a label for music and other creative pursuits in ypsilanti, michigan. curated by bill van loo
I’m proud to announce the new bill van loo + j. schnable MySpace site is now up and completely functional:
http://www.myspace.com/billvanloojschnable
Josh (j. schnable) did a fantastic job of making it look great, and we’re very excited about getting our music available to a broader group of people. Check us out, and add us on MySpace if you like what you hear!
I recently sold some old studio gear, and purchased one new piece with some of the money from the sales. The new piece, a Line 6 PodXT Live, will be my main gear for live guitar sets now, replacing my trusty Johnson J-Station.
Anyway, here’s a few samples of what I’ve come up with using the new PodXT Live:
a little dub guitar [Roland Jazz Chorus JC-120 amp model, tape echo, etc]
tremolo chopped guitar loops [looped guitar via Boss RC20 through custom tremolo patch]
That’s based on a few hours playing and tweaking. The Line 6 Edit software is a great way to really get the most out of this box’s power – it offers a graphical way to edit everything about a patch. It’s definitely a solid piece of gear, and I’m looking forward to digging into it even further in the future.
There are now 4 videos available on YouTube from the thinkbox performance at Art Gallery of Windsor. The performance was Friday, June 30, 2006, and the videos show Bill Van Loo’s performance of 4 of the “5 sketches for thinkbox” pieces.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=chromedecay
Check it out, and please add chromedecay as a friend on YouTube if you like what you see!
After offering free downloads for a number of years, chromedecay digital has finally been formally created. chromedecay digital is the free digital-download section of the chromedecay label, and to kick off the new effort and re-organization of free music offered, we present the first official chromedecay digital release: bill van loo + j. schnable: switchback EP (cdigital008).
All previously available downloads are still available, complete with new catalog numbers and cover art. We’re going to be working hard to keep adding more material to the chromedecay digital catalog, so stay tuned.
In conjunction with the Thinkbox: Archive show that is opening at the Art Gallery of Windsor (AGW) on Saturday, May 13, I have released a new set of 5 tracks entitled “5 sketches for thinkbox” as a free mp3 release on the thinkbox mp3 label. Each track is named for and dedicated to one of the other 5 members of thinkbox, and seeks to evoke the sound and themes of that person, as well as my own personal feelings for and about the person. I am honored to be involved in such a talented group of artists.
This set of music, along with a large selection from my back catalogue of thinkbox contributions and live recordings, can also be heard on the listening stations at the AGW show – each thinkbox member has an iPod set up with their tracks loaded onto it for people to listen to.
You can find the free mp3 downloads of “5 sketches for thinkbox” here: think_008MP3
On Friday, June 30, Bill Van Loo will be performing as part of the thinkbox collective at the Art Gallery of Windsor. Show time is 8:00PM; here are the AGW site’s directions to the gallery.
This performance is in conjunction with the Thinkbox: Archive exhibit, a retrospective of the sound, video and installation work done by thinkbox members (including Bill Van Loo) in recent years.
The exhibit occupies the entire second floor of the gallery, and runs from May 13-July 30, 2006. Bill Van Loo has contributed a new visual piece for the exhibit entitled “Triptychs”, which consists of 6 prints (many of which have been seen via the chromedecay flickr photostream) and a video piece containing video interpolations of his photography, also in 3-panel triptych form. Each of the thinkbox members has an iPod loaded with their individual tracks, set up as listening stations in the space.
The Art Gallery of Windsor will be hosting the opening reception for the Thinkbox: Archive show on Friday, May 12 from 8:00PM-11:00PM. Thinkbox: Archive is a retrospective of the sound, video and installation work done by thinkbox members (including Bill Van Loo) in recent years. The exhibit occupies the entire second floor of the gallery, and runs from May 13-July 30, 2006.
Bill Van Loo has contributed a new visual piece for the exhibit entitled “Triptychs”, which consists of 6 prints (many of which have been seen via the chromedecay flickr photostream) and a video piece containing video interpolations of his photography, also in 3-panel triptych form. Each of the thinkbox members has an iPod loaded with their individual tracks, set up as listening stations in the space.
Admission to the exhibit is $3, and is free for AGW members.
The Korg ER-1 drum machine/rhythm synthesizer served as a central piece of gear in the chromedecay studio for a number of years. After a long period of use, it got to the point where I hadn’t turned it on for a number of months, and I decided it was time to part with it. However, I loved many of the sounds I’d created, so I decided to sample everything. My good friend J. Schnable then took those samples, and carefully compiled and edited them into the collection that is now available.
Go to the free Korg ER-1 Sample Collection, and buy one of my records to help support my music if you find it useful.
The California label Sounds Are Active, home of Xn., Soul-Junk, and other artists, recently hosted a remix contest. Bill Van Loo remixed the track “six dreams divided” by Create(!), and you can hear the results here:
create (!): six dreams divided (bill van loo remix) [9.1MB mp3]
I tried to take the approach of a “remix the original elements” rather than a “rip it apart and use tiny fragments” kind of rework. I actually found myself using many of the same processes and techniques as I did when editing and mixing my “6 strings for a winter’s day” record, focusing on stretching and layering the tonal elements. There are some really lovely elements in the original, including some great, subtle guitar melodies and interesting Steve Reich-sounding bass clarinet moments, so I focused on those.
If you are interested, you can see 2 screenshots from the work in progress:
Here’s the info on the contest, which also contains a link to an mp3 of the original track, as well as all the source tracks.
The new Bill Van Loo record, “6 strings for a winter’s day”, is now officially released. It features 8 tracks of layered, delicate ambient guitar work that should appeal to fans of Steve Reich, Daniel Lanois, Robert Fripp or Sigur Ros.
bill van loo: 6 strings for a winter’s day
“6 strings for a winter’s day” is currently available for order via PayPal. To order in the US, please send $9 via PayPal to [email protected]. If you’re outside the US, please contact chromedecay before ordering.
Also available on the record detail page are 2 unreleased excerpts and outtakes from the pre-production and recording process, with one or two more to be added soon. 2 downloadable tracks from the record will also be added in the next day or two.