katomusic

20 Minute Recording of Boston's Epic Thunder Storm

Nature was throwing a rave and it sure was fun. Recorded from my back porch in Roslindale, MA. Thunder, car alarms, trains, and sirens. Super Blitz!

Boston Thunder Storm 6/1/2011 by Katoarts  

Photo by Matthew Hashiguchi

 

The Obscure Sample

It may be just because I am still young and every day unlocking old music from the vaults (new to me), but I can't even begin to describe the excitement of discovering the source of an obscure music sample used in modern music.  It's obviously just part of the game for dusty crate weidling elctronic musicians this era of creative re-use.

 

Go! Team ---> Quincy Jones

 I remember the Go! Team coming into some copyright issues for their first album. Upon listening to Quincy Jones' Ironside, I realized that the Go! Team tastfully make an entire song out of a small piece of Jones' arrangment. 

 

 

 Daedalus ---> Auther Brown

Daedelus, the king of the obscure sample, the purveyer of the thrift store sound. He found a real gem in Auther Brown's headline track Prelude to a Nightmare off his wild album The Crazy World of Auther Brown.

 

 

Madlib ---> Donald Byrd

Although Mablib was hired to remix the blue note sessions, I certainly didn't know this was a Donald Byrd tune. This example goes beyond sampling, but is a beautiful example of what a genius like Mablib can do to an old tune. I've only recently picked up Stepping Into Tomorrow and Black Byrd and have loved both of them like family. Except for the fact that Black Byrd has gone missing...

 

8-Bit better than the real thing?

Well, of course not. But they certainly hold there own. Recently there have been a few note for note covers of some famous albums. A very cool idea if you ask me. In the chiptune community you usually see single songs being covered, but never an entire album. Although there are amazing Beatles and Daft Punk 8-bit cover projects, nothing comes close to hearing an entire album through the chip of an NES. The only legit two I could find were Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and Miles Davis' King of Blue. 

 

MOON8 - Dark Side of the Moon / By Brad Smith 

This is a transcription of the entire Pink Floyd album Dark Side of the Moon for the Nintendo Entertainment System. No expansion chips were used; this album works entirely within the limitations of the standard North American NES.

 

 

Kind of Bloop

/ Various Artists (Those Responsible)

 

I can only hope to see many more of these in the coming years. Someone do Pet Sounds for me?

Synth Pop in the U.S.S.R.

I became curious the other day and searched for Soviet Synth pop into the Google. YouTube had some really interesting results. My first impression was that all electronic music out of Soviet Russia was strictly for the use of government sanctioned workout videos.  Amongst the cheese and numerous bad guitar riffs, there are some priceless synth lines and serious grooves. 

I only wish I could find these tracks without that workout instructor blabbing and at a higher quality. 

There's some stand out moments at 2:50 in video 2, 1:00 in vid 3 and the ultimate at 4:57 in video 4. If you want to see a whole lot more, just search 'Ритмика часть' in YouTube.

 

Not that I wanted it to be true, but it seemed the Russians finally did jump on the Synthpop bandwagon in the late 80's. Although surrounding Soviet controlled countries were putting out electronic music earlier, the late arrival in culturally secluded Russia is not at all surprising. Upon further digging, with some help from Google Chrome's Translation services, I found some classic jams. 

 

 

2010: Half Year New Music Love List

Owen Pallet: Heartland 

January 11, 2010

After finally giving into the demands of the famous Japanese RPG developer SquareEnix, Owen finally has grown out of his slightly childish moniker 'Final Fantasy' and is now known simply as Owen Pallet. With his new grown up title, he has brought the world his most beautiful recording yet. With the help The Czech Symphony String performing his lush string arrangements, Owens usual enchanting narrations, and some demanding synth sequences, this release belongs on my shelf till my death. And yes, I actually bought it!

The songs on Heartland apparently form a story concerning a "young, ultra-violent farmer" named Lewis and his relationship with his deity. Although I didn't pick up on this personally, it certainly makes for a great album.

Other January Awesomeness:

Memory Tapes: Seek Magic - January 19th, 2010 

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Pantha Du Prince: Black Noise 

February 8, 2010

Continuing in the same vein as his damn good previous release, The Bliss, Hendrick Weber weaves his German electronic grooves into similar, but always welcome territory. The endless collection of dissonant yet soothing metallic percussion beats away in a roaming stereo field.

Unlike most minimal techno, Panthu Du Prince has direction in his songs. It's not the usual dazed out wondering electronica that makes for an endless and meaningless dance party. It's a deliciously refined composition from start to finish. The yellow cheddar is gone and is replaced with a creamy aged bleu that goes good with a variety of mental salads.

Further February Fineness:

Field Music: Measures - February 15, 2010

 
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Twin Sister: Color Your Life EP

March 30, 2010

With a lead singer that features a bedazzled green dress and hair that would rival any member of Poison, this Long Island 5 piece is making soft ballads very cool again. Color Your Life, the groups 2nd EP, is a patient collection of songs that slowly churn the colors of the aural rainbow into flavors I've been happily sampling for 3 months now. By the time you reach "All Around And Away We Go", it's an all out celebration and all the sudden your the center of attention even though no one is around. I certainly would have loved a full length album, considering there's not a bad song on the EP. Get working Eric!

More March Mastery:

Bonobo: Black Sands - March 29, 2010

Data Dogs: Night Light EP - March 22, 2010

 
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Shugo Tokumaru: Port Entropy

April 21st, 2010

How I love Shugo. I have a very childlike image of him. He's my Japanese Pied Piper who I found in a talking story book. While listening one might hear whistles, birds, bells, ocarinas, piccolos, wood blocks, a koto, a childrens choir, toy pianos, found metal objects. It's enough to make you laugh like an entertained toddler. Although I haven't a clue what he is saying (and I do prefer it that way) and with song titles like 'Drive-Thru' and 'Tracking Elevator' giving you clues to what the music is about, the prolific instrumentation and performance do describe in great detail the playfulness and imaginative nature of the world that Shugo paints. I guess eventually I would like to know what the hell it's all about.

April Afterthoughts:

Caribou: Swim - April 19th, 2010

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Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma

May 3, 2010

I certainly don't want to give anyone credit other than Steven for his personal musical imagination, however being direct blood relatives with Coltrane himself can never hurt. That's quite the spiked gene pool he's swimming in. It also probably gets him a killer sampling library, one that perhaps even rivals Madlib. The Lotus that Flies is mostly an instrumental affair besides a track featuring Thom Yorke and one with Laura Darlington. Blending hip-hop with all my favorite electronica tricks and treats, Flying Lotus is dream come true only second to none next to Daedalus. Good thing they roll together.

May Honorable Mentions:

LCD Soundsystem: This is Happening - May 17, 2010

Broken Social Scene: Forgiveness Rock Record - May 4, 2010

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Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today

June 8, 2010

Deary me. I think Ariel is all grown up. Although I do not know that much in the realm of Mr. Pink, I've been told he is loyal tape recordist, dwells in his mother's basement, and was an awful coked up performer when starting for Animal Collective in the early 00's. Not much to go on. But having known a few of his last recordings, I know something has changed. It's subtle, but it's there. It's as if Donald Fagan was hiding somewhere in the studio while recording, always leaving post-its around saying "there isn't enough polish", or perhaps "that could be a bit more smooth." Being a fan of both Ariel and Donald I am large fan of the outcome. Ariel has brought his usual array of silly voices, eclectic synth patches, and dancing basslines to the party. However, it seems he really thought about where they all belong this time.