Unregistered System

This is a really important track. Big thing to say, I know, but it is. Not because it’s the best composition ever, or a perfectly mixed thing, or anything like that. It’s important because this track is the exact reason I do Song-A-Day. In fact, this track is the reason I write music at all. Yesterday, I spent more time mixing and finalizing Transcendental Existentialism than planned, normal life went on, and I didn’t start … Continue reading

Transcendental Existentialism

Another journey back in time. I got a late start on today’s track and puttered around for a long time trying to decide what I was going to do. As has been my pattern, it started out ambient, then did something else, then circled back to ambient, and on and on. The vocal samples are what finally gave me an anchor to build around. My studio’s in pretty good shape, at least operationally. Aesthetically, it’s … Continue reading

Spicy Bee

Ever hear a song and think, “What could possibly have made him write that? Did someone dare him?” Well, in this case, you would be right. Actually, it was half-dare and half-threat. And it all came out of a semi-drunken afternoon. The time: Early Pandemic Stupidity Era. The place: my front yard. The suspects: me, Mary (my wife) and our neighbors, Mary and Brian (hereafter inconsistently referred to as “Freighbors.”) When the lockdowns all started … Continue reading

Repurposed Asset

I’ve wanted to try making a drum and bass (DnB) track for a long time, but thought that it might be too much production time for a Song-A-Day track. This is nonsense, of course, given that I’ve been able to put together some very complex arrangements and mixes in the past. The difference is the style; I’ve never attempted it and am not entirely sure what I’m in for. It’s a little hard to describe … Continue reading

Quixotic Intent

Another day where participating in this challenge forces me past that inner slacker who convinces me to give up when I have no inspiration or, worse, my initial experiments just aren’t working. I was already in hardcore procrastination mode, finding all sorts of stupid things to do to avoid opening up that blank page. Like what you ask? Like going back and transcribing lyrics to my older Song-A-Day tracks. Not all of them, obviously, but … Continue reading