Saturday, May 31, 2014

Seven questions with ... Alex aka musician Mogi Grumbles



I'll admit to being a bit of a chancer sometimes ... I figure you have to make your opportunities, without being rude about it, when one is presented.

Case in point is a conversation I had earlier in the week with Mogi Grumbles. My friend SDA is a huge soundtrack fan ... obsessed to the point that's pretty much all he listens to. I love his dedication and geekery, and get a lot from his love of this form of predominately orchestral music. He is on holiday at the moment and, while away, I suggested he check out the music of Mogi Grumbles ... a musician on Moodgadget who has re-scored a couple of my fave films - Tron & Escape from New York - with a more 'now' soundtrack of Ghostly-esque analogue electro.

I sent this recommendation via Twitter ... and Mogi Grumbles replied to say 'thanks'. I hadn't @'d him in or anything ... I wasn't being intrusive ... and, as such, I really appreciated his contact.

So, while we talked briefly, I asked if he'd be up for answering my wee blog interview. I'm delighted to say Mogi Grumbles agreed!

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1) Who are you and what do you do?
I am Alex aka Mogi Grumbles, I make electronic music ranging from hard electro dance jams to slower more ambient soundtrack stuff.


2) What are you working on at the moment?
Right now I am finishing up another video game soundtrack for http://www.perfectwavegames.com/ on their game "Gravitanks".


3) Who inspires you?
- Name an artist who has inspired you.
Firstly my friends and peers from Moodgadget and Ghostly. I've been blessed to have grown up here in Ann Arbor alongside those guys.

Secondly the biggest names that have influenced the last couple albums have been John Carpenter, Boards of Canada, Umberto, all the Italians do it better stuff and the Drokk album. Before that, Daft Punk, Justice, the rest of the Ed Bangers and a lot of the older guys too. Underworld, Orbital, stuff like that.

- Name place that has inspired you.
My studio is pretty inspirational to be in when it's all cleaned up, but one of my favorite places to work at back in the day was at a pub. Me and a couple friends would go grab a pint or two and bring our laptops and have a "beat off." It was like a friendly competition to push the other guy into writing some music.

- Name some "thing" that has inspired you.
-As much as I hate to say it, new gear has always been a source of inspiration. Or old gear for that matter... I just like keeping it fresh. I do have some staples that I'll never get rid of, the SH 101, the Moog, but I do really like finding new sounds from unfamiliar hardware or software. Getting into the individuality of a particular synth is intoxicating to me. Every synth is completely unique.


4) What drives you to do what you do?
I've always been driven by the fun of it all. It's incredibly fun to make music. So I try and keep it fun all the time. If I had to rely on music to be my main source of income it would stress me out too much and I think it would really kill my motivation to have fun and be creative.


5) What values do you wish your creativity to express?
I don't really have any values in my music, it's fairly simple in that regard. There is a range of emotional tones I.E. this song is a "sad" song vs. this is a "happy" song. I get a lot of feedback from programmers saying they really enjoy my music while they code. Something about the instrumentals and the driving beats probably helps them stay productive.


6) What role does community play in what you do?
It's a pretty big deal to me. From my immediate peers that I've known personally to the people I've met through the world wide web. All I require is at least one person to say "good job" or "thanks" and I'm a happy guy. So I've felt extremely humbled from the Fract OSC fans who've reached out to say that to me.


7) What is next for what you do?
After Gravitanks I've got a couple more "re-scores" I'd like to do. One solo project and the other a collaboration. I don't want to say too much about either one at the moment in fear of jinxing it. But after my little break from Fract OSC - http://fractgame.com/ - it's back to the studio. Looking forward to getting some new equipment to play with!

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Thanks for this!

I've embedded Bandcamp players below to let you hear Mogi Grumbles' music ... I am a particular fan of re-scoring work for Tron & Escape from New York. I have also embedded Tron with the re-score for your viewing pleasure. I hope you get as much from Mogi Grumbles' music as I do.








Mogi Grumbles - End Of Line [Original Tron Re-Score] from Moodgadget on Vimeo.


Friday, May 30, 2014

Loving ... "Dream Sequence" by Snoqualmie Falls



I recently received in the post 2 CDs from Gavin Catling's 'Twice Removed Records' microlabel ... one was the Zenjungle CD that I had purchased and the other was "Dream Sequence" by Snoqualmie Falls.

Snoqualmie Falls are Alicia Merz (Birds of Passage) and Jeff Stonehouse (Listening Mirror / Jffstnhs) ... two deeply interesting and influential artists in their own right who, working together, have created something very special indeed.

Ever since I received "Dream Sequence" I have obsessed over it ... playing it almost on repeat on my hi-fi. It is a 59 minute longform ambient piece that eloquently expresses my current mood as I sit, confined to my house with my second 'secondary infection' as a result of catching whooping cough in December last year.

I am very fortunately to hear a lot of longform music through my work with weareallghosts ... folks like Cousin Silas and Scott Lawlor are making some remarkable music these days ... as is Earlyguard over in Germany.

"Dream Sequence" is most definitely up there with their very best ... but is also separated from them due to the organic nature of Snoqualmie Falls' sound.

It is heavy but not too heavy ... deep but not too deep ... it has movement and a sense of rhythm - an organic ebb and flow - that I find engaging. "Dream Sequence" makes a fitting background to work.

But it is more than that, however ... when studied, when focussed upon it becomes apparent that this is an exemplary piece of music, one where remarkable care and attention has been poured into. The use of 'disembodied' vocals is a stroke of genius that I find both haunting and inspiring.

All in, "Dream Sequence" by Snoqualmie Falls is a soundscape that needs to be experienced as much as heard ... it needs to be felt ... and, given time and patience, it will reward those who experience it. It has rewarded me.



Loving ... "Credo" by Kjartan Sveinsson



Every-so-often I hear something so utterly breathtaking ... that I stop, do nothing and simply soak it up.

On November 16, 2010, Kjartan Sveinsson (formerly of Sigur Ros) performed in The Whitelight Festival, along with Jonsi & Alex and The Hilliard Ensemble. Kjartan composed Sonnets of his own, as well as the world premiere of his new piece entitled Credo. Credo is Latin for "I believe".

Credo is truly beautiful and I defy anyone not to be moved by it.

Thanks to Mark for the original share.

Tx

Seven questions with ... Gowaart aka Yadyn


Photograph by Sarah Badisco

I am currently off my work with a bronchial infection ... I have lowered immunity as a result of my whooping cough and now have an infection that has narrowed my airways and gives me asthma-like symptoms. As such, I've been told to rest by my Doctor and my boss at work. Whilst I am able to read, listen to music and watch films, I've not been able to write. It is, therefore, brilliant that a number of willing creatives have been able to fill the gab by doing the majority of the writing for me.

Case in point is a lovely chap called Gowaart who creates some remarkably beautiful neo-classical soundscapes under the name of Yadayn that centre on his finger-picking approach to playing acoustic guitar. Whilst this technique isn't unique ... I'm thinking John Williams, for example ... his use of it in combination with neo-classical sounds is. At least I think it is. I've been rather taken with his current EP - "Vloed" - which was formed, as the liner notes state...
"...out of the bulk of material written in the last few years five longform compositions for guitars were selected, flooded with notes, littered with arpeggio’s and sparsely populated by meaningful silences."
I really, really liked what I heard ... so, when talking with Gowaart, I am delighted to say he agreed ... this is what he had to say:

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1) Who are you and what do you do?
I am Gowaart, a Belgian guitarist active in a few projects but at the moment predominantly in Yadayn, a solo project completely focused on my guitar playing. The name yadayn means "two hands" in Arabic, and pins down the basic idea of what I try to do: bring music by just using my two hands and a guitar.


2) What are you working on at the moment?
The cool little label Navalorama Records just released my debut album "Vloed", so most of my energy goes into promoting it at the moment. I'm trying to play live as much as possible. At the same time I'm always working on new material, some of it in the same vein as the music on the first album, some of it going in somewhat different directions. I've been working out a few longer songs in which loops play a much larger role and I have a few songs with vocals laying around which I'd like to finish, but I have a very mediocre singing voice so I have to find a way around that (interested singers may contact me any time by the way).


3) Who inspires you?
- Name an artist who has inspired you.
Probably the largest influence on my music has been my father, who is a professional classical guitarist, although he has been playing different, semi-improvised spiritual music for the last decade or so which I find less inspiring. I grew up with his music and the classical music he used to play in the background, so every time I hear one of his old pieces or a piece by, say, Tarrega or Villa-Lobos it immediately brings up childhood memories. It's probably not surprising then that plenty echoes of this music can be found in my own compositions. Other musicians have inspired me too of course. Notable guitarists which I admire are James Blackshaw, Sandy Bull, Robbie Basho and Mark Kozelek. Some composers and bands I find inspiring are John Zorn, Maurice Ravel, Silver Mt. Zion, Do Make Say Think, Grails, Balmorhea and a host of others.

- Name a place that has inspired you.
The bulk of the material on "Vloed" was written while I lived in Ghent as a student, especially when I shared an appartment with my girlfriend for two years. I now live back with my parents in a sleepy town close to Brussels, so in some way the album for me is nostalgia for my student life in Ghent. Another city that has greatly inspired me and seeps through in the music is the overwhelming metropolis Cairo where I also studied for a few months.


- Name some "thing" that has inspired you.
When I was on holiday a few years back in Firenze, I stumbled into an old monastery church outside of the city centre. By pure coincidence the monks were having a gregorian service. This was in a sort of crypt where the acoustics were truly remarkable and the sound of their voices completely enveloped me. Although I'm not a religious person anymore, this made a profound musical impression on me. In some ways I try to do the same with my music, pull the listener into a completely overwhelming world of sound.


4) What drives you to do what you do?
I don't really have a romantic idea about the creation of music. What drives me is purely the fact that I have fun in constructing songs and sharing them with people. I guess I'm out for some sort of recognition too, I love getting great comments about my music. So I guess there is some creative surge, but this is not per se linked to my mood at the moment. It's more of a coincidental thing.


5) What values do you wish your creativity to express?
I find this a very difficult question. Instrumental music should not be open about values I think, it should be a vessel for the listener himself who can fill in his own thoughts and feelings.


6) What role does community play in what you do?
The town I live in now has pretty much no music scene to speak of, and I also never really felt part of a music scene in Ghent. Maybe that's why I'm playing solo! I do have a band called Zura Zaj as well though, and I'm really happy about it, although we tend to go extremely slow in developing song material. My family is an important support too. My mother has even sold quite a few CD's for me!


7) What is next for what you do?
As I said I'm promoting this album I have now, trying to play live as much as possible and in the meanwhile I slowly work on new material. Possibly there'll be a new album by mid-2015 on a nice French label that contacted me, but that's still a somewhat vague idea. In September I'll be playing live at the great Incubate Festival in the Netherlands, a gig I'm really looking forward to.

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Thank you Gowaart! I really appreciated your honesty ... and well done to your mum too, mothers are the best PR!

Take a listen to "Vloed" below and allow Gowaart's music to embrace you as it has me ... it really is something special:


Thursday, May 29, 2014

Seven questions with ... Emily Loren Moss Ferrell, founder of the Subterranean Tide Netlabel



I have a lot of respect for Emily Loren Moss Ferrell and her netlabel - Subterranean Tide ... we are on the same wavelength when it comes to experimental music and I really like the space she's created on the ol' interwebs.

She's adding value and creating culture ... and I appreciate her efforts. So much so, I asked if she'd consider answering a few questions. I'm delighted to say she agreed ... this is what she had to say:

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1) Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Emily Loren Moss Ferrell – a rather long name but I couldn't imagine dropping the Moss after I got married as I am too much influenced by my father. I run Subterranean Tide Netlabel, I'm a mom, a musician's wife, a poet's daughter and I write poetry myself. You will most likely find myself looking for something to do rather than knowing what to do. Often I find myself doing nothing but struggling with my own internal self since I've been on disability for the past 3 years.


2) What are you working on at the moment?
I'm very honoured to be working on putting out a new release for Mathias Van Ecloo under the moniker D.rhöne.  Mathias is also known for his brilliant sound work as Monolyth and Cobalt. Look for the release from Subterranean Tide out on June 12th.  Feel free to take a sneak peak at the release here: https://soundcloud.com/subterraneantide/drhone-iii-album-preview. This is the 3rd and final release for D.rhöne and it's been a true pleasure working out the details with Mathias.

I am also working on writing poetry again – I've taken quite a hiatus over the past few years.          


3) Who inspires you?
There are so many artists who inspire me, including the people I work with on a daily basis. Right now Mathias' release is moving me – sending me internally to new places as I listen to it at this very moment to help with writing this interview. These and other sound artists inspire me all the time – hence my dedication to the netlabel. I figure if I can get artists out there and heard for free then I'm also able to share a part of my own inspirations in hopes that others may experience the same.

David Teboul of Linear Bells has recently been a big inspiration. He asked me to write a poem for one of his new releases so this poem, even though it's pretty short, it has motivated me to start writing again. You can find the poem and the release at http://linearbells.bandcamp.com/album/robots-orchestra-tones.  I've been stuck with no subject matter for such a long time, while listening to this new track – the words just fell out.


4) What drives you to do what you do?
What drives me is a very complicated issue. I am consistently “un-driven” struggling with bipolar depression and just existence itself. But the music helps, the CC Music community, the musicians I've worked with, etc. The poetry is more innate, I'm highly driven when I'm manic.


5) What values do you wish your creativity to express?
The value of art. The value of poetry, words & music. The importance of Creative Commons - it really makes art accessible to everyone and cuts out a bit of elitism - I love the idea of sharing and building upon each other's work.


6) What role does community play in what you do?
Community plays a huge role. If it wasn't for all the artists out there – there would be no label. And with no label, there would really be less for me to look forward to.


7) What is next for what you do?
Continue running the label. As I've said I've got this great release coming out from D.rhöne and something from Bengalfuel coming out later this summer. I also hope to write more this year – I'm always searching for new inspiration from the people I meet – send me your music, your thoughts, inspire me. :)

For more information on the label, go to www.subterraneantide.com and if you would like to read my poetry further, you can find some of my work over at www.emilylorenmossferrell.blogspot.com.

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Thanks Emily! I've embedded a BC player with the 'Endless Intermission' compilation from Subterranean Tide ... it features tracks from Be My Friend In Exile, Bengalfuel, Linear Bells, and Mystified amongst others and is well worth checking out ... it is also free to download!

Please do what you can to support the independent labels that support the independent musicians ... and please, please encourage Emily in all her endeavours.


Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Seven questions with ... composer Levi Patel



I got to know Levi Patel through a conversation he had with Shannon Penner aka Orbit Over Luna ... I followed the links in Patel's twitter page and checked out his current offering on Bandcamp - "Forms". I was blown away with the neo-classical elegance of what is his first EP. I then saw a connection with the fab A Strangely Isolated Place website - Ryan is truly a tastemaker, putting out Patel's first single on his label.

Anyway, we got talking and I asked Patel to complete my wee blog interview. I am delighted to say he agreed ... this is what he had to say:

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1) Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Levi Patel. I'm a 22 year old music composer and student from Auckland, New Zealand. I love to use organic instruments to create ambient/cinematic music with minimal and post-rock influences.


2) What are you working on at the moment?
I've just released my first EP named Forms and I'm working with John Beltran at Dado Records to promote that at the moment.

Something else that I'm very excited about is a collaboration between Stray Theories and myself. It's in the early stages so I won't reveal too much but I love his style and cannot wait to see where this goes.

After finishing the recording of Forms I wanted to try something new and have been writing a short series of minimal piano and string pieces. I have challenged myself to reduce the music only to its essential elements and not rely on layering as I normally would.


3) Who inspires you?
- Name an artist who has inspired you.
I'm inspired by many artists but the following two musicians (I couldn't pick one) have had a particularly strong influence on my music.

The first is Rhian Sheehan. His album Standing in Silence was the perfect introduction to the genre, after one listen I knew that this was the style of music I wanted to pursue. He continues to create stunning music and to help me with advice when I need it.

The second is Alex Somers. I discovered him, as many people do, through Jónsi and their ambient album Riceboy Sleeps. Everything he touches turns to magic.

- Name place that has inspired you.
There's a small town North of Auckland named Matakana where I spend some time. The particular place is on top of a hill, surrounded by native bush, and looks out over the ocean beyond the East coast. It's the perfect isolated place to write, and where I am writing from as we speak actually.

- Name some "thing" that has inspired you.
One idea that I often find myself considering is the fact that "good" music is subjective. Each person has their own preferences that are influenced by all kinds of things. That idea frees me to follow my instincts rather than aiming for a particular, well established "good" sound. Then I just hope that others share my preferences and will appreciate it too. It turns out that my preferences are fairly standard and I haven't created anything too outrageous, but I still find the idea and the potential it offers to be inspiring.


4) What drives you to do what you do?
(Brace yourself for clichés...) There are countless reasons why I enjoy creating music but the thing that truly drives me is the satisfaction I get when I fully express some feeling that I have, something I only can achieve with music, and when I translate an idea that exists in my head into real sound.


5) What values do you wish your creativity to express?
I guess the main value would be honesty. I want to express myself fully and not sacrifice integrity, I think that's an important element of any quality music. There's no particular message I try to communicate with my music, I just try to make something honest and beautiful that people can enjoy.


6) What role does community play in what you do?
There isn't much of a scene where I live but right from the beginning I have been part of a wonderful community online. Of course I have friends at home who I couldn't do it without (Suren Unka - to plug a good friend of mine) but online it all began with Ryan at A Strangely Isolated Place releasing my first track and introducing me to other musicians in his network. Since then I've met many amazing people who have been invaluable during the creative process and particularly when it comes to sharing my music. It goes beyond music too, I have been in contact with all kinds of creatives including filmmakers and writers. It creates opportunities that I just wouldn't have on my own and I hope that I can pay it all back in kind once I'm more well established.


7) What is next for what you do?
I found out yesterday that I will be doing some work with two American filmmakers who are living and shooting in Seoul! It's one of my favourite places in the world and their work is always inspiring, I'm looking forward to doing that in a couple of weeks.

Later this year I want to create a proper studio in Matakana, the inspiring place I mentioned earlier. Last time I recorded in my present location I had to open my wardrobe and move my clothes aside so the cellist had enough space to bow - bedroom studios are great but they have their (sometimes awkward) downsides.

In the meantime I will be promoting Forms, working on a few collaborations, and eventually will be taking one step at a time down the long road to completing a full length album!

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Thanks Levi ... completely agree re Rhian Sheehan and Alex Somers! I look forward to hearing more from you, especially your collaboration with Stray Theories ... seriously, I cannot wait for that!

Have a wee listen to "Forms" below ... and, if you can, please buy a copy and support Patel in his endeavours:



Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Seven questions with ... Andy from A Day For Strange Birds



I love getting emails from musicians who want me to check out their work ... I check out every single one I receive and 9 times out of 10 I like what I hear.

Case in point is A Day For Strange Birds ... an ambient, post-rock project from San Antonio, Texas. Maybe I'm a sucker for 'out there' names but I really connected with 'the sound between the noise' and really recommend it.

Anyway, I got talking with Andy, the man behind A Day For Strange Birds and asked him to complete my wee blog interview ... this is what he had to say:

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1) Who are you and what do you do?
I am Andy PS, a guitarist, bassist, and general noisemaker based in San Antonio, TX. The latest project I have been working on is A Day For Strange Birds (ADFSB).


2) What are you working on at the moment?
After finishing my first full length album for ADFSB, I’m plotting what projects to undertake next. My creative process usually works in concepts, which unfortunately either come very quickly or operate on a geologic time scale. Hopefully I’ll put some more craziness out into the ether sometime in the next couple months.


3) Who inspires you?
- Name an artist who has inspired you.
There are so many! While working on A Day For Strange Birds I’ve found myself drawing on influences from Lou Reed, William Basinski, Sigur Ros, Godspeed You! Black Emporer, and Brian Eno. But, primary among all of these is my father who is an amazing guitar player.

- Name place that has inspired you.
I think some of the desolate sounds that I’ve made come from my Midwestern upbringing and seeing the ruins of once great cities.

- Name some "thing" that has inspired you.
Talking to other musicians or people that appreciate music. It’s amazing to see what people love, what they can’t stand, and what they have memories tied into.


4) What drives you to do what you do?
For me, creating something out of nothing and watching it take shape is one of the best things in life. My family and friends have always pushed me to keep going and not be afraid to try new things.
ADFSB is completely different from any of the previous projects I’ve worked on, and I want to continue to see what I can come up with next.


5) What values do you wish your creativity to express?
When I started A Day For Strange Birds it was an exploration of the intricacies of sounds guitars can create. Some of the tracks build on top of old recordings I’ve done by myself or with others and I wanted to use it as a representation of where I started and where I’m going.

Everything I’ve put out with this project has been available for free. I realized that putting a valuation on music can limit its reach and wasn’t really something I was comfortable. So the approach has been to create it and release it into the wild.

Overall I’ve been operating on credo that one should strive to make art, make noise, be active, be the worst at something or the best at something but enjoy what you do.


6) What role does community play in what you do?
Community has always been a big part in playing music for me. Making friends with fellow music makers and supporting each other is what it should always be about. When I was a kid I hung around, and was involved in, the music scene in my hometown (Mt. Pleasant, MI); which was cool because everyone sort of did their own thing but we would all meet and share it at whatever venue we could get (sometimes it was a church, sometimes it was the record store, other times a coffee shop or someones house).

Now, I’ve found a similar community online through social media and music sharing sites and it’s really encouraging to see when people enjoy the noise I’ve been working on.
Some of the pettiness that I see from a lot of mainstream artists completely goes against what music should be.


7) What is next for what you do?
There are some ideas rattling around in my head but really I want to see where it takes me. It will either be a concept album of music based of my cross country travels or some sort of noisy guitar and bass symphonic experiment.

Something I’d really like to try my hand at would be working on soundtracks.
The uncertainty of what’s next is kind of exciting/terrifying but I really want to continue to grow and continue to sonically evolve.

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Thanks Andy!

If ambient, post-rock soundscapes are your thing ... then I would highly recommend 'the sound between the noise' which is available for 'pay what you want' on Bandcamp.



Monday, May 26, 2014

Seven questions with ... Michael Brückner



Musician Michael Brückner is an ever-present presence in my Facebook feed. He is a wonderfully upbeat person who creates delightful music. His collaborations with Cousin Silas on his various 'and friends' compilations are extra special and definitely up there with my faves.

I caught up with him recently and asked my wee blog interview ... this is what he had to say:

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1) Who are you and what do you do?
As far as I can tell, I’m a male human from Germany, Earth, and at the moment I type this 44 years old. I’m married to a wonderful wife, and we have one daughter (equally wonderful ;-) ).
To earn us a living, I work as a graphical designer and also printer / preprint technician in a small family printing + graphical services company (I have actually studied communication design, aspiring to become an illustrator, especially of children’s books, however it turned out slightly different, so far…).

In my spare time, I produce electronic music.

I started to dabble in this field around 1992, have created quite a few albums in this time, most of which are private releases, more recently some have also appeared on different labels.
I also love to perform live, although so far I only rarely had the opportunity (except for 2013, which had been a surprisingly good year in this respect).

I have produced music in a variety of styles or genres (or maybe better: I have always used elements of many of them), however, I see ambient as the “gravity centre” of my interests, the starting point from which I explore other areas. Since about four or five years I also started to do more “neo Berlin School” (or “retro space”) music.


2) What are you working on at the moment?
Oh, well. Actually I have the habit of working on several projects in parallel, which take shape and are finished at different points of time – and it’s just like that at the moment, too. Most of them are collaborations, something I want to concentrate on in the future, as I have already done so many solo albums that producing more and more seems slightly pointless…

I’d maybe like to highlight three of them: I’m remastering, and partly remixing or even changing my album “Ombra”, originally from 2010, which will be re-released under the title “Ombra – Revisited” as a limited edition of 100 copies as an industrially pressed CD on my good friend Hagen von Bergen’s cozy little label BI-ZA Records. There will also be one or two “bonus items” for this release that have to be created, and we hope to accomplish this within the next two weeks, so there’s a bit of a hurry… ;-)

Then I’ve finally started to work on an album with Rebekkah Hilgraves, who is an American opera singer, poetess, studio owner – and ambient radio show host. For this album, Rebekkah has read a cycle of her poetry, and I will embed her readings in (hopefully adequate) sonic textures…

Finally there is the album with drummer Tommy Betzler. Tommy has been active in the electronic music scene since the early eighties, playing for and touring with Klaus Schulze, for example. We have played two gigs together at small German festivals last year and will do more in the future. This album will be more of an electronic rock album, also with Berlin School leanings. I have also invited several other guest musicians who will hopefully join us, the plan is to finish this around late summer…


3) Who inspires you?
Well – there were, and still are, SO many, aren’t they? If I wrote a very long list, trying to give them all due credit, I still would end up forgetting some.

Maybe I can escape this by saying that all that comes to my attention in life – nature, people, society, art, literature, anything – is a source of inspiration. Obviously the things I enjoy and embrace, but also the things I reject or that frighten me, in that these also trigger a response which might be reflected in what I do, and what I create.

OK, but I guess that in the end, You might still want names ;-) so for the sake of satisfying this interview’s readers’ curiosity, here are some which maybe influenced me slightly more than others:

For view of life in general: different varieties of spiritual believe, including Christianity, Buddhism, Sufism, Hinduism and others; the writings of Erich Fromm (especially “The Art of Loving”) and of Stanislav Grof

Literature: H.P. Lovecraft, J.R.R. Tolkien, Michael Ende, James Graham Ballard, Garcia Maria Marquez,  more recently David Mitchell

Comics: Carl Barks, Hergé, Moebius, Phillip Caza, Art Spiegelman

Painters: Albrecht Dürer, Caspar David Friedrich, Max Ernst, Salvador Dali

Illustrators: Chris Foss, Patrick Woodroffe, H.R. Giger, Friedrich Hechelmann

Movie directors: Charles Chaplin, Stanley Kubrick, Werner Herzog

Musicians (and, partly, their writings on music): Klaus Schulze, Brian Eno, Pink Floyd, Peter Michael Hamel, The Future Sound of London, more recently also Robert Rich, Markus Reuter and Stephen Parsick

A special mention for music journalist Albrecht Piltz, who’s lucid reviews for German Keyboards Magazine were a great trigger for my imagination during many years…

P.S. On re-reading this list I’m kinda shocked that it doesen’t include a single woman (so far) – in spite of the fact that I feel that I have experienced a lot of female inspiration in my life. So here are some wonderful ladies that made a big impression on me and a difference in how I perceive life, art and everything (vaguely following the order of “disciplines” above…):

Hildegard von Bingen, Swami Chidvilasananda, Anne Frank, Alice Miller, Doris Lessing, Mary Doria Russell, Frida Kahlo, Anita Kunz, Doris Dörrie, Laurie Spiegel, Sally Oldfield, Laurie Anderson - and also especially my wife Cäcilia (who is a great musician, a sharp thinking intellectual and a highly intuitive, sensitive and emphatic person, so her views on any topic matter much for me…).

As I said, the list is anything but complete, then again, by these examples You may perhaps already see a pattern, and can fill the gaps with likely candidates… ;-)


4) What drives you to do what you do?
Well – every time a take a walk out in the desert, I meet this guy who’s saying: “See the landscape? The houses? The cars? The girls? I’ll give You ALL this if You dedicate another album to me…”

Obviously, the chap is a lunatic, because in a desert there are no houses or anything, but usually I do it anyway, because he is limping and I have been told to be nice to handicapped people… ;-)

OK, on a more serious note ... I feel this creative urge ever since I can remember, even as a child I had a habit of often staying all by myself and indulging in some project that required patience and dedication. Music came later (although I early on was interested in sound recording and produced several audio plays as a boy, and hundreds of mix tapes as a teenager), before that, I spent hours on end on drawing/painting or on writing short stories. My talents were noticed by some and I was (moderately) encouraged, so from some point on I sensed something like a “calling” to produce art of some sort in my life, and the echo of that idea, or notion, keeps on driving me, still (although I have to say that I’m not as sure of how good an idea it actually was then I used to be…).


5) What values do you wish your creativity to express?
I’m not entirely sure if it’s the “job” of creativity to express any special values at all, and sometimes I tend to believe that art, essentially, is beyond morality, or at least, that it has the function to tell tales about any aspect of life and any possible experience, may it be good or bad, ugly or beautiful, favourable or repelling, etc.

Then again, it of course has the power to touch people, maybe even change their views, to communicate concepts and to shape our perception of the world, and therefore, there’s also responsibility.

I admit that I tend to oscillate between these two positions. Sometimes I just follow the flow of inspiration, where ever it takes me, even if it should wash some scary forms to the shore…
Then again, I also consciously strive to promote the values that, well: seem valuable to me.

As You may have guessed from my answer to question 3, I am - if not exactly religious - a basically spiritual person, also an ecologist, a late born hippie with short hair. While the destructive tendencies of humankind scare me and make me deeply concerned, I also still believe in humanities inherent potential to wake up to the better part of their nature, and, by doing so, turning the world to a much better place. If, in that process, my music can be helpful in any way, be a stimulus or an inspiration, something that can lift people up when they are down or maybe offer some shelter, or hideaway, when they need a place to rest, that would make me very happy…


6) What role does community play in what you do?
By now, a lot, I guess – however it hasn’t always been like this; I used to be quite a loner and a recluse for the bigger part of my life, and I also started to make music, and develop my skills and ideas (nearly) as an autodidact in the privateness of my room. Actually it wasn’t before 2006, when I was into music already for about 14 years, that I dared to come out of my shell, and enter, with the help of the internet, the circle of friends, colleagues and likeminded people who I meet (for example) on Facebook every day now. So, in a way, much of my development has already happened before; but still – the lively exchange, interaction and inspiration I receive from this community has a huge impact on what I do – and of course also how I am received, since until that point, I nearly had any listeners…

On second thought, a different kind of community actually did play a large role in starting me of at all: until my early twens, I didn’t believe I had the abilities to create music; this changed after I joined a meditative yoga community. The exercises there included the chanting of Indian mantras, and this experience opened a door for me, or was the main trigger, to gather the courage and confidence to give it a try…

Also, I met the classical Cello player Christoph von Erffa there, who was also teacher for improvisation on the Akademie für Tonkunst (Academy of Sound Art) in Darmstadt, and he gave me a good introduction into various aspects of music, including experimental and microtonal music.


7) What is next for what you do?
Let me see: ironing some shirts, doing the dishes, and then, hopefully, go on remastering the remaining tracks of “Ombra” for the new release…

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Thanks Michael ... while you are waiting for “Ombra – Revisited” have a wee listen to Michael's recent album "In letter Konsequenz":


Friday, May 23, 2014

1,000,000 photo views on Flickr



Just after 12pm today my photos received 1,000,000 views on Flickr.

Wow ... simply wow!

Thank you all for viewing my photographs and following my growth as a photographer.

Tx

https://www.flickr.com/photos/headphonaught

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Loving ..."Leaving Stations" by Zenjungle



I love Gavin Catling's microlabel "Twice Removed" and don't talk about it enough. I look forward to their releases and happily dive deep when they arrive in my in-box.

I recently received "Leaving Stations" by Zenjungle aka Athens-bred saxophonist and composer Phil Gardelis and was immediately captivated by the music presented by someone I hadn't heard before. "Leaving Stations" is a three-track, 44 minute release where a deliciously inviting, melodic form of ambient is expressed. Theirs is an ambient that plays to the heart.

The opening track - ’Sei’ - is built on a drone foundation, a multi-facetted drone that evolves into something fantastic with the introduction of the most melancholic of saxophones. This is ECM quality jazz. Vibrant, haunting and utterly delightful. When I heard the sax, around the 2 minute mark, I was hooked.

The second of the three tracks & title - ’leaving stations’ - is a deliciously dense piece that is full of movement and vitality, with a recurring motif that juxtaposes nicely with the field recording of an urban environment.

The piece sits at nearly 25 minutes long but it certainly doesn't feel that length. This is due to the depth of sound on offer such as the Badalamenti-esque synths that appear around 4:35 or the more dissonant drone that becomes apparent at 8:20. Zenjungle’s now signature melancholic sax also makes an appearance on this track at the 10 minute mark. It is a welcome appearance that takes this track to the next level.

The final track - ’without a day’ - is a subtle, glitchy track that starts off softly then grows in the listener’s conscious. The now familiar synths are there but it feels distant, somehow.

I really liked this album & commend Gavin Catling of Twice Removed for having the foresight to pick this one up. Zenjungle is a name I will be following with careful attention.

Oh & for the record, I liked this release so much I bought it after being given the mp3s for review. I had to have it in my collection. If you like your ambient fresh & innovative, you will too.

Recommended.

Tx


Thursday, May 15, 2014

Loving ... Scott Hazen's Typophonic



Not content with collecting and then showcasing great book covers, Shawn Hazen collects and showcases vinyl too over on Typophonic.



Not just any cover, however ... he focuses on typographical album covers as he explains in the 'about' section:
"Typophonic is a collection of typographically driven 12-inch record covers from the 1950s through the 1980s. Some of the sleeves are type-only and some use type as a key element of the design. They’re all unique and speak to what was special about this area of design that has often been the most dynamic and experimental outlet for graphic designers. 
Album covers are a great window into the visual spirit of an era or subculture, and the type they use can be the most expressive part of the artwork.
Typophonic is meant as an inspiration for designers who create and push typography or just obsess about it’s form and layout. And all designers are concerned with type’s connotations and emotive power. But the site is not only for designers of course, but also for music lovers who appreciate the role the music’s package played in the presentation of a musician’s work or the representation of the music’s personality."



I would highly recommend diving deep into Hazen's vinyl collection. There is a lot there to inspire and delight.

Enjoy.

Tx

http://typophonic.com

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Loving ... Shawn Hazen's Bookworship



I love well designed book covers ... and particularly love it when I stumble across a site dedicated to showcasing the very best covers. Its like having the books but without the grief that comes from the SO when you buy them.

bookworship is one such site ... and what a site it is!



I've added a few faves that stand out ... including a mandatory Pelican classic.



If you like a well designed book cover then I would highly recommend checking out bookworship.

Shawn Hazen, the graphic designer behind the project, explains his rationale in the 'about' section:
"This site represents the obsessions of an atypical book collector. While I certainly love “valuable” books, that’s not necessarily what you’ll see here. For the most part, these are graphically interesting, but otherwise uncollectible, books that entered and exited bookstores quietly in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I read a lot of these books, but my motivations for posting them here are primarily visual, since I’m a graphic designer. That’s why it’ll be a bit of a mixed bag."
I like your mixed bag Shawn ... thank you for sharing these books!

Tx

Note: All images taken from bookworship

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Seven questions with ... Michel de Jong aka Arafúra



Facebook's "Other Messages" folder has a lot to answer for. Michel de Jong, the man behind Arafúra and member of IZAH, made contact a while ago and I missed it.

I only found out about this folder last night ... and when I did, I had a number of people to contact and apologise to ... including de Jong. We got talking ... I told him how much I enjoyed his EP "Humores I - IV" ... and asked him if he'd consider answering a few questions. This is what he had to say:

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1) Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Michel de Jong, conceptual creater and owner of the organic ambient project called Arafúra. I'm also part of a sludge/post-metal sextet called IZAH, wherein I play guitar, keys and software programming. Audio engineering and sound design are part of my freelance jobs and besides music, which is a huge part of my life, I'm also a social worker.


2) What are you working on at the moment?
Currently I'm working on the Arafúra debut full length, which is a pretty grand endeavour. I'm also setting up plans for getting Arafúra ready to be a live experience.


3) Who inspires you?
- Name an artist who has inspired you.
There are a few that have inspired me; Jónsi & Alex, Sigur Rós, Hammock and Björk are a few that have been a constant thread in my life.

- Name a place that has inspired you.
Having lived on the streets for six months when I was 18 years old has been an experience that I'll never forget. It's therefore 'the streets' I'd have to name as a place that has inspired me and affected me the most.

- Name some "thing" that has inspired you.
The feeling of loss and tied to that; hope. Bliss in sadness.


4) What drives you to do what you do?
An urge to create, in all honesty. It's a primal force that I can't seem to shake. Music, for me, is one of the most rudimentary forms of art when it comes to the tying into of emotions. Moving people is an extremely humble experience, something which I'm extremely grateful for every time I hear someone wholeheartedly embracing what I create.


5) What values do you wish your creativity to express?
Accepting the cyclicality of life. Birth and death are the most unmovable forces of life and I think Arafúra reflects this cyclicality while feeling that all hope isn't necessarily lost, quite the opposite, actually. It's makes the journey all the more meaningful due to its inevitable end and I feel that feeling is conveyed quite strongly.


6) What role does community play in what you do?
A huge role. I keep close contact with people that operate in the ambient community and I feel we're a pretty tight group that keeps in contact as much as we can. It opens possibilities regarding helping each other out. For example, I mastered Orbit Over Luna's latest release - "Transit" - and Shannon Penner, in return, has done a few visual things for Arafúra. I also keep close contact with the Tasselmyer brothers of The Sound of Rescue / HOTEL NEON and talk on a semi-regular basis with Bob Guido to see how we're coming along with our work and our lives. I've also collaborated with Rhian Sheehan and was featured on his latest release - "Stories From Elsewhere".


7) What is next for what you do?
Finishing the Arafúra full length is definitely high priority, next to that bringing Arafúra to the live stage is something that's an important part of the future journey of Arafúra as well. Besides all that, I try to keep an experimental workflow to see if I can surprise my listeners, but mostly; surprise myself.

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Thanks Michel!

I have imbedded "Humores I - IV" to let you hear why I really, really like it as a piece of music.




Tuesday, May 06, 2014

Loving ... "Sick Glass" by Cutty's Gym



As a band Cutty's Gym have a fluidity, a movement that is infectious, and this comes out in their debut EP "Sick Glass". This energy is impossible to resist and while I can only imagine their antics in a live setting, they have captured something of their expression on the four tracks that make up the EP.

Cutty’s Gym are a two-piece guitar (Craig McIntyre) & drums (Iain Stewart) combo that play a progressive, groove-orientated instrumental Math Rock. They are a tight unit and it shows with all the twists and turns they pour into their tracks.

Their sound reminds me of a stripped-back The Fierce And The Dead with McIntyre, the guitarist, hinting at the genius of Matt Stevens.

They are not TFATD nor are they The Black Keys or The White Stripes ... Cutty’s Gym have their own sound and have all the potential to become their own unique musical force. Their debut EP "Sick Glass" points to this potential and, with hard work & a bit of luck, they will realise all they are capable of.

I look forward to hearing more from the duo, especially in a live setting where I think they will really come alive.

I would recommend "Sick Glass" to anyone with a passion for progressive, groove-laden, guitar-orientated Math Rock ... take  a wee listen below to hear what I'm talking about. If you like it then please support Cutty’s Gym as best you can.

Tx


Monday, May 05, 2014

Seven questions with ... Craig McIntyre from Cutty's Gym



Every-so-often someone finds the ol' nanolog by accident, they dig what I'm about and ask me to check out their music ... and every-so-often their music clicks with me and I want to know more.

Case in point is Glaswegian two-piece rock outfit "Cutty's Gym". The girlfriend of Craig McIntyre (the guitarist in the band) found the blog using the following terms - blog, glasgow, southside & Tycho - and liked what she saw ... and told McIntyre.

McIntyre got in touch ... I checked out their music and really, really liked what I heard. I do have a soft spot for The Black Keys and other two-piece outfits (White Stripes, anyone?) ... I dig the energy and immediacy of this style of music ... it acts as ginger to cleanse my palate from all the tasty ambient and post-rock soundscapes I consume on a daily basis.

McIntyre came over as a sound bloke so I asked if he'd be interested in telling me a wee bit more about what drives his creative expression ... he responded almost immediately and then was very quick in responding with the following:

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1) Who are you and what do you do?
I am Craig McIntyre I'm 24 from Glasgow, Scotland and I play guitar in the two-piece "rock" band Cutty's Gym. This band is now one year old, and we recently released our debut EP Sick Glass on Bloc+Music. I would describe the music as experimental, dancey, rock.


2) What are you working on at the moment?
Having completed the writing of the EP some months ago we have begun writing our first album, its a relatively slow process as we always like to try new approaches to writing music. The band was started based on improvisation, and the first few shows were exclusively improvised. Now that has evolved into a way of improvising upon basic structures of songs that we write and record one particular way, but can play in all sorts of different ways live.


3) Who inspires you? 
- Name an artist who has inspired you.
- Name place that has inspired you.
- Name some "thing" that has inspired you.

I am continually inspired by music I hear, artists I see, or read about. Sometimes just by the approach an artist has taken more than the end result. I alway searching for something just a little different, more recently for me I have been listening to a lot of jazz, and some blues and folk. One artist in particular would be Charlie Parker the saxophonist, who was entirely influenced by everything that came before but using it and playing it in his own way.

I wouldn't necessarily say there is a Scottish influence on the way our music sounds, but growing up and living in Scotland has definitely influenced the two of us, and always seeps into the more of the feeling behind the music.


4) What drives you to do what you do? 
I just get a lot of pleasure and satisfaction out of writing and performing music, and have always ensured I can do this as much as physically possible.


5) What values do you wish your creativity to express?
Our music has a lot to do with the live performance as well as the recording, and with the live show we are always hoping people can engage with the show and it's all about a good fun time. As daft as that might sound a lot of what I did in the past was driven by a lot of negativity surrounding the music or ethos of the band, this got very tiring and I wanted to make my new band have a more positive effect.


6) What role does community play in what you do?
Glasgow as a community of musicians is very important. I have toured quite extensively in England and throughout Europe and I always feel when I return home that Glasgow has something special. Being so small, but teeming with creativity it is hard not to be affected by that and it encourages you to involve yourself in that community.


7) What is next for what you do?
We have been to France and Belgium a couple of times now in the past year so we intend to continue playing around Scotland and England more this year and finish writing the album. Once written we will try and see if there is anyone interested in working with us to release it.

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My thanks to McIntyre for his response ... and to his girlfriend (whose name I don't know) for pointing him over here. It is appreciated.

Have a listen to Cutty's Gym's EP ... and, if you like what you hear, do your bit to support independent music:


Thursday, May 01, 2014

May 2014's Wallpaper


The wallpaper for May 2014 was taken during our Easter break at Rouken Glen park in Glasgow. I have a thing for daffodils and thought they looked rather special on the top of a hill.

Usual flavours are available below.

Tx

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What I listened to in April 2014 ...



Being off my work has had an effect on my iPhone / iPod listening ... with the majority of listening done in the car or on my  hi-fi.

That said ... Row Boat's new album - "In Between" - is a cracker that I simply couldn't get enough of as I struggled to review it for This Is Not A Scene. Same goes for Twincities' and Matt Stevens' new solo album ... both cracking listens. I also was given the privilege of revisiting "Transit" by Orbit Over Luna for Echoes and Dust.

I've attached a few Bandcamp players below to give you a feel for these artists.

John Debney and Peter Gabriel also feature for their 'Easter' music ... their soundtracks for "the Passion of the Christ" and "the Last Temptation of Christ" respectively.

Tx

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