Alert readers will note that BeatBlog is still suffering technical details. On the left you can see the old list of beats from the old site.
Looks like my includes are no longer working ... so maybe something drastic is in order. Haven't decided yet.
In the meantime, I've been working on music to accompany a show of poetry readings. Some mp3s can be found on the show's dedicated wiki
Thursday, September 18, 2003
If you've recently come to this site, you're probably confused. What are the beats I'm talking about.
Sorry. Normally there's a "roll" of links to MP3 files down the left hand side of this page. Unfortunately, since I changed my hosting to a different server, for some currently unexplained reason, these no longer appear. BeatBlog will be continuing soon. (Basically as soon as I can figure what's wrong with javascript including from my new host.)
Sorry for the outage.
Sorry. Normally there's a "roll" of links to MP3 files down the left hand side of this page. Unfortunately, since I changed my hosting to a different server, for some currently unexplained reason, these no longer appear. BeatBlog will be continuing soon. (Basically as soon as I can figure what's wrong with javascript including from my new host.)
Sorry for the outage.
Friday, September 12, 2003
Simon Reynolds has a great discussion of the Amen break used in junglism. And some interesting comments from a real producer, Brandon Ivers, about the techniques of producing breaks. These days it's apparently all about layering multiple breaks, using a lot of carefully planned eq and filtering to make sure they don't fight. This takes so much effort that the producer then isn't much into the kind of cutting up and messing about with the beat that characterized earlier jungle.
Seems a shame. But possibly why d'n'b got so boring. Though maybe I need to check out some recent stuff. Ivers says mashed up breaks are back.
Seems a shame. But possibly why d'n'b got so boring. Though maybe I need to check out some recent stuff. Ivers says mashed up breaks are back.
Thursday, September 04, 2003
TODAY'S BEATS :
0236 : Woah! This is MONSTROUS! Stop-start tricksy, syncapations from a loop at two slightly different speeds, luminous synth toms, soul claps. Then a big slab of Moogalike riffs takes it to the next level. Whoahahaha !
0235 : Slimy analogue synths slink between the carboniferous trees of a primordeal woodland.
0234 : Samples a horrendously emphatic Flash advert that turned up on a web page. For obvious reasons I'm not putting this one into Creative Commons public domain or indemnifying you against being sued for using it. Use at own risk.
0233 : Listen to that build-up. I like this sort of "start without much recognisable pulse" thing, then add more drums to reveal the groove.
0236 : Woah! This is MONSTROUS! Stop-start tricksy, syncapations from a loop at two slightly different speeds, luminous synth toms, soul claps. Then a big slab of Moogalike riffs takes it to the next level. Whoahahaha !
0235 : Slimy analogue synths slink between the carboniferous trees of a primordeal woodland.
0234 : Samples a horrendously emphatic Flash advert that turned up on a web page. For obvious reasons I'm not putting this one into Creative Commons public domain or indemnifying you against being sued for using it. Use at own risk.
0233 : Listen to that build-up. I like this sort of "start without much recognisable pulse" thing, then add more drums to reveal the groove.
Sunday, August 31, 2003
Saturday, August 23, 2003
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
I know, I know! I've been away, caught up thinking about economics and money etc. Now I'm back, for some concentrated musical projects. More about these soon ...
Meanwhile ... back to a rash of
TODAY'S BEATS
0225 : Shakers ... hats ... toy-trumpet fanfare. Then go swingy cymbals!
0224 : A polite bass and tinkle, then some toms before random melodic bongos flood the scene ...
0223 : Tinkle 'n' bass.
LAST CHANCE
0180 : heavy and melacholic, flanged stabbing chords, trickles of cowbell.
Oh ... and today's my birthday .... :-)
Meanwhile ... back to a rash of
TODAY'S BEATS
0225 : Shakers ... hats ... toy-trumpet fanfare. Then go swingy cymbals!
0224 : A polite bass and tinkle, then some toms before random melodic bongos flood the scene ...
0223 : Tinkle 'n' bass.
LAST CHANCE
0180 : heavy and melacholic, flanged stabbing chords, trickles of cowbell.
Oh ... and today's my birthday .... :-)
Thursday, July 17, 2003
I'm a big Current 93 fan, and today I'm excited to receive my copy of England's Hidden Reverse from Amazon UK, which only took about a week (to Brazil). Lucky I got it from Amazon UK, because the US are having a lot of problems.
Q : But phil, I never figured you as someone to get off on all that spiritualism and mysticism stuff!
A : You're right. In real life I have no interest at all. In art, it adds a certain flavour. And I often find Tibet's lyrics hilarious. (See a comparison with Momus)
But, strange as it seems, I really like C93 (and Nurse with Wound) for the music. One of the things I realized is that it reminds me of my youth, messing about with a 4-track bedroom studio. It's all fun and play with recording. Instrumental technique seems incidental, sometimes there are clearly musicians playing well. Other times, inept, amateurism is sufficient. The elements could be seen as trash : punky guitar strumming, fake celtic folk music, simplistic tape collages and sound manipulation, hammily intoned gothic poetry. And yet, these elements add up to something greater, a sense of exhilerating freedom : "We're doing just what we like". It's stunning, and hypnotic, scary, and beautiful.
And suddenly a phrase strikes you, because of it's absurdity - often a collision of the apocalyptic and mundane - and resonantes : the second thing [God icreated, to scare children] was an old rocking horse which moves on it's own, and a discoloured doll, moving occasionally Fantastic!
Q : But phil, I never figured you as someone to get off on all that spiritualism and mysticism stuff!
A : You're right. In real life I have no interest at all. In art, it adds a certain flavour. And I often find Tibet's lyrics hilarious. (See a comparison with Momus)
But, strange as it seems, I really like C93 (and Nurse with Wound) for the music. One of the things I realized is that it reminds me of my youth, messing about with a 4-track bedroom studio. It's all fun and play with recording. Instrumental technique seems incidental, sometimes there are clearly musicians playing well. Other times, inept, amateurism is sufficient. The elements could be seen as trash : punky guitar strumming, fake celtic folk music, simplistic tape collages and sound manipulation, hammily intoned gothic poetry. And yet, these elements add up to something greater, a sense of exhilerating freedom : "We're doing just what we like". It's stunning, and hypnotic, scary, and beautiful.
And suddenly a phrase strikes you, because of it's absurdity - often a collision of the apocalyptic and mundane - and resonantes : the second thing [God icreated, to scare children] was an old rocking horse which moves on it's own, and a discoloured doll, moving occasionally Fantastic!
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
Tuesday, July 15, 2003
Saturday, July 12, 2003
OK, I know, what happened to "everyday"? Here's a rash of beats I've been failing to put up over the last week or so.
RECENT BEATS
0217 : slow, housy thing, more of those synth loops, but in a sepia style ... gets gritty at the end.
0216 : Flanged, glassy synth playing very poppy random loops.
0215 : Something, fast, happy and wholesome.
0214 : This pr0n stuff's getting kitsch. Away with it, no more!
RECENT BEATS
0217 : slow, housy thing, more of those synth loops, but in a sepia style ... gets gritty at the end.
0216 : Flanged, glassy synth playing very poppy random loops.
0215 : Something, fast, happy and wholesome.
0214 : This pr0n stuff's getting kitsch. Away with it, no more!
Monday, July 07, 2003
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