Sam Phillips passed away last week, on July 30, 2003. Regarded as one of the founders of rock’n’roll, thanks to his work with Elvis Presley, Ike Turner and others, Phillips was also an early experimenter in recording-studio technology. An obituary in the Memphis newspaper, the Commercial Appeal, summed up Phillips’ Sun Studio innovation well: “Beyond producing the music made there, Phillips cooked up the room’s angled white-tile ceiling and walls, a clever sonic design envisioned … as if an oversize speaker were on its side. Many have commented on its unique design, which contributed to what we know as the ‘Sun sound.’ Onetime Sun engineer/songwriter/producer Jack Clement has even described the studio as an instrument in and of itself.” (Click here for the full text of the July 26, 2003, obit.) … (2) Wired.com reported on a new musical interface, the Audiopad, developed at MIT by James Patten and Ben Recht. Click here for the July 31, 2003, news story and here for the Audiopad’s website. … (3) Composer Max Richter has launched his website. Richter has recorded with Future Sound of London and Roni Size and he released his own album, memoryhouse, last year on the BBC’s Late Junction label. He is preparing a new album, The Blue Notebooks, inspired by Franz Kafka, for release on the FatCat label’s 130701 imprint.
Current Activities
• October 13, 2016: This day marks the start of the 250th weekly Disquiet Junto project. • November 16, 2016: I'll be sharing the mic at Adobe Books in San Francisco with my fellow 33 1/3 author Evie Nagy for an evening hosted, from 7pm to 10pm, by Marc Kate (facebook.com). • December 1, 2016: A likely speaking engagement. Details to come. • December 13, 2016: This day marks the 20th anniversary of Disquiet.com. • January 5, 2017: This day marks the 5th anniversary of the Disquiet Junto. • Ongoing: The Disquiet Junto series of weekly communal music projects explore constraints as a springboard for creativity and productivity. There is a new project each Thursday afternoon (California time), and it is due the following Monday at 11:59pm: disquiet.com/junto. • My book on Aphex Twin's landmark 1994 album, Selected Ambient Works Vol. II, published as part of the 33 1/3 series, an imprint of Bloomsbury, is now in its second printing. It can be purchased at amazon.com, among other places.