Sound Color
A Change in the Alchemy
Mark Rushton’s Abundant Spare Time is a weekly email on Substack where I talk about my ongoing work as a recording artist and visual artist. This is my 163rd weekly email.
This week’s topics:
Space for Rent
Taishōgoto Sound Color
Alison Goldfrapp - “Sound & Light”
Space For Rent
Next week, if all goes well, I should be signing a lease on a small studio space.
If it happens, I’ll tell you the story next week.
Things I would like to do in the space:
Have Jon drive to town and we could make some ambient sounds.
Hanging gallery of paintings.
Small desk + easel for work. A comfy old chair.
Maybe a TV pointed out the hallway window towards the common area.
Maybe an InfOspot AM radio transmitter running 24/7 off a computer with my music + podcasts for building visitors.
Book shelves in the common area with lots of free books.
Printed copies of future homemade zines.
Light-based artworks in the exterior windows.
Rugs on the floor.
Every inch covered with art or things.
Taishōgoto Sound Color
The Taishōgoto is definitely a keeper. I am working on recordings with it.
The knob on the left is “sound color”. The knob on the right is “volume”. And the switch above is “power”. Thank you, Google Translate phone app.
Jon just ordered a guqin (goo-cheen), which is a 7 string Chinese zither. I think he also ordered a Roosebeck Afghani Rebab.
Alison Goldfrapp - “Sound & Light”
More “Gen X Excellence” here - she’s 59 and still making new music.
This is a bit more lightweight synthpop record than what she made with Will Gregory in their band “Goldfrapp”, but it’s still quite good. Madonna should have gone into this musical direction rather than pretending to be a teenage dancer in her 60s while looking like Mae West.
I listen to this album, Flux, in the gym every now and then when I’m doing my pull-up/chin-up routine. Especially on Wednesdays when they’re playing that “modern country” on the speakers above. No country for old men in the gym.