Josh Mason: Sound + Process # 18

Rylee (@aalanzaa) is a brilliant mathematician, teacher, speaker, developer, musician, and facilitator of community. She’s a moderator at lines, a constant and encouraging presence in the norns discord, and in the last weeks of December last year she released an incredible collection of hyperpop and electronica songs as Alanza called 'Learning to Run'. An episode with Rylee has long been on my wishlist — like, since 2018. In every track she shared as part of the Disquiet (@disquiet) Junto that year, Rylee always uncovered the most hypnotic and miraculous timbres — and her virtuosity as a synthesist has only become more evident in the years since. In this episode, Rylee shares insights into her pursuits as a mathematician, her strategies for synthesizer orchestration inside and out of a pop music context, and some background into the production of 'Learning to Run'. Rylee approached our conversation with so much generosity and openness of heart — I'm very thankful we finally got to make this happen. All featured tracks are from 'Learning to Run' (https://alanza.bandcamp.com/album/learning-to-run): - Breaking Philip - Your Way Through Mine - It's Not Him - Me - They Gave You Bones - Nowhere - You - Push It Through

In July of 2020, Tyler Etters (@tyleretters) put out a request for contributions to start a project for norns named dronecaster (https://llllllll.co/t/dronecaster/34737). He found his first collaborator in Ryan Laws ('license' on lines), who helped build a SuperCollider template which not only deployed Tyler’s initial vision, but made it easy for others to contribute as well. among those was Zack Scholl (@infinitedigits), whose norns scripts 'blndr' (https://llllllll.co/t/blndr/35106) and 'barcode' (https://llllllll.co/t/barcode/35297) were already instant classics within the community. This episode is comprised of separate but dovetailing conversations with these three artists, each recorded almost two years ago. Their perspectives remain incredibly energizing + inspiring, and I’m so humbled to be able to share them as the 23rd episode of this podcast. Featured tracks: - Sidereal Lobby: Mental Dub (Lisbon) // https://sidereallobby.bandcamp.com/album/fciv - Northern Information: powerlines // https://northerninformation.bandcamp.com/album/the-arecibo-lamentations - Tyler Etters: dronecaster demo // https://youtu.be/sYnHYDg3rhg - Tyler Etters: 'What Is Love?' cover with Yggdrasil // https://youtu.be/8ac2qw9gmaw - infinite digits: tock // https://infinitedigits.bandcamp.com/album/be-the-light-be-the-void - Northern Information: one is opposite six // https://northerninformation.bandcamp.com/album/the-arecibo-lamentations - infinite digits: worthying scattergoods // https://infinitedigits.bandcamp.com/album/generations - Northern Information: The Arecibo Lamentations // https://northerninformation.bandcamp.com/album/the-arecibo-lamentations - infinite digits: lonlat // https://infinitedigits.bandcamp.com/album/be-the-light-be-the-void - Sidereal Lobby: bottles // https://sidereallobby.bandcamp.com/album/beaches - Sidereal Lobby: Mental Dub (Null Lake) // https://sidereallobby.bandcamp.com/album/fciv

About a month ago, I stumbled on a treasure trove of recordings in a web repository at https://zbs.fm. These uniquely playful and far-reaching captures come from Z, a non-binary musician and athlete at Nonotuck on the Connecticut River. The recordings are bursting with exploratory energy + I was just so compelled to learn more about the processes and experiences that led to such a warm and open collection of music. For more of Z's music: https://zbs.fm/audio

Hank Yates reached out to me in early 2020 after navigating the loss of his daughter, Ida, whose stillbirth occurred only ten months after his mother Kathy's passing. To focus his grief, he wrote each a requiem -- dual tributes which span the extreme edges of loss. 'Life of a Leaf' for Kathy memorializes a life well-lived, while 'The Mockingbird' for Ida mourns unrealized potential of a life not given its full chance. What strikes me most about Hank is that he found not only reason but strength to create in the wake of such personal tragedy. These albums demonstrate a spiritual resilience that I admire *so much*. A big part of the support network for Hank and Ali, his wife, is Saul's Light -- a non-profit which provides community and resources to families with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit. Shining a light on this organization was a big motivator for Hank to share Ida's story with us, so if you're able please consider supporting them: https://www.saulslight.org Thank you to Matt Lowery for his remarkable and empathetic edit of this episode. And thank you to Hank, for his generosity and perseverance. Life of a Leaf: https://mousymagazine.bandcamp.com/album/life-of-a-leaf The Mockingbird: https://mousymagazine.bandcamp.com/album/the-mockingbird

Nick Angeloni is a composer, audio engineer, pianist and synthesist who releases work under the name n-So. One of the hallmarks of Nick's fantastic 2018 album 'A Stroke of Blue' is its careful balance of felted piano and electronics — it's an album that's full of accessible moments that twist in just the right way. Depending on the listener, the album's x-factor could be the unexpected textures, or it could be a chord that perfectly roots an ambient soundscape. Speaking with Nick, I was reminded how tense the balance is between will + self-care. Nick is an incredibly talented and driven artist, and it was staggering to hear him talk openly about the challenges he faced while trying to finish this work. And to confirm that coming out of the valley isn't a momentous break of clarity — it's small moments of grace, of the universe wanting to heal what's hurting. I am grateful for Nick's honesty, artistry, and perseverance. Episode 20 was lovingly assembled and edited by Matt Lowery (@mattlowerymusic). I'm so grateful for his willingness to give his energy and expertise toward this project and toward the lines community. sound and process is an exploration of lines, so, come join the conversation at https://llllllll.co Out of the Valley: https://modernarecords.bandcamp.com/album/out-of-the-valley A Stroke of Blue: http://n-so.bandcamp.com/album/a-stroke-of-blue Nick's website: http://n-so.online

Joseph Branciforte is a multi-instrumentalist, recording and mixing engineer, composer, sound artist, and programmer based out of New York City. This episode was edited by Joseph himself, which has allowed me to approach it primarily as a listener. And I've been must struck by Joseph's balance between conviction and query. Though much is covered in this half hour, Joseph's reflections inspired so many questions for me. What happens when you shake the dust of the day-to-day a little? When you inject a new choice into the established theme? What happens when we dive in head and heart first? More about Joseph's work: https://josephbranciforte.com His label, Greyfade: https://greyfade.com lines: https://llllllll.co Featured music: - 4.19 from joseph branciforte & theo bleckmann's LP1 - example 6.1 realtime generative voice-leading max patch for yamaha disklavier piano (video/explanation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U-E78AHmHM) - 90 structures, a generative work with realtime notation for live chamber ensemble - 3.4.26 from joseph branciforte & theo bleckmann's LP1 (https://greyfade-label.bandcamp.com) - july 6, 2016 from 2016 sound journal - 6.15 from joseph branciforte & theo bleckmann's LP1 - april 20, 2015 an electronic composition by kenneth kirschner transcribed for piano + 2 cellos by joseph branciforte. - 0123 for low string quartet MIDI rendering of a forthcoming algorithmically composed string quartet. - july 24, 2016 from 2016 sound journal - 5.5.9 from joseph branciforte & theo bleckmann's LP1

Josh Mason's music is an alcove you've never noticed, in a park you've walked through a hundred times. Over the last eight years, he's released 20+ albums of solo and collaborative work. Through guitar, tape loops, digital and analog synthesis, Josh has established an enchanting lexicon. His music is an ever-evolving conversation about personal and philosophical challenges. Its tones and timbres speak with curiosity and humility. Josh keeps his practice approachable and immediate, which defies stagnation. Discover + support his music: https://j-w-m.bandcamp.com https://joshmason.info

On a snowy Chicago afternoon, Carl Testa and Meredith Johnston (Warm Human) joined me for a live discussion about improvising with electronics to explore and expand the bounds of their classical instruments (Carl: string bass, Meredith: voice). It was a joy to learn how software interactions helps each produce distinct and compelling results. After the conversation, we were treated to performances from each artist. Carl performed solo bass with his custom live processing environment, Sway, before Meredith capped off the afternoon with a sneak peak of her developing cowboy series. To learn more about Carl and Sway, please visit: http://carltesta.net/ To hear more of Warm Human, please visit: https://warmhuman.bandcamp.com Many thanks to the Crowd Theater, whose chicken wings are nonpareil.

Izzy Barreiro is an accomplished DJ, producer, composer, synthesist and teacher. They perform as @stud1nt and are part of the deeply necessary collectives Discwoman and KUNQ. They have taught classes everywhere from Moogfest to Ableton Loop. They are also the director of production at Whimsical Raps, a Brooklyn-based musical instrument company. In this episode, Izzy explores some wonderful ideas about the importance of community built on shared experiences, how vulnerability develops an artist, and how their own approach to music-making tools has changed over the years. Izzy's work is a bold exploration of genre, approach and self -- you can hear more of it at: https://soundcloud.com/stud1nt https://stud1nt.nyc

Over the years, I’ve been lucky to watch Meredith Johnston perform in a variety of contexts — improvisational comedy across Chicago, film (2018's Pet Names), and most recently music under the moniker Warm Human — and every project is anchored in emotional exploration. Her upcoming album, Ghastly, tells deeply personal stories through a melange of synths, vocal processing, and brilliant pop arrangements. As a producer, composer, and lyricist, Meredith infuses feeling into each bit of the album’s DNA. She tells her side of the story with a balance of ferocity and compassion that is, at times, both uniquely funny and absolutely heartbreaking. Ghastly will, no pun intended, haunt you well after its last track. Throughout this conversation, Meredith unpacks some complex topics — her insecurities while performing live, navigating her ownership as a storyteller over shared experiences, and her struggles with different forms of addiction. bandcamp: https://warmhuman.bandcamp.com lines: https://llllllll.co