To Me (Orphans) listen here >>
11. Big In Japan (Mule Variations) listen here >>
12. Starving in the Belly of a Whale (Blood Money) listen here >>
13. Anywhere I Lay My Head (Rain Dogs) listen here >>
14. Sea Of Love (Orphans) listen here >>

Usually lyrics are for me just there in the background when listening to music. Obviously there are a lot of exceptions to that as well (The Smiths, Nick Cave, Belle and Sebastian, etc.) and Tom is one of them. It's impossible to be indifferent to his genius story-telling. One of these days I'm going to sing Goin' Out West in the local karaoke bar.

Coolness personified.

I need to stay creative

2011-06-09T20:00:00.001+02:00

And you will go to Mykonos

2011-05-26T20:00:00.002+02:00

I'm not really going to Mykonos but I hope that by the time this post gets published I'll be at the Rathausplatz in Dachau watching Fleet Foxes play this song live:

EDIT: Ironically, I arrived late to the show due to some other compromise and as I was walking up to the town centre I could hear them play the song from afar. Oh well, at least I made in time for my other favourites.

It was a very romantic setting for a unbelievable delightful show.

You are not a cow

2011-05-24T20:00:00.001+02:00

by Naomi Bardoff

Blaubeuren

2011-05-18T20:00:00.001+02:00

Blaubeuren is the name of a small town in the Swabian Albs, about a 10min train ride away from Ulm. It's the place where I grew up when I was living here in Germany 13 years ago. Now that I'm back to the country I thought it would be really interesting to visit the place again and see if anything has changed or if it's still exactly like I remember it to be. And so I did, along with my man, we took a sunny day during my Easter vacation and made the planned day trip to my past.
Click to enjoy a larger view.

The whole town is surrounded by rocky and forested hills.

First impression on arrival and all my childhood memories surface.

Beautiful sights and natural landscapes anywhere around the town.

Colourful houses in the old town centre.

I don't remember it being this beautiful.

The local library is a genuine civil house from the Renaissance period.

The Rathaus and the medieval fountain in the front.

We had yet to arrive at Blaubeuren's main attraction: the Blautopf. It's a river spring where water accumulated in underground caves is pressured to the surface at this specific spot. Its waters are of an intensely unnatural turquoise colour.

The monastery reflected on the spring's clear surface.

The source of a river like this can be a very mystical place.

Following the river valley we got to see the ruins of the castle Rusenschloss from afar.

I was overwhelmed by the beauty of this place and realized how much of my remembrance of the town got lost with time. I highly recommend visiting Blaubeuren and its surroundings since it's out of the typical tourist routes, but certainly worthwhile.

Talking about typical tourism... On our way back we had to change trains in Ulm and of course we took a quick tour through the city centre. So here's a picture of the world's tallest church.

The Ulmer Münster is considered the tallest church since it doesn't count as a Cathedral.

Ideas for my next tattoo?

2011-05-16T20:00:00.001+02:00

via Zeit Online

Don't play no game that I can't win

2011-05-15T20:00:00.005+02:00

This is how love feels like

2011-05-14T20:00:00.003+02:00

by Neil Warburton

Handschrift

2011-05-13T20:00:00.003+02:00

Handschrift is a font designed using José Ernesto Rodriguez's hands and a photocopier. Lo-fi and hand-made typography in the literal sense. I approve!

Fort von hier

2011-05-12T20:05:00.002+02:00

"Fort von hier, nur fort von hier! Du musst mir nicht sagen, wohin du mich führst. Wo ist Deine Hand, ach ich kann sie im Dunkel nicht ertasten. Hielte ich nur schon Deine Hand, ich glaube Du würdest mich dann nicht verwerfen. Hörst Du mich? Bist du überhaupt im Zimmer? Vielleicht bist Du gar nicht hier. Was sollte Dich auch herlocken in das Eis und Nebel des Nordens, wo man Menschen gar nicht vermuten sollte. Du bist nicht hier, Du bist ausgewichen diesen Orten. Ich aber stehe und falle mit der Entscheidung darüber, ob du hier bist oder nicht."

Sorry about all the German but this is from Kafka's book Das Ehepaar (The Married Couple) and I prefer to keep his original words. This is It's an isolated paragraph in the book with no further story than just these few lines. In respect to the latest events in my life I just a felt compelled to share this here in my blog to turn it a bit more autobiographical. I relate to this depiction of longing for someone who is gone and that we have to stand and fall with our own compromise to their absence/presence.

With this I'm also introducing a new topic in my blog: literature. Let's hope I'll be able to broaden the theme since I'm quite lazy when it comes to reading books. I do enjoy it, I just never get to it. But I need to improve my German with a more formal vocabulary so I'll be reading non-stop from now on.

Strange what desire will make foolish people do

2011-05-12T20:00:00.016+02:00

Wicked Game by Futurebirds

I've always been a bit fond of Chris Isaak's song Wicked Game but lately I've been feeding my melancholic state with this even more desolate version by the Futurebirds. I think it's the folksier and fuzzier guitar weeping that make it for me.

"(...) Nothing special, I know. But as soon as a song connects with a certain emotional mood you're in you just hear more than there is to it and more than there is to anyone else around you. I guess I'm still feeling too lonely in this beautiful city. Or maybe I just need another long and tender goodbye kiss in a busy subway station."

What a wicked thing to do
To let me dream of you

L'orange

2011-05-11T20:00:00.002+02:00

My orange flavoured blog hasn't been producing a lot of juice lately. I'm changing that now and here's the first vitamin C supply.

by Jacob Boie

Let's quote David Carson on World Graphics Day

2011-04-27T21:00:00.004+02:00

by ink insurgent

This.

2011-04-25T15:00:00.000+02:00

You can view here more honest logos by Viktor Hertz.

Santigold + Karen O = ▲

2011-04-15T20:00:00.004+02:00

Karen O features on Santigold's new track. Listen to it NAO:

Castles in the snow

2011-04-13T21:00:00.001+02:00

Click to view larger.

Photographs of German castles by Wolfgang Mothes.

Hirschbaum

2011-04-02T21:00:00.001+02:00

Untitled

Acupuncture

Chair

Edison

Immigration

Untitled

Art concepts by Myeongbeom Kim.

The fine art of notebook doodling

2011-03-31T21:00:00.002+02:00

Click to view details. Seriously!

Illustrations by Sagaki Keita.

Music for 2011 - Part 1

2011-03-29T21:00:00.055+02:00

Before the first quarter of the year comes to an end here are some nice albums you should be (and probably are) aware of.

C'mon

by Low
6.7/10

They have a new one out and it's actually quite nice but they're playing it too safe. As a whole it doesn't reach the greatness of I Could Live in Hope or Things We Lost in the Fire, obviously. But there are some diffuse melodies that remind us that our Low collective is still able to produce some sparse slowcore gems from time to time. Just not in the concentrated form of an album. One of my favourites can be listened to here. I still advise you get it only if you're a fan.

Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light

by Earth
6.9/10

This is a very slow and dragging record, not in a sense that bores you but in one that soothes you. The laments of the cello are escorted by slow and serene guitar melodies. Works well as a background soundtrack. And as a designer I must also point out Stacey Rozic's illustration work for the album packaging that you can see here with more detail.

Ravedeath, 1972

by Tim Hecker
7.1/10

I was pleasantly surprised by this one because I never really connected well with Tim Hecker's glitch electronics. This one is just pure atmosphere. It seems that 2011 will be a good year for background music.

1000

by Cheveu
8/10

I already introduced this band here in my blog when I saw a short video for their fantastic single Like A Deer In The Headlights (which also features in this album) at a film festival last year. They finally gave birth to another proper album of dirty synths and punk brashness. Oh and they have a song titled Charlie Sheen which is something totally cool at the moment:

The benefits of beer

2011-03-25T21:00:00.001+01:00

Click to view larger.

I like the part that says "beer belly" is a myth. What a relief! You can get the poster here.

I don't have a drinking problem, I have a drinking solution!

2011-03-23T21:00:00.010+01:00

Can't Maintain 2009

by Andrew Jackson Jihad
8/10

AAAAaAaAAaaah this is terrible. Terribly awesome! This album is full of imperfections but that's what makes it so human, I guess. In terms of raw emotion they're like a more fun version of Neutral Milk Hotel (who they also happen to have covered and sometimes even play it live). And for those who already know the band: you might be wondering why I picked this album instead of the more acclaimed People That Can Eat People Are the Luckiest People in the World. Well, this one got me into AJJ and the other didn't. Favourites are Olde(y) Tyme(y), We Didn't Come Here to Rock and Love Will Fuck Us Apart.

I wanna break apart my heart, glue the pieces to my car, crash it into a wall, I don't want to feel at all! I want to break apart my heart! So, who wants to join me for their show at Kafe Kult in June?

It's Spring!

2011-03-21T11:00:00.009+01:00

Me too, Charlie. But I think we'll get over it.

2011-03-17T21:00:00.001+01:00

Big In Japan...

2011-03-12T10:52:00.000+01:00

Buy this print here to help raise money for the Red Cross.

When we're dancing

2011-03-03T21:00:00.001+01:00

Two weeks ago I saw the boy with the yellow balloon shooting holes at the moon live. I'm talking about George Lewis Jr. and his project Twin Shadow. They played live here in Munich in one of the smaller stages of the Feierwerk complex.

According to him we were an attractive crowd. Thanks Lewis. ;)

I love the desolate synth sound on the album but in a live show you get something completely different. In the words of my mate: it sounds like completely new music to which you know the lyrics to. And with only one album out, not a lot was left to be played for the encore. So after offering a nice cover of David Bowie's catchy Ashes to Ashes song I got my copy of Forget signed and exchanged a few words with Lewis.

Of course I had to record the live version of my favourite song.

And last week it was time for my second Wire show. Opening for them was this American band called Weekend who describe themselves as noisy shoegaze. Totally my thing but they still have a long way to go, in my modest opinion. Anyway, in sonic terms they are probably the closest thing to A Place To Bury Strangers (one of my favourite bands!) that I've heard so far. I'm definitely going to keep an eye (and ear) open for them.

The boys from Weekend playing their feedback filled rock.

Shortly after it was time for post-punk legends Wire to play. It reminded me a bit of last year's Sonic Youth gig: good show but NOT WILD ENOUGH because everyone on stage is getting too old. But the new album is probably the most enjoyable since their 70s trilogy and Colin Newman's solo work. So it wasn't too bad that the record dominated the whole set-list down to the double-encore. But of course I was salivating for the classics which made sparse but rewarding appearances throughout the show. Overall it was lot better than seeing The Fall last summer.

Wire at Atomic Café, one of my favourite clubs in the city.

No tigerlilies

2011-03-01T21:00:00.002+01:00

by David LaChapelle
(Too many botanic related posts? Blame him!)

Makes me think of you

2011-02-25T21:00:00.001+01:00

Self-Portrait (2010)

ABBA picnic (2007)

Power, Corruption and Lies (after New Order, Henri Fantin-Latour) (2008)

by Sam Mckinniss

To my old man:

2011-02-17T21:00:00.003+01:00

I do not care about Valentine's Day...

2011-02-14T23:10:00.000+01:00

...so here's a silly comic about mummies instead:

by Three Word Phrase

Live Transmission

2011-02-09T23:24:00.002+01:00

Joy Division in Playmobil stop-motion animation:

Watch and compare to the original Peel Sessions version of Transmission here.

Skating with style

2011-02-08T21:00:00.002+01:00

By Atelier Franck Dyurand, for Man About Town, starring skater Kilian Martin.

What I was doing earlier today

2011-02-05T18:11:00.000+01:00

by Luke Bott

●●●

2011-02-02T22:38:00.000+01:00

Cercle et suite d’éclats (2009)

I'm quite impressed with Felice Varini's geometric installations. It's intriguing how he manages to adjust the shapes so perfectly.

Huit Rectangles (2007)

Archi e Corone (2004)

Jump over to his website to see more of his mind-blowing work.

I am a bird now

2011-01-31T21:00:00.003+01:00

Love these series by Luca Mantovanelli.

More laranjas (oranges) soon

2011-01-30T23:27:00.000+01:00

Paarungszeit

2011-01-22T21:00:00.001+01:00

by Chris von Szombathy

Let England shake

2011-01-21T21:00:00.002+01:00

The Words That Maketh Murder - New PJ Harvey single with video. I love how she constantly reinvents herself for each album. Can't wait to listen to the whole thing.

Gardenhead

2011-01-20T21:00:00.004+01:00

photography by Sally Gall