Sunday 27 December 2009

If you're bored


Two sites ideal for killing time.


First, Vice magazine's DOS and DONTS.

http://www.viceland.com/int/dos.php


And second, texts from last night, interesting insight to American college students.

http://www.textsfromlastnight.com/


(and of course youtube, with videos like this: Year 2009 in autotune )


Wednesday 16 December 2009

The artist formelly known as Kimarr


Juuso Malin is one of my favourite artists. He also seems to have lots of different projects going on.  

He used to produce some nice hip-hop tracks with the alias Kimarr with nice synth sounds.  This era sparked the 'Miss you already' ep in year 2005. Of which the title track appeared also in the soundtrack of 'Tyttö sinä olet tähti' movie. It features rapping from Tommishock and they also made a full lenght cd called 'Perfect strangers'. It's really dark and grimy album. They said in an interview for Basso magazine that the album is about the different personalities people have to use for work, personal life etc. And about growing as a person and about madness. Here's the title track from the album:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvMPPO_zBvw

They talked about doing an album that was rapped in Finnish, but in the end I think only one song "Olemme" (found in spotify: Tommishock & Kimarr – Olemme) got released on Mestarisoundi 2007 soundcheck collection.  Kimarr also did some beats and remixes for other artists.  Especially the song 'Lume' by Pyhimys from the album 'Tulva' is great. Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nac-ADPNqWM

It caused some serious controversy when it was released. Pyhimys had released under a year before album that was praised by the "Finnish-rap scene". Now suddenly he released a very unconventional track with a beat that reminds The Knife and trance music. So basically all the "true rap" guys hated it and all the rest loved. I personally of course loved it so much that I must have constituted for at least third of the listens in MySpace.

Also from the Kimarr time originates the four splendid pose it up mixtapes. They were released in web and also in physical form as cd:s that were given for free in several record and clothing stores in Helsinki and at his dj gigs. I got only the third one but it got lost somewhere :( I think originally the first one was sort of a "abc of indie posing" and then it got three sequels. My favourite is the number three, which I listened for the whole summer and it's one of those mixtapes that I know every point the track changes by heart. At least the last one is still available in missingtoof:

http://missingtoof.com/2007/11/03/kimarr-pose-it-up-4/


After this in 2008 Kimarr started the Ka So Re project. Soon after this it was announced on his myspace that Kimarr is dead.

Ka So Re is straight on synth dance pop, or something eightiesque, I'm not good with genres. In any case, it's really good. The 'Petite' ep was released by Gaea records and had five songs and 2 remixes.  Here's the title track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UziqwX5Nb0I

The ep can also be found in spotify:  KA SO RE – Petite EP and of course it's sold in many digital music stores.

Ka So Re has done some (great) gigs with the Skweee-star Eero Johannes around Finland. I of course haven't seen any as I'm living in the hard core punk capital of Finland and haven't been able to be in any correct place at any correct time. (As I'm just wandering around randomly in time and space). But hopefully someday I manage. There also was nice Spring got cancelled mictape in the beginning of 2009. It hit well as it had sorts of minimal feel and I had just randomly wandered to Berlin and out around that time.  

The most recent activity of Ka So Re I've heard about is the remix of the, rising indie pop comet of 2009,  Zebra & Snake's song Colours (which I also happen to love). It's found in both of their myspace so I'm not giving any links for this one. 

And now we finally get in to the point. Which is the newest alias Femme en fourrure. This one is more techy and minimal (as given indication by the Ka So Re mixtape) with heavy bass. I stumbled upon it while I was watching through videos of Miikka Lommi to show hmm, an assbrush to my firend. Finding the aforementioned brush took some time, but finally I found it and also happened to see new video by the Femme en fourrure. I didn't realize it was again another project for mr. Malin this time with guy called Bianca, but I thought that the guy in video sure looked like him. And finally, today I stumbled upon this name again and realized that it was indeed him. There is links to two mixtapes in their myspace and there's a remix of some song by some french artist that I don't know in discobelle:

http://www.discobelle.net/2009/12/08/train-to-bamako/

There is also single coming out in January from Top Billin and, TADAH, finally here is the video from which the whole text originates:

Femme En Fourrure - Plump Biscuit from miikka lommi on Vimeo.

Enjoy.



Nize mix


Dj Fiskars, of Top billin fame, has made a mix of the week, and it contains a XX song so it's obviously good:


You'll find it here: http://mixoftheweek.com/mixes/motw284.html


I've heard praise for the other mixes also and those what I've heard are good good good.

Jamo mark of approval to this one.

Monday 14 December 2009

Prague (and Berlin) Street art

I was doing my erasmus studies in Prague last spring. While wandering around in the city I took photos of some more interesting street art stuff with my phone. Now finally I got them sorted. Here are some of the better ones:







more photos can be found:

here





Saturday 12 December 2009

Great music videos

http://www.fallonyoursword.com/


This site has caused some serious addiction. Especially the part about the mountain and climbing it.  Very clever mixing of the videos and extra nerd points for using material from Star Trek.










Thursday 10 December 2009

Some super-sweet electro-pop for the wintertime

Well as we have snow again I can sincerely say that it's winter. I've been listening some cheering up dance music recently because for some reason I have been in really good mood for a while, aven if I don't have anything special to cheer about currently.


Well, enough of small talk, this is my first music post so what would be better track to open it with than one of my favourites for past few years. I'm talking about incredibly cheerful Fred Falke from France and his remix of the Whites boy alive's song Golden cage. It was quite a big hit in summer 2008, but still works:

The Whitest Boy Alive - Golden Cage (Fred Falke remix)

Let's continue with a band that has links with the previous one. The New wine is from Bergen Norway and Erlend Øye of King of convenience and The Whitest boy alive fame is their friend. They had an ep downloadable in their myspace while back and this is my favourite from the four songs:

The New Wine - Revolving Cylinder


Then from Norway across the border to our sweet Finland. Villa nah has gained quite much hype already, including featuring in Jori Hulkkonen's new album and a podium place in Rumba magazine's and YleX radio station's "Dozen of the future" "ranking" of the best rising acts in Finland along with Jaakko&Jay and Les Corps mince du whatever. I finally got the three song VN Ep last monday and I love it. I'm waiting eagerly for the release of their LP, produced by the aforementioned Hulkkonen. Here's quite crappy quality live version of the song "Ways to be" from last summer's Flow festival.

Villa Nah - Ways to be (Live in flow 09)


And what would be better to top this post than fresh Hot Chip single from their next album coming in the beginning of 2010. Practically nothing to say about this, just enjoy:


Hot Chip - Take it in




More sci-fi listing

Connecting to the previous post, Popcrunch has made list of 40 hottest gals in Sci-fi. There are definetly some missing. Like the fact that there is no one from Farscape and I could have also added Daryl Hannah as Pris from Blade runner just because she was Pris in Blade runner. Well to be honest there is nothing to complain even now, enjoy :)


http://www.popcrunch.com/hottest-women-of-sci-fifantasy-40-31/




Wired listed their favourite Sci-fi movies



The Wired Magazine listed their favourite Sci-fi movies of all time divided into two groups, pre- and post- Star-Wars. The list looks good, I'm definetly using day or two of my x-mas holiday to crosscheck few items from the list.

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2009/09/scifi-flicks-2/


 

Is this on?

Hi. This is my blog. It's supposed to be collection of things that I find interesting in web (and in more tradiotional media). If someone else find them interesting too, that's even nicer.

Some background info.

I'm in my mid twenties and about to graduate from Techincal university next summer(ish). I live in South-Eastern Finland. I'm very interested in many things, including pop-culture, indie music, sports, war history, street art and science fiction to name few. So the posts will be quite varied.


(And yes, I know, no one will ever read this blog)