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 I'll see you there. Celebrate a year of great music and community building at the birthplace of the Speed of Sound electronic music showcase Rachael’s Cafe 300 E. 3rd street March 18th 8pm-midnight a measly $3 to support local electronic Performances by: Automatic Thoughts – Jester Fjord – Shy Guy Says and special guests to be announced
Heads up! The next installment of our Speed of Sound series is coming up this Wednesday, July 14th at Rachael’s Cafe.
Speed of Sound, “Mach Four” starts at 7:30pm and the proceeds from your generous donation will help fund a permanent sound system for Rachael’s Cafe. This will hopefully ease the burden of performers having to haul their own sound systems to the venue. Speed of Sound is hosted by Bloomingtonelectronic.com and runs consistently on every second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to the RSS feed to keep updated on new articles and announcements. Long live electronic music in Bloomington! If you’d like to comment on this post, please contact us to become a contributor.  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: Greetings! Our next installment of our Speed of Sound series is coming up next Wednesday, June 9th at Rachael’s Cafe.
Speed of Sound, “Mach Three” starts at 7:30pm and the proceeds from your generous donation will help fund a permanent sound system for Rachael’s Cafe. This will hopefully ease the burden of performers having to haul their own sound systems to the venue. Speed of Sound is hosted by Bloomingtonelectronic.com and runs consistently on every second Wednesday of the month. Each Speed of Sound event will be preceded by articles or interviews with the artists prior to each event. Subscribe to the RSS feed to keep updated on new articles and announcements. Long live electronic music in B-town! If you’d like to comment on this post, please contact us to become a contributor. 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… Hey gang! Another installment in our Speed of Sound series is coming up next Wednesday, May 12th at Rachael’s Cafe.  Clint Carty aka "Kaleidoscope Jukebox" The featured performers this time are:
Speed of Sound, “Mach Two” starts at 7:30pm and the proceeds from your generous donation will help fund a permanent sound system for Rachael’s Cafe. This will hopefully ease the burden of performers having to haul their own sound systems to the venue. Speed of Sound is hosted by Bloomingtonelectronic.com and runs consistently on every second Wednesday of the month. Each Speed of Sound event will be preceded by articles or interviews with the artists prior to each event. Subscribe to the RSS feed to keep updated on new articles and announcements. Long live electronic music in B-town! 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.  Speed of Sound #1 Flyer I’m very happy to announce a new monthly event at Rachael’s Cafe called, “Speed of Sound”. Speed of Sound will feature a diverse assortment of electronic music performed by local artists. The main objective of the Speed of Sound series is to furnish a platform for emerging local electronic musicians and to educate new audience members who may not be aware of the diverse gamut of this constantly evolving type of music. The first installment in the Speed of Sound series will feature local artists:
Speed of Sound #1 will be held on Wednesday, March 10th and every second Wednesday of the month until June 9th. Each Speed of Sound event will be preceded by articles or interviews with the artists who will be performing at the next event. We are extremely grateful to Rachael for providing a venue for this event and our artists and to thank her we will be accepting a suggested donation of 3 to 5 dollars. Your generous donation will be for a permanent sound system which will further enhance the ability of this great new music venue to support local music. We look forward to seeing you at the first “take off” for Speed of Sound. ~Mark Kunoff |
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