Ryder Timberlake is "Spiral Cheese Horizon"

I’m proud of the progress we’re making with the Speed of Sound events. Every second Wednesday of the month we showcase three electronic musicians, each with a different attitude toward performance. I really love it when fledgling “bedroom” producers – those artists who employ their desktop computers as virtual recording studios – break out of their cocoon and come out to play live.

Ryder Timberlake, aka “Spiral Cheese Horizon” is such an artist. With realistic looking (and even animated) patch cords, meters and shiny hardware faceplates, the virtual studio software known as “Reason” is Ryder’s audio toolbox of choice.

A "real" studio rack

Reason's virtual approach

For many old school engineers, Reason is a good choice because of it’s resemblance to actual studio machinery. And while the realistic quality of it’s interface is candy for the eyes, it’s also an excellent choice for newer generations since it does an excellent job of replicating the actual signal flow of a real studio setup.

Although virtual studio technology has empowered thousands of new artists, good songwriting skills are usually achieved from practice and and dedication.

Ryder’s output is intelligent, emotive and expertly arranged. You can experience it here.

His “epic” sound would be perfectly suited to television and film work and perhaps even more appropriately matched to a three dimensional virtual reality. Timberlake’s nostalgic obsession with old-school gaming consoles (e.g. Super NES) has permeated into the music he makes. Thus, video games would be the absolutely perfect recipient of SCH’s sonic treatment, where 8-bit arcade blips converge with grandiose cinematic themes. In fact, he recently did just that, scoring a friends text-based adventure game, “Give Me Your Lunch Money”. He admits that it’s by no means a global phenomenon, but that it is, “seriously a dream come true.”

It’s a pleasure to host an event where we can support newer artists such as Ryder and provide a stage to showcase their talents. Speed of Sound is also about pushing the boundaries of how performance itself is perceived. The technology used can open a huge gamut of possibilities and the artist(s) have the ability to go where no other artist has gone before. But with that pioneering spirit comes risk. The risk that machine failure will rear it’s ugly head at the worst time – while you are playing live. The most professional electronic musicians know this and prepare accordingly. These unplanned “surprises” are useful however and help artists to prepare better.

SCH engaging the audience

Spiral Cheese Horizon essentially brought out his entire computer studio to Rachael’s last Wednesday, June 9th to perform his amazingly crafted songs. Luckily SCH had no noticeable breakdowns during his performance, but his computer monitor was compromised during transport to the gig. Unmoved by this dilemma – a small portion of his monitor was “dead” – Mr. Timberlake continued his concert like a true pro.

One unique aspect to SCH’s show is his irreverent banter with the audience between musical passages. His tangential rants are delightfully humorous and serve to lift the veil which typically accompanies eclectic artists with cryptic production/performance aliases. It’s no wonder that his interview would follow suit. Here it is:

Continue reading… «Spiral Cheese Horizon steps out»