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Crystal Choir
Nov. 4th, 2013 10:28 pmYou may or may not know that I seriously like the first Crystal Castles album (based out of Toronto, Ontario)... it is so lo-fi and stripped down that I consider it something of a masterpiece (that anything that bare and discordant in places could elicit a series of complex emotional responses places it in a small collection of albums that can do the same with so little). Earlier today, I randomly stumbled across the Capital Children's Choir (based out of London, England) doing an a cappella version of Crystal Castles' song "Untrust Us" off that first album. I think I actually gasped listening to it... it is beautifully executed and amazingly ambitious and exactly everything I love about musical diversity and experimentation. In some ways, this constitutes a new art form in that this performance could not have existed without extreme electronic experimentation and a fearlessness about noise and distortion and a general rending of the fabric of music that is repeatedly exhibited on Crystal Castles (I) and other music emanating from the outer edges of society. I have often thought of doing (or at least orchestrating/scoring) purely acoustic versions of industrial and/or electronic music, and it's because I knew results like this were possible and would be breathtaking (although I lack the skills to do so, thus I'm happy enough that others are doing it without my involvement as I get to experience the skill and talent of others who are doing it better than I ever could). Without further adieu, here is the Capital Children's Choir performing Crystal Castles' "Untrust Us":
In other news, this coming Wednesday (in two days from this post), I will be doing my first ever "live remote" radio broadcast. It will be from the 4th floor atrium of the Carleton University Unicentre building (in public, eeeek). I will be at a CKCU table from 8:30AM to 11:30AM and will be live on the air from 10AM to 11AM Eastern Time (93.1FM in Ottawa and streaming live globally at http://www.ckcufm.com/ or available "on demand" for about a year at http://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/371/info.html). This is the second of two funding drive shows I'm doing on my show (CKCU is volunteer run and listener funded and does a funding drive once a year for about two weeks), but I'll be playing some great music as well. If you like my blogging and feel like supporting my work, please consider donating to CKCU to help keep it (and me) on the air for another year (you can call in at 613-520-3920 or toll-free at 877-520-3920 or donate through the secure web site at http://www.ckcufm.com/donate) our goal is $127,000 this year and even $5 or $10 makes a big difference to me and my show (please type in "The Dollar Bin" in the "Show(s) to support" field or let them know you are supporting "The Dollar Bin" if you call). I also have some faboo giveaway draws that anyone who donates and mentions my show will be entered into (including a rare R.E.M. CD singles box set if I reach a stretch target — info here).
Anyway, do consider supporting, but enough of that, if you're in the neighbourhood Wednesday from 8:30AM to 11:30AM, come say hi. I will also be at the CKCU table on Thursday from 1PM to 4PM... same location. As another first, last week, I had the first live performance on my show (!!!). It was totally unexpected even... I had invited singer/songwriter/producer Sadia Afreen to be my guest on last week's show and she brought her guitar with her to the station. I thought it went quite well if you care to listen in (the show is available "on demand" here). She sang one of her own pieces in Hindi and accompanied herself on guitar... suweeet! I love doing my radio show and I especially love doing it on CKCU because I am completely responsible for the show and its content and can be spontaneous like that when presented with such a wonderful opportunity. Fyi, she sings closer to the end of the show (she came in from out of town and was a bit late due to construction, and it took a bit of effort to be ready in the studio to do a live performance, so that's why it's near the end of the show).
Now, off to study some electromagnetism for my midterm on Wednesday (ugh, it's not looking great at the moment, but I'll do what I can... it's a brutal course and it's one of the core/gatekeeping ones for the undergraduate theoretical physics degree program I'm in, double ugh... most universities split it across a 2nd year and a 3rd year semester-long class, but this is all slammed into one 3rd year one semester class and it's kicking the shit out of me).
And on the subject of new art forms, here's one that relies on digital video editing techniques for inspiration... but everything you see is live and uncut and without any special effects at all (you can see traffic and people moving in the background)... it's just insane amounts of mind-blowing talent (this time, in dance):
In other news, this coming Wednesday (in two days from this post), I will be doing my first ever "live remote" radio broadcast. It will be from the 4th floor atrium of the Carleton University Unicentre building (in public, eeeek). I will be at a CKCU table from 8:30AM to 11:30AM and will be live on the air from 10AM to 11AM Eastern Time (93.1FM in Ottawa and streaming live globally at http://www.ckcufm.com/ or available "on demand" for about a year at http://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/371/info.html). This is the second of two funding drive shows I'm doing on my show (CKCU is volunteer run and listener funded and does a funding drive once a year for about two weeks), but I'll be playing some great music as well. If you like my blogging and feel like supporting my work, please consider donating to CKCU to help keep it (and me) on the air for another year (you can call in at 613-520-3920 or toll-free at 877-520-3920 or donate through the secure web site at http://www.ckcufm.com/donate) our goal is $127,000 this year and even $5 or $10 makes a big difference to me and my show (please type in "The Dollar Bin" in the "Show(s) to support" field or let them know you are supporting "The Dollar Bin" if you call). I also have some faboo giveaway draws that anyone who donates and mentions my show will be entered into (including a rare R.E.M. CD singles box set if I reach a stretch target — info here).
Anyway, do consider supporting, but enough of that, if you're in the neighbourhood Wednesday from 8:30AM to 11:30AM, come say hi. I will also be at the CKCU table on Thursday from 1PM to 4PM... same location. As another first, last week, I had the first live performance on my show (!!!). It was totally unexpected even... I had invited singer/songwriter/producer Sadia Afreen to be my guest on last week's show and she brought her guitar with her to the station. I thought it went quite well if you care to listen in (the show is available "on demand" here). She sang one of her own pieces in Hindi and accompanied herself on guitar... suweeet! I love doing my radio show and I especially love doing it on CKCU because I am completely responsible for the show and its content and can be spontaneous like that when presented with such a wonderful opportunity. Fyi, she sings closer to the end of the show (she came in from out of town and was a bit late due to construction, and it took a bit of effort to be ready in the studio to do a live performance, so that's why it's near the end of the show).
Now, off to study some electromagnetism for my midterm on Wednesday (ugh, it's not looking great at the moment, but I'll do what I can... it's a brutal course and it's one of the core/gatekeeping ones for the undergraduate theoretical physics degree program I'm in, double ugh... most universities split it across a 2nd year and a 3rd year semester-long class, but this is all slammed into one 3rd year one semester class and it's kicking the shit out of me).
And on the subject of new art forms, here's one that relies on digital video editing techniques for inspiration... but everything you see is live and uncut and without any special effects at all (you can see traffic and people moving in the background)... it's just insane amounts of mind-blowing talent (this time, in dance):
