16/03/09 - 'LHP - I' the brand
new LP, is imminantly available. just putting the cover together
and tweaking the mastering. 'I' is a set of 9 tracks investigating
the sonic possibilities of the I Ching
15/03/09 - 'Left on Standby' by LHP is
now available from Ax
Records. 'Left On Standby' is a compilation of Lefthandpath
tracks from previous LPs, remixed, plus a few new ones. All
tracks are abstract, beatless sonic paintings using both computer
generated sounds and ambient field recordings.
Since the end of 2006 Lefthandpath has joined
Q, a culture and media group based in Mariehamn on Åland
in Finland.
From 2004 to 2006 Lefthandpath divided his time
between the UK and France. In June 2004 the Festnoise show
on Radio St Ferréol showcased Lefthandpath with a live
interview and an hour of his music. This led to the co-hosting
of Electromenager,
a weekly show going out live on Thursday nights and repeated
in the pre-clubbing slot on Saturdays.
Lefthandpath can often be found DJing at parties
and bars; notable amongst previous appearances was a well
received five hour marathon solo set as part of the Fête
National du Musique at the Café du Globe, Crest in
June 2005 and his set for
Electro Bombanight 2, at the Kiosque à Coulisses,
also in Crest This last event received accolade from the press
who carried a picture
of Lefthandpath himself.
2003 saw Lefthandpath DJing at the Brighton
festival and at various art openings and parties. He also
played with the original Laptop-jam.
During the winter of 2002, several Lefthandpath
tracks were used in a critically acclaimed theatre production
of Personkrets
3:1, in Helsinki, Finland.
background
Lefthandpath is the solo project of Dave Webb. Originally
a guitarist, he began using a drum machine as a metronome
and discovered that programming beats was far more fun than
playing in a thrash metal band. This led not only to the making
of bangin' 303 606 acid techno but also experimenting with
low speed DJing at Zero
Gravity, Club
Dog and Megadog events. On discovering the joys of sampling
and sequencing with an SU10 and Atari ST his music became
increasingly breakbeat orientated; about 8 years ago he purchased
his first PC and hasn't looked back.
Today his studio consists of a portable minidisc,
a stereo microphone and a laptop running sample manipulation
and sequencing software. He uses only found sounds recorded
in the field, computer generated frequencies and, more recently,
self played and recorded guitar and drum sounds. Sometimes
the tunes evolve from an initial loop which then dictates
the tempo and feel of the track. Sometimes they grow from
a concept - maybe a muse on the sonic possibilities of the
periodic table. And sometimes they just germinate from a beat
seed.
Carteret Atoll (also known as the Kilinailau
Islands or the Tulun Islands) is a set of small islands
located
86 km northeast of Bougainville in the Solomon Islands.
Part of Papua New Guinea, Carteret Atoll is set to become
the first inhabited land permanently evacuated as a
result of rising global sea levels.
For a discription of the samples used in Carteret Atoll
click here
Over an hour of experimental minimal beats and textures,
stripped bare of all unnecessary frith. Lo-tech hi-fi,
somewhere on the road between organic and industrial.
All the tracks were built using a variety of sonic sources:
'Found sounds', binaurally recorded with 'in ear' microphones
for true 3D sound quality, of anything from rattling duty
free bottles on a ferry to a thousand guinea fowl chorus;
the computer generated frequencies of colours and even
the odd 'live' musician.
By taking these original sounds, manipulating them for
further sonic uniqueness and arranging them into patterns
and sequences Lefthandpath's NOT FOR MOVEMENT OF
HUMAN BEINGS takes you on a strange voyage in the quest
for the heart of the new.
Whether listening on headphones or at high amplification,
just try not to be moved.
Now and Then is a compilation of work spanning
the last ten years. From the very old, well '95, Pipe,
Awry, and Nearside to '04 with Inside
the fridge, Dubweiser and Dr Rhythm.
Initially the tracks were built using a good old Atari
ST to sequence an SU10 sampler, the classic pairing
of TB303 and 606 and an old FM synth.
Over the next few years the analogue gear was sold,
unbelievable, and a Novation super bass station, a portable
DAT and a PC were purchased.
Now, everything has gone except for a Laptop, portable
minidisc and a MIDI controller keyboard.
Lefthandpath has always been interested in the
'found sound' - sounds recorded with microphones in the
field or in the studio. Sounds such as a saucepan full
of water hit with a slipper, wine being opened in the
bathroom, a modem dial tone or the accidentally recorded
sound of an ill fitting door creaking shut can all inspire.
The sound of a tattoo needle buzzing into skin, as in
Are You Ready? The sound of a car driving past,
with the mid and high frequencies removed, gives a heavyweight
bassline, like in Spacetrian. Sometimes just a
regular bass guitar string with plenty of filtering and
pitchshifting can give a sound like a toy piano, hear
Void and Substantial. A UHF TV signal with booster
fed straight into the line in of a sound card gives outstanding
results.
Lefthandpath also likes to experiment with sounds
too low or high to hear but that nevertheless vibrate
you all the same, the 'physical frequencies'. Manipulating
the Schumann Resonance frequency, the frequency of the
earth's ionosphere, or simulating frequencies of brain-waves
both give mind and body altering effects. Currently germinating
in the lab are works using the frequencies of colours
and deep brain stimulation using minute resonant frequencies.
Lefthandpath uses these sounds to create interesting
and unique music, with every sound having an individual
quality, depth and history.
(Of Gigorian
Chance) "This is a minimalist track best appreciated
wearing headphones because it's constructed from mainly found
sounds recorded with binaural 'in ear' microphones. When listened
to in this way, get an uncannily realistic 3D effect that makes
you feel like you're right there in the room. Dave's approach
is to use original sounds that he comes across day-to-day, then
he employs any tool at his disposal to manipulate them into
something more unusual. The sounds that work best here are the
bass sounds: the de-tuned tom and other sub-sonic stuff you
can here going on down there.
The least successful are the actual drum sounds: the kick, snare
and hi-hats sound too ordinary in the context of this track.
In such a minimalist setting we'd prefer to hear a more interesting
treatment than just the literal room.
We like the thinking and intention behind this track more than
we do the results. Intellectually it's great, but emotionally
it doesn't quite work to our minds." - Yeah but what
do they know!
(Of Spacetrian)
"There are some rum thoughts in this lad's head and no
mistakes. Listening to this on headphones actually made our
eyes water. It's a weird, dub world of clangs and hisses, where
steam-powered robots assemble machines only they know how to
operate. We think. See what you make of it, but make sure someone
knows where you are and what time to expect you back."
"Dave Webb has embraced a new technology and taken club-electronica
to an avant garde level. The technology in question is called
The 8 to 12 Hertz Overture and it allows
you to relax and chill out while pondering about the future,
pretty digital music no matter what form. The album really holds
itself together as a minimalistic mongrel of styles and experiments.
The music fits together seamlessly.Fully enjoyable!"
"You know,
Personkrets 3:1, where your music was in, actually has gone
more or less into Finn-Swedish theatre history as one of the
greatest perfomances ever. With your music in it..."
