Appearing in thousands of recordings, there is undoubtedly something magical about the Amen break (originally recorded by The Winstons). On his Web site, Michael S. Schneider argues that the reason for the infectious beauty of the Amen is because its timing follows the Golden Ratio.
While I’m a little dubious of the claim itself (I’d like to see other breaks with a similar funk feel / swing scrutinized in a similar manner - I suspect they would look the same), it is a wonderful read, and an interesting lens through which we can view the endlessly fascinating musical phenomenon that is The Amen.
If you are unfamiliar with The Amen, check out Nate Harrison’s fantastic 2004 documentary “Can I Get an Amen?” (either on his Website above, or at Google / Youtube).
Finally, a hat tip to neatorama.com where I originally saw this story.
Today Owen and I made a little photo-expedition to a nearby trail system, and I managed to get a few more shots for my “We Are Starstuff” collection.
I updated the collection in the “Photo Galleries” section of the site using the new built-in photo-gallery tools in Wordpress 2.5 (all of the other galleries here are still using the “WP-SimpleViewer” gallery).
Over the past six months or so that this site has been up in its current form, my plans and goals for it have drifted around (”just CC-music”, “CC-music and photography”, “CC-music, my music, and my photography”, etc.). There have also been a few times that I’ve wanted to write about things outside of the creative realm entirely (intellectual property issues, interesting technology, etc.). I considered posting those items under a new category “off-topic” (in a typical display of self deprecating humor). But ultimately I’ve always decided to try to “stay focused” and keep the content centered primarily on music (Netlabels’ and my own), with little bit of my photography as a side item.
One of the reasons I’ve stayed focused on the Netlabel community is that find it to be a consistent source of inspiration and wonder. For me personally, the Netlabel idea takes the age old concept of the “bedroom musician” out of the context of the “hit system” of record labels and traditional music marketing, and places it into a new context. It seems to me that in many cases the motivation of an artist who releases the product of his or her labor out into the aether (or at least onto archive.org) is different than that of the artist who sets out to find an audience and / or a market. I make no argument that one is somehow “better” than the other, but rather simply that the motivation is different, and that I personally find that difference inspiring.
Well, as of tonight I pledge to expand the breadth of topics covered on this site to include to include items from other spheres where I (and hopefully others) find inspiration: the visual arts, literature, technology, philosophy, education, etc. — wherever inspiration and wonder is to be found.
I still want to have a significant focus on Netlabel reviews (with a new review every week or so and a podcast-like feed of Netlabel releases users can subscribe to), but to begin to include inspiration and wonder from other sources as well.
Or to put it more succinctly, the new tagline for the site is: “a finite trace amidst immeasurable wonder“.
After a recommendation from my old friend Jason Peace (aka “Sneaky Hippie”), I’ve added a new link to the Netlabel blogroll: Resting Bell. I’ve been listening to their catalog (primarily ambient in flavor) for the past few days, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed nearly all of it.
I’m sure we’ll be reviewing Resting Bell releases here in the future!
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!).
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.
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.
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.
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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