The most recent episode of S&S Radio was arranged by Jean, a French artist (now based in Montreal) who designs sound as Triste Marker, johnny_ripper, Adam Wrong, and Boy With a Red Cap. Across his various projects, there’s a sense of studious wonder, as if driven by a curiosity that never rests. Especially (in the context of the influences/favorites mixed here) his Triste Marker work, which uses field recordings and organic noise to edit “memory into music.” This is confirmed by the thoughtful effort put forth in Jean’s track by track commentary below.
01. Claudia – In Case There Is an Emergency
Already guilty of using this as an introduction for a johnny_ripper mix before, but what can I say, this is probably one of my favorite songs ever (I feel like I’m about to say this a lot in the next paragraphs), definitely one I break out “in case there is an emergency”, ah-ha.
Found it somewhat randomly, on a compilation aptly titled Favourite Places. I just love how it opens with the recording of a room, with all these little sounds all over the place (the door closed shut gets me every time… hmm, yeaaah, I should have probably put some kind of warning about that loud soun-oh it already played and it made you jump as well?… sorry), it creates a very intimate setting, almost like being there yourself. And then, the melodic section… melts my heart. I’m almost curious what the source sounds like, what is the song/melody that is originally behind all those cuts, skips, glitches… maybe it’s what you can hear slightly more in the snippets towards the end? One’s thing for sure, it probably wouldn’t be as emotional as it is in this form. There are so many manipulations and edits, it’s like they have a logic of their own, that didn’t require any human input. Like a computer, or a broken CD, crying. Or corrupted sound files.
02. Blithe Field – Dont want to be here
I am in love with Spencer Radcliffe’s music, especially as Blithe Field. It is almost impossible to not compare it to The Books, with the use of archives/tape recordings, and effected acoustic instruments, but I feel like there’s more of a childish innocence, and yet a more melancholic side. There’s a raw honesty to Spencer’s music. This song is a good example. Not only do I relate to the title a lot, but it all seems constructed with snippets of random recordings, not necessarily musical, but all with particular textures. Similar to the previous song, it almost sounds like the tape itself weeping.
03. Colleen – Nice and Simple
In 2003, Colleen released this album, named Everyone Alive Wants Answers, with these gorgeous loop songs, all altered and sampled from dusty records. It has been one of my favorite albums for a long time now, and one of the main inspirations for the ‘adam_wrong’ project but oh-woops, more on that later… Anyway, I just love this album so much, how minimalistic it is, how dreamy, the samples, the textures, the simplicity, the repetition, the vinyl noise… After this album, Colleen began composing music on traditional instruments, and more particularly the viola da gamba. It’s still wonderful, but I feel it misses a bit of the charm that belongs to this entirely unique album. Her latest album Captain Of None however is a gem, and remarkably innovative, probably her best since Everyone Alive.
04. Cuddle Formation – we are scared; we jump from cliffs
aaaaaaaaaah Noah. Ultimate buddy. I admire him a lot, for many reasons that include his wonderful music. This song is from a small album called Israel that, along with Berlin, consist of “journal songs” recorded when in the cities that figure in the titles, all with a gorgeous microcassette quality. The sound journal concept with the titles and the recordings themselves capturing the reality of a moment and a place, is ultimately the original basis for ‘triste marker’, so this is obviously very inspiring for me. Anyway, it seems we’re in a constant inspiration cycle with each other, so that’s great. This song is also sampled in the best way possible in this song by Ricky Eat Acid, which I’m about to talk about in 3…2….1…
05. Ricky eat acid – falling forever and ever
Okay, this is probably going to sound weird, but Sam, and more precisely with his Ricky Eat Acid moniker, is one of the rare artists I feel “connected”, similar to, musically. Obviously, he has a sound that is entirely his own, and that takes multiple forms and shapes in his diverse output, but there is always a same sensibility and/or personality, proper to him, that can be heard and that, well, I guess I feel somewhat affiliated to. This is from an album called seeing little ghosts everywhere and it is my favorite of his. Recorded on tape with toy instruments, it is such a haunting album. It almost sounds like finding lost, abandoned tapes and hearing these dusty recordings by someone (more likely a child) from an unknown time/place. Apparently Sam doesn’t remember recording these songs at all, so it adds even more to that impression. I couldn’t guess for a long time if they were actually original recordings, or edited archive tapes. And this song in particular, I feel like I’ve known all my life, it is incredibly affecting. Heart crushing simplicity, with a “time travel” sensation.
06. Fennesz – Don’t Talk (Put your head on my shoulder)
If it weren’t for the title, would it ever be possible to guess that this is a re-interpretation of The Beach Boys’ song? The way Fennesz creates his songs is an absolute mystery, and similar to Claudia’s song, it’s so full of manipulations and edits, it feels like they have a mind of their own, forming over the original guitar recording. I’m guessing that’s the basis of this song? Deconstructing what originally was a simple recording of a cover? I have a ridiculous amount of plays of this one. Listening to it gives me that sensation that my mind is a computer processing data. Good one to restart your inner system.
07. Black To Comm – Jonathan
Here’s a story. Once I was at a party, mindlessly sitting alone, while a friend left for a minute. Someone was taking pictures with a flash. Some rock music was blaring out of speakers. At some point, the flash went off, and all of a sudden, I heard the music cut off, and sounds of people talking. They were not from where I was; it was as if it was coming from some other place. It wasn’t like they were addressing themselves to me, just some background conversation, as if there had been a sound glitch. All this in that split second the flash went off, that felt infinitely longer to me. I wasn’t even intoxicated or anything. My guess is the music must have skipped right as the flash went off, which had an effect on me, but at that moment, I felt like I was hearing some different place than where I was all in a flash.
Anyway, this has caused a certain fascination with this song, specifically the intro, where it opens with a field recording, that abruptly cuts to another one for a few seconds, exactly as I experienced that one time I described. Black To Comm is one of my biggest musical obsessions at the moment. All the layers, mostly archive samples, altered into these majestic soundscapes; sometimes very abstract, but always powerfully emotional, and immersive. Alphabet 1968 is definitely one of the albums that feels the most to me like time traveling through sound, an experience of its own.
08. Arandel – #5
How do I even begin to describe Arandel? Anonymous French producer hiding behind a mask at first. And now, a collective of equally discreet musicians, apparently? In any case, it’s a project where the music takes the center stage, in an entirely organic form, with a lot of sound restrictions—only recordings, classical instruments, analog synths, no midi, no plug ins. In 2010, the first album was released, In D, that consisted of organic, earthy minimal techno with a contemporary classic side to it. It feels like a spiritual journey in some mystical forest/jungle. Another one of my favorite albums, that I’ve been playing regularly since it came out. And this song more than the others. The choir almost sounds like one of Ligeti’s compositions used in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The minimal kick drum pulsating all along is hypnotic as well. I still don’t know to this day, if the background noises/clicks are actual insect recordings. Some reviews mention the samples; others talk about sounds being fast forwarded or slowed down/stretched.
The second Arandel album, Solarispellis, was released in December. It drastically changes in sound to In D, while still retaining a lot of similarities in conception. Where as In D is very organic, Solarispellis is more synthetic, focusing on analog synths compositions. In D is earth, where as Solarispellis is space. The album reminds a lot of Jean Michel Jarre or Vangelis, or basically any of the early synth music pioneers; it has that same melodic sensibility, making songs as cosmic journeys, before electronic music got too focused on how to make people dance. It’s a lovely album, definitely feels like it’s from some other time, with such an authenticity in the analog sounds. Oh, and eerm, don’t really know how this happened, but I somehow got in touch with Arandel, and ended up remixing a song from the second album. Don’t know exactly when it might get released, but yes, that is something that unbelievably happened.
09. Delia Derbyshire – Dreams: Running
Oh god, I’m realizing this mix is almost too much to write about, I’m only at song nine and here I am; having to write about my personal goddess. I am in love with Delia. She is, in a way, the essence of electronic music, even modern composition to an extent. All the cutting, looping, stretching, pitching, filtering we do now with a few clicks on a music software, she (and the other members of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in the 50s/60s) would do manually, with tape. No synths, only oscillators, limited recordings, infinitely long reels of tape, and hours of precise work. Just to make a song. It was at a time where the imagination of musicians or, in this case, electronic musicians, was beyond the technology available at the time, unlike now. It’s fascinating how much it shows the potential of electronic music even at its earliest stage, it’s still considered incredibly innovative with the tape manipulation techniques and musique concrète practices.
I am in absolute admiration of this short demonstration Delia does of her creative process. Not only is there magic in how she creates the sounds and then turns it into music by playing reel to reel tapes; the songs themselves are so wonderful, sound way ahead of their time, and have a sensibility unique to Delia. I love how some pieces will be quirky, charming, others dark, unsettling, some incredibly melodic, others more minimalistic, even some drone pieces. And it has a sound, and a texture unlike any other, because of how it was made. Apparently she would compose her songs more as equations, instead of a traditionally musical way. She is fascinating, I could go on more but wait, I need to talk about this song too.
It’s probably one of her most conceptual pieces. Part of the “Inventions For Radio” series, I even used it as a basis for one of my rare live shows. It’s a collaboration with Barry Bermange, interviewing people describing their dreams, edited into a collage divided in five sections that reflect recurring elements – Running, Land, Falling, Sea, Colour, all accompanied by drones and background of electronic sounds. So this is the first section of the 20 minute piece. Surprisingly, one of her only pieces that was properly released as a vinyl, and only last year! Delia’s music never gets properly released for a lot of shady reasons relating to the BBC. A lot of her music is still sitting in the BBC sound archive. Who knows what treasures are locked away in there. Oh but then there’s White Noise, her band in the 60’s, with one album that is a psychedelic masterpiece and… okay, okay, I know, next song.
10. Marihiko Hara – Mirage
I am fascinated with music that is based on data sounds, glitches, or abstract electronic sounds. I usually get my dose from the raster-noton label, where a lot of the artists follow that experimental approach. But this album, Credo, by Marihiko Hara, is one of the albums I know that uses those sounds in the best way, and to a certain extent, in a more accessible manner. The rhythms that the cuts and clicks form are intoxicating. I love music that focuses on what is usually considered “imperfections”, such as clicks. Some lush piano work too, sometimes cut up, sometimes covered with reverb.
11. Alphabets – dwell
I have been following Jesse as alphabets on SoundCloud practically since I joined the website, and I almost always instantly favorite his songs after just hearing a few seconds. He creates these dreamy, psychedelic lo-fi soundscapes from his collection of samples, making his music filled with details, and particular aesthetics, sound, textures. My adoration for his music reached a culminating point when he released an album called dead/beat till I die, that I personally consider to be a masterpiece, and that I’ve been binging on ever since.
12. Ezekiel Honig – Seaside Pastures Part 2
The album that convinced me it was okay to use a kick drum outside of my own recordings aha. The songs on Surfaces of a Broken Marching Band are made from field recordings, and then very minimal electronic and/or percussive work on top, adding a certain dance sensibility to the atmospheric one, while still retaining the warm ambiance and emotive sounds of the recordings.
13. Ori – black book
Ori is another one of those SoundCloud discoveries that has turned into a full-grown music obsession. It has touched my mind and soul in a special way. For me, his music is unparalleled, and it’s so hard to describe, because categorizations or comparisons would never be justified. However it does principally involve his chilling vocals, and this song is a great example, since it’s pretty much entirely made from his voice, from the cut up syllables that form the base of the song, to the mouth popping sounds used as percussion. There really isn’t much else, except for the kick drum, bird sounds, and the sample at the beginning. It’s part of a forthcoming album, and I am lucky enough to be one of the rare persons that have heard it, because I am somehow involved with it (not musically though). It is phenomenal, and it’s strange how it’s already one of my favorite albums of 2015 even though I got the album in January, and it’s not even officially released yet. So excited for it to finally be revealed to the world.
14. johnny_ripper – sans soleil
Well, yes, okay, I used one of my own songs in this mix. But obviously, it’s about the sample source for the song. Sans Soleil is a documentary by Chris Marker, and yes that is where the name of this moniker comes from. That movie was a profound life changing experience for me. I have to admit not knowing much about documentaries before moving to Montréal for film studies. Coincidentally I found myself in the birthplace of the ONF/NFB, where a lot of filmmakers invented and innovated many documentary practices/techniques. Documentary is even inked in the history of Québec as the influential cinema vérité movement, born out of these groundbreaking films, was tightly linked to the révolution tranquille happening at that moment. Anyway, I became very interested in how a lot of the ideas of documentary films/filmmakers revolved around “how to capture reality”, the paradox with objectivity and subjectivity, the restrictions of time and space, the immersion in the present moment, the representation of others… all these aspects you have to confront when you’re suddenly working with reality, and not building up everything as with fiction. And then, there’s Chris Marker and his films, which transcend all these notions to create, what I consider personally, an ultimate form of cinema. Specifically with Sans Soleil. On a first viewing, without any context about the filmmaker, it appears to be a collection of images by a fictional cameraman, while a woman narrates letters he wrote to her. But those are Chris Marker’s own images, his own sound recordings, from his travels. And the content of the letters is basically his own words and thoughts about the images. By associating the images he shot (mostly in Japan and Guinea-Bissau, but also Iceland, Paris, San Francisco…) with his narration, he allows a meditative introspection on memory, with no time and space limitations, touching on a vast array of human subjects. It transcends all genre classification, as it’s a film essay, poetic journal, travelogue, intimate documentary… Chris Marker, with his films, seems to find the best ways to represent conscience in filmic form, while playing fictional games that allow him to hide, and yet assume his own subjectivity. This is a song I made entirely from samples of Sans Soleil, narration and sounds, except for the kick drum and Rhodes lines.
15. Blindoldfreak – Pipe One
Alessandro Cortini is one of my major influences, and a constant source of inspiration, under all his different monikers, each one in presence of his Bucchla synthesizers (if not, entirely based around them). I especially love his work under his own name, or this one, Blindoldfreak, his noise/drone project. There has only been one EP, in 2009. It includes this particular number. So minimalistic, and yet it speaks volumes. Buzzing synths, muffled kicks, with a subtle disembodied chant. The effect is mesmerizing. Alessandro has a particular affinity for repetitive melodies/chords, with progressive dynamic changes – distortions, filters, reverb… as demonstrated even better in his Forse trilogy.
16. Anne James-Chaton – Mardi 28 Juillet 2009 – Événement N°26
Raster-Noton artist Anne James Chaton collects everyday texts/numbers like receipts, metro tickets, newspaper headlines, loyalty cards, that he calls “poor literature”, and then records himself reciting them, to transform it into “music” by cutting and looping fragments. This album is therefore based on eight events during 2009, with nine specific events that happened, and the “literature” he collected, on those dates. Everything on it is made from voice & text on lo-fi recordings. But all the voices assembled form complex rhythms, staccato syllables, entrancing in their repetition.
17. James Holden – Quiet Drumming
Although he’s better known as a techno DJ, I feel James Holden is not recognized enough for how smart his music is. Well, I think he demonstrated it quite well with his experimental opus The Inheritors, but his previous album The Idiots Are Winning is also a great example, although the brilliance of it took more time to reveal itself to me. It still pretty much is a “dance” album, but with some very abstract sound design. There are a lot of subtleties in the conception of the songs that I’m still trying to catch on. But there are particular sounds that are repeated/varied in songs, almost as if every song is from the same source, or constructed from the same elements. This is one of the last songs on it, and probably one of the most abstract. Don’t exactly know what those sounds are, but it all creates a very organic groove with electrifying textures.
18. Mitchell Akiyama – Intravene
Another raster noton artist, although this album seems to be somewhat unknown, hiding in the back of their catalogue. Even though it has the perfect title, Temporary Music, a collection of fragments—shards of pianos, pieces of field records, digital interruptions… creating these ephemeral numbers from some abstract memories. He’s apparently based in Montréal as well. Might have to go apologize for copying for his album. Speaking of which…
19. TomJuno – Kuchy
Another friend that I’ve known from SoundCloud forever ago (back when he was Discography) and have been obsessing over his compositions since. With a wide array of instruments and sound diversity, he creates these very elaborate pieces, with makeshift percussion, off kilter time signatures, warm tones, blending acoustic recordings with electronic treatments. But last year, Tom released his album Whampoa, which is ultimately a better version of what I’m trying with Triste Marker. Centered around his travels across Asia, in particular Singapore, the album is made from location recordings, and exotic Asian instruments, traditional melodies and rhythms, edited all into these ecstatic, colorful electronic pieces. This song in particular moves me in a very particular way. Maybe it’s because the recording was made in Malaysia (more precisely along the banks of the Sarawak River in the city of Kuching), where I went the only time I’ve ever been to Asia, which was a life changing experience. But it’s mostly by how effortlessly you are transported to that location in the song, how you can feel the “life” all around the place simply by hearing it. Added to TomJuno’s effective instrumentation and editing, it’s absolutely heart-melting.
20. Andy Dixon – Metro
This is a very peculiar song to add to this mix, because basically, I was planning to do exactly the same thing for this project. Andy Dixon (otherwise known as Secret Mommy), went around Montréal and gathered various recordings to build this set, Montréal in Eb Major. This song samples the STM Metro jingle. Back in 2009, I made a song that sampled the SNCF metro jingle, and I always told myself I should make one for Montréal when I’d move here. But Andy beat me to it. Well, as they are others that sampled the SNCF before, I’m sure there are some for the STM, such as René Lussier who appears later in this mix. Anyway, I still plan to make a song from recordings of the Metro for my album, but I guess I can’t make it into some danceable cacophony like this one.
21. Charles Spearin – Mr. Gowrie
The Happiness Project by Charles Spearin is an album with one of the most endearing concepts there is. Charles Spearin casually interviewed his neighbors about happiness, love, and life in general, while recording the discussions. He then made songs based around the cadences and intonations of certain people, melodies forming from the sing-song quality of particular moments in the conversations, resulting in these avant-garde/jazz numbers. A specific instrument represents each person. In the case of Mr. Gowrie, it’s the bass. Not only is his story incredibly touching, but the melody that forms from the “we slept on floor, we slept on bed” line is gorgeous. That whole section gets me every time. And I love the notion of speech having a melodic quality. I’ve had times (in particular, during a psychedelic experience once) where I focused on the “music” in people’s speech, the timing, the intonation, the rising and falling, the tempo… all constantly creating a unique song. As if they had their own musical scale. It’s very impressive when someone actually manages to create a song based on this.
22. The Books – Thirty Incoming
There was a 3-month period in my life where I was only capable of listening to The Books. How this band affected me is something that would use up 5000 words itself, but yes, it’s one of my ultimate favorites. The Books centers around an absurd amount of samples Paul De Jong initially collected, and the desire of Nick Zammuto to incorporate them to sonic experiments. The results generally consist of a collage of diverse samples (from thrift store finds, to film samples, field recordings, odd sounds/noises…), with cut up cello and guitar, setting the emotional tone of the song and giving a new context to the incorporated snippets of speech and noise. It’s a bit hard to try to summarize their diverse and complex compositions in a few words, but they move me in a way unlike any other. It was a long task finding what would be the ONE song to use in this mix. I went with “Thirty Incoming” from their final album The Way Out (The Books later split up ☹ Both members have personal projects that are as excellent, although it makes me want them to join forces again so much more). Not only for the touching sample at the beginning, but because of my fascination for phone tones/sounds. The instrumentation also reminds a lot of Steve Reich’s “Electric Counterpoint” (coincidentally released on the album Different Trains, recognized for its early, innovative use of samples).
23. Andy Kaufman – Andy Loves His Tape Recorder
Ung, okay, how can you describe Andy Kaufman and his “act” in brief sentences for those who might not know him? I guess anti-comedian would work. Basically, he was an expert at tricking people, and his ultimate goal was to make his audience feel awkward, confused, and even at times revolted. It’s mostly nervous laughter with him. Anyway, his story is a complex one, but it ended with tragic irony, he was so great at duping people that no one believed him when he was actually dying, and even today it’s still believed that he might have been alive all along, and that his death was his ultimate prank. Those rumors became even stronger in 2013, when this album, “Andy and His Grandmother”, appeared from nowhere. It’s a collection of microcassette recordings Andy made from 1977 to 1979. It’s obviously as puzzling and confounding, as an Andy Kaufman release should be. Some of it is actually a bit disturbing. The press release will do a better job than me at explaining that in the recordings “he involves those closest to him, as well as total strangers, in put-ons, falsehoods and other provocations, pushing the limit on logic and emotional investment in everyday situations from the trivial to the deeply personal until any suspension of disbelief is out of the question for all involved, and everyone becomes fully immersed in whatever scenario Andy is suggesting as the new reality.” And as it should, it even includes Kaufman’s potential plans for faking his own death. But some of the pieces have very conceptual ideas. Anyway, I feel this short track sums up the album pretty well. I can also slightly relate to it; it’s funny how people always have to reference the microphone when you start recording with one, just as there is always someone to ask, “are you filming this?” in videos made unannounced. I don’t have anyone yelling at me for recording thankfully. Although I used to have a recording of someone trying to steal my microphone at a venue, it’s a shame that I lost it in a tragic hard drive accident, it would have been a great sample for my album.
24. René Lussier – Ce ca qu’on va faire!
If there is a “documentary album”, it has to be this one. Le Trésor de La Langue is pretty much an experimental ONF documentary in audio form. The concept for it was a road trip around Québec, where René Lussier and some friends would record conversations they had with strangers, ranging from asking directions, to whether it’s important to speak French in Québec. Then, added with historical recordings, significant samples for Québec Nationalism, René Lussier transforms the speeches, dialogues and words into music. The same method as Charles Spearin, but in a much less accessible form I suppose. This is probably one of the craziest albums I know. I don’t think much of it could be considered actual “music”, as it’s mostly free form, electro acoustics, musique concrete, voices… all blended into an exquisite cacophony. I saw him perform live for the 20th anniversary of this album. He was alone, with a guitar, and I think he only played three actual “riffs”, it was mostly plucking, scratching the strings, messing around with accessories, pedals, feedback to create these unconventional, but very specific sounds.
25. Matmos – Very Large Green Triangles
The Marriage Of True Minds is an album based around the Ganzfeld experiment – a ESP procedure that consists of halved ping-pong balls over eyes, red light shone on them, with white noise played on headphones, in order to induce a state of mild sensory deprivation. Matmos recreated that, and then tried to transmit the “concept of this new album” into the minds of the participants, recording the sessions to tapes and using them as “scores, instructions, source material, blueprints, or restrictions to guide the creation of songs, sounds, words and music”. It’s a brilliant album, with an incredible sound diversity, dense with details and layers. With each listen, I discover something new or hear the song in a different way. This song is phenomenal. Based around the descriptions of large green triangles, and the humming of one of the participants (you can hear more from the session in this live performance), it’s one of the most addictive songs I know. I tried the Ganzfeld experiment myself, but I can’t say that it had much of an effect on me. Maybe it was because I expected large green triangles too much.
26. Laser Horse – Na Go Ya
Another member of the SoundCloud all stars team. Erik as Laser Horse, makes some of the most unique, and genuinely twisted music ever. His songs are addicting, and quite an experience. Discovering his account was like crossing into a dark dimension of SoundCloud, but I’m glad I stayed there all this time. His compositions have had quite an effect on me, and I still regularly binge on them. I’ve played this particular one more than 200 times and I’m still not fed up on it. I actually realize how much it has inspired my own music, my obsession with 4/4 kick drums, the cutting, reversing, the organic percussions… Forever supportive and grateful of the Laser Horse.
27. Kyoka – Repulsion
Favorite album from last year, Is (Is Superpowered) (released on raster-noton) is absolutely majestic. Kyoka’s songs are mostly built around her nonsensical, otherworldly vocal melodies, cut up and manipulated into rhythms. But even the eccentric instrumentals that back them up are apparently mostly made from field recordings as well. The result is eccentric, sometimes even chaotic, electronic music, but all with very organic textures and intoxicating charm. Every song on this album is gold.
28. kelli cain – terms
Creator of the Monome along with Brian Crabtree, kelli cain has a fabulous collection of soft, ambient pieces (that I’m guessing were made with the Monome) on her SoundCloud. This is one that I enjoy the most. Losing myself in the mellowness, with those tones rippling on my heartstrings.
29. Anne Laplantine – Hamburg 1
What a fascinating woman. Although Anne Laplantine’s work, and well, personal life is consumed by her idiosyncratic humor, and numerous absurdities, her music nonetheless is enchanting. Quirky, eccentric, even offbeat at times, but always astonishing, and heartfelt. Her albums, which she releases for free on her Universal net label, breathe such a distinctive personality effortlessly, although they’re all very different. Her music is her own “musical road movie” as she travels regularly, and creates these albums from her recordings in all these various cities, such as Hamburg for this one. With its fragile, cut up guitar delicacies, the songs on Hamburg are another example of cut, clicks and skips adding even more emotional substance. Here, it’s almost heartbreaking.
30. RRFFDD – Untitled
My dear friend Robin, another SoundCloud gem discovered years ago. In 2011, she released this album called Amorphous. Incredibly raw, in sound and emotion. Even cathartic at times. The sparse lo-fi quality just adds so much more. I don’t know how this song would sound without it. It emphasizes the wooziness and grittiness. This is the only album she made. It’s no secret that these songs came from a dark place. Robin is feeling much better these days (she got married last year!), so there haven’t been any new songs released for a while now. That’s perfectly fine though, I’m glad it’s the case, and it makes me even more grateful for this album (and the wonderful collaboration we did). Who knows, maybe she’s actually been working on more songs on the side. I should just ask her.
31. adam wrong – nick loop
You did it! You read/scrolled through all my ramblings! Congratulations. As a reward, here is one of my newest monikers: adam wrong. A project based on loops, and samples. Short songs, mostly ambient ones, which slowly shift and progressively evolve, and in the end return to their original form/sound, to form a perfect loop when played on repeat. This piece is based on a short guitar sketch, in a home recording by Nick Drake, my personal savior. I drowned it with reverb and pitch effects, looping the different sections. Currently working on an album titled I could be an infinite loop and that would be fine.