... now wasn't that nice

Today is my first day back at the day-gig after 10 full days in the studio. Yay!

I holed the hell up. I avoided the news, I drank excessively and somewhat consistently, I blew off one hell of a lot of steam (I nearly wore out my heavy-bag - er, the punching bag, not the Jordanaires)... it was wonderful. I am recharged.

I didn't actually spend the week recording the new record. I spent it prepping. My playing chops were crap when I went in... now they are far less crap. I spent ten days playing a diverse selection of instruments and refining my chops on the usual suspects. I hadn't played drums (my first instrument) much in the last few years, but I played them every day last week! I played my fretless bass and my upright (double-bass), I played my mandolin, mbira, steel drum, xylophone, glockenspiel, Dobro, guitar (electric and acoustic - rare that), concertina, harmonica, keys,  fife (badly), frame drums,  and of course ukulele, as well as other assorted gems.

I also started learning to play the bodhran and the didgeridoo - neither of which are coming too easily. LOL.

I usually don't think twice about picking up any sort of percussion instrument, they usually come somewhat naturally to me. But the Bodhran is a tricky little bastard. First off, for those who aren't familiar with the instrument it is a Celtic frame drum that is played with a "tipper" in a funky little fashion that I'll not try to describe here. By the way it is pronounced Bo (as in Derek) Ron  (as in Jeremy). It is played by holding the stick (tipper) in your hand much like you hold a writing implement. Then you turn your hand inward and play the drum with a stirring-like motion. Weird that. The drum has  a wonderful tone and I do look forward to learning to generate it in a musical fashion. ;-)

I used a didgeridoo sample on the SMM soundtrack. I dig that sound, and I ultimately purchased a nice didge from  Didgeridoostore.com. After working with it every day for over a week I've finally managed to generate the basic drone with some harmonic overtones. But for most of the week there was a sound emanating from my studio that could have alarmed the members of a hippo rescue group.

Most of the software tools I use in the studio were upgraded last year. During the production of the SMM soundtrack (which lasted forbloodyever) I couldn't upgrade those tools. Any serious computer user knows that any upgrade can mess with  things, so I had several expensive packages sitting there in the box just waiting for the final archival of the SMM project. I spent much of this session learning these  tools, and honestly, for me, that was a treat. I adore software synthesizers and samplers and the like. Especially the soft-synths. I pretty much own spot-on replicas of every synthesizer I ever drooled over as a kid!

I also spent more than a little time performing mic tests with some new mic combinations and techniques. Being as I am a bonafide mic-whore, that too was a treat.

So the short version is that I had a great ten days in the studio, thanks for asking, but I don't have much to share at this point. I'm planning to begin recording this coming weekend! I did finish one instrumental entitled Blues for Hitchcock that I'll make available for download when I get around to it. It has a lap steel part in it that is simple but, methinks, fitting.

I also finished up draft versions of my buddy PoundCake's demo session from a couple of weeks back. I'll speak with him soon and be sure to provide links if he decides to make any of those songs freely available. I've also been working on a lengthy live recording for my buddy Slide, from the 3rd annual Wakeman's Grove Invitational Blues Jam from the year before last. It is just a board tape (a very bad but simple way of recording live music) but it boasts some really cool performances from some very fine musicians. Originally we were planning to showcase the original tunes from that recording on a Simian Syndicate podcast, that won't be happening now, but I'll let cha know if we make anything freely available from that recording.

At this moment, I feel far less shitty than usual and I'm finally getting a little traction. The next few months might very well contain some fun, damnit!

Comments

[Rev Demize]

Blue,

Great to see you doing things. Crazy out here on the west coast.

I want to hear the music you have been working on. Still waiting paitiently for another one of your interesting and fun podcast.

Fred and I haven't been doing too much with things due to work and women.

Don't be a stranger and drop us a damn line sometime.

Rev D!

P.S. Also when you do get around to doing another podcast would you increase the font size of our link to 20 or 30? Bold and italics would be a great thing to do also. Remember~ FRED GARVIN & REV. DEMIZE

Thanks

[strungup]

If you can work the didge widget into hip hop then you would be the man.