Thursday, February 28, 2008

Norwegian Rent-a-Studio / Karaoke

For $200 you can by accident sound like a bunch of Gumbys. It probably wasn't the intention. Taken from here, where you can find more.

En solskinnsdag (wav) by Utdrikkingslag, or listen to the original:
Postgirobygget_-_En_Solskinnsdag.mp3


Found at skreemr.com

Monday, February 18, 2008

Composing for the airwaves

Listen to this. I mean - doesn't Radio Norway International try to convey the following; A short summer followed by fall, crop failure, famine, a long, cold, dark winter and death...



But luckily, another Norwegian composer offers the alternative; Magic mushrooms in the hall of the mountain king:

Interval Signals Online

You are a well known composer. One day you get THE call from the authorities...

-Dear well know composer. We want you to compose a piece of music. We'll play it several times a day. We'll broadcast it around the world for all peoples to enjoy. Day and night!

-By golly YES, I'll do it!

-Fine! These are the conditions: It should not be longer than 20 seconds, preferably 5 seconds. Limit your use of instruments radically, and make use of - let's say - a xylophone, or a monophonic synth! Try to incorporate the overall ambiance of our proud nation, the zeitgeist, national romanticism, the ditty of the fatherland, the humming of the motherland, the marching proudness, the quiet pluck of a small stream, the thundering majestics of our mountains... ehhhrr- you get the point?

- 5 seconds?!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Radio, the Most Visual Medium

Saturday Night Fry (Wiki).

A shortlived but influential 1988 series of surreal sketches and round-table discussion hosted by Stephen Fry and featuring Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent and Emma Thompson.

Each show is constructed as cleverly as the best Flying Circus, with characters and sketches ducking and diving throughout. A good example being in Show 3 when the supporting artistes, Laurie, Broadbent and Julia Hills, are left alone for a few minutes while Fry 'visits the little boy's room' (that's what comes from having too many cups of tea during rehearsals' ). In his absence the actors start behaving like a classroom of naughty tricksters and mix up the script pages for a laff. This ploy results in Fry firstly announcing the end of the show, then re-introducing a sketch they've already done (not to mention paying another visit to the little boy's room, suggesting that even Fry's bladder is part of the script). The cruel stunt is eventually exposed as Hills accidentally re-reads the part of the script in which they planned the trick. Stephen gives her a smack by way of punishment, but by then the damage is done and the rest of the show suffers from continual mix-ups (and Hills receives several more smacks). Very cleverly written, not to mention a bit of post-modernism for a reason. To be funny, mainly.

Episode 1 (MP3 29:17 6.70mb)
Episode 2 (MP3 29:27 6.74mb)
Episode 3 (MP3 29:07 6.66mb)
Episode 4 (MP3 28:47 6.58mb)
Episode 5 (MP3 29:50 6.83mb)
Episode 6 (MP3 29:56 6.85mb)

And if you haven't suffered a cardiac arrest from the above mp3's, here is a link to EVEN MORE, that will definately do you in. House?!

Friday, February 08, 2008

Ralph for president '08

After Springfield becomes the first city in the nation to hold a presidential primary election, excitement builds as reporters from around the country, including Jon Stewart and Dan Rather, descend upon Springfield to cover the debates. When the candidates turn out to be less than compelling, Kent Brockman announces an unexpected turn of events: Springfield voters rejected all of the candidates and embraced a write-in: notorious bed-wetter Ralph Wiggum!

HOP ON THE WIGGUM-WAGON!

Black Music

«click to go there»
In the love of black music... and sometimes others, it's my turn to share some incredible sounds. Each files you'll find, won't be hosted on this blog. If you like them, please, buy them! Support artists all around the world. Thanks 4 them. Oufar Khân

A veritable smorgasbord with the funkiest stuff around! Like Loronix, the Brazillian place - Oufar Khân has in depth knowledge of what he serves. Black music without boundaries! After hearing the early releases by Kool & the Gang, Cameo, Rick James and Sun - I can only say Respect! And for all the other stuff that is new to me, wowsa! If you don't like it, go funk yourself!


Thursday, February 07, 2008

Galvanize

Sampling can be fun, and the days of sampling for profit is not gone. I just recently became aware of Chemical Brothers' Galvanize, and Najat Aatabou's Just Tell Me The Truth. That stunning string stab, is actually from a very nice ditty by the Maroccan singer. Not only that, but the rhythm rudiments (the beat) has also been sucked into the Chemical Brothers' digital machinery, and laid down as the main backbeat. And voilá, a Grammy for the best dance single...

Najat version is for free, from her own homepage
Listen to Just Tell Me The Truth (mp3)

For the really interested, listen to Galvanize meets Star Wars (mp3)

And the original:
The Chemical Brothers - Galvanize
Found at skreemr.com

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