The Face of Human Error

This logo was part of the packaging design of a gift I received from family who visited New...

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:48:21 -0400

This logo was part of the packaging design of a gift I received from family who visited New York.

As soon as I saw it my head sang N B C

Now – that’s down to the work of the graphic designer who capitalised on the NBC ident but still, it got me thinking about audio trademarks.

I have no affection for jingles. There is currently an acoustic theme song for a certain broadband company that, at times, refuses to leave my head. Sometimes these songs are pleasant, at least to begin with, but more often than not they are annoying. We – the savvy media consumers that we are - immediately recognise them as childish and silly and desperate for attention.

So I don’t like jingles but I find audio trademarks to be genius.

Where jingles are annoying, obvious and try very very hard to be likable and memorable in almost every case an audio trademark is in and out and in a handful of notes.

Always Coke-a-Cola. I’m Loving It.

These started with the jingle, granted but then they earned the right to play it cool through persistence and being musically simple to begin with.

Younger generations might not be familiar with the lyrics but the notes mean the brand and for the type of connection a corporation needs that’s all that matters.

It’s easier to teach the world to sing if you only have to teach them 3 notes.

Sheer economics of scale mean a Pavlovian response should be far more rewarding than wishing your company was a rock star.

I feel the most perfect example of an audio trademark is the first audio trademark: the NBC chimes.

The NBC chimes were born from the necessity to alert announcers at local affiliate broadcasters that it was time to do their callsign identification as required by the FCC.

NBC saw this as an opportunity to brand themselves sonically.

What really gets me about it is the versatility that’s available. The same 3 notes played with thousands of different sounds will all bring you back to the same place: the space that the singing corporation have carved out in your head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzwKAX-CgXE

Coming Soon.

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:51:00 -0400

Coming Soon.

Birthday Gifts.

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:37:15 -0400

Birthday Gifts.

One thing that music browsers have given me is an awareness of...

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:03:00 -0400

One thing that music browsers have given me is an awareness of track running times.

It’s interesting to notice how artists can have songs from different albums that have near identical run times. This is more than likely down to the formulas that these artists work to but still, it’s not something I’d have an awareness of if I was listening to albums without a bit of software filled with back-catalogues and labelling.

I wanted to infuse my next album (which I’m currently testing to see how well it wears) with a lot of physicality. Thematically the music tries to reach out, scratch and carve out a space. One way to bleed that physicality into interconnectivity felt to me to be with the running time (sort of like numerology but not really like it ‘cause that would be stupid.)

The run time gives bones to the narrative of an album, music browsers help me see the bones.

With this album I knew 13 tracks would suit the album best for several reasons. I wanted the opening (intro) track to be 1:23 and the middle track to be a perfect minute as it’s a palindromic piece separating one side of the album from the other. (That track would not exist if this album was on vinyl or cassette and had an actual “a” and “b” side.)

There are other bits of play with the run time idea but ultimately it was about serving the piece and not trying to hit a goal number so there’s no point in harping on any further really.

A track I put together mostly to clear out the cobwebs that...

Thu, 13 May 2010 11:07:29 -0400

A track I put together mostly to clear out the cobwebs that have gathered in my head the last couple of weeks.

Download it for free at http://soundcloud.com/the-face-of-human-error/puppet-show

The Chemistry Set

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:02:15 -0400

The Chemistry Set is a sample pack containing WAVs for 14 notes, a kick drum, a snare, a crash symbol and an open and closed high hat.

You can download it by clicking here

I wanted to do something very simple, - kind of like my version of this -

I had one of these as a kid, the only musical instrument I ever had until I was about 15 and stole my younger sister’s guitar. Looking at that picture I wish I’d named the samples Do Re Me Fa So La Ti. Shit.

Anyway - when you put all the WAVs together it sounds something like this

I hope it’s of some use to someone :-)

Video

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:09:57 -0500

A sound montage of the earth and it’s frequencies and...

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:51:45 -0500

A sound montage of the earth and it’s frequencies and noises.

It was going to be on the next album but I decided to cut it for lack of true poetry.

I still like to listen to it though, I hope you find it interesting also.

Video

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:19:18 -0500

Living Radio

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:23:50 -0500

My Ipod battery died just as I was on my way out. Fortunately my new phone has a proper audio jack and a radio receiver allowing me access to the wondrous frequency modulation band.

I don’t drive so I haven’t had a proper experience of forward momentum with the company of the radio for a good fifteen years I think so I’ve never really appreciated how much motion suits radio listening. And It really suits it.

I’m talking about music specifically as the comparable factor audibly. Listening to music on my Ipod and listening to the same recordings being physically played for me by another human being, coming to me over the squishy and compensated radio frequencies as I move forward in the dark gives the music a sense of drama, a sense of purpose.

“That was Them Crooked Vultures for Michael out in Lucan. Great track, great album” - radiates the authoritative toned voice in between relaying text messages. Here’s what you’re listening to. Here’s why you’re listening to it. Here’s what you should think. You belong to this community.

I hear this as the tram stops and starts, as people board and depart and I realise that radio works better when the listener is on the move, when the recording is being played for you rather than when you play it for yourself because the drama it creates is an appropriate drama. As I move I’m moving through the frequency spectrum as is everyone around me and everything I can see and the device I carry allows me to access that spectrum and connect to the other people moving through it.

The radio tells me that the frequencies of the world are alive.

Audio

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:18:25 -0500

In every city I’ve ever been in I’ve seen homeless...

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:59:48 -0500

In every city I’ve ever been in I’ve seen homeless people with musical instruments.

I’ve never seen a homeless person with an instrument position themselves publicly as they play in the hope of receiving loose change. I’m not saying that never happens but the ones I’ve seen (and I’ve seen a TON) have only ever been playing for themselves.

One of these days I’ll get the nerve to buy someone some new strings.

This is the opening track to the “pop” album...

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:51:45 -0500

This is the opening track to the “pop” album I’ve been working on (Hollywood Teeth).

Still a work in progress - there are some subtle differences between what’s here and the 30 sec clip of this that’s on the Myspace and there will be some major differences between this and the final version.

The name “Hollywood Teeth” will change too. Aweful name. I know what I was thinking but my God was I wrong. I have a new name in mind which will work very well I think.

The problems with the “pop” album are numerous but chiefly I don’t really like pop music so I probably have no business trying to write something poppy but I’m quite determined to do what my version of pop music is. The final result should at least be interesting to me.

This track is tentatively called “Baby Black Eye”.

It only makes sense I post some music right?

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:07:23 -0500

It only makes sense I post some music right?

Welcome

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:59:00 -0500

I have something of an idea as to what I’d like to do with this site - something dramatic and fictional. Something operatic in sense if not song. I’m saying this just because it seems appropriate to open with a mission statement. To say the intention is to go somewhere with this - not just to prattle on and post YouTube videos.

But before I get to the main trust of the site I have an album I’m hoping to get out at the start of next year.

This time last year I alluded to it on the ever emptying Myspace - you may have seen an image here. It will (now) be a double album with a companion object. Both the album’s will be available as CD’s or one as a free download and the other as a sort-of-free download. (the vagueness is not to create a sense of mystery - it is because I don’t know exactly what I’m doing yet!)

It will be a bit of a complicated release so I need to take my time in putting all the pieces together - one of those pieces being this site. If I was pathetic I’d call this site a Beta site - but we’re all grownups right? You get how the internet works. Wonderful.

I’m going to shove up a couple of “holding” posts while I clean house and build up steam. I hope you subscribe via RSS, follow with Tumblr, bookmark or just think of me and check in from time to time.

Your attention is appreciated.