Crate Kings » Artwork

Sweet Turntables Bring Candied Musical Goodness

Semantik — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 21:52:40 +0000

Who knew that licorice could sound and so good. Filmmaker Jake Humbles drops a quick audio/visual tease entitled “Sweet Turntables Man.” Finding inspiration from the shape of various confectionary delights, here he presents viewers with a visual of mixing classic hip-hop with classic candy.

This could of been inspired by the story of Willy Wonka and his DJ career or the fact that I think DJ sets and becoming a DJ is an awesome thing to do by manipulating and mixing music but no, this was inspired by the word shape.

J Dilla – Behind The Beat (Home Studio Poster)

Semantik — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 22:46:10 +0000

Crate Kings readers surely know by now the pictorial greatness of the book Behind The Beat, a collection of photos of producer home studios.

Stones Throw has come together with photographer Raph Rashid to make one of the most memorable photos from the book available as a 28 x 28 inch poster printed on flat (non-gloss) paper. The poster, which is only $12 and worthy of mounting in any studio, is sure to inspire greatness in anyone willing to will to embrace it.

Back in 2005, photographer Raph Rashid was hoping to complete a book of hip-hop home studios by getting pics of J Dilla at work in Los Angeles. Unknown to all but a small circle of people at the time, J Dilla had been in and out of the hospital all year dealing with increasingly serious health problems. It was summer, during a brief period when Dilla was home, working on The Shining, looking and feeling good, when Raph came to take this picture. It was published with others later that year in his book Behind the Beat: Hip-Hop Home Studios.

Head over to the Stones Throw online store to grab your own.

The Hip-Hop Belt: DJ’ing & Sampling By Design

Semantik — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:26:10 +0000

No longer do you have to be a superhero to wear a do-it-all utility belt. Emily Carr design students Justin Alm and Jack Curtis created The Hip-Hop Belt, an “educational tool for younger children” to assist in learning about hip-hop DJ‘ing and sampling. The belt features a mixer, two turntables w/ rotary sensors, and an ultrasonic sensitive kill switch.

Visit Emily Carr for more details and hit the break for video of The Hip-Hop Belt in action!

Digging in the Crates: The DNA of Contemporary Music

Semantik — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:45:20 +0000

Roland Loessiein’s diploma thesis entitled Digging in the Crates combines artsy design with the dusty fingered work ethic that is the foundation of modern sample based music. The interactive installation seeks “to explore the sampling as a production technology of contemporary music” while taking participants through a history of audio manipulation.

While the cohesive design will certainly appeal to the more visually oriented, vinyl junkies will find it worth watching simply to hear the 9th Creation “Bubble Gum” sample.

Visit Digging in the Crates for more info and installation tour dates.

[via hypoetical]

Off Track Volume III: Brooklyn – Disco, Funk, African Soul

Semantik — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:48:59 +0000

DJ’s Kon & Amir once again unearthed a number of vinyl gems for their upcoming release Off Track Volume III: Brooklyn. The compilation, which is set for an April 26th release, highlights some in known African disco and soul from the 70’s and 80’s.

The eclectic African disco and soul cuts Amir highlights on his disc are Americanized by style but inherently authentic in feel, demonstrating the very best of the region’s dance music from the period following Fela Kuti’s mid-70s creative peak. Some standouts: Tee Mac’s 1980’s insistently catchy ‘Living Everyday’; Effi Duke’s percussive masterpiece ‘The Time Is Come’; and Christy Essien’s glorious ‘You Can’t Change’, which features famed bandleader Geraldo Pino’s Show Train outfit. Also in the mix are a couple of cuts from unsung Nigerian star Dizzy K. Falola aimed at sophisticated dancefloors.

Introduction To Vinyl Art w/ Daniel Edlen

Semantik — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:23:41 +0000

Artist Daniel Edlen explains his view of music and the inspiration for his custom hand-painted vinyl creations.

“Some people enjoy music. They listen to it while they run, they listen to it while they’re work, maybe they have it on while eat dinner in the background, but for me music is more than background, it’s art, it’s passion, and humanity.”

Portable Turntable Clocks

Semantik — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 04:59:15 +0000

Portable turntables are beautiful specimens to begin with, but add in time telling functionality and they nearly become a necessity.

Pixelthis produces these handmade gems for collections, crate diggers, and vinyl junkies…. grab your own for $89.

More pics after the break!

Cassette Business Cards w/ Case Holder

Semantik — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:11:08 +0000

Besides being an essential item to serious aspiring producers and musicians, it’s no secret that business cards can leave a powerful impression on new contacts. Designer Koji Sueyoshi’s cassette shaped business cards and accompanying cassette case are certainly unforgettable and sure to catch an extra glance from anybody who receives one.

[Design Boom via GG]

More after the break!

Korg MS-20, Roland SH-101, Minimoog Synth Pillows

Semantik — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:19:59 +0000

There’s no need to deny yourself of a classic synth, especially considering that these felt gems are guaranteed to provide ample entertainment.

$75 gets your own, but stock is limited so grab one quickly.

[via Dropular]

Additional pics after the break!

Neurosonics Audiomedical (Scratch Perverts & Foreign Beggars)

Semantik — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:57:21 +0000

In a video directed by Chris Cairns, The Scratch Perverts and Foreign Beggars are Neurosonics Audiomedical Laboratories.

Visit Neurosonics Audiomedical for additional credits, production stills, and project info.