I wanted to collect a resource of content for me to listen to while working on my audio document.
Month: October 2021
Storm Excercise – Mutation
Following from week two exercise we brought in our parts of the storm. We shared our one-minute pieces onto the one drive to share amongst ourselves and had to combine two other pieces to create one. To make the make second generation. This exercise wasn’t about adding anything simply to change what was there already. Cut it up and mess with the sounds to create something new.
I combined two pieces, Wain and Thunderstorm. I blended the two together to create the calm before the storm and then to begin into the lightning chaotic part. I mainly used delays to emphasise the piano glitchy part. Then made one of the sounds with delay sound like rain. I automated the auto filter to create a sense of something missing in the frequencies so when the storm comes in it feels like this is what we’ve been waiting for.
I found that I focused more on experimenting than when creating. Almost like how I use samples in my own music. The sounds are there for me to mess around with and deconstruct or maybe not deconstruct. But I find my lack of musical skills to hinder my ability to generally start with a nice sounding piece of audio. I also feel like using samples or sounds in this case from other people can allow me to use the context in which it’s created to enhance the production. I feel it also allows you to think how you never would as your using someone’s pieces to add to another piece to create something new.
I was speaking to Dan my housemate who is also in the course for us to try and do this at home and send each other stems and keep adding more and send it back and forth to see the results. I will keep the blog updated on this as it happens.
Studio Praxis Week 3
In the lecture for this week, we had a good conversation about AI and the future of sound arts cannon. We spoke into thinking about the years ahead. For myself, I have been thinking about this anyway and this lecture struct a thought for me. When I think about the artists I really like such as Madlib and MF DOOM. In their time they were pioneering their music scenes. Using modern equipment that others weren’t using. At the time everyone was using MPC and SP1200 and Madlib was using the sp303 which was criminally underrated. I think it’s easy to want to idealise yourself as your favourite artist. But for me to feel like I’m moving things forward I have to use the things available for me now. And break the current cannon of underground hip hop. I want to do what Madlib did for music back then but now. I want to think outside the box and take things forward.
We also spoke on AI and how to use that in our favour. I’ve never been too fond of AI but this just might be the old man in me. AI does have the possibility to become the most powerful and helpful thing humanity ever creates if done well. I just wonder what will happen to art if AI gets involved. It’s inherently questionable that the abstract process that is art. To say it can only be produced by humans is definitely an unprogressive thought. I just think about art and what for myself at least personally is the errors, the expression. The thought process behind what your doing can and cannot be important. Art is such a subjective thing that I’m sure robots or AI will be able to make art. I just wonder to what extent will we create the cut-off point? Once AI is completely creating its own coding and growing and learning by itself when is it no longer artificial?
I also decided to look Into create.playform.io. A platform that generates images based on the image you give. The AI computer generates random choices based on the samples of the image you give. I messed around to see what I could create. I’m remembering back to the first year when Gareth showed us an Ableton plugin that created an image you submitted into midi onto Ableton. I want to try this again.
Studio Praxis Idea #3
I had an idea of a performance-based on our week four lecture. If created some graphic scores for people to follow and created a spontaneous performance. Or a reflection from the sound for the screen piece I’ve chosen. The quiet place. I wanted to combine both sound for screen and studio praxis. I was thinking to do all the foley and sound effects for the short clip. But when it came to the actual music or synth parts. to have an improvisation over it. Have a few people set up some synths in the live room and play the clip and see what happens. record everyone’s outputs into the desk and then after a few takes create my own blur from them. I need to try this!
Audio Document Idea #3
Acoustic ecology. When thinking about my other audio document ideas I wasn’t too happy. It’s not that I think they’re bad as I might still go with it. I just always feel like pushing myself into learning or writing about something I’m interested in but not know a lot about. When it comes to both those subjects being Bossa Nova or Hip Hop. I have extensive knowledge about it that I don’t feel I’d be adding any substantial amount by doing research. Of course, there is always more to learn and contextualise but this particular idea I’m more interested in.
Going back to most of the blog posts from the first year and more recently in general. The idea of escapism is a huge thing. I’m interested in how sound and more importantly sound scapes affect us internally and psychologically. I’ve always wondered about the effects of noise pollution on human beings and how it affects our mental health. Huge cities like London with all our technology and industrial advances have made noise pollution at an all-time high. The true effects of noise pollution are yet to be fully understood. I also wanted to relate it to sound arts and the cannon towards what a sound artist is. I had an idea on perhaps sound designing cities the same way we would room for a studio or a film. I thought about a future career in sound arts for helping design cities so they are no longer noisy areas. This also has social issues, typically council housing is on cheap plots of land next to loud main roads. Where the more privileged people have lovely homes away from loud noise filled cities. The idea of suburban living away from the hustle and bustle.
The idea of the audio document will be about our relationship to sound and noise pollution in cities and how it affects us. Then what the role of a sound designer/artist can be to make our cities more enjoyable to live in. Perhaps permanent installations?
We Need To Talk About Kevin Reflection
I finally watched We Need To Talk About Kevin after recording the ambience for the foley experiment I wanted more context towards the piece. The sound in this movie is really well done. I read the small blog post on a feminist approach to this movie and after watching it I can really tell what she meant. The dialogue is minimal, the way it carries the story is through image and sound. Not directly telling you what’s happening. The beginning has the curtains flying with a sound of a sprinkler which until the ending you would never know why it’s happening. Throughout the movie, you can hear the subtle sound of the sprinkler coming on and off. Foreshadowing the ending, the sound is playing even though the sprinkler isn’t on screen.
One of the strongest elements I felt the sound design helped was to convey the film from her point of view. In the intro scene where she is in a tomato festival and she lies down and is carried in the air, you can see she’s in a dreamlike state. The audio in the clip conveys a similar message. Throughout the movie, there are constant flashbacks between her post-life after the murdering by her son Kevin to flashbacks before. The sound design never makes you feel like your comfortable and always unsure of where you are in the story.
In some scenes, the sound design is very minimalistic. Whenever there is a dialogue that is very little the sound effects cut out. All you hear is the room abience and very close mic technique recordings to get all the subtle mouth movements. I feel this creates concentration and suspense within the viewer. As most of the movie has synths and drones to make you uneasy that as soon as there is silence you know something bad is about to happen.
I’m going to carry on the exercise and do a bit more foley on the scene from class before working on my own clip. I think the practice is going to help a lot.
Audio Document Idea #2
My second idea was inspired by last years essay I did on the history of Bossa Nova music in Brazil. I touched more on the progress of the music genre and its influences and social-political stance. Perhaps now I can take it further into current times. I took a book out from the library that discusses more in-depth aspects of the build-up of Bossa Nova which has added more information than I previously wrote.
I’m unsure if I will be able to add anything more than I spoke last year or just be rehashing. I was thinking as well to perhaps speak on the colonialism aspect of Portugal over Brazil and the connection between Africans and their impact & integration into Brazilian culture.
Audio Document idea #1
Hip Hop & Escapism, How freestyling and writing lyrics can free the mind in the concrete jungle.
My first idea of the audio document was based on my personal experience with rap music. It’s also something I’m passionate about and interested in sharing. Improvisation in general is an intriguing concept. I want to find out a bit more about freestyling and the way the brain works. The idea of the audio document is to start with a short background on hip hop. Where it originated from and the main people that engage with the culture and their living conditions. Speaking socially and politically. Then to move on to the idea of escapism within using music and rapping more specifically. I have mentors that are talented freestyles that have done lectures on this subject before and I can possibly get an interview and quote them. It’s also a scene I’m part of and feel I can give it justice and have the right reasons to discuss it.
Artist Statement
From an early age, dereck was interested in music and found istening had been at the forefront of his life. Accessibility to technology was limited. He would listen to the radio and be outside playing. His childhood was split up between three countries, Brazil Barcelona and Brighton. His upbringing has given his ears a wide range of influences and experiences in a culture that has enabled him to be more aware culturally socially and politically of his surroundings.
His work ranges from music, rapping and sound pieces. Video editing and photography. dereck believes sound and image have a powerful medium to share messages without directly explaining the meaning. From age 17 he attended a youth centre which through a youth charity called Audio Active allowed him to flourish creatively amongst mentors that encouraged safe friendly growth and experimentation. he went on to organise DIY events throughout Brighton and became at the forefront of the scene. his early work started from an underground rap project titled Umm… Random shit with producer KIANVSLIFE. The project was an accumulation of sounds recorded in a short period of time from vinyl and movies to set the soundscape of his life at the time. Then it was followed up by blue. an EP worked with Jules Chateauneuf to showcase a more easy listening experience. With soul and jazz becoming more of a forefront in this project. This was sold on cassette tape and quickly sold out to become a must needed underground tape. The most recent release is Who Sold My Soul? the second collaboration between dereck d.a.c. and KIANVSLIFE. They took a short ten-day trip to Lisbon in an Airbnb to create this music project. With samples from classic soul songs and jigsaw abstract production to deliver a deep underlying message in the current state of the music industry. Where did we lose our souls? How did forget why we started following our passions? Following the release, it received critical acclaim and had a vinyl release with artwork made by dereck d.a.c
dereck finds a deep passion for artistry and creative expression in his chosen artforms. He believes there is an unexplained spiritual connection between music sounds and culture that can give us a pure escapism experience that human beings need in our current societal structure.
Visiting practitioner # 3 – NikNak
NikNaks Bio is this.
An Oram Award-winning and history making storyteller in her own right, Nicole Raymond (NikNak) is devoted to developing her unique practice as a DJ & Turntablist, sound artist/composer, producer, tutor, sound engineer and radio presenter.
She is also a strong advocate for diverse representation in the music industry, especially within DJ/Turntablism culture and music production realms, and for musician wellbeing/mental health.
Based in the UK, you’ll find Nicole digging for vinyl or comic books, gigging, experimenting and sharing her music tastes to diverse audiences, delivering engaging sessions with students to develop their DJ skills, and running/curating events such as “Dub Sirens” and “Melanin”.
Nicole has also performed at festivals such as Wilderness Festival with Live Art Bistro, Handmade Festival, Chin Up Festival, We Out Here Festival, Leeds International Festival, World Island Festival, Algorave Festival, Brighton Fringe Festival with House of Verse, Leeds Digital Festival, Bradford Literature Festival, Marsden Jazz Festival and Tor Fest.
To date, she has supported DJ Format, Jon 1st, Akala, Chynna, MJ Cole, Dan Kye, Bradley Zero, Cakes Da Killa, Jungle Brown, J-Live, Grandmaster Flash (twice), SEED Ensemble, Abstract Orchestra, Madlib, Lady Leshurr, Saul Williams, King Midas Sound, LayFullStop, Children of Zeus, Awate, TY, Project Hilts, Lowkey, Moses Boyd, Necktr, Commodo, Object Blue, Bambooman, Boe&LX, Pye Corner Audio, Tommy Cash, Yves Tumor, Karnage Kills, Harleighblu, Agama and Princess Nokia.
NikNak is also a member of The Belgrave House Band and TC and the Groove Family. She has also presented on radio stations such as Demon FM, Sable Radio, Worldwide FM, Balamii Radio, BBC Radio Leeds and KMAH Radio.
Bashi
The first project I looked into was called Bashi. Bashi meaning peace in Turkish is a collection of sounds she recorded in turkey. She then went on to manipulate the project with her turntablism techniques and effects, such as echo dub and the original soundscape material. She wanted to retell her experience in Turkey through this album of ten tracks.
I listened to a few songs of the album and found the turntablism element captivating. In the song Compass, she uses scratching to introduce and cut out elements of the soundscape. The rain is falling and the scratching is almost emulating lightning. She cuts out parts of the soundscapes and reintroduces them with the scratching. I wonder how she recorded the sounds or what the process was, this will be one of the questions I’ll ask her during the lecture. Also, I wonder what program she used to edit the sounds and what the process was of creating them. How did she decide on the composition and what the meanings behind each song or piece were? Whether it was something predetermined or actualised in the process.
NikNak Live @ Crossed Wires 21 May 2021
I watched her perform Bashi live and found the set design and performance intuitive. I thought she was going to DJ the already recorded album and just fade and balance the songs into each other. She does all the turntablism live and super accurately and really captivates you into the performance. The projections behind her as well help to grab you into the sound and immerse the listener into the world she’s created with the soundscapes. I’ve always thought of creating and using projections for performance and this has inspired me to follow up on that idea. I want to ask her about the set design and if she was involved in that and if so what the equipment was and how it’s being controlled/ran with.
NikNak | We Out Here: Online & On Air | July
I listened to her DJ set on We Out Here and her song selection is incredible. She says in her bio about crate-digging a lot which is something I take part in. Her song selections ranged from soul to jazz & hip hop even some world music in there. I want to know her process of digging and finding these gems and how to curate them with the right approach. I’ve only ever DJ for one radio show my friend invited me for but it’s been an idea for a while as I crate dig a lot. I want to ask her opinion on online crate digging and how it changes and differentiates the song selection process and her thoughts on this.
Post Lecture Reflection
I found NikNak to be very much relatable. The way she spoke and presented herself made me feel comfortable and attentive to what she was saying. She began speaking about her background, from studying at leeds for undergraduate to speaking about Bashi.
She said she felt foggy just before she recorded Bashi in Turkey and was at the time facing horrible anxiety and depression and felt she needed to leave the UK. she took a short trip to Turkey and something told her to take her microphone. She recorded lots of field recordings but had no intentions of actually using them. It was more of a practice. Then returning home she decided to do a show and improvise over the recordings she’d made. Using turntablism and scratching to use her techniques over the recordings. A very much bottom up approach that even Darsha Hewitt spoke about in another lecture from last year.
She also touched on her thoughts about spaces. She spoke that at one point she was figuring out how to use spacial/surround sound systems after locating a venue that would allow her to do this. She said she’d rather use a venue that people normally go to for music or other events. As she felt a university or art gallery would bring in a specific crowd that it caters to. She wanted to use another space that was more inclusive for people.
She also spoke on some of her processes including for a piece she worked on called Voices of Black Britain. She said she didn’t have a lot of control on this piece but felt she didn’t want to go and destroy the recordings she’d been allowed to use. More that she felt she was being taught/learning from the recordings and wanted more to enhance them than take away. It resonated with her personally and beautiful she spoke.
Someone also asked the same question I was going to ask as I stated earlier on my research stage about how she choose the songs in her set. I found her set in We Out Here to be super varied and thought she did an excellent job at showcasing a very broud range of songs and genres without it sounding out of touch. She also spoke on improvisation and how she really doesn’t think or choose her songs before the sets. Unless it’s a radio or a pre recorded thing she always feels the vibe. She’ll get to the venue and see what the people want or who shes supporting on the show. And think how can I elevate or add to this specific situation and then caters through her song selection. But she says it’s never a consous decision or perhaps its more of an unconsous decision.
I found this to be really good insight into her ritual of performing. Improvisation can really have benefits in certain situations. I think her not picking all her setlist and seeing and reading the room when choosing songs can allow her to manipulate or more so adjust her song selection to the room on the fly. Sometimes when we pre decide the setlist and the outcome before we’ve even had a chance to realise what were working with can not allow us to be maluiable. Which for someone like her as she says works really well.
I also asked her my question which was about wether she thinks online crate digging or physical crate digging is better or her thoughts on it. She actually gave me a really deep insight that I never would of thought of. She started by speaking about the lockdown and how it separated us from the physical world for a while. And that shes sure online crate digging went up, with such platforms as Bandcamp pushing an artist first mentalitlty taking no fees on the first friday of every month. But she also elaberated on the fact that its also more accessible. Some people might have anxiety or don’t have a decent shop near them to go buy records and listen to new music and she thinks it really doesn’t matter.