Halogen :: Baked

MMCD001 - Halogen :: Baked



Well here it is. My debut album is finally available to the public on CD. At the moment we are working on the availability of the Digital Download but rest assured it will be here soon.
To get your hands on the CD you can buy it from the Maternity Media website for £10 with no P&P. Also first 25 orders receive a free hand made card made with photographs i have taken, so get in quick!

Frequency Nine

Carl Sagans Ghost

Awesome ambient (duo?). Very mellow, very slow shifting washes of sound and ebbing melodies.
Lots of stuff to download for free, and they have stared a collaboration project that i'm interested in. Check it out on the site.
http://carlsagansghost.com/

Daniel Klag

Was looking for some experimental music stuff for Lydia Loop to check out when she went to New York. Stumbled upon this guy. More mega ambient experimental stuff in the vein of William Basinski but with more composition and harmonic development. He told me he's looking for a label to release on, from what i heard i would suggest Moteer or Raster Noton.
http://www.myspace.com/danielklag

Unique Beat Podcast

My buddy IG88 informed of a new podcast that featured my track 'Not The Remix'. Alongside it are some other pretty interesting tunes as well as something special from the aforementioned IG88 who i recently completed a remix for. You can hear the podcast here.

Frequency Eight

It's been a furiously intense few months; festivals, friends, graduation and 'real life' stuff that extends beyond the realms of cybersocial journal banter. However along the way, as usual, i have heard some awesome new music that must be shared. Enjoy.

The XX
Saw this band at Loop festival on recommendation of a friend. Apparently they use to be really bad but at present their songs hold a melancholy sweetness that remains upbeat without descending in to the 'slit your wrists' side of somber music. Very understated stage presence, all four members dressed in black looking very serious. They were awesome.
www.myspace.com/thexx

Sully
Another gem from my musical advisor Mr. Holderness. 2-step beautifulness with lush garage vocals. Tres Bo.
Listen to Phonebox EP: Last.FM
www.myspace.com/sullysg6

Junior Boys
Just the kind of 80s visionary pop magic that is in abundance at the moment; MGMT, La Roux, Ladyhawke, Empire of The Sun etc, except far more genuine sounding with less of that Hollywood gloss and ambitious hair.
www.myspace.com/juniorboys

University of Brighton Degree Show 2009

My time on the Digital Music and Sound Art course has come to its conclusion. For my final year university degree project i created an interactive installation using glass bowls and contact mics. The signal from the mics were sent to a mixer and then to a laptop where all the sound processing was done using the Plogue software Bidule. Each of the five mics used had a different chain of effects which created the strange sounds.
Included was:
*Music boxes
*Rubber tipped mallets
*Rulers
*A whisk
*Wooden spoons
*Bottle caps
Participants were invited to be creative and experiment and make their own compositions and soundscapes regardless of any previous musical experience or aptitude.
The installation was named Contact.
A huge thank you goes to Alain Guisan, without whom this would not have been possible.

see more photos here










Other amazing stuff included:

Hemisphere
Zak Norman

Another interacitve installation, Hemisphere used an EEG scanner (more commonly used in hospitals) which scans your brain frequencies and converts in to data that can automate parameters of a prefabricated musical composition as wells syncronize with visuals.
Different levels of thinking (concentration, logic, memory, emotion and facial expression) resonate at different frequencies which are picked up by the EEG consequently changing different aspects of the music and visuals.



The creator, Zak Norman, and his screens.



TEEJ
Tom Marshall

A live improvised performance with electric guitar, drums, keyboards and live looping using Ableton Live, all of it was played against a giant backdrop of audio responsive visuals. It was amazing, check his blog here.





Duffular
Dan Duff

A touch screen granular sampler. Users can select from a bank of samples and set loop points whilst effecting them with, filters, reverb, delay, pitchshifting and distortion. Generates beautiful soundscapes reminiscent of Tim Hecker.



The Listening Tree
Adam Ward

A walk-in environment consisting of a simulated tree surrounded by fake leaves, lights that look like fruits and real bark on the floor. There were eight speakers hung around the room that played a montage of field recording soundscapes, moving from a rainforest to the sea and into the busy urban sounds of Brighton's center. People could enter the space and sit on the bench provided to hear the 10 minute piece. This was one of my favourites.


Sadly, Dan was not part of the installation.

Lo-Fi Hi-Fi
Max Hart

Another notable piece was the work of Max Hart who studied Performance and Visual Art which was exhibited just down the hall from our room. Three perspex tubes were mounted on to three upward facing motor fans, each housed a steel rod that guided a vinyl up toward a tonearm needle, dismantled from an ordinary record player. The fans were automated by programme normally used for a lighting rig, they would push the vinyls to the top of tubes and cause them to spin against the needle which was played out through a loudspeaker. It looked and sounded genius-insane.

Glade Festival 2009

Got booked to play the InSpiral stage on Sunday midday.
Sharing the line up with the awesome faces of Iambic, Fluid, Sick Rebel and Spoonbill to name a few.
Other acts im looking forward to seeing include Squarepusher / Moderat / Freeland / Underworld / Atomic Drop / Hudson Mohawke / Milanese / Ebola / Jazzsteppa / Nagual Sound Experiment and a load more

Website - http://www.gladefestival.com

Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/gladefestival

Length & Brecht /Remixed/

Three awesome remixes of my tune Length & Brecht which appeared on the second idmforums.com compilation - IDMf002 - Concord.
A very big thanks to Perm, Fid, Stu and AT for their time and effort into what is becoming and incredible net-label. Just sick music, all for free.
Beautiful artwork commissioned by the magical hands at www.Goreki.com

Tracklist:

01: Halogen - Length & Brecht (Original Mix)
02: Halogen - Length & Brecht (Synaecide Remix)
03: Halogen - Length & Brecht (Field Rotation Remix)
04: Halogen - Length & Brecht (Woodnote Remix)

Download here

The Future of Music

I was so musically deprived after doing my final year degree work for uni that i managed to squeeze out a mini album of material over the past four days.
It was intended to be a futuristic take on what music may become...
The name is pretty ridiculous but the music is even more so.
Includes: Horror Ambience / Wonky Classical / Underwater Pop

FREE DOWNLOAD LINK:
http://drop.io/therealgrin
http://rapidshare.com/files/226762436/TheGrin_Neo-Symphony.zip

Frequency Six

Recent finds from myspace searches and magic humans...

Lou Breed
Really love this guys stuff, reminded me of Danimals (formerly Jonti Danimals). Very simple composition, rolling drums and just awesome vocals. 'I Stole This Hat' and 'Cardboard Hands' are my favourite but they all are awesome (all song on the myspace really quiet).
http://www.myspace.com/loubreed

Origami Biro
Shown to me by the very special Dan Fluid. Delicate and beautiful acoustic loops with micro-sounds woven inbetween, the track Vitreous Detachment is featuring in my April mix for Fluid Radio.
http://www.myspace.com/origamibiro

Woodnote
Hes done an awsome remix of my track Length & Brecth and the rest of his stuff is pretty promising. Kinda funky trip-hop with a slight cinematic glaze. My description are becoming less accurate and more food related. Check out 'Macavity' and 'Pretty Colours'.
http://www.myspace.com/woodnotesound

Dam Funk
This is Future Funk. I've listened to the song Gold on infinite repeat since my friend (a dope photographer) showed it to me. Patrick Holderness i love you, infact Dam Funk is just a catalyst for my undying affection.
http://www.stonesthrow.com/damfunk
http://www.myspace.com/damfunk

Halogen Motion Mix

Iambic asked me to make a mix for his Phuture Frequency drum and bass centered radio podcast site. The Motion Podcast section deals with mixes of various genres and has some really great stuff up there. My mix has some tracks of many of the people i have mentioned in the Frequency posts on this blog, also included are some previews from my debut album, an awesome track from a recent find: Friendly Foliage, and also a track from my mate Dirty Long Legs who is also one quarter of our 80s inspired music power team (all will be revealed).

Tracklisting:
Juri - Thought It Was Love
Saine - Live A Little
Friendly Foliage - The Way to The Western Sea
Jonti Danimals - Nightshift in Blue
Rumpistol - Rehux
Praveen - Float
Dirty Long Legs - Eugene and Ezra
Halogen - Millicent
Juri - Void
Bluermutt - Shaping My Vision of a Nice Day
Helios - Shoulder to Hand
Halogen - Etik
Fennesz - Perfume for Winter
Listen and download here

Free We Yes You No track

The Maternity website is growing! Although still in its prepubescent developing stages, i am happy to announce that the track 'I Live In NY' by We Yes You No is available for free to download off the maternity website.
Its a delicate and melancholy piece of music that commences the gradual release of their entire EP 'Somewhere on a Train' and it's awesome so go on and download it.
Maternitymedia.com

Atlas Returns!

After a lengthy hiatus, my mass musical collective, Atlas, has finally rekindled some sonic documentations. Originally conceived for a singular one-off concept album, Atlas begun in the late summer of 2004 (i think), creating a five track improvised post-rock 'masterpiece'. Back then it consisted of only me (The Professor), Ben Aizenberg (Andromadus) and Kit Codling (Helix Zephyr Zee), with our second album, Elements, we expanded the troops to total of ten members and hope that number to grow.

A hazy and lethargic new years eve/new years day led to some muscial explorations and experimentations, armed with some laptops, mics, guitars, a thumb piano, a FM3 Buddah Machine and a whole bunch of effects we layed down about 3 hours of jamming all recorded on a Panasonic tape dictaphone (all previous Atlas recordings were captured on various tape decks and mixers). I am yet to cut, edit and compose the whole lot into a coherent and digestable EP, and eventually re-mix and master the entire back catalogue and make it all available for free download.

Here are some pics of our ramblings:







http://www.myspace.com/youareatlas

Top Albums of 2008

It would have been nice to have a top 10, however my lethargic nature prevents me to look through my entire music collection to see what was actually released this year. So instead, here is a list of the albums that have a solid place in my heart and mind for years to come. There is no number one, they are all equally and indisputably awesome.

Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke
(Modular Records)
A very late discovery, but possibly the happiest record of 2008. Contemporary candy pop disguised as 80's New Wave. Although the Stevie Niks' influence sounds all to familiar, this has a distinct and unique resonance to it, a perfect soundtrack for those lonely walks and slow motion party montages that you see in your mind...or maybe that's just me.

Deerhunter - Microcastle
(4AD/Kranky)
Their previous efforts on Cryptograms was a noisy but lush experiment. Mature is an apt but patronizing description of the new album. All together more coherent with added longevity, this release wraps your ears in glowing melodies and washes of brittle guitars chords with every track seamlessly intertwining along the impeccably produced journey.

Pivot - O, Soundtrack My Heart
(Warp)
Just awesome. Tears your face off with bone crushing force and militant rhythms, a subtle hypnosis of cellophane encased synths and unceasing riffs. For fans of Battles searching for their filthy nemesis.

Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals
(We Are Free)
People fail to see the sense in my '80's Gospel Folk-Rock' tag for this band, however i can see no greater description. Hall and Oates meets Boston in a Medieval battle of the bands is perhaps an accurate but confusing metaphor. Regardless, this album is an uplifiting and exoctic endevour i continue to enjoy.

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
(4AD/Jagjaguwar)
Frosted whispers and chain rattling apparitions haunt your speakers as Justin Vernon and his angelic chorus swell your heart with effervescent voices. An inescapable numb, a warming chill down your spine so achingly beautiful it cannot be justified by cheesy reviews.

Frequency Four

Limerick resident Tenaka asked me to do a remix for his forthcoming release: 'EPonymously Titled'. Its really heartfelt lo-fi folktronica, gonna be killer. He also got my EP a couple of sweet reviews on some Irish blogs and a mention in the Irish Independant! Thanks dude.
He introduced me to some wonderous music.

Bon Iver
Stunning singer-songwriter from Wisconsin. Obvious favourites are 'Flume' and 'Skinny Love', just achingly beautiful songs.

On a different note, Teej has made a blog for his end of year University degree project. Some kind of live looping one man band utilizing technilogical gizmo-gadgetry...
Its looks...interesting, but incredible! What a magical creature.
http://projectteej.blogspot.com/


PROJECT TEEJ - PRESENTATION VIDEO from Teej on Vimeo.

Frequency Three

Teej, insane drummer of our band and one my many infinite sources of musical wisdom led me to an interesting band the other day:

Yeasayer
Feels like 80's Gospel. Folk undercurrents and slap-back delay vocals.
Check their tune '2080' - it looks like you can get it free here.

Unforscene
Not one of Teej's suggestions, yet an awesome find none the less. Forget the winter chill and dream of summery fields with these guy's funky hip-hop fused beats and soulful melodies. They do a collaboration with the West-Coast marshal word-smith Epcot on their album 'Fingers and Thumbs' available on Tru Thoughts, also home to one of my favourite producers Quantic.

Fluid Mix - Hypnotize

So this is my first mix for Fluid-Radio, i don't have any fancy mixing software so the mixes are pretty medieval....but it means you get to hear the whole tune, so there.
Friday 19th December
7pm GMT
www.fluid-radio.co.uk

Halogen - Hypnotize (Fluid Mix) by Halogen

Frequency One

The posts are slow, but i assure you they are steady. 'Frequency' will be a series of posts dedicated to current musical findings: albums, songs, websites, sandwiches etc.

Net-Labels

Some of the best music i have heard recently has not been bought, but downloaded (and no, not illegally). Net-labels provide quality EP and albums for download complete with artwork, all for free. Most music is held under the beautifully tame jurisdiction of the Creative Commons License, an alternative to Copyright.

some of my favourite's:

http://www.acroplane.org/
- An incredible collection of free releases from "Irelands best free net label".
Mostly deals with music of IDM/Electronic tendencies.

Recommended downloads:

• Barry Lynn - 98 ep

A melodic and rolling hip-hop ep similar to Dj Shadow's 'Entroducing' album from Barry Lynn aka Boxcutter.

• Koen Park - Pastoral Pioneer

Glowing synths and crisp beats immersed in glitchy tape saturated warmth.


http://www.net-lab.co.uk/
- Another electronic music orientated net-label that also includes a some very inspiring independant short films.

Recommended downloads:

• TV Youth - Dawn EP

A must have. Some tracks are jaw-droppingly beautiful.

• Michael Manning - A Week At Night EP

Moody textures and sharp half-step rhythms centered around vocal loops and samples.

• pani K - Tramway

A short documentary about the tramway in Poland. Beautifully shot with interviews with the tram drivers. Who knew trams could be so interesting?

Albums

Pivot - O Soundtrack My Heart
(Warp/Inertia)
I started a math-rock band called Penguin with some friends from uni and Teej, the drummer, recommended we all listen to this album. Pivot are a three piece from Australia creating seizures of post-rock instrumetation with a distorted sheen. Squealing guitars over minimalist synths all underpinned with a thumping rhtyhm section. Maybe not for everyone, but it should be for everyone.
http://www.myspace.com/pivotpivot

IDM Forum Compilation

One of my tracks was picked for a lovely little EP by very special website:
www.idmforum.com, they made their own Netlabel and InDepthMelodics is the first of many free download albums they're releasing.
There are some really incredible tracks on here, my personal favourite our by 'ZXYZXY', 'Binary Pulses' and 'JWilson', but they are all pretty stand out tunes.
A special mention to the Mastering engineer: Altered Tensions, who did a stellar job.

Download here

Music made with Rubik's® Cubes?

The website reads:

"The Cubing audiovisual performance explores performative gestures through the relationship between colour and sound. The manipulation of simple Rubik's® cubes under video cameras sets off a chain of introspective synthesis and digital treatment. In this setup, the cube is an intuitively and precisely controllable audiovisual instrument."

So basically its two guys moving coloured blocks at cameras and creating insane glitchtastic textures. There's two movies demoing what the stuff is capable of here (35min.) and here (7min.).

Future Music @ The Scala, London

Friday 19th September, 10pm - 6am
Friday 17th October, 10pm - 6am
275 Pentonville Road
London, N1 9

OK, i'm bias. Blood Tribe is hosting a room at this events so obviously i have a duty to promote, but it's my first post and i'm going to post something i know.

The guys I work with run by the ethic: "we only put on parties that we would want to go to" and in my opinion, they have it nailed. 4 rooms, each with a designated genre aesthetic, Breaks, Minimal, Dubstep and Glitch are the core environments but are peppered with curiously named futuristic sub-genres of the neo-culture: Future Funk | Glitch-Hop | Tech-Funk | Tech-House to name a few. But don't let these cross-pollinated titles confuse you, they are all just other names for dirty, squelchy, beats and bass. Call it what you will, it all sounds incredible to me.


As well as a generous handful of UK producers the Future Music boys have flown in some of the freshest talent off the other side of the planet;

Epcot and Salva - San Francsico based MC and producer writing funky glitched out mid-tempo tunes with a super sheen, only to be played loud.

VibesquaD - Stripped back bass driven funkaphonics from Colorado based, Aaron Holstein.

The Glitch Mob - These guys are like the rock stars of the West Coast Glitch-Hop scene (to me anyway), flawless production from Ooah, Boreta, Kraddy and edIT.

Nosaj Thing - LA resident and Electronic criminal mastermind, Jason Chung, marries moody melodies with sultry hip-hop rhythms, currently unsigned, but sure to snapped up by the major label moguls..Warp anyone?

Hol Baumann - OK France isn't on the other side of the globe but this guy's music is incredibly moving and powerful. Downtempo electronica with a distinctive 'woody' tone.

Krill.Minima - Again, Germany, not so far away. No matter. Mega ambient and luscious melodic textures from this Native State Records resident.

If all goes to plan, world domination is imminent for Future Music (not to be confused with an equally excellent electronic magazine, but that could also be interesting).

For more info click the flyer or go to www.myspace.com/futuremusicevents

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