Peak Oil Music!

[syberberg]

Man that's tense. Nice guitar loop Andy. Good job. That reminds me...must get back to work, I've a crop of new songs that need finishing.

Cool, would like to hear them!

Try the link again - I've put a few extra synths and stuff on there to fill it out a bit.

Getting another PV panel next week - I've only got a music computer, don't have lots of fancy hardware synths or anything, I use software for pretty much everything. I would really miss being able to record music in protracted power cuts, which is part of the reason for my off-grid PV system!

I'll get them up on The Hated Reign's MySpace page as soon as they're done. They're tracks I've done mostly in Reason (I'm the same as you in that I've not got any hardware synths, but I'm seriously considering getting a midi controller keyboard and although I know I probably shouldn't, I'm going to be getting Reason 4 as I didn't really see the jump from 2.5 to 3 as worth the investment). The tracks are a bit of a departure from the older stuff.

If I wasn't living in a rented house, I'd be fitting PV to as much roof space as I could afford for the same reasons.

You've filled that one out nicely, anymore and I think you may lose the tension. Nice work.

[Andy Hunt]

Man that's tense. Nice guitar loop Andy. Good job. That reminds me...must get back to work, I've a crop of new songs that need finishing.

Cool, would like to hear them!

Try the link again - I've put a few extra synths and stuff on there to fill it out a bit.

Getting another PV panel next week - I've only got a music computer, don't have lots of fancy hardware synths or anything, I use software for pretty much everything. I would really miss being able to record music in protracted power cuts, which is part of the reason for my off-grid PV system!

I'll get them up on The Hated Reign's MySpace page as soon as they're done. They're tracks I've done mostly in Reason (I'm the same as you in that I've not got any hardware synths, but I'm seriously considering getting a midi controller keyboard and although I know I probably shouldn't, I'm going to be getting Reason 4 as I didn't really see the jump from 2.5 to 3 as worth the investment). The tracks are a bit of a departure from the older stuff.

If I wasn't living in a rented house, I'd be fitting PV to as much roof space as I could afford for the same reasons.

You've filled that one out nicely, anymore and I think you may lose the tension. Nice work.

Yeah I don't want to make it too 'busy' . . .

Looking forward to hearing the new choons! I'm always surprised at just how much 'juice' my music computer eats up when I'm working on my off-grid system at home. I have an external HDD which I use for backup sometimes, that's a proper energy guzzler.

The MIDI controller is well worth it, I have an Edirol one which is just a small keyboard with a few knobs on, it doesn't really use up much power at all. The only other stuff I have are a microphone pre-amp with phantom power for the mic, a headphone pre-amp and of course a hi-fi amp connected to my monitors. Pretty compact for a studio, but it's the desktop PC which guzzles all the energy.

I have thought of going for a new low-energy PC made of wood etc (you can get them I think!), but I'm loathe to do so when the one I have works perfectly well.

I suppose you could always just go for a few deep-cycle batteries and charge them off the mains, and run your PC and your fridge off them if the power goes!

[syberberg]

Yeah I don't want to make it too 'busy' . . .

Looking forward to hearing the new choons! I'm always surprised at just how much 'juice' my music computer eats up when I'm working on my off-grid system at home. I have an external HDD which I use for backup sometimes, that's a proper energy guzzler.

The MIDI controller is well worth it, I have an Edirol one which is just a small keyboard with a few knobs on, it doesn't really use up much power at all. The only other stuff I have are a microphone pre-amp with phantom power for the mic, a headphone pre-amp and of course a hi-fi amp connected to my monitors. Pretty compact for a studio, but it's the desktop PC which guzzles all the energy.

I have thought of going for a new low-energy PC made of wood etc (you can get them I think!), but I'm loathe to do so when the one I have works perfectly well.

I suppose you could always just go for a few deep-cycle batteries and charge them off the mains, and run your PC and your fridge off them if the power goes!

I tend to use CD-R for backup, but I'm thinking that USB sticks might be a better option as I don't have to put the wavs and data files on separate CD-R's and I can store far more on a USB stick than CD-R and they take up less space.

Funny you should mention the deep cycle batteries, it's one option I've been considering, but keeping them on a solar trickle charger rather than the mains.

My set up is pretty much the same as your's, but my monitors are powered. I use a Boss BR-1180 for the guitars/bass/mic, (has phantom power for the mic) and has 100 guitar/bass FX, 50 mic FX, 50 line FX and 50 mic simulations. IIRC, it uses 12v DC. But yeah, the PC is the most power greedy of the lot.

[RenewableCandy]

Peak oil films yield such great samples . . . I've used the opening lines of "End of Empire - What A Way to Go" as a sample in a new dance track "Childhood's End" for anyone who's interested:

http://childhoodsend.solarbud.co.uk

Interesting thought, do you think that this would get the message into people's heads subliminally? And would that work better than trying to tell people straight-out??

[Andy Hunt]

Peak oil films yield such great samples . . . I've used the opening lines of "End of Empire - What A Way to Go" as a sample in a new dance track "Childhood's End" for anyone who's interested:

http://childhoodsend.solarbud.co.uk

Interesting thought, do you think that this would get the message into people's heads subliminally? And would that work better than trying to tell people straight-out??

Well I am trying it out, most of my dance tunes have these types of samples in.

I'm not really very 'big' though, so these tracks don't get played to many people. Difficult to tell how much of it really goes in.

If someone really famous was to start releasing music with these messages in, now that could be very interesting indeed. Interesting in fact that nobody is doing . . . wonder why?

[syberberg]

Peak oil films yield such great samples . . . I've used the opening lines of "End of Empire - What A Way to Go" as a sample in a new dance track "Childhood's End" for anyone who's interested:

http://childhoodsend.solarbud.co.uk

Interesting thought, do you think that this would get the message into people's heads subliminally? And would that work better than trying to tell people straight-out??

Well I am trying it out, most of my dance tunes have these types of samples in.

I'm not really very 'big' though, so these tracks don't get played to many people. Difficult to tell how much of it really goes in.

If someone really famous was to start releasing music with these messages in, now that could be very interesting indeed. Interesting in fact that nobody is doing . . . wonder why?

It also depends upon the genre as well. I tend to find the dance scene (in the majority of its forms) has an overall ethos of hedonism and Andy's stuff is fairly rare in the choice of samples and message.

Take a trundle over to the darkside and we find the industrial/cyberpunk bands (particularly the old guard like Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Gary Numan and The Sisters of Mercy and the newer bands like Rammstein, VNV Nation, Velvet Acid Christ, Combichrist, Covenant, The Cruxshadows, Terminal Choice, Front 242 and The Hated Reign) are filled with dystopian and societal collapse within their lyrics and imagery.

[neckiep]

Transition Nottingham are planning on having an open space day about the arts in the future and so I've been thinking about how peak oil will affect my band. We play festivals and try and get expenses. (two of our members are pro's so wont "pay to play" unless its a really good event). If diesel increases then so will our expenses, x this by the number of bands that play festivals and then add on the fuel costs of the stage crew, the caterers, etc, etc and the expenses could suddenly rise by significant amounts. As most festivals seem to have a hand to mouth existance, and as tickets are already quite high this could have a big effect, especially when you add in the weather. Quite a few of my friends only decided to go to festivals at the last minute last year when they were sure they wouldn'nt get washed out. So while local festivals might benefit,the majority who rely on an audience from around the country might suffer and have to end.

We played two festivals last year that relied on renewables(big green and climate camp) On the one hand it was shonky, on the other the most fun!

[21st_century_caveman]

I'm going to be getting Reason 4 as I didn't really see the jump from 2.5 to 3 as worth the investment).

What are you and Andy's opinions on open source audio/music production software?
Something i've had play with which i found interesting was an app called Pure Data and you can find a plethora of others on SourceForge.
I'll admit that i've not produced any music with any software or harware (that includes traditonal analogue instruments) as i dont consider myself that musical, although i do have a didgeridoo standing in the corner but i cant circular breath, however i would like to try at some point (i have massive list of stuff to try).

Interesting in fact that nobody is doing . . . wonder why?

Well Coldcut tend to include environmental and politcal messages in some of their tracks, Timber from the album Let Us Play springs to mind, not sure about their recent stuff as i havent been following it.
I also distinctly remember seeing sun-setting-on-oil-production images in the vj projections at an Egg gig and the music fitted perfectly.

syber, i noticed in another thread that you said you lived in Exeter, well i lived there for 5 years whilst at uni (only moved to Wales last year) and i wonder if we may have met or at least been in the same room at some point as i used to frequent the Cavern and Phoenix (where i saw the Egg) and other alternative type venues.
Its a small world.

[syberberg]

I'm going to be getting Reason 4 as I didn't really see the jump from 2.5 to 3 as worth the investment).

What are you and Andy's opinions on open source audio/music production software?
Something i've had play with which i found interesting was an app called Pure Data and you can find a plethora of others on SourceForge.
I'll admit that i've not produced any music with any software or harware (that includes traditonal analogue instruments) as i dont consider myself that musical, although i do have a didgeridoo standing in the corner but i cant circular breath, however i would like to try at some point (i have massive list of stuff to try).

TBH, I've never tried any open source audio/music production software, so I can't comment upon what it's like to use. I got into using Reason via a friend of the last bassist I worked with and I find it does everything I want it to and it's very light on the CPU usage and has (touch wood, cross fingers) so far never crashed on me or suffered from dropouts. Once I've done what I need to in reason, I export everything into Sonar 3 and record all the guitars, bass and vocals there as well as doing the final mixdown and then mastering

syber, i noticed in another thread that you said you lived in Exeter, well i lived there for 5 years whilst at uni (only moved to Wales last year) and i wonder if we may have met or at least been in the same room at some point as i used to frequent the Cavern and Phoenix (where i saw the Egg) and other alternative type venues.
Its a small world.

I've been here in Exeter for about 5 and a bit years now. I never really bothered with The Cavern or The Phoenix, I was always in The Bunker/Roadhouse on Cowick Street and Barts (before it closed). I did DJ a few times for the Exeter uni Roc. Soc. and my band (as was, now just me and a PC) The Hated Reign, played The Cavern a couple of times, the last was one of their Hallowe'en parties about 3 years ago.

[Andy Hunt]

Never used open source music software, I have used Reason but ended up using Cubase for everything in the end.

Regarding the dance scene, Syberberg is right, it is generally a hedonistic kind of scene, which was actually a bit of a shock to me, as it was introduced to me as the 'hippy' scene, which I have always thought was about things like natural living, alternative energy etc etc.

You live and learn.

[Andy Hunt]

We played two festivals last year that relied on renewables(big green and climate camp) On the one hand it was shonky, on the other the most fun!

Hi Neckiep, what's your band called, and do you have a Myspace page at all?

[neckiep]

Hi Andy
were called Moonbuggy and the myspace is www.myspace.com/moonbuggynottingham or www.moonbuggy.info. the music up theres a bit old now cos were just mixing a new cd.

[syberberg]

Hi Andy
were called Moonbuggy and the myspace is www.myspace.com/moonbuggynottingham or www.moonbuggy.info. the music up theres a bit old now cos were just mixing a new cd.

After listening to that, I have a sudden urge to wrap a spliff. Nice.

[Andy Hunt]

Hi Andy
were called Moonbuggy and the myspace is www.myspace.com/moonbuggynottingham or www.moonbuggy.info. the music up theres a bit old now cos were just mixing a new cd.

After listening to that, I have a sudden urge to wrap a spliff. Nice.

Sounds good to me . . . now I know what I will be listening to this evening!

Blimey is it only 12:15 . . . I feel a sudden urge to put my feet up with a cuppa in front of the log fire!

[RenewableCandy]

Blimey is it only 12:15 . . . I feel a sudden urge to put my feet up with a cuppa in front of the log fire!

Mind if I join you? It's lunch break here at work and it's a bit quiet today...