Well ladies and gentlemen, the long-awaited IGN review of our latest game title, The Conduit, has finally hit... and hit it big! IGN reviews can mean the death knell for otherwise well-crafted games. They can also sometimes generate lots of excitement and interest in largely forgettable games. With their review of The Conduit, IGN not only offers one of the most honest and accurate reviews I've read in some time, they said my sound effects have "genuine umph"! And take a look at that Wii splash page, will you? There's Conduit imagery in the rolling pennant, a Conduit banner across the top and down the righthand side, and the kicker is the Conduit background image they're using behind the entire page. Dare I say we've outdone ourselves with this Nintendo title?! Congratulations to the entire HVS team, who poured nearly 2 years of heart and soul into what was, at the time of inception, merely a small window of opportunity to make an innovative FPS on Nintendo's often exclusively family-oriented gaming hardware. The Conduit pushes the boundaries of what's possible on today's most popular console, not only in terms of what can be done with the Wii's graphics and sound, but it also promises lasting appeal and raises the bar, most likely permanently, on control customization for the entire FPS genre. The Conduit is set to stand the test of time in terms of replayability with it's sweet multiplayer options and narrative creativity which provides the overall storyline. It also has the distinguished position of being the first game on Nintendo's Wii in North America with two sets of cover art, one for the standard edition, and an alternate cover (featuring the All Seeing Eye) on the metallic Special Edition. Check out the full review on IGN and especially the video review which was posted shortly after.
Monday, May 25th 2009 :: Gladiator A.D. revealed
Gladiator AD hit the front page of IGN Wii today. This is the next title I've been doing sound design for, but haven't been able to mention since it was not yet officially announced. I'm really excited about it since it brings Roman gladiatorial combat sumulation to your Wii with style.
UPDATE: video trailer shown at E3
Friday, May 1st 2009 :: The Conduit is complete
Development of the Conduit is wrapping up and we're only a few more weeks from the June 23rd release date. As I was lead sound designer on this project for over a year, it has been the largest and most ambitious project I have ever had the honor of working on. The dev team has done a fantastic job making this the best Wii FPS title yet. The graphics, sound, gameplay and controls of this game are sure to make it a big hit this summer. A soundtrack remix contest has also been launched, which will definitely be interesting. We'll be showing off the game at E3 next month, along with another as-yet unannounced title for which I am also designing sounds. Various websites are up, check them out:
The Conduit Official Site
The Conduit Sega
The Conduit Remix Contest
The Conduit Fansite
The Conduit Developer Blog
The Conduit @ wikipedia
Friday Okt 10th :: Fall Radio
Join me for another sonic adventure tonight starting at 11:30pm. I'll be showcasing the finest selections of techno, space ambient and dub both new and old until the wee hours. I've got brand new releases from Chicago's Deeper Soul Recordings, Germany's Faxlabel and the UK's Ampoule in the cue. Tune in to WNUR 89.3 FM locally in Chicago or live via the following streaming options:
mms://media.wnur.org/wmtencoder/live.wmv
http://live.wnur.org:8092/listen.pls
http://129.105.123.14:8094/listen.pls
http://129.105.123.14:4500/listen.pls
Friday Sept 5th :: The Elf Machine LIVE
The summer radio series continues tomorrow night! Tune in tomorrow (Friday) evening for a truly monumental episode of forward thinking ambientechno. Joining us will be longtime Chicago area producer Vir Unis. He's done many live radio performances for us over the years, often in conjunction with longtime collaborator James Johnson, but this Friday's set promises to be a first since he will be performing as the Elf Machine this time around. As the first public performance of EM material, it will surely be something spacial, and the perfect introduction to the EM sound. The Elf Machine provides improvisational space, morphing through various rhythmic configurations and down hidden beatless passages. Following The Elf Machine's set will be DJ Phonaut, swooping in to finish off the evening with an eclectic set of new and classic downtempo and ambient platinum hits.
The Elf Machine (Atmoworks) LIVE with dj phonaut
Friday September 5th, 2008 @ 11:30pm
89.3 FM in the Chicago area
Live stream @ wnur.org
Atmoworks :: Phonaut :: WNUR
Friday April 18th :: The Conduit on IGN
Today IGN announced the Nintendo Wii title I'm doing sound design for. Such awesome coverage by one of (if not THE) biggest gaming sites around has generated a monstrous buzz, both within the company and across the web. A Wikipedia article has emerged along with youtube videos. Any way you slice it, The Conduit will be a fascinating, unique title for the Wii when it hits the streets. UPDATE: The Conduit website will be going live in the next day or two. UPDATE #2: IGN posted a second story, this time with gameplay video. UPDATE#3: Conduit Fansite UPDATE#4: New Interview UPDATE#5: A new interview and new video was posted this morning (July 10th) on IGN, check it!. UPDATE#6: Another blog tracking Conduit news appeared, hey they like the sound! UPDATE#7: Yet another Conduit news tracker. UPDATE#8: Yet another interview, this time on GameSpot. UPDATE#9: The Conduit is the highlight of the day at E3 for this gamer, and IGN is already calling the title an upcoming Wii "cult classic". The Conduit has received several awards since E3, including Best Shooter Game of E3 2008 (Wii), Best Graphics Technology of E3 2008 (Wii), and Best Overall Wii Game of E3 2008. GameTrailers also gave it Best Wii Game of E3 2008!
Friday December 21st :: New music to wrap up 2007
Check out the new sounds coming from the Atmoworks camp. Vir Unis has 2 new releases entitled "Return of the Locust Queen" and "Henry Hud". James Johnson has released a taster download called "Dulcet" for his upcoming "Memory Mist" album. This is complimentary to his The Big Picture work for Sony's Cinescore software. Tetsu Inoue's 1995 classic "Slow and Low" has been reissued on Pete Namlook's Ambient World label. To boot, there are whispers that Matt ISHQ will be churning out some new material very soon from his splendid Virtual imprint. Premium treats for your ears.
Friday, October 19th :: Phonaut + Wormgear on WNUR-FM 89.3
Friday, October 26th :: Phonaut on WNUR-FM 89.3
Join me these next 2 Friday nights for exciting episodes of Industrial Sound & Magick. We'll be assuming control of the airwaves from 11pm until 2am on both nights, playing all different kinds of electronic and ambient music. Consider the show of the 26th to be the perfect compliment to your Halloween festivities. These will be the first shows in a few months, and there's lots of new releases to play alongside old favorites, so don't miss 'em! Tune into 89.3FM in the Chicago area or head over WNUR-FM to listen online. As an additional announcement, on the 20th be sure to check out 2 very special live sets from Convextion and WNUR's very own m50. Check m50's site for complete details.
August 17th :: Live Phonaut @ GammaFest
Coming up next weekend is Gamma Fest. Headlining is Simon Posford who will be performing both as Shpongle and Hallunicogen. If you're familiar with electronic music history, Posford's "Twisted" album remains a touchstone of the psy-trance genre. This event is happening in Eureka Springs, Arkansas right in the heart of the Ozark Mountains. The site is huge, there's a cave to explore, a crystal clear lake to swim in, and plenty of camping sites with bathrooms and showers. I will be doing a live DJ set Saturday afternoon for a couple hours. Celebrations begin Friday August 17th and will continue throughout the weekend. Check out Psymbolic's Events page for the complete line-up and further details, and check the flyer.
July 12th, 2007 :: On the Air
Join us tomorrow night for another episode of Industrial Sound & Magick on WNUR-FM, bringing you the latest in downtempo grooves, ambientechno and dub. Digital Jockeys Wormgear and Phonaut go on the air at 11pm CDT. If you're in the Chicago area, tune into 89.3 on your FM dial, otherwise check out the show using the high quality streams available at WNUR's homepage. Also be sure to check the mixes page for some new sets in the near future.
Finally, be sure to take a look at this week's issue of New City magazine, out today. This edition covers the various music festivals going on around town and also features the first photos of my new band the Spiritones. Taking inspiration from groups such as these, the Spiritones blend apocalyptic hymn-step with brooding dark ambient atmospheres of Old Testament proportions. Look for our debut release in stores now.
May 18th, 2007 :: New Music
A surprise release of the latest solo experiments from Tetsu Inoue is being released on Germany's Faxlabel. With only 500 copies going around, it's best to snap one up quickly before they vanish. Get it from the Fax-USA headquarters Ear-Rational Music, or head to Namlook's page for the press release and links to online shops. This is the follow-up to Yolo, and Inoue's first solo appearance on Fax since 1995's Slow & Low. The Official Tetsu Inoue Homepage is now accessible via tetsuinoue.net (the old link will also remain active).
Speaking of Slow & Low, be sure to check out the recent James Johnson release of the same name available in MP3 or full quality FLAC download over at the Atmoworks Homepage. James has launched a new gallery site at james-johnson.net which features links to his music, photography and sound design projects. Environment 8 "Memory Mist" was released recently and it sounds like we'll finally get to hear his Alio Die collaboration sometime this summer.
May 11th, 2007 :: Industrial Sound & Magick summer launch
Tonight is the first of a series of summer radio shows featuring new and exciting ambient and beat-oriented electronic music. For the launch of the series this evening I've got Deeper Soul labelhead Josh Deep coming in to give us a taste of what's in store from his label later this year. Expect soulful future funk and cosmic afro vibes. Also joining the session tonight is longtime co-host DJ Wormgear ready to deliver some vintage underground techno. Phonaut's set will include deep dub-inflected rhythms and psychedelic ambient interludes to break up the beats. Tune in via 89.3 FM in the Chicago area or wnur.org for high quality streaming options. The broadcast starts at 11pm and goes until 2am, see you in the airwaves!
March 2nd, 2007 :: GeoPhonoBox
This evening at the Around the Coyote Gallery is the opening reception for GeoPhonoBox: Sonic Surveys of Place - "This exhibition will feature sound recordings about "place" created by sound artists, nature recordists, ethnographers, composers, pedestrians, geographers and other practitioners from around the world. Each submission in the show is to represent one geographic place within the realm of a cardboard shipping box." Given the ongoing situation in New Orleans, I decided to use field recordings I had made before Hurricane Katrina of street entertainers and incidental city sounds. It starts at 7pm and I'm sure they will be serving up some kind of spread, so drop by for a few if you're up for it. Hope to see you there!
January 4th, 2007 :: 2350 Broadway 4 is here
On January 15th, Namlook releases 2350 Broadway 4 to the world. That's over 10 days away from today, but already pre-orders have pushed it into the number one slot over at Ear-Rational Music, the Faxlabel USA distribution HQ. This one is going to be a big release, and it follows a trend established on Fax earlier this year by including both a DTS 5.1 Surround CD and a regular stereo CD in the jewel case. Experience 2350 Broadway as you've never heard it before, in a truly immersive sound environment calibrated by Namlook himself! For a taste, check out the Ethereal Being track on Namlook's MySpace page. View the official press release