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Wednesday, May 8, 2013

WEB: Spotify [FREE* PC/Mac/Linux Streaming Music Catalog Service]

[AVAILABLE HERE]

NOTE: FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SITE, SPOTIFY (ALONG WITH GROOVESHARK, BANDAMP, AND 8TRACKS) WILL BE AMONG THE PRIMARY VEHICLES FOR MUSIC STREAMING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE, FREE SIGNUP IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.


Originally released solely in Sweden during 2006, Spotify has thankfully since added much of Western Europe, Australia, and the USA, among others to their service coverage. In addition, they've expanded to include subscription-based plans for those wishing to take full advantage of streaming higher bitrates and to mobile devices.

Spotify's notably vast music library, on-demand streaming service, as well as an excellent searchable database make it a top music resource. Those interested in discovering music in a try-before-you-buy fashion will be pleased to know that the service sends a cut to the artists themselves.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

TV: Janky Clown Productions - [2013] High Maintenance [FREE NSFW Web Comedy Series]


Based in New York City, Janky Clown Productions is a three person crew consisting mainly of husband/wife Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld, along with their good friend Russell Gregory. Initially conceived by Sinclair and Blichfeld, High Maintenance chronicles the life of an unnamed marijuana dealer and the social interactions stemming from his crazy, interesting, and overly absurd cross-section spectrum of New York City clientele.

Excellent cinematography, hilarious dialogue, and engaging scenarios all make for High Maintenance's fantastic production values. However, the fact that the characters aren't the typical preconceived pothead archtypes is what really sets it apart. Instead, toking takes a back seat to character development in a series that reveals most users are average, relatable individuals dealing with their own set of unique problems in a way that happens to involve weed in some form or another.

GAME: Stephen Lavelle - [2012] Slave of God [FREE Short Experimental PC/Mac Game]

[PC HERE]     [MAC HERE]

NOTE: DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE GAME, DO NOT PLAY IF YOU ARE PRONE TO SEIZURES.

Stephen Lavelle, better known as his pseudonym Increpare, is a prolific UK-based independent developer of experimental, conceptual, and abstract games. By utilizing minimalistic low-poly graphics, stark color contrasts, and minimalist sounds, Lavelle is able to present high-functioning concepts in a unique low-fidelity aesthetic. Slave of God is no exception.

Slave of God transcends what most view games as being entirely; instead it captures an experience. The hedonistic, over-indulgent elements of the vice-laden nightlife scene intermingle, culminating into a perfectly crafted psychedelic mesh of heady sounds and trippy visuals. What makes Slave of God so astounding is the powerful emotions each "zone" in the game evokes without uttering so much as a single word. Confusion, fear, panic, relaxation, lust, happiness; Slave of God encapsulates every one, all of which add to create a complete atmospheric experience.

MUSIC: 儉德大廈 (Kim Tak Building) - [2006] 在森林和原野 (In the Forest and the Field) [Post-Rock/Modern Classical]


儉德大廈 (Kim Tak Building) is a four-piece hailing from the metropolis that is known as Hong Kong. Their moniker originates from the band’s studio space located in the Kim Tak building of the Jordan area in Hong Kong's Yau Tsim Mong District.

2006 saw the release of the group’s debut album, 在森林和原野 (In the Forest and the Field), to little initial success. It wasn’t until much later, mostly through the spreading of the album via music blogs, that the group started to garner worldwide attention. Building on minute fibers of sound that often times explode into heavy chaos, 儉德大廈 (Kim Tak Building) manages to evoke scenes of a post-apocalyptic future returning to homeostasis: one without the malevolent struggles of mankind, but instead the slow, creeping resurrection of mother nature reclaiming what was lost amidst the remaining shells of lesser gods. This is the sound of our descendants 1000 years from now; heard by none other than the lichen-buried bones of those long forgotten until they vanish once again into dust.