Tons to come.

We got so much great music in the can, coming up soon. All brand new, and all amazing. I hate to brag but the next few Blips and Ifs tracks are going to be ones you remember... hang on....

album cover?

I think fog is just about the coolest thing to take photos in.....

Audio Toy Field Test # 7

Gronk is released and available at blipsandifs. Use the links on the right of this site to navigate to the Audiotoys section. This brings us to where we are now...discussions amoung the producers are heading in the direction of more. All these cool developments has re-invigorated the team and we plan on making many more releases this year. Not just audiotoys and superflat singless either.

One of the biggest issues I've noticed about the blipsandifs collections is the difficulty of navigation. If you wanted to learn about the singles or look at the covers you would have to navigate our html page at blipsandifs but soon we will release the new XML jukebox created using the same technologies and research we've put into the audio toys. Although the jukebox isn't an audiotoy. It is an MP3 player that will show you the cover of each single, allow you to listen to all the songs, read the blogpost that was released from it, and play all our archives. We are very excited that we've got the knowledge to achieve this and are heading into the user interface and debugging stages.

Tachikoma is also madly at work developing new sounds and concepts for gronk and the second proposed audiotoy: Paper. Stay tuned...

I am in love with the city

Seriously.... in the love.

Superflat Single #53 / Tachikoma vs. [710W3]

The cover says it all, on this one.

2007's just begun and Tachikoma is living in a giant glowing white tower in the Fraser Valley. He's dropping dark trip-hop remixes that aren't anything like his usual idyllic glitch love-ins. This is a good example of Tachikoma's patented 'double-wheel break manipulation,' and some prickly synth lines are lurking in the background, too. He's colluding with the Chinese Mafia. He's harder, darker, and less friendly. The dream state is a police state.

Listen to blipsandifs053.mp3 - 2.7 MB

Superflat Single #52 / Dub Bear vs. [710W3]

Ever since we signed Dub Bear, that guy's been producing up a 7-bit storm.

Here he turns in a rub-a-dub remix of [710W3]'s hit from last year, 'fried egg dream state.' The synth stabs are straight from Germany, and the VCF is pulsating. Dub Bear even runs his whole final mix through a range of low-grade effects boxes boxes boxes boxcfffffff until the echoes are recorded to a floppy disc and mailed to a P.O. box next to a salmon-filled stream in Alaska.

We have another remix of this track coming up soon too, so you might want to buy new subwoofers.

Listen to blipsandifs052.mp3 - 2.5 MB

Audiotoy # 1 / Gronk

Just over a year ago we posted the first A.T. Field Test and announced our concept of going beyond releasing MP3's by adding Audiotoys to the Blips and Ifs roster. Gronk was a terrific first release for the series as well, as Gronk very simply with it's crooked slider explains that this isn't going to be quite like any ordinary slider. Tachikoma's specifically designed sounds fade nicely and create a classic Blips and Ifs soundscape. This toy is creative commons. We heavily encourage you to use it in live performances, recordings or to even break it open to re-write the code, or substitute new sounds. That's right! Visit our Audiotoy section to read more about how you can be a part of Blips and Ifs Audiotoys phenomenon.

Hardware AudioToys.

Can't believe I found and bought an audiotoy in a store.

I bought two of Tomy's "SwitchSwitch" series. Each one is a small object with a few LEDs and a switch.

Basically, if you turn the switch position to On, it emits a powering-up mechanical-type sound. This will loop until you turn it to Off. When it reaches Off it will emit a powering-down sound. Then the Standby LED will flash for a few minutes and then turn off to save battery power.

What's really funny about them is that if you leave them On for too long, they will emit an overloaded sound and then automatically shut down. The switch won't move back to the On position, but they will enter Standby mode anyway.

They're awesome. They're also magnetic: I stuck 'em to my DX7. But they won't play in your browser, so we still have a tactical edge.

Wow.

I totally felt those quakes that they're talkin' about. But I never thought that they'd make it on CNN.

Superflat Single #51 / Tachikoma vs. [710W3]

Lately I've heard Tachikoma mention two major collaborations between the two of us: The Malchiks and the new up and coming Audiotoy. We have been a part of many cool collaborations including this bloglabel, a number of smaller musical projects, the name of my first born etc... but there has been a new collaboration that Tach may have just realized has happened.
The first official collaboration between two Blips and Ifs producers. Of course there was always that Cheese Richards and Milk Jagger thing. Even thought the Boats and I made that track together, it wasn't officially released as The Boats and [710W3]. So I'm not going to count that one or any of the DAT mining either. Therefore this is the first official collaboration. On December 14th 2006 Tachikoma emailed a Reason music file to me. Making sure we can actually send files between his computer to mine. He was just working the bugs out of operating a Worldwide Blog Label. Little did he know that to his track I added a 'distinctive angst filled [710W3] feeling' to some of the classic glitchy dub sounds of Tachikoma. Maybe not as significant a collaboration as the Malchiks, the creation of this label, the very First Audiotoy or Superflat Single, but an awesome mix of two very different producers none the less.

Listen to blipsandifs051.mp3 - 1.5 MB

Supercrap Single #1 / Tadx7koma

As soon as I got my new old DX7 home, I plugged it right in and started recording it.

I'll just provide some specific notes about this track:

1. All sounds are made by the DX7, with no processing at all except volume level adjustment and panning, and a touch of reverb at the end. The drums were made by my Nord Micro Modular.

2. All 32 of the original patches in the synth were used, I flipped between them. What's really odd is that by about midnight that same night, some had dissappeared. I think the battery in the synth's internal memory is malfunctioning. For example: preset #14 was a short pitched drum sound, which you can hear me tapping out a rhythm on at the end of the recording. But two hours later, #14 was a 'normal' synth sound. Also, patches 29-32 worked fine while tracking this, but by the end of the night, they were all blank / silent. Wierd.

3. This isn't supposed to really be a song, so much as a document of the good vibes you get when playing a synth you just bought. Take a listen. The sounds are surprisingly good, although undoubtedly cliched.

4. In the japanese language, the number seven is pronounced 'chi.'


Listen to 32Patches.MP3 - 4 MB

Frequency Modulation Heaven.

Hello, I am now the proud owner of a Yamaha DX7.

The story is simple. I walked by a guitar store here in Taipei and they had a small synth section in the back. For the price tag of 150$CDN, you could buy a beat up old DX7 synth. All the keys, mod wheel, pitchbend wheel, and output in working order. As I played with it a bit, I noticed that the LCD display screen was totally broken.

I pointed this out to the sales guy and used it as leverage to negotiate him down to half price. Then I had it wrapped up and lugged it back to my place. It's really heavy.

Back at my place I found that it's in good working order, except for the screen as I said. The power cord appears to be one with a Hong Kong plug, but there is an adapter taped on permanently. Also, it transmits midi data on channel 12, and I can use it as a controller for my Nord Micro Modular.

All 32 of the preset patches work. I doubt I'll ever edit it anyway. It sounds .... well it sounds like a DX7. I'm extremely happy now, because I got a good deal on a half-dead hunk of synthesizer history. Of course the first thing I did was record myself jamming with it, and I'll post the results very soon.

Kudos, Dr. Chowning! My hat is off to you.

The future is gronk.

I have done looked into the future and it is pretty.

Prettier than this pic, anyway. This is what came up when I googled gronk.

The future is gronk. It's our first audio toy. I didn't make it, [710W3] did. That guy is Gerhard Behles, I'm just Robert Henke. If you understand that. Google helps too.

I played with the beta of gronk today. It's so.... perfect. It's perfecter than anything I've built in my nord micro modular, that's for sure.

The success of gronk blows away the first 50 superflat singles. It doesn't devalue them. But it's an amazing departure. It shows you what a few guys brainstorming in a rat-infested garage can do. But mostly one guy.

My hat is off to you, moil. Kudos --- and kudos again. You've outdone yourself. Except for your kids, I mean, those two are better than this, but gronk is a close third, and it took longer than 9 months to be born.

Diff'rent Strokes ---> The Facts Of Life.

Spinoff time!

Tachikoma's personal/boring blog can be found here.

Superflat Single #50 / Tachikoma

The big five-oh is finally here. I've never been so happy to hit a meaningless benchmark.

I didn't think, when I started this, if I even think at all, that I'd make it to fifty. And I didn't. We made it.

This is the first track I've made since returning to Taiwan. I plan to make a hell of a lot more. With the help of the blips and ifs team, of course.

Thanks to all of our supporters. The feedback is really appreciated.

And if I may say so: this is only really the first of the projects you're going to see cranking out of the blips and ifs factory. It's not over, but it's a good challenge to live up to for other other projects.

It's Cablegami, kids. Superflat single number fifty. Middle age is sweeter than I thought.

Listen to blipsandifs050.mp3 - 2.5 MB

Superflat Single #49 / [710W3]

I was about to reach down into the archives and do a little DAT mining. I remembered a perfect track from the days just before I became a father. It was a window of time where Tachikoma was in Canada for a few weeks before returning to the other side of the Pacific Rim. I was listening to the track and thinking about a cover when I thought to check if we had already released it as a single. Almost at fifty releases and sure enough we have indeed released 'Are you Dread Cat?' a fantastic track by Tach. As the track had already been released, and I didn't have another one in mind, and I had the time...I made Superflat Single #49. Just for you, just now.
Listen to blipsandifs049.mp3 - 2.1 MB

My Chain.

I recently got a hip hop makeover, Taiwan-style --- by which I mean, I bought a bunch of Chinese knockoff gear in a night market.

I could try to explain my behavior by saying that the clothes I'm sportin' are more at home in the area where I live than where you live.... but I won't. I yam what I yam. This quote sez more than I ever could;

"I got stoopid money so I bought a stoopid chain." ---- Gucci Mane.

39,999 KHz above the GeoFront.

Well, this will be a short but elated broadcast.

I just wanted to let you all know that: I got the internet back up and running at my home here in Taipei.

None of that WiFly wireless junk. Just a 100MBps simple ADSL connection, which can barely upload a 4MB mp3. I doubt I can even watch One Piece on YouTube with it.

But one thing I CAN do is broadcast on Blips and Ifs. As I am doing now.

Please keep it real.

Thank you!

Superflat Single #48 / Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow

Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow are the newest contributors to the Blips and Ifs Superflat Singles collection. I met Tony (the genius behind the Evil Geniuses) during a few parties late October. First time we were carving pumpkin heads and then on Hallowe'en dressed up as Dr.Jacobi from Twin Peaks and I had a pencil in my face. It was good to party with my wife while my kids were subdued by relatives. After the Jello shooters I don't recall that much.

Later that week...
Tony sent me some links to his music, including a Brooklyn style illbient scratch & sample based turntablism track. Superflat Single #48 is that song. The Evil Geniuses were pleased to share their music and we are glad.

Listen to blipsandifs048.mp3 - 2.6 MB

Combattler V.

Hello, this Are Frank.

I am make benefit glorious non-nation of Taiwan.

No but actually, these things are happening:

1. There is a Shima Records comp. coming out w/ me and Moil on it.

2. The remix album betw. Tachikoma and Signalform will come out on a German label shortly.

3. I don't have access to the internet.

Well the third is not so exciting. But actually I am just trying to get back into the loop of producing tracks instead of franking so much. I really am. The lack of gear here isn't helping --- but I can't really blame that to be honest. Maboroshi ni wa.... it's all becoming an illusion. But I am trying, believe it. Until I get back on the horse, moil is gonna drop some mad green jade on y'all, while simultaneously battling McDonald's and his own superbusy schedule. As for the Boats .... well... I'll say nothing, because I am in no position to cast the first stone. But them is'a by's the by that Etc. you do the math.

Sorry for the lack of coherence. But mad props to all who continue to collaborate with me in my current debauched state.

Peace.

....... FINAL FUSION SHOUNIN DA!!! GGG!!!!