#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!!🤘🔥🎛

[caviarsonoro]

Samuel Reinhard - For Piano and Shō I (excerpt)

"For Piano and Shō" is a piece by Swiss composer Samuel Reinhard that explores the interaction between the piano and the shō, a traditional Japanese free reed instrument. The piece is inspired by John Cage's late works, particularly in his use of the shō to produce sustained tones and open structures.

The composition is divided into two parts:

"For Piano and Shō I": In this section, three recordings of each instrument are superimposed. Pianist Paul Jacob Fossum performs single notes using the sustain pedal, creating irregularly interwoven resonances. Simultaneously, Haruna Higashida plays the shō with extreme delicacy, adding subtle harmonies that complement the piano notes. This combination generates a sonic texture where each moment unfolds slowly, allowing every sound to fully manifest.

"For Piano and Shō II": In this part, the performance is reduced to a single performer per instrument. Fossum alternates between two chords: one arpeggiated and one sustained, while Higashida plays even softer single notes than in the first section, connecting the piano's elements. Both musicians enjoy freedom in tempo, allowing reflective silences to emerge and creating a sense of almost suspended time.

Reinhard has expressed that his intention is to invite the listener to remain still and simply listen, noticing the small details that emerge at the periphery of our attention when we reduce the density of stimuli and settle into slower temporalities.

The piece has been praised for its refinement and its ability to create a deeply contemplative atmosphere, where the interaction between piano and shō offers a unique auditory experience that transcends traditional musical conventions.

[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

[pratimadheer]

Customizing Your Vox Amp: Mods and Accessories to Enhance Your Sound

Vox amps have a legendary reputation for delivering rich, dynamic tones that have defined genres and inspired countless musicians. While they sound incredible right out of the box, there’s always room for customization to make your Vox amp truly your own. From subtle tone adjustments to full-on modifications, customizing your amp can unlock new sonic possibilities and ensure your sound stands out. In this article, we’ll explore various mods and accessories to enhance the performance, versatility, and character of your Vox amp.

Why Customize Your Vox Amp?

Customizing your Vox amp allows you to:

Tailor the Tone: Dial in specific sounds suited to your playing style and genre.

Expand Versatility: Add features or effects to adapt to different musical situations.

Improve Performance: Upgrade components for better reliability and durability.

Personalize Aesthetics: Give your amp a unique look that reflects your personality.

Whether you’re looking to tweak subtle nuances or overhaul the amp’s capabilities, customization is an exciting journey of experimentation.

Popular Mods for Vox Amps

1. Tube Upgrades

One of the most common modifications for Vox amps is upgrading the tubes. The choice of tubes significantly impacts the amp's tone and responsiveness.

Preamp Tubes: Swapping out the stock preamp tubes can alter the amp’s gain structure and harmonic content. For example, 12AX7 tubes provide high gain, while 12AT7 or 12AU7 tubes offer smoother, lower-gain options.

Power Tubes: Vox amps, especially the iconic AC series, often use EL84 tubes. Upgrading to premium EL84 tubes can enhance clarity, warmth, and headroom.

2. Speaker Swaps

Changing the speaker in your Vox amp is another impactful modification. Different speakers emphasize various tonal frequencies and dynamic responses.

Celestion Alnico Blue: A popular choice for Vox amps, it delivers the classic chime and warmth associated with British tones.

Greenback Speakers: Ideal for those seeking a more mid-focused sound with a creamy breakup.

3. Bright Cap Mod

Vox amps are known for their sparkling high end, but this can sometimes feel too sharp, especially at lower volumes. A bright cap mod involves removing or adjusting the capacitor that emphasizes treble frequencies, resulting in a smoother, more balanced tone.

4. Master Volume Mod

Adding a master volume control is a game-changer for players who want cranked-up tube tones at lower volumes. This mod allows you to drive the preamp tubes into distortion without blasting the power section, making it ideal for home or studio use.

5. Effects Loop Installation

If your Vox amp doesn’t already have an effects loop, adding one can dramatically improve how time-based effects like delay and reverb interact with your signal. Placing these effects after the preamp stage retains their clarity, especially when using amp-driven overdrive.

Accessories to Enhance Your Vox Amp

1. Pedals for Added Versatility

Vox amps pair beautifully with pedals, and the right ones can dramatically expand your tonal palette:

Overdrive and Boost Pedals: Add grit or push your amp into higher gain territories while retaining its natural character.

Reverb and Delay Pedals: Complement Vox’s clean tones by adding depth and atmosphere.

EQ Pedals: Fine-tune your frequencies for specific genres or situations.

2. Attenuators

An attenuator connects between the amp and the speaker, allowing you to achieve tube saturation at lower volumes. This is particularly useful for taming the volume of high-powered Vox models during practice or small gigs.

3. External Cabinets

For players seeking more projection or a fuller sound, connecting your Vox amp to an external speaker cabinet can be transformative. Larger cabinets or those with multiple speakers can enhance bass response and overall volume.

4. Protective Covers and Cases

Investing in high-quality covers or road cases ensures your amp stays protected during transport and storage. This is essential for preserving its performance and appearance over time.

5. Custom Aesthetics

Personalize your amp with custom grille cloths, tolex, or knobs. These changes won’t affect the sound but can make your Vox amp visually distinctive and uniquely yours.

Tips for Safe Modifications

While customizing your Vox amp is exciting, it’s important to proceed carefully:

Understand Your Amp: Study the schematic and learn about the components before making changes.

Consult Professionals: For complex mods like adding an effects loop or master volume control, seek help from a qualified amp technician.

Use Quality Components: Cheap parts can compromise performance and reliability.

Test Incrementally: Make one modification at a time to understand its impact on your tone.

Conclusion

Customizing your Vox amps is an excellent way to enhance its tone, versatility, and aesthetic appeal. Whether you’re upgrading tubes, swapping speakers, or adding pedals, each modification brings you closer to your ideal sound. By carefully selecting mods and accessories, you can unlock the full potential of your Vox amp and create a setup that’s truly tailored to your musical journey.

So, grab your tools (or call a pro), and start transforming your Vox amp into a one-of-a-kind tone machine!

[bamsmuzic]

█▓▒▒𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐕𝐒𝐓 & 𝐀𝐩𝐩│𝐎𝐜𝐭𝟐5-𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 "Live"░░░▒▒▓█

– – – SATURATION & CREATIVE EFFECTS – – – Fuzz Plus 3 Dev: AudioDamage ▼Download▼ FuzzPlus3 is based on a vintage fuzz pedal model. Accurate digital model of a vintage distortion pedal’s circuitry. Resonant low-pass filter modeled on the MS20 analog synthesizer. Self-feedback control for exploring new sonic territory. (In less pretentious language: feeds the output back to the input,…

[ashifchowdory44]

Download Soundiron – Yumtone H4

Embark on a sonic journey with Soundiron’s Yumtone H4, an exquisite digital instrument that captures the essence of a classic Japanese FM synthesizer, the Yamaha Electone HC-4, which made its debut in 1987. This extraordinary library revives the spirit of the original instrument while integrating modern features to enhance your creative workflow.

The Yumtone H4 is not just another synth library; it’s a comprehensive sound design tool that delivers a rich palette of sounds perfect for any genre. With its dual 44-note keybeds and foot pedal system, the Electone HC-4 revolutionized how musicians interacted with their instruments, and Yumtone H4 keeps that legacy alive. The library includes a variety of articulations such as synth sustains, staccatos, piano, vibraphone, and bells, alongside tempo-syncable drum machine loops and key SFX, offering endless possibilities for your compositions.

We recorded the instrument’s articulations in wide stereo and direct line-in, ensuring pristine sound quality. Additionally, we crafted 20 evolving ambient pads and 20 custom FX presets from the source material, designed to inspire creativity and push the boundaries of your soundscapes. Whether you are creating cinematic scores, electronic tracks, or ambient soundscapes, Yumtone H4 has something to offer.

The user interface (GUI) of Yumtone H4 is packed with intuitive sound-shaping controls that empower you to mold the sound to your liking. You can easily adjust parameters such as Volume, Attack, Release, Transient Offset, and more. The Glide control slider allows for smooth legato and portamento leads, while an adaptable LFO system gives you the ability to modulate various parameters, adding depth and movement to your sounds.

Moreover, Yumtone H4 features a customizable arpeggiator with a built-in velocity sequencer table, offering you control over arp direction, note timing, swing, randomization, and duration. With 13 lowpass, high-pass, and FX filters at your disposal, along with assignable modulation controls, your sonic palette is virtually limitless.

Dive into a world of delicious digital flavors and elevate your music production with Soundiron’s Yumtone H4. Ready to explore its rich textures and vibrant tones?

Download Yumtone H4 Now and transform your music today!

[skeedog]

ELECTRO-HARMONIX Demonstrates the POG3 Octave Pedal with an Acoustic Guitar

Product Review: Electro-Harmonix POG3 Octave Pedal The world of octave pedals just got a serious upgrade with the introduction of the Electro-Harmonix POG3. Geared towards delivering an expansive range for acoustic guitar players, this device streams capabilities that push beyond traditional limits into new realms of sonic exploration. Key Features: - Polyphonic Tracking Over 4 Octaves: The POG3 offers lightning-fast tracking across four octaves, promising smooth tone and performance. - Six Voice Options: Including a Dry voice along with -2, -1, +5th (perfect fifth), +1, and +2 harmonies largely in octaves provide versatility in sound production. - Individual Sliders for mix adjustment: Each harmony can be mixed to perfection using individual sliders ensuring detailed control over your output. - Enhanced Effects Section: Boasts envelope control and adjustable Q for its multi-mode Filter alongside an improved Detune section with Spread capability plus select effects on dry signal processing—enriching textures possible during playbacks or performances significantly when compared against previous models.. 5 .Advanced Control Via Expression & MIDI Inputs: Introduces advanced programming through expression inputs including Freeze Glissando Volume Filter X-Fade Warp etc coupled by midi input further enrichining possibilities encompassed within each use case scenarios always aiming at enhancing player’s experience real-time without any hitches whatsoever! Pros: - Incredibly flexible sound options allow musicians to recreate everything from delicate twelve-string jangle sounds right up funky drawbar organ vibes easily - Real time modification enables tweaking even whilst live playing thanks mainly due complex but intuitive design layout included onboard., -Supports extensive external controls via both standard expressions pedal connections together Midi offering unparalleled customization opportunities those seeking refine their bespoke tones still subtly different else being offered market today... Cons : Price might seem steep some especially individuals not needing level sophistication provided However consider sheer amount innovation packed inside one box likely worth investment professional hobbyists alike stick rigidly quality excellence throughout career respective musical ventures .. Customer Feedback : Majority customer reviews ve been overwhelmingly positive lauding manufacturer taking bold step forward integrating modern tech classic effect unit while maintaining legendary ease use durability come expect brand could may possibly do no wrong according eye many pros cons summed customers pleased overall prh3>oposing gadget almost essential part setup if far reached thus yet certainly fantastic addition arsenal gear says lot coming diverse backgrounds expertise ... In conclusion ,the brings groundbreaking features game-changing modifications traditionally perceived limitations associated instruments it paired Ensuring satisfaction entertainment galore anyone lucky enough own testimony itself witness magic hands firsthand! https://www.ehx.com/products/pog3/ Read the full article

[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

[pedaloftheday]

We're back after a rough week following Hurricane Helene, but are excited to finally bring you an amazing collaboration between Chase Bliss and Billy Strings, reviving a beloved pedal with some new upgrades and sonic oddities that you're sure to love. Come along as we explore the Billy Strings Wombtone Analog EnveloPhaser, you're really gonna dig this one…

If you have the means, please consider donating, volunteering or helping folks who have lost their homes, businesses and more in this devastating hurricane - every little bit counts! ❤️

[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