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First Sounds of 2010 30 Mar 2010

Posted by Dexter in Personal.
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This time I wanted to share with you most interesting (in my opinion) albums, which I have been listening to during last three months. To be precise I focused mostly on Polish music, as I feel this was a great time for Polish artists, nevertheless not only performing in Polish. I can easily choose my favorite one, but as it is more complicated to select 2nd, 3rd place, etc. albums are being presented it in a chronological order.

Novika – Lovefinder, premiere date: 22nd of January. Freezing January has been warmed up by nice, soft and catchy beats prepared by the Queen of Polish Club music – Novika. Indeed it was worth to wait for her second solo album to hear new, different sounds and songs. I think there are not too many hit songs, but opening “Miss Mood” and further “Forever Girl” with older Novika style are most interesting. I know artists like to evolve with their creations and styles, but I regret this album is so much different from transcendent “Futro” project.

Duże Pe – Zapiski z Życia na Terytorium Wroga, premiere date: 15th of February. If you are familiar with Duże Pe, most probably you know his auditions: DJ Pasmo and Nadaje Się aired by Polish Radio Euro. This time this energetic promoter of broken beats, mash-ups, and underground remixes presented pure hip-hop style material. Music layer is very classic and ascetic, for a hip-hop of course and lyrics as usual ironic and direct.

P.S. Due to my current work place I really love this album title, which humorously & perfectly reflects my daily life.

Fox Box by Fox, premiere date: the 19th of February. This album is simply a masterpiece! Michał “Fox” Król surprised Polish scene with cosmopolitan and modern style of beats, which, this is a compliment; do not sound like Polish ones. Additionally he gathered for his first solo album a Myriad of my favorite voices! Natalia Lubrano (Miloopa) opens the album with darkness and warm of “Farewell”. Next Michal “Bunio” (m.bunio.s and Dick-4-Dick) speeds up the beats with radio hit “Belly of the Beast”, followed by smooth Novika’s voice in “Chocolate Box”, Sqbass and orchestral voice of Marsija (Loco Star) in “No Lullabies!” Amazing piece of music, which I have listened already a hundred times!

Digit All Love – V (fau) – premiere: 22nd of February. This album is full on uneasy music, but hypnotic and sweet voice of Natalia Grosiak (Mikromusic), as always perfectly mixes up with rough instrumentation. Multilingual, different in used styles is really a great piece of alternative music.

At last, but not at least, one of my newest discoveries. This one is not from Poland. Do you know actress Zooey Deschanel? She played Trillian in “Hitchhicker Guide to the Galaxy” movie for instance. She and Him, stands for Zooey and Matthew Ward, who released on the 23rd of March “Volume Two” – second album of their duo. It’s full of amazingly springtime songs categorized by Wkipedia guys as: Indie Pop, Indie Folk or Alt-Country. I honestly do not know what kind of music these names stands for, but I simply like it! I’m happy to hear them soon in Berlin during 2010 Tour!

After listening a few demo songs from “Ania Movie” by Ania Dąbrowska I can assure you I’d put her new CD with movie songs covers at place number one. Unfortunately her label made us wait for the premiere a few additional weeks. I keep my fingers crossed in hope, that postponed premiere date planned for the 2nd of April will be the final one! What else I can say? Even if Ania says this is her Goodbye to retro style known from last her last two albums… she simply rocks!

I hope 2010 will bring more such interesting music to my ears!

My own best of 2009 6 Jan 2010

Posted by Dexter in Personal, Technology.
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As the year 2009 has gone with the wind almost everyone presents rankings of the best things in 2009. This is my private, subjective list containing more or less important categories. Let’s start conventionally.

Best Music. This category is quite tough as throughout 2009 I was impressed and seduced by quite a few good albums and songs. Past year was definitely a good and important period for soft electronic music. Best examples are new Karin Dreijer Andersson project “Fever Ray” and long-awaited Royksopp album entilted “Junior”. Polish electro funky music was also doing well with Łąki Łan and “Łąkiłanda”. What about more traditional sounds? Thrilling “Lungs” by Florence and the Machine are definitely worth checking. To add something more rocking. The Greatest Hits of Foo Figthers. That’s quite a lot of the best, isn’t it?

Best Concert. Well, again not an easy choice. I was happy to see several good concerts, but definitely the best live performance I saw was a Nouvelle Vague concert with guest appearance of Ania Dabrowska in Krakow Rotunda Club.

Best Bike Race. Here I cannot judge the best race by its result. Most enjoyable was “Fish” Memorial Race in beautiful scenery of Zieleniec. Almost 70-kilometers long and tiring route full of challenges, bike failures and pleasure of overcoming your own weaknesses.

Best Software. Here you will be surprised. Windows Vista. How come? Why 2009? Am I insane you may ask? Well, this year, as this year I changed my laptop and with my new Toshiba device Vista is something drastically different than the previous experience with HP machine. Fast. Damn fast, nice and really stable, good successor of XP. Actually I have already ordered a copy of Windows 7, so if it is as good as they say – I will have a winner for 2010.

Best Mobile Software. Duo of Opera Mini 5 and Opera Mobile 10. Still beta releases, but definitely something great. Good user interface, consistency with amazing desktop Opera 10. One category above I was wondering if I shouldn’t put Opera 10 there. Opera Mini and Mobile deserve to be here.

Best Internet Service. Facebook? No. Twitter? No. So what? Well, for younger generation this may be a kind of controversy. The winner is … e-mail. Yes, yes. Old, not to say archaic, good e-mail. If you start using push e-mail on your smartphone, you will discover what great companion it may be. Text message? Not needed anymore. MMS? C’mon. You must be joking. E-mail with attachment is far more convenient. Chat? E-mail is not so disturbing and almost as instant. You may reply in a moment, when you have more time. I know this may be not a news for Blackberry users, but I observe the same comfort of push e-mail usage is more and more available for users of Apple, Android, WM or Symbian operating platform, also thanks to cellular operators support.

Best food. Definitely Donner served in Kebap House at Westphalweg U-Bahn Station, Berlin Mariendorf, Germany.

What were your favs in 2009?

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