The Machine that Goes Ping

Everyone knows the famous Monty Python scene from “The Meaning of Life” when Michael Palin, playing the hospital administrator, commends Graham Chapman and John Cleese’s use of The Machine that Goes Ping to assist a woman give birth.

Few people realize that most electronic producers today also use the same piece of equipment in the studio. There is a sound that frequently crops up in many dance tracks that unlike all the other sounds and techniques used by producers invariably sounds the same, like a ping. People often complain they can hear what pre-sets and plugins people are using, but strangely nobody ever seems to have commented on the Noise that Goes Ping in so many tracks. But this noise is not just endemic to one genre or era, it has occured since the early days of electronic music and has continued almost unchanged almost anywhere to everywhere as we shall see.

So what is this noise? The noise is of course just a little ping, but perhaps its timbre sticks out more than other recycled sounds like kick drums and hi hats because it is used in a grey area between percussive decoration and melodic tool and is invariably at the front of the mix. Maybe a tech head can tell us ho to make it?

But how does it sound? You can hear it at the start of Space Dimension Controller’s “The Birth of a feeling” (R&S) first at the 56 second mark (track not on web). It is also one of the first sounds on Julio Bashmore’s 2011 hit “Battle for middle you”, Resident Advisor’s third best track off the year.

Martyn also employed it in “We are you in the future”, the epic closer to his “Ghost People” album from last year (first coming in at 1:33 and then used throughout, including the breakdowns).

BNJMN perhaps takes the cake, using a whole run of pings (beginning at 1:48) in his track “Keep the power out” from last years “Black Square” album.

One of the first examples I can find is from the Power Plant mix of Craig Loftis’s Chicago house track “Yes I’m right” originally recorded sometime between 1982 and 1989 and once a big hit at the Power Plant club (sound begins at 21 secs).

Changing genres slightly, the Fuck Buttons also use the sound in “Surf Solar” the opening track off their last album “Tarot Sport” (coming in with the beat at 1:41).

The sound is there in plenty more tracks when you look for it (sorry, I lost my list), from dubstep, house and techno, like a secret code, a glyph or a gene within the music passed on from generation to generation.

Plastic dub and the new musical revolution

A quick round-up of some of the recent electronic releases and news.

The vinyl vs MP3 revolution

First up, props to the people at Lost in Musik  for an interesting and clear minded analysis of the economics of producing and releasing electronic music. There are many important revelations in the article, not all of them surprising. The obvious one is that nobody is making money in these days of piracy and downloads. The other being that releases are essentially meaningless agglomerations of songs as most people are buying music by the individual track. This is kind of funny and sad as it represents a conceptual chasm between more traditional music fans and the younger generation and is essentially an indictment on the immediate and over supplied market of modern music. That is to say, that what was once the next level of the musical creative process, binding a collection of tracks together by theme, flow, artwork, mood etc into an album or ep now seems an antiquated and pointless gesture as it will now be less and less appreciated as a whole and reduced to the “essential” elements.

Part 2 of the essay is due to go up on their site as this is posted, but there are still a few questions remaining.

Firstly, there is a slow gathering of momentum in dance music to give the right to download MP3 versions of the tracks when you purchase a vinyl album or single. Some labels doing this at the moment are Kompakt (at least with albums), Kontra Musik and Delsin (see below), to name a few. How is this effecting vinyl sales? When will we see more of this as it is frustrating having a nice record sitting at home, but being unable to put it on your mobile device without paying for it again or making an illegal download.

Another side of this is why some albums come out with such a greatly reduced number of tracks on the vinyl format than the CD/digital release? Is this really for improved audio quality as often stated or is it to promote sales of the remaining tracks by download? A few examples of this might be the Kontext album “Dissociate” on Immerse, Martyn’s “Great Lengths” (see also below) and Conforce’s “Machine Conspiracy” on Meanwhile, to name but three. Here the example is Conforce “Stop hold”, present on the CD, but absent from the vinyl.

Secondly, in all genres and not just electronic music, there has been another slow evolution where both vinyl and CD releases are being remarked as box sets or luxury products to increase desire for ownership. Some examples of this might be the recent Plastikman or David Bowie “Station to Station” box sets, the recent 4 vinyl sets on Styrax and Ann Aimee (see pictures and below), and the luxury versions of singles by Theo Parrish, Tensnake or Burial with Massive Attack, usually by the Vinyl Factory.

The latter is described lovingly by Fact in record geek speak:

“‘Four Walls’ / ‘Paradise Circus’ will be available exclusively as a limited vinyl edition of 1000 copies worldwide, pressed on heavyweight 180 gram 12″ vinyl, and housed in a hand-numbered, gold glitter screen-printed sleeve  featuring artwork by Massive Attack’s Robert ’3D’ Del Naja. Fans can pre-order it right now through vfeditions.com – this has now sold out. The edition will be released on October 17.”

This brings us to another issue of availability: such low runs of highly desirable products means only the nimble will make the purchase and the rest will be left with their MP3s, legal or otherwise. Anyone who ever received mail order catalogues like Boomkat will know what I mean. If you don’t get straight in to get what you want, you find everything sold out, often within hours. Just look at the chaos  surrounding the release of the Sandwell District album back in January as one example and check the current price on Discogs.



Martyn – Ghost People

Given the trend for buying individual tracks, it raises the question as to which track you would go for on an album or single if you could only have one? In the case of Martyn’s new album “Ghost people” on Flying Lotus’s Brainfeeder label, the answer is a no brainer. The only track you need here is the last one “We are you in the future”.

This is not to say the rest of the album is a turkey, far from it, but there is so much drive and vitality on this track that it stands apart from what comes before. However, Fact mag  while also singling out this track and praising it as “the most composed, well-produced record of his career” they also claimed the lack of surprises sunk the ship despite all the quality production. While I agree completely with the reviewers assessment, I would put a positive spin to the lack of surprises. It is true that “Ghost People” is kind of mindless in a way, but I actually enjoy that side of Martyn’s music as a positive: great well-made tracks that just work and no nonsense. “Great Lengths” for me was something of a disappointment, partly given that the vinyl version stripped away so many tracks and broke the flow (see comments above), but partly because the full length recycled a few tracks and almost added too many. Which was the real album in the end? So while it did signpost a big genre swing, for me the swing was already underway and the album, as good as it was, was too overblown and undefined to catalyse another step forward.

Scuba and Hot Flush

I have often used Paul Rose aka Scuba as an example of house revivalism and its betrayal of dubstep that could seem quite negative, but my intentions have always been against the vacuousness of trends with nothing but respect for scuba’s music and label. The latest run from both man and label only goes to continue my sense of awe at his work ethic, creative capacity and quality control. Not to mention the continuing sense of the house invasion into bass music, evident again on Scuba’s excellent new 12” “Adrenalin”

In a certain way I find both Hotflush and Scuba approaching a sound reminiscent of Martyn, but at the same time on another level. There is a certain plastic sound to the production, where the sounds seem smooth and fluidly moulded and colourful in matt or brilliant sheens. But where Martyn keeps it simple, Hotflush and Scuba seem to complicate it by mixing the pleasure principles and chemical production values of labels like Innervisions with the avante garde leanings of labels like Hyperdub and the deeply rooted urban spirit of post-Burial electronica. A kind of plastic dub if you like.

Curiously, one of the B-sides to the “Adrenalin” single, “Everywhere” resembles the Luomo track “Could be like this” from the 2003 “Present Lover” album.

On the eve of the release of Luomo’s new album “Plus” on Moodmusic, this example perhaps goes to show where Luomo might have ended up following different trends and instincts. In several interviews over the years, Sasu Ripatti has claimed to be tormented or frustrated by the press harking back to his landmark debut “Vocalcity”. Since then, Ripatti has embarked on a long odyssey to avoid repeating himself as if to undermine the press. But having arrived at “Plus” I am left with the thought that Ripatti’s anxiety on this issue has cost him dearly. So much of “Plus” sounds forced, clumsy even. It is not so much the technique that is gone (Ripatti has always impressed under his Vladislav Delay moniker and parts of “Plus” really shine brightly), but rather it is perhaps the spirit that is lacking. House music is essentially soul music and the presence or absence of such sentiments is essential for success or failure.

In addition to some average vocals Ripatti also makes life difficult for himself on “Plus” by trying to marry the smoothness of house with the fragmented angles of electro and the results do not always pay off.

But back to Hotflush and the one track idea: only a brave man would go for one or the other of the two vinyl (and additional digital) tracks on the new Paul Woolford and Psycatron 12” “Stolen”. Absolutely mind-blowing. If having to choose I would go for the first dub mix as it contains one of the best synth hooks I have heard all year. The build ups are feisty and the heavy weight drum programming adds an inescapable momentum. Here the first (vinyl) dub mix is presented in edited form as part of a recent Fact mix by Woolford.

Finally, the Hotflush duo Sepalcure of Travis Stewart (Machinedrum) and Pravin Sharma (Braille) are set to release their debut album in November. The album is a mesmerising blend of Hotflush’s plastic dub sound, the more grounded breakbeat styles and warm synth washes of earlier Hotflush releases like Joy Orbison and Mount Kimbie and the complicated, paranoid collage elements of the new Flying Lotus school of sound.

The Dutch oven

Finally to Holland where there is plenty cooking inside the Dutch oven. Delsin sister label Ann Aimee has released the first two of four limited colour 12”s in the Inertia series (pictured above). The music is forceful and distinguished with the line-up of the 16 artists drawn from the local pool of Dutch producers and several international guests. Local DJ and producer Niels Luinenburg aka Delta Funktionen has also reassembled the set into the labels first commercial mix CD called “Inertia: Resisting Routine”. The mix will not be released until December, but in an intriguing move, buying the CD  will also give access to the individual tracks.

Also from Amsterdam will come the Rush Hour “Amsterdam Allstars” compilation which will sample the current (high) state of the art of the Dutch capital. A taster 12” has just come out with one exclusive track by Young Marco not to be included in the upcoming 2 volume set of double vinyl! A slightly different business model then to Delsin/Ann Aimee.

Young Marco - Hoodoo(Not available on 2xLP) by rushhourrecords

The other sampler track is by Amsterdam-based, but not Dutch born producers Juju and Jordash. This will appear on the albums, returning to the question of whether this needs a vinyl release at all for what is essentially one track.

Betraying bass music

Just out to rave reviews  is Cosmin TRG’s new album “Simulat” on Modeselector’s in vogue 50 Weapons imprint. There are many defining features of the album, most notably its shorter duration, both as a whole and by track, its lighter, ethereal feel compared to other more austere and menacing techno albums from this year and of course, that it is a techno album, and not, for example, dubstep as per the origins of Cosmin Nicolae.

For those who joined just now, Nicolae started out as a dubstep producer, opening with his own, and Hessle Audio’s, account with “Put you down” back in 2007 under his TRG moniker.

Subsequent releases on dubstep labels like Subway, [Naked Lunch], Hot Flush and Immerse saw him maintain more or less the same bass trajectory until 2009. In between, the 2008 edition of Tempa’s land mark mix series Dubstep Allstars even had TRG hold up the late centre of Appleblim’s mix.

But everything seemed to change suddenly in 2010 with the release of “See other people” on Amsterdam’s Rush Hour. While still wearing some of dubstep's clothes (sped up vocals and flustered rhythms) the beat had clearly smoothed out its step into four-four terrain and added a velvety sheen more typical of deep house than grime-descendant tunes.

The follow up “Liebe Sunday” was even more on the other side, leaving dubstep well behind in the dust.

From there it has been all forward and although “Simulat” bears some subtle, but undeniable hall marks of dubstep production, it is essentially all techno. But Cosmin Nicolae is not the first or the only artist to essentially betray bass music by switching genres. We have mentioned already  how Hot Flush label boss Paul Rose aka Scuba has been playing both sides, but largely operates as a techno/house DJ these days. But the first man to step across was undoubtedly Martijn Deykers aka Martyn who went from drum n bass producer on Marcus Intalex’s Revolve:r imprint

To releasing the first defining single of the first wave of dubstep-techno crossover on the same label back in 2007, the legendary “Broken/Shadow Casting”

However, it was only a short time later with the release of his first full-length “Great Lengths” that the last signs of dubstep were disappearing. Now on the eve of the release of his second album “Ghost people” due out soon on Flying Lotus’s Brainfeeder label, it seems that there is no turning back. The first single “Masks/Viper” at least would suggest so

But it is not just the artists who are betraying bass music. To a certain point, the media must take some responsibility for this also. Two recent dubstep mix CDs, Youngsta’s Rinse 14 mix  and Distance’s Dubstep Allstars mix (featuring mostly his own tracks) have been criticised on Resident Advisor for essentially sounding like dubstep, albeit old pre-cross over dubstep. This is a fair criticism to a point, as who wants to get caught bogged down in the past (better not mention Chicago house revivalism then)?

However, given the high rate of mutation within bass music, moving rapidly from grime, to dubstep, to UK funky, wonky and now foot work in a matter of years, holding fast to a style might also be a way to preserve some originality, to use the double edged double meaning of the word, implying uniqueness and origin? This is clearly an “ear of the beholder” issue as many of the newer incarnations of bass music are not necessarily always appealing (check the uncertainty about foot work for example), but also that mutation at high speed necessarily implies assimilation or cross fertilisation, thus shifting one genre closer to another and thus essentially contaminating it. This might be the case in point for Cosmin TRG, Scuba and Martyn. Fantastic music, but hardly dubstep anymore, at least in it’s pure, original form where perhaps many would like to say?

Indeed, still talking of criticism, Hyperdub's 5 year double CD from a few years ago was given top marks by Resident Advisor, but with some confusion caused, judging by the intelligent comments. One in particular by bareklik hits the nail on the head:

“Talk about mixing metaphors throughout. For all the sound and fury of a collegiate vernacular and a pitchfork style review, I'm not really sure I understand if you liked or hated the release. You gave it a 4.5 but you spend your 700 words pulling that hipster's chicanery of hiding an insult within a compliment within an insult…

Darkstar's Aidy's... is good, sure, but it's pretty far from leftfield or experimentalism. It's a house track. What's special or surprising about that other than the fact that it's on Hyperdub, an amazing dubstep label? Why would the only real house track (despite Flying Lotus' awesome disco warrior hit) be the best of the batch? It's not even on the same boat with the rest of the comp.”

Essentially, the reviewer takes a double disc set of futuristic bass music and fixates on the house track, perhaps confounded by the sheer variety, awkwardness and invention of the “real” bass music? Other commenters weigh in, pointing out that “If you want the old dubstep sound, break out the old DMZ and Tempa plates.” which now seem prophetic written two years in the past and given the current accusations. So it seems that some don’t like evolution and some do. But where does it leave us all except for betraying bass music? One artists switches genres, another stays, but both betray the music for contaminating it with new while another stagnates it with the old. Meanwhile reviewers and artists seem to want house music and betray the latest incarnation, giving rise to the same problem.

One partial aside from this, Scuba will release a new DJ Kicks mix CD on !K7 in October which promises a mixture of house, techno and of course dubstep (though which vintage should not be a difficult guess). An intriguing inclusion in the mix is a somewhat cover by Sex Worker of the Motown hit “Rhythm of the night”, originally by DeBarge, from last years “Wave Good Bye” album on Not Not Fun.

The "original" is also worth it for the hair:

This is not the first time this year that the California-based low-fi label has featured on a high profile electronic mix CD, the first example being the Agoria Fabric mix. This can only be good news as it would again suggest some cross fertilisation (sic) and goes further to confirm the eclecticism of taste in the age of downloading. However, it is still something of a surprise that sites like Resident Advisor have been slow to pick up on the 100% Silk sublabel of Not Not Fun which releases their more dance floor orientated experiments.

Xavier Hollander’s “Urban Gothic” album on the parent label Not Not Fun was a slightly underwhelming trawl through John Carpenter/Alan Howarth synth territory, but his more electro styled single for 100% Silk was a dance floor bomb in the style of Prins Thomas or the Permanent Vacation label.

A couple of recent singles also show a lot of potential to forge something a bit more unexpected and even less serious than some dance music. One previous release by The Deeep also wotked deep inside the dub reggae spectrum, so who knows where these latest forays will lead?