Twoody Musing

Graphic Scores I + II: CERN

2012-02-17T17:48:00.001-05:00

Back in the summer of 2011, I debuted this graphic score with the quartet version of Live Like a King. Out of boredom, I just wanted to do something outside of what I originally had in mind, so I decided to draw up a series of graphic scores that can be applied to that ensemble (though not exclusively). I was mainly inspired and intrigued by the graphic scores of Anthony Braxton, Morton Feldman, and Karlheinz Stockhausen, and since I had certain images in my head that I wanted to attempt to translate to music, it gave me an excuse to want to go forth with the idea. To be honest, I only remember about 30% of what happened that evening because I was completely anxious to just get the performance done and over with. I myself will have to experience this set again; wish me luck!

During a period of writer's block between the summers of 2009 and 2010, several bouts of sleeplessness brought upon ten graphic scores. The first four were inspired by a situation scientist at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland faced while conducting an experiment attempting to recreate the conditions of the Big Bang using the Large Hadron Collider. This experiment received some criticism and speculation, mainly the concern of producing catastrophic results such as a black hole that can potentially swallow the Earth. With this in mind, and a little imagination, the graphic scores tell a story of an "experiment gone wrong" and the only people who could reconstruct a new Earth and civilization from scratch, though a little too late to warn those on Earth, are ancient astronauts from a distant galaxy.

CERN I

CERN II

"CERN II" features pre-recorded guitar drones I created, as well as snippets of a radio broadcast discussing the LHC experiment.

Shows You the Most, Part 4

2012-02-04T11:54:00.001-05:00

So, I've got two things that I know of coming up. This Monday, February 6th, I'll be playing in one of David Fishkin's groups, Adult Content, as apart of a festival celebrating the New Zealand holiday, Waitangi Day. To describe Adult Content, you would have to take one part this and another part that and you might find us somewhere in between (I don't think that summary helps. Well, you can at least dance to it). This will be taken place at NOSPACE in Philadelphia (2315 E. Hazzard). Check the site for more detail, and I do believe we are last in the scheme of things (11PM? Maybe?). Everything (i.e. the bacon) starts around 5:30PM, so there's plenty time in between.

On February 15th, practically the same band (EXTREME FISHKIN!!!) will be playing at Tritone for the last Avant Ascension, a music series dedicated in presenting Philadelphia's avant-new-freejazz-progressive-improvised-punk-noise-garde-whatever music scene. The Tritone is unfortunately closing its doors at the end of February, so it seems like there has been quite the blow-out parties going on there. I'm not entirely sure of who else is on the bill for that night, but as always, there's the open jam later in the evening; bring your ax.

Travis Feels Nostalgic & Shows

2012-01-19T14:38:00.004-05:00

I've been quiet, but that's natural.

So recently I've been going back to old live recordings to attempt to "remaster" them. I realized when I first tried to tweak them, to my ears they ended up sounding pale. This time I tried to correct that mistake and hope that everything is a little more audible. Not only that, I cut out a lot of my banter because well... to be frank, I don't want to hear myself talk (shut the fuck up and play already!). The two recordings I've been focusing on were the Papa Shango Curse show from 2008 and the Live Like a King show from 2009. I know I've posted these in full and widely available to be heard for awhile now, but my perfectionist side kicked in and I wanted to make it sound a little better than what they were (or at least to my capability). In the future, I plan on offering pristine recordings of these ideas, but for now I have to do the best with what I have (thank you "Taper Tom" for the recordings; keeper of all good and potentially embarrassing performances, as well as hilarious musician rants).

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://traviswoodson.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-fire"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Live at the Fire by Papa Shango Curse&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://traviswoodson.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-gojjo"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Live at Gojjo by Live Like a King&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Also, I know it's a bit late, but I'm playing two show this weekend! One is in West Philly at 45 & Kingsessing where I'll be in a trio with Scott Verrastro and David Fishkin as VFW on Friday, January 20th, roughly 8PM start ($5 suggested donation). Joining us will be Malcolm Tent, My Nation Underground (dudes from Drums Like Machine Guns) and Warshack (grimy-as-fuck doom metal, YES INDEED!). The other is Saturday evening at the El Bar in Fishtown where I'll be playing with Split Red. I actually don't know when it starts, the other band we're playing with or the cover, but lets say it "starts" at 8PM and the cover is "$5". Don't take my word for it.

As an added bonus, here's a recording of an old idea I rehashed for prosperity.

One afternoon, I presented an old "pattern groove" idea, amply titled "Olsen²", to two friends. It's constructed with a simple melody played in 2/4 while the rhythm section is in 3/4. After awhile of riffing on the phrase(s), we play musical tag and trade off the 2/4 beat to each other and the person who trades of their 2/4 will be in 3/4. It's just a working idea and it will probably appear in something in the future. Thank you Julius and Eliot for hashing this out!
Travis on bass, Eliot on keys and Julius on drums.

Olsen² by Travis Woodson

Electric Simcha News

2011-12-18T15:45:00.001-05:00

Earlier this month, Electric Simcha went into the studio to record our follow up to our tour EP we previously did a year ago. We went up to Colin Marston's studio, The Thousand Caves, for two days and banged out several mind-melting tracks that is sure to cause some ruptured spleens. I haven't had the chance to listen to the rough mixes in its entirety yet, but from the snippets I've heard, I think people will be very pleased. It was plenty fun and I hope that energy will be rightfully portrayed on the new compact disc.

This New Year's Eve, we will also be "rockin' in the new year" at the Highwire Gallery for a little fundraiser. You can find more info on this event at the Fire Museum site here. Come one, come all! New faces are always welcomed.

Shows You the Most, Part 2

2011-11-17T01:27:00.001-05:00

Logo by Erik Ruin

Split Red will be playing in West Philadelphia on the 1st of December at Elena's with our new singer Justin Duerr from Northern Liberties. Joining on the bill will be Little Women (remember me mentioning something about Travis Laplante being in that group?), my fellow Simcha band mate Nick Millevoi's group Many Arms (I hear they're having their latest being released on Tzadik soon) and another local group Banned Books (I actually haven't heard this band, so I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing them live). This is definitely an "earplugs party", but it'll be tons of fun. So come prepared! Tell your friends, invite them on Facebook if you have to!

And don't forget: Split Red is playing this Sunday at the Highwire Gallery!

So You Think You Can DJ

2011-10-31T22:53:00.003-04:00

Hey, two post in one day! I know I know, I'm being too serious about this relationship.

For awhile, I dabbled with doing mash-ups and remixes and I honestly don't know why I decided to do it. Out of boredom? A lull in gigging and writing? Self indulgence? Probably that! I really wanted to mess around and see if I could create some pretty wild sounds. I don't have any aspirations of being a hot shot mash-up DJ, I just figured it would be something fun to do.

This came from an idea I had to make a dance remix of a track off the second Make a Rising album, Infinite Ellipse and Head with Open Fontanel, as a complete joke and play it as a surprise for the guys to see their reactions (A "...meh" and a few blank stares were expected). I starting off with a mix of two Cornelius songs ("Breezin'" and "Fit Song") then gradually mixing the MAR track "Sneffels Yokul" in. Fifteen minutes later, something clicked. Maybe it was because I've heard those songs many times and I knew where the hits were, but really... something about it just clicked. It's definitely not the best mix, but for a first time dry run, I was slightly impressed by the results. With this inflated sense of accomplishment, I keep at it for a few weeks to get "better". There were complete duds, some that could have been cool but somehow I fucked it up, and some that were spot-on (with a few rough patches).

I guess when I can find the motivation to continue exploring the world of mash-ups/remixes, and be a little more creative about it, there will be more "Twoody Mixes" in the future. But for now, I'll stick with what I'm capable of. Here are some survivors for your entertainment:
James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream [Blake Dos] (Twoody Mix) by Travis Woodson

On Your Wife [Javelin Meets David Byrne] (Twoody Mix) by Travis Woodson

Deraweedsure [Deradoorian Meets The Exposures] (Twoody Mix) by Travis Woodson

Brokeback Intruders [Björk Meets Brokeback] (Twoody Mix) by Travis Woodson

Dirty Defect [Dirty Projectors Meets Fluxion] (Twoody Mix) by Travis Woodson

Shows You the Most

2011-10-31T12:18:00.011-04:00

Simcha at Johnny Brenda's
(Photo by Matt Hurst)

I've got some interesting things coming up.

November 4th: Electric Simcha will be making our South Philly debut at Cha-cha'razzi. I actually never been to this place yet, so I'm looking forward to it. We'll be playing with the Raya Brass Band, which features a few members of another brass group we had the opportunity to play with this past summer called the Ververitse Brass Band. UPDATE: CANCELLED!

November 11th: I will be set-up on a "blind date" as apart of a experiment music festival at the fidget space (1714 N. Mascher St.), curated by <fidget> and Nicole Bindler. I was paired with a dancer that I have "never met" and our goal is to improvise on the spot, which is just as awkward as an actual blind date (but cheaper). All kidding aside, I'm looking forward to improvise with my selected partner in crime, having awkward small talks and wondering if the check will arrive soon. To quote the event details: "Like it or not, the artists' pairings won't be disclosed until the show. Improvisational relationships will be forged; the visual and aural "now" will be given the time and space to meet. How simultaneously lovely and uncomfortable."

Split Red at KFN
(Photo by Jim Coughlin)

November 20th: Split Red will be at the Highwire Gallery in Fishtown for Travis Laplante's CD Release Show. I've seen Travis play with Extra Life and Little Women in the past and have only seen him do his solo thing via YouTube. This will be quite the treat for myself and others to see him do his thing in the flesh. Also joining us will be two sets of duos with Joe Moffett (trumpet) / Kristin Slipp (voice) and Anthony Pirog (guitar) / Scott Verrastro (drums).

I hope to see some familiar and new faces, so come out if you can, and have an EPIC Halloween.

Full Electric Simcha Set from Calvary Church Gig

2011-09-24T22:40:00.001-04:00

This is the entire set from our last gig, a week after our 5-day tour of the Northeast, at Calvary Church. We had the pleasure to open for one of my favorite Philly bands, Stinking Lizaveta. I had a first-timers experience seeing them open for Sleepytime Gorilla Museum at the North Star a few years ago, and to be quite frank, they blew my fucking mind. No joke. Okay, enough with the romance! Here's the set:

Travis Loves String Ensembles

2011-09-22T17:19:00.004-04:00

A few years ago, I flirted with the idea of writing for various string formats such as the standard quartet and quintet with bass (instead of doubling the cello or viola). I still want to, but most of the time it takes me a while to really be into the idea; I generally like the pieces to be spot on to what I hear in my head. When I use to, although occasionally still do, listen to a lot of late-Beethoven, Schubert and Bartok string quartets, it sparked an interest at the time to look outside my main instrument of guitar and explore other sounds. And, also study these particular scores to get an idea of what I'm working with and the possibilities/concerns I may face. I don't regret it because it expanded my musical palette and challenged me to approach a group of instruments I previously had little knowledge of to build a voice with them. Here's two examples:

Pursuing the Life of a Late Bloomer, for string quartet (Part 1) by Travis Woodson

Thinking About Dog Dreams, for string quintet and wind trio by Travis Woodson

Unfortunately, these pieces are presented using pale Finale samples, but you get the idea. I hope one day to have legit performances of them to share with others, live and/or recorded.

Split Red Goes Acoustic for Coltrane's birthday, Local Coffee Shop Rejoices

2011-09-20T12:39:00.004-04:00

This Friday at the Green Line Cafe on Locust, Split Red for the third time will be leaving the amps at home. You heard right! This has been a recent tradition for us to do acoustic shows. We were asked by Nick Millevoi a few months back at a Highwire Gallery show he was curating to perform this way and it seemed like an interesting prospect. This will be the second time at the Green Line that we will be presenting this music in this setting (the first included an electrified Rick Iannacone) and the fact that it's on John Coltrane's birthday makes it even more special. Joining us on the bill will be N.Y. saxophonist Louise D.E. Jensen, Dan Liptock of Warshack and Deep Possum doing a solo set, and Ben Remsen of Little Ocean will be in the mix as well (I recommend checking out Little Ocean's latest release, Pictures at an Ocean Mission, available on Bandcamp). Here's the Facebook event page for more deets: click

So I forgot!

2011-09-17T16:17:00.004-04:00

No, not quite. But, here's a snippet of myself with my good pals Kohoutek at the Empty Space (aka Germ Books) in Philadelphia. I had the honor to play with Scott Verrastro on a few occasions before, but not with this lineup; would love to explore this again! 500mg (Mike Gibbons of Bardo Pond), CDBH (piano/drum duo from Brooklyn) and straight from Japan, Kawaguchi Masami's New Rock Syndicate played as well and they were all phenomenal and full of positive vibrations.

Feels Like the First Time.

2011-08-22T17:12:00.003-04:00

Lets see how long I can up keep a blog, again. In the meantime, here's my Rogaine ad:

"An improvised guitar solo recorded around Easter of 2010. I used an alternate, slighty microtonal tuning to achieve a little more sympathetic resonance (similar to what you might hear when playing piano)."