From the Archives: Botba Part 2

Live shots in this post are all by Jen Wilson

So here is another track by my friend Soundbeast and I, under the name Botba (see my previous post for details about the Botba project).

MP3: Botba - studio improv

(This is a pretty lo-res MP3 as it is about 50 minutes long. I will post a higher res, larger version at the store in a few days)

This track was recorded in Soundbeast's home studio. I play an Aria semi-acoustic standup bass, Theremin, Korg Electribe Emx and SCI Prophet 600. Soundbeast played Yamaha Electric Piano, Minimoog, Korg Prophecy, Korg Microkorg and electric guitar through a Boss multi-effects pedal (I can't remember which one, sorry).

As is all of the work we performed as Botba, this track was totally improvised.



Since Soundbeast passed away last year, I have missed our open-ended collaborations. One of my goals in starting up Gnostic Rocket is to find new sound explorers to work with. My friend Sean Beresford has joined me for several shows (and will be joining me for a late night set on May 2nd at the Supermarket - see sidebar for details) and it has been very exciting. He is an excellent dub/funk/whatever guitar player and has an Echoplex, two qualities I admire. There are recordings of the live show we did together at Ambient Ping on Dec. 13/05 available here in both MP3 and hi-resolution wave files.

I am always looking for other partners-in-sound-crime, so if any of the Torontonian readers of this blog are looking to experiment with others, drop me a line, you never know. I've also been thinking a lot lately about online collaborations. If any of you would be interested in finding ways to work together online to co-produce some tracks, maybe we can work something out. Sometimes working at experimental and synth-based music can become quite a solipsistic experience, the occasional opportunity to work with others is good for me.

Contact me if you have any ideas.



I will be out of town, performing gigs in Northern Ontario as my rock and roll alter-ego (the bass player for Evil Doers) this weekend, so I won't be posting again until Sunday night or Monday. However, I am taking my Gameboy Pocket and my Nanoloop with me on tour, so I'll be posting some new all-Nanoloop stuff upon my return.