Time, Through Windows
Posted by Erik | Filed under music, sound, spoken-word, video, visual, word
Time, Through Windows explores the perception of time, using the passage from spring to winter as a metaphor for the artist’s father’s cycle of life—from child to elder. Music and spoken dialog work in combination with video to create a six-piece narrative that invites the audience into an intimate durational experience. This work, presented as a circular grouping of six audio/video pairs, acts as a vehicle for the audience to contemplate that which might normally go overlooked.
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Tags: audio, cycle, durational, father, lens, narrative, perspective, rythym, spoken-word, video, visual
A Fact of Modern Life
Posted by Erik | Filed under design, music, sound, spoken-word
The piece may seem at first to be the antithesis of the majority of the work I do, with simplicity replaced with a cacophony of spoken text. However, it is about the rhythm found in the repetition and the contextual shifting that can occur. The Chicago poetry slam is an influence in this area of my work.
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Tags: audio, repetition, rythym, simplicity, spoken-word
Controlled Substances
Posted by Erik | Filed under music, sound, video, visual
Controlled Substances is an interactive media installation controlled by the real-time RSS feeds it displays.
Tags: hunger, installation, interactive media, population, time, video, water, world
Standing Waves in Shoaling Water
Posted by Erik | Filed under music, video, visual
On December of 2004 I set out to teach myself some basic video production software. Midway through a typical tutorial I heard news coming out of Asia that gave me cause to drop everything and begin new work with purpose. On December 28, 2004, I composed a multimedia and performance piece, Standing Waves in Shoaling Water. Written from the perspective of an American in the US attempting to get detailed accounts of the Tsunami, the piece calls for a single performer, world-band radio, tape recorders, bell and pre-recorded soundtracks. This audio work was first performed at Columbia College Chicago in January 2005.
In researching for the music composition I came across fellow weblogger Hellmut Issels, who published his personal and incredibly moving photographs of the Tsunami in Phuket. I sent him a request to use a few of his photographs for the video incarnation of SWSW that I planned to attempt. Failing to receive a response I decided to credit Hellmut and press on with this student project. The final video piece is six and a half minutes, using a stereo mix of all original audio parts. I consider the project finished not because it is perfect but because it’s time to begin new work. Standing Waves in Shoaling Water was written in memory of those lost to the 2004 Tsunami, December 26, 2004.
I have had Erik in class on several occasions, and he has continuously struck me as a thoughtful, mature, disciplined artist. In fact, his submission work for acceptance into the Interdisciplinary Arts program was already among the most memorable works of art of any student I have had in my 10 years of teaching.
Jenny Magnus, Adjunct Professor, Department of Interdisciplinary Art, Columbia College Chicago
Tags: human, perspective, time, tsunami, video
Joshua Tree
Posted by Erik | Filed under music
Credits: Rudy VanderLans: design and photography; Brian Schorn: poetry; Van Dyke Parks, Itchy Pet (aka Erik Deerly), Damon & Naomi, Scenic, The Grassy Knoll, and Honey Barbara: music. Emigre, 2001.
This is a collaborative project produced by Rudy VanderLans and published by Emigre in 2001. It is the third and final book of photos in a trilogy that focuses on the Southern California landscape. The 96-page book and audio CD is a tribute to Gram Parsons, one-time member of The Byrds and co-founder of the infamous Flying Burrito Brothers.
In the process of assembling “Dreaming Out Louder” I omitted five pieces that didn’t fit in context or flow with the collection. Rudy VanderLans heard those outtakes and requested that an untitled instrumental be included in the “Joshua Tree” project. The piece—now titled “Still”—was reworked and re-recorded featuring new guitar-work from label-mate and friend James Sidlo.
Erik
Sample Track:
05 Still
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Tags: computer music, emigre, guitar, itchy pet, van dyke parks, voice
Itchy Pet
Posted by Erik | Filed under music
Audio fanzine
Status: Mothballed.
The content of ItchyPet.com has been folded into this site. The domain name lapsed and was purchased by some dot-com troll.
Tags: computer music, emigre, guitar, itchy pet, saxophone, van dyke parks, vox
Palm Desert
Posted by Erik | Filed under music
Credits: Rudy VanderLans: design and photography; Erik Deerly: audio remixing and mastering; Van Dyke Parks, Itchy Pet (aka Erik Deerly), Honey Barbara, and Elliott Peter Earls: music. Emigre, 1999.
The first book of photographs and music in a series of three published by Emigre. It is based on the music and lyrics of Los Angeles-based composer Van Dyke Parks and pays tribute to both Parks and Southern California. The visuals of Rudy VanderLans display a canvas upon which the music of Parks’ 1968 composition “Palm Desert” is reborn. Three modern interpretations accompany the original, further exploring the world of Van Dyke Parks.
I was one of three composers asked to interpret the classic piece from Van Dyke Parks’ “Song Cycle.” The legend of Parks caused a “fight or flight” response, adding the incentive (and adrenaline) necessary for long hours and late nights. I liken my version of the piece to a reverse-engeered UFO. My reconstituted final bears little resemblance to the original but could not exist without it.
Erik
Sample Track:
02 Palm Desert
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Tags: computer music, emigre, guitar, itchy pet, van dyke parks, vox
Dreaming Out Louder
Posted by Erik | Filed under music
Credits: Nani: vocals; Erik Deerly: vocals, saxophone, guitars, keyboards, computers, music and lyrics. Brian Deck: additional drums; Randy Henry: additional bass; Produced by Erik Deerly. Digital mastering by John David Hiler at Doublewide/Noise, Chicago, IL. All songs written by Erik Deerly. Emigre, 1998
I have no idea why I decided not to use my own name for my first solo record. The name “Itchy Pet” comes from a canine ailment I find strangely amusing. The 1998 album was produced entirely on a Macintosh 7300/200 using various early versions of tracking and effects software. Software available to me at the time was rudimentary, and decent hardware was beyond my reach. Syncing beat-oriented sounds was often done manually, using a calculator to determine the needed pitch/tempo adjustment. The “low-tech” studio helped me define a sound I sometimes replicate with more modern gear.
Erik
Sample Tracks:
01 Upgrade
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02 King Papa
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03 On the Paper
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06 Byte Off
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07 Slow Burn
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10 Take My Money
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Tags: computer music, emigre, guitar, itchy pet, van dyke parks, vox
Ropes & Kisses
Posted by Erik | Filed under music
Its a clean sound—the sound of outer space—the sound of absolute silence inside your head—both painful and comfortably familiar. This is injected with doses of a more rollicking bawdiness in some of the piano parts, kind of a late night drunken intelligence evocative of yet another Young fossil, Tonight’s the Night (’75).
CMJ
Sample Track:
01 Ropes & Kisses
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Tags: audio, chicago, every good boy, guitar, indie, minty fresh, vox
Get Yer La La’s Out!
Posted by Erik | Filed under music
Credits: Brian Deck: drums; Randy Henry: bass, vocals; Erik Deerly: vocals, guitars, music and lyrics. Produced by Brian Deck and Erik Deerly. Minty Fresh, 1993
Whoa. This is junked out and startlingly unusual. Lazy, distorted chords are hacked out over a laconic rhythm section, while vocalist Erik Deerly swaggers with sincerity. Kind of frightening how well this is done.
The Splatter Effect
Sample Tracks:
09 Wait ’til Your Father Gets Home
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10 City Life
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Tags: audio, chicago, every good boy, guitar, indie, minty fresh, vox