Posts tagged 'Mellow'

Don’t Give Up

“I was still surprised,
When I caught your eye after all this time.
And it took me back to the times we had.
Even though that we’re far apart,
We’ve come so close and it feels so right;
Don’t give up…”

Kate Moross‘s laid-back, nature-in-oversaturated-technicolor supercut and Washed Out‘s airy, mellow sound make for a potent twosome of chill. Sub Pop forever.

A big thanks is due to William Doran for sending this one our way. Cheers!

[ Washed Out - Don't Give Up [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO] ]

Macro Timelapse

Today’s allotment of mellow vibes comes courtesy of Daniel Csobot (visuals) and Daniel Gautreau (tunes). ENJOY!

If you enjoyed the attached and would like to see more videos like it, I’d suggesting visiting our time lapse feed next.

[ Macro Timelapse ]

Elk Grass

“But there’s that sweet grass, it’s dancing in the high bluffs and the sea breeze;
It’s where the elk sleep, dreaming simple dreams of luscious green grass and peace.”

Loving this gorgeous, atmospheric-and-mellow music video Awesome and Modest directed/animated for Pete Van Leeuwen. The tune sounds like it could have been on Beck’s Sea Change – my go-to album for the drive home after a long, hot day at the beach – and the complimentary connected-with-nature visuals further amplify its already laid-back, lazy vibe.

Enjoy!

[ Elk Grass ]

Hinode

Tetsuka Niiyama dropped a note in the suggestion bin with a link to some animation he created, “that depicts saltation and growth of life in the sea using jewelry as the motif for illustrating the theme ‘Jewels of Sea’”. It’s expertly done and über-chill...ENJOY!

[ HINODE ]

Kuba Krzeminski

Man. Today was just shitty. In these kinds of moments my instinct is just to tune out for a bit and watching this video of Kuba Krzemiński helped me do just that. It’s hypnotic watching any talented artist work in time lapse but the attached is especially great due to some tight editing, tracking shots and mellow music selection.

Enjoy!

P.S. Both our time lapse and hypnotic feeds are worth a visit.

[ Tattoo Time Lapse by Kuba Krzemiński ]

The Miracle

“Where do all these melodies come from?
Where do all these melodies run from
to then find solace in sun, son?
Honestly? I’m stumped.
All I know is somehow when I’m stuck,
I’m un-stuck.
Maybe it’s dumb luck, I give up;
I’m just as dumbstruck.”

Steve first sent us this video in the spring but, truth be told, I didn’t take the time to really dive in and pay attention to what was going on until a few days ago. Don’t make the same mistake.

I never really caught on to what the song was about because I was too fixated on the visuals. For whatever dumb reason I tend to not like when shot footage and animation are combined unless they’re seamlessly mixed together. That’s certainly not a rule, just a general prejudice rooted in the sticky cellar of my psyche. When I was a child I used to separate my food into neat little piles; the stuff I liked least was eaten first and, when it was finished, the next mound in the hierarchy of flavor was tackled until my favorite was last on the plate. It sounds dumb now that I’m typing it out but, at the time, this behavior seemed perfectly logical. I was a little obsessed by the process to the point that I’d have a mini freak-out if different foods touched each other.

To enjoy something on it’s own terms is, to me at least, fundamentally satisfying. I find that both sobriety and intoxication are agreeable in their own way but to be either one or the other for too long a span of time spurs a vague discomfort as each plays an integral role in calibrating the poles of my consciousness.

Yin and yang, bruh.

So, separate and tackle in turn. If shot footage and hand-drawn animation are fused into one film, why wouldn’t you want to make the finished product look as homogeneous as possible? You know, invest the necessary time and attention to do a proper blend; apply some craft ‘n shit. This is probably why I glossed over the attached when I first saw it. But I didn’t dismiss it...how could I? Mr. Steven Smith himself made it for goddamn Stones Throw and, seeing as I’m a big fan of both, decided to tuck it away and return later. On a recent trip to the Midwest I did just that and, away from the pressures of work, had time to properly marinate in what was going on.

Anyways, the song is about the creative process and – even though Homeboy Sandman is specifically referring to his methodology for writing rhymes – the themes he covers are pretty universal to anyone who makes things. At it’s core, creating something is a frustrating mix of volition and luck. You’ve got to do what you can to get the ball rolling but ultimately, what’s going on isn’t completely within your control. It’s haphazard and messy and inexact and – for beings whose evolutionary success depended primarily on an ability to exert dominance over the surrounding environment – supremely frustrating.

“I think ‘What is this melody meaning to me?’
The answer might come in a week.
The answer might come immediately.
What is the recipe?”

Lyrically, it’s a tightly-packed, mad, stream-of-consciousness tumble and the accompanying grab-bag of colorful, whacked-out visuals heighten the sense of anticipation for what he’ll say next. It took me until the ninth or tenth viewing to finally notice that the only shot footage is of Sandman’s head, the physical case for an internal universe of grey matter that simultaneously contains both the hindering, fickle spontaneity of his creative muse and the honed mastery of language that eventually liberates and externalizes it.

At that moment everything shifted; the heterogeneous, sharp-edged contrast of the visuals morphed from the thing I didn’t like to my absolute favorite part. Maybe you’ll like it, too?

“EN-JOY.”

For more Steven Smith-created goodness just click here. If this is the first you’re hearing of Stones Throw listen to this and then go buy some albums.

[ Homeboy Sandman - The Miracle ]

Evoking Spirits

“I’m-still-swimming-in-that-language,
it’s multi-versal; pages and journals.
My journey here is ended soon –
we blow eternal.

My mind expands
      with widening strands
      of indigo and purple.
This music’s not commericial,
just the-square-to-meet-that-circle.”

We’ve been watching Ori Toor make shit since first discovering the ‘unofficial’ music video he created for Animal Collective’s Lion in a Coma. Since then he’s made a few more and each exhibit his distinct ‘stream of consciousness’ style of staggered-and-repeating organic, undulating shapes. Ori’s approach has subtely shifted in each of them but they’ve all, for the most part, remained abstract studies in colorful form. The attached, his latest, veers into new territory and I’m absolutely loving how he’s mixed in some representational imagery to compliment the usual assortment of evolving, fluid structures.

It’s my favorite Ori-joint yet and easily an ‘instant classic’ of the site…it’d be a crime to watch this in anything but full-screen HD. Oh and a nice pair of bass-friendly headphones is a must, too; Kingdom Crumbs knows how to properly fatten-up the bottom end of their kicks and basslines and you’ll want to rattle-and-bathe in each one.

Speaking of which, I picked up their eponymous album this morning and have been listening to it while I cobble together this post. It’s thoughtful, positive, mellow, rambling-in-a-good-way hip-hop undergirded by some spacey, out-there synthesizers and easily worth the ten bucks in iTunes. If you’re strapped for cash, head over to Bandcamp and name-your-price; even the most frugal of budgets can accommdate a few cents, right?

ENJOY!

[ Kingdom Crumbs - Evoking Spirits ]

Childhood of a Circle

“Archibald lived in harmony with the surrounding world. Sometimes, after lunch, he would stroll along with a herd of mushrooms…”

I have a distinct memory of watching The Red Balloon in kindergarten. My overall recollection of the event is warped and faded but certain moments are forever burned into my mind. Strangely enough, all of them have nothing to do with the film itself: watching the reel-to-reel projector as it was wheeled in, perched heavily atop a sturdy steel cart with squeaking castors, its bottom shelf empty save for a large metal disc of tightly wound 8mm; the flurry of satisfying clicks and snaps each part on the projector made as my teacher deftly manipulated them into place; the lazy way the bulb brightened and the gentle warmth it radiated, the steady hum of the cooling fan and the slotted shadows its vents cast on the ceiling.

I’ve found that the electricity of a memory varies greatly depending on how old you are and grade school, for me at least, was a time when any new experience would surge through my brain like alternating current.

I felt so calm; so fine-with-everything as it played. It was nice; I wanted to stay there forever. The attached film, by French graphic designer/filmmaker/musician Kadavre Exquis, evoked a similar reaction; the richly textured, meandering landscapes and simple innocence of the characters made me want to melt through the screen for an aimless stroll. It’s warm and peaceful and colorful and chill and, well, lots of things really. The story is nice but it’s over too soon; I watched it four times in quick succession in a failed attempt to prolong the experience. That being said, I was happy to discover that there’s an original soundtrack to Childhood of a Circle that is orders of magnitude longer. You can listen to the entire thing gratis on Kadavre’s website or get the bits to go for a very-reasonable ten bucks.

There’s lots of strange, enigmatic intangibles in his work that I’m drawn to and it’s been fun taking time to tumble down the rabbit hole in an attempt to unravel them. Needless to say, I’m excited to see what Monsieur Exquis will make next.

Oh yeah: full-screen and headphones for this one, y’all. Enjoy!

[ Childhood of a Circle ]

Sue Paraskeva

“Isle of Wight based artist Sue Paraskeva produces exquisite thrown porcelain installation work, altered one-offs, and sublime tableware.”

Supremely mellow and deliciously chill; this expertly shot/edited film by Jamie Isbell (with tunes by Chihei Hatakeyama) is a suitable incitation for some late-night reflection and meditation. Enjoy!

[ Sue Paraskeva // Artist profile ]

Sometimes The Stars

“Here I am confessing: you’re lost to me now.
I’m on a train telling strangers, about you;
How you’re still looking fine, how you ease my lonely mind;
Long summers and wine:  yeah, you saved me.”

Luke Jurevicius, Ari Gibson, Jason Pammet and Shane Devries collaborated together on this quiet, contemplative music video for The Audreys, a five-piece blues/roots band from Adelaide.  We’ve featured two of Ari and Jason’s collaborations previously and it’s great to see their how their unique stylistic approach was informed by Luke and Shane’s exquisite and surreal initial concept art. If you’re curious to learn more about how it all came together, click here. Enjoy!

[ Sometimes The Stars ]

Change

“How will I ever change, if I am willing to just stay the same?
And if I make a change when will it feel like I’m not just the same?”

Yes, please. Mellow dub grooves of CHLLNGR? Check. Operatic psychedelia-laced abstract sci-fi fantasy visuals (as directed by Chad Turner and Ryan Todd) that leave a pleasing 2001-esque aftertaste on one’s spiritual palette? Check. Turn down the lights, load the bits full screen, turn up the volume and get comfortable; I watched this three times in rapid succession and odds are you might, too.

Special mentions are due to Mike Rodriguez, Efrain Luna and Laura Southard who, along with Chad, did a fantastic job on the animation: top-flight work, y’all.

[ CHLLNGR - Change ]

Sparks

“No matter gain or grim, it’s those tiny little sparks,
In daily life that makes me forget my wounded heart.”

I can’t recommend Röyksopp enough; whether it’s their ‘choons or their videos, it’s always a treat. Enjoy the mellow, drift away on the chill.

If you’re diggin’ this one I recommend watching Eple next.

[ Röyksopp - Sparks ]

Optimist

Michael Chichi, the man at the chewy center of Synaptic Stimuli, made this psychedelic kaleidoscope remix of Optimist, a film by Brian Thomson that was shot at Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple‘s annual Festival of Colors. It’s three-and-a-half minutes of floating mellow vibes buoyed by the ambient, dreamy sounds of Tycho. Enjoy the colors, y’all.

Click here to continue the chill.

[ Optimist (Collidescopic redux/remix) ]

amalgamation

Micaël Reynaud, a webdesigner, animator, illustrator, photographer from Montpellier, created this animation with portraits from Michael Jang‘s Summer Weather series. The way the images blend, morph, evolve and interact with each other is deliriously hypnotic which, when combined the spacey, ambient synths of Memory Tapes, amplifies the vibe considerably. It’s gorgeous, trippy business friends so do yourself a favor and watch this in full-screen 1080p with a nice pair of headphones on. Enjoy!

Previously on The Tripatorium™: Yes I Know by Memory Tapes

[ amalgamation ]

Film Flash

“A promotional video for dublab.com - a non-profit web radio collective from L.A. for their 12th anniversary.”

Our boy Ori lent his signature undulating animation style to this video commissioned by dublab.com to celebrate their twelfth anniversary. Sit back, relax and let Carlos Niño & Miguel Atwood Ferguson‘s In Space Remix of Jay Dee and Illa J‘s Sounds Like Love carry you away with the help of some fantastic, colorful visuals. Enjoy!

[ Dublab.com "Film Flash" ]

Artificial

“The idea was to make a visual representation of how art communicates with the viewers emotions, and it was very inspiring to animate other artists work.”

Sven Larsen passed along this minute-and-a-half short film by Lasse Gjertsen – Mr. Hyperactive himself – that takes you on a tour of Bomuldsfabriken Kunsthall in Arendal, Norway. The visuals are subtle, sufficiently trippy and go especially well with the mellow backing tunes, also by Lasse. Enjoy!

Thanks for the heads up, Sven!

[ Artificial - A Short Trip Through Bomuldsfabriken Kunsthall ]

Datamosh

“Now that television transmissions have gone completely digital you have probably seen this effect before.  You’re watching TV and then suddenly the image freezes.  Then, instead of glitching back to the next shot, its as if the next shot appears to be wearing the information from the previous shot.  It’s a surreal effect that can be hard to explain.”

Don Whitaker (of Squircle Zoom fame) wrote in to tell us about a video mashup technique called ‘datamoshing’ that, “uses video compression artifacts as a composition tool”. If you’re interested in trying it for yourself be sure to check out this three part tutorial that utilizes free, readily-available-on-the-internets software.

The attached music video – for the tune Mande Burung by Odelia – was created by Charlie Visnic and is an excellent application of the technique. Mind-bending, mellow and trip-tastic – enjoy!

Thanks for the heads-up, Don!

[ Mande Burung by Odelia via The B-Roll ]