one small seed » nosaj thing | one small seed

#FYI: Cat monsters and other cool shit…

one small seed — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:15:09 +0000

At one small seed we believe in the power of unique ideas and novel concepts. Ranging from technology, design, art and music, we’ve compiled a collection of crazy, fascinating, funny and bizarre findings that we think would be of interest to you. Here are some of our favourite finds this past week. Stay tuned for weekly material…

Stealth Wear By Adam Harvey

Image: milcentric.com

America has been making waves with its policy to implement unmanned aerial vehicles – more commonly known as ‘drones’ – in an effort to gain as much information as possible to protect their borders from security threats. Privacy activists have protested the strategy, claiming drones are an invasion of privacy.

Image: primitivelondon.co.uk

Adam Harvey has joined the fight with his innovative range of ‘anti-drone’ garments. The pieces are designed with a metal-based fabric that protects wearers against thermal imaging surveillance – a technology widely used by UAVs/drones. The enhanced garments are lightweight, breathable, and safe to wear. Human heat signatures are protected from surveillance by the garment’s metal fibers which reflect the heat generated by wearers.

Depeche Mode x Hublot Watch

Image: hypebeast.com

Britain’s renowned alternative rockers Depeche Mode have collaborated with celebrated Swiss watchmaker Hublot to create a special edition timepiece called ‘Big Bang’ for charity: water. 250 models of the watch have been produced in an effort to raise funds to help charity: water provide 800 million people with clean drinking water. The watch is designed with a black chronograph with stud detailing around the bezel, and finished with a matching leather band.

LCD Soundsystem: Shut Up and Play the Hits

Trailer from Pulse Films on Vimeo.

Image: facebook.com

After 10 years of rocking the world, LCD Soundsytem dismantled their illustrious band in 2011. Their final concert took place in New York’s finest, Madison Square Garden, and was hailed as a ‘marvel of pure craft’. Shut Up and Play the Hits, directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, is a film that captures the show, the emotions leading up to the final moment, and what it means to imagine the end of an era.

Menacing Cat Monsters

Image: lostateminor.com

Cats have been viral material on the Internet since the dawn of the word ‘meme’. Generally, the fluffy animals make their way into inboxes, instant messages or Facebook ‘walls’ when they flush toilets, change tv channels or microwave food. Cute may be synonymous with the online cat, but the menacing cat monster is a new way of looking at the loving pets.

Nosaj Thing – ‘Eclipse/Blue’

Image: Screenshot

Against a darkened backdrop, Nosaj Thing spins out his tunes in a magical light display. The eclipsed background does nothing to dim the electric wash of light that creates a glowing gymnastic dance piece, while tracing a kaleidoscope of hypnotic patterns. Nosaj Thing is a Los Angeles-based producer who has tapped out beats for artists like Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, and Trinidad James to name a few.

Shwood 2013 Stone Collection

The Stone Collection by Shwood from Shwood Eyewear on Vimeo.

Image: hypebeast.com

Shwood is well-known for their sophisticated wooden eyewear frames, but the notable frame designers have evolved their craft. Their 2013 Stone Collection sees Shwood delving deeper into naturally produced eye fashions by using millimeter-thick slices of slate stone to build their latest frames. The label collaborated with a German engineering firm to enhance the precision and execution of their designs. Each pair of frames is hand-crafted in Shwood’s home, Portland, Oregan, and is accompanied by 100% UVA/UVB protection Carl Zeiss lenses imported from Italy.

Images: lostateminor.com, milcentric.com, primitivelondon.co.uk, hypebeast.com, facebook.com

Words: Ra’eesa Pather

#BOTTOMRIGHTCORNER – JANUARY WEEK 3

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:04:37 +0000

January Week 03 and the month is crawling by like a dry snail… Everyone is broke as hell after the festive season and Monday mornings happen to score first place in the list of the worst things that have happened to mankind. Yes, we feel it too. But why sit around and mope? We have yet another round of good music to keep us all in check… as much as the week might have left our souls in tatters, it’s finally Friday and we’re here to bring it back once again!

Flume – 40 Minute Mix for the Fader

flume

Aussie Harley Streten goes by the name of Flume and this week we feature his 40 Minute Mix for Fader. It’s just dancey enough for those with loose hips and balmy enough for those who like to stand by and idly bop their heads. Here‘s some accompanying info, but before you read, make sure you listen to the track.

Submotion Orchestra – ‘All Yours (Insightful Fondle)’

submotion orchestra

Giles Petersen from Radio 1 had this to say about Submotion Orchestra: ‘Drawing upon dubstep, soul, ambient electronica, jazz and dub, their unique music is at once delicate and heavy, spacious and dense, highly atmospheric but firmly rooted. Earth-shaking bass and drums combine with lush keyboard and trumpet textures to create the perfect bed for the fragile beauty of Ruby Wood’s vocals, and the celestial effects of sound designer Ruckspin.’ And it’s all true. This UK band is hella gorgeous, and their music seems to hit every spot imaginable. Enjoy this one via Soulection.

DivaGeek – ‘Alien’

divageek

A duo comprised of American singer-songwriter Vula Malinga and British musician Ben Jones, DivaGeek is a combination of neo-soul and electro that is simple and catchy. The track has a slow start but builds and builds to a point that is equally dance-worthy, scintillating and tasty, surprising with each added note. Bon appétit!

Ladi6 – ‘Bang Bang’ (The Liberation Of…)

ladi6

Ladi6, born Karoline Tamati, is neo-soul at its most brazen. New Zealand is a goldmine of untapped musical genius, and Ladi6 is just one of many who have managed to impress worldwide. This album, The Liberation Of… has attitude, but is beautifully soulful. One might even go so far as to say that there’s a little Amy Winehouse in there too, but let’s not try to draw comparisons here… Give this one a listen if you like the versatility of a soulful-rapper-songstress.

Apparat – ‘A Violent Sky’

apparat

Dubbed ‘the face of German electronic music’, Apparat is at it again, this time working on a new release called Krieg und Frieden (Music for Theatre), an album based on the music he composed for Sebastian Hartmann’s theatre production of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Indie label Mute will release the full album February 19th, 2013, but you can have a little taste of what’s to come, ‘A Violent Sky’ is right here to stream and download through the link above!

The City - ‘Need Your Love’

the city

Locally born and bred The City are a fortunate addition to Cape Town’s thriving music scene. Why? Because their sound is groundbreaking, genuine, and on top of that, accessible to all. This track, ‘Need Your Love’ is dynamic and brave, thanks to vocalist Bonj Mphanza’s soulful contribution and multi-instrumentalist Clement Carr, both out of the UCT School of Music, along with bassist Ryan McArthur (Captain Stu, The Little Kings and Peachy Keen). Don’t sleep on these guys!

Moruf & Iman Omari – Euphoria (The Tape)

moruf & iman omari

Some soulful hip hop if you ever heard it. These guys are a fine pair: Iman Omari (THC) on beats and Moruf on rhymes, they set the tone just right. Hard and hip hop while soulful and explicitly melodious all at once, there are quite a few gems on this tape, including the ‘Euphoria Intro’, ‘School Daze’ and ‘Fallen’ to name a few. This music is fantastic and surprising. Go for it!

Szjerdene – 4th Stranger

szjerdene

Uh oh. Szjerdene’s vocals are enlivening — to the extent that Yukimi Nagano would either become very nervous or very much inspired. Released on January 1st, 2013, this track is a beautifully balanced electro-tune, much like the rest of her releases which are equally flawless and versatile. This could be the result of her operatic voice against the electronic backing track, which make for an interesting contrast.