Computer based ambient drone: Tim Hecker, Ben Frost etc...

[louderthangod]

How hard do you find it getting shows for this sort of thing (open to anyone)? What sorts of bands/environments are you playing these shows? I'd really like to take this live but I don't see a lot of natural fits (oh, I'm just like this group and they play with these guys at this place all the time).

[daseb]

It's not every day you get to drop that one on someone, gotta strike while the iron is hot.

oh don't get me wrong, the quality of the burn is appreciated

How hard do you find it getting shows for this sort of thing (open to anyone)? What sorts of bands/environments are you playing these shows? I'd really like to take this live but I don't see a lot of natural fits (oh, I'm just like this group and they play with these guys at this place all the time).

Depends. I find it harder to get shows in general for my real band as well these days just because my city is at the point where there are ten million separate little scenes and five different shows on each night. And I'm also older and fatter and balder so don't go out anywhere near as much as I used to so I'm not plugged in to shit as much anymore.

So, the solution is to be more proactive and book more things yourself and hope people return the favour (they only will 25% of the time). And go into it knowing that you'll book a cool as shit lineup and get a really cool poster for it that you'll put up like fucking EVERYWHERE and still there'll be something on that night at the last minute with bands that suck but have cool people in them and a good,accessible trendy look and five people will come to your show.

With noise though traditionally it's a pretty open crowd so it's not so much about finding people that sound like what you're doing as finding people that are also approaching music from out of left field. I don't want to see four wannabe sotos' dudes who smell a little bit like boiled mushrooms yelling into contact mics on a bill, would much rather see shit mixed up with grind bands, or post punk bands, or the two girls with macs making weird disco, things like that.

[odontophobia]

It's not every day you get to drop that one on someone, gotta strike while the iron is hot.

oh don't get me wrong, the quality of the burn is appreciated

How hard do you find it getting shows for this sort of thing (open to anyone)? What sorts of bands/environments are you playing these shows? I'd really like to take this live but I don't see a lot of natural fits (oh, I'm just like this group and they play with these guys at this place all the time).

Depends. I find it harder to get shows in general for my real band as well these days just because my city is at the point where there are ten million separate little scenes and five different shows on each night. And I'm also older and fatter and balder so don't go out anywhere near as much as I used to so I'm not plugged in to shit as much anymore.

So, the solution is to be more proactive and book more things yourself and hope people return the favour (they only will 25% of the time). And go into it knowing that you'll book a cool as shit lineup and get a really cool poster for it that you'll put up like fucking EVERYWHERE and still there'll be something on that night at the last minute with bands that suck but have cool people in them and a good,accessible trendy look and five people will come to your show.

With noise though traditionally it's a pretty open crowd so it's not so much about finding people that sound like what you're doing as finding people that are also approaching music from out of left field. I don't want to see four wannabe sotos' dudes who smell a little bit like boiled mushrooms yelling into contact mics on a bill, would much rather see shit mixed up with grind bands, or post punk bands, or the two girls with macs making weird disco, things like that.

Everybody that I've seen play noise live is almost always playing with a bunch of crust/punk/grind bands.
Or, a few years ago, things that seemed to feature angular guitar lines and lots of synthesizers a la Blood Brothers/Locust/Chinese Stars/Moving Units.

[louderthangod]

I don't think I'm crusty enough to fit in with the noise crowd of the Bay Area and I don't find most of it that interesting either, a doom or post-rock show would work fine. An immersive art should would be awesome but I don't know that scene at all but I should make a push for that. The main show booker I used to know moved away and all the old bands we played when I was in a regular band are gone. I'd like to put up a few more recordings and make a push for the spring and in a perfect world I'd love to play some shows up and down the west coast this summer since I'll have time off.

[D.o.S.]

Yeah art galleries are usually good for this sort of thing, but you may run into volume concerns there.

[louderthangod]

Yeah art galleries are usually good for this sort of thing, but you may run into volume concerns there.

I run into volume issues everywhere but I'd imagine especially there. There used to be a few bars in SF you could rent out on off nights and do whatever you want down there...I'm sure you still can now but it would cost a fortune. Some of these places used to have people putting on their own show for just a few bucks and that would be ideal but I'd love to put on a mixed-media type event. It would be a lot of work but traditional venues would be fine. I'd eventually though like to break out of that and do something besides "band on stage, bar on the side and people taking in the middle". Something that was a more immersive experience would fit what I'm doing better since instrumental drone isn't the most exciting thing to watch but if people could be exposed to other things it could add to the event. Basically I really miss my old warehouse...it would be perfect for this.

[Seance]

Something that was a more immersive experience would fit what I'm doing better since instrumental drone isn't the most exciting thing to watch but if people could be exposed to other things it could add to the event.

I think there are still people making visual art in the Bay Area (film/video/installations). It would be
easy enough to find screenings that you could attend and try to reach out to people to set up some
sort of collaborative screening/music-based something-or-other.

Of course that kind of "networking" can be a bit soul-crushing and/or unpalatable and unsuccessful.
The best is to find people you like and are friends with. Or just bite the bullet and do it yourself (TWSS)


I don't live in the Bay Area, but I have been harboring plans for an immersive experience event for a
long time. I hope to make one happen locally where I live in the new year. Whether or not anyone shows
up is a whole different conversation.

[GardenoftheDead]

Rafael Anton Irisarri. He does a lot with outboard gear but Ableton is sort of the backbone of it.

[xchristophex]

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[louderthangod]

IV is finally up @ https://auvn.bandcamp.com/album/iv

I love this. I was listening to it this morning on the way to work. I'll download it when I get home. I wish bandcamp/Apple would let you buy and download songs from bandcamp straight to the iPhone.

Looking for some noise/drone gear with my tax return. I think I'm leaning towards something big like the Buchla Music Easel or the Swarmatron. I worry the Swarmatron might be too limited while the Buchla is more versatile there'd be a learning curve and I'm not really looking for retro synth bloops and bleeps but it can get pretty nasty as well.

[Ev_O)))]

If you can afford a buchla get a fuckin buchla haha
Or take that money and start a tasty euro system from scratch. Would be an infinitely more versatile setup tailored to your exact wants and needs

[louderthangod]

Speaking of Tim Hecker, he just had a new album that came out today and I guess he's playing a show in LA tonight with Alessandro Cortini. I've only listened to the new album once, not as dark as my favorite stuff but it'll take a few listens before I can fully wrap my head around it.

[xchristophex]

.

[MrNovember]

This was a really interesting read. I had never really considered computer based synths before. But it would really open up a lot of opportunity for me considering the amount of time I'm not home to be around my synth.

Probably going to try the trial of AudioMulch, but also very, very tempted by Reaktor

[psychic vampire.]

If you can afford a buchla get a fuckin buchla haha
Or take that money and start a tasty euro system from scratch. Would be an infinitely more versatile setup tailored to your exact wants and needs

This forever. If we were talking Buchla money, as much as i love their aesthetics, I would do a Euro, with some Buchla/Serge style modules, especially for function generators, but there is so much weirdness in Eurorackland.