in the library...
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...:::...i wonder about all those things i don't hear that are making sounds around me. how if maybe i tuned my aesthetic ear to hear every car in passing under the window or the hum of the refrigerator at the back of the studio or the muffled footsteps in the stairwell outside the open door...i might understand the day in a different way. where does my attention lie? and does it mostly rest where it does because that is where it is conditioned? where it is easy? where i understand things?

earlier this month charles simic became the 15th poet laureate of the united states. i heard him read this poem, 'in the library' on the radio:

There's a book called
A Dictionary of Angels
No one had opened it in fifty years,
I know, because when I did,
The covers creaked, the pages
Crumbled. There I discovered

The angels were once as plentiful
As species of flies.
The sky at dusk
used to be thick with them.
You had to wave both arms
Just to keep them away.

Now the sun is shining
Through the tall windows.
The library is a quiet place.
Angels and gods huddled
In dark unopened books.
The great secret lies
On some shelf Miss Jones
Passes everyday on her rounds.

She's very tall, so she keeps
Her head tipped as if listening.
The books are whispering.
I hear nothing, but she does.

it made me want to listen for that whispering. it made me want to find the answer to one question so that i know what one to ask next. mostly it just made me happy and wonder...i will keep my head tipped like miss jones...:::...

download: 070831-modyfier part01

dash dude – tell ‘em in the city (shaka’s friday remix) : aug 2007 on morris audio citysport edition
st sebastian – drunk lover (mymy remix) : jul 2007 on dessous recordings
argenis brito – cepe : aug 2007 on cadenza
rework – love love love (rework’s chelsea girls mix) : aug 2007 on playhouse
luka & lazo – dust no. 4 (barem remix) : aug 2007 on alphabet city
dibaba – teasing jacky blue note : aug 2007 on international deejay gigolo
santos resiak – map division : aug 2007 stomafunk
tokyo black star – still sequence (innervisions version) : aug 2007 innervisions
stewart walker – fragile chemistry (touane remix) : aug 2007 on persona
nathan fake – you are here (four tet remix) : aug 2007 on border community
slam – we’re not here (copy was there remix) : aug 2007 on soma recordings
kollektiv turmstrasse – tristesse : aug 2007 on connaisseur recordings
kid massive & raoul – island breeze feat. ijeoma (trentemoller remix) : aug 2007 justrax records

download: 070831-modyfier part02

anthony collins – luz : aug 2007 on resopal schallware
el carlitto & maxim lany – blackhak : aug 2007 on king kong records
andre traenkner – confessions : aug 2007 on praezise records
reinhard voigt & jorg burgen – man lebt nur zweimal : aug 2007 on kompakt
presslaboys – in the mood (kriece remix) : aug 2007 on illegal ninja moves
manuel tur & dplay – clock shift : aug 2007 on compost
tiger stripes – spacious mind : aug 2007 on nite grooves
david e sugar – oi new york this is london (oi this doesn’t sound like skream reimx) : jul 2007 on greco roman
nikola baytala & kwai le chief – saboteur : aug 2007 on robsoul recordings
heinrichs & hirtenfellner – psychology of a tone : aug 2007 on highgrade records
dubfire – ribcage : aug 2007 on sci + tec digital audio
le ron & yves eaux & luke star – fashionized (nick k remix) : aug 2007 on mashtronic
natural electronic system – human fragility : aug 2007 on stomafunk recordings

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CRYSTAL FAKE

For me, playing club music live is like an "advanced selfish DJ set". What I do is to start by thinking in a traditional DJ way although I of course only pick tracks I've made myself (or at least tracks I've been involved in somehow). So that's where the "selfish" comes from.

Then I try to figure out a play order and structure up all the tracks in two channels in Ableton Live. I use a slider on a MIDI controller to mix between the two channels, just like a crossfader on a normal DJ mixer. Similarly, I have EQ controllers and buttons for adding effects generated by plugins in Live.

The "advanced" part refers to the rest of the channels I'm adding in Live. These I fill up with parts of the songs I'm using in the mix. It could be a beat, a melody or even just individual sounds. These "extras" I sometimes mix in as planned beforehand, sometimes sporadically when it feels right. The purpose is to take the "mixing" one level higher than usual. To mix in sounds from different songs here and there to make the mix even more "mixed".

Doesn't that sound crystal clear? Well, it can't be described with words. It needs to be listened to.

I called this "Late Summer Weekday Mix 2007" because it is sort of based on the track that has gained the biggest success so far, "weekday Trip". The mix starts with Martinez's beautiful bassline from his remix and ends with the original plus some extra layers of the main melody. Between "the trips", you will find everything from the first release "Middlemeal" to remixes of Jussi-Pekka, Mr. Suitcase (with vocals), a bootleg remix of Nelly Furtado(!), a remix by Uppsala star Unai, to exclusive previews of upcoming pumping tracks like "Bring Your Own Bass (Into Space)" and "Cala Cristalina".

Crystal Fake's intention is to start doing live gigs for the first time and this is a first hint of how it may sound.

Recorded Live on 22nd August 2007 in the newly built studio in Uppsala, Sweden.

crystal fake - process part 038 (late summer weekday mix) by modyfier

01. Crystal Fake - Weekday Trip (Martinez Remix) / Out of Orbit Recordings
02. Cyrstal Fake - Frostbite Freenite / Kupei Musika
03. Crystal Fake - Middleman (Clubite Mix) / Force Tracks
04. Crystal Fake feat. Dorje & Talia - Shake Your Body / Twisted Circuits
05. Crystal Fake - Bring Your Own Bass (into Space) / Kritical Noise Records
06. Mr. Suitcase - Stilnocturnal (Crystal Fake's Notturno Remix) / Kitty Litter Records
07. Jussi-Pekka - Last Shift (Crystal Fake Night Shift Remix) / Disco Inc
08. Crystal Fake - Fastbreak / Force Tracks
09. Crystal Fake - Cala Cristalina / Kritical Noise Records
10. Crystal Fake - Monday After (Unai Remiks) / Kupei
11. Nelly Furtado - All Good Things (Crystal Fake Bootleg Remix) / White Label
12. Crystal Fake - Weekday Trip / Out of Orbit Recordings

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PHEEK

The mix came all by itself in a week where nothing was really working. I started by layering tracks together, trying to find some sort of storyline and narrative progression. As I was working in Ableton to find my tracklist, I then got involved into editing most of the tracks I wanted to use. As I was building the mix, things went on as 3 or more tracks would always be playing, creating a new track by itself.

I really focus on finding my own pleasure by mixing music I really like. I remember reading on forum boards how people are into mixes where they hope to hear unreleased material or a bunch of hits. I thought that it was all silly. I'm definitely more interested in a good, warm groove and an enlightening subject (melody, sound, fx). I don't like tightness either. I think mistakes leave a human side too, as Herbert would say. I also just let things come and left some unexpected mistakes in, such as playing by mistake, a track by Ulrich...an amusing moment that, somehow, felt good, too. Why not? It's my mix.

pheek - process part 037 by modyfier

01. D-fine & Nabas - "Selling Souls (Pheek edit)" (Underline)
02. Stewart Walker - "Fernbank 91 (Robag Wruhme remix)" (Persona)
03. Louderbach - "Scattered from the Inside (Ryan Crosson Remix)" (Underline)
04. Drunkat - "Scalextrix" (Toy Box Records)
05. Drunkat - "Tragabolas" (Toy Box Records)
06. Liuiu Graza - "Pink Suit Thriller" (Num Records)
07. Chloe - "Suspended (Broke remix)" (Kill the DJ)
08. Ultrakurt - "Soutabash" (Minibar)
09. Eric Jonston - "Headphone Hairstyle (Pheek edit)" (Wolf + Lamb)
10. Kramer - "Sonne ist da" (Get Physical)
11. Suedmilch - "Gib Mir Mehr" (Autist records)
12. The Mountain People - "Mountain 004 (Pheek edit)" (Mountain People)
13. Ulrich Schnauss - "In Between the Years" (Independante)
14. Oliver Hacke - "Track 87" (A touch of class)
15. Joel Mull - "Enter Your Moment" (Harthouse)
16. Zentex - "Jenga (Pheek edit)" (Unreleased)
17. Liebe ist Cool - "Elfgardens" (unreleased)
18. Digitaline - "Anticlockwise (Pheek edit)" (Cadenza)
19. Mathias Kaden - "Obeah" (Vakant)
20. Ricardo Villalobos - "Drummolator" (Perlon)
21. Serafin - " Berlin has no cows (Pheek edit" (Mountain People)
22. Marco Erre - "Fixed" (Unknown)
23. Boris Werner & Lauhaus - "Legeres" (Remote Area)
24. Kabale und Liebe & Lauhaus - "Makake" (Unreleased)
25. Liebe ist Cool - "Nodes of Oz (Pheek edit)" (Unreleased)
26. Efdemin - "April Fools (Pheek edit)" (Dial)

a fondness for wonky bass...
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TONY POLAND

When asked to contribute to the process series, after some concerted deliberation, I eventually realized (as Rayna can testify) how much my appreciation of music has broadened since I began to write silliness about the art form that is music. The ego boosting position of having a mulitiplicity of sounds thrown upon me on a day to day basis due to the infamy of mp3 blogs has influenced and inspired me to seek out genres I disregarded out of hand as a callous youth interested only in sampled hip-hop beats. This selection for Modyfier is a mixture of tracks or remixes that have been nudged in front of me by producers that deserve more exposure and music from established artists that I am more than feeling right now. The last track from Von Sudenfed might appear out of place but I have a soft spot for the final track from albums which seem somewhat incongruous musically to what has preceded and Dearest Friends is an excellent example.

download: tony poland - process part 036

01. Feist - Gatekeeper (Pocketknife's Faded Beach Towel Remix)
02. Octet - Euro vs. Dollar (Pilooski Edit)
03. Alice Smith - Love Endeavor (Maurice Fulton Remix)
04. Marvin Gaye - Funky Space Reincarnation (OOFT Music Extended Remix)
05. Husky Rescue - Nightless Night (Justus Kohncke Remix)
06. Kill the Young - We Are the Birds & Bees (South Central Extended Remix)
07. UnknownmiX - The Siren (Losoul's Hot Edit)
08. Radioclit - Nelly Ti Picou
09. Deportivo Street Team - Brainscan
10. False - Fed On Youth
11. Gui Boratto - Chromophobia
12. Cut Copy - Herts on Fire (Joakim Remix)
13. Von Sudenfed - Dearest Friends

mindful motion...
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...:::...i've been wrapping my head around modern / post-modern thinking and sound...around universals and specifics...around how feeling is made (or maybe rather, where it comes from)...and find myself hopelessly tangled in a web of (dis)belief...

the more still i sit, the more i realize my mind is in a steady motion. that there is a distance to be traveled between my head and heart that is measured more than nominally. sound often is an easy conductor between the here and there (between a calm melancholy and an energetic bliss). a copper wire....

music can be a way to move feeling. to lengthen and elongate. to become more flexible. listening doesn't require experience, although practice only unfolds so many more possibilities of perception.

in a recent essay by mark greif titled "the meaning of life II: anaesthetic ideology", he talks about anti-experience...about not wanting to feel anymore as a result of an aesthetic environment that can be overwhelming...about reactions to the intrusions of the modern world:

a year ago, i wrote an essay about a modern crisis in experience. i defined experience as the habit of creating isolated moments within raw occurrence in order to save and recount them...since then, i've felt i paid too little attention to a phenomena which is the opposite: the desparate wish for anti-experience. the connection between the quest for experience and the wish for anti-experience isn't chronological. you don't wake up the morning after some final orgy of experience and discover that you can't stand any more. it seems to be, instead, arbitrary and eruptive. you reach points in life at which you can no longer live like other people, though you don't want to die. experience becomes piercing, grating, intrusive. it is no longer out of reach, an occasional throb in the dark. it is no longer a prize, though it is the goal everyone else seeks. it is a scourge. all you wish for is some means to reduce feeling.

for me, this only builds a stronger reason to tap the emotional tree (haul buckets of sap water back to the sugar house. simmer and reduce to a sweet, sticky syrup...) instead of personally withdrawing from an apparent dark universal condition...better to contribute back into the collective good. music moves. mindful motion...:::...

download: 070821-modyfier-part01

lopazz – fuck me! : jul 2007 on international deejay gigolo
bitter:sweet – dirty laundry (skeewiff remix) : aug 2007 on quango
italoboyz – viktor casanova (samim mix) : aug 2007 on mothership
black devil disco club – an other skin (days of blackula) (unit 4 remix) : jul 2007 on loeb
rhythm code – virus control : jul 2007 on wooferfood records
i-rob – breeze (luca bachetti remix) : aug 2007 on tenax
voom voom – best friend (henrik schwarz mix) : jun 2007 on g-stone recordings
novox – humanize me : jul 2007 on safari electronique
christian meyer – traveling without leaving : jul 2007 on kitty-yo
kreislauff – xpi : jul 2007 on italo business
arwid – flashback : jul 2007 on bpitch control
will saul & lee jones – hug the scary (partial arts remix) : aug 2007 on aus music
dj yellow – no more enemie (original akienation 9 mix) : jul 2007 on deep focus (beat me)

download: 07082-modyfier-part02

pryda – ironman : aug 2007 on pryda recordings
armand van halden – this ain’t hollywood (radio slave remix) : jul 2007 on southern fried records
falko brocksieper – off the rack : jul 2007 on sub static
peace division – voodoo (its in the wall) : jul 2007 on crosstown rebels
d. ramierez – la diskotek (cagedbaby ceefax nightmare mix remix) : jun 2007 on underwater records
martin eyerer & chopstick – make my day (haunting) feat zdar (mashtronic vocal remix) : jul 2007 on i0 music
soul of man – sukdat (kraak & small’s ‘suk on dat’ remix) : jul 2007 on finger lickin records
matthias heilbronn – jungle in the city (matty’s paradox mix) : jul 2007 on poker flat
argy – malena : jul 2007 on cocoon recordings
benfay – enchantress : apr 2007 on morris audio citysport edition
shinedoe & innersphere – phunk (ricardo villalobos remix) : jul 2007 on intacto
black mustang – mad as hell (sleeparchive disco club mix) : jul 2007 loeb

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HAUSCHKA

Reduction as a Room to Expand

It was 1994 when I had my first record major deal with Sony Music. I was rapping and singing with my cousin in our band God’s favorite Dog. After the first record was not selling well the pressure to write the Hit Single was getting huge and we failed because we were always inspired by passion and not by function.

At that point I realized that I needed to find a way to connect people with my inside world and enthusiasm. The only possibility I saw at that time (1997) was to get rid of all structure and function. I heard a lot of electronic music that had no melody and was purely noise.

I tried to transfer that into my music because I was feeling that my music was tonal and needed more of my inner melancholy. So I started to work with people together on electronic projects called Tonetraeger and Music AM.

In that stadium I learned that association is often stronger and more unique then concrete composition (which means that sometimes I reduced a phrase of melody or a rhythm as much as I could without loosing the feeling for it). When I programmed a rhythm for a track I changed functions so that bass drum sounds played the snare function and the other way around. Then I took the rubber tool of my software and deleted as many events as I could without loosing the groove. We had so much fun listening together to the result in front of the speakers and filling in the missing notes or gaps in our heads without hearing them.

I realized that it gives the listener a lot of more freedom to associate with already heard rhythms but without having them as actual heard notes in the composition.

I was so excited by this result that I had to carry on with it by creating electronic sounds without using electricity. At that time I was starting to record my first piano album Hauschka Substantial and I started to experiment with preparations without knowing much about the history of John Cage or the prepared piano in general.

Later I found out that he started prepared piano because he was performing music to a dance piece where the stage didn’t have enough space for the piano and percussionists. But the composition was written for piano and percussion and so he decided to play the percussion with the piano. A quite practical aspect of finding new ways to create sound.

My search was also driven by practical reasons.

When I pasted the first material between the hammers and the strings of the piano I realized that this seemed to open a huge range of possibilities even though the set up was the most simple. I only needed a piano and different material that fitted into the piano or that wasn’t too heavy. When I pasted plastic folio on the strings it sounded like a processed hihat or when i taped the bass strings with thick tape it got the sound off a picked bass guitar. I found out that the parameters and the quality of a specific sound were already in the piano and when I used material on top I could emphasize the percussive side of the sound or the tonal aspect of the sound.

Also, I was completely independent from the tempo and pattern changes because I didn’t have to be in sync with any kind of machine. A band is much more flexible because you can make decisions by eye contact or you just slip into a new pattern and tempo...that is quite complicated with computers, especially when using rhythmical patterns.

The preparation of the piano is a great challenge and it seems to be simple but at the same time so complex.

The reduction of possibilities are in my opinion the most efficient way to find a good expression and a good view for the strength of individuality. Looking back I see all the aspects that were covering a clear view.

That doesn’t mean that all expression has to be minimal. Personally, minimalism has guided me to the essence of certain music and I've realized that reduction is much more powerful and unique then the overloaded mainstream which everyone somewhere experienced in socialization.

There is also the aspect of emotion. In every individual person there is a musical memory that is longing for always the same pattern (which means if you like, for example, mainstream pop music, that your memories are triggered by those sounds). But there is on the other side a longing to discover new music that can touch you with an extraordinary experience. The experience of the unheard.

I think there is no new music at all...that everything has been done and composed already. It is either the mixture of already existing styles and genres or it is the reduction that is giving you the possibility to explain the heard sounds and melodies by yourself and give it a meaning in connection with your memories.

Sometimes you will find a unique composition, but the texture and the sound appearance seems to be fitting mostly in an "heard" category. But if you have no knowledge stored of that sound it can be a discovery of music that has already existed for many years.

I am very happy not to have gotten involved in the mainstream music business back in 1994. I would have lost the chance of finding out what is possible with my musical expression and that the inner world of a boy from a small village in the deep forest of Germany is strong enough to find similar souls and relatives all over the world.

This is mainly the essence that makes me carry on with my work.

hauschka - process part 35 (felt and rubber) by modyfier

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THE FEATURE

The Feature's Boneless Creature Chili

makes: sound-sounds; serves select audio enthusiasts; great as leftovers

1 tablespoon preparation of procrastination
1 cup chopped recordings of daily activity
3/4 cup chopped bald eagle screech
3 cloves of guitar, reversed
3 tablespoons chili willy chum scum
1 teaspoon pitched down sound
1/2 teaspoon of midi sync
2 dashes of frustration, drained
one 28 oz can of crushed dreams
1 case beer
one 4 oz can diced frequencies
3 cups of enhanced audio techniques
1/8 oz of green teaze, dried
1/4 teaspoon emotional feedback

1.
plug in your devices and lock in your vices. add the found sounds, bell tappers, and kick drums; mixing, stirring, until the accident happens, about 2 hours. turn knobs, trigger sounds until absorbed. Drink your beer.

2.
stir in crushed dreams, frustration, and reversed guitar; bring to a toil. add some technology, pills, and shots; return to a spoil. reduce hate and shimmer, covered, 30 minutes, mixing occasionally. uncover and smok'em 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. transfer files to a player and serve.

variation:
for a meaty texture, stir in headphones or horns vulgarity 10 minutes before chili is finished mixing or plug into fx and route audio to desired consistency.

the feature - process part 034 (boneless creature chili) by modyfier