Off to a decent start...

Nick and I have a schedule that we made, and so far we're on schedule. We have about 2.5 songs so far...still in rough form, but more or less there.

One of the songs is going to turn out great, and I think it will be easy to work on. The other 2 seem like they may be a bit challenging, but I think they'll get there with a little more effort.

Another 1:40am post. Woot!

Day 1 Recap

So, I got a lot done today. I wasn't among those that started at midnight last night so I got up with my wife at 6 this morning. One song is more or less done, and I'll be working on some lyrics tonight. I'm not too happy with the vocals I recorded today, so I'm going to go back and redo them tomorrow. I can sing, but my enunciation is a little sloppy.

Also, I would love to get a little discussion about lyric writing going. How do you all go about writing your lyrics? Do you write lyrics first, then write the music or music then lyrics? Do you get a basic idea, write the music, then add lyrics.

I've been writing the music first then writing lyrics. It's a little more difficult for me because I HATE cheesy lyrics, and I'm a big fan of abstract lyrics, but I'm trying to avoid cliche's.

We're Here!

Wah! It begins!

Eric and I are really excited to be back again for Record Time VII. Last go-round's theme was "Chicago" and we used a mix of field recordings from around the city, ridiculous pop songs about newsrooms and job-searching, and a couple of hip-hop tracks featuring our free-styling friends.

This year's theme focuses around the idea of "white trash." Just some gritty, down-home tunes played by (hopefully) a bunch of random friends and fellow musicians. I'm expected to learn the spoons..........,and Eric is incorporating his old, banged-up banjo. I'd also personally love to get my hands on a washboard.

So far Eric's sketched out some ideas on guitar/banjo, and we've each written lyrics to our songs "MaryAnn's Havin' a Baby" and "Secrets They Keep " (respectively).

ALSO: we're SO excited about our recording space! We moved into a new apartment over the summer that came complete with access to the abandoned "coach house" on the back of the property. We moved over there last night, and here's a little bit what it looks like:

(From outside) (Tools. :) ) (More tools.)

(Eric's throne.)

Yawn...

First night is over. 3 a.m. and I am only making passing glances at the tiredness i know this week will bring.

GO GO GO!

So...it's 1:40am East Coast here...riff one has been conceived. The funk lives.

I can already tell that work is going to suffer this week...

T minus 2 hours...

Are you guys as pumped as I am? I have had RTVII in the back of my mind since the last one. Since then, I've recorded a hip-hop EP and a totally ridiculous grindcore album, both of which allowed me to learn some new recording techniques and get all of the musical silliness out of my system. Now, it's time to get serious again.

Since the last RecordTime, I've been practicing incessantly to make this effort every bit better that I could. My last album was a big washy mixture of stumpy riffs in odd time signatures and crispy, panning electronic noises. While I was really proud of myself for what I had accomplished, I knew that it was just a start in that realm of sound.

SO, this album will be somewhat similar to my last one, insofar as it will be a wide array of sound, from dark heavy heavies to light pretty pretties. But this sound will be FAR more straightforward and driving (less like The Mars Volta, more like Judas Priest).

What to expect: A story about a young man trapped in an increasingly technological world. As the technology encroaches, something inside of him grows stronger. A deafening power soon to be awakened. To unite with the machine, or destroy the whole system.

Good luck everybody! (especially those of us who are chomping at the bit and starting at midnight)

Finally!

I've been looking forward to RTVII since RTVI ended. I had such a fun time, and I learned a lot from the process. I've been having a hard time deciding what I'm going to create this time around. I've been doing a lot of orchestral writing for some video projects here in Nashville, so that's kind of where my mind is right now. I've gotten to the point where I can sit at the piano and come up with something pretty quickly, so I want to challenge myself with something completely different.

I was a Mercy Lounge last night doing a cartage gig for the synth player for The Long Players, where they performed Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. I hadn't listened to Pink Floyd in a while, and hearing it live gave me a new perspective on it. The energy in the crowd along with the virtually flawless interpretation of the album gave me chills.

So, I decided to attempt an album, not necessarily paying homage to Pink Floyd, but definitely tipping my hat.

I've also been listening to Active Child's new album You are all I see and have been entranced by his haunting voice, hip-hop beats, and epic ambient harp.

So, my plan is to create some sort of ambient psychedelic rock/hip-hop album. I might throw in an electronic composition similar to Pink Floyd's On the Run to tie sections of the album together. I definitely want it to be an experience similar to DSotM.

I have no idea what my subject matter is going to be, but I'll think of something.