What I've been reading in the last week ... 23/11/14

I am a well documented Moleskine nerd and their latest product, announced via the awesome Coolhunting, made me squeal:

"Moleskine's latest collaboration happens to be with Adobe, and the resulting Moleskine Smart Notebook and accompanying Creative Cloud app make it easy to turn work on paper—made with any implement of choice—into JPG and SVG files for use in Illustrator and Photoshop."

http://www.coolhunting.com/tech/adobe-moleskine-smart-notebook

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"On Spotify, music consumption is “frictionless”—a favorite word of Ek’s. In tech terms, we’ve gone from a world of scarcity to one of abundance. Nothing is for sale, because everything is available. The kind of calculations you make on iTunes, such as “I like this song, but not enough to buy it,” don’t matter. It is a music nerd’s dream, which may be why the user population on Spotify tends to lie outside the mainstream. On Spotify, the Pixies’ top songs have about four times as many streams as Neil Diamond’s biggest hits."

Spotify: Friend or Foe? 

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"Recent survey data from Cambridge Sound Management revealed the impact of noise on productivity, which will likely come as no surprise to those of us working in open offices. The survey revealed nearly 30% of office workers are distracted by coworkers’ conversations."

The not so silent office productivity killer

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"This is why the Taylor Swift affair is a genuinely dangerous moment for Spotify, which is used to artists including Adele, Coldplay and Beyoncé “windowing” their new albums: keeping them off streaming services for a few months after release to maximise sales of CDs and downloads.  

By removing her entire back catalogue, Swift has generated a new discussion about whether albums should also be windowed between the free and premium tiers of services like Spotify. Her music remains available on premium-only rivals like Rdio, Napster and Apple-owned Beats Music."

The future of music sales is here. So how CAN the artists make it pay?

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Big love and respect to Brad for this ...

"And so as it came time to prepare for the annual Free Floating Christmas compilation, all|is|calm, I thought that I would end this “In Hindsight” year with silence. No new music. No bustle of collecting new tracks and auditioning them. No designing artwork."

all|is|calm 2014 – a truly silent night

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"Throughout the day, we face a number of decision points about how to spend time. Too often we approach these decisions passively, as if our hand were being forced, our free will compromised. Let me add one caveat: if you have young children, a brutal commute or juggle several jobs to make ends meet, you are exempt from everything I write in this piece. You are truly busy."

The Cult of Busy

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"Shazam searches are just one of several new types of data guiding the pop-music business. Concert promoters study Spotify listens to route tours through towns with the most fans, and some artists look for patterns in Pandora streaming to figure out which songs to play at each stop on a tour. In fact, all of our searching, streaming, downloading, and sharing is being used to answer the question the music industry has been asking for a century: What do people want to hear next?"

The Shazam Effect

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"There's a real reason why there's a vinyl renaissance," John Vanderslice said. "There's a lot of people who are having an amazing listening experience. It's not false."

Inside the vinyl revival: Facts, fiction and rock 'n' roll

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"Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass" video, posted to YouTube in June, is nearing 300 million views. So, what did the singer do for an encore to her No. 1 hit? She got a brand, an ad agency and social influencers involved."

An Ad Agency Made Meghan Trainor's New Video, and It's Great - 180LA and HP team up on 'Lips Are Movin'

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"After spending over 62 total hours comparing turntables and measuring their performance using $30,000+ worth of equipment, we’ve determined that the Audio Technica AT-LP120-USB is the best turntable for most people. It is highly adjustable, has a built-in phono preamp for hassle-free setup, sounds great out of the box, and even has a built-in USB port if you want to digitize your LP collection. It’s also very speed accurate, according to our tests."

The Best Turntable for Casual Listening

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What I've been reading in the last week ... 16/11/14

"The Hemingwrite is designed like an old-fashioned typewriter but does also manages to keep some modern technology. It has a 6-week battery life so its perfect if you write better away from civilization, ample memory, instant on so no time is wasted on booting up, and a high contrast screen so it’s easy to read in daylight or at nighttime. It also has WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities, allowing it to connect to Google Docs, Evernote, and the Cloud. The best part of all is that stylish old-school look and feel of a typewriter that completes the writing experience."

I really like the look of the Heamingwrite ... read more over on PSFK or Hemingwrite

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Norway has a new passport ... and it is gorgeous!

Neue, a multi-disciplinary design studio based in Oslo, has given the Norwegian passport a minimalist makeover. The new designs have crisp, block color covers which come in white, red or turquoise. The pages reference the country’s stunning scenery and famous fjords.

Take a look over at PSFK

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"But when nerds figured out how to play music over the Internet, it rendered indie culture inert. The shift away from physical albums destroyed that mechanism of consumer individuation. When getting into a band became as easy as typing its name into a search box, particular musical tastes lost their function as signifiers of commitment. What you listened to ceased to be a measure of how much you cared and became a mere list of what you liked."

An interesting critique on streaming music that I can relate to ... music snob that I am.

Streaming Music Has Left Me Adrift - New York Times

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"The way that work looks, feels, and functions is in the midst of a dramatic shift. Every time we have gone through a major shift in work in the past, we have had to learn new skills to support it. We had to learn the work of agriculture. We had to learn how to work on an assembly line. We had to learn to use typewriters and fax machines. So the question now becomes, what do we need to learn that will help us thrive in this new world of work today and ten, 20, 30 years from now? From my experience, I see three of the main categories of skills as: problem solving, technology, and self-management."

The Three Essential Skills You’ll Need to Survive the Future of Work

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"Seen in New York, LA and everywhere in between, the Lumbersexual is bringing the outdoor industry’s clothing and accessories into the mainstream."

The Rise Of The 'Lumbersexual'

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“The best ideas start as conversations. A small change at the beginning of the design process defines an entirely different product at the end. At the start of the process the idea is just a thought- very fragile and exclusive. When the first physical manifestation is created everything changes. It is no longer exclusive, now it involves a lot of people.”

12 design secrets spilled by Jony Ive

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"I don’t think I’ve even heard more than three Taylor Swift songs, but the idea that artists are “insulting” or “greedy” for asking people to pay a relatively modest amount of money for their art is pervasive in today’s culture. People make these same claims about indie authors, bands that can’t afford a tour, and struggling illustrators. I’ve seen people proclaim that midlist novelists who can’t even make a living off their books are “greedy” and “evil” for asking more than 99 cents for an ebook. I’ve seen readers who admitted to pirating every single A Song of Ice and Fire book say that George R. R. Martin “owes them” a quicker publication date and that he should essentially give up all his hobbies and other projects until he finishes his next book."

Taylor Swift and the Myth of the Mean Greedy Artist

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The world's most beautiful metro stations - in pictures

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"Christopher Lee has precisely one line in the recent trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, but his little cameo was an unsurprising winner with fans. And, apart from reinforcing that stuff is always better with Chris Lee, it also sparked a surprising amount of speculation about Saruman’s intentions in desiring to confront Sauron alone."

When exactly did Saruman fall?

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Science Says Lasting Relationships Come Down To 2 Basic Traits

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"Introversion is more about how do you respond to stimulation, including social stimulation. So extraverts really crave large amounts of stimulation, whereas introverts feel at their most alive and their most switched on and their most capable when they are in quieter, more low-key environments."

10 Ways Introverts Interact Differently With The World

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How to Debug Your Brain and Build Better Habits

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Enjoy ... Tx

Seven Questions with ... Phoenix York

Every-so-often I receive emails from musicians looking to be featured on my predominately ambient music podcast circumambient.  I am always on the hunt for new music to feature so when I received an email from Phoenix York ... I checked out his music.

I was impressed with York's latest album - "Godspeed Phuong" - it is a wonderfully deep and engaging piece that keeps the ADD part of my brain entertained with numerous layers of sound. I found it deeply intriguing and found myself sucked in, immersed in the waves of synths and occupied by the glitches and found sounds.

I was so intrigued that I wanted to know more about the creator ... so I asked if York would undertake my wee blog interview. I'm delighted to say he did:

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1) Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Phoenix York, I am a musician before anything ... I play the piano and guitar. I temporarily earn a living for now as a freelance IT specialist.


2) What are you working on at the moment?
I'm working on my next album using some euroracks (without sacrificing the melodic content), and a guitar.


3) Who inspires you? 
- Name an artist who has inspired you.
David Sylvian... tremendously.

- Name place that has inspired you.
The Greek Islands

- Name some "thing" that has inspired you.
Unpredictability in art.


4) What drives you to do what you do? 
This is a delicate question ... possibly a desire to converse with the universe through my music.


5) What values do you wish your creativity to express?
Nonconformism and tolerance.


6) What role does community play in what you do?
I believe the environment i.e. community I live in yields a direct impact on my creativity.


7) What is next for what you do?
Complete my next album and prepare a live show.

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"Godspeed Phuong" by Phoenix York is available now over on Twice Removed ... I highly recommend it and will be featuring tracks from it in future episodes of circumambient. In the meantime, have a wee listen below:

Loving ... "The Ghosts of Pripyat" by Steve Rothery

Over on Make Your Own Taste I have posted some thoughts on the Steve Rothery show that I attended on the 5th November with my brother-in-law, Colin, and my nephew, Euan, at Oran Mór in Glasgow.

I didn't really know what to expect from "The Ghosts of Pripyat", the instrumental guitar-orientated album that Rothery was touring ... but I was impressed:

"Let me digress for a minute. The album, The Ghosts of Pripyat, is an utter delight, an instrumental guitar-oriented neo-prog extravaganza with more than enough moments of ambient guitar to keep someone like me enthused and engaged. The album has atmosphere and a heartfelt authentic quality, factors I always look for. Rothery is 100% himself on this record, and that kind of authenticity translates well through the songs presented. Yes, Steve Hackett and Steven Wilson feature on the album, but this is most definitely Rothery’s album."

Read more here ... http://makeyourowntaste.com/2014/11/06/concert-review-steve-rothery-in-glasgow-november-5-2014/ ... then have a wee listen for yourself:

Photos from the Centenary Celebration for Airdrie Salvation Army's Brass Band

I was privileged to be asked to take photos at the Centenary Celebration for Airdrie Salvation Army's Brass Band, especially the Official band photo (above) with all the past and present members who performed later in the evening.

It was a great night and I was pleased with the shots I was able to get with my Canon 70d. I'm really loving the camera and hope to be able to do more with it in the days and months to come.



The remainder of my photos are over on Flickr > LINK

Please take a look and let me know what you think.

Tx

What I've been reading in the last week ... 09/11/14

I wanted to share some of the articles I've been reading over the last week or so ... give you something to read on a lazy Sunday afternoon ... nothing too heavy or political, just meaningful articles that I found inspiring in some way.

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"It doesn’t take a marketing genius to see where Starbucks went wrong with its foray into the Australian market. Rather than building an organic demand for their coffee-flavoured syrup slushies, the chain bombarded potential customers with multiple store openings over the space of a few months. The premium prices and questionable customer service didn’t help much either."

This Is Why Australians Hate Starbucks

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25 hidden features from iOS 8, Apple’s new operating system

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"It is my experience that the more positive habits you have in your life, the more emotional happiness you will experience. Instead of telling you things you should do to increase your emotional satisfaction, I’ve created a list of bad habits you should try to correct."

22 Habits of Unhappy People

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Ten tips for a better work-life balance

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Ten easy steps to happier living

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"Part exercise craze and part mass party, breakfast raving – of which Morning Gloryville is said to be the original – is the new way to start the day, especially for people in their thirties and forties who were part of the original rave generation of the 1990s. The monthly event, which began in London last year, is spreading like wildfire. It is now in 14 cities across the world, from Sydney to San Francisco and Brighton to Bangalore. A monthly Liverpool rave begins on Wednesday."

Wake up to breakfast raves – they’re a healthy way to start your working day

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"In short, people with A.D.H.D. may not have a disease, so much as a set of behavioral traits that don’t match the expectations of our contemporary culture."

A Natural Fix for A.D.H.D.

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"an insidious perversion called normality is on the rise, and the normality perverts are coming for all of us. They want us to look the same, dress the same, and stare into the camera with our hollow, smiling eyes."

The normality perverts are coming for us all

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10 Great Coffee Shops for Design Fans

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"But as I talked to podcasters, they told me that the biggest reason for the podcast renaissance has nothing to do with the podcasts themselves, or the advertisers funding them."

What’s Behind the Great Podcast Renaissance?

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Seven questions with ... Pascal Normand aka 18 Seconds

Lately I haven't been posting as often as I used to due to a combination of busyness (work + life + running weareallghosts) and a need to recharge the old batteries. I guess I've been looking for inspiration to write.

The thing is with inspiration ... sometimes you have to stop looking and let it find you! Case in point is the music of  Pascal Normand aka 18 Seconds ... a lovely chap from Montreal, Québec, Canada; who plays the most delightful ambient guitar. He got in touch to say 'hi' and to tell me about his music. His EP - "When the fog dissipates" - is a delicious mix of guitar and atmospherics that reminds me, at times, of a less frenetic mid-period era Radiohead. It really grabbed my attention and inspired me to write again.

Normand knows his way around a guitar and this shows, he can go from jingly to fuzzy with ease ... and in doing so, he creates wonderful instrumental tracks that engage the listener. They certainly engaged me.

Anyway ... as is my want, I asked Normand if he'd consider answering a few questions. I am delighted to say he agreed.

Please Note: Normand asked me to say that English isn't his first language. After reading his response I hope you are as ashamed as I am that your 'second language' isn't *that* good!

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1) Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Pascal. I am passionate about music. I don’t make a living playing music, but I do it because I love it and it allows me to use my creative side. As long as I can remember, music has always been a big part of my life. I remember when I was a kid, listening to hair metal bands on my yellow Sony walkman and playing air guitar. LOL! Seriously, I don't think you can describe who I am without talking about music. So now, as a hobby, I like to compose and record my own music. It's really a DIY thing where I do everything: I write my music, record it, mix it and publish it. Hopefully, I had some help on my first EP for mastering and to put together the cover.


2) What are you working on at the moment?
Right now, I am working on my second album. I released my first EP last year, and now I can't wait to put some new music out. When I look back, I am not totally happy with my first EP. I mean, I'm really happy I have finally put out some of my music, but there are things I wish I had done differently, or taken further. So now I know I have to make it better than what I've done previously. Since music is a hobby for me, I don’t have the luxury to do it full time. Which mean that I can’t really work on too many project at the same time. So right now, pretty much all the time I have for music goes towards the next album.


3) Who inspires you?
That is a very difficult question, unless I could write over a million words. As a musician, there's no doubt music is a big inspiration. And in many different forms. So there are many different colors in my musical landscape.  I listen to a lot of different stuff, and somehow it all inspire me in one way or another. But I am also inspired by the people in my life, such as my wife. She is a big inspiration for me.

- Name an artist who has inspired you.
It’s hard to name just one. I guess I would say Sigur Rós. Their music is so unique, so beautiful. I would probably have to name Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead as well. He definitely is one of my favorite guitar player, and he really influenced me as a guitarist. And I could go on and on…

- Name place that has inspired you.
I find Montreal to be a really inspiring city, and for many different reasons. First of all, it’s got a very active musical scene. There are a lot of great bands coming from here and being surrounded by so much artist and creative people is definitely inspiring. But aside from that, I like all the different cultures around here. All the colors, the smells, the savors, a true ode to life.

- Name some "thing" that has inspired you.
The first thing that comes to mind when I think about “things” that inspire me are the tools that I use to make music: my guitars, my amps, my pedals. I guess I am a bit of a gearhead. LOL! But just having a new piece of musical gear often inspire me to just sit there in my studio and play.


4) What drives you to do what you do?
Pleasure. Pleasure and passion. I don't know exactly what drives me. I just feel that I just could not stop.


5) What values do you wish your creativity to express?
I don’t think there are specific values I want my music to express. However, there are some values like love and justice that are very dear to me. So I guess, somehow, it must reflect a bit in what I create.


6) What role does community play in what you do?
Inspiration. Help. Support. Mutual aid.


7) What is next for what you do?
Music, music, and more music. As I told earlier, I am working on my second album and I’m really excited about it. I would also like to do some new videos, whether it’s a music video for one of my song, or some more loop-based songs like I did in the past. It’s not totally clear right now, but one thing is sure is that in the coming weeks, I’ll be focusing my efforts on my new record.

I'd like to finish by thanking you for reading this, and for your interest in my music. That means a lot to me.

Pascal

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Thank you Pascal!!!

Have a wee listen to his EP - "When the fog dissipates" - below and, if you can, give him a couple of bucks ... I want to hear more from him and want to encourage him to keep going, keep creating.

November's Wallpaper

November's wallpaper was taken at Chatelherault Country Park in Hamilton, Scotland; it's on the path towards the Green Bridge (walking anti-clockwise). It is a lovely walk and utterly delightful when enjoyed with great company ... for me, it was my family.

Usual flavours are available below.

Tx

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iPhone with Calendar + iPhone without Calendar
iPad

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What I listened to in October 2014 ...

First off ... the random names - Arwen, Female Voice, and Sam - all come from "The Lord of the Rings - the Musical". It really is a great listen ... as I wrote over at Make Your Own Taste > http://makeyourowntaste.com/2014/10/26/the-music-of-middle-earth-part-2/

That aside, the highlights in October were discovering Lisa Gerard's haunting solo album from August ... new albums from Thom Yorke and Craig Armstrong ... and the ambient guitar delight that is Steve Rothery (guitarist from Marillion).

Oh and Polar Bear should have won the Mercury this year ... imho.

Tx