Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Monday, August 24, 2020

Armchair Migraine Journey - Dying Time Machine

Available at long last: Dying Time Machine, featuring collaborations with Randall Frazier (Orbit Service), Scot Solida (Christus & The Cosmonaughts), Prajna, and Edward Ka-Spel (The Legendary Pink Dots).

DTM is an inspired and deeply personal album started nearly 5 years ago, set aside for a year and completed in 2017, and then set aside for another 3 years. We're proud to finally bring this one into the light.

1.  Rapture of Rupture:
AMJ - pulses, drones, modular, ipad
Randall Frazier - vocals, synths, loops
Ty Hodson - guitar, bass, drums
Edward Ka-Spel - lyrics, inspiration
Mixed by Ty Hodson

2.  Rupture of Rapture:
AMJ - bass, drones, modular, voice
Scot Solida - guitar, rhythms, hammond
Ty Hodson - drums, synths, bell
Prajna - vocals
Mixed by Scot Solida

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

New blog: Serge Modular Synthesizer Info

I've started up a new blog focused on the Serge Modular Music Systems. A labor of love, really, for information on the Serge has lately been scattered hither and yon. Some of the best info was in the SMOG and Quadslope forums, which evaporated years ago (there's still an active 4U Format Modules + EMS subforum at Modwiggler). Happily, the Serge itself didn't go anywhere and has even cropped up in new and unforeseen places, including a vibrant DIY community.

Serge Tcherepnine's circuits are pretty legendary, and while some designs have changed over the last 40 years, much of the core stuff that makes the Serge system so great has remain unchanged — so much so that even most of the oldest catalog descriptions are still relevant.

And that's where my labor of love began: collecting those various catalog details into a single place, which ended up being a monstrous spreadsheet. I finally decided to migrate that info to a blog format, and then that awoke my hunger to have fresher, deeper information on the Serge. And here we are.

I've only begun writing up detailed walkthroughs of the Serge, with pretty oscilloscope images, patch tips with diagrams, and explanatory video demos. I also recently reconnected with cebec from those halcyon SMOG and Quadslope days, and he has graciously offered up his archive of patch suggestions & explanations from those groups for me to cull for future blogfodder.

Check it out here: https://sergemodularinfo.blogspot.com/


Friday, December 1, 2017

New gradenko album: NOVI NORI

I'm excited to announce the first gradenko album, available now at bandcamp. NOVI NORI, a love note to Krautrock, was recorded last winter and seems fitting to see release now with winter fast approaching.

Mastered by Randall Frazier (Helmet Room Recordings, Orbit Service), with artwork support provided by Chris McBeth (Beta-lactam Ring Records, Armchair Migraine Journey).


All songs written and performed by gradenko
Recorded Feb/Jun 2015 & Nov 2016-Feb 2017 at sublevel9 studios
Mixed and Produced by Ty Hodson
Mastered by Randall Frazier at Helmet Room

Ty: photography, design, layout
Chris: photo treatment

gradenko.bandcamp.com/album/novi-nori

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Thursday, September 8, 2016

square_wave / Prajna - Inside Suns, Perfect Gaze


BlRR Recommended. Edition of 250 copies with the first 100 numbered.

Available Sep 15. Split release by square_wave / Prajna. Two long lovely, floating tracks.

1.  square_wave - Lovers Slumber  (21:59)
Ty Hodson - monome, estate sale records, synths, percussion, vocals, mix
Prajna - supine presence, rummaging
Drifting through mists hanging heavily on forests coming to life under sun-kissed clouds, playful Oni lure lost children. 

2.  Prajna - Want to Need  (20:34)
Prajna - bowed and tapped violin, gas tank bells, vocals, processing, mix
Ty Hodson - field recording, processing, mix
Slipping like ghosts through thousand-year-old monastery walls, crossing hidden courtyards where Buddhist monks make their cell phone calls.

Ty Hodson has released music under the square_wave moniker since 2007, having released four albums on his sublevel9 studios imprint. On the side, he writes and records under the name gradenko, with a post-rock/prog album slated for future release on Beta-lactam Ring Records. Ty also represents one half of Armchair Migraine Journey.

Prajna has appeared previously on Armchair Migraine Journey’s ‘Blood Coupling Magnet’ on vocals alongside Soriah. "Want to Need" is her first published solo work.

Mastered by Randall Frazier at Helmet Room
Chris: artwork, design, layout

Edward Ka-Spel / Armchair Migraine Journey - Transmit Acoustique Abstraction Three



Issued Sept 15th to coincide with the N. American tour of The Legendary Pink Dots and Orbit Service. An edition of 111 copies available on the tour with 39 copies available via the label mail-order (first edition of 150). Packaged in a French Black six panel CD case. Two years in the works and finally seeing the light of day. 

“Infernal Machine” a collaboration with Edward Ka-Spel and Armchair Migraine Journey delves deep into a psychedelic swirl of sounds. 

“Strands That Bind”, a new track by AMJ dives slowly into a sea of ambient drones and passages and develops along its 24-minute journey into an almost metal machine music dirge. 

1. Edward Ka-Spel / Infernal Machine: 
Edward Ka-Spel - vocals, synth noodling 
AMJ - drones, synths, processing 
Ty Hodson - drums, vocoder, processing 
Mixed by AMJ and Ty Hodson

2. Armchair Migraine Journey / Strands That Bind: 
Ty Hodson - guitar, drums, synths, processing 
AMJ - synths, drones, theremin 
Randall Frazier - The Voice of …? 
Mixed by AMJ and Ty Hodson 
Includes deconstructed elements of ‘Magnetic Blood Drowning’ with Peat Bog (Earthmonkey) and Randall Frazier (Orbit Service)

'Infernal Machine' by Edward Ka-Spel, AMJ, Ty Hodson 
'Strands That Bind' by Ty Hodson, AMJ
Mastered by Randall Frazier at Helmet Room