www.fastcodesign.com/1669595/beatsurfing-ipad-app-lets-you-design-a-frankenstein-music-instrument
Category: music
Exclusive Interview with Lullabies for the Lost
- Just in case you’re not in the loop, Lullabies for the Lost is this phenomenal one person act with musical recluse Mike Jensen making some of the trippiest music around. Sourbrains was lucky enough to get an exclusive interview. You can also find the music on soundcloud.com/lullabies-for-the-lost or his website- www.lullabiesforthelost.com/
How would you describe your music and what instruments do you use? And what genre would you call it?
“I usually loosely describe it as trip-hop when I explain the project to people which usually makes them think of like Massive Attack or Portishead but it’s really more in the vibe of Dj shadow’s “Endtroducing…..” and “Private press.” I use a lot of samples but I also try and play as much of it as I can as well. Technically there are no instruments on the EP at all. I have a couple cheap midi keyboards I picked up over the years and the micro phone from rock band Wii so we are talking no budget production here just using whatever I had and hacking it together to make it work. As for the sampled instruments on the EP the most prominent one is a Japanese folk instrument called a Koto. It just has this very distinct sound that I just love.”
What’s the best compliment you’ve ever had?
“As far as this project goes I think the best compliment I’ve received so far was “Wow this doesn’t suck nearly as much as stuff you normally play”. (Mike laughed) At least I think that was a compliment. I don’t think I’ve ever really had any people come up and tell me “wow this is the most amazing thing I have ever heard it changed my life.” Normally I just get “it’s not bad…. when’s your next show?” It’s really just the little the little bits of encouragement that keep me going.”
Who/what influenced you the most growing up?
“I really got into popular music in high school listening to Nirvana (well after it was cool btw) Weezer , 311 , Incubus and Deftones then starting branching out into electronic music mostly trance back then, I loved Paul Oakenfolds radio 1 mix. For the person who not so much influenced but supported me most with music was my dad. He would listen to the absolute worst music, couldn’t carry a tune to save his life and I don’t think ever picked up and instrument but he bought me my first guitar and would buy me a new piece of kit for my birthday or Christmas much to the anger of my step mother. He also let me go out in the garage and just wail away on a little peavey 15 watt amp that must have just sounded like I was running a car though a wood chipper but he never complained and was always supportive of all of my projects.”
Who/what inspires your music, or: what music do you listen to now?
“Lullabies for the Lost was very heavily inspired by DJ Shadow’s “Endtroducing…..” And also by bands like Boards of Canada, Team sleep, Röyksopp and Sigur Rois. LFTL has been a bit of a departure from what I’ve been DJing for the last few years which has been predominantly heavy indie electro stuff like Le Castle Vania, boyz noise, MSTRKRFT, and Daft Punk.”
How far along is this collection of Lullabies for the Lost? Are you planning on an album? If so, when?
“I have about 5 songs finished for the EP so far. A good friend of mine who is just a studio wizard and I are going to be finishing production and mastering the tracks in the next few weeks so the EP should be ready for release about mid-December. Then I plan on playing out as much as I can to support the EP while working on producing some new tracks. Once there is enough interest and support in the project I’ll work on releasing a full album, I’m hoping about mid-summer for the full length.”
What mental state are you in when creating music?
“Utter mental and physical exhaustion. I was (and still am) working two jobs and going to school, averaging about 70 something hours a week and sleeping for maybe 4-5 a night if I was lucky. In that state I didn’t want to listen to anything too fast or heavy I just wanted music to chill out to on my long drive home from work in the middle of the night. Something I could just throw on when I left work and space out too and the next thing I knew I would be pulling in my driveway.”
Are you disappointed with your lack of lustful groupies? Isn’t that why every guy takes up music?
“To be disappointed one had to expect that first. I think making music is a lot like owning a BMW sports car in this respect. Guy buy it and think man this is a great looking car, they only built like 500 so its super rare, and it has the performance and styling upgrade package and some ultra-light rims and thinks girls are going to think this car is so fucking sweet and be crawling over each other to get with him. Then only other car guys ever care about the car and all the girls he tries to talk to about it just look bored or tell him they like his Mercedes. Music is kinda this same way if you go into it just to try and impress people you’re doing it wrong. I know personally in my 15 years of playing in bands and DeeJaying it has never once ever impressed a girl. The real trick is being able to play a show with 5 people and make that the best show you ever had.”
What qualities, besides talent, do you think are most important in a musician?
” I really think being able to evoke an emotion in someone is critical it lets you connect to your audience and have them take the ride with you. If your music doesn’t make people feel anything then what’s the point?”
What is your favorite vice?
“I don’t know that I would call it a vice but I pretty much live on coffee, cigarettes and Rock star energy drinks. It’s not a vice, but more of an addiction. ”
When/where are you happiest?
“I’m happiest out interacting with a crowd. Not so much giving a performance, but interacting with the audence and bringing them with me and sharing something”.
How would you like to die?
“Doing 200 mph in a super car that’s on fire and flying through the air seems like a pretty bad ass way to go.”
Once again, you can find his work at:
My Review of Symmetry: Everything Must Glow 18+ Indie Electro Dance Party in Manchester NH
This is a review specifically about the night. Having not been to L&M Grand often enough, I’m unable to make a decision on whether or not I would want to frequent this club. That being said, it’s obvious that this night didn’t really wow me all that much. I’m definitely going to give this club another go though. I did have a pretty good time.
The First thing I noticed when pulling in, was the really uncoordinated parking. It didn’t appear that there was a lot attendant on site at first. For a club, there actually was a lot of parking available, and there are parking garages nearby and usually plenty of on street parking. After parking, an attendant actually did come out, and asked us to turn our car in a different direction to get people parking the other way. It turns out, some cars were actually parked on a street. I guess a road runs right through the parking lot of the club.
The outside of the club looks awesome. The sign for the club is a sight to see. Huge lettering, and bright colors. Also, the lighting on the exterior of the club suggests a high class club. There was a pretty decent sized line when we got there, but we were VIP’s so we got to skip the line, and 21+ get’s you in for free, 18+ you get $10 off. That’s a pretty good discount. There was a delay at the door, mostly because we had bags with glow stuff, and there was only one guy handling both the VIP and the regular line, instead of having someone there to handle each one. That wasn’t too much of a problem, but it held things up.
Inside the club, we noticed that for a glow party, there wasn’t a whole lot of black lights. We got there just in time to see Beneath The Sheets finish up their set, and then they got right into the DJ’s. We figured that because it was a glow party, they would turn down the lights for everything except for the black lights and some of the colored lights, but the lights never came down. Some people were dressed in Neon colors, but most were not. This just seemed like a normal club night to me, and didn’t have the feel a glow party should. The bartenders looke great! They definitely came ready to glow, but the patrons were not prepared for a glow party. I came with a whole bunch of light sticks, and got hit up like every minute for one. Hardly anyone brought anything that actually glows. My friend Adrien and I brought Illuminated Poi, and he knows a few tricks. I brought mine out for a bit, and actually learned a little from following his advice. Although, after a while, it was apparent that people at the club were far too drunk, and didn’t really understand what was going on. People kept walking right into the space that Adrien was spinning. We managed to get some good photos though, and security didn’t ask us to put away the Poi, so they were at least welcoming to it. No one else had any illuminated Poi, or anything that actually glows in the dark. I have a feeling that a lot of people had no idea what the theme was. They just wanted to go to a club on a Thursday night.
One of the really good things about the club, and going out in NH in general was the drink prices. It was only $3 for most single liquor drinks. I got a gin and tonic, and was saddened that it was not glowing. I didn’t end up seeing their beer selection. The bar looked pretty awesome. It was lit up blue, and had flat panel LCD screens mounted above with psychedelic patterns, (AKA Screen savers) running on them. The bar was also well stocked, and very long with plenty of bar tenders staffed. I did not wait too long for drinks, and the prices were very reasonable.
The scene at the club though left something to be desired. It’s sad to say, but the club would have been a better experience if there were more hipsters. All in all, not too bad though. Everyone seemed very respectful. Everyone was having a really good time. There were plenty of people getting dirty on the dance floor, and I didn’t see any fights! I got on the dance floor, and found everyone to be very friendly, and a lot of the girls there were really attractive and also very friendly. One thing I noticed that really surprised me was a guy going up to a girl and trying to dance with her. When she pushed away from him, he actually said, “Oh, did you not want to dance? I’m sorry.” and Walked away and left her alone. Kudos to that guy for being that respectful. That really impressed me.
Did I mention the girls here are really friendly?
All in all, it was a pretty good night. Everyone was friendly, the music was good, the drinks were cheap, and the girls there were really fun. I’d recommend this club as a good alternative to the Boston clubs, but not as a substitute. This may have been good, but it’s got a long way to go to be even close to the Boston scene. The difference between this club, and other New Hampshire club nights, is that I think this club actually has a chance to be just as awesome as the Boston clubs in time. And if it doesn’t step up to the plate, just note that the line for this club was huge. Tons of people couldn’t get in. There is definitely a large enough desire for a new club that IS willing to step up to the challenge.
So get out to L&M Grand and Participate! YOU make a place great when you and your friends all go there and are friendly and make new friends there. I will be going back, and I’ll be bringing friends with me. And hopefully having a ton of fun every time I go.
In Lieu of Epic Meal Time and Jenna Marbles This Week, I Offer This Riveting Installation of Editorial Opinion:
So, since I was thoroughly unimpressed with the episodes of Jenna Marbles and Epic Meal Time this week, I’ve decided to go a different route and throw my two cents in about two things most of us love; the joys of both music and totally sweet video games.
No doubt some of you, especially the video game fanatics out there have seen the TV spot for the new game coming out called “Dark Souls.” After seeing the spot played a few time while watching some of my favorite nerd shows on SyFy (I still hate the “new” spelling of the goddamn name,) I became intrigued by the choice of music behind the trailer’s stunning visuals. So I did a little digging and discovered what I understand is a relatively new band called The Silent Comedy, and the song featured in the spot is called “Bartholomew.” I’m sure there are also some of you who will say “oh I was way into them before this tv spot, I’m so fucking elite” and to that I answer, suck on my shitpipe you worthless hipster douchebag piece of shit.
Anyway, I did a 
slight bit of further digging and found their entirely self-produced most recent record called Common Faults (they recorded one prior EP with Atlantic Records, the name of which I am unaware,) which if you like the track “Bartholomew” you should probably acquire legally through their website, as I myself am clearly not an advocate of illegal pirating of music in any way whatsoever. There are videos of theirs scattered all across YouTube which you can find by doing a simple search for “The Silent Comedy.” Against my better judgement I checked out some of their other songs, and despite the fact that they all look like complete trendy hipster douchebags with their stupid little hats, PBR tallboys appearing throughout their videos, mod-esque clothing style and even one particularly intense handlebar mustache, the music is actually pretty decent. And I’m not even the type for this kind of music except that it kind of brings me back to a sort of heavier rendition of a ragtime soul/bluegrass era of music from the deep south. Being from the south myself, I have an appreciation of such things. Also they have a violinist, which scores them points with me. So despite how vehemently my hatred runs deep for their choice of outward appearances and conformity to the newest trendy norm of hipster fashion and aesthetics, I must give them credit for not totally sucking the sweaty ballsack of a donkey in their efforts to make music. Much like I can’t stand the visual appearance of Mumford and Sons, I do thoroughly enjoy their pared-down folksy sound.
Anyway, with that said, I give to you both the Dark Souls trailer featuring their song “Bartholomew” and a longer, unedited cut of the song itself. If you like it, I recommend downloa… er… buying, through completely legal means, their CD entitled Common Faults available from www.thesilentcomedy.com and I’m sure retailers somewhere who still give a shit about music instead of fucking Lady Gaga. (Who just for the record, I would murder with my bare hands if I had half a snowball’s chance in hell of getting away with it.)
DARK SOULS : Bartholomew Trailer
The Silent Comedy – Bartholomew [From Dark Souls Trailer] + Lyrics
[r.b.]
Epic Motherf@ckin’ Meal Time Back in Full Force, Haters!
Alright, so it’s no secret I’ve been wicked slacking off the last three weeks or so with the ever-important posting of the Epic Meal Time boys’ adventures. I’ve been busy, but I know that’s no excuse. So for that, I most humbly and sincerely apologize.
You ever seen a guy eat 9mm bullets made by the sheer force of crushing a Jack Daniel’s soaked burgers into ammunition? Well I don’t really want to spoil it for you, but here it is, back to get your bacon on, and in this episode, they truly show some serious bacon sweet, sweet love, with a heavy nod to the interwebs nerds out there and their mad video editing skills. Nerds and bacon, what more could you possible ask for, you greedy bastards?
Observe, gaze and be amazed. Watch it at least twice to fully soak in the awesomeness.
West Coast Burger Pile – Epic Meal Time
And if you happened to be wondering about that awesome track at the end of every episode, you can find the full dubstep bacon beats here:
And another sweet dubstep mix called the “Sauce Boss” by Plavik & Quixin:
Plavik & Quixin – Sauce Boss (EpicMealtime Dubstep)
