please tell me about glen velez

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that's from 'Internal Combustion', reissued by Schematic a few years ago. if you like that track, get the album, it's compulsively listenable, both the performance and the recording quality. Rom and Josh of Phoenecia are long time champions of that album, spread copies far and wide before the official reissue...

amazon.com has interesting reviews of his other albums, which are marketed towards the new age market. haven't heard them, they could be just as good.

― (Jon L), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 23:31 (nineteen years ago) link

I've been hearing his name for years as a studio percussionist. Played with Steve Reich, Pat Metheny, world stuff, etc. I was pretty surprised when I heard he had an album on Schematic, I'd love to hear it.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 23:49 (nineteen years ago) link

Thanks, will grab IC. Yeah I didn't want to mention this for fear of derailing the thread, but I downloaded "Bodhran" because Autechre recommended it here:

http://www.steady-j.ukdeejays.com/ae-top10.html

― Lukas (lukas), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 23:54 (nineteen years ago) link

drew had an anecdote about A/B comparing a Velez track with something off of 'Chiastic Slide', and thinking 'busted'... but I haven't done that myself yet... though I can hear it there, and perhaps a bit on the soda can tracks on 'LP5'

― (Jon L), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 23:57 (nineteen years ago) link

(A/B?)

― Lukas (lukas), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 00:34 (nineteen years ago) link

"A/B listening test", geek term

― (Jon L), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 00:46 (nineteen years ago) link

hey i resent that, if i can't call myself a music geek i'm gonna have some serious identity issues

― Lukas (lukas), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 01:21 (nineteen years ago) link

can't even insult yourself on this board without someone feeling left out, huh

― (Jon L), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 01:40 (nineteen years ago) link

it's more of an audio engineering test geek term, specifically referring to running the same audio signal through alternating, different speaker monitors. I'm misusing the term to refer to consecutive, rapid listens of different pieces of music, and should be admonished for the casual use.

― (Jon L), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 01:42 (nineteen years ago) link

I can second "Internal Combustion" with bells on, and urge caution wrt Velez' other projects, many of which veer towards new age or not quite realized global fusion.

"Trio Globo" with cellist Eugene Friesen and harmonica player Howard Levy might be worth a listen if you have a tolerance for global folk jazz, though my earnest wish to like their albums has always exceded the actual pleasure I've had from listening. "Rhythms of the Chakras" is interesting in that if memory serves it is quite spare and spacious in contrast to his often dense style -- a percussion only meditation album. I used to handsell it to drummers who might want something to play along with.

Guest appearance of note: augmenting Ned Rothenburg's "Power Lines" nonet -- the track 'Hidalgo's' layered arrangement for strings, brass & reeds, underpinned by Velez's interplay with Mike Sarin's drum kit, is the soundtrack to the exotic spy thriller of my dreams.

Notable associate: former student Layne Redmond, his main partner on "Internal Combustion." Like Velez her catalog leans toward the new agey, but I've always liked "Chanting the Chakras" which uses quite a bit of vocal percussion as well as frame drumming.

[/long-winded]

― max davenport (axehead), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 03:52 (nineteen years ago) link

can't even insult yourself on this board without someone feeling left out, huh

I know right? People are such bitches.

(thanks for the advice all)

― Lukas (lukas), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 04:32 (nineteen years ago) link

six months pass...

ive only heard Internal Combustion and a few other tracks i heard bits off while preping the review if IC. I fear someof his work may swerve towards new age, but IC is damned well done and engaging despite the chance to go all whispy and herbalist shop.

― b b, Friday, 27 May 2005 14:13 (eighteen years ago) link

fourteen years pass...

These are the Glen Velez albums that I find to have worthwhile content:

https://i.imgur.com/es1eAvu.png

Some of them have some new agey bits, but it's not really crystal healing soundtracks or what have you.

― Sassy Boutonnière (ledriver), Tuesday, 6 August 2019 06:49 (four years ago) link

Glen Velez, Pedro Estevan, Layne Redmond, Suso Saiz, Maria Villa, Miguel Herrero ‎– Musica Esporadica has a piece or two that pretty brilliantly ape prime period Steve Reich.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNSQg77FxnQ

― hedonic treadmill class action (Sanpaku), Tuesday, 6 August 2019 08:35 (four years ago) link

Recently I played a track from Internal Combustible (sped up and blended with some ambient stuff) while djing, and someone said "oh didn't you know? He's in town giving a masterclass at the university." I did not get a chance to see or hear him though. That's my Glenn Velez story.

― change display name (Jordan), Tuesday, 6 August 2019 10:00 (four years ago) link

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