Bassling blog

When you get a good song in your head

How to make wind organs

Twelve years ago I published a video showing wind organs and 'the wires' atop a hill outside Wagga Wagga.

It wasn't a great video, just a minute of handheld footage on a dusty camera.

Over the last decade it has attracting more views than most of my favourite clips, as well as comments.

One request was for details on how to make wind organs, which is easier for me to detail than how to make 'the wires' as that instrument was made by Alan Lamb.

Anyway, I know it's late but I recorded a short tutorial video and am pleased to see the wonderful CDM website thought it was interesting too.

This piece is called 'Anxiety'

Disquiet Junto 0485 Strange Weather

The Disquiet Junto assignment this week is to "Remix the pure sounds of Chris Kallmyer’s traveling wind chimes to your own musical purposes."

The title "Strange Weather" brought to mind a story I shared at my Good Friday screening, which details the Earth's first ice age.

Remembering that I had video of my reading, I set to remixing Kallmyer's wind chimes by lazily reversing the recording and let the glorious Valhalla Shimmer reverb do the heavy lifting.

Disquiet Junto 0484 A Movable Heart

The Junto project this week is relatively straightforward and involves recording a recording of a wind chime.

The wind chime was shared by Chris Kallmyer, who had loaned it to families in LA during quarantine.

My recording comes from the living room of the house where I'm holidaying at Valla Beach.

You can see some of my son, who was playing Minecraft, and hear my partner clicking on her laptop, as well as the noise from the beach that I'd hoped would be more prevalent.

Towards the end I had the idea to accompany the wind chimes with my ukulele.

Disquiet Junto 0483 Type Set

The Disquiet Junto this week asks participants "to use a recording of yourself typing something as the underlying rhythmic track for a piece of music."

I recorded myself at the typewriter on Good Friday, then packed my ukulele to quickly record a piece of music while on holiday.

Disquiet Junto 0482 Exactly That Gap

Make a musical haiku following instructions from Marcus Fischer

Disquiet Junto 0481 Capsule Time

The Disquiet Junto activity this week asks for "something for yourself to listen to in the future."

I've been re-reading poetry I wrote last year and in late 2019, which recently led me to think about recording myself reading a few pieces aloud.

This piece is called 'Reflection' and discusses that process of recognising and resolving shadow aspects of the self.

I'm conscious that time shifts perspectives and I hope the things that seem overwhelming now will feel ridiculous and small in the future.

However, I'm also aware that often it's re-reading old poetry that feels ridiculous.

Hopefully I'll be gentle on myself.

In some ways this feels like a companion piece for the moon video I made with my partner last year.

Disquiet Junto 0480 Ongsay Aftcray

For the Disquiet Junto activity this week I've revisited my track 'Buoyantly' from last year.

To give it a Pig Latin feel, I've edited snippets of the lead instrument at either ends of the phrases.

naviarhaiku374 – Borrowing my house

The haiku shared by Naviar Records wanted something with noises like insects.

For the video though, I knew I had a piece with Storm Tempest hopping out of bed.

Disquiet Junto 0479 Truck Radio Rain

The Disquiet Junto activity this week takes inspiration from an idea of John Cage's:

“Wherever we are, what we hear is mostly noise. When we ignore it, it disturbs us. When we listen to it, we find it fascinating. The sound of a truck at fifty miles per hour. Static between the stations. Rain. We want to capture and control these sounds, to use them, not as sound effects, but as musical instruments.”

Using the three sounds identified, I've made a noisy track.

I recorded the radio static today and found a couple of rainy videos from 2016, including one used in Junto 0231.

Disquiet Junto 0478 Collage of Collages

The Disquiet Junto activity this week is a musical collage and I've layered up some of my more ambient recordings from last year.

naviarhaiku373 – A lost child crying

The haiku shared by Naviar Records this week prompted me to go back to an earlier draft of a song.

I have the reversed bossanova riff and decided the haiku needed a vocal part, so I found the voice sample.

The 'stumbling over the dark fields' line prompted the chaotic drums and then the uneven looped bass part.

Again I've added a burlesque video and I like the energy it brings.

naviarhaiku372 – One traveller

The haiku shared by Naviar Records this week opened a variety of interpretations.

My inspiration was the Knifonium synth I bought recently, which made me want to use the warm sound to create a track like James Holden.

His album The Idiots Are Winning is a classic.

The haiku suggested something with a crescendo, like swelling waves.

And I guess Betty Page looks like she's thinking about swimming :)

Disquiet Junto 0477 Flying Blind

The Disquiet Junto this week asks participants to record without looking.

I've revisited the "layered sameness" technique from the Junto project proposed by Brian Crabtree.

Been a while since I played guitar, so there are a few bum notes.

That compressor you've been tweaking

Milford Graves on tempo

“All you gotta do is feel your wrist pulse, and start counting, and you’re gonna find yourself at times counting a little faster and a little slower. You’re not gonna have a steady beat. If you do have a steady beat, that’s dangerous. Extremely dangerous.”

Disquiet Junto 0476 IAH Forecast

This week the Disquiet Junto project harks back to the early Insta/gr/ambient direction and, while I didn't participate in the first one in 2011, I can think of at least one previous response to an image.

The photo (right) shows Houston, Texas, by Robert Boyd.

I've remixed my recent track for the Naviar Haiku and edited the lyrics I wrote about climate change because the image looks like the bushfire smoke seen in Australia about a year ago.

naviarhaiku371 – Heavenly creatures

The haiku shared by Naviar Records this week was asking for more burlesque.

Again I've turned to M-Tron for inspiration, from the initial cha cha loop to the choir, then ended up with a more dance-oriented track.

The bassline started with one of the Ableton Live drumkits and then was enhanced with Pendulate by Newfangled Audio.

Is Lars the best drummer in the world?

naviarhaiku370 – Since my house burned down

The haiku shared by Naviar Records inspired a rush of thoughts.

At once I was thinking how the planet is burning and the moon shifts the tides and how humans are largely made of water.

As a result the song has lyrics that reflect all these ideas and a video of a burlesque dancer.

Gear Acquisition Syndrome

Seven years of Naviar Haiku

Great to be part of the Naviar Records community and appear on their recent compilation.

Disquiet Junto 0475 Low End

I quickly read over Marc’s email and knew exactly what I wanted to do for the Junto this week. In fact, I could see this track before I heard it.

I’ve taken my drums from the first round and added them to my accompaniment of Noimspartacus’ Orphaned Loop from the second round. Then added a lot of fuzz to everything!

Looking back over the email, I can see it’s not following the directions but I’ll do a better job for my next submission.

For my second remix I've added a bassline and drum beat to 'Trei' by Ohm Research and Undermulden and High Towers and Deep Wells.

Their track has been reversed and I'm not not totally happy with how mushy the bottom sounds but have run out of patience trying to fix it.

I keep buying synths

Disquiet Junto 0474 Police Action

For my second Disquiet Junto response this week, I've added bass to the collaboration between Untilled Sound and k-blamo.

This one took a little while to get the levels right and I mixed in some distortion to help, as well as reverb.

I've uploaded the audio here

This is an unpaid gig

Tom Maxwell on Household Objects

In reality, everything is an instrument; everything either makes a sound or can be interacted with so as to create a sound. Our ancestors 20,000 years ago probably had a much richer sense of this than we do, for the distinction between instrument and not-instrument is not inherent in reality itself; it is a cultural abstraction that we have imposed on reality. And this is a loss because to make sound with something is to get to know it and understand it better and perhaps even feel a sense of oneness with it. I suspect that they enjoyed reawakening us to this fact that everything in the world is teeming with vibrations that are waiting to be explored.

Disquiet Junto 0474 Police Action

The Disquiet Junto activity builds on previous weeks to create a trio from contributions.

I've used 'Placebo Effect' by mdh, which built on Peter Eisenhauer's tamboura recording.

As well as bass I've added reverb and a little tape delay, which should spread our parts across the stereo field.

I've uploaded the audio here

Whenever you have an unreasonable request

Henry Rollins on writer’s block

If somebody ever says, “Well, what do you do about writer’s block?” I’m like, “I don’t think I’m a writer.” I don’t put any of those titles on myself, so I don’t acknowledge those pressures. Some days I got stuff, some days I don’t, and some days I write about the fact I got nothing to write about. But, I do try to write 1,000 words a day. It’s just like going to the gym. Some workouts are better than others. I think the less pressure you put on yourself, the better.

Stockhausen composing

Disquiet Junto 0473 Placebo Effect

Seeing as Marc has invited participants to contribute a second track for the collaborative Junto activity this week, I've added my collection of 2020 haiku to Rens' keyboard piece.

This track can be downloaded here to be part of the next Disquiet Junto collaboration.

Music is just wiggling air

Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore on instrumental house

I do really love knock-you-down house music, with a lot of air raid sirens, pounding drums, and just like sounds that you don’t recognize. Weird samples. As many weird samples as possible. Not that many vocals, we don’t need vocals.

naviarhaiku368 – A river in January

The haiku shared by Naviar Records called for something intense, since January is usually accompanied by a heatwave for me.

Smashed a load of K last night

Disquiet Junto 0473 Placebo Effect

The Disquiet Junto activity this week is an asynchronous collaboration with a track from the previous week.

I've ended up at Noimspartacus' Orphaned Loop and recorded a bass part.

This track can be doanloaded from here for a collaboration with the Disquiet Junto next week.

Shepard Tone

Disquiet Junto 0472 Jam Time (1 of 3)

The Disquiet Junto project this week is the first in a series of asynchronous collaborations.

I've recorded drums at around 142bpm and you can download them here to join in the jam next week.

Room tone

Disquiet Junto 0471 Phase Transition

The annual "ice in a glass" project for the Disquiet Junto.

Anybody here this old?

naviarhaiku365 – things just happen

Ralph Steadman on mistakes

There is no such thing as a mistake. A mistake is an opportunity to do something else.

Disquiet Junto 0470 Calendar View

The final Junto activity of the year is traditionally a time of editing together snippets from projects during the year.

I hope it's a dog

Disquiet Junto 0469 [Missing in Caption]

The Disquiet Junto project this week is to create "music that pushes the constraints of descriptive television captions."

It was composed with two 303 emulators, a 606, an 808 and a Oberheim emulation.

The parts were edited to fit the length of the video, which shows a blackbird my son found on the driveway.

Can't wait to try

Disquiet Junto 0468 Mirror Rorrim

The Disquiet Junto this week asks participants to "a new persona for yourself, and record a duet together."

I've taken the opportunity to remix my track for Disquiet 360, using an acid-style approach.

I like your playlist

Disquiet Junto 0467 Toolbox Show & Tell

The Disquiet Junto this week asks participants to "Share a tip for making music that you learned during the pandemic."

Looking back over my videos during that time and I remembered a clever website for generating MIDI.

Solfa Cipher Secrets takes text and encodes it as MIDI, which is a cool idea and one that appealed to me as a way to turn poetry into music.

In the song accompanying my video I've used poems to create the piano and trombone parts.

Charlie Valentine on everything

If you don’t know how to play any instruments, that’s fine. You can do it. Just listen to experimental music. Listen to Matmos. They’re making music out of plastic pill-bottle toys. Everything is everything.

My music taste

Boats in Cannaregio

Recently I visited Venice with Cities and Memory.

If 2020 were a key signature...

Disquiet Junto 0466 [ ] Sound Machine

The American comedian George Wallace made an astute observation this week on Twitter: “You never hear about sound machines from other cities. Miami really cornered the market on that shit.”

I give you Canberra Sound Machine.

It's a track that loops around, with fuzzy crests and some Modern features.

I’ve used the M-Tron synth a bit this year, which has a lot of flavour, and was looking for an opportunity to use the Pendulate synth, as well as Rolands 606 and 707 and 808 for kicks.

OMG cringe

Disquiet Junto 0464 Blanket Song

The Disquiet Junto project this week involves covering a song, but smothering it and then removing the original track.

I chose a modern classic and improvised parts to make it my own.

Things that make you a better musician

Katie Harkin on creating

When I was a little kid, I used to love to make collages, so it sometimes feels like that. I definitely approach things from the emotional end first. I mean, I’d say this and I could change my ways tomorrow, but usually when I write a song I know at least the vague feeling of what it’s about, even if I haven’t put it into words yet. Part of that is sort of deciphering unconsciousness, as much as it is like being a biographer. The times when I have been the happiest with my songs is when they feel like a medium somewhere between the two. I was setting out to do something specific, and then something else was conjured because of being prepared to confront something. Getting into that confrontational mode will unlock surprising things.

Drive It Like You Stole It

No need to panic

Disquiet Junto 0463 Making the Gradient

The Junto project this week is to "Make a piece of music inspired by the concept of a gradient."

I've chosen to let the gradient make the music on my theremin, which I'd recently unpacked to set-up my instant Indian orchestra with the tabla machine.

Long Distance Dan

Happy to have contributed a bassline to the new Long Distance Dan album.

Moaner Lisa

Disquiet Junto 0462 Vade in Pace

The Disquiet Junto activity this week is to "write a short piece of music that gets slower and slower as it proceeds."

Come back

Disquiet Junto 0461 Goldilocks Zone

The Junto activity this week navigates a "sonic space between the hospitable and the inhospitable."

DJs are having a hard time right now

Disquiet Junto 0460 Creative Destruction

The Disquiet Junto activity this week is to "arrive at a complicated, tortured sound" and I used a recent track to torture.

I've run the bass, ukulele and kick drum through effects pedals and a Sherman Filterbank.

Fridge noises

Moonburn

Horn section

naviarhaiku354 – duskfall…

The haiku shared by Naviar Records this week prompted me to think of things that bump.

sigh

Disquiet Junto 0459 From a Distance

The Disquiet Junto this week asks for a composition to be heard from a distance.

My inspiration was the church bells I can hear on quiet Sunday mornings.

Sean Booth on working with yourself

I’ve heard people say, “I’ll just pay somebody to do it for me,” and I’ll think, well, surely you’re not going to have all the weird little sort of ideas or thoughts along the way. It’s almost taking the joy out of it for yourself. I don’t know where it was decided that that work is necessarily soulless work, and that you can’t be inspired while you’re doing it. I quite like to build things and then forget how it works and then use it later on, and not really be able to remember what I was thinking about when I built it. It’s a little bit like working with yourself in a way, but from a time when you’re not aware of what you were thinking. You can get reacquainted with it in a sense, like you would with a person.

When you put a compressor on the wrong channel

Disquiet Junto 0458 Phrase Shift

The Junto activity this week is detailed.

I wasn't sure how to approach it and then looked at my files and found a few tones.

They seemed kinda boring on their own, so I added some drums.

Simba plus

Disquiet Junto 0457 System Alert

The Disquiet Junto activity this week takes it's task from a competition to design sounds for the Haiku operating system.

I've chosen my upright electric, because it's the easiest thing for me to use and I think the dull sounds would be less intrusive than the chimes usually used for these things.