1. A boy kicking a stone up the street
2. a distant scooter sound coming closer and closer
3. An old man riding his bike whistling
4. The toe of my shoe rubbing on a metal grate with
5. An old woman wrapping a china plate in a store
6. My student talking about how his 2 cm shorter now than when he was young
7. 3 industrial Fans spinning at different speeds.
8. In Hokkaido the subway trains play a little crescendo tune when they start moving(memory)
9. drumming on leaves
10. opening clothes pins to hang laundry and the rattle of the clothes hanger attached to a bar on my balcony
11. an egg crack
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Stepping Stone(track no.2)
Today as I was walking on a new street. I tried to focus just on my body, or really my clothes. First again, I was carrying a plastic bag full of food. Lifting it, swinging it forward and backward.(A) Then I could hear a package of mints shaking in my pocket.(B) In my bag my sketchbook was moving forward and backward taping the canvas cloth.(C) Then I noticed my feet. My leather shoes tapping the asphalt.(D) On the sides of the streets, keys were to be played. The first set of keys are the cement rectangles that cover the rain gutters. They are not permanently attached, so as they can be easily removed in case of a clog. When you step on them they make a nice bass pop, echoing briefly in the hollow space.(E) Then there are the metal grating which is a higher pitch bass pop.(F) And lastly there are the steel mini ramps which make it easier for people and things to get up the curbs.(G) All of these which are to be stepped on to compose a walking home track.
(A+B+C)(D+E+F+G)=10.02
(A+B+C)(D+E+F+G)=10.02
Monday, January 29, 2007
Ideas 1-12
12. a city of instruments always awaits
11. simultaneously we each write in and about a different place, then compare and combine ideas.
10. make a comic book, animation or website together.
9. explore ideas of making architectural musical and giving music architecture. exp. take a room and give it a number of different points of sound, as the spectator-participant player changes position the sound of the room changes.
8. you play guitar in different places in the city and i`ll draw. vice versa
7. the city is an instrument. everything has a rhythm. a break with time signatures. a series of instructions. arrows, traffic signals, crosswalks, crowds, teeth, doors, noodle stands.outside we transform poles into drums, gates into xylaphones, traffic into distortion pedals, wind into changes of measure.
2. take a walk. transpose what we hear to musical notation, and sync it visuals of the trip.
1. choose a symbol and an area to explore for it.
11. simultaneously we each write in and about a different place, then compare and combine ideas.
10. make a comic book, animation or website together.
9. explore ideas of making architectural musical and giving music architecture. exp. take a room and give it a number of different points of sound, as the spectator-participant player changes position the sound of the room changes.
8. you play guitar in different places in the city and i`ll draw. vice versa
7. the city is an instrument. everything has a rhythm. a break with time signatures. a series of instructions. arrows, traffic signals, crosswalks, crowds, teeth, doors, noodle stands.outside we transform poles into drums, gates into xylaphones, traffic into distortion pedals, wind into changes of measure.
2. take a walk. transpose what we hear to musical notation, and sync it visuals of the trip.
1. choose a symbol and an area to explore for it.
A new street everyday
You told me a couple of months ago, that you are always trying to find a new way home. For the last week or so I've been trying to walk a new street everytime I go to and from the station. Anyway I find this cool treasure heap. Someone must have emptied their attic.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
CFA-1979 (To be read after 'Synthesizer Data Bank')
The sun shoots a brilliant ray of its shine soaring through space, penetrating the earth’s atmosphere, passing a few clouds and offering its salutations to an airplane and its passengers, then just after being gently filtered by an aspen leaf, it sneaks its way through a crack in the curtains, shinning perfectly into Caleb’s now opening eyes. A yawn, a stretch, and a rub. He lies in the afterglow of his dreams. Monday morning. No school for another month or so. Father at work, as usual, and mother still asleep. Caleb, realizing his current state of absolute, though temporary, freedom, decides it best to assume his favorite of household past-times; rummaging where he’s been told not to.
Sneaking between the creaks in the floor so as to not awaken his sleeping mother (a skill acquired from a childhood lifetime of adventures in his hundred year old house), Caleb makes his way to his favorite excavation site, the attic. He’d already spent the bulk of his summer vacation deep in the attic dig, but still there seemed to be an endless amount of surprises awaiting. The day before he had just discovered an old dusty box with the letters “CFA” printed on it, and was about to open it when he was caught by his mother and sentenced to an hour long eternity in time out. He had spent the whole night imaging what those mysterious letters could mean; “Cloud Filled Apples”, “Crooked Fur Alligators”, “Crown Foam Aliens”, “Coastal Flower Astronauts”… But now it was his time, the time to end the mystery.
A burst of air travels from his lungs and out his mouth, the dust from the box’s top spirals into the air. Caleb admires the cloud he’s created. His heart beat quickens as he peels its tape back. Time seems to slow as he begins to remove the box’s top. He hears nothing but his heartbeat. A KEYBOARD!! His eyes glance excitedly across its many keys and knobs and buttons. At the top right corner he sees “CFA-1979” written in an archaic futuristic font. The keyboard, though actually being quite antique and sporting more then a few war wounds, had an air of modern-ness to it. Judging from the amount of sunlight shinning through the attic’s tiny window, Caleb determines that the little precious time he had before his mother’s awakening would soon be running out. So, he grabs the CFA-1979 and stealthy dashes, ninja-like, back to his private kingdom, more commonly known as his “bedroom.” He places the keyboard on the floor just before his bed, to be ready for quick hiding at the inevitable invasion of his mother. Caleb plugs in its cord and switches on the power.
Dim red light, whirring motor. With determined curiosity, he hits a key. A sound emits from the keyboards speaker, (frrrrroooooooommmm). “A car!” Caleb thinks to himself. Excited to explore its further possibilities, he reaches towards a section of buttons labeled “Data Bank.” The individual buttons seem to have once had names, but time had worn their existence. So, Caleb decides to try them all in sequence. He hits the second button, (thuthuthud), a sort of thundering sound. He can’t quite place the sound. He hits the third button, (kak kak kak kak). Caleb instantly imagines a house being built, hammers banging. He hits the fourth button, (Grrrrrrrrrsssshhhhhh), he peers out the window expecting to see an airplane soaring above. The fifth button, (dum dum dum dom dom dom). An unfamiliar sound, Caleb closes his eyes and tries to imagine what it could be. Behind the darkness of his eyelids, he sees a boy wearing a green and white striped t-shirt, brushing his right hand along the bars of a fence. He opens his eyes with a smile and reaches again for the Data Bank. (Bou!), a thick and hollow sound, like a drum being hit. Caleb hits the next button, (errrrruaoooookshhh kssshhererrruuuhhhgg), he jumps frightened by the noise; like giant machines fighting in a metal battlefield. Quickly he hits the next button, (kashhhnkkk), a giant crash! The sound echoes in his head.
“Caleb,” his mother calls from downstairs, “breakfast’s ready.” Seeking resolution from the last sound’s painful shock, he decides to try one more button before making the long voyage down to the kitchen, (errrrrr errrrrrr errrrrr errrrrr errrrrrr errrrrr errrrrr). Caleb giggles to himself as he imagines the boy in the green and white striped t-shirt, doing his laundry. He switches off the power and slides the CFA-1979 underneath his bed; anxiously pondering the continuation of his dabbling.
Red light dims, whirring motors slow.
Sneaking between the creaks in the floor so as to not awaken his sleeping mother (a skill acquired from a childhood lifetime of adventures in his hundred year old house), Caleb makes his way to his favorite excavation site, the attic. He’d already spent the bulk of his summer vacation deep in the attic dig, but still there seemed to be an endless amount of surprises awaiting. The day before he had just discovered an old dusty box with the letters “CFA” printed on it, and was about to open it when he was caught by his mother and sentenced to an hour long eternity in time out. He had spent the whole night imaging what those mysterious letters could mean; “Cloud Filled Apples”, “Crooked Fur Alligators”, “Crown Foam Aliens”, “Coastal Flower Astronauts”… But now it was his time, the time to end the mystery.
A burst of air travels from his lungs and out his mouth, the dust from the box’s top spirals into the air. Caleb admires the cloud he’s created. His heart beat quickens as he peels its tape back. Time seems to slow as he begins to remove the box’s top. He hears nothing but his heartbeat. A KEYBOARD!! His eyes glance excitedly across its many keys and knobs and buttons. At the top right corner he sees “CFA-1979” written in an archaic futuristic font. The keyboard, though actually being quite antique and sporting more then a few war wounds, had an air of modern-ness to it. Judging from the amount of sunlight shinning through the attic’s tiny window, Caleb determines that the little precious time he had before his mother’s awakening would soon be running out. So, he grabs the CFA-1979 and stealthy dashes, ninja-like, back to his private kingdom, more commonly known as his “bedroom.” He places the keyboard on the floor just before his bed, to be ready for quick hiding at the inevitable invasion of his mother. Caleb plugs in its cord and switches on the power.
Dim red light, whirring motor. With determined curiosity, he hits a key. A sound emits from the keyboards speaker, (frrrrroooooooommmm). “A car!” Caleb thinks to himself. Excited to explore its further possibilities, he reaches towards a section of buttons labeled “Data Bank.” The individual buttons seem to have once had names, but time had worn their existence. So, Caleb decides to try them all in sequence. He hits the second button, (thuthuthud), a sort of thundering sound. He can’t quite place the sound. He hits the third button, (kak kak kak kak). Caleb instantly imagines a house being built, hammers banging. He hits the fourth button, (Grrrrrrrrrsssshhhhhh), he peers out the window expecting to see an airplane soaring above. The fifth button, (dum dum dum dom dom dom). An unfamiliar sound, Caleb closes his eyes and tries to imagine what it could be. Behind the darkness of his eyelids, he sees a boy wearing a green and white striped t-shirt, brushing his right hand along the bars of a fence. He opens his eyes with a smile and reaches again for the Data Bank. (Bou!), a thick and hollow sound, like a drum being hit. Caleb hits the next button, (errrrruaoooookshhh kssshhererrruuuhhhgg), he jumps frightened by the noise; like giant machines fighting in a metal battlefield. Quickly he hits the next button, (kashhhnkkk), a giant crash! The sound echoes in his head.
“Caleb,” his mother calls from downstairs, “breakfast’s ready.” Seeking resolution from the last sound’s painful shock, he decides to try one more button before making the long voyage down to the kitchen, (errrrrr errrrrrr errrrrr errrrrr errrrrrr errrrrr errrrrr). Caleb giggles to himself as he imagines the boy in the green and white striped t-shirt, doing his laundry. He switches off the power and slides the CFA-1979 underneath his bed; anxiously pondering the continuation of his dabbling.
Red light dims, whirring motors slow.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Synthesizer Data Bank (A walk home)
I exited the Super Krishima supermarket in Musashi Shinjo. There is a bustle of people and bikes outside. I hear the slowing down and speeding up of cars. Each car has its own sound.(frrrrroooooooommmm) I see a vending machine, I imagine coins dropping through the slot and the push of button releasing the drink. I can hear it falling to the bottom like thunder.(thuthuthud) I hear the automated voice of a car park ticket gate "Irashimase!" I turn left. A car is coming up the street(emmm), A bike slows down, piercing my ear drums with its unoiled brakes.(krrrissssss) On my right is a construction site, I can hear the banging of hammers on metal.(kak kak kak kak) Another car comes up the street, it is very light on the graound.(weooooo) I make a rhythm with my shopping bag, the plastic sheets rubbing against on another(ksh ksh), while the weight of the groceries insides drops down.(kajash) A man is walking up the street his feet slide on the road, shuffling.(bum dsh bum dsh) A womans high heels are clacking behind me.(clik clak clik clak) In the sky a plane is rumbling thunderously.(Grrrrrrrrrsssshhhhhh) The cars, bikes, and walking people all are creating their own rhythms, their own variations, but remaining in constant traffic. I turn right, and look abrubtly to my left, in time to hear the thud of a baseball meeting a glove, three boys are playing catch down the way.(dak!) I then turn left, crows are cawing above me(caw caw caw), I see some fences. The first one is aluminum, I brush my right hand against its bars(dum dum dum dom dom dom), then it changes to wood as I turn right, making a more flat sound.(pt pt pt) Then theres a space for an exit, and fence on the other side is a chain link vibrating more freely, and waving like a heavy flag.(kaching ching ching ing in) In front of the fence is a truck with the back open, I give it a good tap, a large hollow drum.(Bou!)
Then my fingers hit the plastic covering of a wire,(tpa) and afterwards my hand rubs a cement pole,(jsh) a sound only I can hear. I see a motorbike with a cover on it, I down want to hit it too hard, so I just flick it with my fingers,(bop) I cross the street. A van slows down(vyoooooowwww) and speeds up(wooooooovvvvvvvv) as I cross the other side. I look left, a man is taping an aluminum chair on the ground, as if it got wet, to dry it out.(ting ting ting) I look right, there are two young school girls laughing at something I dont know.(ha ha ha he ha) I arrive to the front of my building. Across the street, a building is being destroyed. I put my key in the door,(krrick) and the door slides open automatically and closes.(garuuuup, garuuuuup) i walk up to the second floor, and peak at the demolition. There are two bulldozers, grabbing aluminum.(errrrruaoooookshhh kssshhererrruuuhhhgg) A man is there to spray water,(pssssh pshhh) to prevent the dust from rising. Another man is throwing rubbish into a large dumpster.(kashhhnkkk) A passing person stops, and peaks through the crack in the fence. I go inside my house, and put in a load of laundry. The drab noise of the washing machine rotates loudly. (errrrrr errrrrrr errrrrr errrrrr errrrrrr errrrrr errrrrr)
Then my fingers hit the plastic covering of a wire,(tpa) and afterwards my hand rubs a cement pole,(jsh) a sound only I can hear. I see a motorbike with a cover on it, I down want to hit it too hard, so I just flick it with my fingers,(bop) I cross the street. A van slows down(vyoooooowwww) and speeds up(wooooooovvvvvvvv) as I cross the other side. I look left, a man is taping an aluminum chair on the ground, as if it got wet, to dry it out.(ting ting ting) I look right, there are two young school girls laughing at something I dont know.(ha ha ha he ha) I arrive to the front of my building. Across the street, a building is being destroyed. I put my key in the door,(krrick) and the door slides open automatically and closes.(garuuuup, garuuuuup) i walk up to the second floor, and peak at the demolition. There are two bulldozers, grabbing aluminum.(errrrruaoooookshhh kssshhererrruuuhhhgg) A man is there to spray water,(pssssh pshhh) to prevent the dust from rising. Another man is throwing rubbish into a large dumpster.(kashhhnkkk) A passing person stops, and peaks through the crack in the fence. I go inside my house, and put in a load of laundry. The drab noise of the washing machine rotates loudly. (errrrrr errrrrrr errrrrr errrrrr errrrrrr errrrrr errrrrr)
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