WRONG NOTES: a blog of ear reverence
Wrong Notes collects posts on music, art, culture and fun stuff. Also included: news about the Ear Reverends.
New Bageon is music, new
I've released a new, short, Wrong Note piece, called "New Bageon". It accompanies this post. Listen to it loud.
For the first time, I've released a high fidelity copy online as well. If you know about the awesome FLAC file format, and enjoy hi-fi (as I do), please feel free to download a FLAC copy of "New Bageon".
Listen to it even louder! It's also released under the attribution, non-commercial, share alike Creative Commons license, so I hope you'll find some creative, loud, ways to share it.
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Also, btw, fyi, if you use iTunes, you can now subscribe to Wrong Notes music via iTunes too!
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Speaking of copyright, check-out this story about Fox Lawyers C&D Buffy Fandom Musical (C&D = cease and desist = lawyer speak). Talk about vampires...
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The Buffy story also references two excellent posts by danah boyd:
when media becomes culture: rethinking copyright issues
and
remix is active consumption not production (when media becomes culture, part 2).
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Coincidentally, danah's is one of the voices played in Joi vs the Burtonator, which title is itself a kind-of play on the connections between lawyer speak and (1960s Japanese) monster movie themes (and, there: we're back to copyright and monsters and slayers...).
As if podcasting
Back before it was called "podcasting", this blog was set-up for wrong-note-casting Ear Reverends' music. But, this has exceeded the more limited design of podcasting.
So, I'm starting to update various technology things on this site to make it compatible with other podcast sites. With this post, I hope Wrong Notes will start to appear on sites like Odeo, iTunes, Yahoo! Podcasts and others.
Here's My Odeo Channel (odeo/b61433ddad1d1b84). (I had to stick that link and number in here to get Odeo to give me a channel!)
More updates soon.
Welcoming back to this site
(hi all. Sorry for the incredibly long gap in posts. I'm making new music and will have more to post here soon.)
Want to mention a great new CD by my musical amigo, Bernard Bernard, which you can now listen to and buy on CD Baby. Here's my review:
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Bernard Bernard's In The Land Of Giants Air Is Flesh is an album that is equally very accessible and very mysterious, by which I mean you can listen to it once and get totally into it and want everyone to hear it; and you can listen to it over and over again and still find yourself fascinated with it sonically and lyrically and want everyone to hear it.
Thinking about the album in terms of its mysterious sonic qualities, I might be tempted to compare it to Brian Eno's Another Green World and other early albums. But, I'd also want to point out that there is an earthy quality to the Bernard Bernard album that I'm at a loss for words to call, other than the funk — with which I might compare Bernard's album to a 21st century Funkadelic re-imagining their psychedelic masterpiece Maggot Brain. So, let me make that clear: imagine Another Green World meets Maggot Brain. Wow!
So, taking the Maggot Brain reference one step further, Bernard's album has a subtle humor, good feeling, and subversive-freaky-friend groove to it. This is maybe the first thing that will hook you on it, if it's not a catchy lyric or two that you'll immediately find yourself humming.
But, there are, at the same time, deep piles of interesting musical and lyrical fabric that you will want to explore with each subsequent listen. Sometimes I'm following weaves that seems to have been left by Moondog's original Theme; sometimes I'm feeling textures imprinted by Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation; sometimes I'm living in the scenes that appear on patches cut out of Tom Waits' Rain Dogs — there is a lot to be found in there!
And, this is where I come to again and again: at the same time, In The Land Of Giants Air Is Flesh is not really like any of these things. It's an original — one of the rare, original, beautiful albums that will ever be made — ever.
~~~
So, with me, lately:
I've moved into a new house in Seattle, and this means I've been busy looking, moving, cleaning, unpacking, arranging, rearranging, etc., and half-sleeping a lot lately. But, the music is back! I'm already set-up better than in the last place — my bAs*Sment studio, which never quite came together.
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One of the projects I'm working on right now, which I'm really excited about, is a stereo mix / master of some music Bernard Bernard and I made together a long time ago, with our friend Eduard Marghidan who is currently doing the (live) electronic music radio blog on the Greedy Soul site. I not ready to say much more about this project quite yet, but we're working towards a full-length CD release.
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So, I'll be updating this site more henceforth. Also, now that things have settled down technology-wise around podcasting, I'll update this site so that it matches what everyone else is doing in terms of so-called "podcast compatible feeds" (I had hoped that podcasting would come to embrace what I was using on this site, but what I did ended up being a case of being too early to the party and not being noticed when everyone else arrived). I'll also figure out how to make it all iTunes podcast compatible.
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I've been into these Arturia Vintage synths lately (which I got for my half-birthday — self-portrait above taken then in the bAs*Sment), and also recording demos of new songs with my acoustic guitar (not pictured, but it looks like one of these).
What’s up, site anniversary, and podcasting music
What's up: I've got a couple dozen or so unreleased tracks that I've worked on this year, and I've been thinking about doing something with them (excerpts?, mashup-medley?) as an end-of-the-year thing for this blog.
During this period at the end of the year, I definitely look back and look forward at my life. And, I'm not sure yet whether I'll release / post a lot more soon, or incorporate it all into the full "new year" plan.
One thing to say: I'm encouraged to have been able to release more than twenty-five pieces / songs over this last year, and to have received so much positive response. I'm frustrated that I haven't released more, but I hope that these pieces / songs I'm still keeping in the oven will be better for it.
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It was a little more than a year ago that I put up this site's home page, and posted a link to Joi vs. The Burtonator (mp3), also today's musical wrong notes I've include with these textual wrong notes. It's seems weird to me now that I chose that song to have been the first one I released, but c'est la vie.
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Podcasting, depending on how you look at it, may or may not be what I'm doing here by including audio with every post. (Trivia note: I contributed some of the history write-up to the Wikipedia entry on podcasting, and coined the term: proto-podcasting used in that entry.)
For most folks, podcasting seems to be about creating or listening to an online talk radio show or audio blog post—i.e., a program centered around someone (or a group) speaking. And, as such, it's interesting to hear how folks are using music as part of these.
I was flattered to find out that my song, Plastic Toys (mp3), was featured in a recent Cone 11, Forced Air podcast (mp3) by John Norris, whose blog covers the topics of "Art, Information, Ceramics, and You". (Thanks John!)
But, upon listening to it myself, I started to wonder how musicians like myself could contribute more than just longer music recordings to the overall production of these 'casts.
Since listening to John's 'cast, I've made a point of listening to a variety of others'. And, it seems like there is an assumption-technique being used like: I like this song and think it'll be cool to have in the background while I talk over it.
Music is so much about space (or, silence), which is emphasized through the dynamics of musical tones (or, sounds). And, a recording of your voice (e.g., radio) is also very dependent on space / silence— more so than folks often realize, as their normal context for speaking is one which includes visual cues and bodily gestures that don't appear on the audio recording at all.
So, music can add to the dynamic of your voice, and also help mark the progression of your "story". And, a first suggestion to podcasters out there is that you might consider your podcasts as being made up of several segments / stories that are more in the 30-90 second range of length, rather than as a single 3-4 minute segment / story.
Music can then be used to delineate these 30-90 second segments. So, speak for 30-90 seconds, then take a break (let your listeners absorb what you just said) and play a musical interlude for 20-30 seconds. These interludes then can have qualities that reflect (and emphasize) the feeling of what you just said, and also act as a segue to your next segment /story.
So, this is a pattern of: voice only, music only, voice only. And, one can use cross-fades (the first notes of music and the last words of the voice occur at the same time, etc.) with a great deal of nuance as well.
Another pattern is to have voice over the music. And, in this way, I think, the speaker really needs to be "singing" in a rhythmic, if not melodic sense (as in recitative). In other words, the music is not so much in the background (albeit, it's low in volume) but is an integral component of your vocal expression, and you're conscious of a groove between your speech phrasing and the musical phrasing.
Looking forward, I think it might be interesting for musicians to create and release music specifically for these kinds of patterns. (And, actually, one idea I've had is taking my un/released pieces of 2004 and producing a bunch of short musical excerpts that could be used in this way.)
I'm really excited about having my music used in podcasts, but, at the same time, I'd like to make more of this podcast-talk + music format. I mean, it's kind-of like early radio before recordings were dominant vs the development of recordings that "play" to the traditional radio format. What music recordings can we make that play to the podcasting radio format?
Also, I'd find it fun to write and record theme music for folks podcasts. That's another suggestion to podcasters: have a theme song for the intro and end of your show. But, again, it's got to be 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds long?
Linear communications, like spoken stories or, in general, musical pieces, have a start, middle, and an end. Blog posts often do not have so much structure.
So, it's interesting to consider the podcast to be like a blog post, because, I think, the audio program (in order to be enjoyable) may have many more structural requirements than the blog post. But, that can be advantageous: you can design a structure or two that can be your podcast formats, and then that structure helps you keep your 'casts focused.
And, I'm imagining that music can not only be used to help build these program structures / formats, but that music can be created specifically for this kind of use such that the music and the talk format become more interesting / enjoyable in their combination.
Anyway, we'll see what else the Ear Reverends do with music for podcasts. And, if you use the Ear Reverends' music in your podcast, please let me know so I can keep track (and I'll probably create a page of links to podcasts that use my music).
Thanks so much for all of your support, link love, and for listening to these things we call music! Have a great new year!
Music again
Sorry for the absence from new posts and music, 'til now. This post introduces the Ear Reverends' latest Wrong Notes, called "The 33 1/3 Commandment (for Anastasia)".
Please check it out an enjoy. (Oh, and in case you notice, yes!, that is my Memorymoog in the background—it's out of storage now for the first time since 1988 or so, and boy is it in need of major repair!).
As a way of explaining the absence of new posts and music here: Since releasing a song in the Practice series (in late June), I've traveled with Anastasia and my family in Jamaica (in July, made some sound recordings that might appear here too!), decided to move from San Francisco to Seattle (July), quit my day job (August), packed and moved (August), unpacked (September), and also had to adjust to the effects from being in a car accident (August), the death of my maternal Grandmother (September), and starting up in my new day job (October).
But, I'm back writing and recording new music. In fact, yesterday, I created a sound sculpture / installation for our Halloween party—it was a huge, albeit, very local, hit!
A call to fight against the INDUCE act
What follows is a message that I've been emailing to my friends and family in the USA (where I live too), asking them to join me in fighting the INDUCE act by joining the Save Betamax campaign. Please consider joining in too!
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As you know, I don't send out many messages about political issues, but I am very concerned about a law that may be passed by Congress that would basically make it illegal to create technologies like the ones I use every day to record and distribute my music (and other things, like family photos) over the Internet.
This bad law is known as the INDUCE act, and I'll include some links below where you can find a lot more background information. But, basically, what the law says is that you can be considered liable if you create technology that could be used to violate copyrights. Basically, this means that the makers of any electronic device or software program that can make a "copy" of something (digital camera, video, audio, text) could be threatened with millions of dollars in copyright liability.
This law was virtually written by the record and movie industries, and it very much continues along the lines of their past efforts to effectively outlaw the cassette and video recorders. Essentially, these industries are now trying to outlaw Internet and electronic tools that they think might undermine their current business models, which are tied to older technologies.
(I'd hate to be a kid today wanting to make and distribute music or movies with this technology and see it made illegal—I can't imagine what I would've done if cassette tape recorders were made illegal when I was a kid!)
So, we've had tape recorders and digital cameras because, a couple decades ago, the Supreme Court ruled in the "betamax" case that the makers of video recorders were NOT liable for copyright infringements made with video recorders—there were also substantial ways to use video recorders that did not violate copyrights (like fair use home taping, and making videos of your family).
That ruling has allowed many technologies to flourish including camcorders, digital cameras, and all manner of digital music devices, including the iPod.
So, the other nasty bit of this current situation is that some members of Congress are trying to push INDUCE into law ASAP without public hearings or open debate. They probably figure that this law's issues are too obscure for most people to worry about, and it's better to just pass it and make the record and movie companies happy.
For me, this law has immediate impact: it will both cut off my access to technologies I use to make my music and to make my music available on the Internet, and it will also inhibit my ability to build my Internet project, the iCite net.
INDUCE is designed to allow the big RIAA record companies to control how music is distributed, and, with INDUCE, they will be able to legally sqaush (as they did to Napster) the alternative distribution channels that I use—even though my use of these channels is legal!
And, if you're like me and imagining the evolution of tools you use like digital cameras or iPod like devices or TiVo—new features that give you more control and ease by which you create images and music, or enjoy the images and music of others, then I hope you'll consider that INDUCE will totally slow down or altogether stop the development and availability of these tools.
Many things simply won't be developed (like my iCite net project—because I can't afford the risk of being sued for millions of dollars just because I want to experiment with ways of distributing information and content).
So, tomorrow (the 14th), I'm participating in a campaign called Save Betamax where I'll be calling members of Congress and asking them to drop their efforts to pass the INDUCE act. (Now is definitely the time to do something!) This effort is organized as a national call-in day at this site: Save Betamax.
The organizers of this also have two other sites about INDUCE, which I suggest you look at:
Save the ... and (it's predecessor): Save the iPod.
I hope you'll consider signing up at Save Betamax to call members of Congress and ask them to stop INDUCE. But, a less intensive way to participate is to send a FAX to your Congress person by simply filling out the form at Save the iPod (scroll down the page).
At the very least, I hope you'll send a FAX this way. And, I think it'd also be great, if you know of anyone else who might be interested in helping stop INDUCE now, whom you could ask to send a FAX or call-in.
For some more background on INDUCE, I recommend you take a look at the EFF's mock complaint against the iPod (i.e., why the iPod would be illegal) under INDUCE: Fake Complaint against Apple, Toshiba, and C-Net for Inducing Infringement of Copyrights.
Also good is Ernest Miller's Hatch's Hit List (named after Orrin Hatch, the main sponsor of INDUCE).
This is a list of things that probably would be legally liable under INDUCE. Some highlights: LEGOS, portable hard-rives, disaster relief communication systems, and scanners.
Also, if you want it, there is even more from Ernest Miller in his INDUCE posts archive.
Thanks for listening!
Moving to Seattle
Hope you'll excuse my infrequent posting here lately: Anastasia and I are moving to Seattle in a few days, and the last month or so has been busy with deciding and planning to do this move (and packing!).
I have a bunch to blog about here, but have too little time to do so (packing!). So, I'll have to save it for later.
Also, Anastasia and I have a new blog, Fine and Full for our family and friends, which we are currently (when we aren't packing!) using as a journal of our move.
And, as Anastasia details here, we're inviting our friends in the Bay Area to join us for drinks tomorrow (Friday) evening—I extend our invitation here: please feel free to drop by and say hi/bye to us!
“Deluxe Memory Man”, latest song ~ downloads ~ dump the MiniDisc ~ fight INDUCE ~ hear Joanna Newsom
"Deluxe Memory Man" is the latest Ear Reverend's song in the Practices series, and is now available for stream and/or download. It combines piano, guitar, vocals, birds, crickets, Indian child's rattle, ambient pet auctioning, and some stylings of the classic Deluxe Memory Man effect pedal.
Please listen and enjoy. One listener typed both Harry Partch and Elvis in IMs on first hearing: try it yourself, and you might too!
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Another milestone: all of the Ear Reverends' current songs / pieces are now available for download on the site's home page. Hope that helps more, especially with peace, love and understanding (in any order).
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"Deluxe Memory Man" makes use of my last field recordings on my Sony MiniDisc player. I am dumping this in frustration over Sony's idiotic restrictions to purportedly protect artists' copyrights.
Sony was so important in creating devices that enabled people to enjoy more music. But, since they now own a bunch of artists work through Sony Music, they cripple their digital devices with lame "features" which interfere with all kinds of obvious and desirable uses, like making a recording and digitally copying it to a computer.
Sony's devices are now substandard. They've got some new MiniDisc "hail mary" or something coming out, but it's still got convoluted restrictions—and, otherwise, it's too little, too late.
So, I now am recording on the groovy iRivier iHP-120. Direct to a portable 20GB disc, in WAV or MP3 format (64k - 320k adjustable too). It works great.
At the end of the day, I just plug the thing into my computer with USB 2, and I copy the files and/or import them directly into Digital Performer. No problemo! My first recordings with it are also in the new song.
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While I'm ranting, be sure to check-out Ernest Miller's Hatch's Hit List post about the awful INDUCE act Sen. Hatch introduced, and which, if passed, would probably bring about the end of devices like the iRiver.
You can help stop INDUCE by taking action via the EFF. See also the EFF's Will the Inducing Infringement Act Kill the iPod? and Ernest Miller's extensive INDUCE act posts.
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Finally, on a lighter and brighter note, I highly recommend you listen to Joanna Newsom and get her latest album, The Milk-Eyed Mender from Drag City.
Watch this great and beautiful video of her song Sprout and the Bean (QuickTime) and then go see her on tour. Sadly, I will miss her show on Sunday in SF at the Great American Music Hall. If you're in SF, please go for me!
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