Alice Cooper - Oh no!

Just realized that Billion Dollar babies, the album and song I listened to when I was ten or eleven influenced me more than I thought. Listening to the title track and decomposing it to Am F G Am - and the solo, all stuff I have internalized completely, unconsiously. My heart leaps.

Laurie Anderson rehearsing in 1980. Anderson was known for inventing the tape-bow violin in the late 70s. Magnetic tape replaced the traditional horsehair bow and a magnetic tape head was placed in the bridge to create an electric sound

We might as well call them dimensions....

I would think that tagging reduces the field in the same way that search does. It is about neighbourhoods of similarity. The multi dimensionality of the tags I care about create a space that I can navigate. So it is still successive approximation and quite random, whatever that means (Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame) has an online free book that attempts to answer what randomness is or isn't). I could not do as much Web work both at home and at work without delicious. It is not perfect, but I can find what I need. I usually over tag knowing that I can filter.

Inspiration for me is about matching the rational attributes that worked before to elicit emotion to try to make it happen again. It is about preference as it is wired in each individual. If I can find a set of attributes that describes my preferences then I have a generalization that works for the time being, at that moment. Usually this takes the form of a single artist - persons embody a set of attributes most easily. But then there is no need for tags, so where they become useful is when they can find connections between similar individuals or bands, like that web site that used to work in Canada and that found similar songs to the ones you liked. It is just a reduction of the statistical space to a neighbourhood.

Generally there are so many ways to slice and dice that it just becomes another way to navigate the world. The problem I guess is that the online world is so unconstrained in space that any constraints or guidance is welcome. It is an evolving thing.

As applied to music I think there are analogies, but the musical tradition helps reduce the dimensional space to something that may not require computers. Styles. I just want to try to push that boundary and do mash ups that may lead to emotional connections and surprise. Ultimately it is about creating beauty, which is the promise of happiness. 

Style fragmentation

But on another level, what people think of songs, or of behaviour, or of you is important. This is reputation. Reputation is a shorthand for memory, a way to deal with others without having to relearn everything about them through observation. The notion of friend or enemy is a higher level, based on reputation and experience, etc.. So we cannot throw any of these constructs out unless we get a total surveillance society, where we can dial-up a list actions to predict how someone may act. This is the dark side of everything is miscellaneous. Fuzzy understanding and memory is better than total recall. Time heals all wounds versus the perpetual reputation made on the Internet way back machine. So once again humanism and evolved mechanisms due to the limitations of biological memory have to be balanced against the new possibilities of cheap electronic memory and we are in clash mode. Estimates are that in 10 years, flash or something equivalent will be cheap enough that we would be able to store a video of our entire life on a fob. What does that do to the notion of reputation?

Musically, I should want to be able to search for stuff that is "like" my stuff and make a temporary category based entirely on constraints such as time range, key, or whatever attributes I care to define. I can then invent or belong to a style called "2000-2010 - key of Cm - male vocal - tempo 100-120 - 2-5 instruments - songs duration 2-4 minutes....

Is this good?

Miscellaneous styles

A few months ago I read Everything is Miscellaneous by a Harvard philosopher and it makes the argument that we can slice and dice things to fit any categories we find convenient at the moment. He is making the point that information processing has opened the door to breaking down the old Aristotelian hierarchy of categories that has been the basis of our understanding of the world for the past 2000 years. The argument is that our brains are no longer constrained to organize in categories and hierarchies of categories (because our memories are limited and we need to abstract and create bins that we call concepts) but that information processing has allowed us to keep knowledge organized at whatever level of granularity we would want without those (artificial) structural constructs. Thus everything is miscellaneous. So this kind of pleases me, since it is liberating. I can have my cake and eat it too musically. The categorization of a song as blues or ska or whatever is a side-effect of this cultural mode of thinking, and if we break it down, we can say that songs can be blues or ska but that it depends on when we listen to them and on who listens to them and that ultimately these categories are ways to sort records rather than truths. So I may want a song to belong to multiple bins and I can do that through hyperlinks. Ultimately I want to know what people think my songs would sound like and what tags they put to them, but I don't want to plan it.

A bit on chords

Have been reading some books on songwriters and songwriting that friends have lent me. I have two about or by Dylan, one huge one full of interviews with musicians as diverse as Leonard Cohen and John Fogerty, and the book by Joe Boyd I mentioned in an earlier post. None really go into how chords can be a start for a tune.

Let me give an example of what I mean:

Take the open G-major chord on the guitar and modify it by changing the high E to a high D. Let it ring, and find a chord that plays well with it - like an A seventh or a modified open C - where the high C note becomes a high D (the fingers are held like a G major).

Bruce Cockburn has a song called “Last Night in the World” that uses those ringing chords. Maybe that is how he writes, since his lyrics are usually very cerebral. By that I mean that it seems that the music comes first, or is given the higher artistic priority and effort. His songs seem to be more musical than lyrical, although he claims in an interview that he writes the lyric first. One band not listed in the books I mention is Crash Vegas, and I think their lyrics are some of the best.

But back to the process for a second... Modifying chords, which in a sense are musical cliche's can open up avenues of composition, because the modification can be jarring, or just differrent. The new is a form of inspiration, and creating the new from the basis of the common chord is another way.

I have written songs by doing the lyric and then trying to match it to a riff or melody after the fact. Francis Cabrel, in a TV documentary said that he spends more time on the lyric, and then has a pool of guitar harmonies he tries to fit them to. I see that as a sensible approach, the mash up. Both the lyric and the music bend a little and you get a nice recipe. I envy Dylan and his apparent facility to put his wild lyrics to very simple chord patterns - consider “Isis” or "I and I”. It is probably his delivery that saves the music from dulling the lyric. It still doesn’t stop others from covering him. It is different somehow with Leonard Cohen, covers often sound better to me than his delivery. I think he polishes more, whereas Dylan is spontaneous and so totally confident, like an actor.

I like the spontaneity best, it is the seed, and sometimes it needs to be nurtured, at other times, just eaten.

Geddy has left the building

Again. The up side is that we won't have to consider playing stuff from or like Rush.

Update from practice

Tonite we played:
Dirt
Ete
Someone who is cool
Heroes
Isolation
Cabdriver
Rockin in the free world
Wish you were here
Lezard

It was a very good practice, there is a lot of room in most songs for solos and jams. We jumped on this opportunity to improve our cohesion. We worked on vocals too tonite, I feel like results were positive. We need to keep on doing the right thing.

Am starting to think more watts would be good for the bass...

Al

How record companies select bands

Met an entertainment lawyer last night at a party. He has worked with bands like Rush, and was involved in screening demos from bands in the past. His take is that the only thing you can't fix is a bad song. He went on to explain that many bands make the mistake of confusing production quality with song quality, whereas the production can always be fixed, but if the song is bad, that is fatal. So what happens is bands spend money on studio time, fancy equipment, hired musicians, etc, with the vain hope of impressing distributors, when the distributors would re-record stuff in any case, and are really listening for song quality - not production.

Other than that, he had several entertaining stories about how to promote a band, playing in strip clubs, and digital versus analog equipment. A fun evening.

Pod update

I brought the Pod to Long and McQuade's yesterday, there is something wrong with the rom on it. I think I had a copy of my sound settings on the PC, I hope, otherwise I will have to re-create them. I might not get it back for a month or two. I will use realtime effects processing of Sonar meanwhile.

With the Roland UA25 connected to the pc it gives me a zero latency solution and allows me to use Sonar digital effects. I will create some track templates with the effects and EQ I need and we will go from there. This means I need to rely on a computer though.

Al

Vocals

Tonite's practice was a blast. I had some problems with my Bass POD, it did not want to bootstrap, dam computers!! I shook it a bit and everything was ok after a song or two. We practiced a fair bit of songs tonite. We even discussed the possibility of live mic'ing Ian's drums using our USB UA25s, this would give us 6 lines in, enough to record drums.

We played Cab Driver, Wish You Were Here, Ete, Lezard, Qrt45, Liege, Sanctuary. Qrt45 was really a good jam. We were able to obtain a rolling feeling between the 3 instruments (bass, drums and guitars), intertwined solos and grooves. This was good. I took a chance and sang on Wish you were here, it is in my tone so it works. I just need to practice playing and singing.

We find our live sound to be very much influenced by Pink Floyd, without the keys and brass.

A.

The dynamics of a practice

Yesterday was a very good day, grabbed a new bass at store with a special friend of mine. This was a magic moment for me. The Stingray Music Man Special Edition 2005 is what I went for.

Day at work has been a little longer, I arrived late at the practice. The arrival to the rehearsal place is always special for me, it is a house in the countryside, very refreshing view. As soon as I get off the truck, I can feel the musical moment filling me, this is fun and good.

We then enter the music room and start to install our gear, Tony plugs-in his electronics (Midi guitar, compressor, sustainer, overdrive), adjust his DSP on his guitar and I do the same with my Bass POD, amp and Ian gets ready to start the rolls and beats which make us groove.

Yesterday, we spent 50-50 on originals and cover material. The sound was good, Tony brought his Les Paul look-alike for the jam, I was glad. I like the fat sound of it, it kind of influenced how we played. This is a good thing, it means we are listening more and more to the others while we play, this makes a big difference in the dynamics of a practice.

The dynamics of Epoxy are derived from this.

Finding the right sound

Processing the bass sound in the studio using advanced software is very interesting, the challenge is to be able to reproduce that sound in live play settings. I tried a lot of different Digital Signal Processors (Boss GT-6B, Berhinger VAMP Pro, Line 6 Bass Pod and Line 6 Bass POD XT Live Pro).

The Bass Pod was a complicated to use live since there was no pedal board included, I had to buy an external Midi controller. I bought a Behringer Midi controller and connected it, I had to program all patch changes, this was cumbersome. I then switched to a Behringer DSP, since all the patches were programmed on the Midi foot controller I was using. I was not happy with the Amp DSP on it, very noisy. So I looked around for a Boss GT6B, the effects were great, but the amp dsp were not good enough, I could not get the bottom end I wanted.

Then I found the Bass Pod XT Live Pro, this is a great device. The setup that Line 6 uses to record is just great and the DSP are very close to the real amps they simulate. The software to control the patches is super.

My favorite patch is based on a Ampeg SVT, 8 x 10s, A flanger effect and a bit of space echo. This is what you can hear on the Ete snippet which can be found at:

http://www3.sympatico.ca/t_barake/epoxy

Cheers,
A.

Connection between the lizard's brain and the cortex

I spent a lot of time trying to understand the complex but interesting interactions between the bass, guitars and melodies of our various songs. I realized that should be felt instead of understood. The emotions created by these interactions are very interesting. The syncopated rythms are naturally mixed with the harmony.

The practice is improving week after week, the grove is present and the feelings when I play are very strong.

It is now just a matter of fine tuning and sharing these emotions.

Epoxy is here to stay
Alain

Alain's new guitar

eBay is wonderful. Alain found a $30 guitar that looked good and ordered it. Shipping was more expensive than the guitar, but in the end a good deal was had. It has an unreadable brand name, but plays well. Heavily varnished black body, Fender-style pickups and bevel on the body, but Gibson SG look. The fretboard is rosewood, and it is light. Low end is good, and I expect will feeback quite nicely due to low weight.

Also had an excellent jam where we got lost in the music and laid down some straight through takes. The timing is excellent and the tunes are really jelling well. The music is a strange fusion of blues, progressive rock, and jazz. The bass and guitar are complementary and the timing is languishing, the bars last longer than one would expect and then change. The guitar is syncopated just because that is the way it happens. The bass is precise. We need to record a human drummer rather than a midi one, to give it the third dimension. Nevertheless it remains quite listenable.

Live playing will help. Stay tuned.

New singer

Tonite we practiced with a new voice, his highly dynamic and upfront vocals really impressed me. His timing was good as well. I really enjoyed. We are finishing up a set list, and soon to be seen live is gonna be : EPOXY

Stay tuned,
A.

Towards a band

Excellent recent practice. The MIDI guitar sound plus the digital recording setup really works! The sound is better than ever in every respect, and we have been getting good feedback and surprised looks from acquaintances when they hear our demos. The critical point is coming. Soon Alex will join again, and we have Madeleine joining to sing, with a complex and beautiful voice. Words will come.

After the break

I decided to buy a new bass amplifier and to get rid of some of my electronics and DSP. When Tony and I practiced last week I realised that I did not need all of these confusing electronics in order to get to our sound. In fact the Fender bass amp is really sounding great. The only things missing in my setup will be compressor and maybe Chorus Flange, not sure yet.

There is a line in on the bass amp we use to insert the drums and keyboard MP3.

It was a very good practice, our original material is getting ready for live. We decided we wanted vocal on them, we started to look for a female singer. Any interested in the Ottawa or Gatineau region let us know by replying or send an e-mail to dessure@videotron.ca.

Simplifying the setup, practicing the songs dynamic and getting vocal melody, this is where we are at.

A.

Missing in Action

It is funny to see how much I am depending on musical toys. I am away from my music toys and I have so many bass lines in my head. I realize that creativity has little to do with the amount of time spent on the axe, but is relative to the moment.

We need to be able to capture all of these ideas in real time, without a bass handy or even a computer. I guess that device does not exist yet.

Let's do a song on this, I would call it the "Carpe Diem".

Andrew sent something today which I believe would fit in this song perfectly.

Return of the Mustang

Saw my brother this weekend, and he returned the long lost red Mustang lookalike.
Looks exactly like the 66 Mustang, even had the white cheapo machine heads with exposed gears, until (you remember, Andrew) we changed them for good metal ones with sealed gears. The head has a white Tesco inlay and is red. The neck is laminated.

Once again, the wiring was all screwed up, not sure how that came about, not original pots, and one slider switch is new, so I rewired it according to the diagrams I found on the Web. Now works ok.

The neck is very short, so tuning is critical. I think these guitars were made for kids...
only now they (the Fenders, not the Tesco) are collectors' items.

Re-learning the not-so-obvious

Spent hours re-recording some guitar tracks that I had done as rough takes previously. Had forgotten that I needed to put a pre-amp in between the guitar and the sound card to avoid distortion. Amazing how the distortion I was getting was so annoying that it completely hindered any chance of playing with feeling. Once I remembered (I had done this originally, a few weeks ago), all was well again. The takes that I had been re-recording for hours on end took half an hour to redo with feeling. Now the mix needs to be done to remove some of the cable noise (very little), and to add pan and reverb. There are some parts that need to be slightly edited, but with six guitar tracks, there should be enough to fill any need.

Also played with the midi to augment an embryonic song idea. Did the rhythm, the added a real electric guitar track, and then a melodic midi line. Hard to control some of the voices. The ones with long sustain seem to be best, otherwise lots of spurious flats and trebles and strange noises. Need to adjust the sensitivity. Best for playing live, I think.

Practicing / Practising

Our last practice was showing signs of cohesion. All four of us were there, and we did a few selected covers and originals. I thought the originals sounded very strong, and were fun to play. Some of the covers were also strong, others need lots of timing and coordination work. Did not yet start using the midi to full effect as an accompagnying tool.

Regarding the playing, we need to hold back a bit, to be sensitive to the dynamic range and the tempo. It is the art of listening while you play. We are getting there.

Still a few technical glitches, amps distorting, and not enough feeds. Hoping to go this week with Alain and set things up in a standard way, using the console. Will bring along two guitar amps, Alain's bass amp, and sundry smaller amps as monitors.

Also have decided to record guitars more or less wet. This means with effects that have to do with the guitar, fuzz, sustain, and such. Reverb and other ambience effects can be added later. Echo depends. Will have to find a balance, but I feel I need the effect control to record properly.

Don't visit the musical instrument store

It's twice now that I go to guitar shops at lunch and make major purchases. Yesterday, bought a midi pickup and pedal/synth set. What could I do? We were looking at getting such an interface to fill the sound, and the store had 2 used versions of Roland midi pickups, one with a rack mounted synth and the other with a pedal synth. I got the pedal. We actually left the store without buying then went back (demi-tour) and tried it, with intention to buy. The response time is quite good, latency is not perceptible although style of playing has to be adapted, has to become more melodic since guitar chord strums sound like arpeggios when translated to keyboard sounds. The last time I bought an effects guitar: X guitar by Alesis. Both were (sort-of) necessary, but it is feeling like a dependency.

Found lyrics

1991, some lyrics I found dating from then, some with chords attached, a melody I forgot, but that may work with the mood of the tunes we have now. Also a new lyric, after HST died. Two songs about death - there is ForRay too, written in 1989.

Also found an online book on musical composition that talks about balance, interest and completeness, using classical references, but applicable to any music. The more pop oriented sites talk about lyrics being 90 percent of the song. I disagree, unless you are Bob Dylan or Tom Waites, and even then, imagine the same songs done by Celine Dion or William Shatner and then tell me that the arrangement does not count!

Music is not a model, not logic, but lives in the corpus callosum, the in-between, the holistic meeting with the logical, the abstraction meeting with the memory of emotion, or even just the raw emotion.

We need a concrete target for completing songs, and making an album. Live honing would be nice too. Are we ready for an audience?

A new member

Alain is bringing a new member for the band, a brand new 4 string all in a dark wood color. It has 2 soapbar active pickups and 24 frets. Along with this he is bringing some UK influence and sound... since it is the country from which this new bass comes from.

From England

Composition

Comes from nowhere, often sounds very wrong, needs to be recorded and listened to, a bit like forced empathy. Like a drawing, post it up on the wall and try to live with it, if you can't then it is probably not good. Listen again and again, until all the flaws are obvious.

Words out of sound

First posting of Syl, Alain's kid bro.

After listening to the bits of songs I have in my possession, I couldn't stop myself from sitting to my black desk, light a candle, take a piece of paper and scribble my thoughts. What came out was a totally different world than the first try of lyrics on the other song, in some ways lighter, more poetic, but essentially as original as the first one.

Trying to capture the essence of the sound, the richness of the world in motion and letting the creative vibe do the rest.

Very excited to hear about how to bring those two songs forward by applying what works and trying to enhance what doesn't. Merging words to such a great sound should be taken one step at a time, allowing an harmonious - no pun intended - collaboration...

Signing off.

Assonance

Sylvain has pointed us to Assonance, a Montreal band. The vocals are strong and full because of the male-female mix and the music is jazz-pop.

Serious

Ok, this has become serious. I bought a guitar on impulse today. Almost unpremeditated, although I was getting a bit fed up with the troubles with the old fake Les Paul. Just playing around in the store, looking for one that was more in the Fender style, found one that played well, nice touch, and then noticed that it had a built in digital signal processor. Also relatively affordable. So I asked my adviser who shall remain nameless and he said go. So be it.

So we are more or less ready for live stuff - all it takes is time and polish.

Alain's brother has completed a first draft of lyrics, very cool, humourous, original, and now we must workshop it as they say in the theatre.

Must also re-work some of the improvs and fills and nail down patterns on some of the first musical drafts. It is incremental, but there is constant progress. On a roll.

P.S. A link to Eno's oblique strategies

Bass neck is ok

After 6 hours of swearing and fine tuning, Alain was able to get his bass neck straightened.

Vocal line

Alain sent to Tony and Andrew an idea for verse and chorus on dentier.