Not breaking any posting rules, I hope (not intentionally anyway), but just wanted to share a mini album (26 minutes) I recently completed and I’m kind of proud of. This is sample-based music, so very much Avalanches/DJ Shadow inspired (and yes, cynics will say it’s just “stealing bits of other peoples’ music” but surely that argument is redundant by now). On the Avalanches Reddit page we quite often share amateur and homegrown music, and this is the first time I’ve been brave enough to do it. Feels good to actually finish something creative!
There’s a minute-long sampler for those who just want a flavour – https://soundcloud.com/arthur-cowslip/found-horizons-the-sampler
And a Mixcloud page if you can’t play Soundcloud – https://www.mixcloud.com/arthur-cowslip/found-horizons/
minibreakfast says
Yay! Started listening as soon as I got the email notification, but got interrupted, so will continue tomorrow. So far so great! Very Avalanche-y.
Tiggerlion says
You get notification? By email?
minibreakfast says
Yes, if you join Mixcloud you can follow Arthur here, and get notifications of new uploads: https://m.mixcloud.com/arthur-cowslip/
minibreakfast says
(You can follow me too, but don’t hold your breath: https://m.mixcloud.com/CarBootVinylDiaries/ )
Tiggerlion says
Crackerlacking!
Arthur Cowslip says
Cheers! Glad Mini likes the mini album.
Yes, I noticed it’s been a while since you’ve posted any carbootvinyl stuff! Any shows in the pipeline?
minibreakfast says
One, but it needs dyna-rod.
Moose the Mooche says
Hell-oooo!
Lando Cakes says
Hey, I like this – nice work!
Arthur Cowslip says
Aw thanks. Love you too.
H.P. Saucecraft says
Yebbut this is just stealing bits of other peoples’ music, innit?
Vulpes Vulpes says
I recognise those letters. There’s a ‘Y’ and a couple if ‘b’s I’m certain I’ve seen before. You’re just posting bits of other people’s posts, you rascal.
Arthur Cowslip says
Oooh, you cynic, you.
Wilson Wilson says
That was great, cheers!
Arthur Cowslip says
🙂
Ainsley says
Call me old-fashioned, but any way to download it, Arthur?
fentonsteve says
Is it available on half-speed-mastered vinyl?
Ainsley says
Worked it out all on my own! Looking forward to a listen once I can crank it up later
Arthur Cowslip says
Glad to hear it. I was just about to send out a messenger pigeon with a wax pressing.
Sewer Robot says
As the geezer wot wrote a post entitled “Are The Avalanches All That?”, I feel my praise might be worth less than that of others, but I did enjoy your mini album, Arthur.
I don’t think I’ve felt so contented and relaxed since my last session in an MRI machine (and they didn’t have Aretha loops).
I imagine, although it was an easy listen it took a lot of work on your end…?
Arthur Cowslip says
I remember that post! Believe it or not, I started writing up an impassioned reply in defence of them, but got distracted and moved on to something else.
I DO get why folk think they (and other sample-based music, or “plunderphonics” as the kids seem to be calling it these days) are treated with some skepticism. I go through the same doubts myself. But you know, music is music. They themselves call it “collage”, which I can relate to – “collage” feels like a legitimate art form.
I wear my Avalanches influence on my sleeve, but it’s an honest reaction to a band that changed my life and my musical ears. I gave up on electronic/hip-hop/etc music years ago, thinking I was too old for it (in my early thirties!), then when Wildflower came out in 2016 it knocked me cold and reminded me of this band I had loved years ago. A masterpiece of “electronic/hip-hop/etc” music being created by guys (or, a guy) on the wrong side of forty – it sent me running for my turntables again.
The Good Doctor says
I’m amazed in the days when Hip Hop/R&B *is* mainstream Pop that there’s no easy way of sampling and clearing with the rights owners – surely with the dwindling money from music everyone would be willing to make it as easy as possible to let people use their samples and get paid?! Someone wants to use a forgotten bit of music you made 50 years ago and make a new tune out of it and you might get a big payday for it? Nope – call the Lawyers. The music biz is still approaching sampling as if it was the glory days of million selling 7″ singles so it still involves endless legal wrangling and nonsense (hence the gap between Avalanches albums).
Mike_H says
Any field of endeavour that gets too reliant on competing teams of lawyers, each team seeing it as their duty to their client (and the magnitude of their fee) to stiff everyone else, will grind slowly and expensively. Music is just one of the many.
But yes. You’d think by now there’d be a properly-organised clearing house for samples, where the rights to everything could be registered, filed and easily researched.
Music only really started to become an actual Industry about 60 years ago and sampling has been going on for nearly half of that time.
Mavis Diles says
I like this. Did I hear a bit of Evening Star in there?
Arthur Cowslip says
Nope! You mean Fripp and Eno? I’ve got Neil Diamond, Burt Bacharach, Marlon Brando and Buddy Holly. But no Fripp and Eno.
Glad you like it anyway!
Mavis Diles says
Yeah that’s what I thought at around 6 minutes. Doesn’t matter, wherever it came from! I really like this.