wind sounds. really, i was experimenting with synthesizing using two different methods: my jx-8p and cool edit as a synthesizer slash effects processor, just to see if i could.
recorded in mar, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/hurricane
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
i did your mom (original album mix)
this is the final version of something i'd been playing with since about '94 or so, and by this time the track had become something that was beyond absurd. in a way, this is the culmination of everything i did in this period. it's the central track of my inri years: it's both the first thing i spent any time seriously writing and the ultimate realization of the musical ideas i was exploring. it's the longest track on the first demo. the drum programming is deep, there's an orchestration through sequencing, synth parts in the background, lead guitar work coming to the forefront - it's everything thrown together at a coherent level, really for the first time.
thematically, i'm just going to let it stand as is, other than to point towards the existing writeup at the demo site:
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/i-did-your-mom-2
that this is the central track of this period maybe demonstrates how ridiculous i was and how ridiculous my musical vision was. maybe it also demonstrates just how young i was.
the remaining tracks in this period sort of pivot after this.
i should be clear: this is pretty much the most terrible song that you could possibly imagine existing, and that was kind of the intent. the shock value is entirely up front. but at the same time, it's just so terrible that it's kind of funny, and that was entirely intended as well.
you could maybe say something about somebody like alice cooper. ripping live chicken heads off in the middle of a performance is just about the most tyrannical thing you could imagine somebody getting away with on stage. it's just *so* ridiculous, that you can't help but laugh - even as you're horrified.
it's a phase a lot of teenagers go through. i guess the difference between me and a hundred thousand other kids is that i was exploring it through composition.
recorded in mar, 1998. edited on nov 13, 2013.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/i-did-your-mom-1998-archived-112-kbps-mp3-2
thematically, i'm just going to let it stand as is, other than to point towards the existing writeup at the demo site:
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/i-did-your-mom-2
that this is the central track of this period maybe demonstrates how ridiculous i was and how ridiculous my musical vision was. maybe it also demonstrates just how young i was.
the remaining tracks in this period sort of pivot after this.
i should be clear: this is pretty much the most terrible song that you could possibly imagine existing, and that was kind of the intent. the shock value is entirely up front. but at the same time, it's just so terrible that it's kind of funny, and that was entirely intended as well.
you could maybe say something about somebody like alice cooper. ripping live chicken heads off in the middle of a performance is just about the most tyrannical thing you could imagine somebody getting away with on stage. it's just *so* ridiculous, that you can't help but laugh - even as you're horrified.
it's a phase a lot of teenagers go through. i guess the difference between me and a hundred thousand other kids is that i was exploring it through composition.
recorded in mar, 1998. edited on nov 13, 2013.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/i-did-your-mom-1998-archived-112-kbps-mp3-2
mwp (original album mix)
i don't really remember exactly what i was thinking with this. i think it was a sort of a reaction to "western conservatism" as it may have come out in something like the reform party of canada, which is really a midwestern idea (these ideas aren't popular on the pacific coast). i seem to have been interpreting those ideas through some less than ideal stereotypes.
a trent reznor sample near the end of the track has been ejected.
i think i was also reacting against the initial lyrics of the song, which were a naive exploration of terrorism from a first-person perspective. as mentioned in the initial write-up, terrorism in the late 90s generally had more of a christian fundamentalist bent as interpreted through the like of the ira, the atlanta bomber or timothy mcveigh. i was sort of inverting that to a discussion of more mainstream midwestern christian fundamentalism.
ultimately, though, i'm not sure i'm making a lot of sense, in hindsight. if it made sense at the time, the logic has sort of lost itself on me.
musically, i like this track, a lot, though, and i've often wished i would have just left it instrumental. the drum programming is really thick, and the overlapping guitar parts are something that's always interested me.
meandering initial version here:
jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/terrorists
recorded in mar, 1998. edited on nov 13, 2013.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/schizoid-terrorist-original-1998-cd-mix
a trent reznor sample near the end of the track has been ejected.
i think i was also reacting against the initial lyrics of the song, which were a naive exploration of terrorism from a first-person perspective. as mentioned in the initial write-up, terrorism in the late 90s generally had more of a christian fundamentalist bent as interpreted through the like of the ira, the atlanta bomber or timothy mcveigh. i was sort of inverting that to a discussion of more mainstream midwestern christian fundamentalism.
ultimately, though, i'm not sure i'm making a lot of sense, in hindsight. if it made sense at the time, the logic has sort of lost itself on me.
musically, i like this track, a lot, though, and i've often wished i would have just left it instrumental. the drum programming is really thick, and the overlapping guitar parts are something that's always interested me.
meandering initial version here:
jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/terrorists
recorded in mar, 1998. edited on nov 13, 2013.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/schizoid-terrorist-original-1998-cd-mix
relax (original album mix)
another sample collage, made out of krusty the clown samples.
recorded in mar, 1998.
http://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/09-relax
recorded in mar, 1998.
http://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/09-relax
schizoid (original album mix)
again: big upgrade in sound, big downgrade in vocals. well, i guess the vocals work on a different level, but comparing them back-to-back what i'd like to have are the demo vocals with the rerecording's music...
this is the first serious example of any kind of keyboard sequencing that's more than just background sound. there's seriously a crude string section in this track
original version:
jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/schizoid-2
recorded in feb, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/schizoid-terrorist-original-1998-cd-mix
this is the first serious example of any kind of keyboard sequencing that's more than just background sound. there's seriously a crude string section in this track
original version:
jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/schizoid-2
recorded in feb, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/schizoid-terrorist-original-1998-cd-mix
hey god (original album mix)
upgrade in drum programming and in guitar work, downgrade in emotion.
i'm noticing this going through these. on the one hand, i think i was sort of afraid to be too emotional. i wanted to keep that "ironic distance". but, i don't think i would have felt that if the material was fresher. these songs are two, three years old at this point. i'd reinterpreted them a dozen different ways. i'd lost connection to them...
in the sense that the drum sections were partially created for the purposes of performing these songs live (which never happened), and they completely recreated most of the pieces, i think it was necessary. but i'm realizing that it very much sounds like i was performing a chore. perhaps i was....
original version:
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/hey-god
recorded in feb, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/hey-god-1998-archived-112-kbps-mp3
i'm noticing this going through these. on the one hand, i think i was sort of afraid to be too emotional. i wanted to keep that "ironic distance". but, i don't think i would have felt that if the material was fresher. these songs are two, three years old at this point. i'd reinterpreted them a dozen different ways. i'd lost connection to them...
in the sense that the drum sections were partially created for the purposes of performing these songs live (which never happened), and they completely recreated most of the pieces, i think it was necessary. but i'm realizing that it very much sounds like i was performing a chore. perhaps i was....
original version:
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/hey-god
recorded in feb, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/hey-god-1998-archived-112-kbps-mp3
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
a sickening obsession (original album mix)
this is another rerecorded track. the rerecording is in a different context; i was actually merely looking for a way to open the cd, and that's all this track really functions as. that being said, there's definitely a lot more added to the initial track.
jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/bipolarity
recorded in feb, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/intro
jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/bipolarity
recorded in feb, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/intro
swim (original album mix)
this is another sample based piece. it's about the consequences of climate change and was heavily influenced by the title track of tool's second lp.
recorded in feb, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/global-warming
recorded in feb, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/global-warming
confused (original album mix)
another redone track. the drum programming here was pretty in depth. otherwise, everything i have to say about this is over here:
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/confusion-2
recorded in feb, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/confused-1998-archive-2
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/confusion-2
recorded in feb, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/confused-1998-archive-2
Monday, November 11, 2013
the kid upstairs is going to go through the floor.
she's autistic. which seems to mean she doesn't have a clear understanding of herself in a spatial context. she's also a little overweight. but, the issue (regardless of weight) is not understanding how to walk without stomping.
she's not just creaking the floor. she's breaking wood planks. you can hear them snap as she stomps around. and i mean STOMP around.
see, as annoying as it's going to be for me to deal with a hole in the ceiling, i'm kind of more concerned that she's going to hurt herself and i don't really know how to bring that up. i'm going to guess that actually reversing the stomping is going to require some careful and patient coaching, that it's going to be frustrating for everybody and that it might actually be impossible to change habitually, in the long term.
i wouldn't even be thinking about this if it were just the sound. i'd just be 'whatever. let the kid stomp.'. but, it really is predictable that she's going to stomp right through a wood plank at some point. so, i kind of feel obligated to point it out.
it's just....how do you do this....
i'm not concerned about offense. no, really, i'm not. i don't care about that. it's more that if i'm going to bother taking the time to offend them, i want to make sure that they actually listen rather than just get offended and then not do anything. see, and i know that humans aren't particularly intelligent creatures - i know that they tend to irrationally react to certain things on an emotional level, ignore anything approaching a rigourous analysis and then consciously decide to *not* follow through with a logical reaction, apparently purely out of spite for reason.
i have to say something to somebody. suggestions?
mom
Bring it to the attention of your landlord...
jessica amber murray
yeah, see, the landlord is the tenant's brother, and the stomper's uncle. the brother seems to be a little challenged as well, but not as much.
it might be the best option, i agree. but i'm no closer to a tactic.
"your niece is going to stomp through the floor" is blunt. i like blunt. but i don't want to piss him off too badly, unless i'm sure he's going to listen (at which point, the piss off will necessarily be temporary - logic will prevail).
i should also point out that he owns this place, specifically, so that his mentally challenged brother and niece have an affordable place to stay. so, if i bring it up, it has to be with the sole intent of therapy.
mom
Just explain to him the way you explained it on here....
jessica amber murray
i think what i need is less an angle and more the right context. just bringing it up at the right time kind of thing.
she's autistic. which seems to mean she doesn't have a clear understanding of herself in a spatial context. she's also a little overweight. but, the issue (regardless of weight) is not understanding how to walk without stomping.
she's not just creaking the floor. she's breaking wood planks. you can hear them snap as she stomps around. and i mean STOMP around.
see, as annoying as it's going to be for me to deal with a hole in the ceiling, i'm kind of more concerned that she's going to hurt herself and i don't really know how to bring that up. i'm going to guess that actually reversing the stomping is going to require some careful and patient coaching, that it's going to be frustrating for everybody and that it might actually be impossible to change habitually, in the long term.
i wouldn't even be thinking about this if it were just the sound. i'd just be 'whatever. let the kid stomp.'. but, it really is predictable that she's going to stomp right through a wood plank at some point. so, i kind of feel obligated to point it out.
it's just....how do you do this....
i'm not concerned about offense. no, really, i'm not. i don't care about that. it's more that if i'm going to bother taking the time to offend them, i want to make sure that they actually listen rather than just get offended and then not do anything. see, and i know that humans aren't particularly intelligent creatures - i know that they tend to irrationally react to certain things on an emotional level, ignore anything approaching a rigourous analysis and then consciously decide to *not* follow through with a logical reaction, apparently purely out of spite for reason.
i have to say something to somebody. suggestions?
mom
Bring it to the attention of your landlord...
jessica amber murray
yeah, see, the landlord is the tenant's brother, and the stomper's uncle. the brother seems to be a little challenged as well, but not as much.
it might be the best option, i agree. but i'm no closer to a tactic.
"your niece is going to stomp through the floor" is blunt. i like blunt. but i don't want to piss him off too badly, unless i'm sure he's going to listen (at which point, the piss off will necessarily be temporary - logic will prevail).
i should also point out that he owns this place, specifically, so that his mentally challenged brother and niece have an affordable place to stay. so, if i bring it up, it has to be with the sole intent of therapy.
mom
Just explain to him the way you explained it on here....
jessica amber murray
i think what i need is less an angle and more the right context. just bringing it up at the right time kind of thing.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
useless (valium mix)
this is the original version slowed down to half speed, which i actually briefly considered releasing as the final version as i felt it was aesthetically appropriate.
recorded in jan, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/useless-valium
recorded in jan, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/useless-valium
not that there’s anything wrong with that (original album mix)
this is that faux-homophobe song again, and i'm going to call myself out for it this time on two levels. i'm kind of uncomfortable uploading it not once but twice, but i promised myself i'd upload everything, so here it is.
i've been uncomfortable with this since i wrote it, basically. i really hesitated for a while in releasing this. it was one of the first things i recorded with my new 4-track (the timestamp is jan 17, 1998), but it didn't make it to the first demo. it only made it to the second demo in feb, 1999. with a lot of caution. i ended up releasing it because i liked the fact that it sounded like ministry.
in my defense, i should point out that these kinds of songs exist in the punk rock tradition going back to the glam days. ministry wrote a number of songs like this, ridiculing exaggerated masculinity. this is what i was going for the second time around. further, in the sense that the song is about me being picked on, i feel i sort of retain the right to express myself about it.
where it falls into trouble is it's level of ambiguity. it's meant to be satire, but how is anybody supposed to know that? the answer is the seinfeld line - and this was consciously inserted for that very reason. yet, the signal that sends isn't "this song is sarcastic" so much as it is "homophobes aren't the brightest people". that's really what the song is about - i was getting picked on by people i didn't think were very smart, and i was reacting by ridiculing their intelligence through merely repeating what they were saying. this is meant to shock, and that's where the track gets it's "edge".
we would refer to such a thing nowadays as "hipster homophobia", and this is where i'm calling myself out, here. my argument is essentially "it's ok to be hateful if you're being ironic". but, that's not an argument i would currently make - it's an argument that i'd argue rather strenuously against.
again: i feel i had the right to express myself here, and the song is anti-oppressive in it's intent. yet, i didn't articulate that well, and sort of fell into a trap. i can convincingly argue that i was a teenager and didn't really know any better, but that argument necessitates that i correct myself.
the original version and write-up are over here:
jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/not-that-theres-anything-wrong-with-that
recorded in jan, 1998.
http://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/06-not-that-theres-anything-wrong-with-that
i've been uncomfortable with this since i wrote it, basically. i really hesitated for a while in releasing this. it was one of the first things i recorded with my new 4-track (the timestamp is jan 17, 1998), but it didn't make it to the first demo. it only made it to the second demo in feb, 1999. with a lot of caution. i ended up releasing it because i liked the fact that it sounded like ministry.
in my defense, i should point out that these kinds of songs exist in the punk rock tradition going back to the glam days. ministry wrote a number of songs like this, ridiculing exaggerated masculinity. this is what i was going for the second time around. further, in the sense that the song is about me being picked on, i feel i sort of retain the right to express myself about it.
where it falls into trouble is it's level of ambiguity. it's meant to be satire, but how is anybody supposed to know that? the answer is the seinfeld line - and this was consciously inserted for that very reason. yet, the signal that sends isn't "this song is sarcastic" so much as it is "homophobes aren't the brightest people". that's really what the song is about - i was getting picked on by people i didn't think were very smart, and i was reacting by ridiculing their intelligence through merely repeating what they were saying. this is meant to shock, and that's where the track gets it's "edge".
we would refer to such a thing nowadays as "hipster homophobia", and this is where i'm calling myself out, here. my argument is essentially "it's ok to be hateful if you're being ironic". but, that's not an argument i would currently make - it's an argument that i'd argue rather strenuously against.
again: i feel i had the right to express myself here, and the song is anti-oppressive in it's intent. yet, i didn't articulate that well, and sort of fell into a trap. i can convincingly argue that i was a teenager and didn't really know any better, but that argument necessitates that i correct myself.
the original version and write-up are over here:
jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/not-that-theres-anything-wrong-with-that
recorded in jan, 1998.
http://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/06-not-that-theres-anything-wrong-with-that
cat’s apocalypse (original discarded outtake)
this is a remix of the track 'war' (http://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/11-war) that i had no intention of releasing. i was trying to irritate a cat lover (i can't recall who). epic troll, really.
i'd trigger it for cat owners, but it's really too absurd and disingenuous to be offensive.
recorded in jan, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/cats-apocalypse-1998-archive-2
i'd trigger it for cat owners, but it's really too absurd and disingenuous to be offensive.
recorded in jan, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/cats-apocalypse-1998-archive-2
slaves (original discarded outtake)
this was inspired by an snl skit. pure silliness.
recorded in jan, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/slaves
recorded in jan, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/slaves
permission (original discarded outtake)
this is the remake of permission, which is really funky and neat, but i ended up rejecting it because the guitar solo directly lifts the ending melody from "the perfect drug". i don't really remember the logic behind how it got there in the first place (did i realize after or was it purposefully meant as a 'sample'?), but i do specifically recall saying "i can't use this". i think maybe i also thought the lyrics were sort of dumb, after all.
of course, a lot of the songs on those cassette demos recycle ideas from nine inch nails, and i've cringed a few times in uploading these songs, but in the context of the tracks mostly being experiments in learning how to record music it's less of a problem for me, in hindsight, then it could be. those were things that affected me, at that age. they're there for a reason. the cassette demos were never meant to be brilliant works of original art, or even for sale at all (and they never have been). it was just something i did as a sort of a release.
these cd demos, though, were meant to be more professional. there are a few awkward samples interspersed throughout them in ways that were meaningful to me and seem questionable now looking back, but part of the reason i redid these songs in the first place was to reclaim them from myself as entirely original pieces.
my sister's backing vocals have been replaced with myself, digitally altered. there's also a lot of electronic soundscaping: this is a substantially different piece of music than the cassette demo, which is here:
http://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/permission
actually, i think i'm remembering that i put the 'sample' in on purpose because the vocals were so derivative, then kibboshed the whole thing.
yeah. i was playing the melody as i was testing levels, and i decided that it actually sounded really good - but that I couldn't use it, or i would be sealing the track as an outtake. i then decided that it should be an outtake anyways and went with it.
recorded in january, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/permission-2
of course, a lot of the songs on those cassette demos recycle ideas from nine inch nails, and i've cringed a few times in uploading these songs, but in the context of the tracks mostly being experiments in learning how to record music it's less of a problem for me, in hindsight, then it could be. those were things that affected me, at that age. they're there for a reason. the cassette demos were never meant to be brilliant works of original art, or even for sale at all (and they never have been). it was just something i did as a sort of a release.
these cd demos, though, were meant to be more professional. there are a few awkward samples interspersed throughout them in ways that were meaningful to me and seem questionable now looking back, but part of the reason i redid these songs in the first place was to reclaim them from myself as entirely original pieces.
my sister's backing vocals have been replaced with myself, digitally altered. there's also a lot of electronic soundscaping: this is a substantially different piece of music than the cassette demo, which is here:
http://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/permission
actually, i think i'm remembering that i put the 'sample' in on purpose because the vocals were so derivative, then kibboshed the whole thing.
yeah. i was playing the melody as i was testing levels, and i decided that it actually sounded really good - but that I couldn't use it, or i would be sealing the track as an outtake. i then decided that it should be an outtake anyways and went with it.
recorded in january, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/permission-2
nails (original album mix)
homer, indeed. i think that might be the ry30 with the drums, recording directly into the back of the pc.
created in the fall of 1997.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/nails
created in the fall of 1997.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/nails
war (original album mix)
the beginning is from a disney film or something, i can't recall which one. it's all wiped away by a wash of war drums and civ2 samples. it's more misanthropic than anti-war, really.
created in the fall of 1997.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/war
created in the fall of 1997.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/war
Saturday, November 9, 2013
catchin’ up (original album mix)
noises generated with cool edit. it seemed like the coolest thing in the world, at the time.
created in the fall of 1997.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/catchin-up
created in the fall of 1997.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/catchin-up
fuck the dead (original album mix)
well, it's a song about necrophilia. what?
this is actually the first thing i recorded in the new electronic style, and i sort of picked up where i had left off, thematically.
ok, if it's not blatantly obvious, it's entirely tongue-in-cheek and absurdist. i'm poking fun at what i'm assuming people are perceiving the spooky goth stereotype as.
i have removed a section full of painful homer samples. i put the spiderman sample in after and it's one of the things i'm most proud of, actually.
recorded in jan, 1998. edited on nov 9, 2013.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/fuck-the-dead-1998-archive
this is actually the first thing i recorded in the new electronic style, and i sort of picked up where i had left off, thematically.
ok, if it's not blatantly obvious, it's entirely tongue-in-cheek and absurdist. i'm poking fun at what i'm assuming people are perceiving the spooky goth stereotype as.
i have removed a section full of painful homer samples. i put the spiderman sample in after and it's one of the things i'm most proud of, actually.
recorded in jan, 1998. edited on nov 9, 2013.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/fuck-the-dead-1998-archive
a psycho kills a cow (original album mix)
so,
there's this dude, and he sounds sort of like one of the monsters from doom II,
and he lures a cow with a weird mating call and then attacks it and it's kind
of twisted and hilarious. subtle vegan brainwashing? yes, but more on an
environmentalist level.
created in the fall of 1997.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/a-psycho-kills-a-cow-2
created in the fall of 1997.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/a-psycho-kills-a-cow-2
about a squirrel (original album mix)
the guitar loop is taken from a popular nirvana song, whereas most of the building sound pasted on top is from civ 2. no real message here. just a particularly savvy squirrel that's getting ready for winter by building some kind of fortress.
created in the fall of 1997.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/about-a-squirrel-2
created in the fall of 1997.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/about-a-squirrel-2
skaters (original album mix)
the original version of this track, along with a write-up, is over here:
jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/skaters
this version is sped up a little bit and has some keyboard sequencing added to it but is otherwise pretty similar.
recorded in jan, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/skaters-1998-archived-112-kbps-mp3
jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/skaters
this version is sped up a little bit and has some keyboard sequencing added to it but is otherwise pretty similar.
recorded in jan, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/skaters-1998-archived-112-kbps-mp3
useless (original album mix)
kind of a new wave / synth pop track. as can be heard, i'm still not out of the clutches of trent reznor - there's an awkward nin sample in the middle of the track.
this is the first track with my new synth on it. that's a large part of what the track is.
this isn't the first document that demonstrates my struggle with coming to terms with the futility of existence, but maybe it's the first meaningful one. in a very real sense, that struggle has defined most of my life. listening to the lyrics now, they seem sort of trite. yet, there's a large amount of who i've become within these words.
recorded in jan, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/useless-valium-sped-up
this is the first track with my new synth on it. that's a large part of what the track is.
this isn't the first document that demonstrates my struggle with coming to terms with the futility of existence, but maybe it's the first meaningful one. in a very real sense, that struggle has defined most of my life. listening to the lyrics now, they seem sort of trite. yet, there's a large amount of who i've become within these words.
recorded in jan, 1998.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/useless-valium-sped-up
boogeyman reconstruction (discarded first vocal take)
this was recorded over the christmas holidays on my brand new 4-track. i ended up rejecting the track, then redoing the vocals for the second demo. it is itself a redone version of a track on one of the cassette demos:
http://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/boogeyman-depressed
you can hear that the drum programming was fairly meticulous here, adding all kinds of unusual sounds. there's no synths or samples here, it's all ry30.
while the strong backbeat improves part of the track, i prefer the cassette demo, overall.
recorded in dec, 1997.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/boogeyman-first-vocal-take
http://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/boogeyman-depressed
you can hear that the drum programming was fairly meticulous here, adding all kinds of unusual sounds. there's no synths or samples here, it's all ry30.
while the strong backbeat improves part of the track, i prefer the cassette demo, overall.
recorded in dec, 1997.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/boogeyman-first-vocal-take
Friday, November 8, 2013
publishing inrisampled (inri003)
i spent the summer and fall of 1997 programming drum tracks into an ry30, notating them into a tablature program and sequencing them using noteworthy composer. i did not know how i was going to record these tracks. i think i was expecting to use the computer, but that was probably naive; instead, i was gifted a 4-track recording machine. i then spent the next year and a half rearranging and rerecording the songs i programmed over that period. as these tracks were recorded into my pc, they are time stamped...so i have a much clearer understanding of when they were finished.
the jump to incorporating computers into the recording process is something i always wanted to do, it's just that it wasn't really previously feasible. first, there was a learning curve. i was a smart kid, though; the learning curve was just a time concern. the larger problem was simply access to a pc. i did have a pc at my disposal, but it did not have a modem and it was only equipped to run windows 3.1, which basically meant i could run civ 2 and wolfenstein and little else. the windows 95 computer had dial up but it was in a central location for family use.
when we moved across the city, my dad bought a new computer and i happily inherited his old one. this gave me internet access, which allowed me to download some freeware. it also gave me the time i needed to learn how to do certain things.
i'm separating out a handful of my first electronic sound experiments and collecting them together into an ep. what these blasts of noise have in common is that they were constructed on a windows 95 computer out of samples or generated sound and with very primitive software while i was waiting to get some kind of recording equipment. most of it was pasted together meticulously using the windows 95 sound recorder; the rest of it was constructed in cool edit, which i used as a sort of a synthesizer.
for the most part, these weren't really ever meant to be songs. i ended up using them as connectors, introductions, background. "continuity". yet, i find the idea of throwing them together here to be interesting from an autobiographical perspective.
created in mid 1997. sequenced in november, 2013. as always, please use headphones.
credits:
j - cool edit (wave synthesis, digital wave editing), windows 95 sound recorder (sampling, digital wave editing), yamaha ry30 drum machine (programming)
released dec 1, 1997
1) the beginning is from a disney film or something, i can't recall which one. it's all wiped away by a wash of war drums and civ2 samples. it's more misanthropic than anti-war, really.
2) noises generated with cool edit. it seemed like the coolest thing in the world, at the time.
3) homer, indeed. i think that might be the ry30 with the drums, recording directly into the back of the pc.
4) i'm using cool edit as a synthesizer and a wave editor, but i think the core of it was done with the sound recorder.
5) some more sound created and manipulated in cool edit.
6) so, there's this dude, and he sounds sort of like one of the monsters from doom II, and he lures a cow with a weird mating call and then attacks it and it's kind of twisted and hilarious. subtle vegan brainwashing? yes, but more on an environmentalist level.
7) the guitar loop is taken from a popular nirvana song, whereas most of the building sound pasted on top is from civ 2. no real message here. just a particularly savvy squirrel that's getting ready for winter by building some kind of fortress.
the jump to incorporating computers into the recording process is something i always wanted to do, it's just that it wasn't really previously feasible. first, there was a learning curve. i was a smart kid, though; the learning curve was just a time concern. the larger problem was simply access to a pc. i did have a pc at my disposal, but it did not have a modem and it was only equipped to run windows 3.1, which basically meant i could run civ 2 and wolfenstein and little else. the windows 95 computer had dial up but it was in a central location for family use.
when we moved across the city, my dad bought a new computer and i happily inherited his old one. this gave me internet access, which allowed me to download some freeware. it also gave me the time i needed to learn how to do certain things.
i'm separating out a handful of my first electronic sound experiments and collecting them together into an ep. what these blasts of noise have in common is that they were constructed on a windows 95 computer out of samples or generated sound and with very primitive software while i was waiting to get some kind of recording equipment. most of it was pasted together meticulously using the windows 95 sound recorder; the rest of it was constructed in cool edit, which i used as a sort of a synthesizer.
for the most part, these weren't really ever meant to be songs. i ended up using them as connectors, introductions, background. "continuity". yet, i find the idea of throwing them together here to be interesting from an autobiographical perspective.
created in mid 1997. sequenced in november, 2013. as always, please use headphones.
credits:
j - cool edit (wave synthesis, digital wave editing), windows 95 sound recorder (sampling, digital wave editing), yamaha ry30 drum machine (programming)
released dec 1, 1997
1) the beginning is from a disney film or something, i can't recall which one. it's all wiped away by a wash of war drums and civ2 samples. it's more misanthropic than anti-war, really.
2) noises generated with cool edit. it seemed like the coolest thing in the world, at the time.
3) homer, indeed. i think that might be the ry30 with the drums, recording directly into the back of the pc.
4) i'm using cool edit as a synthesizer and a wave editor, but i think the core of it was done with the sound recorder.
5) some more sound created and manipulated in cool edit.
6) so, there's this dude, and he sounds sort of like one of the monsters from doom II, and he lures a cow with a weird mating call and then attacks it and it's kind of twisted and hilarious. subtle vegan brainwashing? yes, but more on an environmentalist level.
7) the guitar loop is taken from a popular nirvana song, whereas most of the building sound pasted on top is from civ 2. no real message here. just a particularly savvy squirrel that's getting ready for winter by building some kind of fortress.
Re: Fw: Neue Anfrage aus dem Sennheiser Kontaktcenter vom 2013-11-03 [##SVS-Web-SK]
From: sennheiser.ca
To: "Jessica Murray" <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
Hi Jessica,
The required cable is available in our Montreal warehouse.
Part number: 069427
Cable steel 3m jack3.5/jack6.3
Cost: $ 36.19
Shipping: $ 9.00 plus applicable taxes.
Grand total: $ 51.06
Please send a cheque or a money order to:
Sennheiser (Canada) Inc.
221 ave. Labrosse
Pointe-Claire, QC
H9R 1A3
Please make the cheque or money order payable to:
Sennheiser (Canada) Inc.
Reference: Parts department.
Have a lovely weekend!
To: "Jessica Murray" <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
Hi Jessica,
The required cable is available in our Montreal warehouse.
Part number: 069427
Cable steel 3m jack3.5/jack6.3
Cost: $ 36.19
Shipping: $ 9.00 plus applicable taxes.
Grand total: $ 51.06
Please send a cheque or a money order to:
Sennheiser (Canada) Inc.
221 ave. Labrosse
Pointe-Claire, QC
H9R 1A3
Please make the cheque or money order payable to:
Sennheiser (Canada) Inc.
Reference: Parts department.
Have a lovely weekend!
remastered inri001 re-release completed
my second
demo, recorded over the second half of the tenth grade, is a
considerably more polished recording. by this time, i had learned a lot
about how to record things and had improved my drumming and keyboard
playing. while the vocals remain highly erratic, ranging from
precociously insightful to devastatingly stupid, the music here is
actually not far from a professional recording.
recorded in spring 1997, remastered in fall 2013. as always, please use headphones.
recorded in spring 1997, remastered in fall 2013. as always, please use headphones.
credits:
j - guitars, effects, bass, drums, keyboards, tapes, vocals, sounds, metronomes, production
released june 1, 1997
demo #27: nothing to say
this is really the only thing that's quite like this in my discography, partly because the synthesizer is a tool that wasn't fully available to me at the age that i would have written more upbeat psychedelic pop songs like this (15-17). by the time i had really secured access to a synth i could use on my own terms, i had defaulted fairly heavily to a type of structured synth pop - and i then grew out of pop altogether rather quickly.
this is also the absolutely last thing that i recorded before i lost my studio for the first time due to moving across the city. specifically, the drums were sold (i was given a drum machine as a replacement, which worked out just fine) and the 4-track i was using went back to my dad's friend, who owned it. i ended up getting a 4-track for christmas, and a synth for my birthday. i spent the next six months refocusing in various ways, and honing in on a more electronic sound.
i think i needed that time, and this song (along with the few before it) are evidence of that. the music was tightening up, but i was getting a little bored with the topics i was exploring.
so, this closes this introductory experimental/learning phase of my musical career.
the explanation of this functions on two levels. i knew this was the end (for the foreseeable future) as i was recording it, so it's written as a reflection. maybe it's true that i didn't really have anything worthwhile to say...
however, the lyrics are all restatements of things that i heard other people around me say at school. i'm reflecting equally on the irrelevance of daily conversation, and suggesting that if this is what we're wasting our time doing then maybe we should all just give up and go home. so, it's a little tongue-in-cheek at the same time as it's not. as always...
musically, this is one of the more developed pieces in the early demos - it's the second keyboard driven vocal track i did, and required sneaking into my sister's room to record the parts. i think there's something forward-thinking about it as it kind of foreshadows a strain of indie/psych/punk/pop that was popular in the mid 00s. but, i'm honestly not sure what i was drawing on. like i say, it sort of stands out...
recorded in may, 1997. remastered on nov 8, 2013.
this is also the absolutely last thing that i recorded before i lost my studio for the first time due to moving across the city. specifically, the drums were sold (i was given a drum machine as a replacement, which worked out just fine) and the 4-track i was using went back to my dad's friend, who owned it. i ended up getting a 4-track for christmas, and a synth for my birthday. i spent the next six months refocusing in various ways, and honing in on a more electronic sound.
i think i needed that time, and this song (along with the few before it) are evidence of that. the music was tightening up, but i was getting a little bored with the topics i was exploring.
so, this closes this introductory experimental/learning phase of my musical career.
the explanation of this functions on two levels. i knew this was the end (for the foreseeable future) as i was recording it, so it's written as a reflection. maybe it's true that i didn't really have anything worthwhile to say...
however, the lyrics are all restatements of things that i heard other people around me say at school. i'm reflecting equally on the irrelevance of daily conversation, and suggesting that if this is what we're wasting our time doing then maybe we should all just give up and go home. so, it's a little tongue-in-cheek at the same time as it's not. as always...
musically, this is one of the more developed pieces in the early demos - it's the second keyboard driven vocal track i did, and required sneaking into my sister's room to record the parts. i think there's something forward-thinking about it as it kind of foreshadows a strain of indie/psych/punk/pop that was popular in the mid 00s. but, i'm honestly not sure what i was drawing on. like i say, it sort of stands out...
recorded in may, 1997. remastered on nov 8, 2013.
demo #26: stupid
i was violently anti-tobacco in my teens. to an extent, i still am.
i like the music here. something i'm realizing going through these old songs is how much they shadow the creation of post-rock, which was beginning to happen right at about the same time but that i had no realization of. i was in tune with something without realizing it.
lyrically, again, i wish i had articulated myself just a bit better. i wouldn't present the health care argument at this point; i guess my thinking has evolved away from that kind of base liberalism and to something a bit more universal in scope. well, i reject the entire concept of currency at this point, so it doesn't make a lot of sense. nor do i think we'd have to make resource-based decisions if it weren't for the limits provided by currency. so, i'm retracting that statement.
i think the general theme remains valid, though. smoking tobacco is hard to describe without using the word 'stupid'.
recorded in april, 1997. remastered on nov 8, 2013.
i like the music here. something i'm realizing going through these old songs is how much they shadow the creation of post-rock, which was beginning to happen right at about the same time but that i had no realization of. i was in tune with something without realizing it.
lyrically, again, i wish i had articulated myself just a bit better. i wouldn't present the health care argument at this point; i guess my thinking has evolved away from that kind of base liberalism and to something a bit more universal in scope. well, i reject the entire concept of currency at this point, so it doesn't make a lot of sense. nor do i think we'd have to make resource-based decisions if it weren't for the limits provided by currency. so, i'm retracting that statement.
i think the general theme remains valid, though. smoking tobacco is hard to describe without using the word 'stupid'.
recorded in april, 1997. remastered on nov 8, 2013.
demo #25: sick
ok, so this. i forgot about this. umm...
i think i was trolling, but i think i was also applying the disturbed pathologies i was exploring in these songs to people around me and realizing that maybe we're all fucked up inside in our own different ways. there's actually somewhat of a message of egalitarian social reform buried in this. are any of us really 'better' than any of the rest of us, or are we all guided by the same contemptible, morbid fantasies? a little cliched, but...
....i think i was mostly just trolling.
i was also coming to the point where i had finished exploring what i wanted to explore and wanted to shift directions, thematically. the song is meant to be a sort of a summary of what i'd written previously, offering a conclusion.
i should also trigger this. the attempt was to be shocking on a dark humour level rather than seriously disturbing, but it's at least somewhere near that line that separates out good taste.
recorded in april, 1997. remastered on nov 8, 2013.
i think i was trolling, but i think i was also applying the disturbed pathologies i was exploring in these songs to people around me and realizing that maybe we're all fucked up inside in our own different ways. there's actually somewhat of a message of egalitarian social reform buried in this. are any of us really 'better' than any of the rest of us, or are we all guided by the same contemptible, morbid fantasies? a little cliched, but...
....i think i was mostly just trolling.
i was also coming to the point where i had finished exploring what i wanted to explore and wanted to shift directions, thematically. the song is meant to be a sort of a summary of what i'd written previously, offering a conclusion.
i should also trigger this. the attempt was to be shocking on a dark humour level rather than seriously disturbing, but it's at least somewhere near that line that separates out good taste.
recorded in april, 1997. remastered on nov 8, 2013.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
demo #24: not that there’s anything wrong with that
so, i'm glad this isn't the first track i'm uploading. by this point, it should be clear that i had a tendency in this period to take first person perspectives of unsavoury characters in order to mock them - skater thugs, rapists, terrorists...
standard punk rock technique.
here, i'm a homophobe. and i'm kind of harsh; there's a certain level of comedy through the track if you have a dark sense of humour (and this was intentional), but it's harsh. so i should trigger warning this.
in truth, i was the stupid fag that was getting told to go away, although i was always very coy about my sexuality. well, how do you bring the topic up to a bunch of mostly sexually insecure teenage boys that have never dated and don't appear likely to date in the near future? i've mentioned to many people that i've never really been interpreted as a gay male, and that's absolutely true; it's not really the level i got attacked on. it wasn't even on the level of being effeminate; i've never really exaggerated my femininity, ether. the rejection was more on the level of not being able to relate to guy things. at that age, a certain kind of mindset deduces that not caring about certain guy things logically implies homosexuality. the logic is airtight, with the right axiom.
it's a little more complex than that, though. there was a sort of shielding effect at work. not with me, really (as mentioned, i just avoided the topic on just about every level), but with some of the other kids i was associating with. i'm not going to name any names, but i was sort of mocking them a little. what's between the lines is that old freudian suggestion, and in hindsight it really doesn't matter if i was right or not (it was out of line).
but, yeah. this is my mocking homophobe track, complete with aggro nu-metal riff, or at least the closest thing to an aggro nu-metal riff i could muster up. actually, i was a fan of life is peachy - and limp bizkit hadn't released their first disc yet, so i think i was actually sort of predicting something.
recorded in april, 1997. remastered on nov 7, 2013.
standard punk rock technique.
here, i'm a homophobe. and i'm kind of harsh; there's a certain level of comedy through the track if you have a dark sense of humour (and this was intentional), but it's harsh. so i should trigger warning this.
in truth, i was the stupid fag that was getting told to go away, although i was always very coy about my sexuality. well, how do you bring the topic up to a bunch of mostly sexually insecure teenage boys that have never dated and don't appear likely to date in the near future? i've mentioned to many people that i've never really been interpreted as a gay male, and that's absolutely true; it's not really the level i got attacked on. it wasn't even on the level of being effeminate; i've never really exaggerated my femininity, ether. the rejection was more on the level of not being able to relate to guy things. at that age, a certain kind of mindset deduces that not caring about certain guy things logically implies homosexuality. the logic is airtight, with the right axiom.
it's a little more complex than that, though. there was a sort of shielding effect at work. not with me, really (as mentioned, i just avoided the topic on just about every level), but with some of the other kids i was associating with. i'm not going to name any names, but i was sort of mocking them a little. what's between the lines is that old freudian suggestion, and in hindsight it really doesn't matter if i was right or not (it was out of line).
but, yeah. this is my mocking homophobe track, complete with aggro nu-metal riff, or at least the closest thing to an aggro nu-metal riff i could muster up. actually, i was a fan of life is peachy - and limp bizkit hadn't released their first disc yet, so i think i was actually sort of predicting something.
recorded in april, 1997. remastered on nov 7, 2013.
demo #23: skaters
this is maybe a little hard to understand, if you weren't a teenager in a very specific period - about '91-'99, the 90s i guess, when the nu metal shift "corrected" things and tough guys went backing to being metalheads.
that period overlaps with a period when punk fashion moved from subculture to dominant culture. as with any other failed social revolution, the period is more defined by certain subculture traits being co-opted than it was by any meaningful change in social attitudes, even if it did correspond with a move towards liberalizing social attitudes in the older members of gen x.
i remember playing this for my aunt, who was a teenager in the 80s, and she was just confused by it. in her day, the skaters were the skinny punk kids that got picked on by the meathead jock metal heads. as mentioned, i think people that were teenagers in the 00s may more readily associate with this as well.
but the 90s were weird in this sense. skater culture in the 90s was defined by a sort of thuggish machismo gang mentality that overlapped more into gangster rap than punk rock. what you had where i grew up was a lot of upper middle class white kids skating because it was advertised to them as the "cool thing to do" and in the process co-opting this sort of survivalist 'hood mentality into a tool of oppression that they used to bully and intimidate the kids that, a decade before, would have identified as skateboarders. those kids may have maintained an interest in punk rock, but weren't generally accepted into the skater clique - which was essentially the "in group".
the culmination may seem a little surreal nowadays, if for no other reason than that it's been forgotten. but i remember sneaking through back alleys, evading skateboarding gangs made up of kids into slayer, while i had socal punk music blasting through my headphones. and i'm sure you'll get similar stories if you ask around - or maybe you were also that kid.
on one hand, this track was constructed to be sort of precious, and i think that it is. it's a pretty catchy pop song, really. on the other hand, i think i was trying to be a bit tougher than i actually was. i wasn't one to back down from confrontation - i'm still not. while i think it's true that i could have taken most of these brats one-on-one, i probably would have mostly chosen not to. see, the fear was always more that they'd convert the boards into weapons and then jump you. in canada, guns aren't much of a concern, but knives are.
...and the fear often came out of trivial reasons. talking with somebody's girlfriend. having a pair of headphones or a pair of shoes that might be worth something. basic thug shit.
in hindsight, the analysis here is a little simplistic. suggesting that these kids are going to grow up into pimps is problematic on numerous levels, although i can state with blunt honesty that a number of the people the song was about have grown up to be petty criminals with lengthy criminal records. i have to own that lack of depth and how it comes out in sometimes less than ideal statements, but i'm going to once again blame that on my age.
overall, i like this track on both a musical and thematic level. i just wish i had articulated myself a little bit better.
recorded in april, 1997. remastered on nov 7, 2013.
that period overlaps with a period when punk fashion moved from subculture to dominant culture. as with any other failed social revolution, the period is more defined by certain subculture traits being co-opted than it was by any meaningful change in social attitudes, even if it did correspond with a move towards liberalizing social attitudes in the older members of gen x.
i remember playing this for my aunt, who was a teenager in the 80s, and she was just confused by it. in her day, the skaters were the skinny punk kids that got picked on by the meathead jock metal heads. as mentioned, i think people that were teenagers in the 00s may more readily associate with this as well.
but the 90s were weird in this sense. skater culture in the 90s was defined by a sort of thuggish machismo gang mentality that overlapped more into gangster rap than punk rock. what you had where i grew up was a lot of upper middle class white kids skating because it was advertised to them as the "cool thing to do" and in the process co-opting this sort of survivalist 'hood mentality into a tool of oppression that they used to bully and intimidate the kids that, a decade before, would have identified as skateboarders. those kids may have maintained an interest in punk rock, but weren't generally accepted into the skater clique - which was essentially the "in group".
the culmination may seem a little surreal nowadays, if for no other reason than that it's been forgotten. but i remember sneaking through back alleys, evading skateboarding gangs made up of kids into slayer, while i had socal punk music blasting through my headphones. and i'm sure you'll get similar stories if you ask around - or maybe you were also that kid.
on one hand, this track was constructed to be sort of precious, and i think that it is. it's a pretty catchy pop song, really. on the other hand, i think i was trying to be a bit tougher than i actually was. i wasn't one to back down from confrontation - i'm still not. while i think it's true that i could have taken most of these brats one-on-one, i probably would have mostly chosen not to. see, the fear was always more that they'd convert the boards into weapons and then jump you. in canada, guns aren't much of a concern, but knives are.
...and the fear often came out of trivial reasons. talking with somebody's girlfriend. having a pair of headphones or a pair of shoes that might be worth something. basic thug shit.
in hindsight, the analysis here is a little simplistic. suggesting that these kids are going to grow up into pimps is problematic on numerous levels, although i can state with blunt honesty that a number of the people the song was about have grown up to be petty criminals with lengthy criminal records. i have to own that lack of depth and how it comes out in sometimes less than ideal statements, but i'm going to once again blame that on my age.
overall, i like this track on both a musical and thematic level. i just wish i had articulated myself a little bit better.
recorded in april, 1997. remastered on nov 7, 2013.
Fw: Neue Anfrage aus dem Sennheiser Kontaktcenter vom 2013-11-03 [##SVS-Web-SK]
From: sennheiser.ca
To: s
Cc: "Jessica Murray" <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
S, would you be so kind as to render an assist here?
To: s
Cc: "Jessica Murray" <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
S, would you be so kind as to render an assist here?
Re: Fw: Neue Anfrage aus dem Sennheiser Kontaktcenter vom 2013-11-03 [##SVS-Web-SK]
From: "Jessica Murray" <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
To: sennheiser.ca
i'm really relieved by how easy it's going to be to fix these.
i have a credit at a music store in ottawa (steve's) that i'm going to try and cash in, but i'm not sure if it's enough to cover it. if that doesn't work, i'll want to order the part (the 069427) directly from you via check or money order. could you put me in contact with s for that? if she can send me the price, i guess i'll attach the check to the service form and send that in....?
jessica
To: sennheiser.ca
i'm really relieved by how easy it's going to be to fix these.
i have a credit at a music store in ottawa (steve's) that i'm going to try and cash in, but i'm not sure if it's enough to cover it. if that doesn't work, i'll want to order the part (the 069427) directly from you via check or money order. could you put me in contact with s for that? if she can send me the price, i guess i'll attach the check to the service form and send that in....?
jessica
Re: Fw: Neue Anfrage aus dem Sennheiser Kontaktcenter vom 2013-11-03 [##SVS-Web-SK]
From: sennheiser.ca
To: Jessica Murray <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
I'm sorry!
I missed this entire thread.
Let's see what you come up with, in terms of experimentation. We take cheques, so if you decide a parts order is for you, s. on the Parts Desk can give you bottom line. Same deal for repairs, it just lengthens the process somewhat.
We're not huge, so we've never set up a warranty depot chain. In fact, the only one we ever did set up, dropped us because he didn't get enough business! Considering that we have a fairly large product catalogue, I guess that's a good thing!
To: Jessica Murray <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
I'm sorry!
I missed this entire thread.
Let's see what you come up with, in terms of experimentation. We take cheques, so if you decide a parts order is for you, s. on the Parts Desk can give you bottom line. Same deal for repairs, it just lengthens the process somewhat.
We're not huge, so we've never set up a warranty depot chain. In fact, the only one we ever did set up, dropped us because he didn't get enough business! Considering that we have a fairly large product catalogue, I guess that's a good thing!
The
HD 440 II was designed to be user serviceable. This is no longer true
with our products, save for the really high end stuff. This is why I
mentioned rehabilitation of the old, rather than buying new.
The cable will come out without destroying anything. Wiggle the boot while firmly pulling downward on it. It's been in there a long time, it'll be stubborn. Observe polarity! Letter faces out.
The cable is steel on your model. Big on strength, but tough to solder. If it's not completely trashed, you can put a new plug on. Your call on whether it's worth it.
This model was one of the first to come from the Tullamore factory. They make almost all of Sennheiser's European product nowadays. A few(Uber-expensive) models come from Germany, while the buds and streetwear are out of China.
If your problem is intermittent operation, you can reverse the cable and see if the problem switches sides. If it doesn't, the capsule is trashed, and there's nothing to be done about it. Those parts are long out of production. (One of our techs still uses a pair of these, just to underscore how durable they are)
069427 is the number of the cable, just FYI
if you're not following that, it's excellent news - i just need to replace the fully modular cord.
i remember seeing an audiophile shop down on.....ottawa street. be back in a few minutes, hopefully with good news.
The cable will come out without destroying anything. Wiggle the boot while firmly pulling downward on it. It's been in there a long time, it'll be stubborn. Observe polarity! Letter faces out.
The cable is steel on your model. Big on strength, but tough to solder. If it's not completely trashed, you can put a new plug on. Your call on whether it's worth it.
This model was one of the first to come from the Tullamore factory. They make almost all of Sennheiser's European product nowadays. A few(Uber-expensive) models come from Germany, while the buds and streetwear are out of China.
If your problem is intermittent operation, you can reverse the cable and see if the problem switches sides. If it doesn't, the capsule is trashed, and there's nothing to be done about it. Those parts are long out of production. (One of our techs still uses a pair of these, just to underscore how durable they are)
069427 is the number of the cable, just FYI
if you're not following that, it's excellent news - i just need to replace the fully modular cord.
i remember seeing an audiophile shop down on.....ottawa street. be back in a few minutes, hopefully with good news.
Re: Fw: Neue Anfrage aus dem Sennheiser Kontaktcenter vom 2013-11-03 [##SVS-Web-SK]
From: sennheiser.ca
To: "Jessica Murray" <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
The HD 440 II was designed to be user serviceable. This is no longer true with our products, save for the really high end stuff. This is why I mentioned rehabilitation of the old, rather than buying new.
The cable will come out without destroying anything. Wiggle the boot while firmly pulling downward on it. It's been in there a long time, it'll be stubborn. Observe polarity! Letter faces out.
The cable is steel on your model. Big on strength, but tough to solder. If it's not completely trashed, you can put a new plug on. Your call on whether it's worth it.
This model was one of the first to come from the Tullamore factory. They make almost all of Sennheiser's European product nowadays. A few(Uber-expensive) models come from Germany, while the buds and streetwear are out of China.
If your problem is intermittent operation, you can reverse the cable and see if the problem switches sides. If it doesn't, the capsule is trashed, and there's nothing to be done about it. Those parts are long out of production. (One of our techs still uses a pair of these, just to underscore how durable they are)
069427 is the number of the cable, just FYI.
To: "Jessica Murray" <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
The HD 440 II was designed to be user serviceable. This is no longer true with our products, save for the really high end stuff. This is why I mentioned rehabilitation of the old, rather than buying new.
The cable will come out without destroying anything. Wiggle the boot while firmly pulling downward on it. It's been in there a long time, it'll be stubborn. Observe polarity! Letter faces out.
The cable is steel on your model. Big on strength, but tough to solder. If it's not completely trashed, you can put a new plug on. Your call on whether it's worth it.
This model was one of the first to come from the Tullamore factory. They make almost all of Sennheiser's European product nowadays. A few(Uber-expensive) models come from Germany, while the buds and streetwear are out of China.
If your problem is intermittent operation, you can reverse the cable and see if the problem switches sides. If it doesn't, the capsule is trashed, and there's nothing to be done about it. Those parts are long out of production. (One of our techs still uses a pair of these, just to underscore how durable they are)
069427 is the number of the cable, just FYI.
Re: Fw: Neue Anfrage aus dem Sennheiser Kontaktcenter vom 2013-11-03 [##SVS-Web-SK]
From: "Jessica Murray" <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
To: sennheiser.ca
sorry, one more question.
i'm looking at replacement parts, and it almost looks like the cord clicks into place. well, here's a picture of a replacement part:
you can see what i mean. i'm getting the feeling that i can maybe pull the cord out and then snap a new one in. but i obviously don't want to determine if that's the case or not through experiment.
these are the 440-IIs. there's a big MADE IN IRELAND on the side if that makes a difference. could you determine for me (i understand you may have to forward me to a different department) if the cable is meant to snap in and out that way or if the plastic needs to be broken to recable?
i know it seems like it should be designed to disassemble, almost everything is nowadays, but this model is from the 80s...
jessica
To: sennheiser.ca
sorry, one more question.
i'm looking at replacement parts, and it almost looks like the cord clicks into place. well, here's a picture of a replacement part:
you can see what i mean. i'm getting the feeling that i can maybe pull the cord out and then snap a new one in. but i obviously don't want to determine if that's the case or not through experiment.
these are the 440-IIs. there's a big MADE IN IRELAND on the side if that makes a difference. could you determine for me (i understand you may have to forward me to a different department) if the cable is meant to snap in and out that way or if the plastic needs to be broken to recable?
i know it seems like it should be designed to disassemble, almost everything is nowadays, but this model is from the 80s...
jessica
Re: Fw: Neue Anfrage aus dem Sennheiser Kontaktcenter vom 2013-11-03 [##SVS-Web-SK]
From: "Jessica Murray" <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
To: sennheiser.ca
on second thought, i've taken a little closer look at the phones and it looks like the cord is connected to the phones as a single piece. of course, it must be soldered into place underneath the plastic, but it doesn't appear like there's a way to replace the cord without breaking the plastic apart and regluing it. there's no screws or anything. i kind of don't want to do that as a first attempt.
i think i can probably get the phones back in working condition by just replacing the plug, which is a quick soldering job that i can do myself.
if that doesn't work, i'll want to send them in to have the plastic taken apart and put back together - i'll recontact sennheiser if that turns out to be necessary.
thanks for your response,
jessica
To: sennheiser.ca
on second thought, i've taken a little closer look at the phones and it looks like the cord is connected to the phones as a single piece. of course, it must be soldered into place underneath the plastic, but it doesn't appear like there's a way to replace the cord without breaking the plastic apart and regluing it. there's no screws or anything. i kind of don't want to do that as a first attempt.
i think i can probably get the phones back in working condition by just replacing the plug, which is a quick soldering job that i can do myself.
if that doesn't work, i'll want to send them in to have the plastic taken apart and put back together - i'll recontact sennheiser if that turns out to be necessary.
thanks for your response,
jessica
actually, i think it's obvious that i should get something similar.
i've got a price estimate coming in from sennheiser but i expect it to be ridiculous.
so, i think what i should do is take the phones down to a store and see if i can find a similar cord. then see if i can find a soldering iron....
i should really probably have a soldering iron.
i've got a price estimate coming in from sennheiser but i expect it to be ridiculous.
so, i think what i should do is take the phones down to a store and see if i can find a similar cord. then see if i can find a soldering iron....
i should really probably have a soldering iron.
Re: Fw: Neue Anfrage aus dem Sennheiser Kontaktcenter vom 2013-11-03 [##SVS-Web-SK]
From: "Jessica Murray" <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
To: sennheiser.ca
yeah, they seem to have just shorted permanently, and i'd kind of feel better about letting sennheiser fix them then taking them to a random shop.
i found this order form:
http://www.sennheiser.ca/live/download/Sennheiser_Repair_order_form.pdf
....but i don't have a credit card and, despite my previous rhetoric, i do need to watch the price very carefully. they're obviously well past whatever warranty my dad bought in the early 90s. do you have any licensed repair centres in windsor, ontario i could just take them in to and pay out cash for? if not, i'm wondering if you could give me a quick price quote and let me send you a check.
the symptom is that one of the ears is deaf. there's two possible causes, and i'm not sure which one is dominant. one of the ears has been a little loose, solved by jiggling it a bit. also, the base seems to have a short in it, solved by rotating it. it's the second of these that i've been doing more often. either way, there's two shorts in the wire.
if i'm going to do this, i'd prefer to just replace the entire copper wire altogether, from the phones right down to the plug. i don't want to do it twice, kind of thing. how much do you think that would cost?
To: sennheiser.ca
yeah, they seem to have just shorted permanently, and i'd kind of feel better about letting sennheiser fix them then taking them to a random shop.
i found this order form:
http://www.sennheiser.ca/live/download/Sennheiser_Repair_order_form.pdf
....but i don't have a credit card and, despite my previous rhetoric, i do need to watch the price very carefully. they're obviously well past whatever warranty my dad bought in the early 90s. do you have any licensed repair centres in windsor, ontario i could just take them in to and pay out cash for? if not, i'm wondering if you could give me a quick price quote and let me send you a check.
the symptom is that one of the ears is deaf. there's two possible causes, and i'm not sure which one is dominant. one of the ears has been a little loose, solved by jiggling it a bit. also, the base seems to have a short in it, solved by rotating it. it's the second of these that i've been doing more often. either way, there's two shorts in the wire.
if i'm going to do this, i'd prefer to just replace the entire copper wire altogether, from the phones right down to the plug. i don't want to do it twice, kind of thing. how much do you think that would cost?
ok. they're not as bad as i thought - coming from a quality source,
and with the noise reduction turned off. they're not replacements for
the 440-II's, but given that i'm just running everything through the
same filters *anyways* (same source...i'm doing it track-by-track but i
haven't deviated from the base algorithm of custom izotope patch + nr), i
think i can use them while i'm waiting for them to get fixed. so i
shouldn't get slowed down at least.
i'll also say that they died on me once before and came back. i wonder if it's temperature related, even. i'm going to let them sit for a few days and see if they come back.
....and, now to wade through all kinds of audiophile nonsense trying to get a straight answer about how important the wiring is in the sound...
i'll also say that they died on me once before and came back. i wonder if it's temperature related, even. i'm going to let them sit for a few days and see if they come back.
....and, now to wade through all kinds of audiophile nonsense trying to get a straight answer about how important the wiring is in the sound...
i got a response back from sennheiser. they are indeed long out of production, and the response i got basically told me that if i want a similar sound, i'm fucked - they don't make anything remotely like this model anymore, so i'm better off trying to get them fixed than replacing them.
he also explained that if i end up getting new ones, i want to focus on open back models. after doing a little googling, i think he's right - and i think that the fact that most of the headphones i've tried have been closed back might be the biggest sound degradation issue i've been unable to get over. that muffed sound seems to be defined by this difference. but that's going to cost me probably close to $300.
it's imperative, though. i can't do anything without headphones.
the pair i got back in january are just not useful for recording. even at the time, i remember wishing that i would have got a gift certificate or something. they turned out to be ok for the laptop. but they run on a battery that turns on a "noise reduction". batteries in headphones isn't a good idea at all. but, that's secondary to all the processing at the headphone stage. i need headphones with zero processing - clean reproduction. those ones are made for people that want to listen to mp3s on their cell phone, not people that are recording or mastering things.
...and when you turn off the battery they're just glorified ear buds. i'm going to try them though....
he also explained that if i end up getting new ones, i want to focus on open back models. after doing a little googling, i think he's right - and i think that the fact that most of the headphones i've tried have been closed back might be the biggest sound degradation issue i've been unable to get over. that muffed sound seems to be defined by this difference. but that's going to cost me probably close to $300.
it's imperative, though. i can't do anything without headphones.
the pair i got back in january are just not useful for recording. even at the time, i remember wishing that i would have got a gift certificate or something. they turned out to be ok for the laptop. but they run on a battery that turns on a "noise reduction". batteries in headphones isn't a good idea at all. but, that's secondary to all the processing at the headphone stage. i need headphones with zero processing - clean reproduction. those ones are made for people that want to listen to mp3s on their cell phone, not people that are recording or mastering things.
...and when you turn off the battery they're just glorified ear buds. i'm going to try them though....
:(
seem to be gone, and it's an emergency. no headphones = no recording. or, for right now, no remastering. which basically means no reason to continue to exist.
i'm going to try and get them fixed, but if i can't then i may have to sell some gear to get new ones. having one pair of good headphones is more important than having two guitars.
hopefully, i can get them fixed, though. that means plans for a telephone and border clearance are going to have to be put on hold for another month, maybe two.
and that i'm going to have nothing to do but read for the next little bit. ugh.
i don't feel i'm at fault. i left them in a safe space, woke up, and caput.
there's two problems. one of the ear plugs is a little weak, but it hasn't been a problem lately. the larger problem has been at the base, which has been solved by spinning the jack around. it seems like it may be a contact problem inside the base, but i have to admit that i'm not intuitively grasping what may be wrong with it.
seem to be gone, and it's an emergency. no headphones = no recording. or, for right now, no remastering. which basically means no reason to continue to exist.
i'm going to try and get them fixed, but if i can't then i may have to sell some gear to get new ones. having one pair of good headphones is more important than having two guitars.
hopefully, i can get them fixed, though. that means plans for a telephone and border clearance are going to have to be put on hold for another month, maybe two.
and that i'm going to have nothing to do but read for the next little bit. ugh.
i don't feel i'm at fault. i left them in a safe space, woke up, and caput.
there's two problems. one of the ear plugs is a little weak, but it hasn't been a problem lately. the larger problem has been at the base, which has been solved by spinning the jack around. it seems like it may be a contact problem inside the base, but i have to admit that i'm not intuitively grasping what may be wrong with it.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
demo #22: screwed up
this was meant to be really catastrophic sounding, with fuzzed out guitars really saturating the sound. while it seems to exist in the same genre as other early post-rock bands that started off around the same time, it would actually be a few more years (mid '99) before i learned that the genre existed and was rapidly developing an audience. i point this out to avoid easily constructed misconceptions about where the sound in the track came from. while it's certainly happening in parallel to the developing post-rock sound, and is perhaps best categorized that way, i was not yet aware of it. i was still just an alt rock kid, at the time.
there were drums recorded, but i mixed them out because i found they added too much lift to the sound. the intended aesthetic was catastrophic: dreary, claustrophobic, hopelessly noisy. it's sort of meant to be a bit of a lucid experience, looking back at myself through a haze. who knows what an oobe actually sounds like, but this is a guess. so, the drums were just getting in the way of that. the absence of a rhythm may give the impression of slowing the track down, as well. headphones are a good idea to get the swirl and compression.
lyrically, this is actually one of a handful of songs that is explicitly related to feeling transgendered. you have to read into it a bit to get that. it could be about anything, really. but, gender issues are what it was *actually* about. that's not something i talked to anybody about for several more years. i was probably more of a dour realist then than i am now; by 16, i had actually resigned myself to the seemingly clear truth of there not being anything i could realistically do about it, except write mopey songs about feeling like i was living a lie.
recorded in march, 1997. remastered on nov 6, 2013.
there were drums recorded, but i mixed them out because i found they added too much lift to the sound. the intended aesthetic was catastrophic: dreary, claustrophobic, hopelessly noisy. it's sort of meant to be a bit of a lucid experience, looking back at myself through a haze. who knows what an oobe actually sounds like, but this is a guess. so, the drums were just getting in the way of that. the absence of a rhythm may give the impression of slowing the track down, as well. headphones are a good idea to get the swirl and compression.
lyrically, this is actually one of a handful of songs that is explicitly related to feeling transgendered. you have to read into it a bit to get that. it could be about anything, really. but, gender issues are what it was *actually* about. that's not something i talked to anybody about for several more years. i was probably more of a dour realist then than i am now; by 16, i had actually resigned myself to the seemingly clear truth of there not being anything i could realistically do about it, except write mopey songs about feeling like i was living a lie.
recorded in march, 1997. remastered on nov 6, 2013.
demo #21: circus
so, we all know what the most important thing that happened in the 90s was....
yes. oj. you were expecting this, admit it.
i feel that, despite the myriad of angles and analyses, the most important question of all was never asked: what would homer j simpson think about the trial of orenthal j simpson? this answers that question, by exploring the optics around the whole thing from the perspective of homer.
seriously.
ok, so maybe the oj trial wasn't actually a joke, but it certainly seemed like it was. and that's actually kind of what i'm trying to get across here. i watched far more cnn than the average 16 year-old (note the particularly egregious decision to rhyme "menendez brothers" with "unabomber"), but i was still mostly getting my news on the topic from conan. on that level? it was, in fact, a joke.
thinking back, we were all so ridiculously obsessed. the school (this is the second half of grade 10) actually arranged to have live televisions on every floor to broadcast the verdict. classes were suspended to watch, then cancelled to discuss. like, did that even happen for the fucking moon landing?
so, i'm sort of mocking the whole thing. yet, i'm also mocking the idea that it was somehow turning oj into some kind of role model. 'cause it definitely wasn't. well, unless, maybe, you think on roughly the level of homer j simpson.
i spent a lot of time trying to clean the audio on this up and eventually concluded that i can't do much besides boost the mids. if you listen closely, there's some neat guitar harmonies, but they're really buried and i just can't get them out. i don't remember most of the lyrics, exactly, and can't really make them out well.
there is a frank zappa sample at the beginning of the track.
recorded in march, 1997. remastered on nov 6, 2013.
yes. oj. you were expecting this, admit it.
i feel that, despite the myriad of angles and analyses, the most important question of all was never asked: what would homer j simpson think about the trial of orenthal j simpson? this answers that question, by exploring the optics around the whole thing from the perspective of homer.
seriously.
ok, so maybe the oj trial wasn't actually a joke, but it certainly seemed like it was. and that's actually kind of what i'm trying to get across here. i watched far more cnn than the average 16 year-old (note the particularly egregious decision to rhyme "menendez brothers" with "unabomber"), but i was still mostly getting my news on the topic from conan. on that level? it was, in fact, a joke.
thinking back, we were all so ridiculously obsessed. the school (this is the second half of grade 10) actually arranged to have live televisions on every floor to broadcast the verdict. classes were suspended to watch, then cancelled to discuss. like, did that even happen for the fucking moon landing?
so, i'm sort of mocking the whole thing. yet, i'm also mocking the idea that it was somehow turning oj into some kind of role model. 'cause it definitely wasn't. well, unless, maybe, you think on roughly the level of homer j simpson.
i spent a lot of time trying to clean the audio on this up and eventually concluded that i can't do much besides boost the mids. if you listen closely, there's some neat guitar harmonies, but they're really buried and i just can't get them out. i don't remember most of the lyrics, exactly, and can't really make them out well.
there is a frank zappa sample at the beginning of the track.
recorded in march, 1997. remastered on nov 6, 2013.
RE: point form update
From: the initial landlord
To: "'Jessica Murray'" <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
Jessica, I have just started this morning to read my e-mails since last week....sorry. I see your many e-mails. I will stop around this morning some time before noon to look at all the concerns.
To: "'Jessica Murray'" <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
Jessica, I have just started this morning to read my e-mails since last week....sorry. I see your many e-mails. I will stop around this morning some time before noon to look at all the concerns.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
re: point form update
From: Jessica Murray <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
To: the initial landlord
so, sorry, for (3) i was wondering if i should just go ahead with that or not...?
To: the initial landlord
so, sorry, for (3) i was wondering if i should just go ahead with that or not...?
point form update
From: Jessica Murray <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
To: the initial landlord
hi.
sorry about those rambly emails. i'm a reading person, and sometimes forget that other people aren't. so, you wanted this in point form...
1) the handle is really unusable. my options are between ice cold and steaming hot showers. the point in the middle that would be normally chosen is the point where the shower turns off. i've realized that if i turn it just a tad to the hot side then there's just barely enough flow to have a hot shower, but it's a problem on two levels - (a) i'm really showering in little more than a trickle and (b) it really is ridiculously hot. and that's coming from somebody that likes unusually hot showers. if it's too hot for me, it's absurd! so, i'm wasting all kinds of hot water...
i guess i can take a look at it myself, if you want. i have no idea how it works, though, so i'd be fumbling around trying to figure it out...
2) the little bit of moisture on the ground seems to just be condensation, probably magnified by the ridiculous temperature. i think the caulking is a little weak at points and could probably benefit from a second run. but that's not imperative. the shower is *not* leaking right now.
3) to clarify about the windows - they seem ok. i don't think they need any work. but i'd like to put some plastic around them anyways. it could save you a bit on heating, but what i'm more interested in is locking the heat in to boost the air temperature, whether it makes a difference for the thermostat or not.
j
To: the initial landlord
hi.
sorry about those rambly emails. i'm a reading person, and sometimes forget that other people aren't. so, you wanted this in point form...
1) the handle is really unusable. my options are between ice cold and steaming hot showers. the point in the middle that would be normally chosen is the point where the shower turns off. i've realized that if i turn it just a tad to the hot side then there's just barely enough flow to have a hot shower, but it's a problem on two levels - (a) i'm really showering in little more than a trickle and (b) it really is ridiculously hot. and that's coming from somebody that likes unusually hot showers. if it's too hot for me, it's absurd! so, i'm wasting all kinds of hot water...
i guess i can take a look at it myself, if you want. i have no idea how it works, though, so i'd be fumbling around trying to figure it out...
2) the little bit of moisture on the ground seems to just be condensation, probably magnified by the ridiculous temperature. i think the caulking is a little weak at points and could probably benefit from a second run. but that's not imperative. the shower is *not* leaking right now.
3) to clarify about the windows - they seem ok. i don't think they need any work. but i'd like to put some plastic around them anyways. it could save you a bit on heating, but what i'm more interested in is locking the heat in to boost the air temperature, whether it makes a difference for the thermostat or not.
j
Fw: Neue Anfrage aus dem Sennheiser Kontaktcenter vom 2013-11-03 [##SVS-Web-SK]
From: sennheiser.ca
To: <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
Thanks for writing.
Twenty years would be just about right.
There have been a number of successive generations to the 440 over the years, and if you're looking for an exact replacement, you'll be looking for a long time!
First: In that style range, there are no more supra-aural models. Doughnuts rule. The only supra-aural types are the more miniature 2** series. Pretty good headphones in their own right, but perhaps a bit petite for your requirements.
My recommendation, based on style, type and sound quality, not necessarily price or specs, would be HD 428 or HD 448. These are closed back models, as opposed to yours, but they acquit themselves well in overall sound. Wearing comfort and weight are about par.
If you need open style, you really have no choice but to move up to the 500 series. The 518 would make the most sense here. Quite a bit larger in style, these are considered *High End*.
All of this having been said,
Why not fix yours? You can get pads, you can get cables, you can't get capsules, but if they're still working, why ditch them? You know better than I do what shape they're in, but I'll put that out there.
(Interesting email address. Good thing I'm not a zoologist. My sister is, though.)
Kidding aside, need more info? Please let me know.
To: <death.to.koalas@gmail.com>
Thanks for writing.
Twenty years would be just about right.
There have been a number of successive generations to the 440 over the years, and if you're looking for an exact replacement, you'll be looking for a long time!
First: In that style range, there are no more supra-aural models. Doughnuts rule. The only supra-aural types are the more miniature 2** series. Pretty good headphones in their own right, but perhaps a bit petite for your requirements.
My recommendation, based on style, type and sound quality, not necessarily price or specs, would be HD 428 or HD 448. These are closed back models, as opposed to yours, but they acquit themselves well in overall sound. Wearing comfort and weight are about par.
If you need open style, you really have no choice but to move up to the 500 series. The 518 would make the most sense here. Quite a bit larger in style, these are considered *High End*.
All of this having been said,
Why not fix yours? You can get pads, you can get cables, you can't get capsules, but if they're still working, why ditch them? You know better than I do what shape they're in, but I'll put that out there.
(Interesting email address. Good thing I'm not a zoologist. My sister is, though.)
Kidding aside, need more info? Please let me know.
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