The fact that a band has a tape archivist is freakin' awesome. RIP Dick!
And just because there isn't really a good place to put this, but I find it hilarious, from The Onion's weekly horoscope:
Aries - Nightingales are known for their sweet, often melodious song. However, the one outside your window seems way more interested in Dancehall Reggae.
Craig - the Dead have an official tape archivist, and several thousand unofficial archivists. Those people are serious business when it comes to identifying tapes.
My lucky day. Gargon, and my wife gifted me with some cds she thought I might be interested in. I know she's not too keen on johnny, so it might just be a devious plan to shorten the odds on him when it goes into rotation.
- "WHERE WE WERE, the new album from GREG HAINES, may come as a surprise upon first listen. The cascading strings that played such an important role in his prior work have disappeared, and in there place are intricate layers of tape-worn synthesizers. Any recordings of piano have been transformed and affected until their sound is at times barely recognizable. Moments of quiet, slowmoving textures can still be found, but they are nestled between upbeat, rhythmically-driven tracks that at times could even be considered for deployment on open-minded dancefloors. Although taking a year to complete, the nature of this record is born in its spontaneity and impulsiveness. The acoustic instruments such as piano, vibraphone and other percussion that found there way on to the album were not the result of months of composing - rather they were entirely improvised and often left completely unedited and raw. At first the idea was these rough tracks, full of noises and hiss, would later be re-recorded, but as the process drew on, it became clear that these kind of loose, half-thought moments were what defined the album - often out-oftime or out-of-tune, but always adding another dimension to the hazy, analog world of sound. This hand-crafted approach led to almost everything being constructed in the old-fashioned way; not with mouse-clicks, but with two hands moving dials and everything running to an aged tape machine.
This album is the result of one person sitting alone in a room and creating something entirely personal, without the frustrations of organising large-scale sessions for other players or the laborious work of preparing scores. In fact, the few scored moments that were written were later disregarded, with a whole string session with PETER BRODERICK ending up on the cutting-room floor (sorry, Peter!), along with endless hours of other material. What is left is the condensed diary of a year of exploring old tape delays, analog synths and percussion - some of which played by percussionist/composer SYTZE PRUIKSMA (a member, along with Haines, of THE ALVARET ENSEMBLE, whose debut album was released in December 2012 by Denovali Records), and some of which played and recorded in a midnight daze at Haines' studio in Berlin. Working in this way led to a whole host of other long-term influences feeding into the music that had never found an outlet before. The experiments in dub conducted by the likes of KING TUBBY or LEE PERRY and continued by the likes of RHYTHM & SOUND had a profound effect, as did the iconic work of TONY ALLEN and other African composers. The spaced-out soundscapes found on early TANGERINE DREAM and KLAUS SCHULTZE had always had a subtle influence on Greg's work, but now armed with an arsenal of dusty studio toys, those sounds became warmer, richer and more prominent.
The influences evoked here may at first appear at odds with Greg's previous work, but an affinity between the dense poly-rhythms of Africa and beyond have long been an influence for contemporary composers such as STEVE REICH, and their reach and importance on western music is undeniable. But now the lines have been blurred, and its impossible to say where one style or influence stops and another begins something that was perhaps the only concept for this record. The symphonic synth crescendo of So it Goes would not have the same impact if it were not following the head-nodding drive of Something Happened. The delicate arpeggios of Wake Mania Without End II only exaggerate the unrelenting, rhythmical explosion of Habenero, and without starting with the intimate piano of The Intruder, the album's cavernous ending wouldn't feel so otherworldly. Its all in there or at least whats left of it after the hiss, the dirt and the degradation of the tape machine destroyed it, reworked it, and spat it back out fullyformed." Denovali Records - Denovali @ Soundcloud - http://greghaines.wordpress.com/
Esmerine - "Dalmak"
-Kind of an electro-world-folk sort of thing. Cello and electric guitar and effects and rhythm section and some other stuff. I've listened to it happily a few times, but this is the first time I'm actually paying attention with something resembling an analytical ear. Peaceful, seriously peaceful, even when it gets rambunctious. Released on Constellation Records, who is having a very strong year releasing innovative, unconventional, and diverse music.
Gary Burton - "Guided Tour"
-My pick of the week for eMusic. Just an outstanding album, and proof that the old-timers can still be innovative in a modern jazz environment. Burton's strong playing, added to Julian Lage's jazz-folk acoustic guitar, and the all-star rhythm section of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Antonio Sanchez, all makes for an inspired effort that sounds just the perfect amount of Different for a straight-ahead jazz recording.
2 more from a recent friend i first met through emusic & more gifts to come!
Ps I've always enjoyed my wife's taste in music, ever since I first heard her on the radio ('95) and it sure is fun to pull out liner notes and stare at album covers you can actually hold.
Back here for a couple of days after a few days away in beautiful North Wales, lots of medieval castles to see and lots of walking opportunities too. Just scanned through the 160 albums played since I was last here - an eclectic collection!
Comments
And just because there isn't really a good place to put this, but I find it hilarious, from The Onion's weekly horoscope:
Craig
PS It's terrific, Butterflies and Unicorns for the garden!
My lucky day. Gargon, and my wife gifted me with some cds she thought I might be interested in. I know she's not too keen on johnny, so it might just be a devious plan to shorten the odds on him when it goes into rotation.
PS she had me by Miss Canada
She sure was right about this one too, two of my favourites.
Wow! another old fave.
Some home town jazz/reggae hip-hop, made me think of Third World and the O'Jays. Quite enjoyed it.
I understand these fellas are kinda famous. I'm not so sure. I'd like to know more of those ghosts.
A new Xmas addition. Soon the lawnmower display gets changed to snow throwers. So, so sad.
Greg Haines - Where We Were
- "WHERE WE WERE, the new album from GREG HAINES, may come as a surprise upon first listen. The cascading strings that played such an important role in his prior work have disappeared, and in there place are intricate layers of tape-worn synthesizers. Any recordings of piano have been transformed and affected until their sound is at times barely recognizable. Moments of quiet, slowmoving textures can still be found, but they are nestled between upbeat, rhythmically-driven tracks that at times could even be considered for deployment on open-minded dancefloors. Although taking a year to complete, the nature of this record is born in its spontaneity and impulsiveness. The acoustic instruments such as piano, vibraphone and other percussion that found there way on to the album were not the result of months of composing - rather they were entirely improvised and often left completely unedited and raw. At first the idea was these rough tracks, full of noises and hiss, would later be re-recorded, but as the process drew on, it became clear that these kind of loose, half-thought moments were what defined the album - often out-oftime or out-of-tune, but always adding another dimension to the hazy, analog world of sound. This hand-crafted approach led to almost everything being constructed in the old-fashioned way; not with mouse-clicks, but with two hands moving dials and everything running to an aged tape machine.
This album is the result of one person sitting alone in a room and creating something entirely personal, without the frustrations of organising large-scale sessions for other players or the laborious work of preparing scores. In fact, the few scored moments that were written were later disregarded, with a whole string session with PETER BRODERICK ending up on the cutting-room floor (sorry, Peter!), along with endless hours of other material. What is left is the condensed diary of a year of exploring old tape delays, analog synths and percussion - some of which played by percussionist/composer SYTZE PRUIKSMA (a member, along with Haines, of THE ALVARET ENSEMBLE, whose debut album was released in December 2012 by Denovali Records), and some of which played and recorded in a midnight daze at Haines' studio in Berlin. Working in this way led to a whole host of other long-term influences feeding into the music that had never found an outlet before. The experiments in dub conducted by the likes of KING TUBBY or LEE PERRY and continued by the likes of RHYTHM & SOUND had a profound effect, as did the iconic work of TONY ALLEN and other African composers. The spaced-out soundscapes found on early TANGERINE DREAM and KLAUS SCHULTZE had always had a subtle influence on Greg's work, but now armed with an arsenal of dusty studio toys, those sounds became warmer, richer and more prominent.
The influences evoked here may at first appear at odds with Greg's previous work, but an affinity between the dense poly-rhythms of Africa and beyond have long been an influence for contemporary composers such as STEVE REICH, and their reach and importance on western music is undeniable. But now the lines have been blurred, and its impossible to say where one style or influence stops and another begins something that was perhaps the only concept for this record. The symphonic synth crescendo of So it Goes would not have the same impact if it were not following the head-nodding drive of Something Happened. The delicate arpeggios of Wake Mania Without End II only exaggerate the unrelenting, rhythmical explosion of Habenero, and without starting with the intimate piano of The Intruder, the album's cavernous ending wouldn't feel so otherworldly. Its all in there or at least whats left of it after the hiss, the dirt and the degradation of the tape machine destroyed it, reworked it, and spat it back out fullyformed."
Denovali Records - Denovali @ Soundcloud - http://greghaines.wordpress.com/
Jari Pitk
+
Found here:
- WOW !
Esmerine - "Dalmak"
-Kind of an electro-world-folk sort of thing. Cello and electric guitar and effects and rhythm section and some other stuff. I've listened to it happily a few times, but this is the first time I'm actually paying attention with something resembling an analytical ear. Peaceful, seriously peaceful, even when it gets rambunctious. Released on Constellation Records, who is having a very strong year releasing innovative, unconventional, and diverse music.
Gary Burton - "Guided Tour"
-My pick of the week for eMusic. Just an outstanding album, and proof that the old-timers can still be innovative in a modern jazz environment. Burton's strong playing, added to Julian Lage's jazz-folk acoustic guitar, and the all-star rhythm section of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Antonio Sanchez, all makes for an inspired effort that sounds just the perfect amount of Different for a straight-ahead jazz recording.
Delbert McClinton & Glen Clark
2 more old friends.
2 more from a recent friend i first met through emusic & more gifts to come!
Ps I've always enjoyed my wife's taste in music, ever since I first heard her on the radio ('95) and it sure is fun to pull out liner notes and stare at album covers you can actually hold.
She's just terrific and so is Patty
Back here for a couple of days after a few days away in beautiful North Wales, lots of medieval castles to see and lots of walking opportunities too. Just scanned through the 160 albums played since I was last here - an eclectic collection!
- More about this and the composer later.
Thanks for the reminder to both Paul R and Lowlife on another thread. I too got the email earlier in the week whilst away, so it as a timely reminder.
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