Frequently Asked Questions about Disquiet.com:
1. What is Disquiet.com?
Disquiet.com is a publication on the internet that consists of reflections on ambient/electronic music, sound art, and related cultural realms. It is updated daily, and its contents include conversations with people involved in electronic music (Interviews: composers, musicians, music-industry folk, programmers, etc.), recommended free (and legal) downloads (Downstream), news items and essays (Field Notes), and more.
2. Can I send you music for review consideration?
I would love to hear your music. However, just to get this clear from the outset, I am a horrible correspondent. I simply don’t have the time to engage in ongoing back and forths via email about whether I plan on covering your music. I get an enormous amount of music from musicians and their record labels, and that doesn’t count all time I spend seeking out music (and sound-related art), so I can’t promise to write back in a timely manner. Honestly, I can’t promise to write back at all. What I can promise is the following: I will listen to what you send to me, and I will consider it for coverage. So, how do you send me music? My preference is that you email me a link to a Zip file containing 320kbps MP3 files. If you feel the need to send me a CD (or vinyl, or some other physical format), you can email me (visit the Contact page) to get my address in San Francisco, where I live. Do not send MP3s as attachments: they clog up my email, and I just delete them. In closing, I do want to hear your music — but I also want to hear other people’s music, and the less time I spend in correspondence, the more time I can spend listening.
3. What are you listening to lately?
Check out the site’s regularly updated Downstream page for a list of recommended audio and video.
4. How long has Disquiet.com been around?
Disquiet.com was launched toward the end of 1996. Prior to 1996, versions of what eventually became Disquiet.com were housed on Netcom.com and, before that, Calweb.com.
5. Do you review sound/audio/music-related apps?
I used to do this more regularly, apps and other software, and some gadgets. The intersection of sound and interactivity (aka games) is an important one. Since at least July 2000, I’ve been tagging such content on the site with the term “audio-games.” I can’t make any promises, but do get in touch with me via the Contact page.
6. Do you have an email newsletter?
Indeed, there is a Disquiet.com email newsletter, mailed out less often than I’d like. It’s free, and the subscription list is entirely private; it is not shared with or sold to any external parties. For information on how to subscribe, check out the newsletter’s information page.
7. Where does name “Disquiet” come from?
The choice of the word “disquiet” was inspired by The Book of Disquiet, written by the late Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa. There’s more information about Pessoa on the website’s Welcome page.
8. Does Disquiet.com have an RSS feed?
Disquiet.com does have an RSS feed — here. (If you don’t know what an RSS feed is, it’s a way for sites to syndicate, or share, their content. The acronym stands for “Really Simple Syndication.” There are RSS programs for all major operating systems, and most browsers and email programs are enabled to process it. More info at whatisrss.com. Be advised, any software installation is undertaken at the risk of the individual.)
9. Who runs Disquiet.com?
It is run by Marc Weidenbaum, who is an editor and writer. More on the About page.
10. Why does the site seem different (starting around mid-December 2011)?
During the December 2011, an excellent web development company called futurepruf.com produced and implemented a new WordPress theme, refining the site’s longstanding design.
11. Is Disquiet.com also on Twitter, Instagram, and so forth?
Some of them, yes: twitter.com/disquiet, instagram.com/dsqt, soundcloud.com/disquiet, vimeo.com/disquiet, youtube.com/disquiet, and bandcamp.com/disquiet.
12. What if I have another question that you haven’t answered?
Drop Disquiet.com an email, via the site’s Contact page.