piezo

[gurdonark]

Last night my electric kazoo arrived in the mail. As I've journaled before, I consider the kazoo a charming and life-affirming metaphor for every DIY thing worth doing in this world. When I saw the electric kazoo on eBay, I knew that sooner or later, I'd have to buy one. Sure, I understood that an electric kazoo must amount, more or less, to a Radio Shack pickup hitched onto a standard kazoo. But I thought that buying one "pre-packaged" would save me the problem of figuring out how to rig one up myself. This will propel me back into home recording again. I like those recording words, like "piezo". I think my petty pursuits sound much more fascinating when I can use words like "piezo". Now if I can solve the problem of amplification without expenditure, then incredible music will no doubt result.

My eBay bid for a home 4 track studio again was unsuccessful.
This points up to me a problem in the eBay auction process.
A 4 track cassette recorder is really obsolete technology, and usually costs about 100 dollars on "everything must go" retail, at those stores called "whatever Music" that usually seem to be on the verge of going themselves. Yet eBay auctions on well-used ones will sometimes nearly hit retail.
I don't buy on eBay to pay what things are worth. I buy on eBay to save money. I wonder if I can blame my Scots Irish heritage (part of a typical southern Scots Irish/English/German mix) for my sense of thrift, or if I am simply slurring myself.

I am beginning to think outside the box. I have portable cassettes, low fidelity, high hiss. I have a decent Panasonic two track stereo cassette recorder I got for nearly nothing on eBay. I have a deep desire to create odd sound. Surely with an electric kazoo, a piece of PVC pipe disguised as a didgejeridoo, two electric football fields an electric autoharp and Pringle's cans filled with beans, it's okay to have a lot of tape hiss in the mix.

I got an important work project done yesterday. But so often I find myself with what I'll call the obverse dilemma. So many writers face the problem of generating enough material.
My problem on this project was distilling the thirty pages I wanted to say into ten pages of permitted content.

I've been researching this M.P.H. idea. It's not a bad one.
Now if I can only find someplace that offers it on-line at dramatically less cost than the ones I've found so far.

Comments

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

i love the thought of an electric kazoo! (i love kazoos.) ditto the pringles cans filled with beans. anything coming out of this project is going to be entertaining. :)

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

What she said! I've got a special place in my heart for odd instrumentation. "This band's members played drums, bass, bagpipes, and hurdy-gurdy? Ooh, I think I want this CD!"

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I keep meaning to go to anomalousrecords.com and load up on things. I love their submission guidelines--"if it sounds like music, it's probably not right for us".

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

I just looked at the site, and they appear to be closing... or, judging from the date, they've closed. Am I misreading something?

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

My goodness. They are closing. This will leave a void! Perhaps that is my true destiny. an independent noise label. I already have one release, after all.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a plan. Hey, if I had money, I'd certainly support your efforts!

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I can't remember if I sent you my CD of noise, or not, but if you'd like one gratis, I still have a few left.

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

haha! me too. we'll form a fan club!

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I can hardly wait to get started. also, it's time to start eBaying "Vibrating Electric Fields" again, for the xmas rush :)

[poetbear.livejournal.com]

traditionally didgejeridoos are supposed to be
made by the player. who says you can't use PVC?
as a matter of fact, i've seen one such being played.
my ethnicity(what a strange word,eh?)is Scots Irish/
English/German/Amerind, but i think it has little
to do with my personality, or maybe it does. let's
see...thriftiness...fiery temper,aloofness,love beer,
try to live with nature...OMG! i'm a stereotype!
whatever, i'm ready for another release on the Gurdonark
label! just wish i could contribute to the music.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Just make any instrument at home, record it on a cassette and send it to me and I'll work it in someplace :)~!

[poetbear.livejournal.com]

dunno about making an instrument
i've got a set of jazz drumsticks around here
if i can find them
guess i might improvise something.
don't be anxious for speeed. as you may
have noticed, i'm built for comfort now.
~paul

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

definitely slow, easy and without pressure!

[poetbear.livejournal.com]

><(((>swimming
slowly
upstream
=^_~=paul

[asphalteden.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I get down on the world, like we really screwed it up.

But the fact that we created something like electric kazoos can act like a redeemer, for sure.

I was sad to see Anomalous go out of biz, too.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Today I went to flea markets all over New Hope, Texas, buying cheap cassettes and CD stereos for 3 dollars each. I'll soon record on each of the cassettes with the electric kazoo, and see if I can have an overdub symphony. My optimism is restored; provided that it works.

Small labels are so one person oriented. Things like this make me remember that one person can make a difference. The torch seems to be dangling out there, but I'm not sure I'm cool enough to start a new record label now :)

that's cheap mike!

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I do have this theory that hobbies should be done on a shoestring, perhaps my personal reaction to consumerism.

I'd love to send you a copy of "Vibrating Electric Fields", my CD for which noise is too dignified a word. Just let me know where to send it, and off it'll go!

Re: yer nothin' but a cheap mick

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Yes, I've seen the fostex (and maybe an earlier generation of it? x8? I'm not sure) and the TASCAM one. I shoulda gotten one of the 100 dollar ones on sale last xmas.

[laruth.livejournal.com]

An electric kazoo? Now that would be interesting.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

It's cool to look at--now I have to try it out!