Bowlisten: The Bass Tells Only Half The Story

Earlier this year I realized the bow used with an upright bass does not produce sound itself, that is, on its own side of the string and bow interface. I attached a contact microphone to a bow and began working with it. The following pieces are explorations of this instrument and idea. All of these mic'd bow pieces are included on the Sounds in their chronological order with the rest of the work, but I grouped them together here for easier reference.

• Bowlisten - 18min41sec. KandK Big Shot contact mic attached to Glasser bass bow, on disconnected Zeta Crossover electric upright bass. Loop pedals (Akai Headrush E2, Line 6 DL4, Boss RC-20 and RC-20XL, Digitech Jamman), Moog MF-101 Lowpass Filter, MF-104 and MF-104SD analog delay pedals. (13 January 2008)
• Bowlistening Again - 11min28sec. Double-sided bass: KandK Big Shot contact mic attached to Glasser bass bow, and Zeta Crossover electric upright bass. Effects: Moog MF-103 phaser, MF-104 analog delay, Akai Headrush E2 loop pedal. (20 January 2008)
• Cathedral - 00min45sec. Double-sided bass: KandK Big Shot contact mic attached to Glasser bass bow, and Zeta Crossover electric upright bass. Effects: Moog MF-105 MuRF, Electro-Harmonix Polyphonic Octave Generator. (20 January 2008)
• Tuva - 8min09sec. Double-sided bass: KandK Big Shot contact mic attached to Glasser bass bow, and Zeta Crossover electric upright bass. Effects: Z-Vex Ooh Wah, Moog MF-101 lowpass filter, Digitech Jamman loop pedal. (21 January 2008)
• Tuvatu - 7min41sec. Double-sided bass (contact-mic'd bow used with electric upright bass). Effects: Z-Vex Ooh Wah, Moog MF-101 lowpass filter, MF-104 analog delay, Way Huge Blue Hippo analog chorus, loop pedals (Digitech Jamman, Boss RC-20, RC-20XL). (27 January 2008)
• Oilbow - 5min29sec. Double-sided bass: KandK Big Shot contact mic attached to Glasser bass bow, with Zeta Crossover electric upright bass and Westone Rail Bass. Loop pedals (Akai Headrush E2, Digitech Jamman, Boss RC20 and RC20XL). (18 February 2008)
• Muting Straylight - 10min40sec. Double-sided bass: KandK Big Shot contact mic attached to Glasser bass bow, with Westone Rail Bass, Moog lowpass filter, bass MuRF, ring mod, looper pedals (Digitech Jamman, Boss RC-20, RC-20XL). (16 March 2008)
• Carlsbad Cavern Gallows - 14min15sec. Double-sided bass: KandK Big Shot contact mic attached to Glasser bass bow, with Chapman Stick, Moog delay, Moog lowpass filter, loop pedals. (16 March 2008)
• Do You Believe In Time Travel? - 7min01sec.What you get when you think of Donnie Darko's pal Frank as the Easter Bunny. Double-sided bow (K&K attached to Glasser bow), Zeta electric upright bass, Moog lowpass, phaser, MuRF, bass MuRF, delay, SD delay, loop pedals (Akai Headrush E2, Boss RC-20 and RC-20XL, Lexicon Jamman). (23 March 2008)
• Mirror Goblins - 8min17sec. Don't say the words. Double-sided bow (K&K attached to Glasser bow), Zeta electric upright arachnobass (with Fingerstix), Moog lowpass, Moog delay, loop pedals (Line 6 DL4, Z-Vex Lo-Fi Loop Junky). fingerstix, Line 6 DL4, moog analog delay). (6 April 2008)
• Moors of Immanence - 10min40sec. Deleuze and Guattari go for a walk across the moors at night. Double-sided bow (K&K attached to Glasser bow), Zeta electric upright bass, Moog lowpass, phaser, MuRF, bass MuRF, delay, SD delay, loop pedals (Akai Headrush E2, Z-Vex Lo-Fi Loop Junky), beard, vocals. (7 April 2008)
• Irem By Day - 10minutes45seconds. Zeta Crossover electric upright bass, contact-microphone-equipped bow, Danelectro Backtalk reverse delay, Moog MF-104 delay, RC-20 Loopstation, RC-20XL Loopstation, Digitech Jamman. Recorded in the studio on the afternoon 3 May 2009. (posted 5 May 2009)
• Irem at Dusk - 14minutes38seconds. Zeta Crossover electric upright bass, contact-microphone-equipped bow, Danelectro Backtalk reverse delay, Moog MF-104 delay, RC-20 Loopstation, RC-20XL Loopstation, Digitech Jamman. Recorded live at the BFFBog, Chapel Hill NC, evening of 3 May 2009. (posted 5 May 2009)
• one_15may2009 - 18minutes56seconds. Recorded live 15 May 2009 at a house concert in Raleigh NC. Zeta electric upright bass, contact microphone on cello bow, loopers, Moog delay, MurF, lowpass filter, Danelectro backtalk reverse delay, E-H POG. (posted 15 May 2009)
• two_15may2009 - 13minutes40seconds. Recorded live 15 May 2009 at a house concert in Raleigh NC. Zeta electric upright bass, contact microphone on cello bow, loopers, Moog delay, MurF, ring mod. (posted 15 May 2009)

(above picture on Flickr, and on MAKE blog)

Maybe Music event, Bynum General Store, Bynum NC - 15 March 2008 photo by Ted Johnson

An attendee at the event the second picture was taken at recorded video, and a clip of me performing on 15 March 2008 is available on Youtube.