:: GussetBLOG ::

:: Monday, March 01, 2010 ::

MP3, er, Monday

I'm on holiday, what do you expect. I've got a house to paint.

"The latest instalment of Skip to the End is now available at www.thejuxtaposition.co.uk/skiptotheend.html
I'm afraid it's a bit **** so be careful about when and where you listen to it.
Pete"
[55MB MP3 & tracklist on webpage]

More Braindance Podcasts

"Jazari is essentially an automated, electromechanical percussion ensemble, controlled using two Nintendo Wii controllers. It consists of a MacBook, a bunch of Arduino boards and a room full of drums fitted with solenoids and motors, and software written in MAX and Java which parses input from the Wii controls and plays the drums. The software is also capable of improvising with the human operator, by imitating, riffing off and mutating what he plays.

"Jazari was developed by a guy named Patrick Flanagan, who had been playing around with algorithmic composition, only to discover that people don't want to hear about algorithms, but do want to see a good live show. Anyway, here there are two videos: one of a Jazari performance (think robot samba float, conducted by a guy waving Wiimotes around; the music has a distinctly Afro-Brazilian feel to it), and one of Flanagan explaining how it works."
[Text via Null Device]

Worth watching for the eyebrows alone:


New Polar Bear album is out now! Samples on Boomkat.
Also new Monster X download EP, although I'm holding out for teh rumoured vinyl release of this.
Also need to get my ears around The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation CD asap

FACT magazine:
"Autechre have recorded our 122nd exclusive FACT mix. Autechre. Do we really need to explain who they are?"






Introducing the WRONGAMIN noise maker. (via leafcutter)

Disigned and built by Leafcutter John. Full schematic at http://www.leafcutterjohn.com

The Wrongamin is an excellent, easy to build sound maker that can create a range of sounds. From crackles not unlike the sound of a dusty old record to a deep hungry animal growl heard through several out of control AM radios.

Bonus: Anti-paedophilia protest reggae

Labels: Electronic Music, MP3

:: Dan 1.3.10 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Unsound Festival Artists Predict the Future of Electronic Music
There are some good observations and ideas in here. For example:

Petre Inspirescu: "There should be a long discussion on this subject. I think the future is always bright and electronic music will be more diverse and experimental as we evolve. Promoters play a very important role in this because they have the opportunity to enlarge the perspective of audience’s by organizing more artistic events to educate the people."

Jacaszek: "Trends are changing with no mercy. To keep this artistic balance, innovation should not dominate our creative thinking. To do something original now, we should, rather, take from what’s close to us (local tradition, the deepness of our souls) and then express that with contemporary artistic language."

Newworldaquarium: "That’s one of the big questions in life! [Looking back to] punk, it became clear that you didn’t need an education to play music, and with house and techno it seemed you didn’t have to have a band either. With electronic music today, I guess you don’t even need an instrument anymore, and maybe some day writing a piece of music will be as common as writing something for your blog or a Facebook status-update. For me, it somehow has always been like that."

Mike Huckaby: "My motto is this: Always do what your peers cannot, and will not, do. If you adhere to this, you will always [be able to] reinvent yourself."

There's more on the link above.

Labels: Electronic Music

:: Dan 15.2.10 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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/mode +v noise, the ever expanding ASCII based music platform

I saw the /mode +v noise installation by GOTO10 at the Arnolfini earlier today and loved it. Use the IRC link (remember that?) to listen in real time and influence the generative score.

It was made using Puredyne



Puredyne is aimed at creative people, looking for tools outside the standard. It provides the best experimental creative applications alongside a solid set of graphic, audio and video tools in a fast, minimal package. For everything from sound art to innovative filmmaking.

Puredyne is optimised for use in realtime audio and video processing. It distinguishes itself by offering a low latency kernel and the high responsiveness needed by artists working in this field.

Puredyne is based on Ubuntu and Debian Live. All packages provided by Puredyne can be used if you are running this flavour of GNU/Linux. Use, share, copy, modify, join the development team or fork :)

Software highlights

audio

puredata, supercollider, csound, chuck, ladspa plugins, ardour, audacity, ecasound, …

graphics

gimp, inkscape, fluxus, freej, processing + extras, imagemagick, gthumb, gphoto2, …

multimedia

mplayer, vlc, avidemux, kino, mencoder, transcode, luvcview, xawtv, recordmydesktop, …

streaming

icecast2, ices2, ffmpeg2theora, oggfwd, darkice, darksnow, gstreamer, dvswitch, …

network

firefox, links2, network-manager, wireless-tools, ssh, telnet, gftp, irssi, nfs, …

devel

gcc, make, patchutils, subversion, mercurial, bzr, emacs-goodies-el, java jdk, python, …

…and much more.

Labels: Art, Electronic Music, FOSS, Music

:: Dan 21.1.10 [Arc] [1 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Buy this track to support Amnesty

Portishead have released a brand new track - 'Chase the Tear' for Amnesty International.

It's now available as an exclusive download single from 7 digital with all earnings going towards our human rights work.

First aired on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show on 9 December, the track is out just in time for international human rights day on 10 December.

And if you were wondering - 'Chase the Tear' is a reference to a paper tear-style 'tear', not a tear from an eye!

Labels: Amnesty, Bristol, Electronic Music

:: Dan 10.12.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Clearing out some files recently I stumbled across my response to this survey of electronic musicians. Rereading my answers I noticed a change in the way I would respond that has developed over the last year.

When asked, “What is your main reference? (melody, texture, rhythm, sounds, etc)” I previously responded “Probably rhythm” and whilst that is still an important part of what I do I would say my priority is now texture. The live improvised laptopless performance I have moved towards definitely uses the layering of different textures of sound to build up a piece.

I can trace this trend back further and part of me is surprised I said rhythm is recently as a year ago. Guess I was DJing a lot more then.

Other changes would be more synthesis than re-sampling now, and more live improvisation rather than prepared jamming tools, which was always a goal so I’m glad I’ve made the jump.

Labels: Electronic Music

:: Dan 7.12.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Tim Exile's Reaktor effects ensemble has been cleaned up by Native and is now available for purchase.
Thanks to blackelmo for pointing this out.
"I'm not that crazy about NI's "free" Kore player so I just loaded the ensemble into Reaktor. I do think it's a better sounding and more fun to use solution for live performance than some of the other effects like Effectrix or even Ableton's beat repeat."

"Should come with a warning 'please mash responsibly'"

Labels: Electronic Music, Instruments

:: Dan 18.9.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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On Sunday 20th Sept, Arnolfini and Bristol festival will be hosting an afternoon of free workshops, focusing on state-of-the-art tools for interactive, audio and visual media. Practicing artists will be running through some simple projects you can do and will be sharing some of their tips and tricks.

The timetable is:

11:00 - 12:30 - After Effects

13:30 - 15:00 - Max MSP

15:30 - 17:00 - Circuit Bending

The workshops are open to all on a first come first serve basis.
If you are interested, send an email to makebreakbeat@hotmail.com stating your experience and which workshops you would like to attend.
Please help us circulate this email to anyone who might be interested in this event.

Many thanks

Jamie

Labels: Art, Bending, Electronic Music, Visuals

:: Dan 15.9.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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In the latest in our occasional series on unusually specialist magazines found laying around in the office kitchen, we now present Building Sustainable Design.

Which this month includes a though provoking article on the current assumption that buildings can be built for a 25 year life span and how this can no longer stack up financially or environmentally, an interview with Lucy Pedler of Bristol based sustainable architecture practice Achipeleco on why she “had hoped that the recession would be more catastrophic,” and a brilliant article on “What termites can teach us about natural ventilation in small buildings.”



Following from this there is of course next weeks Pestival, which Stewart Lee fans will probably already be aware of from his 41st Greatest Stand-up routine. Comedy at the insect themed festival is provided by Robin Ince along with many other fasinating insect based art projects from the Termite Pavilion to broadcasts from Resonance FM and workshops from The Art of Being a Maggot to Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Sadly I can't make any of this, but I'm most upset missing out on Cross Pollination, where “Internationally acclaimed sound recordist for BBC’s Life in the Undergrowth and original member of Cabaret Voltaire, Chris Watson, curates an evening of experimental insect music.”

Due to a family wedding I was also unable to attend Chris Watson's workshop at UWE last weekend, and I forgot to blog about it in advance, but there are still some events to go on the STAGING SOUND 2.0 programme, including the Dorkbot Bristol Sound Hack followed by Guerilla Busking in Bath this Saturday.

Back on an environmental footing, various national media have picked up on the “living wall that died” in Islington. Most of the press have hung the story off of the waste-of-public-money angle rather than the technical issues with the failed watering system / learning experience / maybe the odd weather we've had? There most be an engineer somewhere mopping a sweaty brow as that one passes over. Either that or (s)he will be saying “I told you so.” A year or so ago I'd've worried that this would lead to a cut in spending on environmental projects but in the current financial and political climate I know it's going to get cut anyway regardless of previous successes or failures. Not good times.

Labels: architecture, Bending, Economy, Electronic Music, Environment, Insects, News, Politics, Sustainability

:: Dan 26.8.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Heya! It's been some time. I know I may have thrown you the odd scrap of music now and again but that old spark, it just hasn't been there lately has it. I know you have other places to hang out. I hope you understand what a death in the family has done here. But it's great to meet up again, have a drink, chew that fat, catch up on what we would have been chatting shit about if other events hadn't conspired against us.

Did I tell you I attended the BLDGBLOG book launch last week?

[v.o.g.: You mentioned you were going]

Ah, well, I did. And not only did I get a great book out of it, not only did I meet with and chat with Geoff Manaugh, whose a really inspiring guy, not only is there a photo floating around flickr of me sat at the same table as Warren Ellis (I didn't realise that at the time, I was distracted by the woman with him), but I've also come away with some blog based inspiration.

In the introduction to the book Geoff explains that when he started BLDGBLOG he decided that he wasn't going to pour concerns and negativity into it, it would just be for stuff that interested him. Things that made him think, gave him ideas, starting points for flights of fancy. I like that philosophy. I may try to take it on to some degree.


[source here via here]

So what else has caught my fancy?


Shots taken on Czechoslovakia - East border of the eastern German state security (Stasi)
[via www.ustrcr.cz]
Found in the Vice Magazine photography special, which is out now.

Its good to know that The American President is an Ass Man, Apparently

"But seriously, is this not one of the best presidential photographs of all-time? Even Sarkozy looks like he's sneaking a peek, though he's French, so we expect him to do it. However, in Obama's defense, that is a great ass!"

"Solicitors for the National Portrait Gallery are apparently threatening legal action against a US Wikipedia user for downloading 3,300 digital photographs of paintings in the UK museum's collection, and then uploading them to Wikipedia."
[via clayton cubitt]

Cauty - Julie Andrews tip in the Nude magazine sale


Codex Sinaiticus - Home The ‘Draft for Comment’ version of the Bible

Rumours of a Dr Who film

There, I Fixed It

6 Intriguingly Shaped Communities As Seen On Google Maps

My Pinhole camera experiments


"Patti Smith is one of the most anticipated gigs of the week, and the audience the most vocal. … joined by SMZ leader Efrim Menuck on drums and Portishead’s Adrian Utley, who attacks a guitar with a paintbrush to spooky effect."
Festival review: Ornette Coleman’s Meltdown, Southbank Centre, London SE1 | Music | The Observer
I mentioned this to Leafcutter John, wondering if he was aware Ade was at the Polar Bear gig where John had used the same paintbrush trick a few months back. His response was a spirited "Ah, but did he do it better?"

Stylophone Beatbox

Pre-order here

Open Source TIC - ePetition response | Number10.gov.uk
"The Government supports the principle that, where new software is being developed by the Timely Information to Citizens pilots, this should wherever possible be released under open source licence and available for use by other local authorities. ... Where the pilots will result in new software tools, ownership and intellectual property rights will usually remain with the individual local authorities"
Is this not a contradiction?

‘Ghost village’ to be demolished

"A village built in Argyll to meet the demands of the UK oil boom of the 1970s but abandoned without ever being occupied is set for a new role." [video link]

Stuff you've missed on the tumblr
* a whole bunch of new photographers discoveries
* shoes by architects
* a bunch of LEGO stuff inc jewellery, USB sticks and giant Star Wars models
* London Underground Map print dress
* Geek guide to shoe lacing
* The Battleships drinking game

I've also just discovered that Blogger is limited to 20 tags per post.

So what have you been up to? How are things?

Labels: Art, blogs, Copyright, Electronic Music, Flickr, FOSS, History, Instruments, IP, Law, Literature, Maps, Music, Petitions, Photography, Politics, Privacy, Religion, Sci-Fi, Wiki

:: Dan 14.7.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Stuff I've found recently but haven't found time to write about:

Roomba, Economics and Long-Exposure Photography

Edit: Thanks to Tania for sending this iRobot Create Roomba hack link.

Dream: The Big Art Project
Watch the C4 series on Sunday evenings

New Scientist: You are made of space-time

BCS vs Singh - Astonishingly Illiberal Ruling

Behind the label: Recycled Toilet Tissue

BBC5 TV
"We are NOT the BBC. In an era when the majority of media corporations are subservient to ruling elites, new forms of underground media have to emerge. BBC5.tv would not exist if journalists were always allowed to publish the truth. The fact is that many are silenced."

Newsnight – Immigration Song Contest

BLDG BLOG:
Man unexcited by his own possessions
How the other half writes - In defence of Twitter
The Hills Have Eyes



Bacon is a health food!

Richie Hawtin's 10 most ridiculous ideas

Labels: architecture, Art, Electronic Music, Environment, Food, Gadget, Humour, Law, Photography, Physics

:: Dan 16.5.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Grom says:
"It doesn't get geekier than this
Honestly, outputting the contents of your hard drive to your speakers has to be one of the simplest and geekiest things I've ever heard of. A simple command and ambient/industrial music/noise is there for the sampling. this one's specifically for you DanP"
Thanks mate! I'll be trying that out for sure!

Also via grom:
Hairdresser turned would be robber into boy toy
I'm now considering a change of occupation.

Labels: Audio, Computing, Electronic Music, Humour, Noise

:: Dan 16.4.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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"Simple sinewave synthesizer triggered by an ordinary 16step sequencer. Each triggered step causes a force on the underlaying wave-map, which makes it more cute.Based on the AudioTool engine thus no sources, I am sorry.Press SPACE key to clear. Right-Click for Copy&Paste."

Labels: Electronic Music, Instruments

:: Dan 12.4.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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There is a pattern to my blogging here that shows that every time I buy an actual hard copy of a newspaper I blog about half a dozen stories out of it I may otherwise never have stumbled upon. This is no exception, here are my picks from Thursday's Guardian:

British therapists still offer treatments to 'cure' homosexuality
"Survey suggests a significant minority of mental health professionals continue to provide treatments to gay men and lesbians despite no evidence they can change orientation and concerns they are harmful...One counsellor who is a member of the British Psychological Society said: "Although homosexual feelings are usual in people, their physical expression, and being a person's only way of having sexual relations is problematic. The physical act for male homosexuals is physically damaging and is the main reason in this country for Aids/HIV. It is also perverse.""
This is outrageous. It can be criticised, if not demolished, from so many different angles I don't think I need to point that out. It's like a throw back to the 50s, when our society lost great minds like Turing because of it's backwards treatment of sexuality. From some of the quotes in the article there are, to me, some scary signs of counsellors forcing their personal (probably 2000 year old religious based beliefs) on people. These practitioners should not be allowed to "help" people again.

Are women doing better or worse in IT since Ada Lovelace?

Why not let the security services spy on Twitter? It's not like they'll learn anything from it

Getty Images now licensing hand-picked Flickr photos

Google's would be watchdogs are distracted by its chew toys

Vintage sound chips? They are music to my ears
Chip tunes goes mainstream?

E-government survey urges councils to free data

"Never mind the recession - Lego is now so popular that there are 62 little coloured blocks for every person on the planet. Yet only five years ago this family business was on the brink of ruin. Jon Henley reports from the Danish town where it all began"

Labels: Electronic Music, Feminism, Flickr, gay, Google, IT, Lego, News, Photography, Politics, Retro, Secuirty, web 2.0

:: Dan 28.3.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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John says:

Just before I head out on tour with Polar Bear I want to let you know that the files are now up for the Remix Competition.

Included in the download you’ll find all the stems from the MicroSong ‘Big Black Eyes’
They are encoded as good quality MP3’s.

Your job is to make a fantastic remix using whatever tools are at your disposal.

There are a few simple rules:

1. You have until 30th April to complete your Remix and send it to me in MP3 form. There are no restrictions on style. The email address to send your entry is included with the download package. DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT SEND: AIFF, WAV, or an uncompressed files!

2. You may add your own sound sources but please retain some of the originals or it’s not really a re-mix is it? You may chop, mangle, distress, sew, dilute, boil down amongst other treatments.

3. There will be one winner chosen by Leafcutter John and the winner will receive a very special prize, or a CD or something not too difficult to post. Winners will be announced as soon as possible after all the entries have been heard.

Depending on how many entries we get, we’ll try and put all the remixes up at leafcutterjohn.com

Don't forget, Polar Bear on tour, Bristol gig at the Arnolfini on April 3rd.

Labels: Competition, Electronic Music, LeafcutterJohn, Remix

:: Dan 24.3.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Wed 17th December, Stokes Croft, Bristol



This will be my first proper photo exhibition (ie more than one shot! I've got 56 in there I think) so I'm really excited about this. I'll also be DJing my favourite ominous film scores as well as some of Gusset's lesser heard soundtrack work after Manufactured Landscapes to close the night. Can't wait!

Labels: Bristol, Electronic Music, Gigs, Photography, Urban Decay, Urban Exploring

:: Dan 9.12.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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By email,
"hello dan,
i´m interested in the stuff you blog, so i think you could be interesting in the stuff i posting. (of course not in such a professional way you guys do and yes german) so here are severals links witch include heavy weight content. including german audioart. (and sorry for my bad english)
bye hg"

Thanks hg. My German is ropey at best but I can only assume that calling this blog a professional operation was a translation error. Flattery will get you everywhere.

Have a look through the following links for the linked audio:
asger-jorn-jean-dubuffet
destiny-mata-vs-tetsuo-furudate
thomas-bernhard-geil-auf-stereich-nein
auf-der-flucht-geblieben
samuel-beckett-krapps-last-tape
federico-chiari-ark-of-noise
kimono-kops-is-techno

Labels: blogs, Electronic Music

:: Dan 6.12.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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"A unique, informative, very readable and practical book, "Designing Sound" presents advanced sound design methods for tomorrows video games, interactive applications and computer animations."

Andy Farnell, who Hardoff introduced me to a couple of years ago, has finished and published his book of sound design using PureData. It's been a long time coming. The world seems to be full of books on computer generated imagery but audio synthesis books are much more thin on the ground. This fills a gap nicely.

Andy is selling the initial limited run direct from this website and is hoping a larger publisher will pick it up soon. There is also a great 100odd page abridged PDF Pure Data introduction available for download. Check it out and help support him if your interested.

Labels: Audio, Computing, Electronic Music, FOSS, Pd, Software, Sound

:: Dan 2.11.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Labels: Cats, Electronic Music, Electronics, Instruments

:: Dan 25.10.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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I received the following email message from a Colombian student studying for an Mphil in music and technology at the University of Portsmouth (UK):

"I am currently doing research on interaction and improvisation in electronic music, and would like to ask you some questions on this subject. This survey covers various aspects of computer-based music performance"

Interesting that my address was included in this survey, presumably scraped from this website (spokesy got it too) although I wonder what led them to the site in the first place. I have no real idea what this information will be used for but the questions are interesting enough for me to think there may be some benefit in posting my responses here. Maybe it will help me or someone else think about the way we make music differently. Text in bold is from the original email and my answers are filled out in between.

Do you have any experience with playing an acoustic instrument?

If yes, is this experience relevant to the way you approach music performance now?
Yes. Have played guitar since I was about 14. Does not affect the way I perform as such, but is what I mentally refer to in terms of scales and notation as I'm not good with [piano style] keyboards, and to some extent led me into electronic music through experimentation with effects pedals and electronics.

Do you categorize sounds in any particular way?
Yes, but it's a bit haphazard and I should do it better, but generally things are filed into drums, basses, effects, ambience etc.

Synthesis or re-sampling, which one do you use the most?
Re-sampling at the moment although I'd like to use synthesis more

Is sound processing something that influences you to compose in a particular musical genre or style?
I'd like to say no but it probably does to some extent.

What are some of the limitations you have come across as a laptop performer?
The two main ones are [1] the interface, which doesn't lend itself to performance, and [2] audience interaction, which is limited due to the screen in front of you and means people [often] can't tell what you are really doing.

What do you consider as a particular skill(s) for a laptop performer?
Making it clear what you are doing as people respond when they can see that, engaging the audience, taking risks.

In the case of playing with several musicians, do you have a specific role?
Haven't really attempted this yet.

How do you improvise when performing? (structure-based, sound processing, pattern-variations, etc)
Generally pattern and structure variation with live overdubs.

Do you prepare your jamming (improvisation) tools before performing or you do it in real-time?
Yes. Although I've experimented with tools that do not allow this and force you to take risks and not know what you are going to do yet, I've yet to develop the confidence to do this for a live audience.

What is your main reference? (melody, texture, rhythm, sounds, etc)
Probably rhythm.

Do you play your laptop by writing (programming) or pre-mapped controls?
Pre-mapped controls.

Is there any comment/advice related to your work experience that you would like to mention in this survey?
Can't think of anything right now.

I sincerely thank you for your time and cooperation with answering this survey. Your input is a great help for the development of this project.

If I ever hear anything further about this I'll post it here.

Labels: Electronic Music

:: Dan 8.10.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Can't afford or can't get your hands on a Tanori-On?
Something missing in your electro-acoustic folktronic experimentation?
DIY music enthusiast looking to beat the hipsters and tech-heads at their own game?
Why not build your own Tenori Off!?



[via Music Thing]

Labels: DIY, Electronic Music, Humour

:: Dan 15.9.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Excellent video by Leonard Lorrimarr, Edward Farleigh and (my mate) Matt Andrews. Nice work guys. Unfortunately, as is often the case with YouTube, the sync is poor. A great Detach'i remix though. I love what he does with sound. He's like an alchemist.

Labels: Electronic Music, Humour, Video

:: Dan 2.9.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Having recently found Motomichi Nakamura's video for Otto Von Schirach's unusually catchy Laptops & Martinis (above) I went in search of more of his work. The black, white and red (duochrome?) look is ever present. I like the humour, style and the consistency but can't help wondering whether the limited colour palette is also limiting him in other ways?

Check out the animation page of his website. I recommend the Japan Cuts trailer and Walk in particular. There's an interview here and a CV here.

Labels: Electronic Music, Humour, Video

:: Dan 1.9.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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I am way way behind on the reviews again. Thanks to everybody who sends me stuff. I will play tracks from each of these on my next Goatlab radio show so readers can better put sounds to my words. In the meantime, here are my thoughts on these releases.

Dalglish – Ideom (Record Label Records)



According to the press release this latest album from Dalglish (Chris Douglas, a.k.a. O.S.T. and Rook Valard) refuses to be comparable with anything else, but I have to try at least. My initial thoughts, during the jarring opening track Exhinenoln, are of Detach’i. In particular, I remember once having an online conversation with Detach’I where I joked that he was the only musician I knew who had more fetish models in his myspace friends than I did. His response was, “one day, I will have them all in my chamber.” This is what I imagine that would sound like. Think of the huge galactic atmospheres created in something like Meat Beat Manifesto’s Echo in Space Dub, and then imagine those sounds displaced into a disused underground bunker, walls wet with seeping water, an earthy smell in the stale air, huge empty metallic tanks of long forgotten use ringing out in sympathy, a gloomy half-light of a cheep torch about to fail and plunge you into darkness. Something is alive down here. Has someone else crept in too? What’s that bubbling noise? Where is than num coming from? Just your mind playing tricks surely. This is the sound of urban exploring. Of daring to go where you know you shouldn’t because you just can’t resist finding out what’s there, despite knowing the dangers. The idea of being the only person to see it that way is such a temptation, so maybe you should record something to show other people when, or if, you ever return.

Released 4th August on Record Label Records

Fluoresent Gray – Gaseous Opal Orbs (Record Label Records)



The sleeve notes here give the impression of something that is focused more on the academic experimentation than on making music one might listen to in a club environment. Explanations of tracks created entirely from time-stretching pure sine waves and white noise, or entirely using physically modelled instruments or reverse engineered Nintendo sound chips is interesting stuff. Intentionally limiting your sound palette in such a way can force you down experimental paths you perhaps wouldn’t have tried otherwise, force you to find new ways to do things, and perhaps most importantly force you to avoid cliché. It definitely makes for some intriguing listening here. My only complaint, however, is that because of the different approaches used the album doesn’t gel well as a whole. Any given track works great when mixed with god knows what else when I listen on shuffle, but if you play the album through a couple of the tracks stand out from the others for all the wrong reasons. The world music sounds used heavily on Ayhuascaro Empyreal but nowhere else for example. It just doesn’t seem to fit with everything else even though it is fine in isolation. I get the impression that this album is made up of lots of individual experiments, where the lessons learnt in each are not employed again in the others. I’d suggest as the next experiment, that everything learnt composing all of these tracks be used to create a new album. A more cohesive album with a sound of its own. It would draw together more learning than most other people would achieve in an entire career.

Out now on Record Label Records

The Teknoist – various new vinyl releases
Thanks to Miike for the MP3 versions of his forthcoming (and probably long since released by the time I get around to publishing this) releases on Bangarang, Deathchant, Death$ucker, Ninja Clone, Ninja Colombo and Sustained Records. The Teknoist usual gabba head is on form with the Deathchant and Sustained releases. I’ve taken the piss when chatting to Miike previously about everything he does being just a gabba track with some film samples over it. He dispels that here by producing a gabba track with Kill Bill samples over it. ;-]

The Bangarang, Ninja Clone and Ninja Colombo releases are all collaborations with Scheme Boy (a.k.a. Ash of BOEP, of the Adverse Camber collective). These are a little more playful and a childish sense of humour comes through in them. Not that they aren’t still hard enough to tear the flesh off your grannies ass at 50m, to indulge in the same juvenile banter.

The highlight of the selection though, has to be the Death$ucker split with Eustachian. Perhaps spurred on to compete with Eustachian’s furious and complex layered death metal inspired beats, Teknoist has created something much closer to breakcore than his normal output. And I have to say, he does a stunning job of it. I hope there is more like this to come in the future.

Death$ucker and Bangarang releases out now, the others to follow

Labels: Electronic Music, Review

:: Dan 17.7.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Theremug from Kyle McDonald on Vimeo.
[also via grom]

Labels: Electronic Music, Food, Instruments

:: Dan 6.7.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Link

"June 23rd 2008 sees the re-release of a salvo of Orb albums through Universal Catalogue. All four albums, Pomme Fritz, Orbus Terrarum, Orblivion & Cydonia were all originally released on Island Records.

"All four albums come as 2-CD packages and include fully re-mastered versions of the original albums, deluxe, expanded packaging with sleeve notes from Kris Needs plus rare and previously unreleased mixes from the period of the original album releases."

Source

Pomme Fritz (pictured) is massively underrated, as to some extent is Orbus Terrarum. Both albums still stand up so well, yet the "classic" UFOrb sounded a little dated to me when I played it recently. (Adventures is still a classic of course.) These are worth a look if you didn't get them the first time round.

Labels: Dub, Electronic Music

:: Dan 24.6.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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International Noise Conference

"The International Noise Conference has an admirable manifesto: "15 minutes or less per act / no lap tops / no mixers / no droning" and the acts on their recently finished US tour have the best band names I've ever seen. They're coming to Japan/Korea in September, and Europe in April 2009, so you've got time to get a set together."
[quote via music thing]

It's a shame the UK leg is already fully booked, I would have tried to sneak a Bristol date in.

When you are limited to 15mins to show your skills. At making noise. Without the most ubiquitous piece of electronic music technology, the laptop, and when drones are banned, what do you do to stand out? You have a stupid childish name of course! These are my Top 15:

15. In the year of The Pig / Hem of His Garment
14. Filthmilk
13. Loop Retard
12. Gastric Lavage
11. Fat Worm of Error
10. Venereal Sandwich
9. Storytime with Grizzleby
8. Squid Fist
7. Magic is Kuntmaster
6. The Heart of the Whore
5. Abercrobie Sex Trio
4. Pharoah Faucett
3. Unicorn hard-on
2. My Left Uterus
1. 200Yearoldwolfpussy

Labels: Electronic Music, Humour, Noise

:: Dan 23.6.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Korg are unleashing a new range of ultra-cheap ultra-small MIDI controllers.

MusicThing notes:

'They are incredibly small, light and flimsy. Fortunately, they're also absurdly cheap. Even at just £49, the NanoKey is certainly the lamest - obviously built using clicky, rattly laptop keyboard technology. From the way it feels, it seems unlikely to have much velocity sensivity. You might be better off with something like this £50 Miditech Control 25, unless you're really stuck for space. At £59, the NanoPad is worth considering. The pads are a reasonable size, and the touchpad (from the PadKontrol) will be fun. The £59 NanoKontrol looks great, with a good number of knobs, buttons and sliders, useful (if rubbery) transport controls. It's hard to overstate how cheap and plasticky these things are. The faders are tiny and toy-like, the cases would need to be taped down to stop them moving across the table.'

Labels: Electronic Music, Gadget, MIDI

:: Dan 17.6.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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It takes a while to set-up, stay with it.

Found, bizarrly, in a BBC news report.

Labels: Bending, Electronic Music

:: Dan 5.6.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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gusset studio 08
Originally uploaded by gusset.

It's a pretty poor camera-phone shot of my studio, with little change since I last took one (I think the 45prm canvas in the bookcase might be the only new addition). I just wanted to update it for Bristol Breakcore Blog. I'd like to get a series of shots of musicians workspaces as a running feature, so if you have something you'd like to contribute, no matter how minimal or insane, please get in touch.

Labels: Breakcore, Electronic Music, Flickr, Gusset

:: Dan 25.5.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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"From Dr Who to the Dark Side of the Moon, the members of the Electronic Music Studios used pioneering technology and ideas to create a radical new soundscape for the 20th century."



What The Future Sounded Like
Documentary, 27 minutes
HDV and Digital Betacam
16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound

"Post-war Britain rebuilt itself on a wave of scientific and industrial breakthroughs that culminated in the cultural revolution of the 1960’s. It was a period of sweeping change and experimentation where art and culture participated in and reflected the wider social changes. In this atmosphere was born the Electronic Music Studios (EMS), a radical group of avant-garde electronic musicians who utilized technology and experimentation to compose a futuristic electronic sound-scape for the New Britain.

"Comprising of pioneering electronic musicians Peter Zinovieff and Tristram Cary (famed for his work on the Dr Who series) and genius engineer David Cockerell, EMS’s studio was one of the most advanced computer-music facilities in the world. EMS’s great legacy is the VCS3, Britain’s first synthesizer and rival of the American Moog. The VCS3 changed the sounds of some of the most popular artists of this period including Brian Eno, Hawkwind and Pink Floyd. Almost thirty years on the VCS3 is still used by modern electronic artists like The Emperor Machine.

"What The Future Sounded Like colours in a lost chapter in music history, uncovering a group of composers and innovators who harnessed technology and new ideas to re-imagine the boundaries of music and sound. Features music from Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, Roxy Music and The Emperor Machine."

RIP Tristram Cary

Labels: Electronic Music, Film, RIP

:: Dan 27.4.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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From: Ad Noiseam
"Hello,
Coming as a perfect reading companion to Raoul Sinier's new full length
album ("Brain Kitchen", Ad Noiseam adn92), a free 24 pages pdf magazine
is now available for download at brainkitchen.raoulsinier.com/."

Direct link [3MB PDF]

"Featuring illustrations by Raoul Sinier as well as other artists
inspired by his music, an interview, some drafts and three short stories
(including one by yours truely), it should help everybody grasp better
the intricate and plaful universe of Raoul Sinier. And you know what to
play while reading this."

"Brain Kitchen" info & mp3
"Brain Kitchen" free pdf magazine and video
"Brain Kitchen" in the mailorder
"Best regards,
Nicolas"

Labels: Art, Electronic Music, graphics, Ra

:: Dan 24.4.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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I don't game so am not good at keeping up with gaming news, so please forgive this months old link. It's interesting to see that EA are using Pd to create "uniquely flavored" dynamic music for Spore.
[via breakwhore]

Labels: Electronic Music, Gaming, Pd

:: Dan 22.4.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Polar Bear - 20th April 2008 - Colston Hall, Bristol

Labels: Electronic Music, Jazz

:: Dan 22.3.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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The Trash Audio blog is a great resource for all sorts of interesting audio stuff. Their series of interviews with producers about their studios, workspaces and working methods is particularly interesting. Check out the articles on Tim Exile, Aaron Spectre, 000 and Captain Ahab for a start. There are plenty more linked in the side bar.

Labels: Electronic Music, Production

:: Dan 21.3.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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The Amen Break and the Golden Ratio by Michael S. Schneider (M.Ed. Mathematics)
[Via Null Device & others]

Labels: Electronic Music, Maths, Samples

:: Dan 15.3.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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This has appeared everywhere this week but how can I not post a story about a Korg MS-10 clone running on a Nintendo DS?

The KORG DS-10 is a music-creation software for the Nintendo DS that combines the superior interface of the Nintendo DS and the design concept of the famous MS-10 synthesizer.

The sound sources in the KORG DS-10 come from KORG - one of the world's top musical instrument producers - and no effort was spared in creating these ultra-high-quality sounds. The Nintendo DS's dual-screen touch panel is used to the fullest to provide a feel and operability that is unsurpassed, and combined with the sensory input mode at the touch-control screen, this unit can be appreciated by the complete novice as well as the seasoned professional.

In addition to the two analog synth simulators and drum module, a 6-track/16-step sequencer enables precise control and provides a wide range of musical possibilities. Several units can be connected and played together through a wireless link, and this and other features make the Nintendo DS and KORG DS-10 almost limitless in their application - they can take you places that no single synthesizer can.

The KORG DS-10 will introduce “stylus music” to the world at the International Musikmesse Frankfurt (Germany).

Sound sample: demo song01 (02:08) [4.9MB MP3]

Release date July 2008
Price 4,800 YEN (tax included) [<25GBP!)
Distributor AQ Interactive, Inc.
*FOR JAPAN ONLY [theoretically]

Labels: Electronic Music, Gaming, Seqeuncers, Synths

:: Dan 15.3.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Oddly I've just found an old (2003) Aphex video I've never seen before. Beautiful animation and nice long remix of one of the best tracks on Drukqs. Watch it.

Labels: Animation, Electronic Music, Video

:: Dan 10.3.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Mochipet Remix Contests
Eight of them. Click on each of the images on that page for the sample packs.

Labels: Breakcore, Electronic Music, Remix, Samples

:: Dan 2.3.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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For music producers and "gAbleton" geeks, here's Sebastian Tomczak's blog post about his LFO to CC Max patch [5.1MB zip, note the link in the post is dead] and a video of it running with Live.

Labels: Ableton, Electronic Music, Max/MSP, MIDI, Production

:: Dan 19.1.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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For those not in Bristol, and therefore not attending my Desert Island Disks DJ set at The Hillgrove tonight, heads up for an Alexei Monroe live DJ set at 8pm tonight on the great Ill FM. He promises "Yugoslav and Russian industrial (plus a little Penderecki and electro-acoustic)". Listen to Ill FM’s stream here, browse their archives here.
[via The Rambler]

Labels: Electronic Music, Radio

:: Dan 3.1.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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"We asked one of the few lucky musician using both these devices, Ashley Brown from England, to review them in a side-by-side comparison. Ashley also talks about his setup and shares some of his "secrets"..."
Techy types should read the interview

Labels: Controllers, Electronic Music, Synths

:: Dan 23.12.07 [Arc] [2 comments] [links to this post] ::
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"Karlheinz Stockhausen, who died aged 79, was the leading pioneer of electronic music and of the new uses of physical space in the performance of music; he was regarded by many avant-garde musicians of his generation as the most significant German composer since Richard Wagner, but his appeal to the general public was more restricted." [source Telegraph]

"Ridiculed by many in the musical establishment for his increasingly outlandish ideas and self-agrandissement ("my personality is a universal statement"), alternately dismissed as charlatan and revered as a genius, Stockhausen once compared the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York's World Trade Centre to "a work of art"." [source AFP Google news]

Labels: Electronic Music, RIP, Stockhausen

:: Dan 8.12.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Busy week, made a new mix, worked from home for a day to wait for a boiler engineer to come round, suck his teeth, and say, "nowt to do with us mate, you'll have to go back to the insurance people, they don't know who to send out see, they aren't technical at the office like," recorded a radio show and played said mix, et cetera.

Spotted

Tractor driving through rush hour traffic in Bristol city centre, 9am Monday morning. Wasn't quick enough with the camera. Not that the trater was too fast of course but a bus got in the way.

Psychoacoustic Maps of Milton Keynes

Found on an old Bldg Blog post. Timon Botez says, "Psychoacoustic Maps of Milton Keynes explore ways of translating visual compositions into sound environments. The psychoacoustic maps are not functional, but they use the geometrical forms of the original city map as a basis for artistic expression."
The links in the post are dead, the site has moved to here and you can find all of the text, images, audio and movies referenced there. Well worth a listen if you are interested in generative composition. I'm enjoying FridayEvening.mp3 right now [9min 12MB] very otherworldly, makes Milton Keynes sound even more desolate than Bill Bryson did, which is quite a feat.

Labels: Electronic Music, Maps, Spotted

:: Dan 22.11.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Programming language for audio, video, clever people
[via music thing]

Labels: Computing, Electronic Music, Programming, Visuals

:: Dan 14.11.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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They're here
Originally uploaded by gusset.

Gusset's Ask Dr Kim remix album finally physically exists for people who want to buy it!

Labels: CD, Death$ucker, Electronic Music, Flickr, Gusset

:: Dan 14.11.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Ray White has let me know that his Radiophonic Workshop background notes and image gallery have moved to a new server. I've updated the previous post. Thanks Ray.
PS The Daphne Oram book referred previously to can be found here.

Labels: Electronic Music, Oram, Radiophonic Workshop

:: Dan 8.11.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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I've collected up a lot of links that I have little to add to recently, so here's a link dump of things you might find interesting, useful or humorous:

The definitive Lorem Ipsum resource

Microsoft error messages in haiku form

The blog of "unnecessary" quotation marks

Vector Magic: image to vector converter

The 88 Fast Food Items Most Likely To Kill You
U.S. centric. I've never heard of most of these chains. And wtf is this at #54: "Jack in the Box Sausage Biscuit"? The mind boggles.
[via slashfood]

The Honeypot, West St, Bedminster

[via hijack]

For the musicians:
Octavcat remix competition
Expired Two Loan Swordsmen remix competition, but you can still grab samples if you want them. (Of course, you then shouldn’t use them.)
Virtual cct bent speak & spell

Labels: Electronic Music, Food, graphics, Humour, Literature, Typography

:: Dan 8.11.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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There's an intriguing interview with a slightly lecherous sounding Lou Reed on Pitchfork. It focuses mostly on Metal Machine Music and in it Reed attempts to dispel the myth that it was a joke album intended to end his recording contract, and focuses on the inspiration it has provided for avant-garde noise art.

Labels: Electronic Music, Noise

:: Dan 17.9.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Beat Blocks, by Jeff Hoefs and Boutique Vizique.

"Most fascinating about the interface is its simplicity. A wooden grid and a series of blocks form an uncomplicated interface that is completely self-explanatory. As a user you can create and manipulate a small sound loop by physically re-arranging the wooden blocks within the grid. Doing so will turn the matrix into a rhythm sequencer that operates at a 1/16 note resolution. Each block has a pattern of colored stripes representing 1/4 measures, directly indicating what kind of sequence the underlying system will play. The sequence runs in a continuous loop and a LED indicates the speed of the loop that can be changed by means of a simple slider. The direct relation between these minimal visual aspects and the instantaneously generated sound makes 'Beat Blocks' very accessible to anyone, even with little or no musical background. Since the whole system generates a MIDI output, it can be hooked up to a lot of other hardware devices."



I want one!

Labels: Art, Electronic Music

:: Dan 15.9.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Phew, this has been a long time coming. Cross-posted with Bristol Breakcore Blog.

Following Anarchist606’s post about the plethora of rare video footage, charting the history of popular music, that can be found on YouTube, I thought it might be interesting to try to cover the history of electronic music in the same way. This is not intended to be in any way comprehensive, I know there are huge chunks missing, so please feel free to add more.

Now, the oldest electronic instrument I can find any footage of is, of course, the Theremin, invented in 1917 by Leon Theremin and still used to this day:







A rash of other early electronic instruments appeared throughout the 1920s and and ‘30s, and disappeared again just as quickly. It wasn’t until Pierre Schaeffer’s invention of the tape recorder in 1939 that the first major school of electronic music took shape.

1940s - Musique Concrète

Some of the pioneers of this technique of creating music from recordings of natural sounds through layering and tape splicing are presented here:









1940 – Vocoder invented by Homer Dudley.

Demonstration on vintage (1978) Sennheiser VSM-201 shows what it does:



Demonstration here from 2007 shows a software vocoder being used to control visuals as well as audio:



1952: RCA Synthesiser Mks I & II invented. No footage found from this period but see later section on the Radiophonic Workshop. The ring modulator also appeared around this time, see Dalek voices.

1953: Greek architect turned composer Iannis Xenakis writes Metastasis, using statistical techniques to create music. Another pioneer of music controlled or composed through computing techniques.



1956 – The Forbidden Planet, with “Electronic Tonalities”* by Louis and Bebe Barron. Pioneers of snuff audio, using circuits build to feedback and go into oscillation they recorded the sound of the electronics dying, so none of these sounds could ever be created identically twice.
(* It was intentionally not called music in an attempt to avoid playing musician union fees.)



Varèse/ Xénakis/Le Corbusier - poeme électronique (1958) [stick with it!]



1963 – The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, founded by Daphne Oram in 1958, experimented with musique concreté through it’s early years. It came to mainstream attention when Ron Grainger’s Dr Who theme is arranged and rendered out of tape loops by Delia Derbyshire, the first lady of electronica.



















Stockhausen was another important pioneer of experimental music, working music Musique Concreté in the early days and then all sorts of other strange things later on. Like the Helicopter String Quartet:



The music in the video below is "Etude" by Karlheinz Stockhausen (I’m not quite sure why someone has decided to put this video to it but I’d guess they have a custard pie fetish.)



1965: First Moog Synthesiser released. Interview with Bob Moog from



Here there should be a homage to Walter/Wendy Carlos and especially A Clockwork Orange but instead I have to include this:



Someone’s Moog ad:



Alice Shields - Study For Voice And Tape (1968), with pictures of sci-fi crumpet:



1970: Emerson Lake & Palmer - Knife Edge
Keith Emerson at his keyboard battering best. (Incidentally, he took a flame thrower to a Hammond organ the time I saw them live.)



1975: Rick Wakeman – King Arthur on Ice



Out of place, but I couldn’t resist including Wizard Of Oz vs the Moog Cookbook



1978: Brian Eno on Music for Airports



1979: Jean Michel Jarre - Equinoxe - Place De La Concorde. I love Jarre. He’s like the David Copperfield of synths. Just look at that silver shirt. I expect him to start levitating at any moment.



1979: The first digital sampler, the Fairlight CMI is produced.
Herbie Hancock Demonstrates the Fairlight on Sesame Street



1981: Brian Eno & David Byrne – America is Waiting, from Life in the Bush of Ghosts, so far ahead of its time it’s scary.



1982: Peter Gabriel and Fairlight CMI, bringing in a “new-wave of electronic skiffle”



Secret of the Fairlight Sequencer



Carlos pops up again: Tron - Light cycle sequence (1982)



1982: Vangelis – Chariots of Fire OST & Bladerunner OST





Grammy awards Synthesizer Medley 1985



Curtis Roads founds the Computer Music Association in 1980 and edits the Computer Music Journal for 23 years. Fluxon (2003)




The 80s were synth-pop tastic, and I could include so much here, but most of it will already be so familiar it’s not really worth it. As a token example, here’s Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder - Together In Electric Dreams. For more Moroder see the soundtracks from Midnight Express, American Gigolo, Flashdance, The Never Ending Story, Thief of Hearts, Electric Dreams, Cat People and Scarface.



Then there’s all the New Order, Madchester stuff. You know all that. So let’s skip to 1989. Where there is disquiet in a field in Kent.





Quality gurning:





Meat Beat Manifesto – Helter Skelter (‘97 mix)



FSOL



At this point there could be a whole post of the same size just about the Amen break, but I’m really not interested enough to do that. So instead, here’s my personal favourite dnb tune, Photek’s Ni Ten Ichi Ryu



A nod to the Bristol scene:



Now, as the rave scene above got a bit silly and didn’t make a lot of sense without the aid of pills, the people staring trying to bring the intelligence back into it. Here’s holy trinity of “IDM”: Tom, Rich, and Mike:

[]p



Monkey Drummer



µ-ziq – Brace Yourself Jason 2004 live mix



And here are some of the younger names to appear

vs – dm megamix





Datach'i - In Silence



Some Ghost Play Their Customised Tape Machines



Leafcutter John



Team Brick at the captains rest in Glasgow 26/06/07



monster zoku onsomb @ el perro Madrid



sonic death rabbit - live @ darkmatter soundsystem

Labels: Electronic Music, Electronica, Instruments, MP3, Video

:: Dan 31.8.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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toxic3_thebug9
Originally uploaded by gusset.

Toxic Dancehall - a photoset on Flickr
RIP Toxic Dancehall. I thought it was about time I put all of my Toxic Dancehall photos online and in one place. Unfortunately I missed Toxic's 2 and 7, and I didn't take a camera to numbers 1 or 8. I got thrown out of number 6 for taking photos by Mel, who owns the Black Swan, who accused me of being a reporter from the Bristol Evening Post. Fuck knows what he thought I was after or what he was hiding.

Labels: Breakcore, Electronic Music, Flickr

:: Dan 19.8.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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SUBLIGHT RECORDS CLOSING THE DOORS - 2007.06.21
"We are sorry to announce that 2007 is the last year of Sublight Records. We have had the pleasure of putting out great music by amazing artists spanning over 50 releases in only 4 short years. Over the course of 2007 we will be selling off our remaining stock. We would like to thank the listeners, artists and friends who have supported us over the years. Our CDs will remain available for sale on our mailorder until 2008, so get them while you can."

R.I.P. Sublight was a great label with some amazing releases from truly inspiring artists. I think I better buy up the remaining releases I don’t have yet asap then. Another sad day for independent music.

Sublight's Benn "The Flashbulb" Jordan on The Revolution of Greed and the Music Industry
It makes interesting reading and is nice to see charts showing the cost breakdown, although I've seen very similar ones published elsewhere before (in Sound on Sound I think). I don't think he goes far enough in suggesting that buying direct from labels is the way forward. Buying direct from artists is. He confuses the two as he sits in both rolls. Benn also came across a little emotional and snivelling in places, not to mention slightly naive, but I agree with the point he's making. He also seems down on his genuine fans that pay for his music, the only mention they get is a passing reference to them as collector geeks who don't represent a big enough market for him. I might buy his new album to show solidarity, even if the previous one of his I bought was highly patchy.
Or as serpico009 summed it up much better here, "it's like reading the Wall Street Journal and a little girl's diary simultaneously."

Labels: Electronic Music, Music, RIP, Sublight

:: Dan 27.6.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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