The North Carolina born, Bay Area raised, New York resident Reginald Sylvester II… (NOT Jr. II. He’s dope like that) has a brand new team up with a familiar force in the fashion landscape. Yoox. “The desire to break down the boundaries between art, design and fashion. The need to create something unique and unprecedented.” Their collection ‘OUR HOUSE’ speaks from a community born from the artistic vision of Tschabalala Self, Brandon Blackwood and Reginald Sylvester II. “Three creative minds that have come together in perfect harmony.” Sylvester’s “Candle Vessel” is the result of his experience and sensitivity and packaging created by Tschabalala Self. This abstract piece is more than an eye catcher, it speaks to the unique and distinguished talents of its creator, check the Yoox website to see if you can get a hold of one for yourself.
What goes around comes around, and we don’t just mean records on a turntable. Audiophiles swear by the sound quality of vinyl over CDs, MP3s, and other files, and now younger generations are starting to see the light. Vinyl sales continue to increase each year as CD sales drop, which means that more and more young people are borrowing albums from their parents or buying their own, while those who grew up with them are perhaps dusting off their cherished collections. New records are typically more expensive than other formats, but fans would argue that the listening experience and ability to hold the music in your hands is worth the premium. There is also a culture of collecting that comes with switching to vinyl that could pay off big time, if you know what you have or what to look for. First pressings by big acts like The Beatles or Bruce Springsteen, and finds like misprints and pressings with alternate covers, can greatly increase the value of vinyl if the copies are kept in pristine condition. Before you dig through those crates to listen to your favorite throwback LP or 45-RPM single, make sure that what you’re holding isn’t worth a full semester of college. Here are some records that you may have (or used to have) that are worth way more than their original sticker price.
5. Bruce Springsteen – Spirit In The Night (7 Inch)
Collector John Marshallof moneymusic.com once told Los Angeles radio station K-Earth that Springsteen’s first release with Columbia Records can fetch as much as $5000. Discogs lists “never” as the last time a copy was sold on the website, but if you found and held onto a copy, you could be the first.
4. The Beatles – Yesterday And Today
The original “butcher” cover of this record was not well-received, so Capitol Records spent $250,000 recalling the 750,000 copies that had already been shipped to stores. The covers were changed, but as with most recalls, some of the original copies remained out in the world and have been sold for as much as $15,300. If you unknowingly inherited one of those strays, it’s time to cash in.
3. Frank Mobley – Blue Note
Between 300 and 1000 copies of this jazz record were released in 1957, and there is one small change that makes them more valuable than other records from the label. According to The Vinyl Factory, the rumor is that Blue Note ran out of labels halfway through the first pressing of the album. The standard address for the record label is 47 West 63rd NYC, but some of the records have labels that say 47 West 63rd New York 23 on one side. There is some debate about the value though, as one record that did not have the special label still sold for over $10,000 on eBay.
2. Sex Pistols – God Save The Queen/No Feelings (7 Inch)
As the story goes, English punk rock band the Sex Pistols were signed in early March 1977 by A&M Records, and then famously dropped from the label only six days later because of their behavior. When it decided to cut ties with the band, the record company had already pressed 25,000 copies of their single “God Save the Queen.” The order was given for the records to be destroyed, but over the past 39 years, nine copies have surfaced and have sold for upward of $8600. No one knows how many copies are still unaccounted for, but someone surely has to have one.
1. The Beatles – The White Album
The Beatles’s self-titled double album (which later became known as the White Album) originally released in 1968, but not all copies were created equal. The members of the band and executives at the studio were given copies stamped with serial numbers that began with A00000, each in consecutive order (A000001, A000002, etc.). The very first copy, which Clifford J. Yamasaki of Let It Be Records purchased from an executive at Capitol Records in the 1970s, sold in 2013 for $35,000, a year after the copy with serial number A0000023 sold at auction for $13,750. The odds that you once owned a copy of the album that had a low serial number are slim to none, but not impossible.
Aston Martin is making a few modest changes to its lineup for 2022, which includes the arrival of a brand new online configurator where you can see those updates in action. Revisions to the range include more power for the DB11 V8, new wheel options for the DBS and DBX, and in an effort to streamline its range, Aston Martin is dropping the ‘Superleggera’ and ‘AMR’ nameplates. The DB11 coupe and convertible models equipped with the base V8 welcome the biggest changes. The twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter engine now produces 528 horsepower (394 kilowatts), which yields a new-and-improved top speed of 192 miles per hour (308 kilometers per hour). That’s an increase of 25 ponies over last year’s model. And now buyers can option the DB11 V8 with Sports Plus Seats to help cope with all that extra speed.
The DB11 V12 Coupe sticks around with the same 630 hp (470 kW), but it loses its AMR nameplate. The DBS suffers the same fate, dropping the Superleggera badge from its hood but maintaining its twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V12, still good for 715 hp (533 kW) and a top speed of 211 mph (340 kmh). Ditching the AMR and Superleggera badges, Aston Martin says, helps simplify the lineup. Visual updates include new 21-inch wheel designs for the DBS, and a fresh set of 23-inch wheel options for the DBX SUV. With the new configurator, buyers can also select from three preset interior “environments,” each one with colors, materials, and patterns carefully curated by the Aston Martin Design team.
The undeniably exotic 2022 Aston Martin DB11 toes the line between sports car and grand tourer. Its long, low, and wide body turns heads whether configured with the fixed roof or the retractable soft top. Aston offers this rear-drive-only looker with a mighty 630-hp twin-turbo V-12, but it comes only in the coupe variant, adds a significant surcharge, and can overwhelm the rear tires. The standard 528-hp twin-turbo V-8 isn’t as special, but it’s still supremely satisfying. Paired with an eight-speed automatic, both engines provide stirring soundtracks and rousing acceleration that can take this car from relaxed to rowdy in a thrice. And despite some interior miscues and miniscule rear seats, the DB11 has a comfortable and highly customizable cabin.
The world was ready for an Aston Martin SUV. Yes, by the time the Aston Martin DBX debuted Bentley had given birth to the Bentayga, Lamborghini had sired the Urus and even Rolls Royce had realised its Cullinan. Still, the arrival of another ‘super SUV’ is always a bit exciting. Would it be a true Aston Martin, how would it compare to its rivals and is it even a good SUV? Well, that’s what I wanted to know about Aston Martin’s DBX anyway, and I found out, along with everything else you should know: from its performance to practicality in this review.
I’m not one to name drop but I was having a chin wag with Marek, that’s Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, the fellow who has designed every Aston from the past 15 years, that Marek. Anyway, before the DBX came out he told me any SUV he designed would be unmistakably an Aston Martin. We think he nailed it. The gaping Aston Martin grille is unmistakably the same as the DB11’s and the tailgate, which although is the back hatch to a large SUV, is absolutely the same as the rear end of the Vantage. Everything in between has all the family hallmarks. There are those oval headlights and the huge beak of a bonnet, the chiselled side panels with wheel arches that push up towards the sky and those rear haunches.
The DBX is a circa 550 horsepower giant that can reach out and almost touch 300km/h. But testing it on Sydney’s roads is like having a champion racehorse in your backyard and your neighbour asking you what it’s like to ride. A racetrack wasn’t handy at the time and I’d signed a form saying I’d not put any more than 400km on the clock during its stay with me, which meant having to choose my test loop carefully. Fortunately, this was before Sydney was plunged into the current COVID lockdown, which makes that 400km now seem vast.
The final trailer for Marvel’s “The Eternals” features a quite hilarious sequence featuring some of the titular characters having a bit of, what some might call a “discussion” about IKEA furniture. Our lead writer was blessed enough to have a relative who speaks FLUENT IKEA, and we thought we’d post up the 70 year evolution of the center piece of the IKEA catalog over decades… the living room. Above is a look at the years spanning the 1970’s to the 2020’s at just how the IKEA living room, and all its goofy names has evolved. TRUST us, for the interior designer, its a bit more interesting than you may think.
I had someone ask me recently what I wanted for this coming Christmas. Much to my she-grin, I couldn’t give a straight answer, because I had no idea… Until I saw these incredible Japanese Bomber Jackets over at KoiSea.com. They all, each have an individual style, both mens and women’s. If you’re looking for something unique, I highly suggest you check them out.
It is quite true. This desk has some fancy features. Cemtrex SmartDesk is your work and office completely reinvented. This advanced workstation combines and reimagines all the needs of the modern office in a beautiful, intuitive sit/stand desk. Check out more details below.
Marvel Entertainment has officially revealed the cover and release date for their upcoming anniversary book, Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years. The massive 512-page book, which retails for $150, will hit stores on May 3, 2019, coinciding with the release of the still-untitled Avengers 4. It contains 250 exclusive illustrations along with over 100+ new interviews with key producers, studio heads, and tons of your favorite Marvel cast members, including Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chadwick Boseman, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Pratt, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Zoe Saldana, Evangeline Lilly, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anthony Mackie, and more.
Shell House Villa is located in the Karuizawa region of Kitasaku, Nagano, Japan. Designed by architecture firm ARTechnic, the concrete villa with a large oval shell shaped structure is built in the middle of the forest. The structure appears to float above the ground like a spacecraft, with trees growing around it, harmonizing the villa into the landscape.
This 329 square meter (3,541 sq. ft.) house has a central control system that enables all mechanical and electrical equipments to be managed by three buttons. A custom made floor-heating system minimizes the use of heat energy. Check out the blueprints up top, and more photos of this fantastical villa down below.
According to Korean designers Jeonghwa Seo and Hanna Chung, easterners commonly believe that small changes of an individual person or object can make big impact on the larger society, thus, leading to a modest and totalitarian culture. (Basically, cool little things make us happy.) This social tendency described as a ‘ripple effect’ was translated here into tea ceremony table. As part of his graduation project for IM Masters Design Academy Eindhoven, ‘ripple effect tea table’ by Korean industrial designer Jeonghwa Seo in partnership with Hanna Chung is a reflection of eastern mentality towards social relationships. Ripples are created on the top water layer of the table surface every time the tea cup and saucer are moved by the user. Through this project, Seo and Chung wanted to emphasize the importance of considering cultural mentality and context as a backdrop to their work. I still have no idea where to buy one though. #SadFace
We almost chose not to blog this incredible creation from Nikola Zistakis, simply because the staff wanted them for themselves, but we chose not to be selfish. If holding a fancy glass of bourbon scotch wasn’t classy enough, the Levitating Cup makes The act of drinking even cooler. The cup/glass hovers magically over its base, almost as if it’s attained nirvana, or is being abducted by aliens.
Using quantum levitation to achieve this feat, the cups are made from shatter-proof faux glass and come with chrome plated magnetic underside. The glasses/cups come in great variety, depending on whether you’re a juice, beer, coffee, wine, or even a dessert person. Plus, since these glasses are connected to their bases through a magnetic field, they don’t accidentally tip or spill over. They just pirouette around on spot in their own elegant style. To pick up some of your own right here.
Roland is to start manufacturing vinyl DJ gear with two new products: the TT-99 turntable and DJ-99 mixer. Both products have been designed to look like the classic TR-909, with the same grey and orange livery. The reveal follows the announcement of Roland’s revival of the drum machine in compact form, the TR-09. Apart from the TT-99 looking a lot like a classic Technics SL-1200 with a fancy paint job, there’s not much to distinguish it from other turntables on the market. However, it does have an affordable price point of $349, which puts it on a par with Pioneer DJ’s most recent offering.
Similarly, the DJ-99 is just a simple two-channel mixer, though it is reasonably priced at £249. Apart from a dedicated DVS output for digital DJs, it’s as basic as they come. A release date for both is yet to be confirmed. The 909-themed gear isn’t the only DJ equipment launched by Roland as part of its 909 Day celebration. The company has also teamed up with Serato on the DJ-808, a combination of DJ controller and drum machine.
AM Fremantle has come up with some amazing skateboard designs in the past, but the “Spritz Party” collection is one of the most recent. AM Fremantle specializes in screen printed skateboards fresh out of Vicenza, Italy that double as works of art. We’ll definitely have more to show from them down the proverbial road as it were, but check out the ‘Spritz Party’ boards below for now.
The newest release from DevGotCharacter feels like the perfect track to listen to at 10pm, driving through downtown with the top down, on your way to pick up your significant other. The song Summertime, featuring a classic sounding hook, and quite the impressive verses from JShades, is only the first release from Dev’s mixtape “Words With Friends”. The Chromatix produced beat makes the perfect home for Dev’s complex and concise flow. If ‘Summertime’ is the first of the tracks off “Words With Friends”, we can expect great things from the full tape. Check the method below.
With the advent of LED lights, we’re no longer restricted to the tube lights of yesteryear. Created by Jehremy Harris, the triangular Triad light was designed to explore alternatives and the result is a modern, modular system that can adapt to any space. It features an intermediate plug that acts as a sort of connector between two Triad modules. It is here that current is passed from one module to another and it also aids in holding modules together. Each unit features 3 possible connections, one on each so, so it can be endlessly expanded upon.
Pioneer is expanding their range of rekordbox dj controllers with the DDJ-RR and DDJ-RB. Both feature two channels while the DDJ-RR includes Deck Select so you can switch between all four rekordbox dj decks at the touch of a button. The controllers introduce buttons for new features in the rekordbox 4.1.1 software update, including Sequence Call, which lets you create and save sample sequences then play them back without touching your computer. The DDJ-RB and DDJ-RR are also the first controllers to support PC Master Out, for playing master output through your computer’s internal speakers or a connected desktop speaker while using the controller for your headphones at the same time. Both new controllers come bundled with a full licence for rekordbox dj performance software.
The DDJ-RR packs in all the traits of a pro-DJ set-up. Stay in control with large jog wheels, illuminating on-jog indicators and customisable multicoloured Performance Pads. You can use the Performance Pads to trigger Hot Cues, Beat Jump, Pad FX and Slicer, plus there’s a button for the new Sequence Call feature. Get creative with Slip Mode and Release FX, and hit the new Sequence Load button to load your sample sequences to the deck to scratch them. Multiple inputs and outputs give you flexible connectivity and the option to use the DDJ-RR with rekordbox dj software or as a 2-channel mixer using multiplayers or turntables.
Death. Power. Celebration. The skull is associated with numerous themes, and HYT has used it to great effect in its namesake collection. The Skull watch was first released in two references with red and green liquids, each sporting matching eyes of the corresponding color and resembling a different comic book character. The Skull Maori came next, and had detailing that evoked traditional Maori tribal tattoos. For its latest creation, the Skull Bad Boy, HYT has ventured into the rebellious, grittier subcultures of biking and hard rock. The most striking aspect of the new release is its fluid module’s black liquid, which had taken the brand over a year to develop.
It’s worth noting that every new color used in the brand’s fluid modules is an individual “product” whose hue is just one aspect that must be engineered – the liquid must also maintain a defined meniscus within the glass tube, repel itself from the tube’s inner walls instead of sticking to it, have a suitable viscosity and thermal coefficient, and finally be UV resistant. Chemistry aside, black also represents an entirely new shade for the brand, whose past developments have been confined to bright, almost fluorescent liquids. The new liquid is a perfect fit for the Skull Bad Boy’s monochromic color scheme, which includes a black DLC-coated titanium case and slate grey leather strap. The watch’s overall look is sinister, and fully deserving of its name. The general lack of vibrancy doesn’t translate into a lack of details though. Note how the grey hour indexes on the flange support the theme with their Gothic typeface, and the dial’s Clous de Paris pattern that resembles a leather cuff’s studs.
ViviTouch 4D Sound was developed with EAP (Electroactive Polymers). Pioneered by Bayer, EAP is an incredibly thin and flexible film that can be used as a flexible capacitor. The proprietary dielectric polymer expands when exposed to an electrical current and contracts when electricity is discharged. Stretchable electrodes are printed on either sides of the EAP film. Furthermore, by printing a specific frame pattern, a developed planer actuator acts as a new type of electrical motor converting electrical energy directly into mechanical motion.
The printed film is designed into an overthe‐ear headphone, these polymer motors move the skin around the user’s ears and generates a very realistic subwoofer experience similar to what one would normally feel only in a concert hall or movie theatre. The electro-active polymer has 10x faster response time and covers a broad frequency range. 4D Sound can generate thousands of unique sensations and enables a full spectrum of sensory sound.
Splinter Works may have created the ultimate way to relax with Vessel, a new and elegant take on the modern bathtub. The design resembles the imagery of a hammock, and is constructed out of carbon fiber for its strength and ability to form complex curves. Floating off of the ground, Vessel is attached to the walls by two stainless steel brackets that can be covered or left bare and is filled by a sleek floor standing tap. As for drainage, there is a a built in water release at the base of the design, though a down pipe drain can also be installed if needed. Measuring nearly 9-feet in length, this sculptural tub also comes in a variety of colors such as red, blue, yellow, pink, bronze and pure silver, as well as different custom sizes to best suit the buyers personal preferences.
Crossover Watch is a contemporary design modeled after the game “pick up stix”. Its elegant hands, that appear to be precariously balanced, rotate around the dial. Crossover Black is a modern watch with tapered white, gray and yellow hands. The second hand is yellow, the minute hand is white and the hour hand is gray. There is also have the Crossover Steel a contemporary, yet elegant and modern watch with tapered black, gray and red hands. The second hand is red, the minute hand is white and the hour hand is black. Like the Black Crossover follow the pointed ends for the time. The Crossover Watch has thin hands that are slightly askew to the center giving this timepiece elegant stature.The sleek lines and positioning of the hands give this watch a unique modern feel that is perfect for both men and women. There is also one in brass.
Anyone with a ‘GoPro’ camera will understand, shooting moving videos takes a very steady hand, but tends to result in a jittery footage. Aetho wants to bring stabilizers to consumers everywhere with the ‘Aeon’. Traditional very large stabilizers used by video professionals, the ‘aeon’ is a handheld tool that is ergonomic and lightweight for creating smooth, cinematic videos.
To keep it stable, the gadget uses sensors to detect the three axes and makes adjustments 1,000 times per second. With every counter movement, the ‘aeon’ employs three brushless motors to move the camera. To view the footage, the ‘aeon’ includes a two-inch circular screen so videographers can see the ‘GoPro’s’ perspective. Weighing only 500 grams, the stabilizer is made from injection molded ABS plastic and features a five-hour battery that can be charged using a USB cable. To frame more interesting footage, the aetho ‘aeon’ has a universal mount that works with all official ‘GoPro’ accessories. The video stabilizer is available for purchase on their indiegogo page, with a plan to ship to buyers in early 2016.
The ZIIIRO Mercury watch displays time in a simple and unique way. The tip of the inner swirl represents the current hour, while the outer swirl displays the minutes, with a continuous gradient movement showing the passing through time. Brilliantly designed, and something I’d thoroughly love to have for my birthday.
Synonymous with classical beauty and timeless style, marble has been the epitome of luxurious sophistication for millennia. Reinventing this ancient material for the modern lifestyle, the world’s first real marble smartphone case. Available in Black Marquina and featuring a slice of marble as thin as a credit card, the CLIC Marble iPhone case offers the perfect balance between elegance, strength and durability. If you’re interested in picking one up, click here.
Responding to a barrage of smartwatch launches from tech brands including Samsung, LG, Sony and now Apple, a few traditional watchmakers have developed their own connected timepieces. These innovative horological creations are on display at Baselword, which is taking place through March 26.
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The Frédérique Constant Horological Smartwatch
Frédérique Constant and Alpina have partnered to develop their first smartwatches, two devices combining traditional Swiss horological craftsmanship with technological innovation. Both are compatible with Android and iOS smartphones and offer analog activity and sleep tracking functions, along with a quartz movement. Battery life is advertised at over two years. The Frédérique Constant Horological Smartwatch has a rose gold plated case and a sleek silvered dial. This analog smartwatch is due to launch in late May/early June for just under €1,000 (under $1,080).
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The Alpina Horological Smartwatch
Alpina chose to repurpose the design of its Comtesse watch for this smartwatch aimed at women. Housed in a 39mm steel case that is waterproof up to 100 meters, the device features a black dial adorned with diamond indices. The Alpina Horological Smartwatch will also be available by June for less than €1,000 (under $1,080).
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Mondaine’s Helvetica 1
Activity tracking is also the standout technological feature of the first connected watch from Mondaine, which has a sapphire glass screen and a leather strap. Like the Withings Activité, the Helvetica 1 has a dedicated subdial showing the wearer’s progress towards a given goal. The model is due to launch this fall at an unannounced price.
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The Breitling B55 Connected
Designed specifically for airplane pilots, the first smartwatch from Breitling is capable of recording various flight details and sending the data to a dedicated smartphone app. Pricing and availability are unannounced.
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The Bulgari Diagono Magnesium
Unveiled in a world premiere in Basel, the first smartwatch from the Italian brand is a ceramic and magnesium model that is still in the prototype stage. The Diagonon Magnesium stands out for its NFC chip, which Bulgari is touting as a security key that would allow users to securely and easily unlock a smartphone. Bulgari has stated its intention of launching a production model before the end of 2015.
So I don’t normally plug retail sites, (unless I’m getting paid to) however, I came across a site looking for some wedding gifts for a friend, and I have to shout its praises from the rooftops. The site ‘Awesome Sh*t You Can Buy’ has quite the selection of random, astonishing, and rare items. For example… the Batmobile (not joking), things like a Facebook shower curtain, all black playing cards, or even a bullet proof business suit. For sure take a browse, and you’ll find something you’ll like. Below are just a small handful of some of the random sh*t you CAN buy. Check the method.
The TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 introduces a new era in DJing. Create in the moment. Connect with your crowd. And perform with unrivaled, cutting-edge power. Driven by touch-sensitive controls, high-res displays put TRAKTOR PRO software within sight, keeping you focused on the music – not on your laptop. Innovative touch-and-see workflow makes browsing, editing, effects and Remix Decks instantly accessible, cheek the method below.
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