August 29, 2008 – 11:22 am
I can think of no better way to cap off our week spend in analysis of the synthesis between humanity and technology in music than to profile Bruce Haack, one of the fathers of electronic music as we know it.
In addition to being a “synthesizer music” pioneer Haack was something of a Nikola Tesla-like visionary. While synthesizer technology was still in its infancy Haack — who was not formally trained in the science of electronics — built his own instruments out of the guts of household appliances. These included a number of unique devices which utilized bioelectricity, the human body, touch and movement to create sound, as well as a 12-voice polyphonic synthesizer created at a time when the state-of-the-art in synthesizers were only monophonic. He was also a proponent of the notion that computers, electronic communication and electricity would have a profound impact on the mental, physical and spiritual health of the human race. And he even prophecied the existence of an electronic network over which people would create and share music independent of record label interference as far back as 1969!
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August 28, 2008 – 11:08 am
All this talk of electro-acoustic hybrids, the fusing of analog and digital instrumentation and the fusion of human emotions & mechanical rhythms has been fine and dandy. But sometimes beats just need to be beats! Even when those beats masquerade as “songs.” And yes, even when the composer of those “songs” calls on a retinue of vintage synthesizers, keyboard instruments, both electric and acoustic guitars, a drum set and a melodica to augment the computers, midi percussion centers, drum machines, turntables and “records with breaks” with which he plies his beatcraft.
Whether he plays instruments other than samplers and drum machines, considers himself a “musician” rather than a “beatmaker” or thinks of his compositions as “songs” rather than “beats” is inconsequential though since avant-garde Hip-Hop producer Alias (born Brendon Whitney) — a founding member of the Anticon collective — is quite plain as to where his true affections lie. No matter how experimental his productions may be, or how musical his sound collages of samples, breakbeats and live instrumentation might be, when he goes and titles one of the tracks from his newest LP Resurgam “I Heart Drum Machines” there can be no questions that “the beat” remains of utmost importance to him.
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By El Keter
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Posted in Music
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Tagged Alias, Feist, Giorgio Moroder, John Vanderslice, Prefuse 75, Santogold, Tarsier, Tha Alkaholiks, The One AM Radio, Vangelis, WHY?
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August 27, 2008 – 11:32 am
After two posts in a row discussing the merger of acoustic instrumentation, electronically-generated sounds, heartfelt human emotions and mechanical bio-rhythms I wondered whether I was developing some sort of unintentional theme for the week. So after clicking “post” on yesterday’s entry I made a conscious decision to approach today’s post from a different angle.
However, after 24 hours spent with friends who heaped praise on yesterday’s featuree Milosh, and an extended argument between us over who could best imitate the signature synth riff from Jay-Z’s “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” using only our mouths I realized man/machine music wasn’t something I could just walk away from. And since Cream Cuts — the new album from experimental San Francisco-based instrumental art-jam quartet Tussle — was perched atop my stack of new releases for the week I couldn’t resist returning to the place where circuits, oscillators, modulators and filters are as instrumental to the creation of harmony and rhythm as traditional implements made of wood, brass and steel.
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August 26, 2008 – 10:51 am
I’m sure the merger of aggressively-paced, barb-riffed Post-Punk with the gently undulating sinews and mechanical pulses of Electronica by British rockers Bloc Party on their new record, as discussed in yesterday’s post, is libel to catch some of their fans off guard. But fans of today’s featured artist — a Canadian composer of soulful Electro-Acoustic Glitch-Pop named Milosh — probably shouldn’t worry about being shocked by his new full-length in a similar way.
I, for one, count myself a fan of the Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist. Astute readers may remember his singular moniker from the handful of occasions — most notably a recommendation of his standout track “Then It Happened” from Ghostly International and Adult Swim’s Ghostly Swim compilation this Spring — I’ve thrown it into the mix in this space. But I’ve been been anticipating a new LP from the classically-trained, hush-voiced, IDM craftsman since his last full-length Meme became one of my favorite records of 2006.
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August 25, 2008 – 10:05 am
Late last week British Post-Punk revivalists Bloc Party pulled a Gnarls Barkley-meets-Radiohead, releasing their latest LP ahead of any sort of industry-approved schedule and with little fanfare via their website. You could pre-order a physical copy, which will ship at the end of October, plus a digital download that would be available immediately, for a double sawbuck. Or cut the asking price in half if you just want quick access to the digi-download. Pretty sweet, right?
I’d been anticipating a new full-length from the band since they dropped the one-off single “Flux”–a mostly electronic, auto-tune-adorned, Techno-Pop thumper with a heartwarmingly geektacular Kaiju Big Battel-featuring video clip–last year. I don’t know if it was the name “Bloc Party” itself, the shadow of that ridiculously dope remix of “Helicopter” by Diplo, or what, but I’d always wanted more programmed beats and synthesizers from the band, two things “Flux” ecstatically delivered, much to my delight. With “Flux” my desires had been fulfilled, so I hoped that they’d keep up the knob tweaking if and when they released another album.
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