An update on the previous post, the solo modular synthesizer performances have now grown to seven tracks, and I’ve wrapped them up in a set list on Soundcloud for easy access. I’ve added a Pressure Points module by Makenoise to the system, so I’m now able explore some looser timing and more sporadic events, some of which is at least modestly present in the seventh track.

Update Aug 23, 2010: I’ve taken these tracks down to make room for others on Soundcloud, in keeping with the rapid publishing angle of what I’m doing there. I expect the best among these tracks will resurface as a full release.

I’ve had a Soundcloud account for a while, but not really done anything with it since signing up. I quite like its player interface, but as with other media sharing sites (Youtube, Flickr), I never felt compelled to use their services as I already have plenty of web space of my own. But perhaps the community/sharing format allows for a way to reach listeners I might not have otherwise, certainly that’s the proven to be the case with the broad cultural impact of the aforementioned Youtube and Flickr. So I’ve decided to give Soundcloud a try. It’s strangely laggy at times when it shouldn’t be, but otherwise could be a good thing to use. And I recently killed most of my social media footprint (no more Myspace account, no more Facebook account, had my store on People’s Music Store removed, keeping Twitter though) so I’m in need of spreading myself thin elsewhere.

I’ve been interested in the idea of rapid publishing for a few years. I used to do that sort of thing when posting to forums, finish a track and share it with the community. Many of my older releases – Low End of Wide Open, Machines, Coma – were done in that piecemeal way. One of the reasons I stopped doing that was my focus moved to larger projects, and forums are isolated, tucked away corners of the web for the specifically minded. Hopefully, Soundcloud proves to be more inviting to a broader range of listeners.

I believe the sound quality is better from Soundcloud’s site rather than through the embedded player if you want to make the jump. As it stands, I haven’t set these up for download. I likely will in the future, at least the one’s that pass muster during this prototyping stage.

The music that will be placed on Soundcloud will all be solo performances done on my shiny new modular synthesizer, similar to the approach I took on Held in Frame, although I’ll be a bit freer with post-processing, multitracking, etc. I’ve started recording tracks using only the modular primarily as way to learn how to play it. One of the things I love about a hardware modular synthesizer, especially in contrast to years of using software only, is that what sounds you make is less important than inventing ways of making them. The system I have is comprised of only a few modules, and each one can perform a whole variety of functions, so it’s invigorating working with the various trade-offs – i.e. if I use my envelope generator as an audio source, I’m now down one envelope and have to adjust the musical approach accordingly. I suppose in much the same way that the brain reroutes pathways after a stroke and the like. And I like that yanking a cable can itself be a musical act. I haven’t taken any photos of it, but through the miracle of the fantastic RackPlannner app, I have this mock-up:

I’ll be adding music there as I make it. Probably two more tracks will be added this weekend. On the first of these two tracks already posted, there’s clipping distortion in places, but I decided I liked the effect and kept it in. As always, I’m attracted to slow-moving music, full of minor noises and drones, so that’s mostly what folk can expect from these.

Update Aug 23, 2010: I’ve taken these tracks down to make room for others on Soundcloud, in keeping with the rapid publishing angle of what I’m doing there. I expect the best among these tracks will resurface as a full release.

Wherein our hero celebrates the changing of your wall calendar by unburdening himself of some crap that hung around through much of the past year.

This year’s entry gives me a certain “Um, Steve, are you feeling alright?” kind of vibe. I got M-Tron Pro early this year, became enchanted with a guitar loop, and struck upon this. I envision it as a soundtrack to an old PSA film reel, in mono no less, something they might have shown to kids in Health class in the 70s, something about poor Misty not feeling right down there, and there’s Johnny, obliviously spreading the clap to all the girls in Grade 11. A little like Larry Clark’s Kids, except with more soft focus. Here it is:

Stupid Riff 2009 – 70s PSA edition

And here are all past entries:

Stupid Riff Dub 2008

Stupid Riff 2007

Stupid Riff 2006

The new version of Audiomulch was released recently. Following a discussion about the new version at the 12k forum, it was suggested to maybe share some synth patches. Despite using Audiomulch every day for near a decade, it’s rare that I actually create patches with just internal synth modules. So, I’ve been rediscovering some of the internal modules. Good practice really as they don’t necessarily cover all obvious bases, but actually extend pretty far with some ingenuity.

I’ll be collecting these patches and putting them up for anyone interested in picking them apart. There’s a dozen available now, more will be added as I make them.

Get them here: http://www.sighup.ca/mulch/

Finally struck upon enough momentum to add some new content to the Sounds Found Project. Not sure what kept from putting some new things.

The new bits (three in all) were recorded in my yard, one in the rain in July and two from my backyard while I tired to get the omnipresent cicadas here in Toronto. Omnipresent that is until I’ve tried to record them, and then they seem to go silent. Took a few tries to get them proper.

Click here to get them, top three files in the list. Here’s a little clip of the loudest cicada bit I captured, isolated for your listening pleasure.

Cicada