books

LAB EXCLUSIVO: each copy is signed by Andrew Kuo himself.

Friend of the Lab Andrew Kuo creates work that embodies the Lab. His perfectionist / imperfectionist charts remind me both of Peter Seville record covers and the nano-thought processing speed of a record nerd. This first anthology of his work collects a grip of those highly acclaimed graphic charts (as featured in the New York Times) plus his more painterly endeavors. But beyond the musical connection, Kuo's work really taps into the complex post-collegiate life we're all trying to navigate. After examining several of his charts, you'll really get a sense of Kuo, bright mismatched colors and all. Essential for music heads, art lubbers, grid mongers, and all of the above. Hardcover, 12.2 x 11.2 x 1.2", 208 pages. RECOMMENDED. 

The Backdoor Book is an intriguing look at NY's downtown scene through the fixed environment of the aNYthing store's backdoor. A continuing project conceived by A-Ron, its idea is so simple, yet the very fascinating. Who are these people? Why do you care? What are they wearing? This is the kind of incidental art that stands the test of time. Name check: Neckface, Espo, Terry Richardson, The Virgins, Harold Hunter, The Gonz, Benjamin Cho, Spank Rock, and many otherz. 8.75" x 12", 48 pages, softcover.

Beautiful hardcover edition from Alleged Press and Damiani Editore (Italy) showcasing the works of SF graffiti artist Barry Mcgee. As you probably know, Barry is an icon in the street art scene - having worked with other graf legends in the past (like Espo and Reas) and releasing numerous books which has in turn influenced a whole new generation of artists. This book presents his pieces in the form of a huge visual collage - with photos, paintings, and drawings from his past and present installations, as well as many candid street photos of his art and his posse. 9 x 12 Hardcover, 176 pages. Recommended.

DEADSTOCK FIND: This is Barry McGee's most desired book and regularly goes for well over $100.00 for new condition copies (check Amazon if you don't believe us). These copies are in new condition. LIMIT 2 PER CUSTOMER.

A hefty and beautiful retrospective that accompanied Barry McGee's one man show at the Fodazione Prada in Italy. The book's layout is exceedingly simple with the main beef (the pictures) arranged in the same sort of haphazard, yet engrossing way that he presents his gallery work. Image descriptions, dates and other info are thankfully stored way in the back, along with a 5 page interview. The work here presents the full spectrum of Twist's environment, history and art including installation work, tags and piecing, sketches, paintings and photographs of all sorts- his friends, street scenes, random oddities and more. It's beautiful, at least 300 pages, and limited.

This new one from Brian Coleman is tagged as "an updated and hugely expanded edition of the underground classic Rakim Told Me," but Check The Technique is really a book unto itself. Yes, 15 of the 36 chapters are taken from RTM, but the new material here is more than worth the price tag. ($16.95 for 500 pages - not too shabby.) Here, Coleman takes you behind the standard production credits found on hip hop albums' liner notes, speaking directly with the artists and other people involved in the creation of some of the most enduring albums of our time. Included are chapters on 2 Live Crew, Beastie Boys, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Black Moon, BDP, Brand Nubian, Common, Cypress Hill, Das EFX, De La Soul, Digable Planets, EPMD, Eric B & Rakim, Fugees, Geto Boys, Ice T, Marley Marl, MC Lyte, Mobb Deep, M.O.P., Onyx, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Pharcyde, Poor Righteous Teachers, Public Enemy, Redman, The Roots, Run DMC, Schoolly D, Slick Rick, Too Short, ATCQ, Wu-Tang and X-Clan. Whew. The revelations range from banal to mind-blowing; sometimes they straddle the line. Take Prodigy's explanation of "Shook Ones, Pt.II": "No one would ever be able to find that loop used for 'Pt.II' and do it over, 'cause it's not a loop. We took a record and chopped it up and did somethin' to it." There's some fascinating stuff here, tons of inside dirt that even the most astute head couldn't possibly know. Recommended.

Subway is Bruce Davidson's groundbreaking work of 80's NYC photography, now in its third edition with ten previously unpublished images. Here is our original review from 2004: Outstanding photography book from Bruce Davidson, collecting his work on NYC subways during 1980 and 1981. Much like Jamel Shabazz's photographs from this time period, Davidson's photographs easily bottle up the moods & fashions of the day, but there's something much darker about this book. Yes, the NY subways were bombed to hell in 1980 (and Davidson captures that perfectly), but it's more than that. You can feel the no air conditioning summer heat, smell the subway fried garbage, rats & piss, crumpled brown paper bags & nameless funk that gets into everything. There are some cool breeze moments too, when the light breaks through, somebody smiles and a flash of warmth spreads out; but this book tends to blow your head off. You sense a fight coming, look for something over your shoulder, feel the darkness. So New York in the 80s, powerful stuff. 118 pages with introduction by Fab 5 Freddy, hardcover.

Claw Money pretty much runs things. Not only is she one of the few female graf queens (her infamous CLAW icon has appeared on walls in the East Village to LA to Amsterdam and Milan since the early '90s), she also designs her own clothing line (with lots of her CLAW icons of course), her own jewelry and accessory line, works as a fashion editor, a brand consultant, and still has time to put out a book. Bombshell is an up close and personal look at CLAW's life and crimes, as told through tons of photos, letters, sketches, designs and testimonials from her (in)famous friends. It's clear she's having a super-fun time being CLAW MONEY - rarely have I seen so many fashionable self portraits in a graf monologue (or party pics for that matter). All I gotta say is... Damn girl, don't hurt 'em! 128 pages, hardcover.

• revised softcover edition with 16 pages of new content
• special pack includes colored 7" vinyl (random color, only 500 pressed)
• side A: Geno Jordan: You're a Peachtree Freak On Peachtree Street (Tom Noble Edit)
• side B: IZ Army: Brainwash (Army of Shadows Edit)
• Chosen by Amazon as the Entertainment Book Of The Year
• Selected by the Village Voice as one of the 10 Best Books of The Year

You might be wondering about the title How To Wreck A Nice Beach and how it relates to that awesome lookin' vocoder on the cover. Well it's actually how the author misheard a vocoder-rendered phrase "HOW TO RECOGNIZE SPEECH," an easy mistake when trying to make sense of this crazy voice altering device! In this book, Dave Tompkins shares the incredible story of the vocoder - from how it was invented (by Bell Labs in 1928) to its usage by the military to guard from eavesdroppers during WW2, all the way to the 70's when it used by musicians and today when it is the ubiquitous voice of pop music. See this unlikely machine pop up in context next to JFK, Kubrick, popular science fiction, Nazis, and of course its musical context from Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Freestyle, Kraftwerk, Egyptian Lover, Cybotron, Afrika Bambaataa, Roger Troutman and Zapp. The history of the electronic voice (talk boxes, auto-tune, and even artifical larynges are covered as well) is traced in fascinating detail with tons of awesome photos & illustrations and entertaining personal anecdotes. I actually had the pleasure of sitting in on an interview with Dave Tompkins the other night (for the Mad Decent podcast) and let me tell you - this guy knows his stuff! 350  pages. Highly Recommended.

Exclusivo signed edition! 128 Beats Per Minute is a visual tour journal that follows Diplo around the world in his artistic ventures. Flipping through the book is inspirational... it makes you want to smash your TV and burn your couch. Whether it's DJing festivals, recording in the studio with a yet unknown band named The XX, flying down to Jamaica to meet up with partner Switch, or covering Carnival for Vanity Fair, Diplo just seems to be grabbing life by the sack and running wild. Photographer Shane McCauley does an excellent job capturing both the spontaneous and the epic with a strong nod to the DJ scene that surrounds Mr. Pentz. Writing is minimal here, but the captions, playlists, and anecdotes are wholly enough. Put it on a table, and it will slowly seep into your system, hopefully it will inspire you like it did me. Please note: all of Diplo's signatures appear differently. Limit 1 per customer, recommended.

• Limit 1 per customer, orders for more than 1 will be cancelled.

From the late 80's into the early 90's Soul Underground was the go to bible for the massive UK underground. Much like URB, The Source, and Ego Trip in the states, Soul Underground had a stronghold across the water on the then early stages of UK Hip Hop and already established Rave scene that still is as dominant a scene as ever. Though the magazine ran for four years, the impact it had for UK Djs, record nerds, and club-goers was heavy. With interviews of key players, coverage of a wide range of styles, and the VERY important DJ lists the influence of the magazine quickly led to a New York based operation that further excelled their cultural awareness to international status. Unfortunately, shortly after their NY base was planted, the magazine shut down in 1991. Catch The Beat compiles the best moments from the 38 issue run of Soul Underground, which leaves us wanting more. If you are a fan of Ego Trip's The Book of Rap lists, Wax Poetics, Djhistory.com, and B&W zines this is for you.

Ego Trip was and is one of the best magazines ever. All my copies are trashed from 50 friends reading them cover to cover in my bathroom. If somebody was in the can too long it could mean only one of two things: the latest News Stand Special or the latest Ego Trip. The first one I ever saw was issue #2 (cover had Method Man wearing a purple hood and staring out from a black background, iced fang fronts flashing like Ozzy on the cover of "Bark at the Moon"). Basically Ego Trip writes hilarious, informative articles makes fun of everybody, and basically don't give a fuck. Somehow they are smart and funny enough to get away with it. By this issue, the magazine's design and production had caught up with its smart-ass and the whole thing was tight. These are original deadstock copies from the late 90s.

Toy Instruments comprises an eye-popping collection of musical toys made between the 1950s and 1990s. Created to excite children about learning how to play an instrument, the toys turned out to be very fun for adults as well. Just ask David Bowie; he used the Stylophone in his song "Space Oddity." Culled from author Eric Schneider's personal collection, Toy Instruments explores this niche of the toy industry, doing so with an informative and humorous approach that demonstrates how even in today's world of Guitar Hero and Wii, these musical toys are emblematic, and enigmatic, artifacts from bygone eras. As DJ Spooky writes in his introduction, "I think of the material that Eric Schneider has compiled as a kind of 'object' time machine, reaching back to the heart of what electronic music represented when it was new." Hard cover, 192 pages.

Seven Years With Atmosphere & Rhymesayers is a 272-page book that takes a sweeping look at the Minneapolis group/label's steadfast existence in independent hip-hop. Photographer Dan Monick, who experienced the movement first hand, presents images of live shows (Japan, Australia, Europe, North America, etc), dedicated fans, and the artists themselves in behind-the-scenes settings in an unfiltered manner, successfully capturing the energy and intensity of the subjects. Hardcover, 10.8 x 10.7 x 1 inches.

The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records Book Favorite jazz label of all time? Easy, right? It's Blue Note... but is it? Impulse released my favorite jazz record of all time (A Love Supreme) and maintained a tighter visual language throughout the years. This top notch book goes through the entire history of the label starting with the godfather, Creed Taylor, and moving its way through the various stages of jazz it helped promote. In addition, interspersed throughout the book, the author writes two page essays on approximately 40 Impulse albums from artist such as Ray Charles, Oliver Nelson, Freddie Hubbard, Coltrane, Archie Shepp, Charles Mingus, Ahmad Jamal, Sun Ra, Alice Coltrane and others (pretty impressive, huh?). Softcover, 338 pages, recommended if you ever admired an Impulse record.

Can you ever have enough Brockmann books? No. Phaidon presents their tribute to the grid master with the largest and most comprehensive JMB book to date. The inner-jacket claims this book to be "most definitive JMB monograph," and it's hard to argue against it. I personally own most every JMB title printed in the last 10 years, and I can tell you that this book features a large amount of exclusive material. Whereas most books spotlight his signature poster work, this book tells the entire story of the man, starting from his teens, continuing through his early formative professional days, and ending with his later corporate work. What is most interesting is that the book presents his early drawings, paintings, and designs, and attempts to decipher his influences. Did you know that JMB was a skilled illustrator and painter? A stage designer? Had a Picasso-influenced period? Designed a typeface for a typewriter? Even if you own every JMB book, this book will spark your imagination as much as the first time you saw one of his posters. His progression is fascinating, as his body of work represents a movement from the complex and painterly to the simple and mathematical (think about that for a second). 275 pages, hardcover. Measures 10" x 12" x 1.25". Highly recommended.

From toys and clothing to various projects with global brands, Brian Donnelly aka KAWS is one of the most sought after names in the creative sphere. The KAWS Book takes a comprehensive look at the Brooklyn-based artist/designer's work. Subverted billboards, bus shelters, and phone booth advertisements as well as sculptures, skate decks, editorials, and prints are all included, and the hard cover features text and other contributions by Monica Ramirez-Montagut (curator at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum) and Germano Celant (art history and direct of Fondazione Prada in Milan). A necessary pick up for fans of contemporary/street art. 256 pages, measures 8 1/2" by 11".

Deadstock find! Authentic copies of this controversial, now out-of-print book by former Kraftwerk drummer Wolfgang Flur. The founding members of Kraftwerk actually tried prevent this book from being published, and it's pretty obvious why - Flur doesn't have too many nice things to say about his former bandmates. Much of his dislike stems from the whole "man-machine" concept, as Flur has moved on to more organic projects since leaving Da 'Werk, but a lot of it comes from what seems to be straight-up shadiness on the parts of founding members Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider-Esleben. (At various points in the book, they make non-original band members sign contracts to join, try to squash public appearances by Flur, and even patent a drum controller that Flur invented!) A couple interesting quotes: "I felt a chill when I recently read an interview with Ralf... in which he said that he felt like a robot. I'd seen this development coming for a long time, that Ralf would no longer be able to escape from the same role that we all used to play... My rejection of what Kraftwerk has become is the direct result of the behaviour of two artists who became too robotic." Not your typical band bio, but definitely worth a read for Kraftwerk diehards. 287 pages.

As a kid who grew up skateboarding in the 80s and 90s Mark Gonzales has always intrigued me. From his esoteric approach to street skating to his success as an artist he always seems to be reinventing himself. And he seems to keep a pretty relaxed attitude about life in general. Instead Of Eros Avenged collects nearly 300 of his photographs and provides a unique glimpse of his life in motion.

Great collection of drawings from Mel Ramos. For the unfamiliar, Ramos was a leading figure in the 60's West Coast Pop movement with his "commercial pin-ups" (voluptuous women draped over brand-name products) and has shown his works along side other renowned 20th century artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist, and many others. While previous books on Ramos' work usually feature his finished work, this one is the first to focus almost exclusively on his drawings and sketches. It's awesome to see the brilliant line art and how he is able to render stunning drawings of the female form. Contains drawings from 1960s to the present day. 128 pages, hardcover.

Rem Koolhaas, the master modern architect with the name to match, gets revealed in the always fascinating Conversations With series from Princeton Architectural Press. This book includes a verbatim lecture and a Q&A seminar from January 1991, plus an essay about Koolhaus by Sanford Kwinter. Softcover, 8" x 5.5". 95 pages.

LAB EXCLUSIVO: these first batch of books is personally signed by Ryan McGinness. And it's not just a one-liner, Ryan fills up most of the page with doodles and quotes!

Ryan McGinness drops another limited edition book to document his mind spray aka the visual free jazz. This book looks like Ryan's brain threw up, but unlike a commoner's throw-up, Ryan's comes out in expertly splattered vectorizations, pixelations and flourishes. There's no concrete rhyme to the book, it's a mish-mash of snapshots, sketches, and scans from Ryan's studio. 2500 copies. Hardcover, 168 Pages, 216 x 279 mm. Recommended.

A revolutionary of visual culture, Seymour Chwast is one of the most influential illustrators of the last half century. Filled with hundreds of his distinctive illustrations, Seymour is a career-spanning volume, sure to be an indispensable addition to the libraries of illustration buffs, pop-culture aficionados, and Chwast's die-hard fans. As co-founder of Push Pin Studios, Chwast has produced a body of illustrations: "humorous, ironic, political, and utterly unique" that are as inspirational to designers and illustrators today as they were when they first came on the scene over sixty years ago. Seymour is a spectacular and extensive tribute to a monumental figure in American illustration.

• Hardcover, 9" x 11", 272 pages.

<i>Stunning 200-page hardback</i> from Soul Jazz, compiled by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker. The label's previous effort to collect revolutionary jazz music sleeves (<i>Freedom, Rhythm, and Sound</i>) garnered much praise, and <i>Bossa Nova And The Rise Of Brazilian Music In The 1960s</i> is another landmark publication showcasing the "radical and exciting idealism" found in the cover art design of Bossa Nova records. In addition to the outstanding visuals (more than 100 images of Bossa Nova sleeves), <i>Bossa Nova</i> contains essays and biographies on the genre and its progenitors, which provide historical, cultural, and social context to the movement. Measures 12" x 12", recommended.

Incredible collection of cover art from Sir Coxsone Dodd's legendary Studio One label. Studio One is one of the most important record labels in the history of Jamaican music, involved in releasing ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, and dancehall since 1963. It was there at Studio One that artists like Bob Marley and the Wailers, Horace Andy, Alton Ellis, Freddie McGregor, The Skatalites, Marcia Griffiths, Burning Spear, and many more became the icons they are today. This deluxe book, The album Cover Art Of Studio One, features hundreds of full-size covers from classic albums, including rare silkscreens, alternate sleeves, exclusive photographs, original flyers, and artist interviews from the likes of those artists, plus many others including Horace Andy, Jackie Mittoo, Ken Boothe, Toots And The Maytals, Sugar Minott, Dillinger, and many others. A must have for reggae fans! 216 pages, hardcover. Recommended.

What more do you need to know about this book? You get approximately 700 (yes 700!) 80s album covers. It's got everything from the obvious (Culture Club), to the uber faves (early Cure, man), to the cool (Gary Numan), to the rather obscure. Really a no brainer, pick it up if you like this stuff. Softcover, over 250 pages. 7" x 7".

Special Sound edition of high-design periodical Visionaire. Visionaire is known for their elaborate, one of a kind editions, but this one might trump them all.

Packaged inside a specially produced domed case, this issue consists of five 12-inch picture disc records, that together contain more than 100 minutes of sound content - from audio experiments to unreleased songs, samples and spoken word pieces.

Also included is a MINI Clubman "Vinyl Killer" record player: a battery-operated toy car, containing speakers and a needle. As the little car moves along a record's groove, it plays each track, acting as a fully portable record player and sound system.

Beyond all this, the issue also includes two CDs with all of the sound content gathered digitally, as well as a booklet of credits and instructions.

Contributors include: musicians David Byrne, Courtney Love, Michael Stipe, Adam Horowitz (Beastie Boys), Antony & the Johnsons, Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth), Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), Karl Bartos (Kraftwerk), Andrew WK, Chan Marshall (Cat Power), Danger Mouse, Malcolm McLaren, Ruyuichi Sakamoto; artists Robert Wilson, Yoko Ono, Christian Marclay, Doug Aitken, Gary Hill, Sylvie Fleury, DJs Miss Kittin, Trevor Jackson, Towa Tei, Michel Gaubert; fashion designers Alexander McQueen, Helmut Lang; bands Littl'Ans, Fischerspooner, Unkle, Animal Collective, SunnO))) and many more.

Eight years deep in the game and WaxPo has become one of the most respected music rags (sorry, "journals") in the world with its distinct mixture of vinyl archaeology and behind-the-scenes stories of artists both obscure and well-known. Anthology, Vol.1 focused on the first five issues, so it stands to reason that this new hardcover collection should bring us creme de la creme of Issues #6-10 (Fall 2003 - Fall 2004) in blown-up 8.5" x 11" format. Includes pieces on Sun Ra, 45 King, Incredible Bongo Band, Rev. Eugene McDaniels, Willie Mitchell, Scientist, Les McCann, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Roy Ayers, Eddie Bo (and so, so many more) along with a slew of rare full-color pictures and label scans. Hardcover; 240 pages.

I know that Wax Po just came out with their anthology, but could it be that this is just as collectible? This is the first photo issue I've seen from Wax Po and it is HEAVY. Photo essays featuring the classic hip hop photography of George DuBose, Ernie Paniccioli, Janette Beckman, the B&W portraits of David Corio, and classic NY street photography by Charlie Ahearn, Jamel Shabazz (check our site for his full book), and Joe Conzo. Also check the thorough articles and rare photos on Miles Davis, the percussion stars of Brasilintime, New Orleans, and the early Beasties. Of course they wouldn't leave you hangin' without all their regular features, with spotlights on Malcom Catto's Heliocentrics, Sharon Jones and Max Roach. If you love the music, I'd even buy two! The full color pages would make for great mini-posters. Told you it was packed.

Shuggie Otis and MF Doom grace the green-tinted covers for issue #31 of our favorite music rag going. Inside - in addition to our man Monk's great chat with the supervillain and a revealing Shuggie interview by Ronnie Reese - you'll find bits on Brooklyn funk/soul all-stars Menahan Street Band, legendary Brazilian weirdos Os Mutantes, Mikey Dread (RIP), J.Rocc, Slick Rick, Patrick Adams, Grant Green, Count Bass D and Chin Chin, plus the usual array of tributes and obscure diggery. 128 pages.

Oh boy... The Africa Issue. For some reason the Pro Squad thought I should be the one to write the review for this and then insulted me by suggesting that I am incapable of keeping a review succinct. Dammit, they're right!! I'm nerding out on everything from the table of contents down to the ads in this joint! How can I be brief about an issue of Wax Po with Fela (a rare press photo, there weren't many of him) on the cover and Tony Allen on the flip? Quickly describe two of the funkiest artists to ever walk the Earth? Casually mention that Fela is the creator of the musical movement called Afrobeat and that Tony Allen provided the rhythmic backbone of that sound? C'mon, son! Getdafuckouttaherewitdatbullshit. Actually that wasn't so difficult. And luckily, the articles have all the details that you want to dig into. Also in these beautiful pages are pieces on what is virtually a Tkat Dream Team starting lineup. Learn more about Voodoo Frank (you need his blog in your life), Shafiq Husayn (the mind behind one of my favorite albums at the moment), Soundway's new Ghana Special release (my favorite compilation label hands down), Rich Medina (one of my favorite DJs/NY nightlife personalities), Orchestre Poly-Rythmo (a sound so rich and so raw), Chico Mann ('bout to blow!!), and much more. I'll be brief and leave it there. Really, right there. Oh, and go see Fela! the musical next time you're in NY. Big love to Antibalas and the whole crew. Ok, I'll be brief and leave it there. Recommended. Purchase one.

LAB REVIEW

WaxPo #40 features funk legends the Ohio Players on one cover and soul music icon Smokey Robinson on the other. Inside you'll find interviews with both Smokey and Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner of the Players, as well as features on Javelin, Tortoise, Joe Cuba, Tribe, Gene Paul, Johnny Lytle and more. 112 pages.

Wax Poetics dedicates their 41st issue to hip hop, hard to believe it took em so long but I guess they had a lot of other thorough crate digging coverage to get out of the way first. This issue comes in two different versions, West Coast (featuring Ice Cube on the front cover, Ice T on the back cover) and East Coast (Featuring KRS One on the front cover, EPMD on the back cover). The inside of each issue also features pieces on Souls of Mischief, DJ Amir, Peanut Butter Wolf, Latin Freestyle and plenty more. Note: cover versions will be randomly selected for online orders.

LAB REVIEW

WaxPo #42 is dedicated to the art of R&B, both contemporary and classic. The magazine comes in two editions (randomly selected for your order): one features Barry White on the front cover and Gil Scott-Heron on the back cover, and the other features D'Angelo on the front while Erykah Badu graces the back cover. Also features pieces on Melivn Bliss (RIP), Ernie Hines, Kings Go Forth, Bilal, The Bamboos and all the regular columns and features you love about Wax Poetics.

LAB REVIEW

Cali funk, soul, and rhythm band War and the legendary blues/soul singer/music producer Syl Johnson cover Wax Poetics #44, which also features pieces on Al Kooper, Johnny Colon, Claus Ogerman, Melvin Davis, Bill Whithers, The Budos Band, Record Rundown with DJ Muggs, and more. Also included in the issue are Layle Owerko's boombox photographs as well as stories on Bennie Maupin Re: Discovered, James Spaulding, and United States Navy Port Authority Soul Band.

LAB REVIEW

Wax Poetics #46, covered by George Benson and George Duke, focuses on pioneers that infused funk/soul and other elements into jazz. In addition to features on the aforementioned artists, the issue covers drummers Bill Cobham and Norman Connors, spiritual jazz great Phil Cohran, Bob Shad-lead Mainstream Records, South Korea's DJ Soulscape, Towson State Univerisy Jazz Ensemble, and much more.