Well, it’s taken quite a while, but it’s finally here. Reconnaissance Fly’s debut album will be coming out a week from today on January 17, and is available for pre-order now!
To celebrate, we will be having our album-release show on Saturday, February 1 at Berkeley Arts.
If you’re in the Bay Area, come join us for this event. But wherever you are, please give our album a listen…and then buy it.
We’ve had the Mixing Bowl (DC), the Orange Crush, the Can of Worms, so why not the Spaghetti Bowl?
The interchange connects I-15, one the major north-south highways in the western U.S., with US 93, US 95 and I-515, which head eastward into downtown Las Vegas. It was reconstructed in the late 1990s into the version we see in the above photo.
I have actually not spent much time in Las Vegas, and none of that time was on a highway in in a car. Indeed, I had a miserable experience about 12 years along the strip (South Las Vegas Boulevard). While I won’t get into the details of that trip, it did prevent me from exploring more of the actual city and what it has to offer. I would be willing to give it another chance, especially if I could also explore out into the desert.
[click image to enlarge]
Once again, it’s time for our traditional end-of-the-year image at CatSynth. The past couple of years have all been good, rich, full, and sometimes complicated. But 2013 has been particularly significant, certainly one that I will long remember. As the title says, it has been a transformational time on multiple dimensions for me, indeed it has touched almost every aspect of my being. There will be more to say on that in the coming days. Music and art have been going very well, too, and one of the main challenges of this coming year will be to build on the successes of this past year but in a more directed way. If that sounds vague, it’s because I haven’t quite figured it out yet.
For Luna, things pretty much are the way the always are. Such is the life of a contented house cat. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thanks to everyone who reads and supports this project, whether here at the blog, on Facebook, or through the many personal friendships that grown from here. You are all what makes this work worthwhile!
The recent New York trip officially came to an end when I brought Luna home on Thursday. Changing locations is always a bit disorienting for her, but she quickly readjusted to her familiar home surroundings. She has also been very attached, looking for every opportunity to cuddle in my lap or at least sit next to me.
Yes, I do need to finish unpacking. It’s actually been quite busy since I returned, including a late-night gig with Surplus 1980 on Thursday and a show tonight with Reconnaissance Fly in Sacramento. But after that things calm down quite a bit. So we will have a proper but belated celebration for Luna’s birthday next week. Meanwhile, she is getting all the comfort and cuddles I can provide.
Finally, a sad note. We were heartbroken last week to hear about the passing of our friend Tillie. Tillie was from the kitty clan in Nova Scotia that also shared Mickey with us, and their mom has been one of our big supporters here at CatSynth. We often noted back and forth how much Tillie and Luna looked alike. We send the whole family our deepest sympathies for their loss.
It’s time once again for the annual pilgrimage to New York. In addition to family and friends, there will be much art-seeing and urban exploration, and two electronic-music performances. If you are in New York over the next two weeks, I invite you to come check them out.
Tuesday, November 26, 7:30
Ambient-Chaos presents Schyuler Tsuda, Amar Chaudhary (San Francisco), John Dunlop, RMA Trio
121 Ludlow St, Second Floor, New YorkRobert L. Pepper (PAS) presents a night of Ambient-Chaos featuring Schyuler Tsuda, Amar Chaudhary (San Francisco), John Dunlop, RMA Trio. THE EVENT STARTS EARLY!. So please be there by 7:30 to settle in and enjoy the frequencies.
Saturday, November 30
Rachel Mason, The Use, and Amar Chaudhary at Harvestworks
Harvestworks, Broadway&Houston, New York5.1 Surround surround performance at Harvestworks with Rachel Mason and The Use (Michael Durek), additional A/V element from Jay Van Dyke; and a set from Amar Chaudhary a.k.a. CatSynth.
I did want to include some analog modular elements in these performances, so I put together a miniature version of the rig featuring a cross section of modules, with an emphasis on live processing (Make Noise Echophon) and chaotic oscillation.
The best way to keep up with CatSynth in New York is via Twitter @catsynth. But you can also follow us on Instagram. And of course we will continue with periodic blog posts.
It was a rather eventful weekend here with a film project and then a bit of unexpected excitement around a show at Berkeley Arts last night featuring Pitta of the Mind. In the end, everything went well, though Luna would have preferred less excitement. Here she is coming out of hiding after my friends from the film project left and reclaiming her territory.
She is quite fond of this toy piano. I have even heard her press the keys, though I haven’t been able to capture it yet.
My final show for the World of Wonder on San Francisco Community Radio aired last Thursday (10/10). The podcast is now online.
For a full playlist, please visit Spinitron.
It was a lot of fun to do this show for a year, but as my own musical work expands and other responsibilities continue, it is no longer sustainable. I hope to start a more modest podcast series next year, though, and don’t rule out returning the SF Community Radio in the future. Please visit SFCR’s website to find out more about the work they are doing and the great shows that will be continuing.
Today we look back at duo performances from the middle of September: an electro-acoustic spoetry performance with Polly Moller, and a punk-themed Pitta of the Mind performance at Bay Area Ladyfest. Musically, conceptually, and socially, these were contrasting experiences, but both very rewarding. Both duos combined voice with live electronics, and both involved my feminine persona . They also provided opportunities for different styles of playing and collaboration.
Ode to Steengo is a piece based on spoetry (spam poetry) derived from Harry Harrison’s “Stainless Steel Rat” series. Polly Moller and I performed it several times as an electro-acoustic duo in 2008 and 2009, and then later in our band Reconnaissance Fly. We reprised the piece for our duo performance at The Nunnery in San Francisco on September 15. It was a more expansive interpretation, with more instrumental breaks and live processing of voices. It was also different in that I used the analog modular for the electronic parts. The Make Noise Echophon was great for processing Polly’s vocals and wind instruments. And overall, I thought this was our best performance of this piece to date. The technology, timing and overall musicianship were strong, and we both had a good time while playing. You can enjoy it in its entirety via the video below:
Amar Chaudhary / Polly Moller Duo: Ode to Steengo, The Nunnery 9-15-2013 from CatSynth on Vimeo.
The performance by Pitta of the Mind at Bay Area Ladyfest in Oakland was something altogether different. Maw Shein Win and I interpreted several classic punk-rock songs as “art-damaged” music and spoken word performances. Musically, this involved a mixture of idiomatic and freeform improvisation on electric piano, mixed with some odd synth sounds. As with Steengo, the performance itself was a lot of fun, and in this case we made that a deliberate and overt part of the show. This was especially apparent in our final piece, an interpretation of The Ramones’ “Sheena is a Punk Rocker” where we invited the audience to sing along with us.
Pitta of the Mind at Bay Area Ladyfest: The Ramones “Sheena is a Punk Rocker” from CatSynth on Vimeo.
Both performances were well received by the audiences, which filled their respective venues, and of course I hope to do both again. Pitta of the Mind already has two more performances scheduled this year, and of course Polly and I perform together quite often. It is a good reminder to make time for duos as a specific performance format even while spending much time on solo work and on full-size bands.
The latest, and second-to-last, episode of the World of Wonder is up and posted for your listening pleasure.
For a complete playlist, please visit Spinitron.
This show will be coming to an end soon, with a final show on October 10. It has been a great experience, but no longer sustainable given an increasingly frequent performance schedule, maintaining this site, and making sure to set aside enough time each week to take care of myself and Luna. It is possible that I will start up an independent podcast in 2014, so stay tuned…
It’s not unusual for Luna to spend most of her day napping in sun puddles, but it’s a rare occasion when I get do so as well. This month has been rewarding but also exhausting, with work, the Portland trip, multiple shows and sundry other events and obligations. Fortunately, this weekend is largely free and thus a good time to rest as well as attend to health and home. And of course to spend time with Luna.
The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at Mind of Mog.
And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.