http://www.origamibiro.com en-gb origamibiro.com 2013-5-14T00:00:00Z origamibiro.com http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#135621 Back in 2001 I was part of an electronica duo called Wauvenfold Wichita Records with Noel Murphy aka Visual Display Unit. Sadly it only lasted a couple of years but during that time we were lucky enough to do a session for John Peel on Radio One. Wed long since lost the recordings but Noel managed to find some MP3s of the show online 2013-5-14 13:44:59 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#135452 I was commissioned to compose an original soundtrack for Dr Whos season 7 trailer for BBC Worldwide. Heres the trailer and the audio by itself below 2013-5-10 12:54:52 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#135159 Francisco T225rregas Lagrima Performed and recorded by Tom Hill 2013-5-3 13:15:09 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#134657 Failed Attempts To Articulate The Compulsion amp The PracticePart 1 The Fragility amp The NuanceThe tangible nature of objects. Intricate structures and how theyre comprised. The fabric of materials and the fibers that bind them. The building blocks within all things. Dissection and disintegration. Forcing a construct to reveal its inner nature. Processes of degradation relative to their creation the authorship of their demise. Fragmentation and fracture. Methods of disturbance that peel the surface layer. Forging parallels between disparate textures. Exposing connections. All things relative to the self. Imperceptible truths. The unknowable mirror. The attempt to understand and the letting go of needing to. The fragility and the nuance the lightness and the weight the complexity and the balance. Surrendering control to the process. 2013-4-20 15:16:26 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#134661 Failed Attempts To Articulate The Compulsion amp The PracticePart 2 Acceptance of CircumstanceAcceptance of circumstance. Acknowledgment of place and context. Unavoidable situations as creative challenges. The current situation as a unique situation. Available resources as sufficient resources. Unattainable technology as unnecessary technology. Limitations as creative hurdles. The positive attributes of the moment. Inviting the environment to take part. Mistakes as unexplored avenues. Openness to chance occurrences. Accidents as paths out of habit. Failed experiments as solitary successes. Lacking time to produce as having time to conceive. Creative thought equal to productivity. Any opportunity as an opportunity. Unachievable standards as rules to be broken. Accepted methods as optional. Rules of practice as choices only. Awareness of dogmatic systems. Identifying the boundaries of available tools. Knowing a technique and not using it. Conforming to a rule then breaking it. Honing th... 2013-4-19 20:20:48 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#134639 Origamibiro has been undergoing a lot of changes recently. Over the last 6 years its transformed from a solo project into a collective which has seen Jim Andy and myself touring across Europe releasing music writing soundtracks remixing making films collaborating with other artists creating art installations moving studios four times and everything in between thats part and parcel of being in a band. As a process its been constantly malleable ever changing and unfamiliar. And we like it that way. But despite our dislike of paintingbynumbers we had hoped by now to find some kind of loose formula that would lay a path for what we do purely as a more efficient way of being consistently productive. But when it comes to the work we enjoy it seems the formula is change itself. In terms of the collective the idea was to create a self perpetuating circle of productivity that would feed in from the live show through to the recorded material and back out again. A... 2013-4-18 19:19:07 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#134715 Negativity is a dead end. This tiny shred of a sentence has been stuck to this brick in my house ever since I moved in over 9 years ago. I actually only noticed it about three years after I moved in. 2013-4-17 10:06:16 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#128573 Some of the artists who have been exercising the speaker cones in my studio and car stereo. The Seven Principal Lines by Tom Hill on Mixcloud 2012-12-3 12:16:34 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#128570 One always has to remember these days where the garbage pail is because its so easy to make sounds and to put sounds together into something that appears to be music but its just as hard as it always was to make good music. Robert Moog 2012-12-2 11:46:55 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#128571 This is a film I soundtracked recently. 2012-12-1 11:49:08 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#128569 The fragile weave of natural sound is being torn apart by our seemingly boundless need to conquer the environment rather than to find a way to abide in consonance with it. Bernie Krause. Read the full article with audio clips here 2012-11-26 11:39:13 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#128572 The following is the English transcript from an interview conducted by 321ukasz Kom322a for the online Polish mag Nowamuzyka. Nowamuzyka Interview with Tom Hill321ukasz From the time I first listened to the Origamibiro music and it was in 2007 Ive been interested in how did you come up with such an intriguing name for your project Tom Its a long story Maybe some other time. 321ukasz In the middle of July you released an EP Flicker and among artists who produced their remixes we can find such musicians as Plaid ISAN Set In Sand KConjog and Leafcutter John. Tom could you shortly tell us how did you start your cooperation Tom Matt Yarrington from our US label Abandon Building Records is to thank for hooking us up with all those guys. The only artists I knew previously were ISAN as we performed together about 10 years ago when I was in Wauvenfold. But without Matt and Abandon Building wed never had been able to get all those artis... 2012-11-25 11:54:07 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#128098 First mix I did for Fluid Radio a few years back.Fluid Radio Mix 1 by Tom Hill on Mixcloud 2012-11-21 15:45:38 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#127292 Much of the work Im commissioned to do I suppose is relatively restrained compared with the direction Id normally choose to go in. Sometimes the biggest challenge is to write music that is both emotionally neutral yet engaging enough to draw the viewer in without interfering with any important dialogue. As such though I enjoy the process and appreciate them in my own way Im often unsure as to whether theyre strong enough to stand alone in the absence of the films that drove their creation. That being said I am interested in the limitations set by the films and the narrative arc that dictated each pieces journey. For me this selection is more like an auditory mood board than an album. Some go nowhere without having even begun others dont resolve or just end abruptly. Some had to be conceived recorded edited and mastered in a day. In any case they each presented their own challenge but despite my reservations about them I figured they need not gather dust on my hard drive 2012-11-4 16:50:23 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#124361 2012-9-6 11:59:28 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#119353 Artists seldom see acknowledgement for the unpaid hours of work poured into their craft. In many ways recognition is the only true return to be had. To seek this is often mistaken for showboating or neediness. For the most part it is not. It is simply a means of clarification that their time and indeed their life has not been in vain. 2012-6-2 12:50:06 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#118466 2012-5-17 14:53:59 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#118217 This is the first proper full length classical piece Ive recorded. Quite a departure from what Id normally upload but I thought Id give it an airing anyway. I hope you enjoy it. 2012-5-14 09:46:23 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#117569 2012-5-2 20:33:12 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#110532 2012-1-17 09:38:32 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#110225 2012-1-12 11:10:48 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#107777 I could copy and paste everything from this lecture. I think youd be hard pushed to find anyone being so open and honest about themselves and their work......The obvious solution was not to throw my hands up but try to find myself in a situation where I was doing me not someone else. Do you. It isnt easy but its essential. Its not easy because theres a lot in the way in many cases a major obstacle is your deeply seated belief that you is not interesting. And since convincing yourself that you are interesting is probably not going to happen take it off the table. Agree Perhaps Im not interesting but I am the only thing I have to offer and I want to offer something. And by offering myself in a true way I am doing a great service to the world because it is rare and it will help.Full lecture here 2011-11-29 10:19:11 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#102820 Care about peoples approval and you will be their prisoner. Tao Te Ching 2011-9-19 15:50:27 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#102513 Geoff Diego LitherlandIn Conversation with Origamibiro Hand amp Heart pub Nottingham 24 August 2011 Geoff Diego Litherland For someone whos never heard or seen your stuff how would you describe what you do Tom Hill Theres two ways to broach that Id start by defining it as live soundtracks to live film which can be expanded to acousticelectronica with captured live experimental cinema and take it from there really. Jim Boxall Expanded Soundtracked Cinema. Andy Tytherleigh Cinematic is a good word Geoff Thats interesting in relation to the gig you just did in The Space at Nottingham Contemporary with the tiered seating down and the large projection screen behind you it was setup as if you were watching a film. It demanded more from the audience too as there were none of the distractions of a bar club atmosphere. It worked really well. So now that Jim is officially on board how has the set... 2011-9-14 16:24:14 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#101367 Arguably one of the best wildlife sound recordists in the world with possibly the best job in the world. This guy knows how to truly listen. I wish there were more like him. Plus I dont think Ive ever heard anyone who could put in the same sentence The sound of my children laughing... with ...the sound of a hyena biting through the leg of a zebra... 2011-8-29 09:32:29 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99371 Prepared Rhodes Experiment 1 by Origamibiro Prepared Rhodes Experiment 2 by Origamibiro 2011-7-28 22:19:16 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99272 Impressions of Footfall the opening track on the new album is the culmination of lots of different sound sources and periods of time. From Autumn leaves through to Winter snow English rain through to Bulgarian waterfalls... its pretty heavily layered with all manner of feild recordings. But sounds alone can prove a poor substitute in the absence of the actions that made them. Whilst watching footage of Jims holiday in Bulgaria I was immediately struck by the lush texture of his footsteps in the snow and so ran a line out of the camera and captured the audio. But when I listened back the next day I was surprised and a bit disappointed by what I heard. The audio hadnt changed but my memory of it was completely different. I expected easily to be able to lift a number of beautifully isolated crunches in all their textured glory and put them to work in the piece I was writing. But what actually came through the speakers was a whole host of other sounds Id not even been aware of. Id unconsci... 2011-6-30 15:55:16 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99271 Check out Nasas earthobservatory for more images like these. Lots of them are hi resolution and public domain like this one. Called cloud streets these cumulus clouds form when cold air from the ice blows over the open ocean chilling the moist air. As the temperature drops water freezes into tiny clouds which are arranged in neat rows in line with the powerful sweep of the wind. Though some clouds form over the cracking sea ice on the right side of the image most are over the unfrozen water. 2011-5-15 15:39:36 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99270 Whether the industry likes it or not music is now like water it streams into homes it pours forth in caf233s it trickles past in the street as it leaks from shops and restaurants. Unlike water music isnt a basic human right but the public is now accustomed to its almost universal presence and accessibility. Yet the public is asked to pay for every track consumed while the use of water tends to be charged at a fixed rate rather than drop by drop exactly how much is consumed is less important than the fact that customers contribute to its provision. Telling people that profit margins are at stake doesnt speak to the average music fan but explaining how the quality of the music they enjoy is going to deteriorate just as water would become muddy and undrinkable if no one invested in it might encourage them to participate in the funding of its future. So since downloading music is now as easy as turning on a tap charging for it in a similar fashion seems like a realistic widereaching solut... 2011-3-27 15:37:12 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99268 Jim Boxall and I were asked by the people at Creative Nottingham to be guest bloggers. Follow these links to read more Jims Blog Toms Blog 2011-3-10 15:23:09 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99267 Idleness does not consist of doing nothing but in doing a great deal not recognized in the dogmatic formularies of the ruling class. Robert Louis Stevenson 2011-2-24 15:21:24 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99266 Used to not only mask unwanted noises white noise can have a real calming effect. The reason why white noise works as a relaxing sound is due to the fact that it contains every frequency in the audible spectrum. A good analogy for why it helps to relax is to imagine two people talking when youre trying to read. Its easy to make out the individuals and what theyre saying each pause sentence language and word which is distracting as your brain homes in on every word. But when its 20000 people talking its impossible to make out what theyre saying they become a blur and you can focus on whatever you want. Babies love it as Ive recently found out. This website is great for struggling parents with newborns people with noisy neighbours or anyone who cant sleep www.simplynoise.com 2011-2-17 15:19:46 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99265 Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo. 2011-1-7 15:18:46 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99264 Some fascinating accounts of how our environment affects sound and informs our perception of it from place to place. My favourite part is about the Mayan pyramid temple in Mexico. Its believed that the steps were not built for climbing but for producing sounds. The echo from a hand clap whilst stood in front of the steps produces the exact same downward chirping sound as the Mayan bird the Quetzel. So precise is the sound as to suggest it is no accident. To listen to the full programme follow this link 2010-9-27 15:16:46 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99259 Diane Arbus Photo Exhibition 14th August 2010 Nottingham Contemporary Producing soundtracks for film or in this case photos can be an odd process. It depends on what its purpose is or what the filmmakers intentions are for the music but essentially I think some of the best soundtracks serve as a means of intensifying the visual stimulus which could mean a lot of things like playing nothing or just noise or just a simple repetitive motif to ensure the music is helping rather than distracting. Gustavo Santaolallas soundtracks are a testament to the lessismore approach. Its almost completely egoless. Sometimes even to the point that youre unaware there was any music there at all. From a musicians perspective thats nuts. Why would anyone want their work to be intentionally forgotten But if its purpose was to get the audience to engage more with what theyre looking at then it should be expected some people wont be aware of the musics influence. And in many ways those people the peopl... 2010-8-17 15:04:27 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99258 The works of Plato the ancient classical Greek philosopher appear to contain a hidden musical code a British academic has claimed reported in the Telegraph Researchers claimed they cracked The Plato Code the long disputed secret messages hidden in some of Ancient Worlds most influential and celebrated writings. Dr Jay Kennedy an historian and philosopher of science at the University of Manchester found Plato used a regular pattern of symbols to give his writing a musical structure. In his five year study Dr Kennedy found Plato who died around 347BC used the symbols inherited from the ancient followers of Pythagoras.His findings published in the American classics journal Apeiron suggested Plato was not only a secret follower of Pythagoras but also shared his belief that in the universes secrets lay maths and its numbers. The study which has created excitement in the academic world also suggests he anticipated the scientific revolution of Galileo and Sir Issac Ne... 2010-1-12 15:00:51 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99256 Google Maps but for space. If you follow the link below you dont have to install the full program to try it out. You do need the Silverlight plugin but you should be directed to that httpwww.worldwidetelescope.orgwebclient 2009-11-29 14:53:43 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99255 When an instrument is tuned using a tuning fork or an electric tuner the default is set to tune the note of A to 440hz. However in the time of Mozart and Verdi this wasnt the case. The Stradivarius violin was apparently built to resonate at 432Hz and it was widely accepted around that time that this should be the standard. Plato was supposedly the first to suggest this was important on a deeper level. Some composers believed this tuning was not only better suited to the human voice but also had a calming effect. Others go so far as to suggest it has healing properties. However during the second world war for whatever reason the Nazis decided to raise that tone and in 1936 the former propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels pictured decided 440 Hertz was to be the new standard. With a little help from some other influential figures it was approved by the International Standards Organisation ISO. Conspiracy theorists reported this to have been in part by turn of the Illuminati who were... 2009-10-8 14:51:57 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99254 2009-9-21 14:50:30 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99253 As soon as we start putting our thoughts into words and sentences everything gets distorted language is just no damn goodI use it because I have to but I dont put any trust in it. We never understand each other. Marcel Duchamp. Can the expression of emotions through music be directly related to knowledge or experience Or put another way Does academic intelligence or learned information make it any easier to convey complex emotions musically Its generally accepted the more you understand a language the better you can express yourself through it. Having all the knowledge at your fingertips normally means youre able to take any direction you choose. But focusing on a momentary emotion and holding onto its rawness is a hard thing to do. Certainly trying to illustrate a complex feeling is not easy. Can there really be a map or predefined language to convey emotions John Cage said I want something I dont yet know. He almost expressed a desire not in building upon p... 2009-8-12 14:47:45 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99252 If youre unfamiliar with the Loudness Wars then you may be surprised to hear that there is a decline in the quality of music being produced despite the evolution of technology.Its an issue all studio engineers and music producers battle with to some degree or another. Youll notice this when you make a playlist or compilation of various artists. Certain tracks seem louder than others making the quieter tracks seem weaker. This is down to the final mastering stages in music production. You can push the perceived loudness of a track using compressors and limiters but there is a compromise you lose the dynamics of the music and sometimes even the clarity of individual sounds. But because everyone wants to be the loudest on a playlist producers are jumping over themselves to push the volume higher no matter what the cost of the musics clarity. Have a look at the differences of these two waveforms above. One is the original produced back in 1990 and the one underneath is a remastere... 2009-3-20 14:45:36 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99249 2009-2-17 14:34:17 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99251 This film has been animated and pieced together entirely using found postcards and photos from the U.S. Library of Congress. Hauschka Morgenrot from Jeff Desom on Vimeo. 2009-2-13 14:43:09 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99248 Photo James DayThe first of these links that follow is a lecture by Bill Drummond about the redundancy of recorded music. The second is a link to an article by David Byrne about a similar subject with some great clips including Thom Yorke and Brian Eno about the music industry and how things are evolving. Bill Drummond Lecture David Byrne Article 2009-1-23 14:31:54 http://www.origamibiro.com/page8.htm#99247 A ball flying through the air is responding to the force and direction to which it was thrown the action of gravity the friction of the air which it must expend its energy on overcoming the turbulence of the air around its surface and the rate and direction of the balls spin. And yet someone who might have difficulty consciously trying to work out what 3x4x5 comes to would have no trouble in doing differential calculus and a whole host of other calculations so astoundingly fast that they can actually catch a flying ball. People who call this instinct are merely giving the phenomenon a name not explaining anything. I think that the closest that human beings come to expressing our understanding of these natural complexities is in music. It is the most abstract of the arts it has no meaning or purpose than to be itself. Excerpt taken from Dirk Gentlys Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams 2008-5-11 14:30:04