THANK YOU

23/09/2011

I just checked my Adobe Exchange account for the first time in over a year - I use this service for inspiration and to gain 'know hows' . The service is used by creatives and developers to upload their unused projects, codes, artwork for others to use completely free. It's a great service, and saved my neck a few times I can tell you! A few years back I gave back by producing this (Above), for people to download and use. Since 2008 its been downloaded over 4500 times - I'm glad people like it! Here's the link to the PSD file on Adobe Exchange. Why Atari? Well, thats another story.

Jackmaster!

29/03/2011

A quick follow up from my last post. I'd realised that I had missed out on another very important 'first' The Jackmaster LP compilation series (1,2,3,4,5) when first released they were in double pack special editions. Super excited racing home with these bad boys, what made these so upfront was they were not just recycling old original Chicago House music, but discovering new artists making House and not just Chicago based either. These introduced me to New York's Todd Terry under his alias Masters at Work, these two unbelievably good freestyle tracks Alright, Alright and Dum Dum Cry are still in my top ten TT tracks 24 years later. I always thought I had the entire collection but have just discovered whilst writing this that there was in fact a 5th Jackmaster! Heading over to E-bay now.

The Dream Job.

21/03/2011

I recently had the opportunity to design a cover for a House music compilation CD (rather appropriately named - I Love House). For inspiration, I researched what 'House music' looked like, when these tracks were first pressed, packed, vacuum sealed and pinged over to European record stores (See above).

I own quite a few of these first LPs and 12s with that same generic logotype, I even had a t-shirt (I think I got it from HMV!). I wonder the reason for this design, the lines forming the arrow, that typeface? Did it have anything to do with the Chicago underground scene or was it purely a Europeans perception of what this music should look like? It isn't very 'tech', far from it.

On the covers can be found - Design by Luckau & Waack (Thomas Luckau, Klaus Waack). German I think. If anybody out there knows more please let me know! Email me.

Its not Hip Hop or Hop Hip, its Hip House!

01/02/2011

Does anyone remember Tyree Cooper, the producer, the awesome super dooper trooper? Or The DJ Fast Eddie, the cool rock steady? Well, if you do then this will be an interesting watch - an obscure documentary, found on YouTube about the sub music genre of Hip House. I never realized it intended to be taken that seriously! Certainly wasn't in the U.K. I think it played for about a week before we all realised that the two genres - are not playing well together. Though there are lots of solid Hip House tracks out there (Do what you want by 2 in a room, anybody?) it was a little gimmicky, right? This film is also a fascinating glimpse in to the early years of House music...Watch out for the great KC Flight. Oh did I mention the film has a cringe factor of 11? We were all young once... Check it out.

Postscript; Whilst writing, this came to mind thought I'd quickly stick a link up - Silver Bullet's 20 seconds to comply. Not strictly Hip House but a wicked Hip Hop track and mixed well with the darker Hip House sensibilities, find this little gem here.

Typography in Film.

12/12/2010

I love the opening credits to movies. A lot of the times more so than the movie itself. YouYube & Google are great for finding those obscure movies opening sequences - A while back I started a YouTube channel so I could keep all that I find. If anybody knows of anymore great opening sequences, let me know - email me

This months studio listenings.

01/12/2010

Here's EasthallDesign's top 10 for this month. (links where possible).

1. The Smurf - Tyrone Brunson
2. Let’s Groove - George Morel
3. Mucho Acid - Joey Beltram
4. The Eve Of The War (Tilt's Red Dawn Mix) - The War Of The Worlds - UlladubUlla
5. Six Million Dollar Man - John Gregory & His Orchestra
6. Sonic Destroyer - Jeff Mills - Blue Potential
7. The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
8. Hallelujah (Club Mix) - Happy Mondays
9. No Way Back (Greg Wilson Edit) - Adonis
10. Searchin' - 33 1/3 Queen

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