~jg3

…and I feel fine.

September 9th, 2008

That’s great, it starts with an earthquake…

For those of you who are in the dark (that’s a pun), jeff has been keeping tabs on the black-hole machine known as the Large Haldron Collider being built out at CERN in Switzerland.  It goes live tomorrow for its first complete tests and you could, if you choose, be very excited or fearful of this idea.

Or you could shrug it off like a fatalist and say,  “whatever.”

A number of people have, with varying levels of seriousness and science, warned about the possibility that this thing could create a black hole that sucks us all in.  They’ve crowed about it to such an extent extent that CERN has felt compelled to publish published a LHC risk assessment (a fifteen-page .pdf, none of most of which goes well over my head) which states, in conclusion:

Having reviewed the theoretical and experimental developments since the previous safety report was published, we confirm its findings. There is no basis for any concerns about the consequences of new particles or forms of matter that could possibly be produced by the LHC.

Not concerned about the consequences of new particles or forms of matter?  So why did you just spend six billion dollars to build it in the first place?  Until proven otherwise, I’m firmly on the side of those cheering for this thing to wink out all existence in a subatomic instant.  poof.

Filed under: Funny, gadgetry, music, Real Life

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I ain’t wastin’ no more time…

September 5th, 2008

Update:   Driving through DuPont Circle with six people stuffed into my Mini, with heads poking out the sunroof, blasting this song and everyone singing this song at the top of his/her lungs will be one of the definitive memories of summer 2008.

This takes me back … and takes me forward.

…and makes me do this:

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Generation Bass

August 27th, 2008

Just a few days ago when I was talking about how electronic music has finally broken out of stagnation for the better part of a decade, Mary Anne Hobbs (MAH) has put out a follow up to her sound-breaking Dubstep Warz program, Generation Bass.

I first experienced dubstep by downloading a recording of Dubstep Warz and, honestly, it didn’t leave the CD player in my car for weeks.  It was new.  It was nasty.  It was funky.  It was breaky.  It was rump-ramblin’ low.  It was intelligent and listenable, too.  I knew the drought was over.

And, as usual, I was late to the party.  I pulled that down in early ‘o8 and it was recorded in ‘o6.  Now, last week to be exact, MAH has produced a follow-up program that has the dubstep world vibrating.  Generation Bass follows a little different forum than Dubstep Warz.  Where DW brought seven keystone dubstep producers to demonstrate dubstep for about 15 minutes each, GB brings those same now legendary producers back to the decks with some narrower rules:  pick one new artist and showcase their work for a quick set.  So here the musicians are far more important than the selectors, execpt in the amount of trust that is assumed to the selectors.  No doubt that several of the producers picked artists from their own label stable, but somehow I’m not cynical about it.  These new producers are largely unsigned and the label owners are looking to get new music for themselves and pick up skilled new folks to roll with them.

So, as I write this I am only halfway through the Generation Bass special and I have yet to form a complete opinion but I think that it is a notable event in the world of experimental, electronic music.  And for anyone who loves their subwoofer.  If you’ve got any curiosity and two hours, give it a rip.  Be warned, though, the selectors tend to talk over the tracks big-up’ing them in that UK style, which doesn’t usually fly stateside (eg, with me).

Enjoy!

Filed under: music

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muxtape

August 13th, 2008

The simple elegance of this site blows me away.  It works like this:  each person (as defined by their unique email address) gets to make their muxtape by uploading up to 12 .mp3 files.  They can be rearranged or deleted to make space for more to keep your mix fresh.

You get a unique URL (your username) and you can give your muxtape a title/subtitle .. any of which can be changed at your whim.

What’s left?  The music, and sharing it with friends.  How simple.  Wired but not mired.  Check it out, post the link to your muxtape in the comments!

Filed under: music, The Internet

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Electronic Explorations

August 11th, 2008

Here we go a 3-in-1 post that should get your groove on for at least a week.

#1  Electronic Explorations podcast

The world of electronic music either stagnated between about 1997 and 2007 or I was busy doing other things.  At any rate, that season is over and interesting sounds are beginning to sprout up again.  And the best source I can find for the best new music first is Rob Booth’s Electronic Explorations podcast which appears every week for 1.5 hours or more and includes a mix from one of the scene’s best.  The other two points I’m about to make are descendents of that point because he had a pretty fantastic show this week.

#2 Amon Tobin bends a new joint monthly

Even people who don’t self identify as electronic music fans seem to really enjoy the sounds of Amon Tobin.  I thin it has a lot to do with the way the sound he creates is rooted in the organic world.  Heavily processed, sure, but palatable.  Currently Mr. Tobin is releasing a series of one “joint” each month via his website.  I highly recommend you get yourself some of these.  Here’s a quality-reduced version of the June joint called Delpher:

There’s something in this that creates pictures in my head of a machine that only Stanislaw Lem could properly describe.  Hard without being dark.  Exacting, patient.  Optimistic about the result.  Willing and able with the effort.  Slow.  Sloooooooww.  Unf.  Ungf!

At any rate, you should stop by AmonTobin.com just to experience what a website could be.  While you’re there you can download high quality versions of a bunch of his music, including the Delpher track sampled here.

#3 Sick Rebel

I have had a vision of the future.  A child conceived this month is 13 years old in the year 2022.  A time of life when outer space and video games fascinate young minds.  A history lesson requires this student learn what the Apollo missions were all about and solve any one of the Mario series of games produced before the year 2003.  For historical perspective, of course.  Try to understand why this child finds the Mario portion of the assignment so boring as you imagine what kind of music will be in the background of the games they normally play, in 2022.

Dubstep producer Sick Rebel creates a collage of music that takes you there on this track called Apollo, from a forthcoming EP on Blood Tribe records.

Filed under: audio, music

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Cashback

July 29th, 2008

Last night I re-watched a movie I had sorta forgotten about, a movie that really makes me think about the way I appreciate beauty and time. And for all that, it’s a kind of simple story about a normal, sensitive guy. It is called Cashback because the main character, Ben, gets a job at a supermarket. But he really looks at it as though he’s selling his time to the man and the man gives him cash (back). I won’t tell you any more because I don’t want to spoil it, but I should warn you that if you’re afraid of the female anatomy, this might not be the right movie for you. It is tastefully and wonderfully done (camera, sound, casting) and it won a fistfull of awards, mostly Internationally, but it was nominated for an Oscar (not that any of that really means anything).

Of all the strangely familiar things about this movie, it was the song that played during the end credits that clinched it for me. A hauntingly familiar and yet strange song that was playing on my shuffle and for months while I was loving it but didn’t realize who or what it was.

Royskopp’s What Else Is There?

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Filed under: audio, Movies, music

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until ($OVER) do ( work_it(foreach @adverb));

July 25th, 2008

While reading the slack-hacker blog this week I noticed a link to graphjam, a site by the same peeps who did LoLcats that is all about graphs that amuse.   Here’s an example that cracked me up:

 

If you’re unfamiliar with or suddenly feel the need to listen to Daft Punk, here you go:

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Summer’s Sampled Sounds

June 20th, 2008

Happy Friday, friends.  As the last hours of Spring slip by I want to give you all the chance to fill your .mp3 players with the summer’s party tunes.  First, recently returned from another round of demonstrating their signature Bootie sound around the globe, NYC taste-makers AplusD have just today posted a double-shot of top-ten bootleg tracks proven to fill dancefloors (and headphones) from Hong Kong to Copenhagen in the last couple of months.  You can download all twenty tracks from links in their blog.  Special mention goes out toDj BC’s Stop the Violence in Africa, because it makes lift my hands up and say (as this mash-up thing so often does) Boogie Down Productions vs. Toto?  Who knew?!

And if you’re not already familiar with AplusD, they’ve got more of their favorite tracks available on their website.

And just yesterday Greg Gillis, whom you probably know as Girl Talk, released the latest and best album-length mashup yet Feed The Animals to the Internet on a pay-what-you-feel-you-should-pay system similar to what Radiohead did with In Rainbows.

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Rawk Owt!

June 12th, 2008

A few weeks ago J&M got RockBand for their PS2. I was skeptical and when I’m not playing I still am a little bit skeptical. However, when I’m playing … I am a superstar! (at least in my head)

Photo by Jeffy

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