microphones in the trees: May 2015

Thursday, May 28, 2015

data garden


"On October 14, 2012 more than 1,200 participants joined us to wander Bartram’s Garden and connect with their natural environment through live music, performance and sculpture that blurred the distinction between biological and digital worlds, exploring the relationship between plants, music and technology. 

Sounds by Tim Eads, Austen Brown, Joe Patitucci, Alex Tyson, Sam Cusumano, Dan Scofield, Patrick Proctor, Steven Litt, Leslie Zacharkow, Kyle Stetz, Klip Collective, Laura Baird, Allen Crawford, Dino Lionetti, Gretchen Lohse, King Britt, Pia Ercole and Spaceship Aloha (Christopher Sean Powell)."



Wednesday, May 27, 2015

portopia '81 / sarah davachi / overscan



"plush and emotive widescreen synth composition from Osaka's Overscan. composed and recorded between 2013 and 2014. all music by Marcus Miller." boomkat



"the best from Constellation Tatsu's latest batch is a creamy kosmiche trip from Shin Buchikama a.k.a. Portopia '81. gazing at classic Kraftwerk and YMO thru the rosiest of tinted gegs, he takes flight with six deeply charming synth fancies, scaling giddy, breathless heights between the satin arpeggios and vocoder navigations of 'Jet Stream' before diving into the tranquil silicon pools of 'Sparkling Constellation', free-floating in the 'Sea of Clouds' and scanning the melting skies of 'Distant Horizon', eventually slipping into the sweetest reverie of 'Strange Dream' and pirouetting in slow motion between the syntherzones of 'Light and Shadow'." boomkat



"synthesist, Sarah Davachi follows up her lovely 'Baron's Court' LP for Students of Decay with this suite of ominous, mystical drone composition for Constellation Tatsu. they're slow moving unfolding and quietly intense pieces, poised with a chamber music-like elegance and folk-wise simplicity, perhaps at best in the uncurling fronds of 'Flowers and Other Voiceless Things' and the curdled, keening harmonics of 'Praha'." boomkat


de las hornadas de constellation tatsu, siempre tan perfectas, sólo puedo decir cosas bonitas. el hecho de no saber nada de Overscan (Marcus Miller) hace que todavía sea más emocionante adentrarme en 'conscious', mi gran descubrimiento de esta hornada primaveral. tan sólo escuchando las primeras notas de 'old haunts' ya estoy rendida, imaginando un split con Floating Gardens y Voice of the Garden (¿qué fue de Eric Hanss y Field Studies?). texturas de cristal, teclados acuosos, placeres ingrávidos a los que soy adicta. 'perspective' es mi favorita: ese fluir, un sol cegador, un mar azul inmenso rumbo a las islas cíes. las olas salpicándote a cada vaivén. pienso, no sé porqué, en 'la foto más foto'. esa sensación.

debilidad de debilidades. nostálgico de los diseños comestibles (Ginjoha Tapes), devoto de décadas pasadas y la música futurista, a Shin Buchikama seguro que le hubiera gustado haber nacido en otra época. por eso viaja al pasado cada vez que reaparece como Portopia '81. 'jet stream' es un flujo de aire rápido y estrecho que se encuentra en las atmósferas de algunos planetas, incluyendo la Tierra. de ese fluir brotan sonidos analógicos, naturales y del espacio exterior dispuestos elegantemente para diseñar canciones entre la nostalgia y el éxtasis. una voz robótica puro Jean Michel Jarre nos da la bienvenida en 'jet stream', tierna y eufórica como 'sparkling constellation'. 'sea of clouds', cuyo título es del todo explícito, es la más ambient, la más bonita, electrónica de brisa constante, confortable. muy difícil describirla: un mar de nubes, nada más. y ese sentido de la armonía tan buchikamashi. suena 'distant horizon' y vuelvo a Overscan, a 'perspective', a esa foto.

Sarah Davachi (de gira hace poco con Panabrite) nos cautivó con canciones como 'doline' y 'leicht' (que la filomena incluyó en 'river of god') y vuelve a cautivarnos con 'qualities of bodies permanent', tan afín al minimalismo y a las salmodias hipnóticas de Eliane Radigue y Terry Riley. en 'codex' un sintetizador cual órgano eclesiástico me deja muda. si Kathleen Baird cantase en ella, podría ser una canción de Spires That in The Sunset Rise. todo en ella es como el zumbido de una avispa, un drone suspendido en la atmósfera de manera permanente, un ritmo obsesivo que no sube ni baja, se mantiene estático, enriquecido por el violoncello barroco, la flauta y el mellotron de Shirley Hunt. 'praha', 'geneva' (favoritísima) y 'codex'. tres canciones, inalterables pero tan imprevisibles las tres, que son un bálsamo.

Friday, May 22, 2015

el nuevo octeto folklórica del instituto lahmogie



"hey folks, been a long time! very pleased to announce that Tuluum Shimmering has been appointed musical and translunary advisor to that most ancient and mystical organisation, the Lahmogie Institute! The Institute, of which you have no doubt heard much, can be found here:  as well as within your hearts. on the website you will find all manner of recorded musical sounds by Tuluum Shimmering, both old and new, on a veriety of media. also to be found are Musical Instruments! Books! Tradional Music from Ohgig Eeyah! Ohgigets: Original Artyfacts from the first Ohgig Eeyahn Electric Era! Sounds of Nature! Radio Revels! Films! Pamphlet Series! Ohgig Eeyah Archive! Prof. Pufajakit! Mix of the Month! And much else besides!!! In case you might miss it, I would like to draw your attention in particular to the book People Speaking About Making Music: A Collection of Quotes Presented in Random Order, which I believe may be of much interest to many here. more info on the website. be sure to take a peek at the musical instruments too if you have any interest in unusual sound making devices. many thanks from all at the Institute!" jake webster


~ download ~

Monday, May 18, 2015

~ tuluum shimmering ~ four new releases ~



"four magical cd's by UK-based, one-man transcendental-drone band Tuluum Shimmering. the sound of Tuluum Shimmering is like a sort of loop-driven, timeless ethnic music without a region or a tradition. an array of instruments (sampling keyboard, flutes, violin, kalimba, percussion) are run, via a mixer, through a multi-FX pedal into a 30-second looper, and out to an amp." aguirre

******
 
Everything has its cycles. Since the very start of everything we know, every single movement was part of some cycle. Galaxies spinning around each other or seasonal changes - it's only question of a scale. And with every cycle something changes - slowly, steady, it may be something absolutely invisible, - but it changes. Constant renovation of cosmos goes endlessly, through myriads ways of self-knowing. We can say that we breathe for life, but maybe it's Life breathes through us. Everything flows and everything remains the same. Your body changes every second, but you find yourself in the bed every morning - looking same, living same pattern, performing same rituals, thinking same thoughts. Days are going, but you don't feel them like a cycle - we are walking a straight line from past to future. But most likely this is spiral - unfolding, unfurling - and each new coil takes us one step up. Aeons ago people celebrated such turns with rituals, and we do same thing, only in different form. But if you don't have to explain why X-mas celebration ritual is important, why we should do those celebration only on determined days? Nature celebrates every sunrise, why shouldn't we? I think that music of Tuluum Shimmering is the way of such celebration. It cycles, brings joy and refreshing view of everything you put your mind on and it gives perspective of this endlessly unfolding Mystery of Creation that we all happened to be part of.

Every ritual has its pattern, and Jake Webster's tunes are always ritualistic in their own way. This is such kind of music that don't really tells you stories, but involves in creation of your own ones. It reminds wondrous magic carpet that hypnotizes you with its patterns - they seem repetitive at first glance, but longer you look the more you see. And it appears to be a flying carpet and it takes you far-far away from usual routine that we fill our lives by some silly reasons. This music gives you a ride that reminds about sacred nature of everything existing under this sun. A journey which is needed to recall that you're always on a journey. You're sitting on the couch, but meanwhile sun makes it cycle through the galaxy and this music makes you feel that. Under the layers and layers of loops and melodies it contains this wonderful never ending raga-like drone flow that connects every living creature in the Universe. Huge web, where energy flows, changing shapes and states. Once you feel it, you'll never be alone! Perform your rituals, celebrate your life, and don't think you run in circles - every circle is only a planar projection of neverending, infinitely unfolding spiral of Life. And this music goes along with it, just feel - just follow.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

a year in your garden ~ spring mixtape



01 harvest ~ günter schlienz | new song (unreleased, 2015)
02 side a ~ plastic moonrise | plastic moonrise 2 (self-released, 2015)
03 song bird ~ eric allen | happy times (parry music library, 1979)
04 california images 1-5 ~ visible cloaks | 008 (hare akedod, 2015)
05 sleeping frog/cherry blossoms ~ tropical rock | buru (newhive, 2015)
06 river song ~ todd barton & ursula k. le guin | music&poetry of the kesh (valley, 1985)
07 jenny ~ gary atkins | nothin' else around (unknown, 1975)
08 tropical tan / er was eens / baby budha ~ orphan fairytale | tropical tan (pluim, 2014)
09 lazy oasis/rainbowed in the wind ~ pospulenn | sun people sleepwalker (housecraft, 2010)
10 untitled ~ color dream | cloud factory (digitalis, 2008)
11 side b ~ begonia / diminishing shrine recycles ~ james ferraro / coral blade grotto ~ criminals
12 doordarshan's signature tune ~ ustad ali ahmed hussain khan & ravi shankar (1974)
13 carina sayles (vhs video version) ~ palmbomen II | palmbomen II (rvng intl, 2015)
14 stockholm 2024 ~ metro riders | coming soon... (unreleased, 2015)
15 dolphin sea / hot sun / afternoon of sun hot meditation ~ wave temples | spring ritual (2015)
16 fanfare for naran ratan/jam for bwengo ~ naran ratan | trees etc. (tasty morsels, 2015)
17 spacewalkin imagination #5 ~ adrian marcator | imagination (trance, 1984)
18 polaris / crystal ~ jonathan fitoussi | live / parallelograms (pan european, 2014)
19 memories of hurstwood ~ lancashire folklore tapes | vol.IV (floklore tapes, 2015)
20 dusk side a ~ scorpio love child | triple healing mixtape (social harmony, 2014)
21 tropical sea ~ h. takahashi | soundcloud song (unreleased, 2014)
22 (something) ~ mount eerie | sauna (p.w. elverum & sun, ltd., 2015)
23 misleading familiarity ~ les halles | forum (noumenal loom, 2015)
24 jungle longing ~ pulse emitter | digital rainforest (beer on the rug 2015)
25 sol ~ oliwa | eras (illuminated paths, 2015)


26 mental journey to b.c. (medley) ~ x.y.r. | coming soon... (terminal dream, 2015)
27 running late ~ rangefinder | alta vista (unreleased, 2015)
28 garden of delays ~ quentin nicolai (young girls, 2012)
29 tv idents ~ aleksandra domanovic / untamed world outro 1970s ~ mort garson
30 le orme ~ nicola piovani | soundtrack (unknown, 1975)
31 response ~ radio people | fall on mars (centre, 2014)
32 side b ~ mahjoop | mahjoop (cave recordings, 2015)
33 untitled ~ h takahashi & loto retina | soundcloud song (unreleased, 2015)
34 april showers ~ clifford white / night rain ~ deuter (spring fantasy 1987/ecstasy 1979)
35 ...and out come the boards ~ old svrfers | ain't scared of shaka (tranquility tapes, 2015)
36 dal gioco all'esercizio ~ il ritmo nella scuola elementare /unelaul ~ h. jurisalu (1977)
37 expédition bauges/la voix du phénix/première séance/bois enterrés ~ loto retina (2015)
38 la nuit_xylophonstucke ~ carl orff & gunild keetman | flûte à bec & percussions (1971)
39 water drums 1-2 ~ baka forest people of southeast cameroon | heart of the forest (1993)
40 4 mosche di velluto grigio ~ ennio morricone / cats ~ the bugs / tsukasa suzuki
41 9dub ~ el nuevo octeto folklórica del instituto lahmogie | the flukey furlong... (2014)
42 tension against the stream (edit) ~ former selves | three wells (wounded knife, 2015)
43 song four ~ heat sureens | split w/ i am just a pupil (light tapes, 2014)
44 touch me & die ~ kara-lis coverdale | aftertouches (sacred phrases, 2015)
45 unicornis, melankolia/flute theme for princess of egypt (silmäterä) ~ lau nau (2013)
46 hypnosis ~ terlu | split with the solex-mal (bergenost, 2014)
47 song of india ~ the dream dusters featuring kenny at the hammond | organ favorites (1960)
48 tropical paradise ~ nature's course | retreat to the forest (krb music companies, 1995)
49 the magic book ~ black eagle child | playing (scissor tail, 2015)
50 spicks and specks (from walking dead 5x13) ~ bee gees | spicks & specks (csj, 1967)


recuerdo cuando vladimir nos sorprendía con 'calm in trees', un regalo muy muy especial que inauguraba 'a window open'. hoy es 'harvest' de nuestro querido Günter Schlienz, con cariño para los micrófonos. y es preciosa. de cuando la expresión 'ir por el aire' se queda infradiminuta. esa eterna sensación de estar acariciando las notas sin llegar a tocarlas... más no puedo decir, tan sólo gracias por formar parte de este compilado primaveral. "I started to work on 'harvest' last autumn, and as always this time around the year i was thrown back a bit to childhood memories. grow up on a farm to which belonged lots of vines. the harvest time for the grapes was a highlight for me as a kid, lots of people around which helped, everybody was in a good mood and very talkative. so it was definitely a highlight, but always a bit overshadowed by melancholy, because you knew that the harsh winter was just around the corner. so with this track i've tried to capture this special mixture of my feelings in those days. ok, it's not that much a story for some spring mix tape! actually i thought about to rename it because of this, but i can't. for me this track will always be connected with this concept, so i decided to keep the name."  günter schlienz 

el resto de canciones tienen, casi todas, una característica común: suenan bajitas, brumosas, siguiendo la estela de aquella insólita cosecha del inframundo que brotaba con fuerza en el 2009 (baja fidelidad, alta emotividad) y daba sus últimos coletazos en el 2011. quería centrarme sólo en ellas, pero al final, por suerte, hay tantas canciones que aparecen cada día que ha sido imposible. de vez en cuando se cuelan diálogos y fugaces momentos musicales arrancados de películas antiguas, sintonías,... buscando la inspiración en palmbomen II (ay) y en josh burke. pero sobre todo en muchas páginas, sellos y mixtapes que me hacen feliz: toys and tecniques (todos los mixtapes que ha ido subiendo a lo largo de los años están aquí, actualizados), voices of the silence, russian mind, dispokino (ojo a su sección 'tv ident of the month'), pattern & shape, a sound awareness, luzzzalig, waxwing arts, edições cn, gift tapes, the growing bin, pontone (spectral cassettes), dublab, the sum of your life, tabs out cassette podcast, continuo, y tantas y tantas. pelos de punta cuando escucho la sintonía de Ustad Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan & Pt. Ravi Shankar. gracias a Mark de unearthed in the atomic attic por regalarnos 'song of india' cuando ya casi había desfallecido... y gracias también a Kathleen por compartir las canciones de 'buru', el nuevo disco de Tropical Rock junto a Camilla Padgitt-Coles. imposible desligarlas de las imágenes: esa ranita durmiente... chin chin!

fotos: kaśka maniak & cynthia wood

Sunday, May 03, 2015

Braeyden Jae — Turnings


The first spring storm died down over city and evening sun caught it quiet, deserted and wet. Sun came out just for a moment to go below the horizon, and the town began to sink slowly into the gray twilight nap. Everything breathed, everything sparkled with some inner light... Trees slowly and gracefully escorted evening breeze with newly greened branches. Young leaves were so bright that even in the falling twillight their color seemed shining as emeralds. You wanted to absorb this color, soak in humidity of air and would stand still on the spot – like a tree, just absorbing all surrounding beauty and freshness, filling with juices in anticipation of a new day... Then time would slow down so that passing passing people and cars would seem like a blurry watercolor brush strokes against a background of other trees. Time has ceased to be something threatening - it would become a best friend. Sunrises and sunsets will be all that would remind of it. And then summer, autumn, winter... Just grow and breathe, grow and breathe. However, this is basic need to not only for trees, but for each of us as well.  

Changing his name once again, Braeyden Jae hasn't changed. The same intimate purity of nature, the giver of magical inspiration that pervades every sound – red thread that permeates all his work from the start. There was change of styles, of approaches, of the sound, but it's just a ripples, reflections on the lake surface... Deep inside, this music carries same heady beautifulness that Softest, Kaliska and WYLD WYZRDZ shared with us. Deeply and sincerely resonating beauty, which may end in experiencing infinite joy or infinite sadness. It all depends on where you direct your attention. The world is built on contrasts, and often it turns out that the sacred places of the world raise their peaks to the Sun not so far from the places where the flooding oil and forest fires destroy all living creatures... Yet, on the highest point of Mr. McKenna's music we can see all contrasts erased – so we can see from the perspective of unite, indivisible universe. Any contradictions are eliminated. Time healed all wounds. Left alone with the latest sounds melting in the air, we cease to perceive time as acute as before. It may be just for a while, but yet it is. We glimpsed into the future and saw that our world is going to be okay. We do not remember what exactly it would be, but clearly feel it. And this is all that matters.