Art Battle @ The Varley from NOW Magazine on Vimeo.
Big thanks to Graeme Phillips and NOW Magazine for putting my song in this video and for the credit! I love the cuts to the beat. The song in the video can be downloaded here:
A couple weeks ago, I decided it had been too long since I had sat down at my computer and proper synths (rather than DS) and wrote something. I spent two afternoons writing, recording, editing, and mixing this song, and was sort of rushing to get it done for the Art Battle that took place last weekend.
Here’s the breakdown, if anyone is curious:
- TR-707 drum samples
- Nord Modular – bass
- Steinberg Embracer – choir-like sound
- ARP-2600v – plinky sequence
- Nord Modular (using DX-7-like architecture) – bell sound
- Nord Modular – muffled square arp
- AnalogX Sayit – “insert” voice, run through autotune to control pitch
I played it at AB@V last weekend during the final battle. It sounded alright, but I think I may continue to work on it.
A few weeks ago I flew from Toronto Island Airport to Newark, NJ on a Bombardier Q400, also known as a Dash 8.
The plan was to go to NYC for New Year’s Eve.
For some reason Porter Airlines, whose pre- and in-flight experience is amazing, flies to Newark instead of Laguardia or JFK. After landing in Jersey I was struck by one thing — the sound.
It’s as if Rockstar Games simply put a couple microphones in the street outside the airport to record the background ambience for all of their Grand Theft Auto games: the cars, the sirens, the obscenities in Jersey dialect in the distance.
We hopped on a commuter train to Penn Station. For you Torontonians, think of a GO Train with twice as many seats in each car, and now imagine bringing a large suitcase and your puffy winter coat along with you. Not so comfortable.
Anyway, the rest of the trip was incredible. I loved my time in NYC and the weather was beautiful. One afternoon I hopped on the L train to visit Williamsburg, Brooklyn to see what it was all about (hint: It’s Parkdale, but bigger). Recommended places to visit at that time of year: anywhere but Times Square!
A few days before the trip, I wrote this somewhat obnoxious little song on my trusty DS-10 while visiting family for Xmas.
“At Art Battle 10 | January 18 | 730PM, resident DJ/composer HOLOTAPE will offer a new full-length CD entitled ‘soundfilms’, a collection of selected ambient and down-tempo works of his over the last ten years. This new CD will be available for purchase at admissions and at the DJ table along with his 2010 ‘come home’ CD.
PWYC, suggested price $5
Link to tracklist, a free mp3 and other info will be posted over the weekend.
See you all Tuesday!
