14JAN2024

Happy MLK Weekend all! Hopefully everyone is getting some much needed rest and down time. Apart from getting some great family outings, I've been having a blast playing with Teenage Engineering's EP-133 K.O. II Sampler and Sequencer. Here are some rough, early beats I've made: Wong Kar Wai Sample and Bach Sample.

On to much better stuff:

• 🥁 A Short History of the 808 - As I've been trying to learn about sampling and beat making, I've been consuming a whole lot of Youtube videos and tutorials. This video from Captain Pikant is fantastic- a brief, musical history of the classic 808 drum machine which set the rhythm of so many classic hip hop and electronic tracks. The Captain's other videos are a treat as well, consider Drum Machine 101 and How to Glitch Like Aphex Twin.
• 🖥️ The Web Is Fantastic - Loved this mini essay from Robb Knight about the delights of the indie web and the pleasure of owning your own little corner of the internet. He does a great job of inspiring, while also giving some practical starting points if you're interested in setting up your own little site or blog.
• 🎬 Past Lives - We watched this amazing film over the winter break and I can't recommend it enough. Just a beautiful reflection on life, the power of decisions, and nostalgia for the path not taken. One of those movies that really sticks with you.
• 🪴 Planta iOS App - New Year, new opportunity to not slowly, painfully murder every plant we bring in to our home. We've been trying out this app for keeping track of our plants, their watering schedule, sunlight needs, etc. I've been really impressed with its AI troubleshooting features-- Take a picture of your plant, it will identify it, tell you what's wrong with it, and how to fix it.
• ☕ Airscape Coffee Canister - My favorite local coffee roaster turned me on to these coffee canisters. At the risk of sounding like a massive snob, I've tried some others, including the beautiful Fellow Atmos Canister, but this has been far and away the easiest and most effective at preserving my coffee's freshness.

That's it for this week! Be well, everyone!