AudioCookbook.org Returns to Being Ad Free

Posted on October 7, 2016 by John CS 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 CS 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 CS 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 CS 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 →

Moogfest 2016 Workshops

Posted on April 30, 2016 by John CS Keston

I’m pleased to announce that I will be giving two workshops at Moogfest 2016. Audiovisual Scores for Electronic Music is on May 19 from 5 to 7pm and Sound Art and Sonification is on Friday from 2 to 4pm. The location for both workshops is 21c Museum Hotel, Gallery 6 111 N. Corcoran St, Durham, NC 27701. Details are on the Moogfest schedule site.