Sounds from underground/File N°028

try to imagine an immense Danish landscape with snow and sea. then try to imagine a perfect music that reflect it and you will get <<Rostrum>>, a Lp by <<Strikkeklubben (The Knitting Club)>>. The tracks are minimal but intrigues at the same time. 
beautiful.



0. Name of the band
Strikkeklubben (The Knitting Club)
1. where are you from?
Denmark
2. what kind of instruments/equipment you use?
I mostly use woodwinds in my music, but also some piano. My main instruments are tenor saxophone, soprano and bass clarinets. Depending on the project i also use a lot of midi programming and computer synthesizers to make my music. 
3. what do you think about the music context nowadays and how you place yourself in? do you feel a part of any scene?
Music today is very easy to make, anyone with a computer and some insight into rhythm and tone can make music, that is of course mostly positive, but it also means that music can be consumed very quickly. I think that makes music that you have to listen carefully to, quite difficult to pass on to a wide audience. I make music that is very inspired by nature and wild sounds, i hope that the music i make will stir peoples imaginations, allthough i also think it is sometimes somewhat inaccessible. I don't think i fit in to any particular scene, especially because i don’t play with anybody or play any concerts or live gigs. 
4. which is your method of composition?
Most of the elements in my music is totally improvised. Sometimes i start with computer generated sounds and build a backing track upon which i improvise with my horns. Other times the ”backing track” is composed of looped snippets of improvised saxophone or clarinet.    
5. how is your recording approach? do you use some particular record technique?
Sometimes i record as a part of the compositional process, other times i only record as soon as the backing track is ready to bring out the best in my improvisation with my horns, i very much depends on the mood of the project that i am working on.  
6. do you play live? how public react to your music?
As mentioned previously i don’t play any live gigs, but the reactions i get from facebook and bandcamp are mostly positive, but the interest i my music is not by any means overwhelming.
7. Genesis P-Orridge said "Our records were documents of attitudes and experiences and observations by us and other determinedly individual outsiders. Fashion was an enemy, style irrelevant.". What do your records represent to you?
My music is my way of playing my instruments, i am not very good at disciplined practice and detailed study, so in order to satisfy my musical thirst, i make these recorded projects from time to time. The music i make, is music that i enjoy listening to myself, music that stirs my own imagination, therefore it is also, somewhat a small piece of my soul. 

Self Portrait/Mountain View

<<Mountain View>>, double paper, acrylic and a lot of trash on cartoon. BR, March 2016.

Mountain View

Mountain View, detail

Mountain View, detail

Sounds from underground/File N°027

happy Easter, even if it passed. today we'll talk about screwed sounds, that have something to do with vaporwave, that has something to do with really crazy compositions. <<ClearVisionDream Productions>> propose us his surreal world made with sounds collages. really worth to check out, listen for hours and at the end pass it to your friends.


0. name of the band
ClearVisionDream Productions
1. where are you from?
The Internet
2. what kind of instruments/equipment you use
I use a combination of different types of software and plug-ins, mostly for FL Studio. I do occasionally experiment with some other programs like Audacity or even Speakonia (text to speech software). Plug-ins I use heavily include SliceX (for manipulating samples), and Sytrus for sound production. I've also done some live mixing heard heavily on releases like "Soul Extraction" and "A Proponent of Change". For mixing I use random apps that I download to my phone like DJ studio 5.
3. what do you think about the music context nowadays and how you place yourself in? do you feel a part of any scene?
I think that there is no clear cut context in music today, once you look past mainstream media at least. In the underground you hear a plethora of sounds and styles. In EDM wonky and future house seems to be a general trend, but I really feel like the way they categorize musicians today is completely bogus. You can show someone 5 different wonky artists and they all sound completely different. You see genres today are blanket terms, because there are so many different styles and directions people are going in.
I think this has to do with myself to. If I had to place my music somewhere, I would say its vaporwave (generally), but there's really more under the hood then just that.I want to say that really only my first two releases are "classically" vaporwave, and all the albums following are something post-that. Sure the production style is similar and some of the motifs are there, but I don't really hear anything like the music I release, and that was partially the idea. If I can't add something new or unique to the mix, I won't release it.
4. which is your method of composition?
Whenever I think of a composition, I always approach it as an idea or a theme. I have an idea in my head (usually with a faint idea of what kind of album artwork I want), and I start to quietly brainstorm for a few days. Through my head I think of what emotion I want to be expressing to the listener, or what combination of sounds and styles I want to amalgamate (shove together). I think of what musical styles I want to jam, and how I want it to sound from a broad perspective.
Then I sit down with my computer and let the flood gate doors explode open. I use every resource I possibly can, the Internet is my gateway into anything I could imagine. I start pulling all these sounds together from youtube and start looking up all these different pictures to get me into the mood I'm going for. On some days I can lay a release down in 2-4 hours. Some releases took me months. I tend to like the releases I've done that were spur of the moment, and where I had a certain flow going. As an example when I wrote "The Mirror Shows No Reflection", I had a very easy time with production. Something just felt right when I was making it and nostalgia, beauty, discord, and apathy blended into a perfect reflection of what I was feeling. Now I don't expect everyone to "get" my music or anything like that, but for me it was a perfect reflection of how I felt in that moment, in that time.
5. how is your recording approach? do you use some particular record technique?
I think I already covered this mostly. Sound collage, chopped and screwed, sound manipulation, to name a few styles of production.
6. do you play live? how public react to your music?
Remember Boogie at the Hypermall? of course not, not many people did. The first promise of a live vaporwave concert with headline acts played in an abandoned mall! It was too good to be true!, truly... because it never happened. It died like most things vaporwave do die, in an anticlimactic fizzle. But I was excited at the idea of playing to a live audience, I had my whole setup ready, but it just never happened. Maybe something will come up again and I'll go for it but I just don't see it. CVDP is a side project for me and my real life gets way too hectic for anything else sometimes, but you never know. Boogie at the ultra-mall? I can dream can't I.
As far as how people react? I really have no idea. I know my most popular release was "Memory Cards", but I think its one of my most accessible releases. I think a lot of people don't know what to make of my music, because its really far out there in left field. I either get, "Oh that CVDP, such a wildcard", or "I hate you with a passion", so its a bit varied haha. So this is to the readers, I welcome feedback!, I really do want to know what you guys think about what I'm doing.
7. Genesis P-Orridge said "Our records were documents of attitudes and experiences and observations by us and other determinedly individual outsiders. Fashion was an enemy, style irrelevant.". What do your records represent to you?
My records represent the inner thoughts and feelings that I could never express to anybody in real life. The real emotions stirring that I realize through art. I could never have the opportunity to express myself completely free of barriers like I can with CVDP. I think that my releases are very raw and real. When I posted on the vaporwave subreddit that I was quitting the project it was because I was so emotionally invested in the music that I couldn't handle myself. After releasing the string of releases between "Intrepid Space" and "A Proponent of Change", something snapped in me because it was such heavy and disturbing music. So with my recent releases I toned it down a bit haha, but its really been a crazy ride.

Sounds from underground/File N°026

today we will explore so called <bedroom pop> with <<Lu Garfield>>.
<<Howl>> is a 5 tracks Ep in some way surreal and melancholic. It's a really great record, especially if you're looking for something melodic but not obvious. Love.  



0. name of the band
Lu Garfield
1. where are you from?
Sydney, AU/London, UK
2. what kind of instruments/equipment you use?
For composing rock music I mainly use my fender start which was the first instrument I ever really came to love. I’m far from prodigious at technical playing though, so lately my music has moved more towards the use of synthesisers and drum machines. Lately I use a korg poly 800, as well as a few toy keyboards. I also use a roland tr-707 rhythm composer, sometimes, however; I just compose music using software - logic pro in particular. When making rock music though I will use friends to help compose and write drum and bass parts.
3. what do you think about the music context nowadays and how you place yourself in? do you feel a part of any scene?
Here in Sydney I have a few friends making really cool and interesting music and art, playing/hosting house shows and art shows - engaging in what people would generally call a ‘scene,’ I think though in the age of the Internet a scene isn’t so much a physical thing and perhaps isn’t as easy to discern. In a lot of ways it feels far more dispersed and less intimate. On the other hand people from anywhere at anytime can discuss and connect with music irregardless of whatever barriers. I wouldn’t consider myself a part of a scene mostly because in the traditional sense of the word it seems an irrational and nostalgic way of thinking. I am grateful for the people around me that create and in turn motivate me to do the same but the brilliance of today is that anyone has the access to listen to or produce anything they like without any reverence to style, fashion, cliques or being part of a ‘scene’ per say.
4. which is your method of composition?
I don’t really have a particular approach - generally a melody will come into mind first and I will build from there. Sometimes I place great importance on lyrics, other times they will mean little to nothing or are a poor, pseudo intellectual form of satire. I think I’m funny - I think other people think I’m sad. I hate working for too long on any one song, if a project or track isn’t coming together organically and with ease I will happily scrap it or place it aside for a long period of time - I think for me to be constantly creating and finishing things is the overriding ‘rule’ in all creative processes.
5. how is your recording approach? do you use some particular record technique?
At present my input mic on my laptop is my best friend. I like to compose and record at the same time. I do one take tracks and any imperfections or parts I dislike I either change or build over using a new layer of vocals or instrumentation. I generally start with the percussion and am really interested in playing with the way sound is received, even simply panning audio left/right and making small changes as simple as that.
6. do you play live? how public react to your music?
I have played live several times and it has always been a strange experience to me. I love it, but I find it hard to discern how people are reacting - I’ve been told early gigs are almost always disastrous. Thus far mine mostly have been. Though I have a grand time playing and love the performativity of it all and have received kind words from strangers I think I am yet to gauge how people are receiving it.
7. Genesis P-Orridge said "Our records were documents of attitudes and experiences and observations by us and other determinedly individual outsiders. Fashion was an enemy, style irrelevant.". What do your records represent to you?
They are the tenuous fear in my head that says “It is time to wash your hands of this,” I don’t really care if anyone ever listens to a word I write, irregardless on I will write… It’s a method of restoration - the emptying of sodding, self-indulgent malaise or the inaccurate recreation of memories you fear you will forget.

Self portrait/Bad Twin

<<Bad Twin>> by BR. Trash on cartoon. March 2016.

Bad Twin

Bad Twin, detail

Bad Twin, detail

Bad Twin, detail

Back to the past Vol.17

a 3D painting/object from 2012 . <<Orient Express, Locomotiv>>, miexed media. BR

Sounds from ether/Mortum Machine

a sound experience from California. <Odor> by <<Mortum Machine>>. stay tuned 

 

Back to the past Vol.16

<<All that passing through my mind>>. Mixed media, 2013. BR.

LOVE&PEACE

All that passing through my mind

All that passing through my mind, detail

All that passing through my mind, detail

All that passing through my mind, detail

All that passing through my mind, detail

All that passing through my mind, detail

Sounds from underground/File N°025

 a wonderful mesh of broken sounds comes to us from Uruguay. <<Sagabarindo Tuchela>> is a solo project of Pablo Jorge and it's something that will be loved by all the amateurs of unusual compositions. 16 tracks that will bring you completely out of mind. enjoy

0. name of the band
Sagabarindo Tuchela (in fact is a one man band)
1. where are you from?
Uruguay
2. what kind of instruments/equipment you use?
Actually I use a lot of  "traditional"instruments like guitars, bass, kalimba, flutes etc., home made instrument, toys and many kind of objects, and also software and samples. All the things I use to make music, generally is modificated trough the recording method or with digital editors, and maybe sometimes is difficult to dinstinguish the instruments used, and this is very interested to me. I record all the music on a standard pc with a cheap micro. I want to play like a child when I play music, and you know: the children don't make themselves any problem with formalities or professional conditions, nor with  any "limitation".
3. what do you think about the music context nowadays and how you place yourself in? do you feel a part of any scene?
I guess that in this times like in the past and possibly in the future, the mainstream music is generally a lie, a standard format filled with less emotional or original sounds, something like a commercial and ideological strategy customed like art. As the same time, in the "underground" there are a lot of bands or musician trying to "ascend" to the mainstream level, and really I'm so bored of this. Fortunately, there are a lot of genuine artists (not only in Internet), making new, and marvelous things, and if you seek properly you can find them. About me, I think maybe I have some familiarity with some subgenres or artists, but I do not feel the need to be part of any scene, or in facts i don't know if something like this can be now or in the future. Whatever I talk about Sagabarindo Tuchela like an underground artist of dadaist or surrealist punk noise metal, but I'm not sure if it is a definition or a joke.
4. which is your method of composition?
Before the beginning of Sagabarindo Tuchela I was in a band called "Una Verga", and in this band, basically we invented the composition methods in the act, and too using stocastic, random ways to made the songs, a little inspired by the dadist works and also the noise, or simply feeding the Zappa or Fantomas seeds in our unconscious mind until they grow. Sometimes we record without previous ideas, sumerged in something like a tribal trance or something like that, and the songs grows for themselves, naturally and so harmfully  between us (includes the disharmonic ones). I have a solo noise project called "Enantiodromia", and in that one I learn to make sever changes and sound manipulations to the standard sounds of voices and instruments, recorded in analog form. Finally, in Sagbarindo Tuchela I use to mix the random and improvised method of composition of "Una Verga" and the sound manipulation of "Enantiodromia", with a more traditional form of composition (you know, some day I wake up with a phrase, melody or idea to a song and i think "¡Wow I must record it!")
5. how is your recording approach? do you use some particular record technique?
A great part of the music I make is based on recording experimentation. In every song I try to change it and adapt it to what I want to do, and I have so very much approaches to explain in this moment, but basically I'm interested in record with the unprofessional form possible, using cheap, unappropriated or improvised ways, searching a lo-fi or less plane sound. In facts, I don't want to use nothing you can't use in your house and with the less money or industrial-capitalist- producers-labels dependence.
6. do you play live? how public react to your music?
Today I don't play live for a lot of reasons related to the music scene in my country. Whatever if in the future there are the conditions to play in live, I love it. But the public may not.
7. Genesis P-Orridge said "Our records were documents of attitudes and experiences and observations by us and other determinedly individual outsiders. Fashion was an enemy, style irrelevant.". What do your records represent to you?
My records are to my something so magic and hard to explain. Something like a wonderful and laughing creation born of the best of myself and a spitting out or a psychic analysis of my worst traumatic experiences.

Self portrait/Little Monster

After <<Little Angel>> comes <<Little Monster>>. Is it abstract or figurative?
trash on cartoon. 2016. BR

Little Monster

Little Monster, detail

Little Monster, detail

Little Monster, detail

Little Monster, detail

Little Monster, detail

Sounds from underground/File N°024

let's talk about weird Canada. <<Young Primates>> first Ep is a bit weird but is also very listenable, in some way it could be defined also psychedelic. hope to hear the album soon, it could be the perfect album for this Spring. 

0. name of the band
YOUNG PRIMATES
1. where are you from?
Ontario, Canada
2. what kind of instruments/equipment you use?
I sing, play keyboards, guitar, bass and my drummer Justin plays... drums lol.
3. what do you think about the music context nowadays and how you place yourself in? do you feel a part of any scene?
I don't really feel part of a scene. I make music for myself.
4. which is your method of composition?
I write all the lyrics, record the bed tracks and vocals then send it to my drummer (he lives in a different town) then he sends the files back and I mix it all together.
5. how is your recording approach? do you use some particular record technique?
The nice part about YOUNG PRIMATES is that since it's a lo-fi project, it allows me to be able to use many different recording environments and experiment. I record everything on my own in different people's houses and find the best rooms in each house to record in.
6. do you play live? how public react to your music?
We haven't played live yet.
7. Genesis P-Orridge said "Our records were documents of attitudes and experiences and observations by us and other determinedly individual outsiders. Fashion was an enemy, style irrelevant.". What do your records represent to you?
My records are therapy for me. They help me cope with situations and let me create something positive out of something negative.

Self portrait/Crucifixion

<<Crucifixion>>. mixed stuff on cartoon. February 2016. BR

Crucifixion

Crucifixion, detail

Crucifixion, detail

Crucifixion, detail

Crucifixion, detail

Echos of underground/Queelum

new stuff from <<Queelum>>, as always advised to all the fetishists of sound. stay tuned!