Disquiet Junto Project 0604: Heaven’s Gate 
The Assignment: Use a picture of the clouds as a plan for adjusting your sound.

Step 1: Think about the use of a gate in music production. A gate can be described as an “on/off switch, allowing signals over threshold to pass while muting everything below.” (It’s likely that discussion will occur during this project regarding useful explanations of the concept.)

Step 2: Take a picture of some clouds.

Step 3: Think of how to interpret the clouds as a model of a gate.

Step 4: Record a track employing the approach you determined in Step 3 using the picture from Step 2.

I took the cover photo in Ashland, Oregon, earlier this year; no filters were employed. Regarding the title, I’m a Michael Cimino admirer.

Source: https://tapeop.com/interviews/33/noise-gates/

Deadline: This project’s deadline is the end of the day Monday, July 31, 2023, at 11:59pm (that is, just before midnight) wherever you are. It was posted on Thursday, July 27, 2023.

More on this 604th weekly Disquiet Junto project, Heaven’s Gate (The Assignment: Use a picture of the clouds as a plan for adjusting your sound), at: https://disquiet.com/0604/

About the Disquiet Junto: https://disquiet.com/junto/

Subscribe to project announcements: https://tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto/

Project discussion takes place on llllllll.co: https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0604-heavens-gate/

Disquiet Junto Project 0604: Heaven’s Gate

release date: 27/07/2023
More on this 604th weekly Disquiet Junto project, Heaven’s Gate (The Assignment: Use a picture of the clouds as a plan for adjusting your sound), at: https://disquiet.com/0604/

About the Disquiet Junto: Disquiet Junto F.A.Q. – Disquiet

Subscribe to project announcements: https://tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto/

Project discussion takes place on llllllll.co: https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0604-heavens-gate/

Heaven’s Gate (disquiet0604)

More on this 604th weekly Disquiet Junto project, Heaven’s Gate (The Assignment: Use a picture of the clouds as a plan for adjusting your sound), at: https://disquiet.com/0604/

About the Disquiet Junto: Disquiet Junto F.A.Q. – Disquiet

Subscribe to project announcements: https://tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto/ 1

Project discussion takes place on llllllll.co: https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0604-heavens-gate/

3-Zone-Heaven(disquiet0604)

Clouds and fog march in over the north shore of Lake Superior.

In The Way disquiet0604

An electronic sequence created in Pure Data & subjected to a touch of reverb & Noise Gate.

More on this 604th weekly Disquiet Junto project, Heaven’s Gate (The Assignment: Use a picture of the clouds as a plan for adjusting your sound), at: https://disquiet.com/0604/

About the Disquiet Junto: Disquiet Junto F.A.Q. – Disquiet

Subscribe to project announcements: https://tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto/ 1

Project discussion takes place on llllllll.co: https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0604-heavens-gate/

Gate of Clouds (disquiet0604)

I took this cloud photo last week whilst sitting on the beach in the early morning attempting to gather my thoughts, just before work. I had just captured a field recording of the sea when I noticed this cloud looming above the cliff edge, so I’ve chucked that in here too for good measure. 

I wanted to somewhat try to capture the mood I was in when I noticed the cloud. 

In response to the prompt I used:

Free image to MIDI Max for Live device in Ableton - to turn the cloud photo into midi data

https://tomcosm.gumroad.com/l/ZiGjZ

(White areas of cloud photograph image were rendered as absences of MIDI data i.e. 0s)

Probability gate on a Kontakt Irish Harp freebie VST I picked up recently which I'd been curious to try out and the prompt seemed as good a time to do so as any. I don't normally used sampled instruments much but this one was quite fun to work with. The multiple probability gates helped to make the rendered image to MIDI data less dense and more listenable to:

https://maxforlive.com/library/device/6982/mm4l-probability-gate

Disquiet Junto Project 0604: Heaven’s Gate
The Assignment: Use a picture of the clouds as a plan for adjusting your sound.

Step 1: Think about the use of a gate in music production. A gate can be described as an “on/off switch, allowing signals over threshold to pass while muting everything below.” (It’s likely that discussion will occur during this project regarding useful explanations of the concept.)

Step 2: Take a picture of some clouds.

Step 3: Think of how to interpret the clouds as a model of a gate.

Step 4: Record a track employing the approach you determined in Step 3 using the picture from Step 2.

I took the cover photo in Ashland, Oregon, earlier this year; no filters were employed. Regarding the title, I’m a Michael Cimino admirer.

Source: https://tapeop.com/interviews/33/noise-gates/ 2

Eight Important Steps When Your Track Is Done:

Step 1: Include “disquiet0604” (no spaces or quotation marks) in the name of your tracks.

Step 2: If your audio-hosting platform allows for tags, be sure to also include the project tag “disquiet0604” (no spaces or quotation marks). If you’re posting on SoundCloud in particular, this is essential to subsequent location of tracks for the creation of a project playlist.

Step 3: Upload your tracks. It is helpful but not essential that you use SoundCloud to host your tracks.

Step 4: Post your track in the following discussion thread at llllllll.co:

https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0604-heavens-gate/

Step 5: Annotate your track with a brief explanation of your approach and process.

Step 6: If posting on social media, please consider using the hashtag #DisquietJunto so fellow participants are more likely to locate your communication.

Step 7: Then listen to and comment on tracks uploaded by your fellow Disquiet Junto participants.

Step 8: Also join in the discussion on the Disquiet Junto Slack. Send your email address to marc@disquiet.com for Slack inclusion.

Note: Please post one track for this weekly Junto project. If you choose to post more than one, and do so on SoundCloud, please let me know which you’d like added to the playlist. Thanks.

Additional Details:

Length: The length is up to you. How fast are those clouds moving?

Deadline: This project’s deadline is the end of the day Monday, July 31, 2023, at 11:59pm (that is, just before midnight) wherever you are. It was posted on Thursday, July 27, 2023.

Upload: When participating in this project, be sure to include a description of your process in planning, composing, and recording it. This description is an essential element of the communicative process inherent in the Disquiet Junto. Photos, video, and lists of equipment are always appreciated.

Download: It is always best to set your track as downloadable and allowing for attributed remixing (i.e., a Creative Commons license permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution, allowing for derivatives).

Cumuliform disquiet0604

I took a photo from the roof of my office and used the clouds as a sequencer by putting a grid over it. I then placed six tracks at heights with interesting cloud patterns and filled the grid where I deemed the clouds dense enough. The pattern went into Drambo without editing and with all notes the same length. In Drambo it powered six guitar samples and - with a much reduced probability - six percussion samples. I played the pattern three times and gradually brought in some distortion. The result sounds nothing like the fluffy clouds it was based on. Maybe a bit Neal Young with a one string guitar? I tried to make a “happy summer jam version” out of it by using different samples or synths. Alas as ever so often when I try to really aim for a happy “The Tough Alliance” kind of sound, I end up even more merzbowy than before. Those fun sunny summery jams appear once in a while without any intent or effort - just like that cloud that looks like a humming bird or … an ice
cream van? Happy summer to everyone!

More on this 604th weekly Disquiet Junto project, Heaven’s Gate (The Assignment: Use a picture of the clouds as a plan for adjusting your sound), at: https://disquiet.com/0604/

About the Disquiet Junto: https://disquiet.com/junto/

Subscribe to project announcements: https://tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto/

Project discussion takes place on llllllll.co: https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0604-heavens-gate/

Disquiet0604 - Distorted Cloud Sequencer

A response to Disquiet Junto prompt 0700, and based on a true story. From the window in my pantry I can see into my neighbor's back yard, where they have their hen house. Sometimes things happen. 

Unedited field recording, vintage Korg M3R. and reverb.

When I went outside this morning with my field recorder, one of the hens got agitated and started complaining loudly and repeatedly. She continued for almost exactly three and a half minutes, then stopped just as suddenly as she had started. The song is 3:43 minutes long.

Poses the age-old question, "Can Coraline make a serious song around a chicken sample?" What do you think?

More on the 700th weekly Disquiet Junto project, View Frame — The Assignment: Share the view and some sounds inspired by the view — at https://disquiet.com/0700/

The Discovery of a Fox (disquiet0700)

For this week's @disquiet Junto Project I'm not quite sure why the Logic Pro Wurlitzer pattern came out so doleful in response to the view from my bedroom window. I'm happy in my home, though I am moving fairly soon, so maybe that's why. I was pretty pleased with the first and third contributions I made to the recent trio projects, so with this I combined a simple tonal part with part of the recorder improvisation by @kate-gallaher in the woods. In the background are the birds and an airplane, similar to the urban sounds I have hear at dawn (though far fewer birds).

Happy 700th @disquiet ! Thank you for making these happen Marc Weidenbaum.

More on the 700th weekly Disquiet Junto project, View Frame — The Assignment: Share the view and some sounds inspired by the view — at https://disquiet.com/0700/

View Frame (disquiet0700)

The photo was taken yesterday morning when it happened to be raining. The track is an electronic sequence created using Pure Data with a touch of delay and reverb.

More on the 700th weekly Disquiet Junto project, View Frame — The Assignment: Share a peek out your window and some sounds inspired by the view — at https://disquiet.com/0700/

Rainy Day Outlook (disquiet0700)

More on the 700th weekly Disquiet Junto project, View Frame — The Assignment: Share the view and some sounds inspired by the view — at https://disquiet.com/0700/

(brief tinkle on the super gemini with two layers, a sort of pad and a sparrow-inspired chirrup, recorded on my phone in the room as well as into the mixer, then blended and grotted up with some speshul air windows gribble grabbles)

oot thair windah [disquiet0700]

The world outside is under construction.

Who ordered the mission? Who‘s going to pay the in the end?
What will the world look like, will it turn out nice?
From inside its hard to figure it out. 

Disquiet Junto Project 0700: View Frame
The Assignment: Share a peek out your window and some sounds inspired by the view.
Step 1: Take a photo out your window, with a little bit of the frame in view. Show people a glimpse of your world.
Step 2: Record a short, simple piece of music inspired (or otherwise informed) by what you see.

Framing the view [disquiet0700]

Today any information is processed in chains of automated steps, mostly for providing handy services. Do we know more now? Do we understand each other now more than ever?

The Assignment:
Select a piece of software, preferably one you use regularly, and misuse it in the service of recording a piece of music.

Chains in this contribution:
1. Copy the assignment to Pages
2. Have it automatically translated in different languages
3. Have it read automatically, recording the reading
4. Have the resulting sound file chopped up and put some fx…

More on the 702nd weekly Disquiet Junto project, Chain of Applications — The Assignment: Make music by misusing a piece of music software — at https://disquiet.com/0702/

Chains[disquiet0702]

More on the 702nd weekly Disquiet Junto project, Chain of Applications — The Assignment: Make music by misusing a piece of music software — at https://disquiet.com/0702/

disquiet0702

This was my contribution for Disquiet Junto Project 0702: Chain of Applications. The Assignment: Make music by misusing a piece of music software. This project is the second 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.

Here’s a copy of my post on the Disquiet Junto 0702 discussion thread on Lines:

I rarely use the metronome in Ableton Live, even when recording on top of a rhythm. Maybe it’s the lack of experience with it but I find the sound too distracting. For this project, decided to not use the metronome as a rhythm aid but as a sound source to be sampled and manipulated into an experimental composition.

First, recorded the sound with a Panasonic microcassette recorder. I then recorded it back into Ableton Live. The output connection on the recorder was picking up some static and noise but used the recording anyway, From there I used Audio Damage Circa to loop and mangle the audio. Used Imagiro Autochrome, SoundGhost Jumble and ValhallaRoom for effects. The result reminds me of a chorus of frogs, insects and other creatures in some wetland at night.

More on the 702nd weekly Disquiet Junto project, Chain of Applications — The Assignment: Make music by misusing a piece of music software — at https://disquiet.com/0702/

Metronomia Chorus [disquiet0702]

Letzter Zug durch Herold [disquiet0702]

This weeks Disquiet Junto asks us to abuse software to make music. I was going to pass on  this one quite honestly - there has been lots of interesting work in this field - using data files as audio etc etc. but then, and I’m not quite sure why, a project in an electronics magazine from when I was a child came to mind. In the project they created (an incredibly lofi)  video by using electro-mechanical scanning of a light resistor. Seeing video as an analog signal then prompted this. 

I’ve got a Max/Jitter patch collecting video. The video is split into 4 pieces - each piece is treated as a wavetable and the volume of it is modulated by taking the video segment using the average of each column from left to right scanned at quite a low frequency. A few parameters here and there let me turn it into music rather than noise and there is a reverb and a bit of delay in there for good measure. And then I recorded an improvisation on the whole setup. 

I’m still not quite sure it counts - surely using Max/MSP to make music is its entire reason for existing! But perhaps it’s ok since ALL the audio signal is generated by a video camera……

[disquiet0702] moving to light

My 33 1/3 series book about the Aphex Twin album <i>Selected Ambient Works Volume II</i> was published in 2014. The book was one of the top 5 bestselling titles for the calendar year, and in 2015 was ranked by Pitchfork as one of the "33 best" of the 100-plus books in the 33 1/3 series. It has subsequently been translated into Japanese (2019) and Spanish (2018)

Since 2012 I have moderated the Disquiet Junto group, which began on SoundCloud. More at disquiet.com/junto. 

I've written for Nature, Pitchfork, The Wire, Down Beat, Boing Boing, NewMusicBox, Red Bull Music Academy, Art Practical, the website of The Atlantic, and many other publications. 

I've exhibited sound art at galleries in Los Angeles (Crewest), Manhattan (apex art), and Dubai (DUTAC), and I had a audio-visual installation at the San Jose Museum of Art as part of its 45th anniversary.

And since 1996 I've run the website Disquiet.com about the intersection of sound, art, and technology.

Disquiet0604 - Distorted Cloud Sequencer

xhg

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