clips of Jim Cole's "Godspace" are up

I feel sort of weird about posting this here (but it's not gonna stop
me!) as I mostly lurk on the various tuning lists and have no well-
developed theoretical approach to microtonality. Nonetheless,
several of you know me and know of our harmonic overtone vocal music
so I'm confident this may be of some interest here. Thanks for
listening:

We're about a month away from the release of Godspace and finally
there are two clips of it exclusively at our site:

http://www.spectralvoices.com/clips.htm

More clips of Godspace will be posted there soon. There is also an
image of the cover - splendid art work by David Opdyke! (of
Ambientrance fame) - at the site on the News page...although the
compression doesn't quite do it full justice.

Thank you for your ongoing support - any and all constructive
feedback is encouraged.

Enjoy!

~Jim Cole
Spectral Spiral Music
http://www.spectralvoices.com
jimcole@...
P.O. Box 466 S. Glastonbury, CT 06073 USA

...also clips from Leland Burr's newly released "Hover" album, and...

"The Hollow" by Mathias Grassow & Jim Cole

Jim Cole feature interview at AmbiEntrance:
http://www.spiderbytes.com/ambientrance/intcole.htm

Spectral Voices airing on Cox Cable public access channel every
Monday eve at 11 PM

"Sky" and "Coalescence" - Spectral Voices' albums of spacious soaring
harmonic overtone singing within a water tower.

Dear Jim,

{you wrote...}
>I feel sort of weird about posting this here

Don't.

>... as I mostly lurk on the various tuning lists and have no >well-developed theoretical approach to microtonality.

Neither do I, and I started this list! As far as I'm concerned, we start with the music, and then can go from there to discussing what went into making it...

>Nonetheless, several of you know me and know of our harmonic overtone >vocal music
>so I'm confident this may be of some interest here.

Just in case those on the list *don't* know of Jim's work, do give these clips a listen; Jim, once again you have beautiful, timeless vocal voyages going on. Do let us know when the project is complete, because I can't wait to hear it in full fidelity and stereo.

Beautiful work, feel free to tell the group a little more about its genesis.

Cheers,
Jon

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., "Jonathan M. Szanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:

> Just in case those on the list *don't* know of Jim's work, do give
these
> clips a listen; Jim, once again you have beautiful, timeless vocal
voyages
> going on.

Jim replying:

Thanks very much Jon for your kind words here.

> Do let us know when the project is complete, because I can't wait
> to hear it in full fidelity and stereo.

I shall.

> Beautiful work, feel free to tell the group a little more about its
> genesis.

Again, thank you - I appreciate the warm welcome of my "Godspace"
announcement by the List Mom ;-) and the invitation to tell a bit
about its creation.

After "losing" the water tower (where we sang up until '96) we went
through a period of trying to replicate its spacious ambience
electronically. Lack of $$, knowledge, and then parenthood slowed
the efforts. Finally, last year I had saved enough money to get some
decent gear.

I began alone playing with the equipment to find a big water-tower-
like space (using Echoplex, TC Electronic M-1 reverb, Mackie mixer
and a nicer mic) and projected the sound into our living room. After
several sessions learning to work with the mixer, program new reverb
settings in M-1, and looping the 'Plex (I had never worked with
electronics before - spoiled by the "pure" acoustics of our first
studio - the water tower) some magic began to flow as I relaxed and
got more comfortable with the tools. I didn't record during sessions
until something sounded particularly interesting. Then I just turned
on the DAT - after about 9 months of this process I had about a dozen
or so promising pieces. "Godspace" is made up of just three long
ones (whole CD is just under 74 mins) and it's simply looped
and 'verbed voices recorded in one take - much of it incorporates
harmonic overtone singing and some of it contains
other "experimental" vocal production that's hard (for me) to
describe. There's no post production EQ'ing or processing and we
pretty much mastered it with the fade in's and out's that happened at
the moment of their creation (except one fade in).

...Thanks for offering me the floor Jon, and again for the
encouraging comments!

BTW, this set up is what we Spectral Voices are using for practices,
recording and performances now too, and it's much more practical to
go into a venue and be able to sculpt the space into each particular
space we sing in rather than try to hold a concert in an abandoned
water tower! :)

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., "jacky_ligon" <jacky_ligon@y...> wrote:
>I went out an listened to the clips
> yesterday, and found them to be at your usual level of beauty.
>
> This one has a different sound to it somehow. Really like it.

Thanks Jacky! I guess it is somehow a different sound - different
space, different time. Hoping we Spectral Voices will develop an
album this year with that set up.

>
> BTW - What is "microtonality"?
>
> ; )

Ha Ha! That's a good one - and a good one to keep asking as we go
on :-)

> Seriously - a "developed theoretical approach" is not near as
> important as being able to make beautiful music that will endure
> repeated listening. In this regard, you are very highly developed
in
> the most important area IMHO.

Jacky, your support and enthusiasm for our music is dear to me - Wow,
thanks man!!

> Your music is perfection to me. Love all I've been privileged to
hear.

...as is yours to me. Music, and music-making, is an overwhelmingly
wonderful thing/experience/process. Much appreciate the kind
reverberations!!!

Thank you Jacky and Jon again - when I'm having a bad day I know
where to come back to for support and encouragement :-)

~Jim