My First Solo Album in Seven Years

Posted on October 22, 2016 by John C.S. Keston

Dear ACB readers, I am pleased to announce my first solo album in seven years, Isosceles. This one is an eighty minute long departure from my usual esoteric experiments. Instead it is full of unapologetically funky and tonal instrumental synth tracks. Many of these were shared as works-in-progress here on ACB.

Years in the making, this collection of tracks was carefully picked from dozens of compositions. Vintage and contemporary electronic instruments and processors were used alongside each other to create a unique yet familiar sound. The album is full of thick analog arpeggios, punchy bass lines, earthy beats, and ballistic leads. The anthology is interspersed with contemplative moments reminiscent of the promise of space exploration and discovery. It is a journey through light years of exploratory sound design, future thought, and galactic musical manifestations.

The gorgeous artwork is by Benjamin Montag and the impeccable mastering was handled by Tom Garneau. The album was released on Unearthed Music and is available on Bandcamp as well as the usual suspect (iTunes, et al). Tonight I’ll be performing at Acadia in Minneapolis to celebrate the release.

Credits
Composed and performed by John C. S. Keston
Ablum art by Benjamin Montag
Mastered by Tom Garneau of Audioactive

<a target="_blank" href="http://unearthedmusic.bandcamp.com/album/isosceles" >Isosceles by Ostraka</a>

AudioCookbook.org Returns to Being Ad Free

Posted on October 7, 2016 by John C.S. Keston

Today, on a whim, I decided to remove all advertising from AudioCookbook.org. Ok, not quite on a whim. I thought about for about three minutes. I guess what prompted this for me was hearing a video ad blare out some garbage at me when I was viewing the page on a school computer. This is the first time I’ve heard sound from the site without it being explicitly triggered by the user. I considered trying to block the offending ads, but I quickly decided to remove all ads instead.

Advertising has helped me pay a fair chunk of the hosting expenses for AudioCookbook over the last few years. However, the reward is not enough to warrant the intrusions. This is in no way a condemnation of advertising for other sites! I do believe in advertising as a way to monetize web sites and applications. In fact, I do not use ad blockers for that very reason, and occasionally click ads on sites that I visit frequently. Please enjoy AudioCookbook ad free and thanks for your support!

Note: This post was brought to you by sunsets. Sunsets are a great way to contemplate the meaning of life. Allow sunsets to impact your disposition and improve the quality of your life’s bottom line. Please enjoy sunsets responsibly. Sunsets Inc. will not be held responsible for blindness due to staring into the sun for long periods of time or jabbing sharps sticks into one’s eyes.

Bloodline at JT’s Jazz Implosion

Posted on September 30, 2016 by John C.S. Keston

Bloodline, a trio featuring Cody McKinney, Peter Hennig, and John Keston (myself), has been quietly performing at a handful of obscure venues in the Twin Cities for about a year and a half. On Monday, October 3rd we’ll poke out heads out of the shadows for a set during JT’s Jazz Implosion residency at the Icehouse in Minneapolis.

JT’s Jazz Implosion at Icehouse is one of the hottest jazz scenes in the cities. Featuring bands that study strong jazz composition, the performances consist of a variety of modern jazz songs with an improvisational flair. The bands that perform are emblems of originality in the modern jazz scene, oftentimes receiving national attention for their jazz genre knowledge and assimilation of multiple influences. The series appeals to a variety of listeners, providing multilayered compositions for every jazz fan.

For a taste of what Bloodline is all about, please have a listen to a few excerpts from one of our recent performances at Jazz Central Studios:

My New Piano or How to Become a Hermit

Posted on September 1, 2016 by John C.S. Keston

Recently my wife, dog, and cat moved into a new house and downsized going from over 1400 square feet to 725. In this process I sold off and gave away a number of space hungry instruments including a chopped Hammond, one of my three Rhodes electric pianos, and my 1916 Wesley Raudenbusch & Sons farmhouse, upright-grand piano (see photo below). Sadly I had been neglecting acoustic piano in favor of Rhodes, synths, and an excellent Steinway Model D plugin from UVI. You can see this in the photo because I had allowed my wife to cover the top with the cat’s food and water, a cat bed, and decorations. Yikes! Continue reading →

Interview: Graham’s O’Brien’s Drum Controller Video Series

Posted on June 2, 2016 by John C.S. Keston

Graham O’Brien is an exceptional and inventive drummer, composer, and producer. It has been my privilege to play with him at dozens shows and on at least five separate projects over the last eight years. His latest solo endeavor is a series of five videos titled Drum Controller. Graham had discussed his goals for the project with me, but when I saw/heard the videos I was immediately impressed. I wanted to know more about how he was able to trigger these beautiful and complex electro-acoustic arrangements without touching anything other than his minimal kit of kick, two snares, high hats, and a ride.

Note: Graham will be performing music with his Drum Controller setup and Thomas Nordlund on guitar at Honey in Minneapolis this Sunday, June 5, 2017. Read on for the interrview and a look at his video series. Continue reading →