He said he was going

 

Lyra Pramuk on putting art first

I went to public school in Pennsylvania, and as is the case in many American public schools—especially in small towns—art and music are side things. Like, “Okay, you don’t really have time for these; it doesn’t really matter.” I’m like, “If art, music, therapy, and all these other things that are put on the side were actually put in the center, it would drastically affect culture and how we live our daily lives.” If we’re stuck surviving, it’s because we live in a world that does not value creativity. And I value creativity, and I believe that creativity is for more than just arts and crafts, or music or dance or painting, or any of these things. Creativity is essential for being alive. It’s essential to create culture. It’s essential to being a sentient human being in community, in ecosystem with other living beings on this planet.

Disquiet Junto 0704 Right on Cumulus

The Junto prompt this week is to "compose 8-bit music" and I was kinda stumped.

I looked at using some of the Nintendo-sounding presets on the Kaossilators that my son has been using recently for an assignment, then decided to try the Bitquest pedal that arrived this week. 

It's being run through the Chase Bliss Habit pedal for delay/looping, while I cycle through a few settings. 

Dr No Raven

Another pedal that I couldn't resist buying for the design.

Has a cocked wah-kinda effect, but with more resonance.

Stan Grant Jr on being called

In the end, I don't know that I served journalism as well as it served me and that's probably true of all of us, whatever we do. We are never the equal of our calling.

Maybe I never respected the craft. There is something shallow, ultimately un-serious about it all. Journalists think events determine our world, yet events tell us nothing.

If we follow events we miss what the French call questions d'existence. We miss the meaning of it all.

Irritable Bowie Syndrome

 

Disquiet Junto 0703 That's How You Got Killed Before

The Junto assignment this week is to "Revisit something that you just couldn’t get to work last time."

I've gone back to my track 'Wanderer' to try layering a couple of takes that I noticed were close in their tempo, despite not using a clicktrack.

Know your abbreviations

 

Disquiet Junto 0702 Chain of Application

The Junto this week asks participants to misuse music software.

Usually I use Ableton Live by composing in MIDI, then exporting those notations as sound.

Today I thought to record a song called 'Inner Bitch' using my Suzuki Omnichord to play the MIDI parts. 

if you want me to stay

When someone warns you

 

naviarhaiku596 – spring dream

The poem shared by Naviar Records needed something with spring, then I set about trying to make it more unhinged. 

Roland Tr-707/727

Disquiet Junto 0701 Gap Ear

The Disquiet Junto assignment is to "Break apart a piece of music and fill the resulting spaces."

I've gone back to my surprise hit from Easter, Innuendo.

Carefully the ukulele part has been cut away, then a moody synth added. 

Pedalboards in bloom

 

What’s the difference between a lead guitarist and a terrorist?
You can negotiate with a terrorist! 

What do you do when you see a girl on the arm of a guitar player?
Say "Nice tattoo"! 

What’s the difference between a guitarist and a savings bond?
Eventually, a savings bond will mature and make money!

 

Meanwhile, a FB group who share photos of effects pedals lost around one hundred followers when they put up a rainbow earlier this week.
 

Uncle Jimmy on culture

Well culture – you can't experience culture, you can't learn it, you can't describe it. You've got to live it. You've got to live it. If you want people to like you you've got to like them. If you want people to respect you you've got to respect them. You can't force your ideas on people. It mightn't be the right way for you. You might have to travel another trail to get to the right meaning and in culture you know that, you know that way. It's more like – I suppose culture was a religion or something similar to religion. It's a way of life, yeah, it's the way you live your life.

Kevin, I'm dying.

 

Disquiet Junto 0700 View Frame

I couldn't resist recording this piece for the 700th Junto project.

The directions were to show people a glimpse outside my world, so here's my backyard and some of the laundry that I washed today.

As I haven't packed away my drumkit yet for winter, I decided to have a bash.

A 303-style bassline has been added because it was the easiest thing to consider at this time. 

One bit of reflection is how I began recording videos for Junto projects at number 100.

Since then that playlist has grown to over 450, which means I've responded to three-quarters of the prompts in that time. 

I was first introduced to the Junto community around 027, which involved music from text but I worried my response had misinterpreted the instruction and didn't share it. 

Just me

 

Straya by Kink

Bought this pedal because I was amused by the graphic.

For anyone reading who isn't an Australian, the character represented is the kind of lower socio-economic figure that might be considered a "redneck" -- although I wouldn't use that term with them directly.

The signifiers are the mullet haircut, "Jackie Howe" blue singlet and Southern Cross tattoo.

As for the sound of the pedal, I was pleasantly surprised.

On the right-hand side is a tubescreamer-style boost, while the left has a throaty overdrive.

It had me playing rock riffs as soon as these were engaged.

I tried it alongside my CopperSound Foxcatcher and Ly-rock King of Clone, which revealed the former to have a bassier boost and fuzzier overdrive (running at 9v, as I haven't tried the 18v option yet).

The Ly-rock pedal has an okay boost and fuzzier distortion, but has sounded way too trebly for my liking.

A friend introduced me to Kink pedals last year, when he brought a Dozer along to a jam.

While graphics on pedals have been a weakness for me, I really like the sounds that I'm getting from Straya.