Author: DC (Page 494 of 1088)

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Disneyland employs a patented ‘Smellitzer’ device designed to pump certain scents around. The Smellitzer uses a series of pumps and vents to launch the smells 200 feet at just the right second. And then an exhaust system sucks the odor out of the room before it interferes with your next sensory experience. Everything is pleasant in Disneyland, because the park has your very sensations under lock and key. Whether it’s a waft of sea salt in Pirates of the Caribbean, or vanilla in Main Street, your senses are constantly being played for fools. In all, 14 rides, shops, and attractions in Disneyland employ the Smellitzer technology.

 

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When Disneyland first opened in 1955, the roving costumed Mickey Mouse mascot figure looked like this.

 

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Walt Disney’s final words – written rather than spoken – were, rather cryptically ‘Kurt Russell’. No one, including the actor himself, has any idea why.

 

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People occasionally dump their loved ones’ ashes at Disneyland. Popular spots include the Haunted Mansion of course and Pirates of the Caribbean. Two stories in particular stand out, both involving a mother dumping the ashes of their dead sons on their favorite rides. Supposedly you can see the dead boys crying on a pirate boat and in the Haunted Mansion. Here’s a pic someone took of one of the dead boys’ ghost in the Haunted Mansion.

 

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The powers that be at Disneyland determined that it would be more costly to turn off the system that broadcasts the endless song “It’s a Small World After all’ in the ride of the same name and reboot it than it would to just let the speakers keep playing the infectious tune after hours. Only during an emergency or a massive power outage does the music stop, but during nightly and morning cleaning and maintenance, as well as throughout the deserted hours overnight, ‘It’s a Small World’ plays eternally into the ether.

 

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Some dead rides

General Electric Carousel of Progress (1967–1973): A sit-down show in which the building rotated the audience around a series of stages. The stages had audioanimatronic humans and household appliances showing how appliances and electronics advanced about every 20 years from the turn of the century to the “modern” era of the early 1960s. The audience stopped in front of each stage while the characters joked with each other, described life at the time in history, and demonstrated their kitchen.

 

Flying Saucers (1961–1966): Guests rode in single-rider cars on a cushion of air that were steered by shifting body weight. The air cushion was supplied from below through holes in the floor that opened when the cars passed over. The ride’s site later became the site of the Tomorrowland Stage, and is now the site of Magic Eye Theater.

 

Astro Jets (1956–1964): A rocket-spinner ride originally located between Submarine Voyage and Flight to the Moon.

 

Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland (1960–1977): The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad attraction replaced this sedate train ride with a roller coaster version. The only attraction that remained from the scenic vistas was the mighty waterfall tumbling from Cascade Peak into the Rivers of America, visible only from various boat rides around the Rivers. The structure that formed Cascade Peak and its waterfalls was demolished in 1998 after it was found to be suffering structurally from the decades of water that flowed over it.

 

PeopleMover (1967–1995): A scenic, slow-moving ride high-above Tomorrowland that was intended to demonstrate how people could be shuttled around a central urban area without rushing to board individual trains or drive individual cars. It consisted of many dozens of small open-air cars seating up to eight riders, all running continuously on a track above and through the various attractions in Tomorrowland. After the ride was closed, the track sat vacant for two-and-a-half years until the opening of the ill-fated Rocket Rods.

 

Captain EO (1986–1997): 3D film starring Michael Jackson and directed by Francis Ford Coppola about a spaceship captain and his misfit crew battling against an evil queen. The show closed in 1997 due to a decline in popularity.

 

Skyway to Fantasyland (1956–1994): This ride, a typical aerial lift ride seen in many parks, traveled from a chalet on the west side of Fantasyland, through the Matterhorn, to a station in Tomorrowland. Cabins hung from cables and ran constantly back and forth between the two lands. The Fantasyland station still stands – closed to public access – adjacent to the Casey Jr. Circus Train, and is concealed by trees. Its support towers were removed and the holes in the Matterhorn through which the ride passed were filled in.

 

Skull Rock and Pirate’s Cove (1961–1982): An entertainment and dining experience themed to Captain Hook’s pirate ship. Dumbo the Flying Elephant was relocated to the former location of Skull Rock and Pirate’s Cove and reopened there in 1983.

 

Monsanto House of the Future (1957–1967): A walk-through tour of a plastic house with plastic furnishings and interior and modern appliances such as dishwashers. The house was designed in roughly the shape of a plus sign with high-tech rounded exterior contours, all made from white plastic with large windows. It was outdated almost as soon as it was built. It was anchored to a solid concrete foundation that proved to be so indestructible that, when it was dismantled, the work crew gave up and left some of the support pilings in place and they can still be seen in King Triton’s Grotto between the Tomorrowland entrance and Fantasyland.

 

Country Bear Jamboree (1972–2001): An audio-animatronic show featuring traditional American folk songs sung by a variety of bears and their friends, including Henry the host and Big Al, Shaker (aka Terrence), The Sun Bonnets (Bunny, Bubbles, and Beulah), Liver Lips McGrowl, Wendell, Ernest, Gomer, Trixie, Teddi Barra, The Five Bear Rugs (Zeke, Zeb, Ted, Fred and Tennessee), and Zeke’s son Oscar.

 

Space Stage (1955–1960)

 

Adventure Thru Inner Space (1967–1985): A dark ride that pretended to shrink the rider gradually down to microscopic size within a snowflake, then further to view a water molecule in the flake, then finally to the point where one could see the throbbing nucleus of a single oxygen atom, with electrons zooming all around. The attraction was replaced by Star Tours in 1986 and is now the site of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.

 

Swiss Family Treehouse (1962–1999): Treehouse based on the film Swiss Family Robinson. Rethemed as Tarzan’s Treehouse in 1999.

 

Rocket to the Moon (1955–1966): Inside a building under a tall futuristic-looking rocket ship, the audience sat in seats around central viewing screens (top and bottom of the center of the room) so that they could see where they were going as they headed away from Earth and towards other worlds. As actual flight to the Moon became more likely, the ride was refurbished Flight to the Moon, a refurbished version of Rocket to the Moon with a mission control pre-show. The ride became obsolete as the United States sent actual manned flights to the Moon between 1969 and 1972, and it was refurbished as Mission to Mars, An updated version of Flight to the Moon, simulating a spaceflight to Mars instead of the Moon. The attraction building is now the site of Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port, a space-themed restaurant.

 

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It’s a well known fact that there are some creepy Disneyland urban legends. One of those legends is that the park is haunted by various ghosts, including the ghost of Walt Disney himself.

 

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Thanksgiving at Disneyland, 1961

 

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Disney created a color called Go Away Green. A very bland green shade you see a lot of in the park but don’t really think anything about – until now. It was created with the idea that the common eye would glaze right over it. Truth is, unless you’re looking for it, it is all too easy to just glance right past anything painted in this all-too-neutral color. No See-Um Green is actually in a lot of places. The fences, buildings, the wall around the park… And most famously, the door to the exclusive Club 33.

 

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Illuminati — The Satanic Face of Disney !!

 

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Bats Day in the Fun Park, also known as Bats Day, Goth Day, Bats Day in the Park and Bats Day Out, started in August 1999 as a joint effort between the promoters of the goth/industrial and deathrock clubs Absynthe and Release the Bats. It has become an annual three-day event taking place at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. Bats Day patrons dress in their Gothic attire for the annual visit to the park. There are other scheduled events and gatherings on this day, including a large group picture in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, group pictures at the Haunted Mansion, and a photo scavenger hunt.

 

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A dishwasher at Disneyland was busted after an undercover police officer posing as a 14-year-old girl responded to his Craigslist ad, which offered theme park tickets in exchange for sex. 27-year-old Darreck Michael Enciso responded with interest when an undercover cop posing as a 14-year-old girl contacted him online to set up a meeting. That meeting happened July 9 and Enciso was arrested. He had theme park tickets and condoms on his person. Enciso was charged with a felony attempt of a lewd act on a child, contacting a child with the intent to commit a specified sex crime and meeting a minor with the intent to engage in lewd conduct. He was fired immediately.

 

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Walt Disney’s attention to detail was legendary. He placed the garbage bins at Disneyland 25 steps away from the hot dog stall, as this was how long it took him to eat a hot dog.

 

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Some ride layouts

The Monorail

 

Indiana Jones Adventure

 

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

 

Haunted Mansion

 

Snow White’s Scary Adventures

 

Space Mountain

 

Splash Mountain

 

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The first employee death at Disneyland took place in 1974. Deborah Stone was a greeter on a ride called America Sings when she got caught between a stationary wall on the ride and a moving wall. She was crushed, but not discovered until the next day. The park was closed for three days to clean up and install safety signage.

 

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In October 2004, Disneyland held a charity auction. The prize? A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a part of the Haunted Mansion attraction by being “interred” as the honorary “1000th Ghost” to occupy the Haunted Mansion. The winner was Cary “Jay” Sharp, a doctor and medical lawyer who placed the winning bid of $37,400. Sharp was given a special midnight “burial” at Disneyland Park on the porch of the Haunted Mansion, at which time his tombstone, which now rests inside the attraction’s graveyard segment in front of the ghostly band, was unveiled.

 

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In 1999, my family visited Disneyland. We happily rode the Small World ride. I was 12 at the time and my sister was 6. We loved every moment and our parents smiled with nostalgia. At one time near the end, some lights suddenly shut off and rear lights illuminated the ceiling. The moving display parts shut off and crew members wearing red overalls walked along them to help passengers in the boats onto the stages to direct them out of the building via emergency exits. A voice came over the loudspeakers. “Disneyland thanks you for your visit. Please evacuate the attraction in an orderly fashion.” The staff wouldn’t tell us much as they quickly ushered us out of the building. Ambulances were outside and a police car was parked in the main walkway. At the time, my mother still had her camera out and snapped a few last-minute photos of whatever to use up the last of the roll of film. This was the last photo on the reel, aimed at the ceiling at the attraction.

 

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Turn away now if you believe in magic! Stunning photographs go behind the scenes at Disneyland.

The red eyes of the Abominable Snowman in the Matterhorn ride

 

The mechanics that keep the Jungle Cruise in motion.

 

Seen from behind: Animatronic pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean.

 

The poles holding up the ‘ghosts’ in the Haunted Mansion reveals them as nothing more than puppets.

 

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A mobile phone video allegedly shows Disneyland’s White Rabbit getting a little too personal with a 14-year-old girl. The 30-second video was filmed by Manuel Carlos. It shows his daughter Alexis pulling on the tail of the White Rabbit. Mr Carlos laughs as his other daughter Jocelyn, 14, also takes a turn. The rabbit then follows Jocelyn pinning her up against a fence. Jocelyn told ABC 10 the rabbit held her by the arm and neck. “He told me, ‘Don’t you ever do that again or I will call security, and tell your stupid friend to stop doing it too’,” Jocelyn told ABC 10. In the video someone can be heard yelling “Hey you get off her”. The rabbit then says, “Don’t even start your shit with me”. In a statement, Disneyland said: “This seems to be a blatant attempt by a lawyer to generate publicity for a case that has no merit. If anything, all this video shows is a family of misbehaving guests deliberately provoking a character for their own malicious amusement.” Disneyland’s White Rabbit is already the subject of a lawsuit after claims the character refused to hug African American children.

 

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Disneyland’s Tom Sawyer Island! An exciting land of adventure! See th- Wait, they removed that. OK then, ride- Oh, there are no rides. Well, you can dine in th- No restaurants. There are absolutely no reasons to visit Tom Sawyer Island. You can blame this one on the hippies–back when they invaded the island in the 70s. On the 6th of August, 1970, about 300 members of the Young International Party (Yippies) descended upon Disneyland. After taking over Castle Rock on Tom Sawyer’s Island, the hippies hoisted the Viet Cong flag. Then these new communist citizens of the new country of Tom Sawyer’s Island marched down Main Street USA and harassed the marching band while sarcastically singing the theme to the Mickey Mouse Club. In response, Disneyland called in the riot cops. Fights broke out between the Yippies and the police — one eyewitness account describes a girl with her “head split open, blood dripping all over her face”– as children everywhere were mentally scarred for life at the sight of Mickey Mouse passively watching an intense and violent beating. Up until that day, Disneyland had had plans to develop Tom Sawyer’s Island into a new “Land” with thrill and dark rides, but this incident caused them to change their policy and leave the Island as uninteresting as possible in order to discourage visitors with ambitions.

 

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Theme songs

Sparks ‘Mickey Mouse’

Eyes ‘Disneyland’

Nero’s Day at Disneyland ‘Mascara Running Everywhere’

Fat White Family ‘Bomb Disneyland’

Tiermodus ‘It’s a Small World’ (Disneyland cover)

Boyd Rice and Friends ‘Disneyland Can Wait’

 

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I am a Disneyland freak. I’m such an afficionado, I want to be burried there. I love cruising around the park and noticing all the little details. However, the greatest detail I’ve ever found is a dark one… an EVIL one. Take a look at this photo, taken from the parking structure down to the road below.

 

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*

p.s. Hey. ** Dominik, Hi, D!!! Thanks, yeah, it’s exciting. Sure, I intend to read ‘White’ eventually. I’m just … a little wary, what with all the noise there was around it. Well, your love helped … maybe? It was quite painful and lengthy — Dentist (afterwards): ‘Maybe I should have given you more novocaine.’ — but I did go straight to work without a problem, and, as never ceases to amaze US citizen me, the whole operation only cost me 8 euros! So, I’ll attribute those aspects to your love’s interventions, thank you! Love watching this interview with Scotty Clarke and falling confusedly in love, G. ** David Ehrenstein, Thank you. ** _Black_Acrylic, Us too, on the mini-heatwave front, which is supposed to die out tonight on our end, please dear god, and yours too, at the latest, I pray. ** David, Hi. Well, I could wander down to this thing they do in Paris every summer that they call ‘Le Plage’ which involves dumping some sand and beach chairs and a few cabanas on the walkway along the Seine but I don’t think it will take my mind off of anything else, alas. But thanks! ** Florian-AF, Hi, pal. Thank you for the link to your youtube channel. You can bet I’ll be all over that. Everyone, The superb artist Florian Ayala Fauna has a YouTube channel loaded with ‘weird video art stuff’ she’s made, and her work is brilliant and spooky and many other things if you don’t know it, and I can highly recommend a foray. Here. ** T, Hi, T. Great, yes, an amazing label, an amazing guy. Coincidentally, I love that Pita track too to the point that it’s the sound and basis of a scene in Zac Farley’s and my first film ‘Like Cattle Towards Glow’. How’s stuff on your end? The root canal was a big drag for the duration, but today I seem rain-right again. ** Jeff J, Hi, Jeff! I’m so, so sorry about your dad. Having lost mine, I think I know something of the depths and shock of that loss. I’m happy to Skype whenever, of course. But your slow recovery is certainly understandable. So sorry. Peter’s death is still a total, bewildering, and terrible shock. I still kind of can’t believe it. No, there was no confirmed date for the class visit, but I’ll go find the email now. Looking forward to that! Just being in LA in general and seeing friends was a big highlight since it had been so long. Making some progress on the new film with our producer there was good. A kind of general highlight. Oh, you know how it is: the book coming out is mostly just very stressful, a worried blur of excitement and dread. Love to you, my friend. ** Steve Erickson, Hi. No, the decision has been made to end the label. It was 100% Peter’s. There are some last releases he was working on that will get released. There’s talk/hope of selling the backlist/archive to another label to keep everything in print. I’m not a huge Lorde fan, but I’m certainly curious to read your take. Everyone, Steve has written an overview of the work of Lorde for Trouser Press, and you can read it here. ** Damien Ark, Hi, Damien. Oh, man, homelessness is hard. I hope you find a home ASAP. But dude, knock it the fuck off with that 27 club thing. That’s terrible to read and to have to start to worry about. Power through this rough part, man. There’s always a way, and the way out will historicise this period quickly. Lots of love and strength from me. ** Corey Heiferman, Glad you were interested. Yeah, Peter was a great and important friend and guy. Well, disbelieving in generalisations as I do, the Americans I call comrades and/or close buds can be pretty circuitous and subtle on the emotional front.  I’m not interested in standardised definitions of emotional states like happy or sad or whatever. That’s a perfect example of how language is completely inadequate and ultimately just a dumbing down device. So my characters don’t tend to see those extremes as viable landing points for their emotions, no. Bon day! ** Okay. I just felt like celebrating Disneyland, and, when I realised that the park’s 70th anniversary is a mere four years in the future, it seemed like a good enough excuse. See you tomorrow.

 

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Peter Rehberg Discusses the First Two Decades of Editions Mego
9 Records That Capture the Spirit of Editions Mego
Peter Rehberg, underground musician and Editions Mego head, dies aged 53
Peter Rehberg, Influential Electronic Musician And Label Head, Has Died At 53

 

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Marcus Schmickler Altars Of Science 3 (2007)
‘The work of Cologne based Marcus Schmickler has over the years crossed the boundaries between classical and pop, improvisation and techno. Active as a solo artist under his own name, as well as working under the Pluramon moniker with Julee Cruise, plus countless collaborations in the filed of electronic improvisation. ‘Altars Of Science’ is Schmickler’s first purely electronic release since 1998’s prize winning ‘Sator Rotas’. A fascinating ‘tour de force’ of modern computer music composition. Intense in its outlook, yet polished in its execution.’ — EM

 

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Pita Get Out 3 (2008)
‘Get Out’ was the second full length album release by Pita (aka Peter Rehberg), originally released in 1999 and rereleased in 2008. The follow up to the award winning ‘Seven Tons For Free’. Its harsh use of available computing devices made it popular both in and outside electronic music circles of the time, especially the 11 minute anthem like 3rd track. David Keenan in his liner notes states that ‘Get Out’ “…stands as the first major musical laptop statement in the same way that Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced album spoke for the most extended instrument-specific modes of the electric guitar three decades earlier.”’ — EM

 

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Prurient Sternum (2008)
‘New York based Prurient (aka Dominick Fernow) has been an active instigator of the Power Electronics and Noise genres for well over a decade, with 100+ releases issued so far, usually limited and over all known formats. Its with great pleasure that Editions Mego present this new set of Prurient compositions. Comprising of 3 ear splitting tracks of high end quality feedback, disturbed vocals and twisted percussion. While previewing this work for release on a flight from Milan to Vienna it came to the attention of the listener that an irritated passenger 2 rows in front complained of high pitched whistling in the air conditioning. Such is the power of Arrowhead.’ — EM

 

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Cindytalk Transgender Warrior (2009)
‘Cindytalk have been active since 1982, which we won’t go into here (a quick Google search will satisfy that need). During the 80s and 90s their sound was defined by broken down rock structures and abstract piano ambience. A third side to their coin emerged at the dawn of the 21st Century with a turn towards obscure computer usage pushing all resemblance of melody and conventual texture to the outer edges. ‘The Crackle Of My Soul’ is the first full length to come from this new direction, starting in 2001 and now finally ready for release. Its also the first Cindytalk album since the 1995 release of ‘Wappinschaw’. Although very abstract in nature these 10 tracks still echo the vocal brilliance and subtle beauty that they become known for, as well as pushing back the boundaries making this an essential listen regardless if you are aware of the back catalogue or not.’ — EM

 

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Jim O’Rourke I’m Happy (2009)
‘Of course, Jim O’Rourke needs no introduction being well known as a performer, producer and all round top chap, as well membership of various pop and rock combos for more than two decades. ‘Im Happy, and I’m Singing, and a 1, 2, 3, 4’ was called by many common folk Jim’s laptop record or his powerbook album. We prefer the simple term computer when referring to the instrument used for the creation of this milestone album. Equal parts – schizoid pop, cracked minimalism, concrete drama and melancholic contemplation. It strikes us as a highly personal release. Given the nature of this warm beast, it seems likely to appeal across the board – electronic nuts, indie rock kids and yes, even the good folk of the established experimental world may take pleasure in the delicate nuances of Jim’s hard drive.’ — EM

 

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Florian Hecker Acid in the Style of David Tudor 2 (2009)
‘‘Acid In The Style Of David Tudor’ is Florian Hecker’s first full length studio (as opposed to collections and commissions for art installations) album since 2003, when the groundbreaking ‘Sun Pandämonium’ was unleashed by Mego. Since then he has collaborated on audio projects with Yasunao Tone, Russell Haswell (as Haswell & Hecker) and a forthcoming live collaboration with Richard James as well a myriad of sound installation works, individually and with numerous artists worldwide. As the title suggests this album is referencing the parallel universes of modern 20th century composition and hedonistic rave culture. A challenging but ultimately rewarding set of Electronic Music compositions which push these two reference points into unknown areas.’ — EM

 

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Kevin Drumm Turning Point (2010)
‘Utilising guitar, tapes, mics, pedals, analogue synthesizer and some computer assistance Drumm has concocted a sonic beast. In doing so one is taken on an intense journey of storming feedback, open audio onslaught and somewhat savaged sonics. The extreme end of anarchic electronics and possibly a hint of musical violence is present throughout the much of the disc. An essential release capturing Drumm at his most ferocious and most inventive. It’s an exhilarating, visceral test of endurance brimming with demonic humor and a tour of Drumm’s ever-expanding sonic palette.’ — EM

 

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Emeralds Does It Look Like I’m Here? (2010)
‘‘Does It Look Like I’m Here?’ is the third official album by Emeralds ( after “Solar Bridge” on Hanson, and the self-titled LP on their own Wagon and Gneiss Things imprints , as well as countless small edition tapes and CDRs on a host of labels) and once again it presents another radical new direction for this Cleveland trio. It sees the group moving from playing single oscillator analog synthesizers to really complex analog and analog/digital hybrid as well a great deal of guitar synthesizers, not to mention fine tuning their skills as brilliant tunesmiths. Simply put, the results are outstanding. Comprising of a number of tracks from their recent ultra limited 7” vinyl series on Wagon, as well new compositions exclusive to this release. This fine selection of tunes surpass anything they have achieved in their 5 year career. Perfect melodies intertwined with ripping sequences and a guitar sound that floats perfectly throughout.’ — EM

 

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Oneohtrix Point Never Returnal (2010)
‘‘Returnal’ is the 4th album from Daniel Lopatin’s Oneohtrix Point Never project, after ‘Betrayed In The Octagon (Deception Island, 2007), ‘Zones Without People (Arbor, 2009) and ‘Russian Mind’ (No Fun, 2009). All 3 albums being superbly compiled on the ‘Rifts’ double CD set (No Fun, 2009). It sees Lopatin fine tune his craft for creation of deep atmospheres and texture even further. Starting off with the mind blowing triptych of ‘Nil Admiari’/ ’Describing Bodies’/ ’Stress Waves’, which fires off into a noise/rhythm excess before entering a zone of relative calm building to the melancholy of the final part. This set the tone perfectly for the albums title track, a stunning out of this world ballad featuring Lopatin’s near desperate vocal delivery, ending what could be seen as one of his most chilling and thought provoking sides to date.’ — EM

 

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Bill Orcutt A New Way To Pay Old Debts (2011)
‘Editions Mego is suitably chuffed to announce a CD reissue of San Francisco guitarist Bill Orcutt’s acoustic hardcore blues stormer A New Way To Pay Old Debts, previously released on Palilalia in 2009, and for many, one of the highlights of recent years with its unique visionary take on solo guitar playing. At the heart of Orcutt’s sound is a vintage acoustic Kay guitar equipped with a DeArmond pickup. After the neck was broken and subsequently repaired, the guitar was downtuned so as to withstand the tension of the strings, and played with the A and D strings removed. This all lends itself to an intense set of raw, blues-influenced songs that sound heavier than most of the guitar records in your collection put together!! In addition to the original album, this CD reissue contain 2 tracks from the High Waisted 7″ (also previously released on Palialia), as well as 4 unreleased tracks. Bill Orcutt: 4-string Kay, voice.’ — EM

 

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Mika Vainio Throat (2011)
‘Whereas previous works by Mika Vainio have utilised guitar Life (… It Eats You Up) is the first to use the instrument as its primary sound source. A fascinating, sometimes disturbing and deeply personal work this new 10 track set bears all the hallmarks (exacting attention to detail of tone, rhythm and texture) of Vainio’s previous works with some stunning surprises, such as his cover version of The Stooges’ ‘Open Up and Bleed’. Tracks such as ‘Mining’ hark bark to the banging beat excesses of Pan sonic, with ‘Crashed’ and ‘And Give Us Our Daily Humiliation’ and the opening ‘In Silence A Scream Takes A Heart’ reveal a new intensity to Vainio’s work.’ — EM

 

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Yasunao Tone MP3 Deviation #7 (2011)
‘The MP3 Deviation album contains pieces that are results of the collaborative research by a team of the New Aesthetics in Computer Music (NACM) and myself, led by Tony Myatt at Music Research Center at the University of York in UK in 2009. My idea was to develop new software based on the disruption of the MP3. Primarily I thought the MP3 as reproducing device could have created very new sound by intervention between its main elements, the compression encoder and decoder. It turned out that result was not satisfactory. However, we found that if the sound file had been corrupted in the MP3, the corruptions generated 21 error messages, which could be utilized to assign various 21 lengths of samples automatically. Combining with different play back speeds, it could produce unpredictable and unknowable sound. That is a main pillar of the software. We, also, added some other elements such as flipping stereo channels and phase inversing alternately with a certain length of frequency ranges, which resulted different timbres and pitches.’ — EM

 

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Mark Fell Vortex Studies 2 (2011)
‘Middle sized member of the UL range, the UL8, a three unit system, embodies the good looks and high performance associated with Celestion designed products. Utilising the HD1000 pressured dome tweeter and an 8 inch mid/bass driver, which together a similar sized A.B.R. combine to give an overall frequency response of 30 Hz to 28 kHz. The mid/bass drivers large magnet system perfectly controls the excursions of the specially processed Bextrene cone assembly with its 1.5 inch voice coil. Designed to a precise specification, the UL8 achieves highly realistic ‘music’ reproduction.’ — EM

 

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KTL Snow 2 (2012)
‘Whereas their previous album IV was recorded and made in a relative short period in a more traditional rock environment, V turns full circle, takes its time and tackles the complex working processes of the european avant garde. Rooting themselves in such legendary electronic music studios such as EMS in Stockholm and GRM in Paris, O’Malley and Rehberg have delivered a rich set of sound experiments far removed from harsh metal/noise blizzards of their early albums.’ — EM

 

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Daniel Menche Marriage Of Metals 1 (2013)
‘In its history throughout millenniait is fair to say the Gamelan has never had an encounter quite like this. ‘Marriage of Metals’ is a devastating extension of the harmonic properties found in the instruments of Indonesia. Menche was granted access to a remarkable Gamelan studio where he was given full privilege to record any and all of these rare and ancient gongs. Most notably the gigantic “Gong Ageng” that’s contains the deepest of deep of acoustic bass. Daniel Menche took theraw source material from this Gamelan gong session and launches into a heavily processed yet surprisingly sympathetic 21st Century take on this unique instrument. ‘Marriage of Metals’comprises two side long works where the purity of the sound source exists amongst the entire din. Metallic rhythms bounce alongside synthetic pops swaying from reality to fantasy, from pure acoustic tonality to fuzzed out distorted clatter. A distant feedback squall is teased amongst the foreground creating aclamorous din.’ — EM

 

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EVOL Proper Headshrinker 01 (2013)
‘Ever since Stephen Sharp and Roc Jiménez de Cisneros embarked on the deconstructive process they refer to as Rave Synthesis, the goal was to come up with odd relatives of well established sounds in techno culture by constantly messing with the original recipes, expanding the tropes, and hinting at novel paths for contemporary psychedelia. Almost three years after the influential ‘Rave Slime’, their fifth long player takes the idea one step further. Sharp and Jiménez de Cisneros have used key words such as “slime”, “stretching”, “sonic Play-Doh”, “squeezing” or “folding” to illustrate the notion of homeomorphism (a metaphor borrowed from topology) in relation to the structural developments and the way in which tone bends in their Rave Synthesis tracks. In ‘Proper Headshrinker’, though, this continuous deformation is much more oblique, since the only source of variation in these monolithic structures comes from subtle phase modulations. The resulting straightforward brutality demands deep listening and, as usual, proper playback volume.’ — EM

 

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Fennesz Bécs (2014)
‘The last time Fennesz released an album on Austrian label Mego it was 2001 and the name of that release was ‘Endless Summer’. Now, in 2014 Editions Mego is extremely proud to release the conceptual follow up that landmark of abstract pop. Bécs (pronounced ‘baeetch’) is Hungarian for Vienna and is the first full length Fennesz solo release since 2008’s ‘Black Sea’. Eschewing the more drone orientated works of ‘Black Sea’, ‘Bécs’ returns to the more florid pop mechanisms as deployed on Endless Summer.’ — EM

 

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Klara Lewis c a t t (2014)
‘Klara Lewis’ debut release presents an electronically charged reconstruction of organic sound matter. 10 tracks featuring a wide variety of sonic material which is subjected to Lewis’ unique approach to the sonic landscape. Field recordings, small sounds, samples, ambient pot holes, repetition, and giddy disorientation are all tactics deployed by Lewis. On entering these works we take a voyage through a series of audacious audio adventures, playful musical miniatures and choppy sonic seas. There is a human warmth to much of the material as Lewis expertly crafts musical matter from the living world. ‘Ett’ is an exemplary investigation as Lewis’ reconfigures sounds of life itself, from the delirious to the tender. A bold vision from a bright new talent.’ — EM

 

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Thighpaulsandra A Devil in Every Hedgerow (2015)
‘If you have heard any of Thighpaulsandra’s previous albums, you will know that you’d best approach this record with no fixed set of expectations, because once again he changes genres and defies easy classification, sometimes more than once within one song. Drawing on his long-time background as a key member in such diverse groups as Coil, Spiritualized and Julian Cope’s band (in each case arguably at the height of their creative prowess) and his work as producer and sound engineer for an even larger variety of customers, you’ll find classical passages next to hard rock riffing, krauty experimental work-outs turning into super catchy, almost radio-friendly songs and more. Many adjectives have been used to describe Thighpaulsandra’s work: epic, challenging, timeless, idiosyncratic, but certainly never predictable or boring.’ — EM

 

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Shit and Shine Ass (2015)
‘The ascent of Shit and Shine sits as one of the great audio headfucks in recent years. From it’s genesis out of the South London noise rock revivalist scene to a zone where rabbit costumed maniacs bled a unique form of multi-drum and electronic hysteria to the current incarnation of destroyed lysergic dance music. Shit and Shine is the epitome of second guess subversion. One with a foot in every pie it continues on a fantastic twisted path.’ — EM

 

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Tujiko Noriko My Ghost Comes Back (2015)
‘The aptly named ‘My Ghost Comes Back’ witnesses the return of Tujiko Noriko after a hiatus exploring worlds beyond those we regularly inhabit. The results of these travels provided the formula for this, her most accomplished record to date. As rich in ambition as it is skewered in it’s melodic stance, ‘My Ghost Comes Back’ is a decidedly more acoustic affair in which a host of guest musicians incorporate mandolin, viola, musical saw, optigon and other such wares into the exotic environment where her unique songwriting now resides. Furthering an exploration of unorthodox arrangements, rhythm and melody Noriko concocts engaging pop explosions where flickering electronics, staggered rhythms, shimmering vocals all dance on a plateau of melancholic ecstasy.’ — EM

 

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Oren Ambarchi Hubris, Pt. 3 (2016)
‘Since the late ’90s, Australian multi-instrumentalist Oren Ambarchi has composed drone metal and free jazz, sculpted ambient soundscapes and collaborated with many (if not most) of experimental music’s biggest names. Over his prolific career, Ambarchi has toured with Sunn O))), played with Boris and Merzbow, drummed with Keiji Haino—and that’s just a drop in the bucket. In many ways, Ambarchi is a quintessential musician’s musician: an adept drummer and guitarist, hugely respected within his own scene, whose fans study his work like stoned math majors pouring over a Mandelbrot set. Whether inspired by krautrock, metal, or jazz, Ambarchi’s work demands patience and attention, but along with his singular musicianship, Ambarchi’s work reaches for the extremes of human experience, the sorrowful, the sublime.’ — EM

 

 

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p.s. Hey. Today the blog pays a kind of tribute to my dear late friend and collaborator, the pioneering electronic music artist and, most pertinently re: today’s post, mastermind of Editions Mego, arguably the most important experimental record label of the past decade plus, Peter Rehberg. Mego is far too rich a label to represent in a single post, so here’s part one with the second part to follow in time. Please attend the gig, thank you. ** Dominik, Hi!!!! The haunted house project is going great. Puce Mary, who’s doing the sound/score for Zac’s my new film, has agreed to do the sound for the virtual/ video game haunt, so that’s exciting. Today we’re sending off a ton of reference images and notes and descriptions to the designers, so they’ll start building it this week. Um, I don’t know if I should say what book I’m blurbing. Hm, a book of poetry by someone who has commented here sometimes. I still haven’t read ‘White’. I should. Ha ha, um, it is possible that the cast’s looks are at least partly his doing. Thank you for the action figure. I might put a little cloth over it so I don’t go insane. My love today is selfishly geared towards getting me extremely smoothly through part 2 of my root canal this afternoon because I have a lot of work to do immediately afterwards, sorry, G. ** David Ehrenstein, Thank you! Everyone, yesterday’s guest host with the most Mr. Ehrenstein has written about one of his post’s stars, Mr. Francis Bacon, right here. ** David, I haven’t been in the ocean in years, weird. And we’re having a little heatwave, so a nearby ocean to duck inside sounds very appreciable. Wow, ocean dunking, 13 mile run … your body’s got it made. ** Corey Heiferman, Hi, Corey. Did your role last night fit you like the veritable glove? Best of luck with the eye correcting. Yikes. Understood about the grief. Such weird shit. I’m still negotiating my grief-cum-bewilderment over the loss of friend/ collaborator that I’m paying tribute to here today. In the case of my book club, three of the other participants are very old, good friends and writers I admire a lot. The other two are very talented young poets. None of us are pseudo-intellectually inclined, for sure. But, yeah, choosing carefully is pretty key, I think. All it takes is one bad apple and all of that. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi, Ben. Yes, RIP to the very great Belmondo. That’s very sad. And France is in national mourning the likes of which hasn’t happened here since Johnny Halliday departed years ago now. ** Steve Erickson, Ha, after the experience with ARTE, I would rather jump off the Empire State Building than ever write for a mainstream venue/project again. Yawn about the Bret Ellis cancellation. Cool if you interview Todd Haynes, obvs. I’m guessing David doesn’t know Spandau Ballet because, yeah, I anticipated them too. ** Florian-Ayala Fauna (she/her), Hi, Florian! How very, very nice to see you here! I’ve been happy to see that you’ve been sharing your art again on Facebook recently. I’m good, doing stuff, all good. I hear you on the laying low. Hope your work is going really well. Take care. ** Right. Please let some of the genius of Editions Mego wash over you today. See you tomorrow.