Looking for musical inspiration?

[Jay Pace]

Why not try starving yourself and living in a yurt?


HOBO
FROM A TO B
M69 12", WAV, MP3

The incredible shrinking nature of music production technology, its versatility and portability, means now more than ever before it's possible to pitch a makeshift recording studio wherever and whenever the mood hits. That's exactly what ex-Tractile member Joel Boychuk has done for his debut release as Hobo, From A to B - an album as remarkable for its conception as for the smooth, shimmering techno it includes.

The more time Joel spent touring Europe with Tractile, the more he recognised a link between the modern generation of electronic musicians and the original beat generation of the late 50's and early 60's, personified by On The Road author Jack Kerouac. He arrived at the conclusion that as musicians we're all hobos, travelling light from city to city and gig-to-gig, only nowadays the traditional guitar case has been superseded by a laptop bag. This realisation was part of a bigger personal discovery, that led him away from Berlin and back to the relative calm of Canada understanding that music is just as much a spiritual journey as a physical one and therefore, in order to reach his goals he had to continue alone. With laptop in tow, he disappeared into the wilderness (The Pinery National Park to be exact) shacking up in a traditional Mongolian style tent for a week. Fasting for much of his stay and relying on heightened levels of perception and objectivity brought on by the immense beauty and peacefulness of his surroundings, he set to work. When looking for clues to this in the music, more than anything there's clarity of thought, a natural homogeny and an inherent oneness to each track. Take the two vinyl cuts for example; the organic sounds, beats and samples of Failsafe blend and mix together without abrasion, offering smooth passage through the night even as it cleverly shifts shape two or three times. The orthodox bassline creates a tense underbelly thats complimented
http://www.music-head.de/product_info.php/info/p556880_Hobo+-+From+A+To+B.html

Wish my basslines had orthodox underbellies...

[The_Laughing_Man]

Highly pretencious, I approve of his methods!!!
However the experience was obviously wasted on him, instead of coming out with something creative and beautiful, he has ended up with some very pedestrian and formulaic minimal rubbish, with about as much soul as the laptop he made it on.
Maybe he needed that long preamble to try to inject life into what is obviously dead.

[gunjack]

forget about him and his gypsy ways.

hahaha

[crime]

Highly pretencious, I approve of his methods!!!
However the experience was obviously wasted on him, instead of coming out with something creative and beautiful, he has ended up with some very pedestrian and formulaic minimal rubbish, with about as much soul as the laptop he made it on.
Maybe he needed that long preamble to try to inject life into what is obviously dead.

I myself dismissed a lot of minimal stuff for some time, until I got to the point where I felt that most stuff called "techno" had become basically very repetative, formulaic and horrible sounding, whereas the stuff called minimal was basically sounding like the techno I've always really liked, slower, groovier, funkier, and not just a noise.. admittedly, there are many copycat glitch minimal records out there right now, but to call this one of them shows a real lack of understanding and knowlege of what is out there & going on right now.

I heard the Hobo album after receiving 2 very good remixes of my ### project from him, I think actually, as far as the minimal "scene" goes, he's one of the more interesting producers out there right now. you listen to that album properly, and you can hear diverse influences ranging from good deep house, Cristian Vogel circa 1994 through to very modern minimal/dubstep fusion..

so, horses for courses and everything, but I can't quite understand how you would call this album "formulaic", when there are minimal copycat records out there that are far more worthy of that kind of abuse than this is, I mean, christ, who else out there is daring enough to put out stuff like the "skeletone" track off this? I mean, that sounds like old cristian vogel on tresor, hardly formulaic :S

[DannyBlack]

interesting stuff. not too keen on the music though.

[Patrick DSP]

Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies works for me when I'm in a rut. even found a flash version that i put on my site.

[The Overfiend]

delete e erything or lose your whole hd as i had happen and start again thats ****in inspiration

[The_Laughing_Man]

I myself dismissed a lot of minimal stuff for some time, until I got to the point where I felt that most stuff called "techno" had become basically very repetative, formulaic and horrible sounding, whereas the stuff called minimal was basically sounding like the techno I've always really liked, slower, groovier, funkier, and not just a noise.. admittedly, there are many copycat glitch minimal records out there right now, but to call this one of them shows a real lack of understanding and knowlege of what is out there & going on right now.

I heard the Hobo album after receiving 2 very good remixes of my ### project from him, I think actually, as far as the minimal "scene" goes, he's one of the more interesting producers out there right now. you listen to that album properly, and you can hear diverse influences ranging from good deep house, Cristian Vogel circa 1994 through to very modern minimal/dubstep fusion..

so, horses for courses and everything, but I can't quite understand how you would call this album "formulaic", when there are minimal copycat records out there that are far more worthy of that kind of abuse than this is, I mean, christ, who else out there is daring enough to put out stuff like the "skeletone" track off this? I mean, that sounds like old cristian vogel on tresor, hardly formulaic :S

I love good minimal.

This just isn`t.

[Patrick DSP]

or just watch this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laiZgrIpbcA

[SlavikSvensk]

i don't really hear the canadian wilderness in those two tracks

[crime]

I love good minimal.

This just isn`t.

so is it ultimately your judgement that means that somthing is good or bad then? you have the final say on that?

[DannyBlack]

I don't think that was what he was getting at. i think he was stating his opinion, which ultimately is just that- his opinion.

I would agree with him on this, it's a bit poo.

[TechMouse]

so is it ultimately your judgement that means that somthing is good or bad then? you have the final say on that?
Didn't you get that memo, Mark?

[crime]

I don't think that was what he was getting at. i think he was stating his opinion, which ultimately is just that- his opinion.

I would agree with him on this, it's a bit poo.

Seems pretty fashionable to knock "minimal" stuff these days, particuarly minus, which I find quite funny really considering that actually, it is (IMO) some of the best stuff coming out right now... when you knock something just because the word "minimal" was involved, it's the same kind of mentality as people thinking techno is 2unlimited..


ok, you think it's shit, did stating it on a message board really do something for you? do you think it convinces me that it's shit? because ultimately it just makes me think that I'll take no notice of anything you recommend because obviously we don't share the same tastes.. live and let live for christ sake.. I don't come on every hard techno thread saying to you it's shit, do I?

[djfilthmonger]

Seems pretty fashionable to knock "minimal" stuff these days, particuarly minus, which I find quite funny really considering that actually, it is (IMO) some of the best stuff coming out right now... when you knock something just because the word "minimal" was involved, it's the same kind of mentality as people thinking techno is 2unlimited..


ok, you think it's shit, did stating it on a message board really do something for you? do you think it convinces me that it's shit? because ultimately it just makes me think that I'll take no notice of anything you recommend because obviously we don't share the same tastes.. live and let live for christ sake.. I don't come on every hard techno thread saying to you it's shit, do I?

Altough I dont like minimal I totallty agree with what you are saying .

[The_Laughing_Man]

Nothing about nothing opinions are just opinions.

I like minimal, I pretty much like everything but scouse house, which is born of the devils codpiece.
I have no final word, my judgement on something is just my judgement. I think as adults we can disagree and still get on, it is allowed.

I don`t like anchovies.

Anchovies phucking suck.

[TechMouse]

I don`t like anchovies.

Anchovies phucking suck.
Steady now.

[crime]

Nothing about nothing opinions are just opinions.

I like minimal, I pretty much like everything but scouse house, which is born of the devils codpiece.
I have no final word, my judgement on something is just my judgement. I think as adults we can disagree and still get on, it is allowed.

I don`t like anchovies.

Anchovies phucking suck.

surely it's better to say that you don't like something rather than say it's shit?

[RDR]

Steady now.

Careful there! Down With that sort of thing!

[djfilthmonger]

Careful there! Down With that sort of thing!

http://welcometoillinois.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/father-ted.jpg

[DannyBlack]

Seems pretty fashionable to knock "minimal" stuff these days, particuarly minus, which I find quite funny really considering that actually, it is (IMO) some of the best stuff coming out right now... when you knock something just because the word "minimal" was involved, it's the same kind of mentality as people thinking techno is 2unlimited..


ok, you think it's shit, did stating it on a message board really do something for you? do you think it convinces me that it's shit? because ultimately it just makes me think that I'll take no notice of anything you recommend because obviously we don't share the same tastes.. live and let live for christ sake.. I don't come on every hard techno thread saying to you it's shit, do I?


:lol: mate, calm down. what I said was- its a bit poo. I'm not saying it is an abomination, im just saying that the hype around these 2 tracks is a bit much for what they are.

yes, minus is a bloody good record label and lets face it, as far as minimal goes they have the best. im not a minimal fan, but the odd occasion there have been a couple of tracks that make me stop and take notice. isn't that what good music is supposed to do?

why do you have it in your head that everyones opinion is attacking? its a forum, you will get those that like and those that dislike.

are you hobo? is that why you're so defensive?

[SlavikSvensk]

i don't see what the fuss is about..i thought the tracks were extremely bland. after reading the story i expected some influence from the isolation and environment he put himself in. i didn't hear it, not even minimally (excuse the pun).

yes this is an opinion, but i think it's probably shared. does anyone on here disagree? if so, what makes the tracks interesting? where's the canadian wilderness in them?

[crime]

ah, Ok, I think I know the answer here.. you've only heard the 2 trax that made it onto the vinyl, not the 10 trax that were the digital release.. it's the digital release that you really need to check, as that's where the gems really are.....

[crime]

and I think the whole canadian wilderness thing is all a bit tounge in cheek to be honest....

[crime]

this is what you need to check:

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/149839/from_a_to_b

[DannyBlack]

I'm liking "I'm not it". Incredibly low ended spookiness!

[The_Laughing_Man]

surely it's better to say that you don't like something rather than say it's shit?
I apologise for te offence I have caused.

[SlavikSvensk]

ah, Ok, I think I know the answer here.. you've only heard the 2 trax that made it onto the vinyl, not the 10 trax that were the digital release.. it's the digital release that you really need to check, as that's where the gems really are.....

fair enough.


and I think the whole canadian wilderness thing is all a bit tounge in cheek to be honest....

also fair enough...but actually the idea is interesting to me. there isn't much electronic "dance" music (outside some 90s ambient) that has been genuinely inspired by non-urban surroundings. done right, it might be something. that's what i was anticipating after reading the press release and did not get from the two linked tracks.


this is what you need to check:

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/149839/from_a_to_b

word...thanks. will def give a full listen.

[crime]

there isn't much electronic "dance" music (outside some 90s ambient) that has been genuinely inspired by non-urban surroundings. done right, it might be something.

I think maybe there is more than you realise, as many people don't really talk about their influences or don't get asked the right questions when interviewed, myself, I've been definitely influenced through travelling through non urban surroundings, in fact am right now sat in the middle of the english countryside.. and I've been making music here, so it's been influenced by these surroundings for sure...

[SlavikSvensk]

since electronic music is so wide open, i'm interested in stuff that can make me think of seasons, environments, etc. beyond the usual "nighttime in the city" vibe. would love to hear the stuff you're working on...does the music evoke those surroundings? does the sound itself make listeners think of those surroundings.

plastikman "sheet one" is a good example of what i'm talking about, though it's more "urban/suburban winter" than wilderness in that case. the album makes a whole lot more sense when you've driven across eastern michigan and southern ontario in january.

[Technologic]

fair enough.



there isn't much electronic "dance" music (outside some 90s ambient) that has been genuinely inspired by non-urban surroundings. .





Dude, there's heaps of stuff, damn, there's entire genres in de Jungle where it's Tribal lol.

[SlavikSvensk]

the word "genuinely" might be important to note

[tocsin]

i don't see what the fuss is about..i thought the tracks were extremely bland. after reading the story i expected some influence from the isolation and environment he put himself in. i didn't hear it, not even minimally (excuse the pun).

When you can actually hear or feel an influence in something, it generally doesn't have to be mentioned in pre-hype to the album. Honestly, it was the hype that completely turned me off to even bother listening. Kids with laptops touring the country while convenient and chasing fame in the process was the same thing as the beat generation as described in On the Road? No, not at all. Unlike the people in the story told in On the Road, this guy with his tent, laptop and hype around his record had a direction he was taking that he already knew, which seems to be more about sales than exploration, and it's now in the exploitation-towards-sales phase.

[crime]

this guy with his tent, laptop and hype around his record had a direction he was taking that he already knew, which seems to be more about sales than exploration, and it's now in the exploitation-towards-sales phase.

Obviously, as it's on minus...