Life Files of...

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Recommendation for all those who are interested in the clash between old school media and digital media… (Rotten Tomatoes)

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Brand loyalization.
That’s what Loyalize believes in. This San Francisco based company builded an audience participation platform (white-labeled) that drives engagement across connected devices. See how it works:

They recently made a big global step by launching their first social TV app in Australia called Fango. They launched this service for Australian national broadcaster Seven. The main purpose of Seven is create engagement between their viewers and their tv-programs. Watch their demo over here.

Personally I believe in social TV, but I don’t believe in ‘general apps’ for ‘everything’. Why? Simple:
If you are a broadcaster always start with ‘your content’. Never start with just a technique or a tool. And that’s what is happening here. Don’t push your tool, but let them engage with your content. For example: organically put this platform in their soap community. Completely integrate the tool in their Australian Open Tennis broadcast or co-create news with it for Sevens’ newsportal etc.
So make it organic, make it easy. And always start with your content. That makes it way easier to explain to your audience and engaging will automatically follow. Even if you have to push this ‘new technique’...

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Loic Le Meur talks during Le Web with Karl Lagerfeld about (personal) branding and his use of digital media.

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My most important list of the year:  My Best Albums of 2011.
Every album mentioned below should be in your cd rack or vinyl box. Definitely.

For you convenience I added for every album a YouTube video after the click.
Enjoy.

PS If you want to see My 22 Best Metal Albums of 2011 - check this.

Edwin Valent’s Top 22 Albums of 2011
1.  Burgerkill - Venomous
2.  L’Esprit Du Clan - Chapitre V: Drama
3.  Cerebral Ballzy - Cerebral Ballzy
4.  Truth Corroded - Worship The Bled
5.  Trapped Under Ice - Big Kiss Goodnight
6.  Death Grips - Exmilitary
7.  Jay Z & Kanye West - Watch The Throne
8.  Rotting Out - Street Prowl
9.  Backtrack - Darker Half
10. Fair To Midland - Arrows & Anchors
11. The Browning - Burn This World
12. S.O.S. - I Owe You Nothing
13. Zion I & The Grouch - Heroes In The Healing Of The Nation
14. Floating Me - Floating Me
15. Sólstafir - Svartir Sandar
16. Frankenbok - The End Of All You Know
17. Vildhjarta - Masstaden
18. Gorki - Research & Development
19. The Warriors - See How You Are
20. Rise Against - Endgame
21. Morbid Angel - Illud Divinum Insanus
22. Exile & Free The Robots - All City L.A. Series #10

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During 2011 you could listen every week to my best metaltracks @22tracks, but what are my 22 best metalalbums of 2011?

Here we go.

PS If you want my overall Top 22 Albums - click here

Edwin Valent’s Top 22 Metal Albums of 2011
1.  Burgerkill - Venomous
2.  L’Esprit Du Clan - Chapitre V: Drama
3.  Cerebral Ballzy - Cerebral Ballzy
4.  Truth Corroded - Worship The Bled
5.  Trapped Under Ice - Big Kiss Goodnight
6.  Death Grips - Exmilitary
7.  Rotting Out - Street Prowl
8.  Backtrack - Darker Half
9.  Fair To Midland - Arrows & Anchors
10. The Browning - Burn This World
11. S.O.S. - I Owe You Nothing
12. Floating Me - Floating Me
13. Sólstafir - Svartir Sandar
14. Frankenbok - The End Of All You Know
15. Vildhjarta - Masstaden
16. The Warriors - See How You Are
17. Rise Against - Endgame
18. Morbid Angel - Illud Divinum Insanus
19. Jasta - Jasta
20. Sleeping Giant - Kingdom Days In An Evil Age
21. Amon Amarth - Surtur Rising
22. Textures - Dualism

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A metal Christmas song, two exclusive tracks and great fresh bands from Italy and Belgium. Check out my playlist @ 22tracks.com.
Here you find the corresponding release dates:
* Slaves On Dope - All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth = release date 9 December 2011
* Lamb Of God - Resolution = release date 24 January 2011
* Tarball - Rise Above = release date 20 February 2011
* 1000 Degrees - Has Already Past = release date 15 November 2011
* Before He Shot Her - The Ascent = release date 9 December 2011

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Modern death-trash from Greece, kickass South Central hardcore, the full hatred of Kickback and Coldworker and last but not least (and more on a ‘quieter note’) the new Chevelle, So, check out my playlist @ 22tracks.com.
Here you find the corresponding release dates:
* Rotting Out - Street Prowl = release date 3 October 2011
* Descending - New Death Celebrity = release date 28 October 2011
* Chevelle - Hats Off To The Bull = release date 6 December 2011
* Kickback - Et Le Diable Rit Avec Nous = release date 25 November 2011
* Coldworker - The Doomsayer’s Call = release date 13 February 2012

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Deathcore from In The Midst Of Lions, hardcore from Harpoon and No Way Out and old school metal from Vektor and Venom. And a bonustrack from Silverstein: the metalversion of Kanye West’s Runaway… So, check out my playlist @ 22tracks.com.
Here you find the corresponding release dates:
* In The Midst Of Lions - Shadows = release date 22 November 2011
* Vektor - Outer Isolation = release date 28 November 2011
* No Way Out - Dead Ends = release date 21 October 2011
* Harpoon - Deception Among Birds = release date 24 October 2011
* Venom - Fallen Angels = release date 28 November 2011
* Silverstein - Punk Goes Pop 4 = release date 21 November 2011

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Post-metal youngsters from Sweden, Metalcore from New Zealand, hardcore from the US and two Dutch metal bands equals the five tracks I added to my playlist @ 22tracks.com.
Here you find the corresponding release dates:
* Drums Are For Parades - Imperivm EP = release date 16 April 2012
* Vildhjarta - Masstaden = release date 28 November 2011
* Saving Grace - The King Is Coming = release date 22 November 2011
* Disquiet - Scars Of Undying Grief = release date 20 January 2012
* World Of Pain - World Of Pain = release date 16 November 2011

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If your story is right, you can even sell your stuff from behind bars. Inspiring examples from Florida and Estonia.

// Hot sauce made and market by prisoners
A group of inmates in Florida’s Hillsborough County Jail are making their own line of, tadaaa, hot sauce. You can choose between ‘Original’, ‘Smoke’ and ‘No Escape’. These inmates are not only making the sauces all by themselves (it is made from peppers grown there onsite), but they also do their own marketing and communication. That’s why it is not strange that they use slogans like ‘So Lethal’ and ‘A Murder On Taste Buds’. The sauce is only available online and supports Florida’s prisoners programs. How the ‘difference of origin’ of your product can lead to unique storytelling…
more info: www.jailhousefire.org

// Clothing and bags designed by inmates
Heavy Eco is an Estonian brand that produces clothing and accessories, all designed by Eastern European prisoners. Their story has several layers. First of all Heavy Eco claims that they give inmates the opportunity to rehabilitate. Furthermore they claim to make products which last forever (a life time warranty backs up that promise) and that they use only organic material. All designs are based on Russian prison tattoos. The website explains: “In the Russian criminal world, every tattoo tells a lifestory of a criminal. You can tell what the person is in jail for, how many times he’s been convicted and even if he has a gambling or drug addiction just by looking at the tattoos.”

Heavy Eco is not only sold online, like the hot sauce, but is also available in shops throughout Europe. Prisoners get paid for their work and 50% of all profits are donated to Estorian non-profit organizations.
Read the complete ‘story’ here.

A social brand based on storytelling… very unique.

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Frequent visitors of this blog know I am a big Slingplayer fan. The only thing Slingplayer is not doing very well is their social integration.
It looks this is finally changing:

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From Turkish death metal to Dutch punk veterans… I have added five fresh metal and hardcore tracks to my playlist @ 22tracks.com.
Here you find the corresponding release dates:
* Thrown To The Sun - Of Oceans And Raindrops = release date 12 November 2011
* Ligeia - Welcome To Palm City = release date 11 November 2011
* Heideroosjes - Cease-Fire = release date 21 November 2011
* Walking With Strangers - Hardships = release date 16 November 2011
* Rise And Fall - Faith = release date 2012

This night I attended the Watch The Throne tour of Jay-Z and Kayne West in New York City. Goddammit, what a great show.
Some proof:

And last but not least a live blog report