Creativity With an Affinity for Darkness
The Dark Opera
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Hey You, thanks for stopping by.

Scroll down for my latest work as well as for whatever's on my mind.

It's not all just dark stuff, so check back for a laugh, some motivation or for pure randomness.
 

I want to read a story

Creating? Just Add Loscil

2/21/2013

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So I’ve had this obsession with playing the song “Like Shadows in an Empty Cathedral” when writing lately.  I’ve tapped it out though and so I thought I’d go searching for more like it.

I stopped by my local record shop in search of music like “From the Mouth of the Sun.” The guy there thinks a sec and points out Loscil’s “Endless Falls” and Rafael Anton Irisarri’s “Reverie.” In passing he comments, “you kind of know what you’re in for by just looking at the cover.” No kidding.  Especially in the case of “Reverie,” but I want to talk about Loscil this time.

I mean, just think about what kind of tone for mystery, the strange, or tension this could enhance:

And don't forget to check out the eerily hypnotic “Estuarine” :

“Loscil is the electronic/ambient music project of Scott Morgan, from Vancouver, BC. The name Loscil is taken from the "looping oscillator" function (loscil) in Csound.” –From Wiki.

To Check out Loscil’s website, click here: http://www.loscil.ca/
The rest of "Endless Falls" is worth checking out. As is Loscil's discography.
- Josh 

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Creating? Just add Myuu

2/4/2013

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I came across Myuu’s work while scouring the Internet for creepy pasta narrators. In certain videos I noticed something in the background noise that was beyond creepy and complimentary to the storyteller’s voice. What I found was captivating. No doubt the result of Myuu’s hard work. It was hardly a discovery however, with his already solid fan base and a close relationship with productive collaborator, Mr. Creepy Pasta (A talented online creepy pasta narrator). 

The musician and composer, also known as Myuuji (Youtube), has a multitude of works, many of them available through creative commons. They range from haunting originals to resonating remixes. Take a listen for yourself:
What kind of images does that produce for you? It could be just the thing to get your creative juices going.

I was so impressed by the sound; I wanted to work with a piece in a reading of my own creation. The product is a synergy I really love. Take a listen. The only song there is Myuuji’s “Disintegrating”:

For more great songs, please visit his Youtube Channel by Clicking HERE
And make sure to head on through and ‘Like’ his Facebook page HERE

New to The Dark Opera? Begin Exploring by Clicking HERE

- Josh

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Creating? Just add Ronald Jenkees

11/19/2012

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This music artist's sound, of YouTube fame, was introduced to me over the week end by a friend. The vibe is one you'll find yourself moving your head to as Jenkees does in the clips. The degree alone to which he gets into his music is inspiring... And the songs! They've been triggering creative thought in my mind since. Take a listen:
Where does your mind take you when you listen to it? If you don't know, listen again. This time, close your eyes and let go.

 "...That place, I don't have a map for it. So sometimes, when I turn on the camera, we don't go there. But I'm going to try and go there today"

Here's another one:
If that inspires you and you want to hear more, head over to his website here:

www.ronaldjenkees.com

He has a wonderful outlook on sharing his creative work and seems to have a great philosophy on music creativity. Worth seeing is his YouTube channel to take a look at where he comes from and where he is today. 

Youtube Channel Here

Jenkees is a self-taught musician. He sells his tracks on his personal website and offers license at a price.

- Josh
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Creating? Just Add Joe Satriani

7/24/2012

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I took a trip down memory lane for this one. I remember listening to some Satriani when I was younger and thinking up stories with a friend of mine. It was great then and rediscovering it again proved to be just as great now. 

Much of his catalogue has a classic feel to it. There's some nice diversity, especially with the album "Engines of Creation". While song names like “Borg Sex” or “Wormhole Wizards” mightn’t exactly reel you in for a listen, a lot of the music is great to get your creative juices pumping. The discography is largely instrumental and easy to listen to. Peruse the mixed bag below for a taste.
The next one begins at 0:40, picks up at 1:10
and just for good measure...
Music has an important power over mood and motivation. What kind of music do you put on when you’re creating?

- Josh
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Creating? Just Add Ben Frost

4/18/2012

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More experimental music? Why not. If you haven’t heard of him, Ben Frost has quite the sound to his music catologue. I must admit, I’ve seen his “By The Throat” CD but never picked up his music until this recent experimental music kick.

Tracks like “ Sacred Heart” is mesmerizing. Perhaps it’s the “medication time” sounding off with the chill beat that sends me slipping into something of a daze. It isn’t hard to call to mind something dark to the backdrop of this gem. 
And if your in the mood for something a little darker, then you might try “The Carpathians” from “By The Throat”.
As per Wiki, Ben Frost, a musician, composer and producer is based in Reykjavik, Iceland.  Apparently his album “Theory of Machines” has experienced quite the critical acclaim. His music might be worth a look through.

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Creating? Just add “Coil” To your Playlist

3/28/2012

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Recently I happened upon “Coil”. I was searching the net when I came across their album entitled, “Musick to play in the dark”. I couldn’t resist. While I can’t recommend every entry in the album or each of those songs in it’s sequel, “Musick to play in the dark 2”, I can say that there are some interesting and wildly different tunes to listen to.

Some of it has a very “Out there” type feel, but that can be a good thing depending on what it is your creating if you’re using music to help get your juices flowing. 

Listen to Coil’s “Ether” below and tell me that you can’t conjure some otherworldly things.
What might you imagine is falling out of the sky with Coil’s “Tiny Golden Books”?

Or what strange things might inhabit the land in which the backdrop is Coil’s “Red Birds will fly out of the east and destroy paris”? Red Birds inhabit it you say?

As per Wiki, “Coil was an English cross-genre, experimental music group formed in 1982.” The discography as outlined there makes for a count of 13 to sift through for gems. 


-Josh
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Creating? Add "Peder" To Your Playlist

3/14/2012

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Have you heard of Peder? If you've watched some Breaking Bad, you might have noticed a particularly haunting tune in the background of when Walt was introduced to his "new lab". Check out the youtube clip of the song below. Skip to 3:05 for the part they used.

As per pederandasgerbaden.com, the website linked under Peder's myspace account,

"Peder began as a member of the producer collective the prunes and has worked with such names as beastie boys, the roots, dj vadim and malk de koijn"

He release an album entitled "And he just pointed to the sky" in 2007 and "Dirt and Gold" in 2010. 

I can definitely say that it's worth taking a listen to the samples by clicking through the cd images below to amazon.com

What do you think of the music? What does it remind you of? How could you work with it the next time you're creating?

- Josh
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Creating? Add Portishead to your playlist.

3/2/2012

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Their sound came to me as a suggestion for a substitute for Silent Hill soundtrack. Anyone who’s ventured through the creepy corridors of the Silent Hill series knows that the sound can be as offbeat as the strange forms that lurk in the halls within. But Portishead’s music, while comparable at times in feel, has its own unique flavour.

In the spirit of suggesting music to add to your creativity playlist, I would recommend you give them a listen.
* These videos were not made by me, but by talented video editors and video makers. the Hunter song is played with a cut version of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. For more on each youtube author's stuff, click through to Youtube.
Deep water really gets me thinking about some ideas for horror stories I have in the works.

I love that third youtube vid for "only you"

As per Wikipedia, Portishead formed in 1991 in Bristol, and was named after a nearby town of the same name. Their Albums include Dummy (1994), Portishead (1997), a live album at the Roseland ballroom NYC (1998) and Third (2008).

What other bands or songs do you have on your creativity playlists?

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OK GO - Has More Than A Couple of Wildly Creative and Elaborate Videos For You To Watch

2/8/2012

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“OK GO” – Now there’s a band with great creative force – Especially as shown in their music videos. If you haven’t seen their recently released video for “Needing/Getting”, you really need to take a look. The gist is that the band members drive through an elaborately set course made up of instruments (actual and makeshift) and not only deliver on a great spectacle but also a catchy tune.

If you haven’t also seen their domino effect vid for “This too shall pass”, you should give that a peak.
The band has actually been around since 1998, with a debut album in 2002. Their vid for “Here it goes again” really got things rolling with their treadmill routine (While not as intricate an entertaining device as their later videos, it’s still worth a watch). I might also recommend “white Knuckle” for an interesting collaboration with dogs, and “end Love” for an especially quirky time.

Take a look and imagine what thought and planning must have gone into making those music videos. Some really great work so far. I wonder what they will come up with next.

Their New Vid for "Needing/Getting" can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MejbOFk7H6c&feature=relmfu

"White Knuckle" is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHlJODYBLKs&feature=related

and "End Love" here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2fpgpanZAw&feature=related

Band Website:
http://okgo.net/

-Josh
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Five Music Videos With A Desert Theme...

1/29/2012

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    Artists from all fields (music, movies, painting, literature, etc.) have used the desert as the backdrop for a piece of their work at one time or another. The desert provides such a stark, barren, but still beautiful, setting that one cannot blame an artist for choosing this as an element of their creative work. 

    Here are five music videos that use the desert as a backdrop (if not completely, then partially).

Kevin B.
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