This week's Disquiet Junto coincided with me re-reading Jonathan Sterne's excellent book, The Audible Past: The Cultural Origins of Sound Reproduction. In it, Sterne traces the pre-history of sound reproducing technology and demonstrates that each new technology was less a brand new era in human development, but rather a new way to meet an old desire. Examining the cultural forces that led to these developments in sound technology really does feel like studying pre-history, because the mediums themselves very quickly took on a life of their own and created their own set of new desires, as Marshall McLuhan repeatedly observed.
Read MoreCollaborative extra-terrestrial transmissions recorded with percussionist Mitch Shiner (mitchshinermusic). SuperCollider synths played with a MalletKat MIDI controller. Any transmission to outer space is bound to be sent using technology that will be obsolete here on Earth by the time it reaches beings elsewhere in the universe, so this piece was recorded directly to cassette tape before being transmitted to you fellow humans via SoundCloud.
Read MoreI really love wallpaper. I love how it's a material that has to find a right balance between being aesthetically pleasing but ultimately ignored, like smooth jazz or elevator music. I also don't think that concrete is as solid and simple as we often believe it to be. I live in a city full of cracked sidewalks, crumbling bricks, and potholes. These decaying urban materials gradually take on an increasingly organic quality, as nature and the elements gradually reclaim the landscape.
Read MoreMy contribution to the beautiful, haunting duo by howthenightcame and ikjoyce. I recently gathered up some old tape machines that have been (literally) gathering dust in my attic and brought them to the studio to clean up and use for creative projects. My Portastudio MF-P01 creates this beautiful, shimmery warble to the high end, even after cleaning the heads. I recorded several different improvisations over the duo directly into the Portastudio with my 69 Telecaster Thinline and recorded the tape into Pro Tools via a True P-Solo preamp. I added some Valhalla Vintage Verb after aligning and comping in PT.
Read MoreMy first attempt at a Disquiet Junto, building upon burn's wonky tritone-based guitar piece. I used Dave Pendle's Ghost Dulcitone instrument to create an undulating counterpoint to the unpredictable guitar part. Half the fun (and challenge) was trying to follow burn's harmonies. The percussive, overblown flute part adds momentum. Both parts were dirtied up and delayed a bit to fit in behind the guitar. Click “read more” to listen.
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