Automatonomous

Ramshackle, loose, clattering.

This clacky, rickety ambient music track is made almost entirely from guitar sounds, primarily extended techniques, but far more melodic and structured rhythmic than work shared previously. Clearly enhanced with effects in the edit, and some percussive effects from zithers and accordions that kick in around 0:50 from Echo Collective.

It felt windswept, remote, and forlorn, so I chose this photo from the California ghost town of Bodie to accompany it. Enjoy.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/173186892″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Prepared Guitar

Les Paul clone, eBow, and chopsticks on a foggy Saturday morning.

This spring I rediscovered the guitar, first as a compositional tool – my music’s texture is so different when I start with the guitar and not keyboards – and soon thereafter as a tool for sound design. I started getting back into prepared guitar and extended playing techniques, and rekindled my love for vibrating steel.

In fact, the more I did it, the fewer processors and effects I used. It was weird enough already. And I like weird. It led me on a whole summer-long journey into music, as opposed to field recording or sound design, often on the cinematic tip. This fall I may share some more results of this summer’s studio musicfest.

Steel is real.

Today’s sound is more drone than music, though. It’s from a live improvisation session featuring my old Epiphone Les Paul clone, an eBow, and two chopsticks stuck in the strings at the 12th fret.I also took some small alligator clips, clipped them to some strings, and flicked them against nearby strings for some filigree panned to the left and right.

No effects were used (distortion is just from the preamp) except some cutting with a low shelf EQ and a slight, broad EQ lift around 2KHz; no compression, either. The whole session has been only slightly edited in post.

Headphones and a dim room recommended.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/168600067″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Indian Summer

No sound effects or field recordings this time, instead…a short sample of music, improvised on a sweltering fall day that inspired the track’s name.

This piece is entirely played on the guitar, obviously run through effects in places and totally unprocessed in others. Some of the many guitar tracks were also prepared with magnets on the strings, pennies stuck in the fretboard, and I think an elastic band.

You don’t have to ask: Yes, I listen to Klimek and Fennesz. :-)

[soundcloud url=”http://soundcloud.com/noisejockey/indian-summer” params=”show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=dd0000″ width=”100%” height=”81″ ]
[Epiphone “Les Paul”-clone guitar into MOTU 828mkII interface, recorded and processed in Apple Logic Pro]