Music, Design & Tech

Whyd's blog covering new music, connected design, and the tech lifestyle. Never stop jamming!

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Art, Love and Life

Friends,

This is incredibly painful. Three days have passed. It’s Monday 11/16. We keep crying. We keep thinking about all of the victims and their families. To our friends fighting at the hospital. To our friends who didn’t survive. Every hour that passes unveils new losses and injuries. This is unbearable.

Our people, our neighborhoods, our Paris are bleeding. They are the people who we love, the places where we eat, dance, play music, and socialize, the city of our lights.

Stade de France, Paris 11th, le petit Cambodge, le Carillon, la Belle Equipe, le Bataclan: the places where we smile, laugh, love, scream, sweat, hug, cheers. The places where we bind our emotions and build our friendships. The places where cultures meet. Life.

It’s Monday. We’re mourning. We’re neither nurses nor policemen but we're trying to help as much as we can with what we have: words and love. Talking about what happened, unable to do anything else, writing and sharing our grief and hope, sending heartwarming messages to the ones we know and even don’t know, helping anxious and broken families looking for missing loved ones. Trying to share love as much as we can. Live.

We Parisian, French people who have the chance to wake up this morning in Paris or wherever city in the world have something more: our Culture. The music we play, the dishes we cook, the wine we make, the stories we write, the movies we produce, the paintings we paint, the drawings we draw, the sculptures we shape, the photos we take, the products we design.

The arts, our “Art de vivre”. This is what we stand for. This is our freedom. This is our response. We Parisian, Banlieusard, French people, musicians, chefs, winemakers, writers, movie makers, painters, sculptors, designers, entrepreneurs, craftsmen. We’ll continue to create, to love each other and to live. Because this is all we know and have.

From Beyrouth to Paris, thinking of all of the refugees on the road far away from their burning home countries: Art, Love and Life are our response and will free the world from hatred. Because Art, Love and Life are limitless.

Onward and never stop jamming

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” Victor Hugo.

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Track of the Weekend #142: Major Lazer + MØ - “Lost” (Frank Ocean cover)

Thump goes the beat, and Major Lazer is responsible for this summer’s heaviest. Already claiming a Track of the Weekend recently, Major Lazer and MØ are back with a cover of Frank Ocean’s “Lost.” It’s everything you want it to be, and more. Big, boisterous, hard like a boulder, Major Lazer fans will be thrilled, if they haven’t already heard it, of course!

Never stop jamming! 

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EP Review: Christopher Dixit - L.B.B.M.

Summer vibes are all around us, as speakers thump during afternoon BBQs and the sky stays light until we’re drunk. It’s all about the positive mood, something that Parisian electronic artist Christopher Dixit uses to create. “Little Black Beard’s Mood” is his new EP that just came out on Nowadays Records in mid-July. The timing couldn’t be better for this journey through electronica. 

Let’s get to the details: 

Released: July 17, 2015

Genres: electronic, future beat

Tracks: 5

Who would like this EP?

Anticonformist electro heads who enjoy instrumental and sampled mixes of different cultures and styles. 

Our thoughts:

The envelope keeps getting pushed in the world of electronic music. DIXIT takes inspiration from things like Japanese culture and video games, applies a deep understanding of beatmaking, and weaves stories throughout the five tracks on this EP. 

The styling is wide, meaning this music can pair well in many different sorts of playlists. Our favorite track is probably “Mini Synthèse” for its clever use of sampling to produce the feel of different genres, all in one song! 

Never stop jamming.

Listen to "L.B.B.M” by Christopher DIXIT

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Sleeping Problems, Human Acoustics + A Hundred-Year-Old Barn - Interview with Lee Reit

In the concrete jungle of Brooklyn, NYC, the strumming of a guitar breaks up the sound of the engines of taxis and the pulsing of ventilation systems. Floating out of a window and over the expanse of metropolis come harmonies. Today these harmonies are from singer-songwriter Lee Reit, who has just released his debut, self-titled album. Here are the details: 

How long have you been working on this album?

The album was recorded by between May of 2013 and June 2014, mixed throughout the summer of 2014 and mastered in fall of 2014. Most of the music on the album was written in 2012 and 2013, but many of the lyrics come from earlier--as early even as 2009. This stew's been simmering for a while.

Which songs are you most excited about?

There's a wide range of styles on this album. "Dream Another Night" and "Wheel Within a Wheel" are the strongest pop songs I've recorded thus far, so I'm excited for those to make their way out into the wider world. Beyond those songs, "Visions of Eternity" and "Pleasure of the Fall" showcase lyrics that I am proud to call my own, and the string arrangements on "Thanks for the Lessons"-- all the work of my producer, Jared Saltiel -- are really exceptional. That's a song I really hope will find its audience.

Who should listen to your music?

People who are likely to form a connection with my album are people who like to spend time thinking about lyrics, people who appreciate hearing primarily acoustic instruments being played by real people, people who look to music as a means of going deeper into themselves, people who like the tone of a classical guitar, people from religious backgrounds, people who have difficulty falling asleep, people who do not shun red wine or brown liquor.

Where do you find new inspiration?

I like a lot of music from France, Spain, Brazil, and West Africa. I think you can hear that influence in my playing. I find inspiration in silence and in the sounds of nature, and in the tone of my guitar. My lyrics are inspired by a sense of obligation to form something permanent out of the blur of the passing months and days. All of my music is an attempt to halt time, or at least slow it down.

Where can people see you play live?

Over the next few months, I'll be playing in New York, Toronto, and Montreal. Performance dates for the second half of summer and the early fall will be posted on my website, leereit.com, in the near future.

What are your plans for the rest of 2015 and 2016?

I'm recording a new single this week, and will release it, along with an accompanying video, likely sometime in early August. I'll also be shooting a live acoustic performance of "Dream Another Night" in a one hundred-year-old barn in Ontario in the coming weeks. After that, I hope to record a new batch of songs to be released early next year as an EP.

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Biom - Save Your Plants!

As city dwellers, we often seek out the greener places, either by settling down in a park or heading out to the countryside for some fresh air. Not having the habit of constant gardening, we (us, at least) also don’t have ideal conditions, since our small apartments are limited in space and light. Plus, while our thumbs might be many different colors, they are not usually green. 

Still Human, a Parisian start-up, aims to change that by creating a smart, beautifully designed and practical solution called Biom. Biom is essentially a round pot for your plant that you can set on the railings or edges of your window. Sensors inside measure the four primary factors: water, temperature, fertilizer, and light. 

What we like: It’s so hard to know how much water to give a plant, not enough and the plant dies. Too much and the plant dies! Wondering if a certain window gets enough light for your plant? Does the plant get too hot? Does the cold risk taking it out? What was once a question of intuition is now scientifically verified. Of all the tech happening inside the Biom, all you see is a light that flashes different colors when your plant needs attention. 

Bonus points: The smartphone app can alert you when your plant needs attention when you aren’t home, it also lets you choose between different plants because, of course, all plant species are different. Oh yeah, the rounded design fits so wall with horizontal lines (like guard rails), and helps to break up the monotony of window after window after window.... 

The early bird specials are still available on Kickstarter, with the super early bird going for only 30 euro. If you drag your feet you can still get one for 50 euro, or a duo for 80 euro (because two look better than one!). Think of how much money you’ll save not having to buy a new plant every two weeks! 17 days to go, so get to it! 

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Track of the Weekend #141: Years & Years - “Ties”

The grass in the fields is brittle. The sunshine pours down daily. It’s been a dry summer here in northern France, and the city of light has been the city of heat. Few acts right now are hotter than the temperatures here, but one that’s unquestionably on fire is Years & Years, an English electro-R&B group that has been steadily infiltrating the airwaves. The trio’s latest single, “Ties” capitalizes on their now-famous style: a seductive voice, expertly-constructed melodies, and some of the catchiest lyrics this side of Disney. No wonder “Ties” was the hottest track on Whyd this week. And their album “Communion” is rapidly on pace to become one of the biggest of 2015. 

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The Power of Music, Exploring Feelings, and International Love - The Grand Bain Interview

The sunshine blazed across a clear sky when I arrived at the Mama Shelter, one of Paris’s trendiest locales. In the mid-afternoon heat everything moves slower, even the servers who polish knives and the few patrons who sip Perrier through black straws. I’m here to meet Erica and Jules, who make up Grand Bain. As we start talking their message hits home for me. Erica, an American, and Jules, a Frenchman, creating art together. And not just music, it’s a story of intercontinental love. 

Erica was always passionate about culture and music, focusing on history and French when she studied at UCLA. Her passion for France brought her here to Paris, where she worked as a cook in a top restaurant. 

Jules was brought up in a musical family, his father being a musician, and he had been involved in many projects throughout his lifetime. It was during the time that he was working on a new wave project that they sought a singer. 

Erica was also looking to get involved with a musical project. She had been writing songs but was hoping to find something more. Calling her roots more “soul” than their current music, her background is more musical theater, soul, and R&B. Despite the potential mismatch, she auditioned for Jules’s old group, and they immediately got along. 

That old new wave group did not share the same fate however. Soon after the group dissolved, and Jules and Erica struck out together under the new name, Grand Bain, in early 2014. 

Jules’s father has a studio, and Jules works as a sound engineer, two great advantages for an emerging group to get music out to the grand public. Both Erica and Jules consider themselves perfectionists, so it understandably took a while before they had something they were confident enough to share. There was one thing they were sure enough about though, each other. They recently got married here in Paris. 

The result of their partnership are three tracks currently available on Soundcloud (my personal favorite being the catchy and powerful “No Country”). They have put the finishing touches on their first EP, to be released sometime in the fall, preceded by their first single and music video which will come out in September. 

Jules describes their musical creation as “starting with lyrics, melody/chords, whereas before it was rhythms.” What’s important is to identify cool potential, recognize the beginning of inspiration when it strikes. If it’s not there, you wait. They often go to Burgundy to work on their music together, to take a break from city life. 

Not limiting themselves to constantly creating new sounds, they also take bits of older music and re-purpose those songs. Erica said that their upcoming single is actually the first song they co-wrote together. It sat on the sidelines for a while before they came back to it. 

Their music could be classified as sad, but Erica’s sunny philosophy changes what that might mean to some people. “I don’t believe that people are sad. Sad things happen to people. The important thing is to not hide it or let it fester. Release it.” 

If they could open for any group touring right now, they don’t hesitate when they both said Arcade Fire. They also mentioned Interpol as an inspiration. One listen to “Leonie’s Dream” will confirm that. If there is one driving theme for Grand Bain as musicians, it’s to be powerful. Explore feelings, don’t run from them. 

Now that they have a nearly-finished EP and have started working on songs for a full-length album, they are looking to make the move across the world to Los Angeles. Since they sing in English, it makes sense to reach a wider audience who can appreciate the music more quickly. They will be looking for a manager and a way to get set up there. 

In the meantime, you can still catch Grand Bain here in Paris, they play tomorrow night at Le Motel and the big release party is October 9th at the Bus Palladium. 

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Track of the Weekend #140: Collarbones - “Turning” (Flume Remix)

Summer is in full swing and offices are already a little less crowded as people head off to the world’s destinations. This week, the Whyd community turned its ears towards the land down under, where Whyd favorite Flume just released a remix of a different Australian duo: Collarbones. “Turning” is resonant and powerful. The voice is reminiscent of Years & Years. The melody attracts and captivates. But then Flume adds depth. He boosts the original track deep into house territory, all of it climaxing into a heady blast of turn-it-up electronica. 

Thanks to Louis de Sentenac for getting it to us!  

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Saent - A Focus Button Designed To Help You Do More

From the constant buzzing and ringing of your smartphone to the never-ending notifications from social media to the billions of websites and videos available at your fingertips (including awesome blogs about music and tech), it’s easy to sympathize with the person who says “I can’t seem to get anything done.” There are simply too many distractions in our modern, connected lives. Luckily for us, the makers of Saent have done something about it, in the easiest possible way. 

Saent is a button that you place on your desk when you are working. Once you press the button, Saent’s software locks you into the pre-approved apps and programs that you need to use to work. In this remarkable way, it actually blocks you from distraction, by preventing you from clicking that link to 28 things only Parisians will understand, or from stalking your ex on Facebook for the third time today.  

What we like: The design is so simply and small, it invites a touch. Press it to start a scientifically-calibrated focus session. Plus the little blue light is an indicator to your co-workers (or anyone else that might be sharing a space with you) that you are in the middle of a focus session and that you can’t be distracted. It’s small size makes it portable so you can have a focus session no matter where you are working from on any given day. 

Bonus points: Sometimes working hard can be a reward in itself, but - let’s be honest - sometimes it sucks. Saent has a system that rewards you for completing focus sessions. You can track your progress in the dashboard, and see if you are focusing more or less than your friends. You know who else you might want to impress with your stats? Your boss. 

The early bird specials are already sold out, but for just $39 you can get your own Saent and one year of its premium software. Seems like a small price to pay for vastly increased productivity. The project has raised over $10K in two days on Indiegogo. Get there quick! 

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Tomorrow’s Talent, Waterfalls + a Big Music Festival, Welcome to Cabaret Frappé

All images courtesy Cabaret Frappé Facebook page.

Hello! Can you introduce yourselves, who is behind the Cabaret Frappé in Grenoble? Is that a Starbucks drink?

Nope. It’s a pure European blended musical event organised by Grenoble city. The festival, 70% funded by the regional government, offers 3 stages and various activities during 6 days. More than half of the events remain free. Only some shows are paid, at a really affordable price.

How long has the Cabaret Frappé been going on for?

The Cabaret Frappé is already going to celebrate his 17th birthday. This year, beside the must-see festival in the garden, the festival also features brass band performances in the city train station, and will have a free concert on the Bastille, a fort on the top of a hill, offering a breath-taking view over the city. To finish, the Cabaret Frappé offers an after party in a legendary concert hall : Le Ciel.

Is the end of July a good time to visit Grenoble?

We can definitely say that the end of July is a good time to visit Grenoble, in order to enjoy the area, surrounded by three wonderful mountain ranges. The mountain is also an amazing natural place to visit outside the winter period. During July, it’s the perfect weather to go around for a walk, and cool down in the lakes and waterfalls of the area. Within Grenoble, you can visit the charming city centre streets and parks, and enjoy many entertainments as well.

What kind of artists will be performing?

Assuming the role of a pioneer, the Cabaret Frappé is behind many innovative musical discoveries. The festival supports musical creation, and ensures high quality programming. It promotes local and international artists within a large range of diverse music styles.

What's the vibe like?

The festival mainly takes place in a nice park, in the heart of the city. It brings about 50,000 people during the week. Friends and family gather in this fresh oasis, under the shade of the trees, to enjoy a moment of relaxation ideally suited to discovery. Around the musical program, various activities are freely organized: readings in the Rose Garden, world games, screen printing or free childcare centre for young parents attending paid concerts.

What are you the most proud of about the CF?

We are really happy to give the opportunity to discover today tomorrow’s talent. The Cabaret Frappé attaches great importance to promote emerging artists and showcase their performance in front of a large public.

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Track of the Weekend #139: Kendrick Lamar - “Alright”

Is “Alright” Kendrick Lamar’s most political song? It does fit perfectly well into America’s modern narrative of black vs. police. One thing is for sure, it’s another visceral experience whose music video is a visual masterpiece featuring Kendrick flying through the streets and rapping atop streetlights before getting shot by a white cop. It’s the latest in his string of hits off of “To Pimp A Butterfly” confirming what we thought all along: 2015 is the year of Kendrick Lamar. 

Thanks to Dans Ton Casque for getting this one to us! 

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New App + Paper: The GreenRoom Family Grows!

When the temperatures soar above 40ºC (+100ºF) like we’ve been having this week here in Paris, there are few things better than an ice cold Heineken, the emblematic beer in a green bottle with a red star that’s available in even more places than Coca Cola (well, maybe, don’t quote us on that). But Heineken is not just cool temperature-wise, they have also been a leading source of inspiration and they are very deep into music culture. They did, after all, create GreenRoom, which is an awesome source for the latest trending news, especially for music. 

We read GreenRoom’s posts all the times, from their music services comparisons, to insider Game of Thrones updates. The unique style and voice works perfectly (if you speak French!). And they have shared nothing but good music on their Whyd page since almost the very conception of Whyd. Mad respect. 

Now their offering grows, as they have just released a very slick app - My Greenroom - which lets you download their articles for offline viewing. You can also see top lists of the most read articles, and see the articles that your friends have liked, to make sure that you can know what Marie Robin has been reading! 

They are also releasing a mix between a magazine and book called “Festival Mon Amour” in collaboration with Snatch magazine. The publication is a limited edition featuring the world of music festivals. You can pick up a copy at places like Collette, Palais de Tokyo, la Gaité Lyrique, and Mama Shelter. 

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A New Column for the Whyd Blog: Home Tech, starting with Aumi, The Smart Nightlight!

If you’ve been following us in the recent months you know that we’ve announced interesting things to come from Whyd. We are passionate about connected design, IoT, and everything that makes home living not only easier, but more aesthetic and emotional. In our research we stumble upon tons of interesting projects launching on crowd-funding sites around the world. They are created by brilliant minds who need as much support as possible to make their dreams into reality. It would be a crime not to share them with our trendy community of creative music lovers, since we have a hunch that you are into technology as much as we are. It’s part of the modern lifestyle. 

Crowd-funding has changed the paradigm of the way products are created. In this new column of the Whyd Blog, we will be presenting you with the coolest products we can find that combine technology and the home in an aesthetic way -- exploring things like new interfaces, increased autonomy, and more functionalities -- always with an eye for design. 

If you find any gems yourself, please send them to us! 

- Never stop jamming! 

Let’s start off with a simple idea that was maximized to its full potential. Introducing Aumi, a smart, blue-tooth connected nightlight that you can control either with an app or directly on the device through a unique touch interface. You can select from millions of different colors, control intensity, and set timers. A built-in battery keeps it on when the power goes out, and it doesn’t block a second plug! 

What we like: The combination of touch control and app. It’s not always easy to find your phone, type in your code, and open an app (which is hidden in a folder four home screens away), especially when it’s something as simple as turning the brightness down or up. Being able to control the Aumi on the device is a big plus. 

Bonus points: The design. It’s simple, elegant, and minimal. The rounded design invites you to touch it, and gives you a very intuitive way to do that, but the familiar dial function. 

There are already almost 1000 backers, and it has surpassed its goal already! The early bird specials are already sold out, but you can still get one Aumi if you back $35 on Kickstarter. 

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Track of the Weekend #138: Isaac Delusion - “How Much You Want Her”

Heat wave’s a-coming here to northern France and the city of light is set to become the city of swelter. Skirts flutter in the hot breeze and sweat drips from brows. Perfect time to enjoy the icy goodness of a mojito on a terrace while listening to some dreamy music. An ideal song for this situation is Isaac Delusion’s new single “How Much You Want Her” that just dropped this week on Microqlima. You already know Isaac Delusion from our Whyd interview, and their two previous tracks of the weekend. This track is a clear development for them, the voice flying high like a satellite in low-Earth orbit, the rhythm and guitar teasing and building, and one of the best choruses we’ve heard all year.

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Whyd: re-imagining the speaker

We’re proud to belong to a community of music lovers like you. Together, we built the leading music curation platform. Now, we want to go farther. We created Whyd to invent aesthetic, empathetic and simple products that help you feel positive emotions. We're leveraging art, design and technology to bring you beautiful experiences. We love music. Music inspires us. Music is a fundamental part of our lives. We want to give you the next evolution in music.

We believe it is the time to re-imagine the home speaker and how you listen to music at home.

It is time to design a speaker that seamlessly connects you to the music you love.

It is time to design a speaker that looks insanely great to fit your home.

Music is art. Your speaker should be too.

We're re-inventing the home speaker and we need your help! Join the journey and get notified as we share stories along the way:

Sign up here to our bi-weekly updates.

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EP Review: Feynman - “Illusions”

Every so often an artist comes along that can rivet you without words. Someone who can create entire atmospheres of feeling and emotion with no air. Someone with the ability to paint a picture with no paint. You get the idea. Right now that artist is Feynman, who - not to be confused with the legendary physicist - has been spinning around the world like electrons in an Heisenberg uncertainty principle. 

He just released his EP “Illusions,” on Fake Music. Let’s get the details: 

Released: May 25, 2015

Genres: electronic

Tracks: 5

Who would like this EP?

Fans of Ratatat’s beats, Daft Punk’s funk, The Chemical Brother’s energy. 

Our thoughts:

It’s been a while since an emerging artist has delivered such a high-energy EP, where the funk runs rampant like a hippopotamus in a flooded Georgian zoo. Feynman weaves threads of style and swagger through rises and falls. “Diego in Vegas” is a turn-your-speaker-up-until-your-neighbors-fucking-hate-you track that will get your bones a-rattling. 

But at the same time it’s rather classic, settling in for the sort of mainstream electronica that enabled Daft Punk to rise to global fame. This is comforting in an era where experimentation has gone to such extremes that genre defining has become a one-song game. 

Pump it up!  

Listen to “Illusions”

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Track of the Weekend #137: Foals - “What Went Down”

Everyone get ready. This weekend is France’s Fête de la Musique, which is an all-day, all-night celebration of music that takes over cities on June 21st, the first day of summer. There are endless things to do, and as the hour waxes late so do the craziness, filthiness, and drunkenness. Capturing this inevitable feeling of raging is Foals’ new single “What Went Down” from their forthcoming album of the same name. Foals’ fans might be a little turned off by the rawness and clamor, but it represents a new direction for the group, one that more hardcore fans will find a welcome change, and one that’s perfect for this weekend in Paris. 

Thanks to our man le coup du lapin for dishing this one to us!