The Cowabunga Surf Music Webring (which my Homepage www.kawentzmann.de was a proud member of) is going to be closed down.

I have chosen not to renew web hosting and the domain registration for
Zptduda.Com, which will be effective at the end of January. This will mean that
the Cowabunga links pages will be going away. If you have not already, I highly
recommend that you join SurfGuitar101.com and add your site to their links pages.

I will also be closing down the Cowabunga webring. If your site is currently a
member of the Cowabunga ring, please feel free to remove the banner graphic and
web ring controls from your pages.

Thanks and best regards,

When I first started on the web I only had a tiny space at Luxuriamusic’s community. I attempted to join the Ring with that, but no reaction from Dave – it was around late 2000. The old web was still going strong. I don’t remember exactly when I attempted to join again, maybe it was only 2006. He accepted my new homepage – but checking the membersites was desillusionating, showing every forth band or so had gone/broken-up without even acknowldeging the webring. Clicking through the links you got the impression of strolling through a ghost town at times. While Surfmusic101 is alive and well, it’s a site with a lively forum. And MySpace also get’s a good share of surfmusic action. So the internet habits have changed so much that it doesn’t seem worth the effort on Dave’s part? I don’t know, maybe he just has not enough time to do the maintenance.
I will remove the Cowabunga links now.

He directed the biggest bollywood movie of all time: Sholay. Here’s a movie song (composed by R.D. Burman) on YouTube.

From the BBc South Asia website:

Veteran Bollywood film producer GP Sippy has died in the western Indian city of Mumbai at the age of 93.

Mr Sippy was best known as the producer of Bollywood’s biggest ever commercial success, Sholay (Flames).

read more at BBC

Great stereo recording demonstration. It’s incredibly real, use headphone to hear the stunning effects. You don’t get there with panned mono. I guess they used headphone mics and a little processing of some kind. Curious? Click here.

After last weeks enlightening video on loudness processing, we are getting deeper into modern recording technology right now!

The dices fell a couple of years ago, but there’s still some discussion on this topic (started at Wired). I must say that digital recording and especially the processing of digital audio have developed a great deal in the right direction. If all that is written in the linked MOG entry is true and profound, than why are there one bit recorders becoming affordable?

I recently hooked up my turntable again, and after a break of more than six months, only listening to digital audio (CDs are digital audio too, in case you didn’t know), I must tell you that listening to music reproduced in an unbroken analog chain is like a warm shower. I read that 1 bit recorders are able to reproduce that, by not having a sampling rate, which is usually about twice the frequency we are able to here, in consumer products/files. Talking about dices.

However, I believe people rate a good tune higher than audio-fidelity. They listen to the lady on the phone, not the phone. I take it as a compliment as composer, and an inspiration as a sound engineer.

A resource about environmentally and socially responsible surf related products and lifestyle choices.
link

Since the DVD of Tiki isn’t available at this point – I thought I’d post a link to this.

Commented slide-shows on the internet – why didn’t I think of that?

Here’s how you can trick human resources departments into believing you’ve always been nice and smart.
Considering this is coming from an HR site – they apparently want to be fooled?! I actually think they are not so much looking for nice people – but people willing to go with the flow to the point of lying and denial. Being a dork or mean one never cost anybody the job afaik.

link

Jayne Mansfield doing the Twist

via Spreeblick

Surfguitar 101 made me aware of an article in Vintage Guitar Magazine. I don’t have it but it’s said to be really good, with big full color photos of his gear. Now, you don’t know who Dave Wronski is? He has this band called Slacktone. He’s working for Fender and plays with John Blair in Jon & The Nightriders, who were the most influential second wave surf band in the 80s, from an international view that is all I can say. Slacktone is Dave Wronski’s take on the modern Surf with strong historical references. They are one of the best, possible the best modern Surf band. He has great knowledge to get the tone he wants – and it’s amazing. He’s mainly a Jaguar player, even though he got famous with a Mosrite on the cover of Jon & The Nightriders Live At The Whiskey A Go-Go, a record any live performing surf band is hereby strongly advised to call their own.

A big article and interview on Brian Wilson in the Washington Post.
(through the exotica mailing list)

The Beach Boy’s Hymns to the Dream State of California Belied The Nightmare He Was Living

By J. Freedom du Lac
Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, December 2, 2007; Page M01
LOS ANGELES — Brian Wilson still hears voices.
They stalk him sometimes when he’s on the concert stage, bedeviling him from inside his head. They ridicule and threaten the original Beach Boy, backing him into dark corners that don’t exist. Watch closely, says his wife, Melinda, and you can tell when Wilson’s schizoaffective disorder is having its way. His eyes become distant and glazed. Another auditory hallucination…

full article at washingtonpost.com