Twitter #FF
I (like many others) have done the #followfriday recommendations each week for a few months. Not only has this become a touch “stale”, but it’s also prone to problems. Too often I’ve forgotten somebody important!
@pure_tone suggested posting recommendations to his blog – an idea quickly picked up by @fjfonseca. So here am I, shamelessly climbing aboard the #followfridayblog train.
Why Twitter?
I think it’s safe to say that this blog and many of the tracks you’ll find here wouldn’t exist had it not been for Twitter. Seriously, I owe the Twitter folk a good deal. How so?
When I first decided to have a crack at composing/producing in January ‘09, I didn’t have the confidence to put anything up under my own name, so I kicked off under the name Jonathan Scary and to try to gather a little early feedback, opened up a Twitter account (@jonathanscary) and posted a couple of early “compositions” to a newly created Scary Blog.
And so to my first – and most important – #followfriday recommendation:
@DigitalDoyle was the first person to comment on anything I produced (though his comment was on Twitter and I forgot to archive 
). He is one of the most selfless people I have ever “met”. His willingness to share, help and encourage are an inspiration to everybody.
Doyle has steered me out of several creative blocks, his kind (but frank) feedback ensuring that I continued to compose at a point where the demons had all but convinced me to stop wasting my time.
If you choose to follow only one person from this page, it has to be Doyle. Thank you, always.
@auditorycanvas is a wonderful composer, musician, producer. David also gives of his time generously. Don’t be fooled by his acerbic wit and sharp tongue (unless you’re a Twitter SEO expert or social networking guru in which case, you probably are a tosser). David is extremely kind and thoughtful.
The time and effort he put into an email providing production, gear and composition tips (again in the early days of Jonathan Scary) speaks volumes about his approach to the musical community on Twitter. The first artist on Twitter whose music I (happily) purchased and who regularly features in my playlists. Highly talented. Highly recommended.
@thomasraukamp has single-handedly destroyed and rebuilt my iTunes library. His ability to seek out Creative Commons IDM, dub, ambient, downtempo and electronic music, then recommend only the very best is quite simply astounding. Thomas, a music journalist, Editor in Chief of Beat Magazine and Baha’i, is also an extremely modest chap.
As well as recommending artists who have already had a huge impact on my own humble offerings, Thomas’ competence as a composer and producer in his own right are in clear evidence at The Ologie Project.
@fjfonseca has a lot on his shoulders and I have to confess, this plays on my mind. What I’m worried about is Biz Stone’s business model being so dependent upon the output of just one man. My concern is not how the guys from Berkeley will monetize Twitter, but what on earth will happen if Fernando ever takes a vacation.
Lucid, informative tweets and some of the best links to everything creative (including, but not limited to design, Apple, music, iconography and photography), Fernando’s a must follow if you’re looking for the very latest on everything GEEK. Musician, producer, founder of PublicSpaces netlabel, custodian of the Twitter hashtag and author of Snippets of a Geek’s Life, he’s an inspiration to all composers, musicians, DJs and producers. Follow him.
@ambienteer is one of the most prolific artists I’ve come across. What’s more, James Fahy absolutely disproves the quantity vs quality theory. I am stunned at the depth of new sounds which emanate from his blog on an almost daily basis. A rare talent.
It’s timely that I’m adding this page today (6 June) since James is just about to post his 100th recording. Impressive in itself, but if I mention that 001 was uploaded on 11 February, it’s truly astonishing.
James’ work inspired my only “cover“, a reworking of his beautiful Grey Space.
@pure_tone author of the most understated bio on Twitter:
“Mastering/mix engineer. specialising in restoration”
This belies a depth of knowledge which is reflected not only in his blog, but far more importantly in his work. I know. I’ve had two pieces mastered by Tone and the results are astounding. Do not be put off by the “restoration” reference in his bio. Though there’s evidence of his clear ability in this specialism (check his work with Level 42 on his blog), his craft – and it is a craft – will bring new depth, space and dynamics to your mix, whilst retaining all the elements you’re desperate not to lose.
Also, don’t be fooled by his Victor Meldrew attitude towards incompetent producers. He genuinely can’t tolerate artists’ work being compromised (and even ruined) by poor production – or worse still, poor mastering.
@_alka Bryan Michael, electronic artist currently exploring the aspects of :: pure analog shapes.
Alka’s work is rich, thoughtful and highly evocative. If you’ve not yet bought his latest album, do so immediately! Beautifully written, played, mixed and produced, it will transport you to all sorts of wonderful new places. You can also hear my remix of “Separate” from Dog Lost in the Woods on this website.
Creator of delicious music, informative and entertaining tweets, you’ll find links to new music, the latest and greatest hardware and software and the occasional vegan recipe. I’m relatively new to Alka’s music, but the more I hear, the bigger a fan I’m becoming. Highly recommended follow.
@tarabusch Tara Busch, editor of the music and gear blog AnalogSuicide, musician, producer, gear dork.
Click through to Analog Suicide and be sure to add the RSS feed to your reader. Tara also runs a very popular Free MP3 Monday promotion, showcasing the diverse work of new artists.
Her music is highly original and her vocal talent, immense. Tara’s fascination and encyclopedic knowledge of analogue (sorry, I’m a Brit) synthesisers makes wonderfully entertaining reading. And then you listen to the sounds which she teases out of those machines and, well – it takes your breath away.
Catch her YouTube Party Trick of singing “Over the Rainbow” backwards and you’ll appreciate what a rare talent she is. Better still – go and buy Pilfershire Lane now!
@UBLF “Wanting to bring the world chilled out sounds!” reads the Twitter bio. And succeed he does.
Check out UBLF for music so chilled you’ll be reaching for your North Face fleecy and chipping ice off your woofers! Thoughtfully selected, UBLF’s handpicked featured artists and tunes will never fail to delight. A big supporter of PublicSpaces netlabel talent.
He’s a Twitter conversationalist and all-round nice guy. Unlike many podcasters who use Twitter as a billboard for their latest downloads, with UBLF there’s always a dialogue. It’s clear that he’s passionate about his music and extremely interested in the lives of the artists he profiles. (I’m keen to hear his own work too!)
@SwayingSmoke aka James Lowery “listens to and make Creative Commons and netlabel music (ambient, experimental, noise, drone).”
Much more of a focus on music than many experimental artists, Pennsylvanian-based composer, musician and producer James is another PublicSpaces artist whose track “Encompassed by the rain” is one of my favourites on their recent netlabel compilation Ceci n’est pas un pipe. You can find more of James work at his own website or over at Last.fm. Do!
@digitube aka Scott Lachance writes and produces wonderful music and compiles an excellent podcast.
You •must• listen to Ocean’s Calm – another track from PublicSpaces PS010 compilation and my introduction to Scott’s work. It’s a tremendous composition. The faux guitar part had me completely fooled and to my mind it’s one of the finest produced tracks in this genre that I’ve heard in a long time. Our own collaboration, Organic can be heard on this page.
You can find more of Scott’s work on Last.fm and check out his studio’s website here.
@AbletonTutor whose bio reads “Sound Designer and Electronic Music Composer” and whose website you’ll find at www.nickstutorials.com.
Being a Cubase nut, rather than an Ableton user, Nick’s tutorials are not something I’ve delved into in much detail, but I did watch an excellent vid on sound designing for beginners where he took a small vocal sample and with a few deft clicks, stretches and some pixie dust, created a very serviceable instrument.
Like @Pure_Tone, Nick also contributes a regular column to PublicSpacesLab covering topics as diverse as writer’s block and keeping mixes clean. You’d do a lot worse than follow Nick’s informative and entertaining tweets.
@dustmotes bio reads “I make music” – probably as big an understatement as Pure Tone’s.
His album beats for the subverted was released yesterday to HUGE acclaim on Twitter. Most importantly, the response is entirely justified. It’s a belter! And best of all, you can download it free of charge from netlabel PublicSpacesLab. I have been meaning to add Paul to this page for an age! But you know how it is. Anyway, I’ve finally got around to it. And not a day too soon.
As well as a highly accomplished musician, songwriter and producer (and unlike me, he can even master his own music), Paul’s a very gracious gent and always good for a belly laugh on Twitter – but please don’t tell anybody about Uncle Roy.
