Lately
So I’m not even sure blogging is something I do anymore, as I spend more time on twitter and facebook, but in any case, here’s a brief report: I accepted a teaching position at Dartmouth College, moved to the U.S., taught for two terms, and I’m now getting on with my research terms. Mostly about new improvisation systems built on top of music information retrieval algorithms (as usual), but also building videogame-like environments (using Unity) to give people’s mind a break (primarily my own). Small audiovisual experiences that focus on the sonic. Meantime, this festival in Denmark invited me to come play, and the Statens Kunstråd (the Danish Arts Council) have graciously decided to fund my trip and stay, in order for me to meet with the Medialogy people as well some some other Danish artists, curators, and people running game design organisations.
I’m excited to go! In the meantime, I have a lot of work to get on with. Perhaps whilst I build the things I’m up to right now, I’ll post here more often on results…
Field Recording
Being out and about with a good microphone (Røde NT4 stereo, dual capsules) and recording equipment is something I haven’t done in too long. For One Foot Off The Ground, Malcolm and I went around King’s Cross/St.Pancras’ complex, shooting and recording for a while, variously being told to stop and getting shown the supervisors’ office at the Underground.
Anyway, I now have a very large soundworld of the area, which I can dissect at will, and that makes me happy.
On our own
I have so much to blog about but the space key on my macbook pro is gone and I have to thumb it like I’m angry at it so here: Thomas and I spent a bachelor’s night together as Elise was on her bridge night and Ollie was at Bedstemor’s.
Clear as a bell
About a week before xmas, the children were unwell. It was clear it was a nasty flu, and that Elise had started to suffer as well. I didn’t give it that much tought (after all, since the children started to go to playgroups and nursery, we’ve had all sorts), except that when I started to get ill myself, I noticed two things: it was the most virulent, exhausting flu I’d had in many years (maybe since I was about Thomas’ age), and my hearing was going funny.
A few days later, I woke up with an ear infection. It was very painful for a couple of days, and then it got to a level of pain that made me curl up in bed and whimper. I managed to drag myself to the doctor’s, get prescribed poxy weak antibiotic (amoxicillin without clavulanic acid), and proceeded to suffer for a whole 7 days of dizziness, weird phasing effects in my hearing, strange whistles, more excruciating pain, etc.
I probably should have made more of a point to the doc’s on my first visit, that the pain was unbearable, but I’ve started to behave like all British patients in that I’d rather not complain (that would be embarrassing). Anyway, had to go back to quack and get co-amoxyclav (proper antibiotic), and I’m still unable to hear anything at all from my left ear.
Upshot: I haven’t really listened to or made any music since about the first/second week of December, which is the longest hiatus since about a year and a half…I’m hoping this’ll give me a fresh ear (get it?) when I get back to it. Already, trying to listening to some bits I’d made before December this morning felt like going back years.
I get my s**t cut at transition
Tomorrow I will work with a mastering engineer for the first time ever. Jason, at Transition Studios will help me bring punch and magic to 3 tracks, for the Miles Away EP. I’m so excited! I keep wishing I had had more time to work on the music, but I’ve been told several times, by people I respect, that it’s best I just get on with it, release something, get airplay, and move on. The more I go through that cycle, the better it’ll get.
I’ve got to get some labels designed, and finish the whole MCPS bit, as well as some CD mastering after that. Then I’ll upload everything to myspace, facebook, soundcloud, etc., on the day of the vinyl release. Sounds like a plan, at least.
