8Sided Blog

the scene celebrates itself

Crudman: New Musical Instrument Based On A Hacked Walkman

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Boing Boing:

The Crudlabs Crudman is a new tape-based instrument consisting of a hacked cassette Walkman controlled by pressing notes on a keyboard. It might remind you of a Mellotron, another tape-based keyboard popular in the 60s and 70s, but Crudlabs points out that the Crudman “is not designed to replace a Mellotron and it does not sound like a Mellotron.”



“The Crudman can provide endless atonal sounscapes but has been designed specifically to be just accurate enough to function as a traditionally melodic musical instrument. You can record anything onto a tape, so if you’re a fan of the sound and idiosyncrasies of tape, the possibilities are pretty much endless.”


WANT. This is pretty great, though having multiple units (at $375 a pop) for polyphony seems to be an expensive requirement for those Boards Of Canada-ish pads. I’m quite curious just how this works so I plan on digging into the documentation found here. And the product’s main site has more video of the Crudman in action. If you can’t afford this lo-fi sweetness, then perhaps you could just pepper your samples with Goldbaby’s Dirt and Layers pack. (My teenage self – who regularly lost sleep over an inability to completely remove tape hiss in his four track demos – is giving me the stink eye.)

The Larry Levan Bump

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Pitchfork:

Bands that once defined ‘70s punk rock at CBGB’s began making music that would appeal to the dancefloor (at The Paradise Garage) located but one mile west of that notoriously filthy venue. Blondie cut “Heart of Glass” and “Rapture”, while Talking Heads locked into a groove to smooth out the spastic tendencies of frontman David Byrne, and the aquatic funk of “Once in a Lifetime” became a Garage favorite. Meanwhile, Levan used to tune the room’s sound to the Clash’s “The Magnificent Dance”, and even rock royalty like the Rolling Stones and the Who vied for club play.



It speaks to Levan’s DJ sensibilities that it didn’t matter the genre of music—punk, pop, funk, disco, R&B—as long as it moved the crowd, it worked for him. And if Levan loved something, such as Pat Benatar’s brooding metallic synth-pop power ballad “Love is a Battlefield”, he would play it multiple times in a night, until any and all resistance was overcome.



Well before YouTube and Shazam provided metrics to forecast a song’s popularity, one only needed to peer out on the Paradise Garage’s dancefloor to see what was going to be a hit.


It’s always inspiring to hear these near-mythical stories of Larry Levan and other DJs from his era, and how they had the ability to create ‘hits’ within their cities and circles. As this story explains, Levan’s pull was augmented by his taste-making relationship with legendary NYC radio host Frankie “Hollywood” Crocker, and the two worked together in a perpetual search for the next big thing. This symbiosis may be particularly of a time … is there any similar relationship with such influence today? The web has given all DJs and artists a global audience, but has this decentralization diminished the importance and effectiveness of building scenes (and ‘hits’) organically within a city or region?

This piece’s stories also made me think of the classic New Order “Confusion” video showing Arthur Baker rushing to the Fun House to give Jellybean Benitez the reel-to-reel mixdown – hot off the presses! – to gauge the dance floor’s reaction:

These Are The Breaks: 10 Of The Most Sampled Drum Beats In Music History

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A.V. Club:

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the bandleader who considered every instrument a drum would be responsible for giving the world one of the most widely sampled drum breaks of all time. Performed by Clyde Stubblefield, the oft-pulled moment arrives around five and a half minutes into “Funky Drummer”; (James) Brown bookends the break with a “one-two-three-four” count in and out. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson hit the nail on the head: “It’s hands down the most perfect beat you can loop—it’s very lyrical, very melodic, very rhythmic. It’s perfect. It’s magical.”


A good little ten song list, most of which you’ll probably already know the sampled loops’ origins, but there may be a couple here to surprise you. If the list went to 11, I’m sure Banbarra’s “Shack Up” would be included … and it’s the drum loop I nearly got into trouble for using. Yes, dear reader, the myth that you can’t be sued for a drum loop is just that.

‘Flexibility Is Key’ In The New Creative Economy

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Cuepoint:

It’s always worth looking at who remains silent in many of these debates; while some Western artists have vocally opposed streaming, you don’t hear artists from developing markets doing the same. Maybe the heart of the debate about the new creative economy is this — are creators who were in power for so long willing to secede some of that power if it means other voices can be heard?



Is it true that some artists have a harder time making a living than they did fifteen years ago? Absolutely. Is it also true that other artists have been able to make a living where they never could have before? Yes. We now operate in an economy where flexibility is key, and if you expect to keep making a living the same way your entire career, you’re going to have a hard time. This doesn’t mean that we should ignore copyright and condone piracy, nor does it mean that artists and their supporters shouldn’t advocate for fair compensation. But to suggest that creative workers are doomed in the current market vastly overstates the case.


Steven Johnson’s infamous New York Times article really raised some dust, and I find this Cuepoint piece a notable addition to the fray as it focuses on the most important point, which was missed by most of the critics. Indeed, we’re seeing a breakdown of traditional avenues for creative livelihoods, as well as the problems caused by legacy corporations struggling to shove the genie back in the bottle. But the emerging self-employment opportunities presented by this internet disruption – coupled with a potential ‘leveling of the playing field’ in distribution and promotion for creative works – makes for exciting times for the budding artist. I’m not saying you won’t have to work a day job; was there ever a time that the overwhelming majority of musicians didn’t? But the chances of that job existing in orbit of your creative field, or under your own authority, are now greater than ever, especially if you can think on your feet. I believe that counts for something.

I also love the caption on the article’s banner photo:

iOTA, the flame-throwing guitar hero from this year’s Mad Max: Fury Road, proves that there will always be work for musicians, even after the bombs fall.

Music Break: A Beginner’s Guide To Yabby You

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FACT:

(Yabby You) was responsible for some of the most compelling and individual pieces of roots reggae ever recorded, having worked closely with King Tubby, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, the Gladiators, Tommy McCook and members of the Wailers band, fronting the harmony group he called the Prophets during the 70s and 80s. He also helped initiate the careers of several early dancehall innovators, including Trinity, Wayne Wade, Tony Tuff and Michael Prophet, the latter named through his association with Yabby.


Click through and listen to some Yabby You. Here’s a favorite of mine from the ‘guide’ to get you started:

The Wild West Days Of The Web Are Over

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The Verge:

(Josh Greenberg) had violated the tenets of intellectual property law, of course, but there was precedent for that. Nullsoft’s Justin Frankel had coded Winamp without licensing the underlying mp3 technology; YouTube’s Steve Chen and Chad Hurley had looked the other way as users had uploaded thousands of infringing videos; Napster’s Shawn Fanning had acted as if the entire concept of copyright was obsolete. Greenberg resembled them. He was a scion of middle-class America; he’d attended a state school; he was young, and male, and comfortable with the internet’s culture of appropriation. The template was to move fast and to break things, and to let the lawyers figure out the repercussions once you’d earned your millions.



If Grooveshark had debuted in 2003, or maybe even 2005, he might have gotten away with it. Like a claim-jumper in the 19th century, Grooveshark could perhaps have emerged from the era of digital lawlessness with enough leverage to force the music companies to the negotiating table, and borrowed enough expertise from the venture capitalists to become a functional business. With a little luck, the company might have outmaneuvered Spotify, and Greenberg would have been a business icon.


I had a link to this month-old article hidden in one of my recent posts, but I think it deserves its own place as it’s well worth a read. The author shapes his piece as more of a commentary on changes in the Internet / entrepreneur industry – he believes the days of the budding teenage tech billionaire have passsed – but, of course, it’s all intertwined with developments in the music industry. The required move over the past decade from ‘digital lawlessness’ to legitimacy enlightens a bit about SoundCloud’s recent troubles, as well as how smart Spotify has been from the outset. The article also reminds me how it’s a deep shame that we won’t get to see what Josh Greenberg will come up with next as there was some seriously brilliant idea-making behind Grooveshark.

YouTube As Well As SoundCloud Should Worry About PRS Lawsuit

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Music Ally:

We reported yesterday on PRS for Music’s decision to sue SoundCloud for copyright infringement. Over the course of the day, the key contradiction between the two parties’ statements became clear: it’s about whether SoundCloud is willing to strike a licensing deal, and specifically whether that deal would apply to both its existing free service and its upcoming subscription tier.



Meanwhile, it also became clear that this lawsuit may have strong implications for YouTube, not just SoundCloud.



In recent months, when rightsholders have complained about what they see as misuse of safe-harbour protection, they have often grouped SoundCloud and YouTube together as examples. YouTube, of course, has a licensing deal with PRS for Music last renewed in 2013.



If PRS for Music takes SoundCloud to court and wins, delivering a blow to that mooted safe-harbour defence, think how much stronger its hand will be when the time comes (as it soon will) to renegotiate its YouTube deal. Multiple sources have suggested to Music Ally that this is the real significance of the SoundCloud lawsuit. “The stakes are super high,” as one of them put it. Indeed.


2016 may turn out to be ‘The Year Of The Shake-Up’.

(previously)

Amazon Clogs Up Pressing Plants With Most Pointless Reissue Series Ever

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FACT:

Reissues make up a fair chunk of the vinyl market, so it’s no surprise that Amazon wants a piece of the action. However, its attempt isn’t a Death Waltz-style endeavour with bespoke artwork and coloured vinyl, it’s a shameless cash-grab that will no doubt clog up more of the world’s already stretched pressing plants.(



*The five reissues up for pre-order are soundtracks for five of the most 80s movies to come out of the 1980s: Dirty Dancing, The Goonies, Top Gun, Footloose and Rocky IV. Great for a Spotify playlist, but probably not worth mining our planet’s precious resources for.


The Vinyl Factory:

All well and good, and the world is full of unnecessary reissues, but when you realise that all five are available for under £10 on Discogs, the choices are somewhat more mystifying. All five will be available on the 9th October.



It’s been a strong week for wholly necessary soundtrack reissues though, with first Jackie Brown and now The Sopranos getting the wax treatment in the last few days.


Admittedly, that Jackie Brown soundtrack is pretty solid.

It may be a bit elitist to poop on these opposite-of-hip vinyl titles, but it’s hard to argue that there’s any demand for them. They were probably very cheap to license due to pre-existing soundtrack agreements, and Amazon sees this as a potential nostalgia-fueled win. If you have never pressed a record, or haven’t done so in at least a decade, then you may not understand why some are up in arms over this news. Clogged up plants and incredibly slow (or even unpredictable) production times make things very difficult for a by-the-seat-of-one’s-pants independent label. With a limited number of record presses available (previously) any major entry into the production line will have a decelerating impact.


Update: Errol Kolosine comments:

To be fair, this says they are “getting into the vinyl pressing business” – they aren’t, although one can certainly imagine Amazon doing so if it made sense.



Also, these do actually seem like pretty standard soundtrack reissues that are on the reputable Legacy imprint (Sony). Yes, they are only available via Amazon, but maybe that’s because they already surmised that their audience wants this stuff. A little investigation into the track listings of these records reveals pretty quickly who the demographic might be – both ironic and un-ironic.

The Cure’s Head On The Door Revisited

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The Quietus:

The Head On The Door has the feeling of a solo effort in that Smith holds all the music credits, something that wouldn’t recur. But unlike The Top’s near total isolation and inward drama, The Head On The Door looks outward and brims with confidence, not least in the respective choices of opening songs – no ‘Shake Dog Shake’ and wailing anger, instead, New Order. Well, not really, but ‘In Between Days’ may be as famous for a bit of Peter Hook-style bass as for its video of dancing socks, swinging camera and black-light makeup. Above all else, it’s just a good song, sprightly, immediate, contrasting with the lyrical sentiments about feeling old and a love triangle’s aftermath with rushed acoustic guitar, musical hooks for days and a simple but perfect keyboard part that was the cherry on the cake. It feels like summer, a ruinous summer perhaps of mixed weather and mixed emotions, but summer nonetheless. All that and it starts with a perfect drum fill by (Boris) Williams, who as the one truly new member was at once the wild card and the secret weapon for the next seven years; The Head On The Door is as much his introductory showcase as anything else.


Released thirty years ago this year, huh?

“In Between Days” is one of the great album openers of ’80s ‘alternative rock’. I never thought to compare it to New Order, though, but I guess you could when thinking of another fine album opener, “Age Of Consent“.