Joshua Van Tassel

My good friend Linda gave me a neato little stove top espresso maker last night, and I’m happy. Unlike a bodum however, these things need a little more attention while the coffee making is happening. I discovered this when I heard what sounded like an angry snake pit in my kitchen, and saw steaming black gold pouring forth from the spout. Lesson learned. here’s a one piece piece in honour of my new little steel friend. We’ll work things out I’m sure.

There was coffee in here that was a year old. I cleaned it, used it, and now I see colors I didn’t know existed.

Minutes after I posted my last entry, I received a knock on the door from my landlord who lives upstairs. She very kindly informed me that while she doesn’t mind drums being played in the house ( it gives her something to tap her feet to) that droning racket yesterday afternoon was just awful!! Was it a guitar amplified? Was it a low pitched siren? What WAS it?

That’s right musicians, you heard it here. If you want to drive hat pesky neighbor crazy, throw out that 80’s replica Neil Peart kit you bought and then realized you haven’t even played half of the drums on it, and buy yourself a shiny new bass. The low frequencies get ‘em every time…..

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……..will happen in June, sometime…….I’m not totally sure when…….but I’ll definitely let you know when it does. It’ll be a small thing with probably about thirty physical copies, and after that it’ll be banished to be only available here on the website…the tunes are coming along, just a few more little things to do and we’ll be set. Devon Henderson came by yesterday to do the last of the bass, and made some wonderful sounds for me. Here’s a bit -

or the fact that I’m trying to make music out of a piece of cloth, but today’s piece just wasn’t happening. I usualy give myself 30 minutes to do these things, and it just didn’t seem like enough today. That’s what I get for trusting a wannabe oven mitt. Here’s part of what came out of it……

This is a tune I’m working on with a good friend’s sound in mind, Joel Schwartz. Check him out.

….setting up a mic and checking it, and decided that would be enough to make something. It’s friday, it’s been a busy week and I have nothing more to say. Check it.Check.

I bought some really good coffee but it’s ground just a little too finely, and it’s teasing me. everyday. It kind of works through a bodum but no really. Here’s a piece made with my morning cup. It turned out just ok, like the coffee.

Is it waving at me or telling me to stop? I feel confused.

I’ve been spending a lot of time doing a bunch of different one object pieces for here, and while it’s super fun and the results are encouraging, I realized I was slacking off from all the other instruments I’m lucky enough to have. here’s a quick sample of something I started this morning that’s ending up to be something I may try to finish very soon.

I also had a good talk with a friend who pointed out what a privilege we have regarding our distribution system, aka the internet. Record it and put it out, let it go, learn from it etc…I’m not saying release anything and everything, I’m saying have a listen to the things you’re proud of and feel good about, and do something with it. I’m sure there’s hundreds of artists we all know and love who have tons of unreleased gems just waiting in some hard drive somewhere, but rather then it being shared, they sit being brooded over and manicured endlessly. I’m guilty of it too, but this site is helping motivate me.

….but it’s almost noon so whatever. Me and my 2 favorite friends have been back in the lab for real this time working on the new stop.die.resuscitate stuff, and I think it’s going to make your socks move off your feet. Here’s a very early sample……..

today’s instrument is a tea can. I think this one was my favorite this week, due to the fact that there’s all sorts of sounds in a tin can that lend themselves nicely to this kind of thing. Lots of ringing, pops, and a good combination of soft and hard sounds. I think I’m losing my mind…