comes from many places. Getting weird music on cassettes… now that’s inspiring. I think I found my new favorite record shop in seattle.
some stuff from neptune music company here in Seattle
Sun Ra’s Ihnfinity, Inc. Charter
Sun Ra incorporated his organization into an entity called “Ihnfinity, Inc.” He actually incorporated it twice, the second time after the expiration of the first corporation. I read the Charter of this corporation in the book, “Space is the Place” by John F. Szwed and thought it was too good not to share.
The first Charter:
To perform works of an humanitarian nature among all people of earth, to help stamp out (destroy) ignorance destroying its own major purpose, to changing ignorance to constructive live creativity, to own and operate all kinds of research laboratories, studios, electronic equipment, electro-chemical communicational devices of our own design and creativity, and electromechanical equipment, electronic equipment relating to audio and video devices and audio and video devices themselves including sound recordings and tapes as well as video recordings, tapes, teleportation, astral projection devices, mind cleansing sound devices, magnetic computers, electrical and electronic devices related to all phases of enterplanatary space travel including magnetic energy producing ships with speeds greater than the speed of light (as presently known), including enterplanetary cosmonetic devices of an astro infinity nature, to own real estate including land, buildings, factories, water, including air space above same, to use these values for the greater advancement of all people of earth and creative live beings of this galaxy and other galaxies beyond the sun.
The Second Charter:
To perform spiritual-cosmic-intergalactic-infinity research works relative to worlds-dimensions-planes in galaxies and universes beyond the present now known used imagination of mankind, beyond the intergalactic central sun and works relative to spiritual and spiritual advancement of our presently known world. To awaken the spiritual conscious of mankind putting him back in contact with his “Creator.” To make mankind aware that there are superior beings (Gods) on other planets in other galaxies. To make mankind aware that the “Creator” (God) is here now and that he is also present in other world-galaxies. To help stamp out (destroy) ignorance destroying its major purpose changing ignorance to constructive creative progress. To use these spiritual-cosmic values for the greater advancement of all people of earth and creative live beings of this galaxy and galaxies beyond the intergalactic central sun. To establish spiritual energy refilling houses (churches) where people can come to refill themselves with spiritual energy and to seek their “natural Creator” (God). To perform works as the “Creator” (God) wills us, “Ihnfinity,” to perform.
Anyway, I agree wholeheartedly with these mission statements, and now officially adopt them as the Golden Master Charters™
ramblings… Live Mixing
Most of the audio I make is based on improvisation in some way, usually messing with effects and patterns and mix levels until I get something that sounds right. For a long time, I thought that any musical process or tools that weren’t good for live performance were useless or boring. I’ve gotten over that to a degree, and I have a studio now for the most part stays at home. Before, I didn’t want anything that I couldn’t throw in a bag and play a set with, or take to my friend’s place and record some improvisations. But my initial approach has stayed with me over the years, and I rarely ever find myself recording a multitrack mix and editing it in a DAW.
my soundcraft mixer
Sometimes I feel lazy because I rarely go through that “finishing” process, with all the separate tracks, tweaking the EQ’s, mix levels, compression, editing the flow of the track, cross-fading things, adding extra samples, all that.
Frankly though, working full time and approaching composition that way just aren’t compatible for me because of the amount of time involved. An average day for me is working, coming home, setting something up, and recording some different kind of jam. I cant’ really record multiple tracks into a DAW, edit them, tweak them, add new ones, layer, and all that. I just don’t have the time in a day.
I’ve changed my mind on all this recently, though. I realized that the spontaneous improvisations I record usually have much more feeling and life to them, and evolve more organically, than the comparable tracks that I have done all that extensive editing work on. Sure, the improvised tracks sound rough around the edges. But I think in music, roughness is related to expression. Music that is produced too carefully usually sounds that way.
proper attire for achieving a clean sounding mix
And doing all that editing work, isn’t very fun. That stuff feels more like picking your nose than making music. And hearing the same chunk of audio over and over so many times, repeated with absolute precision, thanks to modern digital recording, is the easiest way to lose perspective on a piece of music, and the easiest way to kill it. I think music needs to be more rough around the edges these days! Too much music sounds like it was put together in a cleanroom instead of played by a musician. Maybe that’s related to why synth nerds like to wear white gloves.
Waiting for the Rain
Something you wouldn’t expect someone from Seattle, Washington to have to spend much time doing, right? Two days ago, I woke up to the sound of the rushing wind and the melodious percussion of the rain against my window. I jumped out of bed so I could grab my recorder and get a contact microphone against the window and catch the sound. And before I was able to, the rain stopped.
lonely listening piezo
So, I taped this contact microphone up against my window and left it there for half a week, hoping for some more rain. But it never happened while I was home! Since then, i’ve taken it down, waiting for better weather.
Anyhow, there will be more recordings up here in the future, I’m sure. And this blog was also just a sort of excuse for me to post a picture of the view from my apartment, a rare find for a broke, apartment-bound guy like me. That’s I-5 in the distance, if you squint your eyes.
