Another hit by Hozpitality. A real gem of a ditty. Could be the greatest song ever written, many people have said so.
Hozpitality-Don’t Know What To Say
Category Archives: WMOM
WMOM: Music of Magnesia
R.I.P. Scott Walker
Scott Walker (the singer not the politician) is one of my favorite musicians. He passed away yesterday (March 25, 2019) to very little fanfare. This is typical for my musical taste. The people I laud as ground breaking and genre bending get relegated to the small print in most websites. The people that they have influenced get the big headlines. If you don’t know who Scott Walker is, click here.
Scott Walker’s music has had an influence on my taste and music production experience. He comes off as smug and arrogant but he makes a lot of sense. Most know of my frustration with the overrated deification of singers in modern music. It is not to say that there is no talent required to be a singer, it is just that there is too much emphasis on the human voice as an instrument in modern “pop” music. I captured an interview snippet of him talking about what it is like to work with singers. I COULDN’T AGREE MORE.
Added the video because I love the song. Listen in headphones or speakers with vast separation.
CeMeGo… Another Round (2nd Solo Album)
This is my second solo album. This collects everything I’ve done throughout the “year of personal hell” known as 2017. This collection includes use of the Novation Launchpad. I really tried to work more with phrasing (probably too much) where everything is more structured and looped. This probably makes things more cold and clinical, but you have to learn sometime. There is one long track that was a jam session with little planning (Track 13-Air Head Full of Fluff). Everything else was looped, overdubbed, or (vaguely) planned with soloing on top. Some tracks were never posted on this blog (marked with an *). This, of course, is to gyp listeners into downloading an album of tracks to hear 3 for the first time. Here’s the run down/liner notes.
- Waiting on Hold for Bob* (1:05) This was literally slapped together while waiting on hold with Bob who was talking with his mom on the other line (as usual). One piano loop and pointlessly pounding away in real time over top.
- For Another Day (4:07) I am most proud of this sound for the big “Trevor Horn sounding” bridge in the middle. Yes, for you local folks, that is an audio sample of the WTOP traffic report for DC mixed in there. Further write up located here.
- Crunch Numbers (2:47) Write up located here.
- Bright and Fast* (5:23) Every type of metallic percussion (that I liked) was used to make loops on this one including glockenspiels, xylophones, vibraphones, and marimbas. I had a lot of fun programming the drum patterns. I probably went a little overboard with most of it.
- Get it Right (2:27) Write up located here.
- Atmosthing (4:10) Write up located here.
- Holdsworthian (4:35) Write up located here. (RIP Allan Holdsworth).
- Phone Waves (3:59) Write up located here.
- Pianosplosion (4:43) Write up located here.
- Political Optics (I Don’t Apologize For It) (3:37) Write up located here.
- No Driver No Problem (3:35) Write up located here.
- Volcanoid (5:18) Write up located here.
- Air Head Full of Fluff (12:52) This is the long jam session. Write up located here.
- The Warfare* (3:50) This is the last track to be made for this album. It started on Veterans Day 2017. I finished it today (Dec 23, 2017). The spoken samples are a half speed recording of Jim Bakker talking about how people are trying to kill him because he’s “preaching the word of God”. I think it’s because he’s a felon manipulating the minds of the poor and desperate people who tune into his show to be exposed to horrific fears of a false prophecy. Either way, he is fun to audibly abuse. He sounds drunk at half speed.
Here’s the 59 meg zip file of all the tracks and the cover! Enjoy!
As always, maximum enjoyment can be achieved by listening in a car or in headphones.
FYI: The first solo album “Cemego… It Alone” can be found here.
And just for a peek into my sordid life, here’s a picture of the stuff that makes all this magic possible.
Volcanoid
I was in the mood to mess with my much neglected Korg Volca Bass, Keys & Beats synthesizer/sequencers. I needed more analog in my life I guess. So I did this stupid mindless jam on the Volcas then augmented it with some MicroKorg solos and some Ableton MIDI sounds. I even looped some MicroKorg into the Korg Kaossilator. If all this sounds confusing, it is probably because it was. The whole thing is a mess but it was fun to do. This was done at 110 bpm (like that matters).
Enjoy Volcanoid !!!
(as always this is best in headphones or in a car).
EXCEPTIONAL REMIX !!!
WHAT A MESS!!! Many people have said, to mix up the thing or things.
So they say, “OH NO! He’s mixing things up again!” Because, you know, thats what they say. And I mean that, believe me!
SAD!
But we DID mix it up anyways, because, ya know, I thought it was good and smart and talented and successful. Full of common sense. Strong, passionate, powerful, and with great verve. A TRUE PATRIOT !!
NOT PARTICULARLY EXCEPTIONAL !!!
THIS, I can tell you, the very poorly educated individual, or individuals, behind this disaster will be prosecuted.
JAIL!
BELIEVE ME !!!
EXCEPTIONAL !!!
MOST PEOPLE are telling me THIS track IS THE BEST SONG IN THE WORLD. And I personally, can tell you, that THIS IS TRULY….EXCEPTIONAL !!!
RIP Allan Holdsworth (1946-2017)
One of the few guitarists names that have dropped out of my mouth immediately when discussing guitar playing of any kind.
Allan Holdsworth passed away Saturday, April 15, 2017.
I’ve been having a time with it, as I really love his music. It’s not so much that he is a guitarist of unequaled skill and unique sound, but the way he structures chords and writes music is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. I have always thought it sounded pleasing to the ear, but not normal. It is complex but catchy. It was pleasant but warped. He managed to keep things upbeat and twisted at the same time. Whether with any random number of guest singers (all who are talented in their own right to even try singing Holdsworth’s music), or just instrumental, his music always seemed perfectly unique in quality.
YOU KNOW when you hear Holdsworth play, but when you hear him WRITE its a completely unique experience that just pulls on the ear.
This is possibly my favorite Holdsworth song (which is difficult to say) but its the one that stays in my head for reasons I cannot explain in ANY way.
Notice the way the chords and tune of the song slide along in a pleasant and almost sour tone with a stumbling but consistent rhythm. This is his style. It’s like a roller coaster that is happy it just found out how to go upside down. HA! Just amazing. His genius will be missed.
Here’s another all time favorite that he co-wrote with the band U.K. (with John Wetton on vocals/bass, Bill Bruford on drums, Eddie Jobson on keyboard/violin). This whole song from beginning to end is just polluted with Holdsworth writing style. Also, the late great John Wetton will be missed as well (cannot be stated enough, the Don Pardo of Prog Rock).
Even if you only listen to the last half of UK-Nevermore, you will be amazed. It is just THE SOUND of Progressive Rock, without question. Holdsworth was a key to this.
ALL CHANGE !!!
Now the fun part…
I stole a chord from a song off of his album Atavachron (the song is “Looking Glass”) and I contorted my inexperienced fingers on a MIDI keyboard and played the chord and messed with it rhythmically and loop’ily. I made this thing.
This is Holdsworthian2. I would never even THINK of saying it was a tribute, but I’ve been listening to him a lot and this happened. Think of it what you want, but I don’t think I’m done yet. I wanna tweak it more.
CeMeGo… It Alone (First Solo Album)
Well, here it is. This really isn’t a new album exactly. It’s more of a collection of things, doodles, and some seriously intentional music that I had made all by my little self. Most of this stuff is posted on this blog, but NOT ALL OF IT. This album compiles everything I’ve done on my own that I found worthy to put together in an album offering. The interesting part is some of this stuff dates back to 2013. I have acquired a lot more equipment, moved a lot, learned a lot, repaired a lot, failed a lot, but at least had fun along the way (with frequent backups). I just bought another piece of equipment that may change everything a bit (Novation Launchpad) and I wanted to compile everything I did personally up to this point and put it in an album.
Credits? Well, ALL ME!!!! I PLAYED AND DID EVERYTHING HERE.
Song List and commentary (Also known as “liner notes” because I miss the day of vinyl record album sleeves):
- Charging Ahead, Blindly (1:56) This was formerly named wowneewow project. I have no idea why.
- Red Box Hotty (3:33) I have always loved this track and it managed to slip off of all the CHOB and Hozpitality albums. It’s a drum loop from the Kaossilator tortured lovingly through the Mini KP (red box) effects unit. This is reminiscent of Brian Eno’s Over Fire Island track (in my opinion at least).
- Blinkin Asteroid (3:48) This was inspired by Brian Eno and Karl Hyde’s song The Satellites.
- Arpeggiate Your Ass Off 1 (3:30) Behold the power of the MicroKorg Arpeggiator.
- Rain Keys (2:49) Someone left the Harold Budd record in the oven and it melted.
- Funkola (4:33) Inspired by a million repeated listens to Kamasi Washington’s, “The Epic” album.
- Arpeggiate Your Ass Off 2 (4:09) Because one of these was simply not enough for me. You get to decide which you like better (or not).
- I’m Keeping This (This One is Mine) (4:14) Selfish little robot voice.
- Out of Sync (5:25) Rhythm was never my strong suit but I try.
- The Stinky Finger Boogie (4:59) This was paired with an animated GIF of Donald Trump pointing his finger nearly rhythmically in time. Inspired by the GIF not by the “man” himself.
- Out of Time (6:48) Companion piece to Out of Sync. Pick a winner.
- Volca Waves (11:40) I feel that this is one of my best stabs at doing something melodic and “mellow”. It is one of my favorite experiment results. Love this.
- The One Measure Masturbatory Jam (3:38) This one barely made the cut. It is a bunch of instruments piled on one 16 beat measure then subtly (or not) altered throughout its’ repetition. Patience and a keen ear are required to understand its’ purpose and existence.
- Bruford Gives Up (0:43) A silly tribute to one of the best drummers in music, Bill Bruford, who was always really great with the tuned percussion. This sounds like him just flailing about and saying “to hell with it”. It makes me laugh.
- Fugue U (10:54) A fugue piled up like a mile high jenga tower. Collapse eminent.
- Wooda Womp El Grande (9:27) This title came from the sound of this song. Part march, part hat dance, part goose step.
- The Black Keys Thing (12:23) Played on all the black keys because, why not.
- Jamola Number Three (14:23) Obviously Jamola Number One and Two just weren’t worth it.
- Those Three Notes (9:26) An experiment built on three notes.
- Behringer Mixer’s Last Stand (So Long Sucker) (0:16) This may be the very last recording done on my old Behringer mixer. At this point it had become so caked with dust, it had to warm up a good 10 minutes after power up. It became an investment of frustration and canned air. The hiss and uncontrollable distortion were a disaster at the end. New Audio Interface now in operation (THANK GOD!).
Here’s the 110 meg zip file of all the tracks and the cover! Enjoy!
OR go visit the playlist on youtube.
And as always, like Todd Rundgren said, “Yer gonna wanna get out yer headphones, cause they’re really gonna help ya on this one.”
UPDATED!!! Novation LaunchPad Pro + Ableton + Rush = High Mystic Water Rhythms
So I bought a Novation Launchpad Pro for Christmas (From me to me). This is a controller for digital audio software (mostly Ableton). I have always complained about the learning curve in Ableton and how it does things differently. Well, seeing that it IS an industry standard in an industry I lovingly call my “hobby”, I decided to invest in the software and force myself to learn it. This device helps that learning and makes understanding of it a lot easier.
I have started stealing drum sounds from Neil Peart (from Rush) and using them as my drum foundations on this project. These drum sounds and the riff are respectfully sampled from the song by Rush titled “High Water” (from the album “Hold Your Fire”). Admittedly, the groove/shuffle of the original drum pattern are lost a bit as I quantized it. It made it more robotic and less human which I think adds to it in an odd way. I called my version “High Water Pants” “High Mystic Water Rhythms”.
This is my first second stab at this, so be gentle. I am amazed at the simplicity and power of all of this technology and my mind has been blown multiple times in the past 48 hours. I’m in love with this stuff.
Check out my first second shot at a LaunchPad Pro mix with Ableton. Not too shabby. Take special note of the groovy drum solo break in the middle. I’m so nifty! 🙂
UPDATED!!!
I have decided that one Rush song was not enough to destroy, so I also diced up Mystic Rhythms and added a whole new segment mixing the drums from this song along with the song mentioned above (High Water).
I’m sure Neil Peart will be completely pissed, but I am learning a lot and having fun! Let’s face it. The man’s drum sounds, sound awesome! I basically sampled each of his drum sounds separately (to a very short wav file), then assigned each drum (wav file) to a button, then wailed away on the pads and tried to make my own drum patterns out of HIS sounds. I put another nifty drum solo type break near the end. THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH POWWWWWERRRRR! I’m blowing myself away here!