Lynx is hands down one of my favourite producers, and a stand up guy to boot. Having burst on the scene a couple of years back with a plethora of huge tunes that destroyed dance floors worldwide he has since proven he is anything but a flash in the pan. For lack of a better word he is one of the most precise producers in the game. His sub troubling tunes just sound so crisp, with as much attention given to what isn’t there as to what is. The result is often versatile tunes that are equal parts heavy and atmospheric. As a result you will hear them in all kinds of sets, from dark tech to fruity liquid.

This is a promo mix for his new label Detail Recordings. Set up with the aim of showcasing a variety of sounds, and promising to deliver some interesting collaborations between Lynx and other artists from across the musical spectrum. The dubs that are appearing in mixes like this are pure heat, so I can’t wait to see what else he has up his sleeve. His regular vocal partner Kemo also makes an appearance, although mostly just to hype Detail. It might be a touch on the short side, but this mix is a sweet little journey. This one was on high rotate for me as I tripped around Canada.

Stand out tunes for me are Lynx & Malibu – Bangin Arcs, Helios – First Dream (Stray Remix), Lynx’s killer remix of the Alex Reece’s classic Pulp Fiction, Lynx & Sense – For the Rebels, and the first tune released on the Detail Recordings label ‘Keep it Low’.

Lynx – Detail Recordings Promo Mix, May 2010

1. Lynx & Hellrazor – First Winter – Detail Dub
2. Breakage Ft Kemo – Temper – Digital Soundboy
3. Raiden – Danzen – Voodoo
4. Kelpe – Skylla – Ex Aquarium
5. Lynx – Chess Funk – Detail Dub
6. Zero T Vs Dwele – I Think I Love You – Bootleg
7. Lynx & Malibu – Bangin Arcs
8. Helios – First Dream (Stray Remix) – Medschool
9. Lynx & Hellrazor – Silver Glide – Detail Dub
10. Alex Reece – Pulp Fiction (Lynx Remix) – Dub
11. Lynx Ft Sense – For the Rebels – Detail Dub
12. Subterra – Gutter Mouth – Dub
13. Lynx Ft Kemo – Keep it Low – Detail Dub

Don’t sleep, get your hands (& ears) on it right here [right click, save as].

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To say I am excited about this trip would be a massive understatement.

Great pic of the Inukshuk at Whistler from ecstaticist

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I realised a couple of weeks back that I have now been doing the Mix of the Month series for over a year. I am amazed that I have yet to share this mix.

You probably haven’t heard of Snax, but he is a great DJ (and an all round great guy) based out of Wellington right here in New Zealand. You will find him playing everything from tear out gash to the lushest, most beautiful atmospheric beats.

This mix of his is one of my all time favourites of any mix, from any DJ. An emotive blend of classic mid-90’s atmospheric drum and bass, it’s perfect for cold nights, long train journeys, and a little bit of introspection.

Snax – Snaxmospherics

1. Chameleon – Links [Good Looking]
2. PFM – One and Only [Looking Good]
3. Total Science – Algebra [Good Looking]
4. Tayla – Dimensions [Nexus]
5. Big Bud – Pure remix [Good Looking]
6. Big Bud – A Way of Life [Good Looking]
7. Big Bud – Indian Summer [Good Looking]
8. MI5 – Experience [Lucky Spin]
9. Voyager – Hypersleep [R & S]
10. Jodeci – Feenin’ (LTJ Bukem remix) [MCA]
11. Seba & Lotek – Universal Music [Good Looking]

Get your Snaxmospherics fix right here [right click, save as]

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1. Mix of the Month July 2010: Lynx
2. Mix(es) of the Month June 2009: Doc Scott
3. Mix of the Month February 2010: Four Tet

I am stoked to have been asked to participate in Steinlager Pure’s Pure Futures campaign as a mentor.

What is the Pure Futures campaign? Well, Steinlager Pure is recognising Kiwis who have uncompromising visions for New Zealand’s future by helping them realise those visions. They have $100,000 to give away, along with help and support from mentors like Dan & Steve at iconic Kiwi clothing label Huffer, awesomely talented industrial designer Jamie McLellan, the great team down at Auckland’s internationally acclaimed business incubator The Icehouse, single handed trans-Tasman rower Shaun Quincey, the team behind mega-successful Kiwi fashion brand Stolen Girlfriends Club, and me.

All you have to do to get involved is register and share a brief summary of your vision and what you think you need to make it happen. The community is then invited to vote and comment on your vision, and the most promising visions will then be given the resource they need to get them underway.

I am really looking forward to working with some big ideas, and hopefully helping people realise their visions by helping them develop brand and/or communications strategies to spread and promote their idea.

To get a flavour for the kinds of visions that they are looking for check out this interview with Emily Harris, who has a vision for a greener community through rooftop gardens:

Head over and share your vision at purefutures.co.nz

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Apparently I am a little late to the party with this one. Better late than never. Besides, I figured some of you might have missed the boat too (yes, I am mixing metaphors, what are you going to do about it?).

I have just discovered Pogo. Pogo is a young dude based in Perth (we wont hold that against him), making incredible video/musical compositions by sampling old movies. He first blew up with ‘Alice’, a track and accompanying video produced entirely from samples from Alice in Wonderland.

That was until until now. His newest production, ‘Gardyn’, was a gift for his mother on mothers day, made entirely from footage that he shot in his mothers back garden. It even includes vocal samples from a little interview he did with her. You can get the full story behind the track over on his blog.

He was also been commissioned to do one a track for Disney film Up, and even a TV/Cinema commercial for Honda (which unfortunately never came to fruition).

His tracks stand alone quite well, but when combined with his visual samples they are truly amazing. Check them out for yourself:

If you dig those, there are also a few more over on his YouTube channel.

You can also download a whole lot of his tracks for free over at last.fm.

via Kitsune Noir

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• The Big Caption is a complement to (Boston.com’s always amazing) The Big Picture, wherein jokes and statements are made using typography. For example:
  
• Incredible title sequence for the Typophile Film Festival 5. Amazingly this is all real, no CG what-so-ever. You can get the full story behind it here.
  
  via Ugmonk.
• While we are on the subject of typography, Typography for Lawyers looks like a great practical guide for non-desingny folk who want to make their long written documents look swish.
• Some great desktop wallpaper for bike lovers like me from Jennifer Daniel.
  
• The Radio 1 Essential Mix is an institution. Over time they have basically hosted every major DJ there has ever been. Now you can listen to and rate (almost) every Essential Mix since 1993 online, anytime at essentialmixes.net. An amazing archive of recent electronic music history. Great for folks like me out in the colonies.
• Diplo & Switch (aka Major Lazer) team up with La Roux to deliver the massive (free!) Lazerproof mixtape. It is a pretty crazy experiment, as you would expect, and well worth a listen.
• Nike (& Weiden+Kennedy London) brilliantly illustrate that if you make amazing, remarkable content then there is no need to buy any media (even though I am sure there is a large accompanying media buy for this one content, you know, just to make sure). This content was run in the seperate vignettes over 3 consecutive nights in the sports news segment of our national television news here in New Zealand (I am sure we weren’t the only country), as well as clocking up untold views across the web. Powerful stuff. (Of course it helps if you have a budget of 5 trillion dollars to produce said content).
  
• A couple of tumblr’s I stumbled across to keep you amused: Micheal Buble being stalked by a Veliciraptor & White People Throwing Gang Signs. Hours of entertainment. Word.
• Came across a couple of great recruitment ideas recently. Check out ‘Comic Sans Destroyer‘ for a great little recruitment campaign for agency Happiness Brussels (who wouldn’t want to work at a place called Happiness?!).
• And for some creative job seeking you can’t really go past Alec Brownstein’s fantastically clever Google Job Experiment. Kudos also to the creative directors who weren’t too embarrassed to get in touch and try to hire this guy.
  
• Need a great example of a brand building an immersive experience? How about the Pantone Hotel? It is part fo their new ‘Pantone Universe’, a collection of “colourful, design driven” products from the world authority on colour communication. Not sure about the Universe, but the Hotel looks pretty awesome.
  via FormFiftyFive.
• I am mildly obsessed with Kingswood Skis right now. Handmade in Lyttleton (a tiny little seaside village here in New Zealand), they look incredible. I am definitely lusting after a pair. Check out this great video of the ski making process from start to finish:
  
• In more amazing handmade in New Zealand, check out Rob’s Woodgrain Bikes. Rob will hand paint your frame in one of three different beautiful woodgrain finishes right here in Auckland, New Zealand for the princely sum of $1500USD. Expensive, but man are they beautiful.
  
  via Jamie McLellan

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This video is awesome. It is an animated version of a talk given by Dan Pink, the author of Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. Watch it, then share it with anyone who will listen, particularly your boss (they should definitely listen).

There are also a whole lot more great videos (including more of the RSA Animate series) over at the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) YouTube Channel .

via oneplusinfinity

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Stand out tracks for me are the opener, a Roska mix of dbridge & Martyn’s beautiful track ‘These Words’, Roska’s own Jackpot (which I could imagine absolutely destroying a club), and the wicked melodic vibe on his tune ‘Tomorrow is Today’. All in all though, a pretty banging party vibe, good for prepping for a big night out, or plowing through some spreadsheets at the office. Don’t take my word for it though, give it a hoon for yourself.

Roska – Sonar Promo Mix 2010

1. Martyn & dbridge – These Words (Roska’s Speechless Mix)
2. Zinc – Nexx!
3. Roska & Jamie George – Love 2 Nite
4. Crazy Cousinz – Always Be My Baby
5. Roska – Jackpot
6. Deadboy – If U Want Me
7. Roska – Squark
8. Dj Naughty – Firepower
9. Roska Ft. Anesha – I Need Love
10. Laidback Luke – Step By Step (Roska Edit)
11. Roska & Jamie George – Wonderful Day
12. Zinc – Blunt Edge
13. Geeneus & Dynamite – Get Low (Roska Special)
14. Roska – Tomorrow Is Today
15. Bingo Players – When I Dip
16. Youtam Avni – Coke Bouquet
17. Fingaprint – It’s On You
18. Brackles – El Gordos

Get hold of Roska’s Sonar Promo Mix 2010 here [right click, save as].

Special mentions this month also go to former mix of the month artists Lenzman & ASC who both put out killer mixes this month that have been on high rotate for me too. Check Lenzman’s Reprise Agency Podcast (featuring the beautiful vocal talents of Riya) for one of the best liquid drum and bass mixes I have heard in a while & ASC’s Club Muse podcast for some awesome 90’s hip hop/experimental/dubstep/140bpm grooves.

Thanks to Nivin for the heads up on the Roska mix.

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If your son or daughter (or anyone for that matter) asked you this question I hope you would have a better answer than “we advertise, they see our advertising, then they come and buy from us”.

If you can’t think of a simple reason why your existing customers would tell other people about your products or service then you probably need to rethink your strategy. People don’t talk about good products at a reasonable price, they talk about outstanding products, unbelievably cheap products, unbelievably expensive products, products that do something unique or unusual, service that is orders of magnitude apart from anything else they have experienced, or products that have amazing stories behind them.

Your products and services should be an integral part of your marketing strategy, not an input into it.

Think about the stories you want your customers to be telling other people about your products and services, and then design them to make that happen.

Great photo of a stork in flight from Bruce Tuten on Flickr.

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Over the years the poor innocent asterisk has become the reluctant workhorse of every lazy marketer in the world. Instead of directing the reader toward a simple explanatory footnote it has, and continues to be used and abused as a weapon of mass deception.

If your offer or headline could be reasonably misconstrued by a regular person then you need to rethink what or how you are advertising. Particularly if you have added your footnote in 12 point font on the bottom of your spectacular size billboard.

Using asterisks is like dressing your brand in a trench coat; it makes you look dodgy, and makes us wonder what you are hiding.

*Seriously, stop it.

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