Monday, August 31, 2009

Arrhythmia Sound - Favourite Ambient

Following the success of the mixes appearing on Headphone Commute we decided to switch it up a bit, and invite a fellow music journalist for a showcase of his favorite tracks. This next installment includes a selection of ambient pieces (some of which are my favorite as well, may I add) from Dmitry Misharov of a Russian site, Arrhythmia Sound (arrhythmiasound.com). Dmitry writes about his favorite electronic music from a distant city of Abakan, capital of Republic of Khakassia, Russian Federation, in South Siberia (google map)!!! If it wasn't for the internet, not only would you not be able to hear this, but I doubt that Dmitry would be exposed to this music. And its reach is pretty far. Incredible, don't you think? I am proud to welcome Dmitry for this exclusive mix he made for Headphone Commute. I am sure we'll see more of his contributions in the future. Enjoy.

Download free mix, and see full track listing only on Headphone Commute

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Proem - Till There's No Breath (Nonresponse)

Proem doesn’t waste any time in setting the scene on Till There’s No Breath. On opening track These Are Demands, it’s as if there is a massive space ship descending from the sky, metal screeching and thrusters on full blast as it lands right in front of you. There are echoes of distorted alien-sounding voices mixed into the grating wall of metallic noise. The atmosphere is filled with foreboding. And it doesn’t let up on A Skin That Crawls, with its huge thumping footsteps echoing off the walls of what could be an underground sewer or cavern. If these words sound over the top, I defy you to listen to this music without having your imagination run rampant. And the rather disturbing track titles -- A Skin That Burns, Faceeater, Deadplate, Dull Throbbing – will inevitably nudge you in a particular direction. This is a dark place and death hangs in the air. But it’s not the kind of malevolence that hits you over the head with a hammer. It’s a quiet menace. An ambient nightmare. Like when the fellowship in the Lord of the Rings entered the Mines of Moria, you know that evil lurks deep within. Or at least an amoral consciousness. The title track Till There’s No Breath evokes a sensation of paralysis. Like being unable to move and helpless to escape the unthinkable. The man behind these disquieting soundscapes and the Proem moniker, is Houston, Texas resident Richard Bailey. He has been releasing music since 1999 on labels like Merck, n5MD, and Hydrant, and Till There’s No Breath is his seventh full-length album, his first for the recently resurrected Nonresponse imprint. It’s quite a departure for Bailey. His previous releases have been of the classic IDM variety and he has been seen as one of the early members of the US-based IDM scene that started around 2000. Till There’s No Breath, on the other hand, is pure dark ambient. Save for one or two tracks, Proem does away completely with the beats. The sound design and textures are the thing... and they are impressive. Thankfully, Proem’s world is not a bottomless pit of doom. After the detachment of Faceeater, the mood lightens with Coil In Small Field. It’s as if there’s a break in the clouds, if only temporarily. Bright pads suggest that something positive is happening, although the deep rumble in the background refuses to give way. Alas, in the end, after the brighter tones have evaporated, the sense of unease remains. Nevertheless, the second half of the album is calmer and less oppressive. The subtle glitchy beat of Alt Enter The Busket will even get your toe tapping and head nodding. And Dull Throbbing is more soothing than anything that precedes it. The metallic grating, distorted rumbles and alien noises of the first half of the album have completely given way to gentler synth washes that sound at times like a church organ in the distance. All in all, it’s an immersive piece of work from Bailey. He paints a vivid picture, although it may not be one that you’ll want to look at for too long at a time. The release includes a free digital EP, the code to which is hidden in the physical artwork. If you own a digital copy, send Proem a screen shot of your receipt and he'll furnish the login details. The artwork on the album is made up of seven separate watercolor paintings that Bailey made and then stitched together in Photoshop. The full poster is available for viewing and purchase on the Proem's site in the merchandise section. Recommended if you like the dark soundscapes of Murcof, Hecq, Lustmord and The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation.

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Original review posted by Tigon on Tigon World.
Republished with permission of the author.

proemland.com | placeguntohead.com
myspace.com/nonresponse | nonresponse.com

Two and a Half Questions with Proem


Until now, your music has often been categorized as classic IDM and been driven by beats and melody. But on the new album, you’ve done away with both and made a stunning dark ambient album. Why the change in direction?
It surprises me when people say its a change in direction. I like to think that the under current has always been there. I've made the occasional dark atmospheric track over the last ten years. I always treated it as music that was pretty much just for my ears only. I knew that it would be a hard sell for any of the labels I was involved in and I couldn't think of where to begin to generate enough interest outside the genre. Also, I wear lots of black and lurk in the shadows. I'm a closet goth. You wanna talk new direction,... just wait until i release this batch of old Industrial noise MD's I dusted off the last time we moved.

If I had to summarize the atmosphere on the album in one word, I think it would have to be “death”. The song titles alone are disquieting, to say the least. What was going through your mind when you were making the album?
Funny you should mention that,... about 75% of everything I've ever written has been about death... or now that i think about it, ennui. You name a record, or song title of mine and guess what... death. Seriously. I am in love with death. See, look my goth roots are showing again... Most of the song titles and the structures were directly influenced by the mass amounts of death metal, dark ambient and math core that i rediscovered once my kids were born. It was the only thing that dulled the edge. Since then I haven't listened to much of anything electronic. The whole "classic IDM" is really dull and washed out and so much of the same thing. Whats worse though are artists that attempt to be "grimey" or "hard" and just sound flat and mostly uninspiried. Nothing has the same ferocious unity that death metal has. Maybe its just me but I cant make a computer sound genuinely angry I can only show it its own malaise.

Early on, at least, you were a devotee of the ‘less is more’ approach when it comes to production, using virtually solely your computer. Is this still the case or have you expanded your arsenal?
The "studio" has changed quite a bit in the last two years or so... I've paired down my digital tools ( FLstudio / LIVE / Usine / the usual NI fare) and picked up some hardware. A korg r3 for the vocoder at first, until i discovered i could get some interesting pads and noises out of it. Actually, about 80% of the synth / noise work on Till theres no breath is made with the R3. Sometimes like in the case of " a skin that crawls" its just one pad and four keys the R3 does the rest. I am also blessed to have just bought a Wavestation A/D (The holy grail of synths for me). I've wanted one for as long as I can remember. NOTHING sounds like a real wavestation. the plugin is close but not close enough. In addition to the new(ish) hardware, and now that my kids are a little older, I'm buying all kinds of acoustic instruments, ethnic percussion mostly (a kalimba, a balafon, a cajon). I'm looking to get a decent djembe before the end of the year. Of courseI'd absolutely kill for a hang drum, or a gamelan or even a array mbria, but i cant justify the expense to the wife. Basically with all these open air instruments and hardware I'm having to learn how to mic things somewhat properly which seems to take less time than programming a new softsynth. Oh the Live rig has changed a bit as well I'm now using a touch screen tablet and the nanoKontrol... Look what you did get me talking about music toys and I write a novel...

The inlay of the CD tray contains a paragraph titled "FOR MY GIRLS" in which you begin by saying "the cause of so much darkness in the beginning of your lives and so much light as you continue to grow and thrive against what seemed to be unbeatable odds." Would you mind giving elaborating on the "darkness" and "unbeatable odds" if it's not too personal?
My girls (naturally occurring fraternal twins) were born at 25 weeks and 4 days gestation age. They were no longer than 12.5 inches from head to heel. They weighed 1.7 ounces and 1.8 ounces. They were in the NICU (that's neonatal intensive care unit for the uninitiated) for about three months. Well one of them got to come home in July but other had a really rough course and didn't come home until September (on oxygen even). And when I say rough I mean 3 surgeries (heart, eyes, lung), two blood clots (most babies don't survive one), countless blood transfusions, ventilators, 8 specialists... There were minutes, days, weeks, where we thought she was'nt going to make it,... we were just waiting for the phone call. Needless to say we lived in the damned hospital. We learned more about medicine than we ever care to know. So, while most parents say their children are rare little miracles... and everyone in the room rolls their eyes,... mine actually are. My girls should not be alive. They are.

Wow. That's quiet a struggle. I don't know what to say. What’s next for Proem?
I've been painting a lot lately which always happens after finishing a record. I do however have a full length's worth of material that I'm shopping around. So there might be another proem record before the end of the year. I'd like to do a few things with the upright piano I have in the living room. Maybe do a couple of completely non electronic recordings. We'll see.

proemland.com | placeguntohead.com

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Christopher Willits - Live On Earth - Vol. 1 (self)

Fans of Christopher Willits rejoice! The San Francisco based musician has something special just for you! If you were one of the lucky 1111 fans to first join the Christopher Willits Fans page on Facebook, this special digital release of live performance recordings is yours! The seven tracks on this self released exclusive album, include live performances from venues around the world over the last few years. Here are some gems from Berlin, Philadelphia, Tokyo, Bangkok, Chicago, Kyoto and Foshan (China). And yes, this release is limited, exactly to the first 1111 people! The album begins with an Improvisation piece, featuring lush layers of smooth ambient pads flowing from Willits' guitar into his custom-designed software. Soon, the waves begin to glitch, triggering themselves at various positions to create unique phrases and textures. On Passage, recorded live in Philadelphia, the patterns of effectuated harmony get backed by a pulsing bass that sends the main melody in a tremolo-like twitching. These are all trademark Willits techniques, which he explores throughout his works, and occasionally shares through his lessons on XLR8R TV, via his multi-part feature, What You Talkin' Bout, Willits? For those not familiar with Christopher's unique sound, you have a whole journey ahead of you! With numerous albums and collaborations, his discography includes releases on Australian Room40 label, Japanese minimal Plop imprint, and Ghostly International. Fans no doubt treasure his collaboration with Taylor Deupree on Listening Garden (Line, 2007) as well as the critically acclaimed work with Ryuichi Sakamoto on Ocean Fire (12k, 2008). I witnessed Christopher perform live this past Spring in Los Angeles. His shows add a whole other dimension to live electronic music. Especially if you think about ambient and experimental textures being performed in front of an audience. For most of the acts, I would close my eyes and absorb the frequency waves emanating from the surround sound system, occasionally waking up, in that red-eye-flight-trance, to see the artist's face illuminated by the laptop. But with Willits I kept my eyes open. After all, he had an instrument - a guitar - which he would play and feed back through DSP hardware. You see the hand strumming, your ear holds on to bits of familiar sounds, and then the rest is like a puzzle, struggling to come together in your mind. This creative process is perfectly captured on the forty-five minutes of Live On Earth. It is especially evident on Orange Lit Space during which the sounds morph into a rhythmic structure, over which the guitar leaps into a soaring solo. This is a treasured acquisition for every Willits fan and a taste of things to come, if there will be more releases as the subtitle Volume 1 suggests. Recommended for fans of the above mentioned artists, as well as Fennesz, Tim Hecker, Stephan Mathieu, Philip Jeck and Christopher Bissonnette.

Also, read Conversations with Christopher Willits.

myspace.com/christopherwillits | christopherwillits.com
facebook.com/christopher.willits.fans

Conversations with Christopher Willits


Back in April 2009, I caught up with Christopher Willits after his live performance at the Los Angeles Resonant Forms festival. We talked about his current and upcoming projects, the state of the music business, music classification, his work with Max/MSP, and of course the live performance. On the heels of his recent limited release, Live On Earth – Vol. 1, I present to you an exclusive piece, Conversations with Christopher Willits.

Read Conversations with Christopher Willits only on Headphone Commute.

myspace.com/christopherwillits | christopherwillits.com
facebook.com/christopher.willits.fans

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Brock Van Wey - White Clouds Drift On And On (echospace [detroit])

On his first full-length album, White Clouds Drift On And On, Brock Van Wey (better known as Bvdub) abandons dub techno conventions and returns to his West Coast chill-out room roots. It’s a step in the right direction, making for some of his most emotional music to date. The opening track, “Too Little Too Late” is gentle and ambient with voices drifting in and out of the mix. “I Knew Happiness Once” features fuller vocal samples that sound Eastern in origin. “Forever a Stranger” is beautiful and relaxing, with slow washes of textured sound. Repetitive choral pulses guide “A Gentle Hand to Hold.” I’m reminded of Philip Glass’ soundtrack for Koyaanisqatsi (in a good way). “A Chance to Start Over” seems to ask a question. Its ascending three-note pattern is joined by plucked strings and echoey vocals. The title piece is awash in long drifting chords. All six pieces are airy and beat-less with little bass. They are perfect for summer’s late twilight. I’m sure lazy afternoon or late-night post-party listening sessions would work equally well. Van Wey and Stephen Hitchell both played live at a LWE loft party in Chicago over the winter. They must have kept in touch, because not only did Hitchell publish this album, he also contributed a full disc of interpretations. These versions will undoubtedly please dub techno fans. The “Intrusion Shape” of the title track gradually reveals itself with full, deep bass and lingering chord caresses. It turns the uplifting original on its head, adding elements that are dark yet sensuous. At over twenty-four minutes, it’s no lightweight. The Intrusion version of “A Chance to Start Over (Intrusion Shape III)” bears little resemblance to the original, but is pretty in its own right, with contemplative analogue synthesizers and wonderful surface noise that gives way to downtempo percussion. “A Gentle Hand to Hold” gently sways to congas like a pop song de-constructed. There is an entire world built into its subtle changes. “I Knew Happiness Once (Intrusion Shape V)” reminds me of The Orb, but for being serious (and more sparse). On “Too Little Too Late (Intrusion Shape VI)” metal shivers and beats tick while piano notes glisten. This double CD is an amazing two-and-a-half hours of quality electronic music. Listening to it straight through, I’m reminded of the good old days when synthesizers offered glimpses of an alien world, when bedroom producers created whole atmospheres in space and time. Sometimes you need to look back to move forward. It’s a revival.

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Original review posted by Jacob Arnold on Gridface.
Republished with permission of the author.

myspace.com/bvdubtechnology | bvdub.org
myspace.com/echospacedetroit | echospacedetroit.com

Conversations with Brock Van Wey



I caught up with Brock Van Wey to chat about his latest release on Echospace [detroit], music influences, the story behind White Clouds Drift On And On and upcoming releases. Here's a little more than just Two and a Half Questions with Brock Van Wey

This interview is too extensive to post via RSS: so read directly on Headphone Commute: Conversations with Brock Van Wey

myspace.com/bvdubtechnology | bvdub.org

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Lights Out Asia - Eyes Like Brontide (n5MD)

If it looks like I am desperately trying to catch up on some amazing albums, and tell you about them since they first came out, it's because I am. There is just way too much music for me to go through these days. And let's face it, complaining about too much good music is a sin. Yet the fact that I have already listed Eyes Like Brontide on my Best of 2008 List last year should tell you something about my excitement for Lights Out Asia. Never mind the lack of time on my part to give it a thorough review. So I give you no apologies. But I give you these words. The third full length album by the Wisconsin based band opens up with atmospheric swells and echoes of commentary on music, until the drum machine patterns merge into acoustic percussion along the shoegazing, reverb drenched guitars and then... and then we are in the familiar territory of Lights Out Asia's staple sound, with epic harmony and Chris Schafer's desperate vocals. What continues to impress me throughout the works by LOA is the group's ability to effortlessly maneuver their song structures and production between acoustic and electronic, no doubt only belonging to one of my favorite labels, n5MD. I first came upon Lights Out Asia when they released their sophomore album, Tanks and Recognizers (n5MD, 2008). Since then I've been a follower and a fan. The formula behind their work seems simple, yet the emotion evoking execution is flawless. The sound of LOA falls between lush post-rock, organic ambient, crunchy IDM and ethereal cinematic soundscapes. If just that description gets you drooling, then of course, this album is for you, synthetic strings and all... To hear where it all started, pick up the group's debut album, Garmonia (Sun Sea Sky Productions, 2003). Lights Out Asia even made it on Tympanik's compilation, Emerging Organisms Vol.2, as well as ??record Compilation (Zankyo, 2008) [yes, those are Japanese characters in the album title you're seeing], where they shared the spot among Manual, 65daysofstatic, Bitcrush, Helios, I'm Not A Gun, Do Make Say Think, and many others. This album is seriously recommended for the above mentioned artist names, as well as Hammock, Port-Royal, July Skies, and Jatun. Pick up your copy directly from n5MD's mailorder.

myspace.com/lightsoutasia | lightsoutasia.com
myspace.com/n5mafia | n5md.com

Two and a Half Questions with Lights Out Asia


[editors note: answers provided by Mike Ystad]

How did you guys meet and create Lights Out Asia?
Chris and I used to play in a band called Aurore Rien, and Rushmore was also with us in a band called Lucia (Rushmore was a founding member). We've kind of always been around each other and involved in projects in Milwaukee and Chicago. After Aurore Rien broke up in 2002, Chris and I worked on a few songs casually and found that we had a similar vision about how to make music blending electronics and more post rock elements. At that time there was not as much of this style of music, although Morr Music had been putting out records that were big influences on us. But Chris and I found that we had all of these common themes and ideas and hopes about what we could do with the music, and Lights Out Asia sort of formed along with Garmonia. When we wrote "Hail Russia" we weren't even sure that we were going to be a "band" yet, we were just sort of hanging out in Chicago and jamming to a little digital ADAT. More songs came quickly and then the aesthetic template was formed and we decided to do a run of CDs with SunSeaSky. We asked Rushmore to join the band to help out with touring and then we asked him to stay on full time.

There are more than a few references to Russian language in your tracks, titles, websites and even photos. What's up with that?
We, especially Chris, are Cold War buffs and have always been fascinated with the Soviet Union and Russia. We see it almost as a "parallel America" that is like a mirror image of the US, reflecting some of the negative aspects as well as the positive aspects of our modern society in the "free" world. We also find the cold war aesthetics and moods to tap into an element of isolation and threat that is very palpable and still quite relevant in the post-cold war age. The blending of technology, ideology, symbolism and sound that is present in a lot of these cold war themes is very interesting to us, and we feel that our listeners pick up on this as well.

Your tracks are mostly instrumental, yet you manage to add vocals in all appropriate times. How do you work out the placement?
We build the songs track by track, and sometimes a song just calls for a vocal line. Usually Chris will feel something emotional about a track and he will put down some lyrics that just seem right. Occasionally Rushmore or I will talk him into it but usually he knows what needs vocals and we nearly always agree. Vocals are really treated like any other instrument beyond that. The process is the same. We don't usually put much thought or theory into where vocals come in, it's more done by feel. Chris often comes up with vocals outside of studio time and he brings a full vocal line to practice and we record it then.

Describe your recording process. How are some of the tracks born?
All kinds of ways. Often times I will put together something with drums and synths and samples and what have you, and it catches on with the guys and then we start to build onto the song or take sections and expand them in practice. Chris has often done the same. Sometimes we start something from scratch in the studio, or start with one riff or a beat or something, but more often now one of us will come in with a fairly worked-out idea. Then you have to kind of get out of the way and let the other guys have their way with it! We've been doing a lot with just starting with samples or atmospheres as well. I find that I am very inspired by samples.

What are you working on right now?
We have finished up some remixes and are continuing to finish new material for a full-length on n5MD. It's going very well! We also are planning to do an album of remixes of our songs by other artists, although this is something that will take some time.

myspace.com/lightsoutasia | lightsoutasia.com

Sunday, August 16, 2009

The Archivist – The Keeper Of The Library (Lacies)

Out of a small label in the UK, run by fabulous Miss Alice and Andrew Hargreaves, comes a beautifully crafted release from The Archivist. This is only the second release for the label, but OK, it's got my attention! At first, I was a bit surprised at the intricate production behind the album, The Keeper Of The Library, but once I realized who was behind it, I had that sigh of relief that comes with familiarity of the sound. The Archivist is none other than Craig Tattersall, whose name should be already familiar if you have ever subscribed to his releases as a member of The Boats, The Sea, Famous Boyfriend and of course, The Remote Viewer. As the alias and the title hints, the recordings on the album are compiled from an extensive archive of Tattersall's unreleased material. Some pieces have been scraped from crackling hard drives and hissing cassette tapes, accumulating to over 45 minutes in length. The first lucky 150 collectors were able to secure an additional 3" CDr that came within the handmade package. And the music... well, it speaks for itself. Tattersall uses lo-fi processed scratches and airy filtered percussion which he turns into beats with sparse melodies. Simplicity and elegance are at the core of this recording bringing lightweight electronica back to the home listening experience. Relying on repetition, the tracks roll over in beat with my morning train, glitching on chords, micro programmed rhythms and gentle strums of guitars. Using a coarse brush, the sounds are blotted around the audio canvas with plenty of space in between, leaving just enough room for the mind to rest, and fill in the gaps. This destitute pattern creates music full of fragile memories, elaborate design, and delicate beauty. If you're a fan, make sure to grab Tattersall's release as The Humble Bee, A Miscellany For The Quiet Hours (Cotton Goods, 2009) made from cassette tape-loops, as well as his offshoots and collaborations appearing on the Moteer label. See for example his collaboration with Andrew Hargreaves, where the duo take on the aliases Kibbee Theodore and Bernd Hamblin, to deliver The Scientific Contrast (Moteer, 2007). I also recommend you pick up Lacies' third release by Danny Norbury, Light In August. This album is highly recommended if you enjoy Pole, Arovane, and Yasume.

myspace.com/moteer | myspace.com/bepputheboats
myspace.com/welovelaciesrecords | alicesurlalune.com

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Phylum Sinter - From Unity to Segmentation (En:peg Digital)

When Phylum Sinter sent me a promotional copy of his digital release on En:peg Digital, little did he know that I was already a fan. And how could I not be, when his music tickles my spine with triggered percussion jittering across beautiful harmonic atmospherics and refined melodies. Like in Telefon Tel Aviv's Fahrenheit Fair Enough (Hefty, 2001), Christopher Todd uses a light IDM touch and driven bass lines around effected synth lines to slap the confidence back into those solid rhythms. In some places on From Unity to Segmentation, dirty chopped analog acid lines cut through the muddled thick oscillating pads, while the seemingly random drums glitch throughout the frequency space. This is quality electronica, perfectly fitting on n5MD's digital-only offshoot label. Detroit based Todd, has been producing for a while now, getting picked up by net labels like PostUnder and [ai]D['mju:zik] (I have an excellent release from this label by Ed7). He even contributed an outstanding remix to Hecq's 0000 (Hymen, 2007), and it looks like Mr. Ben Lukas Boysen returned the favor by remixing Sedna Demik on the album. Meanwhile, the name Phylum Sinter, may be already familiar to you, if you own a few compilations by Tympanik Audio, IVDT, and Xynthetic Netlabel. I've seen Todd perform before, and I must agree with n5MD's affirmation - he is definitely one of the overlooked and underrated artists. I guess that gives him a little edge. Especially when compared by the latter to µ-ziq, Proem, and even Funckarma. Thanks again to the folks at n5MD for finally giving this artist the proper attention he deserves. For fans of glitchy melodic IDM by artists like SubtractiveLAD, Keef Baker, and Lackluster. If you follow the Kahvi, Monotonik and Sutemos releases, then this release is for you. If not... Well, it's time to check it out! Also, be sure to stop by the above mentioned digital division of n5MD, enpeg.com for the latest FLAC releases from Ruxpin, Fell, Anklebiter, and Todeyoshi.

myspace.com/phylumsinter | phylumsinter.matterwave.net
myspace.com/enpeg | enpeg.com

Two and a Half Questions with Phylum Sinter


What does your name, "Phylum Sinter" mean?
Phylum Sinter is a name that i came up with after trying to define what the purpose of making music was for me. Making it was always a bit of a release, but i found the real objectives met -- even if they were never really defined -- after the music was heard by other people and whether it really moved them at all, like the songs were in some ways a log of recent internal processing that was spun into this audible tapestry easily validated by acknowledgment of rhythm or empathy somehow. Taking this into account, i also wanted a moniker that was generalized enough to be resistant to time. I was reading alot about taxonomy at the time, and just how science classifies different species. The decision to use 'Phylum' instead of 'Kingdom' or any of the other three rungs below it came about because i realized that this is where basic structures of biology begin to show commonalities of lifespan, even behavioral and bone structures and such begin to sit within ranks. In short, it is where purpose begins to emerge. 'Sinter' came to mind after searching for good words that meant to compress, to sigil-ize or basically make a compound of meanings and transmit it. To sinter something means to concentrate it, to distill it into its most base form. Together the name can be defined as a species that would make these things (in my case, songs) that hopefully have transmittable core elements. I'm very big into music as a language and means of communication.

Who are some of your influences?
Alot of romantic and baroque classical music, especially piano composers. Specifically Chopin, De Bussy and Lizst are probably ingrained in my hands down to muscle memory. I also have heard somewhere that Pachalbel's Canon in D is the core of all modern music, that might be a joke but in any case it's one of the first pieces i learned to play and alot of the basic chord structures i end up using are probably sitting somewhere in there. Then on the flip side i've got an incredible appreciation for chiptunes and videogame composers, alot of my first songs written inside a computer were done on tracker programs, so that aesthetic and limitation informed my approach to arrangement. Film scores are also a great influence to me, and an area i really want to get more involved in. Music is one of the greatest ways of transmitting a cross-sensory or synaesthetic idea, and i find it very visual, so creating visuals to match my sounds is a hobby of mine too -- often inspired from geometric surrealists like Peter Gric and H.R. Giger, M.C. Escher, the dreamtime portraits of Gil Bruvel and stuff that implies there is more here than can be easily recognized.

What is some of the hardware/software that you use to produce?
I use a bunch of cheap circuitbent crap, most of which was bent by friends or myself as sound sources. You don't hear much stuff going nuts on its' own in my tracks because it's all chopped and arranged in a pretty meticulous manner. Stochastic music isn't my thing, if i want that i can just throw some bricks in my dryer and let it clank around, you know? Big fan of Yamaha FM synths, have two TX-81Z's that are on just about every one of my songs somewhere. Also some other hardware, a Yamaha SK-30 which is one of those big wooden ended analogue synths, 4 voice; a Korg ms-2000r. Then we've got my main controller keyboard, a Yamaha CS1x, Behringer and Oxygen knob boxes. Tend to get alot of found sounds from my trusty minidisc recorder and stereo mini condenser mic. I'd like to make an album someday with absolutely no sequencing, so i'll probably keep my Roland VS-1680 (which hardly gets used for anything more than live-takes these days) around. On the software side i run alot of rube-goldberg style modulation mazes in Max/MSP where i have midi generated between just about every sound-source and fed-back into something else. Alot of my synth sounds come from Reaktor and freeware vst's (the Crystal and Synth1 are perfect for just about everything). Used to hunt for alot of effects and stuff, nowadays i tend to try to crossmodulate and layer the stuff i have in new ways.

There is a lot of harmony in your atmospherics and melodies. Do you play any instruments?
Yes, i play alot of instruments. Keyboards since age 6 or so, guitar since 12, clarinet since 14, drums since 16, dulcimer, marimba, kalimba, and just about anything else i get a handle on i tend to be able to play pretty well after awhile... save for stringed instruments, i can't seem to get a handle on bow technique. Would love to get some training on the cello, but it would be the first time i've ever gotten lessons and i have a feeling they wouldn't sit easy with me.

Tell us a bit about your upcoming album on Tympanik Audio.
The album is my prime focus, a bit of a cleansing ritual in and of itself. Over the past 5 years i've accumulated a whole lot of ideas, sketches, effects patches and atmospherics (field recordings, narration and such) that have somehow been growing without my knowledge. Tympanik approached me in 2007 i believe, and asked me for an album. At the time i was already at work on 'From Unity to Segmentation' and hadn't realized how much my health was going to slow me down (i was later diagnosed with Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia and had to have my spleen removed in the summer of 07). So after 'Unity' was finished, i decided to take everything that has defined my current sound and give it a proper send-off with Tympanik -- it'll be called 'Amongst Fauna and Wiring' and i'm hoping to get it completed this year. Alot of what is going into the arrangement is a steampunk aesthetic, it won't be overt but there should be some sense that the overall product was not made in this time, or even this world; it's incorporating alot of pneumatic, clangerous and field recordings i've done walking around the once-great, now abandoned Detroit Train Station and thereabouts. There's also a good chance that i'll be bringing a few people in to do remixes -- hopefully those details will get solidified soon and i can announce a release date.

Simultaneously i'm finishing up another EP that i had discussed a few years ago with MMR [http://www.middlemanagement.net]. I'm really much closer to releasing this ep, it'll be titled 'Detroit Nocturnes' and is a focus on music i've made in the wee hours of the night, usually after wandering through the city and coming home with too much energy for my body to let me sleep. It's kind of a sonnet to the city i grew up in, with some subtle nods to my heroes here and some tracks that were started live and then finished in the studio. This EP will be 6 tracks long i'll be finishing that up by the end of August, and it will be released by October of this year.

That pretty much covers it -- i'm itchy to get back on the road too but there's still a lot of stuff to finish first.

myspace.com/phylumsinter | phylumsinter.matterwave.net

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Intrusion - The Seduction Of Silence (Echospace [detroit])

The dub sound of Intrusion is like an early stroll along the empty beach. Waves of white noise and minor chords splash and bounce against the glistening, polished, and rolling bass. The rhythm is measured, natural and hypnotic. The background four-four beat creates a trance-like experience. And the overall emotion is indeed seductive. Although the formula behind the production builds up on the previous successful sound of Echospace, the warmer side of the duo perfects the minimalism by injecting a fusion of Jamaican and South African dub. And it works. I could listen to this album over and over, like a head cleaner, after dense days, heavy nights and exhausting people. The minimal dub techno sound of Intrusion no doubt belongs to none other than Stephen Hitchell, one half of the above mentioned Echospace, who along with Rod Modell froze our hearts with The Coldest Season (Modern Love, 2007). Where as the latter critically acclaimed album captured the lower spectrum of the virtual thermometer with swishes of wind and falling snow, The Seduction Of Silence is more than a few degrees warmer. This is indeed a lovely twilight stroll under the ocean. The album is the first full length solo release for Hitchell, inadvertently compiling previously released EPs and 12-inchers. This may, perhaps, be an answer to a solo release by Modell, Incense and Black Light (Plop, 2007), with Hitchell taking his turn to demonstrate his individuality. The album welcomes an appearance by Paul St. Hilaire (Tikiman), where the Dominican artist contributed reggae vocals. The tracks morph into one another with swells of white noise, sometimes clocking in at over 11 minutes long. Tswana Dub is perhaps one of my favorites, having previously appeared as a limited 12" on Intrusion's sub-label of Echospace. Recommended if you appreciate the sound of minimal dub from Modern Love and Basic Channel, as well as Yagya, Gas, and of course, DeepChord Presents Echospace. Last minute edit: be sure to pickup the latest release on Echospace [detroit] by Brock Van Wey (aka bvdub) titled White Clouds Drift On And On. This is a double disk release with the second part full of Hitchell's interpretations of Wey's original works. Truly sublime. Back to back!

myspace.com/echospacedetroit | echospacedetroit.com

Two and a Half Questions with Intrusion


What kind of production equipment do you use?
This question has come up in the past and I would have to say the same thing I've said then, mostly analog based hardware. However, I will say 90% of the equipment I use has been custom modified, I've altered most of the equipment from its circuitry and or functionality. I also like to change my studio around every year or so which helps in finding new sounds or new ways to manipulate sound using the same equipment, I find this always keeps things interesting.

From your notes, you mention that A Night To Remember is inspired by the 2008 Labyrinth Festival in Japan. Can you tell us more about that?
This song in particular I started to write on my laptop (the notes and sequences) while staying at an inn right outside of the Labyrinth festival. I started this after a 3 hour ambient performance Rod Modell and I performed together, I was truly inspired by the fact at 9AM people were still standing strong, moving and swimming along in this ambient ocean. The way the music sounded alive and appeared to breath with the function one sound system along the mountain top, it was truly beautiful and one of the most inspiring moments I can remember in a musical performance.

How did you come about working with Paul St. Hilaire?
A mutual friend introduced us, I sent him my work and asked if he would be interested in working with me on the song I had made. Paul was an excellent person to work with and get to know, he is a living legend if you ask me. And my god, what a voice.

Who are your inspirations?
Musically I have far to many to mention, it would be quite hard to list them all. I would say more than anything though my children, friends and family inspire me the most.

Tell us about your upcoming project, Variant
The main song behind starting the Variant project was "The Setting Sun" which is a song I wrote for my daughter to dream and sleep to. One of the main aspects which helps me separate the projects and recordings I make has more to do with the technology I use to make them. Variant for example doesn't utilize any traditional method of sequencing and in most cases no sequencing at all, I strictly play synth's, acoustic guitar, conga's, etc. all live and capture everything to tape. In some cases I cut the material apart, dissect it and put it back together so it plays in a sort of sync to ear, pure impulse, syncing along to your heartbeat. I love that aspect of Variant, its a variation in sound manipulation, en experiment of sorts.

myspace.com/echospacedetroit | echospacedetroit.com

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Free Mix : Modern Classical

The original purpose behind this mix was to compile some of my favorite modern classical recordings of 2008. As I progressed through adding tracks one after another, this one hour compilation turned into a journey, full of dark passageways, creaking stairways, and dusty light. Traversing the abandoned cathedral that houses this sound, one can imagine unlocking cobweb doors to reveal sighing ghosts and distant echoes. The mood changes from dark to light, from evil to beautiful, from present to nostalgic. I have finally decided to share this music, because the featured artists here deserve recognition and my highest regards. Thanks to all the participating artists and labels who allowed me to include their work!

Download free mix, and see full track listing only on Headphone Commute

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Boxcutter - Arecibo Message (Planet Mu)

As I queue up the latest release from Planet Mu, the long awaited Variance by Jega, I realize that I never got the chance to tell you about one of my favorite albums of the year so far, Arecibo Message by none other than Barry Lynn. Meanwhile, I've spun these glitch influenced, dirty, acid, and deep dubstep beats over a dozen times. This Northern Ireland musician continues to impress me with his advanced production skills, unlimited bag of tricks, and intelligent tracks that retain their value throughout the years. I say that, because Oneiric (Planet Mu, 2006) and Glyphic (Planet Mu, 2007) still show up in my rotations on a regular basis. For his third full length album under Boxcutter, Lynn takes his production even further. Although still relying on dubstep structure, the elements of acid house, jazz, garage, and of course, IDM, are incorporated deeper into the music. Even vocals made it on to the album with a slightly poppy track, A Familiar Sound. The bass is always in the spotlight, sounding more analogue than before, living in its own frequency space around the painstakingly effected beats and individual elements prickling the neurons of your constantly wandering mind. The album title, Arecibo Message, refers to a message beamed into outer space via FM radio waves during a ceremony celebrating a remodeling of the radio telescope, located in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. This signal was transmitted only once. And I'm not sure what Lynn is referring to with this reference, but the same titled track has been already played over and over on these speakers. This is a must have for those a bit tired by the constant dubstep grind, and want to add a little spice into their daily muddled wobble. Good to know someone keeps the genre on the edge of experimental electronica. If you like your dubstep with a zing, then Boxcutter is for you! Besides the above mentioned albums there are more goodies from Lynn. Last year, he delivered a collection of previously unreleased material produced in his earlier years, Balancing Lakes (Planet Mu, 2008). Although the tracks had a few dated components (namely because they were written between 2002 and 2005), they still made an impact on me, and the album rose to the top of my favorites for 2008. So make sure to grab that if you can. Recommended for fans of Vex'd, iTAL tEK, 2562 and Autechre.

myspace.com/barrylynnmusic | planet-mu.com/artists/Boxcutter
myspace.com/childrenofmu | planet-mu.com

Two and a Half Questions with Boxcutter


Tell us more about the album name, Arecibo Message, and where it came from.
Basically the arecibo message was an attempt to send some information about humanity into space in case any aliens are listening. It features a little pixellised human and a DNA spiral on a grid. I liked the idea of the music being sent or broadcast out into space (check out the Voyager Golden Record too), even though I'm really skeptical about the whole endeavor, but it made for a decent visual concept to tie the tracks to and tied certain sounds within the tracks together too. Terence McKenna compared radiowave SETI stuff to searching the universe for a good Italian restaurant, it's so culturally-bound...

What about your moniker, Boxcutter? Where did that come from?
It only makes sense in the context of a few of the earlier tracks, but any connotations I'd intended have got really blurred now, it's got attached to a much broader spectrum of music than I'd ever expected... I'm really uncomfortable with aliases and had meant to change names for every release, but it looks like I'm stuck with it now!

What are you working on these days?
This week I've been making some phased cymbal hits, driving guitar pedals into self-oscillation, playing guitar and recording birdsong at sunrise. I've been posting new tracks on myspace recently so it's worth keeping an eye on my player.

myspace.com/barrylynnmusic | planet-mu.com/artists/Boxcutter

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Celer - Engaged Touches (Home Normal)

Once again it is tough for me to write a proper review. At most I feel as if I'm paying homage to a passing soul from one realm to the other. As if I'm finally saying these words a little too late. As if the words can fill an empty space for an unfulfilled obligation of an unfulfilled life. But, of course, it is the opposite of that. With these words I am only spreading the love which is already abundant through the music of Celer. Music that is wordless. Free of time and space. And as Danielle Baquet-Long continues her journey from this plane towards the unknown of the other, and her husband Will Long remains with us to wrap up the unfinished, may these words speak the speechless as the music goes on. Dear Dani... Thank you for all the little gifts. Thank you for music that can not be wrapped or packaged. You will always be with us. May you rest in peace.

. . .

On Enaged Touches the husband and wife duo digitally stretch the loops of field recordings and analog samples of ambient strings and minimal distant pads. The creative use of delays blending into almost metallic reverb resonates the sound beyond its cycling waves. As the beatless drony chords morph into deep vibrations of bass, swelling in dynamics along with my emotions, the sound rolls over my head towards my chest and then slips through the cracks in between the walls. At times, there is silence which is followed by an onslaught of frequencies reminiscent of chemicals flooding your brain. Recordings of passing trains bridge the creatively named passages by Danielle that touch the tear glands, and jerk the nerves with titles such as "A Once And Meaningful Life". Or the lengthy leaps of imagination with a title like "Hanging Herself On The Lonely Fifth Column (Gramophones That Remind Us Of What Sounds Once Were)". Yes, the latter in the double quotes is a single titling of a section within the two tracks of the album. The first at twenty-six minutes, and the last at fourty-and-a-half. The album cover features photography by Danielle during her journey through India. Will and Dani started writing music for each other. Sharing their love first through letters, and then through little gifts of sound, they self released over twenty five recordings, some digital only, some beautifully crafted in hand painted packaging. In 2008, Celer collaborated with Mathieu Ruhlmann on Mesoscaphe that got picked up by the Japanese minimal experimental label, Spekk. 2009 saw the duo release work on Dragon's Eye, Smallfish, and Digitalis Limited. Engaged Touches got picked up by Home Normal, a label specializing in minimal and organic sound. Started in 2009, the label has already released recordings by Library Tapes, The Boats, and Christopher Hipgrave. On July 8th, 2009, Danielle Baquet-Long passed away from heart failure. At only 26 years of age, Danielle has released numerous works under her solo moniker, Chubby Wolf. She is known for her poetry and writing, and of course as one half of Celer. A few months ago, in March 2009, I got to meet and interview the duo at the Los Angeles Resonant Forms festival. The audio interview has finally been transcribed and posted here, on Headphone Commute. The overall album is a true masterpiece. Among the many albums that I heard, Celer's Engaged Touches is the most emotional. Highly recommended if you appreciate works by like Taylor Deupree, William Basinski, and Richard Chartier. Be sure to pick up a free release by Chubby Wolf, titled Meandering Pupa available as a free download from bandcamp (click here). As well as the latest album by Celer, Breeze Of Roses out on Dragon's Eye. Spekk is yet to release another album by Celer, which is still in the queue...

Read Conversations With Celer only on Headphone Commute.

myspace.com/celersite | artificialcolors.blogspot.com
myspace.com/homenormal | homenormal.com

Conversations With Celer



In March 2009, I attended the the Los Angeles Resonant Forms festival, where I got a chance to meet and interview the husband and wife duo, Danielle Baquet-Long and Will Long, known to the minimalist and ambient community as Celer. Only a few months later, on July 8th, 2009, Dani passed away from heart failure. I left Los Angeles with a bag full of custom packaged music from Celer, a newly made connection to a few lonely souls, and this audio interview, which I have finally transcribed.

Read Conversations With Celer only on Headphone Commute.

myspace.com/celersite | artificialcolors.blogspot.com