Meeting Haiku #1
Wednesday September 03rd 2008, 11:04 am
Filed under: Everything Else

The manager sits
in the meeting computing
while others decide

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Post-Graffiti
Friday July 25th 2008, 4:38 pm
Filed under: design, art, the artificial world

Something about graffiti makes me believe we’re live in a vital time when regular people are creating masterpieces.

It’s illicit, some of it’s beautiful, and it keeps changing. Graffiti reclaims urban spaces from the developers and planners and reminds us that we actually live in these spaces and have some power to affect them. What started as ghetto kids with spray-cans has given rise to a robust culture that continues to change as it interacts with our artificial habitat.

Clean Graffiti

Reclaiming Signage

Bright Lights

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Metal
Friday July 18th 2008, 12:00 pm
Filed under: Everything Else

I think this is the first time I’ve really understood metal.

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Embrace Change
Friday June 27th 2008, 10:42 am
Filed under: Everything Else

I like records.

I like CDs.

I like Mp3s.

I like buying music.

I like being given music.

I like stealing music.

I like making music.

I also like turntables, serato, CDJs, samplers, sequencers, Ableton, Reason, MPCs, guitars, drum kits, drum machines, synthesizers, soft synths, midi controllers, programmable control interfaces, etc., etc., etc.
:]

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Music and Design on Modern Life
Thursday June 19th 2008, 11:33 am
Filed under: art, photo

Daniel Reetz and Meg Holle put together the haunting and compelling Fake: You are not dead project. You can download the album and book from the site.

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Factory Sampled
Sunday February 10th 2008, 6:20 pm
Filed under: Production, music

With all the insanity going on around here I’ve started to realize my life is a little more real than I’d thought. Because of that I’ve been producing again instead of watching science-fiction TV. Not doubt that shit will rot your brain even when it’s good.

I whipped this tune up a coupla nights ago using the default hiphop factory patch on me MPC1000 using the awesome, un-official JJOS.  What started as a study of what I could do with the factory samples turned into a mellow, evolving, minimalist piece.  I gave it a little love in Ableton and here we are.

Audio: Zone 1

Also, check out DJ K-Rox’s set on the WXYC’s New Science Experience from last week. K-Rox played an incredible hour of house and techno and thanks to the awesome people who run the station I was able to record it.

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Frabric 01
Tuesday October 09th 2007, 4:42 pm
Filed under: music

For my second collaboration with Joey Carr we shot for a more aesthetic experience. This piece is an exercise in layering, melody and texture.

Listen: Fabric
Watch: Fabric

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Quickie UI Review: Click-Shirt.com
Wednesday October 03rd 2007, 11:06 am
Filed under: software, design, the artificial world, web space

http://www.click-shirt.com/
UI Review

controldetails.jpg

I got pointed to click-shirt.com from a co-worker.  Because I’m working on a flex based book-building application (the Lulu Studio ™) I’ve started taking notice of the RIA (Rich Internet Applications) popping up around the web.  Click-shirt came through my in-box and made quite an impression thanks to its simplicity and ease of use.  The app takes advantage of a Cafe-Press API and Open Lazlo (an open source Flash/Flex competitor to allow users to create graphics for a t-shirt right in their browser.  I’ll spare you my thoughts on what these kinds of apps mean for software until later.  Below is a quick UI review of Click-Shirt.

The Good:

  • Cinimatic Transitions b/w steps
    • Slide transitions provide contextual continuity between steps
  • Simplicity of initial view
    • The initial view gives you only a couple of options to begin interacting.
      • Add artwork: Photo, Text, or Shapes
      • dragging one displays more controls
  • Detailed controls
    • Detailed controls display all options for an element
  • Iconic Help “Card”
    • The help card is largely icon based and clear.
    • Groups simplest, most likely actions first, then more “advanced actions”
    • Explains key commands
    • Main issues highlighte d

    helpcard.jpg

  • History/Undo
    • Provides visual representation of ‘edit points
  • history.jpg

The Problematic

  • Focus feedback
    • When multiple elements are selected on the page it’s hard to tell what is selected.
  • Remove Elements
    • You can accidentally drag elements out of the work area without deleting them, though these elements shouldn’t ever show up on the shirt.
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Sea Worm
Tuesday September 25th 2007, 11:21 am
Filed under: Everything Else

Sea WormJoey Carr needed a piece for a 30 second animation.

30 seconds is a surprisingly short amount of time for music. The first few takes of this ended up being 2-2.5 minutes and it took some doing to get it down to required time.

Listen: Sea Worm
Watch: Sea Worm

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Eno
Saturday September 15th 2007, 2:41 pm
Filed under: Life

dcp_1738.jpgThe Eno River runs from the western piedmont through Hillsborough and Durham into Falls Lake. Agricultural runoff fuels the river that meanders through the country and the rural areas of Durham. From a birds eye it reminds me that South isn’t down and that the complex topography of the region determines where the rivers flow.

dcp_1728.jpgLast summer I was introduced to the Quarry created in the mid 1960s to provide limestone for I-85. Earlier this summer I decided to do some more exploring of the Eno.

dcp_1720.jpgThe Eno is modest and shallow, slowly filling in with sand, and soil and plants, providing sanctuary to fish, birds, snakes, frogs, turtles, small mammals and insects. Being so close it offers a respite from the metropolitan mundacity of the parts of the Triangle that I spend most of my time. There are houses and developments near the river but the borders of state and municipal parks shelter the river from the voracious growth going on around it.

dcp_1732.jpgI quickly fell in love with the river. Walking the trails and tromping through the river itself provides the kind of satisfaction I’ve only gotten from surfing before. The trails, both maintained and improvised, that run along the banks have let me explore a bit and reach places far enough out of the way that I’m able to hop rocks and sit in the river without interruption except for the occasional flock of geese honking and crapping everywhere.

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Getting Play
Tuesday June 26th 2007, 2:43 pm
Filed under: music

The internet is a vast and mysterious place. You can find some really great stuff there. In fact, a whole bunch of the music I play when I play out comes from these very same interwebs.

The wonder of the internet is not only what you can find, but that people find you.

Turns out that someone in SF who I’ve never met is playing one of my tunes. I’m not sure how she would have found it since I haven’t put up any links to it or anything. Not that I’m complaining.

So anyway, I thought I’d give the tune a little love and make it a little easier to get at: Holy Roller.

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B-More Satisfaction
Friday June 15th 2007, 12:14 am
Filed under: music

Seems like everyone is doing B-More remixes these days. It’s almost like a rite of passage for producers who make club music. Here’s my offering:
B-More Satisfaction

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BumpTop Software
Wednesday June 13th 2007, 12:53 am
Filed under: software, design, the artificial world

BumpTop screenshotAnand Agarawala’s BumpTop Software project uses videogame quality graphics, animations, and most importantly physics to file management. He gives a brief but impressive demo at TED.
Not exactly a new idea, but a very nice implementation that sets the bar high. Using multi-touch screens and vibration feedback in concert with a these kinds of renderings would be a hell of a jump from the 1970s I/O devices we have now.
I’m interested to see how the user research comes back. I think the trick with this one may have more to do with playability than usability.

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grey
Friday May 04th 2007, 2:51 pm
Filed under: Everything Else

I’ve been thinking about killing this blog but every so often something happens that reminds me why I keep this little plot of self-indulgence on the web.

Catch you on the other side, Chris.

My heart goes out to all who loved him.

Can I just say that sometimes it looks like the world sucks.

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Summer Dub Style
Friday June 16th 2006, 12:37 am
Filed under: dj mix, music

As promised in the last post, I present the dubstep mix from this Saturday’s performance at Cafe Driade for the Wandering Star Project. Big ups to Todd for getting me out there. A shout to One Duran for hooking me up with sound. And a ‘thanks for saving my ass’ to Charlie and Margaret for have dj gear hanging out in their cars when I forgot such critical things as a power strip.

To be completely transparent I should note that this is not actually _the_ mix from Saturday because my dumb ass forgot to push the record button. The download below is the same mix as done on saturday night but performed again and polished at home. While this may make me a big ol’ cheater to some I’m convinced it yields a better listening experience.
tick

A Tick Bite Dub (160Kbs/52megs/45min)

yugen vs. ESG - Intro
Burial - Broken Home
Skream - Rottan
DJ Distance - Dark Crystal
Pinch - Qawali/Qawali VIP
Skream - Untitled
Coki - Officer
Yugen - Holy Roller
Pinch & P. Dutty - Alien Tongue
Loefa - Bombay Squad
Vex’d - Pop Pop Vip
Skream - Glamma
Kode9 - Sub-Kontinent
Kode9 - Dislokated
Al Haca Soundsystem - We Sick
Kode9 - Ping
T.S. Heritage - Trumpet of the East Wind
Kode9 - Swarm
Skream - Smilin’ Face



Leftside DJ events in the CH this weekend
Friday June 09th 2006, 11:30 am
Filed under: art, the artificial world, music

Wootini is having a gallery opening this (and every second) Friday. These things are always good. I mean seriously, every time. DJs Silvaback and Uzi will be selecting the right cuts your outsider-art gallery experience.

wootini cardboard show

Also, I got a rare request to play dubstep for the Wandering Star Project, a 3 day (June 7-10) multimedia event, at Cafe Driade in Chapel Hill Saturday, June 10. The
set is going to be somewhere in between traditional DJing and live production.

This is going to be awesome. Visuals projected onto screens in the trees and live performers at one of the most beautiful venues in the Triangle. I start around 8pm and play ’tillabout 9.

Check back here for a recording of the set.



Live Dancehall Mix
Thursday June 01st 2006, 8:21 pm
Filed under: dj mix, music

yugen@nse May 28.

This mix was an experiment in how fast I could get a mix together in Ableton Live. The product is a decent if simple software mix that starts out with some dubby dancehall, moves into some reggaeton, goes off on a bit of a jungle tangent, and comes down into some triphop (am I still allowed to use that term?).

Anywho, it was recorded live at WXYC for the weekly mix show The New Science Experience that runs Sundays from 10PM to 12AM. You can listen in at 89.3FM if you’re in the Triangle or online via the website linked above. Check the nse site (also linked above) for more audio archives of the show.



untitled noise 1
Thursday May 18th 2006, 11:17 pm
Filed under: music

untitled noise 1

The noise piece attached is a treatment of We’s √-1. It’s primarily an experiment in band filtering.

The record was playing on the turntable, routed into the computer, into Live which sent the signal to a send track that was set to pre-fader. Parameters were tweaked in realtime and the output was resampled and edited using Apple’s Soundtrack software.

Soundtrack isn’t a bad little multitracker, though the interface isn’t particularly intuitive for one who has already spent some time with audio software. It does allow the use of some Logic effects like tape delay and compression.



SignalFest: April 7/8 Chapel Hill
Tuesday March 28th 2006, 12:47 pm
Filed under: Events, music

signal logo

SignalFest is the Southeastern Electronic Music Festival to take place in Chapel Hill across six venues over two nights. Headliners include Robbie Hardkiss, Deepsky, and Jason Forrest (AKA Donna Summer). There are also more local djs and musicians playing than I have time to list here. Check out SignalFest.com for more information on Signal.

Weekend passes are on sale now via eTix. Get ‘em here.

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Dj C and Wayne&Wax mash-up Chapel Hill, March 23.
Saturday March 04th 2006, 4:19 pm
Filed under: Events, dj mix, music

dj C

March 23, 1200 Problems compatriot One Duran and I are hosting Mashit recording artists DJ C and Wayne&Wax at the Local506. In addition to their killer releases on Mashit and Beat Research, these two bostonians write a pretty mean blog post on the riddim meth0d and http://wayneandwax.blogspot.com/. Chris Toenes of the The Independant is going to be writing an article on these two mash-up-era rennaissance men, and Wayne will be giving a talk at UNC on Friday, March 24 at 3pm.

I highly recommend checking out the Mashit and Beat Research sites as well as the blogs, the riddim meth0d and http://wayneandwax.blogspot.com/, for a full sampling of what these guys are doing. Both sites are rife with mp3 downloads and streaming audio to whet your appetite for the show.

Update: Mix Sets
DJ C Live at the Local 506
Wayne&Wax at NSE

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