Recorded, mixed & mastered on 26 Feb 2025 by Jim Lemanowicz at Blissville Electro-Magnetic Laboratories of Massapequa. 

Synths, reverb, echo.

This original version of "Cool Your Scorching Throw Pillow, Part 73" was submitted as part of Naviar Haiku 582, Here And There

here and there
upon scorched fields
wild violets

by: Arii Shokyu-Ni

Arii Shokyu-Ni was a haiku poetess during the Edo period who began a wandering life after running away from her husband at 29 with the haiku poet Kohaku. Just like Matsuo Basho, "the Nun Shokyu" traveled to the Deep North of Japan.

Artwork/Photography - Jim Lemanowicz, 12 Feb 2023 - a view of a painting of mine from the same month named “No Plans”, Massapequa, NY, USA

©2025 Jim Lemanowicz

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

Cool Your Scorching Throw Pillow, Part 73  (naviarhaiku582)

Prompted by and in response to:

out of the blue
of early morning light:
a paulownia leaf

Naviar haiku challenge 583, details here: https://www.naviarrecords.com/haiku-music-challenge/

Not as I envisaged at the outset owing to a lucky experiment and a willingness to got with the flow. All the base sounds are generated in virtual modular using VCV Rack with split outputs allowing multitrack recording. I had planned on using the Deelay plugin from Sixth Sample and while I was tweaking the settings put it into chaos mode as an experiment, not what I wanted but more suitable for this track, saved some VCV patching.  With the other elements in place I set up physical controls and did a test run to get an idea of what to patch next. After what would have been the opening ran to over six minutes I decided that with a couple of tweaks I had enough for a take, more minimal and slower evolving than my original idea but probably suits the haiku better. I used a touch of Frostbite 2 from Audio Thing to add some texture to the opening.

Early Morning Light - (naviarhaiku - 583)

Inspired by:

a splash of colour
cherry tree petals drifting
silently falling

Naviar haiku challenge 585, details here: https://www.naviarrecords.com/haiku-music-challenge

The construction of this one is quite minimal, just two elements. Even though the track was performed and recorded in a single take it does have two distinct phases. 

The opening "Splash of colour" section was achieved with a simple VCV Rack virtual modular patch and a lot of experimental modulation, I used some external compression to even it out somewhat. With the modulation dialled back to little or nothing the same patch becomes a backdrop for the "Petals drifting" conclusion. For this I live improvised sparce single notes; very simple VCV patch piped to the Blackhole reverb from Eventide.

A Splash of Colour - (naviarhaiku - 585)

Prompted by:

paperweights
on the store’s comicbooks –
spring breeze

Naviar haiku challenge 587, details here: https://www.naviarrecords.com/haiku-music-challenge

Quite minimal, just two small virtual modular patches and a couple of effect plugins. Opens with some ambience from Voltage Modular plus a small addition of Valhalla Supermassive. Then the paperweights, made in VCV Rack and distorted by Wasted Space from Softube and Richter from Klevgrand. As usual recorded in a single live take, a few physical controls were mapped and used but the patches for this more or less played themselves.


Paperweights - (naviarhaiku - 587)

Created in response to:

The past, immutable -
an icicle stabs
directly downward

Naviar haiku challenge 588, details here: https://www.naviarrecords.com/haiku-music-challenge

The starting point for this was an experiment with converting the control voltages from a sequence inside Voltage Modular into MIDI data and passing that to Speldosa the music box plugin from Klevgrand: https://klevgrand.com/products/speldosa 

I then added the other elements including a second sequence and instance of Speldosa. In a break from the usual most of the effect processing was done externally. Although everything was recorded in one live take, mouse controlled to avoid MIDI channel conflicts. I tried recording the manipulations as automation tracks rather than just recording the results, OK in theory but a mess to work with, probably won't do that again.

Icicles - (naviarhaiku - 588)

Recorded, mixed & mastered on 05/15/17 Apr 2025 by Jim Lemanowicz at Blissville Electro-Magnetic Laboratories of Massapequa. 

Guitar, ebow/ferrous, guitar synth, effects.

This original version of "Get Misty For Me" was submitted as part of Naviar Haiku 589: Rising Sun.

Rising sun
and nothing else –
misty sea!

by: Inoue Shiro

Inoue Shiro (1742-1812) was a doctor and poet from Nagoya.

Infrared photography/art - Jim Lemanowicz, 27 Apr 2009,  Massapequa, NY, USA. 

©2025 Jim Lemanowicz

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

Get Misty For Me (naviarhaiku589)

Recorded, mixed & mastered on 23 Apr 2025 by Jim Lemanowicz at Blissville Electro-Magnetic Laboratories of Massapequa. 

Synths & effects.

This original version of "Downstream Procrastination" was submitted as part of Naviar Haiku 590: Dreadful The Stream.

dreadful the stream
without so much as a name!
early-summer rains

by: Yosa Buson

One of the four great haiku masters, Yosa Buson studied both Japanese and Chinese poetry. He was also an accomplished painter, and most of his poems were accompanied by paintings, resulting in a more diverse and individual set of works than the one by his main historical influence, Basho.

Photography/Art - Jim Lemanowicz, 28 Jun 2009, Massapequa, NY, USA on the edge of the woods. 

©2025 Jim Lemanowicz

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

Downstream Procrastination (naviarhaiku590)

Made in response to:

dreadful the stream
without so much as a name!
early-summer rains

Naviar haiku challenge 590, details here: https://www.naviarrecords.com/haiku-music-challenge

Although everything was generated and controlled in Voltage Modular I tried something a little different, rather than recording audio I routed and recorded sequenced Midi data that was passed to external instruments, Speldosa and Slammer for the drums, both from Klevgrand.

There are also a couple of field recordings:

Some burbling water from freesound processed inside Voltage:
Water Babbling2.m4a by dasoundguy -- https://freesound.org/s/478450/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
and some binaural rain from this sound pack sold in aid of WWF Denmark: www.luftrum.com/free-field-recordings: 

Stream With No Name - (naviarhaiku - 590)

Recorded, mixed & mastered on 29 Oct 2005 & 30 Apr 2025 by Jim Lemanowicz at Stockhausen Sound & Blissville Electro-Magnetic Laboratories of Massapequa. 

Synths, augmented piano, voice & effects.

This original version of "Let's Leave Steady Divided" was submitted as part of Naviar Haiku 591: Dreadful The Stream.

steady spring rains...
both dream and reality
Mount Yoshino!

by: Ōshima Ryōta

Ōshima Ryōta was a Japanese poet of the Edo period. Some sources say he was a disciple of Yosa Buson, while others say his master was Hattori Ransetsu. He's mostly remembered for his essay “Bashō ku kai” 芭蕉句解 ('Study of Bashō's haiku') published in 1759, a magnum opus of his studies and literary theories on Matsuo Bashō's work.

Photography - Jim Lemanowicz, 07 Aug 2016, Massapequa, NY, USA

©2025 Jim Lemanowicz

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

Let's Leave Steady Divided (naviarhaiku591)

Recorded, mixed & mastered on 07 May 2025 by Jim Lemanowicz at Blissville Electro-Magnetic Laboratories of Massapequa. 

Guitar, ebow, prepared guitar, bow, guitar synth, effects.

This original version of "Reply Hazy, Try Again" was submitted as part of Naviar Haiku 592: Slanting Sunlight Rays.

slanting sunlight rays
a warm hazy afternoon
the forest to hear

by: Marc Sheridan

Marc Sheridan is an ever-curious person who loves what is just around the corner: the unusual and the mysterious. Even everyday objects and scenes can always be viewed differently.

He has been published in numerous magazines in the US and the UK and has exhibited up and down the West Coast of the US for the past 23 years.

Infrared photography/art - Jim Lemanowicz, 27 Apr 2009,  Massapequa, NY, USA. 

©2025 Jim Lemanowicz

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

Reply Hazy, Try Again (naviarhaiku592)

I'm primarily a visual artist both 2D and 3D, for the last decade I've operated almost exclusively in the digital 3D realm.   since the late 80s I've made periodic forays into the sonic world, MIDI sequencing, minimalism, musique concrète, found sounds  and improvisation. I am seldom happy with anything and seldom consider a piece finished.

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

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