I just got really, really confused, because apparently [adult swim] is playing The Room uncut (but with black rectangles over the tits). I just watched it for the first time two days ago.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
DJ Spooky "Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica" Concert Review
I attend a performance that I was really pumped about going to on Friday Night, a presentation of DJ Spooky’s, aka That Subliminal Kid, symphonic type work “Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica” that he composed during a trip to the subarctic ice tundra of the Southern Hemisphere. He took a portable recording studio and some video equipment down with him and made music and took eye candy video shots of the surroundings. He then composed (and he specified that he wrote it on staff paper and not just on a computer) a piece based on his experience for Piano, Cello, Violin and DJ. Yeah, DJ, and that is where I got mad hyped. All of you DJ’s surely your taking a lesson . . .
Here is the official Blurp from lawrence.com
“DJ Spooky's "Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica" is a multimedia performance that features sound recordings and images of Antarctica. Paul D. Miller -- a.k.a. DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid -- created an acoustic portrait of a rapidly changing continent by traversing remote and often treacherous territories. His field recordings from a portable studio, set up to capture the acoustic qualities of Antarctic ice forms, reflect a changing and vanishing environment under duress. DJ Spooky presented "Terra Nova" at the 2008 Democratic National Convention; tonight he'll bring it to the Lied Center in conjunction with a four-day KU residency."
So, again, I was hyped, had my head right and rolled up to this thing in a fancy concert type hall setting. I have been interested in classical music for a while (blame for my interest placed here on the hour long break between Aural Skills and Music Theory class and Gray) and I was interested in seeing how he did this. The pre show music sounded very much like field recordings of ice shifts and got me more hyped. Then, the lights went down and the musicians came out. Spooky did a little intro- and two things bothered me with what he said- 1st being that this piece was a work in progress (I got discounted tix for $16 each, originally $24, so if you are going to charge that much, you best bring you’re A-Game not a work in progress that indeed sounded like a work in progress) and 2nd being that he explained that he would in essence “be DJ’ing” the ensemble. Still, my expectations (among other things in my head) were high.
Then the music started. Keep in mind as I say what I say that I still had a good time and I am glad I went. But I was a bit dissappointed. First, the composition at times was partly hookey, it sounded like Phillip Glass with out the genius. At times though, the composition was very expressive and fit the overall mood of the situation. I head very few samples of the field recordings, if they were there, they were mixed very low. Now, Spooky was set up on stage with what looked like a CD turntable set up with some crazy effects. He also appeared to be adding effects and manipulating the mics on the ensemble, which I was down with. He was very subtle in his part, with the exception of two effects that drove me crazy. He had this one pan thing going that was all wet with no original signal and it was not tactful, just annoying. It sounded like the music stopped more than it sounded like the music continued with an effect on it. Kids on E wouldn’t have even liked it. The other was this effect where he spun his CD turntable thing really fast, thus making it sound like he spun the record really fast, only it was digital and annoying. It seemed to happen between every song, so maybe it was his signal to the players that the next section was about to start. Which is fine, unless you are sitting in the audience and know what panning is. I heard little scratching too which I really wanted more of.
Good parts now: The visuals were pretty cool, although some seemed like early 90’s type of video effects that would have been more at home on a Windows 95 machine’s screensaver than being projected on two 15 ft tall screens. There was not any Chris Cunningham shit, but it was still pretty cool. He did seem to have (from the best I can tell) this thing where he would sample the players, then play it back looped and manipulated it. He may have not sampled it and was only manipulating through the mix, but he was adding some cool other textures to the players. But it sounded cool and add this other layer that I wish was present for the whole performance. The musicians were also excellent; they were all local to Kansas University.
Conclusion- This concert was similar to compositional struggles I have had in my life too. It was a great idea and cool concept, but the implementation of the idea was not as cool as the concept itself. I am glad I went, but I wish I had not gone with such high expectations.
DJ Spooky’s page on this composition
Here is the official Blurp from lawrence.com
“DJ Spooky's "Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica" is a multimedia performance that features sound recordings and images of Antarctica. Paul D. Miller -- a.k.a. DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid -- created an acoustic portrait of a rapidly changing continent by traversing remote and often treacherous territories. His field recordings from a portable studio, set up to capture the acoustic qualities of Antarctic ice forms, reflect a changing and vanishing environment under duress. DJ Spooky presented "Terra Nova" at the 2008 Democratic National Convention; tonight he'll bring it to the Lied Center in conjunction with a four-day KU residency."
So, again, I was hyped, had my head right and rolled up to this thing in a fancy concert type hall setting. I have been interested in classical music for a while (blame for my interest placed here on the hour long break between Aural Skills and Music Theory class and Gray) and I was interested in seeing how he did this. The pre show music sounded very much like field recordings of ice shifts and got me more hyped. Then, the lights went down and the musicians came out. Spooky did a little intro- and two things bothered me with what he said- 1st being that this piece was a work in progress (I got discounted tix for $16 each, originally $24, so if you are going to charge that much, you best bring you’re A-Game not a work in progress that indeed sounded like a work in progress) and 2nd being that he explained that he would in essence “be DJ’ing” the ensemble. Still, my expectations (among other things in my head) were high.
Then the music started. Keep in mind as I say what I say that I still had a good time and I am glad I went. But I was a bit dissappointed. First, the composition at times was partly hookey, it sounded like Phillip Glass with out the genius. At times though, the composition was very expressive and fit the overall mood of the situation. I head very few samples of the field recordings, if they were there, they were mixed very low. Now, Spooky was set up on stage with what looked like a CD turntable set up with some crazy effects. He also appeared to be adding effects and manipulating the mics on the ensemble, which I was down with. He was very subtle in his part, with the exception of two effects that drove me crazy. He had this one pan thing going that was all wet with no original signal and it was not tactful, just annoying. It sounded like the music stopped more than it sounded like the music continued with an effect on it. Kids on E wouldn’t have even liked it. The other was this effect where he spun his CD turntable thing really fast, thus making it sound like he spun the record really fast, only it was digital and annoying. It seemed to happen between every song, so maybe it was his signal to the players that the next section was about to start. Which is fine, unless you are sitting in the audience and know what panning is. I heard little scratching too which I really wanted more of.
Good parts now: The visuals were pretty cool, although some seemed like early 90’s type of video effects that would have been more at home on a Windows 95 machine’s screensaver than being projected on two 15 ft tall screens. There was not any Chris Cunningham shit, but it was still pretty cool. He did seem to have (from the best I can tell) this thing where he would sample the players, then play it back looped and manipulated it. He may have not sampled it and was only manipulating through the mix, but he was adding some cool other textures to the players. But it sounded cool and add this other layer that I wish was present for the whole performance. The musicians were also excellent; they were all local to Kansas University.
Conclusion- This concert was similar to compositional struggles I have had in my life too. It was a great idea and cool concept, but the implementation of the idea was not as cool as the concept itself. I am glad I went, but I wish I had not gone with such high expectations.
DJ Spooky’s page on this composition
Sunday, March 29, 2009
sqrt(song)
Here is a little weird song- like thing I am posting per the request of beat huffer TWH. Damn, his track be hot. I have not done many full "compositions" lately (other than remixes). This is more like a 2 minute stream of consciousness. I am working on this deconstruction of a Bach Cello Suite (long story on the reasoning behind doing said piece) and I will post that if anyone wants to hear it (fair warning, it's goal is to be an artzy type noise track).
sqrt(ur mother)- Head Shot
The pic is a Joyce J. Scott thing titled "Head Shot."
Saturday, March 28, 2009
hey everyone look at me
I started a blog - http://tastebreaker.blogspot.com/
Three reasons why:
1 - To lose a bet with myself that I can't keep it up (without being completely inane) for 4 weeks.
2 - Much as the internet needs more opinionated clowns with keyboards, the blogosphere is obviously a bit under-populated these days.
3 - Those of you that don't want to read album reviews and what I have to say about grindcore, hip hop, and music-biz related ish won't have to. You can just get the enlightening and transcendental posts I usually make here, about my shoes.
Three reasons why:
1 - To lose a bet with myself that I can't keep it up (without being completely inane) for 4 weeks.
2 - Much as the internet needs more opinionated clowns with keyboards, the blogosphere is obviously a bit under-populated these days.
3 - Those of you that don't want to read album reviews and what I have to say about grindcore, hip hop, and music-biz related ish won't have to. You can just get the enlightening and transcendental posts I usually make here, about my shoes.
fat greasy
i got bit by the music bug and spent all week birthing out a fat greasy vein-covered babyhead of a track. sadly, i was unaware that nintendo made such a sophisticated DAW, or i would've used that instead of wasting all this time adjusting oscillators and filters and lfos and bass compression.
y'all can download the full quality .wav version
right here
it might be cool if somebody else could post some of their work up on here so i'm not the only one with my bare shaven shriveled twig and berries hanging out in the wind.
Adjust the treble on my Yoshi.
Fuck chiptune. It's all about some Mario Paint Composer.
I think these two came with that Quaristice/Quadrange EP.
I think these two came with that Quaristice/Quadrange EP.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
6 days from retirement.
So this girl knocked my laptop off a table at the bar i dj @ and the backlight on the monitor broke... I've been using, like, 3 broken laptops to do the work of one. also, i've been hooked on these videos and hash.
also...
Andrew, Ian, Nice to see you in NC.
bloggedly
AGL
also...
Andrew, Ian, Nice to see you in NC.
bloggedly
AGL
I am selling everything
Hey guys I am selling most of the gear I have. If you are in the market for anything just email or call me.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Vomit Fodder
From founder of CD Baby's twitter at SXSW.
"donated at sperm bank in Austin. (Will be frozen here for a few years, if anyone wants some.) Results came back quite virile."
Jason and I used to work for this guy one time. Image co. of Craig Regular.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
You've seen this, right?
http://warp20.net
Last time I looked, LFO had the top 3 spots. Now Tundra 4 is on top. Don't get me wrong; good track. But not the best ever. Some of it's good, some is garbage (again, good track, but nothing on Multiply deserves top 20 warp track status. I'll rank Smedley's Medley above that shit 8 days a week).
Go show 'em what's what. If Corc doesn't end up in the top 20, I'll renounce what little faith I have left in humanity.
Last time I looked, LFO had the top 3 spots. Now Tundra 4 is on top. Don't get me wrong; good track. But not the best ever. Some of it's good, some is garbage (again, good track, but nothing on Multiply deserves top 20 warp track status. I'll rank Smedley's Medley above that shit 8 days a week).
Go show 'em what's what. If Corc doesn't end up in the top 20, I'll renounce what little faith I have left in humanity.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Rant on Randomness
I think I saw a a second-coming type figure running down the street in black dress shoes and PJ's in front of McDonalds yesterday night about 7pm. People don't run in PJ's, or in black dress shoes,and dude looked like Jesus, or looked like what the white man has made believe Jesus looked like. He looked strung out too, and if you left the earth more about 2000 years ago and came back in Kansas,I bet you would look Strung out too. The more I think about it, the more I believe this could be the true second coming.
Pic above was a funny picture on Google Images when I searched for "McDonalds Jesus"
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
NASA uncovers secret of the Northern Lights
This is an article from the end of July 08 about the Northern Lights, the Northern Lights that make actual colors appear in the sky, not the Northern Lights that makes you see colors that are not really there. It has pretty pictures . . . and are apparently caused by space storms.
bfc could totally slay europe if we wanted.
y'all are probly tired of hearing about this, so read it or don't.
i just saw a buttload of my musical heroes last weekend in the uk. here's the whole thing in list form:
1. chris clark - remember that song "shonny" on the "ceramics is the bomb" ep? he dropped about 30 songs and snippets that sound like that and better. he is where aphex was 10 years ago. much better material than his last 2 albums.
2. aphex twin and hecker - i don't what to say. my face got torn off with a spork. hecker did some of the strangest (even stranger than autechre) sound manipulations and aphex dropped some of the heaviest beats known to man. i can't explain it....
3. dubstep - i used to kind of like it, but now i fucking HATE it. anyone see that andy samberg "ras trent" thing? dubstep is totally ras trent. but...
4. ebola - dropped some good, weird dubstep type stuff.
5. totally enormous extinct dinosaurs - i'd never heard of these guys, but they slayed the competition. google them.
6. 2 bad mice - i never understood 90s rave breakbeat, but now i do, and i got more respect for it.
7. british 18-24 years olds - SUUUUUUUUCCCKKK!!!!!! there were a lot of young british suburbanites there and i wanted to drop kick them all in the throat. clowns.
9. bass - they got it, we need it. seems like a lot of venues in the u.s. don't have enough bass. we should get some of that stimulus money to boost our bass.
8. letdowns:
skream and benga: clown music. they kept hyping their dj set like it was "the price is right."
ed dmx: played a bunch of boogaloo.
i-f: more boogaloo
fsol: phoned their performance in over ISDN..lame.
tim exile: what a poser.
hudson mohawke and rustie: need more practice.
british food - don't believe what you read...it still sucks. fucking cajun squirrel potato chips? what the FUCK!? it's like everything they eat was manufactured for a long sea voyage. appreciate american freshness.
one more thing:
the market for techno over there is gigantic. even girls liked the aphex set, which blew my mind. it motivated me to get more hype about bfc...we got some good shit! we could get greenbacks for this shit!
i just saw a buttload of my musical heroes last weekend in the uk. here's the whole thing in list form:
1. chris clark - remember that song "shonny" on the "ceramics is the bomb" ep? he dropped about 30 songs and snippets that sound like that and better. he is where aphex was 10 years ago. much better material than his last 2 albums.
2. aphex twin and hecker - i don't what to say. my face got torn off with a spork. hecker did some of the strangest (even stranger than autechre) sound manipulations and aphex dropped some of the heaviest beats known to man. i can't explain it....
3. dubstep - i used to kind of like it, but now i fucking HATE it. anyone see that andy samberg "ras trent" thing? dubstep is totally ras trent. but...
4. ebola - dropped some good, weird dubstep type stuff.
5. totally enormous extinct dinosaurs - i'd never heard of these guys, but they slayed the competition. google them.
6. 2 bad mice - i never understood 90s rave breakbeat, but now i do, and i got more respect for it.
7. british 18-24 years olds - SUUUUUUUUCCCKKK!!!!!! there were a lot of young british suburbanites there and i wanted to drop kick them all in the throat. clowns.
9. bass - they got it, we need it. seems like a lot of venues in the u.s. don't have enough bass. we should get some of that stimulus money to boost our bass.
8. letdowns:
skream and benga: clown music. they kept hyping their dj set like it was "the price is right."
ed dmx: played a bunch of boogaloo.
i-f: more boogaloo
fsol: phoned their performance in over ISDN..lame.
tim exile: what a poser.
hudson mohawke and rustie: need more practice.
british food - don't believe what you read...it still sucks. fucking cajun squirrel potato chips? what the FUCK!? it's like everything they eat was manufactured for a long sea voyage. appreciate american freshness.
one more thing:
the market for techno over there is gigantic. even girls liked the aphex set, which blew my mind. it motivated me to get more hype about bfc...we got some good shit! we could get greenbacks for this shit!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
O Hot Damn, this is my Jam
Damn, these folks at Old Navy are like the new thing in ganGsta-beat-making-white boy drawers yo. I know I posted one pair already, but now I got another two pairs, so you need this shit. Sag those jeans, cover up those Timberlands with the rolled up denim like HuckleBerry Fin, fresh pressed white T, and let the world see how ganGsta your white ass is.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Broken Picture Telephone
I found this website today and have wasted several hours on it already. If several of us sign up we can start playing private games that may be very amusing. Sorry, I'm too occupied to post a good picture, but it's definitely worth signing up for.
http://www.brokenpicturetelephone.com/
http://www.brokenpicturetelephone.com/
srl
so i checked this video out from the library here at school, nice to have resources. here's a good link to it on ubuweb. eventually, one of the srl shows inspires squatters to burn their buildings down.
fuck shit up.
http://ubu.com/film/srl_social.html
fuck shit up.
http://ubu.com/film/srl_social.html
Friday, March 13, 2009
My new painting
This is a tiny little taste of a larger project I am working (and probably will be working on for 6 more months, cause I paint slow) that is an Aftermath vs Phillip Glass RollaMix.
The rough cut link:
50 cent's High All the Time Glass RollaMix
note, loaded this on googlesites, so if it don't work, let me know, cause I ain't ever used it, might have to right click and save target as or copy link and open URL in your media playa playa girl.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
orange.
In response to brians post about the hexagram for john cage. i wouldn't have thought of that image as being a poem, but since you said poem....that's how i'm supposed to read it? of course its just an image but homeboy saying "this is poetry" is a suggestion that we use our previous experiences with poetry to create the filter through which we recieve the 'information' contained within.
Let's look at another example of poetry that expresses a similar question.
carl andre poems in cases at the chinati foundation, marfa, tx.
so....is "orange" repeated in a square a poem? "anus" maybe more so?
are we supposed to see the orange?
i think carl andre's trick (andre's work is one of the cornerstones of mininmalism) here is that he's got these great poems but you're looking at them in the context of a giant facility devoted primarily to minimal sculpture. the combination of these elements (poetry and minimalist sculpture) does something interesting to your interperative faculties in trying to aprehend how to deal with the subject matter.
especially when you've got these two things that are all serious n' shit....minimalist sculpture...poetry....and there's a little square poem repeating...anusanusanusanusanus.
carl andre was acquited of charges that he pushed his wife Ana Mendieta (also an artist) out of their 34th floor apartment's window.
Let's look at another example of poetry that expresses a similar question.
carl andre poems in cases at the chinati foundation, marfa, tx.
so....is "orange" repeated in a square a poem? "anus" maybe more so?
are we supposed to see the orange?
i think carl andre's trick (andre's work is one of the cornerstones of mininmalism) here is that he's got these great poems but you're looking at them in the context of a giant facility devoted primarily to minimal sculpture. the combination of these elements (poetry and minimalist sculpture) does something interesting to your interperative faculties in trying to aprehend how to deal with the subject matter.
especially when you've got these two things that are all serious n' shit....minimalist sculpture...poetry....and there's a little square poem repeating...anusanusanusanusanus.
carl andre was acquited of charges that he pushed his wife Ana Mendieta (also an artist) out of their 34th floor apartment's window.
PentaHexagram Para John Cage
Augusto de Campos
Pentahexagram for John Cage, 1977
So, this dude, Augusto de Campos did a poem called "pentahexagram for John Cage" that is mostly a picture for my boy, known to me as JC. It is above. I'll give you a quick rundown of the background info you need to know, Brazilian poet dude, was probably some Brazilian Gypsy hippy, and it is apparently hip to draw a picture and call it a poem in the post modernist era. The blog seems stalled (or in awe of) the earlier post on moon shoes, which I have not been able to stop thinking about even thought here is no way I could pull them off (maybe some AF1-Jordan crossovers may work), and when that shit happens, I will try to go deep and provocative. Or maybe deep and erotic? or realistically, not so deep, not so provocative, nor so erotic.
Opinion Time: Is this a poem? Not arguing the fact that if the artist call it a poem, then yeah it is technically a poem (cause I write "songs" all the time, although many people, including ones that love me don't think it is a "song"). But, is it really a poem? f I write a song, can I call it a painting even though I use no paint? I can't get a buzz if there is tea in my pipe.
now the following shit is stuff I stole about this subject off of google books-
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
set it jumpin...
slackers...
blair gets credit for this one.
http://www.vasulka.org/Videomasters/MA_index.html
peep game.
blair gets credit for this one.
http://www.vasulka.org/Videomasters/MA_index.html
peep game.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
i pity the fool who don't know about original pancake house
I know ben posted about how "off the chaingz" original pancake house(possibly on candied paints), but i need to add a little more to the raving review. Not only was my belgian waffle this morning totally delicious with my side of thick bacon, but Mr. T was eating there too. In all his sweat suited glory, eating pancakes and eggs.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Okay Gentlemens...
On my way home tonight from various debaucheries (our old friend Logan Duren is in Austin for the time being) I stumbled upon a very adorable ferret strolling (I'll call it) down an alley near my home. I decided the best course of action would be to put it in my bindle and bring it back home with me, so I did.
I've never had a ferret before but this fucker is so cool I think I might keep him. I've put a bunch of ads up on craigslist but I kinda hope nobody claims him. Unless there's a big reward. I was going to name him after the ferret in Kindergarten Cop but apparently that ferret is never named. So, in the interim, his name is Chuck Norris. Ladies and Gentlemen, Chuck Norris:
I've never had a ferret before but this fucker is so cool I think I might keep him. I've put a bunch of ads up on craigslist but I kinda hope nobody claims him. Unless there's a big reward. I was going to name him after the ferret in Kindergarten Cop but apparently that ferret is never named. So, in the interim, his name is Chuck Norris. Ladies and Gentlemen, Chuck Norris:
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
I want to be a pop star in Japan, Rust, and Fast Hands
So, I had some blog post ideas for this week, but I never got around to posting them, so instead of posting like 4 posts, I am going to do a multi-topic post.
First, I would like to respond to previous posts. Jarrett, there are reasons that we don't do the silent library type jam, First, I blame the police, I would hate to be taken into custody for setting a guys ass on fire in the Downtown PL and then get a possession charge for something that may or may not be in pocket at the time. Second, and most importantly if we did shit like the silent library, those of us that make music would have ended up like the following video instead of the beat destroyers that we currently are.
Next response, Adam's pictures were perty, especially that rusty ass factory thang in the middle of the park. Back in January, I took a handful of artzy pictures of a similar jam in
Kansas. I did them in BnW cause it makes me feel important and covers up the fact, at least in my mind, that I have no idea what I am doing.
Other Randomness I was going to post. Sick drummer video I saw the other night- Hella- Some how you tube channel surfing with some of the kids I run ended here. Started in a way far off land, and ended up here. Dude has fast hands.
In the heat . . . of . . . tha night . . .
First, I would like to respond to previous posts. Jarrett, there are reasons that we don't do the silent library type jam, First, I blame the police, I would hate to be taken into custody for setting a guys ass on fire in the Downtown PL and then get a possession charge for something that may or may not be in pocket at the time. Second, and most importantly if we did shit like the silent library, those of us that make music would have ended up like the following video instead of the beat destroyers that we currently are.
Next response, Adam's pictures were perty, especially that rusty ass factory thang in the middle of the park. Back in January, I took a handful of artzy pictures of a similar jam in
Kansas. I did them in BnW cause it makes me feel important and covers up the fact, at least in my mind, that I have no idea what I am doing.
Other Randomness I was going to post. Sick drummer video I saw the other night- Hella- Some how you tube channel surfing with some of the kids I run ended here. Started in a way far off land, and ended up here. Dude has fast hands.
In the heat . . . of . . . tha night . . .
Monday, March 2, 2009
SNOWBALL FIGHT!
omigowd winston was burning last night. burning with sudded, unexpected heavy snowfall. While everyone else was at home eating milkwiches an intreped throng of camel citizens had phtoshoots, art openings, bar adventures and finally hellraising the RJR/wiley campus, especially the hills down to the baseball feild, the tunnel all the RJR ne'erdowells smoked in between classes and the porta shitter by the the high jump mats.
I realize that this is a more biographical entry than those written in the spirit of this blog, here's some music stuff. The Stranglers, The English Beat, Candi Staton (evidence) bloody beetroots "mind dimension" remix and "two of hearts". Have a pleasant monday evening/tuesday morning.
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