Jonathan Block

Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:52:00 +0000

Most of blogging happens here: Twitter

RIP Richard Wright

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:43:00 +0000

Rick Wright, keyboards and founding member of Pink Floyd, died yesterday. His playing, singing and composing skills were a huge part of the Floyd sound, particularly from my favorite era 1968-1972. Just listen to his solo album from 1979, Wet Dream, which sounds more like Pink Floyd than any of Dave or Roger's.

From my vantage point Rick is a major influencer and mover for electronic and ambient music, although this was never his intention. His floaty and echoed Farfisa organ from the late 60s is a direct antecedent to the groundbreaking early works of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze. Just listen to Rick's organ work on More, particularly the piece Quicksilver.

It's easy for ambient musicians to point to Brian Eno (obviously) but Rick's keyboard work throughout the Floyd is a study in atmospherics. As a synthesist he was one of my hugest influence. I remember listening to Atom Heart Mother as a kid and hearing his floaty solos and wishing there were entire albums that captured that same type of atmosphere.

I'm glad he got his due again touring with Dave and that there's so much coverage of his passing.

052608 Haikus

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Mon, 26 May 2008 14:43:00 +0000

i
Birds on the cut lawn
are you listening to me
or the worms hiding

ii

We’ve become our folks
wide middles sagging bottoms
leaves still fall from trees

052508 Haikus

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Sun, 25 May 2008 14:43:00 +0000

i

An empty wrapper
behind the bamboo thickets
the east side of town

ii

There’s no words for this
road the interior
what defines the trees

052408 Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Sat, 24 May 2008 14:42:00 +0000

Empire of lights
soon to accelerate on
so many wet leaves

052008 Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:42:00 +0000

A single tear burns
the moon turns the curtains gray
wide awake from snores

051608 Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:41:00 +0000

Past my prime and I
don’t warrant a second glance
pollen hits the dirt

051308 Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:41:00 +0000

Time is a stonewall
either cleared in one wide leap
or head-on face first

050808 Haikus

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:40:00 +0000

i

Rain and roots and slow
corners uphill forty years
to reach the first point

ii

Up history’s skirt
you promise equality
ad infinitum

050708 Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:40:00 +0000

Move from brown to green
grass pushes up the pavement
cracked from the rime frost

050408 Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Sun, 04 May 2008 14:39:00 +0000

Contemplating air
among the still blue sparrows
talking on the wire

042308

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:25:00 +0000

I'm not doing much "regular" blogging recently, but I am active on Twitter. You can see what I'm up to there and follow me if you'd like (I'll follow you back). You can find me on Twitter at: @jblock. However, I will be contributing significantly to the blogs we will be launching soon over at SiriusDecisions.

041708 Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:39:00 +0000

Blue water white sand
few woman look attractive
in a bikini

041608 Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:38:00 +0000

The coast of Belize
bending palms and mangroves still
unlikely weather

041508 Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:37:00 +0000

Sun takes over shade
hat pulled down over my eyes
the patter of feet

041308 Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 14:37:00 +0000

A sea of people
all heads down in a rhythmic
discourse of plateau

041208 Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:36:00 +0000

Spring appeared today
red cardinal in a tree
limbs shedding their bare

041008 Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:35:00 +0000

The first wasp of spring
hovered silence in mid-air
standing still moving

030708

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:54:00 +0000

Haven't posted in a while but that's not from lack of content. We're in the midst of a new site with expanded social media options and at some point I'll may transition to just posting there. But we'll see. Anyway, here it's a mix of home disasters and music. It seems our radiant heat may finally be failing. It's about 10 years past its due date anyway. Thankfully, or hopefully, the worst of the cold is behind us.

Been doing a lot of work in using the Micron and the EWI and coming up with some interesting results. Finally loaded Logic onton the computer and it's very deep. It's going to take a long time to get through that, but so far the included instruments are very good and the drum module (Ultrabeat) is also very nice.

Finished up my contributions for M Peck last week and all the material is in his hands. I'm sure the results will be great and I may post some of the mixes in progress once he's worked through some material.

020808

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:25:00 +0000

About halfway through the tracks for the collab with MP. The tracks I've completed so far are mostly in a synthblock vein with sequencers and percussion. Mostly done using softsynths, but there's some Micron and EWI here and there. The first track starts with some softsynth pads, then a sequencer section, and ending with a long EWI loop. Another couple of tracks are just sequencers firing off, and the final is another more composed track. Went through a week of mixing and they are close enough to put to rest for now. This weekend I'll try to create some longer EWI loops if I can find the time.

The Anatomy of Waves Released on Hypnos

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:46:00 +0000

The Anatomy of Waves is now available on Hypnos. Click here for more information and to listen to sound samples.

And the press release...

Hypnos is very pleased to announce a new release by Jonathan Block on our Hypnos Secret Sounds imprint. Jonathan has previously worked with Hypnos, when his album Sonic Approach (under his alter-ego Synthetic Block) was released on our Binary sub-label. Also his track 'The Language of Rocks' heads off the most recent Hypnos compilation Sounds of a Universe Overheard. The new album, The Anatomy of Waves, is a series of four long tracks featuring improvisations using an electronic "wind instrument" device, an Akai EWI4000s wind synthesizer.

Surface waves. Standing waves. Sound waves. Waves are disturbances that travel through space and time transferring energy from one point to another; often the physical manifestation of an underlying cycle. The Anatomy of Waves is a study of these cycles through evolving waves of sound — representations of our attachment to the crests and troughs that are characteristics of living in this world.

The music on this CD was created using a wind synthesizer processed through an effects pedal board and looped using long delay times that fade slowly, enabling new sounds and loops to be added and subtracted. All the tracks have a compositional foundation but this structure is fluid enough to allow the music to move in any number of directions, often simultaneously. From melodic to abstract, musical elements emerge and coalesce by design and hazard as phrases interact with one another and sounds are added that never become part of a repeating loop. Jonathan Block has been releasing electronic music for over 20 years, often under the name Synthetic Block. Block’s music has been released by Hypnos, Binary and Gears of Sand. In addition to his solo works, Block has performed and recorded with Dave Fulton, The Circular Ruins (APK) and Ben Fleury-Steiner.

The Anatomy Of Waves was recorded using an Akai EWI4000s wind synthesizer with a Vox Tonelab LE for sound processing and a Boss DD-20 digital delay for looping.

New CD coming

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:03:00 +0000

The Anatomy of Waves will be released soon by Hypnos. Sound samples and a brief overview of the disc are available on my site or here.

More information soon as it becomes available.

012208

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:33:00 +0000

Finished up overdubs for BFS this weekend but not much else. I needed a couple of days to refresh what I'm doing with MP and this was the ticket. Just some very sparse electric piano or synth that is mixed a bit in the background to add the sound atmosphere. Maybe he'll find a use for them.

A bit of good news last night regarding my next CD, which I will make public soon. It will happen very quickly; fine with me as the music was all done and the label always does quality work. I have to approach some descriptions of the music, which is never my strong suit, talking about my own stuff. An irony since I do a lot of writing for my job.

Debating whether to get the new version of Logic Express. Garageband is adequate for what I need as a simple recorder and host for some good softsynths (Remedy and Crystal) but it has its limitations.

011808

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:05:00 +0000

You have to know when not to bother. I was really unmotivated last night, but soldiered on regardless. It was pretty much a waste of time. I came up with two minutes of complete crap. I did, however, come up with some interesting sounds that I'll be able to use on one of the current projects so it was not a total waste.

011708

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Block) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:12:00 +0000

Many downloads of At The End Of Time Stands Still since its mention on DGM's news page. Thank you.

Did a little more mixing on the two existing tracks but have been too beat at the end of the day to attempt something new. I do have some ideas just waiting to get down. I also received a bunch of tracks from BFS' new project that I'm going to see what I can add to. They have a nice early Pink Floyd and Cluster vibe. Very impressive material.