Without a multi-million dollar budget, high-tech research lab or an engineering degree, Roger Linn created the LM-1 Drum Computer in 1979, the first programmable drum machine that used digital…
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We’ve all found ourselves banging out a rhythm with some produce or tapping the keys to an imaginary keyboard on a pile of books—right? Now music creativity has reached ingenious new heights with the Ototo, an all-in-one musical instrument invention kit from London-based…
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In Yonkers, NY, an extensive collection of piano cases, keys, pedals, bridges and strings reside in the Cantabile Piano Arts warehouse. Each part is waiting in queue to be utilized by a passionate team who…
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Anyone who has tried to learn guitar has, no doubt, found that there’s more to shredding like Jimi Hendrix than paisley scarves—playing guitar takes hours of practice and serious dedication. For those looking for a more interactive guitar-learning experience as well as accomplished…
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1. Google Blimp Wi-Fi Gone are the days of blimps being used solely for advertising at the Superbowl. Google is currently developing technology that will provide Wi-Fi to over one billion people in Africa and Southeast…
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Land Of Light, an eponymous new album from London-based duo Jonny Nash and Kyle Martin, is an ethereal labor of love intended for serious listening. The talented musicians spent the last three years creating the 37-minute-long LP, and the upshot is a highly sophisticated set of sounds that channels…
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Designer Tom Budding puts a creative spin on an essential Hackney shop
When you ask East Londoner Tom Budding to tell you about the selection of items in his newly opened shop, his face lights up. Stocked with a handsome assortment of practical goods sure to delight any discerning adult, J. Glinert is Budding’s professional take on a store that entertained…
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Look under the hood of this London Taxi and find a mobile recording studio
For outdoor live shows, off-set film shoots and small club gigs, on-site recording isn’t as easy as it sounds. Bringing a solution to locations where facilities aren’t available, Remote Recording puts a fully functioning studio inside a coincidentally practical London Taxi. Designed especially for this, Remote Recording’s U.S.-compatible LT introduces a small-scale option to their fleet of mobile recording trucks to service venues from the Metropolitan Opera to the Academy Awards.
As one of a very small batch of British-made London Taxis made to American standards—emissions levels and left-side driving, of course—the 2004 model was a lucky Ebay find which the company retrofitted as a studio. The iconic auto may seem like a novelty choice, but it’s actually built perfectly for the alternative purpose of mobile recording. Discreet detailing and a traditional paint job keep the taxi under the radar, but the interior is anything but ordinary. The roomy cab holds everything from ProTools HD to fiber optic mic interfaces and the ability to record on up to 48 channels—plus a pair of jump seats and space for up to two engineers to operate the equipment, making the unconventional environment professionally functional.
The interior operation is housed within the distinctly plump body of a traditional London Taxi, which has become an incidental and invaluable marketing tool, drawing attention from curious onlookers and potential clients on the road. “Everywhere I go people want to know about it,” says Remote Recording owner Karen Brinton. “Even in traffic people will motion to roll down the window so they can ask me about it.”
Remote Recordings’ London Taxi will be ready for rental in the weeks to come. Rates start at $2,500 per day, including crew (additional travel fees may apply). For more information on the London Taxi recording facility check out Remote Recording online.
A collaborative ensemble of musicians brings the symphony to NYC parks
The String Orchestra of Brooklyn (SOB) is committed to an inclusive approach to music-making, opening up their expert ensemble to a range of site-specific musical experiments and collaborations with musicians from around the greater New York area. Due to the orchestra’s smaller size and rotating cast of volunteer musicians, they are able to explore a more obscure repertoire and adapt to different venues. “What sets us apart from other orchestras is our versatility and willingness to try anything that’s out there,” explains executive director and founder Eli Spindel. “We have the flexibility to take risks and follow our musical curiosity wherever it might lead.”
In late 2011, the SOB collaborated with American Opera Projects, presenting Philip Glass’ Kafka-based opera “In the Penal Colony”. Many music lovers are familiar with Glass’ magnificent “Satyagraha”, but the SOB opted to bring the more obscure “Penal Colony” story to life instead, gaining the orchestra a spot on The New York Times’ Best of 2011 list.
The SOB will again team up with The Fort Greene Park Conservancy for the annual Parks Concert Series where city-dwellers may escape to enjoy a free evening of music in Fort Greene Park. The 2012 lineup will feature works by Fela Sowande, Noel Pointer, and Beethoven, taking place on 21 July 2012 at 6 p.m. in Fort Greene Park.
The SOB will also be collaborating with ISSUE Project Room on String Theories 2012. String Theories has commissioned four composers—Anthony Coleman, Eric Wubbels, Spencer Yeh, and MV Carbon—to create performances on a scale larger than what is typically possible. The composers push the boundaries of the string repertoire through extended techniques, innovations in notation and improvisation, and new approaches to writing for large ensembles. Specifically, each of the performances focuses on a playful awareness of the orchestra’s physicality. “It will definitely get a bit rowdy,” Spindel says. “The resulting musical textures will be new to much of our audience.” String Theories 2012 will happen this Saturday, 17 March 2012 at 8pm in St. Ann’s Church in Brooklyn.
Keep up with the orchestra’s ever-changing repertoire and performance schedule on their blog.
The musician shares the tools of her trade at her Montreal studio
We recently visited the acclaimed Canadian singer Ariane Moffatt at her Montréal studio in the Mile End section neighborhood of Plateau-Mont-Royal just days before she launched her latest album, MA. Having written in both French and English, Moffatt holds an eclectic, multi-genre appeal, incorporating elements of folk and jazz into her distinct electro-pop sound. With seemingly so much of her musical inspiration stemming from her creative space, we asked Moffatt to show us her favorite instruments. Here she explains how she used these tools to develop some of the brightest songs yet.
This electric guitar is the first instrument I ever bought on the Internet. It was purchased specifically for a performance at Victoires de la Musique (France’s equivalent to the Grammys) in Paris. I love its retro punk look, its heavy shape and dark tone—David Bowie agrees! We sometimes call it the baseball bat because of its thick, heavy neck. While recording MA, every time I had an idea for a riff, I couldn’t help myself from grabbing this baby and plugging it in to my small Vox amp. A really good-looking electric couple.
I bought these pans during a trip to Trinidad and Tobago. I always loved Calypso music and the warm sound of this metallic, percussive instrument made from old oil drums. It always surprised me how such warmth could come from a metal surface. I always wanted to transpose that magical aspect into a different style of music. I tweaked the sound using different effects, and played the instrument instinctively, since I have no formal training.
Even before leaving for my trip I had the idea to bring home pans in my suitcase. I bought mine from a young, talented player who was moving away to attend university in the U.S. He delivered them to my hotel room late one night, and included a case, the drums, stands and proper sticks. I was all set to bring them back to Montreal’s -25-degree weather! I have never been able to tune them properly since.
This was bought off of a friend of mine a while ago. It took me a long time to get used to this ’80s tank of a keyboard. It really is the main player on my most recent album. I love playing with its big buttons while crafting my sounds. It’s a huge machine that is totally impractical to bring on tour, but it represents the audio aesthetic of my album and I am profoundly attached to its infinite creative possibilities and strong personality.
On the road I have a habit of shopping for vintage instruments the way some people shop for antique furniture. Finding a hidden shop or market where you can get treasures at ridiculously low prices is totally satisfying. That’s how this old wooden analog beat box and I met. It emulates beats from the foxtrot to the rhumba in a full and soft way. I can sample its different parts and construct my own beats to integrate into my songs anyway I want. During an acoustic set a few years ago the audience and I baptized it with the name “Tapageur”. It is the grandfather of all the toys in my studio.
There’s an old piano shop in near my home called Montreal Pianos. The owner’s son, JR, restores old pianos and brings them back to life. My Heintzman was a love-at-first-touch encounter. I keep it at home and only half-dressed to show off the gold keys and hammers inside. I find a piano in one’s home to be an important decorating element by bringing calm and openness to a room. This inviting instrument is not only an inspiring friend for songwriting, but playing around on it keeps our home feeling alive!
Photography by SPG LePigeon
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
