Michael Tapp

It honestly fascinates me that the spire on top of The Empire State Building was originally designed to mount zeppelins. The 102nd floor was designed to be a landing platform and passengers were supposed to check in on the 86th floor. Ultimately the Empire Airship Terminal was abandoned due to a lack of mooring lines and wild updrafts. And yes, skyskraper spires are also a way of increasing their height for the sake of achieving records.

A glimpse of The Empire State Building is inspirational for me. It was constructed during the depression outside of New York’s financial district. I think the building is a metaphor for reaching for the stars; even when it’s illogical.

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MichaelTapp.com

I was fortunate enough to attend a presentation about Bjork’s app album; Biophilia. I highly recommend checking out the app if you haven’t experienced it already. BioPhillia immerses you in a another world and allows you to interact in it by playing instruments and games.

For me, the big take away from the presentation is that our experience with music is currently in flux. We’re obviously moving away from the experience of sitting down and listening to music on a record player. Scott Snibbe, one of the BioPhilla developers, thinks that we currently have a hook up relationship with music. I think interactive and intimate experiences with music will make people feel like they are a part of the art, and hopefully this new dynamic will encourage people to share and create even more music. We live in exciting times. Thank you for creating this experience; Creators Project!

Winter sunsets are the best. #color #iphonephotography #iphonography #iphoneohraphy #gang_family #iphone4 #instagram #igers #instabros #instagood #nyc #newyork #brooklyn #bestoftheday #sunset (Taken with instagram)

#selfportrait #color #iphonephotography #iphonography #iphoneohraphy #gang_family #iphone4 #instagram #igers #instabros #instagood #nyc #newyork #brooklyn #bestoftheday (Taken with instagram)

The sun shines cold. #color #iphonephotography #iphonography #iphoneohraphy #gang_family #iphone4 #instagram #igers #instagood #nyc #newyork #brooklyn #hudson #sunset (Taken with instagram)

I envy birds. #color #iphonephotography #iphonography #iphoneohraphy #gang_family #iphone4 #instagram #igers #instagood #knoxville (Taken with instagram)

Party On

Shot inside San Francisco’s historic St. Francis hotel.

What do you think is the line that separates classy from gaudy? Honestly. 

Do you know of any Thanksgiving songs?

As usual, Christmas songs are already being played everywhere. Christmas is already invading turkey time. Where my Turkey jams at???

The Creators Project is a collaboration between Vice Media and Intel and its purpose is to demonstrate how technology stretches the boundaries of art. They certainly reached their goal with this exhibit!

The concept behind this exhibit is to create a physical manifestation of a Spiritualized song, and man, was it far out. Different instruments oozed out of speakers located throughout the room and in the light vents. The rumbling floor paired with the visuals turned this cathedral-like space into a truly meditative and spiritual experience. It was sensory overload. And as you can tell, it was a magnet for beautiful and hip young folks throughout the New York area.

Click here to watch a brief video of the exhibit.

Click here to take a look at some more pics from the exhibit.

MichaelTapp.com

This is a grab from Brooklyn’s Bring to Light festival. I feel fortunate to live in a place where a community embraces the idea of transforming their city into a big artsy-fartsy multimedia installation.

I just finished listening to a fantastic episode of All Songs Considered. In this episode listeners submitted songs that make them feel good. Let’s crowdsource some more feel good songs. This number has worked on me for YEARS. What song makes you feel good?

I’ve noticed that almost every piece of music I’ve laid down since I’ve moved to NYC is above 150 BPM.

A snapshot from the 2011 Gay Pride March in New York. A bill legalizing Gay marriage was passed in the New York senate two days earlier.

Guitar noodle for a rainy day by MichaelTapp

Something I pieced together within a 20 minute time frame. I feel fortunate to have the tools that enable me to bang out ideas as they happen.

P.S.: I’m not as sad as this tune hints at.

Don’t pass out in a New York subway train. 

fastcompany:

For more than a decade, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority has treated the Atlantic as its very own graveyard, tossing thousands of old subway cars off a barge to rust away on the ocean floor. An environmental crime? Hardly. The program creates habitats for marine life from Georgia to Jersey and gives New York’s aging subway cars a vibrant (and free!) retirement home.

Now, New York photographer Stephen Mallon has captured the MTA’s artificial reef program in a gobstopping collection of stills that look like what you’d get if you combined an Ed Burtynsky series with the freeze frames of The Matrix and the train porn of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (without the agro hostage situation). We’ve got lots of details on the program and a selection of Mallon’s photographs above.

Check out the full slideshow over at Co. Design.

Hello heart disease, and welcome to The South. 

minusmanhattan:

“Oh my God.” -The friend who sent me this video. “Probably the grossest thing I’ve ever seen on the Food Network.” This is NASTY.

I just launched a new web show. Street Performers is a short format video series that shows you the stories behind the talent.

This is the first video in the series and I would love to hear your thoughts. What would you like to see in future videos? Am I doing Tumblr all wrong??? Thank you for checking it out!

John Hiatt - Everybody Went Low

No, this isn’t a rap song. This tune really pours gas on my fire and proves that all old dudes aren’t apathetic.   

(via yourbrainonmeth)

Yourbrainonmeth is full of meth gold.

I stumbled across a riff while I was shooting out e-mails this morning. I decided that I had to quickly throw together a demo in Garageband. Like almost all of the music I create; it turned into an opening song to an 80s show, but I think it’s fun.

Anyway, just thought I would throw it out there. The song is still pretty bare. Do you have any ideas?

EDIT: Sorry about the little beep at the end of the song. It isn’t in the mp3. Tumblr be crazy.