The Vast Expanse of Sound | 1/4/20

Good evening, hope this post finds you well and that you are keeping safe during these worrying times? That feels like the standard way to open every message right now one of many signs of the times. While the majority of the content I've been seeing produced has been vapid, trying to get a share of the hype with momentary fads and forgettable trends, it's undeniable that the blunt change in lifestyle has bred some authentic, isolated cultural and societal instances. Home video is everywhere, clapping for the NHS was a real heartfelt moment, but actually it's the nuances of things that seem to be happening naturally that I've found interesting. In general, people are friendlier and more polite outside when you do encounter each other on your run or whatever, for London at least, and WhatsApp voice messages, themselves spreading at viral speed. The giant lasagne being cooked underneath Wembley Stadium is like some sort of myth of the quarantine period, generating a myriad off-shoot stories from its sturdy core. The one that has struck me the most exciting, has been a version of Billie Eilish's 'ILOMO', supposedly '8D Music', in reality 3D binaural audio. [I have no good visuals this time, so enjoy some pictures of my dog]

Listen to the track here (with headphones). It's an absolutely incredible example of the technique used in post-production, essentially using a panner and reverb, but it's immaculately mixed so that the sound literally sounds like it's floating around inside your head. Of course, it's just something cool to pass along once you've listened, but I really think there's a larger comment on our current reality. Human beings aren't going to lose their interest in music, and a fundamental part of what makes it so brilliant to us is sharing a sonic experience with the people around you, hence why moments from live music stick so vividly in our minds for years and years. If we're unable to be with each other physically, this desire to share has to take a new form, and listening to a track like this for the first time evokes a unique reaction that can make us feel connected to each other in the novelty of this 'sonic experience'. It's a new connection, outside of the memories from normality, that still feels personal in the word-of-mouth method of passing from one to another on WhatsApp. 

As I was writing up the points I wanted to cover for this yesterday, Max Cooper released a version of his track 'Synthesis' using the same 3D binaural processing technique, which is available here with great visuals from Kevin McGloughlin as usual. It's not quite as dramatic as the above, but still highlights the sheer amount of space there is within the sound environment that isn't usually utilised. He gives a much more in-depth explanation of the science behind 3D music in the description, and the timing of this release made me wonder if this is something we're going to see more of in the coming months. With live music essentially of the cards and everybody clambering to fill the void of potential exploration in the enjoyment of music, perhaps it is time to truly rethink the listening experience itself? How much beauty can you hide in the corners of the world that's being built between your ears?

As of yet, the effect is only achieved when you wear your earphones to separate the sound waves, but technology never ceases to advance. Should these effects be achievable or even elevated within a home sound system or exhibition space, I can imagine that the journeys you could be taken on artistically could be sensational. Yoga sessions could transcend into all-encompassing ambience. The illusion of VR could be taken further and further. Maybe it's not possible, but the current state of the world has made me realise that culture will constantly evolve and adapt to still bring the most incredible ideas to light, no matter how heavy the restrictions.

In terms of the electronic music industry's attempts to keep 'live' music continuing, there have been plenty of amazing streams going on.  Resident Advisor had a whole virtual club, Club Quarantäne, going on all weekend, although the sets were prerecorded. I really enjoyed Mall Grab's Boiler Room, but DJ EZ definitely took the cake with a 24 hour set. Shoutout to Bandcamp also for a 24 hour period of waiving revenue shares, meaning musicians made $4.3million for their own music.

On that note, there has been plenty of amazing great music to keep us going! Bicep finally released the first track from their upcoming project, 'Atlas', signalling hope that dance floors could be worth the wait when summer comes round. Maribou State released their 'fabric presents' instalment, blending some dance tunes in with soulful classic sounds, a real spread of genres and consistent movement between acoustic and digital, vintage and contemporary. Little Dragon delivered a new wave of mostly chilled vibes, with a couple tracks to get you moving mixed in, but the most exciting release for me has been Nicholas Jaar's 'Cenizas'. It's as off the wall as you'd expect, drawing sounds from a variety of classical areas, from solo piano to the celestial sounds of male choir. With moments of intense, industrial grit to balance the album out, the overall tone never loses the gentle grace of a single, snow-white feather while it floats above an endless, menacing chasm. Check it all out and some more great tracks in the playlist here, and as ever, stay safe during these worrying times. xx

Communcative Harmony | 5/6/19

Helloooo everyone, it's summer! London had a great first weekend of sun, spent it all chilling in the park and of course, in classic white boy fashion, I got sunburnt pretty much immediately. Not cute. Hunee in Brighton last week was so much fun, I thought I'd quickly mention because with the setup in Patterns, you're right in there with the DJ themselves and he could not have looked like he was having more fun. And when he's having fun, we're all having fun with him! Such buff vibes as ever, and it was really great to get out of the city for the long weekend, take the party with me but enjoy the sea breeze and coastline peace. I also saw Baltra & Skatebård at Phonox last Friday and musically it was really exquisite (wow where did that come from). Shazam'd lots of bangers but in particular this went off wonderfully on the dancefloor.

Today is another more wordy, conceptual one as I've had this thought running through my head for a couple weeks and I just want to get it down in writing so that I can think about something else. Music has always been intrinsically linked to sound in the same way language and communication are, they are reliant on the audio. Culturally, when we study any society or period of time, their music communicates a lot to us about who they are, and both language and music are interpreted and understood, used and made in different ways around the world. Over time, they develop and transform in different ways, and you could compare the advancement of electronic music with the influence the internet and technology have on our language and the way we communicate; memes, acronyms, tweets and so on. I have a few examples of where I think music truly takes the form of communication, not quite in this literal way, but more in how it expresses a message beyond the artist-listener dialogue.

Everyone has their own taste in music, that is based on what they hear at school, at uni, in their social scenes and based on their own exploration of what's out there. But I feel like a separate clause should be reserved for the music that's passed down to you from your parents. It always brings up a very specific nostalgia in you, and you can distinguish it from your other tastes. Your parents are the archetype for what a person is to you growing up, you see how they react to things and subconsciously learn that that's how you should react too. With music, their passion will probably be the first you witness and understand, and so it always holds a special place for you. Essentially, they're communicating to you a huge part of who they are through the music they love. My mum loves David Bowie and I do through her; I so understand why he's brilliant because of this and in turn I feel like it's a window into part of who she was in her youth for me. It's not just me either, this communication has taken place through my whole family, and I really feel connected to everyone whenever we play 'Space Oddity', 'Let's Dance', 'Changes' or 'Starman' at home, and so on. 

For me, that's the greatest example, but it genuinely is so much broader than that. There are a few absolutely outstanding tracks that I'll always associate with my family and how I've bonded and connected with them through it. 'Summer Madness' by Kool & The Gang, 'Triptico' by Gotan Project and Brubeck's 'Take Five' all mould the vision and understanding of who my parents are to me. Music I share with both of my brothers is a key part of how we express ourselves to one another for me, particularly with Hugo who doesn't talk a lot lol. But it's true, I really relate to them and share our live experiences through music in a way I probably couldn't with other forms of language. Sometimes Hugo will send me a song and be like 'Jasper' (our dog) which doesn't really make any sense but I'll know exactly what he means lol. 

So that's how I feel communication through music occurs with family, but I noticed something really interesting on a friend level too. Of course, individual songs can have huge meaning; me and my friend Rose met on April 14th so Aphex Twin's 'Avril 14th' is like our special anniversary tune. And I've mentioned before that I have a playlist for each of quite a few of my friends so I can share music easily with them and create a mood that reminds me of them when I need it. That's certainly a form of communication in itself, but in particular I've loved what's happened with my friend Yasmeen, who's on her year abroad in Bologna. She's so far away and sometimes we don't get to talk for a while, but we've been able to still feel like we're hanging out through the playlist and remind each other that we're still there. It's comforting, and over time the songs added have adapted as we as what I'm conveying to her changes. It only stepped up even more once I'd gone out to visit her. We'd sit on her balcony in the sun every day listening to this playlist, to these songs that now meant so much to us in our own unique way, and making such a peng memory together. Now, imagine I'm telling everyone this at my birthday night, painting the scene, and she takes my birthday card out of her bag only to show that she's drawn that exact moment on the front of the card. If that's not communicating to another level of understanding, I don't know what is.

So, there are some cool examples of how music is a language between you and other people, but what about with yourself? I once had a lecture about how language is so part of who we are that it's internal as well; how you think, the words you imagine in your head to process your experiences are all reliant on language. Well, I really think you speak to yourself through song as well. Spotify do that top 100 songs of the last year thing and I always look back and think of how it really reflects what I was going through at the time. On a larger scale, genres you move in and out of end up being pillars of times in your life and you can see the journey you've been through in a way only you can understand through them. I have certain songs I know will make me cry, and it's a way I can tell myself to let my emotions out. Orbital's 'Belfast', Burial's remix of 'Love' and Maribou State's 'Glasshouses' are all songs that really mean something to me at the moment, but it isn't something I can explain. Music is intertwined with the constant internal dialogue I have with myself and how I handle life every day.

To get even more indulgently deep, do you ever find music just gives you the space you need, like it provides a canvas on which to paint our thoughts? When you really need to cut off from everything around you and just think, it prevents our brain from being clogged up with anxieties and stress. That being said, you wouldn't paint a grey stone with the brightest colours you could find. The right music let's you process the right thoughts, or release the right emotions. It's built into us, into the way our brains work. Music reflects the innermost details of who we are and it's intertwined with humanity inseparably. Just like language, it's programmed into how we function.

ANYWAY, back to reality. There's lots of exciting music coming out this month! Peggy Gou will release her DJ Kicks which I'm anticipating with bated breath, but not as much as Burial's 'Claustro / State Forest' EP which comes out in a week or two. I heard the first track on the radio show it premiered on and the more club-ready feel it has to it got me so hyped. It's still so authentic to his style and still so genius, but I'm dying to hear it when I'm out or at festivals this summer. In terms of a few cool tracks I've been listening to recently, check out 'Tala' by Shiva, and Summer has me hooked on Groove Armada's 'At The River', absolute blessing. Oh, and Slowthai's great new album has had 'Doorman' stuck in my head/on repeat a lot too.