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A video for "Swimming Alone" by Lorne David Thomson!

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:29:00 +0000

To accompany the release of his latest album "Swimming Alone", Lorne David Thomson has created a lovely video for the title track. It's an excellent example of ambient video and I encourage all of you to check it out!

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"Luvyoo" by Strom Noir

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:32:00 +0000

Up until a few weeks ago I had never heard of Strom Noir and I really had no context for who they were or what they do, but listening to their latest release "Luvyoo", I'm quite pleased that they took the time to contact me and tell me about their music. On this disc Emil Mat'ko of Strom Noir has created an impressive collection of songs that uses guitar based drones as a foundation and builds up melodically and tonally from there.

"Sunday Soul" opens with a repeated tone with quiet intervals between notes, eventually building up into something more, other tones slowly added to the sound. Eventually a full space is created within the soundfield and there is a sense of a lush environment that's being presented. A very delicate and beautiful piece of music.

"Nothing Really Happens" has a warmer feel to it, again very natural organic sounds and tones, the sound of guitars lightly strummed and processed, field recordings, more. It's a warm and inviting sound, something that envelopes the listener in a soothing embrace.

"Ratatongua" has a decidedly metallic sound to it, though not in the way you'd normally expect. Chorused guitars play nicely throughout the track, a feeling of natural acoustic energy processed and effected in subtle but engaging ways. An interesting use of delay breaks up the track and moves it into a new space but ultimately the track remains steady along an established path. Nicely done.

"Jazzyk" rises up out of nothing, a steady drone growing from silence. Tones wash up against a liquid backdrop, the sounds of falling rain and water. As it progresses, the track seems to rise up from the water, eventually elevating high engough to evoke a feeling of space until it ultimately echoes out into silence...

"Morning Deja vu" begins with a steady pulse that plays throughout it's length, a deep tone that both mesmerizes and keeps the beat. Drawn out notes on the guitar elongate and echo, wrapping around themselves and reversing in ways to create a haunting experience for the listener. An aptly named track, well worth further listening.

"Planet Catcher" features echoing guitar sounds and the suggestion of reversed tracks with subtle starts and abrupt stops of notes. It's a nice space, a kaleidoscope of sounds that envelops the listener quite effectively. I like it.

"P.S. I love you" begins with a warm drone, little bits and pieces of sound playing along with it. As the sound builds, details become more clear, wavering and flowing throughout to provide focus for the listener. There's a warmth being presented, a loving embrace for the listener.

"Quiero ser Santa" opens with the sound of the sea and an echoing drone. There's a feeling of bending metal here, a quiet sound, all combining to create a very delicate track that entrances and hypnotizes.

"Wash their Souls" is another nice piece, a subtle drone melody in the forefront, with quiet seasoning in the background. There's a haunting sound to the piece, the feeling of walking down an underground tunnel late at night, the occasional clang or drip adding to the atmosphere. Given the title, I can't help but think this one is the soundtrack to a slow drip purge of sins, the error of one's ways slowly sweating out of the body.

"za chvilu je koniec dna" is an interesting piece that begins with a slightly buzzing drone underneath a field recording of a crowd. Eventually the crowd disperses to be replaced by a subtly ebbing drone where melody can just be imagined right on the edge of the soundfield. A repeated arpegio drifts in, adding a certain light and order to the track.

"Heartland" closes the disc, a slightly more defined track than previous pieces, where the music seems to be more clearly presented and distinct in the soundfield. Drawing from sound sources heard in earlier tracks, "Heartland" acts as a nice sampler for the disc, a wonderful summation of what's happened earlier and moving the music forward. Simple melodies, light drones, subtle guitar echoes, crowds, it's all here, blended together in a beautiful way.

Needless to say, "Luvyoo" is a rich and fascinating release that demonstrates an impressive understanding of musical forms and shapes. Over the course of its length, Mat'ko has done an admirable job of engaging and inspiring the listener, and if this disc is any indication of his earlier work, I will definitely make the effort to hear more!

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"Air Machine" by Frank Van Bogaert with Erik Wollo

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:55:00 +0000

"Air Machine" by Frank Van Bogaert and Erik Wollo is an excellent album that addresses environmental collapse through ten songs that follow a society on the brink of ruin as a result of failing technology. Using this concept as a basis around which the songs are built, "Air Machine" is an impressive release that simultaneously provokes thought in the listener, while also displaying the distinct talents of both Van Bogaert and Wollo.

The first track, "Dead Planet", is surely that, a windy and barren soundscape that brings to mind the sound of deserts and abandoned cities. Out of the emptiness there's a slight sense of melody that quickly builds into a majestic theme of sorts, crisp synths paired with choral voices to create a lush swelling opus. It's all very dramatic, and very effective at setting the tone for the rest of the album.

"Air Machine" is up next, offering a sense of hope and possibility, a crisp and clear piano line bringing to mind the chance of relief and natural elements. There's a theatrical feel to the proceedings, with dramatic Gilmour-esque guitar from Wollo playing throughout the latter half of the track, bringing to mind a certain Pink Floyd quality that I really enjoy.

"Insomnia" opens with a light drone paired with brushed high hats, a more subtle atmospheric track that gradually opens up with the addition of a slowly developing synth melody. The track is aptly named, nicely capturing the sound of late nights spent sleepless with worry and angst. Minor melodies play at the edge of the soundfield, like fleeting thoughts that pass through one's head too quickly to focus on. As the track continues it becomes more focused, more defined, but still retaining that otherworldly quality that only happens on the edges of sleep. Very nicely done.

"Hyperventilate" features a lovely choral swell that's nicely mirrored by a piano melody, a pumping synthline pushing the track along. Wollo's guitar plays a beautiful accompaniment here, a driving rock drum adding colour and flavor. Another really nicely executed dramatic moment.

"All Has Stopped" is a mournful track with minimal instrumentation where a longing synthline and some beautiful guitar work blend together to create a haunting and lamenting piece of music. Perhaps my favorite track on the release, its a delicate piece that brings to mind cloudless blue skies as far as the eyes can see.

"Breathe" opens with a sequenced synthline and building percussion. It has a nice flow, a well-executed swell. Vocals come in, accompanied by a heavier drum line and plucked melodic guitar that echoes an earlier theme from the disc. Repeating the line "Let us Breathe..." like a mantra, Van Bogaert's vocals offer a calming focus for the listener amidst an avalanche of percussion, eventually giving way to a lovely acoustic guitar closing.

"Cold Steel" pairs a steady drone with a pulsing synthline that rotates through the soundfield. A short arpeggio rises and falls through the track, and a high pitched synth plays a slight melody. Despite its name, there's a real warmth to this track, a feeling of being enveloped in sound and music, surrounded by tones that dance around you. Beautiful.

There's a really nice abstract quality to the opening of "The Thin Line", a dark environment created through unusual tones all layered together to make a steaming underworld of sound. Soon the track gives way to more traditional melodic elements, heavy percussion and repeated synth themes, all combining to shape a heavy, beaty track, and a particularly thick sound to be named "Thin"...

"Marbles (Memories of Childhood)" cleverly applies reversed tracks to the sound of bouncing balls and a slowly rotating synthline, evoking a sense of peace and nostalgia. A short but effective track that leads into the disc's closer, "Memories of Waves", which pairs the sound of waves underneath a dramatic piano melody that swells and falls like the tide. There's some beautiful playing here, and I commend Van Bogaert for his talent on the keys.

On "Air Machine", Van Bogaert and Wollo have done a wonderful job of telling a story with broad strokes, leaving the listener to fill in the blanks and allowing them to share in the creation of scenarios and outcomes. And that's not always the easiest thing to do when faced with the idea of a concept album. "Air Machine" succeeds in ways that many similar efforts have failed, by leading the listener to a point and allowing them to continue on their own. Kudos to Van Bogaert and Wollo for addressing significant issues through a creative medium.

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"Air Machine" by Frank Van Bogaert with Erik Wollo is available now through ping things!

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Download "Swimming Alone" by Lorne David Thomson

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:22:00 +0000

Download "Swimming Alone" by Lorne David Thomson for free from ping things!

"Swimming Alone" by Lorne David Thomson is the November release from the ping things net label. Offering eleven songs in a variety of sounds and styles, "Swimming Alone" features rich soundscapes, deep melodic electronica, vintage synth tracks and more, all showcasing the extensive talents of Lorne David Thomson. "Swimming Alone" is an engaging and inspired collection of music available exclusively from ping things!

"Swimming Alone" is available for free download as an 113Mb Zip file containing the full release in high quality 256kbps mp3 format along with artwork suitable for printing. The music on this release is copyright Lorne David Thomson 2009 and may not be used or reproduced without the artist's express permission.

"Swimming Alone" is the latest release from the ping things net label. New releases will be added to the site on the 1st of each month. I hope that you'll enjoy this new music as much as I do, and I encourage you to let me know what you think of it by e-mailing me at rik@pingthings.com

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"Inner Gesture" by Peter DiPhillips

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:03:00 +0000

"Inner Gesture" by Peter DiPhillips is a collection of four loop-based songs blended together in a long form mix that addresses a wide range of styles and moods. Moving from modern cityscape soundtracks through abstract tonal funhouses to panoramic musical vistas, "Inner Gesture" creates a virtual travelogue for the listener, a trip through a new sonic landscapes.

"Meditation To" opens the disc, a pulse-driven track where a steady beat is created through a thick bassline. Chimes and synths add colour to the track and lightly brushed percussion play throughout providing a sense of movement and travel. It's a very urban sound, a track that brings to mind late nights while the city sleeps, the sounds of back alley lounges and rainy side-streets.

"Meditation Won" segues in from the last track with some of the same tones and melodies blending in with a new tonal palette that ultimately takes the sound in new directions and spaces. The track bounces through a variety of tones, shifting abruptly in points and turning in on itself at times, almost like a Moebius loop. It's a bit of a challenging listen, but an ultimately rewarding one.

"New Image" mixes seemlessly with the last track, a long form piece where slow synth pads drift through the soundfield punctuated by irregular sonic extras that rise and fall. Shakers, saw lines, a short drone, others, all tastefully chosen and carefully placed sounds that add character to the track. There's a definite feeling of space in the track, not so much cosmic as expansive, the feeling of a wide open environment where distances meet the sky. A really nice piece of music.

"Slow Rays" follows without pause, a dense mixture of tones that blend together nicely. Melodic lines and tones bubble up through the soundfield, creating an ever shifting kaleidescope of sound. It's difficult to pick an anchor out of the proceedings, but it all works well together.

I always enjoy finding new artists and I'm quite pleased with the discovery of Peter DiPhillips. His work has an engaging approach to song forms and displays a clever sense of humour that runs throughout. I like this disc and I look forward to seeing what DiPhillips comes up with next.

rik - ping things

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"Filaments" by Description Without Place

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:24:00 +0000

Over the last few years, Anthony Paul Kerby has released a number of discs as The Circular Ruins, Lammergeyer and Nunc Stans. His work has always been of the highest quality and now with the release of "Filaments" by Description Without Place, fans are treated not only to new work from Kerby, but also the opportunity to hear his work in collaboration with another very talented performer, James McDougall of Entia Non. Bringing together sonic elements from each of these impressive artists, "Filaments" is a wonderful release that engages and captures the imagination, taking the listener on a journey to new and undiscovered spaces.

Beginning with "The Gold Tree is Blue", Kerby and McDougall set the tone for the release with a thick drone based form that fills the soundfield. Musical phrases drift through the piece adding to the depth of the track and suggesting movement through a wider plane to the listener. The track continues to grow in this style, building to a climax until suddenly the sound is gone, leaving the listener in a sparse and barren wasteland. Track two, "Physical World", rises up through the emptiness, a fluid tone bubbling underneath a distant drone. Other alien tones flow through the track, gaining in volume and clarity as time passes, slowly taking shape and becoming more distinct and visible. The end result is a beautiful minimal environment where tones are heard just on the periphery of the soundscape, a very delicate space just at the edge of the senses. Very nice.

"Nostalgia" builds from more abstract sounds, irregular percussion elements, static, field recordings, more. It's an unusual collection of tones but a very engaging one, and as it continues one can't help but become curious as to what will happen as it plays out, where the track will go over the course of its length. Voices and distant strings add to the proceedings, all combining to create a beautiful and haunting track.

"Cloister" opens with subtle morse code and a quiet drone. As the track continues more sounds are added, slowly rising from silence to become more distinct, but always retaining an air of mystery. Alien noises just on the periphery of identification play out, adding to the atmosphere, deepening the soundscape. A particularly strong track.

"Sunday Morning" has a melodicism about it, a quiet synth line that plays up and down the soundfield in a melancholy manner, paired with field recordings and other sounds that add to the space. It's a lovely blend of styles, an organic musicality paired with an atmospheric ambience to create a melancholy and mournful mixture that appeals despite it's darkness.

"Periphery" is a very short track, not even two minutes long. It creates a space, a quick glance at an environment where the space exists only for an instant. Nice work, but a track I would have liked to explore a little further.

"She Conceals Herself" closes the disc, a rainy seaside atmosphere for the listener to explore while a quiet melody plays in the background underneath everything else. It's an engaging piece, an interestingly abstract piece that leaves this listener quite satisfied.

It sometimes seems to me that living in the twenty-first century can be a neverending series of distractions and challenges, so I welcome music that can take me away for a little while, music that can bring a little order to all the chaos and activity that permeates our day to day lives. "Filaments" is a set of music that can do that for me, an excellent disc that inspires those kind of mid-day reveries that only the best music can bring. For the course of its length I can let the world slip by for a while and just enjoy a new space, a new world. My thanks to Kerby and McDougall for sharing this new world with us.

rik - ping things

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"Archive Two" by Anomalous Disturbances

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:49:00 +0000

It's been five years since the last release from Terry O'Brien's Anomalous Disturbances project, but it's clear from the volume of material on the double disc "Archive Two" that Terry has been very busy making music. Collecting rare tracks and unreleased work recorded over the last few years, "Archive Two" is a wonderful set of music that nicely illustrates the musical essence of Anomalous Disturbances.

"Portent (v.2 Omen Mix)" opens disc one, an epic track clocking in at over 17minutes that appeared in it's original form as part of the "Music for Seances" series from Sound-o-Mat Recordings. Needless to say it's a haunting piece of music where languid guitar tones stretch and sweep across the track sharing the soundscape with subtle textures and micro-melodies. A very nice piece of music that stands among Terry's best.

"The Secret Adam" follows, a deep drone-y tone playing along with a slight melodic backdrop. The occasional chime sparkles through the mix, but overall the proceedings are quiet and low, a gentle ebb and flow that brings to mind waves and the ocean. It's a hypnotic piece, one with a certain intimacy about it that captures the imagination of the listener. My only regret is that at twelve minutes it's still too short for my tastes, as I'd like to hear this track evolve and expand
across an hour at least!

I have no idea what "Quickenberries" are, but I would imagine that they have some otherworldly charms about them. This drone-based track seems to move through the stars with a steady pulse and occasional space-y flourishes. It's a fine creation of space music textures, and an excellent example of effectively bridging two styles of work. Very nicely done!

"Noodles" is a previously unreleased track where a minimal melody rises and falls, a slow pulse around which other sounds and tones gather. It's a very nice minimal piece, a really nicely constructed soundscape using only a few elements. As the track progresses a ringing drone shifts the focus of the track, taking the piece in new directions but never straying too far from the space that's been created, always circling back to its initial starting point.

"Everybody's Talkin' v.2" is another track that carries on in a haunting vein, processed vocal samples echoing through some space-y drawn out synth work. It stands as the shortest track on the disc, but don't think for a minute that it's lacking in it's creation of an unsettling and vaguely uncomfortable environment. A testimony to Terry's ability that he can so effectively create a living and breathing space in such little time.

"Daydream #3" is a new recording built around a seed loop from 2003 finally developing into a full fledged song in 2009. It's an interesting piece, another long track of 18 plus minutes that manages to maintain the listeners interest throughout its length. Drones rise and fall, creating an oblique background of sorts while tones drift past in a seemingly random pattern. The sense of movement and travel is very strong in this track, a feeling of slowly floating through space and time. Close your eyes and I expect you'll be carried away the same way I was...

Disc Two begins with "Sedna", another previously unreleased track that starts with an almost inaudible tone that builds in volume and strength over the course of the track's first minute. Throughout the length of the track the sound unfolds and expands, allowing the listener to explore the soundfield as it progresses, each area filled with nuance and wonder to discover.

"Low Pulse" lives up to it's name, a steady pulsing drone providing a framework around which other tracks rise and fall, bend and contract, echo and fade. It's an interesting track where a variety of sonic techniques are all applied in a tasteful and well executed fashion suggesting form and purpose rather than haphazard discovery. Well done.

The third track from disc two, "Mysterium Tremendum #23" opens with dark and unsettling guitar, weaving in and about itself and sweeping across the soundfield. As the track progresses, the sound thickens and becomes more dense, occasionally punctuated by aquatic gurgling that brings to mind submarines and underwater exploration. It's not really clear what sort of space is created here, but in ways I enjoy the track even more for that. A tremendous mystery to say the least...

"Live at SOMA Cafe Pt.2" opens with a slight melody that relies on silence as much as it does musical notes, creating both positive and negative spaces for the listener to engage with. Tones pass through the soundfield and disappear, some returning, some never to be heard again, and it all brings to mind the fleeting nature of all of life's moments. Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but I'm reminded how important it is to enjoy everything as it happens, because you might not have the chance to do so tomorrow...

"Segue to Heaven" is a slow drift of a song, sleepy and lazy and very, very, very relaxed. I'm hard-pressed to say anything else about it, except to say that it's quite beautiful and I enjoy it very much.

Disc two closes with "Space Elevator Music", another drifting piece, but this time with a bit more direction, a purpose and idea behind the movement that keeps the track headed in a particular way. I can't say for sure if it's into outer space, more likely I think it's inner space. An internal journey of discovery to end all of the traveling we've done over the course of the last two discs. And really, is there any better way to end this compilation? I can't really think of one.

It takes a lot to sustain one's interest over the course of a two and a half hour double disc, but "Archive Two" succeeds in presenting a series of engaging and involving tracks. There's some fine music on this collection that really resonates with me, and I whole-heartedly recommend it as an excellent release. Whether
you're a fan of Terry's work and would like to hear more of it, or if you're just looking for something new to check out, "Archive Two" is definitely a disc that you should make a point of investigating further.

rik - ping things

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"Inside" by Anomalous Disturbances

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:28:00 +0000

For his latest release as Anomalous Disturbances, "Inside", Terry O'Brien has added some additional musicians to the mix. Joined by brothers Chris and Wayne O'Brien, "Inside" finds Anomalous Disturbances expanding its sound and exploring new aural environments. Recorded sporadically between 2003 and 2008, "Inside" is a travelogue of new spaces and locations, all beautifully constructed and defined through a rich palette of sounds created by the trio.

"Inside I" begins with some sustained guitar drifting across the soundscape, very nicely ebow-ed to create a wide space for the listener to stretch out in. As the track progresses some subtle percussion begins, adding a feeling of ritual and mysticism to the proceedings.It's a really beautiful track that results, a dense and beautiful soundscape created with only a few very effective elements. Needless to say, it's a lovely way to start the disc.

"Inside II" has a melancholy feeling about it, a haunted guitar accompanying a lonely flute creating a grey and desolate space that conjures up some very vivid imagery. Light hand percussion is introduced into the mix, bringing an order and brightness to the track. Soon some light chimes can be heard, adding colour and warmth and shifting the mood to a completely new space. Cool stuff.

"Inside III" has a pulsing beat to it, a vaguely militaristic sound that's paired with some deep percussion and processed voices. Dark guitar notes weave through the proceedings and you can't help but get wrapped up in a feeling of tension, an unsettling vibe that permeates the track. It's a theatrical piece, something that would fit well in a movie, adding an extra darkness to the images.

"Inside IV" finds the listener in a completely different space, a new groove-based environment where percussion and pulse propel the track along through alien landscapes. It's a much brighter track than the three previous, but it maintains a certain minor key vibe that's in keeping with everything else on the disc. Melodic flourishes add colour to the track, and before you know it you're in a shifting kaleidoscope of sound.

"Inside V" brings it down a notch, returning to a darker and more tranquil sound using a limited sound palette of guitar and processed flute alongside some interesting atmospheric touches. It's a quiet and introspective piece, a nice space to explore.

"Inside VI" presents the listener with a distorted ringing amidst a strange vortex. Tones slide through the soundfield, irregular and without form, creating an ominous and rather unsettling space for listening. It's a dense space for the listener, and with every listen something new is revealed. Very nicely done.

"Inside VII" begins with a series of slow sweeping guitar pads playing across the soundfield, steady and strong tones that easily hold one's attention. As the track continues, sounds open up and widen, aided by the addition of some subtle atmospheric textures and tones, nothing too heavy to overwhelm the track, just enough to add to the mood.

The disc closes with "Inside VIII", a spiraling guitarline-driven tribal percussive processed vocal track that resonates with the listener long after the last note has faded. It has a particular drama, a particular theatrical quality that works really well, and it's a lovely way to end the disc.

Without doubt, "Inside" is an album that long-time fans of Anomalous Disturbances and relative newcomers alike will really enjoy. It celebrates the sound that has become associated with O'Brien's work, and builds on it creating a whole new feeling and vibe. I hope that future releases by Anomalous Disturbances will feature work from this trio, and I look forward to the musical journeys that lay ahead.

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"The Palm at the End of the Mind" by Nunc Stans

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:41:00 +0000

Anthony Paul Kerby has released a number of fabulous albums in a variety of guises and identities, each one capturing a particular sound and style that engages and intrigues. "The Palm at the End of the Mind" by Nunc Stans is a particularly fine example of Kerby's work, a seven track disc where the songs are influenced by the isolation of Northern environments, music to conjure images of unique landscapes that are equal parts beautiful and mysterious. Kerby has a reputation for being particularly skilled in his ability to paint aural landscapes and with "The Palm at the End of the Mind" he proves once again that his reputation is well deserved.

"The Palm at the End of the Mind" opens the disc, an epic 30 minute track with a spiraling drone underneath a thin synth line. As the track continues tones well up in the soundfield creating a wider space, a more distinct location. A second movement featuring a fuzzy wave of distortion is paired with a soaring synth line that loops around the track. A third movement adds electronic percussion playing over a looping segment of noise from the last segment, gradually growing in volume to ultimately become a gristly drone segment. I'm afraid my descriptions don't do it justice, but trust me when I say that it's an impressive and appealing piece of music.

"Casual Solitudes" opens in a dark windy place, the sound of whistling caverns and ice floes. It's a dark and rather solemn environment, a quiet piece where there is little hope and possibility. As the track progresses there is a shift in style and sound and soon things become a little brighter, a little more hopeful as if to suggest there is a light at the end of the tunnel and possibilities beyond that which have been previously imagined. Yet despite this new found possibility, there is still an element of mournfulness to the track that creates a nice contrast in ideas.

Track three, "Ice Caverns", starts in a different headspace with a feeling of warmth about it, of falling drops of cold dark rain in a rainforest. The occasional sound is heard echoing in the soundfield, something farther along in the space created in the track, but it's all very minimal, very simple. A nice aural head cleaner, something to bring us around to a new mindset while listening.

"Spring Thaw" is a short piece, just a little shy of two minutes, but Kerby does an excellent job of creating a space and environment. A shifting drone slides through the track, bending and processing in a variety of different ways as the track continues. An interesting transitional piece moving us from one location to the next.

"The Imperfect is Our Paradise" is another shorter piece that has an almost sacred feel to it. Deep low tones create a dark and haunting backdrop. It's a mournful and dark piece, something that suggests an end to all things, a final place to rest.

"Gaspe Passage" returns us to more comfortable locales with a stronger sense of hope and possibility. String-like tones shape a melody, weaving and intertwining around eachother to create a dense bed track around which everything else builds and forms. There's a feeling of possibility here, the feeling that things have changed for the better. An optimistic and beautiful track.

The last track on the disc, "The Sleepers in Their Sleep Shall Move", begins as a minimal drone-based piece where sounds ring and drift through a wash of drones. There's a feeling of suspense here, a feeling of drama that really appeals and remains unresolved until the halfway mark where an organ/piano combination bring a certain resolution and closure to both the work and the disc as a whole. A nice way to end things...

As with all of Kerby's releases as Nunc Stans, "The Palm at the End of the Mind" does a wonderful job of capturing the feeling of new spaces, places conjured through the expressiveness of the music. Kerby has once again shown that he has an unparalleled ability to create sonic environments, and it should come as no surprise that I highly recommend this disc.

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"Out of Process" by Runningonair

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

"Out of Process" is the debut release from Joe Evans recording as Runningonair, and for a first disc it displays a tremendous maturity and musical sophistication that many artists can only dream of, even at their peak. Blending organic and electronic elements Evans has crafted a collection of engaging and theatrical soundscapes that inspires and delights.

The jazzy piano of "Click Continue" opens the disc, a steady arpeggio that sets the stage for a dense and fascinating collection of sounds. Synths and percussive elements add a depth to the proceedings resulting in a groove based track that envelops the listener while an automated voice gives direction and instructions. It works well as an engaging opening, a great display of both the talent and sophisticated production of the work to follow.

"Summer Fade" begins with a much more laid back feeling, piano and brushed high hats with stretched guitar chords adding colour. A slow melody brings to mind that lazy sense of time that only happens during the summer months, a languid wash that plays against the heat. It's a great piece for inspiring imagery and a wonderful piece of music to imagine to.

"Disappear Fast" follows with a similar pace, but where the last track had a feeling of relaxed calm, there seems to be a deeper meaning to this one, a deeper purpose that moves it along. Quiet vocals are paired with a trembling synth line adding colour to the track, and a vocoder effected voice brings a robotic sci fi feel to the proceedings. Very nicely done.

Track four, "Lost American Dream", begins as a simple piano piece that brings to mind a slowed down ragtime melody, an echo from another time that has been weakened with age. As the track progresses, synth and string lines swell and add to the piece, but it's the piano that tells the story, telling a tale of a different time, wistful and nostalgic. It all combines to create a really beautiful and evocative piece of music that I would count as my favorite on the disc.

"Milk Thistle" opens with an elastic bass line and some urgent percussion that blends nicely with some beautiful violin work. Other sounds and voices ebb and flow throughout, giving the track a really nice sense of movement and growth. I find myself returning to this track a lot as it's so rich in sound and melody, and I keep hearing new elements in it to engage me, new discoveries that add to my enjoyment of it.

"On Hold Part 1" features piano and bell work over a cityscape drone, a sense of twenty first century metropolitan living coming immediately to mind. A molten guitar line slips through the track, but not obtrusively, more to add colour to the scene and move the track along. Very nicely executed. The companion piece "On Hold Part 2" uses similar sonic elements but adds a driving percussion to the track which creates a whole new groove when paired with the guitar sounds from earlier. A really nice demonstration of how to create different moods and spaces using the same palette of sound and a testimony to Evans' skill as a musician.

"Single Source of Truth" has a playful feel to it, percolating tones bouncing around the soundscape while strings stretch through the track. A filtered voice asks questions of the listener, influencing the mood of the track in ways that direct the imagery that follows.

"Blue White" begins with the sound of tide drifting in and out, soon joined by a dense weave of pads and melodic synth. The track is strongly evocative of ocean imagery to me, and I can't help imagining night time strolls along the beach while the moon is high overhead. Another really beautiful track.

The disc closes with "Western Machine", an urgent piano melody playing underneath haunting violin. Horn sounds are added along with choral vocals and soon the track is filled with a sense of majesty and strength, purpose and power. Yet despite all of these trappings, there's still a feeling that time is running out, a sense of last gasp determination that is just about winded down. A wonderful display of theatricality and a great track to end a very enjoyable disc.

Admittedly my tastes usually run toward more abstract sounds, but I thoroughly enjoy this disc as a sophisticated and intelligent collection of music that evokes a strong imagery. Evans' talent as both a musician and producer are clearly evident on "Out of Process", and I find myself eagerly awaiting his next release.

rik - ping things

"Out of Process" by Runningonair is now available at ping things!

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Download "Of Uncertain Aspect" by Pholde!

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:13:00 +0000

Download "Of Uncertain Aspect" by Pholde for free from ping things!

ping things is pleased to announce that our latest net release featuring music by one of the most respected artists in the ambient/abstract musical genres is now available for free download. "Of Uncertain Aspect" by Pholde features music taken from a live performance at Toronto's AMBiENT PiNG event that captures the unique sound stylings of Alan Bloor at his best. Using found metal objects that are bowed, stroked and struck percussively, Bloor creates a fascinating and inspiring aural landscape that builds and grows organically over time, engaging the listener in a challenging but ultimately rewarding listen.

"Of Uncertain Aspect" is available for free download as a 48 Mb Zip file containing the full release in high quality 256kbps mp3 format along with artwork suitable for printing. The music on this release is copyright Alan Bloor 2008/2009 and may not be used or reproduced without the artist's express permission.

"Of Uncertain Aspect" is the latest release from the ping things net label. New releases will be added to the site on the 1st of each month. I hope that you'll enjoy this new music as much as I do, and I encourage you to let me know what you think of it by e-mailing me at rik@pingthings.com

Review this release on Earlabs.

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Reposting an interview with Sylken from 2005

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:15:00 +0000

Regular visitors to the ping things site will no doubt be familiar with the work of Sylken. Eric Hopper's revolving collaborative ensemble have released a number of great discs to date, and back in 2005 I thought it would be a good idea to find out a little more about the project. To that end Eric was kind enough to submit to my barrage of questions (though he skipped over the more difficult ones about Buffy and comic books). Take a trip back in time to find out what he had to say...

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ping things : For those who aren't as familiar with your work, give us a little bio of Sylken, when you started making music, particular themes or visions you have with the project, that sort of thing...

Eric Hopper : Sylken is a collaborative based ambient music persona that continues to evolve as a vehicle to perform and share musical moments, sound spaces and creative experiences among friends and fellow artists. Sylken was launched in 2002 with the release of the debut 'Illusions Of Light' CD.

My experience with synthesizers and sound discovery began in the early 1980's when the instruments we used were non-programmable and demanded a lot of manipulation and tweaking to evoke the cool sounds of those days. Creating electronic music has been a long-time hobby for me and it's only in recent times that I have taken e-music to the next phase of 'serious' recording. Though I've been archiving jams for many years, it was during 2001 that I started to consider producing a CD as a musical statement. With the advent of the internet and ongoing personal effort, getting some exposure for Sylken music seemed achievable. My earlier experiences of music collaboration for fun and enjoyment were shared with a handful of long-time friends, including Jamie Todd (URM) and Scott M2 (dreamSTATE). In those times we collaborated under the name of Radio Silence and I still have many hours of cassette recordings we made. I could likely generate a handful of CDs with the material from back then, but time moves on and new collaborations and projects have taken my attention.

The spirit of spontaneous performance and improvisation are very much at the heart of Sylken, very much a part of your sound. How much influence do your surroundings, the people you're playing with, the state of your mood, of the world, have on the outcome?

Sylken music is realized during those magical moments when the creative flow inspires compelling music and it's from these performances and recordings that I craft what ends up as Sylken music tracks. When performing, it's wherever the musicians are at creatively and emotionally that dictates the overall tone of the recordings. During the production phase I conjure up each new piece as a unique sound painting, to attract and hopefully captivate the listener's imaginations.

In keeping with the questions above, do you think that the same can be said of the studio experience versus the live one? How does Sylken in the studio differ from the live Sylken experience?

There is definite crossover in terms of crafting Sylken music tracks. The studio is the more controllable environment, the stage less so. The performances in both these environments have evolved in a similar manner. A musical framework, tempos and keys are agreed on. From that point on the creative juices flow, with the studio typically offering more and varied recording options and increased quality as well. The live venue can be very dynamic due to its larger sound space where we are able to generate considerably more energy out to the audience. I typically work with one, sometimes two artists on any given piece of music or live performance.

I've noticed that you have a tendency to try and blend both electronic and organic sounds when playing live ie, the introduction of live cello, trumpet, guitar, more "natural" instrumentation than would normally be associated with the largely synth and keyboard driven space music genre. Is this a conscious decision or just a happy circumstance that comes about as a result of wanting to work with particular individuals? Do you think that there is a particular dominance of one sound over the other when you play out, that the form of the group is influenced by one or the other or do you think that the music itself comes first and that the players respond to it?

This blending is certainly not an original concept, but I am intrigued with the potential for melding the acoustic and electronic elements together and to hear what emerges. The particular individuals that collaborate with this method are musicians I enjoy and respect for their desire to experiment in this mode. Specific acoustic instruments such as the cello, sax or trumpet do not tend to dominate the process but they do enhance and expand the sound palette, particularly the spacey atmosphere these artists can create through their adeptness and experimentation with acoustic instrument sounds and processing. The musical ideas often come initially but the performer's spontaneity increases as the original ideas evolve into new sound territories over time.

I generally try to blend the acoustics into the sound tapestry such that its voice doesn't always jump out at you. It becomes more a part of the overall sound weave. I often do this with guitar, as well as using ambient guitar voices in a more 'up front' mode when playing lead melodies.

There's a recurring spatial theme to your work throughout your output. Do you see your work as Sylken as a study in inner- or outer-space?

Well, we're all afloat in outer space and move around in our inner space so I find myself attracted to and experiencing both domains … I do feel very comfortable traveling the sound waves of these two realms and it's inevitable that the ripples would appear in Sylken's music soundscapes.

Given your involvement with the PiNG AMBiENCE collections, I wanted to discuss those as well. I think there's an interesting paradox in the idea of PiNG compilations in that the idea of the AMBiENT PiNG is based around a sense of community, shared experience, the idea that a whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. But if this is the case, how well do you think that an individual can really tap into the zeitgeist of the PiNG? Can one person really represent that ideal accurately to others?

As we know, the word community implies more than one individual, so it may seem somewhat difficult as an individual to represent the PiNG community. However I feel that a solo performer can in fact tap into the zeitgeist of the PiNG by just contributing his or her musical vision and support to the community as a whole. A fundamental to PiNG music and musicians is the spirit of a shared experience of creating / performing unique ambient music, in a rare and consistent venue, attended by an ongoing contribution from the individual artists to the PiNG concept, community interaction and resources. We encourage all 'PiNGers' to come out routinely to hear some terrific original e-music and to interact and share the sound experiences with each other.

For myself, as founder, core artist and producer of Sylken music I have always been drawn to the collaborative approach when making music and have had the privilege of working with various fine musicians and friends over the recent years. Creating and performing music with fellow artists has always been my preferred experience, as the sum of the parts has always produced those unique and wonderful moments that don't always occur with a solo act. Due to my natural inclination this way I feel the Sylken concept is indeed successful in conveying the PiNG experience of collaborative music and sound creation through mutual experiences.

In 2004 you completed work on the second volume in the PiNG AMBiENCE series (a collection of discs celebrating the talents of artists who have performed at the AMBiENT PiNG in Toronto and share a like minded musical ideal). How much do you think your own influence is reflected in the choice of pieces, in the themes of the disc?

To a certain degree my influence is there in the choice of the artist work, the track sequence for the listening experience, the overall flow and feel through lighter / darker movement and so on. But ultimately the individual track contributions are created by the artists who present their particular musical expressions to the listeners. Overall, I guess you could say that my influence would be in defining the general vibe of the PA CD in terms of my sensibility towards the atmospheres, textures and feel that I would like the music to evoke.

As curator, PiNG AMBiENCE 2 represents for me what I think of as the softer, spacier side of PiNG music. I also enjoy very much the use of dissonance and the morphing and interaction of sweet-to-edgy-to-sweet sound spaces. I've always been drawn to the more ethereal side of e-music but at the same time I do like to incorporate the 'darker' elements when used in a satisfying musical context. This is what I attempted to present with the artists who perform on this collection.

How much impact does the curator of a collection like this have on the finished project?

As much impact as the curator wants, short of altering the artist's finished music piece. There are several different aspects to coming up with a professional CD product, such as the CD's musical concept, gathering up the original artist contributions, selecting tracks when required, determining track flow, the presentation / design and content of the packaging, etc. The curator is directly involved in all of these aspects of the project.

How successful do you think you were in portraying the PiNG experience?

For PA2's particular experience of the PiNG genre, I'd say very successful. All the artist tracks on PA2 are unique and have there own compelling atmosphere. PA2 has a flow that presents a collage of beautiful though somewhat darker spaces - an excellent and varied palette of sound colours.

Given that PiNG AMBiENCE is a series, what would you like to see future curators do with the project? Any particular direction you imagine it will take in upcoming volumes? Where do you see PiNG AMBiENCE in years to come?

A different theme was taken with the newly released PiNG AMBiENCE 3 ~ STRiNG THiNGS CD where the featured voice is the ambient guitar. I have been a guitarist for some time and had a desire to create a compilation of guitar tracks that are based in the ambient genre. I had originally undertaken this CD as a personal project in that I wanted to bring together onto a compilation some of the fine guitarists who I have come to know and admire. It later became apparent that making this an AMBiENT PiNG sponsored CD made a lot of sense and after discussions with some PiNG community members, it was decided to release this as a PiNG THiNG CD. PA3 is a wonderful collection of ambient guitar sound sculptures.

As to other directions PA releases will go - that will of course be the purview of the curators who take on these projects. We'll leave it up to them to surprise and delight us with their visions of the style and vibe of future compilations. I see the PA series continuing, with each project resulting in a unique collection of tracks that continue to represent PiNG music and musicians

So what's coming up? Any particular projects, ideas and aspirations you're working towards? Anything we can look forward to?

Now that PiNG AMBiENCE 3 is completed I can move forward with finalizing and releasing the next Sylken CD. It will be titled 'Terraforms' and for me conceptually it is intended as a tribute to our beleaguered planet. Beyond that I have a CD collaboration project in the works with Terry O'Brien (Anomalous Disturbances) and Jamie Todd (URM). I have a lot of material we have done together, with more of the sound pool to come once we perform again at THE AMBiENT PiNG on November 22nd. There's a possibility of a double CD resulting from our studio sessions and live performances. Terry is an awesome e-bow ambi-guitarist and Jamie is fast becoming a master laptop virtual soundshaper. I'm quite excited with the prospects for this project. If all goes well I look forward to this CD being released in late winter, early spring 2006.

Given an unlimited budget, access to any equipment or collaborators you'd like to work with, the opportunity to do anything you wanted, what would be the Sylken dream project?

A fun project would be to participate in a modest PiNG ARTiSTS tour that could travel in Canada with the support of grant money. Perhaps this can become a reality once THE AMBiENT PiNG establishes itself with a non-profit designation. I'm quite happy to work with the equipment and resources I'm so fortunate to have at my disposal and I feel that I'm already doing the Sylken dream project with my friends and peers. An unlimited budget is highly unlikely so let's just carry on …

The last question always looks to the future, an effort to push away the fog of future memory and see what's in store for you. What would you like to be doing with Sylken in two, five, ten years?

To be perfectly honest, I've never really been much of a planner when it comes to the longer term such as two to ten years ahead. I often hear the Zen-like phrase "living in the moment' and it seems I become a bit more successful at doing this as time moves on, so perhaps I should continue to not plan too much lest I ruin a good thing. I'd say I could measure forward progress by the things shared and made real, with four Sylken CDs having been released to date (Illusions Of Light, PiNG Live, Sculptor and Dreamlife) and a fifth (Terraforms) to arrive soon.

I see Sylken continuing in its present collaborative mode, as it presents a terrific opportunity to share musical experiences and is a constant pool of creativity for the future of Sylken music.

Thanks loads for this opportunity to expound on a few things Sylken!

Music by Sylken is available for sale through ping things.

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Reposting an Interview with Tara Vanflower from 2005

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:55:00 +0000

I've been a fan of Lycia for a number of years now and I was thrilled to get a chance to do an interview with Tara Vanflower around the time she released her second disc "My Little Fire-Filled Heart" back in 2005. Great music from a great artist that you should totally check out.

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Tara Vanflower is a powerful performer, a unique and original songwriter possessed of both a distinct and surreal lyrical approach and an incredible vocal range that brilliantly compliments her work. As a member of Lycia and now with the release of her second solo disc "My Little Fire-Filled Heart", Tara has created a stunningly original body of work made up of abstract and eclectic pieces which showcase both her song writing skills and her incredible vocal talents. Needless to say, I was thrilled to have the chance to talk to Tara about the writing and recording of her new disc, as well as some other projects she has on the go including her upcoming book "Violent Violet".

ping things: So you've released your second solo disc "My Little Fire-Filled Heart", on which you did all the writing, played all the instruments, did all the production. How does the experience of working on your own compare to working as part of a group? What sort of things have you learned since recording your first disc and how were you able to apply them this time around?

tara vanflower: The biggest difference is that there are simply no rules. The only person I have to please is myself. I can do whatever I want without trying to figure out how it will work within the whole. I've learned a tremendous amount about how to use my voice since the recording of the first solo release as well as learning some technical skills where recording is concerned. I think a natural maturity and confidence comes with age and experience. I simply no longer care about being cool (not that I particularly cared much anyway, but when you're young "fitting in" seems somewhat important on occasion) or trying to be a part of some sub-genre that doesn't really matter or actually exist.

Did you spend time experimenting in the studio, trying new things you haven't had a chance to do in the past or did you have a particular vision that you were working with? If so, do you think that the end result captures that vision or did it become its own thing?

I went in with no preconceived notions whatsoever. The whole album is an experiment. Generally the way I work is I have one sound or idea in mind. I record that one sound and then build around it mostly by accident. A lot of what comes through in my music (and I use that term loosely as I don't know that I create actual music, but more soundscapes than anything else) is pure chance or accident. Certain sounds, vocalizations, are mistakes that I feel work on some level so they end up staying. The album became a somewhat cohesive overall vision once it was finished. There are themes running through it, though loosely, that seem to meld together.

On a related note, how much control do you have over the songs you write? Do they come to you fully formed or do you let them take on their own life, develop of their own accord?

They have their own life completely. I try very hard not to fight the natural progression of a song/lyric. There have been times where I haven't liked the way something has evolved that I've written until I step away from it and come back later. This also works in the opposite. Some things I've been happy with only to not feel connected afterward. I think that's natural since we evolve on a daily basis.

There's a definite sense of intimacy on "My Little Fire-Filled Heart", a much more stark approach than you had on "This Womb Like Liquid Honey", and I think that stark approach really lends itself to the new material, gives it a feeling of secrecy, solipsism. Was this a conscious effort to strip things down or was it something that just happened of it's own accord? Do you feel more comfortable working with a sparse musical environment?

I feel very comfortable with the stripped down nature of the album. I want my music to feel organic, despite the fact that it's created on a computer. Nothing is ever perfect. Nothing anywhere is perfect. So for me the more stripped down, intimate approach is most comfortable. I have a rough voice, it does a lot of different things, none of which are perfect, so it seems logical to me to strip things back and let people hear the imperfections. If I'm anything it's honest. The only real thing I wanted to do with the second solo album was for it to be honest and sensual. I don't mean sensual in a sexual way, but tangible to the senses.

One of the things I like most about the disc is some of the multi-tracked vocals that suggest a bunch of Taras singing. Is this a case of studio wizardry or is there really a little army of beautiful voiced Tara clones who work in the studio with you? If there are, where do you keep them when they aren't in use? Can one rent them out for parties?

Oh, no one needs an army of Taras running around! Trust me! Every voice is unique on the album...not duplicated tracks.

In addition to the new disc, you've also been working on a novel called "Violent Violet", which will be released later this year by Publish America. Which is really cool, because I've always thought your lyrics have always had a very literary quality to them, a sophistication that would lend themselves well to the idea of a book. How does writing a novel differ from writing music? Do you write with the same "voice" that you use when writing music or do you find that you draw from different sources of inspiration? Do you prefer the succinct nature of lyrics or the freedom to expand on ideas that a novel allows?

Writing a book is far scarier to me than writing lyrics. I can lay my soul bare to anyone and not be afraid with lyrics, but writing a story, telling someone else's story, so to speak, is horrifying to me! I've let a few close friends read what I've written and it was frightening. I have no training in this area whatsoever, I'm simply just writing the story as it comes. So I have next to no confidence in my skills as a writer. The reason I do it is because it's fun to me. I probably enjoy writing stories more than I enjoy writing lyrics because it's more real to me. Lyrics are always this strange mix of emotion and imagery and just some sort of free form flow that comes from somewhere hidden. Stories are real, tangible, they follow a plot that makes some sort of sense, that to me is easier to write.

I know you were a big fan of Angel while it was on. What did you think of the last episode? Brilliant wrap-up of the series or slap in the face to true fans who had invested eight years of their lives in the characters? Did you cry at any point? Personally I balled my eyes out during the scene when you know who changes back to you know who while you know who was you know what. I whimper every time I think of that scene...

Wow, the funny thing is that it's been so long now that it's hard for me to remember exactly what happened in the final episode. I do know that I felt satisfied at the time. I was completely disgusted that Buffy and her crew turned on Angel though. I wish that Cordelia would have had a bigger part towards the end of the series. I don't like what they did to her character over the course of the last few seasons. I loved that Spike joined the cast and am disappointed we didn't get more time with him. I'm glad I finally stopped hating Faith and Connor... I still need to work on my hatred of Xander. hahaha They need to make an Angel & Spike show.

I was at a bookstore the other day and I came across a copy of "Go Ask Ogre" by Jolene Siana, which I thought was a really wonderful example of the connection that can grow between artists and fans. And this started me thinking about your own connection experience which led me to thinking about the internet and the fact that there's this opportunity for near instant accessibility between performer and audience. What do you think about that? Do you think it adds to or dilutes the fan experience? Do you think that you would have made the same connections online as you did through letters? Do your own experiences make you more open to the idea of connecting with your audience?

I have always been a really open person. Anyone who ever came to our shows knows that I pretty much hung out and would talk to anyone. This is ridiculous to even discuss really because there's no reason why ANY "artist" shouldn't talk to anyone. It's always been weird to me to be around people who acted funny around me because I'm in some band they like. I was never popular in school and don't expect to be now, so the idea that I would potentially separate myself from "fans" is ludicrous. I've always kept correspondence with anyone who ever made an attempt to correspond with me... at least I've tried to. This having been said, yes, illusions are shattered really quickly. Some people have this strange misconception that musicians are somehow different from "normal people". Anyone who knows me knows I'm just a big dork.

Imagine that you're given the chance of getting a million dollars provided you never cut your fingernails again. Ever. You HAVE to let them keep growing naturally. Think about it for a second. Is a million dollars worth that to you?

No, I don't think it is. All I can think about are the things that would be next to impossible to do. Besides, a million dollars isn't even enough money to retire on anymore. I might change my mind if someone actually offered though.

You've been making music for a long time now, you've reached a level of respect, success, and popularity both as a solo artist and as a member of Lycia. What are some of the things you'd tell somebody just starting out, somebody with stars in their eyes who's been inspired by your example?

We've reached a level of respect, success and popularity? Hmm... That's questionable. What would I tell them? Never go against your gut instinct. Play out as often as possible. Learn to record/master your own material. And don't trust record labels (most record labels).

I always end interviews by asking what people have planned for the future. It appeals to my feeling that music and art and creation are ongoing processes, and I dunno, I just like the sound of it... So tell me Tara, what do you have planned for the future? Any projects coming out that you'd like to let us know about, that you'd like to comment on? I understand you're doing some collaborative work with some pretty cool people, what can we expect from that?

Right now Mike [Van Portfleet] is mastering the project I recorded with Timothy, Revelator (Stone Breath, Moth Masque etc) called Black Happy Day. The recording came out beautifully. Besides that I have a collaboration with Jason Wallach (The Unquiet Void) called Kali in the works for the somewhat distant future. I have a mini cd coming out on Dark Holler called The Folklore of the Moon which is a subscription series whereby every full moon a new cd comes out and those who subscribe get these copies as well as a "freebie" cd for the new moons. I have the Full Wolf Moon of January [Visit http://www.somedarkholler.com/moon.html for more information]. Other than that I'm just waiting for the release of "Violent Violet" and am currently working on the follow up.

Anything you'd like to add?

Thank you, as always, for asking interesting/entertaining questions and for being supportive of us through the years.

Thanks Tara, you're the best! =-)

Tara Vanflower's new disc "My Little Fire Filled Heart" is available through the wonderful people at Silber Media (visit http://www.silbermedia.com/taravanflower ). You can also find out about Tara's latest book "Lives of Ilya" at Mythos Media.

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Reposting an interview with Mercurine from 2005

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:29:00 +0000

I'm still going through old interviews and I came across this one from 2005 with Mera and Byron from Mercurine. Those of you who aren't familiar with Mercurine's shimmery fluid nu-wav pop brilliance are living a life less magical than us that are already in the know, so make a point of checking them out. Open up the Mercurine myspace page in another browser and listen along while you read. Voila! Your life just got that much better!

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I love them.

I love Mercurine.

I would even go so far as to say that "I heart Mercurine"

And I'm not afraid to admit it. Their music is as beautiful as their name, capturing a nu-wav aesthetic that looks at the 80s through 21st century glasses. They remind me of the past while moving forward to the future. And have I told you that I love them?

Mera and Byron of the band were kind enough to take a few minutes to answer some questions for ping things. Check out what they have to say, listen to a couple of tunes, and fall in love with the two of them just like I have...

Both of you have pretty rich histories with other bands, projects and solo work, what sort of things do you bring to each other in collaboration?

Mera: The first thing that struck me when Byron and I began working together was how very natural it is to create music spontaneously. We each bring a lot of experience to the table from our work in the past with other bands, but the musical chemistry is something pretty special. That’s the key, I think.

Have you found in the time that you've been working together that you retain distinct personalities writing, or have you slipped into a shared Mercurine consciousness?

Byron: The vocabulary of Mercurine is evolving. We are discovering what our roles are and we continually challenge each other to make better music.

M: I haven’t done much other writing since we really started to push Mercurine as a full time job, but I think my writing style is pretty much intact.

Was there ever a blueprint for the Mercurine sound while you were writing and recording, or did it just take shape as you went along? Were you conscious of trying to create something different from what you'd done before individually?

B: We had some ideas for what we wanted mercurine to sound like. I don't think there was a separate album concept for Music Is Chemical. We did want it to have some twists and turns and different feels and atmospheres like some of our favorite records. We wanted it not to be one good song and a lot of filler or the same song 10 times.

M: Everything takes shape as we go. We still are working with the general concept that started Mercurine, and it is still vague. Usually our songs begin as a riff and we build it out from there. The lyrics always come last and they’re dictated by what I see after we make the skeleton of the song.

Now that your first CD (Music is Chemical) is done, would you say that you have a blueprint for future releases?

M: I think the first CD was a great learning experience and it will not necessarily be a blueprint for future releases. Mercurine is as Mercurine does, which means that it’s always evolving. The only thing I can pretty much guarantee is that there will be no Nu Metal involved at any time. Nor will I rap. (Unless you get me good ‘n wasted)

What have you learned about Mercurine during the production of Music is Chemical?

B: We've started to realize Mercurine identity, even more so since we started performing the music live. We're learning where our strengths and weaknesses are and I think above all to trust our artistic vision.

M: Mercurine always has to pee. Mercurine is very persnickety. Mercurine LOVES Weebl and Bob. Mercurine does not like to be anywhere before 2 PM, ever. Mercurine is very sleep deprived. Mercurine is a bit depraved. Mercurine likes lots of chocolate. Mercurine will visit the e-vile House of Crack (aka Starbucks) despite knowing better, because when in need, that’s all that’s ever to be found.

While you were recording the disc, there was a lot of discussion on your mailing list about what to name the album, at one point going so far as to poll list members what they thought. Do you think that the title of an album influences the music inside either in the creative process or in the way that it's perceived after completion? Do you think that the disc would have had a different sound if you'd gone with a different name?

M: I definitely think that the album title influences what people perceive when they hear the music. The disc would sound exactly the same if we had chosen another name, mostly because of the way we create but also because it was nearly complete when we finally decided on the title.

Do you ever watch Buffy? Thoughts on the series finale? Ideally I'd like to see her lose her powers and have somebody else (ideally Kennedy) become the new Slayer, while Buffy and Dawn can go off and live the normal life she's always wanted. How do you think it'll end? How would you LIKE it to end?

M: I don’t really have a working TV, so I don’t watch Buffy too much. This is a question for Byron.

B: I'm just glad it's over. This season sucked. I think last season's musical episode was the last cool thing they did.

How do you use computers in the recording process? Do you embrace hard-and soft ware or are you kind of wary of it? Do you think that the proliferation of music making programs has opened doors for anybody to capture their thoughts in song, or do you think that it distills the art-form by giving a lot of people voices despite their having nothing to say?

B: We don't use any virtual instruments. They have yet to win me over. We do all our recording on the computer but I think records sound better made in a good studio with real rooms and good preamps and stuff. I think there are a few geniuses out there rocking their computers and a whole lot of people that push play on Fruity Loops or Acid and think that's making music.

M: We use the computer primarily as a big sequencer, arranger and mixer. We’ve produced demos using “meat and potatoes” music software such as Logic Platinum and Sound Forge. As far as soft synths go, I’m not a fan. I find they work only about ½ the time and they’re just not as fun to me as a real synth. I think we’re both a bit Old School in that we like to create using actual instruments rather than loops and samples, but we’re not too stodgy to go that route on occasion. I do think that the recent trend in music software for laypeople (Propellerheads’ Reason, for example) is a great thing. It does distill the art form, and make everything decidedly more homogeneous but that just makes our music stand out more in contrast. How’s that for elitist!

I understand you're going to be playing out in the next little while with additional musicians. How have your songs changed in a live format, and what has been brought to the work with these new people? Have you seen any sort of change to the way you interpret the songs now?

M: Everything is more rockandroll for the live show and it’s still a little raw. Both of our supporting musicians are extremely talented. We’ve got Stevyn Grey (Christian Death, Mephisto Walz, Sex Gang Children) on drums and Oren Karpovsky (The Deep Eynde, Wreckage) on bass. Everyone brings a great energy to the songs and I think our live set is going to be fantastic!

B: It's good fun. The songs get an extra push of energy from Stevyn and Oren. It's a little less subtle and a little more in your face.

Interested in finding out more about Mercurine? Visit http://www.mercurine.com

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Download "a decade dreaming" by dreamSTATE!

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:44:00 +0000

Download "a decade dreaming" by dreamSTATE for free from ping things!

I am very pleased to announce the latest net release title from ping things is "a decade dreaming" by dreamSTATE. Released to coincide with the tenth anniversary of THE AMBiENT PiNG, "a decade dreaming" features a selection of live performances by dreamSTATE spanning ten years of concerts at THE AMBiENT PiNG, celebrating both the music and the PiNG community of the last decade.

With guest performances by Eric Hopper of Sylken, Alan Bloor of Pholde/Knurl, Jim Field of Spacenoiz, James Johnson, Wally Jericho, and Cheryl O, "a decade of dreaming" is a beautiful collection of music that captures the essence of dreamSTATE and the PiNG itself. From the smooth pads of "Soundscape for Richard Wright", through the delicate melodies of "Jharna Revealed", to "Premillennial Landscape #1" and its celestial tones, "a decade dreaming" is a fabulous release that I am delighted to be able to share with you.

"a decade dreaming" is available for free download as a 110 Mb Zip file containing the full release in high quality 256kbps mp3 format along with artwork suitable for printing. The music on this release is copyright Scott M2 and Jamie Todd 1999-2009 and may not be used or reproduced without the artist's express permission. For extended liner notes from "a decade dreaming", please visit http://www.dreamstate.to/decade/

"a decade dreaming" is the latest release from the ping things net label. New releases will be added to the site on the 1st of each month. I hope that you'll enjoy this new music as much as I do, and I encourage you to let me know what you think of it by e-mailing me at rik@pingthings.com

Review this release on Earlabs.

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"Lost" by The Winterhouse

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 11:48:00 +0000

On their second disc as The Winterhouse, "Lost", Anthony Paul Kerby and Robert Davies have crafted a beautiful conceptual release that pairs melodic work and drones in a beautiful and engaging style that is easily accessible and engaging. There's a clear sense of narration to the disc, the feeling of a story unfolding, being shared with the listener over the course of it's length, and I think that clarity is a testimony to the strength of the music they make together.

"Lost" opens the disc, a cold arctic swell droning in the background. A majestic horn sound plays a minimal melody in the background, languidly filling the soundfield, creating a distinct space. As the track progresses a windy tone enters the space, adding to it, building and growing and expanding the track. It's a beautiful piece, and an excellent track to set the tone for the album.

"Leaving" expands on the previous track, beginning with an oscillating drone, then adding drifting tones to expand the width of the track. A lonely horn sound plays in the background, drawing the listener's attention to the forefront of the track while the bed track becomes more complicated and convoluted. A wide selection of field recordings round out the track and as it grows it becomes quite lush and rich in sound.

By contrast, "Solitary Lives" seems more contained, with controlled tones humming and boiling throughout. Again there's a broad use of field recordings which blend in nicely with other tones to create oblique variations. Slight melodies rise out of the ether then vanish again before they can be identified, leaving a ghost imprint on the soundfield that adds to the track. It's a long piece, over 20 minutes in length, but it never strays into the realm of unnecessary repetition or boredom. Rather, the track maintains a direction and purpose, building to a particular point and then exploring that point in greater deal once it's been reached. Certainly a very impressive piece of music.

Track four, the appropriately named "The Four Corners of Night", suggests a forest environment when I hear it, something natural and organic, majestic. A swelling drone builds up in the soundscape, drawing the listener's focus while minimal melodies play in the background. As the track progresses there's an ominous quality that develops, a feeling of unease and mild tension, nothing to detract from the piece, but certainly something to shift the listener's attention into a different space, a different mood.

"Clearing" closes the disc, bringing a sense of peace to the listener, a feeling of resolution and calm. There's a brighter sound to this track, a feeling of floating and drifting, calm and tranquility. As a slow stream of bells close out the disc I feel like I've come out on the other side of a journey, safe and at ease.

The pairing of Kerby and Davies works really well on "Lost", nicely demonstrating how two artists can create a distinct and unique sound by blending their individual styles. Clearly, The Winterhouse is an excellent project from two particular talents, and I look forward to further collaboration between the two with much anticipation.

rik - ping things

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Reposting an interview with Jesse Sola of Numina from 2004

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:33:00 +0000

I love Numina. I really do. This should come as no surprise to you as I've made no secret about my appreciation for Jesse Sola's talents. I've written a number of reviews of Numina CDs, I've told countless friends about Jesse's music and I've sung his praises everywhere I could. I was very pleased to present an exclusive ALMOST LiVE performance by Numina a few years ago (download it here if you haven't already heard it), and I was equally pleased to have the chance to do an interview with him a few years ago. So in keeping with my efforts to repost and archive the ping things interviews, I present to you that very same interview. Enjoy!

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I've been a fan of Jesse Sola's work as Numina for some time now. His sense of spaces, the way he can so accurately capture an emotion, a sensation with his work, it's quite inspiring to me. So I thought I'd ask him a few questions to see what makes him tick. And here's what he had to say...

1) Merriam Webster Dictionary defines Numina as "a spiritual force or influence often identified with a natural object, phenomenon, or place" How does this define your work, your sound? Do you identify yourself with that definition, or do you think it better describes the music?

I do indeed relate to the term "numina" in many ways. The idea or belief that an inanimate object has a "life", something as simple as a parched stone on the ground, or as grand as the Rocky Mountains sort of envelops all forms of the definition and of what I belive in with regard to the meaning of the music and the inspiration and emotions I create within the music. There are other influences and inspirations to my music as well, but "numina" means the most to me.

2) Still on definitions, how would you define the term ambient music, and how do you see Numina fitting into that definition?

Ambient music, for me, may be defined as music that takes you on a mental journey. A journey with intense imagery invoked by the various musical timbres and vibrations. This definition lends itself well to the music being very thematic, like a soundtrack to an intense film. I grew up listening to a lot of film/instrumental music and never felt the need for lyrics to define the song.

3) In addition to having created a niche for yourself in the ambient genre, you've also developed a following in the darkwave genre and have worked with a few people in that scene, most notably Tara Van Flower of Lycia. What qualities link these two genres, and what brings together the two audiences? Do you identify with yourself being a darkwave artist?

Yeah, it's been great. I'm also working with The Unquiet Void and Caul at the moment. In addition to new age/ambient/film, I grew up on and listen to a lot of darkwave, goth, and industrial music. I think there's often a sense of mystery, melancholy, and emotion amongst the darkness and minor chords in both ambient and darkwave music. I always enjoyed this feeling in music, and it just seems that there's natural attraction to both genres. I do identify my work with darkwave just as much as ambient music. The hybrid sub-genre title I often refer to my music is simply dark-ambient.

4) If you were stranded on a desert island with your five favorite discs, what would they be? If you had to eat two of them to survive (I dunno, you're some kind of music loving aluminium eating kinda guy), which two would you choose and why?

Ohhh, these questions are always tricky... yet fun! Here's the current list:

1. Lycia - "Burning Circle & then Dust"
2. Dead Can Dance - "Within the Realm of a Dying Sun"
3. Steve Roach - "Dreamtime Return"
4. Clan of Xymox - "Medusa"
5. Slowdive - "Blue Day"

I guess I'd consume the Xymox and Slowdive discs because I couldn't handle not having the other 3 discs to listen to! But it would be difficult... both not having those two albums and attempting to eat them.

5) You've recently been doing collaborative work with IXOHOXI and together have received some really positive response. How does collaboration in this sort of music differ from writing solo? Do you think that the lack of a verbal vocabulary to describe intent restricts or frees the collaborative approach?

I always contact my collaborators over the phone, and get to know the person better. It's not as good as meeting in person, but it clears up a lot of potential conflict, confusion and complex issues that e-mail correspondence just doesn't convey.

The format for collaboration takes a significantly different path for me than when I produce my solo work. I prefer the other to initiate the music which then defines the vibe/theme. I don't know why, but I prefer to work with someone else's work rather than build it up first myself. I think it probably mostly has to do with it being an opportunity to really approach a recording with a groundwork already defined, which is interesting, and challenging for me, but at the same time it eases some of the pressure on my end to come up with something from scratch! I don't really have a lot of source material lying around for me to just propose a project to begin with in the way some artists in this genre seem to operate. This is why collaborations for me take quite awhile to get out the door.

6) Given your involvement with ACID, what are your thoughts about the accessibility of creating music now?

It certainly is more simple for one to create music these days. At first I was sort of leary of these software programs which really simplify the process, and may spread thin the opportunity for trained musicians to be able to fairly compete in the market, but the fact remains that it still takes a certain amount of creativity to put it all together and make something interesting. I enjoy working with Sonic Foundry and I get a big kick out of hearing songs using the loops I've produced.

7) On a similar note, given the rise of technology to create music, how do you think the genre has adapted to maintain a human element, and how do you specifically try to add an organic component to your work to ensure it's humanity?

The human element is lost in a lot of it, in my opinion. I'm sure from the perspective of the creator it's a different view, but relying on and using so many software programs almost makes things too perfect and does compromise the human element to the music. I have used programs like ACID and ReBirth, but only rarely. To maintain that "human element" I almost always overdub tracks in real-time with my synths, or overdub vocals, guitars, or acoustic percussive instruments.

8) You been watching Buffy this season? Who do you think is going to sacrifice themselves to close the Hellmouth? Do you think Buffy will ever admit her love for Spike? And what's going to happen to Andrew?

As I'm not actually keeping up with the Buffy series, I am consulting my fiance, Kirsten, on this one since she's hardcore Buffy-natic, here's what she has to say:

"Hmmm, difficult question. If they have a new spinoff show, Buffy might have to die in order for there to be a plot without her in the new show. If it were up to me, Giles would be the one to sacrifice himself because it would be the only useful thing he will have done all season. Of course Buffy will admit her love for Spike, unfortunately, it will probably be about 3 seconds before she dies. As for Andrew, he will go down in Sunnydale history as the greatest Big Bad Evil of them all."

9) What can we look forward to from Numina in the future? New releases, new shows, a line of clothing?

Hmmm... line of clothing, eh? Sounds like an idea! I should mention first that I have a album I've finished titled "Sanctuary of Dreams" which will be released on the Hypnos label (www.hypnos.com). The concept of the songs are based around and influenced by my dreams. Kind of dark at times, lots of choir sounds and stuff. I'm really happy with it. I have several collaborations planned for this year including work with Caul (www.caul.org), Exuviae (www.interstitial.info/exuviae/), IXOHOXI (www.geocities.com/ixohoxi_music/), and The Unquiet Void (www.fortunecity.com/marina/skipper/1583/)

As for live performance, I am playing live on May 31st with Robert Carty here in Denver, CO. I plan on recording the session and probably release it as a ltd CDR or something. So far the practice sessions have gone well and has turned out to be rather rhythmic oriented. Should be an interesting outcome.

There's the potential for another live performance in Denver in June as well, but not yet confirmed.

Then later this year I hope to have another solo release completed which will be more tribal-ambient and feature guest musicians from Ma Ja Le and Biff Johnson.

10) Anything else you'd like to add?

Gosh... well, just a note to say I appreciate all the great people I've come into contact along the way during this musical journey. Since my day job is considerably less rewarding, well, not rewarding at all, getting in touch with people from all over the world who tell me what they like about my work really makes my day... and my life. Oh, also I'm getting married this August. Wish me luck! :)

(originally posted at www.pingthings.com)

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Review of "Music for Travellers #2" by Panoramaroid

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:46:00 +0000

Feelscape were very kind to post a review of the Panoramaroid ping things net release. You can check it out at
http://feelscape.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/panoramaroid-music-for-travelers-2-review/#comment-18

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Celebrate the AMBiENT PiNG's 10th anniversary with selected discs by PiNG artists for only $10!

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:06:00 +0000

Our friends at the AMBiENT PiNG are celebrating their 10th Anniversary this month, so for a limited time selected titles from some of your favorite PiNG artists are on sale for $10. Choose from great artists like dreamSTATE, James Johnson, Pholde, Sylken and more!

Note that quantities are limited, sale prices are only in effect while supplies last.

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An interview with Scott M2, Jamie Todd and Rich Baker about the AMBiENT PiNG

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 11:40:00 +0000

August 18th will see the 10th anniversary of Toronto's AMBiENT PiNG event, a live music showcase that both celebrates the Toronto ambient scene and provides a home away from home for like-minded touring acts. Over the course of it's ten year history the PiNG has hosted performances by such notable acts as Robert Rich, Aidan Baker, dreamSTATE, Sylken, Pholde, Kinder Atom, James Johnson and many, many more, establishing itself as one of the premier live ambient events in the world. Returning to it's roots in Toronto's Kensington Market, the 10th anniversary show will be happening at Supermarket located at 268 Augusta Avenue just south of College, and will feature performances by dreamSTATE, Kalte, and Wally Jericho along with lighting by General Chaos Visuals.

So to commemorate this historic occasion, let's return to an interview from 2004 with Scott M2 and Jamie Todd of the AMBiENT PiNG along with Rich Baker of ARC. I spoke with them on the eve of the release of the first PiNG AMBiENCE cd collection, and the trio were kind enough to talk to me about the origins of the PiNG and some of the shows and events that stood out to each of them.

Enjoy!

rik - ping things

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Why don't we start with a little history of THE AMBiENT PiNG? How did it start, how did it get going, what was the original intent, who were the people that got it all going?

Rich Baker : Arnold [Sprogis] started it at Garvey's (I think) in Kensington Market. There were always a fair amount of people there. I had seen ambient performances before but through rave type things, not in it's own club. It was cool to wander around a club space to ambient music.

Jamie Todd : For me it all started at a Planet of the Loops show at Holy Joes (spring 1999, I think). Scott and Steven Sauve were on the bill with Andrew Aldridge and Michael Keith and I had ventured down to show support. After Scott had passed the loop baton to Steven, he joined me in the audience and I mentioned to Scott that Steven was doing stuff that reminded me of Terry Riley's A Rainbow In Curved Air (a classic LP from the late 60s which influenced me greatly). As Scott nodded in agreement, Arnold sat down beside me and mentioned that he hadn't heard (or even seen) that LP in years and a friendship was born on that obscure reference.

That same night Arnold introduced us to Chris Hutton and spoke of the art magazine Arnold was producing (Kensington Market Artist) and that Chris was doing some articles and reviews on ambient music for the upcoming first issue of the magazine. Arnold went on to tell us about his plans to start a weekly ambient music event which later that summer would become THE AMBiENT PiNG. Naturally Scott and I jumped at the chance to play the PiNG as we were looking for places to play as dreamSTATE and c'mon, THE AMBiENT PiNG, it was too perfect of a fit, it became our home very shortly. That POL show was the catalyst for me, friendships evolved from it, ambient alliances were struck and the PiNG was born as a result.

Scott M2 : First, some props for Arnold Sprogis: When he was planning a weekly ambient night, I suggested that quarterly or monthly might be more realistic but he insisted that weekly was important so people would always know when it was happening - as it would also be a social thing. Good call... I also suggested that this new weekly should have a name. I was expecting something more obvious, like "Soundscapes", but Arnold came up with "THE AMBiENT PiNG". Chris Hutton was a less obvious conspirator in the initial plans for the PiNG. He was also a vital part of the audience at the early shows - always utterly intent and focused on the performances - always with insightful commentary and encouragement after the sets.

Care to recall some of your most memorable nights at the PiNG?

RB : Some of the reasoning why I wanted to include many of the artists in PiNG AMBiENCE was because I had been impressed with some of their live shows in the past. And you could always just focus in on the music and the performance at the PiNG so any night could be particularly memorable.

SM2 : After being there for about 200 shows, there's many. Here's some memories that come to mind now:

After seeing Jakob Thiesen perform shows with very funky old analog synth gear and sampler, then with a laptop, discovering at our 3rd Anniversary show that he's also a dead solid drummer. At the same show, hearing guitarist Michael Rockwood go even deeper into his wonderful oceanic soundscape looping.

Seeing the vibrant enthusiasm and good humour radiating from James Johnson and Vir Unis during their performance together here.

Sara Ayers' opening vocal/loop-based piece at the PiNG just took my breath away. Her closing piece made me shiver.

When ambient artist Bruce FM played here, an old friend of his had prepared the visuals for his concert - without letting Bruce see them first. They were absolutely hilarious - poking fun at Bruce and his music in a wide variety of ways - using mocking text segments, a film of a block of ice melting - even a crazed mechanical Guru puppet which played a guitar solo. Bruce took it all with good grace. I'd love to see it again.

Experiencing Ben Grossman for the first time (or any time since) creating magnificent drones and layers from a Hurdy Gurdy with treatments.

Wally Jericho, at so many shows, creating floating or searing trumpet loops, solo or with so many other artists like Sylken, dreamSTATE or Planet Of The Loops. I remember at the PiNG's 2nd Summer Ambient Party (at an artist's warehouse studio/living space) Wally playing an all acoustic set with cellist cheryl o and Steven Sauve on grand piano, and physically twirling in circles while he played, up in the bedroom loft, to create a phasing effect.

General Chaos Visuals are always perfect for ambient music with their slowly weaving analog projections, but they really created an outstanding environment within the white walls at Art System for the Robert Rich/dreamSTATE special concert. Robert's set was beautiful and what a surprise discovering that he was touring with a huge modular synth without a travel case, just piled on top of his other gear in the back of his van. All the patch cords were still plugged in. Faster setup time!

Then there's our previous location at Po Boys Club:

Saxman Richard Underhill getting the PiNG shut down by the police after a noise complaint. (There was someone's bedroom on the other side of the wall right beside the stage.) Police had come before and always left after discovering only some placid ambient music - but at the moment they arrived, Rich had just trapped a very twisted loop in his delay pedal, which some might describe as the sound of killing a cat!

DJ Isis from Vancouver and the various screens with hypnotic analog film loops she and her crew set up throughout the club.

At the first dreamSTATE show with visuals, we had changed into white Tyvek "cleanroom" suits (at Arnold's place just down the street) to become part of the screens for the projections. We decided to enter in through the restaurant downstairs, then go up the backstairs and take to the stage from the back of the club as a little surprise. Turns out the restaurant patrons downstairs thought we were exterminators...

JT : Every night has been memorable, but on a personal note, dreamSTATE's first performance is a standout as is our year long marathon of the Drone Cycle.

We were the third act to take the PiNG's stage and it was a strange night at Garvey's in Kensington Market. After we had set up our synths and completed a sound check, a drunken Garvey regular stumbled up to Scott and myself and asked if we do requests. Scott played along and said it depends what do you want to hear expecting a request for Tangerine Dream or something along those lines and the drunk surprised us by requesting we play some Eric Clapton. Astonished I looked at the sea of wires and synths we had just left behind on the stage and replied sorry we have no guitars and we only do original stuff and in fact we basically just improvised as we played. Scott made a beeline to the bar (to argue with the barkeep/owner about why the band should get at least a couple of free beers as a matter of respect to us for filling the place with people who were buying beer) thereby leaving me stranded with the still babbling drunk who was now into a rant about why we were doing this in the first place. Did we want a record contract, if we did he had the answer. Tell them that you know what a diminished seventh is and they'll give you a contract. Just march into the record companies and tell them you know what a diminished seventh is and you'll get a contract. As he continued on this rant, I noticed that Scott had indeed convinced the barkeep and was walking away with a cold brew, but the barkeep leapt over the bar in a great rush. Scanning the room looking for the object of barkeep's rush, I noticed a short guy coming up the stairs, entering the club, but he saw the barkeep coming and he high tailed back down the stairs and out into the street. I excused myself from the babbling drunk who knew all the secrets of the record industry and joined Scott on-stage where we played to a very appreciative crowd. As we were winding down our performance the little short guy came running back up the stairs and ambushed the barkeep with a water pistol squirt to the face. While Scott and I finished up our set, the barkeep chased the little guy around the club while the little guy kept squirting the barkeep with water. After a couple of laps like this around the club, the barkeep finally managed to chase him back down the stairs and out into the street. It was a great way to end a set and start a string of performances. Soon there were less of the people who didn't get THE AMBiENT PiNG and more of the people who did get it.

The Drone Cycle was memorable as it was a test of endurance for Scott and myself, but it also gave us an opportunity to play with some of our new and old friends. Our concept was to play a two-hour unrehearsed improvisational show once a month and to have a different guest and note each month as we explored the octave over the year (12 notes in the octave, 12 months in the year). Playing with friends is always fun, but this process was also challenging and educational which resulted in some fond memories and some interesting sonic explorations.

It's tough to single out other shows though as there have been so many great shows, some standouts for me though have been the first time I saw Pholde playing metal, the night Susanna Hood stroked a naked piano with a dildo and every time General Chaos have done visuals and turned the room into a psychedelic swirl. The list goes on and on. Most of all though it's every night as I always get inspired by the community and the performers.

Over the four years since it's inception the PiNG has become a very nurturing environment for musicians, a space where thoughts and ideas are free to grow, develop. What is it about THE AMBiENT PiNG that encourages that way of thinking? What has inspired that kind of space? Do you think it's the result of the environment, or the people that participate in it?

JT : It's both really. Since it's inception, the PiNG has worked hard at developing a nurturing environment, but it would be all for naught if the community and the people were not responsive. In the early days, it was mostly artists and musicians performing for other like minded artists and musicians which created a lot of exchange and communication between PiNG artists.

This attitude is still with us and on any given night there are many artists drinking in the good vibes and sounds which is inspiration in itself. As an aside I often see illustrators and visual artists regularly exploring their art while attending a PiNG event. There are so many great artists who have performed at the PiNG, that the bar just keeps getting raised and this creates an attitude that you as an artist have a responsibility to raise the level ever higher each and every time you perform.

SM2 : Artists coming to the PiNG know that no one is expecting to dance, to sing along or to hear what they've heard before. I consciously book music that is rarely heard in other clubs - and so it's a place where artists can play music that they may have previously only played at home, just for themselves, and are thrilled to find a place where people will appreciate it and judge it for what it is and not for what it isn't. Creating an environment and setting the tone makes a difference - but it's the audience and the artists who fill the space with the good vibes that encourage you to come back again and again.

Rich, you have a particular association with the PiNG in terms of your work with Arc, which I think is indicative of the type of environment that's been created, the sense of community that revolves around the PiNG. Care to retell that story?

RB : The first time I went out to the PiNG I was talking to Arnold and when he learned I was a drummer he asked me to come back the next time with a drum. So I did and he pushed me up on stage where Aidan and Chris were already playing. They didn't know me and I don't think they knew someone else was going to be playing, but we liked our performance (unfortunately it was not recorded) and decided to do more shows. I find working as an improvisory musician tremendously rewarding and Arc has enough common ground that we have continued to perform and record through improvisation.

Tell us about PiNG AMBiENCE. Would you say that it's an accurate representation of a night at the PiNG?

RB : It's not an accurate representation of a night but it gives one somewhat of an idea of what a few nights might be like.

SM2 : PiNG AMBiENCE represents some of the purer ambient and dark ambient soundscapes that are at the very heart of the Ping - though there's a wider variety of styles that I also book which might fall into chillout (with grooves) or experimental ("academic" through noise) music categories. PiNG AMBiENCE captures the feel of the PiNG for me in the Po Boys days in particular, and I think that Rich was trying to assemble a "classic" PiNG lineup for this first compilation with most artists going right back to the first year or so of performances.

Listening to it, one can't help but feel a connection between the artists in terms of sound, a sense of shared ideal. Do you think this is indicative of a PiNG sound, and if so, how would you describe that sound?

JT : Hmmm, a PiNG sound, that's hard to pin down as there have been such diverse sounds coming from the PiNG stage overall. For example, the PiNG stage has hosted classical instrumentalists, as well as jazz, rock and pop players exploring less structure and more of the music between the notes so to speak. It has also been home to many sound explorers and soundscape artists, so I guess it comes down to unique artists who bring their own experience, styles and talents to the stage as they interpret ambient music and yes Cymbl's PiNG AMBiENCE mix accurately reflects this diversity.

RB : Ooh that seems like dancing about architecture again. I'd suggest that all artists have a conception about ambient which is different but with some shared aspects, but all the artists because they have performed at the PiNG to the same sort of audience all know how far they can push the Ambient concept. I'm also sure that we have influenced each other. It might be difficult to hear how a trumpet makes a connection with a laptop but there must be approaches that artists have heard and like and share. So the PiNG sound would be the development of the artists that have played at the PiNG, but y'd have to go back and trace that development.

You've been doing it for four years now, where do you see the PiNG heading in the future? Any ideas, plans, goals, dreams you have for the next four, fourteen, forty years?

SM2 : Jamie is the one with the bigger masterplans for the future. I just want to keep the garden going and growing and enjoy the fruits as they appear. The things I've hoped for have been slowly happening: more visuals, a stable, friendly host (Cheers to C'est What!), fresh surprises from new artists, appearances by artists I've admired for years - many travelling long distances to perform in a welcoming environment, CD releases from a variety of performances, an onsite ambient CD outlet (Cheers to rik!) and now, the first compilation from PiNG artists (Cheers to Rich!).

JT : Personally I hope it doesn't end and that it will continue to grow and evolve. For the future, more concerts and performances in different environments and cities, but I'd also like to see the regular Tuesday ambient pub nights continue. PiNG AMBiENCE is the first step in taking the PiNG concept and community to the world. I'd like to tune into PiNG radio, watch the PiNG channel, read PiNG mags, comics and books . . .

RB : There are many many things that I've talked about at the PiNG with many people so it's difficult to put it into a couple of sentences. I'd like to see the PiNG garner respect as a venue for new developments in music. I'm excited by all the interaction where different artists are regularly performing and recording with other artists. Eventually all the work that all the artists have put in is going to push the development of the ambient music form itself, as there is such a pool of artists that has performed at the PiNG you could describe the PiNG as a continuous music festival (and workshop). With such interaction, open mindedness, and a constant striving to develop, THE AMBiENT PiNG is a microcosm of everything that Toronto has the potential to become.

"Luminosity" by Jeffrey Koepper

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:45:00 +0000

On his latest release "Luminosity" Jeffrey Koepper continues his exploration of analog inspired soundscapes and sequenced environments. Using a wide arrange of technology and hard synths, Jeffrey has created an impressive collection of music that strikes me as his best work yet.

"Reflection" opens the disc with rich tones playing a simple melody that gains in strength over the course of it's length. As the track progresses sounds are added, filling out the soundscape to creating a lush musical space. There's a really simple beauty to this piece, something fragile and delicate that particularly appeals to me as a listener.

"Light and Truth" follows, featuring drawn out pads and a collection of mournful tones that grow as time passes, slowly gaining complexity. There's an ebb and flow to these sounds that suggests a heartbeat or pulse, a natural feeling that suggests something living within the music. It's a simple and sparse track, but one that is effective and very beautiful, a wonderful display of the organic quality of analog synths.

Track three, "Artifacts", introduces a subtle percussive element to a steady drone paired with a melody played in the upper register. The elements in this track all combine nicely to create an effective piece that I quite enjoyed.

"Winter Space" utilizes a steady repeating tone as a base and then weaves pad elements around it to create a rather haunting track. String elements and percolating synth sounds play lightly along the main part of the song, adding a certain dark circus charm to the song. As it continues, delicate arpeggios take shape, all sounding very delicate and precious. Probably my favorite piece on the disc.

"Life Clock" features a building analog sequence over a swirling bed of pads. Quiet synth stabs build in strength, gaining volume and form, eventually becoming more sophisticated, almost melodic. As the track progresses additional sounds are added, filling in the sound space and creating a more dense environment. This track is a great example of the development of a piece from start to finish, using the cycle of life from birth through to death as an analogy for what is being done musically.

"Emitter" is swirly from the start, a bit of a big sound that circles around the soundscape. It grows and grows, adding bits and pieces and sounds and swirls during it's length and before you know it, the track has become a brilliant bit of sequenced analog magic. I really like the way it rolls around the soundfield in a playful way, suggesting something almost celebratory.

Immediately following, "Transmission" heads in a completely different direction, a spiraling hypnotic pattern that roils and boils around the senses until such time that it sees fit to break itself down and then build back up again from a single tone modulating itself and adding tones and textures. "Transmission" very nicely creates a sense of atmosphere and tension that I'm quite impressed with.

"Dusk Till Dawn" presents a forest environment through watery sounds, crickets, and other natural elements. It's a long piece, something epic in scope, almost cinematic. The sound of water continues throughout the track, with other sounds being added in, some melodic, some textural, some creepy and alien to this new space. Yet despite all of this, the track never really strays from it's basic elements, it maintains the feeling of the created environment through the use of a series of small elements and tones that continue throughout, always providing the listener with something new to hear that interests and intrigues.

"Rising Sun" closes the disc with a real sense of analog beauty and wonder, a shorter piece that revels in the sounds of technology rather than artificially created environments. A very nice way to end the disc.

As a collection of music, I think that "Luminosity" really shines as great work from a very talented artist. I've enjoyed Jeffrey's work to date and I've held his name in high regard for some time. With the release of "Luminosity" I'm reminded of what has attracted his music to me in the past, and I'm impressed with what he has done to develop and improve upon his already substantial talents. An excellent release well worth investigating further.

rik - ping things

new facebook group for ping things

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:56:00 +0000

You may be interested to know that I've created a Facebook group for the ping things community. You can check it out at
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=40370&uid=138296167787#/group.php?gid=138296167787

2004 Interview with Steve Roach

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:04:00 +0000

Over the course of ping things existence I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to interview a variety of artists. It's been a great chance to find out a little bit more about the people behind the music, and I've often found that it brings a new context to their work for me.

With that in mind, I thought I'd share some of these interviews with you. Admittedly some of them are a little dated, but I think they all have something you might be interested in reading. First up is this exclusive ping things interview with Steve Roach from 2004.

Enjoy!

rik - ping things

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It can truly be said that Steve Roach is a pioneer in the field of ambient music, a frontiersperson who has helped to shape and form the genre as we know it today. Over the years his contributions have been numerous, from long form atmospheric spaces recreating environment and space to studies of tribal rhythms and textures and everywhere in between. Over the course of his career, Roach's work has captured our imaginations and inspired both our dreams and our waking moments.

With the release of his two latest works, "Life Sequence" and "Texture Maps" as part of his Timeroom Editions series, Roach approaches ambience from two different directions, each with their own unique style and form. From the sequenced, angular patterns of "Life Sequence" to the flowing soundscapes of "Texture Maps", Roach shows a skill and mastery of sound sure to affect his listeners in powerful ways.

As "Life Sequence" opens with the shorter piece "Lightness of Being", Roach sets the stage for an excursion into a more driven, sequenced style drawing from analog technology. From it's opening notes one can't help but be drawn into it's charms, beguiled by it's beauty.

This shortly gives way to the longer "Living the Dream", a study in percolating synths and patterned sounds laid over a percussive bed building to an intense climax and then slowly releasing it's grip on the listener with a slow chill out. "Sundial" continues along the same chilled vein, tones floating and sweeping through the track in a calm and drifting form, ebbing and flowing like the shifting of tides. Beautiful music for a Sunday morning...

"Sands of Time" follows, it's opening slowly sweeping through consciousness giving way to a more clearly defined pattern of tones. Movement is so subtle, so delicate in this piece as tones shift, appear and disappear. A masterful work.

"Destination Horizon" closes the disc, an epic longform piece slowly building on patterns and shapes introduced early on in the course of it's 27 minutes. Transparent, shimmering, beautiful.

In contrast, the "Texture Maps" release is a collection of more traditional ambient pieces from various points in Roach's career, relying more on oblique motion and the slow drift of shapes.

Beginning with "Gray and Purple", Roach creates an environment of organic soundscapes, rising and falling, passing through states of consciousness and inspiring dreams. Wonderful.

"Artifact Ghost" suggest subterranean travels, a haunted journey through inner space. "Spiral Triptych" brings together three separate compositions into one long form piece. Roach melts each part into the others creating an elegant, almost conceptual whole. I like this/these one/s alot.

The disc closes with "Soul Light", a recent composition recorded shortly after his recent "Mystic Chords" box set. A fantastic journey through space suggesting the birth and death of stars, the dawn and dusk of life, and a thousand other secrets that have yet to be shared. A fantastic work of space music sure to appeal to all fans of the genre.

Recently I was lucky enough to have the chance to talk to Steve about his music, about his influences and inspiration, and to gain some insights into the creative process and what music means to him. Here's what he had to say...

1) Your career has spanned most of the ambient era and certainly shaped alot of people's perception of the ambient genre. Having been one of the originators of the form, what sort of influence and what sort of inspiration did you have in the early part of your career? Do you continue to draw from those sources or have you found new inspiration?

My earliest motivations to create these soundworlds were drawn from non-musical experiences. The best way to explain this is that at certain points I could just feel the volume of life being turned way up, be it in a day to day setting or out in my favorite natural settings, desert, mountain or ocean. This vivid awareness that would bubble up became more frequent and intense, and it seemed like a natural impulse to find a way to express and bring into form these personal epiphanies. It was about this time that I discovered synthesizers. I was not a musician at the time, I was painting and more interested in the visual arts so the idea of working with sound at a basic level was quite inspiring to me. The first hands on session with the synths of the day seemed very natural to me, twisting knobs and tweaking sliders to shape the sound, it felt like it was directly connected to these feelings I was tuning into.

Music is my way in life. I have never approached it as a career, profession or a way to make a living. It so happens that my obsession to live in these soundworlds provides the means for those three things, but it's beyond that for sure. I feel that over time as I deepen my understanding of the creative process and experience more of what life brings, the music naturally continues to express this ineffable quality that everyone tries to name. Of course quality is a subjective viewpoint. To me, the devotion to one's purest expression will bring a natural evolution that can't be denied if heard with truly open ears. Maybe its not always understood by the casual listener or the ear of a cynical critic, but that's not important here. To me the hunger to create these soundworlds has evolved to a 24/7 addiction that I simply love to exist within. Staying connected to this process is the priority.

The source of this inspiration is the same now, but has become more intense and full of life with the ocean of memories and experience that I accumulate as I grow older.

2) How do you feel about the fact that you've become an inspiration and an influence of others?

It feels like a natural occurrence in the food chain of inspiration, just as other artist have inspired me over the years. It's an ongoing and mutual occurrence with artists and people whose work I respect. The basic truth is that I simply love to be creating in the soundcurrent as much as possible and eventually to share these discoveries, aspirations and resonations that occur in the studio or live with those that are interested completes the circle. My focus is the same as when I started, living an authentic life day by day, staying open to what's up next just around the bend, and making choices based on what's best for my own path and the pursuit of my musical art.

3) Location and environment certainly play a large part in your music. What do you draw from a space in terms of inspiration? How have different environments influenced your work?

The desert is my home in the truest sense of the word. I have never found any other environment that feeds me like this place. The long distance views, the extreme and often subtle displays of life, death and the display of time in motion are constant. By immersing myself in this environment and taking cues from its rhythms, its extremes of heat and cold, its profound moments of silence and the effect these things have on my own body and psyche, I find the music will often compose itself when I return to the studio. The idea is to not represent the desert in a literal musical way, but to tap into the invisible, primordial source that expresses itself most eloquently through the desert, to let that force influence my work.

These feelings would be difficult to capture in words, and if I were to try to plan a composition around them in some intellectual way, I would be sure to fail. It is a matter of responding to each and every moment authentically, instinctually and at a visceral level.

I can feel the differences inside some of my work that was created in different locations. "Earth Island" was created entirely over 3 weeks in Spain and Germany. "Solitaire" with Elmar Schulte was created over the course of a few weeks in Germany. Much of "Live Archive" was recorded in Italy and the US in concerts with Vidna Obmana, and "Ascension of Shadows" was created in Belgium with Vidna over the course of 3 days. These influences are really about the sharing of space and time with these sound brothers at the time. When traveling I am out of my comfort zone and usually pushing every day to the edge in the way you do when traveling and spending time with friends who you know you have a limited time with. This really adds to the energy of the music we are creating. For this reason all of my travels over the past years have helped bring another level of feeling to the music and helped me to grow as an artist, and again I have to say its about being taken out of the comfort zone, taken to a place where you're new and unfamiliar.

My new release "Spirit Dome" with vidnaObmana is a prime example of just letting go of all expectations or memory of where you live or will return to. It's a pure, genuine unedited expression of the moment.

4) Do you think that the recent proliferation of music making programs and software have opened doors for anybody to capture their thoughts in song, or do you think that it distills the art-form by giving alot of people voices without necessarily having the talent behind it?

This same basic question was asked 30 years ago by "real musicians" when the first affordable and portable analog synthesizers were first made available to non-musicians such as myself. People could start to find a way to express themselves in new ways as an artist in sound. For me the key to the door was a simple little Roland SH1000 monophonic synth. Fast forward to now as this sound revolution-evolution has evolved beyond what any of us could have imagined, and your question is even more compelling.

Still it comes down to what someone has to say and how far they put themselves into the soulful creative process. I grew up with the desire to explore and create sounds from a blank slate, Tabula Rasa. The tools at that time demanded that you create sounds from scratch and experience the discovery from deep down inside. This is what was so exciting to me about electronic music in the beginning, and still is.

The computer element that is now taken for granted, as it sits front and center for this music and our life, creates the biggest challenge yet as I see it in terms of the unlimited power to use your imagination and bring honest creative dreamings up from your soul. I could not imagine life without the computer now. In comparison to my little Roland with training wheels from 30 years ago, the power that is now offered to a guy who is just starting out fresh is comparable to giving the keys to the castle and beyond right up front. This offers overwhelming potential to open the doors for people that were unable to find the creative calling in a traditional music setting, just as the early synths did for me. Its a beautiful thing.

At the same time the current state of these amazing programs and workstations has become so all inclusive that a lot of the work I find really vital, fun and creative is already done right out of the box . This connection to the personal quality of discovery I mention above, the boiling up of sounds from your own experience can be lost in a lot of the current paint by numbers music programs and sample-loop library offerings. Its not the programs so much as the tons of seductive sounds and loops offered and shipped within. So much of this vital part of the work is already done in advance by the programmers, sound designers and loop techs getting paid to produce sounds and loops by the pound for a paycheck. I do see the value in this branch of the tree for film, TV, education and folks who want to have fun cutting and pasting a montage of pre-cooked meals together. For me where the trouble starts is when it bleeds over into a place where someone relies on these sources for the foundation of their "art" or a new ambient CD after buying or burning some disks of sounds that have no personal meaning at a deeper level, the result is parody product. To sum up your original question, its my feeling that the talent of a person with a passion and imagination to make something genuine will find it's way through to this place, no matter what kind of tools are offered.

5) Do you see your work as being divided into periods or eras, and if so do you think those distinctions are based more on yourself and where you were in your life or on the technology of the time? What would you say were the most significant moments in terms of each during your career?

The Music comes from life, and drawing from my answer to the first question is relevant here about my motivations to create these spaces. Adding to that, I choose instruments that are appealing to work with and the ones that I have a long history with are still my favorites, the Oberheims for example. The tools certainly influence and inspire in so many ways I could never explain.

Along my timeline there are points that spike up on the graph, off the top of my head from the 80's "Empetus", "Structures from Silence" and "Dreamtime Return" because of the breathing - organic and emotional qualities these hold. The 90's at this moment would be "Worlds Edge", my first recording living in the desert, "Origins and Artifacts", the "Suspended Memories" projects that put the primal mind into the forefront of the music, "Magnificent Void" - the crossroads of harmonic contrast, dark is warm and beautiful in my world. The collabs with Vidna because of the intensity we share, I feel this in "Well of Souls" especially.

Starting from 2000, "Streams & Currents" - finger painting with guitarscapes, "Early Man" - sonic archeology. "Serpents Lair" and "Trance Spirits" - acoustic and electric trance blend. "Mystic Chords and Sacred Spaces" was many years of ideas and aspirations coming into form. Also about the time you will be reading this I will have released 2 new Timeoom Editions at my site. "Life Sequence" is a fascinating chronology of the sequence style of music I was quite drawn to early on. The release has 2 live pieces that go back as far as 1988 as well as 3 new pieces. They fit together in a solid way and it's fascinating how the span of time and technology is not really an issue when I hear it as a whole. The pieces all share a feeling that feels just right, it was a place that felt like a way to cleanse the palette after the intense time and energy put into "Mystic Chords". The other Timeroom release is "Texture Maps - Lost Pieces 3", this is all atmospheric zones with one lost piece from around "Dreamtime Return", a longtime favorite "Artifacts" zone, a "Void" era piece and a collection pre- and post- "Mystic Spaces". I think its worth saying with these 2 releases the constant theme in my life is working with a balance of dynamically different simultaneous soundworlds.

6) For the novice fan, what would you recommend as the ideal Steve Roach recordings? Any thoughts on which discs of yours would be best suited for desert island collections?

The most obvious would be "Space & Time", the intro disk I just released for the propose of introducing the music to new ears. I will leave the desert island list up to you, any of these mentioned above will work!

7) Thinking about "Time of the Earth", the Projekt DVD release, do you see your work as having an inherent visual element to it? Do you see yourself doing more work along these sort of lines, either collaboratively with film-makers or on your own?

Indeed, for me this style of music and my music has always delivered strong visuals on the mind's screen. For this reason, as much as I enjoy the marriage of sound and images, I still prefer to do my deep listening without having to be tethered to the TV set. The images and subtle states that comeup on my own screen are the ones I enjoy the most and "Time of the Earth" was naturally close to my heart with its desert theme. Over the years I have been a part of many visual projects, but its not an area I am deeply committed to at this point. I find the use of visuals are most effective in the live setting, and this is where I am putting my focus in the future, creating visual and light spaces that merge with my live work in an organic way. The live setting is where the visual aspect can really take it all to another level. The more dynamic volume and big screen impact.

8) You've worked with a number of other artists, released a number of collaborations. Given that the ambient genre doesn't lend itself as easily to the idea of "jamming" or "layin' down some riffs", what sort of techniques do you use when working with other people? Do you have particular goals in mind when you're doing collaborations, or do you let things evolve of their own accord?

The common theme with my long time collaborators in particular is that we all share this similar connection to the deeper power of sound. While Jorge and Vidna are quite different people the intensity and focus feels the same, and when we get together the intentions are just clear without having to really discuss much about the process. The music unfolds as it will.

Since the projects with Byron Metcalf and Jeffrey Fayamn are based in a blend of the more acoustic percussion zone, the roles are a bit more defined but again the understanding is just there. Somehow we seemed to arrive at this common ground that was shaped by diverse and similar influences over many years.

The actual process might start by simply playing off each other in the studio. We can find our place pretty quick, I think it can be compared to the dialogue that is exchanged between Jazz players where there is this understanding, a kind of telepathy, playing off the intuition of the moment, picking the right sounds, knowing how to listen and respond. This can extend to the new ways of creating and collaborating in terms of the non- linear approach as well, where we carve out our sound sources, grooves and so on and proceed to huddle around the warm glow of the computer monitor and proceed to make a mutual weaving.

The collaborations have the potential to take everything to another level. Considering I spend a lot of time in solitude carving away at sounds and creating the music, the camaraderie of sharing time and space and music is always a good time and it just feels natural to want to have a conversation with other like minded friends. I need the balance between working solo and exploring on my own. I really enjoy working hours and hours alone finding new sounds, creating new soundworlds which might be used later in a collaboration. Often the collaborations will include sources that we cook up on our own since these sometimes take days or weeks to create. Sometimes just the idea of getting together with a certain artist will help direct your thoughts into a different area.

9) Having such a rich history of releases one would imagine you've tried a number of different ideas, realized a variety of dreams in terms of your work. What are some of the challenges and aspirations for your work that you imagine facing in the future?

The energy and ideas keep building and mutating, there is never enough time in the day to explore the ideas and sounds. I can't be specific to what's coming beyond the ones that are already in the oven. I can feel a steady boil of ideas and experiences I want to express constantly. The priorities are maintaining a healthy mind and body and making the best use of the time at hand.

"Auralspace" by Bruno Sanfilippo

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:57:00 +0000

"Auralspace" by Bruno Sanfilippo is one of those discs that completely astounds me. I've quite enjoyed Sanfilippo's work for some time, but with "Auralspace" he's surpassed any expectations I've ever had about his music. This is quite simply a masterpiece of the ambient genre, an album where every tone, every melody, even the silence, is perfectly placed in the soundscape. To be honest, I think I'm doing it a disservice by trying to describe it in words, so do yourself a favor and go out and buy it now. But if you still need any convincing, I'll do my best to describe it. Just remember that the time you're spending reading about what I think, you could be listening to it instead...

It all begins with "Mimosa Hostilis", and a silence that is slowly broken by a drone steadily increasing in volume. As it builds, there are the sounds of metal blowing in the wind and a breathy woodwind enters the soundscape, expanding the track, filling it out from the inside. As time passes, all of these tones and more blend together to create a real space, a beautiful environment ready for exploration. "Imagined Reality" follows, the track growing out of swelled tones rising up to the listener from silence. It's a very natural progression, very organic, and as time passes, the soundfield becomes more distinct, more full, until the listener is enveloped in this newly created space.

The rest of the disc is equally powerful and engaging. Title track "Auralspace" builds around minimal melodies and slowly rotating pads, steadily repeating pulses creating a rhythm for the listener to identify with. The track drifts on the edge of the senses, right at that point just before awareness ends, just beyond recognition. "Divine Moments" ebbs and flows, a tidal pull of tones that slowly tugs at the senses. It's a stunning piece, a sensory experience that's sublime in it's beauty. With time it swells and grows, but never enough to be obtrusive or aggressive, always staying soft, warm, and inviting. "Poema Electronica" is built around a similar opening, a swelling pad that rises and falls amidst a collection of noises. Horn-like synths play in the distance, then fade away into nothingness leaving only a quiet percussive element to be heard amid slight melodies playing in the distance. "Pampa" begins with a rotating drone, a sound that emerges from nothing. A whistling tone drifts through, filling the sound space for a moment and then vanishing into silence. Everything happens on a very tiny, very quiet scale, and it's all very beautiful, very slight and serene. It's difficult to pinpoint particular sounds or noises or tones, instead it all comes together in a collection of sounds that work together in perfect harmony. The best is saved for last though, with the epic "Surreal Sense" closing the disc. A series of echoing tones and repeated musical phrases building up into a beautiful wall of sound where tones grow and move through the space of the track, becoming something beautiful that connects and resonates with the listener. Around the ten minute mark the track finds a new direction and the soundscape starts to change, become something else, but nothing at odds with what's been done so far. Rather it becomes something complementary to the earlier half of the track, something that fits in nicely, effectively, with the sound that's gone before. An evolution? A change? Perhaps it's just easier to say something new...

Over the last few years, I've truly enjoyed listening to Bruno Sanfilippo developing as an artist and honing his craft. He's made some wonderful music to this point, some truly magical discs that never cease to appeal and inspire. And on this latest release "Auralspace" Sanfilippo has made a disc that brings together all the best elements of previous works and expands and builds on them, resulting in a stunning collection of ambient music that I cannot recommend enough. Now go, get yourself a copy of "Auralspace" and find out what you've been missing. I can assure you that you won't be disappointed.

rik - ping things

"The Call" by Resonant Drift

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:32:00 +0000

I was first introduced to Resonant Drift a few years ago when Bill Olien contacted me about his debut disc, "Flow Mingled Down". I was particularly impressed with his ability to create environment and atmosphere on that album, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I was really excited about hearing his latest release "The Call". For this outing Bill has collaborated with new musical partner Gary Johnson, and the end result is a stunning work of ambient brilliance where every track presents a beautiful and unique space to explore.

"The Call" opens the disc by creating a quiet natural environment, a lush garden in the rain where birds twitter and chirp. Tones slowly rise up from the soundscape, eventually taking the lead. Pads wash through the space, creating an ebb and flow overtop a deep spacey drone. "Invocation" follows, a track that has a strong sense of tribal magic and ritual to it, with light percussion playing along to a low, deep pad, while higher tones swirl around in the background. It's a deep and dense track filled with beauty and wonder, and it's a personal favorite on this disc.

The later track "Recapitulation" is a shorter piece that begins with a muffled sound as if tones are heard from a distance suggesting isolation and separation. It creates a mood and space very quickly within the course of it's short length, a lonely space in the midst of the rest of the release which leads directly into the next track "Beneath Strange Fire", where tones become clearer and the environment is made more distinct. This one brings to mind a beach of some sort, wind and bonfires littered along the shore, something almost post-apocalyptic, calm yet somehow ominous. Eventually subtle percussion is added, bringing something new to the proceedings, ultimately filling out the track. Truly a great creation of space.

The second half of the disc brings to mind a suite of sorts, a collection of tracks that seem to recount a life from birth through to death. From the womb-like serenity of "Deep Calls Unto Deep" and "The Question", through the pulse and celebration of "The Longing" and the darker and somewhat final sounds of "Answer", these six tracks suggest a timeless organic cycle that really appeals to me, a feeling of order and natural progression. Admittedly I might be completely off the mark on what they're trying to say here, but either way it connects and resonates with me, and really, what better compliment can any artist hope for than to make a connection with their audience? Needless to say, this suite is particularly wonderful work from Olien and Johnson, music that really inspires.

The disc closes out with "Reply", a track that brings the listener full circle to the same environment we were in at the beginning of the disc, the same lush garden space, but now with something more that we've taken from our journey throughout the course of the disc. It's almost as though we've gained something as a result of what we've heard, lessons learned or secrets revealed. Somehow it seems as though the listener is meant to be part of the environment that's been created, we're not only welcome in this lush garden, we're meant to be there. It's a wonderful connection to the music, one that resonates with me even after the last notes of the disc have played.

Olien and Johnson have done a great job of creating an engaging and appealing environment for listeners on this release. Each track seems to create and develop its own space both elegantly and precisely. "The Call" is a tremendously strong release and it's been in constant rotation in my CD player since I got it. Do yourself a favour and check it out, you won't be disappointed.

rik - ping things