shelter/isolation

by Greg Bem

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Originally entitled "Shell/Isolation," "shelter/isolation" includes several shorter micro-series that are posted separately as individual works. Shell/Isolation is the larger collection of these micro-series.

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1.	Fry and Wash 07:54	info	buy track
2.	Shields 01:44	info	buy track
3.	Carpet 03:40	info	buy track
4.	Source pt 1 02:23	info	buy track
5.	Chair 02:45	info	buy track
6.	Augment 04:35	info	buy track
7.	Source pt 2 01:42	info	buy track
8.	Spins 12:06	info	buy track
9.	Sweep 03:07	info	buy track
10.	Source pts 3 and 4 03:14	info	buy track
11.	Swipe 02:14	info	buy track

about

50% of this album's proceeds will be donated to the ACLU.

This is the first audio project I have worked on in 17 years.

Since mid-March, I've been teaching myself Ableton Live. I had minimal DAW and audio editing experience prior to the pandemic, but have been interested in manipulating field recordings for years. This project is a rapid experiment in exploring the range of Ableton without a music background. Rough and spilling out into strange corners, this work is far from polished. It also has not been collaborative, nor has it been reviewed by external listeners for revision/refinement. I wanted this first project to be utterly isolated by nature of when/where it was created.

This album explores the nature of isolation. The college I work at was the first major epicenter of COVID-19 in the United States. After it became a presence in the daily lives of everyone in Seattle (and beyond), the nature of being isolated and under lock-down led me to think a lot about the value of the immediate. I have enjoyed connecting with the world around me in ways that complement awareness and intentionality. I also find myself considering monotony, fatigue, and the flexibility of limitations within the space I live and work.

All sounds used in this project were derived from recordings within my apartment in Seattle, recorded between March and July 2020.

Inspired by:
GAS, Merzbow, Arca, PTU, Seefeel, SD Laika, and countless others.

credits

released July 15, 2020

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about

Greg Bem

Poet and librarian based in Cascadia. All works are created using field recordings.

Inspired by noise, ambient electronica, including the work of KMRU, Claire Rousay, Gas, Thomas Köner, Merzbow, Sonic Youth, Clark, Tim Hecker, Oneohtrix Point Never, Einstürzende Neubauten, and Rafael Toral. ... more

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