Splendid Beats Music and Thoughts by Crispy / Leave Trace
Categories: Cool Hunting, Videos, Visual Art

I’m totally booking this crew, Easyweb, for my next big European event. They use 3D mapping to integrate their material with the architecture that they are projecting on. And to great effect! The way they play with the columned building is simply fantastic. There are lots more videos on the Easyweb YouTube page.

Categories: Chill Room, Downloads, Leave Trace, Music Production, Podcast, Visual Art



Regression Session is a mega-mix tapestry, woven from my older ambient works. It has been sitting nearly completed on my hard drive for many many months, and I’ve finally finished it up, and am now putting it out on the ‘net for the world to download and hopefully enjoy.

The music in this produced set was created between 2000 and 2008, which was a very explorative time in my music making pursuits. I’m at a point now where I’m feeling more certain of my own creative voice, and feel that combining my older works into a larger piece is a proper way of closing the book on that chapter and allowing me to have a fresh start with my newer techniques, equipment, and processes. Essentially, Regression Session is a time capsule of sorts, documenting the ambient side of my musical voyage since 2000. The production files of most of these tracks have been lost to digital gremlins and computer platform changes, so they are presented here in their final state—goofed notes, audio glitches, mastering mistakes and all. They are what they are and will never be anything different. Despite these imperfections, I am proud to say this is/was me and am happy to have a nice package of the material to present to the world.

Your thoughts and feedback would be very welcome, but are not expected. If you enjoy what you hear, or parts of it, let me know! This music has been intensely private for so long, that I’m now very curious about how it sounds to other sets of ears.

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Download » Leave Trace - Regression Session

Tracklist::
Ocean Deep
Uncertainty Principle
Time Lapse
Quantum Soup
Freedom of Movement feat. Gel-Sol (live)
Interlude
Deeper States
Lighter Than
Had
Moment of Clarity (Ethereal Bliss Mix)

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Categories: Chill Room, Cool Hunting, Videos, Visual Art

I love this fan made video for the classic ambient tune by Gas, Microscopic, originally released on Em:t Records, with the wonderful Powers of Ten video by Ray and Charles Eames. Two great pieces of art that fit amazingly well together.

The out-of-print Gas — 0095 album has been remastered and released and can be purchased in mp3, flac, or CD format from here. They’ve also posted the track Microscopic as a free download.

Categories: Visual Art



I recently did some screenprinting with my amigo, John. This 11″x15″ print on chipboard is a product of that session. I hope to be doing much more printing in the near future as screenprinting is such an enjoyable combination of digital design and hands-on process.

Categories: Events, Visual Art

Looking for interesting clothing, holiday gifts and art, made by local artists and alternative crafty types? With 17+ vendors and visionary artists, this Saturday’s Bizarre Bazaar is sure to be the place for you.

Categories: Books, Cool Hunting, Reviews, Visual Art



I recently stumbled across the most mesmerizing graphic novel at Monster Art and Clothing in Ballard. It’s called Capacity by Theo Ellsworth.

What immediately grabbed me were his uber-detailed, surreal illustrations of fantastic creatures and impossible architecture, reminiscent of art by Moebius, but with a much looser, doodle-like quality. As a constant doodler myself, simple line-art illustrations that evolve by relinquishing the direction of the pen to the subconscious mind are right up my alley.


Self Portrait by Theo Ellsworth

Upon reading, I felt like Bastian discovering the The Never Ending Story. The sprawling imaginative dreamworld that Theo attempts to document, and the way in which he engages the reader to participate in that exploration, is truly unique and inspiring. The summary text on the back cover nicely captures the amorphous nature of this book in words:

Intricate, even exquisite – but never immaculate, Theo Ellsworth’s Capacity is a mind turned inside out. Ellsworth’s careful line gives shape to profound and profoundly silly thoughts alike, bringing a visionary, startling new life to the doubts and hopes that are so familiar to everyone.

Fans of visionary/psychedelic art, the creative process, imaginative creatures, dream worlds, and unique stories should do what they can to buy this book. It has easily became one of my favorite graphic novels in my collection.

Categories: Cool Hunting, Info, Visual Art

I apologize for the all the silence around here of late. Beyond being crazy slammed at my day job, I’ve been busy getting my design portfolio site up and running. I’m hoping to get back onto my regular posting schedule this next week.

Until then, why don’t you head over to Soma.fm and listen to some of the finest streaming radio on the ‘net. Their Groove Salad station is a personal favorite of mine.

Categories: Cool Hunting, Visual Art



Today seems like a perfect day to point out this amazing Obama poster by double-threat Scott Hansen, who designs under the guise of ISO50 and produces beautiful, feel-good, Boards-of-Cananda-ish music as Tycho. I really want to write up a proper profile about him, but for now, please point your browsers to this post where Scott walks through the design process for this poster.

He keeps a blog that has been a big source of inspiration for Splendid Beats. Check it out here.

And here’s a bit of delicious Tycho music to bathe you in nostalgia for times forgotten:
Cascade (Live Version)

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Categories: Crispy, Videos, Visual Art

Conection2 by Ryan Johnson

Conection2 by Ryan Johnson


Last night at Contour, Ryan Johnson was doing live digital painting while the DJs did their thing. As an avid Photoshop user myself, it was fascinating to watch him build up this stunning painting step by step. I spent the majority of my set turned around watching the screen over my head. This man is a great illustrator/painter and it was quite enjoyable to watch someone use the Photoshop brush engine so expertly. Seems like this is a fairly regular thing for him to do (live painting that is), so I really look forward to catching him in action again.

Here’s some video that I captured of him doing his thing while I played: