(Sharbaugh)
Michael Ash Sharbaugh: synthesizers and found sounds
Composed and Recorded ca. December 5 to 7, 2014.
sm1.

For this Disquiet Junto assignment, I was charged with the task of “record[ing] a short sound intended to be set on repeat.” Desirous of making use of the maximum time allotted for the assignment, I opted to make the ‘sound’ [loop] exactly nine seconds long. In order to bring a nine-second piece of 4/4 rhythm to a seamless, repeatable, and loopable four-bar close, it necessitated that the piece’s tempo be set to approximately 106.60 beats per minute.

To this rhythmic pace, I time-stretched and heavily effected an obscure one-bar sample containing honky-tonk piano, twangy guitar, and lazy drums that I have had for many years, and whose source escapes me. I then proceeded to layer three synthesizer parts beside the time-stretched sample, mindful to augment and complement the odd, ‘non-scalar harmonics’ hinted at within the original sample. Each of these parts was run through a distinct variation of a singular, deep, swelling reverb preset. Finally, a heavy, throbbing overdriven bass was added to push the piece along.

Seamlessly looping heavily delayed and reverberated sound sources proved very difficult; due to pre-delays, the sound usually begins ‘dry’ and ends ‘wet.’ Therefore, I actually recorded double the length—eight bars—of each track just in order to capture the resultant wet sound present by the beginning of the fifth bar. I then deleted the first four bars of each track and only used the fifth through eighth bars, shifting them to the beginning of each track.

More on this 153rd Disquiet Junto project—“record a short sound intended to be set on repeat”—at:

http://disquiet.com/2014/12/04/disquiet0153-groovelock/

More on the Disquiet Junto at:

http://disquiet.com/junto

Join the Disquiet Junto at:

http://soundcloud.com/groups/disquiet-junto/

Disquiet Junto general discussion takes place at:

http://disquiet.com/forums/

Image associated with this project by Stuart R Brown:

http://flic.kr/p/mFQC3



"A Deepening Swell" [disquiet0153-groovelock]

DARK WAVE | SPACEROCK | VAPORTRAP | TRIP-HOP
AMBIENT | EXPERIMENTAL

the PERSON, the SOUND : Since 1985, Philadelphia-born Michael has composed and released hundreds of audio recordings, and published dozens of [erotic] poems.

His 'sonic-sojourn' began suddenly when he was just a teen -- feet splashing rhythmically through puddles leftover by a seaside rainstorm. Having just parted ways with the then-love-of-his-life, Michael composed his first ballad [and first song] ever -- "Tina." He rushed to his beach-side home to record his visceral 'awakening' on a tiny micro-cassette recorder, and vowed -- from that day on -- to create art for the rest of his life.

He began zealously amassing used music equipment, and had built a modest home recording studio by age seventeen, all the while crafting simple pop, ambient, and experimental works that HE had wanted to listen to -- that HE had wanted to hear, affectionately emulating the works of his then-idols, Duran Duran and Brian Eno.

Now, decades later, he has relocated to a small village outside Atlanta, Georgia, and continues to voraciously attend to his dream as a young, heartbroken boy -- to create and release music that he, himself, wants to hear.

Although no longer sequestered to pop and ambient musics, Michael's signature sound has merged the two, having integrated the R&B, hiphop, and psychedelia he has grown to love as a older gent -- having absorbed the edgy rhythms and dreamy soul of the southern United States (Atlanta and Miami).

Michael still puts forth ample amounts af ambient musics, but his recent 'sound' hovers elsewhere -- somewhere amidst the genres of vaportrap, spacerock, and trip-hop.

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the INFLUENCES : Duran Duran, The Weeknd, Blondie, Depeche Mode, Billy Idol + Steve Stevens, Stone Temple Pilots, Dead Can Dance, Siouxsie & The Banshees, This Mortal Coil, Air, Naked Eyes, Tears for Fears, Alice in Chains, John Barry, Leslie Bricusse, The Chameleons [UK], Brian Eno, The Cocteau Twins, ABBA, The Bee Gees, Claude Debussy, Frederick Chopin, Guillaume de Machaut, Early Music, Renaissance music, Baroque music, and Joe Meek.

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#duranduran #theweeknd #blondie #depechemode #billyidol #stevestevens #deadcandance #siouxsieandthebanshees #air #tearsforfears #johnbarry #lesliebricusse #claudedebussy #mauriceravel #frederickchopin #eriksatie #brianeno #thecocteautwins #abba #beegees #joemeek #chameleons #octoberproject #patbenatar #haroldbudd #lindseybuckingham #nakedeyes #aha #ceefarrow #omd #thismortalcoil #stonetemplepilots #aliceinchains #baroque #renaissance #earlymusic #theweeknd #skeler