December 26, 2007 by mike.

Neat to see that Brian Eno’s useful Oblique Strategies cards are still in production…

I found a PDF version suitable for printing on card stock here

Print, cut and approach your artistic work “obliquely.”

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June 25, 2007 by mike.

Head on over to the Studio Sounds page and check out the two recent additions.

Rainforest One - A cool work in progress, have a listen to it and know it will change… It opens with the sound of a river and jungle birds…and the natives are restless nearby… the village shaman is doing his shamanizing. This is a direction I have been planning on pursuing for some time….hope you like it.

Analog Improv - No guitar! wow…that can’t be Ombient… well, I am known to bang the black and whites from time to time. This is an old school Arppeggiator/Analog synth lead improv type thing… might do this as a live piece at the Revelwood Art Show.

Also, my collaboration with Bill Fieger called Mayakara has produced some tracks, one of which is our Live Performance at the 2007 Electro-Music Festival. The other is a recording from a rehersal in my studio.  Click here to listen. More tracks to come from Mayakara soon, as well as a CD release.

I’ve been practicing with my Didgeridoo lately and almost have the circular breathing down. I grabbed a Native American flute (in the key of F) maye by Tribal Earth recently, and I love it. Good tone for a synthetic instrument and a good price. Easy to play too. I got it from the Didgeridoo Store. So, you’ll be hearing more flutes on Mayakara and Ombient tracks. 

Until next time…

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June 15, 2007 by mike.

Well, I experienced my first Electro-Music festival in ealy June. It was an excellent event. All those organizers and volunteers deserve a big round or applause!

I performed with Brainstatik on myu first day. Met some cool people, learned some cool new stuff and heard some great music.

Warren Sirota was a highlight for me. It was great to hear another looper doing such great work. He constructed his own customer looping software using Max/Msp, Java (it migh have included some FLASH as well, not sure.) He was kind enough to demonstrate his software to me earlier that day.

I got to play with a Moog Voyager (own by Terry Furber) in the basement, a real live VCS3 in the small gallery as well as a few other odd intruments and installation sound art pieces.

Next year, I think I am going to sign up for all three days. I’ll probably submit myself as “Ombient” to plasy a set as well as with Brainstatik and Mayakara…three bads, three days…we’ll see.

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May 8, 2007 by mike.

My good friend Albert Papp (a.k.a The Iron Baron of Revelwood) passed away on May 3rd.

Al was the keyboard player for The Stone Soup Band, the Celtic Rock / Irish Traditional band I play the Warr Guitar with.

Al was a great musician…he had perfect pitch, a rare skill. He was the “go to” guy for the “missing” chord. His playing and, most of all, his sense of humor and friendship will be missed.

Al, for the bottom of my heart, I love and miss you.

Mike

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March 15, 2007 by mike.

Well, it’s offical.

The collaboration between Bill Fieger of Stares to Nowhere and myself has a name.

मायाकार or, in English, Mayakara

The root of Mayakara is “Maya” 

Maya: literally ‘magic’ or ‘witchcraft’, the ‘force’ used to ‘explain’ how it is that we come to be deceived into believing that there is a creation with separate objects and living creatures etc. See also avarana and vikshepa.

Kara: To make or create (this is not an offical definition…but what I rememeber…but it seems to be correct)

Mayakara:  maker of magic i.e. a conjurer or magician.

We intent it to be a mix of Avant-Guarde, Tribal and Ambient…That being said, even those labels don’t reallyt fit.

 I may post some of the experiments we have recorded in the near future.

Please visit the bands site at http://www.mayakara.net/

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February 7, 2007 by mike.

Well, the true winter weather has finally arrived. I took this picture while on a post-lunch constitutional stroll through the wooded trails on the propery of my office building complex. Apparently, there is a bit of a drainage issue here. A low lying area filled with runoff, and frozen in this bleak but stranging beautyful way.

New music is on the horizon. Ombient with world rhythms… and an acoustic project with Bill Feiger (of Stares To Nowhere) and a friend of his I have yet to meet… should yield something interesting! More to follow on that as it unfolds…

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January 23, 2007 by mike.

Alas…the startup I was working for has begun the process of what looks like a shutdown…or maybe it will return after hibernation…who knows. All I know is that I don’t work there any more…and I was one of the few left by that time.

 The company is now in the software only business…I hope those few left behind have so form of success. It was a great team…and my direct manager was world class. It was nice being made to feel so much ownership in everything I was involved with.

So, now I am back in big telcom again…you know, that big telcom (that used to be the ONLY telcom) that got purchased by one of its ”split off” companies that is based in TX. I’m back after being away 3.5 years…and it is weird.

I recognize faces of people in the halls…people I never knew or though about while away. It’s strange how that can happen. I wonder if they remembered my face and though….”I remember that guy…I wonder who he is?”

Anyway, the project I joined here is interesting and the team seems very sharp. I wonder what the future holds for me here…

So, my Irish Traditional/Celtic Rock has come to an end…but that end is a new beginning. We are reforming with myself (but on guitar this time), one other original member and some new people… still looking for a drummer though.

It looks like this incarnation might have some more progressive elements and be more of a challenge to my musicianship. I was getting tired of being held back by others who couldn’t (read wouldn’t) raise the bar. I love them, but I cannot see myself in a band with them again unless they worked harder and opened their minds more…

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January 8, 2007 by mike.

I just found out today that my friend Edmund passed away at 4am on Christmas Day…

…we will all be raising our glasses high to you my friend…

 …goodbye…

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November 10, 2006 by mike.

I’ve been surrounded by music all my life.

While growing up, my father was in and out of various bands. I grew up around music and musicians.  I remember falling asleep in my room listening to the windows rattle in sync with the rock drums and bass echoing up from down below…weekly band practice.

So I’m 37 years old and following in his footsteps…albeit a odder and mostly uncommercial type of music…but a musician just the same.

..and my father is 61…and, once again, in a rock band called “The Wire“…. to bloody cool eh? They play a little bit of everything, Neil Young…Van Halen…Van Morrison…AC/DC…Stone Temple Pilots…you name it. If your ever in Southwestern Florida, check em’ out.

On another unrelated note… I’m thinking of trying to create some Ombient podcasts…ans a matter of fact, I’m off to figure that out now…

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October 26, 2006 by mike.

Went to yet another FFMUP last night, this time with my mother-in-law- Nanette.

This month there was SideCar (Anne Hege and Heather Heise), a duo with an amazing amount of talent. Amazing vocals with Piano, Toy Piano, Flute, Accordian and pre-recorded ambient tracks. I was blown away! The compositional skills they displayed were just unbelievable… I’d describe it as Modern Cabaret with a tiny dash of performance art. The duo os a “must see”. Visit their links about for sample music!

HZL BRD (pronouned Hazel Bird…I think) performed an improvised set. Tim Albro (Guitar, Radio and Electronics) Jesse Kudler (Guitar ad Electronics) and Dustin Hurt (Trumpet). I found there music subtle and quietly engaging.

…Which leads me to this months Gate show…since Dustin Hurt was a performer there as well!

Dustin performed with Forty-2, who opened the show. A great and surprising set! This band should be seen more. They were followed by Charles Cohen v.s. Maria Chavez. What an interesting duo… Charles’ Buchla Music Easel versus Maria’s turntable… great stuff. Maria uses the turntable an an intrument and a way I have never seen before. I found it inspiring! Charles is apparently a very well known musician in this genre around the Philadelphia area. It was great to finally hear him perform… what and instrument! what a performer! These two, I will be following closely.

Trokenesis close the show…and I am still stunned…they blew me away…THIS group I MUST see/hear again. Bowed metal and cymbals, percussion and jaw dropping vocals…wow…then, there was the dry ice…

Dry Ice you say? That’s what I said…. Catherine Pancake placed and manipulated bits of metal and bowls on top of a block of dry ice. The best I can guess is that the pressure of the metal item on the rapidly evaporating dry ice induces vibrations which cause the item to resonate. It was music and performance art mixed together. I simply loved what I heard and will definitely try to see them perform again.

If you get a chance, see one, many or all of these different groups. These genres of music are undersupported. Come out and lend an ear. Some many of these perfromances are free (and thus devoid of comercial concerns…horray!!!) It’s honest Art…and as we musicians know…frequenty “free” is the only place you’ll see it… That being said, I would pay to see any of theses artists again. I wish them well in all their endevours and hope the reach the level they both deserve and aspire to.

Finally, Sasha Raught…

I have known Sasha Raught since High School… He is one of those people who excel an anything they choose to pursue. Sasha is a world class gymnast and and artist…

I have donated some of my web space to his artwork…the page is primative and still underconstruction, but I invite you to visit and have a look at this MAJOR TALENT. I am proud to own and display one of his pieces in my home…it’s in the Maxfield Parrish style. If you know Parrish, then you know that Sasha must be good…

I assure you…he is world class. please visit the site here.

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