Go from a child’s cartoon

to so-called ‘gangsta’ rap

all the while abstract harmonies in movement

and if you look close all the pieces fit

they’re in union

imagine that

peace

&

LOVE

I love Diplo’s selection of songs to remix; the finished products are always impressive.

Circles (Diplo Remix) – As Tall As Lions
Reckoner (Diplo Remix) – Radiohead
The Perfect Crime #2 (Diplo’s Doing Time Remix) – The Decemberists
Helicopter (Diplo Remix) – Bloc Party
Shake a Fist (Diplo’s Noise of Art Remix) – Hot Chip

Em algum momento você achou que daria pra deixar ‘Reckoner’, do Radiohead, dançante?

Pois é. O The Twelves deixou.

Gråt, tåget og kedeligt vejr kalder på særlig musik og nej, det behøver ikke nødvendigvis at være glad musik, som liver dig op.

Radioheads “Reckoner” er en af de sange, som jeg lytter til på en tåget dag som i dag. Det er ganske enkelt et mesterværk!

http://www.radiohead.com

Theres nothing that I love more than a good Radiohead song so it follows suit that I’m also partial to a Radiohead remix.  Radiohead provide potential re-mixers with a myriad of extremely seductive music – a side effetct of their experimental electronic style. SO it is unsurprising that the internet is littered with remixes both official and un-official, rubbish and brilliant . There is even a website dedicated to the cause

http://www.radioheadremix.com/

So that you can avoid the “cutting the shit,” process here are my top three…in no particular order – they’re all pretty damm great

1. This one I stumbled upon last night….

It’s an Unofficial remix of Packed Like Sardine in a Crushed Tin by TLP

2. This is an official one by Josh Wink (who I saw DJ in Ibiza and was awesome by the way) Every Thing in Its Right Place would make it onto my Desert Island discs so full credit to Wink for producing a worthy remix.

3.  And thirdly another unofficial one is by Micromatic of In Rainbows’ Reckoner. I can’t find this one on the internet anywhere anymore which is a travesty because it is brilliant and should be shared, so here you go….

Reckoner – Micromatic remix

PEACE and enjoy.

-sw

Me acabo de duchar, y me siento realmente bien =)

y me dieron ganas de ponerles mi Trauma-Tracklist de la semana:

Do What U like – Bad Boy Bill

Bangers & Mash – Radiohead

Live Medley – The Hives

Who You Gonna Call – Disko Drunkards <— Ghostbusters!! (aunque no suena ni a putazos a la original)

Thief – Afrojack

Reckoner (JAEGER REMIX) – Radiohead (el unico remix que me ha gustado de radiohead)

enjoi enjoi

lefoqer

Hace ya muchos años que nos hemos acostumbrado a oír noticias sobre el Calentamiento Global. Hemos visto excelentes documentales, como el de Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth,  tomando una posición neta en favor de su tangibilidad en el día a día del mundo y hemos conocido voces de reconocidos científicos asegurándonos que no hay pruebas suficientes que avalen que tal cosa este sucediendo o que eventualmente este sea consecuencia de la actividad humana que se hace sentir sobre el clima mundial.

Franny Armstrong es una documentalista británica de gran reconocimiento y una activista pro cambio climático. En su nuevo proyecto documental, The Age of Stupid, nos enfrenta a la inquietante perspectiva de una raza humana en camino a su segura extinción y situa la accion en un futuro distopico, a la manera de 1984 o Blade Runner.

Es el año 2055 y el último sobreviviente humano dedica su tiempo a repasar archivos en pos de una respuesta a una insidiosa pregunta: por que no hicimos nada por detener el cambio climático cuando pudimos hacerlo ?.

Como para ir tomándole el pulso este es el trailer con subtitulo en español.

Este docu-drama fue estrenado mundialmente en el día de la fecha y conto con diversas celebridades dando su apoyo, entre los cuales no falto Thom Yorke, quien interpreto en vivo (y con streaming via web ) Reckoner en forma acústica con una voz que raya en la perfección en el histórico falsete de Thom.

Disfrútenlo.

OHNE WORTE.

(Danke, Franzi.)

Every once in a great while a song will come along that feels as though it was written especially for you.  It’s kind of like when you were five years old and your mom made you chocolate chip cookies or apple pie. You take a big whiff and all your senses are tingling and warm; you just know that the gesture is intended to make you feel safe and loved. And in knowing it, you feel exactly that.

 When Thom Yorke of Radiohead wrote the song “Reckoner,” he made apple pie just for me. Okay not just for me- for you too!

“Reckoner” is the seventh song off Radiohead’s most recent album, 2007’s In Rainbows.  Although several other songs were released as singles previous to this particular one from the album, I have long been insisting that this is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. Eventually my expert opinion was validated when “Reckoner” was released as the third and final single from the album in September of 2008.  Personally, I think this almost reaches insult status for such a marvelous arrangement- one that went on to be named #254 out of the top 500 songs in the past 10 years by Pitchfork Media.

 Lets just consider that- TOP 500?! That might seem like a big number, but seriously. Try narrowing down your top 500 songs. JEE-zus.

 The kind of silly weird thing about this song is that Yorke seems to have liked it so much he wrote it twice!  Well, okay not exactly: Radiohead first debuted a fledgling song at a concert in 2001 that they referred to as “Reckoner,” but that song seemingly never really continued on to any albums.

 Well who the hell knew what became of it? I (glances obnoxiously at you) reckoned it slowly went the way of the dinosaurs, the way half-finished songs often do.  It didn’t resurface in Radiohead’s later tours either, even when they premiered most of their In Rainbows material on tour in 2006. Yet, when the album was released, “Reckoner” popped up on there, bearing little resemblance at all to the song that was likely it’s inspiration. 

 It actually turns out the lovely product we can hear on Radiohead’s latest effort essentially was born of the ashes of it’s former namesake, though the song was deeply transformed when York and Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood added another movement, and then gradually got rid of everything except the new movement. Thus- the song we now have is a phoenix. Or a zombie- tomato tomahto.

 The intro to the song is an almost stuttering drum rhythm, pretty heavy on the cymbals and likely involving some stick action on the edge of the drum rather than the skin; the result is a sound is akin to raindrops, or an elated heartbeat.  The mellow guitar comes in a fairly slow but strangely electrifying pace, setting the stage for Yorke’s trademark vocals. Of course, he wouldn’t be Thom Yorke if he didn’t deliver that spine-tingling falsetto with the utmost grace and style. This is a song which showcases Yorke at his finest- he expertly overlays his vocals to create harmonies that can only be described as ecstatic. Radiohead fans will recall his similar expertise on tracks like “Pyramid Song” and “I Will”- vocal efforts that are truly worth some harmonic exaltaion- yet I daresay Yorke outdoes himself on “Reckoner.”

The finest moment in the song comes immediately following something of a bridge, at about 3 minutes and 18 seconds into the song. Yorke lets go of his perfect composure, and for about 5 seconds you can just (take a deep breath)

smell
apple pie.

 The intense crescendo of his voice combined with the emotional intensity- not to mention the incomparable timbre of his voice- come together to make this moment the epitome of the entire song. He only sings one word: “Reckoner,” but it sounds like he’s singing a love song only for you. He is one of those rare and few vocalists whose singing has the power to take your breath away.

 Kind of a cool thing Radiohead did for this song was to hold a contest for fans to create the official music video. Actually several videos were created for Radiohead during the same contest, and I guess cool depends on your perspective- Radiohead has been responsible for some of my favorite music videos of all time, with gems like “Just” and “Rabbit in Your Headlights.” Thus, as far as I’m concerned, they are better making their own videos. Personally I find the winner of the contest, submitted by Virtual Lasagna, a tad trite. But, since I can’t embed music files for you, I posted it here anyways for you to take a good listen. Keeping your eyes open is optional, but truly, I think you’ll appreciate it more with them closed.

Vinyl cover art

The digital download of Thom Yorke’s double A-side, “Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses”/”The Hollow Earth,” will be released online at 9 a.m. in the United Kingdom, roughly five hours from now. Through the modern mysteries of the Internet, I have obtained a copy of both songs.

“Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses” is an old Radiohead song dating back to 2001 that was re-done in 2005, and now in 2009, has been radically reworked into its final version. It is actually not a solo track because it is performed by Yorke and Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. The song is nearly seven minutes in length, and it’s an adventure. It begins as a dense, dark groove with a catchy bass line and cut-up drum machines that expand into a rhythmic, industrial-sounding beat. The reverb of Yorke’s voice is mesmerizing, yet his tone is void of emotion as he sings lines like “Fobbed off with lame shite excuses” and “I’ve no sons, and I’ve no daughters.”

As it becomes clear the chorus is approaching, around the 1:30 mark the song drops off, leaving only the bass line and faint hissing of drum machines. Eventually after the second empty chorus, Yorke’s crooning intensifies and the listener’s ears are flooded with ethereal synths, clicks and clacks for about three and a half minutes, transforming the song into a DJ-esque electronic jam. As the song fades away with Yorke’s looped moans and hiss sounds, the listener is left wondering, “What just happened?” Another question that Radiohead fans may have is, “Where was Jonny Greenwood in this song?” Despite the confused state the song left me in, after several more listens it became clear that this is a journey I’ll keep taking.

On the other hand, “The Hollow Earth” is typical solo Thom Yorke, electronic- only not in a good way. The song opens with Yorke’s screeching voice jarring the listener, singing “Without a conscience.” He must be referencing himself because if he had one, this song would have never been released. If your ears recover past that point, you learn the rest of song lives up to its name. Its pulsating beat and drum machine noises sound like Yorke recorded this song in a sewer because of the intense echo they produce and the creepy vibe they give off, very hollow indeed. In the final minute, Yorke’s voice is eerily looped over itself before the song returns to its electronic form, finally ending this mess. This is possibly the worst thing Yorke has ever released. It definitely taints the single’s overall rating. His voice sounds like a five-year-old girl screeching along to music that would be played during a post-crime scene criminal chase. As a Thom Yorke and a Radiohead fan, I hope that this was something he just needed to get out of his system. After one listen, I’ve already gotten it out of mine. Update: Listen to this new 80’s-inspired track, “11 Dimension,” by The Strokes lead singer, Julian Casablancas to cleanse yourself of Mr. Yorke’s mistake.

Overall, paying $25 for two songs and the vinyl’s artwork (which I still haven’t seen) is, of course, overpaying. But at least now I can say I don’t drool over everything Thom Yorke produces. At the same time, I’m satisfied with the monstrous soundscape that is “Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses.” So, will I overpay for something like this again in the future without even hearing the material first? Absolutely.

• C’est ma decouverte la plus surprenante pour le moment, il manie le fond et la forme à la perfection. Nosaj Thing c’est de la musique electronique trop bien foutue et bordeliquement organisée.

• C’est avec son remix de Reckoner de RadioHead qu’il m’a interpellé une première fois. Puis ensuite c’est les 2 titres Aquarium et Heart Entire de son 1er Ep Octopus qui m’ont fait tomber à la renverse ! Mais avec son LP Drift sortit le 9 Juin 2009 il met la barre plus haute. Cet opus est léger, puissant, bordelique et captivant à la fois. C’est un Artiste à suivre de très près ! Ecoutez, Regardez & Bon debut de semaine à tous.

Extrait : Heart Entire ♪

Extrait : 1685 Bach ♪

Clip : Demo

Clip : Visual Show

www.myspace.com/nosajthing

www.nosajthing.com

i don’t know too much about xaphoon jones, but i know this cut is ridiculous. apparently it’s off of his upcoming mixtape, which drops tomorrow via pretty much amazing. on this particular track, jones mixes radiohead’s “reckoner” with ye’s “touch the sky”, with amazing results. it’s definitely peaked my interest as to what mr. jones has to offer with the rest of the tape. i’ll be downloading tomorrow, make sure you do too.

xaphoon jones on myspace.

download testify (radiohead & kanye west mix).

- panda

*the following was written via cell phone on a bus ride between Kenmore sq and Brighton, once again to the sounds of “Reckoner” by Radiohead*

What are we looking at when we gaze deeply at the world passing by us out of a bus or train window?  What about when we zone out completely at the person sitting across from us?  

Sure, we take in our environment and its’ endless details.  We are creating photographic memories that only our minds will ever actually be capable of visualizing.  The people on the outside going about their business; the ambitious college students on their daily jogs, the couple fighting… the couple loving, the man begging for change.  The store you always wanted to visit, the restaurant you always wanted to try.  

But really, we’re not looking at anything at all are we?  We’re thinking about our lives and the ways we can improve them.  We’re thinking about the tasks we have left to do to fill out our days.  We’re thinking about what to cook for dinner.

Maybe we’re wishing we could be on the other side of the window, or any window really… embracing the details. 

B.

Alright, so a few days ago I posted about the Devon GTX. The GTX as you’ve read is Scott Devon’s attempt at recreating the American Supercar. Well in that post I said that within a few days it would be taken to the Leguna Seca to try and set a lap record. It did. Here’s the video!

By the way it’s an awesome video with a great song, for anyone who likes the music it’s called Reckoner by Radiohead. Enjoy!

*the following was written on my cell phone after 20 minutes of sitting on my porch trying desperately to process my thoughts and being unsuccessful*

I sit on my front porch, the sounds of Reckoner [by Radiohead] at near full volume infuse my ear drums on a constant loop.  The tree across the street sways with the occasional breeze that blows by.  Flashes of every single moment lived since last September  flicker on the projection screen in my mind.  

Every laugh had with my roommates, every life changing conversation discussed, every mosh throwdown in the kitchen.  Every miserable moment seems now, not so miserable.  Flashes of moments spent with past loves; some rather left behind, some never forgotten.  Every photo edited, every idea jotted down, every walk to go tanning in the snow- because I’ll somehow never shake the Saugus girl in me.  Every walk home at midnight from a 45 minute agonizing train ride from selling t-shirts in the cold.  Every bowl smoked in a blizzard on the sketchiest back porch ever built, and every post toke ritual with Kate… the Roseanne episode “A Stash From The Past”.

It was about a year and a half ago when I blogged about moving from San Francisco.  I felt this great sense of who I was and further more who I was capable of becoming.  I think it’s more than safe to say that the image I had of myself that day in May 2008 is the person I am today.  I couldn’t be happier with the progress my work has had since. I understand my life and the world around me more clearly now than ever before.  I made mistakes that helped me grow and learn.  I made friends who taught me how to be a better person.  I gained a sense of independence far superior to what I thought I had gained upon moving 3000 miles away from every person I ever knew and loved.  

I continue to be a nomad… changing my surroundings similarly to how a chameleon changes its’ flesh.  Reluctantly reaching each new chapter of my life not as a hurtle, but as a stepping stone towards success.  Conquering each page fiercely and blowing the mind of every reader along the way.

I cannot be stopped.

B.

Sébastien Tellier pimping the shades as if Jesus was the Terminator

PREVIEW: Sébastien Tellier “La Ritournelle” MP3

French singer-songwriter Sébastien Tellier’s “La Ritournelle” is the only reason one would buy his 2004 album, Politics. Fortunately in the age of iTunes you can spend 99 cents for this gem of a track instead wasting money and drive space on an entire album.

Its name taken from the old school French dance, “La Ritournelle” begins with a hypnotic, repetitive piano chord progression that plays throughout the track with an epic and beautiful string section that soon follows, which glides in and out of the song. When you think this lovely instrumental can’t get any better, about halfway through, the man behind the curtain comes out and sings. The sappy lyrics (“Oh nothing’s gonna change my love for you/ I wanna spend my life with you”) are more than made up for by the beauty of the music and the sweetness of the melody — not to mention the funky-ass bass line that suddenly accompanies the vocals.

The general feel of the song is reminiscent of the title track from Thom Yorke’s debut solo album The Eraser. It plays as if that song were combined with the string section from the end of Radiohead’s “Reckoner” (on In Rainbows), with a nice dance beat to boot.

Chill out and play on repeat.

– Charlie Weeks

As almost everyone knows by now, Radiohead’s latest album, In Rainbows, was released using the “Pay What You Want” method back in December 2007. During the 4 years between their previous album, Hail to the Thief in 2003, and In Rainbows, there were dozens and dozens of “demos” leaked onto the internet that were supposedly going to be on the new album. This was during my superfan stage, so naturally I sought out every single one. From live bootlegs, to raw studio cuts, to acoustic songs Thom Yorke recorded in his bedroom, I was poised to collect them like Pokemon.

Due to all my song hunting, I had a pretty good idea of what the new album was gonna sound like before it was released. Having hearing most of the demos for songs that would be on the album, when I actually heard the final, finished project, I was still blown away. They seemed to take the live/demo versions of these songs and make them so much better than I had ever imagined. While Radiohead purists (whatever that means) either wanted the band to recreate “The Bends” or “OK Computer”, they instead went somewhere different completely… taking what they had and turned it into something, dare I say, a little more mature.

The demos sounded as if we were going to get a guitar-driven rock out of an album, but instead, with those same songs, we got something quieter, more serene, but just as potent. They did what they always have done, taken their songs to the practice room, hammered them out with the full band, perfected them, then taken them to the studio only to completely deconstruct them to be something new entirely. My friend, Mike Lardi, who happens to be one of the most talented artists I know, did a project one time where he had to draw a very detailed, realistic looking car, a Land Rover to be exact, and then once he put all the finishing touches on it, he then covered the thing in red paint. Furious red brush strokes over such a meticulous, technical work of art, leaving barely a remnant of the shapely lines of the Land Rover visible. But in the construction/deconstruction of the “Land Rover” piece, it turned into something you never would have guessed. It was a symbol of sorts, challenging your perception of the word “beautiful.”

What Radiohead has done consistently throughout their career is much like what Mike did with the Land Rover, slaved over a piece of art to get every detail right, and then torn it apart, analyzed it and then reconfigured the pieces to create something you never imagined would be nothing more that just adequate. I believe that it’s in this process that art goes from good to great.

Check out this early version of the song Reckoner from 2003.

Now listen to the final, finished version of Reckoner from 2007.

The differences are astronomical, aren’t they? It’s pretty much an entirely different song. Over the course of those 4 years, they were able to really labor over the song and make sure it said what they wanted it to say and sound exactly the way they wanted. In my time working with Loren Israel, one of the things he taught me is that songwriting isn’t this magical thing that is gifted to one or two “blessed” individuals, and the songs didn’t just flow freely from some magical stream of consciousness. But all the greatest songwriter truly labor over their art, much like a sculptor does with his sculpture. The raw idea may have come quickly and painlessly, but to make that raw idea into something great, it takes hard work, dedication and an EXTREME eye/ear for detail.

These famous songwriter/performer types did not get to where they are without years of dedication to their craft. Meticulously thumbing through every inch of a songs, analyzing every pitchy vocal, every beat of a drum, they wouldn’t quit until it was all up to their very lofty standards. It’s no wonder bands like Radiohead put out 1 album every 4 years!

So now to flip this and make it applicable…

People blame the death of the music industry on the economy, illegal downloading, whatever etc. But I think, at it’s core, the problem is not one of distribution and promotion (because that is really all the record labels are good for), but for lack of creative effort. Seldom do band intensively labor over their music. There are few perfectionists in music anymore. The ones that are still left, are the ones that have earned their time in the spotlight, for the most part.

If you are like me, and scour the internet daily looking for the next big musical talent, you must also share my feeling that it just isn’t out there. Anyone can put music up online nowadays. Smaller bands complain that “it’s too hard to make it in this industry with all the illegal downloading.” and they “just want to get signed.” But let me tell you something, record labels are actively looking for you! They want you to be famous as much as you want to be famous. Because if you get fame and fortune, they get 10 times as much money as you do! Record labels are looking and hoping and praying that they find bands with amazing songs as a result of a unwavering work ethic.

So in my opinion, illegal downloading, the economy, etc., are legitimate reasons as to the music industry’s slide into mediocrity, but the biggest reason, the most important reason is a lack of effort in artistry concerning songwriting.

This is probably going to be the first in a long series of music/songwriting related blogs and I couldn’t be more excited.

Song of the day is, of course…

Reckoner by Radiohead.