Archinect - Mixtape

The Shins - Simple Song

2012-03-21T02:23:00-04:00

Ai yai yai, 'nectors, haven't posted any new mixtape music in quite a while, but today is definitely a good day because The Shins have - after a five year break - released a new album this very Tuesday: Port of Morrow.

Need to give the album a few more listens before I'll fully get into it again, but here's already the first single release, Simple Song.

James Blake - Limit To Your Love

2012-01-14T01:59:00-05:00

2011 was all about the (commercial) rise and musical evolution of dubstep. The sound ultimately went global, noticeably matured, and subgenres wildly sprouted in all directions.

One name mentioned over and over for taking the spectrum far beyond the reaches of just post-dubstep, towards the realms of soul and minimalism, is James Blake. His deconstructed cover of Feist's Limit To Your Love blurs the established genre lines and leaves pleasant confusion. ("What's with that bass??")

Although already released in 2010 as a single, Limit To Your Love also completed Blake's 2011 self-titled debut album, became an instant hit, and laid the foundation to a very good year for the young Brit.

Stay tuned for more 2011 Best Ofs.

Africa Hitech - Caveman Style

2012-01-11T02:07:00-05:00

2012 is almost two weeks old, and the new year smell is quickly wearing off. Time to highlight some of the biggest tunes of '11.

Starting us off are bass fetishists Africa Hitech who are slowly starting to creep me out - they seem to have a secret access to the part of my brain where I store the music I would like listening to some time in the future. Their 2011 debut album 93 Million Miles pushes all kinds of envelopes of electronic music, and the track Caveman Style is the raw bass-in-the-face growl mama always warned me about. Turn your woofer up, and prepare to get punched in the stomach.

More 2011 goodies soon.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Tsukema Tsukeru

2012-01-09T01:29:00-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!

I admit, I've been absent for a while, ugh. But since nobody likes listening to poor excuses, let's rather start the musical year off on a rather...quirky note.

The song is つけまつける (Tsukema Tsukeru) by teenage Japanese shooting star きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ (Kyary Pamyu Pamyu). Tsukema Tsukeru (in English, "putting on fake eyelashes") is also the title of Kyary's first full-length studio album which will be released this Wednesday.

A word of caution before you dive into the video below - don't watch it, if you have a history of epilepsy or fear of bad acid flashbacks. Otherwise, please enjoy.

Abba - Happy New Year

2011-12-31T02:05:46-05:00

Dear Archinecteurs, the end is nigh, of 2011 that is, so let's all grab a glass of chilled bubbly and softly sway into this new year with the most beautiful sad Happy New Year song ever written.

Happy 2012 everyone!

Amy Vinehouse - Valerie

2011-12-18T02:48:24-05:00

've been listening to a lot of Amy Winehouse recently since her posthumous compilation album Lioness: Hidden Treasures came out Dec 2.

The track Valerie, a cover of the 2006 song by The Zutons, was produced in 2007 for fellow English musician Mark Ronson.

London remains officially swinging.

Jamie xx - Far Nearer

2011-12-14T21:38:40-05:00

It's Wednesday night, I'm in a swell mood, time for Jamie xx's 2011 summer smash hit, Far Nearer. Yes, also because that pink cover is so pretty.

If you're craving more of those snare-heavy chopped beats, make sure to check the Jamie xx Shuffle of Adele's Rolling In The Deep.

Dark Sky - Reflex

2011-12-09T02:33:32-05:00

It's Thursday, and this week is tumbling along sluggishly. Need to take in something more upbeat. The hypnotic Reflex by dubstep darlings Dark Sky to the rescue.

Cold War Kids - Santa Ana Winds

2011-12-05T03:06:00-05:00

We've experienced a few very stormy days here in SoCal before the weekend, strong enough to knock out power supply for thousands of homes and businesses...including our Archinect HQ here in Pasadena, one of the areas hit the hardest by the infamous annual Santa Anas.

What better song to play than Cold War Kids' Santa Anna Winds.

Please watch your head.

Fool's Gold - Surprise Hotel

2011-11-30T00:52:49-05:00

It's Tuesday, time to pick up the pace already.

Surprise Hotel by the extra sunny LA collective Fool's Gold should do the trick.

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and the Cairo Gang - New Wonder

2011-11-29T03:17:03-05:00

Monday, a new week is upon us. Luring with crisp opportunities while stealing the tranquillité of a freshly faded weekend.

So let's take this slow for now.

The song is the absolutely beautiful New Wonder from Island Brothers, the 2011 release by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and the Cairo Gang. Buy this album - apparently the proceeds are being donated to fund humanitarian help in (yes, still) earthquake-ridden Haiti.

Plus, I have a very soft spot for music by men with, likewise, soft and massive beards.

Cut Chemist - Spat

2011-11-22T03:03:18-05:00

TGIM everybody!

Monday is the new Friday, and the weekend is almost upon us. Time to celebrate - Cut Chemist, play us some of that funky shiat!

Nobukazu Takemura - Icefall

2011-11-21T02:04:54-05:00

Sunday afternoon, rain keeps pouring from the dark SoCal skies, sounds like Icefall from Nobukazu Takemura's 1999 album Scope.

FunkinEven - Rolands Jam

2011-11-16T00:31:39-05:00

FunkinEven's latest jam pleasantly keeps what the title promises: tasty 909 drum treats with a twisted 303 acid frosting. Old skool beats with all the works.

Also check out FunkinEven's other master jams, Heartpound, She's Acid, Another Space, and the great collabo with Fatima, On The Go.

Dexter Gordon - Scrapple From The Apple

2011-11-13T02:53:53-05:00

For your weekend midnight musings, the 1947 Charlie Parker bebop classic, Scrapple From The Apple, here interpreted by jazz tenor saxophone legend Dexter Gordon & band in 1963.

A one, two, a one, two, three, four...

Azari & III - Hungry For The Power

2011-11-10T03:09:21-05:00

There are certain tunes you just can't get out of your system anymore. Shotcrete-like, they're stuck somewhere between mid-ear canal and your mushy brain biscuit, haunting the poor soul at every waking and sleeping hour.

Toronto-based act Azari & III are specialized on this field and have, for years, been cranking out extrasticky acid house tracks that no musical cotton swab can remove.

Today's suggested track is the hypnotic Hungry For The Power, but don't be afraid to also load up on the equally lasting Reckless With Your Love and the new single Manic.

Consider yourself warned.

Surfer Blood - Swim

2011-11-06T22:14:44-05:00

It's a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon here in Los Angeles (puts the stress on the second line in Albert Hammond's "It Never Rains in Southern California": "It pours, man, it pours"), so to compliment the cup of hot earl grey tea that's pleasantly hugging me from inside, I want some Surfer Blood on my ears. The track is "Swim" from their critically acclaimed 2010 debut album "Astro Coast".

It pours, man, it pours indeed.

Autechre - Gantz Graf

2011-11-02T02:57:42-04:00

Fourteen years ago, it was my first year of architecture school, I happened to be introduced to an architecture I had never heard of before but had always been looking for: deconstructivism. I instantly gave my heart away and arranged countless yearning rendezvous with my secret crushes Woods, Hadid, Berkel, Gehry and Libeskind at the university's library in the "D" section. Never before was the notion of speed, movement and dynamic aggression in architecture so apparent and appealing to me, and my mind immediately started wandering off dissecting the shapes, forms and volumes into vectors and nurbs and keyframes and tweens and beats and sounds and bleeps and clicks, inserting glitches and dissonances and fragmented harmonies and scars that made me feel happy and challenged.

"Gantz Graf" by the ever so shy IDM visionaries Autechre, in conjunction with Alex Rutterford's critically acclaimed video for the track, is the perfect love song for my very first academic romance.

Rebecca Black - Friday, as performed by Bob Dylan

2011-10-28T21:48:28-04:00

Friday, 6:32 pm, and the office air is full of TGIF.

I'm in a goofy mood, so I'll leave you with the ultimate weekend song: "Friday" by the impertinently talented Rebecca Black, here performed by some guy called Bob Dylan.

6:35 pm, party and party and yeah.

The Chariot - Daggers

2011-10-28T02:58:54-04:00

What's with the long face, eh? Too many harp posts? Too much acoustic and not enough electricity in those strings? Too much estrogen and not enough schwetty balls? Too much shoulder padding and not enough getting-kicked-in-the-face? Okay. I get it. You want some dark bread. I give you Georgia's finest: The Chariot. The song is a real face melter, "Daggers" from their 2009 album "Wars and Rumors of Wars".

Also happens to be the best no budget-looking video that probably wasn't that cheap.

Joanna Newsom - Bridges and Balloons

2011-10-27T03:08:16-04:00

After yesterday's Active Child post, I got TOTALLY FLOODED with flaming requests for more harp music. (Actually, that's not true, but I always wanted to say that.) I do however have a soft spot for rock 'n roll's badassest string instrument, so as a well suiting follow-up, I gleefully present you "Bridges and Balloons", the opening song on the debut album of California singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom.

The video, by the way, is a student work and was created by Jovana Sarver at the arts magnet high school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. So don't you dare to cut funding for primary and secondary education as you say you would once you were U.S. President, candidate Rick Perry.

But that's a whole different story. Harps, please!

Active Child - You Are All I See

2011-10-26T03:37:41-04:00

Whoa, apologies for slacking on the blog posts. Ugh. Guess I owe you a real good one today, eh?

Alright, here's the extra dreamy "You Are All I See" by LA's Active Child. I'm currently obsessed with this act: Pat Grossi's angelesque choir boy voice over thick layers of pop synthies, borderline post-dubstep beats, and - ah snap - harps!

The latest album "You Are All I See" just came out a few weeks ago, and I highly recommend to also give the previous release, "Curtis Lane", an intense listen. The opening track "I'm In Your Church At Night" is chamber pop par excellence.

Mos Def in Japan

2011-10-20T03:01:54-04:00

I'm a little busy this week, so I'll leave you with a very nice mini documentary on Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def. The good folks from Current TV followed him around on his The Ecstatic tour through Japan, talking about da real hip hop, fashion, burgers, and, sure, the fascination with Japanese culture.

Right below the docu is a video of the world premiere of Fix Up, the latest output from Mos Def/Yasiin Bey's legendary collaboration with Talib Kweli as Black Star, on Comedy Central's Colbert Report.

Stay classy, warriors. It's a class war.

Venetian Snares - Szerencsétlen

2011-10-18T03:03:19-04:00

In the creative world, ingenuity and insanity often come in pairs. In the case of Aaron Funk, the Winnipeg, Canada-based electronic music producer known as Venetian Snares, they're indistinguishable. With many of his releases, like Winnipeg Is a Frozen Shithole, The Chocolate Wheelchair Album, Winnipeg Is A Dogshit Dildo, or A Giant Alien Force More Violent & Sick Than Anything You Can Imagine, it's impossible to tell which sounds were born from the blessed and which ones from the tormented part of his brain.

The 2005 album Rossz csillag alatt született (Hungarian for "Born Under a Bad Star", a Hungarian expression for "cursed from birth") marks another brilliant highlight; masterfully blending classical string and brass arrangements with highly intricate breakcore beats. The concept of the album came when Funk imagined himself as a pigeon on Budapest's Királyi Palota, the Royal Palace (says so Wikipedia).

Buckle up, everybody, this ride is wild.

Jonathan Wilson - Desert Raven

2011-10-15T02:41:25-04:00

Happy weekend, everyone! Today's track lets you transition extra smoothly from the work week hustle into a (hopefully) chill Sat+Sun package: Desert Raven by Jonathan Wilson.

I don't know much about him yet, other than he's an LA-based psychedelic folk singer-songwriter, and his latest album, Gentle Spirit, is beautifully gentle indeed. Somewhere between Elliott Smith, Midlake, and Beck (referring to Sea Change). Great weekend soundtrack.

Enjoy.

Metronomy - The Look

2011-10-13T02:41:28-04:00

When it comes to spot-on style, Metronomy is surely earning plenty of brownie points these days. The Look, the band's second single from the 2011 album, The English Riviera, features a hypnotically looped organ hook, a bitter-sweet bass riff that sticks, one of those sentimental British guitars that I like so much, and, oh well, a cute chick on the drums. What's not to love?

The video, directed by Lorenzo Fonda, finds itself in good company with a handful other very well styled Metronomy motion visuals. I highly recommend to also check out the geometric 80s charme of the follow up video, The Bay.

Public Enemy - Fight The Power

2011-10-12T02:59:18-04:00

In the face of nationwide protests and widespread occupation of corporate architectural symbols (and as of lately, also CEO residential neighborhoods), now would actually be an excellent time for Public Enemy to come back. After all, it's been 22 years since Fight The Power. If only the 2011 Flavor Flav wasn't such an unreliable corporate media clown... #occupywallstreet

Ponytail - Celebrate The Body Electric (It Came From an Angel)

2011-10-11T02:18:46-04:00

These days, it doesn't happen very often that a musical act can catch me completely off guard, put a lasting smile on my stern face and have me crow, now THAT's the stuff!

One of these happy occasions was caused earlier this year by Baltimore-based artsy rockers Ponytail. Celebrate The Body Electric (It Came From an Angel), taken from the sympathetic 4-piece's 2008 record Ice Cream Spiritual, is a carazy 7-minute roller coaster ride that pleasantly clears your palette and leaves nothing but happy feelings behind.

Update: I'm saddened to find out that the band ceased to exist just last month. I couldn't wait to finally see them perform live. There, stern face again.

Jan Jelinek & Visomat Inc. - Modell Statt Berlin

2011-10-10T01:37:30-04:00

Time for Mixtape's sophomore post: I decided to stay very close to the realm of architecture and chose "Modell Statt Berlin" as the first featured track in this series. A short film collaboration from 2004 between Berlin-based minimal techno and glitch house wunderkind Jan Jelinek (a.k.a. Farben, Gramm, and many others) and media artists Visomat Inc., the music builds up slowly, introduces its looped sound modules, breaks them down just to reloop them again, corresponding to the visuals that depict a model of East Berlin.

Jazz in the Clicks & Cuts age. Enjoy.

Hello World.

2011-10-09T02:59:39-04:00

Legend has it that we architects are selling frozen music, so to gladsomely diversify the origin of our creative process, let's talk about music, shall we?

Mixtape wants to be a source of inspiration, as well as the soundtrack of your life in design, be it while avidly pulling another allnighter before final presentation, or while berserking over Autocad in your cubicle, or just for shutting up that annoying kid in your studio who always plays his music selection for everybody to—painfully—hear it. (Seriously, keep it down, dude.) Back in architecture school, I've spent a handful of long nights at my desk thinking, I cannot possibly listen to my entire Radiohead collection one more time—there must be something new out there. Oh, and inspiring, too? Yes, please.

Mixtape will feature sounds with beats and without beats, tunes made with electricity and unplugged, tracks composed by humans and algorithms, high high brow brow and just plain dumb (and so good).

I'll try to post a ...