20 September 2015

DeviantArt > Instagram

So the last time I wrote about Instagram was when I first signed up with them about 9 months ago. At the time, I thought it was absurd and laughable that they forcibly cropped every picture into a square, no matter of it's original dimensions.

But now that they've seen the error of their ways and have joined the rest of us in the 21st century by finally allowing for 16:9 widescreen photos, I might give it another whirl.

Although do they allow for original resolution or do they crush everything down to a certain size or dpi? Maybe I'll find some FAQs or just do a test.

Edit 1: Why can't I upload pictures directly from my laptop? Why do I have to first email the photo to myself, pull up the email on my phone, save the photo to my phone and then upload it via the app? Instagram, why are you making this a pain in the ass? Ya, I know of the workarounds. BlueStacks is always the first thing mentioned, but reading the comments about BlueStacks, it seems that it's either equally a pain in the ass to use, or it's not even functional, or riddled with viruses. Other options don't fare any better.

Edit 2: OK, so even though Instagram says it accepts widescreen now, I see that all preview/thumbnails are still displayed as square and are only widescreen when you click on them. So it's either totally half-assed of them or completely disingenuous when they say that Instagram is now widescreen capable. I suppose technically that's true, but they're really making an effort to make it difficult* for us users to view widescreen pictures as they were originally shot. And, by the way, they're totally small- about 600 x 325. My giant-sized 5200 x 3450 photos smashed down to 600 x 325. That's deplorable.

*Ya, I know, how is one mouse click 'making it difficult'? Well of course, no it's not. It's just that it shouldn't have to be that way. There should be something in settings where we users can default it to view all pictures in their original ratio, thumbnail size or largest size or anything in between.

Edit 3: And now I see that Instagram pictures can't be downloaded, either in small size or as shot? What is this shit? We all know the shift-command-4 trick. Why are you making this more difficult than it has to be?

Seriously, I'd be better off signing up with Deviant Art. Because of all the complaints I spelled out above, Deviant Art has answered every one of them. Deviant Art displays the thumbnails of the pictures in their original dimensions, the pictures can be viewed large size in their original dimensions, and can be downloaded in their original dimensions (although there are customizable settings on Deviant Art if for some reason I want to prohibit downloading of any specific photo(s)), in their original size too, even if the picture is 5184 x 3456, which is what I've set my Canon to shoot. And I can upload pictures directly from my laptop. And users of the site can comment on my photos, can follow me so as to get notifications when I upload new photos, and can share my photos with their followers. 

In fact, I just went ahead and did it. Until Instagram pulls their head out (and I won't hold my breath), I'll be posting pictures to Deviant Art here- http://humorlessproductions.deviantart.com/gallery/

All my Humorless Productions photos will go there, and probably some (old and new) random shots that don't have anything to do with anything.


Message for Instagram: Get your shit together. Work this stuff out and maybe I'll consider using your site.

15 September 2015

Humorless Productions on ello



So I have an ello account for all my original Dancu music here- https://ello.co/dancu (aka @dancu).

I've now created one for all my Humorless Productions affairs here- https://ello.co/humorlessproductions (aka @humorlessproductions).


I post everything I work produce all my pages (personal FB, Humorless Productions FB, HP Wordpress, HP Tumblr, HP Blogspot, HP YouTube for videos, HP Mixcloud for audios), so if you're following any of those, maybe you don't have to bother with Humorless on ello. Up to you.

08 September 2015

[audio] Gridlock live in San Francisco, 17 October 2004



Gridlock live at DNA Lounge, San Francisco, California, 17 October 2004.

Gridlock's hometown show (more or less), touring in support of their Formless album, so they play many from that release, as well as a bunch from earlier releases, and a couple of their more obscure tracks.

If anybody knows the titles for tracks 9 and 16, please let me know, and I'll update the tracklist.

1. Pallid (0:00-4:17)
2. Return (4:17-9:46)
3. Voiceless (9:46-14:30)
4. Displacement (14:30-19:03)
5. Scratch (19:03-21:32)
6. Uh4.17 (21:32-26:01)
7. Estrella (26:01-30:38)
8. Recycle (30:38-35:43)
9. unknown (35:43-38:51)
10. Without (38:51-43:15)
11. Sever (43:15-49:28)
12. Bring Out Your Dead (49:28-55:34)
13. Program41 (55:34-59:09)
14. Individual Totem: In Memorial (Gridlock remix) (59:09-62:56)
15. De/Module (62:56-67:23)
16. unknown (67:23-69:54)

05 September 2015

In the process of remastering/reformatting some board tapes



As I suspected, Salt Lake City isn't exactly a hotbed of live experimental electronic music or industrial or breakcore. I'm sure some shows will pop up here and there occasionally that I'll want to record. But in the meantime, I'll continue fixing up board tapes that other people have recorded that I've found in various spots on the internet and shape them into something that sounds like a proper live album (like the Autechre and the Tool and the recent Noize Creator recordings that are on my Mixcloud).

It's beyond me why so often whomever records and posts these recordings doesn't even put in the most minimal of effort to master them or even just even out the level across the recording. They either don't know how or are incredibly lazy.

The good news is that I'm not lazy, and I know how to do it. I already have a couple in the can that are worth posting, so I'll post those soon, and I'll see what other recordings I can drum up.

I've posted almost every recording that I've made myself. I still have one or two original live recordings that I've made in past years of some top names in noisy electronic music, and I've repeatedly asked those artists (via email or FB message) if they'd be cool with me posting them, but they ignore the question. So until I get an explicit yes, those will have to remain tucked away on my hard drive.