…Ben Franklin. Ben Franklin was what now? Simply BF was my good friend Rick Franklin and myself, Ben Miranda. I believe the name is self evident now.
At first it was two guys with laptops, which is more and more common now a days, twisting knobs and trying to beat the software package Ableton Live. But really, it was these sessions that gave birth to tiny tron or more generally, gave birth to composition via software based music applications for me.
While we didn’t have a full 45 minute set, but we did have a set of tunes that we were proud to put out there and did at one of my favorite Chicago venues, Schubas. Sadly, that was to be the only show. Why now? I was digging around this weekend and found this gem and it seemed worth posting.
I simply call this James, but more correctly it should be called James Brown as high as a kite. Yes, we used a now very old internet meme of James Brown in a brilliant TV interview where he could barely complete sentences, but rather chose to blast out lines from his songs instead. Once the sample is established a driving minimalist piece rolls through out the length of the piece and James is smattered around in blessed beastly fashion. Warning: this track is low low fi and mono, but I think it is still worth posting. Disagree? Comment me and tell me why.
I hope you enjoy this as much as Rick and I did on Sunday night pining for a flash pan moment of creation and steamed dumplings.
Tags: Ableton, ben franklin, ben miranda, chicago venues, internet meme, James Brown, laptop music, low fi, minimalist, mono, Schubas
turtle assasin
It happens in threes and this is no different. Dreams are wonderful things to wake up from and when they are as vivid as a good movie you know you have to run with them. That’s one, er the lyrical content.
Two: I’ve been messing around for years with what I call controlled feedback. The idea is to create a mechanical feedback loop in audio gear with a gain knob somewhere to control it and some device in the middle that colors the sound somehow. I’ve been experimenting in Ableton Live with the same thing, but in this case it’s all software based. The noise loop came about from this and I believe this was the third attempt with nailing down the parameters to make it musical.
For the third part, I have to thank a scooter accident for making me sit down and actually try to craft a song. I’m ok, but nursing a post dislocated shoulder. Today was a good day.
Lyrics:
On Persian carpet
with deep red longing
he scrapes right towards me
on instinct only
I turn right and wonder at the sight
of two tone necklace beads
Strangers and coke bottles wait for me
I have the time off
strangers they wait and they gun for me
I have the scars proof
dangers can’t stare at the stars and see
the only missing key
Linear time
except for this time
a turtle assassin
missing his target
I can’t fight and know to do what’s right
the flower blooms for me
Gangsters and neck ties can’t show the scenes
A little road stop
strangers they wait and they hunt for me
the need for top off
anger and lust eyes can turn the sea
how ’bout a cup of he
Tags: Ableton Live, dreams, feedback, scooter, song craft, turtle assassin
The time had come to update tinytron.com. I’ve had the site up for a little over 2 years and well, spring is in the air and so some spring cleaning and coding was needed. I’ll be posting the older songs in the few coming weeks, but the start things out I wanted to post a newish song, but to do that I must first talk about onoffono.
Onoffono is a project I started with Molly Norris, Chad Harrington and Ryan Jedlicka about 6 months ago. It was to be a collaborative effort which it has been and I’ve gotten to know some of their songs and they mine. It’s also been a learning experience in leading a band. I didn’t expect to be a leader, but I felt a void and slowly took that role. Not only was it about teaching a tune, but on the spot arrangement changes, teaching listening skills and forming the flow of rehearsals. After a few times at the helm it became comfortable.
Right now onoffono is in limbo, which I hope is undone soon, but one of the first tunes of mine I decided to bring to the group was and is the first ‘new’ song to be posted on tiny tron X.whatever version you want to call this.
Name: Not sure yet (the folks in onoffono called is something like Spinning Circle)
Meaning: nothing coherent, just phrases and composition
Tempo: 135bmp or some sh*t
Sense of accomplishment: fairly high since it’s one of the few vocal tracks I actually don’t cringe hearing.
Righteous: You tell me.
Hope you likey. Tiny tron Ben gives it to you in the form of a watermelon.
Tags: ben miranda, composition, electronic music, tiny tron
A quick bio:
Born in the western suburbs of Chicago, IL, Ben Miranda took to music and science at an early age. He had his favorite records and took apart as many of his electronic toys as he could. Ben started the piano at age 5 moved to guitar a couple years later and then started playing his favorite instrument, drums, at age 10. He played in student bands all through out his Wheaton education including the Wheaton North drum line and Jazz band. Music composition also became an interest later in high school and continued on into college.
At College of DuPage electronic music became an interest through the Technomusicology lab at COD. From using early samplers or the ins and outs of a modern recording studio with its digital tendancies.
Now Ben spends most of his creative energy in software based music applications such as Ableton Live and VST insturments or effects. You can check out his new compositions at the web site tiny tron . com. Ben has also taken to two wheeled vehicles and owns a 1973 Honda cb350, 1984 Honda Aero 125 scooter and a 1983 Honda C70 Passport.