This month’s podcast is from the final Space Out, Outside of 2020. It took place on a still not too cold afternoon in October and features synthesists David Mason and Michael Lutomski.
David Mason and Michael Lutomski. That’s my stuff in the foreground.
We covered a lot of sonic territory that afternoon; there are some great electronic textures, weird noises, and so much spacing out. Open your ears, and enjoy the journey.
Here I explore the quieter, more ambient aspects of the sound of Battle of the Ancients; trying to come up with themes, textures and atmospheres that may make their way on to an eventual game soundtrack. (You can find the previous soundtrack I did for Gilded Skull HERE.)
Coincidentally, I often try to produce some sort of weird “imaginary soundtrack” for my Octoberpodcasts that listeners can use to set the mood for their halloweening, and this one suits that purpose well.
Here are some of the devices used in the creation of this podcast.
The keyboard sounds for this podcast were mostly from some old casios, which I find quite evocative. I recorded them to cassette 4-track to add some extra texture before further digital manipulation.
This month’s podcast features electronic musician Charles Shriner from Indianapolis, Indiana. Unlike previous remote variations, this one was a live, real-time collaboration using the Jamkazam platform, which worked quite well. I think the end result is comparable to collaborations recorded live in my studio.
Charles cleaned up and mixed the files from two Jamkazam sessions then I edited them as I would do for any podcast. (He also provided the image used in the header graphic.)
Here is some Bonus material from the sessions with Charles.
This month’s podcast is from a July 2020 Space Out, Outside performance featuring Bob Brass, and John Lutz.
It a weird one!! All electronics with plenty of noise and drone, so buckle up and enjoy the ride.
The experiment continues, more remotely than ever, as this month’s podcast is the first to feature a collaborator that I’ve never met, Scott Metoyer.
Scott Metoyer is a synthesist, experimenter, software developer, and visual creator from Southern California. His work explores the hidden symphonies all around us, locked away in the mundane artifacts of daily living and consumerism.
Scott uses custom-built controllers, modular synthesizers, and algorithmic processes to capture and manipulate reappropriated data into intricate and evocative soundscapes. He self-releases projects on Bandcamp, has many open source projects available on GitHub , and is currently designing a small range of boutique Eurorack modules.Learn more here: music.scottmetoyer.com IG: scottmetoyermusic
This month’s podcast is an experimental music experiment. Inspired by Al Margolis’ concept for podcast #57, and the desire/necessity to collaborate with musicians in distant locations, REMOTE VARIATIONS was born.
Here’s how it works: I recorded an improvised piece, keeping in mind that it would be sent to a collaborator (or in this case, two collaborators) to add to in any way they wanted. After the collaborator has finished with what I sent them, they take inspiration from that experience and create a new piece which they send to me to add to. Those pieces then go together to form the podcast.
My two (remote) collaborators this month were Irman Peck (Philadelphia, PA) and Michael Lowe (Denver, CO).
Irman Peck at Xfest 2020
Irman starts the podcast adding subtle synthesizers to the piece I sent him. Then around 15:45 we get more abstract with Irman’s response piece where he returns to his primary instrument, bass.
Michael Lowe (L) and Dean Sharp in 2011, this was the first time I met these guys!
Things begin to get glitchy and textural around 31:30 when Michael adds guitar to the piece I sent to him. Its fascinating how different two people’s response to the same piece of music can be! At 47:38 Michael’s response piece starts, which I add to on baritone guitar to close out the podcast.
Errant Elf, or Quantum Space… whichever you choose, this month’s podcast is from a live performance with Quantum Elf which took place on December 7, 2019 at the Rotunda in Philadelphia as part of the Event Horizon concert series.
Quantum Elf is Karl Fury (guitar, lap steel) and Floyd Bledsoe (synthesizers). It was a real honor to have these guys sit in with me for this show. I think our performance was pretty epic!
This month’s podcast features experimental musician Tom Law.
Tom uses Max/MSP to create his own instruments and to manipulate live audio. Our collabo gets a bit noisy and has some brutalist aspects; there are some fantastic textures! Open your ears and enjoy the ride.
This month’s podcast features selections from three soundtrack projects I worked on this year.
The first part is the entire score for the experimental theatre piece, Enki, which explored the Sumerian creation myth.
Next (starting at 21:04) are 2 tracks from the soundtrack for the adventure card game Dark Venture. Its a bit different than my usual work, as it involves a lot more synthesizers and also a fair amount of field recording and sound design. But these are two of the more abstract tracks. You can hear (and purchase) the entire soundtrack HERE.
Finally (starting at 38:46) there are some selections from the soundtrack for the documentary Baato, which is currently in post-production. Here’s a brief synopsis: ‘Baato’ (n. [Nepali] 1. path, trail 2. way 3. road) is an observational film that documents a young village family on an annual migration along the route of a planned trans-national highway. Partially complete, the highway project will transform this roadless Himalayan valley permanently and open up a direct transport route between Nepal and China – bringing new challenges, new opportunities, and ultimately a new way of being to those who live along its path.
Learn more here:
Errant Elf, or Quantum Space… whichever you choose, this month’s podcast is from a live performance with 
