2007 Tops, Bests, and Notables

TOP 10 MOVIES:

1. No Country For Old Men


2. There Will Be Blood


3. Michael Clayton


4. Grindhouse (Planet Terror/Death Proof)


5. Pan's Labyrinth


6. Zodiac


7. Superbad


8. Transformers


9. 300


10. The Curse of The Golden Flower

Especially Noted:
No End In Sight (documentary)


TOP 10 ALBUMS

1. "In Rainbows" by Radiohead



2. "Kala" by M.I.A.



3. "Out Of The Woods" by Tracey Thorn



4. "Graduation" by Kanye West



5. "One Man Spaceship" by Jeff Mills



6. "I'll Sleep When You're Dead" by El-P



7. "Our Love To Admire" by Interpol



8. "Watchers From The Black Universe" by Gosub



9. "White Music For Black People" by Apollo Heights



10. "The Inevitable Rise And Liberation Of Niggy Tardust" by Saul Williams

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):
-- "23" by Blonde Redhead
-- "Pegaso" by Professor Genius
-- "Old Joy New Joy" by Salt & Samovar
-- "Out Of The Woods" by Tracey Thorn
-- "Elaste Vol. 1 - Slow Motion Disco" - Various Artists (compiled by DJ Mooner)
-- "The Big Doe Rehab" by Ghostface Killah
-- "What's The Time Mr. Wolf" by The Noisettes
-- "Map Of Africa" by Map Of Africa
-- "Cross" by Justice
-- "Black Hollywood" by Camp Lo
-- "Holy Fuck" by Holy Fuck
-- "Finding Forever" by Common
-- "Volta" by Bjork
-- "Mirrored" by Battles


Notable Singles:
1. "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice
2. "The Heinrich Maneuver" by Interpol
3. "Ayo Technology" by 50 Cent
4. "Sensual Seduction" by Snoop Dogg
5. "82 Afros" by Camp Lo (featuring Ski)


Best Album Cover Art:
"D.A.N.C.E." by Justice


Worst Album Cover Art:
"Finding Forever" by Common

Notable Videos:
• "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice
• "Sensual Seduction" by Snoop Dogg

Shameless Self-Promotion:
"Magma - EP"

Top 11 Scandals of 2007 (According to AOL News)
See here.

Smartbomb Your Holiday: A Compilation

Smartbomb Your Holiday is a compilation created by me for Smartbomb Creative Studio as an expression of gratitude to all of our clients, collaborators and cohorts... Thank you!

Here's the tracklisting with a few comments on each.

1. "Laugh Track" by Gosub
--- I first heard this track on a random music blog... liked it so much i bought the album... It represents all the positive happenings of the whole year for me.

2. "Last Chance On The Stairway" by Duran Duran
--- Duran Duran played this obscure song from the "Rio" album live as part of their latest tour, The Red Carpet Massacre. It was a part of the "Electro" Set - amazing!

3. "Flashing Lights" by Kanye West (featuring Dwele)
--- My favorite track from one of my favorite albums of the year.

4. "I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun" by Minnie Riperton
--- One of the "throw-back" songs on the compilation and one of my favorite songs of all time...

5. "She's Magma" by Rontronik
--- Taken from my first ever solo release...

6. "Earth Orbit One: Little Fluffy Clouds" by The Orb
--- Another of the "oldie-but-goodies" chosen for this compilation.

7. "15 Step" by Radiohead
--- A song that comes from an album represents the changing times in the music industry and stands as a flag-ship of sorts, of what is to come.

8. "Enrico" by Isolee
--- Dance...

9. "Banstyle/Sappys Curry" by Underworld
--- This is music for creative-types, especially since the group was a spin-off of the design team, Tomato.

10. "Scratch Your Name" by The Noisettes
--- The chorus goes "Scratch your name into the fabric of this world before you go.." 'Nuff said.

11. "Gatekeeper" by Feist
--- This blending of genres is out of sight, here...

12. "It's Your Touch (Ashley Beadle's Heavy Disco Edit)" by Black Ghosts
--- Probably one of the best dance tracks out right now... Love-filled, fun , yet, NOT cheese-ball.

13. "Stop Me" by Mark Ronson (featuring Daniel Merriweather)
--- One of my favorite Smiths songs covered fantastically...

14. "Rolling Down The Hills" by Glass Candy
--- Lay back. Chill...

15. "The Answer Is Yes (12 inch Version)" by Justus Kohncke
--- The title of the song says it all...


Get the Smartbomb Your Holiday compilation here
[NOTE: the download is a .zip file containing the tracks which are .m4a (aac) format music files - compatible with iTunes.]

Hope you like it and thanks again to everyone who made 2007 a year to remember.
— Sincerely, Smartbomb Creative Studio team & Rontronik

Album Cover of the Month: A Charlie Brown Christmas (OST) by Vince Guraldi Trio

This is (or should be) a classic for all children and the "child at heart." A great soundtrack for the holidays, no matter what age the listener. My favorite thing about this cover is the classic Charles Shulz "Peanuts" characters dancing around the christmas tree... I only wish it was the little "sad" Christmas tree with ornament that Charlie buys...

My Favorite Song and Video of The Moment

Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction

A Cold Blooded, Mass-Murdering Clown...

The 'original' pilot of Fox's "24" (1994)

Cloverfield is coming 01-18-08

It's a J.J. Abrams production which usually means it will be worth the price of admission... and judging from the two trailers online it looks to deliver!. It's already on my list of must-see movies next year.

The following are 3 links to related sites:

• Cloverfield - 1-18-08
• Slusho! - You Can't Drink Just Six.
• 1-18-08

Album Cover of the Month: Seal

Ive always had respect for Seal... He seems to generate an alternate urban contemporary sound that crosses cultural boundaries. His album artwork always seems to represent what the music will sound/feel like. Bravo to Seal and the art directors/designers who came up with this striking image.

Review: Duran Duran's Red Carpet Massacre (Live at Roseland Ballroom NYC 11/13)

3.5 of 5 stars

• biggest issue with the show was the venue....because of the stagehands strike, the show had to be moved from ethel barrymore theatre to roseland :( ..... they did well but the set-up was really strange and seemed a bit sparse as well as too spread out and no seating...

• the souvenirs were pretty bad... :(

• no special edition cd? its the release date for christsake....


• ACT ONE: Red Carpet Massacre - The Album
act one was a bit long and rather mediocre (their were some stand-out selections but overall, a little annoying --like watching an opening act that played for a little too long instead making it short and concise)

-- the valley
-- red carpet massacre
-- nite-runner
-- falling down
-- box full o honey
-- skin divers
-- tempted
-- tricked out
-- zoom in
-- she's too much
-- dirty great monster
-- last man standing



• ACT TWO: Electro Set:
act two was refreshing and very well done (basically one big remix / all songs meshed together over electronic beats performed live in kraftwerkian effect - best performance of the night happened here)

-- showroom dummies
-- last chance on the stairway *
-- all she wants is
-- warm leatherette
-- i don't want your love
-- skin trade



• ACT THREE: Essential Duran Duran
act three was fantastic except for the song "sunrise" -- it is by no means "essential" - just a bad song to me - wished they would have replaced it with something else / anything else ... the encore was very cool and extended remix along with remix vocals as well as end of the play recognition of the group/players -- very nice

-- rio
-- notorious
-- the reflex
-- hungry like the wolf
-- ordinary world
-- do you believe in shame
-- planet earth
-- a view to a kill **
-- the sunrise

-- girls on film (encore)


* favorite song of the evening
** second favorite song of the evening

DWB = Driving While Black

Two Sundays ago, i was pulled over in downtown Flint, MI for driving 45mph in a 25mph zone. First off, i was going 25 to 30mph tops. I spotted the police car following me for an extended period of time (at least 6 blocks and 3 stop lights before "flashing-lights"). No one in their right mind would see a police officer and begin to speed...

Anyway the following is my account of the incident:
-- Police cruiser/suv follows me from corner of Dort Highway and Court Street

-- Police cruiser/suv is directly behind me from Dort Highway to point of “stop”

-- Officer pulls me over just past Crapo and claims that i was speeding (45mph in a 25mph)

-- I accept that i was speeding BUT never past 30mph (especially since he was right behind me all the way until point of stop)

-- Officer ask for my driver's license and registration.

-- I give him the proper info (license and rental car registration).

-- Officer asks for registration again.

-- I explain to him that the car is a rental and the rental registration is the registration.

-- Officer asks if i had been drinking

-- I say “Yes. One beer at dinner which was 2 hours previous.”

-- Officer asks various questions about the beer I had (ie: what kind of beer, what size of beer, where i had the beer) on top of asking where i was going and what i was doing in town among other questions.

-- I answer all questions

-- Officer asks me if i have any weapons/illicit drugs in car or on my person.

-- I say “No.”

-- Officer has me get out of car and searches/fricks me.

-- Officer asks me if i was using any illicit drugs.

-- I say “No.”

-- Officer has me go thru sobriety test and a breathalizer.

-- I pass all test/breathalizer.

-- Officer returns my drivers license and says he’s going to let me go with a warning.

-- I say “Thank you... and may i have your badge number?” (and also ask for my rental registration because he did not give it back).

-- He takes my license back returns to the police cruiser.. Then after a 20 minute wait, he returns and gives me a ticket for speeding (40mph in 25mph).

-- I protest and say/ask “ so basically you are giving me a ticket for asking for your badge number?”

-- Officer says “Yes”

-- I ask “Why cant you give me a ticket for the actual speed i was going?”

-- He then explains that my drivers license has to be taken/impounded (out-of-state license) and i will have to pay a bond to get it back

-- I ask how much is the bond.

-- Officer says $120-$150 approximate

-- I say "Can I pay it now" because i will not be able to take a flight (the next day) due to the fact that i now have no valid picture ID...

-- After another bit of a wait while he goes back to his cruiser, the officer returns and tells me i can follow him down to the police station and take care of it there.

-- After asking him if i would get another ticket for driving without a license, I follow him to the police station to pay the bond ($120 cash / equivalent to the ticket)

the whole debacle took about 1.5 hours...

The good news out of all of this is i did get my license and my money back but the money went to lawyer fees to get the speeding points on my license stricken from record... awaiting final notice on that ---- wow.

I AM LEGEND

Visit the Official I Am Legend Website

Rontronik: Magma EP Tracks Get Airplay!

Things are beginning to move forward with my first release (Magma EP)! 2 tracks were played on Digital Nimbus (KUCI 88.9 FM) on Friday night/Saturday morning show called "Electronic Audio Freakquencies." Keep an ear out and see below for details.

Digital Nimbus (Midnight to 3am PST)
Digital Nimbus Playlists

10/20/07 :: Digital::Nimbus [Show 257]
Electronic Audio Freakquencies

# Bitcrush :: Nimbus Effect [D::N] M/Cadoo
# Exillon :: Horn of Jericho [The Keening Dithers] Ad Noiseam
# Rontronik :: M-I-A (Motion-Inertia-Axis) [Magma EP] Töshöklabs
# Signal Type :: Future Funked [EP, comp.] Cultivated Electronics
# Jean-Paul Bondy :: L.A. Is Burning [The Path of Most Resistors] Compost
# Plaid :: Faster (L8 Mix) [Faster sampler] Warp/Bleep.com
# Gasp :: Green Scare Dub [If Only the Cold Morning...] Buried In Time
# Phoenecia :: Odd Job [Brownout] Schematic Music Co.
# Karsten Pflum :: Notarget [Idhax] Rump
# Autechre :: Left Blank [EP7] Warp
# Quinoline Yellow :: Liddingstock [Dol-Goy-Assist] Skam
# Velapene Screen :: Plastic Hamburger Hat [Crash Redevelopment, comp.] Co.Ad Audio
# Bauri :: Fleck Yck [Cottage Industries, comp.] Neo Ouija
# Legiac :: Dide Skin [Mings Feaner] Sending Orbs
# Ryan Rapsys :: Novus-Arcadia [The-Novus-Arcadia] Erratik Productions
# Lazyfish + Mewark :: Pomah C Kamhem [Untitled] K20/Peace Tech.
# Deru :: Spread Your Arms [Trying to Remember] Merck
# Secede :: Vega Libre [Vega Libre] Sending Orbs
# Adapter :: Massive (Dirty Version) [Table of Elements, comp.] M-Tronic
# Lith :: Norma [Electr-Ohm Comp. 1] Electr-Ohm
# Architect :: A Caine In the Brain [Lower Lip Interface] Hymen
# Download :: Zass Pie [FiXeR] Sub-Conscious Communication
# Displacer :: Cage Fighter's Lullaby [Cage Fighter's Lullaby] M-Tronic
# Defender :: Media Test [Wherever You Are, You're Home] enpeg.com
# Rontronik :: She's Magma [Magma EP] Töshöklabs
# Richard Devine :: Patelle [Lipswitch] Warp/Schematic Music Co.
# Meat Beat Manifesto :: Repulsion [Armed Audio Warfare] WaxTrax!
# Meat Beat Manifesto :: God O.D. (Part 2) [Storm The Studio] WaxTrax!
# Meat Beat Manifesto :: DV8 [Dog Star Man] PIAS
# Ben Frost :: Theory of Machines [Theory of Machines] Bedroom Community

The Long Halloween....

Album Cover of the Month: Duran Duran

Yet another complete dissapointment in the album cover art world ...C'mon DD... C'MON!


:(

Album Cover of the Month: Finding Forever

OK, this has to be one of the worst covers i've ever seen. It's such a shame because it's one of the best hip-hop albums of 2007. I remember the shock i felt when i saw it for the first time... I thought "Is that finished?!... It can't be...?" I mean c'mon man!... I can't tell whether he's supposed to be wearing a hoodie or is that hair? ...i mean WTF?

Further, i wanna know who said "Yes! this is hot; let's run with it!" That person needs to be smacked...

Oh well.... One day it will all make sense, indeed.

:(

Album Cover of the Month: Bitches Brew

Miles Davis is easily one of the most prolific and innovative artists of all time. One of my favorite albums in his long stint of recordings is "Bitches Brew" not only for the incredibly forward jazz fusion but for the album art as well. It's a masterpiece aurally and visually.


created by Mati Klarwein in 1970, the whereabouts of the original of this painting are unknown.

No End In Sight = Must See

Magma EP Promotional Clips

Album Cover of the Month

NEW ORDER: Power, Corruption and Lies
It's July... nuff said.

Peter Saville was the creator of this design that influenced a great many designers (including me)...

My Blog Is Rated...