In Retrospect: 2020k Live Shows/Debut EP Release

Posted on August 27, 2012 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Preface & Planning

The last three months have been a whirlwind. Blog posts should return to a normal pace for now. The explanation is explained below.

After being contacted via the 2020k Soundcloud page by Afton Live in regards to doing a few live shows in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, it was a possibility too grand to hesitate on and one that was taken with not even an hour’s worth of contemplation.

The first show was scheduled for July 12th, 2012 which gave me 48 days to round up thirty minutes of material from my catalog that would be re-worked, re-mixed, and presented live in front of an audience. Though fun, the majority of the work was done on my own so the process was grueling at times. In fact, could be interpreted as a combination of some of the most introverted and stressful, but focused and creative moments of my life.

To start, the actual highs of putting together the show started when I was able to explore different creative territory not taken in past endeavors. An MPD-18 MIDI Controller was purchased as a means to incorporate a live feel for myself in the studio and on stage. Three music videos were produced using public domain/stock footage from Archive.org (you can see two them on my YouTube page: here and here.). Interestingly enough, rigging up Ableton Live to communicate with the MIDI controller, M-Audio eKeys, and M-Audio Xponent Digital Turntables using Propellerhead Re-wire and really getting into the programming, as well as the editing process of the videos were some of the most rewarding parts of the time taken to prep the show.

The lows? Time constraint. 48 days to revamp everything and put all of the new content together is a lot of work, especially when 48 hours a week are dedicated to a customer service day job. Imagine putting together what you read in the aforementioned paragraph, then compose three new songs on top of that in the same time frame. Yes, you read that right. Three new songs were written, composed, engineered, and produced from scratch via Logic Pro in just a little over the month, then mixed in Pro Tools, in combination with the technical aspects of show time. “Contagion,” “Pantomime,” and a take on Blink-182’s “Adam’s Song” were all dreamt and put together specifically to present to a live audience.

The creativity was a curse at times, but such a pleasant and accomplishing feeling to have the ability to generate so much of myself into all of these projects.

The First Show

Intriguingly enough, though there were complications with the presentation of the visuals (which were shown on stage via a large laptop monitor, as opposed to an old 32″ Television – the original intention) the first show went off without a hitch and was met with an extremely warm crowd response. There were claps, yells, a few new fans singing along, and a level of appreciation felt on stage cannot be expressed.

In fact, speaking from a purely emotional standpoint, performing on stage on July 12th and feeling the interaction from artist to fan was one of the most rewarding and liberating aspects of life that has been experienced by myself, period.

Then it was over, and out of the 50 physical EPs that were freely distributed at the show (30 out of the 50 came with limited edition free stickers), over half of them were snatched up by audience members and several individuals came up to me after the show to inquire on how to get a copy of the disc. Artists Shutterdown and Allen Time, who I shared the stage with that night, were also extremely welcoming, with Shutterdown offering to possibly have me open shows on some of their future tour dates if the opportunity should rise.

Afton Shows sent an email exactly one week after the first show to inquire about doing a second set at the same venue. This time, the setlist would be 40 minutes, as opposed to 30. Statistics were built upon surveying the general interest of another set and was asked among my personal Facebook page, with a bunch of likes and text messages that would follow and enthusiastically ask when the show would be. My reply a few days later was set in stone: August 19th, 2012.

The Second Show/Music Business

The August show was an interesting show because myself and another Electronic artist were booked for a Rap show. We were the last two acts to go on and because of it, suffered time constraints which caused the 2020k set to be cut six minutes short (I’m unsure about the other artist).

Beforehand, Afton did not answer any of my e-mails about what time my set was so that I could inform the friends and fans who were coming. Six emails were sent out. Six. This was the moment when I felt a function of the marketing and promotion of my show going a bit haywire and to make matters worse, there was nothing I could do about it.

The thing about first starting out as a musician is that you have fans, but the majority of the individuals who come out to see your set list are your friends. So, of course, your friends like to know things like your set time and a bit of what you’re up to on the day of the show. With the July show, everything was organized. I kept the Facebook event page up to date, Tweets, Instagrams, and of course, personal messages. Afton also kept in contact with me for the first show because of the amount of people who were coming to support me as an act, so my set time was told to me days in advance to the appreciation of those individuals attending the show.

Going into the second show and given the information in the aforementioned paragraphs, it was suspected that given the show was on a Sunday and was scheduled not even a month after the first one, the public support for the 2020k portion of the show would be a bit slimmer than the first show. And it was true. Nearly 30 people bought tickets to the debut live performance of my material, and the number dipped slightly, not drastically, for the second night. As an unsigned artist, just beginning touring, it’s an expectation. This is not Afton’s fault.

A quick Google on Afton will take you to their official website, some decent reviews about them, and a lot of skepticism and downright vulturous, negative reviews. My opinion? From a business standpoint, it’s not a bad option to take as a starting musician and is ultimately what you make of it. The reason I decided it was a good bet to take the shows with this particular booking agency was because I knew that there was enough demand for people and fans elsewhere to see what I do represented in a live form. Would this sort of show work for five or six nights? No. With a bit of word of mouth and promotional spread? Probably. This is why when Afton offered me a third show in September, I turned it down until further business explorations could be explored.

That’s not to say there won’t be any more live 2020k sets. There will be. Using Afton was a platform for a learning experience for the good and the bad of live performance and the knowledge gained from playing Rex Theater the past two months has a profound impact on the direction of a lot of future business and artistic decisions.

Live shows or venues where there is already a small draw of people to feed off of would be appealing, currently. Also, $12 online ticket price and $13 door price is currently a bit high to keep charging the small amount of supporters that I cherish so much. Free shows or a lower cover? Definitely ideal.

These are just some of the options I’m exploring.

Aftermath, Thank you – Digital Release of Debut EP

For now? A huge thank you to the individuals who helped put the show together, the people who came to the shows, the ones who staffed the events, and the supporters who were unable to make it (especially to Gary Clark). With great pleasure, there’s a presentation in the form of a feature and an interview with me on this entire process over at Open ‘Til Midnight’s blog, which is operated and ran by Amber Waves. It is with this thanks that I’m proud to be releasing an EP demo of four songs that were played during the live shows. This EP was handed out for free physically, so, on Bandcamp, where it is released, it is available to all of you for a name your own price scale. It’s available now!

As stated on the Bandcamp page: “Any funds contributed from the release of this record are warmly welcome with an abundance of gratitude. Though not necessary, any support, emotional or financial, will fuel future artistic communications, endeavors, and releases.”

You can stream, download, and purchase 2020k – 2020k EP in a plethora of formats at Bandcamp.com via clicking here!

Also, there are a few physical copies of the EP left. If you’d like, shoot me an email, tweet, or comment below with your email address and if one is still available, I’ll ship one to you. 🙂

Thank you.

July 12th, 2012 Setlist – Rex Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
01. Intro/Contagion
02. Adam’s Song (Blink-182 Cover)
03. Kinesthetiac – “Transends”
04. Roy Hessels – “Slightest Touch (2020k Mix)”
05. Lost (No Direction)
06. Pantomime
07. Closed Cases/Outro
FULL STREAM OF FIRST SHOW: Youtube Link
FULL STREAM OF FIRST SHOW ANGLE 2: Youtube Link

August 19th, 2012 Setlist – Rex Theater, Pittsburgh, PA
01. Intro/Contagion
02. Adam’s Song
03. Kinesthetiac – “Transends”
04. Roy Hessels – “Slightest Touch (2020k Mix)”
05. Britney Spears Vs Trent Reznor – Piece Of Me (Ambient Mix)
06. Lost (No Direction)/Outro
Show cut short by venue due to various set timing issues.
FULL STREAM OF SECOND SHOW: Youtube Link

2020k – 2020k EP
01. Contagion
02. Pantomime
03. Closed Cases
04. Roy Hessels – Slightest Touch (2020k Mix)
DOWNLOAD/PURCHASE 2020k EP: Bandcamp Link

Special Thank you: Jared VanMarte aka Kinesthetiac, Roy Hessels, Natalie Zigarovich, Danielle Sethman, Amber Waves, Aneesh Ratan, Kristen Adams, Lauren Karell, Ashley Weinman, Adam Burns, Josh Bruener, Amanda Conary, Devan Monroe, Afton Shows, my family, and especially to you. Photo credits in this article: Kristen Adams, Scott Allen Stafford.

Posted in 2020k Music, Music Business, Personal, Tour | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Kylie Minogue: The Only Normal Pop Star!

Posted on August 16, 2012 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Kylie Minogue

Note: This post is all in comedic jest. A change of pace, if you will. A one off. If it’s too much for you, please leave your tears on your pillow because this is secretly a music business post in disguise and it’s no secret that I wouldn’t change a thing in regards to my finer feelings. Digression.

Office jobs are quite boring. So boring, in fact, that if I don’t find fifty million tasks to do at the same time, I end up sitting in my chair, on my third cup of coffee, thoughts racing of how I need to get out of these sorts of jobs and that I’m getting fat by sitting in my chair.

As I was wondering around the break room at work today, I struck up a conversation with a co-worker of mine. He has some great taste in music (introduced me to Chromeo and Yeasayer), but loathes pop music. Often, I purposefully walk passed his office, becoming the antagonist, shouting about how groundbreaking pop music is and how he just doesn’t understand why whipped cream shooting out your tits is appealing.

He thinks it’s bullshit, and I, again, think he just doesn’t understand the artistic integrity of shooting whipped cream out of your tits during live performance.

Eventually, we stumbled upon the subject of pop music today, and the presumption that in order to be a successful pop musician you basically have to be perceived as crazy.

It’s true. Christina Aguilera’s apparently a huge bitch, Madonna’s constantly reinventing and catching extreme flack for it, and Britney Spears’ well documented 2007 heartbreaking hardships were enough to have her next three projects deemed as comeback albums.

Gaga? You don’t even need links and if you do need the links, you should ask yourself why you’re wearing a meat dress right now.

Truth is, the mainstream pop music scene, better known in the 21st century as the entertainment industry is both groundbreaking and bullshit. It’s a back and forth banter that no one can win. No one can win, that is…until today.

I bet this co-worker a free Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee (this becomes extremely important later, so pay attention) that by the end of the day I would find at least one sane pop star. 

Originally, I considered Jewel, but Jewel confused everyone in the world when she released a [well-crafted] pop album, followed by an undersold country album, an obscure childrens album, and we can never forget when she put out a book of poetry that was slammed by Kurt Loder in an MTV interview. We’ll leave Jewel watching that guy standing outside in the pouring rain (at least she knows her hands are her own).

Then, at approximately 2:30PM, I found the answer: Kylie FUCKING Minogue.

Yes, it’s true! What the hell has Kylie Minogue done that’s been considered absolutely batshit insane?  While she’s covered her own depression on the Impossible Princess record, due to the unfortunate suicide of Michael Hutchence from INXS, it was a constructive and creative emotional outlet and is held as a fan favorite and one of the more critically acclaimed records of her discography.

So, we had this conversation over Skype, because that’s how you communicate when you’re in a building full of offices. The confident typing begun: KYLIE MINOGUE!!!!!

Like an American citizen, he replied with an abrupt “Who?”, to which I promptly responded with a YouTube link to her infectious 2001 United States and international smash hit “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”.

Now, we were obviously in separate rooms while this happened, so I didn’t see his facial expression but it was imagined to be that of Taylor Swift when Kanye West stole the microphone from her little, petite hands at the 2009 VMAs. My face? The triumphant, winning Beyonce smile. The battle was not won yet and I tried to stop him the way Beyonce tried to stop Lil’ Mama from interrupting her husband’s performance, but it was too late and he’d already taken the stage and pulled the cancer card. “You can’t be crazy when you’ve had cancer,” he said. “Besides, she still has time to be crazy!”

At this point, I pointed out that Queen Kylie has been reigning the charts internationally since her 1988 debut Kylie. Calling shenanigans, I claimed victory.

But then, he claimed victory. Which didn’t make sense and I quickly diverted this faux-win by telling him to shut up because he uses Splenda instead of real sugar in his Dunkin’ Donuts Iced Coffee and that means I win by default because that does, in fact, make him batshit insane. It was glorious moment in #winning history.

After that, the Skype conversations awkwardly stopped, paranoia seeped in, and wondered why I haven’t been fired after all of the situations that I get myself into at work in this particular manner. I also wondered if the customer on the phone wanted to destroy me for humming “Get Outta My Way” while I addressed her problem.

Later, I continued the awkwardness by screaming “KYLIE MINOGUE!!!!” while we were both in the parking lot after our shift. He awkwardly looked at me because I don’t think he caught was I was saying.

Then, I awkwardly closed the car door. (Still, of course, completely victorious).

And then, I left and unapologetically sang “The Loco-Motion” as loudly as I could while driving down the highway with the windows down. That, ladies and gentlemen, is why Kylie Minogue crowned sane pop star.

Skip a beat and move with my body…(and get me a job writing for a magazine, as an audio engineer, or an artist so I can stop these life stories from being a normal, daily encounter).

Posted in Music Business, Personal | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Norah Jones Premieres Chilling “Miriam” Music Video

Posted on August 9, 2012 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

She’s killed the boyfriend and now she’s out for even more blood! Norah Jones follows up where the “Happy Pills” video left off with the visual treatment for “Miriam” off her fifth major studio release …Little Broken Hearts.

It’s simple: some shots of a lake, as well as some other aspects but elegantly and shot in eerie and effective precision. It channels experimentation in narrative form, and digs even deeper into the theme of the gut wrenching record than it’s ironically optimistic first single.

We’re more than happy to see Jones explore the artistic territory and aspect of her career. While currently seeking visual and auditory revenge, she’s ever changing, ever progressing, and always challenging herself. We recommend you check out the interview she’s done with Canada’s Q TV as well.

Also, don’t forget about our review we did on the record!

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New Aaliyah & Drake Track Titled “Enough Said” Hits The Internet

Posted on August 5, 2012 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Rumors of Drake executive producing a project involving the vault of unreleased songs by deceased R&B singer Aaliyah have been running high and rampant on the internet and we get our first taste of whatever’s to come on the surprise Sunday release of a new song entitled “Enough Said”.

It’s no secret that Aaliyah’s vocals up against a sparse composition produce some haunting and mourning sounding combinations. Burial sampled her on “In McDonalds,” The Weeknd featured lines from “Rock The Boat” in “What You Need” and James Blake took the songstress’ vocals, alongside Kelis’ on “CMYK”. “High Enough” falls right in line with the aforementioned sonics and could be placed on a shelf next to Drake’s discography.

Though Timbaland expressed disinterest in Drake taking on an unreleased Aaliyah album without the help of himself and close friend Missy Elliott, it’s a fair assessment that “High Enough” remains respectful and in line with the sound the three created throughout Aaliyah’s short time on this Earth. It’s new, yes, but clearly contains hints of the themes explored on One In A Million as well.

The only issue with the track lies within the vocal mixing. It’s painstakingly obvious that Aaliyah’s vocal take was not the final take, but it sounds gorgeous. Drake’s bit? It’s loud. It’s compressed to death, and is equalized in the mid-high frequencies to give him the a shinning role in the track. It should be mixed lower, it should remain mysterious. It’s out of place, but not out enough to fully call blasphemy.

Speak of horrible posthumous 2pac releases cannot be ignored if you’re searching through the comments section of your favorite blog, but this track indicates that we’re far from the scraping the barrel sound those records have. If anything, “Enough Said” is an optimistic indication of future projects and a great track to check out.

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Crystal Castles Offers “Plague” As Free Download

Posted on July 25, 2012 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Crystal Castles uploaded a new track to their Soundcloud for free download called “Plague”.

Unknowing to what this belongs to, though they’ve performed it live several times, it sounds as if “Plague” was recorded during the Crystal Castles II recording sessions and maintains the balance between noise and wonderfully crafted synth music. The pitched down effect at the three minute and twenty second mark provides a wonderful come down and break, while slowly adding industrial elements and distorted vocal screaming until it blossoms back into it’s original creation.

A great treat and a must have!

Stream and download below.

Posted in Sine Wave | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Beach House Perform “Wild” & “Wishes” on Jimmy Fallon

Posted on July 25, 2012 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Beach House paid a visit to Jimmy Fallon in support of their latest release Bloom to give two performances. The televised “Wild” and web exclusive “Wishes”.

Every promotional performance given by the duo has been next to flawless and Victoria Legrand’s vocals are some of the most euphoric and strong that the dream pop scene has witnessed.

Apologies that 2020k has not reviewed Bloom and thank you for understanding. However, in short, Beach House crafted some of the most wonderful soundscapes and sonics on the record and has been inconstant rotation since it’s release. The fact that the duo uses those little dinky samples we’ve all heard on cheap keyboards and incorporates them into their tracks is insanely creative. The album artwork, which featured a raised surface and great insides, also offers up something special. Key tracks: the entire album, but specifically “Myth,” “Other People,” “Troublemaker”

Watch “Wild”
Watch “Wishes”

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Concert Review: 7/16/2012 Tycho – Pittsburgh, PA at Rex Theater

Posted on July 22, 2012 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Tycho Pittsburgh Rex Theater 2012Originally, I found out about Ghostly International signed Scott Hansen, best known as  Tycho’s live show while checking out Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Rex Theater’s website to see if they’d put up a mention of a show I was doing on July 12th with a few other Electronic artists. Tickets were inexpensive, so two were snagged by my debit card and on July 16th, 2012, my best friend (Kristen) and I took the 45 minute drive to the venue only four days after we’d already been there.

Neither of us knew what to expect. A few Tycho songs had found themselves in my ears on Spotify playlists and downloads from the Ghostly record label and the visual aspects upon Google searching had always ended with very intriguing photography, but knowledge and a respect for the live instrumentation on almost all of the featured tracks from these outlets was all 2020k had went in with.

Onuinu (official website), an unsigned artist from Portland, Oregon played an opening set filled with looped melodies, live guitar/synth playing, and some stunning lyrical content. One of the last songs in the set, “Always Awkward” was particularly a highlight as Dorian Duvall lightheartedly expressed that it was a bit awkward to jam out on the stage of Rex, as it was quite small and filled with gear from both himself and the dormant instruments waiting for Tycho and company. Through the set’s composition, it was a no-brainer that the artist was booked to play a slew of shows with the headliner as the sonics of both artists compliment each other, while remaining pure to their own sense of style.

Duvall asked the lightening staff to keep breaking the lights down, having the venue in almost full darkness for their closing track. After it’s end, he and his musical partner departed the stage, the lights went up, and the wait for Tycho began.

More fans started piling in from the bar. The band walked on stage and “Adrift,” complete with lined projected dots that faded to a dark red screen had started. “Adrift” is one of the more Electronic heavy, mid-tempos Tycho has to offer, but it’s instant ability to grab the audience during a live setting made it a great choice for an opening track. It also contained some of the most layered video aspects of the show. Relying on layers on top of layers of videos to be played that blended in with one another.

One thing that will stand out is how stunning the visual aspect of Scott Hansen’s video and photographical work is just as dense and multidimensional as the music he creates. Throughout the entirety of the set, a projector from the balcony of the venue broadcasted these created images onto a sheet behind them, which also caused some of the projection to be displayed on the band, on the instruments, leaving their shadows on the screen. A very creative approach and one that worked well, having the videos, which more often than not were comprised of a lone woman elegantly wandering through vast open paces, change with the moods of each track.

During the second song, “A Walk,” there was an unfortunate event in which a bad cable was connected to the bass player’s guitar. After the track was completed, Hansen made his way over to the microphone to coyly let us know that we had just heard a special version of the track “which featured the bass coming in and out of the song.” The audience laughed while the wire was quickly replaced, and the rest of the show went on without a hitch.

It’s of note that the bass mishap was not a hindering part of the show. It was noticeable in that the frustrated expressions on stage were rightfully present, but the noise of the dud cable added some static-esque noise to the track, which, of course, from an engineering standpoint makes one want to cringe, but given the genre of music, the incident sounded more like an effect at times, rather than an unwelcome incident.

The actual instrumentation and vibe between Hansen and the other members associated with the live presentation of Tycho was absolute perfection. We’re unsure of who the current drummer associated with the performance is, but this is a word of recommendation to anyone associated with this production: Keep him. He was literally beating the shit out of the drum, following right along with all of the subtle percussive switches that the tracks within the setlist and Tycho music in general are known for. Some of the most awe-inspiring moments were when some of the more complicated rhythmic structures were executed seamlessly throughout the show’s time length. It’s also refreshing to hear such vast live instrumentation at an Electronic show.

After the set, Scott and the band made their way over to the merchandise table to meet with some of the fans of the show. Kristen and I made a dash toward that section of the venue and waited for a very small bit of time before being able to shake his hand, get an autograph and a picture.

Tycho and 2020k

(Sorry, Kristen! I didn’t mean to take yours when his eyes were closed. Forgive me!). Scott was all smiles with everyone he’d greeted. Humble, confidently spoken, charismatic,  and, well, we know we say this about a lot of the musicians we write about on 2020k, but extremely handsome as well. Originally, I planned to let him know about the blog, to start up a conversation about how I’d played on the same stage just four days before, however, none of that had happened. Instead, the amazement just witnessed through the set was still running rampant through my head. I simply shook his hand, proclaimed I loved the entirety of the show, and quickly asked for an autograph and a picture. He was glad to oblige and the way he presented himself so warmly to myself and the others he interacted with after the show made the post-event worth it.

Before the show, I’d been a casual fan. Depending on mood, sometimes the music Tycho created would seem not applicable for what I’d like to listen to. After this show? Music and message understood. A better appreciation, a longterm fan.

Setlist. (Please correct us if we’re wrong).
Adrift
A Walk
The Disconnect
Past is Prologue
Hours
PBS
Daydream
Coastal Brake
Dive
[brand new track]
Sunrise Projector
Epigram

Information on Tycho’s summer and fall touring schedule can be found at his official website via Tychomusic.com.

Editor’s note: Thank you to Kristen Adams for the two pictures featured in this article. After the show, Kristen and I made our way over to Jekyl & Hyde (Facebook). A horror themed bar a few blocks down from Rex Theater at 18th street. Highly recommended. Our new hangout spot!

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Music Business: Target Refuses to Sell Frank Ocean’s “Channel Orange”

Posted on July 15, 2012 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Frank Ocean

Straight to the point: Mega retailer Target is refusing to sell one of the most anticipated R&B releases in the past couple of years, Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange.

For those of you not fresh to Frank Ocean, he recently came out of the closet quite elegantly via a post on his Tumblr page. This is also a bold move considering his affiliation with Odd Future and being involved in the urban aspect of the music industry, which can close doors quickly to the LGBTQ community.

Originally, the chain stated their reason for not carrying the product was based upon Ocean’s team’s decision to release the highly acclaimed album exclusively on iTunes a week before it’s official release. Now, they’ve amped up their response, stating this conclusion is “based on a number of factors, including guest demand.” Which is an interesting move considering the album’s currently number one in ten countries.

We would also like to note that Jay-Z & Kanye West’s Watch The Throne was released digitally a week earlier, but Target had no issue with placing the standard and deluxe editions on their shelves. 

A member of Frank’s team Tweeted: “Target has refused to carry Franks album because of Itunes exclusive. Interesting since they also donate to non equal rights organizations.”

Then, an apology followed:  “I apologize for my comments about Target. They are not carrying Frank’s album because it went digital first. Not for ANY other reason. … My response was simply an emotional knee jerk reaction. … Stop. Breath. Do the best you can. Be honest. Keep it moving.”

We’re unsure of the entire motives of pulling the Frank Ocean release from Target stores, and while we’re hoping that sexual orientation and content has nothing to do with the motives behind it, we’re not so certain…Regardless, get the album. It’s great.

On a personal note: I’ve stated before that I have day jobs outside of blogging and music (for now…). For two years, I dedicated a day job to Target. During my stay was when the company was outed for donating $150,000 to politicians who support anti-gay campaigns, when Lady Gaga pulled out of releasing an exclusive Target edition of Born This Way because of it, and other oddly homophobic seeming practices.

At the height of the problems, and before Gaga stepped in to shut them up, the company placed a poster in the break room, on the refrigerator, filled with fabricated statements about how they welcome diversity in the LGBTQ community. It was weird propaganda, and one of the main professional reasons for my decision on ultimately leaving the company.

From a business standpoint, music, business in general, etc, it’s interesting to see the Public Relations mess Target has continued to be a part of within the LGBTQ community and the methods they go through to make it better, while making it worse with actions like these which clearly cause fingers to be pointed.

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Trent Reznor Contributes “Call Of Duty: Black Ops II” Theme Song, How To Destroy Angels Album is Finished

Posted on July 10, 2012 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Trent Reznor

Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Reznor sat down with USA Today to talk about a new endeavor in which he contributed the theme song to one of the highest selling video game series of all time, Call of Duty. The Theme song will feature on the upcoming Black Ops II release.

Reznor, who’s previously had audio featured in Doom III and Quake, regarded “I was intrigued by the idea that they were willing to get out of the [orchestral] zone with something a little bit different. What I did was present them with the concept of ‘Let’s have it arranged semi-orchestrally, but let’s have the voice be an instrument. Let’s veer it more towards guitar, bass, drum rock band aggression. And I don’t mean in a corny rock and roll way, but let’s have a more modern foundation in terms of how it sounds. But let’s have the way the voices are arranged mimic an orchestral range.’ If that makes sense. The first thing I sent back to them was what really wound up being the foundation of the core of the end result.”

Smartly, Mike Snider continued on talk with video games and systems. You can read the entire interview by clicking here. But, what we’re concerned about is the debut full length How To Destroy Angels album (which is Reznor’s side project with Mariqueen Maandiq and Atticus Ross), which the journalist inquired over. The response leaves us jumping for joy, with Trent proclaiming “We have a finished album.”

“We’re doing a little bit of tweaks on it. The record will be out soon. We are doing a different type of distribution this time so it’s taking a little bit longer to coordinate stuff. There’s a lot of music about to be unleashed, videos, etcetera. I’m working on some new Nine Inch Nails stuff.”

So, let’s recap:
01. The theme song to Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
02. New How To Destroy Angels music.
03. New Nine Inch nails music in the works.

 

Posted in Sine Wave | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Album Review: Origamibiro – Shakkei Remixed

Posted on July 8, 2012 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Origamibiro Shakkei Remixed

SPECIAL NOTE: Keep an eye on 2020k. We’re giving away a few copies of Shakkei Remixed by Origamibiro in the very near future!

When it comes down to creating some of the more sophisticated, organic Electronic music, it’s Nottingham’s Origamibiro that does it best. The trio proved this in 2011, when they released their sophomore record Shakkei, which combined loads of field recordings, acoustic instrumentation, and manipulated loops, amongst other composing layers, that molded together an extraordinary work of art (read the 2020k review of Shakkei here). Fortunately, we have Shakkei Remixed, a compilation of re-workings from the original releases’s content that features productions from some great electronic, respected and under the radar artists.

Firstly, there are two major ways a remix album can work. The first way includes complete reworkings, new productions, and having the artists remixing the track completely annihilate the original and treat it as if it’s their own production. Some great remix releases have spawned out of this method, but Shakkei Remixed takes a different approach. When you listen to Remixed, it actually sounds like a continuation of it’s predecessor in that every artist weaves together their own take on a given track, while incorporating vast majorities of the native content.

Actually, one could even take this a step further and say that the artists featured on this compilation were all riding the same brainwave. All of the songs on this album contain the sort of vibes that radiate from each other and form something that sounds like a comprehensive album. We’re not talking purely based on great mastering (though the album does sound wonderful, sonically), but within the compositions and productions themselves. Rarely does this happen on a Remix disc, and it’s a flawless, enthusiastic feat that each individual involved should be proud of indirectly accomplishing.

Set In sand opens the seventeen disc set by delicately reconstructing and arranging the original stems of “Ballerina Platform Shoes” into a slightly more rhythmic feel before adding a morphing, warbling, semi-distorted sounding synthesizer line midway though the song. Right before a complicated percussive section toward the end of the song, there’s one particular bar that contains the original bass line, played, but with a beautiful reverberation technique that slowly fades in and feeds into the mix. This creates an amazing sense of depth and is unique in it’s way of treating the bass and reverb together to create a long attack. While it does exist in the original version of the song, it’s presence in this adaptation is contains more attention and focus.

Intriguing are the latter three remixes of “Ballerina…” that appear side by side, a little over halfway through the disc. It’s a bit strange to hear different takes of the same song side by side on a record as opposed to single release, but their differences allow for this to happen. Phylum Sinter remains pure in the way Set In Sand offers and The Remote Viewer gives a somber approach. The obscure route to this particular song is taken by Proem. Proem, who’s real name is Richard Bailey, provides one of the best remixes on the set by stripping away the diaphanous nature of the song’s foundation , and adds euphoric anxiety via whole note synth-bass notes, tightly sampled percussion. relies on the original track’s pads to add tension or disrupt it with glimpses of positivity.

Plaid (who remixed Bjork‘s “All is Full of Love” in 1999) dig into this compilation as well and give Origamibiro’s “Impressions of  Footfall” a bright, completely morphed, warm feel. The duo twists together an ambient intro that slowly builds up into a more complex structure. Several female vocals play their way through the middle of the 6+ minute journey, with an EQ boost toward the upper frequencies. This designs an airy effect that helps develop into a lead protion of the mix, without over crowding it. Throughout Plaid’s mix, there are several drastic changes to the remix’s formation that intertwine unexpectedly, but nicely.

Origamibiro

In contrast, Melodium also give “…Footfall” their go. The final outcome is one of the more emotional sections of Shakkei Remixed and in Origamibiro’s growing catalog of music. Melodically, the remix takes on repetition and uses it to the best possible advantage. Long reverberation techniques create powerful solitude on the track’s introduction and the field recording looping creates a mood for the melancholic drone that follows through the bulk of the mix’s anatomy. Unfortunately, Melodium’s mix clocks in at a quick 3:05 and contains a quick fade out that abruptly deserts the strong disposition, when it could have been assembled a bit further.

“Dusk & Umber” made it’s way onto our Top 20 tracks of 2011 and Isan generates quarter a small quarter note click while different instrumentation provides the forefront of the mix, allowing the overwhelmingly beautiful piano and string recording flourish in support. Eventually, samples, glitch-esque percussion drop in and out of the song before Moby-esque whole note strings (think the ones from his 18 album) are brought into the mix. For containing the quite densely recorded piano, the song still has a lot of sonic space inside of it and leaves a lot of room dynamically.

Within the realm of dynamics, Shakkei Remixed holds an absolutely beautiful average of 10db of range as an entire piece and even has The Remote Viewer Remix of “Ballerina Platform Shoes” holding an average of 15 db of dynamic range! These numbers are practically unheard of, so it’s jaw dropping, awe-inspiring, and definitely a must hear record. Tom Hill (who is a member of Origamibiro) did the mastering for this remix CD, so his work is to be commended for being able to string together so many talented, diverse tracks and complete a master that showcases each individuals work, while mastering the art of mastering by balancing out the levels quite nice without squashing any of the tracks or original integrity of them.

Of course, the package that the Remix CD comes in is remarkable as well and features artwork from The Joy Of Box, who is the visual aspect of Origamibiro. While, for the most part, the CD is housed within a simple slipcase, it’s the inside, front, back photographs that are simplistic enough to describe the essence of the band and the behind the scenes look that always seems to ironically be at the forefront of this band. 

All in all, Shakkei Remixed is a stunning 17 track collection of music, remixed music, visual elements, and successful collaborative endeavor that the trio and all artists involved in the making of this should be commended for.

Album rating: 4/5

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