Continue reading for downloads.

I’ll be releasing more Hard drive types in the future as an extension of this one in the future depending on how many people download this one and use it. So let me know what you think of it and what hard drive types you’d like to see in the extension.

Preview

Download

ICNS: Dirty Hard Drive ICNS (41.07 MB)
iContainer: Dirty Hard Drive iContainer (39.02 MB)

It seems that some how Muxtape has got itself into a spot of bother with the RIAA. The Muxtape site doesn’t go into any details as to what the “problem” is but for the time being the site is offline. This is very unfortunate as I always found Muxtape to be a great site for listening to and finding new music. I’ve bought a number of new records solely because I heard a track or two on Muxtape and I can bet I am not the only one who has done this. It’s a shame the RIAA doesn’t realise this but even then, I bet they would still be after royalties for Muxtape allowing us to stream tracks for free.

eleanorhardwick.com / Eleanor’s Flickr / Interview with ponystep.com

There’s also a one-on-one with Milton Glaser (here) that is also worth checking out.

Lately I have been working on a couple of projects of various kinds. One being an OSX Hard Drive Icon set, some client work and a wordpress theme called Fold. So yes I have been somewhat busy and no I haven’t disappeared off the face of the internet.

Anyway, Fold is my first Wordpress theme that I will be releasing for public use. Before now I had only ever made themes for my own personal use but now I figure it is time to make something that anyone can use. It has been a big learning process, trying to figure out what the public may or may not need within a theme and trying not to keep it overly cluttered with feature’s some people may not need or want. As this is my first theme, I am taking my time with it to get it as perfect as possible for release, so at the moment I don’t have much of an idea when this will be ready. I have set myself the target of getting it available for the start of next week but if I need to go over a day or two I will do so.

In the meantime here is a preview of the theme in it’s current state, it’s not complete but it does give you an idea on it’s style.

Let me know what you think of the new design and come back soon. Oh and yes I am aware of some problems in IE

I stumbled across this a couple of hours ago and really cannot believe no-one has shown me this guys work before. He’s created a couple of great OSX Screensaver’s called WordClock, Rotary WordClock and Screensavr. Each on being a beautiful piece of design and type work, they are worth checking out. He has also got a fantastic portfolio of web design and a number of other handy OSX downloads on his site.

Go have a look at http://www.simonheys.com

The gig left quite an impression on me and at first I kept track of their releases. Though gradually over time I started to forget about them, after all it had been over a year since I have seen them live since the release of ‘Angles’. It wasn’t until I was in a record store buying ‘In Silico’ by Pendulum that I spotted ‘Angles’. I hadn’t seen it advertised anywhere, so I was somewhat surprised but promptly purchased it.

The album opens up with a bit of live spoken word from Pip that soon kicks into the single ‘The Beat That My Heart Skipped’. A great track that has been remixed by the likes of Jel. It begins with a glitched beat and guitar combo eventually bringing you into a great set of lyrics spat out by pip. The follow-up track, ‘ Development’ isn’t as heavy on the beats and is bit reminiscent of artists like Sixtoo, Sage Francis and the likes, but of course having a style that is unique to Le Sac and Pip. These are just two of the original tracks from the duo.

‘Angles’ holds some hidden emotional gem’s in the tracks ‘Angles’, ‘Magician’s Assisants’ and hidden track ‘Reading My Dreams’ taking the form of love, death, suicide and passion. It’s not very often you will find such powerful lyrics in an album such as this, it could actually change a lot on the way you view life and the people around you. I’m guessing this is what Le Sac and Pip are aiming for after telling their stories, and they left enough of an impression on me that I’ll always remember these tracks and heed their words very closely. Of course you may not notice how powerful these tracks are until you sit and read the lyrics while listening to them.

This album is full of complete ups and downs, each track is unique to itself, never sounding like the previous or the following. If your looking for the intelligence of hip-hop artists like Sage Francis, Sixtoo, El-P, etc and something new with an often fast paced electronic sound, this album is definitely something you will have been waiting for. In fact, scratch that, this is an album for everyone and their collection!

1. Beat That My Heart Skipped
2. Development
3. Look For The Woman
4. Rapper’s Battle
5. Tommy C
6. Fixed
7. Angles
8. Letter From God To Man
9. Magician’s Assistant
10. Back From Hell
11. Thou Shalt Always Kill
12. Waiting For The Beat To Kick In…
13. Reading My Dreams (Hidden Track)

My problem with the album has always been the fact that yes it is a good album, but when it comes down to it, it is just like most other drum and bass… there is much better out there. Of course it takes people time to get round to looking for more of a genre they have just discovered, but when people don’t bother to look and obsess over one thing claiming it to be the best thing of a particular genre, then it becomes somewhat infuriating. So I suppose in many ways, it’s the audience and general reception of ‘Hold Your Colour’ that greatly annoys me, causing me to disregard Pendulum.

Now working in a night club I often hear new tracks of popular artists quite promptly. It has it’s benefits. So when I heard the tracks ‘Granite’ and ‘Propane Nightmares’ I was slightly taken back. These singles from the album are vastly different and for someone that looks for specifically that within music, I was impressed. I gained interest in the album almost straight away and have kept track of it’s release since then.

‘In Silico’ was released in the UK today so I inevitably went out and bought the album. I’ve sat and listened to the album once through already and on my first impression I was utterly impressed. Pendulum have done what I was hoping for and pushed the bar by developing what they had and brought in new elements. The opening track has a great rock sound to go with it yet retaining some of the drum and bass sound of their previous work. The second fuses some different rock sounds that remind me of the originally, fusion of rock and electronic music, that Boom Boom Satellites hold but with elements of Muse. It’s an enjoyable experience and provides a good insight into where Pendulum want to go. ‘Propane Nightmares’ the third track and single is more of a throwback to ‘Hold Your Colour’, it keeps most of the elements from the album yet giving it something new with a bit of Jazz. Jazz and Drum and Bass in one place may sound odd but the Jazz elements only really appear in the beginning and end of the track. You will only find it during the album if you listen closely or with headphones.

I don’t want to go into descriptions of each and every track, but ‘In Silico’ takes on a very rock styled persona yet keeping some excellent electronic sounds and drum beats. The rest of the album keeps these elements bringing a round up of different tracks, each one never sounding the same as the last, and it’s a very welcome change and a move which Pendulum should be pleased with. Though I must warn anyone who is expecting or even wanting something similar to ‘Hold Your Colour’, you may be a bit disappointed with the change in this album. For those who are hoping for some difference and progression, this album is going to be for you.

Track Listing

1. Showdown
2. Different
3. Propane Nightmares
4. Visions
5. Midnight Runner
6. The Other Side
7. Mutiny
8. 9,000 Miles
9. Granite
10. The Tempest