The Book of Next Things

My my. A year to the day.

Over the past few weeks I've been feeling unwell and consequently reflecting on the amount I have achieved and what it is I want to give my energies to next. Thankfully, one of the things I have been able to do - in between bouts of tiredness and muscle-ache - is to revisit some of my earlier works and pick up on some of the threads found therein.

My next plans for SoGG (more of which later) involve another round of gtr recordings but I'll have to wait for my physical health to return before I can do this. Also as I have been concentrating on this for a few months now, I have felt a break from it would be useful.


So, to cut a long story short, I began a new web area, modelled on the SoGG one, called 'Books In Sound And Light' (a title I have had in mind for some time). The purpose of this new site* is to allow me to think through ideas for bookworks and how to present them.

In turn, this has led to the development of the following over the past couple of weeks:

• 'A Book of Hot Coals' from a planned set of online books, based on some improvisations I did in Adobe Director after after 'Kiss Cuts'.

• 'mourHu' - a book for print, in the spirit of Alembic Books, my imprint in the 1990s

• 'PR's Album' - A printed version of this blog, 2004-11 (via Blog2print)

It has been the preparation of the latter and subsequent the re-reading of parts of this blog that has persuaded me to continue here. I had been wondering whether to begin afresh, to give the opportunity for a new kind of authorial voice, now that this blog has been running for several years; I delayed the decision which has amounted to indecision (and no entries). Another reason for the blank pages has been my focus on SoGG and its attendant interactive notebook.



However I do feel I've kind of set up camp here so that a change doesn't feel right at this time, especially as this blog has generated a new bookwork ;-)

So (once again, on this Friday 13th - a lucky day for me):
More Soon!


* Currently BiSaL is an area within paulramsay.co.uk but I am considering making it a separate site.

Diary of Work on SoGG

SoGG schedule (notes to self)

I wish to document the progress and development of this new suite and am even considering starting a new blog for this purpose. In the meantime, the following is an attempt to trace some of the footprints of work on Songs of Garden Guitars:

Begun Fri April 1st with inspiration of reworked title and reinvention of CD cover (from British Library's 'Songs of Garden Birds').

1st movie templates made: Guitar Birds Songs 1 to 4. Blackbirdstarter folder made of actual blackbird song for ref (mainly length of phrases and gaps between).

Sat 2/4/11 First recording session

Sun 3/4/11 First Sons made ('B' Sons for Guitar Birds Songs 1)

Mon 4/4/11 Work on interactive templates; work on Guitar Birds Songs 1 & 2

Tue 5/4/11 New bird silhouette graphic for player 2

Wed 6/4/11 (University School day) Notes on train for ideas regarding presentation, concept and performance rules

(Q -- when did I work on Guitar Birds Songs 3?)

Thur 7/4/11 Scanned written notes

Fri 8/4/11 More visual ideas for gtr/bird graphic, general layout of design. Recording session.

Sat 9/4/11 Spoken notes made (as mp3s), online research on birdsong (including this article on vocal development in birds: http://stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Vocal_Development.html); recording session; making of Sons

Sun 10/4/11 'Second wing Guitar Birds Song 4' - recording; making of Sons

Mon 11/4/11 More spoken notes made; Recording session (went very well)

Tue 12/4/11 Making of Sons (selection, adjusting, naming)

Wed 13/4/11 Integrating of Sons and new Nets for Guitar Birds Songs 4

Thur-Fri 14-15/4/11 More work on GBS4 - selection and recategorising of Sons; development of more Net ideas including 'solos' as x4 repeats

SoGG

Today has been the first day this year when a coat has not been needed when venturing outside... so what better time to begin blogging again after a Winter of cold and blank spaces.

And, I have also begun working on a new piece of PMusic: Songs of Garden Guitars and will document its development here.

PMusic EP007

2010 (9th September):
Have now launched a new, free PMusic SINGLE entitled 'A Walk Away From You (Keeping Quiet)' in collaboration with artist/composer/vocalist Carla J. Patterson (AKA Carla Cryptic) - have a listen at: www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/AWalkAwayFromYou/AWalkAwayFromYou.html

feedback welcome ;-)

NetNoMusic

http://www.paulbailey.us/2010/01/19/rip-netnewmusic-2008-2010/

Firework Music

November the 5th: Guy Fawkes night, Bonfire night, Firework night. I like the last one the best, the idea of works in fire - earth works, water works, fire works...

I've always loved Firework night; when I was a child the comics (Beano, Dandy etc.) would be full of their characters lighting bonfires and watching impossibly exotic rockets and bangers and catherine wheels fizz and whistle and explode.

My family would always gather around a real garden bonfire and we would have roast potatoes in their jackets and watch as my father carefully placed the empty milk bottles as launch pads for skyrockets or lit the blue touch paper and retired (as the instructions quaintly put it) before the world became a mass of green or red or amber flames.

I loved everything about fireworks - I loved buying them, choosing them individually to amass a collection. I loved the fact that you could gaze at them, hold them, excitedly wondering exactly what experience they would bring, what colours and sparks and surprises they would give. I loved the poetry of their names, (Silver Rain, Traffic Lights, Versuvius, Crackling Cauldron, Wallop Wobbler), I loved their shapes and I loved their graphics. So much so, that my sister and I would explore the garden the following day looking for their burnt-out shells so we could collect them to remember the pleasure they had given. And I have just found a book (and related website) by Mark Fleming called 'Firework Art' which as the title suggests, is full of these nocturnal evocations and is a thing of beauty.

And this has reminded me (remember, remember) that one day I intend to make some Parallel Music pieces on the theme of Fire Works.




-all images from 'Firework Art' by Mark Fleming - the book costs £10.99 including 1st class postage (in the UK) and also contains 4 colour postcards of a Standard Firewoks ad. Excellent value and thoroughly recommended - a real labour of love.

On the Use and Abuse of Random

> How random are you?

Rowntrees recently released some sweets in the UK called 'Randoms' - part of the ad campaign runs: 'what makes them so unique is that contain four different textures, six fruit flavours and 258 different shape and colour combinations. With shapes as diverse as a monkey, cupcake, acorn, shuttlecock, palm tree and even a pair of y-fronts! This really is variety like never before'.

There seems to be the beginnings of a trend within manufacturing to drawn on the influence of generative systems to produce variety. Recently, faber and faber commissioned some book designs that
are unique for every copy: 'Faber Finds generative book covers'


Of course, I hope this trend continues.

However, what I really want to write about here is a recent linguistic development in the UK. I first noticed it amongst my students but you now hear it in advertising, on radio, even the BBC news: namely the use of random as an adjective. Previously, there have been legitimate occasions for this: you often hear something like 'I made a random decision' - although the alternative 'I made a decision at random' sounds more elegant to me. What I am highlighting though are phrases such as 'a random man came up to me' or 'wow, that experience was completely random'.

You can have fun with the first example: I imagine a 'random man' as one whose clothes magically keep changing - now he's wearing a deerstalker with a red suit, now a bowler with speedos etc. What is meant used to be said as 'a man came up to me at random'. The meaning of the second example is quite hard to capture exactly but runs something like 'I had a strange/unexpected/disorientating experience.'

Part of me (the grumpy old man part) deplores this use of 'random' -but I'm mindful of the kind of discussions in Stephen Pinker's book 'The Language Instinct' so perhaps the language is changing and I have to learn to live with it. One aspect I can challenge though is, perhaps, a philosophical one: the assumption that the notion of randomness is straightforward.

Let me give some examples of how it is not.

The first one is close to home: in Parallel Music, as a form of short-hand, I describe it as drawing on computer random number generation to provide the indeterminacy. In actual fact, computers use pseudo-random number generation, as there will always be a slight numerical bias in the output. Also, within this system, the possibilities of different versions are very large but not infinite: given enough time, one could hear all the possible permutations of a piece of PMusic.

Secondly, to what extent is the phrase 'I chose a colour at random' actually true? Ever since discussions of the unconscious mind, we have become aware of the possibility of mental events beyond our control (or at least, recognition) influencing our behaviour. And nowadays we are increasingly aware of the importance of our genetic heritage as a contributing factor in our lives. Therefore can we ever truly make a random decision? Did the man really come up to you at random?


What I really don't like in much of the recent use of the word random is the implication of a certain passivity, a lack of responsibility: 'Oh the world's all random so you can't get involved; this random man blew up a bus; politics is all totally random' etc.

Well this random man is telling you: it's not as random as you think.

New Licenses

Feb 1st soft launch for three new Consembles:
Consemble E: 'soul electric'
Consemble F: 'washed up on your island'
Consemble G: 'sky writing'

and a continuation (second licence):
Consemble C2: 'the idea of voice'



Please feel free to contribute your own sounds
'let's build some music together'

First in 2009

Hopefully, a multi-coloured year with the release of:
Albums,
Bookworks,
Consembles
and the
Development of
paintings and
other visual pieces

Consemble/Paint

Busy again sifting the web for people to invite to Consemble and emailing sound art project sites to request placement of Consemble on their links pages - there's a particularly good presentation at netEX which has resulted in quite a few visits.

Also received some more sounds from a musician from Chile so spent an enjoyable morning creating Sons from this material.

I've learned a great deal from this project and when this current round ends on the 31st August I shall place a mini essay on the site reflecting on the experience. One of the things that has surprised me is that people generally say 'here are my sounds - edit and use them accordingly'. I was expecting participants to be much more 'hands on' about their contributions, so the lightness of touch is refreshing. Having said this I'm not sure to what extent people are listening to the Consembles prior to sending the sounds they 'think ought to be included in the projects' - I'll have to consider this for future work. At the moment I think I will set up three new Consembles beginning on the first of September with a deadline of the 31st August 2009 (as this fits well with my timetable in relation to college work).


Painting is progressing well with the 'strawberry' canvas being prepared and another small square canvas primed for tests. That totals around 6 paintings in gestation. Have been very spoiled recently as we have had some very warm, sunny days perfect for drying canvasses quickly. It now feels as if a storm is brewing so we may be returning to cooler, English slower drying times.

I think providing a list of 'ingredients' for each painting will be a useful way of contextualising them; a small bookwork based on this idea may be appropriate.

I also think going to my kitchen for a break and refreshment will be useful; a biscuit and a cup of tea may be appropriate here. Must phone Geoff.

Paint/Consemble

After returning from a much needed and appreciated two week break in Rochester, Kent, my creative life has been invigorated and focussed on painting and the Consemble project. College is in recess for the summer and apart from some admin, thesis supervision and webwork, I have some breathing space in which to develop my practice.

The above image is of the underpainting for a raspberry/salt crystal canvas I'm currently working on; this is one of a planned series which will also include strawberries and, possibly, citrus fruits. In fact the reference to strawberries and the aesthetics of this work are reminding me of the time I worked woth William Morris's image 'Strawberry Thief' which generated both a re-worked watercolour and music for the gtr duo 4 point paint.

It feels very good to be painting again after being away from it for too long (mainly because of my music projects). I'm re-remembering all those small but essential techniques through which to generate the most effective work. I have a few other plans - one for a canvas utilising circular paints from a reworked children's painting kit and one for a canvas incorporating a gramophone record (and this should help me pick up the thread of my thinking from 'Works Of Friction' last year).


I'm also having a drive to publicise Consemble and get some more sounds submitted before the August 31st deadline - if you'd like to listen or take part please do: www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/Consemble.html

Had a very good day last Tuesday when I had three people respond with some excellent work: two submissions for 'the idea of voice' (currently the most populous Consemble with 42 sons) and one for 'Snapshot' which is taking on a rather pastoral feel. Prior to this artist Jockel Liess contributed to 'Dusk' and I'm hoping more people will be in contact soon after my sending emails to hertz lion, the Sonic Arts Network, generative.net (indirectly) and others this week. In fact Sunday will also be a Consemble email day (as well as a paint drying day).

Now where's that pear cider?...

Two Singles

2 new Singles for March...


Our Devonian Lagoon (EP005)

+


eTude 23 (EP006)

...with Updated notes.

The Notes area now includes a spoken description of the intention behind Singles and some RMusic versions of the pieces.
www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/PMusic-Singles.html
www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/PMusic-Singles_notes.html

The characters of these two Singles are dissimilar and represent my attempt to create two very different listening experiences.

The first, ODL, began with quite a clear image of what I intended to evoke - a sort of romance found in an unlikely source - for more see the ODL notes. It also proved difficult to complete and was begun over a year ago. The piece followed on from exploring the use of the guitar in 'Liquid Birdsong' - this time using long slowed phrases to collide and produce a kind of incidental melody stream. I found it quite difficult to not let everything move towards turning into a kind of muddy dirge - and on some playings I'm still not sure whether I have succeeded in this. On other playings however, when I relax about listening, it conjures the atmosphere I intended (such is the challenge of PMusic composition). About halfway through working on ODL I began to think of Roxy Music's 'Hula-Kula' (but I'm not sure exactly why).

The eTude however was produced within a couple of days and my starting point was to work from scratch, so to speak, generating ideas from the core sound of scratchy guitar picks (a reference to my improvising past). I also had in mind a photograph I had taken (quite coincidentally) of a skyline with roof and TV aerial. This suggested ideas of pastoral surroundings with modern communication and when I thought of the piece as a kind of drawing instead of a finished 'painting' the whole thing took off for me, suggesting more sounds to gather.

The vocals evolved from a failed attempt to replicate something I was hearing in my head - they were going to be crisp rather than rounded - but I came to realise that they provided a counterpoint to some of the other sharper sound pools. They also reflect the fact that I had been listening to (and enjoying) 'Blood, Muscle and Air' - the latest CD from the Sonic Arts Network, curated by David Moss.

I gained a lot in premiering a piece I had made so quickly and the Single presented has been slightly reworked in light of experiencing the 'live' version in Plymouth - see previous entry.

www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/PMusic-Singles.html

From Scratch

I will be premiering a new 'short' PMusic work etude 23 as part of the Sound and Film (Voices Festival) in Plymouth on Sunday 24th February 2008.

January Looks Forward

The beginning of a new year always gives a nice sense of rhythm to the wandering line that is my life (and yours?) - a chance to delineate a fresh mental space.

And so while I am planning to realise work based on ideas I've been developing over the past year or more, I also want to leave some room for spontaneity and surprise. Fish finger fox.

And so here are some things that'll be going into the Chameleon Lectra mix - as listed in the last CL Newsletter but with additional comments - bearing in mind I haven't gathered all of the ingredients yet:



• RMusic 003: work has already begun on a new Motile album to be titled 'Inlets' Daughter' and due for release in early-to-mid '08.

This album is emerging as an extension of the territory explored in 'Inlets', with contributions from other musicians; its main influences are sea and sky. ID will be available in a range of formats and the primary album cover will be in the form of a mug - a development from my rethinking of the album.



• The four ongoing Consemble projects are continuing to grow, with more projects planned for the coming year; your contributions are welcome.

Parallel Music eTude 23, based on my experience with Consembling, will be premiered as part of the Sound and Film (Voices Festival) on Sunday 24th 2008 in the Jill Craigie Cinema, Roland Levinsky Building, University of Plymouth. This strand of the event is being organised by John Matthias.

Amongst the various contributors to Consemble are composer John Matthias and mail artist Martha Aitchison [Consemble D: 'warm surroundings'], Martin (of headphonica) [Consemble B: 'Dusk'], Teofo M from Botswana [Consemble C: 'the idea of voice'] and Cyrus, who lives in Seoul, Korea [Consemble A: 'Snapshot'].



• Parallel Music releases, in the form of interactive Singles, are currently being developed for purchase and download (Mac and PC) - initially via lulu.com. The free, earlier Singles can be heard here.

A PMusic album is pencilled in (2HB) for a 2009 launch.

Working on releasing some new PMusic in the form of Singles will allow me to continue to develop the form and content of some relatively short PMusic pieces for this year while giving me time to complete and promote the RMusic 'Inlets' Daughter'. The experience of selling the Singles will also inform the distribution of the first PMusic album. I'm very much looking forward to creating this first Parallel Music collection - it's certainly been a long time coming! (over ten years!)



• Bookworks, paper and pixel, on a range of subjects including sex, music, the sea, insect life and salt crystal painting etc. are being prepared for publication.

I released a number of publications (with some collaborative works) on my own imprint 'Alembic Books' in the early '90s and these proved to be very popular. My intention is to re-present some of this material - and also develop some new bookworks - for sale via the web, both as paperbacks and computer-based pieces (lectra). This will also fulfill my intention of extending the range of artistic activity within Chameleon Lectra.


• Work will also continue on the collaboration with Steve Thorpe (Rockworks and Soundworks), the updating of paulramsay.co.uk and the recomposing of the music of Miss Beatrice Harrison...

'the map is not the territory'

Chameleon Christmas 2007

This year has seen the gradual evolution of PMusic from experimental, unreleased pieces (with the exception of Singles) into gallery works, planned downloads, online pieces and the Consemble project. It's heartening that I've finally got to this situation as Chameleon Lectra was initially formed as a means of distributing and promoting this new, original musical system. I am planning, scheming and plotting to continue to use this forward momentum to give PMusic the airing it deserves.

There is now a Newsletters' index page on the CL site which links, naturally enough, to previous emailed communications and the CL Newsletter 12/12/07 details the upcoming projects and aspirations for 2008 as well as providing a link to a PMusic Christmas card.


This composition also awaits anyone who read this blog before Jan 1st 2008 - just click on the moon above.


Next entry will outline Chameleon Lectra's plans for the new year, including the release (whisper it) of 'Inlets' Daughter'.

'Works Of Friction' - Setting Up & Private View

Images from the Private View - 1st September 2007

The Works Of Friction show is now live until September 16th.

ART TERRACINA GALLERY, HAVEN BANKS, EXETER QUAY, DEVON EX2 8GR - UK
Private View: 1st September 2007 4 - 8pm
Open: 2nd - 16th September 2007 Thursday to Sunday 11am - 5pm
tel: 01392 412313
email: cristina@artterracina.co.uk

Thorpe/Ramsay: 'Works Of Friction'

Upcoming:
Works Of Friction gallery show at Art Terracina, Exeter Quay, Devon UK - 1st to 16th September 2007
featuring: 'Rock Works' - visual/sculptural pieces by Steve Thorpe and a sound installation 'Frictional Account' by Paul Ramsay.

The show will also feature other collaborative piece between these two artists.


Recording the Sons for 'Frictional Account'.

Consemble: 'Let's Build An Album'

After the positive experience of working on 'The Sound Of The Field', I realised that an ongoing project, in which people submitted sounds to be placed within indeterminate compositions, would be a very interesting proposition - not least because it fulfills some of the aspirations around at the moment for music to be constructed communally.

The success of what is currently termed Web 2.0 - sites such as YouTube, MySpace, Flickr - points to the idea that clusters of people can assemble material drawing on the resources of what may be understood as a group mind. My thinking on this has been further influenced by the notion of open source, the practice of mail art and ideas of the global village.

I find the phrase 'Let's Build an Album' a particularly delicious one as it suggest a music venture akin to an architectural project.

www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/Consemble.html


And I'll return to this again...

Consemble: Open Compositions PMusic Project

The open compositions 'Consemble' project was launched on July 14th 2007 after my paper 'Parallel Music – Towards a Utopian Compositional Form' was given on the final day of the Utopia 2007 conference.

The inspiration for open compositions comes from the idea of open source and how this has been applied to various arenas, including music. Consemble, in particular, has also been informed by the success of The Sound Of The Field project which allowed me to see the potential of opening up PMusic to participation from a wider audience (in fact audience is too passive a term - participants are just that i.e. active contributors).

The description of Consemble on the CL website is as follows:

'Consemble is a new Open Compositions venture launched by Chameleon Lectra on the 14th July 2007.

To take part, you are invited to listen to the current open Consembles and then email your own sounds - the ones you think ought to be included in the project - to build ongoing, indeterminate PMusic compositions. Every contributor will be credited and the work will be available, for free, from this site. Anyone may take part - amateurs, professional composers, sound artists, non-musicians etc. - there is no age limit. You may, of course, just want to listen to the pieces as they progress.

There are a series of project licences (Consemble: A, Consemble: B etc.) - each with its own brief and specifications to guide you; the intention however is to be broad, welcoming and inclusive. Consemble can be understood as a sound art or music project.

Please bear in mind that this work will be available for free to all, including children (so no pornographic sounds etc.) and no copyrighted material. Email details are provided on each Consemble page.

The project will last for at least 1 year and may well continue beyond.

Consemble is a licence for you to be a composer.'


Open Consembles:
Consemble: A
Consemble: B
Consemble: C
Consemble: D


If you would like to take part, please visit Consemble.