#Sonic Explorers Pedals

[guitarbomb]

Spurr Audio Sonic Explorers Pedals: A Journey into Space-Age Sound

Spurr Audio has recently launched an exciting line of pedals, the F-201 FET Preamp and Orbit-2 Fuzz, both inspired by the thrilling era of space exploration. These innovative devices promise to take musicians on an unprecedented sonic adventure. F-201 FET Preamp: Warmth Meets Space-Age Design The F-201 FET Preamp is a unique blend of the warm, rich sounds typically associated with tube technology…

[dustedmagazine]

Waxahatchee — Tigers Blood (Anti)

In the press interviews leading up to the release of Tiger’s Blood, Katie Crutchfield’s latest for Anti under the artist name Waxahatchee, the artist made it clear that she wanted to step away from the tortured artist model of creation and reception. The songs and themes explored move further away from the edginess of Out in the Storm, a cathartic but harrowing effort from 2017. In this sense, it follows the thread of her 2020 recording Saint Cloud. As on that album, Brad Cook produces, at Sonic Ranch Studios in Texas. The sound blooms; Tiger’s Blood is the most polished of Crutchfield’s albums to date.

An excellent group of supporting musicians are on hand. The guitarist MJ Lenderman navigates the delicate balance of acoustic and electric instruments with a clean electric sound, and economic, skilful solos. The songs are further fleshed out by banjoist Phil Cook, Brad’s brother, and drummer Spencer Tweedy.

Crutchfield has a glorious voice that has only improved with experience. When I reviewed Plains, her duo project with Jess Williamson, for Dusted, I remarked that, “Crutchfield and Williamson singing together create magic.” Magic is created by voices here too. There are few songs where the lead vocal isn’t accompanied by backing vocals: overdubs of Crutchfield and help from her collaborators. A song like “Evil Spawn” has an excellent hook, but the incorporation of multiple background singers really makes its arrangement attractive. “3 Sisters,” appropriately, over the course of the song builds to 3-part harmony. The title track and album closer gets help from a chorus of enthusiastic voices.

Songs like “Ice Cold” and “Bored” bring the music closer to the rock end of the country music spectrum, a popular place currently to reside. Crutchfield’s attachment to roots music is also on display, with “Right Back at It” spotlighting Phil Cook and pedal steel adorning “Crimes of the Heart.”

True to Crutchfield’s word, Tiger’s Blood is an album that avoids bathos. That doesn’t mean that strong emotions are absent. In “Burns Out at Midnight,” she confronts angry impulses. “365,” one of the album’s singles,  is about a toxic relationship. She sings,”I catch your poison arrow, I catch your same disease, Bowing like a weeping willow, Buckling at the knees, Begging you please.” “Crime of the Heart,” about another devolving relationship, rhymes the title with,”you’ll rip yourself apart.” The music denies any sense of wallowing, even sounds upbeat, suggesting that this relationship may be in the rearview mirror soon enough.

Tiger’s Blood doesn’t have a weak cut on it. One imagines it will be in heavy rotation for many long after its release.

Christian Carey

[pedaloftheday]

We're taking a look at another new company today, and another powerful effects pedal. The HARM Distortion from Tavysh Effects provides a TON of knobs and switches, allowing you to explore more sonic mayhem than you thought possible...enjoy this one, cheers!!🤘🔥🎛

[kunstmull]

Ash-ra

So I've annoyed all of my friends by going on and on about this band to the point where no one is answering my emails any more. So I'm just going to be spamming this tag until all of Tumblr blocks me (no, really - if I irritate you, I'd much rather you just block me and go on with your online life!) Buckle up, I'm going in.

When I first found started exploring Buck-Tick, this was one of the first songs I clicked on, just based on the title alone. It's called Ash-ra*, off an album literally entitled COSMOS - do you think there's a chance there might be some Kosmische Krautrock going on here?

*I've since seen some blogs express confusion as to why the title uses this spelling, rather than the Japanese Asura or Ashura. ASH-RA TEMPEL. Lords of Berlin-School Kosmische (Kosmische - "Cosmic" - is what many of the actual German groups of the time called the music that we British jokingly called "Krautrock") led by chess-board pattern loving Meister of electronic guitar manipulation, Manuel Göttsching.

I hit play.

::drums start up::

YES OH GOD YES - Toll immediately goes in for the most Lange-Gerade MOTORIK. This isn't even Dinger-beat, this is the full Jaki Liebezeit, like Mother Sky on speed.

12 seconds in, and there's strange slithering static noises, like the glitchy tape experiments on the B-side of NEU! 2 - yes YES! The tiger is OUT!

And then the guitar starts

Effortless, weightless, just hanging above the driving rhythm section like a seagull riding a glider. This is pure Michael Rother, that endless tone that seems to stretch off into the horizon, a descending scale that dissipates into feathery clouds of... feedback? tremolo arm abuse? theremin? processed guitar? (In the live video, it looks like some kind of harmonics-modulation pedal)

Words cannot even express how much I love the way Imai Hisashi abuses his guitar. This man is a sound pervert - I've since read translated interviews where he expresses contempt that a guitarist should act like a guitar-player - he treats the instrument purely as a tone-generator for him to transform with electronic treatments and manipulations (my favourite musicians have always treated their instruments this way - from what Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk did with his flute, to what drone-rockers like Sonic Boom of Spacemen 3 and Kevin Shields of MBV did with guitars). But the cosmic space-noises here are so otherworldly I genuinely cannot tell where guitar feedback ends and theremin begins, it's a haze of swooping electronic bliss.

Vocals - to be really true to the Kosmische form, Imai should have had the courage to just spout surreal English-Japanese-German word salad a la Damo Suzuki, but yes, there are lyrics, I'm sure someone else has written about them. But in my fan-fiction headcanon version of events, Imai just scribbled "Ash-ra" on the demo tape to indicate this was his Krautrock song, and Atsushi, not knowing the first thing about Krautrock, took this as an instruction to write a song about the actual Japanese Demons.

1:50 minutes in. BASS SOLO. At some point, I'm going to write another essay about how Yutaka is the most underrated musician of this band. He's the one who holds together the floating psychedelic guitar haze and the speed-punk drums, and yet somehow makes it all insanely danceable. He absolutely nails the sinewy funk of Holger Czukay, both melodic and booty-shaking.

And then at 2:04 the BEST BIT of the WHOLE SONG

PNEUMATIC DRILL SOLO!!!

Unfortunately, it seems they don't do this bit live. COWARDS!

REAL German Experimental bands play their drills live!

But it's the attention to detail that makes this band so intoxicating to listen to - layers and layers of sonic references layered on top of one another, the pneumatic drill, the squiggles of electronic sound, and then at the end, the coda...

A short drifting suite of classical piano, because it's the moments of peace that make the psychedelic noise-storms so intense, and vice-versa.

[sludgedyke]

oh I'm so back into shoegazing again I feel great!!! I've been making some extremely fun times on my pedalboard, my jazzmasters tuned to play schizophrenia by sonic youth and I'm just having fun exploring the tuning :3 finding out which shapes to make for a fun sound, stacking my drive pedals with low gain to get an extra textured transparent fuzz that lets the jangle come through :3

[skaruresonic]

Since you're the best SA2 fan, what's your favourite level music for each character? :>

SA2 has such unique track names for its OST <3 Sonic - Other than "Escape From the City," which is ofc a classic, Sonic's level themes don't strike me as particularly strong compared to the others. If I had to choose, I'd probably pick Pyramid Cave's "Keys the Ruin":

Certain songs in the SA2 OST have a very Bond-film groove to them, particularly in stages where you have to infiltrate a highly-fortified base (Iron Gate; Pyramid Cave; Security Hall) so naturally I gravitate towards them. :P

Tails - Prison Lane's "This Way Out." The drummer went so hard on that one xP

Eggman - It's difficult to choose just one, though for the opposite reason it's difficult to choose a single Sonic level theme. His level themes are decent at worst. Iron Gate's "Remember Me? M.F.M." has a certain Bond-movie swag, perfect for setting the mood to breach a maximum-security military facility. It also cleverly employs a wah-wah pedal to make the electric guitar sound like it's literally saying Eggman's name - how cool is that?

Sand Ocean's "Way to the Base" is decent and conveys the stage's overall mood well enough, but I honestly don't have a whole lot to say about it. Ditto for Weapons Bed's "Crush 'Em All" and Cosmic Wall's "Soarin' Over the Space."

Lost Colony's "Trespasser" perfectly sets the mood for exploring the ARK's dark, abandoned underbelly. I love how quietly the song begins, with a plethora of beeps and electronic chirps, as if to suggest the colony's general systems are still alive, if dormant.

An excellent remix:

Rouge - Security Hall's "I'm a Spy," baby! B)

Shadow - White Jungle's "Rhythm and Balance" is unique for a number of reasons.

It can't be forgotten that White Jungle marks the first time Shadow has explored the natural world on Earth: much of his surroundings are foreign to him. One of his idle animation quotes suggests that this unfamiliar location unsettles him ("Fog... doesn't bother me"). If it truly didn't bother him, he wouldn't have felt the need to point it out. The noticeable pause between "fog" and "doesn't" would imply the same. This sense of disorientation is reflected in the song's dreamlike quality. The lyrics are muffled, as though heard from underwater, or perhaps blunted by the roar of the nearby waterfall, contrasted by harsh record scratch and the barking of an unknown animal off in the distance. Cryptic lyrics like "Hurry through the unexplored land, not scared at all, are you scared of something?" reinforce Shadow's possible fear of the unknown, in tandem with his will to eliminate any obstacle in his path. What also makes this track very interesting imo is the fact that it is the only vocal track in which Shadow is directly addressed by another voice. Typically, his vocal themes are sung from his POV, but the sudden intrusion of another voice telling him "Shadow, don't make me upset" and "you are hiding something" introduces an additional layer of fridge horror. Who is becoming upset? Eggman? Shadow? Is this Gerald's reprogramming at work? "Rhythm and Balance" suggests Shadow is experiencing cognitive dissonance. It complements the previous cutscene in which he decides to save Rouge despite her being a "troublemaker," as well as introduces Shadow's internal conflict in an incredibly subtle manner: "I don't wanna hear you."

Knuckles - Aquatic Mine's "Dive into the Mellow" is a genuinely relaxing tune that I've often fallen asleep to. To quote a YouTube commenter, it sounds like something you'd hear on Adult Swim at 3 in the morning xP

Fun fact: it's also one of a handful of tracks on the DC disc that you had to download off the internet, as it wasn't natively included in the extras music menu. If you want to listen to it in the DC version, you have to actually play the stage. Death Chamber's "Deeper" deserves an honorable mention, too, for the interesting imaginary conversation in the chorus between Knuckles and Sonic:

Idk, I find it a little sad that Knuckles had to imagine Sonic, like... basically treating him with a little more decency? While there's always the possibility Knuckles is daydreaming because he's irritated that Sonic saddled him with this dangerous task without asking for his input, something tells me there's more to it than that. The overall vibe I get is that Knuckles wants Sonic's help and for Sonic to be a little more sensitive to his struggles, but he's too proud - or "stubborn," as the song puts it - to admit it. I find it interesting how the song almost implies Knuckles wishes Sonic were maybe a little more emotionally mature? Because Daydream!Sonic offers to help Knuckles recover the ME because he knows how much "it means to [Knuckles]" and to find the base keys together, despite their differences: "I don't think [our beef] is the point right now, Knuckles." In reality, however, Sonic buttered him up to go hunt for the keys because his lazy ass couldn't be bothered Knuckles is the "world's greatest treasure hunter" >.> Look, SA2!Sonic is a decent portrayal, but also, like. He could have stood to be a little nicer to Knuckles at certain points, imo

[the-wee-sensitive-listener]

Notes on Anna Fritz Speaker talk week 2

Anna begins by describing their Interested in rhythm’s and sight specific; addressing an unseen audience.  Anna’s initial practice was crafted and positionality on transmission - radio first piece 2 piece underground. Lovely piece, full of character, lots of reference points and memories for me really enjoyed listening to his and her description of the environment.  

Anna commented that the radiophonic voice is not disembodied✽.  Culture embodies a voice that has its place by being situated in  a cultured way of being in this time and space.  Anna’s comment son not worrying about bridging any distance or overcoming this, Anna encourages multiplying emplacement.  Being with the incongruity, I relate and find the space between, the dualism, the oppositions and tensions an authentic representation of the present moment without a stiving that attention shifts from what is actually being heard or experienced.  

Fog, important in terms of the environment, receives water for 22 hour working with the electromagnetic sphere, dealing with the everyday needs of people.  Really enjoyed this clip especially the sound of the in between conning sounds and the human no voice sound of breathing or inhaling.  Dense nighttime noise with lots of radio voice workers personality.  

Important to Anna to subvert the notion of time keeping.  It was broadcast and rebroadcast 

On luxembourg radio and resonance radio.

Lovely sounds from the desert clip and amazing visuals, i like the opening split into three screens along with the sound very cinematic! I enjoyed listening to the ambiguous sounds not knowing if they were from the industrialised part or the natural environment.  The sound composure was eery and dramatic, a kind of unknown territory effect, suspenseful like there is about to be a murder!  Loved the split focus shots of close up foreground and blurry movement in the background.  Beautiful shots, gorgeous lighting accompanied by sounds of unknown objects perhaps aliens?

Anna describes this exploration as interplay between soft and hard power, the dune that is collapsing, the desert outlasts us, the hardness of the sound of walking on it, the expansion and contraction of the desert walking on it.  In this piece Anna is interested in metamorphosis and endurance and intimacy.  

The setting has a colonial history of copper mining and it has gone through a transformation as the desert has changed, a place for many telescopes.  Mineral durations and minimalistic environment in the desert, ambiguous as the size and scale is unreadable give the effect of mirage.  There is a part of the desert that has not yet been transformed with human activity, once was the bottom of the sea, it is an area where off planet tech has been tested.  The adjacent area to the salt flats needs fewer and fewer people to be there.  It is used as an imagined realm as a test ground for off-planet new colonisation.  Global infrastructure systems v natural 2000 years ago history which gives a sense of being part of a longer narrative of history and time.   

Estrangement sounds elude their cause Anna describes as a glorious ambiguity, nice!

How are the sounds documented and then changed from sonic wave forms from radio. Anna explains the sound was  Layering of electric and uses a small synthesiser for some of the effects, touch sensitive that you can hotpatch, it has different pedals.  Uses a section from the last show and manipulates it based on a real place but uses the imaginary as a layer over it.  

Solar radio idea (listen at Wave farm) Anna talks about her work there.  Anna describes this work solar radio, which are both sounds Anna has recorded and the recorded noise the Ai makes in reaction to Anna’s noise.  

Anna says she is sharing listening, and the quality of attention.  What’s the impulse for something to change, it can be outside or inside the inner sounds like creative intuition.  The body is a recording device, interesting.. amazing stuff loved it.

[krispyweiss]

No Songs, Lots of Teasers in “Darkstarathon” Episode 9

There’s a big, gurgling jam with a discernible rhythm flowing beneath it that finds the oft-synthy Adam MacDougall spending some time on Terrapin’s in-Clubhouse piano. He drives the band into a higher gear and eventually back down toward “Terrapin Station,” which never evolves beyond the tease stage, before Grahame Lesh plays “Darkstar”’s vocal lines over space-jazz jamming.

From here, it’s a similar exploration of the contours of “Let it Grow,” albeit at half-speed, as the temporary Phil Lesh & Friends quintet - also featuring guitarist Stu Allen and drummer Jeremy Hoenig - honors the former Grateful Dead bassist’s sonic vision for “Darkstarathon” in episode 9.

The titular song returns around 24 minutes in, this time more fully formed and deliberate, before dissolving into an improvised conversation between Allen and Grahame Lesh as the rhythm section tiptoes in lockstep below in a kind of bastardized paean to “West L.A. Fadeaway.”

Then … “Space” as both guitarists kneel at their pedals for an ethereal fade that leaves Lesh the elder smiling on his swivel stool.

Read Sound Bites’ previous “Darkstarathon” coverage here.

9/19/24

[chris-ostkreuz]

Pedal to the Mix: Unleashing DJ Effects with a Twist!

Welcome to the wild and wacky world of DJ effects pedals! Gone are the days when a DJ simply mixed tracks; now, we can twist, turn, and mangle sounds with the finesse of a mad scientist. If you’ve ever felt a little like DJ Frankenstein, piecing together musical chaos, you’re in good company. So buckle up as we explore the art of DJ effect pedals and how to unleash your inner sonic sorcerer with…

[theloniousbach]

TERRAPIN CLUBHOUSE/DARKSTARATHON #7: PHIL LESH with Jason Crosby, Stanley Jordan, Dan Lebo Lebowitz, Grahame Lesh, and John Molo

While this one made me very happy and, locked in to the Dark Star theme twice and had a fairly clear West LA Fadeaway theme and a developed Know You Rider jam, this one has little for anyone new to this music. It is not introductory at all.

It’s an almost 30 minute instrumental and the three guitars and electric piano occupied the same sonic space, though Dan Lebowitz’s 15 minutes on pedal steel added some color. Stanley Jordan’s tapping (very piano inspired he explained) was too buried and therefore his jazz sensibilities also couldn’t be too prominent. Interestingly, Grahame Lesh added more than I often hear from him.

Still this exploration gave PHIL LESH lots to work with as he played with the possibilities and gave back more. Another subtlety was that John Molo had the chops, power, and experience to lead jams not just respond to them.

All that said and probably for all those selfsame reasons, it was right in my wheelhouse.

https://youtu.be/6x6d7LT77B8?si=4yya5ZcebmfaN9Bj

[aaryan-mwa-blogs]

Understanding the Different Types of Guitar Pedals and Their Uses

Guitar pedals are essential tools for shaping and enhancing your sound, whether you’re jamming in your bedroom or performing on stage. With a plethora of options available, understanding the different types of guitar pedals and their uses can help you create the perfect rig for your musical style. Let’s dive into the world of guitar pedals and explore how they can transform your sound.

1. Distortion and Overdrive Pedals

Distortion and overdrive pedals are the backbone of rock and metal tones. They add grit and sustain to your sound, creating a powerful, crunchy tone. Distortion pedals, like the Boss DS-1, provide a more aggressive sound, ideal for heavy riffs and solos. Overdrive pedals, such as the Ibanez Tube Screamer, offer a warmer, more subtle breakup, emulating the sound of an overdriven tube amp. These pedals are perfect for blues, rock, and country music.

2. Delay and Reverb Pedals

Delay and reverb pedals add space and dimension to your playing. Delay pedals, like the Boss DD-7, create echo effects by repeating your notes at set intervals. They can produce anything from a subtle slap-back to long, atmospheric repeats. Reverb pedals, such as the TC Electronic Hall of Fame, simulate the natural reverberation of different spaces, from small rooms to vast cathedrals. These pedals are essential for adding depth and ambiance to your sound.

3. Modulation Pedals

Modulation pedals offer a variety of effects that can drastically change your tone. Common types include chorus, flanger, and phaser pedals. Chorus pedals, like the MXR M234 Analog Chorus, add a shimmering, doubling effect to your sound, making it richer and more vibrant. Flanger pedals, such as the Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress, create a sweeping, jet-like sound by mixing delayed signals with the original. Phaser pedals, like the MXR Phase 90, produce a swirling, spacey effect by altering the phase of your signal. These pedals are great for adding movement and texture to your playing.

4. Wah and Filter Pedals

Wah and filter pedals shape the tonal qualities of your sound by emphasizing certain frequencies. Wah pedals, like the Dunlop Cry Baby, create a sweeping, vocal-like effect by rocking a foot pedal back and forth. They are perfect for funk, rock, and expressive solos. Filter pedals, such as envelope filters, automatically respond to your playing dynamics, creating funky, auto-wah effects. These pedals are excellent for adding rhythmic and dynamic interest to your performance.

5. Compression Pedals

Compression pedals, like the MXR Dyna Comp, even out the dynamic range of your playing by boosting quieter signals and taming louder ones. This results in a more consistent and polished sound. Compression is especially useful for clean tones, fingerpicking, and adding sustain to solos. It can help your guitar sit better in a mix, whether you’re recording or playing live.  

Incorporating Pedals into Your Rig

When building your pedalboard, consider the order of your pedals, as it can affect your overall sound. A common signal chain might look like this: tuner > wah > compression > overdrive/distortion > modulation > delay > reverb. However, there are no strict rules — experiment with different setups to find what works best for you.

Start with the essentials that match your musical style, then gradually expand your collection. Don’t forget to invest in a good power supply and quality cables to ensure your pedals perform reliably. Guitar pedals are powerful tools for shaping your sound and expressing your musical creativity. By understanding the different types and their uses, you can build a rig that enhances your playing and helps you achieve your desired tone. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, exploring the world of guitar pedals by visiting well known shops like VIP PRO AUDIO in Brooklyn can open up new sonic possibilities and elevate your performances. Happy playing!

[dustedmagazine]

Arve Henriksen and Harmen Fraanje — Touch of Time (ECM)

What exactly is a “Redream?” Yes, it’s the third piece on trumpeter Arve Henriksen and pianist Harmen Fraanje’s new collaborative album and one of Fraanje’s own compositions, but is it a dream reboot or a contemplative revisitation of somnolence, a “regard” a la Messiaen in contemplation of the baby Jesus? Like the music on Touch of Time, that elusive title occupies a between space, a glance toward opposites that never quite solidify as expected but float by, imbued with  introspective calm.

As with so many ECM albums, music and production were made for each other. Henriksen’s sound has been documented enough to need little description. Its combination of reed, flute and voice expands and obfuscates in tandem, but the breath supporting that constantly morphing timbre may never have been caught with just this level of detail in motion. It moves in physical space with the same easy grace carrying each note toward the myriad conclusions Henriksen has perfected. His inaugural phrase of “Passing on the Past” skims those shadowy lines as lush vibrato and cloudy tone bolster notes wavering through and around each other, each luffing breath a new tempo against Fraanje’s ghostly shades of motive and chord. Henriksen’s use of electronics is tasteful, as when “The Dark Light”’s melody takes on the heft of cathedral harmonies and “Mirror Images” sits anchored in a clear but deep pool of drone. In a continuation of his work on Mats Eilertsen’s And Then Comes the Night, actually recorded in the same space, Fraanje’s pianism is captured in similarly staggering detail. Every nuance of “Redream”’s pianism is front and center, and it’s as if we can watch him pedal, digging deep into each gesture as his foot teases phrases forth with rhythmic variation akin to Henriksen’s breath control. His incorporation of melodic fragments outside whatever scale the duo’s inhabiting demonstrates a masterful adventurousness, a subtly inquisitive nature tempering harmonic stasis, whispering mischievous implications at the boundaries of conventional expression.

That’s what ECM has been doing for 55 years. The label has expanded, often via methods less overt, the spaces in which being “Avant Garde” are delineated. It is spaces just like those explored by Henriksen and Fraanje that Manfred Eicher has been opening at least since Afternoon of a Georgia Faun, Marion Brown’s awe-inspiring 1970 improvised soundscape, or did the meditative universe come into being with Benny Maupin’s 1974 masterpiece The Jewel in the Lotus? Like Allan Pettersson’s approach to shifting planes of harmonic consonance and dissonance in his symphonies, those two albums defined the emotionally adjacent innovations and conventionalities the label so often explores, but ECM production offers so much more to experience. Touch of Time demonstrates yet another aspect of adherence to the label’s lineage of atmospheric sonics. Whether live or under studio conditions, foregrounded detail and room ambiance combine in a way few, if any, other labels achieve. Each creak from Fraanje’s bench or instrument and the slightest breathy movement Henriksen executes comes aliveand becomes an integral component to the music’s evolution. Each sonic document from ECM provides a coexistent narrative, telling the story of its creation even as that creation manifests, but those narratives are thorough-going. Ensembles, even a duo, morph, shedding notions of size and surrounding space even as the music eschews the confines of harmony, melody and their predispositions. Touch of Time is one of the label’s most stirring recent examples of double-narrative. Dig deeper into the electronics Henriksen employs to find worlds of undulant harmony in glorious states of becoming, and each note Fraanje plays decays with his instrument’s glorious overtones in full view. Go deeper still into each key stroke and sonic moment to find that timbre succumbs to similar flights of fancy. Are those metallic cube sounds peppering an atmosphere? Is there a ghost harmony just below a melodic surface? Did those notes external to the scale really fit perfectly after all? Re-audition tells one story, then another, and finally reiterates the first in a new way, a (re)experience well worth having.

Marc Medwin

[hellosailoreffect]

New Effects Pedals

New effects pedals continue to push the boundaries of sonic exploration for guitarists and musicians alike. These pedals represent the latest advancements in technology and innovation, offering an array of creative possibilities to enhance musical performances and studio recordings. Whether it's a groundbreaking distortion pedal with unparalleled sustain and clarity, a versatile modulation pedal capable of producing lush chorus or swirling phaser effects, or a cutting-edge delay pedal with customizable settings for precise echo and rhythm effects, new effects pedals cater to diverse musical tastes and preferences. Features such as intuitive controls, presets for quick access to favorite sounds, and USB connectivity for software updates and integration with digital audio workstations (DAWs) make these pedals not only powerful but also user-friendly. Whether you're a seasoned guitarist looking to expand your sonic palette or a newcomer eager to experiment with different sounds, new effects pedals offer exciting opportunities to explore and innovate in music creation.

[kalyanimusicals]

Boss GT-1 Guitar Effects Processor Online, Kalyani Musicals

Kalyani Musical Centre is renowned for its extensive range of high-quality music accessories available for purchase online. Among their stellar offerings is the Boss GT-1 Guitar Effects Processor, a versatile and powerful tool designed for guitarists seeking professional-grade effects and sound customization capabilities.

The Boss GT-1 Guitar Effects Processor stands out for its compact design and user-friendly interface, making it ideal for both stage and studio use. It features a wide array of effects, including overdrive, distortion, modulation, delay, reverb, and more, allowing guitarists to craft their desired tones effortlessly. Whether you're a seasoned performer or a budding musician, the GT-1 offers versatility to suit various musical styles and preferences.

One of the standout features of the Boss GT-1 is its intuitive control layout, which allows for easy navigation and tweaking of settings on the fly. Guitarists can create and store custom presets, ensuring they have instant access to their preferred sounds during performances or recording sessions. The unit also includes a built-in expression pedal for real-time control over parameters like volume, wah, and effect intensity, enhancing the dynamic range and expressiveness of your playing.

In terms of connectivity, the GT-1 is equipped with various input and output options, including stereo outputs for connecting to amplifiers or direct recording interfaces. It supports USB connectivity, enabling seamless integration with computers for recording and editing purposes using DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software. This feature makes it a valuable tool for musicians looking to expand their creative capabilities in digital music production.

Kalyani Musical Centre ensures a seamless online shopping experience for customers interested in purchasing the Boss GT-1 Guitar Effects Processor. With their user-friendly website and secure payment options, customers can browse through a comprehensive selection of music accessories, read detailed product descriptions, and make informed purchase decisions from the comfort of their homes.

The Boss GT-1 Guitar Effects Processor is particularly favored by guitarists for its robust build quality, reliability, and affordability compared to higher-end models. It strikes a balance between performance and accessibility, catering to both professionals seeking advanced features and beginners looking to explore new sonic possibilities.

Overall, whether you're aiming to enhance your live performances, streamline your recording setup, or simply experiment with different guitar tones, the Boss GT-1 Guitar Effects Processor from Kalyani Musical Centre offers a compelling solution. It embodies Boss's commitment to innovation and quality, making it a must-have addition to any guitarist's toolkit. Explore Kalyani Musical Centre's online store today to discover more about the Boss GT-1 and other premium music accessories available for purchase.

[alltheflair]

3000 to the (I)MAX

Photo: IMAX

More than 17 years ago, Outkast released what appears to be their final studio album, “Idlewild.” One half of the Atlanta-based group, André 3000, has kept a seemingly low profile in terms of his music career. Throughout the years, André has been featured on tracks with the likes of John Legend, Lloyd, Beyoncé, Kesha, B.o.B, Gorillaz, T.I., Anderson .Paak, and others. In 2021, he teamed up with Ye on the track “Life of the Party.” Last year, he collaborated with Killer Mike on the track “Scientists & Engineers,” which featured artists Future and Eryn Allen Kane. 

In November, André returned to social media and announced an upcoming project he’d be releasing. Fans were exhilarated to hear what the upcoming project would be. An Outkast reunion album? A long-awaited solo rap LP? Those ideas would be dismissed with the announcement of his first album, “New Blue Sun.” This would mark André’s first-ever studio album since he hopped on the music scene nearly three decades ago. Three Stacks wasted no time in stating there would be no rapping on the album. 

“It actually feels… sometimes it feels inauthentic for me to rap because I don’t have anything to talk about in that way. I’m 48 years old. And not to say that age is a thing that dictates what you rap about, but in a way it does. And things that happen in my life, like, what are you talking about? ‘I got to go get a colonoscopy.’ What are you rapping about? ‘My eyesight is going bad.’ You can find cool ways to say it, but….” André 3000 told GQ last year. 

It’s really not overcoming self-doubt. I think it’s a misunderstanding. People feel like, ‘Oh, he’s doubting himself so much, that’s why he’s not putting out music.’ For me, it’s always been I have to like it, period. I’ve been close to things, but not worth sharing. Once we started working on ‘New Blue,’ I felt compelled.

Instead, the album was an 87-minute (originally three hours long), eight-track, instrumental piece that was sonically different from what we’re used to from the Atlanta native. New-age, spiritual jazz was the direction he had gone with for the LP, largely consisting of experimental flute music. 3000 has been credited with playing digital wind instruments, contrabass flute, wood and bamboo flutes, Maya flute, and pedals on the album.

Some fans who had waited more than a decade for new music were stumped and disappointed to hear the news. After its release, it seemed that most reviewers were satisfied with the album. 

“Luckily, André 3000’s 87-minute ambient music odyssey is a gorgeous, deeply contemporary, prismatic breath of fresh incense,” Rolling Stone critic Christopher R. Weingarten wrote about the album. 

The opening track, “I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time,” broke the record for the longest song to debut on the Billboard Hot 100, and “New Blue Sun” was the first instrumental album to take a spot on the Billboard Hot 200. 

Next, it was time to bring it to the big screen. André 3000’s company, A Myriad of Pyramids, and IMAX teamed up to present a one-night showing of a cinematic interpretation of “New Blue Sun.” 

“Directed by Terence Nance, witness André’s fusion of improv creativity and musical exploration in vivid detail and unparalleled sound quality through the IMAX Live Experience, blending captivating visuals and instrumentation,” the IMAX website reads. 

“André 3000: New Blue Sun IMAX Live Experience” was brought to life in 22 theaters across the United States, most of which were sold out by the time of the showing. 

For an hour and 31 minutes, viewers sat back and watched André 3000 as he displayed his creative evolution that led to this new project. Sitting in a blue room, with a candle lit on the bottom right, André introduced himself to the audience and thanked everyone for taking time out of their day to be there and watch this cinematic experience. He was quick not to waste any more time and began to take the audience on an artistic journey as each track from the LP played back to back. 

On the album each song was pure improvisation, and that’s what it felt like on the screen.  Using the environment around him as a canvas, his body movements on the surface level looked irrational, but they told a story. Utilizing improvisation, the spontaneous creation of movement, Three Stacks opened up as we watched him play, let go, and act on impulse. It took you through a range of emotions including happy, sad, angry, confused, lost, and content. The pairing of the onscreen visuals and the volume the theater produced got the viewer fully immersed in the experience, and although there were no words to be heard, you felt and were moved regardless. 

There was nothing flashy about what André presented. The sounds, movements, and facial expressions were enough to get the point across and keep the viewer intrigued in the art piece. The audience watched on, pondering what the flutist was trying to paint on the screen before them. It was a refreshing break from what we hear today in mainstream music, and invigorating to see an artist take such a different leap in their career. From beginning to end, the cinematic experience was truly new-age. From the actions on screen, to the atmosphere of the theater, everything felt serene and peaceful. Although, if you’re not a fan of new-age music, but a fan of André, the visual experience and music felt reminiscent of “Prototype,” the fifth and final single from Outkast’s fifth studio album “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below,” which was released 21 years ago.

After the long-form music video came to an end, the showing ended with a live-stream conversation with André and Nance, who were present at the Lincoln Square Theater in New York City. Audience members from each theater were able to submit questions to be answered by the two. 

Benjamin from New York sent a question about the track “Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C. / Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, And John Wayne Gacy,” and wondered what the connection was between all the people listed. 

“I was just trying to show the extremes of a balance,” André 3000 said. “I wasn’t trying to get at anybody, or do anything that would piss people off, but I want to put those names right next to each other just as a reminder that us humans, I mean, we all have like good and bad in us. Nobody’s all good, nobody’s all bad. So, it was the most extreme way I could think.” 

When asked about self-doubt when releasing this album, André 3000 shot that down. 

“It’s really not overcoming self-doubt. I think it’s a misunderstanding. People feel like, ‘Oh, he’s doubting himself so much, that’s why he’s not putting out music.’ For me, it’s always been I have to like it, period.” André 3000 said. “I’ve been close to things, but not worth sharing. Once we started working on ‘New Blue,’ I felt compelled.” 

In terms of upcoming performances and collaborations, André dropped some big news. 

“You should be on the lookout for both,” he said. “We just announced the tour that’s actually starting in New York. I think we’re starting in Brooklyn. The way we made the album, the energy that we took to make it, it’s pulled out of the air and I can’t wait to do that for people live, to see it in person. We have a whole tour coming up, and we will have special guests pop up, so stay tuned.” 

What made him want to allow people inside his world and see his creative process? 

“I felt like it was beautiful and just worth sharing. That’s simply it,” he said. 

Another viewer asked him what advice he would give to young Black creators from the South who are feeling constricted by social norms. 

“I don’t know the restrictions, I would have to know which restrictions you’re talking about. But I think we’re in the best times. We grew up and we only had one or two opportunities to make it. You only had a radio station or a record company. If they ain’t like you, you are just gone,” André 3000 said. “Now I think the youth or anybody trying to do art or music, you just have so many tentacles, you have so many ways to get out. You can do something tonight, put it out tomorrow, and just be popping. We didn’t have that opportunity, you just have way more opportunity. Like at a click of a button, you could share a thing and people will hopefully like it. Back then, even if you had a demo, you only got to the 10, 20 people you sold it to. The opportunity of technology now is almost unstoppable.” 

When ending the conservation, 3000 had one more thing to say. 

“I realized that popcorn is underrated. Movie butter popcorn in particular is underrated. So thank y’all for bringing me to that smell,” he added. 

If you missed the one-night showing, André 3000 will be on the road for the “André 3000: New Blue Sun Live” tour. Carlos Niño, Nate Mercereau, Surya Botofasina, and Deantoni Parks, who all performed on “New Blue Sun,” will join him in bringing the album to life. Don’t wait too long, as a lot of stops are already sold out.

[musicmonger]

Bicycle The Band: A Psychedelic Musical Adventure.

Introduction,

Bicycle The Band, an enigmatic musical collective, emerged from the depths of creativity, blending genres, mysticism, and a dash of Bigfoot folklore. Their sun-dappled melodies and thought-provoking lyrics have captivated audiences worldwide. But how did they pedal their way to fame? Let’s explore.

The Origins.

Bicycle The Band (often stylized as Bicycle) began as a humble project in a basement studio. Comprising TED (vocals, guitar), mysterious band members (whose identities remain shrouded in secrecy), and a mythical Bigfoot mascot, Bicycle embarked on a sonic adventure.

Their music defies categorization. Imagine psychedelic rock infused with hip-hop beats, cosmic vibes, and a touch of whimsy. Bicycle’s sound is like riding a neon-lit bike through a forest of kaleidoscopic trees – simultaneously familiar and otherworldly.

Social Media Breakthrough

YouTube: Their YouTube channel became a portal to their universe. From cryptic music videos to behind-the-Social Media Breakthrough.

Bicycle’s ascent gained momentum on social media platforms. Here’s how they pedaled their way to fame:

Instagram: Bicycle’s Instagram feed resembled an art gallery. Psychedelic visuals, sacred geometry, and glimpses of their Bigfoot mascot drew followers into their mystical realm.

Twitter: Their tweets were cryptic, poetic, and occasionally nonsensical. Fans speculated on hidden meanings, creating a sense of community around deciphering Bicycle’s messages.

The Bigfoot Connection

Bicycle’s obsession with Bigfoot is no accident. Legend has it that their lead singer, TED, encountered the elusive creature during a late-night bike ride. The encounter inspired their hit single, “Footprints in the Nebula.”

John Mayer’s Influence

Bicycle cites John Mayer as a spiritual guide. His blend of blues, folk, and cosmic musings resonates with their ethos. In fact, Bicycle covered Mayer’s “Gravity” in their own ethereal style, earning praise from both fans and Mayer himself.

Conclusion,

Bicycle The Band pedals on, their wheels spinning through dimensions. Whether you’re a seasoned fan or a curious newcomer, hop on their cosmic bike and ride alongside them. Who knows? You might glimpse Bigfoot dancing under a neon moon.

Remember, life is a journey – sometimes on two wheels and sometimes through stardust.