Tori’s Reef

With the bombast and majesty of Hymnos behind me, and being increasingly deprived of a good night’s sleep, I decided to do a more laid-back track. I’ve been listening a lot to what is now called “lo-fi,” but which used to be known in a positive sense as “chill” or derisively as  “Muzak.” It’s wonderful music, especially in the background when you’re engaged in something pleasant. When Mary and I go on our scuba diving vacations, we listen to a lot of new age, soft instrumental, and nuevo flamenco music, especially artists like Vangelis and Ottmar Liebert (and Luna Negra). … Continue reading

Slow Light

I’m not sure what I intended to write for today’s track. After the mid-level bombast of Mind Your Own, I was hoping a song would show up, but not chasing after one in earnest. I did want to start with the rhythm of it, though, so launched BT Phobos.  Created by Spitfire Audio and musician BT (Brian Transeau), Phobos is a really interesting experiment that didn’t quite hit the mark. Bear with the tech explanation for a second. A convolution reverb is one that creates a reasonably good simulation of the acoustic profile of a particular physical space. They are … Continue reading

Kaleidoscope Badland

What a difference 24 hours can make. After deciding to post Dad, The Bringer of Age Just Kidding as my track for the 10th, I’m suddenly ahead of schedule. My new branding slogan is Tomorrow’s Music Today! In most ways, nothing is different. I still need to write a track today. I will, in all likelihood, still be up until 2 or 3 in the morning. But when I get up tomorrow, my song for the day will already be done and I can work on the next day. It’s exactly the same, except I don’t feel like I’m late. … Continue reading

Kef

As you listen to this track, you’re hearing what giving up sounds like. Not in a bad way, I suppose, but I’ve decided that I’m just stressing myself out trying to force “songs” this month. Both A Tiny Thing and Pigeonhole were surprise appearances, more so than my normal level of surprise when an idea for a song shows up. But there was no lightning strike today, so I was in the studio for about an hour trying out different sounds and textures and ideas, when finally I just decided to start recording what I was doing. Kef is a … Continue reading