downstream – Page 257

Natalie Braginsky’s Noise Vexations

Two exercises in sonic disturbance

January 17, 2017January 17, 2017 / By Marc Weidenbaum

Natalie Braginsky uploaded some serious noise about two weeks ago, two tracks of digital vexations. There “.linexp,” five minutes of brief shots of razor-edged pixel disturbances, and “total emotional collapse number four,” which embraces a thick screen of randomness. The latter focuses on the sort of sounds that often suggest the roiling sea but here seem more like an avalanche on — to borrow and bend a phrase from Godflesh — looped repeat. It takes awhile to get underway, opening with short bursts of fireworks that eventually fill the sky, the whole thing running for four-plus minutes. It’s “.linexp” that presents itself as ready for more general consumption. The noise miniatures bring to mind road-side snapshots of robotic collisions and sad-toned circuits failing in public.

Tracks originally posted at [soundcloud.com/nataliebraginsky](https://soundcloud.com/nataliebraginsky/). More from Braginsky, who is based in New York City, at
[twitter.com/ntkvby](https://twitter.com/ntkvby) and
[instagram.com/ntkvby](https://www.instagram.com/ntkvby/).

The Ecstatic Ambient of Nuun

Check out the "Expanding Universe"

January 16, 2017January 16, 2017 / By Marc Weidenbaum

There are many ambient sounds and musics, from the everyday soundscape to the barely-background of ambient techno. Somewhere amidst all that is what I’ve come to think of as “ecstatic ambient.” Ecstatic ambient amplifies the pulses inherent in tones and maximizes the surface textures, and in turn it yields what could be mistaken for one of Terry Riley’s electric ragas or one of Philip Glass’ early solo organ riffs. Such is “Expanding Universe” from Nuun. In just under two and a half minutes, it shreds the air, pushing saw-toothed waveforms and jittering static, and breaking it up with glitching beat-like demarcations. In a sense it’s noise music, but it’s entirely absent anything like a negative impulse. If it’s noise, it’s a joyful one.

Track originally posted at [soundcloud.com/nuunnuun](https://soundcloud.com/nuunnuun/expanding-universe-sketch).

An Aphex Twin Syro Cover on Piano

One of Josh Cohen's latest transcriptions

January 14, 2017January 14, 2017 / By Marc Weidenbaum

Perhaps Aphex Twin will follow Brian Eno’s recent lead and, as with Eno’s *Reflection* album, revisit if momentarily the art of long-form ambient recording. Since returning to action in 2014 with [a birthday blimp](http://www.factmag.com/2014/08/16/an-aphex-twin-blimp-is-flying-over-london/), a well-received full-length (*Syro*), a [live DJ set](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YIT9JSMqIo) in the U.S., and a massive SoundCloud presence, among [other activities](http://www.factmag.com/2016/06/30/aphex-twin-debuts-cheetah-at-the-2016-summer-namm-show/), Aphex Twin hasn’t released much ambient music. On the recent *Cheetah EP* (2016), there were two short tracks, 27 and 37 seconds each, “CHEETA1b ms800” and “CHEETA2 ms800,” both segments of synthesizer drones that seemed like test runs of film-score sound design. *Syro* ended with “aisatasana [102],” a beautiful, plaintive solo piano piece that in its hushed quietude balanced the often frenetic beatcraft of the rest of the record. That’s about it.

Josh Cohen has built something of a YouTube following for his piano covers, and now he’s brought his powers to bear on the *Syro* closer. The song is lovely in its initial form, and unlike Cohen’s other covers (of Radiohead in particular, but also Beck and Father John Misty, among others), what he’s covering is essentially the original, rather than an 88-key reduction of the original. It’s an appropriately sensitive rendition, gentle and considered, reflective and tentative. You can see it in his hands in the video, how they pause between segments. I’m reminded of videos of instrumental hip-hop production on the Akai MPC, where you can see people crafting beats and tapping or, in their muscles, counting out the moments they want to leave silent. In the Aphex Twin piece as in those beats, the silence is part of the beauty; in the videos, the inaction is part of the performance. (The main thing the Cohen cover dispenses with is the sonic capaciousness of the original, how the recordings seems to take place in a large room, and how that dimensionality renders Aphex Twin’s playing softer than it might have sounded otherwise.)

There’s a telling back and forth in the video’s running comments. One individual, who [appears to be the person who requested the cover in the first place](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6inYVeOmLNk&lc=z12oy5wwbyquj34kv222tdoxvxa3jtw3w.1484255625623163), says, “The pacing on this song seems difficult to master. I imagine it’s tempting to rush through many of the long rests.ï»¿” Cohen replies: “This is true. It’s very tempting to play the next phrase, however I’m actually counting in between phrases ”“ it’s not just random silence. For some reason, I find the rests really challenging.”

Video originally posted at Cohen’s [YouTube page](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6inYVeOmLNk). More from him at [joshcohenmusic.com](http://www.joshcohenmusic.com/pianocovers). Found via the [We Are the Music Makers message board](http://forum.watmm.com/topic/92405-a-piano-cover-of-aisatsana/). Cohen lives in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.

Disquiet Junto Project 0263: Overture Edit

The Assignment: Produce an overture to an existing album.

January 12, 2017October 3, 2024 / By Marc Weidenbaum

Each Thursday in the Disquiet Junto group, a new compositional challenge is set before the group’s members, who then have just over four days to upload a track in response to the assignment. Membership in the Junto is open: just join and participate. A SoundCloud account is helpful but not required. There’s no pressure to do every project. It’s weekly so that you know it’s there, every Thursday through Monday, when you have the time.

Tracks added to this playlist for the duration of the project.

This project’s deadline is 11:59pm wherever you are on Monday, January 16, 2017. This project was posted in the morning, California time, on Thursday, January 12, 2017.

These are the instructions that went out to the group’s email list (at tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto):

Disquiet Junto Project 0263: Overture Edit
The Assignment: Produce an overture to an existing album.

Step 1: Download the seven tracks from Hixory’s album Lovegraphy, which was released under a Creative Commons license allowing for non-commercial adaptation by Nenormalizm Records in late 2016. You can access the audio here:

https://archive.org/details/Hixory

Step 2: Cull a representative segment from each of the tracks.

Step 3: Create an overture to the album by combining those segments into one standalone piece of music.

Five More Important Steps When Your Track Is Done:

Step 1: If you hosting platform allows for tags, be sure to include the project tag “disquiet0263” (no spaces) in the name of your track. If you’re posting on SoundCloud in particular, this is essential to my locating the tracks and creating a playlist of them.

Step 2: Upload your track. It is helpful but not essential that you use SoundCloud to host your track.

Step 3: In the following discussion thread at llllllll.co please consider posting your track:

http://llllllll.co/t/overture-edit-disquiet-junto-project-0263/6092

Step 4: Annotate your track with a brief explanation of your approach and process.

Step 5: Then listen to and comment on tracks uploaded by your fellow Disquiet Junto participants.

Deadline: This project’s deadline is 11:59pm wherever you are on Monday, January 16, 2017. This project was posted in the morning, California time, on Thursday, January 12, 2017.

Length: The length is up to you, but two to three minutes sounds about right.

Title/Tag: When posting your track, please include “disquiet0263”in the title of the track, and where applicable (on SoundCloud, for example) as a tag.

Upload: When participating in this project, post one finished track with the project tag, and be sure to include a description of your process in planning, composing, and recording it. This description is an essential element of the communicative process inherent in the Disquiet Junto. Photos, video, and lists of equipment are always appreciated.

Download: It is preferable that your track is set as downloadable, and that it allows for attributed remixing (i.e., a Creative Commons license permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution).

Linking: When posting the track online, please be sure to include this information:

More on this 263rd weekly Disquiet Junto project — “Overture Edit: Produce an overture to an existing album”

https://disquiet.com/0263/

Real World in Real Time

Looped field recordings from Melbourne

January 11, 2017January 11, 2017 / By Marc Weidenbaum

The track is an excerpt from a longer performance. It’s work, we’re informed, for real-world sounds transformed in real time. The brief accompanying note reads as follows: “Excerpt from a new live set, featuring some live looping and manipulation of field recordings.” The result is a flapping, rapid-fire, quick-draw series of percussive elements, shuddering noises and speedy pitter patter, nearly sub-aural thudding and erratic static. It’s bracing stuff, flush with urgency.

Track originally posted at [soundcloud.com/theatlasroom](https://soundcloud.com/theatlasroom/js-1-cut). More from the Atlas Room, aka Ezekiel Kigbo of Melbourne, Australia, at [theatlasroom.bandcamp.com](https://theatlasroom.bandcamp.com/) and [twitter.com/theatlasroom](https://twitter.com/theatlasroom).