062 - Skueue

Chat about contemporary music, composition, and just intonation with us in this theoretically adventurous and wide ranging episode. Christopher Otto, composer and violinist, works with the JACK quartet, a group that has played the music of such individuals as John Zorn, Tristan Perich, Cenk Ergün, Tyshawn Sorey, Catherine Lamb, Georg Frederich Haas, Dan Trueman, and many, many, more.

Intro: Christopher Otto (jack quartet) rag’sma 

Catherine Lamb - divisio spiralis (mvt. II)
Beethoven - Symphony No. 6 (storm section low notes)

Vicente Atria - Seasons Will Pass You By

Christopher Otto (jack quartet) rag’sma 

Christopher Otto - 3x5x7 (loadbang)

Christopher Otto - violin octet (d1)

LaMonte Young - Trio for Strings (Part 4 out of 8)

LaMonte Young - Trio for Strings (Part 4 out of 8) - demo of 17 “equalizing” 9/8
Vicentino - Madonna il poco dolce (31edo) Stephen Weigel cover
Christopher Otto - 3x4x5 (Weslos)

Outro: Christopher Otto (jack quartet) rag’sma 

Rag’sma:

https://greyfade-label.bandcamp.com/album/ragsma

Christopher and JACK’s links:
https://christopherotto.space/

https://www.jackquartet.com/

https://christopherotto.bandcamp.com/album/3x4x5

Support us on Patreon! (If we get 60 patrons, episodes will be released regularly instead of sporadically)

https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen

Follow

http://nowandxen.libsyn.com

https://twitter.com/now_xen

https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

Subscribe

RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n…

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH…

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA

Take a magical tour with us through some of Noah Dean Jordan’s microtonal instruments (including the requinto), including improvised performances! Be sure to check out the “Noah Dean Jordan” account on Bandcamp as well as the “Nueva Armonica” account!

Intro: I Was Once a River (Rock Creek II)

Outro: I Was Once a River (Te Quiero Verde)

Check out Noah’s work on the requinto:

https://noahdeanjordan.bandcamp.com/album/i-was-once-a-river

https://nuevaarmonia.bandcamp.com/album/remembering-cloud-forms-microtonal-studies-for-13-limit-requinto-and-violin

Support us on Patreon! (If we get 60 patrons, episodes will be released regularly instead of sporadically)

https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen

Follow

http://nowandxen.libsyn.com

https://twitter.com/now_xen

https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

Subscribe

RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n…

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH…

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA

Today’s episode celebrates the culmination of a years-long project with Matthew Sheeran, widely celebrated composer, orchestrator, and arranger. The album we’ve been working on is called “Acoustic Microtonal,” and it is a recording of Easley Blackwood’s Twelve Microtonal Etudes using acoustic instruments, playing monophonic lines in isolation and then being re-tuned using Melodyne. Matthew commissioned the Budapest Scoring Orchestra to achieve this huge compositional feat. Check out our episode here for the largest dive into the notes and chords behind the music, and be sure to check out the full album in all its glory!

The album:

https://cedillerecords.lnk.to/3019

Episode music:

Intro: Blackwood – 23 notes (Matthew Sheeran version)

Blackwood – 16 notes (Stephen Weigel version)

Blackwood – 16 notes (Hesangasang score)

Blackwood – 16 notes (original)

Blackwood – 16 notes (Stephen Weigel version)

Blackwood – 17 notes (12-TET scordatura)

Blackwood – 16 notes (Stephen Weigel version)

Vicentino – Madonna il poco dolce (Jonathan Wilde version)

Blackwood – 13 notes (original)

Blackwood – 13 notes (12-TET version with diminished 3rd)

Blackwood – 14 notes (original)

Poulenc – Sextet for piano and winds

Blackwood – 14 notes (original)

Blackwood – 14 notes (12-TET version)

Blackwood – 14 notes (original)

Blackwood – 14 notes (Stephen Malinowski video clip)

Blackwood – 14 notes (12-TET version)

Blackwood – 15 notes (Matthew Sheeran version)

Blackwood – Suite for 15 tone guitar

Stephen Weigel – open guitar chords in 15 video clip

Blackwood – 15 notes (Stephen Weigel version)

Stephen Weigel – What if we played EB’s 15 note etude in 12 video clip

Blackwood – 16 notes (Matthew Sheeran version)

Blackwood – 16 notes (Matthew Sheeran version)

Blackwood – 17 notes (original)

Blackwood – 18 notes (Matthew Sheeran version)

Blackwood – 18 notes (isolated flute in Matthew Sheeran version)

Stravinsky – The Firebird Suite (Dance of King Kaschei)

Blackwood – 18 notes (original)

Blackwood – 19 notes (Matthew Sheeran version)

Blackwood – 19 notes (original)

Blackwood – 20 notes (original)

Henri Duparc – La vie antérieure

Blackwood – 20 notes (original)

Blackwood – 21 notes (Matthew Sheeran version)

Blackwood – 21 notes (12-TET version with Hendrix chord)

Blackwood – 21 notes (Matthew Sheeran version)

Blackwood – 22 notes (Matthew Sheeran version)

Blackwood – 23 notes (original)

Blackwood – 23 notes (Matthew Sheeran Kontakt arrangement – different orchestration)

Blackwood – 23 notes (isolated harp in Matthew Sheeran version)

Blackwood – 14 notes (12-TET version)

Blackwood – 14 notes (Matthew Sheeran version – comparing 12 and 14)

Blackwood – 23 notes (12-TET version)

Blackwood – 23 notes (Matthew Sheeran version – comparing 12 and 23)

Blackwood – 19 notes (Matthew Sheeran version cello ending)

Blackwood – 24 notes (original)

Blackwood – 24 notes (Matthew Sheeran version)

Stephen Weigel – 11 notes (original)

Stephen Weigel  – 11 notes (Matthew Sheeran version)

Stephen Weigel – 7 notes (Matthew Sheeran Kontakt arrangement)

Blackwood – 15 notes (Stephen Weigel version)

Stephen Weigel – keyboard fingering for 11-TET

Stephen Weigel  – 11 notes (Matthew Sheeran version)

Stephen Weigel – 7 notes (original)

Stephen Weigel – 7 notes (Matthew Sheeran Kontakt arrangement)

Blackwood – 18 notes (original)

Stephen Weigel – Zones of Lasting Novelty (9-TET)

Ben Johnston – String quartet  No. 7 (guide tracks only)

Blackwood – Gulliver’s Travels (23-TET)

Matthew Sheeran – Lyres of Ur (7-TET)

Outro: Blackwood – 17 notes (Matthew Sheeran version)

Matthew’s stuff:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7401095/

https://www.youtube.com/@matthewsheeran1989/videos

https://soundcloud.com/user698273169

https://smatalent.com/matt-sheeran/

Microtonal Etudes and Macrotonal Etudes:
https://www.cedillerecords.org/albums/easley-blackwood-microtonal/

https://stephenweigel.bandcamp.com/album/six-macrotonal-etudes-for-electronic-music-media

Support us on Patreon! (If we get 60 patrons, episodes will be released regularly instead of sporadically)

https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen

Follow

http://nowandxen.libsyn.com

https://twitter.com/now_xen

https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

Subscribe

RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n…

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH…

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA

In this episode, we discuss composition and performance with composer Saad Haddad. One prominent topic - the challenges involved working with orchestras and large ensembles playing microtonal music, and logistics of the industry. We also discuss ideas of east vs. west, style infiltration, using minimal sets of pitches, and maqam.

Music:

Vortex Temporum - Gérard Grisey
Vignettes - Saad Haddad
Aysheen (demo) - Saad Haddad
Outro: Aysheen (demo) - Saad Haddad 

Saad has his own podcast! (check it out):

https://www.youtube.com/@saadhaddadshow

Other links:
https://www.saadnhaddad.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPIEc4WKDbeemLQAqyhIUsA

Support us on Patreon! (If we get 60 patrons, episodes will be released regularly instead of sporadically)

https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen

Follow

http://nowandxen.libsyn.com

https://twitter.com/now_xen

https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

Subscribe

RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n…

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH…

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA

After this episode, be sure to check out the new Sevish album, “Big Sway!” Myself, Sevish, and benyamind have a classic microtonal chat about all things fun and intervallic, covering topics such as intuitive tunings, voice manipulation (vocoding, autotuning, etc.), perfectionism, going gridless, expectations, and communication and accessibility within the microtonal community. Several instruments get the spotlight, such as Sevish’s new microtonal keyboards, the Lumatone, melodica, and saxophone! We also stretch some tunings out for 22-edo Lambda, and frolic about in JI with harmonic series segments.

Check out the new Sevish album:

https://sevish.bandcamp.com/album/big-sway

Our stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/@Sevish

https://www.youtube.com/@benyamind

https://www.youtube.com/@stephenweigel

Support us on Patreon! (If we get 60 patrons, episodes will be released regularly instead of sporadically)

https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen

Follow

http://nowandxen.libsyn.com

https://twitter.com/now_xen

https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

Subscribe

RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n…

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH…

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA

In this brief but informative chat with Brock Benzel, we explore uncharted territory, with a firm commitment to being true to the self, taking on challenges, putting the music first, and breaking rules just the right way. Enjoy the comfort of alien intervals that Brock brings using the Lumatone keyboard instrument (our big topic).

Music

[Intro] Paranola (31-TET) - performed by Brock Benzel
Something found (31-TET) - facebook excerpt (Brock Benzel)

stay hydrated (53-TET) - facebook excerpt (Brock Benzel)
[Outro] happy pride from me n my pride keyboard to u (31-TET) - facebook excerpt (Brock Benzel)

Brock’s stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/@BrockBenzel

https://www.instagram.com/mathbrock/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/brock.benzel

Support us on Patreon! (If we get 60 patrons, episodes will be released regularly instead of sporadically)

https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen

Follow

http://nowandxen.libsyn.com

https://twitter.com/now_xen

https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

Subscribe

RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n…

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH…

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA

An episode about synth and drums among other tidbits. Topics include names, aliases, Sevish himself, reverberance, randomness, evil, disguising tuning, non-octave tuning, flaws, beauty, the joy of doing creative work yourself, AI, picking your genres, the microtonal community, and art. Be sure to check out Steve’s work as “Pentachrist” on Bandcamp, releasing new music periodically!

Music

The Road After [Four] - Pentachrist (15-TET)
Machine Love [Look - A Living Retrospective] - müesk (9-TET)

Emancipate Pitch! - Stephen Weigel (22-TET)
I’ve Been Thinking [Look - A Living Retrospective] - müesk (11 out of 19 McLaren)
[Outro] Entropy’s Song [Four] - Pentachrist (23-TET)

Check out Steve’s music both old (Müesk) and new (Pentachrist):

https://pentachrist.bandcamp.com/

https://muesk.bandcamp.com/album/look-a-living-retrospective

Support us on Patreon! (If we get 60 patrons, episodes will be released regularly instead of sporadically)

https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen

Follow

http://nowandxen.libsyn.com

https://twitter.com/now_xen

https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

Subscribe

RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n…

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH…

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA

In this episode, Denny Genovese recalls his history of creating and studying microtonal music, and his experience creating and performing in the impressive Exotic Music Ensemble. Join us as we become inspired through the brown note, Ivor Darreg’s secret math codes, the origins of Fractal Tune Smithy, the Moody Blues, FM synthesis, JI scales, and numerous other topics. Denny also explains his discography, and each individual instrument of the ensemble.

Music

[Intro] Five in Five [JI] - Denny Genovese
[Outro] Reggae [JI] - Denny Genovese

Some resources:

http://www.afn.org/~sejic/denny.htm

https://archive.org/stream/emi_archive/EMI_11_3_March1996_djvu.txt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEpT_yWIsl8&t=1894s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_3h51nWQ5M&t=420s

Support us on Patreon! (If we get 60 patrons, episodes will be released regularly instead of sporadically)

https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen

Follow

http://nowandxen.libsyn.com

https://twitter.com/now_xen

https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

Subscribe

RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n…

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH…

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA

Check out Danny Playamaqui’s electronic music, a hugely expansive discography using a staggering variety of techniques. Danny conducts by-ear-tuning editing, strategic de-tuning, varispeed tricks, and poly-systemic techniques in addition to starting out with xenharmonic tunings as templates. Luckily, 4 bars a day keeps the doctor away (or is it an apple? Perhaps a lemon, or some paprika). We take inspiration and feedback from what is around us, trying to counterbalance that with boredom, motives, gimmicks, and alter egos. Animals and food, the ultimate kid-friendly songwriting subjects, here ironically take a bitingly sans-vocal formation. Tunings may or may not include Wendy Carlos scales, meantone tunings, 9-TET, 11-TET, 16-TET, 17-TET, 22-TET, and/or 31-TET.

Music
[Intro] Ichi-go ichi-e [New album!] - Danny Playamaqui
Correcaminos [479^2] - Danny Playamaqui
We Can’t Be Blamed [Harmony Hacker] - Sevish (22-TET)
Lemongrass [VEG ༼༼༼༼ ◕◕◕ ༽༽༽༽] - Danny Playamaqui
Tigre [479^2] - Danny Playamaqui
Nuggets [479] - Danny Playamaqui
Truffles [479] - Danny Playamaqui
Una Tortuga de Patas Amarillas [479^2] - Danny Playamaqui
Bears [479^2] - Danny Playamaqui
Octopus XX [New album!] - Danny Playamaqui
Chocolate [479] - Danny Playamaqui
Silver Bells [cover, xenharmonic chocolate] - arr. Stephen Weigel (21-TET)
♥ ◕ ༽つ ♥ [VEG ༼༼༼༼ ◕◕◕ ༽༽༽༽] - Danny Playamaqui (31-TET?)
Bitter Melon [VEG ༼༼༼༼ ◕◕◕ ༽༽༽༽] - Danny Playamaqui
Turmeric [VA] - Danny Playamaqui
Little Fox [479] - Danny Playamaqui
[Outro] Lynx [New album!] - Danny Playamaqui

Danny’s music:
https://playamaqui.bandcamp.com/album/479-2
https://soundcloud.com/dannyplayamaqui
https://www.youtube.com/@playamaqui/featured

Support us on Patreon! (If we get 60 patrons, episodes will be released regularly instead of sporadically)
https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen

Follow
http://nowandxen.libsyn.com
https://twitter.com/now_xen
https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

Subscribe
RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n…
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH…
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen
Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA

Come join us for a pleasant studio chat with Bryan Deister, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and jazz pianist extraordinaire. Recently he has been exploring microtonal covers on the Lumatone, with massive success on TikTok. He has also written many albums featuring microtonal music in various tuning systems, generally equal divisions, the most recent fully microtonal one being “In Your Hands.” Our conversation covers many topics relating to context switching, genre, surveys, paucitonality, and unusual instruments. Technical points include discussion of Lumatone layouts and pseudo-octave tropes, the too-perfect ring of JI soiling holy counterpoint, adolescent hatred of microtonality, translating between different tunings (transfer), and Scriabin. 

Music

[Intro] The Call [In Your Hands] - Bryan Deister

Apprehension [In Your Hands] - Bryan Deister
Go Away [In Your Hands] - Bryan Deister
Gasoline [In Your Hands] - Bryan Deister (5-ED(5/4))
Uneven Halves [In Your Hands] - Bryan Deister
Lavender Town (Pokemon) - Bryan Deister Lumatone cover (13-TET)

32edo - Bryan Deister

33edo - Bryan Deister

34edo - Bryan Deister

35edo - Bryan Deister

36edo - Bryan Deister

37edo - Bryan Deister

38edo - Bryan Deister

39edo - Bryan Deister

40edo - Bryan Deister

41edo - Bryan Deister

42edo - Bryan Deister

Microtonal improvisation in 43edo - Bryan Deister
Zinnia Riplet - Stephen Weigel (32-TET)

Minimal Progress - John Moriarty (~32-TET)

In the Dark [The Dying Savior] - Bryan Deister (24-TET, 23-TET, 22-TET, 21-TET, 20-TET, 19-TET, 18-TET)
In Your Hands [In Your Hands] - Bryan Deister (8-TET, 9-TET, 10-TET, 11-TET, 24-TET)
Come [Spines of the Heart] - Bryan Deister (19-TET)

Sunrise - HEHEHE I AM A SUPAHSTAR SAGA (19-TET)
Fair [In Your Hands] - Bryan Deister

Liquid Smooth (Mitski) - Bryan Deister Lumatone cover (17-TET)
True Love Waits (Radiohead) - collab Stephen, Levi McClain, Braelen Addison (31-TET) 

Shadow Play [Supernova] - Bryan Deister
[Outro] The Window [In Your Hands] - Bryan Deister

Check out Bryan’s incredible music on Bandcamp!

https://linktr.ee/bryandeister

https://bryandeister.bandcamp.com/album/in-your-hands

https://www.youtube.com/@BryanDeister

https://www.tiktok.com/@bryandeister

Support us on Patreon! (If we get 60 patrons, episodes will be released regularly instead of sporadically)

https://www.patreon.com/nowandxen

Follow

http://nowandxen.libsyn.com

https://twitter.com/now_xen

https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

Subscribe

RSS: http://nowandxen.libsyn.com/rss

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n…

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mhnGsH…

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nowxen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/now_xen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowxen/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmYNMpemAIq8DnK5HJ9gsA