Runcome Sound Dubsession @ LVC (Leiden, NL)

Runcome Sound is back! Featuring MC Papa Aya, the Soweto Lion, original roots & culture DJ and reggae ambassador, blessed with a voice as sweet as Gregory, but switching to ruffneck just as easily :) Aya will be joined by mad scientist and dub producer Tony Dubshot (a.k.a. Anton Banton) on selector duties and random noise making.

Pain and painting ~ a short and incomplete guide to painter biopics

Biographical movies about famous painters are always about pain. The suffering makes these visionary prophets of art more Jesus-like and sometimes it also deepens their work on an emotional level, but believe it or not.. even Bob Ross suffered!

Out now: Boomski - She was a rough rider

Download: dubbhism-netlabel-008-boomski-she-was-a-rough-rider.rar

The Tao of FM Synthesis #3 ~ Basic combinations and extra hands

Here's a thing that's confusing about FM synthesis: it's the simple fact that each synth is different. The FM controls are never quite the same. For example, we’ve been talking about ratios in episode 2. Remember: the ratio between the pitch of the ‘basic sound’ and the pitch of the ‘effect sound’ is extremely important in FM.

Schaffende Hände - Wassily Kandinsky (1926)

Schaffende Haende - Wassily Kandinsky (1926) - music by christian losert from Christian Losert on Vimeo.

Out now: Crack my pitch up (Split Notes)

IMAGINE a new musical instrument that can play any sound you like. Surely that would sound quite different from the stuff most musicians pump out routinely. But seriously: how about something REALLY new for a change, because that's what this compilation is all about. Sounds you've never heard before. Call it 'xenharmonic' music (or if that's too hard just call it 'off key').

The Tao of FM Synthesis #2 ~ Find the octaves

In the first episode of ‘The Tao of FM Synthesis’ we got a nice simple picture of FM Synthesis: imagine you grab a singer by the throat and start shaking, very forcefully and at warp speed. The resulting sound effect would be what we call FM (frequency modulation).

Just another false prophet

If you believe this stupid little (not to mention unattractive) octopussy can predict tomorrow's final, there must be something wrong with you :)

Grilling the Messenger - Germany Sours on Octopus Oracle

Out now: Glamma Woods - Keepin it steady

Download: dubbhism-netlabel-007-glamma-woods-keepin-it-steady.rar

The Tao of FM Synthesis #1 ~ Musical terminology please

In this first episode of The Tao of FM Synthesis we’re going to try to get a good, basic mental picture of what FM Synthesis actually is. Right now we’re not interested in the weird, technical stuff. All we want are some clues to help us get more predictable results while tweaking a sound. In short, it’s all about MUSIC, not PHYSICS.

Bring back dub inna the dance

Science time again! In the beginning there was dub, but then DJs took over. Now everybody's getting tired of that, time to check out a new generation of dancehall dub. Producers like Process Rebel, Subatomic Sound System, Vuelo and Jah Billah.

SCIENTIFIC DANCEHALL ~ heavyweight dancehall riddims in dub

Out now: Boomski - The cult of the sine wave

Download: dubbhism-netlabel-006-boomski-the-cult-of-the-sine-wave.rar

The Tao of FM Synthesis ~ introduction

PUNISHMENT is a very effective technique for modifying a musician’s behavior. If there is a clear and predictable relationship between a certain behavior, like for example fiddling around with FM synthesis, and the outcome (confusion, anger, frustration, despair) behavior will be modified in such a way that a musician avoids more PUNISHMENT. In the case of FM that means we avoid creating our own sounds.

Subwoofers and the Animal Kingdom

Douglas Adams explains why the booming mating calls of the Kakapo (a large, heavy, flightless parrot from New Zealand) are not very effective. The story begins at around 33 minutes.