"Swine Flu Hemagglutinin"

Not really what I'd call "ambient" music, but interesting nonetheless.

The algorithm I used is a bit complicated, but just in case you’re curious: since the gene is expressed as a surface protein antibodies can sense, it’s considered as a string of amino acids. Each beat corresponds to one amino acid, and the piece is in 3/4 time, so each six measures would correspond to five turns around the alpha structure.

“Swine Flu Hemagglutinin”: amino acid sequence as ambient music

(Live +) In Person

Stars of the Lid Live Show in NYC I have to say, I find seeing ambient artists doing live shows to be pretty boring. I find the music to be pretty useless without some context for, well, use. I'm falling pretty hard here into one side of what an old literary theory professor of mine called the Kant/St. Augustine divide, and I think that's fine. Maybe you have other ideas, and I think that's fine as well.

But I'm also pretty interested in expanding the spirit of what this site has been doing for the last few years, and so I'd like to start thinking about some ways of getting the music I point to on this site out from under your headphones and out into the actual world for use. But in a way that's a bit more indirect than promoting live shows. That's not very interesting to me.

So consider this an invitation for artists, designers, and anyone else reading to collaborate on some kind of project that applies ambient music to the world. I really have no idea what that means, but I'd like to try to do something. If you have an interest, or ideas, or anything, leave a comment, shoot me an email at ambientmusicblog at gmail.com, or berate me via twitter.com/ambientmusic.

New Seaworthy CD + Book from 12k

b1897 "Coming soon on 12k is the new CD by Australia’s Seaworthy. Recorded an an abandoned ammunitions depot outside of Sydney, “1897″ is a stark and haunting work of minimalist guitar and field recording. Along with the CD, 12k will be producing a 64-page book of photographs taken by Seaworthy’s Cameron Webb shot in and around the military installation during the recording of the album. Only 50, numbered, copies of this book will be printed and sold together with the CD."

More at the 12k blog

Absolute Minimum

Anyone who has followed this site for a while knows it comes and goes, that I tend to take a few weeks here and there and not post anything. And that's mostly because I don't have much of an interest in posting during those times. I feel a touch bad about it, because I know how it is to follow sites and want to consistently get new stuff from them. But, in the long term, it's better for me, and therefore better for the site and hopefully for you if I follow my interests and not get caught up in the weight of expectation or guilt. So, in the meantime, hey, have a look at this new site:

Absolute Minimum: A blog of minimalist art, music, and literature

I've got a new podcast and some posts queued up, and they'll be along shortly. Thanks for reading.