circumjacence

I cannot say enough about the sunny cut up electro-pop track “Homeless Hero” by Bufi (Mateo Gonzalez Bufi), from the Homeless Hero EP.

Thanks to the good folks at Phlow Magazine for this discovery!

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Complete release at Poni Republic.

Here is a little sketch — a fun early morning session recorded live using a collection of SID samples and my Sidstation. I cannot really call it a chiptune since it was assembled primarily in Ableton Live, but chiptunes were certainly the inspiration, and the sounds originated in a 6581 of one form or another (my SX64, the Sidstation, etc.).

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What can I say, I’m a sucker for the downtempo piano+strings formula. Drop a simple beat somewhere in there, and I’ll listen ten times in a row.

Another track from the terrific Featherfoil compilation released on Camomille.

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Complete release at Archive.org.

Upbeat cuts of acoustic guitar, electric piano, and the Amen break with a simple progression that I’ve found myself humming from time to time (no, really!).

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Complete release at Archive.org.

As I mentioned in the “DARP and Next” post from a few weeks ago, artistically I’ve been having some difficulties staying focused on just one sound or idea. Here is what I mean: “Theme for Two Psalteries” was recorded in September of last year. It was a quick sketch using a bowed psaltery, some parts played by hand and some parts played via a kit I built in Ableton Live’s Sampler.

Its a fun little “sketch”, and an idea / sound that I think has merit, but I have no idea how I would incorporate such a sound into my other work.

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Fans of Amon Tobin’s early catalog may feel they’ve heard this before (and I suspect both Tobin and Beak may have drawn from the same sample sources), but for me the acoustic guitar work really adds a new depth and sonic interest. We’ve highlighted Beak here before, and I plan to again in the future — solid work.

Released on Monotonik.

[Download Track]

Complete release at Archive.org.

Being a big fan of Lullatone, I was still surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed this remix of one of Antoine Monzonis-Calvet’s tracks (I’ve listened to it *many* times). Released on Autres.

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Complete release at Archive.org.

Beautiful, repetitive and muffled — “Kyle Parker” is from “Music for Students released on Observatory.  It is a great introspective electro-acoustic EP.

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Complete release at Archive.org.

When I started this blog, at least part of the goal was to start releasing some of my own work. Its not that I haven’t been working in the studio, its just that I cannot seem to stay focused on one sound or idea for long enough to create a finished track.

I think I’ll start posting the occasional “sketch” to help me stay on target.

So without further ado, here is an early sketch for a track called “DARP and Next” recorded in November.

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“Philosophy of Time Travel” was another early and favorite netlabel experience for me (from the same Camomille “Featherfoil” comp as the previous review). Ultimately it led me to Alex’s Milieu blog, which was quite an inspiration to me a few years ago (alas, he is not doing much with it anymore).

[Download Track]

Complete release at Archive.org.