The rhythm track is created from the sounds of a lighter, striking a match and a crackling fire ...

More on the 692nd weekly Disquiet Junto project, Combust a Move — The Assignment: Make music using fire for the rhythm track — at https://disquiet.com/0692/

more halF unusuaL

halF alighT [disquiet0692]

Phew! Thankfully this track didn't pass muster with the SoundCloud algorithm ... and so won't be recommended to potentially interested listeners ... Always a signal that something is probably worth a listen! 😁

See the accompanying video at https://youtu.be/wjrGJtwQnP0

This project is the first of three that are being done by the Disquiet Junto in collaboration with the 2025 Musikfestival Bern, which will be held in Switzerland from September 3 through 7. The festival topic this year is « Kette » — which translates, as the organization explains, to “Chain”: “Chains connect but they also bind. They create relationships but also restrictions. As a gift they look nice, feared when used in vice, and yet they can span bridges across fire and ice.” All three Junto projects will engage with the work of Svetlana Maraš, who is the Composer-in-Residence for the 2025 festival.

More on the 696th weekly Disquiet Junto project, Chain of Layers — The Assignment: Make music change by altering its layers — at https://disquiet.com/0696/

visuals

halF layereD [disquiet0696]

Disquiet Junto 0696's assignment was to record 10 to 15 layers of continuous sound and create a piece of music only by altering their relative presence over time.

I immediately thought of the story of how the iconic 1975 10cc song "I'm Not In Love" was created. The backing vocals are lush and rich and unearthly. (If you don't know the song, just listen to the first 30 seconds or so to get the gist). The story is that the band recorded themselves each singing a long, sustained note until they had 48 notes on individual 12' tape loops. For the final recording, the tape loops were played simultaneously and mixed into harmonies live on the console, essentially turning the mixer into a musical instrument. 

With this technique as inspiration, I recorded 7 tracks of ebow guitar, each playing a different note in the A harmonic minor scale. Ebow can make dynamics difficult but I managed some good textures I think. I hand-mixed each of the tracks to come in and out in sequence, creating a rising step pattern.

Then I bounced the seven guitar tracks to a single track. This track was duplicated and pitch shifted to create 4 tracks spanning 4 octaves. This essentially multiplied my original 7 tracks by 4 to give me 28 guitars. I applied volume automation to create a primitive Shepard scale out of the result.

Aside from a couple of acousmatic accents and a low-fi kick drum, every sound is from the guitar.

More on the 696th weekly Disquiet Junto project, Chain of Layers — The Assignment: Make music change by altering its layers — at https://disquiet.com/0696/

What Became of Grandfather? (disquiet0696)

Different layers of sounds created from synths, strings, birds, choirs, slowly transforming, evolving into a sunset drone by varying the mix between the layers.

A drone to immerse yourself into the sunset. 

This track was inspired by this week's Disquiet Junto project:

More on the 696th weekly Disquiet Junto project, Chain of Layers — The Assignment: Make music change by altering its layers — at https://disquiet.com/0696/

Sunset Duvet (Disquiet0696)

3May25
My naviarhaiku591 track
https://naviarlab.tumblr.com/post/782223294913036288/naviarhaiku591-steady-spring-rains

:D

both dream and reality [naviarhaiku591]

This was my contribution for Disquiet Junto Project 0696: Chain of Layer. The first of three that are being done by the Disquiet Junto in collaboration with the 2025 Musikfestival Bern.  The Assignment: Make music change by altering its layers.

Here’s a copy of my post on the Disquiet Junto 0696 discussion thread on Lines:

Recorded 11 tracks from my modular synth using Make Noise Telharmonic and Verbos HO modules for the voices. Layered them in Ableton Live in the sequence in which they were recorded – fading one into the next. Also inserted 4 samples from field recordings I had and interspersed them between the synth tracks, and also at the end. So this has a total of 15 layers. Some reverb using Valhalla Room and a bit of auto panning using built in devices were the only effects added. Image by Ruido-98 via Unsplash. It's been altered slightly in Photoshop.

More on the 696th weekly Disquiet Junto project, Chain of Layers — The Assignment: Make music change by altering its layers — at https://disquiet.com/0696/

Fifteen Waveforms [disquiet0696]

The track I prepared probably does not correspond perfectly to the rules of the challenge....anyway.
Nothing experimental, it is a classic tonal track, totally instrumental, without samples and particular sound design.
Simple Euclidean sequencer in B flat/F key that drives percussive instruments (wood, metal).
I found an old piece (only the final master) in which each independent cell of the sequencer generates a new pattern and each pattern represents a different channel/layer (12 in total).
The variations of the layers are therefore given by the score.
This creates a game of interlocking pieces, in which the alternation/modification of the channels is given by the fragment/channel played.
The various patterns/channels are parallel (Pan and L/R).
For the continuity of the sound I created drones with  organ and double bass (long bow).

Canone XII (disquiet0696)

2025-05-08

something positive

The strangest things happen when walking down the stairs at Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire, UK ... and all the sounds you hear here are from that odd little trip downwards ... see the video at https://youtu.be/TH2gczMinQ8

Thanks to the little kid who provided the vocal snippet! 🙏

So, this is the first third of a trio for the Disquiet Junto ... It's deliberately incomplete - simply a beat track ... Want to add another layer? What does it need to your ear? Check out the Disquiet brief for the next two weeks ... ❤️ Download this audio and have a play! 🎶🎡

More on the 697th weekly Disquiet Junto project, First Third — The Assignment: Record the first third of a trio — at https://disquiet.com/0697/

visuals (YouTube)

halF thirD [disquiet0697] 80 BPM

disquiet0697

Recorded, mixed & mastered on 14 May 2025 by Jim Lemanowicz at Blissville Electro-Magnetic Laboratories of Massapequa. 

Synths, effects.

This original version of "Cloud Projections & Fox Gloves" was submitted as part of Naviar Haiku 593: Cloud And Mist Alike.

cloud and mist alike
rendered unnoticeable –
bright moon tonight!

by: Inawashiro Kensai

Inawashiro Kensai (1452-1510) was a Japanese poet of the Muromachi period. He was a student of the famous renga poet Shinkei.

Artwork/Photography - Jim Lemanowicz, Massapequa, NY, USA - 19 Nov 2017 & 13 May 2025

©2025 Jim Lemanowicz

For more about the Naviar Haiku Challenge, see https://www.naviarrecords.com/haiku-music-challenge

Cloud Projections & Fox Gloves (naviarhaiku593)

Making music is about being surprised.
https://www.patreon.com/blisterpop
Linktree for more - https://linktr.ee/blisterpop

Cloud Projections & Fox Gloves (naviarhaiku593)

Jimmy Lem

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