Soundscaping: Links

Soundwaves

Wonderful music

Philip Ball has written a book called The Music Instinct: How music works and why we can’t do without it Music seems to be unique to the human race. No other species produces elaborate sound for no particular reason. Music can mean different things in different cultures, but some of the fundamentals are shared. Melody, harmony, rhythm. Almost all musical systems are based on scales spanning an octave. Philip Ball goes through each component of music in turn to explain how and why it works. An enjoyable book for all of us interested in the sounds we make for fun.

Autechre - FACT mix 122

British duo Autechre is soon out with their new album Oversteps and are about to embark on a tour of the UK and parts of Europe. They’ve released a mix, available through FACT mag for three weeks.

Experimental Musical Instruments

Experimental Musical Instruments is an organinization devoted to unusual musical instruments. This site offers a wide array of unusual instruments and offers tips about instrument making. If a Branching Corrugahorn or a Daxophone tickles your imagination take a peek.

Soundwaves

Francisco López - untitled #228

Francisco López is a sound artist who is active since 30 years and has composed an impressive catalogue, strongly consistent and full of nuances. Trained as an entomologist and ecologist, his attention is acutely focused on the natural
sound environments. His reflection on the phenomenology of the act of listening has led him to develop of a form of “absolute musique concrète”, paralleling the richness, complexity, slow changes and extreme level dynamics of nature. Listen to his latest work “untitled #228” – based on field recordings from Indonesia – released now on ini.itu

Sonar 2010 tickets

Tickets for this year’s Sonar are now on sale. A Sonar pass, that includes admission to three days and two nights are available at a special price of 130€until January 31st 2010. A new two night pass is also on sale for only 100€.

So far Air and LCD Soundsystem are two acts that have already been confirmed. If June is too far off, go to London between 5th and 6th of March for a Taste of Sonar at the Roundhouse in Camden where DOOM and Laurent Garnier along with other artists will make the wait a bit easier.

World Forum for Acoustic Ecology

The World Forum for Acoustic Ecology (WFAE), founded in 1993, is an international association of affiliated organizations and individuals, who share a common concern with the state of the world’s soundscapes. WFAE members represent a multi-disciplinary spectrum of individuals engaged in the study of the social, cultural and ecological aspects of the sonic environment. Check out their rich online library or journal for more.

Older ripples

ASC
ASC is James Clements, drum & bass and electronica producer and label owner of Covert Operations.

Pjusk
Pjusk is an electronica duo from the west coast of Norway, who released an influential album on 12k in 2007.

Biosphere
Norway's leading, and of the world's most influential, ambient musicians. Needs no further introduction.

Morgan Packard
Influential and classically trained musician transgressing genres of classical, jazz and modern electronic music. Has released albums on Microcosm Music and Anticipate Recordings.

Molefunken Blog (Jostein Dahl Gjelsvik)
Molefunken is a music technology blog from afficinado Jostein Dahl Gjelsvik, from Pjusk, Circular and Neural Network, where he shares his thoughts on music production, techniques and various tidbits (including the perfect crème brûlée).

Circular
Circular is the duo Jostein Dahl Gjelsvik and Bjarte Andreassen, one of the most prolific ambient producers from Norway and known from mid 90s right up alongside Information, Biosphere, Alanïa, etc.

Clark Nova
Clark Nova is one half of Beneva v Clark Nova, a high-energy Oslo-based electronica duo releasing on Fenêtre Records.

Christopher Willits
Christopher Willits has been instrumental in redefining the guitar in the digital age. Using custom-built software, Willits morphs his guitar playing into warm folded rhythms of texture and melody. In addition to all of this, Willits founded and directs the emerging culture hub of releases, events, and sharing at Overlap.org.

Mind Over MIDI
Mind Over MIDI is the minimal techno artist, Helge Tømmervåg from Kristiansund, Norway, one of the big names from the Beatservice era who produces lovely and cool minimal techno fused with more ragga rhythms and vocals of late.

Greg Haines
Greg Haines needs little introduction, a young English musician but already quite the established artist. Now resident in Berlin and with collaborations with Xela, Samamidon, Danny Saul, Wouter van Veldhoven, etc. and the seminal "Slumber Tides" debut album on Miasmah.

Danny Saul
An English musician playing the guitar and using vocals in his music, releasing both solo albums and known through collaborations with Xela and more recently Greg Haines as part of the highly anticipated duo, Liondialer.

Deepersounds
Being a former drum'n'bass head, I keep returning to this community which has gathered together the most essential (in my humble opinion) labels and artists on the present-day D&B scene. Lots of good talk, features and music mixes as well as upcoming dubplate cuts.

Erik Sand
Erik Sand is a very good friend of us and also Soundscaping Records' graphic designer who has created our new brand and style. Check his blog for information on his projects and also if you are in need of design/consultancy.

Covert Operations
Covert Operations is a drum & bass label pushing the more deeper side of drum & bass, techmospherics if you will, and a pioneer these days in setting a standard for successful self-distribution methods.

Offshore Recordings
Offshore Recordings is a prolific New York-based label run by DJ Clever. Their music profile spans the leftfield genre of drum & bass and electronica with many releases pushing set boundaries of each genre.

Type Records
Type Records is an influential UK-based label specialising in experimental electronic music with world-wide artists on the roster.

Miasmah
Miasmah is an electronica imprint from Norway run by Erik Skodvin (Deaf Center) operating both as netlabel and record label.

Spekk
Spekk is a Japanese electronica label, based in Tokyo, started in 2004 by Nao Sugimoto (aka mondii). Catalogue features impressive releases from Jefre-Cantu Ledesma, Ken Ikeda, Taylor Deupree, William Basinski & Richard Chartier and many more.

room40
room40 - Australian label and multi-arts organisation based out of Brisbane, which has seen over 50 high quality editions and multiples in the fields of electronics and sound-art released since 2000. Recommended!

Sustain-Release
Sustain-Release is the private press and home to Richard Skelton and his various monikers under which he composes music and creates his art. Not only essential listening, but the packaging is always exquisite and feels very personal - a continuation of his late wife's work and each title with a heartfelt dedication to individuals.

Stray Dog Army
Stray Dog Army is the home of UK artist Jasper Leyland (behind which resides the musician Jonathan Brewster).

12x50 Recordings
Influential London-based electronica label with an excellent roster featuring Mark Rosner, Jodi Cave, Jasper Leyland, Douglas Benford and more. Home to the lovely Carbon Series limited collection.

Kitchen
Kitchen is an exciting new label in Singapore, run by Ricks Ang, that deals with the transgressive field of experimentation and melody with releases from aspidistrafly, Fjordne. Work also focused on releasing artbooks, paper & web design.

White Box Recordings
A very interesting Manchester-based, independent label releasing high quality music with a great vision for their label and release schedule. Check out their label blog too at : http://whiteboxrecordings.blogspot.com/

Hyperdub Records
Most influential dubstep label on the scene. Home to Burial and Kode 9 and The Spaceape.

Fenêtre Records
Fenêtre Records is a small, independent electronica label run by two guys, from both Bergen and Oslo. Home to exciting new artists like Beneva v Clark Nova and Christophe Bailleau.

Anticipate Recordings
Ezekiel Honig's influential NY-label specialised in warm and fuzzy, minimal electronica from the likes of Mark Templeton, Morgan Packard, Sawako, Klimek and Nicola Ratti.

12k
12k is Taylor Deupree's credible electronica label, based in New York, with an immense list of big names signed to the roster and a reknown on the scene of minimal and subtle electronica.

Textura
Textura probably needs little introduction to our readers; Textura is a brilliant resource for anyone interested in experimental and electronic music-related reviews, interviews, and articles and one of our favourite sites on the web.

The Wire
The Wire needs little introduction - one of best known magazines for modern and contemporary music and art, an institution in its own right.

Cyclic Defrost
Cyclic Defrost is an Australian electronic music magazine that is central to the scene for latest reviews and news and has a printed edition released every 4th month. Highly recommended reading!

The Milk Factory
Check out this great resource for monthly alternative music news and reviews of electronica, pop and world music. Great reading!

Mapsadaisical
Navigate yourself to Mapsadaisical and peruse Scott McMillan's thoughts on electronic music and related art. A great resource for anyone wishing to stay updated on the electronic art & music scene.

Sonic Immersion
Sonic Immersion is the long-time music journalist Bert Strolenberg's personal outlet for electronic music reviews, articles and a vault of interesting reads.

Microcosm Music
Microcosm Music is a New York-based label specializing in the subtle, minimal territory of microhouse and techno in electronic music.

Goosehound
Goosehound is an exciting New York-based label run by CEDE, delivering quality minimal techno and microhouse releases.

Boomkat.com
One of the best on-line shops for electronic and contemporary music. Traditional formats as well digital downloads. Period.

Dotshop.se
Dotshop is a Scandinavian on-line vendor of fine electronic and pop music with reasonable prices and great service. Worth checking out!

Bleep
A digital-only on-line shop for electronic music. Always up to date on the latest releases and supporting good bitrates and formats at reasonable prices.

Beatport
Beatport is probably one of the biggest on-line portals for buying digital downloadable tunes in most genres of electronic music. Comprehensive offering.