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Who Likes Homemade Electronic Music?

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Trader Jeff aka/Jeff Central/aka Jeff Chenault will be in an upcoming DVD on the electronic music scene of the early 1980's. Back in the day's before the Internet, before samplers, and the only computer around was a Commodore 64, there was the Cassette Culture. Labels popped up all over the U.S. promoting their own unique brand of electronic noise and I was so happy to be a part of it!!!

Here's a teaser trailer................

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nln8-pjD_Nc

It turned out really well and has a very professional look to it.

The DVD will be available in June so I will have copies available then. It will also be making the rounds at various Art Houses and hopefully PBS as well.

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

T

Hi Jeff,

I doubt you will be surprised that I was also involved in the cassette culture scene. "My" group "Shrug" and Gen Ken Montgomery were the first to have cassettes being sold under the counter at Bleecker Bob's of all things. Most of the stuff I did was in collaboration with Craig Burk.

I think I still have my complete set of OP magazines (in storage), BTW. I am certain that OP will feature prominently in the documentary, as it was the center of information for the whole movement, although I saw no mention in the teaser.

We were lucky to have Ken Montgomery's store, "Generator," here in the East Village, probably the only store that sold mainly cassette culture cassettes, along with limited edition vinyl.

What exhilarating times those were, now that I look back on it. Great topic for a film. Looking forward to it.

-Jack

Hi Jack,

We share very similiar backgrounds in music. I remember talking to you about this very topic at the Bon Voyage Kahiki party.

Yes, Option Magaine, Sound Choice, Factsheet Five and Electronic Cottage all make appearances in the documentary.

Hopefully, I'm going to get some of my old music online. I recently digitized my first electronic exotica cassette "Primativa" from 1987 and it still sounds surprisingly fresh!!

Damn, we're getting old!!!! :wink:

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

T

Damn, we're getting old!!!! :wink:

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

Nahhhhh! :wink:

S
squid posted on Tue, May 5, 2009 2:13 PM

Awesome. Thanks Jeff!

Here's a great internet feed for those interested in this genre:
http://aural-innovations.com/radio/lofinest.html

Thanks for the cool link squid. Charles Goff is one of the guys highlighted on the DVD.

Glad to see you like this stuff too!!

Did you ever record any electronic noise back in the early days?

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

S
squid posted on Thu, May 7, 2009 2:14 PM

Hey Jeff-
Well, let's just say that in the late-70s, we did some rather unkindly things to my friend's mom's Thomas organ :) It had a spring reverb tank (KLAAANNNGGG!!!!!) as well as a faux Leslie speaker so the possibilities were endless....

After recording that along with guitar feedback and short wave radio bits (on a Uher sound-on-sound deck) we'd head to the basement where the percussion had a good natural reverb. Slamming various items to the ground and off the walls produced some great chunks of tape to manipulate and loop on another deck. Then we'd mix on the fly back to the Uher deck. I wish I had those tapes......

Good times...

On 2009-05-07 14:14, squid wrote:
Hey Jeff-
Well, let's just say that in the late-70s, we did some rather unkindly things to my friend's mom's Thomas organ :) It had a spring reverb tank (KLAAANNNGGG!!!!!) as well as a faux Leslie speaker so the possibilities were endless....

After recording that along with guitar feedback and short wave radio bits (on a Uher sound-on-sound deck) we'd head to the basement where the percussion had a good natural reverb. Slamming various items to the ground and off the walls produced some great chunks of tape to manipulate and loop on another deck. Then we'd mix on the fly back to the Uher deck. I wish I had those tapes......

Good times...

:o :o :o :o :o

Damn, I wish you had those tapes too!!!! That's the shit I'm talking about!!!

What happened to the tapes?

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

S
squid posted on Fri, May 8, 2009 12:24 AM

Do you know just how challenging it is to remember all this considering the various altered states of consciousness at the time? :D

I'm gonna have to do some deep research to see if those survived. Good chance the tapes were recorded over during our Hawkwind phase...

We need to jam, Jeff :)

T

Oh boy....don't get Squid started on Prog :D

JB

"...it's the last greatest venture left to mankind..."

S
squid posted on Sat, May 9, 2009 2:44 AM

On 2009-05-09 02:44, squid wrote:
Freakin' kids and their laptops...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDX_CS3NsTk&feature=related

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

This looks like fun too.................

http://www.vimeo.com/4541952

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

If anybody here is interested in the "other" side of Jeff Chenault the DVD is here!!!! :)

It is called Grindstone Redux and it is a documentary on the 1980's Underground Cassette Culture.

I will post a seperate thread in the Tiki Marketplace with ordering instructions.

It really turned out nice!

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

V

you know, I've never heard of this cassette scene (being probably too young in the 80's), but that's very interesting. I also make lowfi electronic and experimental music with a friend.

Our duo "santo y blue demon contra los monstruos" is me playing the moog prodigy, theremin, game boy ...and him playing circuit bended toys, and other analogic intruments.
And we're making live CDs on wich we improvise (with a visual support or not).

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Santo-y-Blue-Demon-vs-los-Monstruos/7692079407?ref=ts

On 2009-07-28 10:50, virani wrote:
you know, I've never heard of this cassette scene (being probably too young in the 80's), but that's very interesting. I also make lowfi electronic and experimental music with a friend.

Our duo "santo y blue demon contra los monstruos" is me playing the moog prodigy, theremin, game boy ...and him playing circuit bended toys, and other analogic intruments.
And we're making live CDs on wich we improvise (with a visual support or not).

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Santo-y-Blue-Demon-vs-los-Monstruos/7692079407?ref=ts

I'd like to hear some of that stuff Virani.

Bring it to OHANA and I'll trade you for the DVD. :)

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

Congrats on the DVD, very cool.

On 2009-08-10 09:04, Robb Hamel wrote:
Congrats on the DVD, very cool.

Thanks Robb. They were very interesting times indeed.

It's hard to believe I was doing this shit 25 years ago!!!

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

Pages: 1 18 replies