no good reason for delay June 21, 2006

sorry for the delay since last post… been busy, been out of town, etc.

tomorrow my friend savvas ysatis arrives in greece for a 10-day session in my studio… we’re excited to see what comes out. we have a long history of not only ambient music together, but also minimal techno… and over the last few years we’ve both been really interested in acoustic pop…. should be interesting.

those waiting for the new LINE releases shouldn’t have to wait much longer. shipouts for Alva Noto “For” are going to start this week and i’m awaiting mine and richard’s “specfication.fifteen”.. which should arrive any day now. there will be a slightly longer wait for richard’s “levels (inverted)” cd.. as once we get them back he has to sign them all and send them back to me here.

speaking of richard, he and i are playing at the Decibel festival in Seattle this year. we’ll be performing on the 16th of September with 2 local artists, Son of Rose and Yan Novak. if you live in the area.. please stop by and listen.

if i can figure out how to post photos in this blog i’ll try to get some pics of savvas and i over the next week.

alva noto June 9, 2006

the new Alva Noto cd “For” that we’re releasing on LINE is almost ready to ship… it’s a great release, we’re looking forward to getting it out there. it’s quite different from the super-rhythmic stuff people know carsten nicolai for….

was emailed a nice review today for the Ryuichi Sakamoto remix cd “bricolages” that i was a part of. writer Tom Sekowski goes on to say:

A remix album is not just a remix album if it has a stellar cast that offers radical reworks of original material. “Bricolages” is one such instance where the original pieces are overshadowed by their substantially renewed offspring. What I find most stimulating on the release is a simple fact that all artists work the pieces from scratch and re-envision their creation from the ground up. Originally found on Ryuichi Sakamoto’s “Chasm”, the pieces go from strength to strength and really show off the eclectic taste their creator has had over the years. Fennesz does a terrific buzz, static-filled take on “20 Msec.”, while Steve Jansen’s bare-boned interpretation of “Break With” is a real joy to listen to. The real surprise arrives with Taylor Deupree’s redoing on “World Citizen”. Perhaps it’s because I was expecting a radical reworking or because of the man’s previous work, I was expecting this mix to sound alien, distant and unrecognizable. Far from it. These are six minutes of some of the most intimate, warm sounds you can get your ears wrapped around on. As David Sylvian wistfully sings his way through the track, you wonder how is it possible the remix album has a better version than the original mix on “Chasm”. Go figure! What’s more important is the release retains a relaxed, nearly ambient atmosphere about it. Check out the field-recording-like approach that Rob Da Bank & Mr. Dan take on their re-doing of “Word”. Mesmerising, haunting and full of a million ideas that gel, Bricolages” is that one shining pearl amongst the pile of swine.

new mojave 3 June 8, 2006

good morning… i was quite happy today when i checked the iTunes music store and found the new Mojave 3 album, “puzzles like you” (4ad) available already. i read it wasn’t supposed to be released until june 19th in the UK… but maybe the MP3s came sooner? well, despite the fact i’ve been eagerly awaiting the cd of this, i broke down and bought it on iTunes… which will have to tide me over until i can get my hands on the cd.

anyway, one of my very favorite bands… so really happy to have new stuff from them.

on a 12k note: it looks like the cover art for the new Fourcolor cd (12k1038) is about finalized. and, as a matter of face, we’ll be unveiling a new digipack design with this release! sort of in celebration of the impending 10 year anniversary. the new digipack design retains many of the same elements as the current design, but opens it up a bit. it’s lighter and more airy. looking forward to having everyone see it.

new 12k blog June 6, 2006

welcome to the 3rd new 12k blog. the 2 i created yesterday never saw the light of day as i was experimenting with different blog software and hosts. i then received a kind email from Shane Shirley (view his ambient/minimalim music blog/podcast at: www.shaneshirey.com/wordpress/) who pointed me in the direction of this site, WordPress. it seems, so far, to offer what i’m looking for in a blog site: clean, uncluttered layout and ease of use. i hope this one will see the light of day and will make it easier for me to keep the blog up-to-date whether i am home or on the road.

i’m still experimenting with the site’s features. hopefully i will figure out how to get images in and other details like that. wish me luck… and, thanks, Shane!

blog frustrations + jPod June 2, 2006

ok.. first of all, there’s got to be an easier way to program blogs so i don’t have to keep toying with the Month links above …… i need a more automated system…

if anyone knows of any decent blog software, please email me. i’ve been experimenting with Apple’s iWeb software and the blogging features. it has what i want, except the look of it, especially the “archive” pages is very clunky.. very large type. i need something simple and sleek. iWeb is almosT there, if i could only change the size of type on the ARCHIVE pages and in a few other spots.

with that out of the way… i have a book recommendation: “J-POD” by Douglas Coupland. absolutely original, brilliant, funny, geeky, and bizarre. go buy it now.