And here’s another person enjoying what she does! I’m not sure what impresses me more: the playing technique or the hair-do. But considering the video is from 1976, let’s just pay attention to the music. I can’t distinguish it very well but I would say she’s wearing some kind of metal nails on her right hand to pick the strings. Either that or she just has developed ultrahard nails:

This is just so hilarious! I have always found Macca super funny and I love how he shows he’s enjoying what he does. Super!

Found this modified Casio PT-100 at youtube yesterday:

It’s funny to hear first the familiar “Disco” pattern and then the altered version. I specially liked when he shows how he managed to make only the bass drum sound. The 90’s-like rave distortion sound is very funny too. I imagined for a few seconds someone like the Techno Viking dancing to a loud circuit bent casio pt-100 and it just seemed so funny!

He has removed the internal speaker to make way for the extra knobs. I’m not sure about the internals of the instrument, but aesthetically it would have looked nicer to place the extra controls on the free area, just above the lower octaves keys. Again, what I’m saying maybe doesn’t make much sense since it’s possible there’s no room for extra stuff at that place.

The other nice addition is the audio jack. The original keyboard can only output audio via the internal speaker and that is slightly annoying when your family wants to sleep but you just had a musical idea and want to try it :)

For your reference, this is how an unmodified casio looks like (it is mine, actually)

I think I wouldn’t dare making all those modifications to my first ever keyboard. Maybe if I get my hands on another one, from ebay or something like that, I would try. As long as it doesn’t bear any sentimental connection it should be fine, I guess :D

I just realised it has been almost three months since I put anything new in this website. Excuses? A lot actually. I’d rather not bore (or entertain) you with them, but it can be summed up with an I’m pretty busy lately explanation.

The latest pictures are from before our Hong Kong travel, which of course feels so far away at this point. Instead of writing the usual long report I decided to write even more, a sort of minibook, aided by the notes I took during the travel. But more urgent tasks have irrupted and make me delay this. I can’t say when I’m going to finish it, but I hope it’s before the end of this year :-)

We also went to Bath again, where we took the opportunity to wander and get lost in the green hills surrounding the city and the path which goes along the channel as well. Very healthy, and almost justifies the visit to Sally Bunn’s and the Spa. And the fab ice cream, and …

On music, there’s not much to speak about. I am quite slow for composing and need time for getting into the zone, so there are not new songs in the queue. But I have been practising with the guitar and all that. Still lots to improve. I’ve also played a bit more with Renoise, but I still haven’t got totally used to its interface – I think I am too used to Impulse Tracker’s!

We also went to some live sessions at 93 feet east past Thursday, where Ochre was presenting some of his new songs. It sounded very robust, in fact I thought the whole air conditioning system was going to fall in pieces with the vibrations of the bass. Of the other acts we saw, Reverbaphone were the ones I liked more. Something very Sigur Ros was in the air, which materialised when the guy on the right picked a bow and began playing the guitar as if it was a violin. A band to keep an eye on.

I think I’ll try to upload some pics so that the section doesn’t look that dead.

And now, back to my things to do :)

La historia de este disco es curiosa. Había oido hablar de El disco de la risa en repetidas ocasiones, a personas mayores. Cuando alguien se reía durante mucho rato, enseguida decían “Parece el disco de la risa”. Pero no le daba la menor importancia.

El otro día me acordé de lo de Parece el disco de la risa y me dije que esta vez me enteraría de qué era. Un poco de google por aquí y de p2p’ing por allí y misterio resuelto.

Al parecer, cuando empezó a popularizarse el tocadiscos, y como nada estaba inventado aún, la gente se atrevía a grabar cosas que hoy en día no pasarían de proyecto por no tener pinta en absoluto comercializable . Así que entre discos con discursos de presidentes, cantos de pájaros y demás, se editó este que parece ser además el primer “disco de la risa”.

Consonante con la época de edición, es el formato: un disco de 78 rpm. ¡Sí! Antes que los 33 y 45, existían los de 78rpm, que además no eran de vinilo, sino cerámicos (de pasta, que les llamaban). Eran mucho más delicados, aparte de pesados, y se rayaban con más facilidad.

Las batallitas cuentan que no sólo se ponía el disco en los guateques, fiestas y otras reuniones sociales como parte imprescindible de la velada, sino que incluso se dedicaba el disco en las emisoras de radio. ¿Alguien imagina escuchar tres minutos de risa en una radio de onda media? Cosas inimaginables hoy en día.

Detalles técnicos aparte, el disco es absolutamente hilarante. ¡Me resulta imposible oirlo sin aguantar la risa!

Y si no me creéis, poneos a prueba …