Thursday, February 16, 2023

ATŌMI


 Music speaks of untold stories.

I don’t know if I bring music directly back from my dreams but what is sure is that my music is definitely very influenced by my dreams and the related feelings and emotions that overflow from my subconscious to the awake part of my life.

It’s happened in my life that waking up from a dream I could clearly remember a melody or some sort of rhythm that then I couldn't stop singing and repeating for the entire day.

But I’ve to say, it has been pretty rare.

Every day, as a morning routine, I’m used to remembering and sometimes also to keep note of my dreams, training both my subconscious and conscious part to keep an open dialogue and to listen to each other without judgment.

I call dreams our “parallel life” because we spend so much time of our life sleeping and while we sleep we elaborate a lot of things, as well as make a full check up of our psycho-physical state.

With our body-mind we can go everywhere, we can travel in space and time in a blink of an eye.

I have made my music on ancient planets, parallel realities and far clusters of galaxies way beyond even my imagination.

What advice would you give to someone starting on the music path?

Define your comfort zone, be aware of it and then put yourself out of it, stretch its boundaries, question and challenge yourself and listen to the needs of your body..

It’s not a competition, it’s not about time, money or fame, it’s about who you are.

Listening is revolutionary.

I think we can all agree that there are several ways of listening and that all of them are totally subjective. 

Listening is for me one of the powerful ways to immerse myself into unexplored worlds that activate my subconscious as well as keep myself in the “here and now.”

I think one of the main characteristics of humans is the behavior of seeing everything from their point of view, forgetting most of the time how narrow and how related to senses our vision is.

Our senses are tools pretty limited and definitely trained by the environment, cultural background and circumstances in which we grew up as well as the experiences we make during our life.

Music for me is the midpoint between our need for expression and a powerful “translator” that brings different realities into dialogue.

For your most recent album, Little Floating Oracles, which came first, the music or the concept?

The music as well as the concept came first.

But I had clear in my mind which kind of aesthetics I would like to explore for the album.

Then I was lucky enough to have been working on another project with Riccardo Franco-Loiri aka Akasha, who definitely was the right person to develop my ideas and bring them to the next level.

He combined studies on embryology and scientific aspects with atavistic knowledge regarding the otherworldly soul, taking inspiration from the Upanishads, to literally give life to a piece of art that deepens its roots into a surreal environment in which symbolic forms and dynamism coexist.

He modeled all the main elements of the artwork in Virtual Reality, valuing gesture, fluidity, speed of execution and the infinite possibilities of punctual intervention.

Furthermore, Akasha used OpenAI DALL-E 2, a new AI system that can create realistic images and art from a given image or textual prompt, taking the dialogue with technology to a further level. Thanks to this new tool, the AI then created a number of variations of the artwork used for the three singles Oracles, Oneiros and Adela.






What would you like to try that you have not tried yet?

I would like to start learning peculiar singing techniques like throat singing, or train myself to circular breathing to then experiment with them in a creative way.

A review of Little Floating Oracles



https://atomi.bandcamp.com/album/little-floating-oracles



Sunday, January 22, 2023

WXR_JR

 


Think of forever lost recordings hidden in a vault, wrapped in an old brown paper bag or wrapping paper to protect them from contamination, degeneration and erosion. The tapes are carefully dusted off, expertly restored and remastered and then presented to the world. 

Listening for me is opening myself up to all forms of sound without bias. Listening differs from appreciating or judging, I think we still think too much that we are listening when we are actually trying to understand, catalog or judge what we hear according to certain prevailing standards. When listening, I try not to look for references to something that is already known or familiar but I am always surprised at how difficult that is. It is very difficult to listen without prejudice.

I really do not know what is next. Who knows? And maybe it's better not to know. I just hope it won't be an unpleasant surprise. But I'm going to try to keep making music, if only because I can clear my head during the creative process. I really hope that one day I can make a song to celebrate the victory of Ukraine and the liberation of the Russian people. Or better yet, a song that celebrates the victory over all injustice.

I am immensely proud of the fact that together with my father I built the house we are living in right now. Only for the things we really couldn't do ourselves or that required specialized knowledge did we call in help. But then, my father was a real craftsman.

“What did you hear that changed your path along the way?”

Silence during the pandemic. Silence too is sound, albeit the absence of sound. Silence is at times stronger than the most heavy sound, more frightening than the most terrible scream. Silence can be an essential part of a release, you just have to know how to dose it. But isn't that true with everything?

Let's also remember especially those who are less fortunate than we are. I abhor the thought of people having to make heartbreaking choices at this time of year: food or heat. Anyone who thinks of publishing  a charity compilation to alleviate the suffering for these people, I am happy to offer a non-released track that’s still in the vault if they wish. All the best to all your readers, WXR_JR. 

“What does WXR-JR mean?”

To understand this a bit we also have to go back very far in time. Flanders (Belgium) has not always been prosperous. Long before the 1st WW, my grandfather (who had to leave school, or what was supposed to pass for it, already at the age of 7) worked as a shoeshine boy to earn some money to help financially the brooding family he was part of when he was just a kid. This was not by choice but by sheer necessity. In our village, just about everyone used to have a nickname. It was usually derived from a profession, character trait or even a disability. My grandfather was called Wikser because in the dialect of the region he came from, a shoe shiner was called a wikser. I have always found my grandfather a fascinating character. His wife taught him to read later in life (after all, she was Dutch and had been allowed to go to school until she was 10!) and when he was old (at least in my eyes, as he was already in his 80s when I was a kid) he read the newspaper every day. He could also tell great stories and he had that huge garden in which he was always busy with his bent back and from which, as a child, I got the tastiest vegetables, fresh from the ground. Despite all setbacks, he always remained that nice old man whose door was always open to everyone and where you could always go for a good story or nice lemonade. So WXR_JR is just a phonetic translation, as it were, of Wikser (WXR) Junior (JR), because I was the youngest grandson of the youngest son in the family. The capital letters and the underscore were an accident, the CapsLock key got stuck but I left it that way.

“What is music?”

Music, in my opinion, is about trying to convey emotions from one person to another. A form of expression through which many genres have emerged over time but all can be reduced to emotion: joy, sadness, fear, anger, amazement or disgust. Everyone tells their story in a different way and that is why we are also unique in this world. Emotions, I believe, guide us in our lives and bring us to our needs and desires but also push us to our limits. Very often, we find feelings or emotions difficult because in our society we have cultivated a mentality of 'get on with it' and 'don't whine but do it'. However, emotions are not tangible and we therefore sometimes experience them as awkward, difficult and complicated. Just as there is music that we find tricky, difficult or complicated. But that music is no less interesting for that.

“Are you able to bring music back from your nocturnal dreams?”

It happens that I wake up and have a (to my mind) great idea. Whether that is then a result of nighttime dreaming escapades I cannot always tell. But then the difficulty begins. I find it very difficult to translate some thoughts to sound. Sometimes it is also better not to translate those thoughts into sound, for instance when I have been dreaming so terribly because I still wanted to see that latest news flash with those most sickening images of absolutely inhuman cruelty to humans or animals, I am so horrified by it and sometimes those images just don't seem to want to disappear from my mind. I would then want to have the gift of a collective like CRASS or Throbbing Gristle to channel my anger and disgust into sound.

“What are some of the most interesting places you have made your music?”

The final creation of the track always happens in my small space where I have given my hardware a place. I sometimes mockingly (but mostly self-deprecatingly) call it "my studio". However, in the short time I have owned my field recorder, I have already made recordings in the craziest places and at the most diverse events. A carillon, an ocean, cycling races or other sporting events, goose riders (a very old folkloric custom dating back to the 17th century). Wooded areas are a favorite place (I can enjoy that pristine silence immensely) but wonderful sounds can also be recorded in the kitchen or utility room. And don't forget that there is a lot of economic activity in our area now: chemical industry, train stations, shipping. On request, I also recorded their annual concert for a local brass band (and luckily for me they liked the result).

“What have been your most important musical or artistic discoveries?”

Especially all those independent artists who offer their work through these small non-profit labels. I'm thinking of labels like ToneBurst, Hream Recordings, Anticipating Nowhere Records, Rusted Tone Recordings, Adventurous Music, Wormhole World or Shimmering Moods Records, but there are countless others (including obviously the ones I haven't discovered yet) that it's hardly possible to mention them all.

Listening to the releases and looking at the originality of the artwork of the accompanying, often complementary packaging of these releases, it is really striking how much love and dedication has been put into these releases. Of course, I must not forget TQ-zine and its associated (sadly now defunct label) TQN-aut as a source of fantastic discoveries. What great releases have appeared on this label is vast unbelievable. I will mention just a few that immediately come to mind right now: Reynols, St James Infirmary, Claude and Ola Aldous (also check out her artwork for TQ-zine, at moments very beautiful and touching), Pinnel, SINNEN, Shunyata Improvisation Group,... there is only one common denominator and that is that quality always prevails over quantity. And to realize  that almost all these releases are offered now as free downloads on the Bandcamp page! A few artists who inspired me even more were mainly those who stood out to me in terms of honesty. Their uncompromising approach, their attitude, their originality, but also their respect for people and society, their empathy for those who do not always have an easy time in society (think of all forms of mental health, poverty or victims of violence...). This group includes, among others, dogs vs. shadow, Simon McCorry, Darren j Holloway, and oh so many others who I do wrong by not mentioning them.  One, however, deserves extra mention in my opinion. The New Emphatic (Jonas Geiger Ohlin), he is one of the few who touched me so much, so emotional, so real, so honest, so pure.

TUSK Festival was also a great discovery. Again not the usual programming but bold and original (Loula Yorke, Yol, Posset, Gaelynn Lea, Mariam Rezaei, William Parker or a Bill Orcutt or Blóm or ah again so many names again I should really mention, check TUSK TV channel on YouTube and you will understand what I mean). Countless non-Western influences to be discovered there. I learned to listen even more than I already did before, not just trying to understand everything. You don't have to understand everything to find something beautiful and/or interesting. Expand your mind by not thinking in boxes.   

It's never that easy not repeating yourself when you find a nice beat.

“What advice would you give to someone starting on the music path?”

I’m a novice myself but I would recommend them to follow your heart, be honest and don't start it if you want to make a lot of money. Be open to the new, explore and push your boundaries. Learn from your mistakes, Rome was not built in a day after all. Learn to listen again, expand your mind with all kinds of sounds that are not always obvious. You don't have to like everything to find it interesting or exciting. Try to grasp the pure intention of the independent artist, what are the backgrounds, why does this artist create the music or sounds he makes. Don't take anything for granted, think for yourself, form yourself an opinion instead of accepting the pre-made junk. But above all, remember that honest criticism does not have to be negative to be fair, as long as it is constructive. But also always keep in mind: why do you make the music you do, what is your motivation? Be honest with yourself.

Some years ago, I visited some parts of the US and Canada with my wife. Living in a small country, in a region with a lot of industrial activity and almost no vast nature, no mountains, no forests or lakes nearby, we enjoyed this immensely. Enjoying that vastness, that beautiful uncontaminated nature that is definitely at the top of the list again. But there are also wonderful things to experience closer to home. In our own country or region, there are still so many beautiful places, buildings, artworks and so much more to discover and always there are new creative, honest artists who deserve our support and appreciation to discover... I actually dream, no matter where I go, that I get to enjoy the local beauty or hospitality unbiased. 

“What would you like to try that you have not tried yet?”

Pff, there is so much I haven't tried yet, from different types of transport to dishes of world cuisine or discovering unknown destinations. The question actually overwhelms me a bit. A trip on a submarine or travel in space, everything seems to be possible these days, so it seems. But maybe there is one thing I would still like to try but which I know may never happen. I have always had this great respect for pilgrims who trek to Compostella from all corners of Europe, on foot. I think on this journey of over 1,800 km (if you start from where I live) you get to know yourself better and possibly return as a completely different, maybe even better person.

The idea of the time machine is something that I think fascinates everyone. For instance, I would definitely like to use that time machine to visit my grandfather Wikser, who passed away when I was still a kid, or to meet his wife who passed away long before I was born and of whom I have heard only good things. Maybe I can use them to meet all those I miss terribly again and tell them that I miss them so much... But that time machine is a dangerous thought. Imagine if, before they could cause harm to humanity, you could seek out the biggest criminals, gangsters, politicians, or tyrants of any kind and have them eliminated. Whoah, scary because imagine for a moment that this time machine would fall into the wrong hands and we end up in a big unjust world ruled by the very people we don't want to be ruled by... And now I thought for a moment that maybe that time machine is already into the wrong hands…

###

Adventurous Music is a non-profit artist collective that has evolved from some different other artist groups around the beginning of the 21st century. By then, these artists had already been organizing audio-visual events in outstanding locations such as monuments, galleries, and museums as well as in clubs, bars, and cafes, and they continue to do so.

Since 2013, Adventurous Music has also created a bi-monthly podcast featuring music by artists and on labels we enjoy.

In 2019, we started our own non-profit micro-label focusing on the release of experimental electronic music. As a format, we exclusively chose limited printed goods (such as cards and books in small editions of < 100) that include visual artwork and a download code for the music.

We are always interested in a huge variety of music genres so we would love to exchange releases with you or your label.

And just in case you love our sounds but cannot afford to buy our releases, please feel free to ask for a download code.

We are a small group of artists that appreciate experimental audio and visual art. Our label is not a business, which we hope to generate money from. It is foremost a community project that we share and are passionate about. For us, it is the most rewarding, to share and exchange great work with other artists, listeners, and collectors. Together with small independent radio stations and small magazines we try to get our music heard. In many cases, we donate our income to good causes or use it to produce physical releases. But that is always the decision of the involved artists. We are still at the beginning of creating a bigger listening community and with more artists and a wide variety of sounds we will surely reach that goal. 

Also, we do not release content and/or artists that discriminate against or are disrespectful to other people.

https://www.adventurousmusic.com/wxr_jr-excerpts-from-the-vault-vol-1-3/

https://adventurousmusic.bandcamp.com/

https://igloomag.com/profiles/wxr_jr-excerpts-from-the-vault-v1-3-adventurous-music

Toh Imago’s interview

 


I'm quite convinced that everything we listen to between 15 and 25 years old forges our musical culture forever, it's an important age where we shape our personality. 

So obviously everything we hear afterwards, we hear it through the prism of what we have integrated at that age. And then we have the notion of "musical paralysis" that comes into play. To fight against it and not to become an old fart, you have to make efforts and never stop listening to new things, which is necessarily less complicated when you are a musician and a DJ.

I was never a musician, I was a music lover first and at a very young age I came across software to create music. At first it was a game and then it became more and more serious. Thanks to Myspace I was able to make my first live performances and then I became a DJ.

On my last album "Refuge" I went into the forest with my colleague and sound engineer Olivier Vasseur to send/project sounds (sample or synth) into the forest, re-record them and benefit from the natural reverberation. To go into the forest, to get away as much as possible from human sound pollution, to then listen to nature and mix artificial sounds, it was a very satisfying experience.

We shouldn't put pressure on ourselves, nobody invents anything. The music we make is just the sum of our influences and our experience. The mistake is to want to follow a fashion, what is fashionable ends up being outdated (even if we are necessarily influenced by the sound of our time). If we do personal things then they will be singular. You shouldn't make music to fit a particular genre or audience. You have to make music because it's a deep need.

Apart from the team that gravitates around me, I am rather a solitary producer. In the future I would like to integrate real musicians in my music. I would love to do some real drum and guitar work.

Two of the albums that forged my culture are "Homogenic" by Björk and "Kid A" by Radiohead. These are the albums that opened the first doors to labels like Warp and artists like LFO, Autechre, Squarepusher… During the creation of refuge I listened a lot to the album "Agor" of Koreless which had a great influence for me, especially in the use of the voices.

If we refer to John Cage then everything is music. But for me music is taking sounds and noises and taking them out of context, rearranging them to give them meaning. The way a musician will rearrange and shape the sounds (whether they come from an instrument or are concrete samples) will give them a different meaning. Context is important, listening to the sound of nature is nice but listening to a Bernie Krause record at home takes on a whole new meaning. On my album "Refuge", with my sound engineer Olivier Vasseur, we went into the forest and thanks to a bluetooth speaker, we sent synth sounds into the forest that we re-recorded. So the music I created melts into the one created by nature. So everything is music here.

Listening is the meaning that each person will give to the sounds he hears and it is there that the music is created. The artist will create his music with his references and his history, the listener will interpret it in his own way. In electronic and instrumental music, listening is important, the listener has the freedom to create his own universe from the musician's. Abstraction is important to make our brain work and create our own images.

My most important musical or artistic discovery was Picasso. Well ok it's not really an underground discovery. Like everyone else I saw the famous works without looking further: "ok he's a genius if you say so". But later I saw a documentary about Picasso. I first learned that he was at the beginning a classical painter with an impeccable technique, then I saw how he had spent his life deconstructing this technique to go to the essential (and then we discover his behavior with young women and we wonder why all these geniuses are assholes). I saw an exhibition with several of his work stages and it is fascinating. That's the key! Try to go to the essential, get rid of the superfluous to get an idea across. And it applies perfectly to music.

One day I was talking with Olivier, my sound engineer, who was telling me about this concert of a very famous bluesman whose name I forgot, who held the audience for several minutes with a single note repeated over and over.So obviously with me it's more complicated since I'm far from being a virtuoso originally. But understanding that has given me a guideline since Nord Noir, my first album. I compose things often loaded that I try to purify to go to the essential and it is very hard!

I have a hard time remembering my dreams and the more I think about it the more I realize that my music is always anchored in reality

I love places away from the world and cities where nature is inspiring. Again, this isn't very original, but I would love to go to Iceland.

My most cherished accomplishment?

This last album "Refuge" and in particular the work we did in the forest with Olivier. It was really an experimentation and we only knew what it would give. The result is completely up to our expectations, the sounds (samples and synths) sent in the forest gives a unique natural reverb, especially when associated with the original "dry" sounds. And then these are forest gives life to this album.

I'm already thinking about the next album, I'm in the middle of experimenting and collecting sounds. I would like to explore a new way, I would like to think about all the sounds that forge a personality and how the memory interprets in the present the sounds assimilated and integrated in the past. I try things, maybe it will work, maybe it won't...

Toh Imago is a paradoxical producer. On the one hand, his records are constructed from “concrete” samples of nature, a siderurgical site, oceans or childhood VHS tapes, the very placesthey are meant to emulate. On the other hand, he fashions an imaginary place into which his creator and his listeners can transport themselves - an imaginary club where one can dance the night away from the comfort of one's own home or from a train looking out the window.

All tracks written, composed, produced & performed by Thomas Hennebicque.

https://tohimago.bandcamp.com/

https://tohimago.bandcamp.com/album/refuge

https://igloomag.com/reviews/toh-imago-refuge-infine



LPF12

 


Dreaming about music? I think so. I think writing music is happening in part on a subconscious level. That includes the influence of dreams and memories and experiences from the past. I am usually not writing music for a pre-defined theme - composing for me is a spontaneous act, but I must admit that I prefer the minor scales, which is kind of a scheme I am emotionally obliged to...

Listening is letting go.

My two sons are my most cherished accomplishments.

Music is the second best distraction from this crazy reality.

In the long hiatus I discovered ambient, film scoring and IDM, which still have a huge impact on my sound. Recently I started exploring melodic techno and also a few singer/songwriters.

I started writing music when I was 16, experimenting with the electro/industrial genre. In 1995 I decided to take a break, which lasted 15 years. In 2010 I came back, using modern technology and experimenting with ambient and IDM - and I still do.

I still like my back-catalogue, the 90s-tapes, but they represent the old and harsh LPF12-sound. My sound nowadays is totally different and shows a grown up-version of my project. I feel very comfortable in the ambient genre and I never get tired of finding the right sound for a melancholic or dark soundscape. I became a lover of harmonies and melody over the past years.

LPF12 means Low Pass Filter 12 dB, it's a part of a synth for example. Back then I wanted to use a technical name for my project, but nowadays I would also release under my real name and I'm still thinking about doing so.

I've always recorded my stuff in my creepy cold cellar-studio, but since we're moving soon I have to set it up in a new place, which should be quite exciting. There's surely enough space for new inspirations.

To those about to try music: Write the music only for yourself firstly. When you feel safe with your style: Don't get distracted by the expectations your listeners might have. Surprise yourself by trying out new influences and don't repeat yourself if possible. Write music from your heart and soul.

Technically speaking the VST-technology in combination with old fashioned hardware are my most important musical or artistic discoveries. That really made my comeback in 2010 possible. As a musician nowadays you have endless possibilities to create your sounds and your signature style.


What would you like to try that you have not tried yet?

Learning how to be a better piano-player.

I'd love to meet my musical Idol James Newton Howard and have a look at his studio, maybe writing a cue for a film with him. :)


What is next?

Setting up my new studio and hopefully writing a new album soon. 

LPF12 is a solo-project by German artist Sascha Lemon, founded in 1993, creating Electronica. LPF12 released various albums on Ionium Records, Abstrakt Reflections, Crime League, 7MNS Music and Raumklang Music as well as a number of Bandcamp-only releases.

http://www.lpf12.de/

https://lpf12.bandcamp.com/album/contours-of-stillness

https://igloomag.com/reviews/lpf12-contours-of-stillness



Strategy



I believe we are enriched in life by interaction with mysteries, even if whimsically or as a thought experiment. Zeroing in on the "unexplained sky burner" allowed me to step into the zone of the unknown in a playful, and mentally necessary way I think. 

As an artist, that is how I want to feel every time I experiment with music - that I'm stepping into some unknown adventure or happening upon a mysterious epiphany that beckons being unpacked, but can never be completely unpacked. 

Some of the most interesting places I have made my music are a planetarium in France; in front of a mechanically animated dome structure / art piece in a vacant building in downtown LA; in a vacant retail space in Antwerp, Belgium; in a historic art space in Seattle which had been a creepy "home for wayward girls" a long time ago.


My advice to someone starting on the music path:

Avoid genre orthodoxy and mimicking your idols who came before. 

Gear doesn't matter, it's your relationship to the instrument. 

Do what you feel. 

Imagine yourself on the edge of a world of infinite possibilities. 

Music is the first language, or perhaps second depending on if you think dance came first. 

Listening is the most important part of music making.  

My most important musical or artistic discoveries?

No matter what I try to do to outsmart myself...wherever I go, there I am. 

My most cherished accomplishment?

Not quitting music, even when the worst parts of me thought there was every reason to do so. 

I have several unfinished albums very near completion. I'm looking ahead as far as wrapping them, and I hope everything beyond that is a complete surprise out of left field. 


STRATEGY is me (Paul Dickow), a musician, DJ, producer, and record label operator based in Portland, Oregon. In keeping with the tradition of aliases in house, techno, disco, etc. I adopted the pseudonym Strategy in 1999, to represent my solo production work, and first officially released under that name in 2003. There are numerous other artists called "Strategy" out there, with whom I am happy to share the name. I also used the alias Extinct briefly, but have been pretty consistent about using one pseudonym. Go to the Discography and Remixography to learn about the labels and records I have worked with/on.

I also play in the bands Sound People, Smoke and Mirrors, Fontanelle, Nudge, and One Human Minute, and I previously played in the bands Emergency, The Cold War, Two Noises, and the Fracture Line.

Together with David Chandler I run the Community Library label established in 2005. Together we had a monthly musical event called Community Library where each DJ set was based around specific themes. We'd also have live performers and show movies and such. While the DJ night gradually morphed into the record label, we both still DJ actively together and separately which you can learn about here.

http://community-library.net/

https://communitylibrary.bandcamp.com/

Uncompromisingly eclectic since 2005. Operated in Portland, Oregon, Cascadia by founders Paul Dickow and David Chandler. 

Check out our sister label Common Language as well: commonlanguage.bandcamp.com

http://www.strategymusic.com/

https://strategy.bandcamp.com/album/unexplained-sky-burners

https://igloomag.com/reviews/strategy-unexplained-sky-burners-peak-oil




 

Sawako

 


It takes 8 years to finish, so many memories are layered, blurred and convoluted that I don’t clearly remember what was the start point. 


what does Stella Epoca mean?

- the new era of stars

- stardust candies

- birth of new stars

i hope it will become a sounding amulet for the future life of listeners.

i hope people will enjoy to create their own constellations with the sounding stories.


My advice to someone starting on the music path: 

believe yourself and dream. move hands (for programming, scoring, software operations, instruments playing or whatever) more time than in front of google or SNS. not to decide your limitation by yourself. 

these are the advices which I usually say for my Japanese students. But, I think it may change for the cultural background (and mentality, the way of thinking of the person etc).


Human beings have many unique characteristics compared with other creatures here on Earth, including the use of speech, story telling, and the preservation of history. What is music?

from the view point of the relationship with creatures, music is the possibility to communicate with them.


What is listening?

opening your ears and body to the world. 


Are you able to bring music back from your nocturnal dreams?

yes. actually, it was more than music - something like the source of music which is not able to express with the five senses of human beings of nowadays.


Where do you dream of going (vacation, tour, exploration, by time machine, etc)?

Tibet, South America, Ice Land, Milky Way (both today and ancient time)


What would you like to try that you have not tried yet?

try to go to meet Japanese dolphins in the ocean. and maybe try to learn dolphin songs from them.


P.S. my favorite Japanese pop song when i was 10 years old was “DOLPHIN SONG” by Flipper’s Guitar.

i think because the track is with many samplings, it is not on Spotify. but here is the link of the artist page on Spotify.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5fkHPXDNaqz3GrYYhO8APB?si=NFIRiKxjRzuHlAtKpNRXSg


Sawako is a sound sculptor, a timeline-based artist and a signal alchemist who understands the value of dynamics and the power of silence. Once through the processor named Sawako, subtle fragments in everyday life float in space vividly with a digital yet organic texture. She weaves the poetic soundscape to connect and fuse dream and awake, urban and nature, real and virtual.

Sawako released her albums from 12k (USA), and/OAR (USA), Schole (Japan), BASKARU (France) and Anticipate Recordings (USA). She had collaborated or improvised with Taylor Deupree, HYPO, Ryan Francesconi, Toshimaru Nakamura, Andrew Deutsch, Kenneth Kirschner, Daisuke Miyatani, Kyoka, AOKI Hayato, ARAKI Shin, Haruka Nakamura, Ryuichi Sakamoto among others.

Her tracks were used in “Treelines” the documentary by Patagonia Film and “GEEK GIRLS” the documentary by Gina Hara, and she created the playlist based on the theme of Earth Day for Aesop. Alfred and Kosei Komatsu as well as for the fashion shows of Support Surface.Her unique sonic world has been called “post romantic sound” by Boston's Weekly Dig.

She has performed internationally as an audio and/or visual artist in MUTEK (Canada): Warm Up at PS1, Armory Show, Diapason, Le Poisson Rouge, Tonic, Diapason, Monkey Town, Issue Project Room, Roulette, World Financial Center Winter Garden UCLA Hammer Museum (LA); OFFF Festival (Lisbon); MACBA, CosmoCaixa, Sonar Festival (Spain); Glade Festival, Resonance FM, ICA (UK) ; Batofar (Paris); m12(Berlin); Offsite, Super Delux, Bullets, gift_lab, Vacant, Apple Store (Japan).

Her works are mentioned in “Listening through the Noise : The Aesthetics of Experimental Electronic Music” (Oxford University Press) by Joanna Demers, “Handmade Electronic Music” (Routledge) by Nicolas Collins and “Transmission Arts : Artists and Airwaves” (PAJ Publications ) by Galen Joseph-Hunter and others. Her work has been featured in The Wire (UK), Blow Up (Italy), Improvised Music from Japan (Japan), NY Art (US), e/i magazine (US), DEBUG (Germany), Go MAG (Spain), GAFFA (Denmark) among others.

Sawako obtained a Master's degree in Interactive Telecommunications from ITP New York University where she studied Networked Expression, Algorithmic Composition, Physical Computing, Ambient Information, Post Linear Narrative and Audio/Visual Studies. She received a BA from the Environmental Information Department at Keio University, SFC , Japan. Since 2019, she is the part-time teacher of Ferris University, Yokohama Japan, where she teaches Media Art and Computer Music for women.

Born in Nagoya, Japan, studying the classical piano and Japanese Nohgaku Theater when she was a child.


https://troncolon.com/

https://12kmusic.bandcamp.com/album/stella-epoca

https://igloomag.com/reviews/sawako-stella-epoca-12k

Music Within

 


Music has always been a huge part of my life. I began learning to play the piano when I was just a little lad. My parents weren’t musical themselves but they saw the value of having my sister and I learn an instrument. I can’t thank them enough! Growing up I played in school bands, personal rock bands, and even an orchestra. When it came time to choose a life path, funny enough though I actually headed down the road to becoming an engineer (like math and science engineer, not audio engineer). After a few years I realized that I had to make music more than a hobby or I might never be happy. So after a yearlong audio production program I got hooked up with a music publishing company in Toronto called Bedtracks. I began writing music for TV shows, documentaries, and advertisements (and still do). At some point around 2017, I realized that I had all of this music that I’d written and was proud of but had no way to share it with the world. So initially ‘Music Within’ was born as an avenue to share some of my work, kind of like a portfolio of albums. But it has become much more than that now. It’s another artistic outlet for me to use to write music just for music’s sake. Since starting the project, I’ve put out 10 or so albums and many singles/EPs in between.


“What advice would you give to someone starting on the music path?”

First off, I’d say that you should try to remember that success generally follows an exponential curve. This is going to take time. Have a realistic time frame to achieve your goals so that you don’t give up. Also (this is one that I learned this one from Grant Cardone): set goals that are ten times bigger than what you normally would. It will keep you more motivated and if you fall short of this massive goal, you’ll still accomplish a lot! Oh and try not to be too hard on yourself. I'm still always guilty of comparing myself to people that are 20 years ahead of me, who write beautiful film scores and amazing music and while it can be a good kick in the butt to work hard, make sure not to compare too harshly.

I am proud to say that I just recently hit the milestone of 4 years as a full-time freelance music composer! That’s an accomplishment that means a lot to me.

Truthfully, on a day-to-day basis, I often feel like I’m not making the progress I’d hoped for, that things are moving too slowly, and that I’m stuck in a rut. But, questions like this help me to take a step back from my myopic view, to really appreciate things that I’ve been taking for granted. It’s pretty wild to think that on a monthly basis, there are 50,000 people who listen to my music, or that I have several tracks with over a million plays. From this zoomed out perspective, I feel kind of amazed that since starting on this path, I’ve built up a catalog of over 500 pieces of music (150 or so of which are released under Music Within). I guess I needed a good reminder to not take for granted the fact that I’m supporting myself with my music.

Music is another form of communication and self-expression. It transcends borders and boundaries. Give two people from completely different parts of the world the opportunity and they will be able to make music together without speaking each other’s language or knowing anything about each other. It’s an amazing thing! Music is also an opportunity to take listeners on a guided journey over a period of time. In the same way that an author can transport a reader to a specific place in their mind, so too can music transport listeners. And it can do so without language, which means that music doesn’t have the specificity of language. It is more open-ended and a more personal experience. Basically, music is the best.

True, deep listening is a form of meditation. And it’s definitely my favourite form of meditation. Focusing only on what you’re hearing and staying right there with the music as it develops, it’s a special experience. For someone who spends their days creating music, listening has become something that is synonymous with living.

I definitely do dream about music, whether it’s listening or creating, but I have yet to wake up and remember what I heard or made in the dream. Something to work towards!

Now that Interwoven is released and out there in the world I’m working hard to get it in front of as many people as possible. I’m currently preparing for a few piano performances in the Toronto area to showcase the music. Outside of Music Within, I actually have a number of things on my plate right now. I’m beginning the process of scoring 2 short films - (unrelated to one another). And I’m in the middle of recording the 2nd full-length album with my band, Centuries of Decay. I have a lot of rather technical guitar material to chew through right after I finish writing this. Exciting times!

What would you like to try that you have not tried yet?

Bungee jumping! Wind surfing!


https://www.music-within.com/

“I like to look at it like I’m writing music for films that don’t yet exist, or that may only ever live as unique stories within each listener’s mind,” says McAllister. Naturally he does also compose music for film projects that do exist, most recently co-scoring the documentary film Town of Widows.

Rob is a classically trained pianist with a curiosity and passion for learning new instruments and exploring new sounds. This has fueled the addition of many new sound pallets into his productions. In addition to playing the piano, he is a multi-instrumentalist who plays the guitar, trombone, and accordion to name a few. He is continually writing new music, and loves the creative freedom that composing music on a regular basis provides.

Born and raised in Welland, Ontario, Robert Daniel McAllister studied classical piano for 10 years.  During this time, he earned his Grade 8 Piano Certificate and his Grade 2 Music Theory Certificate.  Always keen to learn a new instrument, he picked up the trombone in school and later joined the Niagara Youth Orchestra for five years.  Additionally, Rob became proficient at playing the guitar and joined many bands over the years.  Currently he is the lead guitarist in a metal band called Centuries of Decay. 

Rob attended McMaster University and studied Physics, obtaining a B.Sc. (Physics).  Realizing there that he needed to pursue his real passion, music, he enrolled and completed the Audio Production Program at the Harris Institute in Toronto.  Upon completion, Rob was offered a 6-month internship at The Hive, an established Toronto music studio.  This internship focused on audio production and music composition for film and television.  This internship was the stepping-stone from which Rob dove headfirst into his career as a music composer.

From that time Rob has been honing his composition skills and growing his personal catalog to approximately 450 pieces of music at the present time.  Rob’s music has been featured in advertisements for IKEA, Lexus, Rocky Mountaineer, Holt Renfrew, Huggies, and Power Athletics to name a few.  He has written theme songs for television shows, including APTN’s Wild Archaeology, Global’s Decision Canada (Canadian election coverage), A User’s Guide To Cheating Death, and Last Stop Garage.  He has provided additional music scoring for Global’s 16x9, and the documentary films Fanomenon and The Drop: Why Young People Don't Vote.  He co-scored the full-length documentary entitled Sister Elizabeth: The Strength Of Faith. Most recently, he co-scored the documentary film Town of Widows, which aired on the CBC.

Around 2019 Rob began focusing more of his efforts on finding his own musical voice and developing his project Music Within. Steadily releasing singles, EPs, and albums, the project now contains a collection of about 150 pieces for people to listen on all platforms wherever music is available. 


https://music-within.bandcamp.com/album/interwoven-2

https://igloomag.com/reviews/music-within-interwoven

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfFDGizRoM9noJGp6ii39RA



Electric Voyage Studio

 


The title Pink Snow comes from the picture I used for the cover, taken by my parents who are doing a lot of high mountain hiking. On the photos you can see a frozen lake and all the snow around is covered with some pink sand from the Sahara desert that is lightly pink. This kind of thing happens once in a while.

Most of those little pieces are jams that I recorded for fun around single electronic instruments with additional effects (a lot of Roland MC-202 with old echo / spring reverb and modular synthesizers). Most of those have been available as video on my Youtube channel until I decided to get those all together into a release.

I used a reel to reel recorder for the first time to master this album, it gives a nice crunch and noisy background to everything and I really like how it turned out.

Electric Voyage Studio

The Electric Voyage Studio is an independent mastering & mixing studio run by Julien Guillot aka Stazma The Junglechrist / Repeat Eater, focused on bringing better sound quality to releases from the underground music scenes of this planet.

The main activity of the studio is mastering. Over the years I have been working with artists such as End.user, Bong-Ra, Voodoom and many more in the Breakcore scene, but also for a lot of less extreme oriented labels such as Brainwaves, Kaometry and my own imprint Concrete Collage.

As a very open minded music listener I've been also working for Rap and Rock bands and I'd be happy to work on anything.

Stazma The Junglechrist

Started in 2008, it is the first and main project from Julien Guillot, started on the super violent and punk end of the Breakcore scene to become more of an experimental mutant breakbeat and "weird core" entity in the past few years.

Concrete Collage is trying to be a modern thinking record label, focused on releasing quality underground electronic musicians, also supplying them with a quality artwork and mastering..