Podcast #1: NORMALIEN in the Studio

I had the pleasure of getting to visit with NORMALIEN in his Lower Haight studio and record some of his awesome electronic jams!

Normalien performing live in his studio

Normalien's new toy: Korg Volca Keys

"The Master"...Roland 606 Drum Machine

                
This is the first drum machine I ever owned. Actually it was my brother's that my dad gave to him but never used so I co-opted it for as long as I possibly could before it was taken back and I believe eventually sold.
Anyway, I spent days and days programming funny beats with lots of excessive timpani and hand claps and recorded songs to a karaoke machine I was borrowing from my friend Robin. He explained that you could essentially use the karaoke machine as a two track recorder because it had two cassettes and would overdub. Also, it had a terrible reverb effect that I cranked up and it sounded pretty shitty.
After I was done recording a song, I'd go and try it out in the cassette player of my truck. Actually the truck wasn't really mine either but I'd go for a drive and listen to myself wailing with these funny beats.  I didn't like a whole lot of music back then other than my collection of 80's movie soundtracks so I was kind of just making music for myself and I only played it for maybe one or two people.

Feeling the Cube

my solo project

Run through the desert to find your love
It's getting colder and can't be found
Slips away like desert sand
Try to hold it in your hand

White Sands...

Felt so perfect knew in your soul
Everything changes as we get old
The sphinx looks on it's spirit moves
you through the night it carries you

White Sands...meet you in White Sands

Wonderful track "Troll House" from the unclassifiable and transient band Clipd Beaks.  Playing with Lumerians and 3 Leafs tomorrow night in Oakland.

Mysterious DemonGrass trio play analog techno/funk, and other acts of random madness.  Here is a rare sighting at Robotspeak in the Lower Haight earlier this summer.

Slipping back into darkness...into sorrow
beauty in this solitude, gazing out into the city

Fresh & Funky Functionality

Oakland's tokin' but never chokin'

Long awaited debut full length from Oakland duo Rxccxxns (pronounced Rickscakexuhncoines, or just Raccoons), these guys prefer to take their time and blossom sloooowly, reigning in the low-fi ambience to unearth deep melodies and caribbean dreams

Melodica Nautica

Normalien kicks it in the Lower Haight making some eclectic ass music...mostly electronic with shades of darkwave. This minimal melodica tune is a jammin' gem 

Masha Pershay (DJ MashiMashi) constructs a minimal groove that bubbles along with psychic intuition, channeling the sister brother mommy daddy city of late night Berlin

hello today is cool