Nintendo DS Synth!

I found out about this via Analog Industries who found out about it via Matrixsynth (check my links on the right). It's an old school Korg for your Nintendo DS! RAD!!! Here's a couple YouTube videos:





I've always wanted to mess around with something like this during my BART commute. It looks like they go for between $55 and $65. A Nintendo DS is about $125.

Radiohead - interactive video for "House of Cards"

Click Here

Pretty Penny Par-tay

Triple P:

My Dad is in a group show in LA

My dad, Michael Beck, is in a groups show called Direct Encounters: The Essence of Portraiture at Forum Gallery in LA. Here's a link to the press release.

If you are in La, you should check it out for me.

Found on Flickr - Ancient Egypt

Bronze at Cellspace in SF, 4th of July, 2008

Dawn and I went to see Bronze for the 4th of July. After sitting through multiple bands, (which I won't mention because I didn't really find them exciting enough to pay much attention,) Bronze took the stage in smocks, had their heads shaved and then played the set in Military outfits. After all, this was the 4th of July. They had a quick, silly little choreographed dance number, ending with a few middle fingers, and then began playing a hearty set of odd, rhythmic spaced-out songs, reminiscent of Can and Silver Apples, but also of some contemporary electronica and noise.




Rob sang into a SM57, which then ran through a Roland Space Echo that he would often tweak mid song into self modulation, while Joe was playing an amazing handheld synth of his own making through a Studio Electronics Ring Modulator, a wah, Boss Tremolo, and some rack mounted effects.

I really, really wish I could figure out what his synth was. It was not only great for noise and odd sound effects, but also completely playable for melodies, with some sort of mechanism that made it skip to different notes when he would turn the knob (ala an Atari Punk Console, but much more in tune and controllable). That thing is absolutely amazing.

Anyways, while surfing around the net looking for information on them, I ran across a decent, but kind of dissappointing interview with them on Fecal Face, which mentioned a couple things about their song writing process and a few of the ideas they go for. I guess they make loops at home with all three of them playing synthesizers, and then create songs based around them.

I'm really into what they are trying to do and can't wait until they release something so that I can dive a little deeper into it. For the most part I find them completely enthralling, but since their songs are really about subtle dynamic changes over long, repetitive loops, I sort of wonder if their songs might get a little monotonous when listening to them recorded. I'm crossing my fingers that they don't.

New at The Squarewave Parade

The Squarewave Parade makes some of the raddest equipment. Unfortunately I'm always broke and can't afford to buy any of it.

His most recent creation is called Teaspoon, which will soon be available in very limited quantities through audiobulb.com I can't really describe it, but it's sort of like a sampler with a stutter. Check out the Youtube clip to get an idea:




He also recently made more of his Downgrade pedals, which seem fucking AWESOME. They are a sample rate reducer, (similar to a bitcrush pedal), but the options on this thing really make it much more. It's even capable of being used as a standalone synth. Argh. I really want one but decided to save up for a Kaoss pad instead.

If you end up interested in any of his stuff, be sure to buy it quickly. I almost bought a Downgrade before and right as I was going to he ran out.

Michelle Blade at Jack Hanley

I went to Michelle Blade's opening at Jack Hanley the other night with some friends.

I really enjoyed her work. A lot of the pieces seemed to reference large scale events and had a strange mob/group mentality, but without ever really revealing what the events were (although, I never read the titles, so maybe the titles gave it away, but I kinda hope they didn't.) I of course didn't remember to take photos of most of the more figurative ones that I'm talking about... duh.... But I loved the way they would reference a narrative, but still leave you up in arms as to what that narrative was.

Anyways, in all the craziness I never ended up taking very many photos of the artwork, but here's a couple. The floor piece was awesome.

The show is up at Jack Hanley until August 8th.


This one was a painting of a rug, with a sort of portal looking abstraction on it, that went on the floor. Unfortunately, a lot of people accidentally walked on it.

Hey look, I have a blog

you're looking at it.