Michael Oster
F7 Sound and Vision's Michael Oster has been known to drift off into inner space while listening to all kinds of bizarre sounds. His excuse is that it's "research".

The Story Behind My CDs
by Michael Oster

How can sound make a difference in someone's life? It can entertain them. It can make them think. It can take them places. It can amaze them. It can relax them. It can excite them. It can make them smile. It can make them laugh....

From semi-music and noise to field recordings and soundscapes, I cover a lot of sonic ground. But, there is a purpose behind such an eclectic offering. Whenever I consider releasing a CD, there has to be something special about what I hear and what you, the listener, will experience. I'm looking for a personality in the soundscape, a unique character and style in the recording. Sound quality is a factor too, but the "personality" matters even more.


So, on the surface, you might hear ambient crickets and raindrops, but you're also hearing other things that add an interesting angle to the CD. And that as a whole provides a perspective and gives emotion to the recording. The emotion might be relaxing, it might be tension, drama, peaceful, or a blend of several. But it's there.


And, although not initially intended, some of my CDs have found other benefits as well. Suburban Thunder and Suburban Fireworks have been used for years to condition animals not to fear the sounds of thunderstorms and firework displays. Night Sounds and Sound of a Dying Hurricane have been used to help relax people and cover up outside, "irritating" noise. And FLUID , better, stronger, faster..., and 'dissipate' provide evolving, entertaining sound design for people who want to hear something "outside the box".


When I recorded the sounds and created the music for those CDs, I heard something special. That "something" was telling a story and I wanted to capture it and present it to others. In many cases those recordings became CDs of "one time" events where something unique was happening - where certain sound elements came together (both natural and man-made) and an interesting aural picture resulted. I wasn't concerned that the CDs would fit into a specific genre or if they would get played on the radio. I wasn't interested in record deals either. My goal was, and still is, to produce CDs that are interesting and make a difference to those who listen to them. And, with the technology of the internet, I can make them available to people worldwide.


You might notice that some of my releases are on CD-R and I go into detail about the whole CD-R versus CD, but the bottom line is that there is no sound quality difference between the 2 mediums.

Thanks for listening!

FLUID
One sound changes everything when a 14 second sample of trickling water becomes 54 minutes of deep ambient music!

dissipate
Music and sound are blurred into an ambient, mystical experience in Michael Oster's CD "dissipate"....

Experience "the Difficult Listening Channel" podcast where the sounds in my head become the sounds in yours.

Sound of a Dying Hurricane
A Hurricane in Your Headphones!
An intimate soundscape of Hurricane Frances as she spins down over Tampa, Florida (Sept. 2004)...

Tape Destruction
Destroy cassette tapes and get some awesome, mutated new sounds. It's fun, easy and I show you how to do it effectively. Pictures and audio examples right now.

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Copyright © 2007 Michael I. Oster. All rights reserved.



F7 Sound and Vision
17732 Nathan's Drive
Tampa, Florida 33647
813-991-4117