Tuesday, November 30, 2010

[video]: Rotary Signal Emitter: "Side A"

Stumbled on this....check it out.


Sculpture is the London based duo of musician Dan Hayhurst and animator Reuben Sutherland. Rotary Signal Emitter LP is featured in an article by Matthew Ingram in The Wire 322, and is out on Dekorder.

Monday, November 29, 2010

[Preview]:Tonight on the Soundscape

Tonight on The Soundscape: new music from Atlas Sound, Tristan Perich, Apparat, Reporter, and Golden Panda.  We'll also hear another new track from local artists Chris Svoboda's new album Mid-Way Placenta. 

  
Tonight's show will also feature special in-studio guest DJ Bekkar. Its Bekkar's birthday today so he will play a few tracks for us that he's been listening to and we'll hear a special up-tempo set tonight in honor of his birthday.  

Show starts at 8pm. Stream here. Check back on the blog for the night's playlist. Out of range? Have no fear. Each and every show of The Soundscape will be archived online here

Don't forget….send me your stuff if you want to hear it on The Soundscape. Use the Soundcloud Dropbox on the blog at the top right of the screen. 


Needles

Soundscape Archive 11.29.10



Atlas Sound, "Freak Train," Bedroom Databank
Tristan Perich, "Movement 3," 1-Bit Symphony (Cantaloupe)
Burial and Four Tet, "Moth," Moth/Wolf Cub 12" Single (Text Records)
Chris Svoboda, "Flick Show," Mid-Way Placenta
Plaid, "Even Spring," Spokes (Warp)
Gold Panda, "Killing Yourself on a Beach," You EP (Ghostly)
Apparat, "Sayulita," DJ-Kicks (!K7)
Reporter, "Lab Test," Time Incredible (Holocene)
Horsepower Productions, "Poison Wine," Quest for the Sonic Bounty (Tempa)
Addison Grove, "Foot Crab," Foot Crab/Dumb Shit 12" Single (Swamp 81)
Mr. Scruff, "Sweetsmoke (Manitoba Mix)," Zen RMX (Ninjatune Recordings)
Tom Middleton, Essential Mix (May, 2001) [excerpt]
Grand Master Flash, "The Adventures of Grand Master Flash on the Wheels of Steel," Street Beats (Sugarhill)
Crackhaus, "Birthday Bangers and Mash," But Then Again (~scape)
Matthew Herbert, "The Audience," Bodily Functions (!K7)
Chris Joss, "You've Been Spiked," You've Been Spiked (Eighteenth Street)
Aphex Twin, "We Are the Music Makers," Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (R&S)
Asura, "Asura II"
Kupa, "Bloody Tears"
Javelin, "C-Town," No Mas (Luaka Bop)
LB, "Superbad," Ashes to Ashes (Output)
Sun Araw, "All Night Long," Heavy Deeds (Not Not Fun)

Friday, November 26, 2010

[mp3] Featured Soundscape Group Track

 


This week's Soundscape Group track comes from the artists Red Fog. Not much info is available on Red Fog, except this description from the artists' Soundcloud page.

"Red Fog is an ambient project with blurry sonic boundaries. The project mission is to translate & convert subconscious ephemeral states of mind into atmospheric aural pieces, by experimenting & using dense drone, sustained morphing sounds, manipulated field recorded samples, deep ambient pads and synthesized atmospheres."

And that's exactly what you get with "The Silicon Hawk is Watching."  

Plenty of other good tracks have been posted to the group in the past week. You can listen to what is being posted here and don't forget to upload your own stuff. I'll keep featuring tracks on the blog and in each week's show.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The Soundscape, 11.22.10


 1) Simon Scott, "I Tried So Hard," Air Textures Vol. 2
2) The Fun Years, "Makes Sense to Me," God Was Like, No (Barge)
3) Excepter, "OBOH," LATE (Woodist)
4) Lesser, Matmos, Wobbly,  "Untitled," Simultaneous Quodlibet (Important Records)
5) Freeform, "Nothing to Say," Wildcat (Skam Records)
6) Zelienople, "Drugs Legs," Hollywood (Under the Spire Recordings)
7) Yellow Swans, "Going Places," Going Places (Type)
8) Hubble, "Hubble Dust"
9) Chris Svoboda, "Vandercent," Mid-Way Placenta  
10) Strukturator, "Salvation"
11) Motor, "Gok," (Audio.nl)
12) Growing, "Lateral" Lateral (The Social Registry)
13) Beta Cloud, "The Book of Earth (Flowing Water Cut)," The Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho) (Relaxed Machinery)
14) Jax Deluca, "They All Make Fun of Us," The Soundscape Soundcloud Group
15) Vladee Divac, "76ers," Technical Foul EP
15) La Monte Young, "The Dream House"
16) Avrocar, "Fega," Cinematography (Earworm)
17) Stars of the Lid, "The Atomium part 1, 2, and 3," Avec Laudenum (Kranky)
18) Poverty Hymns, "And Put to Rest Manic Limbs"
19) Jim O'Rourke, "Side B," Despite the Water Supply
20) Denes Dobai, "Sundown- The Dreams of Moons," The Soundscape Soundcloud Group

Monday, November 22, 2010

Tonight on The Soundscape

Tune in tonight at 8 PM for another episode of The Soundscape on WTF 94.9 Buffalo Free Radio. We'll hear new stuff from Simon Scott, Excepter, and The Fun Years. 

The Fun Years, Mutek 2009

Plus local stuff from Chris Svoboda, Poverty Hymns, Beta Cloud, and Jax Deluca. 

Beta Cloud- The Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho)  Design by Chase Middaugh 
And of course tons of other great stuff. Talk to you soon.

Needles

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Tristan Perich: 1-Bit Symphony


Here is something that should call into question ever getting obsessed over finding an ultra limited vinyl, cassette, or CD-R again. 

After all, those are only copies

Tristan Perich's 1-Bit Symphony, on the other hand, is a not a recording for you to listen to. This release, which comes in a CD jewel case and is described as "juxtaposing the grand form of a classical symphony with the minimal nature of 1-bit circuitry," actually "performs" its music live when turned on.

How many of those 7" singles you got on Record Store Day can do that?

It can perform, instead of play, because 1-Bit Symphony is a complete electronic circuit—programmed by the artist and assembled by hand—and you can hear the circuit perform though a headphone jack mounted into the case itself. 



According to Perich's website, "1-Bit Symphony utilizes on and off electrical pulses, synthesized by assembly code and routed from microchip to speaker, to manifest data as sound. The device treats electricity as a sonic medium, making an intimate connection between the materiality of hardware and the abstract logic of software."

Confused? Watch this video below.



Despite the elementary design, 1-Bit Symphony is not lined up for mass production. An artist's edition of the project is limited to 50 copies. Each one is signed and numbered and includes silkscreen print of source code and schematic. Buy it for 150 bones HERE. Or pick up the regular edition for $30.

Thanks to Ethan Becker for passing this along. See you Wednesday night fool!

Download Chris Svoboda's New Album Mid-Way Placenta

Free download available from Buffalo-area artist Chris Svoboda. His new album Mid-Way Placenta has a lot of different electronic stands holding it together like minimal techno, progressive tech-house, and even some flourishes of downtempo. 

That's not surprising considering that Svoboda is also an established media artists that works in animation, music video, painting, and live visuals for music performance. He was even at the controls for the Intension Quintet show last Saturday at Shakti Yoga. 

Needless to say his album is worth checking out. You can download it here for free.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Nat Baldwin at the Vault Tonight


Interesting show tonight at the Vault brought to you by Little Red Booking. Dirty Projectors' member Nat Baldwin will perform with Kurt Weisman (Witch, Feathers) and Travis Laplante (Little Women) opening the show. Tickets are $8. You can get them at Cafe Taza or Spiral Scratch if there are any left. Only 70 were made available.

Check out the video below of Baldwin performing in NYC this past August.



If you go to this take some pics and upload this to the Soundscape Flickr Group.

Friday, November 19, 2010

[Video]: Vladee Divac Live

Oh, you have GOT to see this. Witness the birth of 'dunkwave.' Not sure if this is awesome or just down right hysterical. Regardless, it has to be seen. Basketball meets live drone and noise.



"My Dunkwave, drone, noise project Vladee Divacc in Daily Park I get asked to stop after about seven minutes. They threaten to call the cops as people in the back attempt to fulfill their hoop dreamz!"


Download his EP for free here.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Why Buffalo Should Care About the Local Community Radio Act


As if the future of the Local Community Radio Act that is now sitting on the desks of US Senators wasn't important enough, the pending fate of the bill really hit home after a good investigative article was published in Artvoice a few weeks ago by Buck Quigley about the possible consolidation of public radio here in Buffalo. While the situation is still playing out, I am posting a link to it here because, frankly, everyone I mentioned it to in the past two weeks had no idea what I was talking about. 

The budget cuts to the community's cultural institutions, on the other hand, had everyone up in arm the past couple of weeks and rightly so. The possible merging of WBFO and WNED, however, is important, too, and it shouldn't slip by unnoticed. 

I won't repeat all the details from Quigley's article, but the point is that the passage of the Local Community Radio Act has actually become more important since the news broke that the Western New York market may lose one of the two remaining media outlets that is not controlled by for-profit (and usually non-local) entities. 

Critics will shrug off this consolidation and point out that the two stations were actually overlapping their syndicated news programming, as Quiqley did, and that both stations were next to worthless when it came to music programming for anyone under the age of 40 (something I tend to agree with).

While the above criticisms are both true, they are beside the point.  The point here is that now that the Western New York market may lose one of its two public media outlets, it is all the more important for this community to get behind the Local Community Radio Act in the same way that we spoke out for the continuation of county funding for small cultural institutions.

Here's why.

The broadcast spectrum, which is the airwaves on which radio, television, cellular phones, etc., are disseminated, is a public resource just like the national and state forests. Yet, the only "access" we have to the airwaves is through public broadcasting, which doesn't really provide us with access but does at least operate with the public's best interest at heart. Well there are two stations in WNY that represent this presence, WBFO and WNED. Criticisms on the state of public radio aside, now we may be down to a single outlet in the very near future.

This means our already scant access to the local airwaves will be one step away from being completely choked off.  
What happens when the federal government pulls the financial rug out from underneath public broadcasting the same way that county government just did to our local cultural institutions? The newly elected Republican congress that is rolling into DC with a "mandate" to slash spending is already rumbling about cutting the funding that is allocated to the left-leaning public broadcasting system. 

Just like in the cultural realm, we can no longer rely on the government to subsidize public broadcasting. Doing so will only end in disappointment, frustration, and the same feeling of betrayal that Collins will deliver to Erie County's cultural institutions when his budget cuts go through. And don't kid yourself, the cuts are going through no matter how many rallies are staged. Collins knows you people aren't voting for him anyway.  So brace yourself.

Or, you can act. 

The county's funding for cultural institutions is not a battle that can be won in this economic climate, but the community's demand for access to the airwaves is a war that is on the verge of being won right now. We just need to get over the last hump. 

The Prometheus Radio Project, a non-profit association dedicated to the democratization of the airwaves through the proliferation of non-commercial, community radio, has been doing the heavy lifting for the rest of us by shepherding the Local Community Radio Act through the slimy cesspool that is the United States capitol.  But they could use our help right now

Here is what you can do.  
 
Follow this link so that you can find out who to call at the capitol about helping this bill get passed in 2010. If you live in New York, call Senator Schumer. Tell him this act needs to get passed to compensate for the possible consolidation of WNED and WBFO. Tell him to pass the bill  because we should have access to our own public resources. 

Spread the word, too. This is something people don't know about. Know someone who was pissed about County Executive Collins cutting funding for the local cultural institutions? Tell them about this. This is an adjacent struggle in a lot of ways, except we actually have a chance to win here.

But we have to get the bill passed before the end of the lame duck session or else the stronger Republican Senate minority and the new incoming senators could disrupt the passing of the bill. 

What would happen if the Local Community Radio Act was passed, you ask?

An e-mail sent out by FreePress.net explains that by paving the way for local communities to gain access to the airwaves via 100-watt, community run radio stations the Local Community Radio Act would allow communities to "air shows about the issues that matter to them, instead of being subjected to channel after channel of shock jocks and predetermined playlists." In addition, "We could flip the dial to finally hear our own neighbors talking to each other about the things that affect our lives."  And from a musical standpoint, "local music could replace the endless cycle of corporate record labels pushing the same songs day after day." 

In other words, we could actually listen to the radio again like we used to do.

WTF 94.9 are already doing, except it wouldn’t be illegal and you wouldn’t have to worry about the FCC busting down your doors and taking you to jail. 

Check out FreePress.net for more info on Low Powered FM and what will happen if the bill gets passed.

Needles

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Soundcloud Group Track

This week's track from the Soundscape Soundcloud Group comes by way of an Argentinian living in New Zealand. Axel Shaw, who operates on Soundcloud under the name of somethingshaw, created this piece while taking a bath.  

Might sound simple but, as the attached message to the track reveals, this was actually a fairly complicated and somewhat dangerous process, one that involved using a hydrophone (an underwater microphone) while in the tub. 

Take a listen to the tack and check out Shaw's description on how he recorded it below the image.

 

"This is me having a 10 minute bath at home. Recorded with my home-made Hydrophone [mic].

3 Samples were loaded into Gleetchab:
Channel 1: the raw (pre-edited) bathtub recording
 -This went straight into the mixer and into the Granulator

Channel 2: a bass drone I did sometime ago
 -This was the Carrier of my Convolution effect

Channel 3: a kick drum sample (pre-edited)
 -This acted as the Modulator of my Convolution. I wired it to a Feedback channel as well.

 The Convolution Output went into the granulator as well, producing a drony feeling. Then the Granulator was fed into the Feedback for a tiny little bit of humidity.


Sample Reading Speed were altered up to 0.00001 of the
original, giving a nice sub bass. Some of the samples were dubbed in order to create more character.

Then, of course, everything rewired into PT and some PlugIns here and there for the final mixdown and mastering. The session contains 1 Audio Track, 1 Aux Track, and the Master.

Funny little thing: this being my first home-built Hydrophone (which I did together with my friend Benni), there was a bit of tension and preoccupation of submerging myself into a liquid medium, knowing that if there was any leakage not only I would end up electrified, but it would have meant the instant death of my dear MacBook and MBox. To make sure I was up to OSH standards :P I wrapped it into a double-condom (the pinky Durex, for you curious people) layer. Still, this wasn't quite the most relaxed bath I ever had! haha, glad I made it ;)

Hope you enjoy!

Thanks Axel. 

Everyone else keep posting your tracks to the Soundscape Soundcloud Group. I'll keep featuring songs on the The Soundscape or right here on the blog. 

Needles

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Soundscape 11.15.10

The Soundscape 11.15.10 by Needles Numark

1) Keith Fullerton Whitman, " Disingenuousness," Disingenuity /Disingenuousness (Pan)
2) Solo Andata, "Incantare," Ritual (Desire Path Recordings)
3)Derek Rogers, "Summer Burnout," Slow Mover (House of Alchemy)
4) Brain Eno and Robert Fripp, "An Index of Metals," Evening Star (Editions Eg Records)
5) Steve Brand, "Circular Scriptures," Circular Scriptures (Relaxed Machinery)
6) Mountains, "Side A," Etching (Thrill Jockey)
7) The Beans, "Galuda," Bass Player (intra.version)
8) The War on Drugs, "Show Me the Coast," Wagonwheel Blues (Secretly Canadian)
9) Fridge, "Drum Machines and Glockenspiels," Happiness (Temporary Residence)
10) Panda Bear, "Good Girls Carrots," Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)
11) KC Accidental, "Is and of The," Anthems for the Could've Been Pills (The Orchard)

Monday, November 15, 2010

Tonight onThe Soundscape

Tune in tonight to The Soundscape to hear 3 hours of great experimental music from around the world and right here in Buffalo. 

This week I have a special show for you where I will feature an entire show of songs that are only 10 minutes in length or longer. 

We'll hear a new song from Keith Fullerton Whitman, along with new stuff coming out of Buffalo-based labels House of Alchemy (Paul Rogers) and Desire Path Recordings (Solo Andata).

Keith Fullerton Whitman



We'll also hear extended cuts from Mountains, Fridge, Steve Brand, KC Accidental, and others.  

Tune in at 8pm to WTF 94.9 Buffalo Free Radio or hit up the online stream if you are out of range.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

The Soundscape Flickr Group


Which events did you make it out to this past weekend? 

We had the Reactionary Ensemble at the Burchfield Penny Art Center on Thursday, RRIICCEE at Soundlab on Friday, Noise Theater VII at the Mickiewicz Theater also on Friday, and Intension Quintet on Saturday at Shakti Yoga, plus a number of other events.

Did you snap any photos while you were out? If so, upload them to the Soundscape Flickr Group. I doubt anyone was able to make to all the events so post your photos so people can check out what they missed, while also looking at some pics from the things they did attend.

Feel free to post as many images as you want and remember to take some photos at future events to upload to the group. This way we can create a collective visual record of music and art events that take place in Buffalo and beyond, while also encouraging new people to come out by showing them what they missed.  

Soundscape listeners outside of Buffalo can post pics from your events too if you want.

Local Community Radio Act Update



Last week I posted a link to the Radio Survivor's blog which detailed how the Local Community Radio Act -- which is striving to open up the FM airwaves to local communities -- has hit yet another wall in the US Senate. 

More info on what exactly is holding the bill up has surfaced via an article by Jesse Walker at Reason.com, titled "The Great Radio Blockade."  

Apparently, Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming put an anonymous hold on the bill (something that Senator's are allowed to do) because he is demanding that it first establish "greater certainty that existing broadcast channels will be protected" if the airwaves open up to LPFM broadcasters. 

Yes...let's make sure that the thousands of Clear Channel-type owned radio stations that are polluting our airwaves with audio garbage across the country are protected from the competition that non-commercial 100-watt community radio stations will bring. 

But you know what? 

The Republican Senator from Wyoming is right to be concerned. Because while the brain dead and the deaf may still actually listen to commercial radio these days, once community radio stations start popping up across the U.S. landscape, which the passage of the Local Community Radio Act will hopefully enable, these commercial radio stations are going to be in big trouble. 

"Local" stations like 103.3 The Edge and 97 Rock, which are dime-a-dozen across the country, cannot possibly compete with the sense of community that citizen-run stations inevitably foster. It is impossible for these outside, profit-driven entities to inspire the civic pride that comes with listening to and supporting a locally owned and operated radio station that puts its people before its profits.   

But I digress. . .

I'll have more info later about why Western New Yorkers specifically should care about the Local Community Radio Act, especially in light of the possible WBFO/WNED merger that was reported by Buck Quigley in Artvoice, along with the controversial cultural cuts that are being handed down by County Executive Collins.

Stay Tuned.  

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Intension Quintet Tonight at Shakti Yoga

The Soundscape's favorite local jazz ensemble Intension Quintet has a show tonight over on Grant Street at the Shakti Yoga studio. Performing along with the band will be saxophonist extraordinaire Steve Baczkowski



Intension Quintet has a pan-stylistic sound that makes use of forward thinking composition, group improvisation, ambient soundscapes, noise, and electronics. Check out their MySpace page for a sample of their work.

The show will also feature live projections from Chris Svoboda for your viewing pleasure. A sample of Svoboda's live work can be watched below.

 

Opening the show will be Mike Yes Yes Ersing and the Heaven Tongue.

Show starts at 8pm. And if anyone snaps some pictures make sure to upload them to the Soundscape Flickr Group so everyone can see them.

Friday, November 12, 2010

RRIICCEE Preview: DC and Little Rock Show Reviews plus Video

Buffalo's own prodigal son Vincent Gallo returns tonight for a performance with his group RRIICCEE. The show takes place at Soundlab and costs a cool $20 presale. Considering the group records absolutely nothing and very little is on the net to clue you into what you might be in for, I thought I would post a few things to give you an idea of what you MIGHT hear tonight if you decide to head down and check out one of the most controversial artists around today. 

Review of RRIICCE in Little Rock, Arkansas

Review of RRIICCEE in Washington, DC

Here is a video of Vinny G playing in Japan back in 2003. 


Also, don't forget I played an excerpt from a 2007 RRIICCEE performance in NYC last week on the Soundscape, which you can listen to here.

For those of you that do go down to see it (and I imagine that will be a lot of you) make sure to take some pics and upload them to the Soundscape Flickr Group.  This way people can see what they missed. 

For those of you decide not to head down, you can always check out Noise Theater VII that is taking place at the Mickiewicz Theater. This sounds like it will be an equally interesting experience.  Upload some pics to Flickr group for this, too.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Reactionary Ensemble's Surround:Audio Tonight at the Burchfield-Penny Art Center

Interesting FREE event going down tonight at the Burchfield-Penny Art Center.  Audio/visual improvisationalists the Reactionary Ensemble will perform using a hacked Wii remote and Wacom tablet to control audio and video in a venue fitted with surround-sound capability.  




The event will feature musicians Gabe Beam, Kevin O'brien Cain, Jamie Currie, Michael Kimiad, T. Andrew Trump along with KG Price manning the live Wii-mote Room Conduction.

The event's Facebook page says to prepare for the combination of "sound & visuals into a synæsthetic montage that challenges the audience to forge unfamiliar connections and make new correlations — opening a boundless world of unprompted connections existing as a vodoun-esque fabrication of dream-like imaginations."

In other words, hallucinogenic experiences will be provided with cover charge. Oh wait...its FREE!  

Head down to the Burchfield Penny Art Center (1300 Elmwood Ave) at 7 pm.  

And if you take any pictures tonight, upload them to The Soundscape Flickr Group for everyone else to see.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The Soundscape, 11.8.10

   Soundscape 11.8.10 by Needles Numark

 1) Sing Leaf, "Generation Ship"
2) Simon Scott, "She Came From the Sea," Traba (Immune Recordings)
3) Glass Vaults, "Set Sail," Glass EP (Jukeboxr Records)
4) Arvo Part, "Tabula Rasa: Silentium," Anthony Disetefano Rework (The Soundscape Group)
5) Subterminal, "Dream On," Opaque Glitter (FeedbackLoop)
6)Szymon Kaliski, "For Patterns," Out of Forgetting (Audio Moves)
7) Enxu, "Urge (Work in Progress)" (The Soundscape Group)
8) Umberto, "Someone Chasing Someone through a House," Prophesy of the Black Widow (Not Not Fun)
9) Abigails Dreams, "Quiet States of Awareness," (The Soundscape Group)
10) DJ Vaddim, "USSR Reconstruction (Jamie Hodge Mix)," Zen RMX (Ninjatune Recordings)
11) Lazlo Hollyfeld, "Bones," The Pacer EP
12) Prefuse 73, "Relief Choir," The Forest of Oversensitivity (Warp Records)
13) Downliners Sekt, "Dirty Meinz," Hello Lonely, Hold the Nation (Disboot Records)
14) Mark Kloud, "Dub Kloud"
15) Flying Lotus, "Kill Your Co-Workers," Patterns + Grid EP (Warp Records)
16) Golden Panda, "You," Lucky Shiner (Ghostly)
17) John Cage, "Radio Music"
18) Jax Deluca, "In July" (The Soundscape Group)
19) Intension Quintet, "Canon," Live at Hallwalls
20) RRIICCEE, "Untitled," Live at the Green Room, 12.7.07
21) Magik Markers, "There Is No Path Which is Not Straight," Gucci Rapidshare Download (Three Lobed)
22) Nicolette, "No Government," !K7 150 (!K7)
23) Robert Hood,"Slightly," Wire to Wire (M-Plant)
24) FC Kahuna, "Hayling (Super Furry Animals Dunk! Dunk! Dunk! Mix)," (Skint Promo)
25) Freeform, "Gone and Left the City," Wildcat (Skam Records)
26) Astral Social Club, "Calrion Super-Cortex/Vurt Chorale #1/Corby Kiss," Astral Social Club/Alog 12" Split (Fat Cat Records)
27) Tadoma, "Recovery Operations," Field Notes (Secret Station)
28) Emeralds, "Summerdata," Does it Look Like I'm Here (Editions Mego)

Monday, November 8, 2010

Streaming Issues/New Listeners

So we have some good news and some bad news. 

Good news: more and more listeners are tuning in every week to the Soundscape, not only from Buffalo but from around the world.  We literally have listeners on every continent accept Africa. And I am betting that will change shortly.   

Bad news: while the increase in listeners from all kinds of different places is great, especially when it comes to exposing Buffalo-based artists, we have been maxing out our meager streaming capabilities via the WTF 94.9 Buffalo Free Radio website. Hence, over the last week or two people have had to deal with some frustrating buffering issues while trying to stream the show live. 

Bust out the old school radios if you got 'em
So I wanted to just ask that everyone who is within range to pick up the show over the FM airwaves to please try and listen over your FM radio instead of the Internet stream so that the congested connection will free up for those out of range and unable to listen any other way.

And remember, there is always the option of listening to it later through the Soundoud archive if you can't get it over the airwaves or through the stream. Plus, I hope to have the archived versions available via iTunes Podcasting by next week so that people can download them straight into their iPods/mp3 players/phones. 

I realize that this will not solve the problem completely. 94.9 is considering upgrading to a better steaming service, but it costs quite a bit in monthly subscriptions to do this. Luckily, Buffalo Free Radio is in the middle of a fundraising drive for a number of upgrades, including a new computer, a new transmitter, and a couple of other components necessary to keep bringing Buffalo free radio. 

Head over to the WTF 94.9 site and donate some cash to the station if you can manage so that we can keep going and so that we can extend our signal over the air and across the web to those that want to listen. 

Thanks for your help and thanks for listening

Needles

Tonight on The Soundscape, 11.8.10

Tune in tonight to hear The Soundscape at 8 pm on WTF 94.9 Buffalo Free Radio.  Got a great show lined up for you. We'll hear plenty of stuff from local artists, including Enxu, Jax Deluca, Intension Quintent, and Lazlo Hollyfeld. 

And in honor of the return of Buffalo's own Vincent Gallo this Friday to Soundlab with his group RRIICCEE, we'll hear a rare live performance from the group recorded back in 2007. Do not miss this! The group does not record any of their material and you cannot hear this or any other RRIICCEE material anywhere else! 

Vincent Gallo
 
We'll also hear some new stuff from New Zealand duo Glass Vaults, LA producer Flying Lotus, and Hartford noise rock group Magik Markers



Tonight's show will also feature much of the music that has been posted to the Soundcloud group. If you haven't checked out the Soundscape Soundcloud Group yet, head over and listen to all the great music being posted by not only Buffalo-based artists, but Sounscape listeners from around the world. Post your own stuff, too.  


The adorable members of The Soundscape Group. Why wouldn't you want to join a group like this?

Friday, November 5, 2010

Deerhunter, "Helicopter/He Would Have Laughed"

A nice 18-minute live Deerhunter performance of "Helicopter" into "He Would Have Laughed." Hint: It gets really good around the 13-minute mark.

  

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Featured Soundcloud Group Track: "Golden Dusk" by Denes Dobai


Here is an incredible track that was posted to the Soundcloud Group that is getting a lot of attention. Its called "Golden Dusk" and comes from Denes Dobai (dnsdobai) out of Banary, Britian. This is a very refined, yet deep track that will be worth repeated listens.  Dobai has loads of other stuff on the site, too, so make sure you check him out or follow him if you're on Soundcloud.

So take a listen here or head over to The Soundscape's Soundscloud Group if you haven't yet and listen to all the other great tracks that people are posting. Some good stuff from Buffalo based artists Jax Deluca and Enxu just went up overnight. Enjoy.

Needles


  

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Local Community Radio Act Bill Stalled in Senate

I figure now is the perfect time to slip in a post on politics while everyone is in the midst of maintaining their "I'm politically informed" charade for the next 48 hours or so. At least before they revert back into their natural politically oblivious state (until 2012, that is). 

Besides, most people are probably running out of re-usable talking points to spew on their friends and family. So here is one that they can use that will make them sound real smart!

This news comes courtesy of the Radio Survivor blog. It has to do with the Local Community Radio Act Bill in that is currently stalled in the Senate. Obviously an area of concern for The Soundscape and all of us over at WTF 94.9 Buffalo Free Radio. 

Tick, tick, tick. LPFM expansion bill languishes due to Senatorial nonsense



Like comedy, democracy ain’t pretty. It’s been more than a year since the House passed the Local Community Radio Act, but the companion bill in the Senate seems to be jammed up in the sausage grinder.

Although the expansion of LPFM apparently enjoys broad bipartisan support, according to Politico Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso has put a hold on the bill “because he wants to ensure it includes language that distinguishes full-power FM stations from low-power FM stations.”



Let me be entirely honest and clear: I have no idea what it means to “distinguish full-power FM stations from low-power FM stations.” My best guess is that Barrasso wants to be sure that LPFM stations are treated as a secondary service, which means they have to give way if a full-power station wants to move or increase. However, this is already true, baked into the LPFM service from the very start. In which case I can only conclude that Barraso is looking for any excuse–no matter how lame–to keep the bill from a vote until the end of this Congressional session. This is the third hold the bill has been subjected to.

The Prometheus Radio Project is doing its best to unjam things, urging Wyoming residents to give their senator a call to politely urge him to let the Local Community Radio Act have a fair and democratic hearing on the Senate floor.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The Soundscape Day of the Dead Mix

 
   The Soundscape 11.1.10. by Needles Numark

1) Clandestina, "Bienvenida [Espacial]"
2) Sun Araw, "o2"
3) Atlas Sound, "Ghost Story," Let the Blind Lead Those that Can See But Cannot Feel (Kranky)
4) Six Organs of Admittance, "Rivers of Transfiguration," The Sun Awakens (Drag City)
5) The Stooges, "We Will Fall," The Stooges (Elektra)
6) Century Plants, "Electric (Live in Schenectady)" (House of Alchemy)
7) Zs, "Black Crown Ceremony II: Six Realms," New Slaves (The Social Registry)
8) Helhesten & Chora, "Side 2 (1)," The Dance and Spasm of the Snake in a Trance (Lotus Birth)
9) Shalabi Effect, "Mr. Titz (Revelator)," The Trial of St. Orange  (Alien8)
10) Headset and Soulo, "The Fall of Knee High," But Then Again (~scape)
11) Alog, "Every Word Was Once an Animal," Alog/Astral Social Club 12" Split (Fat Cat Records)
12) Sigor Ros, "Di Do," Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do (Fat Cat Records)
13) Four Tet, "My Angel Rocks Me Back and Forth (Icarus remix)," My Angel Rocks Me Back and Forth Single (Domino)
14) Craig Vear, "Jolene (After D.P.)," Summerhouses (Cluster/Mille Plateaux)
15) Bob Ohrum, "Song for You (I'll Never Forget)," Elevated (Relaxed Machinery)
15) Windy & Carl, "Sketch for Flea," Dedications to Flea (Kranky)
16) City Centre, "Box of Rain," Welcome Home: Digging the Universe (Woodist)
17) Mice Parade, "Guitar for Plants," Obrigado Suadade (Bubblecore)
18) The War on Drugs, "History of Plastic," Future Weather (Secretly Canadian)
19) Apostle of Hustle, "Energy of Death, " Folkloric Feel (Arts & Crafts)
20) Poverty Hymns, "Sever Your Greed Hands"

Monday, November 1, 2010

Soundcloud Group


As promised from tonight's broadcast, here is the link to our Soundcloud group for The Soundscape.  A link will be permanently placed in the Contact/Follow box on the right from now on. All listeners are encouraged to upload their tracks, regardless if you live in Buffalo or Brussels. 

Please limit your uploads to 3 tracks per week. Feel free to include a picture and info with each track so that if I play it on the air or post it to the blog, I can say something about it. Links to your sites or Soundcloud pages are good as well.

I will continue to play the tracks that I like during my broadcasts based on how well they fit with the stuff I am playing.  I will also keep an eye on the group and highlight the songs that get the most plays and/or comments by incorporating them into the broadcasts and featuring them on the blog.  

Below is the first track from the Group page to make it to the blog. It comes from Brooklyn based artists, Anthony Distefano. Thanks Anthony! Everyone else spread the word and make sure to comment on the tracks you like! Enjoy.


   Andalus by anthony distefano

And for those of you committed to physical media for the transmission of your music, I am planning on setting up a physical drop box somewhere in Buffalo for you to get me your stuff. Any suggestions where? Let me know.

Needles