Stephen Mejias

Nuojuva: Valot Kaukaa

Stephen Mejias Apr 10, 2012 First Published: Apr 10, 2012

On Valot Kaukaa, Finnish producer Olli Aarni, working as Nuojuva, creates a strange, romantic world of sound. We hear wind and birdsong; crackle and hiss; hints of familiar classical pieces; cello, flute, and violin; whispers and sighs from Rachel Evans of Motion Sickness of Time Travel; and the lovely piano work of Sophie Hutchings, whose 2010 album, Becalmed, was one of my 2011 “Records to Die For.”

Stephen Mejias

Video: Benga’s “I Will Never Change”

Stephen Mejias Apr 05, 2012 First Published: Apr 05, 2012

Nine hundred sixty individually cut LPs were used to create the video for Benga’s “I Will Never Change.”

Stephen Mejias

Classic Album Sundays: Kraftwerk's Autobahn

Stephen Mejias Apr 05, 2012 First Published: Apr 05, 2012

The April NYC edition of Classic Album Sundays will take place on Sunday, April 8, 58pm, at Bellwether (594 Union Avenue, Brooklyn). As a bit of solace to fans that couldn’t get tickets to the upcoming Kraftwerk performances at the Museum of Modern Art, Classic Album Sundays will present Kraftwerk’s Autobahn in its entirety. Cool.

Stephen Mejias

Kendrick Lamar’s “The Recipe”

Stephen Mejias Apr 02, 2012 First Published: Apr 02, 2012

In recent conversations with myself and with others, I’ve been trying to explain my addiction&#151and I truly do believe it’s an addiction&#151to music, new and old. A lot of times, when I’ve got an unfamiliar album in my hand, I feel like I just need to hear it. I just need to know what it sounds like. Why? I think I’m searching for connections between different times, places, and musical styles and artists. Why? I don’t know, exactly. I imagine there’s some magnificent story to be told through music, that all recorded music is somehow connected, and, if I can just trace those connections, I’ll learn something deep and special about myself and the world.

Searching for odd connections in music: It’s a game that I play.

Stephen Mejias

Shintaro Sakamoto: How to Live With a Phantom

Stephen Mejias Mar 30, 2012 First Published: Mar 30, 2012

I knew nothing about Shintaro Sakamoto, but there was just no way I could have resisted such provocative album art or a title like How to Live With a Phantom.

Stephen Mejias

Divine Ricochet at the Guggenheim

Stephen Mejias Mar 28, 2012 First Published: Mar 28, 2012

Divine Ricochet is a three-part music series made to accompany John Chamberlain: Choices, on view through May 13 at the Guggenheim Museum. The series takes its name from Chamberlain’s 1991 work, a large and colorful, mangled assortment of painted and chromium-plated steel.

Stephen Mejias

Neneh Cherry and The Thing: The Cherry Thing

Stephen Mejias Mar 23, 2012 First Published: Mar 23, 2012

I’m in a daze. My mind is officially, seriously blown.

Nothing, seriously nothing, could have prepared me for the news that Neneh Cherry&#151Neneh “Raw Like Sushi” Cherry&#151is heading a new project with the powerhouse free jazz trio of Mats Gustafsson (saxophone), Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (bass), and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums).

Stephen Mejias

Record Store Day 2012

Stephen Mejias Mar 21, 2012 First Published: Mar 21, 2012

My favorite holiday, Record Store Day, falls on Saturday, April 21&#151just one month from today. Independent record stores across the nation will celebrate with contests, giveaways, all kinds of limited-edition releases, in-store performances by exciting bands, and lots of other fun stuff. Check the Record Store Day website for details and participating stores near you.

This year’s Ambassador, Iggy Pop, has this to say:

Stephen Mejias

Birth of the Magnepan Mini-Maggie System

Stephen Mejias Mar 20, 2012 First Published: Mar 20, 2012

"Daddy?" asked the young audiophile.

"Yes, son?"

"How are loudspeakers made?"

"Hmm...Maybe it's time we had a little talk. Follow me into the listening room..."

Stephen Mejias

Thinksound’s ms01 in-ear monitor

Stephen Mejias Mar 15, 2012 First Published: Mar 15, 2012

The first model in Thinksound's Monitor Series: the ms01, shown here in Chocolate Gunmetal finish.

During my recent trip to Seattle for Definitive Audio’s Music Matters 7 event, I decided to compare Thinksound’s ts02 ($79.99) to their ms01 ($99.99), the first model in the company’s new Monitor Series.