Joining AMJ for upcoming Legendary Pink Dots shows

Good news: I'll be performing with the enigmatic Armchair Migraine Journey on Sun Oct 13 (San Francisco - DNA Lounge) and Wed Oct 16 (Seattle - Crocodile Cafe) -- opening for The Legendary Pink Dots to close out their Year 33 anniversary tour!

Armchair Migraine Journey: Transmit Mutation Drone

I'm excited to have collaborated once again with Armchair Migraine Journey for their new album 'Transmit Mutation Drone', this time with fellow contributor Pascal Sauvaget (La STPO). My contribution on Part One includes several layered tracks of bowed cymbals (violin bow applied to cymbals to create haunting drones) and a pounding drum track reminding me of the militancy of Laibach. Released November 2012 by Beta-lactam Ring Records in cassette format and February 2013 in CD format (with an LP format to follow).

From Beta-lactam Ring Records: 'Transmit. Mutation. Drone. One: Transmigration: done. Your call could not be completed. We will attempt reconnection. Transmutation of genetic code will soon be online again. Our agents are working to fulfill your orders. You may continue transmitting, though be warned: your signal may be transformed beyond recognition. You may experience dizziness and disorientation as you acclimate to the new medium. Armchair Migraine Journey can not be held responsible for lost luggage, missed connections or broken synapses. Hurry up now! The signal flows at a breakneck pace. Chop chop! Splice Splice! Don't be afraid of the space between the genomes. The eyes in the back of our heads will illuminate the passage. Nuclei erupted and chromosomes corrupted, it's a buzzsawed jigsaw of something nature never intended! It isn't pretty, but a re-scripted biological imperative screams: Get the message across before it's too late! Stop wallowing in primordial soup! Transmit! Mutation! Drone! Transmit. Mutation. Drone. Two: The new limbs have been difficult to integrate and the birth canal has proven far too delicate for this new form. Additionally, the maternal host has displayed an unexpected reaction to sudden interference in telepathic signals. We must insure survival. Transmission must be completed, despite increased risk to the carrier. Initiate somatic response. Anesthetize the host and commence processing the signal. Engage dream sequence 11-B. Ensure the host's comfort. Complete phase cancellation will remove outward stimuli. Soothing images may distract the patient from any aural discomfort. Neurosurgical team on standby. The engineers have been briefed. Wait… wait… We have contact! The signal has awakened! Hurry! Complete the circuit! Transmit! Mutation! Drone!' Scot Solida

Cassette Edition of 50 numbered and signed copies. TMD (one) is an exclusive tape mix and is different than the forthcoming CD and LP editions. Available late November 2012. CD Edition of 200 numbered copies in a handmade CD case. Part one features Ty Hodson on drums and bowed cymbals and Pascal Sauvaget on vocals/lyrics. Available mid Feb. 2013.

Armchair Migraine Journey: Cosmic Space Drone

I was super honored to be invited by Armchair Migraine Journey to contribute to the dronetastic album 'Cosmic Space Drone' with fellow contributors Edward Ka-Spel and Scot Solida. I provided the stereogasmic krautrock-inspired drums on "Part One". Released January 2012 by Beta-lactam Ring Records in multiple formats, including special artbox edition, CD and cassette.

From Beta-lactam Ring Records: 'Cosmic Space Drone' lives up to its name, travelling into the deepest void, its gaping maw swallowing up meteoric dust and wayward celestial souls alike to fuel its endless journey into the infinite. Your journey will follow two long tracks, the first a fuzzy, electronic spacerock whiplash effect that surges and shudders, wrenching you away from the scorched earth and all that you know. Once escape velocity is achieved, you will find yourself drifting ever further from home, your only company the thrum and hum of the engines - a soundtrack for a doomed crew. Is it grim, even frightening? Yes, at times. But it’s your only hope for survival -and you’ll thank us when your friends are nothing but smoldering cinders on a world gone mad. So don’t delay! Buy your brain a ticket to ride on these tracks of tachyons, but be warned: this is a one way trip into uncharted territories where ancient machines hum and throb to the forgotten rhythms of distant long-dead pulsars. Once the polychrome porter punches your ticket, there is no hope of return - your consciousness will slowly cook in a churning, burning dark matter stew simmering slowly in a cosmic cauldron. Please, sir, may I have some more?

AMJ: bass, sounds, keyboards, voices, HP audio oscillator, effect pedals, field recordings, Caustic Minisynth, DX-7, things that make noise and annoy neighbors and all mix. Scot Solida: big-ass modular synth, VCS3, and Symbolic Sound Kyma System on P. One. Edward Ka-Spel: vocals, effects on P. One. Ty Hodson: drums on P. One. Artwork and design by AMJ. Mastered by Randall Frazier at Helmet Room. Part Two dedicated to Jesse Peper and the Shadow Folk.

Cassette edition of 50 numbered and signed copies with different artwork than the CD and forthcoming LP editions. CD edition of 300 numbered copies with different artwork than the forthcoming LP and available tape editions. Limited CD art box edition of 50 copies (sold out) with hand-numbered and signed insert.

How low (or infrequent) can you go...?

Time to record this blasted patch so that I can use my studio again!! It was a fun one to construct, however, so I'll share a bit about it with you.

The E-mu drum machine pictured spits out 24 ppq (pulses-per-quarter note) for syncing with other devices that speak that language. I wanted to see whether I could make use of those pulses in other ways... 24 ppq is a real barrage, let me tell you -- that's 96th notes, for the rhythmically inclined among you.



So I ran the pulse output to a 3-stage sequential switch, and took just one of the three stages for my output. 24 neatly divides by 3 to yield a more useful 8 ppq (32nd notes) which I then ran to an 8-stage trigger sequencer, allowing for further subdivisions.



The trigger sequencer has four separate rows, with each row sporting a toggle switch per stage, or step. By specifically setting the switches for each row, I now had at my disposal four useful subdivisions: 32nd notes, 16th notes (which I used for one aspect of the melody), 8th notes, and quarter notes.



Using other sequencers in my arsenal, I was able to achieve further subdivisions, including half-notes, whole notes (which I used for another aspect of the melody), 1 pulse every four bars (which I used for my bassline), and even 1 pulse every eight bars.

Really geeky, and really fun to figure out!

Something about time...

It's unbelievable to me that I announced the release of 'The Mesmer Eye' a year ago today! New and (I hope!) interesting things will be taking place here at sublevel9 studios this year. Please stay tuned!

New square_wave album: The Mesmer Eye

At last, I’m proud to announce a new square_wave album, 'The Mesmer Eye'. Three years in the making, this album returns to the short-form presentation begun with 'Aerodrome'. This album also marks the first time outside participation has crept in. One track includes sonic elements that resulted from a bad rip of a CD by Phil Western (aka Philth) (Download, platEAU, Beehatch) who was kind enough to sign off on my experiment. And a true highlight for me is the artwork provided by Chris McBeth (Beta-lactam Ring Records) whose gorgeous works grace the covers of many BLRR releases.

While working on this album I found myself thinking about stasis, detachment, and decay – that is, a sense of collective isolation that has receded to the background and become a deep-seated fabric upon which we continue to pile Meaningless upon Meaningless. I was also taken with the story of Henry Cavendish, an 18th century experimental scientist who discovered several laws and principles before anyone else – yet he didn’t publish any of them. The most significant was his discovery of Ohm’s Law before Ohm. He conducted his experiments, made important discoveries and took notes, but remained detached from the scientific community. Perhaps because of my fixation on Cavendish, I frequently found myself juxtaposing mental images of the promise of 18th and 19th century science against a future lost in material gain and the perpetuated despoiling of our world. "I'm really not at liberty to discuss this..."

Available now at CD Baby, iTunes, and Amazon.

Mach Ångström (excerpt)...

For those who require more than a 30 second preview of a 30+ minute long track:

Mach Ångström (excerpt) by square_wave