Stats of the Union tells health stories in America.

Sound Cells – Universal iOS App Creates Generative Music.

Aphonium – App Creates Generative Audio and Visuals.

SunVox – Multiplatform Modular Music Creation Studio.

Surprise Surveillance Theater: An Experimental Drama with Unwitting Stars.

Japanese artist Eiji Watanabe cuts butterflies out of printed field guides and sets them free, covering the walls and ceilings of installation spaces.

15 Shopping Rules of Thumb.

Every individual needs emotional and intellectual support from her creative tribe to sustain a positive, thriving and aspiring practice.

Hidden is an app that lets you spy on the person who may have stolen you laptop.

Urban Quiver camera bag from Blackstone Bags.

The Silent Stars is my “side-project” for exploring (slightly) different directions in music. El libro principal is a “concept album” featuring granular synthesis, microsound tone colors and freeform arrangements. These pieces are my take on post-ambient space music using modern digital methods; an homage to the early electronic music pioneers, post-prog-rock instrumentalists, early New Wave synthesists and proto-New Age experimentalists of my youth.

Production Notes

Granular synthesis and microsound techniques were used for sound generation. Sources include: flute, harp; strings; toy instruments; vinyl records; elementary sound waveforms and more.

Density GS and Pulsaret instruments were the primary instruments. Arrangement, mixing and mastering was done with Ableton Suite. Processing effects were limited to resonant filters, grain delay, reverb and EQ.

Track listing

El libro principal

1. cadenas v.01 – 06m56s
2. el enlace v.01 – 08m53s
3. grana fina v.02 – 09m21s
4. piscinas v.01 – 09m40s
5. s’arpa v.01 – 07m02s
6. masa brillante v.02 – 20m57s

el libro principal by The Silent Stars

Check out the Asian Film Archive and European Film Archives.

Visual analysis of ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.

Interacting with Inner and Outer Sonic Complexity: from Microsound to Soundscape Composition (video).

Meditation Correlated With Structural Changes In The Brain.

Using Bamboo to Fight Climate Change.

Digital Video Fragments, Flowing as if Liquid: A Chat with Robert Seidel.

Soda carbonation solutions for home.

Mapping human development in America.

Immersive videogames make players feel like their best selves. Why not give them real problems to solve?

Study: To Cut Emissions, Cut Parking Spots.

Music Control Meets Web Code Goodness: App for iOS, Soon OSC+MIDI Everywhere?

1. Workflow One involves using Ableton Suite in a somewhat traditional way—probably the way most people use their preferred DAW. I sketch out beats, synth patterns and basslines with clips in the session view to record an arrangement before editing, mixing, mastering and rendering to produce a finished track. This may be done all-at-once or over multiple sittings. More recently with Max for Live I’ve been able to add step sequencers, generative devices and random/ probabilistic elements for added variety, but it’s still a pretty straightforward approach. Many of the pieces in my Sequenced set on Soundcloud are the result of this workflow.
2. Workflow Two also involves working in Ableton Suite but geared towards live performance and improvisation. This method centers around various monome-enabled instruments for writing and mixing on-the-fly: obo, polygome64 and press cafe from Stretta‘s monome suite as well as raptor, bound, Flinn, and mm4lr factor heavily in this method for my live performances. Since M4L devices don’t always generate and/or save automation data, I tend to record an audio mix of these live sessions. My Unwind and live sessions from last year are the result of this workflow. UPDATE: I thought to add that while I do use numerous clips of beats and synth patterns, mostly from work I’ve already composed (aka stems), they’re more for backup, and the focus of this mode is on creating new material on-the-fly. By design, every live session is different.
3. Workflow Three departs from the above and centers around using the Density granular synthesizer and Pulsaret instruments to explore sound particles and drones, non-sequenced rhythms and the diversity of organic and synthetic timbres. With this approach, I appropriate tone colors from anywhere—strings; flute; toy piano, bells and cymbals; vinyl records— as well as basic sound waveforms to build up microsound-scapes, which I then take into Ableton to edit, arrange and build compositions. I usually add processing effects such as resonant filters, grain delay, reverb and EQ to help the mix gel. My recent microsound releases and side-project, The Silent Stars, are the result of this workflow.

Each workflow has its strengths, and they all depend on what the situation calls for. Of all the DAWs I’ve tried, Ableton has the best mental model for how I like to work. I feel I could make some improvements to Workflow Two, but it is still very rewarding and leads to some fun live sessions.

A Simpler Page: designing for tablets.

Create your own generative art with Silk.

Twitter’s response to WikiLeaks subpoena should be the industry standard.

Social networks create their own regional dialects.

The mysteries of kisses.

Musical chills related to brain dopamine release.

How to pick the perfect brand name.

Composer Howard Goodall takes us on a journey into music’s underbelly, examining the four basic elements that make it work: Melody, rhythm, harmony and bass (video).

A box truck Is just a room on wheels: scenes from San Francisco’s (secret) Lost Horizon Night Market.

Once a rumor, now fact: CIA used modern art as propaganda weapon.

Wikileaks and the Long Haul by Clay Shirky.

Meet the most dangerous man in cyberspace: The American face of Wikileaks.

I have been busy working on new compositions, some of which can be heard in my Recent work set. They continue to feature generative beats, synth patterns and polyrhythms. I’ve also been exploring techniques in granular synthesis, including using the new (and recommended) Density M4L and Pulsaret M4L devices, to explore the world of microsound. I have utilized some aspects of granularity in the past but hadn’t been able to pay much attention to the full scope and theory until recently. I find myself fascinated at the variety and range of tones and rhythms that come from making slight changes to the source material. I also like moving away (at least as an option) from rigid note quantization and the familiar timeline of sequence-based composing. I created a Microsound set with some recent pieces, so have a listen to hear what I mean.

I’ve been re-reading some books by Marshall McLuhan, including The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects and War and Peace In the Global Village. His work is so dense with non-traditional ideas about media and culture, I often have to take it in small doses. I am awaiting delivery of the books Microsound by Curtis Rhodes and Electronic Music and Sound Design by Alessandro Cipriani and Maurizio Giri and look forward to reading them over the holidays. (All links to books above kickback to my Amazon affiliate account.)

Happy Holidays and “Cheers, thanks a lot!”

A Waste of Money and Time; Bruce Schneier on airport security measures.

Building an Iconic Sound: Squarepusher.

There Will Be Blood: the G.O.P. is just not interested in helping a Democrat govern.

Ben Fry, the other co-founder of Processing, on  “Computational Information Design” (video)

Emily Pilloton’s TED Talk,  Teaching design for change (video)

“Silent Evolution” builds a beautiful coral reef from statues.

Terms you need to understand for a record contract.

That Spunky Sound 0.12 particle synthesizer.

David McCandless: The beauty of data visualization (video)

Is it time to change the way we educate?

Ancient Nubians Drank Antibiotic-Laced Beer

Panspermia theorists say India’s red rain contains life not seen on Earth

Desk-It Adhesive Notepads

Do we really desire Google to tell us what we should be doing next? Yes, but with some qualifiers, says William Gibson.

GOOD Guide to Education Innovation

OpenIDEO

Where did the money to rebuild Iraq go? (infographic)

Penguin 75: Designers, Authors, Commentary.

Amon Tobin records The Foley Room (video).

Why the next big pop-culture wave after cupcakes might be libraries.

An archive of MTV’s ’120 Minutes’.

Handwriting and flourish art.

Ford films found in Kiwi vault.

Researchers create the world’s first synthetic cell.

Oxo Good Grips Designers Take on Tablet Magazines.

How Much Do Music Artists Earn Online?

Apple to xplatform developers: We’re no longer suicidal.

Create Your Own Virtual Instruments With Maize Sampler v2.0.

New Alarm Bells About Chemicals and Cancer: eat organic, drink filtered water, avoid plastic containers.

Dear nerd, start a nerd sash with nerd merit badges (nerd).

SKTCH is an interesting generative drawing iPhone app.

The Big Bang Was an Explosion OF Space, Not IN Space.

New Reverse Vending Machine Pays You to Recycle,

Interview with David Toop, one of our favorite music writers.

The iPad, the Kindle, and the future of books.

Why Funnel Marketing Doesn’t Work.

Uncommon Act of Design: The Secret of Getting Kids to Eat Veggies? Move the Salad Bar.

Guerrilla gardeners use candy machines to sell seed bombs.

The Progress of the Platform.

Elsewhere should be showing up in early June on iTunes, Amazon MP3, eMusic, Napster, Lala and other online stores. BUY IT NOW on Bandcamp ($5 for 1.2 hours of abstract, ambient, chilled-out, laid-back, space lounge greatness) and receive a code via email for a free download of my new 4-track EP, Vernal (featuring a remix of Horizontal, two new tracks, and Sunsets, a mashup of sections from Elsewhere). Check back next week for a new podcast mix.

End transmission.

UPDATE: Elsewhere on Amazon MP3, Elsewhere on eMusic, Elsewhere on iTunes,  Elsewhere on Lala, Nofi on Napster (can’t link directly to album).

My next from-the-vault podcast is a live set at a show called Reunion, from October, 2002 (46min:13sec, 83.2 MB MP3). It is similar in style to my recent podcast of Live bedroom session, 2003-04-06 (2010 Remaster). IIRC, I hadn’t had a live show for some time before this one, so it was a chance for me to pull-out all the stops. I had developed a semi-modular performance approach at the time, mixing between sequences on both the MPC and Nord Micro Modular while tweaking EQ, filters and envelopes on-the-fly.

NOTES: My gear for this session consisted of an Akai MPC-2000 sampler/sequencer, Nord Lead 2 digital synth, Nord Micro Modular synth, Mackie 1604-VLZ mixer, Digitech Studio 400 multi-effects, Alesis Microverb III multi-effects, Digitech RDS-4000, Presonus stereo compressor. I added EQ, multiband dynamics, stereo widening and loudness maximizing to clean up the mix and remaster for 2010.

Plants affect ecology from the bottom up.

Raiding Eternity by Joel Johnson.

Michael Lewis writes about a handful of Wall Street outsiders who realized the subprime mortgage business was a house of cards and found a way to bet against it: Part 1, Part 2.

A team of scientists has succeeded in putting an object large enough to be visible to the naked eye into a mixed quantum state of moving and not moving.

Add MoviePeg to your iPhone, adjust the angle and like magic you’ll be in relaxed viewing heaven.

Phone numbers, shortcuts, tips, contact info, reviews, and customer service details for thousands of companies worldwide.

Unlocking the secrets of Jupiter’s Giant Red Spot.

For the first time, researchers harvest raw electric current directly from algae.

Planet Money on NPR tracks its very own toxic asset.

Get Lamp: The Text Adventure documentary looks interesting.

CB2′s new outdoor collection.

Slate ad critic Seth Stevenson tries out a Google service that allows you to run your own commercial on national TV for as little as $100.

MIDIPad turns your iPad into a multi-touch MIDI controller.

NOTES: My gear for this session consisted of an Akai MPC-2000 sampler/sequencer, Nord Lead 2 digital synth, Nord Micro Modular synth, Mackie 1604-VLZ mixer, Digitech Studio 400 multi-effects, Alesis Microverb III multi-effects, Digitech RDS-4000, Presonus stereo compressor. I added EQ, multiband dynamics, stereo widening and loudness maximizing to clean up the mix and remaster for 2010.

First up is a live set recorded at Boogie Man in October, 1997 (1hr:01min, 116 MB MP3). IIRC, the event took place in a former slaughterhouse in New Haven, IN, surrounded by disused warehouses and busy railroad tracks. Musically, it sounds like I was trying to combine hard, abstract techno polyrhythms with hooky electro melodies and funky dub basslines. Parts sound a bit rigid and muddy now, but it was 13 years ago and I’ve come a long way, baby.

Tracklist (made from notes at the time; most titles likely would have changed since then):

1. 3MB
2. Beeg
3. Beg2
4. Untitled (1997-09-21)
5. Homeward, Spirus (1997-09-22)
6. Orgy
7. Beq 01
8. Dexu 01

NOTES: My gear for the show consisted of an Akai MPC-2000 sampler/sequencer, Alesis SR-16 drum machine, Novation BassStation analog monosynth, Korg Prophecy digital monosynth, Yamaha TG-33 digital synth, Fostex line mixer (it doesn’t sound like I had my Mackie yet), Alesis Microverb III multi-effects, Digitech RDS-4000 flanger/chorus/delay, DOD distortion and flanger pedals. The overdrive on the SR-16 drums is intentional, and the occasional ducking comes from the automatic limiter on the minidisc recorder. I added EQ, multiband dynamics, stereo widening and loudness maximizing to clean up the mix and remaster for 2010.

Oxygen-enriched booze makes for less-intense hangover.

Trapcode ProLoop is a powerful and flexible loop player for iPhone.

A brief history of monome production.

Physicists look for the arrow of time, biologists find it.

A conversation with Robert Henke: Silence, Technology, and Process.

In Disobedient Rooms: China Miéville On J.G. Ballard.

Osmos For The iPhone Coming.

“On average, bronze medalists are happier than silver medalists.”

Flaunt: Designing effective, compelling and memorable portfolios of creative work. Buy the book or PDF.

The doormat, the jerk and the lizard brain.

Livid Instruments’ new Builder is a line of DIY parts that make it easy for users to design their own USB MIDI control surfaces and devices using buttons, knobs, faders, and talkback LEDs.

Shifting Identities: From Consumer to Networked Creator.

NOBY NOBY BOY for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, from the creator of Katamari Damacy.

The Vitesse D7HG is for those who are looking for a great bike for urban commuting at a good value.

Research says users will pay for content online, with a few catches.

Nanoloop For The iPhone.

Philip K. Dick: A ‘plastic’ paradox. Sneak peek at an upcoming Philip K. Dick film, Radio Free Albemuth.

Steven Frank of Panic Software fame, on the next phase of computing.

Quieting the lizard brain.

The “My” water bottle from Stelton.

Researchers in Japan have shown that a slime mold can design a network in a day that is as efficient as one developed by humans over many years: the Tokyo rail system.

Imagine that instead of having just one wireless carrier, your phone would constantly search for the best connection. An algorithm on your smartphone would assess signal strengths, and balance that with roaming costs, and decide when to switch from one carrier to another.

Humor: Laugh at those quirky, Unhappy Hipster (mostly from the pages of Dwell, it seems).

New single released: Antipode v.02 (16:38)

Thick, deep bass (x2!), crisp rhythms and swirling, saturated space. A new and improved version of Antipode v.01 (free download). Check it out.

The reimagined iWork gives a hint of how apps can be optimized for both mobility and multitouch. It would be great to see Boxee develop something for streaming content, from both online channels and via UPnP devices. I’m sure our son would love watching YouTube on it as well.

Initially, I thought the 3G-capable models would appeal only to those who work and travel, but then it occurred to me maybe I wouldn’t need to shell out the big bucks for FiOS at home if we had such a wireless connection, esp. since it’s unlocked and pay-as-you-go. Just a thought.

What I’m most excited about, though, is using an iPad to make music: I can already imagine running iPad-enhanced versions of BeatMaker, 8Bitone, synthPond, technoBox and especially TouchOSC as a multitouch controller. And, dare we dream of a mobile Ableton Live? With the iPad’s larger surface and faster processor, a lite version with virtual instruments Impulse, Simpler, Analog, Tension and a handful of basic effects would make a great audio sketch pad.

Synth Britannia and Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany are two great BBC Four documentaries, but you’ll need to find torrents to watch them, as they’re not streamable online (even to rent) due to music licensing restrictions.

On gospel, Abba and the death of the record: an audience with Brian Eno

Old cast-iron radiators, transformed for electric heat.

Far from being in a state of decay, the Y chromosome is the fastest-changing part of the human genome and is constantly renewing itself.

Tending the Garden of Technology, an interview with Kevin Kelly

A new year brings a bounty of hope—for new attitudes, new projects, new directions. In the past year, my intentions were to play more live shows and focus on finishing select tracks to my satisfaction. Mission accomplished.

Rather than make predictions or resolutions, here are some of the things on my plate and/or on the horizon for the year ahead (not all related to this site, FWIW): taking delivery of a blinky, new monome grayscale 64; composing generative pieces using Nodal, Ableton Suite 8 and Max for Live; finishing up a new EP for commercial release; posting more free podcast mixes; turning my generative sketches into fully interactive works; selling original prints and artwork; reading J.G. Ballard‘s complete works and making a dent in my reading list; devoting more time to my Geometry Studio, Sympathy for the Robots and The Silent Stars projects; developing some ideas into a viable, sustainable business; brewing some homemade beer; eating fresh, local cuisine; staying more plugged in and chilled out. Opa!

The other extreme: low-alcohol beers.

Deep below New York City’s bustling streets lies a dangerous world inhabited by “sandhogs.”

The Rise and Fall of Design Within Reach.

How Robber Barons hijacked the “Victorian Internet”

Robert Henke talks with Rashad Becker about audio mastering.

Apple’s Mistake: An organization that wins by exercising power starts to lose the ability to win by doing better work.

Processing T-shirts 2009/2010.

ABC Oddity iPhone app for toddlers.

What design researchers can learn from hostage negotiators.

Christian Swinehart’s visualizations of Choose Your Own Adventure stories.

Reinventing the MBA: 4 reasons to mix business with design thinking.

Report: 237 millionaires in Congress.

Nutrition-style labels reveal companies’ social responsibility.

Miles Davis: The Complete Columbia Album Collection.

The Botany of Desire: based on the book by Michael Pollan.

Cercle et suite d’éclats, a large scale outdoor art installation.

“Natural Instincts” art print series by Tes One.

Create Democracy, an interactive exhibition.

Brian Eno three-fer: Eno, Peter Schmidt, and Cybernetics, Harmonia & Eno ‘76 Remix Album, A conversation with Brian Eno.

Roger Penrose says physics is wrong, from string theory to quantum mechanics.

IdeaPaint turns virtually anything you can paint into a dry-erase surface.

Canadian credit union gives people ten-dollar bills to give away.

The polaroid is coming back.

Huge dust storm feeds fish and eats carbon dioxide.

• Tracing Home v.01
• Glimminker v.01
• Datapunk v.01
• Follern v.01
• Strange Haus v.01
• Jazzy Doll v.01
• Croupier v.01
• Lowroad v.01
• Tantrum v.01
• Further v.01

In total, that’s 10 tracks / 1hr:10min / 110.4 MB of material (stream or download each track individually, or download them all in one zip archive). These tracks venture into the abstract, ambient, glitch, IDM and minimal techno realm. In the coming months, I expect to develop some of these into a proper follow-up EP. Stay tuned,