Designer Chris Milnes created these creative Buddha statues for ($10-30 depending on the size) that look like iconic characters from popular comic books, television shows, and movies. All created with the magic of the 3D printer. So check out his Etsy store to see more Buddhas and support this artist.

I think I would go with the C3PO Budda.  What about you?

Purity Ring is no stranger to The Collective Loop.  They have been a part of the Playlist Collection many times. The new album Another Eternity was released as of March 3rd through 4AD label. This album doesn't let you down as sometimes a new album is compared to their first release, which was Shrines in 2012.

Another Eternity has the sounds of chill trap beats with the feel of electro that gave rise to a prevailing style in indie music.It's a different creative leap for the duo and I'm sure we will see other bands try the same, however Purity Ring came first. Purity Ring is stepping out of the ghostly shadows and embracing a somewhat more mainstream electro-pop sound. The songs are a lot more melodic and catchy this time around. Song like "Stranger Than Earth" and "Dust Hymn" will give you that chill trap electro feel, but don't be fooled the whole album will take you on a elcctro-pop journey of great sounds and catchy lyrics.  Hats off to the Canadian duo's  on their second album.

If this doesn't get your friends talking then well that can't be helped.  The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has no micro SD slot. No user-accessible battery. Guess they took that from Apple. It delivers a metal and glass phone that's made even more interesting by the signature dual-curve, 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display. Other specs include an octacore processor running Android 5.0, a 16 megapixel, f/1.9 rear camera with optical image stabilization, a 5 megapixel front-facing camera, 3GB of RAM, and support for both WPC and PMA wireless charging, meaning your wall charger is needed but can still be used.

So what do you think of this new Samsung phone?  Check out the link for more info or check out the video below.





Source: uncrate & AndriodAuothority 

Tanlines has just announce the release of their new album "Highlights", which is due out on May 19th by True Panther. They have also been generous enough to share their first single "Slipping Away" for download.  Check out the song below and download the new track here.



Source: Tanlines

Welcome to TCL Playlist-71.  We are getting a little bit closer to spring, yet it seems so far away.  So have a listen to some new music by Matt & Kim, Glowbug, Austin Basham and more and have a nice transition of different styles of music.

If you want to check out any of the other Playlists then click on TCL Playlists in the menu.



Cover art by: Damion S. 

Tracklist

Check out this sexy home in New York called: The Beach Hampton House by Bates Masi Architects. This home has a beautiful structure and minimalistic features from white walls, concrete structure, dark metals and wood aesthetics. If you want to check out more info on this home check out Bates Masi Architects, in the meantime enjoy the pictures of this home below.



Source: BatesMasi & Photography by BatesMasi

This is a different kind of Smart Watch.  It doesn't sync to your phone, instead it sync's with your Pocket Hub, 5-inch, 720 display that gives access to large-scale apps and content, and also houses two cameras and a battery large enough to charge the watch a couple times before you plug everything in. The Neptune Duo Smart Watch ($800) is packed with  4G cellular, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, and NFC — into a wrist-bound gadget capable of making calls, sending texts, and other essential functions. Estimated shipping is in late 2015.  If you pledge money as well you can save on the cost.  So what do you think? Check out the video below.





Source: Uncrate

Paul Timmer an Amsterdam-based designer crafted this solid ash vibration absorbing wooden bike. This bike is made from solid ash and has no veneer or plywood enchantments. It weighs about 24 lbs and this is due to its timber frame. Since it absorbs vibrations you can expect that it is an exceptionally comfortable ride. This bike has an unusual fork construction which, is going through the frame, and is fixed by outside bearing. The design is also extended to the handlebars, which keeps the grain intact and makes it much stronger than if it was in two parts.  It also uses a lighter and more durable belt instead of a chain.  Check out below on a few words from the designer.

‘I don’t use wood for some kind of temporary solutions, wood is the best construction material available. it is the only construction material made by mother earth. this bike can be as strong as a steel one. but it has to be designed better than a steel bike. as always, the challenges are in the details.’ said Paul Timmer.

So what do you think about the bike and the design?



Source: Designboom
Images via Paul Timmer

Who would have thought that a mattress could be this smart.  Well, Luna announced their Smart Mattress Cover ($249-$289), which is a smart cover that includes built-in sensors and controlled by using your smartphone. The sensors allow for separate temperature zones for you and your partner, sleep tracking data  and integrate with your smart home. It also has monitors and evaluates your sleep quality and cycles. It even has a built-in smart alarm, which wakes you at the right moment of light sleep, so you can say goodbye to those groggy mornings. You can pre-order now and get 20% off and free shipping in the US.  Due to ship in August 2015. Watch the video below for more information.

February 10th is known as Safer Internet Day.  In that being said Google is giving an extra 2GB of Google Drive storage to anyone who completes this security checkup by February 17th.

This checkup makes sure your account recovery information is current, asks you to review recent sign-in activity, and lets you see which apps and devices can access your account. (Which is good practice anyways). It's worth it since Google will gift you with extra storage.


The company says it’ll give qualifying Google Drive accounts the boost on February 28 and you’ll get an email confirming the change.

UPDATE: Google Apps for Work and Google Apps for Education users are not eligible for the bonus storage but should still consider taking the Security Checkup.

Source: TNW & Google

A new tech startup called Pixie is looking to give objects a digital presence with the help from little sensors called "Pixie Points." The senors, which communicate via bluetooth are packed into thin tiny tags the size of a guitar pick.  They can be attached and tucked into whatever needs tracking. This means if you lose your wallet, you'll be able to power up the Pixie app (for iOS or Android) and see the precise location of where it was when it went out of range (about 150 feet from your mobile device).

Pixie Points can be tracked down to a few inches of their actual location. If an item is lost outside of the 150 foot range, the Pixie app offers a "last seen" feature, which alerts the user of the last logged location of their Pixie Point. In addition, the app creates an augmented reality map of all your stuff, so you can visually see where things are hanging out. Anything with a Pixie Point attached can "talk" to other items with a tag, essentially forming a network of all your things. There's also an augmented-reality map component of the app, making it possible to visually see where all your tracked items are at one time.



The tags will need replacing every 18 months, luckily they're relatively cheap: A pack of four will cost you $39.95. Shipping starts this summer.



Source: Mashable

Welcome to The Collective Loop Playlist-70.  We are now in February, the time of the cold. So why not heat up the ears with some new music by Modest Mouse, Purity Ring, RAC and more...

Cover Art by: Damion S. 

Tracklist

Japanese design office Nendo has created 9 different types of chocolate. While each are the same size, not a single piece from the Chocolatexture collection look alike. That’s because Oki Sato, who leads the Tokyo and Milan-based firm, rethought the concept of chocolate by focusing on texture.

“There are many factors that determine a chocolate’s taste,” says Sato, referring to factors like the origin of cocoa, the percentage used, and the various different flavors. 

Each of the 9 chocolates were inspired by an onomatopoeic word from the Japanese language that describes texture. The chocolates correspond with words like “toge toge” (sharp pointy tips), “sube sube” (smooth edges and corners) and “zara zara” (granular, like a file). Chocolatexture was created for the Maison & Objet trade fair that took place last week in Paris. 400 limited edition Chocolatexture sets were created and were sold during the event in Paris at what’s being dubbed the “Chocolatexture lounge.” (syndicated from Spoon & Tamago).

Who wants Chocolate now?



Source: Colossal

This is something that you don't see very often and I would consider it to be unique artwork. Chinese artist Li Hongbo transforms and carves out metal sculptures in knives and he has a huge collection of beautiful works of art.  What do you think?

I'm a big fan of Ghostly International and was excited to see them providing a FREE download of their new Ghostly Swim 2 album courtesy of Adult Swim and Ghostly International, which was released on Dec 23rd, 2014.  So if you missed this in the hustle of the holidays, then no worries The Collective Loop has got you covered. You can listen to a sampler of the album below and download here.

So while you're listening to the sampler below read a little bit further about Ghostly International or visit them to find all the cool stuff and good music.

Legend has it that Brian Eno’s concept of ambient music came to him while laid up in a hospital bed after an automobile accident in the ’70s. A friend brought him some records, playing them too low to be properly heard, and Eno couldn’t get out of bed to adjust the volume. While the record spun softly, Eno’s idea for music you could ignore as easily as you could give it your full attention, like a sort of sonic wallpaper, was born. It’s in that spirit of quiet isolation that Ghostly International, in association with Adult Swim, shares Ghostly Swim 2, our way of giving listeners a space to get away from the manic holiday bustle. 

For those keeping track at home, Ghostly is wrapping up its 15th anniversary as an Ann Arbor/Brooklyn-based indie. 2014 has seen the company soundtracking video games (Playstation’s Hohokum), collaborating with awesome companies like Warby Parker and VOID watches, and clearing 300 releases of forward-thinking music with records from Tycho, Com Truise, and HTRK. What better way to end this banner year than to revisit one of our favorite partnerships from the past decade and a half? 

Released in 2008, Ghostly Swim was praised for its adventurous survey of exploratory dance and pop music. Our curatorial focus has shifted this time around, moving further inward (spiritually) and outward (as far as our roster goes) to reflect the electronic underground in all of its hazy and vibrant experimentalism. Ghostly Swim 2 is a document of textured ambient zone-outs and woozy, granular house and techno that will help you find some downtime away from The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. So sit back, lower the volume, and enjoy our selections.

Source: iso50

When you think about thumb drives over the years they have gotten bigger in storage size but have shrunk in size. So it makes you think? Why hasn't the external hard drive been made smaller for travel? Well it has, let me introduce the Seagate Seven Hard Drive ($100). It doesn't refer to the capacity of the drive. Instead, it refers to the size. This is being revered as the thinnest 500GB portable hard drive in the world. It measures just 7mm thin, with a precision-crafted steel enclosure that highlights the look of the bare drive while offering protection for your data. It is powered by a USB 3.0 cable and weighs just over three ounces, it's a perfect way to lighten the load for those that travel while still giving you storage on hand.



Source: Unrate.com 

So last year, I got the chance to meet Les Coyns on my visit to Ohio. After shooting the shit and exchanging information. He was kind enough to provide me with his latest album: Come Home, which was released in May 2014 and charted #53 on iTunes.

On my first go through of his album, it has the feel of old school Hip-Hop with an R&B vibe and strategically placed samples. You can tell from the tracklist titles to the progression of the album that it's about the beginning and end of a relationship and the lose of this struggle.  Now I know your thinking it's going to be slow and sad.  Heck no, it goes on different levels of energy from tracks like: "Shout", "Borderline", "Be Me (feat. Demari & Dux)". Each track on this album has a different feel of emotions and sounds that draws the ear to the story.  Don't believe me check out the tracks below and hear for yourself or check out Les Coyns website or Soundcloud to hear all his tracks. You can also visit CD Baby to support this artist.

I was also able to ask Les Coyns a few questions about his style. So continue reading on and find out what this artist has to say about his musical style.


TCL: What artist influenced your desire to make music?

Les Coyns: Early on I would say that Stevie Wonder was a huge influence in my desire to make music, because his songs were introduced to me by my mother and would always sing “I Just Called” together during station wagon car rides or whenever it came on the radio. As I really grew older and started listening to different genres of music and falling in love with the classic Hip-hop and RnB of the 90’s, I was probably most impacted to actually make music by Andre 3000 from Outkast because of the infectious rhythms and rhyme patterns he used. I was hooked after that.

TCL: Do you make your own beats?

Les Coyns: Yes, I do produce my own beats. I’ve been producing my own music for about 16 yrs. now and it all started from the pure necessity of needed music to make songs too, without spending all the money I didn't have. I started on an akai drum machine and an 8track player and used to just go to the library and rent all kinds of different albums; classical, country, movie soundtracks, symphonies, you name it and I was grabbing it. I’d go home and listen to the albums and find samples that I liked and would track them out and arrange loop patterns. This really helped me understand the importance of song structure and different arrangement possibilities. I eventually moved to digital recording and sequencing programs and haven’t looked back since. Making my own music allows me the opportunity to truly tailor my songwriting and sounds to portray my vision more accurately.

TCL: What does this album mean to you?

Les Coyns: This album means a lot to me as it is a very intimate look into my experiences going through a tough relationship. This album was patience for me; it was a learning process that took time to understand. For those that have gone through a tough relationship or had to make a decision to leave a tough relationship, you can relate to the roller coaster of emotions that can be experienced. So this was a journey of reflection and healing, while finding myself again as a person.

TCL: Who are some of your favorite artist now?

Les Coyns: Right now, I would say I have been into some different artist such as Bastille, Lorde, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, Yelawolf, but still always find myself going back to the classic Rock of the 60’s and 70’s with Elton, Clearwater, Jimi, The Doors, The Beatles, The Stones etc.

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

Les Coyns: I would really like to work on a record with Pharrell. My creative approach began in high school band like him and has always been kind of, off the wall with my sounds and he’s always been one of my favorite producers and artists. I feel like our styles are somewhat similar. He seems like a pretty cool guy and chemistry in the studio in my opinion is a very important piece of the process. It would be interesting to see what we would come up with.



If you enjoyed this artist and are looking for more music by him don't you worry. In the summer of 2015 Les Coyns will be releasing a new album: "Insert Coyns". So keep up with him or mark your calendar.

Happy New Years from TCL and welcome to Playlist-69. The New Year can be a little hectic with going back to work and starting a new year.  So how about a playlist that slows it down and comes up throughout to a faster pace. In this installment we have new music by  New Navy, Tycho, Giraffage and more...

If you want to check out any of the other Playlists then click on TCL Playlists in the menu.


Cover art by: Damion S. 

Tracklist