summer time

I still have summer in my mind. The outside world helps to keep this image. And so does this split single by Top Sounds and The New Tigers. So blue blue and full of sand. Good. Songs. Good. Night.

at the end of the summer break

Summer temperatures start when my holidays end. Obviously.
I cool down the atmosphere with trumpet sounds from Jan Wälchli and put this postcard on my wall.




See more works by Karoliina Hellberg here.

Olympiske Leker | The Olympic Games

My Olympics resolution: run regularly. Today is a good start with Casiokids serving an appropriate song for that. Enjoy this great animation by Chad Blevins. And learn some Norwegian! :) I myself have always wanted. That's yet again another point to my endless to-do-list: there is never enough time in the day! :)



lengdeløp  |  long distance
hekkeløp  |  hurdle race
maraton  |  marathon 
triatlon  |  triathlon
kulestøt  |  shot put
sleggekast  |  hammer throw
diskos  |  discus throw
spydkast  |   javelin throw

sykkelløp  |  cycling
orienteringsløp  |  orienteering
høydehopp  |  high jump
løftes opp  |  lift me up

basketball  |  basketball
baseball  |  baseball
tennisball  |  tennis
samme kall  |  same calling

svømmedrakt  |  swimming suit
samme drakt  |  same suit
i samme land  |  same country
med samme flagg  |  same flag

en OL-ring  |  an olympic ring
en lekegrind  |  a playpen
en utopi  |  utopia
på virkelig  |  for real

en posisjon  |  a position
en prosesjon  |  a procession
en visjon  |  a vision

harmoni  |  harmony
en måneds tid  |  a month’s time

like a solar flair

Django Django must be from some other galaxy. They have this knack and elegance unequal to all the rest of us. Here yet again they blend their sounds with vision. Quite white. With lots of light. Perhaps even solar.



Please meet the director of the video Daniel Swan.

always look at the white sky and you lose your head in the clouds
wanna step onto them and float onto their ground (...)

too much too young

My player got stuck with The Specials. I cannot complain. Even though I miss a certain someone. It's obvious and one cannot escape it.



The video was directed by Martin Baker and it features the legend of trombone Rico Rodriguez.

a redder shade | a whiter shade

Speaking of colours: there is this vivid artwork of Astid Swan that attacks positively your eyes when you open her website. The voice of Astrid blends accurately with the colours of this time of a day when it's in shade already. I run across Astrid's music at the beginning of the week while discovering this quite new and very promising label from Helsinki: Soliti. For more releases by Soliti click here. 



Shady Lane is a cover of Pavement's song the video of which was directed by Spike Jonze.

(...) a redder shade of neck on a whiter shade of trash

the moment

Music is the moment. I was caught by that moment very tightly during the concert of Leszek Możdżer at 47th Pori Jazz Festival. This moment really cannot leave me and I am grateful for that. Continuing the topic of Solidarity of Arts, it's worth mentioning that Leszek was a musical director of the first "+" concert within SofA in 2010. The special guest of this year's festival is Quincy Jones who comes to honour the Stańko+ concert and Tomasz Stańko's 50th anniversary of music career. So, head to Gdańsk if you can, August 11th. It's giant!
Well, it feels it has been a great weekend. Plus my constant hunt for colours was satisfied as well thanks to the exhibition of Isabel Pathirane. If you happen to be in Helsinki see her works this week at Kuvataideakatemian galleria, Kasarminkatu 44. Hurry up and catch the moment! :)




All of the arts come together to build the human soul
and to make humans still have compassion. Mirabai Daniels

solidarity of arts

Solidarity of Arts is an art feast. See the behinds scenes from Marcus+ jazz show 2011.



(... ) we find a way to even pollute music with negative thought and negative agenda. And if solidarity is something that is really engraving in poeple's souls, we'll have no more war.  Angélique Kidjo

jag tycker mycket

Came back from running, packing and maybe someday will learn Swedish. I do understand something from Peter Morén's new song... akustisk, Holywood ... just to name a few examples ;) I see definitely hope for myself in this endless mission of studying the language of the neighbour. Peter Morén might be of some help here perhaps. Read more about Peter on Ingrid, an artist collective from Stockholm (oh yes, Lykke Li is there!).



Video credits go to Belle & Light.

Montag on Wednesday

Summer is a sweet time when time runs out of its track and name of the days are not of such relevance. I embrace that. And enjoy again Montag's tribute to Trish Keenan. Now it blends beautifully with vision.



Please meet the creator of the video Samantha Gurry.

convinced by the sea

Kris Berry shared these great vibes from Dj Vadim on her Twitter. And I am just planning my trip to the seashore. Perfect timing. Good. Morning.



Video credits go to Monsieur Zupika and Przemysław Adamski (who works with
Katarzyna Kijek in Kijek/Adamski directing duo) and also to Maciej Salamon
(responsible for visualisations for a dubtechno project Hatti-Vatti: from Poland
with a Finnish accent in its name :)).

this morning creeps light on my room
dreams run away to bring the promise of a new day

yellow

I woke up and felt yellow. Or at least in a need of such colour. My new Spanish quest continues with Ojos de Brujo. Good. Day.

my latin way

No sun outside the window even though it's mid July? There is a cure for that: voodoofunk! Always spreading its funky vibes come rain or shine.

no babbling

From Sahel I eventually ended up in Brighton where Ojo de Gringa comes from. That's not just some jazzy babbling. These are great cinematic sounds to close perfectly this day.



The video is another good work of Thom Undrell from NoviFilm. 

Saharan cellphones

Good and morning vibes are delivered from Music from Saharan Cellphones: more precisely from Joskar and Flamzy. With them I head to explore the Sahel region of West Africa thanks to Sahelsounds, a fantastic project aiming to archive the current musical phenomena of this vast region. Its database is hours and hours of endless journey. You can start perhaps from reading more on Bamako's music (link via Awesome Tapes from Africa).

pieces of old sky

As my day started today in Alfama, Lisbon, and then I was brought to the memories of my first visits to Portugal thanks to an interesting talk with a friend, the most appropriate way to close this day is by a recording from Clean Feed, an impressive and creative jazz label from Lisbon. I discovered it during my first summer stay in Portugal in 2005 and ever since have been collecting its releases. This good night tune is delivered by Samuel Blases, a Swiss-born trombonist, from his album Pieces Of Old Sky. For more Samuel's albums click here. Good. Night. Boa. Noite.

Speaking of Alfama, if you happen to be there, make sure to pay a visit to Kebratolas (Beco do Quebra Costas nº 4, Alfama), where they make fantastic things, not only from vinyls. 

as pedras da minha rua

As this summer I don't travel to Portugal, as I have the habit of, I can still be taken there through different means of transportation. Today I walk in the city with Carminho.

under the westway

I am badly missing festivals in July this year. But luckily there are always live streams. Miracle of our times. Well, these could also be badly missed sometimes. I confess I did miss the streaming of Blur's concert. But luckily... there were blue skies in my city today.

a good song from El Río

I started exploring Twitter. Lots of fun and good vibes there I must say. I found El Río. 




I wanna be away for a long time
long time

good tunes from tUnE-yArDs

Merrill Garbus from tUnE-yArDs prepared a great mix of African vibes for Okayafrica. Good. Vibes. Good. Morning. (via Pitchfork)

como el ave que emigra

Gaby Moreno published a video to one of my favourite songs of her. It's an expat song. Beautiful and in Spanish. Telling about Gaby's way from Guatemala in pursuit of her music dream. Sung with authenticity and strong voice as it is usually the case when it comes to Gaby's performance.  What a joy to my ears. Read more on Gaby's analog and vinyl (yes!) approach to music here and enjoy the video below. It makes me think that I am perhaps becoming a dog person. I think I really am. Please meet Gaby's dog: Peppy. Isn't that simply a lovely little creature? :) And can you see the mountains of LA? Look closer. Ah, summer! :)



The video was directed by Carolina Paiz and Diego Velasco and edited by Otto Scheuren.
 
cansados de estar corriendoe
en tiempos de cacería
alzo en alto mi vuelo
como el ave que emigra

sweet sweet song from sweet sweet moon

String instruments are in fashion. I truly don't mind. Sweet Sweet Moon is truly sweet sweet. And isn't this title simply perfect? I See Things That You Don´t See And That Is Blue, Blue, Black And Dylan. It's going to be a good day after such a start! :)



Sweet Sweet Moon is released by Siluh Records.

Sunday voodoofunk

Sunday morning vibes on repeat from Voodoofunk. Get Funky!

a good (night) song from Wild Nothing

What a fantastically colourful gift from Wild Nothing! The vinyl of the new album Nocturne will be released in six cover sleeves versions. Read more details on Bella Union's website. The band is touring with Beach House and The Walkmen (old good friends :)). A happy-sad song to close this exotic summer jolly-lucid daydreaming. Good. Night.

remembering forgetting

Yesterday I remembered a friend's birthday and then I remembered I'd forgotten about another friend's birthday. But isn't "forgetting, not remembering, that is the essence of what makes us human" as Jorge Luis Borges said? Well, either way, then I was once again remembered that Marva Whitney is a saver of all of us! She's The Queen. Here in a great mix from Voodoofunk. Oh, get funky!

escape

Zoë Keating shared today this absolutely stunning live performance of "Escape Artist" recorded at the ABC Radio National. She describes pretty well my attitude towards the forest and the city. That's precisely what I feel whenever I run into the woods: I can't wait to be back in the city again. And once there, then I wish to run away somewhere else almost immediately. Always in between. Zoë blends this duality unmistakably. As usual.



To experience more such great tales, purchase Zoë's album Into The Trees from here.

like a flight far away from here

The voice of SBTRKT: Sampha. Here with Jessie Ware they create something endearingly beautiful. Within two minutes only. Brilliant.



Please meet the director of the video Marcus Söderlund (also responsible for Korallreven's As young as yesterday).

pick it fast like a flight far away from here (...)
live my life you better cold cut to this
I wish you'd just hold me open just to see your vision clear

take it slow

And another duo of Feist and Patrick Daughters. Aren't airports fun? Heading there again.



heart on my sleeve
not where it should be
the song's out of key again
(...) what day and what phase
it's the calendar page again

checking things off of a to​-​do list early in the morning

Despite of holidays things keep on being busy. Luckily there is a list to help out. Good. Morning.





Please meet Lullatone responsible for those good vibes: click here.

a good (night) song from Sam Hart

I'm just a little bit unwelcome
I'm just a little bit behind

fonoteka

These were the days... The magic of radio. Here comes the good news: Fonoteka 7 will be soon remixed as Estrada Nagrania announced. Please meet and support 77cuts and their fonoteka full of retro treasures from Poland. Good. Night.

walkers

Exploring the city during the first weekday of my holidays. Full of kindness.



Meet the director of the video Hannu Pyyhtiä. MIAU is a new curious music act from the neighbourhood.

diferente

I was and felt Diferente today. With good and fantastic people around.



Please meet the creator of the video Prisca Lobjoy.