Indian scientists who have developed an improved lantern that uses
kerosene have advised the government not to phase out the poor man's
fuel on environmental grounds.
Kerosene was traditionally burned in rural homes in hurricane lamps to provide lighting or in pressure stoves to cook food.
Now
the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) at Phaltan in
Maharashtra has developed a device that simultaneously provides light
(equivalent to that from a 300 watt electric bulb) and cooks a complete
meal (including chapattis) for a family of five.
The lanstove
(combined lantern and cooking stove) thus makes kerosene an ideal fuel
for rural households, says Anil Rajvanshi, an IIT graduate and NARI
director.
He says it is unfortunate that the Indian government
has decided to phase out kerosene as a result of tremendous tirade by
the Western countries against the use of kerosene from a climate change
point of view. This move, he says, will deprive the poor people in India
of a convenient household fuel.
According to Rajvanshi, it is
the way in which a fuel is burnt that makes it clean or dirty. Liquid
petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas become clean fuels only
because of excellent combustion technologies available.
No doubt hurricane lantern is an inefficient and unclean combustion device,How does a solar charger work and where would you use a solar charger? says Rajvanshi.
Lanstove
was developed by his institute precisely to overcome these drawbacks,
he says in a report published in the latest issue of "current science."
The
research led to the device that burns kerosene efficiently and without
causing any pollution.We have a great selection of blown glass backyard
solar landscape lights and solar garden light.
Lanstove
has been tested for the last eight months in 25 rural huts in western
Maharashtra which do not have electricity. The users found that it is
smokeless unlike the existing biomass-powered chulha, and gives
excellent light compared to the presently used hurricane lanterns.
The
levels of harmful carbon monoxide from these lanstoves are less than
three parts per million whereas those from regular chulhas are 80 to 130
times more, according to the study.
"Thus the lanstove is an extremely clean device and equivalent to the LPG stove," Rajvanshi told IANS.
The
lanstove has been designed so that kerosene is pressurized and stored
in a small separate cylinder from where it flows into the combustor and
burns cleanly just like in the LPG cookstove.
This detachable cylinder can be filled up in kerosene dispensing shops,We installed flexible LED Strip lighting in our kitchen for under cabinet and within cabinet lighting. the same way an LPG cylinder is now charged.
However,
despite its advantages to the people in India's rural areas, the
lanstove cannot be introduced at present on a large scale because of
unavailability of kerosene, Rajvanshi says.
Today, below poverty
line (BPL) families get only five litres of kerosene per household
every month whereas lanstove users need at least 15-20 litres of
kerosene per month. What is therefore needed is an enlightened policy
that makes at least this much kerosene available to rural poor at
subsidised price, the NARI report says.
Rajvanshi points out
that around 300 million Indians are without electricity. Solar- powered
light emitting diode (LED) lanterns promoted by various agencies and
also government departments are not only costly and difficult to
maintain but the LED light has recently been shown to be harmful to the
eyes producing irreparable damage to the retina. "Besides, unlike
lanstoves, these solar lanterns cannot cook," he says.
Although
kerosene is a fossil fuel, there are extensive efforts currently the
world over to produce kerosene-like fuel from agricultural residues so
as to make it renewable, says Rajvanshi. "I hope these efforts are also
undertaken in India which has a huge amount of agricultural residues."
All
his life Mahatma Gandhi studied and wrote under the light of kerosene
hurricane lanterns and he also used to apply kerosene to his body as a
mosquito repellent, says Rajvanshi. "I am sure that if he were alive
today, he would have wholeheartedly embraced the lanstove and promoted
its use among the rural poor."
Trina Solar was selected to
supply multicrystalline silicon modules for Sempra Energy’s 345-megawatt
Copper Mountain 3 project -- and that could be a signal that PV module
prices are flattening.
“The lowest prices for modules have been in the large-scale utility projects,”
Trina Americas President Mark Mendenhall explained. “We didn’t
participate a lot. We felt we could give up share in that segment until
the market stabilized.”
Trina has been focused on the
residential and commercial segments. “There was a gap in the relative
costs,” Mendenhall said, “that made thin film and other technologies
more competitive in utility-scale solar.”
But today's low
silicon module prices make balance-of-system costs more significant than
module costs. “The value of our multicrystalline PV efficiency became
more important,” Mendenhall said. “And the number of gigawatts we have
installed has reduced the perceived risk and increased the
financeability of a project with our technology.”
Also, he
added, consolidation has left fewer manufacturers capable of providing
the 1.1 million high-quality modules needed by AMEC, the Copper Mountain
EPC provider. The module order must be met for the Q1 2015 construction
completion target to fulfill Sempra’s contracts with the Los Angeles
Department of Water and Power and the City of Burbank.
Read the full story at www.streetlights-solar.com!
2013年8月27日 星期二
2013年8月22日 星期四
Follow-Up on Khayelitsha Streetlights
Follow-Up on Khayelitsha Streetlights
In February, GroundUp published a report on the issue of street lights in Khayelitsha, in particular on Lansdowne Road and Mew Way. Activist organizations -- the Social Justice Coalition (SJC), Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and Equal Education (EE) -- held a march on 4 February in Khayelitsha.We have a great selection of blown glass backyard solar landscape lights and solar garden light.
City of Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille, who attended the march, received a memorandum that the City should ensure that street lights were functioning in Khayelitsha. It also demanded that the City implement the installation of street lights where they were not available and fix damaged and vandalized lights within Lansdowne Road and Khayelitsha.
GroundUp ran a follow-up story in April, and it seems there has been some improvement.
Councillor Danile Khatshwa of Ward 96 (Makhaza in Khayelitsha) said street lights in his ward from Lindela Road to Baden Powell Drive have been fixed and are working.
"Since I submitted complaints from residents within my ward, the street lights have been fixed and are functioning. You would only find that about one or two street lights are not working, but I can say that there's been an improvement," he said.
Zodwa Sinkempele (20), a Community Librarian at Equal Education said that she has some mixed feelings when it comes to the issue of street lights. "Since the march, I have seen some improvement in the functioning of the [street] lights. But I don't know whether the City only fixed the lights because we were pressuring them, or they only fixed the lights to get us out of their way then discontinued with the work they were supposed to do."
Khatshwa admitted there are however some parts of Khayelitsha that still remain in the dark.
"Despite the improvements on street lights in Makhaza, major sections in Khayelitsha still remain without functioning street lights,How does a solar charger work and where would you use a solar charger? particularly along Lansdowne Road .. Even some of the newly implemented streetlights are not of the best quality."
Councillor Danile felt that the newly installed lights were not as bright as the previously installed lights,A solar lantern uses this sunlight that is abundantly available to charge its batteries through a Solar Panel and gives light in nighttime. and felt that much brighter streetlights should have been installed. GroundUp went out at night to see whether this statement was true. The streetlights at Makhaza are very bright, and about 15 floodlights are providing light for the Site B, Town Two and Makhaza areas.
In addition to the three small bedrooms, the one-story house has two discreet sleeping lofts.
"We wanted small rooms," says Mr. Christiansen, which he says encourages the family to get together in the large central living and dining area. The master bedroom has a wall that opens entirely onto a private deck overlooking a tree-lined yard.
They hoped to finish by Christmas 2011, but delays on foundation and basement work meant a half-year postponement. They finally moved in July 2012, spending more than $500,00 on the project.
A basement is unusual for a summer house in the area, says Mr. Christiansen, but it was necessary to conceal the complicated technology involved in making the house energy efficient. Outfitted with a heat pump, solar panels and photovoltaic cells, the house can generate all of its heating, and can contribute electricity to the grid when the family is away.
Triple-glazed windows and near-total insulation mean that controlled ventilation is essential, and the house is programmed to ventilate itself four times a day. Heating can be controlled by a smartphone app,Shop funtional and elegant solar lights, outdoor solar lighting, solar garden lights, path lights and decorative solar lights. which allows the house to be just the right temperature when the family arrives for winter weekends.
In addition to the main house, the property has a new free-standing sauna, lined with ash wood and equipped with a large picture window. The wood-burning sauna oven is imported from Finland. Mr. Christiansen designed the sauna himself. "It is beautiful sitting here in 175-degree heat," he says, of his winter sauna sessions, which end with a roll in the snow.
Saunas aren't rare in Denmark, but "most Danes who build a sauna end up using them for storage," says Mr. Christiansen. The couple, looking ahead to the property's resale value, built the sauna to be easily converted into a guesthouse.
Read the full story at www.soli-lite.com!
In February, GroundUp published a report on the issue of street lights in Khayelitsha, in particular on Lansdowne Road and Mew Way. Activist organizations -- the Social Justice Coalition (SJC), Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and Equal Education (EE) -- held a march on 4 February in Khayelitsha.We have a great selection of blown glass backyard solar landscape lights and solar garden light.
City of Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille, who attended the march, received a memorandum that the City should ensure that street lights were functioning in Khayelitsha. It also demanded that the City implement the installation of street lights where they were not available and fix damaged and vandalized lights within Lansdowne Road and Khayelitsha.
GroundUp ran a follow-up story in April, and it seems there has been some improvement.
Councillor Danile Khatshwa of Ward 96 (Makhaza in Khayelitsha) said street lights in his ward from Lindela Road to Baden Powell Drive have been fixed and are working.
"Since I submitted complaints from residents within my ward, the street lights have been fixed and are functioning. You would only find that about one or two street lights are not working, but I can say that there's been an improvement," he said.
Zodwa Sinkempele (20), a Community Librarian at Equal Education said that she has some mixed feelings when it comes to the issue of street lights. "Since the march, I have seen some improvement in the functioning of the [street] lights. But I don't know whether the City only fixed the lights because we were pressuring them, or they only fixed the lights to get us out of their way then discontinued with the work they were supposed to do."
Khatshwa admitted there are however some parts of Khayelitsha that still remain in the dark.
"Despite the improvements on street lights in Makhaza, major sections in Khayelitsha still remain without functioning street lights,How does a solar charger work and where would you use a solar charger? particularly along Lansdowne Road .. Even some of the newly implemented streetlights are not of the best quality."
Councillor Danile felt that the newly installed lights were not as bright as the previously installed lights,A solar lantern uses this sunlight that is abundantly available to charge its batteries through a Solar Panel and gives light in nighttime. and felt that much brighter streetlights should have been installed. GroundUp went out at night to see whether this statement was true. The streetlights at Makhaza are very bright, and about 15 floodlights are providing light for the Site B, Town Two and Makhaza areas.
In addition to the three small bedrooms, the one-story house has two discreet sleeping lofts.
"We wanted small rooms," says Mr. Christiansen, which he says encourages the family to get together in the large central living and dining area. The master bedroom has a wall that opens entirely onto a private deck overlooking a tree-lined yard.
They hoped to finish by Christmas 2011, but delays on foundation and basement work meant a half-year postponement. They finally moved in July 2012, spending more than $500,00 on the project.
A basement is unusual for a summer house in the area, says Mr. Christiansen, but it was necessary to conceal the complicated technology involved in making the house energy efficient. Outfitted with a heat pump, solar panels and photovoltaic cells, the house can generate all of its heating, and can contribute electricity to the grid when the family is away.
Triple-glazed windows and near-total insulation mean that controlled ventilation is essential, and the house is programmed to ventilate itself four times a day. Heating can be controlled by a smartphone app,Shop funtional and elegant solar lights, outdoor solar lighting, solar garden lights, path lights and decorative solar lights. which allows the house to be just the right temperature when the family arrives for winter weekends.
In addition to the main house, the property has a new free-standing sauna, lined with ash wood and equipped with a large picture window. The wood-burning sauna oven is imported from Finland. Mr. Christiansen designed the sauna himself. "It is beautiful sitting here in 175-degree heat," he says, of his winter sauna sessions, which end with a roll in the snow.
Saunas aren't rare in Denmark, but "most Danes who build a sauna end up using them for storage," says Mr. Christiansen. The couple, looking ahead to the property's resale value, built the sauna to be easily converted into a guesthouse.
Read the full story at www.soli-lite.com!
Fuel as Lab in California Chases Dream
It sounds like magic, far-out fiction, a California dream. Yet
earnest scientists are hard at work on a new alchemy: brewing fuel for
cars -- synthetic gasoline -- from little more than water and sunshine.
Mimicking the way plants turn sunlight and carbon dioxide in the air into energy and oxygen, the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis at the California Institute of Technology is in a race to trump nature and slow global warming. Nate Lewis, a Caltech professor and solar energy research star, has a plan to remake fuel as we know it.
“If we couldn’t get to that, we wouldn’t be doing it,” Lewis said in an interview last month.
The effort is backed with $122 million of U.S. Energy Department funds and combines the talents of 120 scientists at Caltech; Stanford University; the University of California’s Berkeley,How does a solar charger work and where would you use a solar charger?Shop funtional and elegant solar lights, outdoor solar lighting, solar garden lights, path lights and decorative solar lights. Irvine and San Diego campuses; and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Along with electric powertrains, vehicles that drive themselves and cars rented by the hour, it’s another disruption of the global auto industry that dates back to the 19th century.
Just a few years ago, all-electric cars seemed fantastic, too. Now Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA), which makes only battery-powered vehicles, has a higher market value than some old-line automakers, such as Suzuki Motor Corp. (7269) and Fiat SpA. (F)
Two Leaps
To revolutionize transportation fuel, Lewis has a two-step plan. Really, it’s two leaps.We carry a extensive line of Parking Lot Lighting inventory.
First, the coalition aims to develop a system to make large amounts of hydrogen fuel using cheap solar-panel-like devices. Liquid or gaseous hydrogen, which can power super-clean fuel-cell cars, is needed for chemical plants and refineries.
Then comes the second leap: Applying that same research to a system that can blend the hydrogen fuel with carbon dioxide from the air, much as a plant does, to make liquid fuels that can power cars, heavy trucks, boats or aircraft. JCAP aims to get to that point by the mid-2020s, Lewis said.
Synthetic, carbon-free gasoline won’t come easy, quick or cheap.
Research labs worldwide are racing to find renewable alternatives to petroleum. Some are private endeavors; others are government-funded. While some seek to make fuel from algae, corn or other crops, Lewis argues that such solutions require too much water or land that will be needed for food production.
Innovation Race
Research projects like JCAP have the luxury of not having to satisfy investors’ short-term demands, said Pavel Molchanov, a Houston-based analyst for Raymond James & Associates Inc.
“Companies that rely on private capital, even venture capital, in most cases aim to be commercial within the next three years,” said Molchanov, who follows biofuel companies. “If we think about what private developers of biofuels are focusing on now, none of them have a commercialization road map that goes out to 2025.”
Startups such as KiOR Inc., Solazyme Inc., Ceres Inc., Gevo Inc. and Amyris Inc. have a lead over JCAP because they’re already commercializing biofuel alternatives to petroleum and grain-based ethanol.
What JCAP has going for it is the Energy Department, which deemed it an Energy Innovation Hub, one of three Manhattan Project-like efforts. Others are to improve nuclear power plants and make buildings more energy-efficient. With the government funding, Lewis can be methodical in search of a breakthrough.
Wright Brothers
“The first five years of JCAP, our goal is to show that this can be done; to make the pieces, components, to build an artificial photosynthetic system,” he said. That prototype “isn’t going to be commercializable,We have a great selection of blown glass backyard solar landscape lights and solar garden light. in the same way the Wright Brothers’ plane wasn’t a 747. We first have to show people there’s a there there.”
About five years after that, with “faster, better, cheaper” fuel-making technology, JCAP may be able to license its system to oil and energy companies, Lewis said.
The program is talking with potential industrial partners to help expand its analysis of promising “earth-abundant” materials needed for its solar-fuel distillery. Lewis declined to identify specific companies. JCAP’s technicians daily are testing hundreds of alloys made from metallic salts, seeking the optimal recipe of low-cost, light-absorbing materials and catalysts needed for hydrogen generation.
Urgency to increase low-carbon energy sources has intensified as extreme weather adds to concerns that heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere are making the Earth a less hospitable planet.
President Barack Obama, whose administration funded JCAP, signaled in June that U.S. action to curb carbon emissions will intensify with new steps to pare such pollution from power plants,A solar lantern uses this sunlight that is abundantly available to charge its batteries through a Solar Panel and gives light in nighttime. the biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Transportation Fuels
Second is the use of petroleum-based fuel in transportation. Engines in autos, trucks, aircraft and ships produced 28 percent of the 6.7 million metric tons emitted by the U.S. in 2011, according to the EPA, trailing only electricity generation’s 33 percent. Obama also laid out a plan in 2011 to double vehicle fuel efficiency by 2025 to cut carbon pollution.
Carmakers are boosting vehicle efficiency with small, high-output engines; propulsion delivered by batteries; and even hydrogen fuel cells.
Click on their website www.streetlights-solar.com for more information.
Mimicking the way plants turn sunlight and carbon dioxide in the air into energy and oxygen, the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis at the California Institute of Technology is in a race to trump nature and slow global warming. Nate Lewis, a Caltech professor and solar energy research star, has a plan to remake fuel as we know it.
“If we couldn’t get to that, we wouldn’t be doing it,” Lewis said in an interview last month.
The effort is backed with $122 million of U.S. Energy Department funds and combines the talents of 120 scientists at Caltech; Stanford University; the University of California’s Berkeley,How does a solar charger work and where would you use a solar charger?Shop funtional and elegant solar lights, outdoor solar lighting, solar garden lights, path lights and decorative solar lights. Irvine and San Diego campuses; and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Along with electric powertrains, vehicles that drive themselves and cars rented by the hour, it’s another disruption of the global auto industry that dates back to the 19th century.
Just a few years ago, all-electric cars seemed fantastic, too. Now Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA), which makes only battery-powered vehicles, has a higher market value than some old-line automakers, such as Suzuki Motor Corp. (7269) and Fiat SpA. (F)
Two Leaps
To revolutionize transportation fuel, Lewis has a two-step plan. Really, it’s two leaps.We carry a extensive line of Parking Lot Lighting inventory.
First, the coalition aims to develop a system to make large amounts of hydrogen fuel using cheap solar-panel-like devices. Liquid or gaseous hydrogen, which can power super-clean fuel-cell cars, is needed for chemical plants and refineries.
Then comes the second leap: Applying that same research to a system that can blend the hydrogen fuel with carbon dioxide from the air, much as a plant does, to make liquid fuels that can power cars, heavy trucks, boats or aircraft. JCAP aims to get to that point by the mid-2020s, Lewis said.
Synthetic, carbon-free gasoline won’t come easy, quick or cheap.
Research labs worldwide are racing to find renewable alternatives to petroleum. Some are private endeavors; others are government-funded. While some seek to make fuel from algae, corn or other crops, Lewis argues that such solutions require too much water or land that will be needed for food production.
Innovation Race
Research projects like JCAP have the luxury of not having to satisfy investors’ short-term demands, said Pavel Molchanov, a Houston-based analyst for Raymond James & Associates Inc.
“Companies that rely on private capital, even venture capital, in most cases aim to be commercial within the next three years,” said Molchanov, who follows biofuel companies. “If we think about what private developers of biofuels are focusing on now, none of them have a commercialization road map that goes out to 2025.”
Startups such as KiOR Inc., Solazyme Inc., Ceres Inc., Gevo Inc. and Amyris Inc. have a lead over JCAP because they’re already commercializing biofuel alternatives to petroleum and grain-based ethanol.
What JCAP has going for it is the Energy Department, which deemed it an Energy Innovation Hub, one of three Manhattan Project-like efforts. Others are to improve nuclear power plants and make buildings more energy-efficient. With the government funding, Lewis can be methodical in search of a breakthrough.
Wright Brothers
“The first five years of JCAP, our goal is to show that this can be done; to make the pieces, components, to build an artificial photosynthetic system,” he said. That prototype “isn’t going to be commercializable,We have a great selection of blown glass backyard solar landscape lights and solar garden light. in the same way the Wright Brothers’ plane wasn’t a 747. We first have to show people there’s a there there.”
About five years after that, with “faster, better, cheaper” fuel-making technology, JCAP may be able to license its system to oil and energy companies, Lewis said.
The program is talking with potential industrial partners to help expand its analysis of promising “earth-abundant” materials needed for its solar-fuel distillery. Lewis declined to identify specific companies. JCAP’s technicians daily are testing hundreds of alloys made from metallic salts, seeking the optimal recipe of low-cost, light-absorbing materials and catalysts needed for hydrogen generation.
Urgency to increase low-carbon energy sources has intensified as extreme weather adds to concerns that heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere are making the Earth a less hospitable planet.
President Barack Obama, whose administration funded JCAP, signaled in June that U.S. action to curb carbon emissions will intensify with new steps to pare such pollution from power plants,A solar lantern uses this sunlight that is abundantly available to charge its batteries through a Solar Panel and gives light in nighttime. the biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Transportation Fuels
Second is the use of petroleum-based fuel in transportation. Engines in autos, trucks, aircraft and ships produced 28 percent of the 6.7 million metric tons emitted by the U.S. in 2011, according to the EPA, trailing only electricity generation’s 33 percent. Obama also laid out a plan in 2011 to double vehicle fuel efficiency by 2025 to cut carbon pollution.
Carmakers are boosting vehicle efficiency with small, high-output engines; propulsion delivered by batteries; and even hydrogen fuel cells.
Click on their website www.streetlights-solar.com for more information.
2013年8月15日 星期四
The Los Angeles State Historic Park
The Los Angeles State Historic Park was a whirlwind of cigarette
smoke, heavy bass, fat beats, and electrifying energy on Aug. 3 and 4.
Set in the heart of Chinatown, L.A. State Historic Park was home to HARD
Summer Music Festival 2013, headlining artists such as Knife Party,
Duck Sauce, Dog Blood, Justice, Bassnectar, and Empire of the Sun. With
the L.A. skyline setting the city vibes, this electronic event proved
that the bass will only get deeper, disco is not dead (and it is
bringing funk back with it), the words hip-hop and EDM are synonymous,
and that the traffic was well worth the drive.
This year, HARD Summer’s lineup was double the size of last year’s, starting at 12:30 p.m. and ending at midnight. Temperatures were in the mid 70s at daytime and the low 60s at night, allowing festival-goers in various attire reasonable comfort. Although the festival did not officially allow fur boots or candy bracelets, girls clad in booty shorts, pasties, bras, glitter, and fur boots could be spotted next to bros in tanks (or perhaps going shirtless), flip flops, and multi-colored plastic wayfarers. However, this typical rave style was minimal and many others sported the latest urban street wear, consisting of tailored shorts and pants, boots, kicks, dress shoes, flannels, dresses, gold chains, and, for some men, groovy facial hair. Thankfully, only a few could be spotted with feather headdresses and flower headbands.
The festival housed four stages that each gave off certain vibes depending on the line-up: HARD, HARDer, Summer, and Underground. The main stage, HARD Stage, was the destination of headlining artists and usually consisted of more visually stimulating props and performances because it had the largest LED screens and more stage space, allowing artists such as Duck Sauce, Empire of the Sun, and Bassnectar to further enhance the audience’s senses. HARDer Stage was what the name entailed — harder — but not hardstyle itself. This stage provided audiences bass heavy and high energy beats from artists such as RL Grime, Flying Lotus, Dillon Francis, and Flosstradamus. Summer Stage was like a getaway, where those looking for experimental, diverse, or peculiar sounds could wander off to. Even the layout entailed a journey to another part of the festival, as festival-goers would walk over a slight hill toward the city skyline to reach this stage. Artists such as Keys N’ Krates, Brodinski, Breakbot, and Justice (DJ set) performed here.A solar bulb that charges up during the day and lights the night when the sun sets. Lastly, the Underground Stage was the only tented stage and had an amazing sound system, allowing artists like Disclosure,It is also known as led dimmable driver, LED daytime running lamps. Breach, Oliver, and Claude Vonstroke an umbrella to reverberate their funky, deep house bass and flashing lights.
Even with Bondax and Azealia Banks cancelling their performances at HARD Summer, the talent from both emerging and established artists fulfilled the cravings of bass, hip-hop, rap, nu-disco, experimental, synth-pop, house, and electro heads alike. From live sets to DJ sets, and everything outside the box, HARD Summer proved that “EDM” is an overused blanket term for a large array of electronic styles. Keep your ears open for the following artists as they have demonstrated why they are, or will be, shaping the forefront of electronic music.
DAY 1:XXYYXX, Keys N’ Krates, RL Grime, Duke Dumont, Disclosure, Dog Blood, Duck Sauce, Oliver, and Knife Party
My day started late, as I had underestimated how congested the freeway and chaotic the parking would be. I arrived at the festival grounds too late to catch the Canadian DJ and producer Ryan Hemsworth’s electronic, abstract hip-hop set, but I did arrive in time for XXYYXX. Seventeen-year-old Marcel Everett set the mood of the Underground Stage with his chill, ambient beats. Marcel played his classic hits from the self-titled album XXYYXX, including “Closer,” “Set It Off,” and “Love Isn’t Made.” Marcel also infused his down-tempo beats and sounds with other works, like Rihanna’s “Cake,” to which the crowd delightfully licked the icing off.
Although I did not see two sets that I had anticipated, XXYYXX got the ball rolling, and I made my way to watch the trap trio Keys N’ Krates. As I passed HARDer Stage towards Summer, Just Blaze blasted his version of Major Lazer’s “Original Don,” followed by Bingo Player’s “When I Dip.”
Summer Stage felt like a small hip-hop show infused with an electro-house party as the live remix band, Keys N’ Krates, showcased their unique approach to electronic music. Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Keys N’ Krates includes Jr. Flo on turntables, David Matisse on the synthesizer, and Adam Tune on the 808 drum machine. Layering samples with tunes of their own to create clean blends and sharp melodies, the band played originals like “Treat Me Right” and a variety of hip-hop remixes, including Jay-Z’s “I’m A Hustler Baby” and “Dirt Off Your Shoulder.” The three instruments purred as Jr. Flo scratched to Adam’s meticulous drum beats and David pumped the crowd up from his synthesizer, saying, “Who here loves hip-hop?” The crowd bopped their lifted hands to the beat, to which David responded, “Keep those hands up. Here we go!” With build ups and drops created right on stage, Keys N’ Krates reminded the electronic scene that live, hands-on instrumentation and remixing can not only mimic computer programs but also outshine them.
From this show, I made my way to the Soundcloud famous trap/house artist RL Grime. RL Grime is a side project of Henry Steinway, who produces and DJs under the name Clockwork. RL Grime provided the trap heavy elements festival-goers could get crunk to with his originals “Trap On Acid,” “Flood,” and songs from his new EP, “High Beams.” He sampled Flosstradamus’ “Crowd Control,An emergency light is a battery-backed lighting device that comes on automatically when a building experiences a power outage.” Kanye West’s “Clique,” DJ Snake’s “Bird Machine,” Notorious BIG’s “Suicidal Thoughts,” and Cashmere Cat’s edit of “Do You Like…” by Miguel. Although the bass at HARDer Stage did not do his head-banging drops justice, RL Grime had the hyper crowd swaying, especially when he bumped the remix that first garnered him attention, “Satisfaction” by Benny Benassi.More information about the program is available on the web site at www.hmhid.com.
This year, HARD Summer’s lineup was double the size of last year’s, starting at 12:30 p.m. and ending at midnight. Temperatures were in the mid 70s at daytime and the low 60s at night, allowing festival-goers in various attire reasonable comfort. Although the festival did not officially allow fur boots or candy bracelets, girls clad in booty shorts, pasties, bras, glitter, and fur boots could be spotted next to bros in tanks (or perhaps going shirtless), flip flops, and multi-colored plastic wayfarers. However, this typical rave style was minimal and many others sported the latest urban street wear, consisting of tailored shorts and pants, boots, kicks, dress shoes, flannels, dresses, gold chains, and, for some men, groovy facial hair. Thankfully, only a few could be spotted with feather headdresses and flower headbands.
The festival housed four stages that each gave off certain vibes depending on the line-up: HARD, HARDer, Summer, and Underground. The main stage, HARD Stage, was the destination of headlining artists and usually consisted of more visually stimulating props and performances because it had the largest LED screens and more stage space, allowing artists such as Duck Sauce, Empire of the Sun, and Bassnectar to further enhance the audience’s senses. HARDer Stage was what the name entailed — harder — but not hardstyle itself. This stage provided audiences bass heavy and high energy beats from artists such as RL Grime, Flying Lotus, Dillon Francis, and Flosstradamus. Summer Stage was like a getaway, where those looking for experimental, diverse, or peculiar sounds could wander off to. Even the layout entailed a journey to another part of the festival, as festival-goers would walk over a slight hill toward the city skyline to reach this stage. Artists such as Keys N’ Krates, Brodinski, Breakbot, and Justice (DJ set) performed here.A solar bulb that charges up during the day and lights the night when the sun sets. Lastly, the Underground Stage was the only tented stage and had an amazing sound system, allowing artists like Disclosure,It is also known as led dimmable driver, LED daytime running lamps. Breach, Oliver, and Claude Vonstroke an umbrella to reverberate their funky, deep house bass and flashing lights.
Even with Bondax and Azealia Banks cancelling their performances at HARD Summer, the talent from both emerging and established artists fulfilled the cravings of bass, hip-hop, rap, nu-disco, experimental, synth-pop, house, and electro heads alike. From live sets to DJ sets, and everything outside the box, HARD Summer proved that “EDM” is an overused blanket term for a large array of electronic styles. Keep your ears open for the following artists as they have demonstrated why they are, or will be, shaping the forefront of electronic music.
DAY 1:XXYYXX, Keys N’ Krates, RL Grime, Duke Dumont, Disclosure, Dog Blood, Duck Sauce, Oliver, and Knife Party
My day started late, as I had underestimated how congested the freeway and chaotic the parking would be. I arrived at the festival grounds too late to catch the Canadian DJ and producer Ryan Hemsworth’s electronic, abstract hip-hop set, but I did arrive in time for XXYYXX. Seventeen-year-old Marcel Everett set the mood of the Underground Stage with his chill, ambient beats. Marcel played his classic hits from the self-titled album XXYYXX, including “Closer,” “Set It Off,” and “Love Isn’t Made.” Marcel also infused his down-tempo beats and sounds with other works, like Rihanna’s “Cake,” to which the crowd delightfully licked the icing off.
Although I did not see two sets that I had anticipated, XXYYXX got the ball rolling, and I made my way to watch the trap trio Keys N’ Krates. As I passed HARDer Stage towards Summer, Just Blaze blasted his version of Major Lazer’s “Original Don,” followed by Bingo Player’s “When I Dip.”
Summer Stage felt like a small hip-hop show infused with an electro-house party as the live remix band, Keys N’ Krates, showcased their unique approach to electronic music. Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Keys N’ Krates includes Jr. Flo on turntables, David Matisse on the synthesizer, and Adam Tune on the 808 drum machine. Layering samples with tunes of their own to create clean blends and sharp melodies, the band played originals like “Treat Me Right” and a variety of hip-hop remixes, including Jay-Z’s “I’m A Hustler Baby” and “Dirt Off Your Shoulder.” The three instruments purred as Jr. Flo scratched to Adam’s meticulous drum beats and David pumped the crowd up from his synthesizer, saying, “Who here loves hip-hop?” The crowd bopped their lifted hands to the beat, to which David responded, “Keep those hands up. Here we go!” With build ups and drops created right on stage, Keys N’ Krates reminded the electronic scene that live, hands-on instrumentation and remixing can not only mimic computer programs but also outshine them.
From this show, I made my way to the Soundcloud famous trap/house artist RL Grime. RL Grime is a side project of Henry Steinway, who produces and DJs under the name Clockwork. RL Grime provided the trap heavy elements festival-goers could get crunk to with his originals “Trap On Acid,” “Flood,” and songs from his new EP, “High Beams.” He sampled Flosstradamus’ “Crowd Control,An emergency light is a battery-backed lighting device that comes on automatically when a building experiences a power outage.” Kanye West’s “Clique,” DJ Snake’s “Bird Machine,” Notorious BIG’s “Suicidal Thoughts,” and Cashmere Cat’s edit of “Do You Like…” by Miguel. Although the bass at HARDer Stage did not do his head-banging drops justice, RL Grime had the hyper crowd swaying, especially when he bumped the remix that first garnered him attention, “Satisfaction” by Benny Benassi.More information about the program is available on the web site at www.hmhid.com.
2013年8月13日 星期二
While holed up in a Washington
Like most of Juicy J's best ideas, "Bandz A Make Her Dance" was hatched in the bathroom.
While holed up in a Washington, D.C., hotel room in early 2012, the Memphis rapper was sifting through a collection of beats from rising Atlanta producer Mike Will Made It when he stumbled upon a track with an ominous bass thump and twinkling key line. At first, Juicy J thought it was the foundation of a love song. "The beat reminded me of some Quiet Storm shit… it starts so slow, and it's really melodic," he says. And then, in the hotel bathroom, he realized that the five-word hook that had been rolling around in his brain for a while might work on the track, if it was partnered with a more uptempo rhythm. Hours later, the beginnings of a love song had become the stripper anthem of 2012.
"A lot of times when I'm recording, I smoke weed, I freestyle, and if I'm trying to get that last bar or that ending of the song, I'll go to the bathroom, because I always come up with shit in the bathroom," Juicy J says. His face lights up when he recognizes the unintentional pun, and quickly adds, "I mean, I've written many, many songs in the bathroom."
Most successful hip-hop artists maintain a tireless work ethic, but Juicy J's dedication to his music -- bathroom breaks and all -- is almost inhuman. The MC (real name: Jordan Houston) boasts about turning down vacation time and working through Christmas to get songs completed. His manager, Will Dzombak, professes that "Juicy records anywhere, anytime -- in his hotel room, on a tour bus, backstage right before he goes onstage, in between interviews."
Juicy J doesn't necessarily need to be this unyielding. His days as a member of Memphis rap crew Three 6 Mafia, which produced two million-sellers (2000's "When the Smoke Clears" and 2005's "Most Known Unknown") and one Academy Award for best original song ("It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp"), have secured his legacy and kept his bank account flush. But the rapper also recalls growing up in a two-bedroom Memphis apartment with six people, wondering whether there'd be food in the refrigerator each day, and uses that experience as motivation.
"I come from nothing," he says. "When I got a chance to make some money, I was like, 'Man, I'm not ever going back.'"
During a mid-July stop in Manhattan, however, Juicy J is letting himself unwind a bit. Wearing a red camouflage collared T-shirt and a matching hat, Juicy J clutches a half-empty bottle of Champagne in his left hand and take swigs in between answering questions about "Stay Trippy," his new solo album due Aug. 27.Xenon HID Worlds make hid lighting affordable to everyone and for all your vehicle needs. The rapper certainly has reason to celebrate: "Bandz A Make Her Dance" was an out-of-nowhere career resuscitation for the 38-year-old MC, cracking the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 five years after Three 6 Mafia effectively fizzled out. A joint deal with Kemosabe Records (the imprint headed by pop maestro Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald) and Columbia Records soon followed, as did a slot on a tour last fall opening for Wiz Khalifa, whose Taylor Gang Records brought in Juicy J as a partner/A&R rep in 2011.
"Stay Trippy" is a long, bruising rap opus with a star-studded guest list (Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, Big Sean, Wale), and Dr. Luke and Khalifa signed on as executive producers. It's an album that has conjured opportunities with big-box retailers and likely sponsorship deals. It's also an album that wouldn't exist if "Bandz A Make Her Dance" didn't take off last year, shaking awake the label that had indefinitely shelved Three 6 Mafia's last album.
The rap crew's downfall unexpectedly followed the most fruitful phase of its career, which began in 1995 with "Mystic Stylez" and led to a deal with Columbia in 2003. The brainchild of Juicy J and rapper/producer DJ Paul with a rotating cast of other members, Three 6 Mafia's brand of gritty hip-hop spilled into the mainstream in 2005, with the bombastic crossover single "Stay Fly" (961,000 downloads sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan) and a surprise Oscar win for "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp,Choose your favorite street lamp paintings from thousands of available designs.Thank you for providing us with information to help us maintain street light." from the Memphis-set film "Hustle & Flow."
Read the full story at www.streetlights-solar.com!
While holed up in a Washington, D.C., hotel room in early 2012, the Memphis rapper was sifting through a collection of beats from rising Atlanta producer Mike Will Made It when he stumbled upon a track with an ominous bass thump and twinkling key line. At first, Juicy J thought it was the foundation of a love song. "The beat reminded me of some Quiet Storm shit… it starts so slow, and it's really melodic," he says. And then, in the hotel bathroom, he realized that the five-word hook that had been rolling around in his brain for a while might work on the track, if it was partnered with a more uptempo rhythm. Hours later, the beginnings of a love song had become the stripper anthem of 2012.
"A lot of times when I'm recording, I smoke weed, I freestyle, and if I'm trying to get that last bar or that ending of the song, I'll go to the bathroom, because I always come up with shit in the bathroom," Juicy J says. His face lights up when he recognizes the unintentional pun, and quickly adds, "I mean, I've written many, many songs in the bathroom."
Most successful hip-hop artists maintain a tireless work ethic, but Juicy J's dedication to his music -- bathroom breaks and all -- is almost inhuman. The MC (real name: Jordan Houston) boasts about turning down vacation time and working through Christmas to get songs completed. His manager, Will Dzombak, professes that "Juicy records anywhere, anytime -- in his hotel room, on a tour bus, backstage right before he goes onstage, in between interviews."
Juicy J doesn't necessarily need to be this unyielding. His days as a member of Memphis rap crew Three 6 Mafia, which produced two million-sellers (2000's "When the Smoke Clears" and 2005's "Most Known Unknown") and one Academy Award for best original song ("It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp"), have secured his legacy and kept his bank account flush. But the rapper also recalls growing up in a two-bedroom Memphis apartment with six people, wondering whether there'd be food in the refrigerator each day, and uses that experience as motivation.
"I come from nothing," he says. "When I got a chance to make some money, I was like, 'Man, I'm not ever going back.'"
During a mid-July stop in Manhattan, however, Juicy J is letting himself unwind a bit. Wearing a red camouflage collared T-shirt and a matching hat, Juicy J clutches a half-empty bottle of Champagne in his left hand and take swigs in between answering questions about "Stay Trippy," his new solo album due Aug. 27.Xenon HID Worlds make hid lighting affordable to everyone and for all your vehicle needs. The rapper certainly has reason to celebrate: "Bandz A Make Her Dance" was an out-of-nowhere career resuscitation for the 38-year-old MC, cracking the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 five years after Three 6 Mafia effectively fizzled out. A joint deal with Kemosabe Records (the imprint headed by pop maestro Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald) and Columbia Records soon followed, as did a slot on a tour last fall opening for Wiz Khalifa, whose Taylor Gang Records brought in Juicy J as a partner/A&R rep in 2011.
"Stay Trippy" is a long, bruising rap opus with a star-studded guest list (Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, Big Sean, Wale), and Dr. Luke and Khalifa signed on as executive producers. It's an album that has conjured opportunities with big-box retailers and likely sponsorship deals. It's also an album that wouldn't exist if "Bandz A Make Her Dance" didn't take off last year, shaking awake the label that had indefinitely shelved Three 6 Mafia's last album.
The rap crew's downfall unexpectedly followed the most fruitful phase of its career, which began in 1995 with "Mystic Stylez" and led to a deal with Columbia in 2003. The brainchild of Juicy J and rapper/producer DJ Paul with a rotating cast of other members, Three 6 Mafia's brand of gritty hip-hop spilled into the mainstream in 2005, with the bombastic crossover single "Stay Fly" (961,000 downloads sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan) and a surprise Oscar win for "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp,Choose your favorite street lamp paintings from thousands of available designs.Thank you for providing us with information to help us maintain street light." from the Memphis-set film "Hustle & Flow."
Read the full story at www.streetlights-solar.com!
2013年6月24日 星期一
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
This stigma accounts for the lack of competition for this affordable
family truckster and it also accounts for the fact that you don’t see
the words “station” or “wagon” anywhere in the vehicle description but
at the end of the day - the Elantra GT is what Americans 20 years ago
would have called a station wagon. Fortunately, the Elantra GT is
engineered in such a manner that it avoids the aspects that caused the
negative reputation for “wagons” here in the US. It is as fuel efficient
and as nimble as the rest of the Elantra lineup while offering tons of
cargo space for objects of all sizes. It also avoids being so tragically
unhip as the old school soccer mom wagons of the 1980s that drove so
many people away from 5-door cars.
My test subject for this review was the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT in Titanium Gray shown throughout this article. Options included the Style Package, which adds 17” alloy wheels, the sport suspension setup, the gorgeous panoramic sunroof, leather seats, a leather wrapped steering wheel, aluminum pedals and more. The total price of the test vehicle was $22,015. The only options not included that are available come as part of the Tech Package that adds navigation, daytime running lights, a backup camera system, dual zone climate and push button start.
The 2013 Elantra GT is a 5-door hatchback so it should be obvious that the biggest changes from the sedan come out back, where the back end is completely redesigned. In addition to the hatch, the GT rear end has its own unique lower fascia sculpting and taillights that are smaller and slightly more aggressive than the sedan’s rear blinkers.
Even though there is plenty of space on the “liftgate”, the license plate has been moved down to the lower fascia area with large, red reflectors that are not present on the sedan mounted on both sides. The rear hatch also wears a low profile spoiler that adds that little extra bit of sporty appeal to the rump of this compact 5-door. Like the sedan, the exhaust system is tucked up under the lower fascia, nearly out of sight for a nice clean look. Overall, while more aggressive than the sedan, the rear end of the Elantra GT is less fluid than the 4-door models with unique hard lines being created by the large rear opening.
Along the sides, the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT very closely follows the design of the sedan with the only major difference being the obvious change in the profile caused by the elongated rear roofline of the hatchback design. Like the sedan, the roofline is very fluid from front to back with a hard body line running through the doors and into the taillights but the extra greenhouse space has allowed Hyundai to add an extra, smaller quarter window just behind the rear doors that add just a touch more visibility for the driver when attempting to change lanes on the highway or back out of the driveway.
The front end of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT has received the most distinct yet subtle revisions compared to the sedan. The headlights and grille are a similar shape on both versions but the GT packs HID projection headlights and a much sportier grille filler featuring a blacked out center section for that extra sporty appeal. The grille opening above the black center section is larger than that found on the sedan while the lower portion of the GT front end has downward angled bars that give it a more aggressive look than the upward angled bars on the sedan. This Elantra is frowning because it’s an aggressive model – it is a GT, after all. Finally, the lower front fascia of the GT has fog lights that sit in the same relative location as the sedan but on the 5-door, these extra lights are set in a contrasting housing rather than the molded units of the 4-door Elantra. Click on their website www.hmhid.com for more information.
My test subject for this review was the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT in Titanium Gray shown throughout this article. Options included the Style Package, which adds 17” alloy wheels, the sport suspension setup, the gorgeous panoramic sunroof, leather seats, a leather wrapped steering wheel, aluminum pedals and more. The total price of the test vehicle was $22,015. The only options not included that are available come as part of the Tech Package that adds navigation, daytime running lights, a backup camera system, dual zone climate and push button start.
The 2013 Elantra GT is a 5-door hatchback so it should be obvious that the biggest changes from the sedan come out back, where the back end is completely redesigned. In addition to the hatch, the GT rear end has its own unique lower fascia sculpting and taillights that are smaller and slightly more aggressive than the sedan’s rear blinkers.
Even though there is plenty of space on the “liftgate”, the license plate has been moved down to the lower fascia area with large, red reflectors that are not present on the sedan mounted on both sides. The rear hatch also wears a low profile spoiler that adds that little extra bit of sporty appeal to the rump of this compact 5-door. Like the sedan, the exhaust system is tucked up under the lower fascia, nearly out of sight for a nice clean look. Overall, while more aggressive than the sedan, the rear end of the Elantra GT is less fluid than the 4-door models with unique hard lines being created by the large rear opening.
Along the sides, the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT very closely follows the design of the sedan with the only major difference being the obvious change in the profile caused by the elongated rear roofline of the hatchback design. Like the sedan, the roofline is very fluid from front to back with a hard body line running through the doors and into the taillights but the extra greenhouse space has allowed Hyundai to add an extra, smaller quarter window just behind the rear doors that add just a touch more visibility for the driver when attempting to change lanes on the highway or back out of the driveway.
The front end of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT has received the most distinct yet subtle revisions compared to the sedan. The headlights and grille are a similar shape on both versions but the GT packs HID projection headlights and a much sportier grille filler featuring a blacked out center section for that extra sporty appeal. The grille opening above the black center section is larger than that found on the sedan while the lower portion of the GT front end has downward angled bars that give it a more aggressive look than the upward angled bars on the sedan. This Elantra is frowning because it’s an aggressive model – it is a GT, after all. Finally, the lower front fascia of the GT has fog lights that sit in the same relative location as the sedan but on the 5-door, these extra lights are set in a contrasting housing rather than the molded units of the 4-door Elantra. Click on their website www.hmhid.com for more information.
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