1473 Recordings

06/09/2024

It’s Bandcamp Friday, and with that, I present 1473.37—Panto Collapsar & Cyrus Pireh’s ‘Roman Shades’!

This past March I had the absolute pleasure of finally catching Panto Collapsar perform live at the Scarab Club in Detroit, supported by the inimitable Dr. Pete Larson. I’d listened to their recordings well beyond their self-titled album on 1473 and knew, as awesome as those recordings were, that this concert was going to be a special experience.

Part of the joy of experiencing a concert of improvised music is watching the interactions between performers—sometimes when it’s a group who are new to each other, it’s electrifying because the unknown exists not just within the sounds they create together but in watching them establish an immediate musical trust—always inspiring to see, always somehow reassuring in this troubled world. Then there is the other end of the spectrum, when a group of musicians know each other so well that they can perform together through pure instinct on a seemingly cellular level. That level of trust and communication is not just inspiring but awe-inspiring. Panto Collapsar performs together on that level and then some, and it is a THRILL to see them live.

Dave, Simon, and Chris are just so in tune with each other that I remember thinking that I didn’t even know how another musician could fit into that level of near telepathic alchemy. Yet, when Simon sent me the recordings of their sessions with Cyrus Pireh, it’s clear that adding additional improvisers just means it enters a new kind of world of otherworldly radness.

I say it all the time, but improvised music at its best and most open renews my faith in this world and brings me true joy. ‘Roman Shades’ 100% achieves that for me, and I thank Dave, Simon, Chris, and Cyrus for trusting me with releasing it into this world. Thanks as always for listening, but most importantly, if you have a chance to see Panto Collapsar do their thing live, just GO!

Please do buy this album if you can; 100% of proceeds go to the artists directly! Support artists!

https://1473.bandcamp.com/album/roman-blinds Link in bio!

As always, thank you for your support! Word!

25/06/2024

Friday!!! 😋 ooooooooooo

03/05/2024

It’s Bandcamp Friday, and 1473 release #36 is ‘Dawn Choruses’ by Kayaks Collective! Hot damn!

I don’t normally open any writing quoting the lyrics of Hal David, but no joke, what the world needs now is ‘Dawn Choruses’. It is impossible, truly impossible, for me to feel settled these days as I watch history repeat itself in the most jagged, ill-thought-out fashion—the hostility that permeates through the socio-political sphere right now feels relentless and, frankly, hopeless. To be gentle with each other—in person and in spirit. How do we get there? How do we even find our way to a starting position?

Well, this album, for one. The album title ‘Dawn Choruses’ perfectly encapsulates the feeling of this music. It’s the sound of waking up—when you begin to feel awareness of your body and surroundings. One of my favorite things about the house we live in is the sound of the birds fluttering around our bedroom window. There’s a small gap between the gutter and window frame that birds constantly fly in and out of. I’ve looked, and there isn’t a nest or any evidence of what’s attracting them to that gap, but there seems is something about it. The fluttering and mystery of it all when I first open my eyes is what I found myself reflecting on the first time I played through this album, and it was the best listening experience.

See, the best electronic ambient music is the kind that doesn’t just encourage your mind to float about but first provides a color palette for you to immerse yourself in. I am genuinely grateful that Phil and Teddy have created a piece of work that has nudged me into a headspace where I am reminded that sometimes, drifting gently is less escaping the world and way more about engaging with it in a more thoughtful, kind way.

This album and iteration of Kayaks Collective (more info on their ethos at https://kayakscollective.bandcamp.com/), by the way, is an improvised collaboration between Teddy Schrishuhn, aka Rs Masters, and Phil Stosberg, aka Prokharchin. I’ve only met Teddy over Zoom (a hoot of a time), and I still haven’t met Phil in person (see 1473.29 for his outstanding 20-minute set), but what I can tell you is that these two are straight-up gentle souls, and the world needs a lot more guys like them. Phil is an active birder, for instance. I mean, when was the last time you heard anyone refer to a birder as a jerk? Not often!

My ultimate hope with this release is that a listener can level out to it’s beauty - because it is so very beautiful - and experience, as I did, a reminder to extend a gentle grace to all in this hostile, unforgiving world—because otherwise, what really is the point?
Special thanks to Josh Wentz for connecting me with Teddy and Phil for being so open in allowing me to creatively process his gorgeous bird photography for the cover art. You all rule!

Thanks for listening, and please do support Teddy, Phil, and the Kayaks Collective's creative vision.

https://kayakscollective.bandcamp.com/album/dawn-choruses

5 track album

03/05/2024

It’s Bandcamp Friday, and 1473 release #36 is ‘Dawn Choruses’ by Kayaks Collective! Hot damn!
I don’t normally open any writing quoting the lyrics of Hal David, but no joke, what the world needs now is ‘Dawn Choruses’. It is impossible, truly impossible, for me to feel settled these days as I watch history repeat itself in the most jagged, ill-thought-out fashion—the hostility that permeates through the socio-political sphere right now feels relentless and, frankly, hopeless. To be gentle with each other—in person and in spirit. How do we get there? How do we even find our way to a starting position?
Well, this album, for one. The album title ‘Dawn Choruses’ perfectly encapsulates the feeling of this music. It’s the sound of waking up—when you begin to feel awareness of your body and surroundings. One of my favorite things about the house we live in is the sound of the birds fluttering around our bedroom window. There’s a small gap between the gutter and window frame that birds constantly fly in and out of. I’ve looked, and there isn’t a nest or any evidence of what’s attracting them to that gap, but there seems is something about it. The fluttering and mystery of it all when I first open my eyes is what I found myself reflecting on the first time I played through this album, and it was the best listening experience.
See, the best electronic ambient music is the kind that doesn’t just encourage your mind to float about but first provides a color palette for you to immerse yourself in. I am genuinely grateful that Phil and Teddy have created a piece of work that has nudged me into a headspace where I am reminded that sometimes, drifting gently is less escaping the world and way more about engaging with it in a more thoughtful, kind way.

(Cont’d in comments)

19/01/2024

1473.35 is Jienan Yuan’s (aka ME!) ‘Your Wave Persists’

“Your Wave Persists’ began an act of remembrance - to honor the memory of those I’ve lost that eventually emerged into a collection of sounds that I hope can help listeners process loss in their own lives. The older I get, the more I become aware that one of the key catalysts for connectivity between all people is loss - how it binds us but also, how we process it and eventually, hopefully, learn to keep moving on.

I kneejerk dismiss any artwork that professes to be a tool to help cope with life and yet, I hope this album can provide some kind of solace for someone. What can you do, the kind of purposeful art that makes me instantly cringe is exactly what I put out into the world. But it is what it is - working on these tracks helped me so I hope they can help you.

A few more thoughts:

Of the twelve, four tracks were commissioned for dance/performance pieces and as always, it was a thrill to develop them to support an artist’s creative vision and I thank Cheng, Aimee, and Okyoung and Caroline for honoring me with their request.

Two of the four short ‘Chant’ piano pieces were written for Winston, Sanford’s younger brother, and my dear Baby Bear, Biscuit, and Jibbees. Sometimes, when it’s late at night, when I’m coming up the stairs, that old magical thinking kicks in and I feel my heart skip hoping against hope that I’ll see him dreaming on his favorite sofa. I miss his ornery personality, I miss his warmth - most of all, I miss how much he loved Jaime. His world, he just adored her.

The final two songs ‘Zufumu’ and ‘Of This Light’ are dedicated to the memory of my grandparents - this life and all we carry, it was born of the light of my elders and ancestors.

Finally, thank you all for your support and taking the time to listen to ‘Your Wave Persists’. It really does mean the world to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

12 track album

19/01/2024

1473.35 is Jienan Yuan’s (aka ME) ‘Your Wave Persists’

“Your Wave Persists’ began an act of remembrance - to honor the memory of those I’ve lost that eventually emerged into a collection of sounds that I hope can help listeners process loss in their own lives. The older I get, the more I become aware that one of the key catalysts for connectivity between all people is loss - how it binds us but also, how we process it and eventually, hopefully, learn to keep moving on.

I kneejerk dismiss any artwork that professes to be a tool to help cope with life and yet, I hope this album can provide some kind of solace for someone. What can you do, the kind of purposeful art that makes me instantly cringe is exactly what I put out into the world. But it is what it is - working on these tracks helped me so I hope they can help you.

A few more thoughts:

Of the twelve, four tracks were commissioned for dance/performance pieces and as always, it was a thrill to develop them to support an artist’s creative vision and I thank Cheng, Aimee, and Okyoung and Caroline for honoring me with their request.

Two of the four short ‘Chant’ piano pieces were written for Winston, Sanford’s younger brother, and my dear Baby Bear, Biscuit, and Jibbees. Sometimes, when it’s late at night, when I’m coming up the stairs, that old magical thinking kicks in and I feel my heart skip hoping against hope that I’ll see him dreaming on his favorite sofa. I miss his ornery personality, I miss his warmth - most of all, I miss how much he loved Jaime. His world, he just adored her.

The final two songs ‘Zufumu’ and ‘Of This Light’ are dedicated to the memory of my grandparents - this life and all we carry, it was born of the light of my elders and ancestors.

Finally, thank you all for your support and taking the time to listen to ‘Your Wave Persists’. It really does mean the world to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

https://jienanyuan.bandcamp.com/album/your-wave-persists

Link in bio!

03/11/2023

Presenting 1473.34 : JOSHUA WENTZ ‘LACUNA’

More than anything, what I admire most about Josh as a musician is how thoughtful he is about the craft of music production. The amount of detail in his music - the electronic flourishes, how the eq is balanced, where he sits in his voice in the mix, etc - these are all elements that you could easily use software to auto-execute for you but you can hear his processes, as one song flows into another, and that’s a wonderful thing. Also wonderful is that this is a song-based record that never rests in one vibe - the diversity of styles and sounds is a real treat.

I was, as always, delighted to contribute some drum sounds and sounds to ‘Lacuna’ and ‘Janos’ is a real highlight for me. To quote the kids these days, ‘Janos’ is radical, dude! It had a long gestation but boy, I wouldn’t change a thing about the final mix - it’s exactly where it needs to be and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Oh, and excellent news! Josh is press some cassettes of ‘Lacuna’ that you can order on BC now!

And it’s Bandcamp Friday so all proceeds go to Josh so please buy and support his art! YOU CAN DO EET!!!

https://joshuawentz.bandcamp.com/album/lacuna

Link in bio!

02/11/2023

Tomorrow!!!

11/05/2023

Tonight! at 8pm!

Doors at 6 🍻 Music at 8 🎵 Suggested donation $5 💰

Featuring Detroit based pianist and composer, Michael Malis, electronic music artist, Joo Won Park and vocalist /mover Chrissy Martin performing with ME!

MICHAEL MALIS (michaelmalis.com)is a composer, pianist, and music educator based in Detroit, Michigan. A multi-faceted musical artist, he works across genres in improvisational, concert music, and interdisciplinary settings. His 2022 release From Darkness We Awaken, featuring chamber-improvising ensemble Virago was released on Brisbane Australia-based MADE NOW MUSIC and called “transfixing” with a “disarming intensity” (All About Jazz). His duo project with saxophonist Marcus Elliot, Balance, has been praised as “contemporary jazz of the highest order, a benchmark for where the genre can go” (Detroit Metro Times.)

As a composer, Malis has been commissioned by Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Chamber Music Society of Detroit, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, Detroit Composers’ Project, Virago, Hole in the Floor, and others. As a pianist, he has shared the stage with such luminaries as Marcus Belgrave, Gerald Cleaver, Jaribu Shahid, John Lindberg, William Ho**er, A. Spencer Barefield, Tyshawn Sorey, Brandee Younger, J.D. Allen, and Marion Hayden.

JOO WON PARK (joowonpark.net) makes music with electronics, toys, and other sources that he can record or synthesize. He is the recipient of Knight Arts Challenge Detroit (2019) and the Kresge Arts Fellowship (2020). His music and writings are available on ICMC DVD, Spectrum Press, MIT Press, PARMA, Visceral Media, MCSD, SEAMUS, and No Remixes labels. He currently teaches Music Technology at Wayne State University.
CHRISSY MARTIN (chrissymartinmakes.com) is an interdisciplinary performance artist and movement educator with roots in contemporary and Afro-Caribbean dance forms, postmodern experimental music, and physical theater. Chrissy blends contemporary dance and language/voice to rigorously examine her intersecting q***r and neurodivergent identities.

05/05/2023

Metro Detroit!

Come on out next Thursday 5/11 for a night of amazing music feat my buddies and myself at the fantastic

It’s going to be a great time! Come on out!

04/04/2023

1473.32 is A Young Person’ Guide of “Actually, Records.”

It recently occurred to me that a large chunk of people in my life don’t know that I used to run a physical record label called “Actually, Records.” from 2003-2009. Time moves on, yes, but those six years I was pretty much consumed by all things record label - recording, mixing, mastering, promo, booking shows, graphic design, etc. I’m not going to claim that I was particularly gifted at any of it but what I can say is that almost 20 years on, the music holds up all day. All day!

I try not to look back too often (this is not an attribute - just a trait) so listening to the 14 “Actually, Records.” releases again after many years was odd at first but quickly transformed into a delightful experience. Sure, I blew a crap ton of money on the label and sure, pressing CDs right when they were at their most expensive to manufacture and declining in sales a quick pace was not the best financial decision and sure, my wife had the patience of a saint as I was practically consumed with all things “Actually, Records.” when most women would have bailed early on but hey, that’s how it goes sometimes hahaha

But the music - the music! I couldn’t be prouder today to re-present these 14 tracks - my favorites from each physical release - I could ramble on and on and on about how much I adore them but I will just ask this of you, potential listener. Play this compilation all the way through and you’ll find a story there - of a city, of a time, of a vision, of creativity, and of the artists themselves. There’s indie rock, noise, pop, folk pop, indie pop, melancholy guitars, outlaw folk, epic guitars, synths, indie rock royalty Sooyoung Park and Damien Jurado, and the best flute solo ever laid on a record ever.

So enjoy the dream that was "Actually, Records." and as always, thanks for listening!

Link in bio!

https://1473.bandcamp.com/album/a-young-persons-guide-to-actually-records

Acknowledgements are in the comments!

09/02/2023

Been deliberately quiet for a few months but things are a-cookin! It’s going to be an excellent 2023! Stay tuned for exciting 1473 news soon!

13/01/2023

No Remixes will release my new album on January 20th. I named the album Fan Art because each track is a tribute to things I fanatically admire - Bach’s Prelude in C minor, Debussy’s Clair de Lune, traditional Korean rhythms, no-input mixing, palindrome, ii-V-I progressions, and synthesizers. The way I expressed my fandom could be excessive, too personal, niche, and inappropriate, but those are what make fan art great!

I will write a blog for each piece in CMPE style after the album release. Revisit my social media to learn algorithmic composition and sound design!

13/01/2023

4 track album

07/10/2022

Morning, everyone!

It's Bandcamp Friday again and today sees the release of 1473.31 - Night Office's 'Harmonize'! Night Office is the collaboration between Chicago-based sound artists Jon Monteverde and Chris Sherman. I've known both these cats for around near 20 years now (20 years! what!) and 'Harmonize' is easily one of the best things they've ever done. First, there's the surprise of it - I first met Chris when he and Jon were in a future-forward hardcore noise band together called What Now, My Love? and they were as thrillingly extreme as it gets.

To listen to 'Harmonize' then, which is like the lovechild of Plaid, Thomas Bangalter's score to 'Irreversible', Tangerine Dream's 'Exit', Vangelis, and Boards of Canada knocked me over. I could go on and on with my usual long-windedness about how listening to it just makes my day but did you not just read the comparison I wrote above? How could you not be keyed up about it - Tangerine Dream's Exit and Bangalter alone! - and immediately buy it? There's real alchemy going on here! So good! So dang good!

100% of sales will go to Jon and Chris! Please support them! Come on, now! Thanks!

https://1473.bandcamp.com/album/harmonize

#1473

06/10/2022

Night Office Q/A #2+3!

‘Harmonize’ comes out tomorrow!

Q: How much of the structures of each track were developed through improvisation or were they done in post? I especially dig that I never knew where each song was going to go and was delightfully surprised each time.

A: That's great to hear! In the context of home recording electronic music, the lines between writing, improvising, recoding, and post-production all seem blurred to me. We used a variety of different approaches depending on what we were working on. In some cases we had sprawling jams with many elements that only took their final form through heavy editing. At the other end of the spectrum, Onion Milk consists of one multi-tracked live take by me and two tracks that Jon overdubbed, at which point we both felt it was done. I think each track probably contains some elements of improvisation, because in general we seemed to be tracking pretty quickly so we could continue the collaboration. The thing that I loved about making this record was that the process was slightly different for each song. Maybe that is also a form of improvisation, in that we found different ways to work together each time in response to an initial musical idea.

Q: Also very cool - at certain points, I couldn't tell what electronic noises were played live or if any were sampled - thoughts?

A: In general, I think the samples contain human voices. A theme that slowly emerged as we worked on the music was altered or filtered voices that hopefully become more expressive because of their lack of fidelity. Theron Humiston did some really beautiful tracks on "To Close..." using samples of his guitar playing. Otherwise, we both put a lot of effort into the sound design aspect of the music, so it's good to hear that it's not immediately apparent what is producing some of the sounds. I really like to change the playback speed of sounds and to reverse them. I guess that is one way to treat sounds that you have made and played as samples and to recontextualize them.

Q: Have you ever seen a ghost?

A: I've seen things in dreams that have stuck with me for weeks.

05/10/2022

Night Office Q+A #1!

Q: How did this collaboration work? Were you guys in the same room and was this all put together remotely? How do you think the final album reflects this process?

A: This collaboration was completely remote. We did a few video chat sessions to talk about how things were developing, but in general we would share stems and rough mixes and send brief emails to say "I added some bass to your track." I think whatever spontaneity the final product has came from the process of listening and responding without doing a lot of talking. The success of this approach was dependent on how long Jon and I have been friends and have been working on music together.

04/10/2022

This Friday! 1473.31! oh yeahhhhhhhh!!!