Messages

1

ART / Re: the photography thread

« on: April 11, 2010, 08:02:31 pm »

12k in Havana, Cuba.  Just bringing some capitalist branding down to there to make sure they're oriented correctly should they ever seek out the heights of American culture.  Or, just something amusing.  No, I'm not giving the 'finger' - I'm pointing to the shirt with two fingers and one was insecure about the situation.

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ART / Re: the beer thread

« on: March 31, 2010, 11:39:20 pm »

One of the main beers in Cuba was called Cristal - so, like true gangsters, we sat back drinking Cristal all the time, feeling the prestige.  Rather equivalent to a Budweiser type beer and not at all recommended.  On the other hand, another beer, Bruja, was quite delightful and highly recommended.

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ART / Re: Reading!

« on: March 31, 2010, 11:33:01 pm »

A Practical Guide To Racism by C.H. Dalton.  Too funny.

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OTHER MUSIC / Re: Does (minimal) ambient music need a new impulse?

« on: March 31, 2010, 11:30:08 pm »

This has been the topic of many conversations lately and much of what has been said here has been really interesting to me in my own reflection.  I have been formulating a broader thesis, in some ways, as how paradigms of artistic expression are paralleled in evolutionary development in many illuminating ways.  I feel that in most cases, artists and creative expression tends towards an equilibrium of certain niches and when such a thing happens, people feel saturated in a number of artists that sound rather similar.

It's a matter of being conservative, to my mind, in that it makes sense to not be too extreme or innovative because it's a potentially dangerous thing to deliberately isolate one's self.  There won't be any other artists that sound similar and may lead fans of that music to your music, there might not be an appealing or clever reference made by a music critic, and last.fm or the music genome project may rarely put you in under some 'similar artists' field.  However, there's a lot of empty space, infinite empty space in the world of sound and it's always possible to 'innovate'.  Though, I'm with Taylor in really feeling like there's nothing 'new' to be found or created (if I am interpreting him correctly), but I don't find that defeating because I think what really happens is the re-combining of influences and experiences.

It helps, then, to have as broad of a range of influence as possible because that may often appear as something 'new' to music critics and listeners (but I am quick to remark that they just haven't heard what influenced the artist).  New niches appear when a novel and functional recombination appears, and it has the potential to attract a broad audience because of that.  There would be many different reasons to like the music, but it wouldn't be unfamiliar.  In fact, it would be better served to contain a striking but undefinable familiarity - it would be really functional music, to put it boringly.

I have personally felt like a sponge throughout much of my life and I really saturate myself in things that I love - obsess over them, study them, experience them in as many ways and contexts as possible and absorb it in that way.  When I create, then, these things have a really profound influence on me and I can really reflect on it later and hear certain influences (usually a combination of musical but much more often sensual and philosophical) and I really love that aspect of creating.  I am usually just after creating what I want to hear, which is often similar to other artists, but I always seem to find many spontaneous processes, and greater, more refined philosophical justification to tuck in there.

In the end, I feel like conservative tendencies are pretty natural, but mostly a product of a lack of effort.  While biological processes are severely limited in their ability to innovate, we have much less restriction.  The passive efforts and niche-dwelling artists seem, to me, just laziness (and I'm not trying to be harsh, I love a lot of the music that is representative of this or that I find conservative).  But, mostly time spent on music, experimenting, or listening and exploring other music or influences.  It's rather simple to 'jam' pretty sounds and layer them for a few hours - and many times that can create something listenable, beautiful, magical or whatever else.  Very few artists are committing weeks and months of effort to creating a single work, or having the patience to develop new processes, or having the energy to experiment without feeling like time has been wasted because a new track isn't sitting there at the end.  I think it's clear when an artist does, though, and really has some excellent commitment to creating.

That's my long-winded yet severely abridged thought on this topic at the moment though I'm working on a larger bit of writing and hoping to interview several artists and engage a lot of other people in its formulation.  It's nice to see this thread and read other people's comments, many things I hadn't thought about.  Hmmmm..... So it goes....

5

SELF PROMOTION / Ten and Tracer - Cold Finishes the Monk

« on: March 16, 2010, 09:19:18 pm »

I'm very pleased to announce to my favorite forum the release of my new mini-album.  This comes just as I am about to board a plane for an island just south of Florida that I will not name for legal reasons.  It's time for adventure - and as I depart for my own adventure, I hope to provide one as well.  A sonic adventure!  Please note that several copies are produced and ready to ship but some orders may be delayed until my return in two weeks.  Thank you all for your interest and support!

Cold Finishes the Monk by Ten and Tracer is the follow-up to last year's critically acclaimed Tsotsitaal album.  Across these eleven tracks, Ten and Tracer channels several powerful influences of the last year: Namely, the writings of Nishida Kitaro and Dogen, and his studies in evolution, genetics and developmental biology.  This influence, combined with his ever growing collection of tape recorders, strange films, warped records, and custom-built software has resulted in an un-paralleled work of Ten and Tracer's ambient explorations.  It represents an evolution in process, as well as sound - a further exploration of his fascination with spontaneity and finite details.  The music is at times orchestral and cinematic, and at others, meditative and surreal.  Throughout the process, a psychedelic strain began to appear which was further refined, becoming a fundamental aspect of the music.  Cold Finishes the Monk is a warm, powerfully emotional narrative - it stands out as one of the most refined and thoughtful releases of Ten and Tracer's career.

Several tracks include contributions and collaborations with Keith Kenniff (aka Helios, Goldmund), Layden Bryant (Able), and Lauren Higgins.

Digital Delivery:
The release is available as a free MP3 download from www.acrerca.com
Uncompressed audio is available on a donation basis (including free, of course) The Acre Collective's bandcamp site: theacrecollective.bandcamp.com

Physical Package:
The Standard Edition comes with a 16+ page booklet, one or more 'Zen' paintings, and an assortment of other art by Ten and Tracer

The Special Edition is 44+ page booklet, one original hand-drawn page, one or more 'Zen' paintings, and the usual variety, spontaneity and madness one may be familiar with from Tsotsitaal.

Both available from http://www.acrerca.com

The special edition also contains a bonus CDr, Our Eyes Well Skinned, which features a collection of unexpected beauty resulting from the processes involved in the creation of this release.  It is a collection of strange artifacts, tape malfunctions, and the many wonders that occur and inspire throughout the creative process.  It is for this reason, the subtext of Our Eyes Well Skinned is 'An Exercise in True Character' - a concept that is repeated throughout the philosophies of self-cultivation.  It is in many ways the presentation of the behavior of the machines and processes themselves.  These moments of 'true character' were then compiled and arranged with care by Ten and Tracer and presented with an additional painting, cover drawing and insert page.

Many copies are ready and have already shipped, but due to the highly personalized nature of each copy, we ask that a maximum of six weeks be allowed for shipping.  This estimate is based on the many problems incurred throughout the Tsotsitaal process, resulting in several copies taking unacceptably long to deliver.  We apologize for that and Ten and Tracer has taken many steps to ensure that these delays are not endemic to this release as well.

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COMPUTER MUSIC / Re: Adobe Audition & Bootcamp

« on: February 24, 2010, 03:09:15 am »

I ran Audition 1.5 with Bootcamp - no problems with audio playback that I recall.   For other reasons, I recently made the switch back to my old install of Cool Edit Pro.

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ART / Re: Reading!

« on: February 05, 2010, 06:58:19 pm »

Favorite books recently:
Robert Sapolsky - A Primate's Memoir.  About the author's 20 year study of baboons and surrounding stories of Africa and the like.  Fantastic.

Nishida Kitaro - An Inquiry Into Good.  In some ways, I feel like many many years of reading led to this book really having a profound impact on me.  A difficult read, but in the end on of the most well articulated philosophies I've ever read.

Three Pillars of Zen - Philip Kapleau Roshi.  A very fine translation of Zen concepts and well articulated concepts and justifications for various aspects of Zen and its ultimate goal (self-actualization) etc.  Rather addictive as well for some reason.

Chaos - James Gleick.  Put this one off for years but finally went through it.  Great great stuff about chaos theory and scaling and a fine narrative of the process of scientific inquiry.



Glad to see the Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia on here, its been sitting on the shelf for some time but I've been thinking about finally getting in to it.  I read much of 'This is Your Brain on Music' but couldn't make it through, maybe Sacks has something more - his quote is on the Sapolsky book actually so he has something going.

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STUDIO + RECORDING TECHNIQUES / Re: Headphones.....

« on: February 05, 2010, 04:46:19 pm »

Still, one can not put a price on prestige - and think of the prestige you buy with a pair of DT-770s! 

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STUDIO + RECORDING TECHNIQUES / Re: Headphones.....

« on: February 05, 2010, 04:22:48 am »

I've been using Beyer Dynamic DT-770 for a couple of years and I can't speak more highly of them.  The price is really the only downside.

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STUDIO + RECORDING TECHNIQUES / Re: The Dreaded Ground Loop

« on: January 29, 2010, 04:14:16 pm »

Anything can be illegal or deadly with enough imagination.

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STUDIO + RECORDING TECHNIQUES / Re: The Dreaded Ground Loop

« on: January 26, 2010, 03:45:26 am »

For me the following few steps have solved the problem every time I've had it:

1. Switch gear / computers / monitors to different circuits (if it's possible - if you're like me, you're in a house built a century ago and there is only one circuit for everything and you have to unplug the fridge, the light in the garage, the aquarium and the neighbor's LED-porch-light-extravaganza in order to get a decent recording)

2. Get a ground lift, but don't be silly about it - be careful with your expensive gear (you've probably hardly paid the interest on it and that insurance scam only works once). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_lift

3. Use a ground loop isolator/isolation transformer

4. Attend way too many techno shows until that particular range of hearing is severely damaged for a reasonable amount of time.  (Refine your optimum ratio of time enduring bad techno / duration of the damaged hearing - do not listen to (you know who/what) for one hour, only to gain a mere five minutes without that awful ground loop)

Sorry for the jokes - spent the night reading on homeoboxes.  It's not what you think, unless you're thinking it is what it actually is.

12

12K + LINE / Re: SND back catalogue

« on: January 26, 2010, 03:20:48 am »

Really happy about this.

13

12K + LINE / Re: THE FORUM IS BACK

« on: January 09, 2010, 05:26:30 am »

Thanks a lot Taylor, I know it's a lot of work to get something like this going (or try to recover one).  I really appreciate having this community back.  Cheers!

14

OTHER MUSIC / Re: What are you listening to?

« on: January 09, 2010, 05:19:53 am »

I'm really glad to see this thread back because you all have amazing taste - lots to check out based on the recommendations already, thanks!

I've been listening repeatedly to the following:
Ras G - Beat Soup / Beats of Mind / Ghetto Sci-fi and anything else I have been able to pick up.  Out there psychedelic hip-hop - if you don't like it, I would understand.

Ricardo Villalobos vs. Los Updates - Driving Nowhere - just the Aside for me but a really neat minimal track.

Werken - Sum - Lovely music from Tilman Ehrhorn.  It's out on Zymogen, free: http://www.zymogen.net

The heater...  heaters.  Mouse clicks.