Author Archives: ken

Harmonitronica Geekout: The Hole Story

Posted on February 2, 2012 by ken

Last night I posted my third song for this year’s February Album Writing Month. “This Hole,” along with the previous song, “I’m Not Not Very Concerned,” combined harmonica with loops created in Korg’s iKaossilator, an iPad application.

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She Had the Will (Etta James, 1938-2012)

Posted on January 21, 2012 by ken

I’m playing Etta James today. Not her old stuff. I’m listening to two records that might not exist at all had she not been such a tough woman. I like her 50s and 60s stuff just fine, but for me, … Continue reading →

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Epyphony

Posted on January 7, 2012 by ken

A day late, here’s this week’s ImprovFriday contribution: Epyphony (Three Kings Suite). We three kings disoriented are Guided by an unmoving star Beacon calling morse reminder Hopelessly following yonder star I was always fascinated by the legend of the kings, … Continue reading →

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Send your music out into the world and it will come back to you more wonderful than before

Posted on December 3, 2011 by ken

This was the first week in many months that I was able to contribute a piece to ImprovFriday. And it reminded me why I’ve missed it so much. ImprovFriday is a worldwide online collective of improvisational musicians, using all kinds … Continue reading →

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Fried, a Night

Posted on December 2, 2011 by ken

I’m wiped out after a long week of travelling and running around and wrestling with uncooperative software. But in my travels I acquired another analog synthesis gem, a Moog ring modulator. It’s hard to explain exactly what a ring modulator … Continue reading →

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Happy Valley, Hell

Posted on November 10, 2011 by ken

‎”Some days, I want to renounce my atheism, so that I may watch people burn in hell.” So said one of the commenters on John Scalzi’s “Omelas State University” post, hands-down the best article I’ve read about the horror show … Continue reading →

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Music at Moogfest: Chroomatic Harmoogica

Posted on October 29, 2011 by ken

I couldn’t spend a whole weekend at Moogfest listening to music without making some, could I? Especially not since I’ve acquired two new Moog toys recently — the fantastic Animoog app for the iPad, and Moog’s Freq Box. I used … Continue reading →

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The 99% Breakdown

Posted on October 13, 2011 by ken

We are all in it together, like it or not.

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The Dirty Blue Box and the Bucket Brigade

Posted on July 17, 2011 by ken

A few days ago, a dirty little blue box of death showed up in the mail — a DOD 680 analog delay pedal, made almost exactly 30 years ago (the sticker inside dates it to January 15, 1981; I was … Continue reading →

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Nite Flights Finally Land

Posted on June 7, 2011 by ken

It doesn’t matter how much music you listen to or how knowledgeable you think you are. At some point, you’ll stumble across someone and wonder how you could possibly have not known about them. Better yet, you’ll listen to this … Continue reading →

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