Top Picks: Ryuichi Sakamoto鈥檚 'Async,' the Pod Wrangler app, and more
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Visual music
Japanese pianist/composer Ryuichi Sakamoto鈥檚 music cannot be categorized. To his fans, that is the essence of the man and artist: always questioning, ever evolving. Following a long illness, he has released , his first solo album in eight years. It is contemplative, imaginative, and extremely visual 鈥� not surprising for the composer of many film scores. The album鈥檚 14 intriguing tracks combine Sakamoto鈥檚 deft keyboard touch with natural and man-made sounds 鈥� footsteps, wind, hushed conversation 鈥� and the result is beautiful and mesmerizing.
Easy listening app
Searching for a simple way to listen to your podcasts? The keeps it easy 鈥� just subscribe to your favorite programs and listen. The podcasts are even removed after you鈥檙e finished. You can also choose to check out a single episode from a podcast if you鈥檙e still deciding whether to commit fully. The Pod Wrangler app is free for iOS.
Easy-to-track math
The could be a good fit for you if you need to do some math on your phone and are looking to keep all your work in front of you at the same time. You can add text alongside the numbers, too, to help you make sense of your calculations. The app is $1.99 for iOS.
Hand-painted film
required more than 100 artists to hand-paint frames of film. The film, which is available on DVD and Blu-ray Jan. 16, follows Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth), the son of a postmaster, who has been given the job of delivering the final letter written by Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo. Armand soon attempts to figure out the circumstances behind the artist鈥檚 death. It鈥檚 rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, some violence, sexual material, and smoking.
Dinner clash
A masseuse/healer (Salma Hayek) and a billionaire (John Lithgow) encounter one another unexpectedly after they are invited to the same social event in the film , which is available on DVD and Blu-ray. Monitor film critic Peter Rainer praises Lithgow鈥檚 performance, writing, 鈥淟ithgow is so good at playing CEO oiliness that you have to smile. He鈥檚 the man you love to hate.鈥� The film is rated R for language and a scene of violence.
