My first online Collaboration was in 2002 on acidplanet.com, I downloaded a friend's electronic track who lived in London and added some of my vocals to his track. I fell instantly in love with the process of both building a creatively intimate connection with someone I had never met, and more importantly the collaborative bridges that were now possible for musicians to build together despite their location.
During this time I was a mom of a one year old little boy, working at the recording studio, plus I was a part time student, going for my Bachelor's in Film production, Graphic arts design and Music. So I was busy. Luckily my boss and professor's let me bring my son along for the ride!
Anyways the point of all this life-history is that I had no real time to make music with others, no time for a band, or even jamming with others. I had little personal time to myself. But with online music collaboration I was able to record at 3am, or during the rare times my son napped. I was able to connect and create with musicians around the world, and record on my own time frame... and what would have mattered just 5 years earlier, living in a remote area with little music scene, didn't seem to matter anymore at all.
So what I find so beautiful about online collaboration is the potential...
Yes Potential in it's endless forms...
I see the vast potential for greater collaborative projects than just me (Loopsydaisy), DJ Fuk in London, his tracks, my voice and a computer at 3am.
What about getting children around the world to all write a song together?
What about making a song and video collaboratively with one person from each country in the world?
What kind of musical contrasts, collisions, and compositions would we hear?
What could this do to our sense of community? humanity?
As I ask these questions, I know that these things are already happening right now, my thoughts are not new... So today I went out into the digital playground, and found some of the leading edge examples of online/technology based music and art collaborative (humanitarian) projects.
I first came across this video:
I went ahead and checked out the website Playing For Change. "A multimedia movement created to inspire, connect and bring peace to the world through music" If I could join this group of musicians, engineers, producers and filmmakers, I think I would be on my way to enlightenment!! On their blog they discuss their future projects, and the movie they are in the process of making.
"PLAYING FOR CHANGE is a musical exploration that glides across four continents, revealing a relentless insight of humanity that strives for global unification. It is a story of hope, struggle, perseverance, joy, and celebration. It is a story of human ambition to overcome prejudices, separation, natural hardships, and evil existing in our world today. It’s passion, it’s path, and at times, it’s weapon, is music."
Although this is not exactly online collaboration, it definitely fit the description of building bridges and connections with the use of technology!
Thomas Dolby interview on his new project involving the use of renewable energy to record his newest collaborative project on e-sessions. I had recently thought of how cool it would be to record a children's music CD using only solar power... call it "Super Sunshine-Girl" or "Super Green Playground" ;) anyways... back to Dolby!
"Among the musicians involved with online collaboration is synth-pop and music-technology icon Thomas Dolby. This fall Dolby is touring the U.S. and U.K., after which he'll embark on a new album project, recorded totally off the grid — that is, using only renewable energy sources. On it, he plans to use eSession to record remotely with a host of musicians in various locales. Dolby spoke to EM in late August from England, where he'd just finished recording on an eSession project.
Peter Gabriel, has been involved with collaborative projects involving both music and film making. Gabriel has made numerous collaborative albums with musicians around the world, and has worked as a humanitarian for years as well. There is nothing like mixing the creative world with the humanitarian world, there is such immense power in these two together!
Gabriel's Witness Project is a powerful example of placing the use of technology in everyday people's hands. The witness project provides free video cameras to people around the world to record their experiences, and then share them to inform and educate. The Mission statement makes this perfectly clear... "video and online technologies to open the eyes of the world to human rights violations."
I looked into Thomas Dolby's use of esessions, and Peter Gabriel suggests the use of Indaba music, and added a few more I have used to get you started if you are interested in collaborating tonight at 3am!!
This trend is definitely going in a fast creative direction, with new collaborative sites and groups popping up daily!! It will definitely be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of years, months and even days with these new projects. I know there are probably a million projects already out there, but I cannot go into all of them today... I really have to eat soon. :) random cute food site, just so drool friendly I had to share it, click on sleepy kitty to see more!!
I feel as long as we don't lose site of the bigger picture, and use these technological advances and creative options as a way to inspire, improve or contribute to the building of bridges and the making of new creative connections globally, we are headed in the most magnificent direction!! ;)
there is only a little time to go for the catch...
with my net on the net, with music as the flying beauty...
her wings so easily broken and torn."
I am trying to understand, and more importantly make sure my research and my online songcatching is ethical. It's been somewhat hard to find a definitive outline, and the emphasis has been on ethical guidelines rather than recipes to this new ethnography.
if you are bored already feel free to watch Tom serenade his hot little kitty Cat!
So before I went to watch Tom & Jerry myself and can the whole blog idea for the night, I happened upon Georgia's Institute of Technology Ethics guideline for online research http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~asb/ethics/, and felt this seemed to at least make some logical sense, for a newbie like me to the field.
You may freely quote and analyze online information without consent if:
It is officially, publicly archived.
No password is required for archive access.
No site policy prohibits it.
The topic is not highly sensitive.
For everything else not covered by 1, you typically need consent.
Well that seems a little too easy... so from what I gather that means I can take almost anything from Myspace and research it without consent. weird. I am going to call my professor tomorrow about that. Please email me if you know anything about this... please!!
so on to the fun stuff... bands and songs with ethics
"Short, sweet, and hopefully accurate: My name's Dave. When i produce, I call myself "Sharmaji" as it's both part of my last name and a good 'ol punk-rawk middle finger to the concept of caste; if a white-looking guy from NJ can call himself 'sharmaji,' everything's equal." - Sharmaji's Myspace bio
I dig the tunes, plus he is pretty cute. Is that ethical to say?
"The whole deal is basically mosh-metal with a shitload of melody and an immense influence of hardcore. In similarity to other bands, Deadrise have their principles and stick to them! Lyrics are mainly punk oriented with a heavy dosage of hatred to any sort of social and political injustice. Pollution, monopolism, any type of chauvinism, any religious fanaticism, along with any form of manipulating the human consciousness and prejudices are what the band opposes and fights against. Basically, without unnecessary ambition, the band exists for the sheer pleasure of its members." -excerpt of bands bio
These guys really won me over with there quote: "we are from Serbia, we rock! we need visas ;)"
"One would be hard-pressed to find music more melodic and lyrics more wistful than that of the Ethics. The Ottawa quartet's debut album, Even the Stars, was released late last year. It features six sophisticated , dreamy songs bursting with lush harmonies."- myspace bio
So if any of you haven't noticed already... ethics and cute boy bands seem to go hand in hand. I think I am starting to really like Ethics.
but before I check out...
I found this.
ELECTRIC ETHICS their song digital madness is unethical... very unethical. I like it~
"Bruce Haack is one of the pioneers of electronic music during the 50’s and 60’s, who worked in numerous music genres from musique concrete to space-age-pop and whose works preceded the later synth pop and space rock music." - by Koldo Barroso
The Dermatron
Despite not having any formal knowledge in electronics, Haack built his own musical instruments, like "The Magic Wand," "The Dermatron" (a synthesizer that was played by leading an electrical current through physical contact with another person) and the "People-odion."
This was some really really trippy music for kids!! WOW! I found a new remix version of Haack's kids music called "Dimension Mix" done in 2005 as a compilation with Beck, Eels, Stereolab, Fantastic Plastic Machine, etc... Really fun stuff! It is available on Amazon! My favorite song is "Jelly Dancers" done by Eels, but "School for Robots" along with the rest of the tunes are plain electro-weirdo fun!!!
There was also a movie made which I plan on seeing...
I have decided to stay away from anything to do with Politics on the night before election day and focus on things that make me happy tonight, and one of those things is the sweet sound of a Ukulele!
So here we go.... on a Ukulele Myspace.com adventure!
Loki's music consists of a full orchestral band from Colorado, and makes for definite fun quirky circus music! It makes me feel as if I were dancing on a small little stage during the Mermaid Parade at Coney Island with the bearded lady! My favorite song is "Deformed Balloon Animals"!! Go ahead, go dance with the bearded lady, or a mermaid on the boardwalk!
This duo from London will make you laugh with their silly song "I can't handle your love handle" and their British accents with Ukuleles is just enough to bring a mischievous smile to any one's face. Their song SkodaPimpin' reminds me of the Stray Cats lost on a deserted island with only Ukuleles and a band of angry new wave monkeys!
Looks like The United Kingdom is taking over Ukulele Music!!
The Bohemia Ukulele Band a 6 player ukulele band, has a very homegrown feel, as if you just stepped back into a time when people still gathered and play together out on their porch swings! :) Love their Pollyanna version of "Keep on the Sunny side" and their Uke angst cover of "These boots r made 4 walking"! Come one over and take a seat on the sunny side of the porch swing!!
Ukulele Club de Paris I think I am in love... Two of my favorite sounds together, French accents and Ukulele strummin'! just go and listen... I can't type cause I am melting. :) oh, but I cannot resist a little french bio:
"L'Ukuléléressemblede prime abord à une simple guitare miniature. Unjouet. Pour autant, prononcer son seulnomsuffit à évoquerces atolls madréporiquesoùguerrierscannibalesetlascivesvahinésrythmentjouretnuitdesamusique, mêlée à celledestambours, leursdansesetleurs incantations païennes."
"A Ukulele is a simple miniature guitar first of all. A toy. To pronounce its name is enough to evoke madreporic atolls where warlike cannibals and lascivious drummer's pound day and night of its music, their dances and their incantations pagan and wild." (my french from high school interpretation).
Of course I would not feel right with the Great Ukulele without some music from Hawaii!
This Hawaiian makes the Ukulele sound like a classical guitar! Just Beautiful. His humble music profile is endearing, as is his ukulele playing. His cowboy ukulele songs are Just Lovely.
Check out this site too: www.hooping.org, They featured my blog on their site!! thanks Hoopers.org!
Yeah, so as many of you may know I have been an obsessed Hula Hooper! I cannot imagine my life without those circular plastic rings swirling around my hips. Part of my online music communities research, is looking at the way in which people are able to find music online. With new search engines within sites, such as myspace, you can put in a keyword for example: Hula hoop and come up with a bunch of bands, songs, and even blog entries about Hula Hoops. I am going to attempt to find music about, for, and inspired by Hula Hoops!
MY first find is a band called Wet Dream from Western Springs, Illinois. These guys are pretty funny covering an Avril Lavigne song called "girlfriend", and I was impressed (sort of) by their song "Hula Hoop", but I loved their song "In the Shower". Check'em out if you want to enter into a teenage time warp. Their Bio is awesome:
"Our most distinctive attribute would be our lyrics. They are not your typical songs about love & hardship. Our songs our all based around childish toys and foods. We consider ourselves pretty immature, but this is what we feel sets us apart from the rest of the Chicago land area bands. We except who we are and we try to make the most of it. So with all of this we hope you enjoy our music and will spread the word around, that there is a band unlike any other. That band is Wet Dream."
OK back to Hula Hoops.
OH MY HULA HOOP!
OK, this woman Janne Lind from Norway wrote the history of the hula hoop in a song...I am a little shocked by this... I am not sure what to say. But it was fun to hear!
"In 1958 in California... a simple plastic thing forming a loop... called a hula hoop!"
This is great, fantastic, makes me feel like hula hooping ghetto style, with my booty! : Check out the Hula Hoop song he did with AbrayDewan,
"Girl do the hula hoop, break it down, down to the ground, round and round..." Oh yeah baby!
Then there is the Caribbean boys, Better Band, who jam about Hula Hooping and man is it fun just to hear it! Makes me wanna Hula with a orchid in my hair and bare feet on the beach at sundown!
The only catch is she only posted some great old Hula Hoop Songs she didn't write or perform them, but I have to get to work. These songs are by far the best Hula songs I have found on my online search experimental journey on myspace. I must find the real artists of these tunes, and I intend to, after I get back from Hula Hooping at the Library!
OH and we cannot forget about these two guys who started the MADNESS!
So my scientificahula findings are that there are indeed many songs about Hula Hooping!
I have always been drawn to these sexy images of women, I love the way this style of art portrays a woman as curvy, voluptuous and always a bit mischievous! I was thinking about getting a new bike today, well I was actually just trying to procrastinate doing any research for school. But I went ahead and searched online for a bike, when I came across this image... I thought, eureka! I should do a blog on music written by pin up girls or for pin up girls... so here I goes, wheee!!!
The first band I came across is called thePin Up, an all female band from Turkey. These not very pin up looking girls sure know how to rock out and despite having no idea what they were singing about, I totally dig them! I liked reading their bio too:
"Hirsli, hizli ve sert dört genç hanim olan Ayse Ertugrul, Aysegül Esen, Ezgi Özkan ve Özlem Gündogmus'tan kurulu Pin-up, Türk Rock sahnesinin en aranilan gruplarindan. Önceleri amatör bir üniversite grubu olma niteligindeki Pin-up, takip eden aylarda Taksim, Kadiköy gibi semtlerdeki publarda sahne almaya basladikça adini genis kitlelere duyurdu."
Then there is Sara Da Pin Up from Barcelona Spain, I remember having some fun nights in Barcelona's discotheques, and this music would fit right into a posh little pin up zone! "I like the girls" is a really fantastic bubble gum sex kitten tune! The band also has a groovy website, go check it out! http://www.saradapinup.com/
Oh now this is my kind of music, The band Banana Juice makes this old timey surfer music with a Wurlitzer vibe that sound like the Adams family in Hawaii! Their song Intersideral Pin Up, is what brought me to this French based band. My Parents used to live in France, near where this band makes their banana shakin' tunes, in the 1970's!
French lesson #1: Intersideral pin up = Interstellar pin up.
So to end this Blog I can never resist a hammock and a good book... and of course some new tunes on my ipod!
I recently discovered Betty Davis, FUNK DIVA! She is incredibly sexy and fun! Her anti-love song is a great theme song for a lustful day! This 70's sex kitten Diva and wife of Miles Davis was too wild for Miles!! He divorced her in 1969, explaining later in his autobiography that she was "too young and wild" for him. (He also suspected her of an affair with Jimi Hendrix). CHECK HER OUT!
Nikka Costa, a modern sexy funky Music Maker, after reading her bio, I was hooked... her advice was in order to make an album, do it fast, do it for yourself and do it for all the right reasons. She left her record deal, and wrote this newest album in 15 days! EVERYBODY GOT THEIR SOMETHING!
Imani Coppola, her song "I LOVE YOUR HAIR" and "WOKE UP HWITE" are my favorite to run to when I need a release high, or blast in my bedroom at 3am... "A brash, biracial beauty with the voice of an angry angel and a truck-stop vocabulary, she’s more concerned with creating music that feels like having a line of coke blown up your ass."
I am not planning on writing FUNK (not yet), but I sure do loved to be FUNKED by these ladies!
I was trying to think of the point of this blog and I came to a conclusion that music is a magical drug and if used with passion and openness you can get high! I am feeling a rush of passion coming into my own life, and I am looking to keep that feeling alive...
I found this sweet Australian dreamy songstress, Lenka: Lenka has a very gentle voice, that makes me want to kiss like a teenager... I truly love to listen to her sexy bubblegum songs... check her out if your in the mood to feel your heart leap a little in a girly way...
Then there is Brett Dennen, he has a a very cool voice, very tempting and fun! He has some great tunes, I dig "Make you Crazy" and "She is mine", his music makes me feel like I am laying in a field of daisies on a breezy summer day waiting anxiously for my lover...!
I am sure there are plenty more to find... I would rather go listen to my heart flutter tonight...
I think I better look at the now... leave the past behind baby!
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