May 2018

lathe cut photography

Comments Off on lathe cut photography

twigHarper650

larger

Attempts to photograph a clear vinyl lathe cut disc by experimental/noise musician James Twig Harper.
I own this disc and wanted to see if I could get accurate documentation of it to post on Discogs' entry for the work (Untitled, 2012)
Discogs describes the piece as:

Double Offset 2, Freeform Lathe cut on clear Acrylic w/ 2 holes. Edition of 20.

This means there are two "tracks" -- one on each side of the disc. The bands of grooves on each side are lined up un-concentrically relative to each other, which you can see because the disc is clear. One of the punch holes lines up concentrically with a track on one side and the other punch hole lines up concentrically with the track on the other side, making each side playable on a turntable. The vinyl slab is crudely cut into an irregular polygon. Soundwise, the tracks appear to be vocals yelled into microphone and amplified into pure distortion, so that the unrecognizable speech acts as an oscillator.

More

"Volt Variations Variations"

Comments Off on "Volt Variations Variations"

https://tommoody.bandcamp.com/track/volt-variations-variations (streaming version on bandcamp)

From my current release Similarity Engine

volt_variations_variations_score650w

Another tune using "Volt," a strings-like preset from the E-Mu Orbit 9090 vintage synth module. Many of the same samples and sampler instruments were used as in the track "Volt Variations." Also heavily featured are a collection of 8-bit videogame emulating instruments from Socalabs (RP2A03, PAPU, SID, SN76489). The snare hits appropriated from a famous Detroit guy (played in Tracktion Waveform's Multi Sampler instrument) make an extended appearance. There is a brief middle section that uses snippets from a laptop jam with peef and fruitfly (hat tip joel cook).

The screenshot of the Tracktion Waveform DAW tells you little or nothing -- that is to say, as much as the wave file images that Soundcloud uses. It's a crude "indexical" record of the music.

hatin' on haigh

Comments Off on hatin' on haigh

Simon Reynolds is writing his 123rd article about Robert Haigh, the British late prog guy turned unlikely drum and bass star (as Omni Trio). I don't actually hate Haigh but it gets tiresome seeing every release receive special treatment when there's so much good music starving for decent criticism. I rarely look at The Wire, even though it covers its share of obscure material. Magazine profiles with exceptionally well-lit photos of musicians brooding in their studios are annoying -- just write about the work, please.

Speaking of The Wire, it published a playlist of Robert Haigh's favorite solo piano works, since he is now performing solo piano works in his latest career incarnation.
The list is below. Streaming versions of all these songs are on The Wire's website.

Wire Playlist: Robert Haigh
February 2018
To accompany the release of his most recent solo album, the musician formerly known as Omni Trio has compiled a playlist of influential compositions for piano.

Frédéric Chopin “Nocturne No.1 In B Flat Minor” 0:05:50
Erik Satie “Gnossienne No. 3: Lent” 0:02:23
Chick Corea “Ballad For Anna” 0:02:31
Claude Debussy “Voiles: Préludes Book 1” 0:03:43
Harold Budd & Brian Eno “First Light” 0:07:08
Vladimir Cosma “Promenade Sentimentale” 0:02:33
Federico Mompou “Impresiones Intimas No. 8: Secreto” 0:02:30
Feldman “Triadic Memories: Page 34, System 3, Measure 4” 0:04:10
Roger Eno “Grey Promenade” 0:04:32
Wim Mertens “Struggle For Pleasure” 0:04:01
Philip Glass “Opening” 0:06:25
Bill Evans “Peace Piece” 0:06:44

This inspired a counter-list, not so much in opposition but to convey a different attitude one could have to solo piano (more fun, more tuneful, more diverse, more emotional).
Included are a couple of musicians that might set Reynolds' hair on fire -- it can only be hoped. Most of these soundfiles were found "on the internet," volume-adjusted, and posted here under the banner of MP3 blogging (fair use, for discussion purposes, no commercial intent, will remove if requested, etc etc).

Gertrude Orff, "Kleiner Klavierstücke, Heft I, No. 2" 0:31
Maurice Ravel "Le Tombeau de Couperin, I. Prelude" (performed by David Korevaar) 02:59
Nino Rota "7 Difficult Pieces for Children: The Ladders" 01:20
Randy Weston "African Village/Bedford Stuyvesant" 05:15
Philip Glass "Modern Love Waltz" (performed by Amy Briggs) 03:38
Carla Bley (transcribed and performed by Bruce Berrios), "Lawns" 01:38
Keith Emerson "Karn Evil 9, Second Impression" (performed by Rachel Flowers) 07:34
Liz Story "Myth America" 02:57
Steven Brown "Waltz" 01:28
Alice Coltrane "Prema" 06:11

Steven Brown is the keyboardist/sax player of Tuxedomoon; the above piece is from a collection of his mid-1980s piano music. Other names should be more or less familiar.

"Volt Variations"

Comments Off on "Volt Variations"

https://tommoody.bandcamp.com/track/volt-variations (streaming version on bandcamp)

From my current release Similarity Engine

volt_variation_score650w

"Volt" is a strings-like preset from the E-Mu Orbit 9090 ROMpler module, a 1990s device. The presets are available as soundfont files. "Volt" consists of three samples stacked in a chord, which you can see when you open it up in PC-based sampler GUI. This tune uses those samples individually and together for the main melody and variations. Other sounds include some additional vintage synth from Legowelt's online sample archive, and a couple of snare hits appropriated from a famous Detroit guy and played in Tracktion Waveform's Multi Sampler instrument.

The screenshot of the Tracktion Waveform DAW tells you little or nothing -- that is to say, as much as the wave file images that Soundcloud uses. It's a crude "indexical" record of the music.

"More You Earn"

Comments Off on "More You Earn"

https://tommoody.bandcamp.com/track/more-you-earn (streaming version on bandcamp)

From my current release Similarity Engine

more_you_earn_score

Sources include sounds from the St Celfer sample archive (by kind permission), Helm (the arpeggiated chime at the beginning and end), and a certain Lamborghini driver.

The screenshot of the Tracktion Waveform DAW tells you little or nothing -- that is to say, as much as the wave file images that Soundcloud uses. It's a crude "indexical" record of the music.