Have you ever just heard the beginning of a song and automatically knew that it was going to be great. Well that is what happened here.  Touurs EP Stay got me at the first 15 seconds.  This EP is chalked full of hazy dreamscapes and sounds to elope your mind to another time in life. His first track "Tough Lately" is one of these tracks but it's not the only track that will have you lost in thought. From start to finish this 4 track EP had me enjoying every second of it. This album is just what the doctor ordered, but don't be fulled. Touurs also has been working on different styles and collaborations that are more on the shoegaze/chillwave vibe. You can check out all his new tracks on Soundcloud. You can also visit his Bandcamp site to support this artist music.

I  also had a chance to ask him a few questions about his style and equipment and himself. So continue reading on and find out what this artist has to say about his musical style.

TCL: Tell me about your influences when it comes to making your music?

Touurs: There's a lot of great artist that I pull inspiration from but just to name a few - Flume, Mr. Carmack, Stwo, Cyril Hahn.

TCL: What kind of equipment are you currently using and if you had to choose, which one is your favorite?

Touurs: I use a APC 40 for performing and a MPK 25 for producing. Although I love both, the APC 40 is my favorite. We've been through too much together to say otherwise.

TCL: Who are some of your favorite artist right now?

Touurs: Louis Futon, Yarin Lidor and Henry Krinkle. Super talented people.

TCL: Who would you really like to collaborate with on a song if you could?

Touurs: Ryan Hemsworth.

TCL: What is next on your plate? Full length album?

Touurs: Hopefully I'll have an album out in 2014, if I feel ready. Right now I've been talking to a few people about collaborating so we'll how that goes.

When traveling like I'm doing now, you don't want to relay on a laptop or smartphone speaker.  You want some power to it and to also hear the clarity of music in your speakers. So how about the Soundmatters Dash7 Speaker ($250). One of the slimmest, lightest high fidelity Bluetooth speakers available, this little unit measures three-quarters of an inch high and weighs less than half a pound, while still packing plenty of sound. It has Bluetooth connectivity for wireless listening, or an auxiliary input if you don't mind being connected. With 12 hours of Bluetooth battery life, and as much as 20 hours if you use the auxiliary cord, you won't have to worry about it dying on you. Available in range of colors, this speaker also includes an international charging kit, cables, and a carrying case.

If the watches are not doing it for you in the mobile sector then how about a ring? The Smarty Ring ($275) free you from searching for you phone all the time, just to find no new notifications. The average person reaches for their phone 150 times a day. This decrease it by 60%. Its Bluetooth 4.0 technology lets you always control your phone remotely and get real time updates.  It is compatible with iOS and Andriod and comes with it's own app to control your features.  Check out the video below for more information.

- Real time updates from your phone -- not just phone calls, and texts, but all social media!
- Program which alerts you receive (Facebook, Twitter, Skype, etc).
- Control your phone without ever touching it (silence calls, play music, etc).
- Simple plug and play setup.
- Suitable for day & night use.
- Not only will it control your phone but it has a clock, countdown, alarms, and more!
- Waterproof.
- 24 hour run time.
- 3 year battery life.
- Unisex.
- Comes in multiple colors.
- And more!

To continue on the whole oak barrels being made into audio equipment how about this limited edition turntable. In marking their 40th anniversary, Linn teamed up with Highland Park, makers of fine single malt scotch whiskey to exclusively create the Sondek LP12 Turntable($40,000). Linn took their highest performance turntables and encased them in a remarkable whisky wood plinth, made from the actual solid oak barrels that matured Highland Park whiskey. If that sounds exclusive, it is, there are only 40 of these that were made. But at least they are throwing in a 40-year-old bottle of Highland Park, valued at nearly $1,500, to with your turntable. So if your a scotch connoisseur and also an audiophile then this is for you my friend.

Source: uncrate.com

You could be rocking the "Beats" by Dr Dre like all the other cool kids but they never contained Irish Whiskey. Grado Headphones ($395) are limited edition handcrafted headphones, made from recycled white oak barrels from Bushmills Whiskey of Ireland. They come with a vented back design, a custom brown leather headband, and hopefully the sweet smell of oaky booze whenever you put them on. Get a more detail description from Gizmodo.

I have a thing for birds, but not one to own one though. I would have to say that I'm really enjoying these oil paintings by Portland-based artist Meghan Howland, who likes to depict people caught in swarms of birds, flowers or fabric.  It's not quite clear if the people are safe or in a dangerous situation, an ambiguity that leaves each piece open for interpretation. Howland is represented by Bowerstock Gallery where you can see much more of her work.



Source: thisiscolossal

Welcome to Playlist-56. In this installment let's start off December with some upbeat yet nostalgic style music to get you in the holiday spirit of decorating, shopping and chilling indoors.  New music by Tycho, Broods and Star Slinger.

Click Play and have at it! If you want to check out any of the other Playlist then click on Archived Playlist in this post or on the right hand side of this blog or in the menu.


Cover art by Damion Schweizer

Tracklist

I'm a huge fan of Neuva Forma's monthly podcast's of there Listening Pleasures collection. So I thought I would share their newest addition #25. It was put together by there friend Jon Cox of WILDABOUTNOTHIN'. It's a little bit shy over a half an hour but what a way to get lost in that time. The emotional content of this playlist is a perfect blend of samples and cohesive song-mixing that makes the entire thing feel  like one beautiful song that ends much too soon in my opinion.

Check out Neuva Forma and find some amazing musicians and also check out other Listening Pleasures. You can even download and subscribe to their podcast. Enjoy!!!




Source: Neuva Forma

There seems to be a lot of different varieties of wireless speakers but the Grain Audio Wireless Speaker ($250) has a solid and sleek look. Its solid walnut construction gives it some heft and durability, while providing a natural beauty and acoustic properties of hardwood cabinet. It comes with Dual two-inch drivers, a passive radiator, and the technical proficiency Grammy Award-winning Waves MaxAudio Suite deliver music the way it was meant to sound — without all the gimmicky enhancements found in lots of portable speaker systems. Combine all that with powerful Bluetooth connectivity, eight hours of battery life, and a carrying pouch, and what you get is one of the best (and best looking) small speakers available.

Source: Uncrate

This is an ongoing collaboration between Russian photographer Alexander Knokhlov and make-up artist Valeriya Kutsan. In this collection, faces of models are transformed into two dimensional paintings and design using face paint. The first series of black and white photos titled Weird Beauty were released last year, and the duo brought on digital artist Veronica Ershova who helped retouch a new collection of images inspired by poster art titled 2D or not 2D. These new color images seem to have more digital assistance but they're still stunning to look at. See more here.



Source: thisiscolossal

I have a ton of friends that enjoy the occasional cigar and some are cigar enthusiast.  So let me introduce the Brass Cigar Stand with Ashtray ($160). It's a simple yet elegant piece that's perfect for the gentleman cigar smoker.  It's made from solid brass and weighs about 3 pounds. The interior of the ashtray is blasted with quartz crystal to contrast the machined brass and the entire piece is finished in lacquer. The piece is 4.5" long, 2" tall and 2.5" wide. It has a leather bottom by Frank Clegg Leatherworks to protect desks or tables the stand is placed on.

Here is an invention that can change everything about your commute. It can change the various things that can strain us while riding like hills, heat and sprawling distances. A group of bike enthusiast from New York have created the Smart Wheel by FlyKly Bikes ($550 Suggested price). This is a motorized bike wheel that fits almost any bike, instantly turning a regular old bike into an electric one.

The Smart Wheel is a pedal assist which means it helps you ride your bike effortlessly. The motor turns on when you start pedaling and begins accelerating to your desired speed. It stops when you stop. It saves you time by getting you to your destination faster and gets you there without losing your breath or breaking a sweat. This electronic rear bike wheel can take you on a 30 mph ride and last you for up to 30 miles on one charge.

We want to make cities more livable, and make them more people -- not car -- friendly, says Klansek.

 It's other features are security and we all need that. You can remotely lock the motor and track it in case someone with grubby fingers wants it. It also offers a FlyKly App to control and monitor the Smart Wheel. It also offers many other features like support and social connectivity and safety. It can also charge a phone and power lights on the bike.  You can even control the top speed for the wheel.



The New York-based team is currently raising funds to mass produce their invention on Kickstarter.

As of now, $493,256 has been pledged by 1,857 backers. They’ve got 10 days remaining in the funding period and expect to need at least $100,000 more to begin mass production by spring of next year.




Source: huffingtonpost, elitedaily

Thibaut Malet is the 24 year old from Montreal QC, Canada that designed these beautiful oak and beech wood handlebar's. They are not only minimal but also functional.  Who wouldn't want a slick looking wooden handlebar for their road bike.  The other thing that caught my attention was the packaging.  Each handlebar comes in a minimal box with all the shavings from the wood of the handlebar so nothing is wasted.

I think design should optimize space and minimize the use of materials, from his packaging to his final function, this is why I try to conceive simple objects, easy to dismantle, and mobile.

There currently is a store but it looks like he might be out at this time. I wasn't able to find a price either but check out his website to see his other projects.  Also I'm sure you can email him if your interested in purchasing his handlebars.

Caras Lonut photos are where digital and surreal landscapes come together to make these beautiful surreal photos. These are just a few of his photo's but you can see much more over on 500px.  Lonut also offers all kinds of workshops and tutorials on his website.



Source: So Super Awesome

This Pyramid House was designed by Mexican architect Juan Carlos Ramos and as you can tell it's like a modern version of an Egyptian pyramid. This stylish pyramid shaped house features large windows, a small balcony, and integrated garage as well as an optional pool. It also has a library at the top of the pyramid. Would you want to live in a house like this?

Welcome to Playlist-55! I know today is Halloween so if your sick of the Halloween music how about something different.  In this installment we have music by Teen Daze, Phantogram, Coastal Cities and more...

Click Play and have at it! If you want to check out any of the other Playlist then click on Archived Playlist in this post or on the right hand side of this blog or in the menu.


Cover art by: Damion Schweizer

Tracklist

Our desks are where we spend a lot of time and sometimes space can be an issue with those with larger speakers. So how about some speakers that are an ideal combination of attractive design and fantastic sound as well as size. The Timbre Speakers ($125), machined from a single piece of solid alder wood and stainless steel, they have a long-lasting construction that actually contributes to the sound. The stainless steel sheet along the front acts as the diaphragm and suspension of the speaker, thanks to an attached voice coil. This results in a full sound across the entire range that's perfect for whatever music helps you make you tackle that to-do list.

Check out there Kickstarter Campaign



Source: Runningfarmlabs.com 

German design studio DING3000 has developed the "Concept 1865", an e-velocipede, in collaboration with BASF. The ready-to-ride prototype features an electric drive and is made almost entirely of modern BASF plastics. Only the brake, axles and motor are still made of metal. 24 different polymer applications, such as bearing-less all-plastic pedals made of 'ultra-son' and puncture-proof tires made of 'infinergy' — a closed cell expanded thermoplastic polyurethane — are featured in the construction of the 'concept 1865'. The seat of the concept 1865 is detachable and holds the battery for the electric drive. The tires also have integrated LED's and inlaid optical wave-guides are concealed in the forks of the bike.


Images by © refael krotez

Source: Designboom