ecomus-edu

[ecomus-edu]

reblog and make a wish! this was removed from tumbrl due to “violating one or more of Tumblr’s Community Guidelines”, but since my wish came true the first time, I’m putting it back. :)

[ecomus-edu]

So I finished my degree

The results are to take time and the graduation ceremony will be held in November. That thing. That awkward dresses in robes and hats, that thing again is not gonna happen in my life. We international students have paid nearly double the amount of tuition fees of uk and eu students, kept over 90% attendance and without access to student loan we weren't allowed to work to get by or to get an opportunity to be employed in the future - plus work permission is made impossible. And get kicked out within 3-4 months after the course. Still, we want to come to this country and spend fortune for good education... Only to know how much we're not wanted here. Oh well.

[ecomus-edu]

Week 22: Organisation research

Musicians Union - £20/year for student. Instrument and personal liability insurance, Copyright and property rights protections, Access to full guide to the industry, Legal assistance, Career and business advice, A nationwide network of musicians

PRS - £50 Royalty collection

PPL - £0 recorded music.

AIM - for indie labels

MMF - music managers forum

MPG - music producers guild

BASCA - British Academy of Songwriters Composers and Authors exists to support and protect the professional interests of songwriters, composers and lyricists of all genres.

AIF- Association of independent festivals

[ecomus-edu]

Week 22: Distributors research

☆mentioned Spinnup - (Island record) itunes, spotify, major stores world wide (album 7-14 tracks 29.99 GBP / Year)

Believe - digital distribution (incl. video) for independent label and artists. 

Ditto - digital music distributor - itunes, spotify, Beatport, amazon etc... (£20 for album, £40 for unlimited releases)

★ IODA/The Orchard - music, TV, film distribution. Sales and marketing, publishing, rights management support.

☆mentioned AWAL - by KOBALT. 

★ Ingrooves - distribution, rights management, synch, publishing, label service. Famous artists.

Loudr - for cover songs. digital download, interactive stream, CD or vinyl.

Distrokid - digital distribution. $19.99 to upload unlimited albums & songs for a year (competitors charge at least 2x that just to uploadone album).

Tunecore - digital. artist service (sound improvement etc), CD duplication. 

☆mentioned Cargo - Digital & physical retail distribution and marketing. Product management & planning. P.I.L., white Stripes. 

[ecomus-edu]

Week 22: Manufacture research

CSV Clear Sound and Vision -> Once Upon A Time - Digital Marketing • Audio Visual • CRM • Social Media • Retail POS • Experiential • Advertising • Promotional Marketing Campaigns • Digital PR and Social • Packaging Solutions

in Entertainment, Sports Marketing/Management, Music, etc... too major?

Alpha Duplication - CD, DVD duplication & packaging. Variety of packaging in quick-2-3 days. 

Groovehouse - Does design, posters and download cards. 24/7 quick service as well.

Short run - Bristol. Local? one off sample. 

Sound Performance - Cassette. Print and Packaging, CD Mastering, Packaging Design, Graphic Design, Fulfilment, Logistics and Product Photographic Services. Merchandise as well but need to contact. 

Key Vinyl  - Merch, video, design, photos. Anti piracy.

★Curved Pressing Hackney - bespoke, no generic price list. welcome to attend cutting sessions.

CD, vinyl mastering, download code generation service

Solopress - business cards, merchandise (differ from music stuff), leaflets, flyers, banners - pretty

Bandstickers - Stickers, badges, fabric patches - for rock bands?

Badgesforbands - Badges, magnets for bands

Grindstore  - Rock bands

Diginate - stickers, posters. no minimum order

★Big Cartel - arty design centred products. monthly charge depending on the numbers of the product (eg. $9.99 for 25 products) 

digital products (music with sister sevice, videos, ebooks as well), custom domain, can customise codes, discount codes

3rd Rail - Tshirts, paper printing, customisation,  garments ... OK

Dizzyjam - band merch, shop

Binghi’s 

Bandbanners 

Backdropsforbands

[ecomus-edu]

Biscuit Love

Matthew Herbert’s Edible Sounds inspired me to record biscuits. 

Actual record shaped sugary record. It came around in the audience and we got to eat. Wasn’t too pleasant...

Asparagus and lemon grass next to it.

Huge record collection. All edible.

When we told muse’s gran about the event, she said you can’t waste food, but he’s encouraging people to think about the food we eat. For example, he was saying brown bread is said to be healthier than white bread, in fact it’s more toxic than white bread. I think it’s about what you focus on though.

I posted a video on twitter.

It actually was just noise, though you find the pattern and it starts to feel like it’s got the groove.

He also explained that processed food, like cheese, was so smooth that it didn’t  sound as groovy as vegetables and stuff. Worth thinking about what we eat, eh?

Walked up to him and asked if I could interview him. Requested to tell me what did not work apart from digestives he mentioned. He named a lot, mostly too lumpy or liquidy stuff. 

Interview:

Me: You have mentioned digestives as one of the food that you failed to make into record. Could you tell me what else did not work?

Herbert: So we tried Milano salami, German salami, jaffa cakes, digestives, bread, Bacardi Breezer, sweet Thai chilli sauce…

I thought digestives sounded the most impressive for some reason, so decided to challenge him, by making a song with digestives.

*********************************

So the recording happened 2 Apr in Woolwich.

Plus oven door, kettles, mayonaise...

Made beat out of the stereo recordings and sampler synthesisers and wrote Biscuit Love.

Digestives always reminded me of digestion, wonder why they called by that name. Digestive Love feels a bit awkward so it was replaced by ginger biscuits. Rubbed cheap microphone on to it and made bass synth.

Soundcloud

(23 apr 16)

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[ecomus-edu]

Figured It All Out & For Dee

We opened the front and top cover of an upright piano and set two SM 58s above downwards from the same distance towards the strings.

My muse plucked the strings while I was pressing chords on the keyboards. So that the strings resonated with natural sustention and reversing each chord added amazing width to the sound.

Also recorded single plucked notes and put them into EXS24 sampler and played melodies.

Muse was amused and said he wouldn’t have guessed how it was made or what instrument was used even though it was his idea to do this plucking method. Keeps saying he cannot get over how amazing it is. I think the reversing worked really well. What a compliment anyway. 

The title came when my muse figured out how to use his new soundcard which he had thought broken and it needed to be sent back.

All the materials recorded were turned into tracks. 

For Dee was written on the piano for my muse D, who loves minor chords. I usually don’t use minor chords but to show the appreciation for the session... in a way. Thanks for the inspiration anyway.

Dee is the muse but spelt like John Dee, maybe because we saw a photo of John Dee House, or maybe because Damon Albarn wrote a musical about him.

But I guess my D likes Figured It All Out more.

Almost fixed the order of the tracks, decided to cut off Living Filling. It was the night everything was sorted.

Soundcloud

(11 Apr 16)

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[ecomus-edu]

Glo

on 28 June 2015, my muse took us to a gig and I watched Tortoise for the first time. Almost 10 years ago when I was still in a band in Japan, I was thinking about getting an electric marimba for the tour but it was just too big and expensive so I gave up - instead I used karimba and toy piano. The idea came from watching Tortoise gig on the Internet. I loved, still do, singing and as Tortoise are instrumental band, I never got to listen to them but I was glad to finally be seeing them in live.

Less than a week later, on 2nd of July, I received a heavy box. I opened it and found a glockenspiel. My muse remembered the story I was telling him enthusiastically, and just sent it to me as a gift.

I used the mallets, put a sock on one, other soft mallet of a gong he brought from cambodia, the instrument itself and the case to make all the sound.

It took me a few hours and all my impression was recorded.

Instagram video

Soundcloud

(24 mar 16)

**************************

Added a little piano piece and mixed. Might separate them.

Soundcloud

(10 apr 16)

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Soundcloud

(9 may16)

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[ecomus-edu]

Living Filling

Started writing this song in 2014, when my muse and I were hanging out a lot with my land lady at that time. I have never seen anyone swears like she does, and I liked this crazy woman. The lyrics in the chorus “this is living” is what we were repeatedly saying to reason stupid things we were doing.

In class I was given a few briefs to chose from, so I picked “writing a Cocteau Twins like song”. From the band’s guitarist’s interview, asked “If you were to place three effects in a signal path, what order would they be in?” and saying “Distortion, chorus, and delay are the three obvious ones. You can get some really nice, more unusual effects by putting the chorus or harmonizer after the delay, wobbling the whole thing... just flipping those two”, I tried to recreate the iconic guitar sound and cheesy riffs. I had history of hating reverb but this became my first very reverberated song. However, I only had an acoustic guitar in my room and this demo stayed as it is over an year.

Soundcloud

(29 mar 2016)

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[ecomus-edu]

In Tea

My muse took me to Terry Riley concert. It was a part of an event called Station to Station at Barbican Hall, which was described as “living exhibition”. During the 30 days event, we saw Boredoms and Suicide as well.

This song is about what I saw from the very end of the audience seats. Sculpture made the most fun bit of the sound. I felt and feel no need to explain any more about music.

This event lead me to the idea of this album.

Still wondering whether it should be “In Tea” or “In T” referring to “In C”.

Soundcloud

(29 march 2016)

************************

Played the bass. There was constant noise from the cable jack so used 2 EQs and it sounds alright. Not mixed yet but the phrases are good.

Soundcloud

(12 April 2016)

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Fixed the bass, mixed. Guess it’s done.

Soundcloud

(23 apr 16)

[ecomus-edu]

Two Kinds of Pills

There used to be two kinds of pills in the world

The one makes you the happiest person in the world

and the one makes all your friends happy

Every time, I took the latter

Everyone was happy, so was I

And people wanted to know why

My friends told them why cos they wanted others to be happy too

I received visitors around the world

They came to become friends with me

Even at midnight

I opened the door and listened to them

Everyone had a sad story or more

A few wanted to listen to me

I talked, and they left, saying they got what they wanted

Some returned after a while

And questioned why they couldn't have become as happy as we were

My door became heavier

One day, someone invented a pill to make everybody happy

Even strangers, as happy as everyone

I took it and it happened

Then a man said he didn't feel that good

He had dreams, they came true, he had confidence

The only thing he didn't have was a limitation

I stopped taking pills

I got weaker every day

My bread went stiff and my coffee had gone watery

But my people stayed happy

So I was happy

I was trying to think of my last words so that I won't leave anything behind to my people

Now the inventor came to see me and said

There are two pills in my hands

One is to keep your friends happy until their last days

The other is to make the world not forget you

Which ever you like?

I picked up one and said...

その昔、世界には

世界一幸せになることができる薬と、友人と家族が全員幸せになることができる薬しかなかった。わたしは毎回、知り合い全員が幸せになることができる薬を選んで飲んでいた。

みんな幸せだった。わたしも幸せだった。すると人々が、何故君たちは幸せなんだと問い詰めた。幸せなみんなはその幸せを分けてあげたいからと、事情を説明した。それから世界中の人がわたしを訪ねてきて、わたしと友達になりたがった。わたしeたちはたくさんの話をした。夜中でも誰かがわたしのドアをノックして、話を聞いて欲しいと言ってきた。わたしはドアを開けて、耳を傾けた。みんな悲しい話を携えていた。極一部の人はわたしの話を聞きたがった。わたしは話し、彼らは幸せな気分になったと言って帰って行った。しばらくするとそのうちのまた一部の人は戻ってきて、何故わたしはあなたみたいに幸せになれないんだと嘆いた。わたしのドアはだんだん重くなった。

そのうち誰かが、知らない人も皆同じくらい幸せになることができる薬を発明した。それを飲んでみると、皆が同じくらい幸せになった。すると知らない誰かが、僕はあまり幸せな気がしないと言い出した。

その人には夢があった。その人の夢は叶った。その人には自信がありすぎた。その人には限界がなかった。

わたしは薬を飲むのをやめた。わたしは弱っていった。パンは堅くなり、コーヒーは薄くなっていった。わたしの大事な人たちは、それでも幸せであり続けた。だからわたしは幸せだった。

最後の一言を考えていた。わたしの愛する人たちに、何一つ言い残すことがないように。そこに発明者がやってきた。

ここにふたつの薬があります。一つは、あなたの知り合いを死ぬまで幸せでいさせる薬、もう一つは世界中の人があなたという存在を忘れない薬です。さあどちらにしますか。わたしは一つを手にとって言った。

Found a story in evernote while my muse and I were reading out stupid memos we secretly write down on our phones to each other. This sounded good so I might make it into lyrics and write a song or two.

[ecomus-edu]

Are we gonna go on a pizza?

Used EXS24 and sample sounds of Gamelan instruments, recorded sound of chopping celeries and frying them.

When suggested to play a solo like John Hasselle, I picked up an alto recorder and played easy melody. The instrument is intentionally in poor tuning because Gamelan is a collection of percussive instruments that are not tuned following western musical theory.

Needed to study Gamelan though as I’ve recently been reading articles about how asian cultures are taken in by Westerners. These phenomenon could be something like believing myths which is rather funny, or even though it is explained (or attempted), still everything cannot be justified and the readers would see however they would like to note in their mind.

Also this article made me wonder how and when humans ever get to know well enough to capture/imitate or used to the foreign appearance and culture.

Vice versa, this one is about how Japan inspired western artists. 

Therefore I decided to go as “the image” the Westerners might have until I learn everything about it, which is not going to happen ever as I will just be learning it but was not born in the culture. So the vocal melodies in the second section are sort of making fun of people mimicking “asian” phrasing, while the last “pizza” bit is trying to copy LCD Soundsystem’s emphasising the last syllables in “Daft Punk Is Playing In My House” etc.

Also inspired by LCD, I am naming my songs by the most memorable names or the words that are repeated in the song.

The lyrics are all from conversations with my muse, or “I’m not a robot, type, type” is from the morning I was trying to book tickets for Radiohead gig.

https://soundcloud.com/eco_m/are-we-go-on-a-pizza-22mar16/s-5bB8S

22 March 2016

*********************************

My muse suggested to make it long like 7 minutes. He said;

I need to make it an epic one, like a Dan Deacon Track

The drums need to come in to take that track on a journey, not to come and end the track

He asked me what I was singing in the middle 8, because it sounded like a foreign language. It was “Do you want to die, Angel?” and this was an important part of our conversation at that time. It was great because it seemed that my intention to recreate the “image of asia” especially that part with fake asian-ish melodies worked. He thinks it is amazing that the whole thing is piss take. 

Today I added karimba, glockenspiel and toy recorder, also drums with extra cymbals that resembles un-pitched gongs. Also repeated each section twice and made the whole song one minute long. It is 5′48″ now.

27 March 2016

*********************************

Used boss mini link speaker to play to my muse and he didn’t hear the hilarious recorder so I added more to the end. Also it was just duplication of the first round when I stretched the length so I sang the moonwalk bit again. Just to make it sound more hilarious.

My muse suggested the I should apply the speed up of Gamelan music. I increased the tempo from 80 gradually to 84 at the end and slowed down again. Got longer too. 6′22″.

Though it sounds too rushing. I will start changing the tempo from the last singing section. Gained knowledge about automation curve tool!  

muse: you can make it unnoticeable and if you conbine with instrumentation change it can sound like a massive build, combined with those hilarious recorders that would be amazing. you wouldn't want the 7 minutes to end

https://soundcloud.com/eco_m/are-we-going-on-a-pizza-29mar16/s-hat2H

29 March 2016

*********************************

Panned each note of gamelan on each sampler and it all sounds interesting. As there are over 10 instruments of gamelan it’s interesting to shift main one in each section. Mixing is done I guess.

Soundcloud

16 April 2016

[ecomus-edu]

She’s Got The Keys

Last year I got introduced to a modelling synthesiser sculpture on logic from lectures of Music Technology. Since I started using it, this always provides me the initial inspiration of a song. I do not have to have an idea about what to sing, tempo, or touch of the sound. I just start making noise with it and let it play the phrase that suits the sound.

My muse’s grandmother, Anne, became a good friend of mine and last summer, we were sitting in a shade alone at school fair where he daughter works. We were meant to go to hers, my muse’s mum’s, after that and muse’s sister came up to Anne and asked for the keys to the house so that she could bring her kids without having to wait for the fair to finish. But Anne’s response was unclear, as if she was not hearing it or something. So her granddaughter gave up. She must have thought her gran's mind was somewhere else. Even I thought so too.

When she walked off, Anne told me that she had the keys but she did not want to give them to her because it was not her house. She wanted her granddaughter to ask her mum, who owns the house. So, she pretended that she wasn’t really there. She chose not to be rude by acting like a too old granny.

I thought that was brilliant and got to love her more. I could talk about my uni, friends, even the gigs I go to with her grand son. She is not lost at all. But the way she tries not to be rude is a bit unique and I was impressed. So I wrote this song.

It’s slow and has its importance in the harmony. I had not written slow songs for a while and it was the first attempt to do it with sculpture as well, and the delay and reverb of each sound helped the atmosphere be dreamy as she seemed then.

I would not go on to explain what actually happened because what I saw when it was happening was very little. And by leaving the option of interpretation open, I hope this will apply to many old people who have their mind without showing off, even though other people do not pay attention.

Soundcloud

(3 mar 16)

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mixed. Singing birds were added at the extended outro hoping to connect it with For Dee.

Soundcloud

(11 apr 16)

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after having a listen at Matt’s place, fixed the flatness of the vocals, muddy bass and piano. Also made the ending simpler with having birds singing overlapped. 

Soundcloud

(24 apr 16)

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[ecomus-edu]

W17 Project Management

The most recent activity I can apply Deming Cycle: essay writing

Plan

 - making a list of what to write

Do 

 - gather materials from homework, proof of my actions 

Check

 - look back the list and make sure I have enough topics/evidence

Act

 - write draft

[ecomus-edu]

Week 16: Emotional Intelligence

Thinking about your goals for the year ... And thinking about what you’ve learned so far on the course ... 

Commit to at least one professional / personal area where: 

1 - you are going to draw on this course to help you take action & 

2 - right now at least, you intend to write about this for your assignment

Come back next week with your decision clear, and some actions underway!

***********************

My biggest challenge and the most significant goal for this year is to be ready to apply for a representative of an overseas business visa - New Plan - More Potential (Sato, 2015).

I have obtained an approval from the company at the meeting in December 2015, and I am assured that I will have necessary supports with document for the application. I will start making a business plan with the company in summer before I contact the lawyer they recommend, until then all I will do is making potential contacts in London/seeking businesses that are keen on expanding to England while finishing the course work.

I have been a freelancer and I will be working alone for the company after getting a visa, therefore;

personal SWOT analysis (Sato, 2015)

Johan & Nohari Windows (Sato, 2015)

MBTI test (Sato, 2015)

very much helped analysing myself. Also these tools

Risk Management (Sato, 2015)

Porter’s 5 Forces (Sato, 2015)

specific SWOT analysis (Sato, 2015) for the plan

that I used for the term 1 assessment were useful to see the possibilities and came in really handy for preparing for the meeting I had with the company.

As I already confirmed a position in a company

CV and Cover letter (Sato, 2016)

W List and Benefits (Sato, 2016)

were not used, however I might be able to use

Elevator Pitch/Email Pitch (Sato, 2016)

Branding (Sato, 2016)

when talking to a potential customer/collaborator, and also

Team Work study (Sato, 2016)

could be valuable if I am ever going to work closely with somebody.

I am going to study about Emotional Intelligence as well, as I am aware that I need more self confidence and social skills (especially building bonds - maybe because my work as a freelancer is always short term contracts, I get jobs as long as I provide great work).

Since the course started, I have been learning to feel comfortable about talking about myself to others. I find it hard to do so to newly met people, especially who, I think, might not play important roles in my life.

There still are things I hesitate to talk about, for example my past career as a musician because I feel it is not related to the things I do now. Though now I am aware that trying to use it is only beneficial to what I am going to do after this course; supporting artists explore the UK/Japan.

I have started helping my fellow musician with making information in English available on her website. I will offer her English inquiry support and possibly become a mediator for booking and other stuff.

The thing is that I need to make it business. I have another musician friend who frequently asks for translation and proofreading. As I have been doing these work for free, it is assumed to be awkward to ask for money.

How people bond is not the same here and there.

[ecomus-edu]

Ideas for Music Technology essay

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JAMES MURPHY is

insisting on showing the influence (https://vimeo.com/67135948)

Losing My Edge - "Change" by Killing Joke (http://pigeonsandplanes.com/2012/07/15-things-you-didnt-know-about-lcd-soundsystem/5/)

David Bowie

The Talking Heads

Daft Punk

The Velvet Underground

Dr. Dre

good at finding great things about life

finding optimism in pathetic things (http://www.gq.com/story/james-murphy-new-york-sounds-interview)

01. Nobody onstage can hear anything the audience doesn’t hear

02. No ‘feeling it’

03. No sunglasses

04. No rocking out

05. No improvising

06. No noodling

07. No psyching up the crowd

08. No pretending you’re cool

09. No wearing the “rock-and-roll” hat

(http://brownpapertickets.com/event/253781)(http://pigeonsandplanes.com/2012/07/15-things-you-didnt-know-about-lcd-soundsystem/8/)

"Making people dance has another function that has nothing to do with art, and I mean that in the most positive way possible. It's like food – if you're not eating it, you're doing something wrong. If they're not dancing, something is wrong."(http://www.undertheradarmag.com/news/watch_james_murphy_discusses_his_career_and_influences_in_red_bull_academy_/)

Drum technique (https://web.archive.org/web/20140207121310/http://letsnerd.com/2011/10/23/james-murphy-says-thud-and-boooonggg/)

the problem is everything sounds like daft punk in 2011 (http://www.timeout.com/london/music/james-murphy-interview-3)

(23 Feb 2016)

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Is James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem original?

I don't think that I'm a great songwriter, I don't believe I'm this wildly original individual. I don't believe that I'm astonishingly charismatic and really need to be heard as an individual voice. I do believe I take music very seriously. I do believe I am a very good manipulator of sound and I'm very interested in how sound affects my body and I do believe that that is relevant to how that affects other people's bodies. (Sylvester, 2005)

http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/6036-jukebox-james-murphy/

(18 Feb 2016)

[ecomus-edu]

Week 15: Branding

I find it difficult to brand myself/or whatever being talked about in the lectures with my current situation and future prospect. 

When I was in a band I think we succeeded in that, for example with design for art work, merchandise and artist image etc.

Now I am a translator/writer, who’s future plan is to become a part of a company that has already decided to fit me in. For the last few weeks I have been trying to simulate the case I’d be woking on promoting myself to the company by writing CV and stuff for homework. It actually has been a good exercise as I got to summarise my career. Still, I am going to have to pretend I am in the position of trying to get a job to do this branding homework.

One of my current efforts as a writer to sell myself is to have started a blog. I aim to cover all the genre I could write about, such as music and life in London (possibly I could add uni life to it too). I imagine it would be good to have a proof of my capability and it would be better if it is regularly updated, although it’s been a bit difficult to do so as I am making an album for other module.

This is the musician side of me. Probably I could brand myself as a musician. Though as this Personal and Business Development module is leading us to the final essay in term 3, I’d rather plan and work on things I would be able to submit. I am not sure if I should be writing about putting myself as an artist which I am not interested in. People would not understand someone who likes to make music but do not wish to spread it to the world..

Although, I had a good meeting with my supervisor for the major project. He input me an incredibly unexpected idea; me performing/releasing the album. I am not sure about it yet as I have hated that idea for the last 10 years and I am for now purely enjoying making music, possibly more than ever. He asked if i’d ever be convinced. I don’t know. Maybe if it definitely leads to my VISA. I am far from branding myself. I am overwhelmed for today.

This could be the first week I could not have finished homework.