http://cargocollective.com nonFeed - Cargo example design Fri, 04 May 2012 08:35:00 +0000 http://cargocollective.com en http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/RareBit-Daizo-LP-2-28-12-LP-Digital http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/following/nonfeed/RareBit-Daizo-LP-2-28-12-LP-Digital Fri, 04 May 2012 08:35:00 +0000 nonFeed - Cargo example design 2679278 <img src="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2679278/rarebit-cover-web_440.jpeg" width="440" height="440" width_o="670" height_o="670" src_o="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2679278/rarebit-cover-web_o.jpeg" data-mid="13579046" border="0" align="left"/> Daizo is the debut full-length release from Justin Hopkins aka RareBit. With the release of The Destroyer EP in 2011, musician / composer and visual artist Justin Hopkins, aka RareBit, quickly established himself as an artist who knows his craft. Whereas The Destroyer, a collection of Justin’s earlier work, dealt in dizzying cut and paste compositional techniques and songs with short run-times, Daizo, his full-length debut, takes us on an excursion of much greater distance. The same acute attention to sonic detail remains, however Daizo tracks take advantage of the long player format with songs stretching to upwards of eight minutes. Also, ‘Daizo’ ups the live performance quotient as well with vividly and wildly arranged instrumentation – most notably drums and percussion that carry a strong undercurrent throughout the album. Daizo is named after Justin’s grandfather and is an exploration in Music as genetics. It is a dedication to his ancestors that lived during the Great Depression era, yet maintains a celebratory and reflective vibe throughout. As Justin puts it, the idea is “of families of songs that share similar traits. Certain elements are directly sampled from other places on the album or share themes even if they are manipulated or mutated to different extents.” Right off the bat, Sister songs “Running Tangles” and “Mt Weather” are obvious examples of this, entirely different tracks that are culled from the same drum tracking sessions. <img src="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2679278/RAREBIT_ANDY_J_SCOTT-252-2_440.jpeg" width="440" height="550" width_o="670" height_o="837" src_o="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2679278/RAREBIT_ANDY_J_SCOTT-252-2_o.jpeg" data-mid="13579047" border="0" align="left"/> As with The Destroyer and most of RareBit’s work, Justin plays more of a conductor and composer role with several different musicians playing on the album and sounds being recorded on many different devices, in different places. As both a visual artist and a sonic illustrator, Justin is able to display a huge array of colors and feels in his music, all while keeping everything completely coherent. Ranging from the free jazz meets elegant electronics of “Convergence”, the subtle yet devastating poly-rhythms of “Mt Weather”, the loud and budding, yet impossible to ignore cries of “Phantom Wall” and exceedingly swift lines and contours of “Emergence”, ‘Daizo’ portrays a sculptor thinking deeply about his art, yet always moving forward with instinct. Cover painting by Justin Hopkins. Photos by Andy J. Scott Daizo is the debut full-length release from Justin Hopkins aka RareBit. With the release of The Destroyer EP in 2011, musician / composer and visual artist Justin... http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/Silver-Trees-Damiel http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/following/nonfeed/Silver-Trees-Damiel Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:22:53 +0000 nonFeed - Cargo example design 2678151 <img src="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2678151/asura.jpg" width="440" height="440" width_o="440" height_o="440" src_o="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2678151/asura_o.jpg" data-mid="13578730" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2678151/anenon.jpg" width="440" height="440" width_o="440" height_o="440" src_o="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2678151/anenon_o.jpg" data-mid="13578733" border="0" align="left"/> Silver Trees / Damiel is a double A side split from the young and rapidly rising artist Ryan York as Asura, along with Non Projects founder, Brian Simon, as the newcomer Anenon. Now available on limited 12" clear vinyl EP and Digital formats, Silver Trees / Damiel documents the immediate post self-titled debut work of Asura and provides a strong glimpse into the work of a new voice in electronic music, Anenon. Silver Trees / Damiel is a double A side split from the young and rapidly rising artist Ryan York as Asura, along with Non Projects founder, Brian Simon, as the... http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/Gold-and-Soil http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/following/nonfeed/Gold-and-Soil Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:22:25 +0000 nonFeed - Cargo example design 2679467 <img src="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2679467/DSC_0115_440.jpeg" width="440" height="292" width_o="670" height_o="444" src_o="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2679467/DSC_0115_o.jpeg" data-mid="13579285" border="0" align="left"/> Gold and Soil is Ana Caravelle and Ryan York. An album is in the works. Stay tuned. Gold and Soil is Ana Caravelle and Ryan York. An album is in the works. Stay tuned. http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/Anenon-Live-at-Downtown-Independent http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/following/nonfeed/Anenon-Live-at-Downtown-Independent Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:20:50 +0000 nonFeed - Cargo example design 2679445 15:33 live and fully improvised performance at the Downtown Independent in Los Angeles, CA, 12.12.11. HD quality footage. Download .zip / Filmed by Charlie Visnic. 15:33 live and fully improvised performance at the Downtown Independent in Los Angeles, CA, 12.12.11. HD quality footage. Download .zip / Filmed by Charlie... http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/Asura-Podcast-for-XLR8R http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/following/nonfeed/Asura-Podcast-for-XLR8R Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:16:43 +0000 nonFeed - Cargo example design 2679432 <img src="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2679432/asurayorkpodcast_o_440.jpeg" width="440" height="244" width_o="530" height_o="294" src_o="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2679432/asurayorkpodcast_o_o.jpeg" data-mid="13579137" border="0" align="left"/> Fresh off of his release If I Am This Forest, Ryan York aka Asura, contributes an exclusive podcast for XLR8R, including a slew of his own material and edits along with a new and unheard track from Gold and Soil, his upcoming collaborative project with Ana Caravelle. Download for free from XLR8R. Fresh off of his release If I Am This Forest, Ryan York aka Asura, contributes an exclusive podcast for XLR8R, including a slew of his own material and edits... http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/Non-Projects http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/following/nonfeed/Non-Projects Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:52:46 +0000 nonFeed - Cargo example design 2678402 <img src="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2678402/bri440.jpg" width="440" height="293" width_o="440" height_o="293" src_o="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2678402/bri440_o.jpg" data-mid="13578582" border="0" align="left"/> Non Projects is a record label dedicated to the support and discovery of Los Angeles' most innovative artists and composers. Mislaid within an ever-changing and confused recording landscape, Non Projects offers imaginative works of art and sound. With the aim to showcase each artist's devotion to their love of music and the joy of uncovering hidden and undiscovered sounds and resonances, each release is available with supplemental materials providing a commonly forgotten tangible experience no longer associated with acquiring music. Non Projects is a record label dedicated to the support and discovery of Los Angeles' most innovative artists and composers. Mislaid within an ever-changing and... http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/Basic-Climb-Re-Imagined http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/following/nonfeed/Basic-Climb-Re-Imagined Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:51:22 +0000 nonFeed - Cargo example design 2678093 <img src="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2678093/basicClimb_re-imagined_1_o-1_440.jpeg" width="440" height="440" width_o="670" height_o="670" src_o="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2678093/basicClimb_re-imagined_1_o-1_o.jpeg" data-mid="13578911" border="0" align="left"/> With no intention of a follow-up remix record at the onset of recording, the idea sprouted with a request from the well-revered Dak to rework a track of Ana’s that he had heard on the Non Projects website. We were all so into this that soon word spread and the idea of remixing Ana’s lush vocals and harp playing blossomed into friends and producers getting in touch with label owner Brian Simon about getting their own hands on the impeccable stems that made up Ana’s debut. What we have now are two separate worlds - one inhabited solely by Ana’s luxuriant voice and opulent instrumental arrangements and one inhabited by both her and the friends and fellow musicians whom she has shared with in the past years, each lending their own unique aesthetical take on undeniable beauty. Listening to Basic Climb Re-Imagined from front to back gives us 11 unique views of talents both studied and anew. The journeyed and Eastern tinged portrayal of “Blackberries” by Julia Holter (now a part of Nite Jewel’s live show) takes us on a journey up and down both the bustling and deserted roads of India with Ana as our vocal guide while the orchestral re-arrangements of Dak’s take on “Shapeshifting” leave us in cinematic awe as our ears witness his most open and wide-screened piece yet. Elsewhere a.d.l.r. opens up a rift in time with a parallel dimension of delay-filled harps and vocals, Dntel ushers us through an effortlessly relaxed after hours pop trip with his “Black Canyon” mix, Take drops Ana into the middle of a 60’s soul jam and Anenon guides us into a drum and drone meditation zone, while every other interpretation is a standout in their own rights. Highlighting the collaborative work of one of LA’s finest pairs, Basic Climb Re-Imagined is book-ended with a synth / vocal cover of “Basic Climb” by Ana and Asura’s hauntingly glorious reworking of “Blackberries,” providing a glimpse into the new directions of their constantly shifting visions and proving to us that the work is never really done. With no intention of a follow-up remix record at the onset of recording, the idea sprouted with a request from the well-revered Dak to rework a track of Ana’s... http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/a-d-l-r-Foam-on-the-Waves-of-Space-Time-Cs-Digital-Available-Now http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/following/nonfeed/a-d-l-r-Foam-on-the-Waves-of-Space-Time-Cs-Digital-Available-Now Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:16:06 +0000 nonFeed - Cargo example design 2648315 <img src="http://payload17.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2648315/adlr5_440.jpeg" width="440" height="293" width_o="670" height_o="446" src_o="http://payload17.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2648315/adlr5_o.jpeg" data-mid="13578786" border="0" align="left"/> A complete autodidact, Nicholas began DJ’ing at the age of 11, inspired by the sound of LA's Beat Junkies on the now defunct 92.3 The Beat. After hearing Aphex Twin and Squarepusher at the age of 16, he then took on electronic music. Absorbing the sound design and fabric of Warp Records style electronic music, Morera soon discovered and immersed himself in the world of compositional techniques from such modern classical luminaries as Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez. Gaining a solid understanding of these composers' languages, Nicholas' self-teachings then brought him to the every other year Darmstadt New Music Festival (Internationale Ferienkurse fur Neue Musik) in Darmstadt, Germany - a summer school in contemporary classical music which has hosted a large number of avant-garde composers as both students and lecturers including John Cage, Gyorgi Ligeti, Iannis Xenakis and many more. As a.d.l.r., Morera takes his progressive compositional ear and feeling and weaves in current forms of sample-based drone, collage, minimal techno, ambience, tape music and microsound to create a highly listenable lush and coherent whole of audio ephemera that fits right in line with the immersive sounds of the Non Projects catalog. A complete autodidact, Nicholas began DJ’ing at the age of 11, inspired by the sound of LA's Beat Junkies on the now defunct 92.3 The Beat. After hearing Aphex... http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/Ana-Caravelle http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/following/nonfeed/Ana-Caravelle Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:15:00 +0000 nonFeed - Cargo example design 2641153 <img src="http://payload17.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2641153/ana_new.jpg" width="440" height="293" width_o="440" height_o="293" src_o="http://payload17.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2641153/ana_new_o.jpg" data-mid="13578602" border="0" align="left"/> Enter Ana Caravelle (real name, Anahita Navab), a 22 year-old composer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and lifetime Los Angeles resident. With her refreshingly genuine musical outlook, Ana takes the influence of her city environments and turns them into something completely different -lush, organic and melodic gardens for listeners to plant their ears into.Basic Climb, Ana’s debut album and the second full length release for Non Projects is a culmination of her first five years of classical harp training and sees her take musical flight with comprehensive and adroit songwriting and arranging skills. Produced by her beau Ryan York (also known as Asura) and recorded at Alpha Pup label head Daddy Kev’s studio The Echo Chamber,Basic Climb showcases Ana’s soulful harp playing and luxuriant voice matched with her rich instrumental arrangements for voice, strings, winds and percussion. Ana’s musical journey began with the piano at age 5, which inevitably led to more instrumental undertakings ­harmonium, guitar, musical saw, glockenspiel, and most importantly harp and her own voice have since become standard partners in her musical ways. Alongside discovering new timbres and colors to work with in all off these varied tools, Ana cites influence in such assorted musical stalwarts as Nina Simone, Björk, Sigur Rós, Beirut, Múm, Amiina and lastly Joanna Newsom, with the latter strongly inspiring Ana to go forth with her harp playing and arranging. While the songs featured in Basic Climb date back to over a year ago, the crux was written and arranged in her final undergraduate year at UCLA, where she recently earned a B.A. in Psychology. Her participation in clinical work with children ignites the playful and vibrant quality that is scattered throughout the arrangements. In addition to academic psychological studies affecting her works, Ana also draws inspiration from her own journal entries by turning static words on paper into flourishing and opulent vocal runs that resonate throughout listeners’ bodies. <img src="http://payload17.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2641153/ANA_048_2_2_440.jpeg" width="440" height="642" width_o="592" height_o="864" src_o="http://payload17.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2641153/ANA_048_2_2_o.jpeg" data-mid="13578687" border="0" align="left"/> Although surrounded by the inspiring figures of the current Los Angeles beat scene (Ana was featured on Asura’s stunning debut and has performed at Low End Theory alongside Ryan), Ana provides us with a very powerful foray into her own entirely acoustic musical world with Basic Climb, achieving a much sought-after grand intimacy with an unparalleled style of large-scale yet warm and inviting aural surroundings. Enter Ana Caravelle (real name, Anahita Navab), a 22 year-old composer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and lifetime Los Angeles resident. With her refreshingly... http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/Justin-Hopkins-RareBit-in-Conversation-with-Brian-Simon-Anenon http://cargocollective.com/nonfeed/following/nonfeed/Justin-Hopkins-RareBit-in-Conversation-with-Brian-Simon-Anenon Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:46:35 +0000 nonFeed - Cargo example design 2641058 <img src="http://payload17.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2641058/jstnjstn.jpg" width="440" height="292" width_o="440" height_o="292" src_o="http://payload17.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2641058/jstnjstn_o.jpg" data-mid="13578823" border="0" align="left"/> Photo by Andy J Scott [Brian Simon] Do you have an earliest music memory? I know you grew up in a house of visual artists… was there more emphasis on pursuing visual art rather than music? [Justin Hopkins] I remember being 7 years old on a road trip with my dad. We were listening to The Jaws soundtrack over and over again. My mind was completely blown. If you listen closely you can still hear the echoing influences of John Williams in the music I make... I think... I hope... Both of my parents are great artists. I was, and still am, constantly enveloped by the visual arts. I started learning the family business at a young age and still make my living doing it. I see no difference between the visual arts and music. Music allows me to be more easily abstract and disconnected from the imagery that I am trying to convey, but it still always comes from same place. [BS] You’re originally from the Seattle area… when did you move down to Los Angeles? What region influences your sound more - LA or the Northwest? [JH] I moved to LA at 18 from a small ferry town called Mukilteo, Wa. I am inextricably bound to both places. Its hard to say which has sonically attached itself more to me. They are both so different. I like to think of my music as fungus encrusted and in a constant state of growth and decay. In this way I am influenced by the organic, wet, and florally lush environment in which I grew up. A place where my sense of discovery was harvested. LA offers me an entirely different kind of inspiration. Music for traffic, canyons, beaches, blonde girls, and billboards. California is my home now and I take beauty and frustration from it every day. I cannot help but represent it in everything I do. Home. [BS] When listening to your songs, I can’t help but feel a staggering amount of attention to detail – precise textures, sounds that appear only once, field recordings, session recordings with other musicians, etc… while this would turn into a mess for a lot of artists, it always feels completely coherent and meant to be in your work. Is this something you’re completely conscious of when you work or do you just run with it depending on the track? How often are you outside collecting field recordings? [JH] I'm really glad you don't think its a mess. There is always a general idea and detailed vision of where I see the end product going, but that always changes. Being open to this change is key. The aleatoric and improvised elements that seem to inject themselves and force you to change, edit, and rearrange the idea into a new vision are always the most exciting parts. I refuse to neglect a healthy wrench in the works. I don't even consider RareBit to be a solo project. I'm more of a compiler and editor - some of the sounds are made by me and some of them aren't. My friends play a huge part in the project and so do the environmental noises I try to wrangle. Some elements pop in and upset the rhythm while others stay for a bit and simmer.  My Tascam recorder is always close by - usually in my car. <img src="http://payload17.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2641058/brian_o_440.jpeg" width="440" height="293" width_o="1348" height_o="899" src_o="http://payload17.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2641058/brian_o_o.jpeg" data-mid="13578899" border="0" align="left"/> [BS] In my head, many artists depict one or two or three color schemes in their work. While I don’t believe that I have full on synesthesia, my mind tends to gravitate towards one or two colors and different hues of those colors when listening to music. Surprisingly, 'The Destroyer EP' sort of just blasts my brain with all these different shades and hues flying at me… do you think that you have synesthesia? Does working in the visual arts inform the sort of “technicolor” aesthetic of your work? [JH] I can't really claim to have synesthesia. I wouldn't know how to diagnose that. I do, however, know that I have an extremely active and vivid imagination. Everything I do comes from an imagined visual idea - an idea, like a film, that I am tying to soundtrack. This original vision is usually warped and mutated by outside minds and stimuli, but it always starts as a vibrant dreamlike image. The visual arts background definitely plays a huge part. [BS] Can you describe the process of professional sound design that you do? I for one am certainly interested, and I know you worked on some big projects including the Atlantis Hotel in Dubai. Is there a difference in the way you approach commercial work and the way you approach your own music? [JH] Sound design is something that I kind of just fell into. I snagged a couple big gigs while working at a place called Olio Inc where I was an illustrator and designer. Again, there is no difference to me between music and any other art form. its all just the same process of creation and adventure. So far I have been lucky enough to have had sound jobs that were very musical in process and allowed me to make up my own new sonic universes. In a way the Atlantis project is just a big art installation with an ambient RareBit album playing in the background. [BS] Being the new guy on Non Projects, how do you think you fit in with the rest of the label? [JH] I hope I fit in well. I'm excited to be here.  I love everything you guys have put out. It feels like I've been following this stuff since the beginning. <img src="http://payload17.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2641058/2_440.jpeg" width="440" height="659" width_o="670" height_o="1004" src_o="http://payload17.cargocollective.com/1/5/190030/2641058/2_o.jpeg" data-mid="13578845" border="0" align="left"/> Photo by Andy J Scott [BS] Care to divulge one of your “secret weapon” recording tools? I know I saw a few lying around during my last visit. [JH] I just try to stay open to all the weapons that present themselves - I know this sounds like a cop out, but I really just try to change it up for every track... OK - my Tascam DR-1 [BS] What can we expect on your upcoming Non Projects LP as compared to this EP? [JH] Drums. New explorations in rhythm. Broader - Deeper - Collected. [BS] Any recommended recent listening or reading? [JH] Listening - Les Tetes Brulees, Everybody, Whats Up!, TIGERBITCH, COMBAT!, Pomar, Doudou N'Diaye Rose, Pharoah Sanders, Blood Bender, boredoms, Dimlite, Space Equator, Obi Lori, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Radiolab. Reading: Short stories of Robert Walser, and Metamagical Themas by Douglas Hofstadter. Photo by Andy J Scott [Brian Simon] Do you have an earliest music memory? I know you grew up in a house of visual artists… was there more emphasis on pursuing...