Saturday, April 6, 2013

In addition to the recent recordings (raw data) I posted this morning, I also posted a short piece I made by combining 2 improvised tracks of almost identical length, which are otherwise unrelated (besides that I played both of them). 
This is up at https://soundcloud.com/fnkhsr/multitrack1am
Of course, in group improvisation the players are listening to one another--here is something more like a "chance improvisation", where the sounds meet each other as a result of other aspects of their identity, like length of time. Although it's not pure improv, I'm hoping some of you will be willing to experiment along with me by working on some "chance improvs"--that is musical improvs that don't necessarily involve listening. Naturally if it doesn't sound good, I wouldn't post it (i.e., such experiments can fail miserably, right?).
If you want to "improv along" with tracks I've posted, adding your sounds to mine, even better. I plan to do the same (& hope I can solve latency issues which have hindered me in the past...)

c funk


7 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing these. I've just finished listening to them playing back to back in reverse order thanks to soundcloud's automated player. I started off wondering where you were going with it and at about halfway through realised that it was just what it was - that it wasn't necessarily going anywhere. Listened to like this, as one long extended reflection on the bass, I really enjoyed it. Recalled the spirit of 70s minimal music.

    If I may make a suggestion - perhaps try experimenting with "implements" to strum the strings (chopsticks, thimbles, etc.). Your bass has such a nice resonance, "preparing" it in this way may add some nice timbral contrast.

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  2. Hi Chris! I'm going down the comments now and agree with Peter. I also wonder about the constant pulse I hear, and whether that's necessary. The bass, because of its pitch, tends to meld notes on multi-tracking; what would happen if you raised or lowered one of the samples by an octave? Electric basses are timbre-bound and maybe cry out (this is my own imagination) for live real-time electronic manipulation, particularly when there are varied tracks combined. Finally, it would be interesting to play along with this - I'm not sure how I'd do it with my laptop, and I wonder if your consciously playing in particular keys? My own (acoustic) instruments have had to 'seek' their keys in a way which makes them unpalatable - the sazs are tuned for example to their own internal resonances. And finally I wonder how these would sound against Peter's minimalist (to me) playing - whether there would be a way using hard limiting to have his sounds compress yours on occasion?
    - Just some thoughts, and again apologies for being here late -

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  3. PO & AS, Thanks for comments. I have my edirol on the table & simply turn on record when something I'm noodling w/sounds decent. I've been practicing/rehearsing a lot, having fun, so had a few mp3s to put on the table, nothing focused. I'll definitely pursue the implement/strum idea. Alan-- the pulse you're hearing is coming from my effects pedal (a digitech multiplay), which i use a lot. in addition to chorus, echo & phlange it has a built in sampler. i mainly use it to up the sound quotient, & w/Amy to create a steady vibration that's the foundation of her visual palette. I suppose it can be overdone! I was lazily using Sound Booth to do the automatic multitrack, & am glad to hear your tech suggestion. I have no idea what keys I'm playing in on bass, btw (just have a basic understanding of how the strings work & my own notation system, pretty lame). btw I am hoping to get some of Peter's tracks & work/play w/them. ok...

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  4. Btw like Imp1 and Imp4 at the moment the best, will listen more to your work and Peter's and where is Bjorn? Please come in!

    I'd like to hear you and Peter together - your tonal ranges really don't overlap and it could be really incredible -

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  5. following up on suggestions made here, I did some bass "strum" improvs today, which I liked (though not sure I actually strummed). Posted 4 of them, plus the AS/CF mix I mentioned on another thread, and a new multitrack that employs 2 of the strum pieces (that just happened to be almost identically timed & were not intended to be joined.
    ok, for now, enjoying...

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    1. the link for these tracks is https://soundcloud.com/fnkhsr-- for some reason I don't see them on my feed...
      -cf

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    2. Really like strum imp3 and imp4, listening through these now - would be interesting to try and play with you live with these - imp1 also works for me because of the speed and syncopation it sets up - I hope others come in and post and possibly use these! - on the first strum improvisation like all but the third section which I think is back to the standard rhythm - is there a way to have voice and bass modify each other? I think you were doing this at one point?

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