Joshua Van Tassel

When you live in a city the size of Toronto, there are bound to be thousands of wonderful nice people spread throughout. There also countless amounts of morons, like the person who decided to shove a lady on the subway last, who then pulled the passenger assistance alarm, which then prevented the train from moving for an undetermined amount of time ( we got off and walked). never heard the sound of the alarm? Here it is, along with our TTC man’s call to the dispatcher and his dismay at waiting……

sounds like this…….

….and haven’t been updating every day like I promised.  I’m sorry, I’ll try harder I swear.Don’t leave me girl. I hereby promise you 3 fresh updates today. Here’s #1.

This when this website takes a little turn into self promotion land. NOW magazine kindly printed a little article about stop.die.resuscitate this week. There’s an old picture, and I’m the guy with the pitchfork. It’s a long story. Anyway, check it out if you feel inclined.
Also, I just bought a camera so I’m going to make a big effort to try and photo document all the sounds that I record. If only there was a device that was a recorder, mp3 player, camera, AND a phone. .. ..I’d call it the megaphone.

Bailing hay was my first job. You can tell by my technique.

I finally got my first passport today, and it was pretty much the easiest thing I’ve ever done. there’s tons of horror stories about 2 and 3 hour wait times, only to be told you didn’t have the proper documentation and you’d have to come back, etc.

I showed up just after 9am this morning armed with a coffee, a book, and my H4, ready to entertain myself by stealing conversations and doing other things of the acoustically voyeuristic nature. There was about 50 people already seated and looking fairly unhappy. Much to my surpirse, I literally didn’t have time to sit down before my number was called. I figured it was a mistake but went up anyway, and the saint of a lady behind the counter patiently explained that because I had went online and filled out the form there, they just scan it in, I sign it, pay 87 bucks and can legally go record conversations in whatever languages I want all over the world. The price of freedom is $87 and an internet connection, amazing.

On a totally unrelated note, here’s some rhythmic sounds that my bag was making as I walked last night. Strange things happen when I take my headphones out of my hears and actually listen.

I also had a chance to be reunited with a good friend and sound genius diego this weekend to work on what’s going to be a really great record from a great songwriter named Edouard Ratiarson. Here’s a terrible attempt at trying to do a panoramic shot when you don’t really know how to operate a camera that well.

playing drums with natural light isn’t something we’re accustomed to….

One of the most interesting parts of being a musician that I’m constantly learning about over time is the whole process of making an album. Every single person you talk to has a different way to approach it. Some need a multi thousand dollar a day complex in Hawaii, others demand vocals done in a church bell tower, and some just want to drink tea and hide in their basement. It’s all relevant and it all works differently for different people.

I’ve been lucky enough lately to do some remixing with stop.die.resuscitate and myself for a few artists that I really respect and love. We were talking yesterday about the whole process, and on a purely geek level, I love doing them because you get a behind the scenes look at what the artist has done to put their song together. You get to hear the separate vocal track, complete with the foot shuffling and usually inaudible grunting of the singer, the creaking of drum stools, and dozens of other interesting sounds that get lost in a full mix of a band. The other crazy thing is that sometimes you listen to individual tracks and realize that alone they sound TERRIBLE, but through the magic combination of whatever each of those musicians do, it adds up to an amazing performance/song.

Here’s something I’m working on for the brave and the bold, Ronley Teper. She’s one of our most creative and interesting song writers, and she’s the only person that lets me use samples of my cat, bees, dolphins, and rusted cans all in the same set…..

“why do have to get all into music and then stop and talk about whether you’re recording or not? I always figured record everything. The only time they should mention it is when it’s not on. But it’s not a perfect world. A lotta people mis the opportunity to record something great waiting for it to start.”

you tell ‘em Neil. No one listens to me anyways.

Ahh, the Eaton Center. Located in heart of Toronto, thousands of people per hour blaze through this mall like possessed children, completely oblivious to the people they’re smoking with their giant shopping bags, or cutting off left and right as you’re walking behind them trying to pass because you keep getting hit by a shopping bag. They’re wrapped up in what they’re doing that hey fail to even take notice of a FIRE ALARM.

Generally when one goes off, you react, but not this day friends, there was shopping to be done. I sat on a bench and recorded and watched for about 3 minutes, and I honestly don’t know if a single other person ( besides the panicked security guards) noticed anything. Maybe the bell is too quiet and friendly sounding? More like a chiming clock then a terrifying call to action?

The geese heard it and they’re out of there. The line ups at Hollister were too long anyway. 

everytime I move this what I hear. It’s going to push me over the edge……….

Silly google calls this a stool. I say piano bench. What does the almighty public think? 

The passing of Canadian blues icon Jeff Healy makes me sad.