nervous_testpilot

New trance clip - Remember

2008-06-25T23:17:00.003+01:00

Another new track from my current run of trance - Remember

When I have enough of these to play live again, it's definitely something I'll consider...we'll see about the annual Truck dilemma this year!

Module Sells A Unit!

2008-06-12T22:23:00.004+01:00

Thanks to Mr Alexander Phillips (named and shamed!) for being the first person to buy my ancient album Module direct from the Mode 7 Store! This officially means that people have been buying Module for six years. Rock and roll!

New track clip up

2008-05-25T20:09:00.002+01:00

I've posted a clip from my latest trance effort, Geometric Requiem, over on that left-hand-side column...yup...over there...ok fine, here's a link.

Sonic Hoard Tuesday

2008-05-21T10:32:00.003+01:00

Thanks to K-Complex for the latest contribution to the Sonic Hoard! Behold..."The Ketamine Sound"...

K-Complex - The Ketamine Sound

Sonic Hoard Monday Part 2

2008-05-06T00:08:00.002+01:00

Simone "Atti" Attivissimo from Drop Alive has kindly sent me two files - particularly liking this thunderous guitar slide which sounds like an angry cloud descending the stairs.

Drop Alive - Never Happy Drums
Drop Alive - Guitar Slide

Dancemidisamples Epic Chords

2008-05-05T17:55:00.003+01:00

Thanks to all of you who bought my Epic Chords pack over at DMS! It was great fun to do and I will certainly be up for doing another if there's sufficient demand for a sequel...

The DMS aim is to provide producers with a load of interesting copyright-free MIDI to incorporate in their productions - if that sounds interesting then go and take a look.

Sonic Hoard Monday

2008-05-05T17:41:00.004+01:00

Thanks to Alex "Malakian" Hayes for being the official first contributor to the Sonic Hoard. He has donated this disturbing (and actually fairly useful) sonic composition entitled, rather demurely, "Computer Urine". It sounds like Autechre crying at their 3rd birthday party because Luke Vibert put their teddy in the toilet. I'm infused with a profound certainty that this will be indicative of a theme which emerges throughout the project.

Download Malakian - Computer Urine here

Sonic Hoard Project Update!

2008-05-04T19:34:00.004+01:00

Computer Music have featured the Sonic Hoard Project on their blog

Simone "Atti" Attivissimo from Creative Commons rockers Drop Alive has got in touch with me to contribute some of their music to the Sonic Hoard - I will be assimilating it shortly!

I've also been pledged something called "The Ketamine Sound" by Mr K-Complex - he refuses to go into detail so I can only live in fear.

If you'd like to donate any sounds, noises or music fragments to the Frozen Synapse soundtrack, take a look here.

The Sonic Hoard

2008-04-23T18:02:00.004+01:00

I'm a musician working on the soundtrack for a PC game called Frozen Synapse. This game is a pretty unusual tactical sci-fi game - if you're interested then go to http://www.mode7games.com and check it out. There's not much up there about it yet, but there should be soon-ish.

Here's what's different about this project - I'm planning to use some sound-design oriented techniques on the soundtrack, and for that I require a lot of raw, interesting samples. I thought it would be fun to extend an open invitation to anyone reading this to send me some sound.

I'd love anything weird or interesting you have lying around, like recordings of you talking with your friends, or people singing strange songs, or the sound of your vacuum cleaner: absolutely anything you like whatsoever, of any quality at all.

There will obviously have to be a few rules so this doesn't get out of hand, so here they are:

1. You must own the copyright to the sound

Please don't send me anything that could cause any legal problems - that includes music that has been released, film and TV samples etc.

It would be nice if you could include your name and state your ownership of the sound in the email just briefly, but if you don't I will be assuming that it originates from you.

2. I don't want anything recorded illegally, thanks

If you've broken the law by creating the sample you're sending me, er...don't send it

3. By sending me the sound, you are making it Public Domain under this Creative Commons license

I will be using the sound in a commercial work (most probably it will be heavily processed and you may not recognize it, but that's by the by) and so I would like you to give up ownership of it so that I can do what I need to with it!

If anyone sends me anything particularly interesting/amusing, I may post it on this site for others to hear. Don't send me anything that's going to embarrass yourself!

4. I don't guarantee to use every sound I get sent

But I will try!

5. Nothing bigger than 5 meg, please

That should be a sensible limit. You can use any format you like - I can most probably deal with it. Obviously common ones like MP3 and WAV will be better, though.

If you're interested, then please send your sound to The Sonic Hoard:

sonichoard@googlemail.com

You can send me a link or use YouSendIt.com if you prefer

I look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers,

nervous_testpilot

Frozen Synapse

2008-04-23T17:57:00.001+01:00

I just started work in earnest on the soundtrack for the next Mode 7 opus, Frozen Synapse today. It's going very well - I'm starting to get some really interesting sounds going.

I wanted to do something special and different for this project, and I will post about that in one sec...

Acceleration

2008-03-16T02:34:00.002Z

Just got back from playing Accelerate - very amusing evening - bigup the 7 insane people who raved away during the whole thing! It was small and fun, like a hamster in a hat.

Trying to slot into a night full of DJ's with a laptop-based thing is pretty irritating - I really believe that laptops are just in the same situation as CD's were in about 1999. Soon, computer-based mixing will take over and portable media oriented stuff will be redundant.

For that to happen, there needs to be a significant technology shift along the lines of Pioneer's slow evolution from just-about-acceptable to vinyl-beating DJ CD-players. A couple of other DJ's came and stared at me when I was mixing - people were complementary about what I was doing, so that was cool.

Anyway, enough musing, top night and I am considering posting a big MP3 of my set, as I recorded all the automation in Live (take that normal DJ's).

nervous_testpilot live at Accelerate Oxford

2008-03-11T10:45:00.003Z

Should have announced this earlier, but I'll be playing at Accelerate this Saturday night - my first ever all hardcore/freeform gig and I'm looking forward to it immensely.

I'll be doing a laptop-based DJ set, and playing a load of my favourite current harder tracks - expect some K-Complex tunes, a bit of Gammer and then a whole raft of the recent awesome stuff people have been doing. Will be entertaining!

Here's the details:

Accelerate Room:

Nervous_Testpilot (NU ENERGY)
DJ Doolittle (Flabbergast,X-Treme-Energy,Happynation)
DJ Cypher
Jodha
Gurninator

DATsound Room:

Wayne
Exley
Danny P
Danny V
The Sorcerers Apprentice

3k Turbosound main rig - bring ear defenders!
Phat DMX lighting with strobes and 1kw green laser - bring sunglasses!
Deco throughout - for your visual entertainment
Friendly security and staff!
Cheap beer :)

9PM - 2AM
Door damage: £3/4 EOCSC members and guests only!
Venue: East Oxford Community Centre - 44b Princes Street corner of Cowley Road, Oxford

Nervous_Testpilot Epic Chords Pack on Dance Midi Samples!

2008-03-03T18:13:00.003Z

If you are a producer of some kind, and you're looking for inspiration, I present the fantastic Dance MIDI Samples, a site which will vend you MIDI in specific genres. The great thing about MIDI is that it's completely malleable, so you don't have to use the sequences as they come, you can tweak and warp to your heart's desire.

I have contributed the Epic Chords pack, which I put a lot of effort into and I think will be applicable across a pretty wide range of music. Go and check out the awesome preview produced by K-Complex - it's trance-alicious. I want to hear someone have a hit with the second chord sequence on there - go and do it.

Free nervous_testpilot EP - Isometric Dancefloor!

2008-02-18T22:12:00.003Z

Download Isometric Dancefloor

Prior to, during, and after the Data Airlines Festival in Marseilles, I was considering releasing some music for free. It's something I've done before, but I think it'd be great to contribute something to a scene that was so welcoming to me, so specifically, this is for the chip musicians and lofi electronica people everywhere.

The whole thing was recorded in my tiny room on a horrible old laptop that turns itself off approximately once every hour, and was mixed on my awful headphones. How's that for upsell? Therefore I'm classing it as "lofi microtrance".

I think that there aren't enough tunes in dance music, and there's too little space for interesting, weird stuff that doesn't have a professional sheen to the mix. Engineering is always the barrier to the mainstream of dance music in any genre - I think that it often prevents people from getting interesting music out there (it certainly has for me).

At the moment, I'm really concentrating my musical efforts on improving my mixing abilities so that I can create stuff which really stands up in a club of its own accord. Working with K-Complex and listening to a load of other music, buying proper monitors and putting a huge amount of effort in to raise the bar has been paying off. I'm now making demos I'm proud of, and hoping to get a release I've mixed myself out on a decent label at some point this year.

Now, that shouldn't be a barrier to me releasing other interesting stuff that I happen to create, so I hope you can enjoy this mix in the spirit it was intended! Do drop me an email if you like it, or if you'd like to feature it on your netlabel.

Oh, and I think it should have some artwork! If you're a pixel artist or similar, and you're interested in contributing, then let me know.

Exeter Hall Tonight - 4/1/08!

2008-01-04T09:58:00.000Z

Sorry for late notice, but I am in fact, playing at the Exeter Hall again in Oxford tonight at 8.30pm. Please come and say hi!

New music

2007-12-05T16:35:00.000Z

Just to let you know, I'm currently working on concept music for the next Mode 7 Games game, as well as being 3 tracks into a new album of dancey stuff which I hope to have finished at some point in the new year. I'll keep you posted.

Main #2 Demo Party

2007-11-01T19:39:00.000Z

I'm here at Main #2 in Marseille working on a new track while all around me are busy coding demos! The gig tomorrow should be great so come down if you're anywhere in the vicinity of Espace Julien.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvkZ7GfT2ZA

2007-10-18T01:12:00.001+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvkZ7GfT2ZA

End of line.

Microdisko Oslo!

2007-10-08T21:58:00.001+01:00

Thanks to all in Oslo for looking after me while I was there - much appreciated and hope to be back sometime soon.

Er...running

2007-09-14T14:36:00.001+01:00

I am running in the "Blenheim 10k Bolt" on Sunday. Yes, there is a reason. No, it's not an especially good one. Wish me luck.

Truck 2, Oslo and Marseille

2007-09-14T08:17:00.000+01:00

I will definitely be playing at Truck 2 a week on...the weekend. I forget which day now, but I will see you there.

I'll also be taking my unique brand of lo-fi micromusic to Oslo in October alongside the inimitable Mr Dubmood, Confipop and MC Boltes. It's a Euro invasion! On a similar theme, I'll be down with the posse in Marseille in November - more details to come.

Best Song Ever

2007-07-25T11:16:00.000+01:00

Alek Szahala - "Alanamra" (Arkitech Remix). Everything about this piece of music is great...the amazingly excessive piano breakdown, the way the freeformy bit winds up from a just a kick drum, and of course, the rapping Appletalk on the intro and outro.

Freeformation: Wise Up Get Stupid

2007-07-24T03:35:00.000+01:00

Ok, seriously. If you're here because you like dance music of ANY KIND then you need to go and listen to this. My two Nu Energy tracks are on there, but there's some seriously devastating hardcore around them: I recommend Flame's "Numb Hardcore" and...well...basically everything else on there. Terrifying. Great.

Also, Sharkey and Kevin Energy "Wise Up Get Stupid".....VERY SPECIAL. Very special indeed.

Truck Off

2007-07-20T21:21:00.001+01:00

Yes, it's been postponed (hopefully) to September 22nd due to flooding.

I'm sitting here listening to the stuff I made to play tomorrow night...and it sounds GOOD. You definitely have to come in September if you possibly can.

Truck Flip-flop

2007-07-11T01:54:00.000+01:00

I am now definitely playing and closing the darn thing (Sunday, Trailerpark Tent, 9.30-10), having been assured that I can whip together a stupid DJ set TO END ALL STUPID DJ SETS and that will suffice. This will be more ridiculous than any of the previous years - I can guarantee that.

Apparently, Truck's admin was at fault at not "booking" me earlier and I have been apologised to (word order).

The thing about Truck is that doing it can be pretty stressful in some ways - the stages always run late and I will always get bumped to some ridiculous time because of the nature of what I do. Normally, sound-check is fairly rough and ready (NOT the fault of the consistently wonderful sound guys, just a function of the way the whole thing is run) and I've often had technical crap-outs there which is just boring for me and the audience. I've tried to put together something which is more robust for this time so that the sound dying is not quite as likely as usual, but you never can tell.

Anyway, see you there.