Monday, July 31, 2006
The Benefits of Noise
I've always been one of those people that thrives when working in a crowded, noisy environment. A new book goes on to detail how noise can actually benefit you. Here's a sample from an interview with the author from the latest issue of Wired:
"...in his new book, Noise, Bart Kosko argues that even the most annoying racket can be beneficial. The USC professor draws on his degrees in electrical engineering, law, mathematics, economics, and philosophy to connect the finer points of calculus, game theory, and court precedent to all kinds of random, unpredictable energy"... "The more you can concentrate with background noise, the more it strengthens the brain. Isaac Asimov used to set his typewriter up in stores and other loud places to work. His claim was that you get really good at writing when you’re in a crowd. You want to be energized by that background noise, rather than distracted."
Thanks to Boing Boing poster Cory Doctorow for the link!
Monday, July 10, 2006
Music Recommendations From The PLI #7
Well, back again with some new sounds to recommend.
1) Terry Day - Interruptions
I love finding a record like this. Completely out of nowhere, and worth a large amount of rejoice. This collection of Terry Day's work from 78-81, is 32 short tracks, full of invention and excitement. Day was a member of Alterations and The People Band when health issues curtailed his activities. His ability to play instruments started to become limited. Rather than stop making music he started using all kinds of toys and noisemakers in conjuction with his instruments. Day's miniatures are full of strange skronks, oddball techniques. A nescessity.
2) Keiji Haino and Yoshida Tatsuya - New Rap
3) Keiji Haino and Sitaar Tah! - Animamima
Keiji Haino is prolific and on occasision, it's bit too much for even the devout fan to keep up on, but these two recent collabs warrant attention. Those unfamiliar with Haino's work, are trully missing out, his abstractions of rock idiom are fascinating and often ugly and beautiful in millisecond gaps and even sometimes all at once.
New Rap packs a powerful punch. Haino and Yoshida Tatsuya (of Ruins) carve out an exciting blend of Tatsuya's drums, and Haino's vocals and guitar. Almost taking the trend of basic guitars and drums as starting point these two great of Japan's avant rock set show them how it's done with an absolutely eccentric and creative take of singing, guitars and drums. This record is chock full of jagged points and unexpected twists, and it is wonderful.
The two-disc Animamina is almost a total antithesis of New Rap. Haino leads a twenty-plus piece orchestra into a trancey drone along the lines of Taj Mahal Travellers. The many players act as one droning voice. While not as unique or as essential as New Rap it's still pretty incredible. A large sounding yet detailed drone with some very interesting surprises. Haino's an old master with plenty of tricks left to show the many he's influenced.
4) Wolf Eyes - Six Arms and Sucks
5) Wolf Eyes w/ Anthony Braxton - Black Vomit
Are Wolf Eyes profound leaders of the American underground noise scene or drooling monsters? Wolf Eyes took this onus when Sub Pop put out their album, Burned Mind back in '04. They were introduced to underground at large with one aggressive beast of a record. Where could they go after this feat? As a record on Sub Pop, was probably as close to the mainstream as they'll ever get. So they've taken a step or two back to the material of the Fuck Pete Larsen and Dread Hills days to their long lurching thuds to take step foward into darker, more disturbing atmospheres.
Six Arms and Sucks is hopefully named after my favorite joke about Def Leppard (what's got nine arms and sucks? You guessed it) . This slow churning death atmosphere marks a turn away from the awesome but already covered territory of songs like "Stabbed in the Face" and "Black Vomit". They create very tense atmospheres but avoid explosions. On Black Vomit, an unlikely pairing of Wolf Eyes and avant jazz great, Anthony Braxton. Braxton weaves gorgeous webs around the dense and disturbing noises created by Wolf Eyes. Braxton integrates well into the Wolf Eyes lineup sometimes his alto gets lost a web of noise. This teaming warrants further recordings.
6) Dr. Octagon - The Return Of Dr. Octagon
When I first heard that this record was in the works I had to do a double take. I couldn't believe my eyes. Kool Keith reincarnated the mighty Dr. Octagon persona and my god, the world needs Dr. Octagon now more than ever. The production team, One Watt Sun from Berlin take over for the Automator and give Dr. Ocatgon's sound an update. More twisted lyrics, more crazy sci-fi samples, this record is the best hip hop I've heard in quite a long time and lives up to it's sole '96 predecessor. One listen to "Ants", "Trees" or "Aleins" and it'll feel like the Doc's never been gone, worth the wait.
1) Terry Day - InterruptionsI love finding a record like this. Completely out of nowhere, and worth a large amount of rejoice. This collection of Terry Day's work from 78-81, is 32 short tracks, full of invention and excitement. Day was a member of Alterations and The People Band when health issues curtailed his activities. His ability to play instruments started to become limited. Rather than stop making music he started using all kinds of toys and noisemakers in conjuction with his instruments. Day's miniatures are full of strange skronks, oddball techniques. A nescessity.
2) Keiji Haino and Yoshida Tatsuya - New Rap
3) Keiji Haino and Sitaar Tah! - Animamima
Keiji Haino is prolific and on occasision, it's bit too much for even the devout fan to keep up on, but these two recent collabs warrant attention. Those unfamiliar with Haino's work, are trully missing out, his abstractions of rock idiom are fascinating and often ugly and beautiful in millisecond gaps and even sometimes all at once.
New Rap packs a powerful punch. Haino and Yoshida Tatsuya (of Ruins) carve out an exciting blend of Tatsuya's drums, and Haino's vocals and guitar. Almost taking the trend of basic guitars and drums as starting point these two great of Japan's avant rock set show them how it's done with an absolutely eccentric and creative take of singing, guitars and drums. This record is chock full of jagged points and unexpected twists, and it is wonderful.
The two-disc Animamina is almost a total antithesis of New Rap. Haino leads a twenty-plus piece orchestra into a trancey drone along the lines of Taj Mahal Travellers. The many players act as one droning voice. While not as unique or as essential as New Rap it's still pretty incredible. A large sounding yet detailed drone with some very interesting surprises. Haino's an old master with plenty of tricks left to show the many he's influenced.
4) Wolf Eyes - Six Arms and Sucks 5) Wolf Eyes w/ Anthony Braxton - Black Vomit
Are Wolf Eyes profound leaders of the American underground noise scene or drooling monsters? Wolf Eyes took this onus when Sub Pop put out their album, Burned Mind back in '04. They were introduced to underground at large with one aggressive beast of a record. Where could they go after this feat? As a record on Sub Pop, was probably as close to the mainstream as they'll ever get. So they've taken a step or two back to the material of the Fuck Pete Larsen and Dread Hills days to their long lurching thuds to take step foward into darker, more disturbing atmospheres.
Six Arms and Sucks is hopefully named after my favorite joke about Def Leppard (what's got nine arms and sucks? You guessed it) . This slow churning death atmosphere marks a turn away from the awesome but already covered territory of songs like "Stabbed in the Face" and "Black Vomit". They create very tense atmospheres but avoid explosions. On Black Vomit, an unlikely pairing of Wolf Eyes and avant jazz great, Anthony Braxton. Braxton weaves gorgeous webs around the dense and disturbing noises created by Wolf Eyes. Braxton integrates well into the Wolf Eyes lineup sometimes his alto gets lost a web of noise. This teaming warrants further recordings.
6) Dr. Octagon - The Return Of Dr. OctagonWhen I first heard that this record was in the works I had to do a double take. I couldn't believe my eyes. Kool Keith reincarnated the mighty Dr. Octagon persona and my god, the world needs Dr. Octagon now more than ever. The production team, One Watt Sun from Berlin take over for the Automator and give Dr. Ocatgon's sound an update. More twisted lyrics, more crazy sci-fi samples, this record is the best hip hop I've heard in quite a long time and lives up to it's sole '96 predecessor. One listen to "Ants", "Trees" or "Aleins" and it'll feel like the Doc's never been gone, worth the wait.
