new ALBUM?! Was not expecting this but very much enjoying

I realize you may not have a NY Times subscription to read this full article but I implore you to at least sign up for a free account to read this opinion piece on Let’s Launch a Moonshot for Meatless Meat.

The author is a vegan but not a militant one. The majority of the article spells out the risks of continued meat consumption - more novel coronavirus scenarios, more environmental dangers and intensified cruelty to animals. That last bit is probably where most folks put up their guard but if you've done the least bit of Googling, there's no way to rationalize away that the quantity of animals being consumed en masse are suffering. Even if you make sure to go to some meat market where the animals are treated well, that doesn't waive the cruelties of the entire system.

The most interesting part of the piece is that it's not a guilt-inducing doom-and-gloom overture, it's offering some real solutions through technology. Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are making great strides in alternative meats and there's more non-dairy milk substitutes available now than you can shake a stick at; we just need to throw more money at those kinds of undertakings to supercharge them.

I've been a vegetarian for around 5 years; a very small portion of my entire life but I fail to see how anyone could read this and not decide that curbing their meat intake was a good idea.

I'm intrigued by this Andy.works project of No More Boring Apps; a suite of "every day apps" (Timer, Weather, Calculator) that reimagines the experience to be something more playful and more visually stimulating. The code behind the apps is a game engine capable of 3D, animation, physics and more; so it's a far cry from the skeuomorphism or ultra-flat apps that most of us have become accustomed to.

I'd love to speak more to how these apps function but there is a payment plan involved; $15 per year for access to the apps and some "Skins" to customize them. Frankly, that's not a lot of money at all for something fresh and different but it's also, obviously, a hurdle that most of us aren't used to facing when it comes to installing apps. Free is the thing I suppose.

I will be keeping my eye on the app suites and see what else comes from it. They look great and the marketing materials are top notch.

not quite sure what to make of the song but the video is a marvel

new track and a pretty bonkers video

a silly little internet project. the kind that gets my inner nerd intrigued but then i immediately forgot about it. fun idea tho.

filmed in the late 90s (obviously), with a great twist end. there’s a load of performances from this channel if you’re willing to dig through the archives

more goodies from the 2 meters archives

Been a bit quiet on the blog lately (more on that later) but I'm happy to announce one of the projects I've been working on is now out in the world!

Jay Leo Phillips has been a musician that I've admired for a long time. His work in the post-punk Apollo Up has been a mainstay in my listening for 17 years. His previous album One Million One Million One Million was one of those overlooked gems that I wish more people had discovered. Fortunately, it's not too late. You should check that out. But today, Jay releases his new EP DAYS, a six song (mostly) instrumental offering that has serious echoes of The Sea and Cake, Tortoise and instrumental Jim O'Rourke. If those references are complete gibberish to you, don't worry, you'll still like it.

Truth be told, Jay was a bit concerned that the EP was so different from his previous work that folks might not enjoy it. His prior work is highly energetic - you could even call it "blazing" or "frantic" at times - but this EP is chilled out and devoid of his Elvis Costello-y baritone vocals.

I'm happy to report that his concerns are unfounded and it's a damn good listen. Obviously I enjoy his entire body of work but I like that he's branching out and letting listeners know he's capable of more than just one thing. I hope you'll enjoy the release and stay tuned in for future work; whatever it may be.

Here's some handy links to get you listening:
Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music | Amazon Music | elsewhere

I worked with Forest for a good chunk of time at VHX. He is good at maths, he is smart and he is empathetic. This is one of the best write-ups on fitness I've encountered in a long time. It's self aware and not, at all, focused on trying to make anyone healthier. I do suggest you read.

the kind of journalism you wanna see

I watched this entire video of the Human Eye Webcam and now you should too. It's mostly disgusting and unnerving but also sort of cute.

You can read more about it here or here if you want to know why such a thing would exist. TLDR: it's an art project to make ya think about surveillance.

Great NYT piece on underwater photography and finding a lot of beautifully bizarre, and often minuscule, creatures in the deep dark of the ocean. It's a worthwhile read about the initiatives for finding potential new species but, honestly, its mostly eye candy to peep these delightful weirdos.

100% worth scrubbing through

43 minutes of enjoyment

lil lengthy but a good read

unbelievably great animated piece from Skyway Man. Love the whole thing but it'll really blow your mind about 1:30 in. Stick with it!

I help produce a podcast call San Dimas Today. It's an in-depth look at all things Bill & Ted related. A niche subject for sure but one that has resulted in interviews with film critics, graphic artists, multiple actors from the trilogy including Alex Winter (Bill), William Sadler (Death) and many more. I wouldn't call myself a diehard Bill & Ted fan by any stretch of the imagination but it's been a blast working to get these interviews and watch the hosts geek out on the discussions.

After a bit of gentle persistence, lots of patience and tons of kindness, co-creator / co-writer of all three Bill & Ted films Ed Solomon came on to talk. We're calling this the series finale. After three years and tons of episodes and interviews, there's just not much left for us to say about the franchise. It's also fitting because the very first episode of the show was with the other co-creator, co-writer Chris Matheson.

The chat with Ed Solomon is an absolute delight. He worked on Laverne & Shirley, the Gary Shandling show, Men in Black and loads of other works outside of Bill & Ted. He had a ton to share and it was, honest to god, a hilarious time.

Even if you're not a huge Bill & Ted fan, give it a listen. He is a delight and we thank him for his time.

Happy to announce a new EP from Jay Leo Phillips entitled Days. The first single, "During During," is available right now over on Bandcamp or, if you prefer, on YouTube. I tallied it up recently and I've been listening to music from the mind of Jay Leo Phillips for 17 years. His band Apollo Up was a mainstay for me for years and, honestly, is still in regular rotation. This new EP is a marked new direction for him. While he still embraces his signature guitar playing style, it's more subdued and reshaped into less anxious soundscapes. In the press release we remark that it's more akin to Tortoise or The Sea and Cake, if you happen to be familiar with those bands.

The single will hit streaming services next week but don't let that stop you from enjoying it now. And you will enjoy it. Promise.

Tangentially related to that previous post on The Art of Warez, the work of Komiyama Takashi is heavily ANSI / ASCII inspired. You might chalk that up to "pixel art" but a lot of these pieces seem restricted by the same character palette as many of the classic works from the early 90s. It goes without saying that these are quite elevated beyond that palette but there's clearly a throughline.