Doing complete tracks using only one synth - (2)

2009-08-19 by Hal Berstram

Benge- 1973: Roland SH2000

For the second instalment of this series we turn to Ben Edwards, aka Benge, the founder of experimental electronic label Expanding Records.

Last year Benge released “Twenty Systems”, a CD packaged in a minature book sleeve with an accompanying 64-page booklet. I was lucky enough to find it while browsing in the Rough Trade shop near Brick Lane – one of the reasons I still enjoy the physical experience of browsing in shops like Rough Trade is because you sometimes find a real classic like this.

“Twenty systems” is an album consisting of 20 tracks, each recorded using just one synthesiser. For each year from 1968 to 1987, a synth which was launched that year is used – running from the Moog Modular in 1968 to the Kawai K5M in 1987.

Many of the synths used are well-acknowledged classics – the aforementioned Moog, the EMS VCS3 (‘69), the ARP 2600 (‘71), the Yamaha CS80 (‘76) and the Oberheim Xpander (‘84). Intriguingly, there are also some weird choices. The long-forgotten Yamaha CX5M music computer (running the MSX operating system – any of you kids out there remember that one?!) is the choice for 1985, while there are a few machines in there that are normally seen as first-order turkeys – the Yamaha CS70M (‘81) and the Moog Polymoog (‘75), for instance.

But remarkably, the tracks with synths that are generally seen as duffers are as good as the ones that use classic synths. One is left with the feeling that Benge could make a classic track with a dustbin lid and chicken McNuggets, such is his level of ability.

The track featured here is a superb ambient soundscape with a definite Aphex Twin influence. I’ll quote from Benge’s sleevenotes to tell you more about 1973’s Roland SH2000, a weird little beastie indeed:

The Roland SH-200 brought the “new sound” within reach of a whole new generation of musicians… it features pre-programmed, un-editable voices or ‘presets’ which the user can alter in real time with a few well-chosen performance controls. In some ways the SH-2000 was the blueprint for all subsequent popular synths… By recording many layers of sound, this track demonstrates some of the preset sounds of the instrument, and utilising the synthesiser’s repeat function juxtaposing rhythms were able to be built up.”

Amen to that. A great album and a valuable historical research project all in one!

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Doing complete tracks using only one synth - (1)

2009-08-05 by Hal Berstram

The MS Series (Pino and Wildjamin) – Monochill

This is the first in a very short series of posts exploring electronic musicians who have stripped electronic music back to its essentials, by not just using only electronic instruments to make their tracks, but by using just one synthesiser to make each track.

The MS Series was a CD that appeared in 1995 on Pete Namlook’s Fax records label by two guys called Pino and Wildjamin, who had previously collaborated with Dr Atmo on another Fax CD called The Whole Traffic. Dr Atmo himself had collaborated with Namlook on Fax’s first ever release, the 1992 classic Silence (licensed to Rising High records for wider release the year after).

As the title suggests, almost all the sounds on the album are made using Korg’s MS series of synthesisers – these were weird looking things with loads of knobs and jack sockets (for patching) on which came out in 1978. I myself am lucky enough to own an MS10, the smallest one in the family, and I can report that it is a great synth with a particularly good filter.

The MS Series has led to mixed reactions from folks that I’ve previously played it to. One ex-work colleague said it was a classic; another said that it was the most boring CD he had ever heard. It’s fair to say that rather than grabbing the listener by the scruff of the neck, this album concentrates on taking a few ideas and exploring them carefully. And playing a lot with the knob on the synth marked “voltage controlled lowpass filter.”

There’s an amusing story regarding this album I’d like to relate: an old schoolfriend of mine played his stepfather something ambient by (Brian) Eno. On a later occasion the poor guy tried to criticise ambient music but got Eno’s name wrong: “Pino [sic]? Monstrous rubbish. Jackson Pollock of the music industry.”

I was therefore greatly amused when I found that there really was a musician called Pino, and he wasn’t monstrous rubbish.

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Soundtrack for a bad day

2009-06-04 by Hal Berstram

Angelo Badalementi – I’m Hurt Bad

The first in (hopefully) a series of soundtrack-related postings from me over the next two weeks. This is taken from the second CD of music from the TV series Twin Peaks which was released in the US in 2007 but – like the Series 2 DVD box set – has yet to come out here. (The first Peaks CD came out in the early 1990s, closely followed by the soundtrack CD for the prequel film Fire Walk With Me.)

Although this new CD bills itself as ‘all new Season 2 music and more’, a lot of the best tracks are actually from Season 1 rather than Season 2, and “I’m Hurt Bad” is one of these – in fact it’s from the pilot episode.

For those of you that know the series, it’s the tune that Bobby Briggs puts on the jukebox in the RR diner when he leaves with Shelley Johnson. Or at least the first minute or so of the track is… it then devolves into strange ambient territory. Not a long track, but the piece was one of my favourite bits of music in the series, so it’s good to see it released at last.

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The interesting sub-genre of "synthetic vocals"

2009-01-30 by Hal Berstram

Scape One – Tomorrow

A particular sub-genre of music I’ve always liked is where the traditional vocalist is replaced by a synthetic-sounding vocal. Early attempts to do this in 70s rock made heavy use of vocoders (e.g. ELO, Kraftwerk) and the “talkbox” guitar effect (er… Peter Frampton). By the mid-1980s speech synthesiser programs were widely available for computers and the 1990s gave us perhaps the definitive speech synthesiser track, Radiohead’s “Fitter Happier” (in the OK Computer album.)

Physicist Stephen Hawking has of course made great use of the speech synthesiser to keep talking despite the onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. And this particular track almost sounds like it could have had Hawking on lead vocals.

I picked this one up by mistake really: I was browsing in the rather excellent Sounds of the Universe record shop in Soho, London, and a compilation called “Beyond Control” was on sale for only £2. There was an artist called Redshift on it and as I’d once read that there was a band called Redshift who specialised in Tangerine Dream style 70s electronica I thought I would take a punt on buying the CD.

Of course, when I got it home, it wasn’t that Redshift at all (www.discogs.com lists at least 8 artists called Redshift, I had a very small chance of getting the right group when you think about it.) But nonetheless it was excellent – in a kind of ‘retro electronica’ style.

This particular track sounds very much like it could have been cut by the early Human League in 1979 or thereabouts – check that bassline… pure League! Although the vocal makes it a bit more contemporary. Still, who the hell gives a f*** about ‘contemporary’? Smashing stuff.

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Say it loud - I'm MOR an' I'm Proud!

2008-06-26 by Babe Rainbow

Langley Schools Music Project – Sweet Caroline

Miss Rainbow here is still in a state of excitement after seeing Neil Diamond at the O2 on Tuesday! Yep, I woz there watching Neil resplendent in a glittery black shirt struck his funky stuff. Believe me, for a man old enough for a freedom pass, he sure can strut. He had it all going on, key changes, brass section and a moving stage. 15 thousand people singing ‘I Am I said’ and ‘Forever in Blue Jeans’ was heavenly.

Now before you all start running screaming for the hills, I haven’t posted a Neil track. Its my own little tribute to him. This version of ‘Sweet Caroline’ was recorded in the 70s by a group of school kids in Canada. Their teacher got them to chose various pop songs to sing (including ‘Band on the Run’ and ‘Space Oddity’). The St Winnifred’s school choir it ain’t. The recordings are raw and sometimes out of tune but that makes them even more gorgeous and often moving. So here is their version of a Neil Diamond classic. As the man himself would say, it’s a beautiful noise….

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Hang it Up Daddy-O!

2007-03-31 by The Mighty Alboy

April March – “Chick Habit”

As a keen armchair snowboarder, I often enjoy watching a snowboarding video of people doing things that make me sick with terror when I think about them, which is often exacevated by the fact that snowboarding videos are generally accompanied by Extreme Noise Terror/death-metal type soundtracks, which tend to put me on edge anyway (really- it’s fun, you should try it).

Anyway, I was watching one the other night and this tune was on it, which as well as making a pleasant change, also got my toes-atappin’...

After a bit of credit checking, I was able to track it down to April March, who turns out to be quite a character. She’s from Brooklyn, but became fascinated with France in Junior High, went on an exchange trip and came back inspired to record 1960s-esque French Pop music- first as the Pussywillows, and then in 1991 as the fantastically named The Shitbirds, which lasted until 1995. Since then she’s been recording solo.

‘Chick Habit’ is April’s rework of a classic French Pop tune by Serge Gainsborough “Laisse Tomber Les Filles” that I’ve never heard of (I only really know Sacha Distel’s “mon beau chapeau”). Unsurprised to hear it’s going to appear on the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino/Eli Roth/Robert Rodriguez’s “Death Proof”/”Grind House”.

As well as all that, turns out she also worked as principal animator for the Ren and Stimpy show, and on Madonna’s “Who’s That Girl”, animating the star in the title sequence and the music video.

Whaddayaknow?

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Utah Saints - Power To The Beats (Krafty Kuts Mix)

2006-10-20 by Blue Luke

so to be honest i dont see much point in banging on about how seminal an outfit the Utah Saints have been over the years, because i pressume we all know that. Besides, anything left to comment on they say themselves on their myspace site. Afterall, if they’re well known for anything other than their music, its their abilty to self promote.

i thought i’d post a tune from them (this one a quite retroey remix by krafty kuts) because i received an email from a friend pointing out that the Utahs, who are a goood northern outfit from Leeds, are venturing south of the watford gap for a DJ set in London in early november. I thought it might be a good opportunity for all you southerners to hear something direct from the heartlands of the country, and by the looks of things its going to be at a very resonable northern price of £5.

Now, the Utah Saints havent been releasing much for the last three or four years, because all the stuff they make in the studio is exclusivly for their DJ sets, which make them an intersting outfit to go see. According to myspace, they are however back in the studio working on an album for general release. lets wait and see.,
but in the meantime, get over to shoreditch (has to be done sometimes) and show them some love.

Utah Saints – Breakbeats and dirty electro
5 November
Medicine Bar – Shoreditch
£5

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song for ella :)

2006-09-17 by The Mighty Alboy

ella fitzgerald- “i got you under my skin”

A venerable oldie for the youngest member of the DC crew, and fitting tribute to my beautiful daughter Ella, born 8lbs 6oz on Monday 4th September. Mum Lula and baby are both blooming, and yours truly is a beaming and proud pa pa.

:oD

Thanks to the Kevs for their tunes!

Could DC be the most fecund site in the blogosphere?

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Si Boops Deh...

2006-08-14 by The Double K

Sly & Robbie – Boops (Here To Go)

I saw the video for the new Robbie Williams single yesterday – it’s called Rudebox and is surprisingly good electro-pop that’s sure to be featuring on many a Ritzy dancefloor over the next couple of months.

Part of it’s goodness comes from completely ripping off the chorus of this 1987 hit for Sly & Robbie: I got one desire and that’s to dance until you drop is changed by Williams to I got one desire and that’s to funk until you drop – I bet that took him a while to come up with ;o)

Boops is surprisingly heavy for what is ostensibly an 80’s pop record, but don’t forget this is the mighty Sly & Robbie we’re talking about, the world’s premier rhythm section. The beat is as fat as you like, and the moody string stabs are worthy of any modern day R’n’B pop track.

You go out at night and eat up bars

2006-04-10 by Tommy Squeaker

Blondie edit – “Ripture 6MS”

Not a clue who’s behind this one, but it’s great fun. Rapture by Blondie given the treatment; a prolonged intro over which other samples are added (I can spot some Parliament in there, but I’m not very good at this) thankfully retaining the vocal towards the end and, best of all, the completely bonkers Debbie Harry “rap” – more of that below. As far as the white label goes, there’s an edit on the flipside of It’s Serious by Cameo which went down well at Needless Jam back in February.

But back to that rap. I think it was that Dancing in the Streets music documentary a few years back where they had an interview with Grandmaster Flash who said of Debbie’s effort “To this day, I don’t have a clue what she was talking about. But it was cool”. Hit the nail on the head there I reckon, Flash. Eating cars and bars with men from Mars; what the hell is she going on about? But she is F*CKING cool.

I’ve heard Kevvy K repeat large chunks of it from memory – which I find a little scary, but it shows the love…

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