Bleep, Warp Records’ online digital music store, has started selling FLAC-encoded tracks. Warp originally said they were considering using other formats, with MP3 initially. The entire Autechre back catalogue has been released encoded as FLAC, although an album now costs £9.99 - presumably to cover the extra bandwidth used. Sean Booth of Autechre recently stated in an interview that he thought Autechre sounds best on CD, due to MP3 encoded losing details.
26/04/2005
21/04/2005
An interview with Sam Hodge (aka spoonPhase)
Sam Hodge has released work under the alias spoonPhase on Webbed Hands Records. His music varies from psychological explorations of the grotesque and ironic, to epic soundscapes, produced using varied techniques and even homemade instruments. We got talking and decided to do this interview, in which he discusses the inspiration for his music, his roots and future activities…
Is there much of a “scene” where you live? Do you get a chance to play live often?
Sam:
Well… I’m from Huntington, West Virginia and let me tell you… there is NO scene for experimental electronic artists here. Around here… the only crap that is successful live is stuff like punk rock, metal, hip-hop, or house music. I DO play drums live in a band and I’ve been playing in bands since I was 14. I’m almost 22 now so that gives me a good deal of experience with the live element.
Musically, what are your influences? I noticed a few sounds and techniques that remind me of some of the more unique artists on British labels such as Warp, are they a big influence?
Sam:
You are correct for finding these connections. The music scene in the UK is more where I would like to see myself in terms of style and crowd support. It seems like the fans over there are more open minded and experimental IDM can thrive heavily over there. My musical influences go way back to all kinds of rock and classical training… however, on an electronic basis… Richard D James (Aphex Twin, Gak, AFX, Polygon Window, etc.) was my first big influence. I was fascinated by the way he just expressed EVERY random thought WHILE producing… it’s so free to work this way. Other artists that have influenced me, which you’ve probably already figured out, are Squarepusher, Autechre, Bjork, Ezekiel Honig, Venetian Snares, and some other insaniacs.
What caused you to release work on the Internet?
Sam:
It seems like the internet is the easiest way to find contacts. Before the internet, you had to move some place big like New York, or Los Angeles to get in with a label… or in my case, I would have to go all the way to Europe. You can build pretty big fan bases on the internet if you know how to market yourself. The only thing is, that can be INSANELY time consuming, not to mention expensive. Being that I’m basically my only promoter, I spend almost more time promoting myself than I do actually writing and producing music.
A downside to internet fans is that they seem to be less loyal than those you would gain at live shows. However, I have seen and still do see a fair share of “stalkers”… even on the internet. It’s a bit safer than flesh and blood stalkers but you still have to be careful.
One big reason I got on the internet is that I aim more for fame than money and it seems like when something gets big on the internet… it’s on TV the very next day. It’s a huge communication medium that one might not like, but will die (career wise) without it.
Music released on netlabels often feels anonymous. There isn’t usually much background on the artist - did this attract you?
Sam:
That didn’t really attract me at all actually. I actually felt that a little bit hindering because the way I write music isn’t just making music. There’s an entire feeling and vibe that I want people to get and if I can’t really communicate who I am to people, then I can’t really be sure that they are getting the right message from my music. The thing that attracted me was that it seemed like a nice way to get a little bit of exposure. Some net-label musicians are discovered by more commercial labels… so it’s not all bad. The way I see it… if I’m not selling my music, then I’m gonna give it away for free. Even if I get to be big commercially, I plan to do one FREE release for every release I sell!
A lot of your work appears to explore darker psychological moods and themes. Do these come from your experiences, or are you reflecting on the world in general?
Sam:
Haha… this is a little of both. I’ve been through some really harsh times and it’s opened up my eyes to some of the things in the world. One thing about me is that I’m fascinated with horror. This probably stems all the way back to my childhood… which was a completely frightening time in my life. Why? Because every night I was haunted by this malevalent spirit that I called the “dark man”. Crawling around past my bedroom… stopping to look at me. This was a truly frightening experience for me and I can’t really go into full detail because it still scares the shit out of me! When I didn’t see that thing and finally slept, I had nothing but very intense nightmares.
Since then, I’ve had periods of bad depression and some suicidal tendencies (not because of that though)… I’m VERY happy now, but I like to use those “lessons” as kind of a pallette sometimes… although, it’s definitely not all I write about. Maybe you’d be interested in knowing that I currently have 110 horror movies on DVD?
The samples you sometimes seem to be ironic, which is what I initially enjoyed about your work: juxtapositions and curiously dark music. Is this a reaction against stereotypes of electronic music, or are you purely expressing yourself?
Sam:
Again… I would have to say this is both because in expressing myself, I am standing out against the same ol’ crap. Like I said, I’m completely in love with exploring the reaches of the human mind and the darker corners within. I think in order to make a song even darker, you give it a happy, nursery-like sound… and add some freaky child-like singing to it… then add some very subtle hints at darkness. This in turn provide humor (to those open minds) AND it chases away the people that I DON’T want to have listening to my music.
Some of your work, such as Songs for Psychos, are as good quality (in terms of production and composition) as commercial releases. Are you working on a tight budget, without commercial investment to help pay for equipment?
Sam:
I’m poor… I use basically just my computer. I’ve gotten to be pretty skilled with software and innovative with trying to make instruments that I can record. I’ll record anything and mess with it to make it a “found sound” type tool/instrument.
Well there are two ways I make instruments… physically and in the comp. In the comp… I usually just record something like my voice… or a big single wind chime or scrape something or whatever… and I granulize it in FL Studio…
Physically, the latest thing I’ve made has been a string/drum thing. I took a really freakin long and tight spring and put it through a drum head.. and man I can get some crazy sounds out of that thing.
Where is your work going, commercially?
Sam:
Well, I’ve just finished two EPs… one called Devices and one called versusFork. With these albums, it was my intention to dig deep inside and find that eye for detail - particularly in the area of drum programming. Right now I’m working on two albums… an ambient/soundscapes album that’s really dark and inspired by the sounds in horror movies… it’s called Horrors. Another album I’m working on is one that I hope to release commercially and it’s called Freaks Have Toys Too? In this album, nothing will get by me. Serious attention will be given to detail and it’s probably going to be very UN-minimal and it should be around 17 tracks.
Commercially, I am finally being released on a real compilation through a label called Wrong-Music records in the UK. This compilation is called “Whatever” and they’re using a song of mine called, “Choking on Air-Moving on Air”. This was found on my album, Messy Messy Messy. I’m really hoping that this connection will give birth to a commercial connection for me… mainly because I can’t afford to release official albums on my own. It costs a lot of money to make them… and it’s incredibly difficult to market them. Wrong-Music has lots of distribution connections worldwide. What I like most is that they’re connected to Planet-Mu records… which is home to artists like Venetian Snares, Shitmat, and Speedranch.
What do you think about creative Commons Licensing? Do you mind people sampling your music and using it however they want, with no credits?
Sam:
If I minded, I wouldn’t let it happen. It’s a good way to get some exposure and if I decide I don’t want it to be CC anymore… I can have it removed from whatever net-label it’s on.
Do you think you’ll be able to rock out full-time in the future and ditch the day job?
Sam:
I believe I have the determination for this goal and I would love to believe that I have something that people will enjoy. I make music for myself… meaning it’s what I want to hear. I probably listen to my own stuff more than any other artist’s. Lots of artists give up when the first few labels say no to them. I’ve realized that I’m NOT going to change my sound… I’m going to find the label that fits my sound. I believe that will be rewarding and hopefully I will be able to live off of it.
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20/04/2005
Marco Lucchi - Tantra à l’usage des anges
I’ve written about Marco Lucchi before, and I was pleased to find that Webbed Hand, a netlabel I highly recommend, have released a collection of his tracks from a multimedia performance which took place in 1999.
Tantra à l’usage des anges is an exquisite collection of ambient pieces, with varied instrumentation and vocals. If you judge them at face value, you might easily miss some of the more interesting qualities of these recordings. Yet they evoke quite emotive responses at times, as well as stillness and tranquility as you may assume the title implies.
Tantra à l’usage des anges stands up strongly next to many of the recent release on Webbed Hand and other prominent netlabels. And if you’re a fan of electronic music, which is generally the stock fare of current netlabels, you might enjoy the change.
A central part of this performance was a dance by Alassandra Dallari, which represented the “mudra” alluded to in the title. Here is an explanation of the dance and the poetic texts by Maulpoix, as explained by Marco Lucchi:
“Alassandra Dallari - although you cannot see or hear her - was the mudra - the mudra symbolizes the motive of desire as it is intended in the tantra contemplation… you can imagine an almost acousmatic performance… Alessandra appeared in the middle of the multimedia performance wrapped in a long plastic sheet that she unwrapped along a ten minute slow dance while wrapping the audience with it… at the end of the unwrapping she remained for a second completely naked, just for a second, in a dark blue light.
15/04/2005
Andrey Kiritchenko - Scatter Stars
-n are a new Japanese netlabel, releasing ambient music on the softer side of the realm of glitch. Their first release was a promising compilation, available for download via their site and archive.org. Their second release is Andrey Kiritchenko - Scatter Stars.
Before I discuss Scatter Stars, I’d like to mention something I think is important that -n are doing. I noticed their first release had a subtle Flash animation accompanying the mp3s, and the second release has continued this. This minor shift in presentation achieves something I believe a lot of netlabels are missing out on, and that’s exploiting the medium.
Releasing music on the Internet has many inherent benefits beyond animated artwork. However, because people are used to seeing covers and accompanying paraphernalia with their music, they continue this tradition. By using Flash animations based on their covers, -n are doing something you can’t do with a CD sleeve. This may not seem important, perhaps even naive, but I think covers that are more dynamic can add to the experience when they don’t detract from the music itself.
And the biggest advantage to this medium is communication - mailing lists, forums, comments forms; it’s becoming easier for ad-hoc communication between artist, label and listener.
-n are already attracting interesting and intelligent artists, Andrey Kiritchenko is case in point. Scatter Stars demonstrates professionalism, from the mastering to the composition, and is thoroughly enjoyable, whether you treat it as ambient music or sit quietly and dissect it. The use of bursts of mid/high frequency percussion in Scatter Stars and Mythree causes a particularly odd synaesthesia when I listen: I can almost touch some of the sounds. Additionally, the composition of the tracks is gradual and accumulating, mature and patient.
You could quite easily find 100 records in Virgin Megastore nowhere near as good as this, yet this is free and waiting for you to download it. And don’t forget about mn001!
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13/04/2005
cheapmachines, live at slow sound system (13/02/2005)
I search through archive.org, scene.org, random archive-independent netlabels and musician’s websites to find as much music and digital art as I can get my hands on. A common trend is noise, often with an attitude that appears to be a parody of what punk once was. I like noise, I’m quite fond of the unusual and uncommon, but beauty or anything more than mere distraction is uncommon, although perhaps by definition.
After my recent endless encounters with naive distorted sounds and trivial or uninspired mp3s (generally postfixed with -core or -bent), I was getting quite tired with my once cherished hobby. Fortunately, I found this amongst the paradoxical trash: cheapmachines, live at slow sound system - something which exhibits an ironic gentle subtly.
The write-up on the archive says:
Be warned - this is a challenging sonic journey, but well worth it.
I really don’t think most of you will find this challenging, I think you’ll surf along with the ebbs and flows found within and yet again be thankful of the archive. If you want to know more about Cheapmachines, have a look at their site.
11/04/2005
Bluedark - Explorations far below
I happily found another unsung gem today, hiding away on the fairly new netlabel Mirakelmusic. From stark, exposed ambient drones to brittle and elegant textures, Bluedark - Explorations far below certainly has its moments. Occasional whispers vividly decorate the saturated low frequency incursions, and this makes Explorations seemingly more original than a lot of the darker ambient I’ve found on netlabels recently.
Erik Glans, the musician behind Bluedark, has made this release consistent, and allows time for each of his ideas to breathe. Sometimes his explorations choose to lead us to new territory, or we are lead back to where we started. “The old ship under the ground” takes us to brittle and distorted territories, bringing to mind ghosts fixed in time, decaying, but strangely this feels natural and is one of the least melancholic tracks on the EP.
“Hidden words”, however, is deep and more worrying. Glitches and rhythms ring out and are swallowed back into darker regions, followed by more whispers. These voices push these tracks back into consciousness as they drift out of awareness, a powerful device in its subtleness. Some of these pieces seem to hang like audio sculptures in my mind, and they’d make good soundtracks to Beksinski’s style of painting. That’s an entirely personal observation, however, you may see it in a different way altogether.
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04/04/2005
Tribute to John Peel - netlabel and compilation
Tribute to John Peel - Session #1 is the first release of a new net label Tribute to John Peel. They don’t have any information on their site at the moment, but you can hear the first release on archive.org.
The collection is varied, just as John Peel’s shows were, combining the modern with the retrospective and strange. There’s a rock track: International Bastards - Consumed and even a bit of jazz: Mr Warthog - Wednesday Night at the Bunker.
There’s a lot of electronica on this compilation, perhaps reflecting current trends. Maps and Diagrams - Route has a subtle electro melody, and a lot of high frequency percussion, making a slick and yet sensitive piece. Random Number - Ember has a nice tempo change at the end, where the track grinds down to a halt. It sounds like a mix of old and new Autechre, with complex and hard to follow drums, and simple string chords in the background.
This is a varied and good quality compilation, there’s a few gems worthy of your mp3 player. Perhaps in the future they’ll find more rock and jazz acts?
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