Category: Blog

Blog

Paranerd – “New Works”

Paranerd is the Godfather of electronic music in Moncton. He has a recent release on Low Noise Productions and was kind enough to answer a few questions.

How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard you before?
“Do you know Aphex Twin? Kind of like that.”

That’s the easiest way to answer it though it’s too simplistic. I like Aphex Twin, but I was never influenced by his music. I liked his approach to making music and not necessarily all of the results. Just trying a bunch of things, trying to discover new sounds, melodies, beat sequences.

Squarepusher is my biggest musical influence. If I really had to get break it down, I’m a pop artist who’s trying to make something as perfectly poppy as Super Friendz ‘Mock Up, Scale Down’ who really likes to dabble in all kinds of creative things with electronic machines.

What gear/software/techniques did you use in making this recording?
I’ve been playing almost solely with hardware for the past 3 years and this EP is a result of that.

Crassid is Elektron Monomachine, Roland TR8, Volca Bass, Volca Sample, and Roland TB3. I think. I like playing with 8 step sequences and to try to make them evolve without being boring. Plus this track always fucks me up with where the start of the beat is. I consciously know where it is, but I keep getting tripped up. That’s what I liked about it when I first finished it, but now it kind of annoys me!

Tronnel is Monomachine and TR8. There might be some Quadraverb too. The main sound is some FM synthesis sounding like it’s getting stretched and mangle with some live tweaking. The TR8 is playing an 808 clave being effected by the built-in delay which I’m tweaking live to get that sweeping feedback sound.

Yog is Monomachine, TR8, TB3, Volca Sample I think. The Monomachine is playing the rubbery FM acid line with delay while the TB8 is playing the simple 4/4 909 and 808 percs. I think the TB3 is the subtle bass line. Volca Sample are those animal-type of breaths and voices, pitched way down. They’re stock samples from the Volca Sample. There are a number of good ones!

What mood or mental state do you hope to evoke in the listener with this music?
I really don’t know honestly. I like these tracks, I think they have some interesting elements, but I didn’t have any goal or intent other than making tracks I can listen to more than handful of times.

I think the FM elements are nice and raw without being too abrasive, they’re not angry sounding. They just sound cool and different compared to the usual acid 303 techno. I think a listener would think they sound dark or isolationist on first listen, but they’re more playful and whimsy than negative to my ears.

Follow Paranerd on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/paranerd/
Facebook: paranerdmusic

Blog

ELEPHANT SKELETONS – “The Traveller”

Elephant Skeletons recently won “Best Live Electronic Act” at the Party Sauce Awards. This past Saturday at Peppers Pub in Saint John he showed us why, with a non-stop 80-minute set that had people dancing from start to finish.

Here’s a little Q&A about the latest Elephant Skeletons album, “The Traveller.”

How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard you before?
Alternative Electronic music with Sax and Vocoder charged with mysterious and exotic sounds or simply …. dance music for fellow weirdos lol

What gear/software/techniques did you use in making this recording?
Everything was recorded and created in Ableton. Various instruments from my collection were used on this album including the Vocoder, Alto Sax, Electric Sitar, Accordiola, Jaw Harp, Theremin, Guitar, Clarinet, Acoustic Drums, Roto toms, “toy” keyboards and Metal Bowls. I don’t really have a written in stone process or technique for composing Elephant Skeletons songs, sometimes it will start with and a beat or a riff and then next thing I know hours have gone by and a song has emerged from jamming on the ideas.

What mood or mental state do you hope to evoke in the listener with this music?
The album has a reoccurring theme of a few different forms of travel and I would hope that when somebody listens to the album that they can come along on that journey and feel the excitement and wonder that Travelling to new places can evoke.

Check out the new album on bandcamp, including limited-edition vinyl:
http://www.elephantskeletons.bandcamp.com/


http://www.elephantskeletons.com/
https://www.facebook.com/elephantskeletons

 

Blog

Richie Hawtin – Calvin Klein FW17 mix

I haven’t posted much lately because I’ve been so busy with work. I got a job polishing rocket nose cones. I bet you didn’t know New Brunswick had rockets. I bet you didn’t know rockets had janitors! I will share with you one of the first things I learned at this crazy job: space is a messy place.

So there’s a new Richie Hawtin mix on SoundCloud and it’s two hours long. This is a political issue. How is a super-busy, stressed-out working class dude supposed to find two whole hours to listen to a DJ mix? Two hour DJ mixes are a pleasure of the leisure classes. Well, after a long day of polishing rocket nose cones I just want to unwind and listen to some Plastikman. So I’ve decided to listen to this thing while cooking supper.

No matter how long a day you’ve worked at the Gaspereau Forks rocket silo, a man still has to eat.

As some of you may know I only ever cook using a crock pot. It takes six hours to prepare enough food for a family of five and then I warm it up all week long.

It’s 10pm, I just got home, put the crock on, it’ll be ready at 4am, I leave for work at 5. No problem.

So now I’m listening to this Plastikman mix. Gonna see if I can get through the whole two hours while I sit and watch the crock pot. It’s not his typical techno stuff, more of an ambient, drone-y sort of vibe. More like a Basic Channel, “Consumed” kind of vibe. I’m 45 minutes in. It’s really good slow-cooker-watching music.

The crock pot is starting to warm up nicely. It’s full of vegetables and I threw in some hot Italian sausage plus a ton of chili spice.

The music sounds real nice. It reminds me of weather patterns swirling over an alien landscape.

In the thin Martian atmosphere, a cave is revealed. You can barely fit through the entrance to the cave in your pressure suit. Inside the cave, a crock pot glows with a subtle violet light. It’s plugged in. Condensation speckles the glass lid like refracted sunlight in the eye of an alien insect.

You sit down on the cave floor and stare at the crock pot. For how long? Hard to say. It feels like an hour and a half. Time has no meaning on this strange planet.

Is it your imagination, or is it starting to smell really good in here? Can smells travel in the absence of an atmosphere?

You have the rest of eternity to ponder that question.

As a bonus track, here is the best minimal techno video ever. Richie Hawtin playing a cowbell on a balcony in Berlin.

 

Blog

Shrimp Ring – “Activate Your Function”

We’re pleased to premiere a brand-new Shrimp Ring jam for you! The full EP will be released on Saturday March 18 at the Party Sauce Awards at Peppers Pub in Saint John, NB.

“Activate Your Function” is a synthesizer love song about two lovers who escape from planet Earth just before it blows up and go on to start a new life on a rotating space platform, which also blows up. Enjoy!

Blog

Doris Norton – “Personal Computer”

I’ve seen a bunch of posts about “influential women in electronic music” which is great but how come everyone always leaves out Doris Norton? She’s my hero! She was sponsored by Roland and Apple at the same time!

Personal Computer… Automatic Feelings… Norton Computer For Peace. Doris was basically a one-woman Kraftwerk. Just look at this crazy setup.

Blog

Review – Cellarghost “Ritual”

 

Fredericton based band Cellarghost have just released their follow up to their 2016 album In The Whiteout. This EP, entitled Ritual explores patterns of intimacy, inner conflict, and anxiety using a sort of dark over-exaggeration. The five tracks on this EP take you through the struggles that occur in life and they do it in a melodic and soothing way.

The first track on the EP called “Ritual” opens with a bright guitar sound. The lyrics come in and it completely sets the scene for the rest of the EP. This song strongly deals with inner conflict. The chorus of the song speaks for itself. The song ends in a much darker way than it begins, and really prepares you for what’s to come. The following track “Hotel” deals with intimacy and and anxiety. My favourite part of the song is the repeated lyric “There’s so much more here”. The third track, “No Dawn,” is a beautiful song that deals with issues of intimacy and struggles of life. “Love after love, I sing rituals”.

The first single to be released was Mothic. All the preceding songs were just building up to this one. The eerie opening sounds followed by the dark guitar riff really pull you into the song. This song is very centered around inner conflicts and questioning life itself. The lead guitar on this track is a perfect contrast to the rhythm guitar, the lead playing a brighter progression with the rhythm still playing the dark chords. When you listen to this song you’ll feel something; right near the end a cello comes in and you think to yourself “This is what I’ve been needing”.

The final track, the second single to be released, is entitled “Burial.” After the dark overtones of “Mothic” this song is a perfect follow up. The song opens with just bass and drums before the guitars. This songs deals with the inner conflict of anxiety. The vocals begin softly and build as he feels stronger and more in control of what he is feeling. This track is a perfect close to the EP, finishing off with the contemplation of all of life with the lyrics “I need a tether to keep me here / In orbit / On this strange, strange rock.”

Cellarghost have done the unthinkable with this EP, bringing together intimacy, inner conflict, and anxiety.

Cellarghost shows that are coming up are:

February 28th in Saint John at Taco Pica

March 3rd in Sackville at Thunder & Lightning

March 4th in Fredericton at Read’s

 

by
February 26, 2017
Blog

I Don’t Remember Anything About My Life…

Music that gives us another piece of the story with each release.  If you haven’t been introduced to the mystery man known as Pylot I suggest you get acquainted.  Who are they?  Where are they from?  Not even they know.  All we know is that they are on the label MonsterCat from Vancouver, BC.

If you are into Dystopian 80’s movies and their soundtracks you’ll probably love this.  I recommend starting with “EntryOne” and going through each piece of the story here: http://iampylot.com/

The latest release “Shadowtask” goes with Entry Six.  It’s a full EP this time.  Does this mean we are getting closer to the end? To the truth?

 

Blog / Events

Chillysauce – Party Sauce chill night

Recently we held the first Party Sauce chill night in Saint John. Chillysauce. This was our attempt to capture the vibe of the chill room at a ’90s rave. The plan was to keep the volume and the tempo down low enough so people would feel free to talk, mingle, lie back and chill, or even get up and dance if they wanted to. Based on these criteria, I must say the night was a complete success!

Musical performances were provided by Robert T. Wilson, Gold Punks and Jaguar Knight. Awesome photos by Marc “DJ Bones” Leblanc. Video and sound to follow!

Blog

Cellarghost – “Mothic”

Snowed in? Going crazy? Here are some fun things you can do to pass the time on a snow day.

1. Write a story about Martian ghost babies. Tell it to yourself in the mirror.

2. Staple boxes of cereal to the wall. Walk around and stuff your face.

3. Draw smiley faces on all your lightbulbs with a Sharpie.

4. Open every can of food in the house and dump it all in the bathtub. Have a nice soak.

5. Listen to this brand new Cellarghost jam really loud while you practice falling down the stairs.

Blog

“Surf Music”

Did you ever see a band setting up and you just knew you were instantly going to like them? That’s how I felt about Tough Age when I saw them at the Halifax Pop Explosion a few years ago. This high energy group from Vancouver/Toronto pulled me in instantly. The funnest thing I remember from the show was the bass player Lauren Smith. I was convinced she was the long lost-sister of the Ramones. Head down, dark hair in her face, jumping up and down, banging on her bass.

It didn’t hurt that they were on Mint Records. A label who I owned every release from when I was 14-15. A label who received all the money I had allotted for the whole weekend during a 10 minute shopping spree. Among other things I purchased every Tough Age album they had because if there is one thing I like it is surfy garage punk music.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better they put out this EP about a week ago. It includes a song called Scald that is heavy on the synths thanks to Jay Arner.

Bonus: They always have neat album artwork.

See Also:

Jaguar Knight – new ep

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