And here are the songs I was posting about the other day… I am still shocked at this, and they really bring back memories of my old studio, as well as the countless hours spent trying to get a sound *just* right.

The demos are the original arrangements, with very few FXs. While most of the content was found in the final version there were tweaks here and there. None of these were mastered, they are as raw as you can get.

First up, Afterglow.

The demo captures the “thick” phaser sound I wanted on the high hats. It also creates a very big head space, almost giving the impression that this is taking place in a large hall… I remember playing this over and over and over in  my car late one evening.

Download the Afterglow demo here.  (The final version can be found here)

Next up, Morning After.

Little did I know what this song was going to become to me, and so many other people. The main structure is there but the strings are different, the kick is different, all of the FXs are missing, and the tempo is a wee bit slower….

Download the Morning After demo here.  (The final version can be found here)

And finally, the classic Naked.

The programming of the beat took me FOREVER.  This was, actually, the first demo in the entire ArS session and set everything in motion.  The piano arrangement is slightly different, a slightly thinner choice of high hats, a totally different set of strings was used and the bassline was really set to stick out in this…

Download the Naked demo here.  (The final version can be found here)

Now… this is where things get interesting.

I did a number of tracks that didn’t make it into the final release of the EP, here are two that – for whatever reason – I thought were not worth refining/developing into full tracks.

Now, looking back, I have NO CLUE as to what I was thinking.  Both would have ended up as strong songs….

Here is the unfinished Next To You… and the soft, atmospheric, potential filled Your Soft Touch.

Really, no clue what I was thinking with these two.

Part of the reason I really haven’t had any significant updates in the last week is due to work, part due to my writing for Yes, We Cook!, and part to the fact that I have finished off Demo track number three for “Arrangements for Sex, Vol 2″

I finished off “In Your Arms (Hold Me)” late yesterday evening, and with a few minor tweaks this evening, I’m ready to call it “go” for the official demo.

So, here you go: In Your Arms (Hold Me) <—- the bold is a link, if you didn’t know

Back in June The Orb announced the cancellation of the U.S. tour with no explanation. Fans were left wondering why. The reason, as it turns out, was due to the death of Andy Hughes. A producer, engineer and DJ, Hughes ended up working on tracks that never ended up being released to the public.

Here is one such track.

This was dug up by gel-sol, a former label mate of Andy Hughes when they were both associated with em:t records. The track does not have a name, nor is it know what this track was intended for. From what is know the production was unfinished but was in production back in 2005.

The track is very, very good. Sad to see it never had a release.

Oh, wow, is this a trip through time for me.

I was a huge Jesus Jones fan, still am, but this song brings back memories. Here the band performs their song “The Devil You Know” from the mid 90’s on the BBC’s Mark Goodier Show.

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This came from the period when Mike Edwards (singer, main writer) had fallen head first in love with techno. I loved the song from the second I heard it, however; I also knew this song was the leading indicator commercial success for the bad was going to be a thing of the past in the U.S.

I still miss them.

If you follow the blog, I’m in the process of putting together a 4 track EP.  The first two tracks are a bit more aggressive – edgy – than the good old days of trance so many years ago. That was actually what I had been going for though I am still chalking that up to state of mind and life experience.  

Well, the 3rd demo song Enhanced(unenhanced) will be out tomorrow but it is slightly different than it’s brothers.  The song is ambient with an IDM feel to it and there is a lot of head space I plan on utilizing in the production process to make it even more aggressive but somehow keeping the ambient feel.  

A bit more on Enhanced(unenhanced) – all sounds included are 100% analog.  Synths included are the Oberheim Matrix 1000, Roland SH-2 and a TB303 (and you won’t even notice the TB!).  The Outboard FX include a MAM RS3, Yamaha E1010 Delay and an ass load of Reverb from the SRV330.  I’m toying with the addition of another layer to the track, but not sure yet.

I’m really excited for this on, check back tomorrow evening.

Back in December I started to do some tracks that were a bit more dark and aggressive than I had in the past.  I lost the desire to do anything ambient and went full bore into a new style for me.  

The first track, Enhanced, was done over a short period of time.  Then life got in the way, I simply didn’t have time or motivation.  Finally, I got back into the studio and re-started my production efforts and the next demo just came out…

As always, this is purely a demo.  Nothing mastered, sound levels are off, the full FX were not applied to the mix.  If I ever actually do record this for some type of release, it would end up sounding significantly different… much more polished.

So, here you go, the demo for Enhanced.2 

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And you can download it from here (right click and save as…)

Snack Food

Oh! I have a new favorite little snack – Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip chewy coated granola bars.

I had feared that these little snacks would be too sweet, too sugary, but they are not. If you happen to be around a Trader Joe’s near you PICK SOME UP.

Still Not Over the Sick thing

I thought I was on my way to recovery, but no. This morning again woke up with the sore throat renewed. This time again on the right side. However, I think the sickness is progressing… I’m now “stuffed up”…

I was planning on doing dinner…

I had planned on doing Pesto (home made pesto) Chicken Stuffed with Cheese over Linguine with fresh veggies BUT I simply was wasted today.

First off, I had a horrible night sleep. Better yet, I could not sleep.

There is this very weird thing going on with me…. my arms and legs get this achy feeling, not like sick achy, like “I need to stretch achy” but I could never fully stretch out. This only happen in the evening and it drives me nuts as it begins to hurt after a period of time.

I didn’t fall asleep until around 7AM this morning…

The dinner will have to wait until tomorrow – The post will end up on yeswecook.com

My Musical Voice

For some time I’ve been unable to really find my musical voice. It’s like that creative side of me is lost… There was one track I did back in December that I like, that really had a lot of potential, but the voice seemed to dissipate after that.

When I record I do each track individually, build on, then layer. Some time back I found said approach would work for me. I thought, maybe, this was adding to my lack of musical voice so I’ve decided to switch it up once again.

I’ve gone back to composing the entire song at one time, then record each track, then master. Almost immediately the ideas started pouring in. It will be interesting to see what comes out next…

Transit Kings

Thanks to Lazy@The Chill Out I’ve had the chance to listen to “Early Bath” by the Transit Kings.  

For those of you unfamiliar with the Transit Kings let me give you a brief history.  They are an electronic music group based of the U.K. Started by Alex Paterson (The Orb), Jimmy Cauty (The KLF), Guy Pratt (session player for a large number of bands) and Dom Beken (High Frequency Bandwidth).

The music tends to be more upbeat than Orb/KLF efforts but manages to retain a fair amount of “atmosphere” mainly due to the samples used on the recordings.  

Early Bath is a limited edition compilation release of demos, remixes and one live recording.  A must for any fan of the group but seeing only 500 copies exist, obtaining a copy may be rather difficult.  If one can track down the release, I strongly urge you to pick it up as the musical genius that blends ambient/jazz/dance is in full force.

Health Update

I’m feeling a hell of a lot better, thanks for the good wishes from all.  Still surprised at how quickly my condition changes from one moment to the next, but one cannot compare the way I felt yesterday to the way I do now.

Worlds apart!

That’s it for now.

Let the fun begin…I’ll have these on while working this evening.

Paul Van Dyk – Live at Rosenmontags Rave

Paul Van Dyk – Live at Kinki Palace

Paul Van Dyk – Dance Department 2007 Live Session

Paul Van Dyk - DJ Times Short List

Paul Van Dyk – Live at Escape

Since 2003 the RIAA has sued roughly 35,000 people for allegedly downloading/swapping music on line, and in the process, the Recording Industry Association of America made enemies of the general public.  I mean, what better way to get consumers to buy your product than suing them?

One large problem with the lawsuits was the manner in which the RIAA targeted individuals. Generally, the RIAA went after people based on an Internet Protocol address (IP) and Internet service provider.  Sometimes, however, the information the RIAA based lawsuits on was incorrect…  For example, in April of 2006 a family that had no computer was the target of suit.  Even when evidence pointed to the contrary, they still continued with their legal action.

It appears the industry trade group has realized the error of their ways – the are going to call off mass lawsuits in hopes of having someone else do their dirty work.  Moving forward the RIAA will work in cooperation with Internet service providers to stop  music piracy.    

Depending on the agreement, the ISP will either forward the note to customers, or alert customers that they appear to be uploading music illegally, and ask them to stop. If the customers continue the file-sharing, they will get one or two more emails, perhaps accompanied by slower service from the provider. Finally, the ISP may cut off their access altogether. 

While not debating the right and wrong of illegal file sharing, the lawsuits brought by the RIAA were extreme by just about any standard, and there is actual is actually evidence that file sharing does not cause sales to decline.  What bothers me about this new approach is that the ISP is now playing the part of Internet censor.

This approach places corporation in a role that decides what is right and wrong for the users who utilize their service.  What if a phone company decided to place a filter on all calls and prevent individuals from saying specific words?  Imagine your phone service being disabled because you said the world “socialist”, how would you feel then?

There is no easy answer to address the problem of illegal file sharing, and the RIAA made a wise decision to move away from lawsuits, but I fear this may open a whole new abuse of power by organizations.