Same issue with the photos. Looks fine on iTunes, but as soon as I upload it, there are problems.
Monday, June 25, 2012
MAYHEM Podcast
Same issue with the photos. Looks fine on iTunes, but as soon as I upload it, there are problems.
Comment for Dan Dunham's "Travis Barker"
Dan,
Great post. I’m not a huge fan of Blink 182 or pop-punk in general, but I can’t deny that Travis Barker is a great drummer with some outstanding skill. Being a drummer myself, I can definitely appreciate his speed, precision, and technical ability, as well as his skills as a songwriter. As I said, I don’t consider myself a fan of his music, so I haven’t really been exposed to much of his work as a drummer, but after reading your post, I decided to check out more of his recordings. While I still can’t call myself a lover of Blink 182, my appreciation for their work – specifically Travis Barker’s – has increased tenfold. Thanks for the well-written and informative post!
- Zachary Dendinger
Great post. I’m not a huge fan of Blink 182 or pop-punk in general, but I can’t deny that Travis Barker is a great drummer with some outstanding skill. Being a drummer myself, I can definitely appreciate his speed, precision, and technical ability, as well as his skills as a songwriter. As I said, I don’t consider myself a fan of his music, so I haven’t really been exposed to much of his work as a drummer, but after reading your post, I decided to check out more of his recordings. While I still can’t call myself a lover of Blink 182, my appreciation for their work – specifically Travis Barker’s – has increased tenfold. Thanks for the well-written and informative post!
- Zachary Dendinger
Darkness and Mayhem: Scandinavian 'Black' Metal
In the 80’s, heavy metal bands like Metallica, Anthrax,
Megadeth, Twisted Sister, and Iron Maiden were rising to fame and causing a
large amount of controversy in the process. Accusations of devil worship and
Satanic lyrics (among other nefarious things) were thrown at these bands by
Christian organizations and media outlets worldwide. Heavy metal was rocking
the music world, challenging conventions, and providing its fair share of musical
innovations and techniques, and the fans loved it.
But near the mid-80’s, a new sub-genre of heavy metal was taking shape in Scandinavia. Heavily influenced by early thrash bands like Sodom, Sabbat, Destruction, Venom, and Hellhammer, as well as hardcore and crust punk like Sore Throat and Doom, this new type of metal was characterized by heavy, repetitive tremolo riffs, blast beats, raspy vocals, and lo-fi production. Taking its name from the Venom album of the same name, “black metal” was raw, relentless, and uncompromising, as well as largely unheard of. It wasn’t until the band Mayhem, and the controversy surrounding its members, that black metal was widely recognized by the rest of the world.
Formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway by guitarist Øystein Aarseth (“Euronymous”), drummer Kjetil Manheim, and bassist Jørn Stubberud (“Necrobutcher”), Mayhem released several demos before finally recruiting vocalist “Maniac” and recording the pivotal EP Deathcrush. Soon afterwards, Maniac was replaced by Per Yngve Ohlin (“Dead”), a Swedish vocalist from the death metal band Morbid, and Jan Axel Von Blomberg (“Hellhammer”) took over drumming duties.
Dead was known for his strange behaviour both on and off stage. He was known to bury his clothes under the ground for weeks so they would begin to rot, and then dig them up before going on stage. Self-mutilation and dead animals/raw meat were a common sight at Mayhem live shows. Shortly after recording Live in Leipzig, Dead committed suicide in 1991. His body was found by Euronymous at their house near Kråkstad. Incredibly, Euronymous, instead of immediately calling the police, took pictures of Dead’s body, one of which was later used as the cover of the Dawn of the Black Hearts bootleg album. Dead’s suicide was the first in a series of bloody and violent events that helped bring black metal into the spotlight.
After the death of Ohlin, bassist Necrobutcher left the band and was replaced with Varg Vikernes (“Grishnackh”). Varg had his own band, Burzum (orcish for ‘Darkness’), in which he played all instruments, and was signed to Euronymous’ Deathlike Silence Productions label. Snorre Ruch (“Blackthorn”) and Attila Csihar were recruited to handle guitar and vocal duties, respectively. With the latest lineup complete, recording of the first Mayhem record, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, began.
The circle of friends that were involved with Mayhem and Deathlike Silence had adopted a dangerous fascination with Satanism and the occult, and a string of church burnings in Norway was linked to Euronymous and Varg of Mayhem and Samoth of Emperor, another early black metal band. This began to attract negative attention to Mayhem and the black metal scene, and bands like Burzum, Emperor, Impaled Nazarene, Bathory, and Darkthrone were lampooned by metal magazines and news publications alike for advocating a violent Satanic lifestyle. Their growing negative image wasn’t helped by the fact that Bård “Faust” Eithun, drummer of Emperor, was convicted of murder and church arson in 1992. Black metal began to see rising popularity amongst youth in both Europe and America, who idolized the musicians for their extremely controversial beliefs and the fact that they were willing to act on them.
On August 10th, 1993, Varg Vikernes and Snorre Ruch drove to Euronymous’ apartment in Oslo. Upon arrival, Varg shocked Snorre by fighting with and subsequently murdering Euronymous, stabbing him twenty-three times in the head, neck, and back. Varg claimed that Euronymous attacked him and he was only defending himself, but nevertheless, he was captured several days later, convicted of murder and church arson, and sentenced to 21 years in prison. Without founding member Euronymous, Mayhem was no more. De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas was released in 1994 and dedicated to him.
Sathanas was to be the last album by the now infamous black metal band, but in 1995, Hellhammer reformed Mayhem with original vocalist Maniac and bassist Necrobutcher, and recruited new guitarist Rune Eriksen (“Blasphemer”). Three albums, Wolf’s Lair Abyss (1997), Grand Declaration of War (2000), and Chimera (2004) were released before Maniac was replaced once again – this time by Sathanas vocalist Attila. Ordo Ad Chao was released in 2007, and is the latest Mayhem recording to date.
Mayhem is a band that sparked an incredible amount of controversy throughout their early career, but helped shape an entire sub-genre of music that can be both angry and intense, but also sad and beautiful. Many parallels can be drawn between recent black metal recordings and neo-classical, ambient, and folk pieces, and the genres are often skillfully fused together by talented composers and musicians. I have been highly influenced by modern black metal, and the constant evolution of the genre is both impressive and fascinating. Darkness and blasphemy are no longer staples of modern black metal – it has broken free from its constraints and is now a powerful force in the extreme music scene, influencing countless bands both popular and underground, and continuing to push boundaries and challenge conventions.
But near the mid-80’s, a new sub-genre of heavy metal was taking shape in Scandinavia. Heavily influenced by early thrash bands like Sodom, Sabbat, Destruction, Venom, and Hellhammer, as well as hardcore and crust punk like Sore Throat and Doom, this new type of metal was characterized by heavy, repetitive tremolo riffs, blast beats, raspy vocals, and lo-fi production. Taking its name from the Venom album of the same name, “black metal” was raw, relentless, and uncompromising, as well as largely unheard of. It wasn’t until the band Mayhem, and the controversy surrounding its members, that black metal was widely recognized by the rest of the world.
Formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway by guitarist Øystein Aarseth (“Euronymous”), drummer Kjetil Manheim, and bassist Jørn Stubberud (“Necrobutcher”), Mayhem released several demos before finally recruiting vocalist “Maniac” and recording the pivotal EP Deathcrush. Soon afterwards, Maniac was replaced by Per Yngve Ohlin (“Dead”), a Swedish vocalist from the death metal band Morbid, and Jan Axel Von Blomberg (“Hellhammer”) took over drumming duties.
Dead was known for his strange behaviour both on and off stage. He was known to bury his clothes under the ground for weeks so they would begin to rot, and then dig them up before going on stage. Self-mutilation and dead animals/raw meat were a common sight at Mayhem live shows. Shortly after recording Live in Leipzig, Dead committed suicide in 1991. His body was found by Euronymous at their house near Kråkstad. Incredibly, Euronymous, instead of immediately calling the police, took pictures of Dead’s body, one of which was later used as the cover of the Dawn of the Black Hearts bootleg album. Dead’s suicide was the first in a series of bloody and violent events that helped bring black metal into the spotlight.
After the death of Ohlin, bassist Necrobutcher left the band and was replaced with Varg Vikernes (“Grishnackh”). Varg had his own band, Burzum (orcish for ‘Darkness’), in which he played all instruments, and was signed to Euronymous’ Deathlike Silence Productions label. Snorre Ruch (“Blackthorn”) and Attila Csihar were recruited to handle guitar and vocal duties, respectively. With the latest lineup complete, recording of the first Mayhem record, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, began.
The circle of friends that were involved with Mayhem and Deathlike Silence had adopted a dangerous fascination with Satanism and the occult, and a string of church burnings in Norway was linked to Euronymous and Varg of Mayhem and Samoth of Emperor, another early black metal band. This began to attract negative attention to Mayhem and the black metal scene, and bands like Burzum, Emperor, Impaled Nazarene, Bathory, and Darkthrone were lampooned by metal magazines and news publications alike for advocating a violent Satanic lifestyle. Their growing negative image wasn’t helped by the fact that Bård “Faust” Eithun, drummer of Emperor, was convicted of murder and church arson in 1992. Black metal began to see rising popularity amongst youth in both Europe and America, who idolized the musicians for their extremely controversial beliefs and the fact that they were willing to act on them.
On August 10th, 1993, Varg Vikernes and Snorre Ruch drove to Euronymous’ apartment in Oslo. Upon arrival, Varg shocked Snorre by fighting with and subsequently murdering Euronymous, stabbing him twenty-three times in the head, neck, and back. Varg claimed that Euronymous attacked him and he was only defending himself, but nevertheless, he was captured several days later, convicted of murder and church arson, and sentenced to 21 years in prison. Without founding member Euronymous, Mayhem was no more. De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas was released in 1994 and dedicated to him.
Sathanas was to be the last album by the now infamous black metal band, but in 1995, Hellhammer reformed Mayhem with original vocalist Maniac and bassist Necrobutcher, and recruited new guitarist Rune Eriksen (“Blasphemer”). Three albums, Wolf’s Lair Abyss (1997), Grand Declaration of War (2000), and Chimera (2004) were released before Maniac was replaced once again – this time by Sathanas vocalist Attila. Ordo Ad Chao was released in 2007, and is the latest Mayhem recording to date.
Mayhem is a band that sparked an incredible amount of controversy throughout their early career, but helped shape an entire sub-genre of music that can be both angry and intense, but also sad and beautiful. Many parallels can be drawn between recent black metal recordings and neo-classical, ambient, and folk pieces, and the genres are often skillfully fused together by talented composers and musicians. I have been highly influenced by modern black metal, and the constant evolution of the genre is both impressive and fascinating. Darkness and blasphemy are no longer staples of modern black metal – it has broken free from its constraints and is now a powerful force in the extreme music scene, influencing countless bands both popular and underground, and continuing to push boundaries and challenge conventions.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Comment for Jason Vorpagel's "The DAW"
Jason,
Seriously great post. I love the way you organized your information and presented it in an easy-to-understand and informative way. The use of in-text citations was also a huge help, since I am always interested in checking sources and reading more about the topic at hand. Overall, I feel like this was an incredibly strong and well-written post, and to be perfectly honest, I don’t see much you can improve on at all. The grammar, spelling, punctuation was spot-on, and the information was clear and concise. You communicated your ideas in a very lucid and informative way without getting too technical, which is something to be proud of considering the topic. Very well done. I learned a thing or two about DAWs that I didn’t know! Thank you for this post!
- Zachary Dendinger
Seriously great post. I love the way you organized your information and presented it in an easy-to-understand and informative way. The use of in-text citations was also a huge help, since I am always interested in checking sources and reading more about the topic at hand. Overall, I feel like this was an incredibly strong and well-written post, and to be perfectly honest, I don’t see much you can improve on at all. The grammar, spelling, punctuation was spot-on, and the information was clear and concise. You communicated your ideas in a very lucid and informative way without getting too technical, which is something to be proud of considering the topic. Very well done. I learned a thing or two about DAWs that I didn’t know! Thank you for this post!
- Zachary Dendinger
Brian Eno: Musician, Composer, Producer, Innovator
Brian Eno is perhaps one of the most influential musicians
and composers of the last century. His innovative recording techniques,
experimentation, and groundbreaking ambient compositions have had a massive
impact on today’s musical styles and trends.
Eno began as a painter, heavily influenced by the minimalist style, but it wasn’t long before he began his experimentation with music. At a young age, he experimented with tape recorders, and, along with his university instructor Tom Phillips, played with stripped pianos struck with tennis balls; “Piano Tennis”. This marked the beginning of Eno’s strange and astounding musical career.
It wasn’t long before Eno was offered a position in experimental art rock band Roxy Music as a keyboardist. His time spent in Roxy didn’t last long, however. After only two years with the band, he left in 1973 due to conflicts of interest with Bryan Ferry, the lead singer. Eno also stated he had grown weary of the life of a rock musician. It was then, beginning with his departure, that he began his solo career. He released several pop albums over the course of a few years including Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) and Another Green World, both of which would prove to be highly influential and received good critical reception, if not immediate commercial success.
In 1975, Eno began releasing what is, to me, his most influential recordings; a series of “ambient” records created using innovative tape delay and looping techniques. His first album, Discreet Music, is seen as a massive turning point for minimalist music. The following albums in the Ambient series, Music for Airports, The Plateaux of Mirror, Day of Radiance, and On Land, cemented his place in music history. Eno coined the term (or at least is most often credited with coining the term) “ambient music”, meaning minimalist, low-volume, and often heavily repetitive music that can sit in the background and be largely ignored or be the center of the listener’s attention just as easily.
Since the Ambient series, Eno has gone on to record a multitude of other works and collaborate with countless artists, up to this very day. He is perhaps the biggest influence on me as a composer. I find his ambient recordings breathtakingly beautiful and alien, and I am repeatedly blown away by each new album Eno releases. Truly, Eno is one of my most highly revered musical idols.
Eno began as a painter, heavily influenced by the minimalist style, but it wasn’t long before he began his experimentation with music. At a young age, he experimented with tape recorders, and, along with his university instructor Tom Phillips, played with stripped pianos struck with tennis balls; “Piano Tennis”. This marked the beginning of Eno’s strange and astounding musical career.
It wasn’t long before Eno was offered a position in experimental art rock band Roxy Music as a keyboardist. His time spent in Roxy didn’t last long, however. After only two years with the band, he left in 1973 due to conflicts of interest with Bryan Ferry, the lead singer. Eno also stated he had grown weary of the life of a rock musician. It was then, beginning with his departure, that he began his solo career. He released several pop albums over the course of a few years including Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) and Another Green World, both of which would prove to be highly influential and received good critical reception, if not immediate commercial success.
In 1975, Eno began releasing what is, to me, his most influential recordings; a series of “ambient” records created using innovative tape delay and looping techniques. His first album, Discreet Music, is seen as a massive turning point for minimalist music. The following albums in the Ambient series, Music for Airports, The Plateaux of Mirror, Day of Radiance, and On Land, cemented his place in music history. Eno coined the term (or at least is most often credited with coining the term) “ambient music”, meaning minimalist, low-volume, and often heavily repetitive music that can sit in the background and be largely ignored or be the center of the listener’s attention just as easily.
Since the Ambient series, Eno has gone on to record a multitude of other works and collaborate with countless artists, up to this very day. He is perhaps the biggest influence on me as a composer. I find his ambient recordings breathtakingly beautiful and alien, and I am repeatedly blown away by each new album Eno releases. Truly, Eno is one of my most highly revered musical idols.
Kraftwerk: Electronic Music Pioneers
Kraftwerk (“power station” in German) have always been a
strange and enigmatic group, constantly shrouded in mystery. Original Kraftwerk
frontmen Florian Schneider and Ralf Hutter began working together as krautrock band
Organisation, which released a single album through RCA, Tone Float, which received little commercial success. After the
breakup, Kraftwerk was formed, and went on to release two experimental rock
albums; Kraftwerk (1970) and Kraftwerk 2 (1972). Soon afterwards,
they began experimenting more with electronic sounds , drum machines, and
keyboards, and the release of Ralf und
Florian would demonstrate this new sound. By the time Autobahn was released in 1974, the classic Kraftwerk sound had
solidified.
Kraftwerk’s image is one of bizarre mystery. The band dressed up in matching outfits, clean shaven, and with combed back hair, looking like the image of the German Nazi Übermensch, or some sort of plastic mannequins or dolls. This tied in with the inhuman image that they created for themselves – they were not people operating machines, they were Die Mensch-Maschines: The Man-Machines.
In October 1975, Kraftwerk released Radio-Aktivität (Radio-Activity), a concept album whose theme was reflected by the title, which is a play on words (radioactivity meets activity on the radio). By this time, Wolfgang Flür and Karl Bartos had joined on as electronic percussionists. The tribute to Europe (and its train system), Trans-Europe Express, was released in 1977, which helped further strengthen and develop the Kraftwerk sound. Express was, like their previous work, recorded in their Kling Klang Studio, which, for a time, the location of was kept a secret. With Die Mensch-Maschine (1978), Kraftwerk gained even more commercial success, topping the UK charts a few years later with the single “The Model”. Considered by many to be the quintessential Kraftwerk album, Computerwelt (Computer World [1981]) deals with the idea of computers essentially taking over society. One of the most famous tracks of all time, “Numbers”, comes from Side one of this groundbreaking album.
Kraftwerk’s use of machines to make music – synthesizers, vocoders, and drum machines, had a massive impact on the industry, and helped shape the electronic music genre. If not for Kraftwerk, it is more than possible that innovative groups and projects like Aphex Twin, The Chemical Brothers, and the Prodigy would not exist. To this day, I don’t believe there is another band that can pull off the Kraftwerk sound. The band has seriously influenced me ever since I first heard “Numbers” many years ago. The cold, calculating antiseptic sound of Kraftwerk’s tracks is at once both a celebration and a harsh critique of the increasingly computer-dependent world we live in. The industry owes Kraftwerk a massive “thank you” for pushing the limits of what was considered music, and creating a genre all their own in the process.
Kraftwerk’s image is one of bizarre mystery. The band dressed up in matching outfits, clean shaven, and with combed back hair, looking like the image of the German Nazi Übermensch, or some sort of plastic mannequins or dolls. This tied in with the inhuman image that they created for themselves – they were not people operating machines, they were Die Mensch-Maschines: The Man-Machines.
In October 1975, Kraftwerk released Radio-Aktivität (Radio-Activity), a concept album whose theme was reflected by the title, which is a play on words (radioactivity meets activity on the radio). By this time, Wolfgang Flür and Karl Bartos had joined on as electronic percussionists. The tribute to Europe (and its train system), Trans-Europe Express, was released in 1977, which helped further strengthen and develop the Kraftwerk sound. Express was, like their previous work, recorded in their Kling Klang Studio, which, for a time, the location of was kept a secret. With Die Mensch-Maschine (1978), Kraftwerk gained even more commercial success, topping the UK charts a few years later with the single “The Model”. Considered by many to be the quintessential Kraftwerk album, Computerwelt (Computer World [1981]) deals with the idea of computers essentially taking over society. One of the most famous tracks of all time, “Numbers”, comes from Side one of this groundbreaking album.
Kraftwerk’s use of machines to make music – synthesizers, vocoders, and drum machines, had a massive impact on the industry, and helped shape the electronic music genre. If not for Kraftwerk, it is more than possible that innovative groups and projects like Aphex Twin, The Chemical Brothers, and the Prodigy would not exist. To this day, I don’t believe there is another band that can pull off the Kraftwerk sound. The band has seriously influenced me ever since I first heard “Numbers” many years ago. The cold, calculating antiseptic sound of Kraftwerk’s tracks is at once both a celebration and a harsh critique of the increasingly computer-dependent world we live in. The industry owes Kraftwerk a massive “thank you” for pushing the limits of what was considered music, and creating a genre all their own in the process.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Podcast - The Velvet Underground & Nico
EDIT: Not sure why the photos are cut off. I used Garageband to create this and I made sure everything was sized correctly. If someone knows what went wrong, please let me know. Thanks!
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