Jan St. Werner of Mouse On Mars Interview (Part 1 of 2) [Listen 30:15] Getting My Disorder Assessed By Jan St. Werner S04 Ep07
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
S04 Ep07 (Part1 of 2) - Getting My Disorder Assessed By Jan St Werner
Special Guest: Jan St.Werner (Mouse On Mars) (Part 1 of 2) can put his name to an elite group of electronic musicians who move through time pushing musical boundaries, exciting dance floors, and bending minds. He has done this by the difficult but necessary journey of searching out new sounds, considering unconventional uses for the objects and technologies that surround him, and (possibly most important of all) not sticking to a formula - keeping his music exciting, innovative and relevant. Jan St. Werner has been twisting, modding, and manipulating his musical environment for the past 20 plus years. After six years away, he and his longtime collaborator, Andi Toma, have teamed up again to put out two new amazing albums.
In this podcast we talk about the band’s name, a strange early connection between Andi Toma and Jan St. Werner, how the two work together, understanding technology, and how Mouse on Mars treats it, working with Mark E Smith of The Fall (and I kind of butcher the name Von Südenfed), we talk about the track Chagrin and much more.
The Glitch in the System
Wikipedia describes glitch music as "a genre that adheres to an "aesthetic of failure," where the deliberate use of glitch based audio media, and other sonic artifacts, is a central concern." This description is taken from Kim Cascone's entry in the Computer Music Journal published by MIT press THE AESTHETICS OF FAILURE: 'Post-Digital' Tendencies in Contemporary Computer Music. But there's another view to be taken by the genre, and one that may have progressed in the genre since the genre grew to wider popularity in the early 90's and that view is that glitch deconstructs noise and pieces the random elements back into some assemblance of order, some degree of melody (although, it could be said, loosely) and Cascone goes on to explain this in the article: "Another German group, which called itself Mouse on Mars, injected this glitch aesthetic into a more danceable framework, resulting in gritty low-fidelity rhythmic layers warping in and out of one another." This, I believe, is referring to their earlier work, perhaps Vulvaland in particular (released 1995). Some other later works by Mouse On Mars bear much less of a resemblance to a "danceable framework." But Vulvaland is a great early example of glitch music that is also somewhat melodic and atmospheric.
One could say that glitch music is the quickest to bring the exclamation from the uninitiated, "Turn OFF that Noise!" turning the deliverer of the exclamation into a parody of a curmudgeon from the 1950's protesting an Elvis Presley record. there's more behind the noise that is readily apparent; several artists credit the futurist composer Luigi Russolo as an influence. And some glitch strips down to only dissonant clicks and grinds, arrhythmic stops and starts, a wall of sound to silence, and no established tempo to speak of, but there's much more to it than noise. In fact, some glitch, take Autechre, Oval, or Ryoji Ikeda for example, gets to be so removed from a recognized musical structure that you get the feeling that you witnessing the inner workings of a computer, that you are an entity inside the computer, seated inside, hearing all the elements at work-- taking in the digital mystery as an unwitnessed observer, or perhaps an incognizant part of it. Whatever your approach to music, and acceptance of old forms of structure, Glitch can be one of the quickest ways to shatter your conceptions of music and your expectations of it.
While glitch carries the notion of being on the cutting edge, and there's truth in that, there is quite a lot of history behind it. Aside from Luigi Russolo, the United States Library of Congress credits the first sung by a computer to "Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)," Max Mathews (1961) "This recording, made at Bell Laboratories on an IBM 704 mainframe computer, is the earliest known recording of a computer-synthesized voice singing a song. The recording was created by John L. Kelly, Jr., and featured musical accompaniment written by Max Mathews. Arthur C. Clarke, who witnessed a demonstration of the piece while visiting friend and Bell Laboratories employee John Pierce, was so impressed that he incorporated it in the novel and film script for "2001: A Space Odyssey."1 You could say that the first glitch music is from Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, when HAL is being shut down, he ends up singing Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two), but, in his limited way, with logic circuits shut down. The first electronic work commissioned by a record company was in 1967: Morton Subotnick's Silver Apples of the Moon. While this may not seem so long ago, bear in mind that this was when The Beatles were putting out Sgt. Pepper's. Come to think of it, it's remarkable that glitch has maintained it's own through an era so dominated by polished studio sound and songwriting. Thanks to those who go against the grain.
1.http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2010/10-116.html
Aiming for the Simple and Innocent Things with Alex Paterson of The Orb (2 of 2) [Listen 22:37] S04 Ep06
Podcast (explicit): Play in new window | Download
Special Guest: Alex Paterson (The Orb) (Part 2 of 2) is a major player in the Electronica genre, splashing on to the scene at a transitional time in the genre's history: the period when European musicians were just starting to pick up on the new Techno revolution happening in Detroit and the Acid House scene from Chicago. The Orb were one of the leading bands playing their own form of Electronica at the beginning of the biggest electronic music explosions--the UK Rave scene in the late 80’s to early 90’s--and were fundamental in the direction that Acid House took; spawning "Ambient House" in the new "come down" or chill-out rooms of the rave clubs.
In this podcast, we continue from where we left off, and get into the details of sampling and all the fuss therein, what he's been doing with Lee Scratch Perry, and what he might like to do next. Have a listen
Chiptune: What's Old is New Again . . . And It's Really Old
As some musicians are striving to get the latest sounds and technology, other musicians are turning to old technology and hacking, modding, and stripping things away to make something new, something better. And they're using technology more than 20 years old.
It can be fairly technical, from adding additional chips, to just ripping some of the parts out haphazardly to see what kind of noises it'll make. It comes from several sources, but most often from old video game technology such as Gameboy and old pc's such as the Commodore 64.
It's another way for artists to create in severely limited confines. The appeal of chiptune music goes worldwide, and some artists have made a big name for themselves by working with pieces this way.
Chiptunes and modding has always had a large place in the computer demoscene, but the exact origins are debatable. They could be attributed to Eno from the days of Roxy Music fiddling at the controls of the board on stage, and with The Yellow Magic Orchestra, more closely with sampling computer game music.
But the interesting thing about it is that it hasn't died. The advancement of technology has only promoted the love and furthered the interest. And to show that everything is circular, it's made it's way back to vinyl. I'm mot talking about converting classic albums to 8 bit chiptunes--although that's been done--I'm saying that the format has gone from being the "new medium" that was going to knock vinyl off it's throne, to being discarded as refuse and come full circle to be revived to earn a place in the history of music on vinyl.
While Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, and Leafcutter John have been known to put elements of hacked and modded synths in their music, the indie artist, Jim Guthrie, might be the one who's been infected to the highest degree of chiptune into his music. You might have to call it "Chipfolktronicatune," if you weren't afraid for another lame subgenre label coming into usage. What a long strange trip it's been for the medium that was to be the killer of vinyl, to the bottom of the technological scrapyard, and back into vinyl again. What's next; videos of astronauts covering Bowie classics in space?
The Orb Interview (Part 1 of 2) [Listen 21:00] Finding Out Who You Are With Alex Paterson S04 Ep06
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
S04-Ep06-Part1-of-2-Finding-Out-Who-You-Are-with-Alex-Paterson-of-The-Orb
Special Guest: Alex Paterson (The Orb) (Part 1 of 2) is a major player in the Electronica genre, splashing on to the scene at a transitional time in the genre's history: the period when European musicians were just starting to pick up on the new Techno revolution happening in Detroit and the Acid House scene from Chicago. The Orb were one of the leading bands playing their own form of Electronica at the beginning of the biggest electronic music explosions--the UK Rave scene in the late 80’s to early 90’s--and were fundamental in the direction that Acid House took; spawning "Ambient House" in the new "come down" or chill-out rooms of the rave clubs.
In this podcast we travel back to the days of the early rave scenes, where chill-out music began, music critics, and much more.
Vinylophiles
I wanted to touch upon the history of vinyl for a short article, and found that the history goes deeper, and unfolds infinite layers like an ever-flowering lotus. It proved rather quickly that it couldn't be a subject that could be touched upon so lightly. Of course, my love for the medium has become my own impediment in this endeavor, and I would think it a travesty to not pay the due respect to the players that have been overshadowed in the history. One article can't right all the wrongs of history, and I won't be able to make a good job of it here considering the limitations, but take a look here at the early development of the record and turntable. The inventors and techniques they constructed to capture, and record sound is truly a complex tale. I wish I had known about it sooner.
The history goes so deep, it would make for a great public broadcaster miniseries, in fact. While the big names of Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell are often mentioned, the tale usually stops there; however, there are more players involved, more intrigue, and battles played for the upper hand, like challengers vying to ascend to the royal throne. There are figures in the early development that have gotten overshadowed and have been reduced to a minor players, that really have more to do with the development of the medium and the way vinyl is manufactured today than people would have you believe. One such figure being Emile Berliner.
Berliner was the one who developed the flat disk; earlier developments used a cylinder, and in fact, Berliner's initial product was so inferior to the sound of the cylinders that he marketed his "Gramophone" as a toy. But through the course of events, this toy made its way to a machinist, Eldridge R. Johnson, in Camden, New Jersey who was so fascinated by it that he set to improving the sound quality. With the help of Johnson, improving the sound, and later, the turning mechanism, the "Improved" Gramophone was a contender against the cylinder Edison Phonograph and Columbia Graphophone.
Afterwards, Berliner and Johnson joined with former typewriter promoter, Frank Seaman, who then hired Louis Valiquet to developed a less costly machine to produce. When the board turned down the manufacture of their design, he produced and marketed the design on his own at the same time against the Gramophone. Berliner and Johnson sued, and Seaman counter-sued, and through legal manipulation, Seaman achieved taking away Gramophone's patent rights. Berliner and Johnson counter-sued, and through all the legal wrangling, came out on top of the attempted collusion, and so it is said, created the new company--Victor.
P.S. An interesting note is that technology today is reaching back to the early formats of recorded sound to reproduce the earliest sounds that were thought to have been lost and unreproducible. The first known recordings are now becoming able to reproduce the sound that was irretrievable with contemporary methods. Audio is now being recovered not from the old disks, but from paper with the print of the grooves of the page; by this method and others being advanced, recordings are being recovered that were thought to have been lost long ago. It's fascinating, if you're into that sort of thing.
Daniel B. of Nothing But Noise Interview (Part 2 of 2) [Listen 21:45] Dropping the needle anywhere with Daniel B S04 Ep05[21:45]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
S04 Ep05 (Part2 of 2) - Dropping The Needle Anywhere With Daniel B
Special Guest: Daniel Bressanutti (a.k.a. Daniel B.) (Part 2 of 2): is an electronic music pioneer and one of the forefathers of the electronic body music genre. Daniel B was a founding member of the iconic Belgian band, Front 242, and an essential figure in the shaping of Synth-Punk, electronic dance, and post-industrial music. He and his current band, Nothing But Noise, comprises of himself, the other founding member of Front 242, Dirk Bergen, as well as adding Erwin Jadot into the mix. Nothing But Noise have a new Limited edition 300 copy 10” white Vinyl single called “Music For Muted TV 1” released on Record Store Day 2013. In this podcast we talk about about growing up in Belgium and getting inspiration from the Prog-rock bands of the 60’s, his connection to the visual arts, his perspective on music critics, and we get into some of his Front 242 work.
Does technology make a better musician?
There's no doubt about it, technology is advancing beyond all measure. It has been said that technology is advancing beyond mankind itself; our culture, society, mind, civilization, and ethics haven't risen to meet the demands and conundrums such an advancement carries with it. In fact, the latest technology in today's cellphones have more computing power than the Mars Curiosity Rover. The logical conclusion leads to launching cellphones into space to act as satellites now. The unfortunate matter 
on this is that cellphone technology is advancing so quickly that by the time that the phones get equipped and launched into orbit, they're outdated and that no one in the market for a cellphone would buy one. Seems rather a waste when most often cellphones get used for acquaintances of yours to post pics of what they had for dinner, doesn't it?
It has been said that technology is advancing beyond mankind itself
Think of what could be created if we put a fraction of that research and development towards new music machines: new sounds and treatments that could shatter the comprehension of the modern mind! However, as mankind, is conjectured to be behind technology, it could be said that musicians themselves haven't advanced far enough to use the capability of the technology. There still has to be a human application of theory and practice. Pressing one key on a synth that has been programmed to the gills to produce the sounds of an orchestra does not make a better musician. I would say that that doesn't even make a musician at all. A monkey could be pressing the key, or a brick resting on the key could just as well produce the same sounds of the programmed synth. There's a lesson in there for budding musicians in there.
Think of what could be created if we put a fraction of that research and development towards new music machines: new sounds and treatments that could shatter the comprehension of the modern mind!
Of course, there is nothing that dates music than outdated sounds, some artists, though, thankfully, manage to escape this limitation; I would use Brian Eno, David Byrne, and the Pixies as examples, but, of course, I'm biased. Although the the reverse is true as well, some musicians sound dated despite using the latest equipment, and no degree of production or equipment tweaking can fix. I'll not name names here; I'll just leave that to your own prejudice.
It's no secret that musicians are an odd lot; some are professed Luddites, some are obsessed to reproduce particular sounds or to use coveted equipment that their heroes used in their impressionable youth to capture the intangible effect.
It's no secret that musicians are an odd lot
There are also musicians/hackers/tinkerers to their equipment to get particular sounds. Richard D. James is one of the most obvious examples.
Theoretically, considering where the most advanced technology is these days, the best audio producing equipment would be a cellphone. Just wait, there's more to come from that direction.
Outdated technology
Of course, there is something to be said about getting the greatest product out of limited resources - to crafting a fine, polished product from within confining boundaries; like the short story is a unique medium in itself with it's own difficulties for writers. And really, so many of the best songs are done with a guitar, drum, and voice. Outdated technology.
But what is there to say except that, of course, there is nothing to show that advanced technology actually adds to the music; the source, the well-spring comes from the mind, and the talent of the musician, and is only limited, or limitless, therein.
So, taking all this in mind I'm going to be the latest to remix Justin Beiber on my cellphone, hurl it to the sky in a ballistic fashion to place it into the atmosphere. It goes on sale upon its return. Who doesn't want the latest limited release remix of Justin Bieber from space? Bidding has already begun on Ebay. Act now!
Daniel B. of Nothing But Noise Interview (Part 1 of 2) [Listen 21:34] Looking at sounds and images for meaning with Daniel B S04 Ep05
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
S04 Ep05 (Part1 of 2) - Looking At Sounds And Images For Meaning With Daniel B
Special Guest: Daniel Bressanutti (a.k.a. Daniel B.) (Part 1 of 2): is an electronic music pioneer and one of the forefathers of the electronic body music genre. Daniel B was a founding member of the iconic Belgian band, Front 242, and an essential figure in the shaping of Synth-Punk, electronic dance, and post-industrial music. He and his current band, Nothing But Noise, comprises of himself, the other founding member of Front 242, Dirk Bergen, as well as adding Erwin Jadot into the mix. Nothing But Noise have a new Limited edition 300 copy 10” white Vinyl single called “Music For Muted TV 1” released on Record Store Day 2013. In this podcast we talk about his latest band Nothing But Noise and their new EP “Music for Muted TV 1”, going on stage for the first time after a long absence, and we start talking about the direction of electronic music and pulling inspiration from the past.
Rant on Record Store Day
Like many things that started with the best intentions, an idea can grow to become something much larger, and outside of its original intentions. It can sometimes become a Behemoth that has gotten out of control. Many a Record Store Day release has found it's way onto the profiteering website eBay. The resulting opinions on this activity run the full spectrum from what you would expect; from it's only an exercise of freedom and capitalism, to it being the most egregious behaviour; that these people are the lowest of the low.
If you want to know the opinion from someone who is a founder of Record Store Day, you might look to Chris Brown, the RSD brainchild, who has suggested that even if you have the opportunity to grab everything, the more respectable thing would be to leave something there for the next guy. Not surprising that he hold this opinion since his inspiration was to "celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding over 700 independently owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally." And it's true, it has, it's a platform for global exposure, events, giveaways, concerts, and meet and greets. It truly has increased the exposure of record stores. You might even be impressed to hear that on the second RSD (2009), Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced that the City of New York officially recognized Record Store Day as a city-wide event, if you're the sort that gets impressed by what mayors of New York say.
A few years back, the band "Fucked Up" caught wind of people on eBay flipping their album "David's Town" and inaccurately reporting the release numbers. They considered these people "creeps," put a post on their blog site stating the true release numbers, and further, essentially stated that the trend on eBay is for the cost to go down in a couple weeks and that anyone that would pay such a price was dumb. They even went so far to suggest that if they wanted to hear their music, they could search for a torrent, or download link.
But lets dial it back a bit here. I may find it too easy to find the bad in everything. The idea and resulting exposure that Record Store Day gives to independent record stores is tremendous, and I don't want to knock it for the good that it's worth. The exposure is needed and deserved, and the furvour is exciting, and brings together people who might not engage in like-minded groups very often. And let's face it, many a good record store has gone under, and the frequency seems to be is quickening. It's a sad thing to see for anyone who has gotten the bug for vinyl, and especially for anyone who spent a good deal of their formative years building their musical taste amongst the stacks of the local independent shops.
I suppose that decency is too much to ask for when it's simply to easy to abuse. There are too many examples to draw from everywhere and not to copy, to try to grab a bigger slice of the pie, when everyone else is doing it, especially officials, mentors, authorities. Who can blame them, the example has already been laid and reinforced many times over.
Realistically, Record Store Day is a great idea, and when it was released out into the free market, capitalistic world, you have to let go and let it grow up to what it's going to be. There are always people ready to exploit whatever they see a quick profit. 
And as for us endorsing, or encouraging a behaviour, where there's an ethical border indistinct and blurred, no clear action dictated. We have to say that you are only guided by your own moral compass by which you choose your actions, and that's what makes this world so great, right? You stupid, vulgar, greedy, ugly American death sucker!*
*William S. Burroughs' words