Bloomingtonelectronic.com is an online resource for local electronic music featuring informative articles, event announcements and related items of interest.
The Staff:
Mark Kunoff (Founder)
Jarrod Linne
Advocates:
Noah Boyer
|
A few months ago I was invited to be part of a show at a smaller local venue. The night was to be filled with performances of various styles of electronic music from dubstep to acid to glitch to house. The show had been organized by people I consider family in the local music scene, but I have to say certain aspects severely lacked in organization. I had been told I would go on late that night, my style not being the easiest fit in a lineup meant for booty-shakin’. I would end up going on second, since the organizers were nowhere to be seen and none of the other acts (many of which had traveled from Indianapolis) wanted to play so early and for such an initially small crowd. The opener that night had thrown down a killer set of all-original electronic dance music. Pumping flawlessly for nearly an hour. I would have felt worse about the lack of ears and feet on the dance floor had I not grown accustom to this site. The opener rarely gets the love they deserve. Nevertheless, those that were on the floor were moving and he was professional and gracious to those few in attendance early that night. He was content to make any number of people move.
 Adria Fish The noble gentleman sacrificing a wonderful set to the Dance Gods was none other than our good friend Adrian Fish. I would go on after him with my brand of daft-tapped, ill-rendered sample slicing and commence to clear the dance floor of all those that had been, save a few brave souls. After the dust had settled I approached Adrian with a proposition to perform at one of our upcoming Speed of Sound shows to which he agreed. As with all our prior shows, we make a point to pin down our performers and ask them to give us an idea of what drives them to do what they do.
Continuing in our now extensive series of interviews with local electronic artists, we hear from Adrian Fish. He blessed us with a wonderful set at our second Rhinos edition of the Speed of Sound showcase last April and has been a consistent supporter of our efforts here at BloomingtonElectronic.com.
BE: Where are you from? When/how were you introduced to electronic music.
AF: I was born here, raised in California. Been back here in Bloomington for the last 14 years, it’s my home base, I love it and plan on raising my family here for sure.
I started on music in general while living in the woods as a teenager and having nothing much else to do except playing songs as an imaginary radio DJ all day, Electronic Music was just a natural direction for me, groups like Orbital, Prodigy and Nine Inch Nails were crucial for my musical development, they opened the doors to the world of EDM, etc. Continue reading… «Adrian Fish Keeps It Moving»
At our last installment of the Speed of Sound showcase of local electronic musicians we had the singular pleasure of hosting three immensely talented producer/performers in Adrian Fish, Spencer (Ersatz Modem) Hutchinson and, not the least of which, Bloomington’s own John Flannelly; a resident who has been active in the local music world both behind the scenes and more recently as a performer. With a sound and presence that begs ones attention, John is poised to become a staple performer here in Bloomington (in fact, he will be at Rachael’s Cafe 5/29/11). After the show we took a moment to get to know John a bit better and get his take on Bloomington’s burgeoning electronic and experimental music scenes. Here, we introduce John and his otherworldly tunes to the Bloomington Electronic community.
 John Flannelly
BE: Where are you from? What sparked your interest in electronic/experimental music?
JF: I grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana and went to college at IU. I graduated a few years ago and have been hanging around since then. It’s hard to say exactly what sparked my interest in experimental/electronic music. I’ve always had an appetite for discovering new music. To me, it just seems like a natural progression of an open-minded listener to eventually end up in the promised land of experimental music.
BE: How do you describe your style of music, your sound?
JF: I like being able to able to communicate through unfamiliar sounds. Lots of unique sounds, always different, driven forward by the energy of the creative process and letting my mind wander. I take a keyboard and some pedals and basically just do whatever I feel like doing. I would also say that pedals are the driving force behind my music.
BE: You seem to be a hardware guy. What does your current live rig consist of?
Lately, I’ve mostly been expressing myself musically through effects pedals. But I can honestly say that I’m not a gear person. I like to keep a lot of naiveté when it comes to hardware because it allows me to experience it as freshly as a listener might. A lot of my equipment is borrowed or inherited too, which is pretty cool because it basically means that every show is guaranteed to be a little bit different because of the things that I will and won’t be able to do. For that Speed of Sound show in April at Rhino’s, I was playing a keyboard… a Roland of some sort… and had three pedals: distortion, whammy, and echo/delay. Continue reading… «John Flannelly»
As our Speed of Sound showcase’s first anniversary fast approaches one can’t help but glance back at some of the awesome performances we’ve had the honor of facilitating. February’s SoS event was no different with performances by Ersatz Modem, whom we interviewed a while back, as well as an inspiring set by our very own founder Mr. Mark Kunoff as Soltec. Fleshing-out the lineup that night was the subject of this week’s artist interview; a masked man with a Martian’s voice and thunder in his fingertips. In this interview we have the pleasure of introducing you to one of Bloomington’s young up-and-coming producers working to blur the genre lines just a bit more. Jarrod Linne creates beats and big-bass ballads under the moniker (and persona) Shy Guy Says. After his performance at the last Speed of Sound event at Bloomington’s Rewind all-ages venue we had to take a minute to get the lowdown on the man behind the mask.
 Shy Guy Says masked and ready BE: I understand you are the electro-crunkedout embodiment of a Super Mario character. Tell us how this came to be.
SGS: A mixture of being way too into Mario, getting really into beat making and being the best producer that I could, and aching to play shows and wanting to put on a spectacle. I’m kind of a Shy Guy myself, pun intended…so the mask allows me to be something bigger than myself on stage and give people something interesting to watch.
BE: Tell us about your alter ego, Jarrod Linne. Who are you? What brought you to Bloomington?
I’m originally from a hole in the wall town in southern Indiana called Tell City. There, I was surrounded by country music and over played classic rock radio, so I found my own ways to escape into any other kind of music I could get my starving hands on. My friends and I grew up there and sewed our musical roots pretty tightly. We learned music together, got great at it, and then decided to move forward. I came to Bloomington mainly to learn Audio Engineering at IU, but also to escape the dismal existence that is my hometown. Shortly there after, I became immersed in the live scene and never looked back. Since I’ve been in Bloomington, I’ve met more people and seen more things that have influenced me creatively in just 5 short years than I did my entire life at home. My mission from this day forward is to create the most eclectic mixture of noise, ambiance, bass, and glitch groove that I can until I’m too old to stand and perform. Continue reading… «Shy Guy Says Hello»
Dubstep is quite popular at the moment. And while Ben and Andrew of CPU/GOD are reluctant to be pigeonholed into any genre of music – even electronic – this duo is currently making amazing experimental bass and beats which would be right at home at any dubstep get down. And why not?  Dubstep is attractive to those who want to experiment and innovate. It’s no wonder that this pair of classically trained (IU Jacobs School of) music and audio technology students dig it. Like it’s big brothers ‘hip-hop’ and ‘drum n’ bass’, Dubstep is one of those rare electronic styles which encourages a wide range of interpretation. And of course with the ability to easily create, manipulate, mangle and trash audio with fast and powerful computers, a universe of sonic possibilities exists. Armed with their apple macbooks, the mad audio science of CPU/GOD is unleashed in a shock wave of bass warble, noise and processed percussive elements.
CPU/GOD’s output is scary. Hence, the title of this article. And I mean scary in a good way, like the goodness of a bass tone so powerful it makes your clavicle vibrate. Further scary is the way these two conjure up sounds I’ve never heard before. Having seen/heard CPU/GOD at a recent Speed of Sound show at The Bishop, I can testify to the fact that the sounds coming from their rigs is neither ordinary or standard.
We’re always wanting to share the wide array of artistry out there, so we tried to find out more about the philosophies, methods and tribulations of these sonic explorers…
Tell us a bit about your early music backgrounds. Do either of you play an instrument? At what point in your lives did electronic music become the focus? Continue reading… «CPU/GOD – dubstep duo of the apocalypse»
The next subject in Bloomington Electronic’s series of interviews with individuals creating electronic music locally is not only a producer of music, but visual art as well. Born in Knoxville, TN, transplanted to Bloomington as a teen, and educated at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Spencer Hutchinson produces experimental, ambient, IDM, and, drum and bass music that he refers to as Ersatz Modem. The following is a brief interview I conducted with Spencer at his family residence here in town before the two of us left to prepare for a gig at the Bloomington Playwright’s Project later that night:
 Spencer Hutchinson "Ersatz Modem" BE: How would you describe your sound?
SH: I want to say that’s hard to explain but it’s not really. The first thing that really hooked me into producing electronic music was an overwhelming experience of peace and harmony and contentment at hearing a song called “Alberto Balsom” by Aphex Twin. The second time I had that feeling was listening to the track “Clipper” by Autechre in 2004. I had been suffering from chronic anxiety and depression at the time and the feeling that that music gave me, a feeling of peace; it was so great, but so brief… because then the song is over. So I would describe my sound as trying to reach that point and maintain that state of pure ecstasy or as close as one can get without drugs or sex or anything like that. Just trying to hotwire the Holy Spirit, I suppose—THAT, that ‘s a big way of how I would describe my sound, that’s it.
BE: Who/what are some of your musical/artistic influences?
SH: I’ve had a lot of visual artistic influences, but as far as musical goes; for the past 4-5 years I had put my mind to the reverse engineering and figuring out the production tricks of Aphex Twin, Square Pusher, and Autechre primarily. They were the three main ones who opened my eyes to the possibilities that exist creatively and intellectually with manipulating sounds. Everything I was doing to a point, until around a year ago was really just trying to emulate that as close as I could.
Visually, they’re all over the place. It’s difficult to pinpoint although I have been looking at a lot of contemporary architecture for influence in terms of ways to structure music and take it to another level.
BE: What brought you to doing visuals?
SH: I’m glad you asked that because actually I got into doing sound from doing visuals. The first video I produced was to a track called “Ecstasy Motherfucker” by Kid606. I had contemplated going into video production my sophomore year of college. Then I saw the director’s label DVD series that was coming out in 2003 and what really struck me was the work of Chris Cunningham and I just said WOW, if I could video for music like this, this is exactly what I would do. And then I transferred to Chicago and found there was a dearth of artists producing the kind of electronic music that found appealing and so I just started making my own. Then it was about making an esthetic correlation between the two [audio and visual]. What I’ve found about music is that it has a very special element to it and that the visuals help bring it out or draw you into it more than just the music on its own- though of course the goal is that the music to be able to stand on its own.
 Knobs are twisted in the creation of Ersatz Modem BE: What does your live rig consist of?
SH: My live rig changes. I don’t play live very frequently. I don’t have a lot of opportunities to. There’s just not much of an interest in the kind of music I produce. It doesn’t go over well at indie rock venues, alternative venues. It’s not background music, so it doesn’t go over well at clubs. It’s very unique and requires listening so… That being said, what I use when I do perform live will range from a laptop and time-coded vinyl records called Ms. Pinky and a projector or my iPod iMix rack-mounted and just play the set and effect and EQ it on the fly. It’s pretty satisfying because you don’t have to worry about things going awry.
I’m trying to get away from that kind of thing though. What I’ve been working with more recently has been some auto-generative music patches in a program called max/msp that control various soft-synths in Reason [synth]. What I would ultimately like to do with that is use these patches to control hardware synths.
I also use a Future Retro TB303 emulator, TR606 drum machine, Reason, Live, Max/Msp…
BE: Do you have any trade secrets for us fellow producer/performers?
Continue reading… «Ersatz Modem and “Hotwiring the Holy Spirit”»
 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»
In the constantly evolving technological landscape, Both DJs and Electronic music performers are struggling to be understood. The methods of DJs and electronic musicians are closely tied to each other and because of the availability and affordability of powerful, personal computers, workflows are being redefined at a rapid pace. So rapid is the pace that even those in the know have a hard time keeping up with the latest developments. Often I talk to local audience members who say something to the effect of, “I love the music, I just don’t understand HOW they do it!” Bloomingtonelectronic.com seeks to provide a central location to share these new ideas and provide a platform to showcase the results of these innovations.
In previous articles and in my talks at the Speed of Sound events I’ve tried to illuminate the processes of DJs and electronic musicians who utilize sampling in both their productions and performances. But the use of pre-existing recordings continues to stir debate. The myriad of possible uses of such “samples” further confuses the issue. How long is the sample? Can you extract a few milliseconds of a famous recording without the threat of legal action? How about a just a drum beat? What if the sample in question plays a supporting role to a larger group of completely original musical elements? These are only but a few examples of the complex questions which artists face when they decide to incorporate a segment of a pre-existing recording in a production of their own. It’s the opinion of this writer that the manner in which the sample is used makes all the difference.
 Clint Carty, aka "Kaleidoscope Jukebox" Clint Carty, the real name behind his “Kaleidoscope Jukebox” alias, is another Speed of Sound performer who blurs the line between musical performance and DJing. Combining original material of his own with “snippets” of our musical past and present, he produces and performs a futuristic composite of eclectic sounds, beats, bass lines and melodies. The use of pre-recorded material along with a majority of his own compositional elements invokes a sort of collaboration between the two, creating something entirely unique and wonderful and it will all go down live on May 12th at Rachael’s Cafe.
Until then, enjoy the interview we had with Clint where we discussed the means of his wide ranging output…
Continue reading… «Kaleidoscope Jukebox – a journey thru the past, present and future»
A constant exists in most modern and classical music – that constant being repetition. Most of the contemporary pop music we hear is drenched in repeated melodies, chord structures and beats. In the dawn of the decade of love, avant garde composers such as Terry Riley began experimenting with tape loops, manipulating the output of the loops to musical effect. Riley became a sensation in the 1960’s for his famous “All-Night Concerts”, where Riley performed improvised music from evening until sunrise, using an old organ harmonium and tape-delayed saxophone. During these marathon performances he would take breaks by playing back loops from his saxophone recorded during the same concert.
Before the turn of that same decade (while collaborating with Brian Eno) the guitarist of the progressive rock band King Crimson, Robert Fripp, developed a technique to loop his guitar by utilizing two reel-to-reel tape recorders positioned side-by-side. This new technique was facilitated by allowing the tape from the supply reel of one tape machine to be fed into the take-up reel of the second tape machine, which causes the sound recorded by the first machine to be played back later on the second. The duration of the delay is determined by the distance between the reels as well as the speed of the playback. Audio from the second machine is routed back to the first which causes the delayed signal to repeat. Fripp had a revelation that with this new system he could operate as a solo performer, building entire compositions in a live setting. Joanna Walton, Fripp’s girlfriend at the time, conceived a term to describe Robert’s delay system now widely known in the guitar world as “Frippertronics”. Electronic musicians should take note – in many ways, this looping technique spawned a new generation of singular performers who generate repetitious layers of sound in order to create innovative compositions live from the concert stage. This concept is in essence the modus operandi of most electronic musicians today. Guitarists aren’t the only ones getting into the looping game. Naturally, multi-instrumentalists such as Andrew Bird foresaw the potential in loop-based performance and presently continues to develop this technique.
 Multi-instrumentalist and looping performer - Eric Radoux Eric Radoux, one of our esteemed Speed of Sound artists performing next Wednesday (May 12th, 2010) will give us all a chance to witness his own skillful technique of looping. A multi-instrumentalist in his own right, Eric loops his own voice, guitar, trumpet, percussive elements – and anything else he can get his hands on – to construct his own compositions in real time. But while we tend to focus on methods and technology on this blog, it should be made clear – the quality of Eric’s song writing is intelligent and compelling. Find out for yourself and make a visit to his website to uncover the fresh fruit of his labor and you’ll find out why Radoux is one of Bloomington’s most promising singer songwriters.
Per the usual tradition for Speed of Sound artists, here is our interview with Eric…
Continue reading… «Eric Radoux – In the loop»
Turntables. Vinyl. CDs. Samples. These are the words most commonly held in the nomenclature of the modern DJ. Within the DJ community however, these same words can stir up contention and debate on the subject of what “proper” DJing is, was, or should be. “A proper DJ should spin records” is for example a sentiment which every DJ is familiar with.
Traditionalism exists in every genre of music and electronic music is certainly no exception. For example, guitar players will be familiar with terms such as “capo” or “wammy bar” but depending on an individual’s gauge of aesthetic quality, guitarists will differ in opinion on their use. Other analogies can be drawn. Building a house can certainly be regarded as a creative endeavor, but does it really matter which tools were used to build it? While this comparison may seem a bit over simplified – it is – it illustrates that the end product is of paramount consideration. Nevertheless, the deliberations between like minded artisans about methods or means will certainly be never ending.
As time and technology marches on, the DJ community is gradually embracing digital – and more specifically – virtual solutions for creating their end product. But reluctance to this trend is alive and well in traditionalist DJ circles and is in my opinion a good thing. Whether a DJ uses vinyl, compact discs, a laptop or a fusion of analog and digital components, each workflow has it’s own set of unique pros and cons. The ongoing debate on how can only be beneficial to the whole.
 Doug Watson, aka "Danky" Doug Watson, aka “Danky” came into the world of electronic music at a time when the lines were blurred more than ever between many forms of modern music, especially electronic music where several styles would be represented at an underground party, or “rave”. Nearly a decade later however, electronic music is one of the most fragmented genres in music history with utterly specific classifications such as “progressive eurotrance” or “liquid funk jungle”. I can’t help but wonder what the originators of Chicago House think about the increasing phenomenon of sub division within it’s own genre. Thankfully Danky, who is a self-proclaimed aficionado of “EDM” and “Progressive House” doesn’t subscribe to the concept of allegiance. His primary concern – “producing or mixing quality music that can make people dance, have fun and forget their worries.” Right on. And that is exactly what we’ll be experiencing from Danky, one of the three performers at the first Speed of Sound event on March 10th at Rachael’s Cafe in Bloomington.
We aim to interview all the Speed of Sound artists here at Bloomingtonelectronic.com prior to their appearance and so without further ado, enjoy the Q&A session we had with him recently:
Continue reading… «Danky and the definition of spin»
 Paul Greiner - "Skyprojection" “One through Thirty Three”, a collection of electronic nuggets from local electronic artist Skyprojection has been getting a lot of play time on my iTouch lately. The 26-year young aural alchemist Paul Greiner has been hard at work in his apartment project studio – um, scratch that – laboratory of boutique hardware instruments, crafting the sonic stew which has been growing on me with each repeated listen. 25 tracks of simmering, bubbling and squelching auditory nourishment provide a listening experience which is as immersive and introspective as the philosophies which Greiner portends. A BSU graduate of Psychological Science and Philosophy, this up and coming electronic music producer and composer is a humble prodigy with a unique and refreshing approach toward a music genre which is bent on classification.
Skyprojection will be performing at the first Speed of Sound event on March 10, 2010 at Rachael’s Cafe with his lab in tow and should be a zestful tasting of the artistry we’ll will be featuring at this monthly event and of course here on the blog.
I interviewed Paul recently about his aural experiments and musical divinations: (To find out more abut Paul’s music, look for the links following the interview.)
-What is your musical background and how did you enter into the field of electronic music?
I started playing guitar about 10 years ago. As with any other young American Midwestern kid with a guitar in the nineties, I was certain I would be able to change the world once I was able to get out on my own, play my epic grunge riffs, and share my long hair and pained lyrics. As it turns out, I found that the paradigmatic band with “guitar, bass, drums, and vocals” was unbearably oppressive to the types of ideas that I had. Although I still love that framework, and I had and still have amazing times and meet some wonderful people within that framework, in the end, I get a little bored with traditional musical formats. I’ve found that I have more interest in the effects and technology that people can use in conjunction with instruments than I have with the instruments themselves. About two years ago I started to read heavily about synthesis, recording studios, and sound in general, and I began to hear things much differently than I did prior to my research. This led me to my tremendous interest in the power and nature of sound. I think I’ve followed this interest and I’ve sort of come full circle. Currently, I’m still drowning in “secondary” sound sources, applications, technology, and effects– and I love that, but I’m re-gaining my appreciation for the basics and incorporating this renewed interest in what I feel is a more enlightened manner. I’ve found that the more technical and complicated facets of electronic music are almost like a science class, or even a philosophy class; I really like that and I consider my foray into the electric sound kind of like a post-graduate education for myself.
Continue reading… «Paul Greiner is: Skyprojection»
|
|
