Stephen Bloe

xxjfg

2010-06-27T11:39:00.001+01:00

There's a lovely and unexpectedly touching inclusion of the Research Laboratory of Electronic Progress over at the revered music über blog 20 Jazz Funk Greats.

hit list

2010-06-27T11:34:00.002+01:00

website

2010-05-25T14:28:00.001+01:00

http://researchlaboratoryofelectronicprogress.com/

degree show

2010-05-25T14:18:00.006+01:00

Up until now, I have completely abandoned this blog in favor of putting absolutely every ounce of me into finishing my piece for the 2010 Dundee Degree Show. Thankfully, all of the hard work paid off and I shall be leaving Dundee with a First Class BA (Hons) in Time Based Art & Digital Film. It was an incredibly long journey but worth every second of torment. The show itself was a great success. Seeing it from the other side of the drunken line was a little strange but altogether a wonderful experience. My "installation", the "Research Laboratory of Electronic Progress" proved to be a success, gaining interest from Martin Creed as well as many other drunken dancers. I'll attempt to keep this blog on the go from now on but it's really served its purpose especially with the writing of my dissertation. Here's a couple of photographs from the exhibit. What next...?!

captain future

2010-03-20T12:59:00.002Z

amazing, amazing soundtrack

das philadelphia experiment

2010-03-20T12:57:00.000Z

cosmic disco

2010-03-20T12:50:00.000Z

funderball, wednesday 24th march

2010-03-20T12:12:00.002Z

I will be playing a set at the Time Based Art & Digital Film fundraiser, "Funderball" at Reading Rooms on Wednesday. Get your ticket from any friendly Time Based Art student, including myself.

signal generator

2010-03-16T11:04:00.001Z

time limit

2010-03-16T10:35:00.001Z

From The Glass Guillotine

How very appropriate...

John Baker's EMS VCS3

2010-03-16T10:20:00.007Z

I can't even comprehend what it would be like to own John Baker's EMS VCS3.

red bull music academy

2010-03-14T12:46:00.002Z

beach

2010-03-07T22:52:00.005Z

the stash box

2010-03-06T14:15:00.002Z

Set list from The Stash Box last night in the Underground.

Ame - Tonight (Dub Version)
Floating Points - Vacuum Boogie
Beppe Loda Present Egotroya - Volcano (The Revolving Eyes 10,000 Lightyears Disco Mix)
Linkwood - Fudge Boogie
Acid Washed - General Motors, Detroit, America
Fratelli Riviera - Hard Rock
Shit Robot - Simple Things (Work It Out) (Todd Terje Version)
Frankie Knuckles - Your Love (You Got The Love Remix)
Miss Plug Inn - Don't Be A Robot (Casco Edit)
Cyber People - Polaris
Alkali Tanz - Luv Machine
Azoto - San Salvador (12" Instrumental Mix)
Hot Streak - Body Work (Vocal Mix)
Donna Summer - I Feel Love
Lasertanz - Robot Muscle Power
Yazoo - Don't Go
Infinitynight - Hypnodrive-X-Osc
Fred Ventura - I'm Not Ready
Kool & The Gang - Sesame Seed (Greg Wilson Edit)
Putsch '79 - Doin' It (Putsch '79)
Gregg Diamond - Danger
Golden Bug - Rocket City
The Juan Maclean - A Human Disaster (House Of House Remix)
Black Meteoric Star - Dominatron (12" Version)
Baldelli & Dionigi - Dark Flies
Heaven 17 - Temptation
Munk & James Murphy - Kick Out The Chairs (Who Made Who Remix)
Bernard Fevre - Dali

...I accidentally stopped the recording and can't quite remember the last 15+ songs.

oversteps

2010-03-03T14:57:00.001Z

uher, stash box, kytn

2010-03-03T14:43:00.005Z

I've been at a bit of a loose end recently with regards to the Research Laboratory of Electronic Progress but the arrival of my Uher 4000 has given me a lot of much needed inspiration.

Research Laboratory of Electronic Progress - One, Two, Three, One, Two, Three by stephenbloe

Research Laboratory of Electronic Progress - Theme From "The Ghost Club" (Jettison) by stephenbloe

Research Laboratory of Electronic Progress - Cairngorm Mountain Rescue by stephenbloe

Also, come down to Underground on Friday 5th March as I am playing a set at Mr Coull's fantastic Stash Box night.

Finally, I had one of the best weekends of my life attending and performing at Kill Your Timid Notion this week. There's not much more I can really say other than a huge thanks to Ed & Chris at Resonance FM and Barry & Bryony at Arika. I'll pass you over to Sanna's blog as she's went into a bit more depth as to why the festival was so special.

kytn

2010-02-22T16:52:00.002Z

I am performing at KYTN this weekend with Resonance FM as part of the Resonance Radio Orchestra. If anybody reads this blog then do try to come along as it's bound to be a great weekend.

the ghost club

2010-02-13T16:27:00.002Z

Research Laboratory of Electronic Progress - Theme From "The Ghost Club" by stephenbloe

gardens as art

2010-02-11T16:32:00.000Z

Research Laboratory of Electronic Progress - Gardens As Art (Title Music, 1977-1981) by stephenbloe

a map of happy electronics

2010-02-10T18:32:00.000Z

Research Laboratory of Electronic Progress - A Map of Happy Electronics by stephenbloe

vangelis

2010-02-09T20:32:00.001Z

one day

2010-02-09T20:27:00.003Z

scanimate

2010-02-09T20:23:00.000Z

oppenheimer analysis

2010-02-06T12:09:00.005Z

business card

2010-02-06T11:57:00.005Z

A "fake" business card, produced in accordance with my "Research Laboratory of Electronic Progress" project.

Sound work for the project can be found at http://soundcloud.com/stephenbloe

RLoEP II

2010-02-05T15:00:00.000Z

RLoEP

2010-01-27T18:41:00.002Z

unarius

2010-01-25T15:44:00.002Z

logic

2010-01-24T14:41:00.000Z

look at oramics

2010-01-19T16:36:00.002Z

BBC Radio 3, "Wee Have Also Sound-Houses"

grippers nother onesers

2010-01-18T12:41:00.004Z

top five

2009-12-18T20:04:00.009Z

my five favourite albums of 2009...

1. Hudson Mohawke - Butter

2. Oneohtrix Point Never - Rifts

3. The Juan Maclean - The Future Will Come

4. Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas - II

5. Fever Ray - Fever Ray

top ten

2009-12-18T19:45:00.012Z

my ten favourite songs of 2009...

1. Nite Jewel - What Did He Say

2. Floating Points - Vacuum Boogie

3. Tapes - Gold Love Riddim

4. Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas - Tirsdagjam (Lang Version)

5. The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea

6. Onra - The Anthem

7. Oneohtrix Point Never - Russian Mind

8. Radiohead - Harry Patch (In Memory Of)

9. Still Going - Spaghetti Circus

10. El Guincho - Buenos Matrimonios Ahí Afuera

electroninc progress

2009-12-15T23:14:00.005Z

Stephen Bloe - Research Laboratory of Electronic Progress by stephenbloe

popular electronics

2009-12-14T19:44:00.000Z

Stephen Bloe - Popular Electronics by stephenbloe

all tomorrow's parties

2009-12-10T12:44:00.002Z

I've finally managed to re-enter planet earth after ATP. The weekend was absolutely incredible but it certainly took its toll on my body. After a ten hour drive, we managed to make it to the festival in time to catch most of Friday nights line-up but unfortunately missing De La Soul. A fairly underwhelming set from Yo La Tengo kicked off our festival. What followed was an indescribably awesome auditory attack from My Bloody Valentine. Aside from Jazkamer, MBV were truly the loudest band that I have ever had the privilege of hearing live. The reaction of the Butlins sound technicians in the video below give an idea of how loud they actually were. That, alongside over-hearing (somehow) a girl demanding her boyfriend that she be taken to hospital. Also, standing next to us for the entire performance was Colin Greenwood from Radiohead, which was just as exciting as the performance itself! An embarrassing set from Buzzcocks, an extreme amount of drinking, two Burger King's, dancing to hip-hop in a cowboy themed bar and a short bout of tinnitus secured an amazing first night. The next morning, after a dazed walk around Butlins, Mugsy and I were lucky enough to catch Sonic Youth sound checking. Sun Ra Arkestra kicked off the official line-up with, in my opinion, the best set of the entire weekend. Afterwards, the surprise set of the weekend came from ex-Mercury Rev members, Harmony Rockets. The incredible line-up continued afterwards with an awe-inspiring performance from The Horrors. Unfortunately for me, this is when my Saturday ended. Having passed out due to sheer exhaustion and continuous drinking, I was awoken at 4am to learn that I had missed No Age, Fucked Up and most disastrously (given that they were the band I had been waiting to see since buying a ticket), Lightning Bolt. Fortunately for me, the mysterious "TBC" act on Sunday evening turned out to be a second set from Lightning Bolt, who were, as always, breathtakingly good. Other than driving for a total of around 24 hours, picking up an awful cold and still having a ringing in my right ear, ATP proved to be one of the best experiences of my life and I would recommend the experience to anyone.

improvisation

2009-12-01T18:48:00.002Z

There's no better way to start Decemeber than with a quick improv playing around with the Electro Harmonix Bass Balls filter that I dusted off recently.

sky trumpet

2009-11-28T12:34:00.005Z

I was helping film Dundee's "Winter Light Night" yesterday and came across the most bizarre creation that's ever likely to grace the streets of the city. Basically, this shiny man pushed around a large paper mâché head whilst instructing children to "send their wishes to the sky" through his "sky trumpet". So as children were screaming into a pair of giant purple ears, the shiny robot man was mangling the signal with a couple of delay pedals and blasting the result through the high street. I think the videos speak for themselves...

black pus

2009-11-26T18:07:00.003Z

Given that I have almost completed my dissertation, a small section of which focuses on Lightning Bolt, here's a video for Brian Chippendale in anticipation for All Tomorrow's Parties next week!

serious

2009-11-24T15:10:00.001Z

happy birthday!

2009-11-24T12:00:00.006Z

This weekend was a very happy birthday indeed. Thank you very much to everyone who wished me a happy birthday and also to those who quite amusingly did not. There's a photograph below of the beautiful card that Sanna made for me. Needless to say, her card won't be nearly as lovely as this one!

I blew a bit of cash on a pair of KRK monitor speakers which are sounding incredibly clean and are working perfectly with my Vestax four-track which Derek - the university technician - thankfully brought back to life.

Delia Derbyshire - Happy Birthday

lightyears

2009-11-17T00:22:00.009Z

Kaito - Hundred Million Lightyears

Beppe Loda presents Egotroya - Volcano (The Revolving Eyes 10000 Lightyears Disco Mix)

Gift of Gab - Light Years

nike air force one

2009-11-13T03:02:00.006Z

Stumbled upon this video after checking out the new Modeselektor tune. A little too crisp for my liking but it's in keeping with the retro futurism theme of recent posts.

Pfadfinderei - Nike Air Force One

t-easer

2009-11-13T01:31:00.006Z

It's late and I can't sleep so there's nothing better to do than lazily take a sample of Kraftwerk, an even smaller sample of Alva Noto, do a really lazy television static effect and apply it to some lazy Photoshop tests to create a mysterious little galactic teaser.

tapes

2009-11-13T01:07:00.007Z

I feel the need to take a sidestep away from galaxy related madness for a moment to post a couple of tunes from what has to be one of my favourite releases of the year. I only heard this record for the first time today but it's been playing on repeat since 10 this morning. Absolute genius.

Tapes - C20 Riddim

Tapes - Gold Love Riddim

t-alto

2009-11-12T22:37:00.013Z

Space is the place.

Legowelt - Haunted Arp

dharma initiative

2009-11-11T13:51:00.001Z

the noise intoners

2009-11-10T15:41:00.014Z

I have spent most of this afternoon writing my dissertation and further researching Russolo's "the Art of Noises" manifesto and his "Intonarumori".

Here's a great video of Mike Patton playing a reconstructed Intonarumori.

In ode to Mike Patton, here's a tune that he collaborated on with Björk on her Medúlla album - in my opinion, her finest record.

Björk - Where Is The Line?

Here are the 6 families of noises of the Futurist orchestra which we will soon set in motion mechanically:

1. Rumbles, Roars, Explosions, Crashes, Splashes, Booms

2. Whistles, Hisses, Snorts

3. Whispers, Murmurs, Mumbles, Grumbles, Gurgles

4. Screeches, Creaks, Rumbles, Buzzes, Crackles, Scrapes

5. Noises obtained by percussion on metal, wood, skin, stone, terracotta, etc.

6. Voice of animals and men: Shouts, Screams, Groans, Shrieks, Howls, Laughs, Weezes, Sobs

catherine zeta jones

2009-11-09T17:36:00.004Z

Screenshots from one of my old projects (at least 4 years ago) that I stumbled upon earlier.

Also, I was shocked and saddened to hear about the unfortunate death of The Juan Maclean's drummer, Jerry Fuchs.

The Juan Maclean - Happy House

the black cloud

2009-11-09T11:13:00.013Z

So Concrete Streets was definitely a success and was a very enjoyable evening. Now that it's out of the way, I can no longer justify my procrastination and must concentrate on completing this dissertation within the week. I'll post a mix based on my Friday set but until then, here's the tunes that I played...

Daphne Oram - Look At Oramics

Demdike Stare - Haxan

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Only Love Can Conquer Hate (SND Remix)

F - Epilogue (Ramadanman Rerub)

SND - 02/13/69

Mesak - Bin In Japan (909 Reggaemix)

Professors Of Funk - Electric Kingdom

Rustie - Jagz The Smack (Neil Landstrumm Remix)

John Carpenter - The End, Part 1 (Disco Mix)

Kraftwerk - Music Non Stop (2009 Version)

Jupiter Black feat. Fred Ventura - Hold Me (Instrumental)

Armando feat. Sharvette - Don't Take It (Thomos Edit)

Discodromo - Cosmorama

El Guincho - Antillas (Bass Clef Remix)

Newcleus - Jam On It

Denise Motto - IMNXTC (JD Twitch's Optimo Unreleased Acid Mix)

Applegarden - Twentyfive 6 Four (Putsch '79 Remix)

Alva Noto - U_08-1

Divider - We Love Rimini

Prince - Erotic City

Jamie Jones feat. The Egyptian Lover - Galactic Space Bar (12' Vocal Mix)

Lasertanz - Robot Muscle Power

Roj - Mountain Tone

Robert Jan De Neeve - AF

Also, here's a couple of images that I have been taking inspiration from with regards to new ideas for my final project.

ikea

2009-11-03T17:12:00.002Z

projection

2009-10-30T18:47:00.006Z

I further expanded the test footage from yesterday by projecting it and incorporating real-time audio/visual manipulation. As yet, there's no evidence of a rhythmical structure that I will use but that'll come. In the mean time, I plan on carrying out more and more tests so that I refine the visual aspects of this installation. Enjoy!

4kHz

2009-10-30T00:08:00.007Z

I've been spending the last two weeks locked away in the sound studio, constructing a sound piece that will form the basis for an installation that I have been planning. I have been exploring extreme high and low frequencies with the intention of making a particle system respond to what's being played. In turn, the light dependent hacked radio is responding to the the movement of the particles; creating a synchronized meeting of analogue and digital sound. To help me explain what's happening, here's a video of my first attempt. Apologies for the low volume. I guarantee that low volume won't be an issue when the final installation gets shown.

mowgli's road

2009-10-23T13:31:00.001+01:00

Here's the music video that a few people on my course helped out on last week. It's quite rewarding to see the couple of seconds that I worked on slot in with the rest of the video. Enjoy!

concrete streets

2009-10-22T12:53:00.009+01:00

Do come along.

LDR

2009-10-21T17:47:00.005+01:00

After about a week of waiting, my 25p box of photoresistors arrived in the post yesterday. The radio that I had explained previously has been lying gathering dust as I waited on the arrival of these resistors. Through plenty of trial and error, I managed to hook up an LDR to the radio circuit and managed to get it producing a nasty (but nice) squeal. Inspired by "Molecular Music" by Yasunao Tone, I set about creating a visual that would play on a television and that would determine the sound produced by the radio, through the LDR attached to the screen. I decided to take the basic elements from the 3D particle manipulation from the Concrete Streets visuals and apply it to a video of my sister dancing. The result, as you will see, was fairly successful (depending on your tolerance to noise) and has formed the basis of an idea that I have been contemplating for quite some time now. Thanks to Kyle for filming the little test.

I was listening to the Demdike Stare record as I almost scolded all ten of my fingers with a solder iron. In celebration of still having fully functional hands, here's my top track from this amazing record.

Demdike Stare - Jannisary

testing

2009-10-20T18:46:00.009+01:00

Here's a couple of the tests that I have prepared for visuals at Concrete Streets.

fine tune

2009-10-19T00:37:00.008+01:00

Most of this weekend has been dedicated to digging out possible tracks for my upcoming slot at Concrete Streets. I've been constantly pondering what sort of set that I would like to play and after many hours of patiently sitting through my collection, I think that I have reached some sort of conclusion as to what'll make for a happy dance floor. Anyone that keeps up to date with what's what will be well aware of how amazing Eclair Fifi's sets are so I hope that I will be able to warm everyone up for what's sure to be another fantastic selection from her. After hours of listening to some old school acid, it occurred to me that I hadn't had a mess around with any of my own music for far too long. For some reason, whenever I switch on my Nord synthesizer, a get the feeling that it'll blow up. Luckily, it's still in top condition and I am constantly amazed by the range of incredible sounds that flow out of it. I have posted a little clip (that you can find here) of the nonsense that I put together within half an hour or so of tweaking.

I also ended up with a new mobile phone this weekend. It's taken a while to get used to but I think that I have finally mastered it. Since I don't really have anything to talk about or show this evening, I shall post a photograph to show off the insanely good camera on the phone!

Having a new phone has also allowed me to listen to music when I am out and about. These two songs sounded particularly good today.

Fresh - Dum Dum Part 2

Sufjan Stevens - Movement IV: Traffic Shock

light #1

2009-10-15T00:50:00.003+01:00

After spending about ten hours on After Effects today, I realized how much of my life is spent staring at some sort of screen. I'm sure this is the same for anyone that happens to read this blog so I needn't go into the finer details of why it's so headache inducing. I divided my time today between manipulating particles into all kinds of weird and wonderful shapes in Trapcode Form and lending my hand in the making of the official video for some fresh-faced songstress called "Marina & The Diamonds". The latter is certainly a laborious task as it involves painting at pixel level on each individual frame of the video. Unfortunately for me, the area that I was working on today was somewhere around Marina's armpit. On the up side, the company that are producing the video - Munky - have offered a placement to anyone involved. This is obviously a good opportunity and it would be glorious to get out of Dundee in the near future, even if only for a week.

Yesterday, I posted a video of Adam Guzman's collaboration with Nosaj Thing. The simplicity of the work is astounding and got me thinking about the way in which a projector can be used. That said, I think I should have a break from the screen before locking myself in a dark room whilst projecting flickering images.

Nosaj Thing - Light #1

nosaj thing

2009-10-12T22:57:00.002+01:00

up

2009-10-12T00:41:00.006+01:00

Cat Power - Where Is My Love

I've just returned from a trip "home" to visit my parents. I love being able to go to the Highlands to get away from everything and this visit was especially relaxing in that for the first time, the house up there actually felt like my home. I had an enjoyable couple of days and convinced my parents to go and see "Up" which left me with a bit of a lump in my throat. I was blown away by the film visually but it was the story and underlying theme that really made an impact.

I also managed to eat in the most peculiar restaurant that I have ever been in. It's not often that you can stop at an old cottage by the side of the road that's part home, part post office, part gift shop (specializing in mugs) and part restaurant. I was obviously skeptical of the quality of food but the meal that the old Orcadian proprietor served matched anything that I have ever eaten. That's saying an awful lot considering that I have eaten in the the restaurant of the American Iron Chef!

I am spending another evening on my own, dividing my time between sourcing out possible tracks for my gig supporting Eclair Fifi and watching the beautiful Wild Combination - A Portrait Of Arthur Russell.

"A young man sits on the bridge after nightfall and looks across the Hudson River to New Jersey. He wonders about life and he wonders if he'll ever get old. He sees the lights. He wonders if they are talking to each other and he wonders if they are talking to him".

radio edit

2009-10-07T14:47:00.007+01:00

Today, I set about producing a little "DIY synthesizer" from the remains of an old AM radio. I am currently trying to figure out a way to house the circuit board as it looks as though it may fall apart at any given moment. Perhaps I should actually go and make that box that I was talking about as it'll have a purpose now. I've replaced the original speaker with something a bit bigger and more substantial (sourced out by Lewis) and am now going through the arduous task of finding a suitable point on the circuit to add a light dependent resistor. Anyway, here's a video that'll let the experiment speak for itself.

Furthermore, I am about to post the silliest thing that is ever likely to grace this blog. I recorded the results from this test and then had a bit of fun quickly sequencing some of the blips 'n' blops that you will have heard spew out of it. I should point out that there were no digital effects used to try and tame the result, so I apologise in advance if it makes for uncomfortable listening. If anyone does actually download this, I would encourage you to delete it immediately after one listen as it could get very irritating, very quickly.

Radio Loop 1

private joker

2009-10-06T00:00:00.002+01:00

"The dead only know one thing: it is better to be alive".

It was a treat to see Full Metal Jacket in a cinema this evening. I almost forgot how much of a harrowing and intense piece of film-making that it actually is. In my opinion, every element of that movie is close to perfection. Apart from having "M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E" resonating in my head, tonight has been has been lovely. It was a nice surprise to be happily greeted in my home by a book that I have spent the remainder of the evening with.

"Handmade Electronic Music" by Nicolas Collins is possibly one of the best purchases that I have ever made, other than my Nord synthesizer or maybe that cool tote bag from Berlin with a polar bear on it. The book covers almost everything that I have ever been interested in, in relation to tinkering with circuits etc. Unexpectedly, it even contains a chapter entitled "Video Music/Music Video: Translating Video Signals Into Sound, Hacking Cheap Camera Circuits, And Extracting Sounds From Remote Controls". Anyone that knows me, or anyone that has followed this blog will know that this is an area of unmeasurable interest to me, meaning that I will be inseparable from this book throughout the remainder of this year.

I also found my keys although it was a little embarrassing asking in the Underground for a keyring that reads "Pussy Wagon".

Also, I have been into this guy for a while now but had absolutely no idea that he's originally from Dundee and that this incredible tune was actually made here. What a surprise.

Architeq - Birds Of Prey

-

2009-10-05T15:15:00.002+01:00

Peter Broderick - And It's Alright

together alone

2009-10-04T01:01:00.007+01:00

This blog isn't intended to announce emotional mishaps and it will stay that way. That said, I have had a pretty awful weekend so far. Instead of writing about it, I have posted a video of a little improvisation that I done to kind of relieve a bit of stress. There was something quite therapeutic about fucking around with sounds on a Saturday night. It's not the most interesting or successful of "sets" but it's up here because I can't think of anything else appropriate to post about.

There was a small bit of good news this weekend. Jamie from Concrete Streets asked if I would DJ at the night in November. This is a great opportunity so I am very thankful to Jamie for this. I spent a good part of the night considering songs that'd work well in the set and thinking of an approach that'll work for the CS audience. I'm going to enjoy being able to play everything from Raster Noton style beats to a bit of italo and also a little something from this amazing Ryuichi Sakamoto remix album that I recently downloaded.

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Undercooled (Alva Noto Remodel)

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Only Love Can Conquer Hate (SND Remix)

Here's another song that I have been listening to quite a bit today.

Arthur Russell - Love Comes Back

britain's got talent

2009-10-01T16:34:00.008+01:00

I was surprised to find that I have not lost my ability to use a soldering iron. It's been about three years since I have attempted to solder and my attempt today was a complete success. I managed to put together a little amplifier that I plan to use in a sound installation. The beauty of this little thing is it's ability to completely mangle whatever signal it may pick up. I also received my singing bowl through the post this morning. 7am, to be exact. The sound that emits from the bowl is quite unbelievable and should be a perfect partner for the "amplifier".

Another exciting delivery to the flat this morning was my "Britain's Got Talent" audition details. I sincerely hope that Eric and I can rekindle our drunken "talent" and astound Simon Cowell & Co!

The discovery of a Panasonic video mixer in the university has been a significant turning point in the way that I plan to create work. This tank-like machine has provided Kyle and I with hours and hours of fun and experimentation over the past two days. I look forward to getting to making the most out of the availability of this amazingly dated machine.

Here's an example of the kind of stuff that I have managed to get from it. It's quite amazing where a handful of cheap effects from the 1990s can take a piece of footage from my birthday party last year.

I've somehow managed to avoid touching my dissertation this week in favor of experimenting with all of these new "toys". However, I did manage to pull myself away from the mixer to watch a documentary on the legendary BBC Radiophonic Workshop. These astoundingly creative people are a continuos influence on myself and many, many others around the world and it's difficult not to see why. Here's some of my favorite pieces from a Radiophonic compilation.

Delia Derbyshire - Blue Veils & Golden Sands

David Cain - Radio Sheffield

John Baker - Factors

theory of machines

2009-09-28T16:12:00.008+01:00

It's the third week in and there's still not been much progress made on this devil of a dissertation. In an attempt to figure out exactly what my aim is, i.e. what this dissertation is actually about, I went back to the very beginning and started to write a "preface". Much like this entire experience, this wasn't nearly as easy as I had planned. I would've thought that I could quickly write a few words on my own experience with sound/sonic art but alas, I have spent the last hour on one sentence. To make matters worse, the Quartz Composer project that I have been working on over the weekend has mysteriously, and really fucking annoyingly, disappeared. I've not even managed to find a copy of Windows to load onto my Mac so I am still without the ever-glorious looking TouchDesigner.

On the up side, I have started to piece together possible ideas for a sound installation centered around the Tibetan Singing Bowl that I posted a link to last week. I am just awaiting the arrival of a fancy new soldering iron so that I can begin to piece together a little amplifier that'll hopefully be of some use. On the topic of singing bowls, there's an interesting sound project going on right now that uses them. The cool thing about Longplayer is that it's a piece that lasts for 1000 years. As I was trying to remember the name of the project by typing in any word that could possibly relate to a 1000 year sound piece, I came across this amazing article on an installation by David Byrne at the Camden Roundhouse.

Earlier today, I got back into an incredible musician who has influenced my own thoughts on music over the past two years by way of this video.

Here's a mind blowing song from his "Theory of Machines" record.

Ben Frost - Theory of Machines

Also,

Harmonia - Watussi

radge weekend starts here

2009-09-25T11:31:00.032+01:00

At this moment in time, I am drinking the most vile cup of tea ever created. In an attempt to spend as little cash as humanly possible, I managed to root out the ingredients for a regular cup of tea. However, it's the cup that I am drinking from that is making it a wholly unenjoyable experience. This, alongside the fact that our flat received a letter informing us that we are required to attend a meeting in Lochee to discuss the possibility of getting an ASBO is making me question my status as a respectable human being!

I am attempting to redeem myself by putting in as much work as possible into the writing of my dissertation but this isn't as simple a task as it should be. I knew that the writing of this paper would be a trying experience but I didn't anticipate how difficult it'd actually be to make some sort of progress.

Yesterday was relatively productive in that I managed to uncover Mac's "secret" software, Quartz Composer. I have been determined to find software that will allow me to realize some of my ideas and although I have my sights set upon a real-time environment such as Derivative's TouchDesigner , Quartz will be a suitable starting point to learn significant skills in an area that's relatively alien to me. There's an interesting article on the possibilities offered by TouchDesigner on Derivative's website. The featured artist in this interview is Plastikman (Richie Hawtin). Everyone has their own strong opinion on Hawtin but as long as he continues to push new and interesting audio/visual techniques, I can't fault the guy.

My aim for the weekend is to have my Mac running Windows Vista so that I will finally be able to run this incredible software. In the meantime, I will have to concentrate on building a nasty looking cube in Quartz.

I have also been focusing heavily on one of my favorite record labels this week. The artists on Raster-Noton's expert use of TouchDesigner is beyond belief. This article will explain all.

In particular, the audio/visual work of Carsten Nicolai (Alva Noto) and the music and live performance of Olaf Bender (Byetone) continues to blow my mind.

Byetone - Alva Noto

Alva Noto - U_08-1

Modeselektor - The Black Block (Byetone Remix)

Update

So, after a couple of hours on Quartz Composer, I have managed to acquire a basic knowledge of how things work within the software. I'm very pleased that I have managed to (at a very basic level) alter the parameters of certain object in Quartz with clips from an Ableton project. To end the day and start the weekend, I filmed some of my first very basic (I keep using that word) experiments with Quartz.

Ableton controlling Quartz

Controlling Quartz with Contact Microphone

particle simulation

2009-09-24T13:53:00.006+01:00

bobby

2009-09-22T18:28:00.009+01:00

There's nothing to say today. I should've gotten up earlier this morning.

However, there's this and that but that's for another time.

Seen as I didn't get much work or research done today, I thought I should take the opportunity to fill this space with some screenshots from a film that I made two years ago as the visual style is something that I am considering revisiting this year. Unfortunately, all copies of this movie have been lost.

warp

2009-09-21T13:09:00.009+01:00

In my opinion, there's very few things in life that are as exciting as a new Radiohead release so it's no surprise that the hearing Thom Yorke's "FeelingPulledApart By Horses/The Hollow Earth" has made my day. As always, the great man doesn't disappoint. The pick of the two, for me, has to be "The Hollow Earth".

Thom Yorke - The Hollow Earth

I'm finding it immensely difficult to concentrate in the studio which has, over the weekend, transformed from a still and silent paradise into something a little more lively, to put it lightly. I'm attempting to drown out the noise by reading about the noise itself. Luckily for me, in relation to my dissertation, there is a wealth of academic writing on the subject of noise music.

I can't concentrate. Quiet, please.

I've been regularly checking up on the goings-on at Warp Records. The rightful winner of the public vote on Warp's finest release went to Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker". To celebrate Warp's 20th year in existence, the dominant label reopened their store in Sheffield where it all began. As if that wasn't enough to make life in Dundee seem uneventful, the line up for the Warp/ed event in Paris this past weekend almost brought me to tears.

That said, Thomas Hirschhorn's opening at the DCA on Friday kicked off what became an intoxicated series of enjoyable events. The exhibition itself wasn't to my liking but I found it a worthwhile experience after the lecture that Hirschhorn gave the morning previous.

Other than procrsatinating by contentedly listening to old Warp classics, I have started my own Gumtree search in aid to help Sanna out with her find a new flat.

Here's some of my favourites from the Warp catalogue. Some old, some very new.

Jamie Lidell - Another Day (Rustie Remix)

Tyondai Braxton - Uffie's Workshop

LFO - LFO

Hudson Mohawke - Polkadot Blues

Prefuse 73/The Books - Pagina Dos

Autechre - Piezo

Gang Gang Dance - Princes (feat. Tinchy Stryder)

There's about a million other trakcs that I would love to put up encompassing everything from Elektroids to Luke Vibert to Vincent Gallo to Jackson and even to Mujava but this isn't a music blog and I really should be doing something a little more productive.

fluxkit

2009-09-18T15:48:00.007+01:00

"As this is written, billions of dollars are being spent to create continent-wide information superhighways along which will flow every conceivable kind of information except one. The information being left out of these developments is, unfortunately, the most important kind: the information - termed ecological - that all human beings acquire from their environment by looking, listening, feeling, sniffing, and tasting - the information, in other words, that allows us to experience things for ourselves... For understanding our place in the world, ecological information is thus primary, processed information secondary." - Edward S. Reed

Studying fluxus this week has been utterly essential in that it's beginning to alter the way that in which I think about creating my own work. The "fluxkits" created by George Maciunas have been a particularly interesting area of research. Unfortunately, visualizing and planning possible projects has alerted me to the fact that in order to collect appropriate materials to experiment with, I will need to splurge. This week, I have managed to spend non-existent cash on a television, a camera and film, banjo strings, toothpaste and a bolognaise pie. Therefore, to support this uncontrollable spending habit, I have applied to the open post for a receptionist/box office assistant at the DCA.

I wish that everything was as straightforward as Ellen Allien would have you believe.

Ellen Allien - I Need No Money To Be Rich

I sincerely hope that Derren Brown manages to stick me to my sofa this evening.

the bijlmer spinoza festival

2009-09-17T15:15:00.007+01:00

This morning, I had the privilege of attending a lecture by Thomas Hirschhorn in which he discussed his "Biljmer Spinoza Festival" project. Aesthetically, the project wasn't to my taste but it was Hirschhorn's confidence and acute awareness of the art world that made the lecture interesting. The man was a joy to listen to and his handling of the futile academic bullshit that was thrown his way in the Q&A was especially pleasing. I look forward to his opening at the DCA tomorrow and possibly having the opportunity to have a brief talk with him about any concerns that I may have with my own work.

Seen as almost everyone in my flat is an avid Irn-Bru drinker, I caught a glimpse of the new can this morning which, in my opinion, is a stroke of genius. I may even have to join my flatmates in buying an ungodly amount of the stuff as this can is simply too cool to not own.

I'd planned on taking some photographs with the camera that I bought on Tuesday but as always with me, it failed to arrive on time.

I am in danger of ruining this song for myself as I listen to it almost every morning as part of my wake up routine, so I am actively trying to free myself of its catchier than catchy power.

The Juan Maclean - One Day

Since I first started researching Fluxus, it's continually been giving me ideas and inspiration for possible projects. I need to buy some wood.

silette

2009-09-16T11:32:00.018+01:00

Yet again, I have been spending money that I don't have. I was actively seeking out more information on Mount Eerie/Phil Elverum and came across his work as a photographer. Now, anybody who knows me will know that my understanding of the camera is patchy at best. That said, I started to think that it'd certainly be to my advantage to invest in a model and to find out a little more about the benefits of expired film. So, after a lengthy browse on eBay, I settled on a 1953 Agfa Silette. As long as I can do some adequate research and tolerate my amateurish shooting skills for a while then I reckon that this will be a good investment for the upcoming year.

"Unknown mountain from the boat between Bodø & Tromsø, Norway" - Mount Eerie/Phil Elverum

Seen as I already posted two songs in as many days, I reckon that this'll become a regular feature on this blog so here's a song that's a perfect accompaniment to a sunny day like today, which I have to spend inside working on this dissertation.

El Guincho - Buenos Matrimonios Ahí Afuera

Also, I am unspeakably excited about this.

Hudson Mohawke - Butter (Snippets)

I've just read Luigi Russolo's "Art of Noises" manifesto. The letter written in 1913 that puts forward the idea that there should be no barriers between musical sounds and "noise" is going to be pivotal in the development of my dissertation.

"Every manifestation of our life is accompanied by noise. The noise, therefore, is familiar to our ear, and has the power to conjure up life itself. Sound, alien to our life, always musical and a thing unto itself, an occasional but unnecessary element, has become to our ears what an overfamiliar face is to our eyes."

die biene maja

2009-09-15T10:21:00.001+01:00

A quick root around the university library yesterday afternoon led to the discovery of Fluxus. Although I was aware of the "movement" from past research, it's significance to my area of practice and research had slipped my mind. In particular, I was drawn to the work and life story of Joe Jones. His endearing "music machines" have certainly got me thinking about possible projects for the near future. In one interview that I read, Jones' recount of lovingly transforming a "Die Biene Maja" toy into a rhythmic musical instrument was quite amusing. I'm definitely looking forward to hitting the library after this and finding out more about Fluxus and the characters that were involved. Reading up on this reminded me of a Cornelius remix of Jones' one-time Fluxus cohort Yoko Ono. Given that I have a not-so-secret love affair with this sort of thing, I think it's pretty awesome.

Yoko Ono - The Sun Is Down! (Cornelius Mix)

James just informed me that Patrick Swayze died today which is unfortunate. He was cool.

I was on the way back to the studio after picking up some banjo strings for some Joe Jones inspired contact microphone experiments when I happened upon this guy and his grandmother. They're both quite cool too.

it's a sprint to the end

2009-09-14T13:43:00.001+01:00

So, it's the first day of a brand new academic year. To be more precise, my final year of university. I decided to set up a blog after talking to my close friend and now fellow blogger Sanna (http://sannadyker.blogspot.com) who has been a bit of a savior over the past week or so as she's managed to make the upcoming year seem a little less daunting. The idea is to get into the habit of writing as I begin to tackle the dreaded dissertation that is due sometime around Christmas. The head of my course, the one and only Peter Richardson, made it clear this morning that said dissertation was not to become the sole focus of this first semester and I intend to try my best to listen to his advice. There's very few people who I listen to, without exception, as I do with Peter. Who could ignore the guidance of a man that can dish the dirt on Alex James of Blur and who recently branded me "the most spectacular drunk in the history of Time Based Art"?! So, it's time to start thinking of possible outlets for my almost entirely abandoned creativity and make sure that this year is as fruitful as it should be. This morning, I was listening to a song which tastefully borrows the chorus of Björk's Undo and couldn't help but focus on the words "it's not meant to be a strife, it's not meant to be a struggle uphill". I don't know if that's entirely true with regards to the upcoming year but it seemed to have some sort of significance at the time.

Also, I am still baffled as to who left this stylish tag on my studio wall!

Mount Eerie feat. Julie Doiron & Fred Squire - Voice In Headphones