Wednesday, July 6, 2011

MACKEREL SKY


This post has words about technology followed by some music:

Apple’s overt commitment to the dominant model of cloud computing and its vision of highly portable, slimmed down machines that function primarily as access points to networks of “private” and public data was perhaps the most overt endorsement of this model by any large hardware manufacturer. As alluring as it may be, the promise of actually practical multi-touch and the other as of yet unrealized platforms built specifically to take advantage of the cloud has fogged over some of the consequences of relying on such a system. One of the key considerations is how this shift will affect content creation by individuals, specifically as it applies to creating and editing music and digital multimedia objects.

Two generations’ preferred methods of self-expression have been shaped by an unprecedented access to powerful, portable computers. Visual artists, designers, filmmakers, and musicians have embraced software and accessories designed to operate with these machines, giving the personal laptop the role of studio, editing suite, portfolio storage space, reference library, performance aid, and nearly everything in between. Apple itself helped create this phenomenon, with its best-selling MacBook having become almost standard issue equipment for incoming college freshmen.

What of it? While, in the long term and especially if you’re a transhumanist, the shift to the cloud will probably be a good thing, the short term poses a few problems.

With consumer computing likely shifting towards lighter, less powerful “network portals,” the demand for other computing platforms will at some point drop. In turn, making machines equivalent to what was once viewed as standard more expensive. The pacing of how quickly the general public comes to rely on these cloud-dependent devices and services will determine how disruptive this is. After all, computers are getting exponentially faster all the time, so theoretically, these more portable devices will become powerful enough to fill the roles of their less sexy predecessors. Though it’s likely they eventually will, keep in mind that the newest computing technologies take time to filter down to consumer platforms. Like I said, it’s a possible short-term problem. Long-term, your smaller devices will likely be able to link wirelessly to form a modular computing system or you’ll have 8 chips in your brain. Magic. Something cool.

Secondly, think about what exactly will you be accessing from these nodes. In addition to all the stuff you’d currently expect to find on uh, the Internet, the majority of your personal data storage will likely be held on remote servers, rather than a hard drive in your physical proximity or integrated into your computer. At the time of writing, iPads are already creating 1% of global web traffic. That’s admittedly small for now, but for perspective, consider that iPhones currently make up 2.9% of web traffic in the United States, with Android phones coming in close behind at 2.6%. this clearly demonstrates the quick proliferation and bandwidth reliant nature of the device. Adoption of similar platforms and their increased emphasis on streamed media and reliance remote access to data will create a general need for greater bandwidth that there may or may not be infrastructure for. Currently: infrastructure not there. Later on: hope so.

Not to mention the vulnerable nature of the services that depend on the cloud. If a cloud server goes, everything relying on it for data storage goes, too.

The cloud is exciting because it is a powerful, possibly world changing concept whose biggest boons and dangers are likely yet to be imagined. In the long term, it will likely reshape the creative inclinations of those who have access to it in new ways as well.

I’ve put some thought into this, but if you’ve put more, please do share. What are you the most excited about for the future of cloud computing? What are your concerns?

Now here is some music I think is worth hearing and images worth seeing:



Tuesday, June 7, 2011

WARBLE AND SHIMMY

Where has SIMIAN been? Many places, children. Many places. But he's here now and has come bearing music. On to that

MUSIC
The banjo isn't just for Steve Martin and Kermit the Frog anymore, accomplished musicians though they may be. Jess Williamson's thoughtful songs use this often pigeonholed instrument as a means to string intricately emotional, holistic little moments in to narratives that are dreamlike both in their relation to each other and their scope. The lilt and purr of the vox is almost enough to make you ignore the more ambient approach of some of the backing instruments, but the latter, manned by Austin, TX's own Matt Simon, Jason Chronis, and Eli Welbourne, help make this EP feel much larger than its 5 tracks. Don't take my word for it: get ye to Bandcamp


Even with the soap opera on its last legs, telenovelas live on with Mexico City-based outfit ÑAKA ÑAKA's latest track, "FANTORAMA DRAMA PLUS." This gritty lo-NRG track wraps synth fuzz around your head and leaves it there to smother you in its VHS quality drama. When salamanders start showing up, don't question it. You can enjoy more, including a really amazing mix on Souncloud

Lastly, Wooden is quickly becoming a reliable go-to for chill out music that doesn't make your skin crawl after 5 minutes. Yellow Pipes of Eternity incorporates acoustic instruments into the usual heavily affected/effected loopscapes, yielding a sound that's at once familiar and bizarre. This isn't music that resigns itself to the background, it's music that runs there as quick as it can and owns it. Certainly not pop, but it is, in its own way, quite accessible. WITNESS more on Bandcamp.

Monday, March 14, 2011

AWTHUMFETHT 6666 3/15/11

SXSWi not interactive enough for you? WONDER AT THE POWER OF AWTHUM. 6 years and running strong, this event is one of the last true refuges of the underground at SXSW. Every year is different. Every year is AWTHUM. THIS INFORMATION IS THE SOLUTION:

"~2:00- LEAD PIPE : Anxious avant-sleaze terrorism, virulently hypomanic funeral funk, corporate porno-pagan improvisation.
~2:35- XPPR5-9 : Borecore
~3:10- MISSIONS : Intergalactic nu-satanic domehouse.
~3:45- BOY FRIEND : Rhythm & bitches b strikin’ again
~4:20- COPPERTONE (LA) : Militantly ethereal crimson wave
~4:55- FLORENE (Denton) : Transcendental space-age motorik
~5:30- ZORCH : Swirl of mind-bending atmospheric rising noise sculptors
~6:05- Archibald Adams and His Shimmering War Choir : 
Pre-Peter Pan post-pubescent fairy island afro-art-rockhouse
~6:40- SILENT DIANE : Human Paranoiac Methods/A Constitution of Dis-belief/Pure Moods
~7:15- BLACK GUM : Sun-Baked Coleman Beach Cooler of Drug-Wave 
~7:50- GOD’S GUN : Slagwave (ex-Cry Blood Apache)
~8:25- SL▲GB▲G : maximal synth / tape house 
~9:00 - LITTLE STOLEN MOMENTS: A gang of three rabid tramps dancing to carefully selected tunes for your visceral pleasure
~9:35- JETU : angular french fundamentalist brainy zainy duo
(Patrick Healy & Sam Sayre)
+++
LIVE MESMERIZING ECSTATIC VISUAL EXPERIENCES BY:
Ryder Ripps (NYC) : http://ryder-ripps.com/
Stephen Fishman : http://www.macandcheez.com/
Amanda Joy : http://vimeo.com/eihitv"
Wurhaus 5305 Bolm Rd. #2
The same + more details (here)
CONTINUE TO REALITY

Thursday, February 24, 2011

STORIES OF THE ONE TRUE TROPHY TREE

Welcome to the first ZinBin music post in quite some time. Some of the music here is free. Some it you have to pay for. All of it is worth the time to listen. You've probably heard a bunch of this.

BEGIN

HONEYDRUM
Honeydrum came onto my radar a few weeks ago when I received a carrier pigeon notifying me of the release of Saturdays. The driving beats and deadpan vocals, along with a complex melodic treatment of what could have easily been flat, do-nothing for me lo-fi, made an immediate impression. When a few weeks later a small heron delivered The Summer Wants You to Be Dead, their latest tape, it soon found its way into my default daily listening regimen, much as its predecessor had. There's not much *n*e*w* here, but who cares? What's here is awesome. Can only hope this rapid-fire cadence of releases keeps up. Follow the links above for free downloads, tapes, and more recordings.

o F F
o F F's latest release, disenchanted fairytale, is a collection of heartbreaking vignettes that somehow dodges the dehumanizing affect that extensive manipulation of pitches and rhythms can create. Simplified hip hop beats laden with carefully applied production touches buoy similarly treated piano and synth. Nothing is overblown or dragged out. It's an introspective take on the 93|\|.-3 7|-|@ |\/|U$7 |\|07 83 |\|4|\/|3|) that chooses brevity and tact over esoteric gloom. Available for digital download above or on cassette from Clan Destine Records.

ESKIMEAUX
Coco's OCD first brought eskimeaux to my attention a few weeks ago with a track from Ixsixán, which is a cool album, though I have not bothered to think about how it would be pronounced. Please share suggestions in the comments. Not long after, Two Mountains worked its way to my inbox.

It quickly became clear that there was something special going on here. Gabrielle Smith's tracks range from heavily orchestrated to ballads ("Hills") to the relatively tame guitar plucking of "Nothing" to the baby-Enya-crammed-into-two-minutes-thirty-seconds of "For Power Animal." The eclectic approach of the songwriting and production are reminiscent of some of Phil Elverum's less esoteric efforts. This all begs the question of whether eskimeaux will focus on a particular approach in the future or continue to diversify her sound. Either way, I'm probably down.

DUNCAN MALASHOCK
Duncan Malashock's Let's Make Sure Everything is a Thing is now available for your listening and buying please from ATX imprint Monofonous Press. There's a whole lot going on here. The tunes are a little bit zolo, a little bit psych, and way more than likely to deny your expectations of what's coming next. The underwater vocals, charged synth, dreamy guitar, and faithfully pounding drums all fit, but in an odd, charming way. Listening is the gateway to understanding.

W-H-I-T-E
While you're waiting for W-H-I-T-E's Twin Tigers (FYI that's an ablum) to come out on 3/14, check out this single. Tasty remix of "Fountain" by Amen Dunes included. And yeah, you can download it for free (here). What's it sound like? I could throw a lot of synonyms for dreamy at you, but that seems unappealing right now. What I will say is that where it'd be easy to wash out everything into a big mess, W-H-I-T-E pulls each bit to the surface and makes it shine. It's excessive in an intentional, controlled way that's extremely gratifying.

HUMAN RESOURCES
Human Resources, proud purveyor of sample-ridden guitar pop, has released a 7-inch entitled Saving Lady/Pauline. It's a tripped out affair replete with nods to the finest points of culture, including Donkey Kong, Beyonce, and music criticism. Plus, having someone explain stuff to you in a pleasing tone accompanied by intriguing music is really appealing (see: Carl Sagan and John Berger). The EP is available for streaming (here) and purchase (here). Eye Bodega is also planning to release a VHS of collaged footage set to the music of this and past HR releases.

BONUS

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

WODIN'S NIGHT OUT

It's been a bit. Hugs. Will explain later, meanwhile here is some stuff to do

TONIGHT (WEDNESDAY 2/16)

MUSIC (LIVE)
New favorite Mueran Hermanos have brought their brand of miasmic pop all the way from Berlin for you to enjoy. Bless you, Wierd Night, you and all your children. Details (here)


MUSIC (CURATED RECORDINGS)
Go walking, dancing, and drinking after midnight with a very special No Nonsense edition of Country Night. Ok, actually you should show up before midnight for the full effect (read: there might be pie). There are more details (here) and a special slow cooked rack of mixtape (here)

Two weeks into their winter residency, Harrison Owen and Todd Brooks ov Pendu continue to fill Manhattan Inn with all the dark spectacle and dense vibes you'd expect from this duo. Be sure to stop in next Wednesday, as well. But don't take my word for it, Facebook it for yourself (here)

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The weekly dose of post-human jams known as No Humans has moved to 151 Rivington Bar this week. To celebrate, they're even allowing in current-humans. Tolerance is catching on. Get your info upload and watch vids (here)

GHE20 G0TH1K returns with a celebration of NY Fashion Week or Egypt or Valentine's Day or Wednesday? Something. Wear red or white. Fake blood will be provided, so no need to bring your own. Further information (here)

STAY TUNED

Friday, December 17, 2010

2010'S TOP 10 ALBUMS LIST

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Been getting alot of requests for yearly top 10 lists: best, albums/EPs, singles, songs, videos, jokes, ways to launder money, meals under $5, etc. So, I've decided to keep it simple and just to a 10 best albums of the year list. One catch though, because I need your help

MATERIALS NEEDED
large hat, pot, or other enclosed container with an opening at the top large enough to fit your hand through
something to write on that can be turned into smaller pieces
something to write with
your personal taste
the power of *・゜゚・*:.。.IMAGINATION.。.:*・゜*・*:.。. .。.:*・゜゚ ゜゚・* !!!!!

STEP ONE
Take your something to write on and turn it into 10 pieces

STEP TWO
Write the names of your ten favorite albums of the year, one on each piece of your something to write on, ranking each according to preference

STEP THREE
Place the ten pieces of things to write on that you have now written on inside your container

STEP FOUR
Shake vigorously. Repeat, if necessary

STEP FIVE
Remove ten pieces of things to write on that you wrote on from your container. You may need to widen the container's opening, if you did not account for the massive size of your hand

STEP 6
Squeal with joy as you slowly realize your taste is being validated

STEP 7
Revisit in a year and mock for short sightedness

STEP 8
Repeat

Works like a charm. Enjoy!

What are your fav "best of" lists?

Monday, November 8, 2010

ZINBIN NEEDS YOU

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A few months ago several comrades and I began soliciting you, our friends, and the Internet at large for submissions for an online publication that we tentatively titled "¿?¿?¿?¿?" MAG. The merit and scope of the response we received absolutely blew our minds. There was gold in them there submissions, gold, I tells ye! GOLD. Prospector talk aside, we were and are amazed and gratified by the enthusiasm of everyone who submitted

I (SIMIAN G.) began laying out what was shaping up to be an amazing little cultural artifact, when something terribly shitty happened: my copy of inDesign stopped working and corrupted my main layout file. So now it's with humility and hope I'm compelled to ask for your further collaboration in this effort

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

Design types, want to build your portfolio/craft work by young artists from across these fair United States into something awesome and cohesive? YOU CAN

Anyone want to hit me with a inDesign license? YOU CAN

Moral support? YOU CAN

Sound good? CONTACT: zinenblogen@gmail.com

Thanks and let's do this!

BONUZ