For this track I started at 117 BPM, a favourite. 4/4 sounded a bit dull, so I started experimenting with 3/4 but ended up reversing my recent formula. This has a 3/4 percussion track and a 4/4 bassline, I think.
Naviarhaiku107 - The sleet falls
For this track I started at 117 BPM, a favourite. 4/4 sounded a bit dull, so I started experimenting with 3/4 but ended up reversing my recent formula. This has a 3/4 percussion track and a 4/4 bassline, I think.
Disquiet Junto 0212 484 Hz Love Songs
I've just realised that I didn't pay attention to the direction for a brief song. I did consider editing the track down to four minutes and it probably would've been better for it. Anyway, I'm very happy that I've contributed to a Junto topic and this is my 120th project with Disquiet.
To start this Junto I opened an EQ in Live and found 484 Hz by playing the highest A# on my bass and bending it halfway to B. The octave lower seemed to show in the EQ too, but my bass could go no higher so I filtered that out. Then I considered tuning a low B a bit lower, before picking up the fretless bass and improvising with that against that looped swell first heard.
There are a couple of voices in the mix. One isn't legible as it was someone yelling when I recorded the drums last week, so it's been gated. The other was my partner singing the chorus "Play that funky music white boy" which came from a Hot Cherry song that was repurposed by Vanilla Ice. She was singing in the kitchen as I started and was playing the 'Under Pressure' bassline, which led to her being recorded as it was picked up by my camera and then incorporated as I use the video footage in Live.
The drums were recorded last weekend and I had considered a micro-tonal sorta bassline on the fretless to accompany it but I'm not sure I thought much about what micro-tonal might mean other than sliding the notes around a lot. I added a key change too. And lots of Valhalla reverbs.
The title refers to Barmah Forest virus, which is often found in the blood of sentinel chickens during late summer. These birds are monitored by Leeton's council for mosquito-borne illnesses and it's one of a few nasties that are found locally. I've met a few locals who've had extended illness from mosquito bites, so it's a hazard I'm conscious of during the late summer months.
RPM Challenge 2016
Nashville tuning
If I remember right, it's the use of thinner-gauged strings to transpose the lower three. The EAD moves up an octave to kinda compete with the GBE. Each time you strum through a chord, you something more like a melody than steps up a scale.
It sounds really interesting too. When I play the 'Nashville' tuning I hear a lot of recorded guitar parts from soft rock tunes. I think it is meant to be good for recorded music as it clears lower frequencies without the need for EQ.
Naviarhaiku106 - Sunrays
Okay, back with an edit to both the blog and the recording.
After listening back I thought the sloppy guitar playing was too crap for the track. So I've tidied it up by making loops and arranging them into a better stucture, as well as treating one guitar part to Valhalla's Shimmer reverb.
And I've uploaded a video for the track 'Refill' here.
The poem this week didn't really grab me but the mention of sunlight reminded me how excited I am to get up to a cup of coffee in the morning. Ever since I bought an Aeropress I've been hopelessly addicted to drinking caffeine again after years of avoiding it.
Anyway, to record I jammed along with an old Solid Steel mix. First playing the drums, then the coffeegrinder, then a 'Nashville'-tuned guitar, and then bass. I feel like it needs something else, like running water or the drone of an airconditioner. Couldn't really decide what to add, so I left it awaiting that final element but I've really got to work on my guitar playing.
Naviarhaiku105 - Through the ages
Actually, it was thinking about the moon that reminded me of a line I'd improvised while singing on the way to work. So I added a few more words and got this verse:
Moonlight knock on my window and it call me
into the night where the frogs are performing
calling a mate with a song because they're horny
listen and you'll hear them sing until early morning
Baby, baby. Won't you come to me?
Morphine-influenced to Morphine cover
This is cool! Detritus Tabu took my Morphine-influenced Junto track and made it into a Morphine cover!
Disquiet Junto 0210 Ice Coda
This is the fifth time the Disquiet Junto has proposed recording the sound of ice in a glass and making something of it, and my fourth time doing so. And it's the third time I've made a video.
In my first year I recorded the ice creaking and cracking and then added a lot of reverb, as well pitching samples to create a sense of harmonic progression. In the second and third years I recorded the ice being agitated within glasses and also ceramic mugs. Here's 2015's result, which is probably still my favourite:
This year I thought I'd let a tap drip onto the ice in the glass. I'd made a few tracks using recordings of my dripping tap last year, however I'd fixed the tap and it didn't drip anymore. So, using the wiper wrapped around the faucet, I got a steady drip and put contact mics on the glass. The results were underwhelming.
Next I found my files from last year and began looping. These sounded more promising and soon I had a rhythm that held my interest. I began jamming along with it on bass, then guitar and eventually the four-string guitar that I've been experimenting with after my recent obsession with Morphine.
The guitar uses an open D tuning, like Sandman's bass, but instead of his two strings I've added two that harmonise. My thinking was that since he uses a slide, an added drone would provide a similar sorta sound. It sounds more like a guitar chord but it's been fun, although I wonder if I haven't built a baritone ukulele. Could a bass mandolin be a bassolin? Basslin?
So, after combining my old ice cube files with the new ones and jamming along in a few keys, I ended up with a few riffs that I edited together in a way that made it surprise myself. I like the way a few different approaches has led to a Frankenstein-sorta result.
Soft skin
William S Burroughs argued that audio-collage using the 'cut-up' technique can be a form of magic. He believed that by composing particular sounds together and playing them at a location, one can influence an outcome.
With Burroughs' idea in mind, I've layered two audio recordings and am hoping to have a threesome this year.
Lucas Abela on funding and discouse
The whole Art Start idea, I find really insulting. To a certain level I think you need to have some kind of struggle with your practice, and just giving people money willy nilly is a silly idea, it gives people too much confidence to go on, there’s so many artists out there and their ideas aren’t really that great, Art Start just waters everything down and gives people an altered sense of reality about how their career is going to be.
[...]
I find that the peer assessment model of the Australia Council to be one of the reasons that the critical discourse in the arts isn’t that good in Australia because every three years the peers are rotating, you never know who your peers are going to be… I think because of the peer situation, people aren’t going to go and criticise things the way that they should because they don’t want to publicly put something down when they know that these artists could be assessing their work at a future date. I think Australia needs to get more critical. I don’t want everyone to be negative but there doesn’t seem to be any sort of critical discourse in the arts.
Naviarhaiku104 - My jealousy
I'd been playing with making loops from the Morphine cover I recorded earlier this week. I mean, I call it a cover but I changed the key and played different bass riffs, as well as killing the drums. When I recorded it I entertained the idea of using different lyrics and the line ended up being used in this song.
The lyric also comes from Morphine. Their song 'The Way We Met' has a line about being too far gone to be wrong or right. I meant to record "Gone too far to be wrong to be right" but forgot the line and recorded "Gone too far to be wrong or to be right".
I murdered Mark Sandman
A friend reckons that 1993 was the greatest year in music. It's a strong argument, I think.
When I remember 1993, I remember great music and this includes Morphine's album Cure For Pain. In fact, looking back there was so much good music that I feel I took it for granted and, in a way, took Morphine for granted. Like, I never bought their music because they were always on the radio. And I never saw them live either.
When I watched The Sopranos on DVD there was a Morphine track that gave me something of a '90s flashback. Then last year I saw the doco on Sandman where Les Claypool sang his praises and began thinking about the economy of the songwriting, as well as the economy of guitar strings.
This week I've been listening to Morphine and feeling restless to make music. It came to a head yesterday with this attempt to cover 'Eleven o'clock' from Morphine's 1997 album Like Swimming. As usual, I've spent more time editing video than rehearsing, performing or producing the audio. Might remix bits yet.
The video has been edited because the final section fell into disrepair. It was messy. My drumming is clearly challenged by the idea of playing behind the beat. I totally murdered Mark Sandman!
When I remember 1993, I remember great music and this includes Morphine's album Cure For Pain. In fact, looking back there was so much good music that I feel I took it for granted and, in a way, took Morphine for granted. Like, I never bought their music because they were always on the radio. And I never saw them live either.
When I watched The Sopranos on DVD there was a Morphine track that gave me something of a '90s flashback. Then last year I saw the doco on Sandman where Les Claypool sang his praises and began thinking about the economy of the songwriting, as well as the economy of guitar strings.
This week I've been listening to Morphine and feeling restless to make music. It came to a head yesterday with this attempt to cover 'Eleven o'clock' from Morphine's 1997 album Like Swimming. As usual, I've spent more time editing video than rehearsing, performing or producing the audio. Might remix bits yet.
The video has been edited because the final section fell into disrepair. It was messy. My drumming is clearly challenged by the idea of playing behind the beat. I totally murdered Mark Sandman!
Smoke
Was at a loss today, so I thought I'd improvise a song. As usual, I ended up spending more time producing it than spent playing or writing it. So it's not that great and seems to need something more, other than smoke.
Disquiet Junto 0209 Audio Journal 2015
Here's a selection of material produced during the year. This follows the direction for five seconds from each month used by the Disquiet Junto in previous years, and this year I've made a video too -- which is at the bottom of this post.
I'll add text discussing 2015 below and you can find a playlist of the 2015 videos here.
The year opens with the Junto directions to "Record the sound of ice in a glass and make something of it." 2015 marked my third attempt at producing this piece and I think it was my best yet, but 2016 isn't too far away now. Some audio of an orgasm I shared in January was one of my most popular tracks on Soundcloud. That Junto based on a recording after midnight was interesting to return to but it also made me think about the documentary nature of sound and the idea that sexuality is an intrinsic part of character. It's self-indulgent but I was wondering why I hadn't encountered more of it and used Juntos to explore the idea a bit.
February features a similar technique but I've made a song from fireworks using old footage shot outside Wagga. It's worth mentioning that I also made a song during March that used a short sample of a spank. The original sample has become my most-viewed Youtube video, which isn't an achievement that I anticipated but reiterates the observation that the small amount of my sex life that I shared online this year has been surprisingly popular.
March featured a highlight of my 2015, when Naviar Records shared one of my haiku as inspiration for their musicians. I've been writing poetry for years but this was one of the few times it's attracted attention, although it wasn't to be the only time this year. Naviar Records have also inspired some of my best tracks.
In April I spent some time jamming on drums with loops recorded on guitars, as well as mashing up the Beastie Boys' 'Gratitude' with The Pixies' 'Where is my mind?' I also sang other songs in 2015, so this track can represent those too (like this one). In hindsight I was learning a few songs and thinking about the role of lyrics. This reflection led me to cover another song this week.
May was an opportunity to re-record one of my favourite compositions from 2014, which sometimes called 'Ophelia' and sometimes 'Mistletoe' for various reasons. That Junto asked for a performance wearing gloves and they provided a nice, muted effect on the bass guitar.
June saw the completion of a collaboration with my colleague at Western Riverina Arts, poet Derek Motion. This was the result of a project we proposed to Wagga council for projection, which was an interesting exercise since I started with a focus on sound and it wasn't until we asked how they'd like it delivered that we realised there wouldn't be an audible soundtrack at the presentation. It's a shame as the remix of KlanKman's 'Trein' was another highlight -- and one that was overdue after his beaut remixes of my tracks, like this one.
I was in Queensland for some of July, including Modifyre. Did a Junto based on my name that turned out good and used a 5/4 time signature, which is another thing I mean to do more often. There are some beaut grooves beyond 4/4 and the soundtrack for that Modifyre video is another success, though with 3/4 -- which was a time signature that I've used for basslines a bit recently.
In August my friends at RealArtWorks invited me along to their camp outside Wagga. It's great to be involved with these artists, although my digital workflow is at odds with their analogue materials. Still, it was great fun. Video of musician Mike Smith writing braille was accompanied with an electrified braille machine instrument.
September was a busy month with preparations for installations at Trent's, Burning Seed and Lillypilly Winery during October. The Junto responding to a clock worked out really well though, so I've included it instead of those projects -- although remixing Trent's was fun.
October was busy and it shows, since I only had this video made from a lawnmower, drums and guitars to share. That recording was made for a Junto and I ran out of time, so I used them for a Naviar project instead. I think I should have another go with this material as the bassline is kinda groovy but the track takes a while to get going. Returning to material and remixing it further has been fruitful recently. Another remix chain was completed too, which was the second for the year -- see here.
November saw a Naviar assignment lead me to produce a beaut track on the fretless bass and loops made from broken branches. A similar workflow led me to a great result in April with the track 'Polish' for a Naviar short story project and that track was included in their compilation of the results from those stories. Those projects were fun and encouraged me to explore MIDI composition and the Ableton sample library.
Now it's December and there are hours of music that I've produced in 2015. I thought I'd conclude with this collaboration with my son, Oscar. We made six videos together this year and it was fun to produce someone else's material. The first is best.
There's more I could reflect on in 2015, particularly my professional development, but I think this is enough for now. All the best in the new year!
Disquiet Junto 0208 In Situ
The Disquiet Junto this week was one of those sets of instructions that didn't quite make sense for me. Dunno, maybe it was the direction to use what was on hand in one step and then to use source recordings.
Anyway, in a way, it doesn't matter. Sometimes those reactions are part of the process and it seems to encourage a degree of disassociation that helps with improvised compositions. Although, one thing I've been thinking, was about an earlier Junto for "sonic tinsel" and I think this is a better result for that characteristic. And earlier this week I was thinking about this recording of that composition.
Anyway, it seemed impossible to get around acknowledging Christmas. Originally I'd planned to record a metal frame but it was raining in Wagga this morning, so I set a new time to compose when I returned to Leeton. The noise at home was more noticeable after being away from the suburb.
My neighbours seemed to be playing backyard cricket and it was getting increasingly rowdy. You can hear a cheer and also the exclamation "That's what I'm talking about!" I'd heard yells throughout the afternoon and wondered how to incorporate them into the Junto.
Once I'd recorded this take and one other, I spent a little while manipulating the sounds in Ableton Live by adding reverb and delay. It still needed something, so I added a few notes on a VST synth with MIDI.
Naviarhaiku103 - Leaving its nest
This chord progression was written on bass while I was visiting my 'outlaws' outside Wagga. They live on a hilltop and the second storey of their house looks into the treetops, where the bird community has been breeding in large numbers this year -- as a result of the wet winter.
Naviarhaiku102 - As darkness draws in
Darkness doesn't draw in as early as I'd like at present. We've had the summer solstice this week and it's been challenging to get my kids into bed before I fall asleep, since they're on holiday but I'm still working. So, yeah, this track didn't get as much attention as it should've.
Disquiet Junto 0207 Remixing Marilli
The Disquiet Junto this week asked for a remix using three short samples from Michel Banabila.
To start I open Ableton Live and apply a gate to the samples. This lets me identify useful transients, which I like to find first as rhythm is usually my starting point. There were a couple of percussion sounds that stood out, then I added some bass parts as there wasn't a kick sound. The high hat sound comes from a preset in the effect Replicant.
Then I'll experiment with re-pitching short loops and see if I can create a chord change or melody that works over the rhythm. In this case I added reverb to get a more ambient sorta synth pad wash as well. Valhalla Shimmer is great.
Finally, I use a couple of bus tracks to compress the rhythm and add reverb. Then I add some more compression on the master and export. The track for this junto was completed in about four hours.
The title comes from Terry Pratchett.
Doorstop Discovery
Had another go at making music using a dripping tap, as well as the bassline and drums recorded for a couple of Juntos. Ended up with a bit of a dub sorta sound, thanks to the tape-style delays.
Naviar haiku 0101 Someone else's clock
When the Naviar email arrived I thought about recording a clock. On Sunday morning I was keen to record. After spending the night listening to a dripping tap, it didn't seem such a leap to use the percussive drops.
The recordings were mostly made using a Nikon camera with a Rode video mic. These were looped and then re-pitched to create a chord. I also made recordings with a stereo Rode mic and a Zoom recorder, which is also in the mix.
Initially I started with a bass loop and then added drums. Then I deleted the loop and recorded this part. It's an early take. If you listen closely it actually loops near the end but the chord progression starts to loop much earlier. Maybe it needs a breakdown?
As mentioned, I recorded the bass part quickly on the fretless. The video suffers because I didn't shoot the bass. I shouldn't have been so lazy. Next time I'll make an effort but I didn't because it felt like I should put on pants.
The title is about sleeping over at someone's place but also that sense when you hearing a noise in the night and know your sleep is over.
Disquiet Junto 0206 Three Switches
The Disquiet Junto this week brought to mind number 101, where switches were recorded and manipulated. I considered finding those samples but another idea took hold.
The idea of switching between parts suggested a kind of call and response melody. Or a kind of call and response and response melody in this case.
I settled on the idea of recording a vocal, a bass and percussion, then I went back and re-read the Junto and realised I'd read it wrong. However, this was the idea I ended up recording.
I quickly recorded the melody on the bass and asked my partner to sing the lyric and then spent hours wondering how I was going to make it work. In the end I left the track in frustration and went back to one that I'd been putting together earlier on Friday.
The vocal needed to be stretched and re-pitched but it sorta worked as a house remix with the three-quarter bassline I'd written. I love the way the shorter loops on the bass give the track an evolving quality. It's one trick I've used a lot since I heard Dave Graham recommend it.
The result is a song that switches between a heavily effected screen door, voice and bass guitar against a 909 drumbeat and another bassline. I don't think it works but the project led me to produce a remix that I like, and I like it when a Junto inspires new material because it's usually something different.
Secret Dream
Here's a quick remix from recent recordings, including the Under Beat and Beat Basis juntos. Not much of a video though, as I only had the footage of the drumming.
Naviar haiku 0100 Winter evening
The project was a prompt to develop a track and this one uses a recording of my fireplace from 2013. I had been thinking about remixing a recording of a screen door that was made for my first Naviar haiku project, number 17. Then I found this fireplace recording and thought it was better suited.
The result is a rhythm from the fireplace accompanied by fretless bass. I made the beat first and then experimented with ideas until I settled on these two chord changes. It seems like it still needs something but I'm not sure what yet.
Disquiet Junto 0205 Superposition
The Disquiet Junto this week was another great opportunity to revisit ideas. The "graphic notation" assignments have often been fun and the picture this week held many possibilities.
It's partly in 3/4 time signature with the notes interpreted in the kick drum rhythm, which shows six quarter notes against eight tambourines. This morning I settled on the drum parts and then, after taking my kids to the library, added the synth and bass parts.
I like the contrast between the two time signatures. I've been revisiting old projects recently and this one draws the time signature idea from this Naviar haiku junto.
When I wrote that piece, I recorded the lock on my screen door. That recording is currently on my desktop and I considered it for this piece, but used the recording of the fire starting instead.
That fire was lit in 2013. I'd been looking for an opportunity to use that recording and the Junto this week was it. My levels are a bit low though. Things haven't been the same since I started listening to playback through my PA instead of my monitor speakers, which are usually turned down 10db.
Freaks and their frequencies
Naviar haiku 099 At the deepest point
The recording of the sticks didn't go to plan, as I forgot to 'arm' the track when recording and had to use the sound from the video. Below is an excerpt.
Within a couple of hours I'd shaped these sticks into a collection of percussive loops and a few notes on a VST synth, as well as one part that I'd treated with a Sinevibes effect to create an upbeat bassline. It added a lot of vibe but wasn't the key I wanted. When I returned to the track the following morning, I knew it had to go. I remember thinking there must be an Oblique Strategy that says to destroy the most obvious element in the track.
I recorded a few takes on the fretless bass and could hear a few different chord progressions. The take used was the second or third, which only needed a couple of edits but I think I could've changed one more note. Then again, it sounds a bit 'broken' at that point, so maybe it works with the theme?
Disquiet Junto 0204 Under Beat
For the Junto this week I recorded a couple of takes on the drums and half of one on bass guitar, accompanying “Beacon, For Marissa” By Toaster. My playing feels a bit messy, as it has been ages since I played a musical instrument.
Then I used Ableton Live's convert to MIDI function to create harmony and melody parts that were run through Phosphor and Absynth VST instruments.
This six-minute result feels a bit long. I might edit my parts without Beacon... and tidy it up.
Disquiet Junto 0203 Beat Basis
The Junto this week asked for an accompaniment to the track 'It' by Name Constant.
The track was a bit of a headfuck. I don't know what the time signature is but I eventually settled on counting four twice and then two as I played bass guitar this morning. Does that make it 5/4?
This bassline was only a few notes but every time I had an idea to add more or try a different bass, I ended up struggling to remember the feel.
Once it was settled, I added a simple drum beat and picked a few notes on the guitar. Then my kids started fighting and I had to stop.
This weekend has been the third spent pulling up carpets, underlay, staples and tacks. Carpet moth has infested my house and drastic action was required.
After calming my kids, I returned to pulling up and hummed melodies to myself while thinking what else to record with 'It'. Conversation turned to reading horror stories, as my youngest insisted we start something scary. My partner pulled out a copy of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes.
As I read aloud the blurb on the back of the cover, it occurred to me that it would work sung to the melody I'd been humming. My partner encouraged me to record my idea while the inspiration was fresh (love that woman!) and what you hear was my second take.
Wasn't sure about the direction "do not change the source audio," since adding anything is going to cause it to change. I've EQ'd 'It' and turned it down, also edited the beginning by keeping the opening and then fading into a part about a minute later in the original track. To be honest, I probably didn't care much for the direction as I like to use the Junto as a prompt to develop new material.
This track recorded for the Junto took about six hours from start to finish. I think it's my 111th Junto project.
Naviar haiku 095 First autumn morning
The more I thought about it, the more I thought I should use it as a springboard to explore another sense of paternalism.
The melody on the bass guitar was one I started humming in Easter this year, a time that became associated with the murder of Stephanie Scott. I spent the following weekend thinking about the symbolism of her death at Easter, which in the southern hemisphere marks the start of autumn.
Since then I've been thinking about the feminist argument that the personal is political, so this poem led me to think how a father is a symbol of patriarchy and how governments are patriarchal in claiming to act in the best interests of citizens.
I think governments are influenced by lobbyists, who are largely acting on behalf of corporations. Just look at the TPP and the secrecy in which it was negotiated and signed by governments, making a farce of democracy.
Anyway, the Naviar haiku was a prompt to record a first draft of this idea that I've had in my head for half a year. It's good to have a deadline to realise such ideas and I almost missed this one as various events have kept me busy this week.
Layering up three bass guitar parts is a recipe for a muddy mix, as well as a similar number of vocal parts. I think I can better realise this track but it's good to have made a start.
Disquiet Junto 0200 Kadrey Score
A milestone for the Disquiet Junto this week as it reaches 200 consecutive weeks of projects. Huzzah!
Using only his recording of a short story, I've created a soundtrack to accompany the first part of seven. A pop near the end was ideal for a kick, while I took the ess in 'piece' to make a high-hat.
Other parts came from 'o' and 'a' vowel sounds, as well as a 't' sound that is kinda percussive. All were manipulated with gates and Live's beatrepeat and Valhalla Shimmer reverb rises through the piece.
Disquiet Junto 0199 Space Crickets
The Junto this week is really fun but I'm not sure I can explain it. It's ambiance for space, background noise for interstellar travel.
Or maybe just mixing The 12th Man with some industrial hum?
Brian Eno on the worst in some people
Q: How do you explain the proliferation of "unplugged" performances by rock stars lately?
A: I think I can sympathize with what it is reacting against. Because a lot of music in the last 10 or 15 years has been made on computer-driven sequencers, it has a certain flavor to it. Sometimes that flavor's all right. But I'll tell you what the main effect of sequencers has been: Everybody thinks that when new technologies come along that they're transparent and you can just do your job well on it. But technologies always import a whole new set of values with them. And one of the values that sequencers imported was everything's got to be exactly right.
It's so easy because a computer is basically a nerd-designed, screwdriver addict's machine. It's a machine that's perfect for making small adjustments and not very good for making bold strokes. I think people just got sick of sitting in studios for hours while some bloke in front of a screen kind of tightened everything up, so that every kick drum beat fell exactly on the one.
If you've been around that way of composing and you pick up an acoustic instrument and hit it, you think, "Jesus, it's so full of life. There's so much going on in here." So I think people are really reacting to what has been rather an unimaginative use of computer technology so far. What I think is, of course, that there'll be a new generation of people who'll use computers with the same freedom that Pete Townshend uses an acoustic guitar. But those people are just starting to emerge, I think. The computer brings out the worst in some people.
Naviar haiku 092 Close my eyes silence
It's been a little while between Naviar tracks for me, for various reasons that mostly relate to a shortage of free time. Working full-time across two jobs is taking a toll, as well as recent projects like the installations at Trent's and Burning Seed.
Anyway, I'd recorded my lawnmower and a jam a couple of weeks ago for a Junto that didn't get finished and the haiku this week spoke to me. It said "Remember silence?" And I thought 'no' because I have three kids, so my best quiet time is early mornings, bath time and mowing the lawn.
The bassline I'd recorded was simple but still seemed too busy, so I gated it to follow the drums. The drums were also simple, so I multiplied them three times. The guitar was also simple, so I added reverb and delay. The lawnmower I spread wider across the stereo field but mostly left as it was for background noise.
Trent's Coffeehouse in Narrandera
Here's my remix of Trent's Coffeehouse in Narrandera for #bringtolightproject15.
Disquiet Junto 0194 Clock Play
The Junto this week to make a track from a clock was a great prompt to try an idea I'd had. Last week I recorded a drum part that I thought sounded good but my family thought sounded like all my other drum parts.
Undeterred I thought it'd be interesting to make the track into a round. So I duplicated the drum part and staggered their starts by a bar each. Then I got stumped by the idea of composing a melody to also be a round with it.
Instead I thought of my alarm clock which makes a horrible bleating sound. I've heard a bit of it since starting my new job. It was recorded using my Rode VideoMic. The drums had been recorded using a Rode NT4 stereo mic.
Once I started manipulating the bleating alarm in Ableton Live, I found it sounded keyboard-like when dropped an octave. For a while I played around with different pitches and speeds, then I went back to an early attempt and gated it with the Beat Repeat effect.
A bassline was made using a VST, then Valhalla Shimmer reverb was employed for that octave above and below effect. Then I went to bed.
When I returned to the draft this morning I began thinking of a guitar part. I experimented with a few chords and then, when time allowed in the afternoon, recorded a part and layered it four times to create another round.
Then I added a bassline, which seemed way too murky multiplied by four, and raised the VST bass part an octave to sit behind the alarm clock. The reverb on the drums smoothed out some of the parts which drift out of time, which is something the delay on the guitar does too. I panned the guitar parts from left to right.
If you listen you can hear the round go 'round your head, which is kinda cool given the circular representation of time on an analogue clock face.
This is my 40th Disquiet Junto video.
Disquiet Junto 0193 Semi-Parallel Lines
I think I might've misunderstood the Junto this week. Seems like I've ended up with a sketch I meant to record but a different feel than what I wanted.
I recorded the drum part so that I'd have something to keep me in time. Then the guitar part, then the bass but these two were recorded independently of each other with just the drums in my headphones.
Lovely warm day today, it's starting to feel like spring. I've been busy working on a soundtrack, so it was good to be motivated to record this riff although I think I could do it better differently.
Gentle Borrower
John Oswald's essay Bettered by the Borrower: The Ethics of Musical Debt inspired this song about inspiration and copyright, Gentle Borrower. This is a new version using the vocal Jo recorded in 2008, as part of the album VISCERA recorded for the RPM Challenge.
Dunno, the timing might need some work yet. And that keyboard during the first verse doesn't quite sit right. I think I'm still to get a definitive version of this song.
Disquiet Junto 0191 Held Chord
I really enjoyed hearing the result of this Junto, where the idea was to use a single chord across multiple instruments.
I cheated, I think. My result used a MIDI'd chord and sampled instruments but I really liked hearing the chord progress seamlessly through a baker's dozen playing E.
The idea was that the range of the instrument would determine the order. I ended up recording the parts and then arranging them by ear.
Braille machine duet
Video made from footage collected at the RealArtWorks Nothing Is Useless camp outside Wagga earlier this month. Results will be exhibited at Wagga Art Gallery later this year.
Disquiet Junto 0189 Tone Layer
After having a break I felt a bit rusty getting back to the Junto but the assignment this week wasn't too demanding.
I decided to record the bass guitar but soon found I had to create very short loops to sustain the tones. The notes were going to be in the key of A but once in Live I dropped the root down six steps.
The rumbling bit was good, I'd like more of that. But, in hindsight, I wish I'd used a different instrument. I think human voice would've been better, as I always enjoy making vocal drones for Juntos -- although I rarely end up using those tracks on the albums I compile.
Disquiet Junto 0186 My Name
I've always wanted a theme song. One that could play like a soundtrack heralding my arrival in a room or a party. The Disquiet Junto project this week could be that song.
Early on I decided that a 5/4 time signature would suit repeating the five letters of my name. The drum beat came next, inspired by an Amon Tobin track. Then I used the MIDI for the beat to play the synth part. It all came together quickly.
This piece reminds me of an earlier Junto project that spelt my name using Morse code, which ended up on my album WHILE.
While on holiday
There was a creek crossing near where I was camping in southern Queensland. It had a pipe that made a droning kinda gurgle. I noticed that there seemed to be a few frogs around and wondered if they were attracted by the noise.
Naviar Series 006
The new Naviar Records compilation includes a slinky house track I wrote in 3/4 time signature. Download it here.
Here's a beaut review of the album and it singles out my track for a mention. Nice!
Disquiet Junto 0181 Instrumental Dream
The Junto this week takes the idea of realising within music the dream of an instrument. It's quite a sweet idea, I think.
I was feeling a bit discouraged when suddenly I had this idea of a string melody looped over a breakbeat, like something from a solo Wu Tang album. So I quickly sat down and figured it out on the bass. Then I had the idea of some chords that could accompany it and imagined them played by an orchestra.
Do bass guitars dream of leading an orchestra? Mine did, so I used Ableton Live's convert-to-MIDI function to drive the Suite of orchestral samples to get a lush result.
Trein leaves the station
On a recent visit to Sydney I collected the final part for my remix of KlanKman's Trein. Platform 23 was where I waited for the train to go to the Airport.
Disquiet Junto 0180 Matryoshka Music
The Disquiet Junto this week was based on the idea of Russian dolls. Y'know the ones? Each nestled inside the other.
I had a few ideas. At one point I thought about looping Kate Bush and playing it back through different sized reverbs. At another point I was jamming on the guitar and drums to a Peaches riff and singing creepy lyrics: "I can't wait to crack you open. I can't wait to see you're small inside."
I thought about recording the sound of dolls, as I'm sure there's a set in the toy box but I didn't want to deal with the toy box. I'm worried there might be food in there but I'd prefer not to know. And, dunno, it seemed too literal to record actual Matryoshka dolls.
Then I started MIDI-ing stuff. At first it sounded a bit robotic but the idea was to move upwards through keys. Then I went back to the guitar and recorded MIDI with it. What sounded like a dinky riff on the guitar ended up sounding even dinkier through an organ preset, but I thought it worked better for it.
Naviar haiku 074 Sing
Although it spoke of aeolian harps, this built on my experiments with 'the wires' in using singing and whistling. These can be seen in this video of my performance at the Unsound festival outside Wagga Wagga in 2004.
You can hear that I've added some instrumentation using Live's audio-to-MIDI function to trigger samples from their Suite.
[video forthcoming]
Disquiet Junto 0179 Tech(nique) Talk
The Disquiet Junto this week asks participants to share a recent technique 'figured out' in the production of music.
This isn't the most recent technique I've used in making music, that would probably be Live's audio-to-MIDI conversion that I think Ethan Hein has already discussed.
It's been about six months since I saw this technique on Tim Prebble's blog Music of Sound, in the excellent Detritus section.
The idea is to generate a piece by looping a series of ascending notes in E minor. I used this idea in my track Seabreeze.
For the piece recorded on glockenspiel this week, I've changed the formula to something closer to 4E2. I see something as I was loosely interpreting the tempo when recording and then manipulated one part further.
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