On 11/08/2011, melodramatic soundscape mastermind ensemble Sigur Rós released a mysterious trailer entitled “INNI.” The clip is an etherial and elegant monochromatic journey, featuring what looks to be recent live footage of the band. This is the first new material from the Icelandic outfit since the release of the album hvarf-heim and film Heima in 2007. Nevertheless, frontman and primary writer Jón Þór Birgisson (aka Jónsi) has been far from idle, taking time to invest into two notable side projects; Riceboy Sleeps and more prominently his own solo material Go. With hopes held high and fingers crossed, the enchanting Vertov-esque teaser means a new album/film project logically followed by touring.

This project was set to be released on the 8th of this month, but is now available, at least in Australia.

So get it from iTunes or your local JB HiFi.

Check out the teaser here:

And download free mp3s from the official Sigur Ros website here.

The champions of pop-folk, Mumford and Sons have given Philadelphia radio station Radio 104.5 FM a sneak peek at a possible new album track called “Ghosts That We Knew”.

Rumours are that they will be releasing their new album mid next year.

So if the anxious wait for it, have a listen to their new material below.

WHY, HOW and FOR WHAT PURPOSE?

I have a book that I keep coming back to and reading in bite-size pieces as it is a little heavy going sometimes. That book is “Everything Is Connected: The Power of Music” by Daniel Barenboim. Barenboim is a widely regarded conductor, pianist and musical thinker. One of the concepts in this book is that every choice you make musically impacts upon every other musical aspect and the listener’s perspective. It’s an incredible idea, thus the title: “Everything is Connected”.

As he unpacks this idea he talked about a pianist who plays a sheet of music and follows every little direction in regards to performance instructions and dynamics, but doesn’t know why they are doing so. He calls this an sin of omission. His reasoning being that a musician who follows the letter of the law, ultimately neglects the spirit in which those letters came about from.

In our travels and pursuits as musicians, I think one of the healthiest ablilties to have is the ability to question. Not a condesending interrogation, but a child-like “What’s That?”. The child-like investigation of the status quo can be massively rewarding. As this thinking, not only allows you to imitate, but to understand the core of the message, so as to create your own expression, not merely a mimicry of things you learnt in music lessons.

Music, after all, is too big to be confined to the few years you did in High School and/or Higher Education. Music belongs to the family of knowledge where the depth hasn’t been found yet. No one knows how deep this well is just yet. This mystery is part of the magic of music. Music has a certain attractiveness, being both attainable and beyond our grasp all at once.

What now do we do?

We question.

Question everything you’ve every heard. Question everything you’ve ever loved to play. Why does it stir you? How does it do that? Why did Beethoven use a subito piano there? What purpose did the first chord of “A Hard Day’s Night” serve? You don’t get closer to answers without questions. But once you do have answers, or partial answers, you know have equipped yourself with an edge, an advantage, a perspective that never existed before. And i promise you, it will make you a more informed musician. You’ll start to join the conversation with peers further up the scale of musicianship.

But most of all: you will experience music much deeper than before. Deeper and deeper, as long as you commit to a life of questions.

- David

I am crazy pumped about this.  I’ve been waiting for new M83 material about as much as I was looking forward to new Bon Iver material.

So here is the first single from M83′s new album. Details have just emerged about the name and release date.

It’s gonna be called “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming”, and is planned to be released October 18th.
Midnight City by M83

You can download your very own copy here.

— Joshua Love, July 20, 2011

(via Pitchfork)

Worked with the Found Collective on this Wombats music video. I designed and developed software (using C++ / openframeworks / opencv) to process live footage of the band. All images seen above are generated from this software.

CREDITS:

Barney Steel – Director / Compositing / Post
Raoul Paulet – Compositing / Post
Memo Akten – Software development

more info at
http://msavisuals.com/wombats_techno_fan
http://www.thefoundcollective.com/work/project/?p=wombats

stills at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/memotv/sets/72157627007544633/

To describe the work and success of 27-year old composer and music producer Zack Hemsey is to describe the current state of music. Inventive. Dedicated. Original.

Zack represents the up-and-coming talent who are working “in the box” using software like Apple Logic.

Also as an independent artist, Zack has been releasing his own studio albums online, which combine elements of film score, hip-hop, and world instrumentation.

Last year, Zack composed the original track “Mind Heist” for the trailer of the Oscar winning film “Inception,” letting the world see his true potential. Zack has continued to create memorable musical themes that capture the audience’s attention through his work in trailers for Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood, Ben Affleck’s The Town, and David Schwimmer’s Trust.

www.zackhemsey.com

For more exclusive videos check out www.SoundWorksCollection.com
Join the SoundWorks Collection Vimeo Channel: www.vimeo.com/​channels/​soundworkscollection

Director: Sufjan Stevens

Animation: Sufjan Stevens
Editing and Compositing: Deborah Johnson
Original Artwork: Royal Robertson

You can purchase MAKE on DVD, the documentary that inspired Sufjan Stevens’ The Age of Adz and tells the story of several artists including Royal Robertson, here:

http://asthmatickitty.com/make

Ogilvy & Mather New York and Joshua Liner Gallery unveil a series of commissioned murals by celebrated artist Stephen Powers that reinterpret the words and quotes of agency founder David Ogilvy.

Power’s bold graphic style, reminiscent of vintage advertising illustrations puts a unique emphasis on famous Ogilvy sayings and transforms them into actionable words designed to inspire the viewer. Painted in bright colors on the North stairwell of the agency’s headquarters office, the murals run from the first to the 11th floor of the office building.

The murals are being unveiled to coincide with the 100th birthday of David Ogilvy, one of the most influential and important figures in modern advertising.

Curated by Joshua Liner and Jun Lee