I have recently started reading Ballard's 'Crash' and was intrigued by the human fetish of machines that is emphasized in the book. Perhaps it explains my own deep obsession with my mechanical tape recorders. Having stripped them down to their bare form, replaced parts and electrical components, experimented, amputated, implanted, and integrated into a digital system, all to extend its life way beyond expectations (50+ years) and intended capabilities.

The raw, chunky sounds they make, the struggle to turn the reel, creaking of the brakes, and the unexpected nature of the recording/ or playback all have an erotic, exhilarating feel to it and is why I include these sounds in the final tracks.

Just as 'The Peregrine' has been recommended as an inspiration for the obsessive, meticulous field recordist, I think 'Crash' further reveals the unsaid fetishistic relationship between us and our machines. Much like any professional that uses machines in their work, be it camera, keyboard, or retractable ballpen, I too do not deny the pleasure I feel every time I press record.

This collection uses the newest Generations algorithm which builds upon the last version adding features, fixing bugs, and allowing more autonomous composition from the mixer and recorders. As the algorithm mutates, it is a step closer to total automation and almost no human interaction with the Instrument.

The source tracks used contain the audio recordings of various pornographic short films that appeal to me. Over 100 unrecorded Generations had been composed before the final tracks were documented. I selected one track that best represented the recordings I made.

The track is noisy and contain sexually suggestive sounds which may be offensive to some. Please listen with caution, or not.

Generations: Crash

🎊😙Get this NFT here

Generations : Crash

Scrambled Symphony

Looking Back

Sampled wine glasses, small Atlantic waves, analog tape and improv with a mixer.

Sunken Forest

Hear Me

Just a quick run through some archives found on a Boss RC-3 through a Roland Space Echo RE-101 and a Quilter Aviator.  Amp direct out on the left, condenser mic on the right.

TERO TAPES 1-10

A sultry, yet chill lo-fi beat w/ space sounds, electric pianos, vibes, & bass. (I have an uncensored version with some breathing noises, but I have no interest in sharing it for obvious reasons, so please don't ask. Also, the anime girl in the picture is the Shiori in the title. She's one of the characters Kiyohiko Azuma created during his doujinshi/hXXXai days, and the pic here is one of the tamer drawings from a manga that I can't really show otherwise because the reasons are obvious. Let's leave it at that.)

PRODUCED AT
Melody Makers Music and Sound Design

MUSIC BY
James Dahlbender

MUSICIANS
James Dahlbender - keyboards, synthesis, custom sound design

MIXED AND MASTERED BY
James Dahlbender

Shiori from Outer Space

At around 12:00 AM on October 7, 1998 in Laramie, Wyoming, Matt Shepard was tied up and brutally beaten because he was gay. 18 hours later a passing bicyclist found his body and called 911. He died 5 days later in Poudre Valley Hospital in Colorado.

Made in the same location, time, and day, this 18-hour binaural recording commemorates the day when Matt was found as he would have heard it.

Recorded with a DIY binaural head with 3Dio Silicone ears and DPA 4061 microphones. Audio recorded with a vintage Sony TC-D5 and Sony EF Type 1 Cassettes. For an immersive experience, use headphones. For background white noise, play on speakers with very low volume.

Level settings: The soundscape was very silent. Our general recommendation for your level settings is to set the level so that the tape noise is bearable, then lower it one or two more clicks. 

Special thanks to: Michele Josue, Matthew Shepard Foundation, Laramie PD, and the landowner for making this project possible.

For more news and information about this album please visit:
https://bivouacrecording.com/post/780976596162117633/social-tapes-matthew-shepard-tapes

All audio recorded on location in Laramie, WY on October 7, 2016.

50% of proceeds will be donated to the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

Buy album on Bandcamp

Social Tapes- Matthew Shepard Tape 02

At around 12:00 AM on October 7, 1998 in Laramie, Wyoming, Matt Shepard was tied up and brutally beaten because he was gay. 18 hours later a passing bicyclist found his body and called 911. He died 5 days later in Poudre Valley Hospital in Colorado.

Made in the same location, time, and day, this 18-hour binaural recording commemorates the day when Matt was found as he would have heard it.
Recorded with a DIY binaural head with 3Dio Silicone ears and DPA 4061 microphones. Audio recorded with a vintage Sony TC-D5 and Sony EF Type 1 Cassettes. Comfortable, circumaural headphones are highly recommended as the audio is very quiet but also because a correct binaural image requires playback through headphones.

Level settings: The soundscape was very silent. Our general recommendation for your level settings is to set the level so that the tape noise is bearable, then lower it one or two more clicks.

Special thanks to: Michele Josue, Matthew Shepard Foundation, Laramie PD, and the landowner for making this project possible.

For more news and information about this album please visit:
https://bivouacrecording.com/post/780976596162117633/social-tapes-matthew-shepard-tapes

All audio recorded on location in Laramie, WY on October 7, 2016.

50% of proceeds is donated to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. After your purchase you will receive a copy of the donation receipt within 24 hours.

Social Tapes- Matthew Shepard Tape 03

03 Three Brothers

02 Kings of Streets And Woods

07 41

08 Under Pressure

06 52

01 Seek Up

04 The River

05 Technicology

Do not worry, I come from the future.

Playlists and Albums have nice collections of related materials. Timeline can and will contain all sorts of debris.

Have a nice day. Always

I've loved music ever since I can remember. I have played numerous musical instruments since I was a kid, the violin being the instrument I was best at and played to a decent level and attended the Royal College of Music at the age of 10.

I've been making music since the days of Mod music / Tracker music on the legendary Atari ST and the Commodore Amiga. The days when CPU resources were minuscule but you could still whack out a decent tune. It was a great time for music lovers and future music producers, DJ's and artists.

As for my taste in music, I'm a huge fan of LO-FI, Vaporwave, 80s, house, R&B, soul and funk but enjoy and appreciate almost all genres, although there are a handful I hate too!

As for my music, my aspergers/autism insists on quite a bit of melodic repetition as you may or may not notice and also a good mix of genres.

Vocals and backing harmonies are self-recorded, followed by enhancement using AI voice models to change my voice, compensate for natural imperfections and improve vocal output. In other words, I don't like my own voice but I can do vibrato and hold a tune 😁. Autotune is applied, open source post-processing tools are then used, prior to the mastering stage. Artwork is AI because Photoshop takes too long, sowwy :)

I hope you enjoy my music and if you do then please feel free to like, repost and comment. I would really appreciate it :)

Arfur X

Email me at: info@arfurx.com

Random noises and general foolish behavior caught on tape.  Musical experiments and random noises created for therapeutic purposes and not meant for human consumption.  There are no rules in music, this we should celebrate!

Bivouac Recording is a sound label based in Hong Kong.
Bivouac Recording是一个录音品牌且提供录音服务的公司，致力于推进独立现场录音项目。

For a richer experience of the field recordings and audio please read the descriptions for each track. 

Like, repost, or DM.

Thank you!

New tracks tagged #analog tape