Here's my latest album. The "free" period is over. It'll be available on iTunes, eMusic, etc. soon. For now, download here.
If you want to just support, you can optionally donate any amount.
When I wrote my first electronic album in 1999, I used only one piece of gear: Roland MC-303. Ha! I really got a handle on using that sequencer fairly well, and gained the ability to think in terms of
its limitations. Over the years, and a handful of albums later, I slowly transitioned towards a software-centric studio. This allowed complete, stuctural freedom
which was the goal. However as my interest in acid/techno/house increased, I felt a tug to get back to those limitations in song writing... and explore a more raw energy.
That was 2007, and now a full 10 years after my first album... I'm sharing this experience.
Most of the gear, which has now been sold, is 70s or 80s Roland stuff... but there's a few other vintage machines, newer analog synths, and a bit of software from Reaktor in there too.
This is the first of two albums. The next one will be released Fall of this year.
Track by Track
Below you can stream each track, and read my recent reflections about the writing process, gear etc.
There's also 3 photos showing some of the gear I used for that track.
This track just sounded like an opener to me. It features a hypnotic bassline and "royal" synth parts.
The original rhythm is from a session recording at my friend John's house. I brought over the TR-727 drum machine and played it through an
old Roland Cube amp. He played live drums over top, and we both yelled and hollered. Some of the original MiniDisc recording came be heard,
esp at the end. Just fun times, making music and goofing off - captured & recycled. This track is dedicated to our late friend, Dave.
My inspiration here: the boom of the TR-808, over the cool sounds of a Tennessee creek... The infectious bassline from the SH-09, being
controlled by the 303 just rolls around. The original version of this track was like 14 minutes long. Hated to cut it up. More samples can be
heard from that summer... Most easy to pick out are the cicadas. They flow in and out, and are about the frequency as the high hats & reverb
drenched rim shot. As I recorded their massive swarms, one landed on my shoulder and screamed at me. You can hear it in the right channel,
toward the beginning. :) The raw tone of the 303 and SH-09 mixed together reminded me of the overgrown pigweed plants at
Paige's farm where I recorded a lot of the nature sounds.
The 101's hypnotizing lead just kept pulling me into the track... Along with the cavernous moans of the DX-200, I kept thinking of this deep,
endless abyss I once dreamt about. It was like a slow free-fall into blackness, until one point I gained lucidity and shattered my dark soundings.
At that point, I placed myself on the bottom of the ocean floor and trained myself to breathe the cold water. It was truly surreal. Feeling the
cold liquid flow in and out of my lungs, I held onto my control of the dream by concentrating on 3 eels that danced in front of me. I kept
changing their colors with my mind. It's the most peaceful I've ever felt. So, yeah... I then wrote this track.
I love the Prophet 600 synth. It's awesome. There are two session takes here with that synth. One on the left channel, and one on the right.
It's such a warm and fuzzy sound. I really thought that bouncy 303 line, against the 909 kick, made a perfect place for that 600 sound.
Mid-track the SH-5 comes in and shows off... Overall this track just takes me on a trip back in time to the summer of 2008. I think it
really captured my mood during those months of music writing. A mood that a song with words could never describe...
Yeah! Acid attitude, spawned from a rough demo using the 303 and ESX-1. The 202 part was played by hand, using those little keys!!
There are a lot of layers here... It's about 50/50 hardware vs. software. I think I used that Arp 2600 plugin... and maybe some Reaktor
patch. Those DX bell sounds always remind me of Drexciya. Not on purpose... It was an afterthought. I was gonna make a video for
this track, but my software is all cracked out. I still might do that one day. The footage I have is soooo good! (secret)
Here's another dream-like track. There are two basslines. One made by the P600, the other by the SH-2. The first one (P600) just
sounded like a Mr. Fingers tone, esp being sequenced right next to the TR-909. That's how I came up with the title. That guy has
true talent. Much respect ... Every time I listen to this track, I just love the 909 drum machine more and more. Once I added that
haunting pad from Reaktor I knew this track was a keeper. It takes me to another planet, and kind of stops time for me.
The SH-5 is the star here. I used a CSQ-100 sequencer to input and then play the notes, gate-triggered by the TR-606, which you
hear it's audio on the left channel. Nice little set up. Then the sequenced 202 runs itself, along side it all. Overall tone was so weird...
and like a little dark forest or something. So, I went out and recorded samples of the wooded area where I live. There's a fountain,
dogs barking, bugs flying... birds and stuff. I think it all came together rather nicely. There's a weird story somewhere in that bassline...
JX-3P has a sequencer built-in, like the CSQ/SH-101. Really fun. With the PG-300 controller, it shines. This tracks was one of the first
that was completed. First time I had a real 808 on a track. I immediately made a CD-R and played it in my car, so I could here that
bass drum just... booooom. Love the chaos in this track. The end kinda reminds me of some 90's IDM or something. Still love the
ride cymbal on the 808 at the very end... Crispy! As for the samples in the beginning: I got my haircut, and sampled all the moms
talking about their kids and basketball...
This title is kind of an inside joke. ;-) ... I thought this was a nice, more light hearted track to add. The SH-2 has the "auto bend" that
kinda gives it a little more elastic-type quality. So I worked that over, on this one. That's a great synth, really. The breakdown uses
a couple Reaktor synths... as well as the awesome TR-606 beat machine, which really cuts into the mix. John, Tiana and I have a laugh
in the middle... He was cooking a hamburger on his George Forman grill.
Another beast of a track, using the SH-5... and the CSQ-100, this time triggered by the 707. That bassline just rolls around, and I have this
image of smoke or something... surrounding everything. Voice snippets jump in & out, trading off with this wicked cut up beat/sample.
Reaktor to the rescue! There's some subtle white noise waves, here and there too. Sometimes I hear them, sometimes I don't.
This track is almost tribal or something. My tongue is lazy sometimes when I talk. I think it's because I've never liked my voice.
Some subconscious deal, or alien mind control... Yeah, probably aliens.
