It’s been difficult to think of single, individual post ideas for 15ips this week because there is so much that I want to do, and so much that I want to say. The sheer volume of it has, ironically, prevented me from sitting down to write about anything at all. Maybe it’s best, then, to just dump it all out into one long post.

1. The studio and the now less-encumbered creative process

I’m at a point where most of my essential music-making/recording gear is working. Last week, I did a lot of planning for future projects and occasionally made new music. I started on a new, large, complicated piece today with lots of layering and overdubbing. I’m glad I’m finally able to do this sort of big, ambitious project; a few months ago, I simply didn’t have the means or equipment to make it work. It’s why I originally set out to build a more robust music studio, and to see the cumulation of so many months of work makes me feel very proud. It’s great being able to focus on the art itself instead of the machinery beneath it. I just couldn’t do my best work when I was constantly distracted by failing gear and signal routing issues. There’s still tons of improvements still to be made, but I am freer to make bold decisions in the creative process without having to worry too much about whether I had the technical ability (personally and in terms of assets/equipment) to make them work.

2. Equipment improvements

I have a couple projects underway to streamline the workflow of the recording process as it is in my studio. One major improvement is a patchbay that I am building from scratch, to eliminate a couple of poorly laid-out patchbays that I am currently using. It should drastically reduce clutter and make it easier to route signals during production and mixdown. I’ll post an article on this when it’s closer to completion.

I also want, to get the Otari half-track machine running so I can do better mixdowns and bounces, which should provide an overall improvement in sound quality.

3. Making a record

At the beginning of the year, I decided I would spend six months putting together a complete album, and release it on my own record label. I realized that giving myself less time to do this would make me work harder, and it would force me to make tough decisions during the recording / creative process. So, I decided that I would do it in two months instead.

I am a big fan of my friend Alex Cruse‘s music. I really admire her intellectual approach to making music and I appreciate that she has done a lot of her own research on the kind of music that we make. We’ve talked about releasing some of her work, and so it seemed natural to me to ask her to contribute to my first venture into record-making. We agreed to do a split LP, with her work on one side and mine on the other, and we’ve set a deadline of early April for completed work. There will be design considerations to be made after that, and of course mastering and record-pressing, so I’m not sure when the finished product will be for sale. Hopefully, it will be for sale by the beginning of Summer.

I’m very excited about this. It will be a major accomplishment for me, and it will take me into a new phase of development as an experimental artist.

4. Blog and streaming audio

I have big plans for this blog. I’ll be writing lengthier, more in-depth articles once my equipment situation stabilizes. A brand-new design is in the works, with my friend Paul Solis providing original artwork. Jonah Strauss, another friend of mine and owner of Shipwreck Studio in Oakland, California, will write articles on Ampex MM-1200 maintenance and other studio equipment-related topics. Eventually, I will have a good balance of content between the history of modern experimental music, analog audio technology, and current electroacoustic / acousmatic / experimental works and artists.

Also, I am putting up an Internet radio station, to stream audio from this site. The focus is on 1980s and 1990s experimental artists, from out of print, limited-edition cassette releases. There is a wealth of this kind of music on the Web between several different blogs (Mutant Sounds and No Longer Forgotten Music being two of the most notable), and I will rotate a set of 10 or 12 albums for streaming every ten days. This is something that I want to have for myself, and I think that many other people will enjoy it as well. I would like to build a database of information on the albums being streamed, so listeners can learn more about the music they are listening to and perhaps find other releases that are in print and for sale.

And, of course, I hope that it will revive popular interest in this genre of music, but that’s my altruistic side speaking.

5. Record label

Finally, I am starting a record label. It’s the best way to promote my music and the music of artists whose music I deem to be important. I’ve wanted to start a record label since as long as I can remember but I haven’t had the time, money, resources, and social infrastructure in place until now. Now is the best time imaginable to present this music to the public and promote the crap out of it; I see a tremendous need for new music that defies convention and categorization and I want to do my part to make it happen. There’s too much music that is either too “out there”, too academic, or too traditional; experimental and electronic music shouldn’t be as alienating as it is to most people, and I want to bring a new form of it to a wider audience.

Other than the initial release with Alex and I, the rest is still being planned. More work will be done on this as the album gets close to completion.

- – -

I’ll be writing more this week, mostly on these topics.