Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Episode 004 - Hosted by Tom Lyberg of Wired Jesus Podcast

Over the Rhine - "The First Noel"
Black Violin - Mixtape, 3 #18 thru #26
Jason Kao Hwang / EDGE - "Stream"

Corbin Keep - "Aping Awakening"

Hangedup - "Alarm"
Malcolm Goldstein - excerpt from Configrations in Darkness

Bethany and Rufus - "The Swallow"


http://www.bowed.org/004/004.mp3


Hosted by Tom Lyberg of Wired Jesus Podcast

Hello all,

One of the issues that I have had to overcome in not doing my own announcements for this program is that it is very difficult for me to give my personal opinion - or other otherwise useful information to you the listeners. And this episode has so much incidental information that I am going to start including "Producer's Notes" with each new episode from here on out - or at least till I get tired of doing them. And one of the things that I have struggled with in doing this program is deciding boundaries for what is appropriate to include and what isn't. I have tried to do my best to encourage independent artists to submit tracks on their own, and this has happened a few times. But overwhelmingly, the submissions I receive come from guitarists. (And I make it clear - if you can play your guitar with a bow, I'll give it a listen.) What I will not accept are pop songs with a violin solo in the middle. I am looking - first! and foremost - for the sound of bowed strings to permeate the music.


How about playing pizzicato (you may ask)? Is that okay?

Well, that was my big agonizing decision on this episode - in the case of Bethany and Rufus. Their current disc has a wonderful hip, jazzy sound - with brilliant takes on many traditional or otherwise popular folk songs. But Rufus' cello is predominantly featured with long pizzicato passages. And the only "all arco" tune on their current disc is a nice - but very uncharacteristic - somber sound to it.


But I stuck to my guns - and they are here with their somber tune. Check them out privately - they are a lot more hip than you would think by listening here.


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Notable on this episode is Black Violin. I enjoy these guys a great deal - they've got one of the freshest sounds I've heard in a long time. Also worthy of note - they were scheduled originally to appear on Episode 003 but were caught in the wreckage of Hurricane Wilma and were unable to provide materials in time. But I'm pleased to report they are doing okay and I am very happy to have them on this show.

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Black Violin aside, this episode features more avant garde material than I have featured in the past - with Hangedup's, Jason Kao Hwang's and Malcolm Goldstein's tracks comprising over half of the show's duration. So, to those with less experienced ears, I ask that you give them a patient listen - it may be a rewarding one after all.


(me? I can't get enough of this shit...)

Anyway, I want to say a big thank you to the artists and their management for making this show possible.


And thank you as always for listening.


#005 coming in January.


AMK

string@bowed.org

www.bowed.org