ping things

dreamSTATE and NOiNO live at the Ping February 7th

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:50:00 +0000

The Ambient Ping returns with it's February installment at the Supermarket in Kensington Market (268 Augusta Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) on Tuesday February 7th. This month dreamSTATE will be joined by Matthew Poulakakis (Salvagesound, NOiNO, Wassonic) for Part 2 of the 2012 Drone Cycle (Music in the key of B for those of you keeping score), as well as sets by NOiNO (Jamie Todd, James Bailey, and Matthew Poulakakis) and visuals by General Chaos Visuals.

Doors open at 8pm, the show starts at 830pm, cover is $6 or Pay what you can, and while we'd love to see you there in person, if you can't make it down to the show, you can also watch the show streaming live on VooDoo TV!

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

one two three

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:47:00 +0000

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

A few links of note for a chilly Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:25:00 +0000

A few things I wanted to bring to your attention if you weren't already aware of them...

The Ambient Visions website has an interview with Bruno Sanfilippo. Regular readers will no doubt remember that I'm a huge fan of Bruno's work.

The reunited New Order have released a live recording of their recent live show in London from December 2011, you can order on disc or as an mp3 here. And while we're discussing New Order, I'll add my voice to the chorus of people who believe that Mickey Mouse and Joy Division should have nothing in common...

Caitlin R. Kiernan is one of my favorite authors and I'm happy to see that she has two new books coming out in the near future. "Confessions of a Five Chambered Heart" is available now for preorder through Subterranean Press in both limited and trade versions (get the limited version as it comes with a bonus chapbook!), and "The Drowning Girl: A Memoir" is available now for preorder through Amazon. On the subject of "The Drowning Girl: A Memoir", a short teaser trailer for the book is up on the CRK website.

Have a nice evening...

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

Music for a rainy Monday

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:49:00 +0000

It's a rainy Monday night, so why not put up your feet and stream some music from ping things?

"October Sky" by Building Castles out of Matchsticks

"Live on Alien Air Music" by Resonant Drift

"Les Landes" by Spatial Correlation

"Stratification" by URM

Enjoy!

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

Catching up with ping things Jan 22nd

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:39:00 +0000

Life gets in the way of reading blogs sometimes, doesn't it? So in case you've missed anything, here's a list of posts over the last week...


Red Mutant Eyes gazed down on Hunger City...

Sylken releases "Chronicles"
A new compilation album from Sylken.

Music for a night like this
Streaming music for a blustery winter night.

Your creative freedom is at stake
I add my voice to the chorus of people opposed to limiting internet freedoms.

At a loss for words tonight
In which I have nothing to say so I look to you, the reader, for inspiration. Some of you may be interested to know that nobody responded to my appeal. Sigh...

New Titles Available at ping things
New additions to the ping things catalog, including discs by Numina, Sylken, and more.

Come Up To My Room, January 26 to 29
Details about an interesting design installation upcoming in Toronto.

Cheers,

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

Come Up To My Room, January 26 to 29

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:43:00 +0000

Deane Hughes and Christine Beaumont of SubZeroArts will be staging a reactive sound/sculpture installation in Toronto at The Gladstone Hotel's "Come Up To My Room" Alternative Design Event between January 26th and 29th.

Drawing from their creative experience and installations for ScotiaBank Nuit Blanche (Toronto), The Heart Machine (Burning Man, Nevada) and Mutek (Montreal), Deane and Christine explore the notion that not only does art influence the individual, but that the audience itself can affect the artwork.

Using positioning and sound-sensor technology, the artifact “senses” and “reacts” to the presence and movements of on-lookers while immersing them in a shadowy, surround-sound audio-environment. By combining the audience’s motion and proximity to the artwork with a multi-source soundscape, DarkLab is a unique, participatory experience in tactile sculpture-art that connects individuals with the installation in unexpected ways.

Visit http://www.subzeroarts.com/darklab2012 to find out more.

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

New Titles Available at ping things

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:35:00 +0000

I thought I'd let you know about a few new discs that have added to the ping things catalog, all of them are well worth checking out...

Ian Boddy and Parallel Worlds "Exit Strategy"

An excellent collaborative work between Ian Boddy and Bakis Sirros.

Broken Harbour "Gramophone Transmissions"

A new twist on the space music ideal.

Numina "Dawn of Obscurity"

Jesse Sola, aka Numina, returns with this stunning new release.

Sylken "Chronicles"

A collection of tracks from across the Sylken catalog, including the new track "Lovelight".

"Wassonic" by Wassonic

The self-titled debut from the new collaboration between Terrence O'Brien and Matthew Poulakakis.

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

At a loss for words tonight

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:06:00 +0000

I'm at a loss for words tonight. I normally write posts for the blog a few days ahead of time in order to avoid this kind of situation, but circumstances over the last week have meant that I've gotten behind myself, and now I am forced to write something on the fly. And regrettably I am at a loss for words.

So instead I'll comment about being at a loss for words. I worry about being in this state, not having anything more to say or reaching a point where everything worth saying has been said. I get uncomfortable thinking that perhaps my best ideas and my best words might be behind me, that I'll have to live my days knowing there's nothing left for me to say. And of course the stress of being afraid of that wordlessness only succeeds in making the fear grow. It's a vicious circle, isn't it?

So now I sit here, with my growing unease over my loss for words, and I wait for something clever to say. A bon mot or a witty pun, or a thought provoking question, or something.

And I wait.

And I wait.

And I wait....

So why don't you tell me something? Send me a link, or send me a suggestion, or give me an idea. Help a guy out, okay?

I'll just wait here, alright?

I'll just wait right here.

Waiting...

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

Your creative freedom is at stake

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:10:00 +0000

I'm sure over the course of the day you've heard many things about the SOPA and PIPA acts. Perhaps you already have an opinion about them, or perhaps you've just learned about them today. Either way I'm quite sure that you've realized how significant these acts are, and how they could drastically affect creative expression and restrict artistic freedoms on the internet.

Many of you may think that these are strictly American concerns, but remember that the internet is a global community, and what is being proposed by these two acts could have ramifications all over the world. This is a worldwide issue that affect us all.

With the understanding that all of you are artists, and musicians, and actors, and writers, and filmmakers, and bloggers, and poets, and people who use the internet, I encourage you all to find out more about these acts, and what you can do to ensure that your creative freedoms are maintained.

In reading and reviewing sites about the issue, I came across this post on Neil Gaiman's blog. Perhaps you've already seen it, but at the risk of being redundant I think that it's a concise and eloquent statement written in response to what is being proposed by SOPA and PIPA, and I think it gives voice to the concerns that many of us have.

Give it some thought. Do some research. Ask some questions. And figure out what you can do to help protect both the internet and your own creative freedoms.

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Music for a night like this

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:50:00 +0000

A few releases from the ping things net label to help you while away this blustery evening...
(Click the links to download, or they're streamable if you're into that kind of thing).

"Tenkan" by Lorne David Thomson

"A Decade Dreaming" by dreamSTATE

"fluctuations" by mara's torment

"Land" by Nunc Stans

Enjoy!

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Sylken releases "Chronicles"

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:34:00 +0000

In anticipation of the upcoming release of a new album in 2012, Eric Hopper of Sylken has released "Chronicles", a collection of tracks from across the Sylken catalog, including the new track "Lovelight".

For those of you who are unfamiliar with his work, Sylken is Hopper's ambient musical project collaborating with a wide range of other artists to create stunningly vital, emotionally charged music that responds to the surrounding environment and pulses with a life of it's own. Sylken shows are often quite moving musical events, magical experiences that often leave me breathless. A truly wonderful example of the inherent beauty of the ambient genre, Eric Hopper and his collaborators bring together organic and living sounds, synthesized tones, and subtly processed guitar to create some of my favorite music in ambient or any other genre.

"Chronicles" is an excellent introduction to Sylken's work, and is available now at ping things for only $10CAN plus $3 shipping anywhere in the world.

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

Catching up with ping things Jan 15th

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:39:00 +0000

A picture of a lighted tree which has nothing to do with this post...

Here's a list of links for the last week in case you've missed anything;

"Happy David Bowie Birthday to You" An ode to the sheer awesomeness of David Bowie on his 65th birthday.

"Watch Tuesday's Ambient Ping show online!" An announcement regarding the AMBiENT PiNG's show on Tuesday January 10th being broadcast online.

"New music from Bruno Sanfilippo" The title pretty much sums it up, don't you think?

"I've been thinking a lot about opportunities lately..." Some random thoughts on opportunity.

"Disquiet releases "Instagr/am/bient" An announcement for a great new compilation released by the Disquiet blog.

"New release from Austere on Relaxed Machinery" I'm very excited about the release of Austere's "Euterpe" album!

Review: "Gramophone Transmissions" by Broken Harbour Reviewing a great new release by Broken Harbour.

As always, you can expect new content this week.

Cheers,

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

"Gramophone Transmissions" by Broken Harbour

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:49:00 +0000

"Gramophone Transmissions" by Broken Harbour is an excellent release that builds on the concepts and themes of the space music genre by adding dark and unsettling elements that succeed in creating a new offshoot style. I'm not sure what to call it, perhaps that's something I can leave up to you as readers, but if you imagine "2001" as the archetypical space music movie, then "Alien" would surely be the movie to match with "Gramophone Transmissions"...

The album begins with "Drift", where the crackling sounds of uranium powered engines play overtop looped phrases in the distance, the occasional snatch of piano or a slowly rising pad filling out the space. It's a dense track, filled with deep sounds and tones that (appropriately enough) drift through the soundscape, rising and falling in focus and intensity. A really mesmerizing track, a really strong and engaging opening to the disc.

The two part suite "The Ballad of Dave Bowman pt. 1" follows, a soundtrack for the second most famous fictional astronaut after Major Tom. A slowly oscillating drone acts as the basis for this piece, a steady anchoring sound that shifts and pulls itself through it's own gravity. New
sounds are added gradually over the course of the track so as not to interupt or distract from the natural flow of the piece, instead complementing and building on it until eventually the drone is overtaken and replaced by a higher pitched sound that shifts the musical dynamic into a darker more ominous space.

"The Ballad of Dave Bowman pt.2" continues the journey with a brighter and slightly more inviting musical feel. The tones here are richer and fuller, a sweet cascade of bright tones that wash over the soundscape bringing with it a strong sense of renewal and hope.

Ironically "Titan" is a much more subtle track than its name would suggest, sparse and delicate
sounds playing over a bed of static and a slowly pulsing drone. I think it might well be my favourite track on the album, it's beauty lying in its quiet simplicity.

"Dark Clouds Approaching From The West" returns the listener to a darker space, a sound that brings to mind the Nostromo and other ill-fated ships. There's a building tension to this track, a feeling of unease that mounts as time passes, ultimately culminating in a truly harrowing listening experience. Haunted sounds, an ominous and intermittant breathing, a rising drone, it all adds up to create a really powerful environment, an impressive aural landscape.

So how do you follow that? "Maelstrom (The Descent)" ramps up the unease to 11 and then builds it up exponentially from there. I remember a radio program from my youth playing a recording taken from a mine that had supposedly breached some sort of dimensional barrier leading into Hell. My memory is that it sounded much like this track, only Broken Harbor has developed and built on the supposed sound of the underworld and made it all the more uncomfortable, all the more hellacious. A truly dark piece of music that impresses me greatly (but also leaves me a little scared at the same time).

"Unforseen Consequences" closes the disc, a slightly brighter, but no less unsettling piece than the last two tracks. It's really a wonderful example of how similar moods and themes can be established while using completely different sound pallettes and approaches. A very interesting (and somewhat challenging) way to close the disc, "Unforseen Consequences" finishes our journey, closing the loop musically and resolving any outstanding tensions and unease.

Like I said earlier, "Gramophone Transmissions" is an excellent album and an interesting stylistic development within the space music genre. It's also a truly impressive release that I highly recommend. Is it too early to start choosing my top ten picks for 2012?

rik - ping things

"Gramophone Transmissions" by Broken Harbour is available now at ping things!

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

New release from Austere on Relaxed Machinery

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:57:00 +0000

Surely one of the most anticipated releases of recent history in my mind is the return of Austere, who have a new album released on Relaxed Machinery today. "Euterpe" is the first new musick from Austere in some time, and it comes as welcome and exciting news to this long-time fan.

For those of you who don't know Austere, you're already halfway to being a fan. Nobody really knows them. They remain hidden and enigmatic musicians who have cultivated an air of mystery and secrecy about them that succeeds in making their music all the more personal and intimate to the listener. You don't experience it as music made by individuals, rather you experience it as something that exists in and of itself, separate from its creators. I have a tremendous respect for Austere and their work, and I hold their music and their carefully formed non-image in very high regard.

Now I'll admit, I haven't heard "Euterpe" yet. I'm not privy to any inside scoop or secret info about it, but based on previous albums and samples I've heard, I'm very excited about this one. I have faith you'll be hearing me talking about it a lot more over the coming months.

"Euterpe" is available as a download from CD Baby and other digital outlets, and as a CDr from Hypnos.com

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

Disquiet releases "Instagr/am/bient"

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:51:00 +0000

If you haven't already heard about it, Disquiet's "Instagr/am/bient" compilation is well worth investigating. Featuring 25 ambient tracks inspired by 25 Instagram photographs, all under 3 minutes in length, "Instagr/am/bient" is a fascinating exercise in containing one's muse within a defined space, a concise collection of music that inspires and delights.

You can download the full collection as a .zip file from archive.org. Be sure to check it out!

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

I've been thinking a lot about opportunities lately...

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:29:00 +0000

<p>&amp;lt;a href="http://marastorment.bandcamp.com/album/secret-music"&amp;gt;secret music by mara's torment&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;</p>

I've been thinking a lot about opportunities lately. And I've come to realize that they're precious and special gifts that are too often overlooked. And I've also noticed that while some days it might seem like opportunities will be available for the taking whenever you want them, there are other days where you realize what a rare and wonderful commodity they are. It can be a hard lesson, but in learning this I think I've grown a little bit more grateful for the opportunities that come my way, and a little bit more brave about making choices and taking chances, deciding how I want to spend my time and where I want to apply my interests.

Don't sit back and think that you'll change the world when you have time. Seize every opportunity that comes your way, and try to change your world for the better every chance that you get. Whether you're a musician or a photographer or a painter or a mathematician or a writer or a poet or a journalist or a scientist or any thing else. Take every opportunity that presents itself, every single one.

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

New music from Bruno Sanfilippo

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:33:00 +0000

I'm in a rush on my way out the door for tonight's show at the Ambient Ping (watch it online if you can't make it out), but before I head out I wanted to make a quick post about Bruno Sanfilippo.

Many of you will know Bruno as a really amazing ambient artist from Spain who has released a number of awesome albums over the last few years. His discs "Auralspace" and "Cromo" (in collaboration with Mathias Grassow) are two of my favorite go-to albums when I want beautiful ambience to take me away. So I'm very excited to note that he has a new album forthcoming called "Piano Textures 3", and you can hear a preview track, "Piano Textures 3 II", on his Soundcloud page. It's a very sparse and beautiful piece, poignant and lovely, and exactly what I like to hear from Bruno.

If you're already familiar with Bruno's music, I'm sure this news fills you with the same excitement and anticipation that it does me. If you aren't already a fan of his work, I would recommend this track as an excellent place to start, and then you can shuffle through his Soundcloud page to hear more of his fabulous catalog. Needless to say, his work gets a really high recommendation from me.

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

Watch Tuesday's Ambient Ping show online!

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:46:00 +0000

As posted earlier last week, the Ambient Ping will begin it's 2012 season on Tuesday January 10th at the Supermarket in Kensington Market in Toronto, with guests Treeotica, Heiki, and dreamSTATE.

And just because you don't live in Toronto doesn't mean you should miss the show...

Tuesday's show will be broadcast live online at http://www.livestream.com/voodootv1
starting at 8:30pm EST. If you've always wanted to visit the Ping but were challenged by geography or time zones, now's your chance...

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

Happy David Bowie Birthday to You

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:29:00 +0000

I expect that a number of readers will feel I'm being remiss if I don't make mention of the fact that today is David Bowie's 65th birthday, so I guess I'll add this entry to the million and two tributes that are being posted all over the blogosphere today. To say that his music has had an impact on me is quite an understatement, rather I would suggest that his music has been an influence and an inspiration for much of who and what I am today.

Growing up in the 80s (that long ago fairy tale age before the internet, when music came out on big vinyl things called records and you had to watch television to see videos), Bowie's catalog of work was a constant source of magic, wonder, and discovery, and in the confusion and angst and existential torment of adolescence (and beyond), his songs were a constant companion to me, more so than any others, assuring me that there were beautiful and wonderful things that existed beyond what I knew. Most of all, I learned that it's okay to be different and strange and kind of a little off kilter. David Bowie taught me not to be afraid of who I am.

As I look back upon the years I'm hard pressed to think of a time in my life when his music hasn't been part of my personal soundtrack, when his songs weren't associated in some way with what I was doing, who I was with, what I was feeling at the time. I expect that many of you feel the same way.

So take a minute today and appreciate how awesome David Bowie is, and how much he's influenced all of us in one way or another. Maybe the first single you ever bought was "Let's Dance", or maybe you had a sexual awakening watching Labyrinth (I have personal accounts from twelve of you on my friend's list..). Maybe you learned a little bit more about art and culture and literature listening to his lyrics, or maybe you were inspired to become a musician yourself because you thought "Ashes to Ashes" was the best song ever written (it is by the way). Maybe you painted your face with a lightning bolt, or maybe you were a HUGE fan of Tin Machine (I guess it could happen). Maybe you don't even know who David Bowie is, but you're a fan of any one of a million musicians that look to him as their musical inspiration, the person who made them realize what they wanted to do. Maybe you just think that "Ziggy Stardust" song is pretty cool.

Whatever your connection to Bowie is, take a moment to appreciate it, and think about how much of a better place your world is for having it.

Happy David Bowie Birthday to You.

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Catching up with ping things for the week of January 8th

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:52:00 +0000

Over the last week there have been a few posts to check out on the ping things blog, here's a list in case you've missed something...

"Why not write your own review?" Write a review for one of the ping things net releases and get a discount on your next purchase at the ping things store...

"The Ambient Ping Returns for 2012" A reminder that the Ambient Ping is starting it's 2012 series on January 10th with Heiki, Treeotica and dreamSTATE...

Review: "Subterranean Landscapes" by Numina

Review: "Dawn of Obscurity" by Numina

"Links of Note for January 5th" A few things I think you might be interested in checking out...

"DiN Reaches Fifty" A brief post to celebrate DiN's 50th release by Ian Boddy...

"What do you want from ping things?" What would you like to see happen on the ping things blog (and Facebook group)? Make some content suggestions and we'll see what we can do...

... and over in the ping things Facebook group, it would seem that the most popular thread is the "What's your favorite soundtrack?" post from November 3rd, which is currently at 48 responses. Who would ever thought that soundtracks were so popular? Check it out, there are some great suggestions there!

Look forward to some more new content in the coming week...

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

What do you want from ping things?

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 02:44:00 +0000

A picture of a beautiful cat which has nothing to do with this post...

When I started the ping things store a few years ago I wanted to create a place where I could share the music that I enjoy with others, a place where people would come to discover cool music that they might not have had the chance to find otherwise. I expanded on that idea by adding the ping things net label a few years later, which allowed me to to reach even more people by being able to give away the music for free with the intention of promoting and building up larger audiences for the artists whose work I support. So now I'm thinking beyond the idea of telling you what I think, by building up the ping things community and giving you an opportunity to share your own music or letting others know about music that you enjoy.

One of the things I've been trying to do for the new year, not so much a resolution as a project, is to build up the community aspect and utility of the ping things blog (and Facebook group) as an adjunct to the ping things label and store. I mean, I've used both to varying degrees of success in the past as a promotional tool, but I'd really like to build something a little more substantive with the blog, make it into a resource, or a hub, or a jumping off point for other projects and ideas, what have you.

And to that end I have a handful ideas and thoughts that I want to try over the next few weeks and months, hopefully things that will not only be of interest and value to you, the reader, but will also be things that you'll want to participate in and respond to.

In the meantime, what do you want from the ping things blog? More reviews, more links to other sites, more commentary, more of something else? I did an impromptu poll in the early days of the ping things Facebook group, and preliminary interest at the time was to have more information about new net releases (I've tried to do more of that, not just ping things releases, but interesting things from other labels as well), is that still the case? Maybe you have a suggestion as to what you'd like to see posted here, in which case feel free to let me know by leaving a comment, or if you're too shy to do that you can send me an email at rik@pingthings.com rik@pingthings.com. I really look forward to hearing what you have to say!

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

DiN reaches Fifty

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:15:00 +0000

I think that a label reaching fifty releases is a pretty admirable achievement and well worth recognition. So with this in mind, I would like to say congratulations to Ian Boddy and the DiN label on their fiftieth release, "Strange Attractors"!

"Strange Attractors" by Ian Boddy is available for download from Bandcamp, along with a number of other great releases from DiN. Be sure to check them out...

rik - ping things

Keep up to date with ping things through the ping things twitter feed and the ping things facebook group!

Enjoying the music on the ping things net label? Why not write your own review? Find out how you can get credit at ping things by reviewing one of our releases!

Links of note for January 5th 2012

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:54:00 +0000

A few things I wanted to share with you...

1) Given that I've posted reviews of two new albums by Numina (check them out here and here), it occurs to me that some of you may not have heard the exclusive Almost Live in the Studio recording that Jesse did for Ambient Ping Radio a few years back. If you're interested, you can download it for free from ping things.

2) I had an brief exchange with Brian John Mitchell about ping things' "Why not write your own review?" promotion, and it occurred to me that some of you may be interested to know a little more about his label Silber Records. Since 1996 BJM has distributed a wide range of really great albums in a variety of genres under the fitting motto of "Drone Love Honesty Sound", including a number of his own releases as Remora, and albums by Lycia, Tara Vanflower, Hotel Hotel, Aarktica and many more. There's a lot of great music to be discovered on the label, and I strongly encourage you to visit the Silber Records site to find out more.

3) Moving away from music for a moment, I ask you, what could be cooler than the Batman Lego videogame? And the answer would obviously be the just announced BATMAN LEGO 2!!!! I am more than a little excited. I just hope that I've finished Arkham City by the time it comes out...

4) And speaking of Batman, wouldn't it be great if Dr Seuss wrote Batman?

Cheers,

rik - ping things

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"Dawn of Obscurity" by Numina

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:31:00 +0000

In addition to "Subterranean Landscapes", Jesse Sola also released a second Numina album in 2011 titled "Dawn of Obscurity". A beautiful study in slowly moving musical textures, "Dawn of Obscurity" continues Jesse's artistic journey through the stars, referencing familiar themes while simultaneously taking his audience in new musical directions. A few things that come to my mind as I'm listening...

"The Shadow of a Day" begins with a rising and falling pad, sounds echoing through the soundscape, dark and a tad ominous, but still very appealing.

"Cold Shine" glistens and twinkles, space music for winter time astrological pursuits, a dense trip through the stars on the outer edges of the known galaxy. An Alien choir singing songs to doomed spacemen floating in tin cans.

The Alien Choir remains for "Faces Remain" but they've evidently moved to a new location resplendent in Alien reverb. It's a beautiful track with something almost sacred to it that gives it an added appeal. A very moving piece.

"Moment from the Past" follows, a spacey and beautiful piece of music that echoes the sounds of stars and nebulae. Or at least what I expect that stars and nebulae sound like.

"We Will Always Be" ramps up the alien element resulting in a vaguely unsettling track where distorted voices and sounds travel through the ether, distant radio transmissions perhaps, certainly something that has been traveling through space headed for earth for thousands of years, only reaching us now. It's cool stuff, but just a touch unnerving.

"Withdrawn" sizzles and flies, moving through galaxies we haven't even dreamed of yet. It's an epic piece of music, with a truly beautiful build and the creation of a sparkling new space that's never been imagined before. Moving through deep space, past lush and beautiful planetary vistas, this is an epic track that captures the quintessential Numina sound in one place. A brilliant and moving piece of music that's really quite lovely.

It should be noted that while the tracks on "Dawn of Obscurity" are indexed as individual pieces, they all blend seamlessly into each other to create one long form piece with distinct movements. And in this era of randomized playlists and mixing and matching tracks, it's my suggestion that this is the best way to listen to the album, an active listen in one sitting that creates a continuous and uninterrupted journey through the musical mind of Jesse Sola. I expect you'll feel the same.

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"Subterranean Landscapes" by Numina

noreply@blogger.com (mara's torment) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:15:00 +0000

One of the biggest musical highlights for me in 2011 was the welcome return of Jesse Sola's project Numina. Following are a few capsule thoughts I have on the individual tracks from his album "Subterranean Landscapes", and tomorrow I'll share my feelings about "Dawn of Obscurity" which was also released last year.

"Subterranean Landscapes" opens with "Scraping the Surface", a deep thick piece of music where expansive drones ebb and flow, resulting in a very impressive creation of space and atmosphere.

"A Deep Sense" follows, a thick wash of bells and metallic ringing, a haunting piece that brings to mind dark caves at night. Pads wash across the proceedings, adding a little bit of depth and a touch of colour to the sound of the track.

"Fluid Red" is like a night time journey through a rain forest in the heart of the rainy season. Tones rise and fall, and a wash of sounds play throughout. Probably my favorite piece on the disc. Very nice work.

"The Dark Air" has rich and strong tones that ring out, sweeping across the soundspace. Nicely produced and nicely arranged.

"In the Molten Murk" pairs a cold metal feeling with deep sweeping pads to create a ringing and beautiful cavern of lost souls. Nicely played Mr Sola.

"Underneath the Silent Storm" has a delicate sensibility underneath it, a still life painted using musical forms. Of particular note are some strange springy sounds that move back and forth through the soundscape, resulting in a beautiful sense of movement and grace in the piece.

"Resurrection of the Stone Giant" closes the disc, leaving the listener with a beautiful summation of everything that's gone before, and a suggestion of work to follow. A lovely way to end the album.

I'm quite impressed by "Subterranean Landscapes" and I totally recommend it as an excellent starting point for those of you that aren't already familiar with Jesse's work as Numina, as well as an excellent addition to the collections of those of you who, like me, are already big fans.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for my thoughts on "Dawn of Obscurity" by Numina!

rik - ping things

"Subterranean Landscapes" by Numina is available through the Numina website.

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