BlogOFF - I mean, not in a mean F You way
My hott lady (Chimp Chat) and I are going to get back into actually posting to our blogs in one way or another. She’s more of a wordsmith and I’m more of a copy/paste, audio snip poster with no real focus on what my blog is about other than: random musings. So I guess I’ll keep it as-is, biz as usual, modus operandi same-same.
With my wifey’s persistent prodding, I just may keep up with it. The goal is a daily post. Get ready for some random shit. That’s the way I operate, at least for the next 2 minutes.
So Blog Off you dirty shrimp jackers!
Dr. Shrimpp Z. Budgets
Visitor - Quiet Time
Some more self-manipulated noises driven by the Casio & Rhodes. Then the rest of the insanity follows on fuzz bass, Minimoog, Hammond M100, guitar, percussion, gas.
Go here for the rest of the trrrracks:
Visitor - Racecar Ham
Have a lissen to a recent assemblage of noises and transients by Visitor (bh).
Inspired by post-Lifetime Larry Young, King Crimson improvs and Egg.
Checkkit/dl at http://visitor.bandcamp.com
Here’s a fun write-up by James Joyce about the terribly short-lived, hi-energy space rave-up fuzz combo, Early Modern Witch Trials.
Free, downloadable EP by the Hidden Noise Ensemble! Featuring me and my friend Blake Helton on guitars, percussion and various electronics.
Had an awesome time on Sat (5/7/11) as part of this one shot all-star group (IMO) at the AUX 5 festival in Athens, GA. Great stuff. Also got to play another set with Colin Bragg as the Hidden Noise Ensemble. A satisfying day, indeed. Wrapped up with some tasty bites from The Grit.
Played bass with Ben Coleman & James Joyce (Judi Chicago, Noot d’Noot) on Fri 5/6/11 at Smith’s Olde Bar/Stairs/Carpet. A real interesting smattering of folks and covers. We rocked on Cornershop’s Brimful of Asha.
Snow Daze are over…goodbye ham hand table fun. Back to reality. It’s kind of refreshing to be honest.
Slowly getting some momentum on BH info blog v.4. Here’s the kick-ass synth that Travis Thatcher (recompas/voice of saturn/judi chicago) masterminded. I’ve had it for about 6 months now and it is still amazing me with the sounds I can create (or stumble onto, rather). Limited only by the number of banana cables in your possession.
Here’s a post from co-conspirator Colin Bragg from Sat nite (w/Brian Kirk on bass). Was a great nite of music playing with the Jeff Crompton Quartet!
Kings of Atmosphere
The Colin Bragg Trio performed at Kavarna Cafe in Oakhurst GA this weekend. I am discovering that our strength is blending raw garage sounds with Impressionistic colors - thus these two realizations of Angelo Badalamenti and Terje Rypdal tunes, kings of atmosphere.
About me
If this were the 70s and a 21-year-old Blake Helton was trying to avoid the draft, he’d pack up his drums and head for Germany in hopes of making some krautrock-infused fuzzy space jazz-rock. The kind with with the occasional pedal steel. By 1974, he’d have pilgrimaged to the Middle East, West Africa and India for immersion in the indigenous classical and funky butt-shaking sounds (and snacks) that echoed the climate and culture of the day. Picking up a lot of native instruments along the way, Blake would then have returned to Germany to pay some bills and check in with his old lady, but a ferry stop in Cyprus would detour him for a bit so he could sit in with a Cypriot metal band.
Time enough for grilled meat, Keo Beer, glue delivery vans and an EP release in Holland, he’d find himself back in the States, eventually thrust in to a more improvisatory world. One which brings all his life experiences and sonic absorptions to the surface. Like the hypnotic sound of 16th notes played on a gallon Nido milk can over thunderous Kenyan drums and storytelling chants, the dissonant harmony of overlapping calls to prayer from tinny old speaker horns and loud music from a beat-up taxi, thick bass tones from a Gordon Lightfoot track, chewy electric piano swells and nasty synth textures from Stevie Wonder's Innervisions oozing out of a plastic record player, the feeling you get when a jam reaches its explosive peak, discovering the endless possibilities connecting your inner creative juices with your instrument as the wellspring.
Like his fantasy-self, Blake can't help but summon these influences when communicating with others on his instruments and believes reaching out and finding new captivating sounds and inspiration is what it's all about. Creating something out of nothing – letting it happen organically, like a stimulating conversation. Before you know it, it's gone, so you need to dig it while it's happening.
- BH Discography
- ChimpChat
- patch atoms
- colin bragg music
- recompas
- judi chicago
- Beyond Failure
- 4th ward afro klez orch
