Video: Bing Lu x Steven Mumford x Faux Gallery

How we spent the day in Leigh-on-Sea....



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View: Rankin x Oxfam | Congo

Would we donate more money to charity if the focus was on the smiles rather than the cries, more than likely. So when we came across one of RANKIN's projects with Oxfam found it somewhat refreshing spin on a very dated concept.

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Video: Stussy's J Dilla Documentry | Part 1/3

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News: How iPad Affects the Way we Design Websites?

The iPad has received mixed reviews. While the geeks (people like you and me) have looked at it with disdain for being “just” what we expected, the media publishing industry (read print media) has seen it as the salvation they had been waiting for. Whether the iPad is able to change the world or not, is not the issue of this article. But the fact of the matter is that it is here and sooner or later we need to learn to design the web keeping it in our minds. So what are the things we need to consider?

Fluid Width Design

The iPad has no RIGHT way of viewing websites. That means you can view it either in landscape or in the portrait mode. But for the designer that means two completely different layouts for which to design. It is for this specific reason that the iPad highlights the need for smart fluid width design. Using a smart combination of CSS and Javascript the User Experience can be made to improve drastically.

It is time for designers to get their skills together for designing for the iPad is going to be a roller coaster. While Fluid layouts are the best bet, but there are many instances where we just cannot use them. In such cases, we need to look beyond them to the basic styling.

A prominent option would be to use multiple CSS styles for different configurations and devices. Another is going for an adaptive content that changes according to the screen resolution.

There is NO Fold: Vertical or Horizontal

The iPad establishes one thing for certain. The website need not look the same on every platform. We have gone on to include Style Sheets for iPhone to include mobile devices, now we need to include them for iPad to keep in view the No Fold Policy.

In Portrait mode a very good portion of the website can be seen at one go. At the same time in the landscape mode the touch interface makes it very natural to browse sites that display content horizontally.

Links and Hover Effects

Primary method of user interaction with the iPad is and will be the fingers. The users will interact with our websites using fingers. So all those brilliant hover effects that were favorable for pointer-based devices, will be a hurdle in user experience on the iPad.

Also the links can no longer be concealed in a text and left for the user to dexterously click upon it. We might want to resize the links so that the user experience does not suffer.

Flash & HTML5

While the world has been divided over Apple’s stand on doing away with Flash, we need to understand that the step in the direction has already been taken. With Google openly adopting HTML5 for Youtube, it is only a beginning of the things to come with HTML5.

As designers we need to understand this paradigm shift and devote our efforts in not only learning about HTML5 but at the same time doing away with Flash. I understand that is a bold statement to make. But answer this:

“Would you rather have a Blue Lego?”

Conclusion...

While a lot of hidden points can be further raised 9 (Issues like typography, and webkit) I think the article serves as a good and sufficient point for the discussion to begin. I would love to hear your views on how exactly Apple’s iPad changes the way we design websites.

via Inspiring Pixel

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View: Sandy Skoglund

Can't help but think of the duplication machine used in the film 'The Prestige' when looking at these installations. See more of Sandy Skoglund amazing catalog of work on her site.

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Event: Audio Bullys Live | March Tour Dates

London date confirmed for the 16 March. Click to enlarge and see when they are coming to your town.



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View: Nick Gentry

Something you wished you thought of right? Right! Pictures taken from Nick Gentry site he explains and adds some extra depth on the reason why floppy disks where used (Ah the floppy disk, seems like only yesterday we where passing on corrupted files and viruses with them... sigh)



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Video: STUDIOaka | BBC Winter Olympics Animation

"STUDIOaka are you Mad Blud!?" Marc Craste and Jon Klassen have have managed to do something that has not been done since the Jamaican Bobsled team, make the Winter Olympics look worth watching to a new generation.



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Event: Angelique Houtkamp | Fine Art Show

Angelique Houtkamp is a Dutch tattoo artist, painter and shoe designer who brings to galleries her own take on the graphic romance of old school tattoos, the heyday of the Wild West and the mystery of Spain. Full details on the show on 4 March the can be found on the Nelly Duffy website.



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News: Reorganised Jay Dilla State and Plans for Jay Dilla Foundation

The family of late music producer James “J Dilla” Yancey is extremely pleased to announce the appointment of West Coast probate attorney Alex Borden as administrator of Yancey’s estate, and also to announce the establishment of the official J Dilla Foundation. The developments mark a new chapter in preserving and enhancing the legacy of the legendary artist and secure a means of future prosperity for his mother, Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey, daughters Ja’Mya Yancey and Ty-Monae Whitlow, and brother, John “Illa J” Yancey.

“I’m so excited because it’s like one big organization,” says Maureen Yancey, who has worked tirelessly to ensure that the well-being of her family remains a priority for all involved and her son’s accomplishments are held in a positive and productive light. “We’ve got cutting-edge people all over the country waiting to work and be a part of it. Everybody’s on one accord it seems like the universe is working with us.”

Borden came on board last April following Arthur Erk’s tenure as Executor and has been working closely with the Yancey family in developing creative opportunities for J Dilla’s vast catalog of music. Says Yancey: “It’s awesome to not only have things back on the right track, but to have people who are really in your corner. I’m just blown away by the past few years, and working doubly hard to get things corrected, it drives you. It’s wonderful.”

The Estate will serve as the channel through which the Yancey family will receive financial benefit from the J Dilla/Jay Dee name, merchandise, and recordings; the goal of which is to create a successful, joyous, and profitable enterprise to be controlled by the family once the probate process is complete. All business dealings with the music of James Yancey, Pay Jay Productions, Inc. and the Estate of James Yancey should be directed to the Estate through the newly launched official J Dilla website www.j-dilla.com. The Estate will also manage contracts, copyrights, and other matters relating to the Yancey name and/or Pay Jay Productions, Inc., and welcomes ideas, requests, and licensing opportunities for evaluation and review with the family.

“We’re very happy about it,” says Yancey in regards to her family’s relationship to the new administration. “The entire family knows how Alex’s team works and how they’ve pulled together and stood up for us even before this time, and it’s just been excellent. The communication is wonderful. It’s like family…we’re just one big family.”

In a separate but complementary role to the Estate, the newly established J Dilla Foundation has filed for tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit charitable institution to help fund the development of music in the inner city and provide scholarships to students enrolled at schools with progressive music curricula. Four initiatives will be launched each year and three cities chosen to enhance local music programs, with scholarships awarded to one or more students at the beginning of the fall semester. Target cities for 2010 are Detroit, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. The Foundation will hold fundraisers in each city with each effort anticipated to bring approximately in $10,000+ of donations.

“One of the things Dilla wanted me to do with his legacy was to use it to help others, people with illness, and kids who were musically gifted but had little hope due to poverty,” says Yancey, founder and chair of the Foundation. “The Foundation is to keep Dilla’s dream alive to help youth—those who aspire to make good music—and develop their time, talent, and nurture their skill. We also want to be there financially for those who are talented but don’t have the money or access to the networks they need to help them grow.”

By the time of his death in February of 2006 from complications due to Lupus, Yancey was revered by the music world for his contributions to hip-hop and R&B, emerging from the mid-1990s underground hip-hop scene in Detroit, Michigan to become one of the industry’s most influential artists. “Every year, Dilla and his dream get bigger and bigger,” says Yancey. “Every time I go to a different city and visit with his fans, the dream just grows. It’s something that I can’t even describe, and it’s not going to die.”

via J Dilla.com

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Event: Courtney Pine | Transition in Tradition

Saturday, 6 March 2010
Union Chapel Islington, London
Tickets | 25.00

Bursting with Pine's typically memorable themes and exuberant soloing' Jazzwise Saxophonist Courtney Pine, who was awarded a C.B.E for services to music in the 2009 New Year Honours is back touring with his critically acclaimed Transition in Tradition album set.

Courtney’s 12th album and his debut release on his own label Destin-e World, not only pays tribute to the first great saxophone star Sidney Bechet, but also marks several new forays into sound for the groundbreaking Jazz Warrior.

Reviewed as some of his best work to date, the music was composed and evolved through a series of intimate shows in the UK during 2007 before Pine brought his band into the studio to document and capture the energy that only a live audience can give – this will be the first extensive tour of the finished material.

Pulling together a heavyweight musical line-up that draws influences from Africa, the Caribbean, South America and Europe, the set is as deep as the legacy of jazz, as it is reflective of their collective musical heritage.

A change in instrumentation sees Pine's Bass Clarinet take centre stage on many occasions, alongside Harmonium, Castanets and Mandolin and the resulting sound is like no other Courtney Pine record. "Of course I pay respect to the great Bechet by playing a silver soprano saxophone like his, but there are other flavours like my Alto Flute playing on The Tale Of Joe Harriott and of course that Caribbean groove". It's that very groove that gives this album another of it's unique elements, as forays into New Orleans 2nd line beats merge into an old school swing beat, a medium tempo swing smoothly flows into a reggae one drop beat, there is a feeling of continuing movement as each track passes from one place to another. "I want to show in these compositions how our journey as a culture is constantly in transition, things change in one tune musically just as we do in real life”.

Support on the night comes from Jazzwise cover star OMAR PUENTE whose new album is also released on Destin-E Records.



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Music: Tom Carunana | Wu Tang vs. The Beatles

Is it as good as Bullion's 'Pet Sounds: In The Key of Dee'... Nope, but it's a nice 27 track winter ear warmer nonetheless. Download the album here.



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Video: Monatana | Tuff City Styles Commerical

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News: Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund | Statement from Wyclef Jean

Please take the time to read the below statement from Wyclef Jean on the Haiti earthquake, and how a small gesture can help towards bringing in the aid needed:


“Haiti faced a natural disaster of unprecedented proportion, an earthquake unlike anything the country has ever experienced.

The magnitude 7.0 earthquake – and several very strong aftershocks – struck only 10 miles from Port-au-Prince.

I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse. The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now.

President Obama has already said that the U.S. stands ‘ready to assist’ the Haitian people. The U.S. Military is the only group trained and prepared to offer that assistance immediately. They must do so as soon as possible. The international community must also rise to the occasion and help the Haitian people in every way possible.”

Many people have already reached out to see what they can do right now. We are asking those interested to please do one of two things:

Either you can use your cell phone to text “Yele” to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund (it will be charged to your cell phone bill), or you can click here to DONATE.

Thank you,
Wyclef




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Video: Yours Truly | Mayer Hawthorne | Dusty Fingers

Mayer Hawthorne in San Francisco at Groove Merchant, created by Yours Truly.



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News: Teddy Pendergrass... R.I.P

Legendary singer Teddy Pendergrass, dead after a long illness at age 59, spent his last 28 years in a wheelchair, left to wonder what life might have been like had a car crash not completely altered his destiny.

Before the crash, Pendergrass was one of the most electric and successful figures in music. He established a new era of R&B with an explosive, raw voice that symbolized masculinity, passion and the joys and sorrow of romance in songs such as ''Close the Door,'' ''It Don't Hurt Now,'' ''Love T.K.O.'' and other hits that have since become classics.

He was an international superstar and sex symbol. His career was at its apex -- and still climbing.

Friend and longtime collaborator Kenny Gamble, of the renowned production duo Gamble & Huff, teamed with Pendergrass on his biggest hits and recalled how the singer was even working on a movie.

''He had about 10 platinum albums in a row, so he was a very, very successful recording artist and as a performing artist,'' Gamble said Thursday. ''He had a tremendous career ahead of him, and the accident sort of got in the way of many of those plans.''

Pendergrass, who was born in Philadelphia in 1950, suffered a spinal cord injury in a 1982 car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down -- still able to sing but without his signature power. The image of the strong, virile lover was replaced with one that drew sympathy.

But instead of becoming bitter or depressed, Pendergrass created a new identity -- that as a role model, Gamble said.

''He never showed me that he was angry at all about his accident,'' Gamble said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. ''In fact, he was very courageous.''

Pendergrass died Wednesday in suburban Philadelphia, where he had been hospitalized for months.

The singer's son, Teddy Pendergrass II, said his father underwent colon cancer surgery eight months ago and had ''a difficult recovery.''

''To all his fans who loved his music, thank you,'' his son said. ''He will live on through his music.''

Pendergrass left a remarkable imprint on the music world as he ushered in a new era in R&B with his fiery, sensual and forceful brand of soul and his ladies' man image, burnished by his strikingly handsome looks.

Gamble said Pendergrass was one of a kind as an artist and boasted a powerful voice and ''a great magnetism.''

''He was a great baritone singer, and he had a real smooth sound, but he had a real rough sound, too, when he wanted to exert power in his voice,'' Gamble said.

But it wasn't Pendergrass' voice that got him his break in the music business -- it was his drum playing abilities. He met Harold Melvin, who was looking for replacement members for his group, the Blue Notes, and signed on to be the drummer. Later, he became the lead singer of the group, which became known as Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.

The band started working with Gamble and Leon Huff and had signature hits in the early 1970s with ''Wake Up Everybody'' and ''If You Don't Know Me by Now.''

But Pendergrass had creative differences with Melvin and soon left for a solo career, according to his Web site. It was then he would become a sex symbol for the R&B genre, working women into a frenzy with hits such as ''Only You'' and concerts dedicated for ladies only.

''The females,'' Gamble said, ''loved Teddy Pendergrass. The females were very attracted to him and his music.''

Unlike the songs of many of today's male R&B crooners, Pendergrass' music bordered on eroticism without explicit lyrics or coarse language -- just through the raw emotion in his voice. ''Turn Off the Lights'' was a tune that perhaps best represented the many moods of Pendergrass -- tender and coaxing yet strong as the song reaches its climax.

Fans were devastated when, at age 31, Pendergrass was critically injured after his Rolls-Royce hit a tree. He spent six months in a hospital and returned to recording the next year with the album ''Love Language.''

He continued to sing and recorded several albums, receiving Grammy nominations; perhaps his best-known hit after his crash was the inspirational song ''Life is a Song Worth Singing.''

It was 19 years before Pendergrass resumed performing at his own concerts. He made his return on Memorial Day weekend in 2001, with two sold-out shows in Atlantic City, N.J.

Gamble noted Pendergrass' charitable work for people with spinal cord injuries, his performances despite pain and his focus on the positive in the face of great challenges.

''He used to say something in his act in the wheelchair, 'Don't let the wheelchair fool you,' because he still proclaimed he was a lover,'' Gamble said.

But his career was never the same. Gamble said it was difficult for Pendergrass to project vocally like he once did: ''The breathing aspect of it, he wasn't really able to deal with it.''

And while he had albums, he was no longer seen as the sex symbol but more of a sympathetic, tragic figure, even though he still had a strong following among his core female fans.

After the accident, he dedicated much of his life to helping others with spinal cord injuries and founded the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance to do just that. Gamble said he wanted to help others.

''In his quiet moments, he probably did a lot of reflection. But I never saw him pity himself. He stayed busy,'' Gamble said. ''(But) I feel that he's in a better place now. ... He doesn't have to go through that pain or whatever he was going through anymore.''

via New York Times



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Event: Collabo w/ DJ Bemi | Remembering Dilla

Just us and the music with true fans, make sure your their.



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View: 140 Text Art

The style to many (old school heads) is not unknown, but still leaves you with that feeling wishing you had thought of it first.

But as you will see, 140art takes it to a next level. 140 has no affliation with twitter, they just make them look trendy.



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Video: Mayfair

I remember my child like imagination like it was yesterday, probably it was yesterday that I realised the same imagination that gets me through everyday in the world.

But fair grounds always remind me of the film 'Big' with Tom Hanks, namely 'that' machine... scared was not the word.



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Video: Eclectic Method | The Tarantino Mixtape

A mix of all the best bits of Tarantino oh so memorable movies. Can't but help think that the Eclectic Method guys missed out a few quotable scenes. You can also see what they thought was the best and worst of 2009 on the site as as well.



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