Hello, I'm new to WATMM

Hey all

I searched for a welcome thread but couldn't find one so assume creating a new topic is fine. Please move if I have missed something. I'm still reading through the guidelines.

A little bit about my story.

I have been making music since I was 10 years old. I started playing this old organ we had in our living room, taking the back off and look at the electronics behind, and the massive volume of it and the bass were pretty nuts. My older brother introduced me to OctaMED on the Amiga where I learnt to sample, and Music X (that bright pink and blue thing) where I learned midi programming JMJ tracks and making my own rip offs. I was big into JMJ as a nipper and Kraftwerk's Radioactivity LP.

Like many kids in the early 90's I got caught up in the UK electronic music world, in all its forms, I guess always leaning more to Techno structures over breakbeat although I definitely did listen to a few key tapes back then. The late night channel 3 tv show BPM was a lifeline for finding some key music and labels, and although The Orb, FSOL, LFO were already in my mind, it was BPM and The Futureshock video (with those crazy bee eye glasses) where I found HIA and Ageispolis by Aphex Twin, but also Dave Angel, Carl Craig, Joey Beltram, Jeff Mills (although it wasn't until years later I knew this was his track on the show as simply listed as a white label) and a whole load of music.

I lived in a seaside town of Swanage so basically there was nobody around that really did music when I was a kid, but eventually things moved in a direction whereby things become more well known, new generations catching up on the growing late DnB world, while perhaps I was stepping away from Warp a little bit preferring the freshness, challenging and discovery of earlier releases, over the more accessible (to my taste) stuff that came later. 

12k/Line records and the whole glitch world from those early Mille Plateaux compilations grabbed my attention, a new challenging sound, and although I nearly had a few records out of hard techno in the 90's, I never really felt drawn enough to that world that always seemed already amazing without my needing to contribute my own music. This changed though, and later started working my girlfriend at the time (now married) on some minimal music mainly for Dragon's Eye Recordings, before later we started our own little experimental label, which I'm happy to chat about, but don't wanna spam, but that basically brings things up-to today. 

I've pottered in and out of a few other forums, and although I've met some great people, never seem quite to find the right bunch, and that's probably ok, but watmm has been somewhere I have thought about joining for a looooong time and finally figured I'd drop in and see what's what.




 

Hello, you seem nice. I know more about you than most other people posting in here. Hope you have fun reading the rules, welcome.

Welcome! 

We are all pretty sucked up by electronic music here (specially UK stuff) 

Welcome! Never mind the bollocks.

Nice handle! Welcome, read the rules, etc. Nice to hear a bit of your backstory - always interesting to hear about people who discovered electronic music in places where there wasn't much of a scene for it - particularly when you factor in that in the early 90's there wasn't an internet. Feels like, back in those days, coming across new CD's/vinyl was a joy of discovery - like unlocking a secret treasure chest. 

Enjoy your stay, have fun!

Ah nice, thx all, such a warm welcome from everyone, cheers.
 

  On 11/2/2021 at 3:01 PM, Silent Member said:

Hello, you seem nice. I know more about you than most other people posting in here. Hope you have fun reading the rules, welcome.

haha, I guess I went right back on that intro huh.
 

  On 11/2/2021 at 3:08 PM, cern said:

Welcome! 

We are all pretty sucked up by electronic music here (specially UK stuff) 

Niice, pleased to hear it.
 

  On 11/2/2021 at 3:35 PM, Rubin Farr said:

Welcome! Never mind the bollocks.

heh, I actually have a Faceless Techno Bollocks Rising High t-shirt

  On 11/2/2021 at 3:42 PM, T3551ER said:

Nice handle!

I'm super surprised it was available actually. 

  On 11/2/2021 at 3:42 PM, T3551ER said:

Feels like, back in those days, coming across new CD's/vinyl was a joy of discovery - like unlocking a secret treasure chest.

Yeah totally, I think that was a massive appeal to me, finding something that was totally outside of the normal world and being totally open to whatever it offered. Also you didn't know who these people were half the time. It was music that steered it, which is definitely something I still hold on now as a core value. 

Thx

rules the read

Hello pokk, I reckon now is the time for some RDJ discussion.  That guy who made decent music in the past *beg*

Can't help but imagine Pokk saying all this excitedly in the open doorway of a bar.

And this is the watmm bar:

  On 11/2/2021 at 3:42 PM, T3551ER said:

Feels like, back in those days, coming across new CD's/vinyl was a joy of discovery - like unlocking a secret treasure chest. 

Definitely. Writing letters or fax messages to WARP office in Sheffield begging for their stuff... They were reliable, always received replies.

Was able to pay coz. I always had a Mastercard. International payment wasn't as easy as today. 

  On 11/2/2021 at 5:27 PM, WurstPLUS said:

I reckon now is the time for some RDJ discussion.

 funnily enough there is a moment check I always say when I meet fellow RDJ fans, "pre or post Come to Daddy?" and it always kicks that off into interesting directions. I haven't actually bought anything of his since Window Licker actually, although really enjoyed the Soundcloud stuff a few years back, mainly as I realised something about my own process compared to his, which has since changed, those Soundcloud tracks/versions/variations showed not only did he write loads of stuff, but he wrote the same track or variations or with similar/same sounds over and over. I definitely spent many years always starting from scratch on everything, but since hearing those, basically spend more time trying to write the same thing over and over and that is already different enough. It's not "quality not quantity" but "quantity makes quality" I feel. Anyway, Aphex Twin, the early stuff, is basically in my DNA, but yeah, respect due to all his stuff obv.
 

  On 11/2/2021 at 5:28 PM, hello spiral said:

And this is the watmm bar

haha that's hilarious, yeah I come equipped with Coffee and a bucket of water to drown those tired eyes and ears, mind I probably needed a nap after my first post tbh
 

  On 11/2/2021 at 5:40 PM, WurstPLUS said:

Writing letters or fax messages to WARP office in Sheffield begging for their stuff... They were reliable, always received replies.

I really appreciated the old faxes and print outs in the post, I remember one explaining how despite their success with LFO they are still doing their thing. A good mate of mine would phone up and would hear them excited about upcoming Aphex releases. Definitely some lessons to learn when flicking back for sure.
 

hmm all these posts are friendly and welcoming. not sure what happened to this forum, maybe the best days are behind it.

glad to have you on board.

Welcome, pokk!

Nice first post - reminded me of being literally the only person that was into electronic music back in my formative days growing up in rural Ohio in the 90s.

What are you listening to lately?

  On 11/2/2021 at 5:46 PM, Extralife said:

reminded me of being literally the only person that was into electronic music back in my formative days

I used to get very strange looks and kids shouting "what the hell you listening to?" on the school bus while hammering out Elephant Song on Bubblebath 4 on a Sony Walkman, man those walkmans would go well loud haha.
 

  On 11/2/2021 at 5:46 PM, Extralife said:

What are you listening to lately?

I've probably been resisting lots of old stuff again recently, trying to unpick what it is I liked about it and trying to use that to navigate today and tomorrow. I've been digging into some old Rising High stuff, mainly around Pete Namlook but also some of the odder hardcore stuff, like the mad sequences by Interface or the Hardcore EP by The Hypnotist.  I think there is definitely something raw and simple about some of that stuff that fuels me today, the energy mostly and probably the sounds that are made are often designed to bend the mind or tweak the ears like some Maryanne Amacher inspired sequence. The same can be said for some of the harder stuff by Aphex, mainly his Tamphex (hedphuq mix) styled hard tracks.

The latest stuff I have been enjoying is mostly is my friends music who doesn't want anything released ever, full of dark sounds, tones and abstract field recordings but done in a way that is really refreshing. I appreciate the way I might have described that it probably sounds dull haha, but it's good. I also went to LUFF festival in Switzerland last week as my partner was playing there, she was amazing obv  but there was loads of good stuff there so still buzzing from that really, super cool people with a decent philosophy being the event too.

Oh, I have been enjoying Logos North Vol.01 very nice Nord Modular stuff, and turns out his studio is just down the road so had a chance to chat with him. Super nice fella, yeah, I recommend getting that if you're into that Frank Bretschneider, or Pan Sonic Sähkö or Audio.nl sound.

Nice first post, and nice to read the welcoming reactions.

  On 11/2/2021 at 1:55 PM, pokk said:

...Dave Angel, Carl Craig, Joey Beltram, Jeff Mills...

12k/Line records and the whole glitch world from those early Mille Plateaux..

Very very fond of the above. Label-wise, 12k is still an instabuy label for me, as Line once was until it moved digital (need to address this lapse). Those 3 labels - along with Raster-Noton & Touch - signalled a big change in my taste and listening habits.

I think we have a common friend, a couple of give aways in your post, will PM you

  On 11/2/2021 at 6:24 PM, Shimon_Shimon said:

Nice first post, and nice to read the welcoming reactions.

I'm truly blown away by how welcoming everyone is, very pleased I made the plunge.

Yes, all those labels were pretty key, I remember listening to the Touch compilation and the opening track from Ryoji Ikeda and that being a total game changer. My speaker cones never moved so much after hearing that when making music haha

PM-ed

  On 11/2/2021 at 1:55 PM, pokk said:

... Kraftwerk's Radioactivity LP [...] I found HIA and Ageispolis by Aphex Twin, but also Dave Angel, Carl Craig, Joey Beltram, Jeff Mills  [...] 12k/Line records and the whole glitch world from those early Mille Plateaux compilations

  On 11/2/2021 at 6:24 PM, Shimon_Shimon said:

Those 3 labels - along with Raster-Noton & Touch - signalled a big change in my taste and listening habits

aye. those were some golden years. I will add Chain Reaction, DIN, !K7, Tresor, Sub Rosa, PIAS...

if there's anything comforting in this world is that we will never run out of good music to explore

  On 11/2/2021 at 6:49 PM, cichlisuite said:

if there's anything comforting in this world is that we will never run out of good music to explore

Some great labels for sure, and you're totally right, so much music even before we get up to today, and still some previous stuff sounds so different listening to it now, it's a joyful and ongoing discovery. I'd almost say the golden era is still going, it's perhaps how relate to what was always considered timeless music at the time and I think in some cases, many actually, still are. I have a feeling something is coming musically though.

  On 11/2/2021 at 6:49 PM, cichlisuite said:

aye. those were some golden years. I will add Chain Reaction, DIN, !K7, Tresor, Sub Rosa, PIAS...

great period. Damn, now I feel guilty for not including Chain Reaction, Tresor, Sub Rosa (love An Anthology of Noise & Electronic Music series) 

I probably should include Sähkö, Kranky, Spekk (especially those first batch of releases) and Room40. 

  On 11/2/2021 at 6:49 PM, cichlisuite said:

if there's anything comforting in this world is that we will never run out of good music to explore

It still amazes me how many artists, labels and releases I'm discovering that have me falling in love, over and over again. Only happened yesterday after checking out the Tom Hall thread.

  On 11/2/2021 at 5:45 PM, nikisoko said:

hmm all these posts are friendly and welcoming. not sure what happened to this forum, maybe the best days are behind it.

we got old, that's what happened. far less angry teens/twenty-something's on here than in the beginning. I do miss some of the lol-tastic insanity from time to time. but don't miss some of the brutal flame wars and trolling that went down between some of the old guard. 

yes, welcome pokk.

  On 11/2/2021 at 7:50 PM, zero said:

we got old, that's what happened.

Thanks for the welcome. I'm knocking on 43 at the moment, although still feel pretty driven but with a dicky back with less hair in some places and more in others

  On 11/2/2021 at 6:17 PM, pokk said:

I used to get very strange looks and kids shouting "what the hell you listening to?" on the school bus while hammering out Elephant Song on Bubblebath 4 on a Sony Walkman, man those walkmans would go well loud haha.

Man, I absolutely adored my old Sony Discman. Have great memories of wandering around Brooklyn listening to Drukqs and Go Plastic, blasting that shit loud as hell against the clang and thunder of the streets.   

  On 11/2/2021 at 5:43 PM, pokk said:

 funnily enough there is a moment check I always say when I meet fellow RDJ fans, "pre or post Come to Daddy?" and it always kicks that off into interesting directions. I haven't actually bought anything of his since Window Licker actually, although really enjoyed the Soundcloud stuff a few years back, mainly as I realised something about my own process compared to his, which has since changed, those Soundcloud tracks/versions/variations showed not only did he write loads of stuff, but he wrote the same track or variations or with similar/same sounds over and over. I definitely spent many years always starting from scratch on everything, but since hearing those, basically spend more time trying to write the same thing over and over and that is already different enough. It's not "quality not quantity" but "quantity makes quality" I feel. Anyway, Aphex Twin, the early stuff, is basically in my DNA, but yeah, respect due to all his stuff obv.

 

Expand  

On the quantity makes quality tip: https://medium.com/@codenameyau/the-power-of-iteration-adc5f14e4f0a 

  On 11/2/2021 at 9:04 PM, T3551ER said:

On the quantity makes quality tip: https://medium.com/@codenameyau/the-power-of-iteration-adc5f14e4f0a 

This article is great, 100% agree. School life and education has a lot be responsible for and it’s been a while since I’ve been to school but doubt failure is integrated at all in positive ways and suspect punishment is still being used under an authoritative system. 
 

i found embracing failure truly a game changer, and when speaking about it with people in work, the fear in peoples eyes showed how hard this is for people. These are people that shape our world and influence outcomes, operating under fear of failure, loosing a job, being assessed and judged under a work performance review etc 

Great article, gets to the point and delivers the important message. I particularly enjoyed this line at the end

“Focus on the journey, not the destination.”