krispenhartung : Message: Music Unfit for Children

Hello all -

Here's an update on the new CD project I am working on, "Music Unfit for Children," and three sound clips linked below.

Most of the songs on this project are, or will be done with nothing but children's toys (my own kids') and manipulation with my laptop, max/msp and/or reaktor.

I just finished mastering the third song, "Electronic Toothbrush Ensemble," which I really like. It has two separate tracks mixed together. The first one is of my 2 year old twins brushing their teeth one morning, with their Sponge Bob and Dora the Explorer electronic toothbrushes. I caught them in action, and in wandering stereo, and I then processed the recording with the Lexicon PSP 84 VST plugin and some waves gold reverb.

The second track is of me playing on a big boy's toy, or what I call the "Joe Rut Machine." This is a contraption that Joe Rut from Lumper-Splitter made and played at the Boise Experimental Music Festival. He and Lucio gave it to me as a gift after the festival with most all the musicians' signatures on it. I decided to use it. I played it and processed and looped the sound in real time with max/msp only. It's a really cool and fascinating instrument.

The Electronic Toothbrush Ensemble has a playful, Twilight Zone ("Little Girl Lost"), yet dark sort of feel to it. You can hear my kids brushing their teeth, giggling, talking, and eventually getting bored and brushing the surface of the refrigerator. Then you have the bizarre processed sound of the Joe Rut Machine in the background. There is one one section at 2:03 that is just hilarious. There is a bit of climax in the music that has a ominous feel to it...a tri-tone movement, and coincidentally, Kyra, my daughter starts saying "No, no, no, no!!!".

Kris

1. Bright Lights

http://www.box.net/shared/23ayk5ppif (MP3)

Featured instrument: The vtech "Bright Lights" phone

http://www.toysrus.com/sm-bright-lights-phone--pi-2373416.html

This toy has some interesting sounds: frog, duck, weird atonal phrase (unusual for a kids toy), some goofy melodies, etc.