Alloy: Episode 90

Sounds in the Clouds

This week, I have been floating in web code, most notably updating the functionality of the site's post-show playlist feature (more on that in another post, do stay tuned). Keeping me company during the generating of bits and bytes—writing code and text—was this week's playlist. Perhaps all the virtual/synthetic web-stuff I was brain-deep-in influenced my song selection this week. Probably. Okay, definitely. But, it is also true that one of the joys of doing the show each week is that it has broadened my music palette in several positive directions. One of the new(er) horizons, newer colors, if you will, is a greater appreciation of synthetic sounds, electronic works, fabricated and found sounds, and how they can be mixed literally, and dare I say, alchemically, to create work that feels natural and at times organic. This week includes such work. Other new releases will be featured as well—an engaging two hours of music and more!

Lend an open ear and listen live on Tuesday via the web stream or on your mobile device via TuneIn by clicking here at 9AM. Also, don't forget that you can listen to all of the music from the last episode, “Fresh” from the comfort of your browser (click here). This week's artwork, “Sounds in the Clouds” was created by yours truly.

Thanks for listening!

Sounds in the Clouds (playlist #90)

Submitted by Alloy on Sat, 07/30/2016 - 20:59

I have been tinkering with the post-show playlist practically from the show's inception. There have been several notable iterations, especially over the course of the last few months. Aside from sharing what was played, links to more info about the artist, and how to listen to the tracks, which are all important, my vision was to offer more info, links and context. Well, a new version is available beginning this week—the fruits of my latest tinkering. This is closer, not perfect(!), to what I have been trying to offer since I started posting the music played after each show. It is still very much a work-in-progress. The changes are subtle but significant. Probably more of seismic workflow change on my end and perhaps not detectible on your end. I have modeled this latest version in such a way, under and above the hood, so to speak, enabling me to create both on and offline the playlist for the week. Huge! This means the whole process unfolds more naturally and organically. It also means I can weave more things into the playlist than just what was played. I can add additional links, more resource connections including videos and such, all with an an eye toward providing more context to the music featured/played each week. In this age of subscription music, context has taken a huge hit and is not nearly as much in the mix. I am a big proponent of context when it comes to music and I look forward to evolving the list over the weeks ahead so it is more congruent with what I mean by contextualizing the music. Finally, the playlist, delivered in this new way, will also stand as living and breathing archive of the process of doing/creating the show. Though ultimately more work on my part, I have finally created a way of pulling all this together that is logistically more fluid with fewer points of workflow friction. Some day, perhaps not too far in the offing, I will post about how I do what I do to make this little musical universe happen. The tech geeks (of which I am one!) will perhaps find it interesting. Till then, as always, thanks for reading and listening!

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