Milestones in recording technology



A little while ago I mentioned Perfecting Sound Forever and how it gave a great overview of the development of audio recording technology in the 20th Century. This remarkable video does a great job of demonstrating the technology.

DVD cover as instrument



For the DVD release of For 100 Years I'm making these handcrafted instruments. They sound pretty good, the kind of percussive tap sound you'd expect. I'll share a remix soon.

Soundtrack to sculpting



Hook was a collaborative performance between Vic McEwan and John Wood. Molten steel, furnaces, anvils, clarinets, guitars, contact microphones, underwater microphones and an iPad created this 40-minute collaboration between music and the blacksmith sculpting process.

It was held outside Wagga Wagga on Friday 13 July 2012. Afterward Vic joked you can see how many rehearsals they had in the number of hooks that you see hanging.

Great setting -- can't think of the last time I watched hot metal being sculpted!

Reasons to date a bass player

 

My partner adds that bass players also have "less strings attached"!

I'm resisting pointing out to her that we bassists know how to get into the pocket but she should know that if you want this sort of awesome then you're going to expect it'll cost you something.

Advice from Andrew Weatherall


This advice from Andrew Weatherall to take your sounds out of the digital realm or to include something that isn't a sample or VST makes a lot of sense.

Another interesting take on the difference between analogue and digital recording mediums comes from Mike Stavrou.

Vibrating String

Above is a recent image of one of 'the wires' built by Alan Lamb and Scott Baker outside Wagga Wagga, NSW.

This large-scale aeolian harp has been an influence on my work in a wide variety of ways and I've written about it on this blog a number of times now.

In February 2010 I made a three-hour recording of some of my favourite recordings from 2004 to 2009 and also included ambiance, such as birdsong, cicadas, insects, bats and a lonely frog. There's a bit of me bowing early on and then the wind plays the rest!

For a couple of years I wasn't sure how to share this material but it's now up on Bandcamp to hear or download for free.