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Your Sister Sketch

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 11:01:00 -0400

I was going to send this song off to Russ via email and thought I might as well make a post of it too. This is a song I’ve been working on for a while, but I’m never really sure if the choruses are working.

Anyway in this version I tried do this “every little sister in the club” pre-chorus part that Russ came up with. This didn’t follow as closely as it should have, but the concept is definitely a keeper. I was going to change the lyrics to “can you get your sister in the club? Get your older sister on the phone” but I forgot. The second time I sang “every single sister that’s around”, which I think is a funny little pun. Also I think this song needs to be quite a bit faster.

The high chorus are working better than the low one’s were, although it is definitely at the top of my range. I haven’t settled on the lyrics for the choruses, but I think I might stick with the non-repeating choruses. Is that going to work?

I’m starting to think about arrangements for this song and I I’d like to give the electric guitar a shot. On the other hand, the acoustic guitar would be more in line with the other songs that we’ve been wrapping up. For percussion on this song I’m kind of hearing an eighth-note snare with accents on 2 & 4 – kind of Radar Love-ish. The time is such that “I heard your sister’s looking” to “I heard your sister say” is four bars.

-Mitch

Bliss

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:50:59 -0500

This song was written sometime in 2002, I think. When I played it often people would say, “You look like you really get into it on that song.” This song is based on a state of mind and playing it always gets me back too it. Also when I play this song, I have to bounce my torso with the beat to avoid losing time (it’s quick) which is probably the basis for the comment in the first place.

Retro Video Game Song

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 10:32:00 -0500

When I heard that some of my friends were making a video game, I foisted my musical skills on them. I created two demo songs to entice them. The first was an epic romp you’d hear in some movie sound track. The second was an old timey Nintendo-type score. When I set out to make this second demo song, I tried some simple synth sounds (saw-tooth, square, AM, FM) but none of these created that sort of “dinky” sound I’d hear out of my television in the late 80’s. A quick Google search pulled up this sweet, free VST Plugin: Peach. Just cycling through the sounds was inspiring.

Armed with Peach, I pounded out this ditty, which is awesome. (I later found that not everyone agreed with this assessment.)

This has all the elements that I loved in old Nintendo games.

It starts with a minor, self-important melody that is undercut by the timber of the instruments.
It has that major-tonality part that sort of “opens up” as if to say “Come on, World. Join in!”
It has a turn-around that brings you back down and sets you up for an endless loop.
It has a simple backing line that serves both to harmonize some parts and answer others.

-Mitch

We wrote some songs (about space)

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:48:01 -0500

We recently wrote songs for the video game Space War Commander. It’s an eclectic mix of songs that tries to capture the trials that come with a life in space.

Everyone loves some doom and gloom in a game, but who wants to get bummed every time they double click the icon? I tried to make the theme simple and uplifting. It quickly quiets down though, for a more relaxing menu navigating experience.

This song was written as a stream of consciousness. I wanted it to have an obscure progression and simple motifs that ended up clashing.

This started as an attempt to create a 90’s rap song. I didn’t succeed and this was the result.

I don’t know if this one made the cut for the game. We all agreed that the ostinato was a little draining. The harmonies towards the end made up for it in my mind, though.

Originally the game was sent to me with an empty, saxophone solo which I felt I couldn’t top. This reminded me of that Cowboy Bebop space vibe. This song is a stab at a little jazz fusion.

I found that militant, orchestral pieces were in high demand, hence this song was created.

I sat down at the piano, and I tried my best to capture the unsettling RPG village… slightly post-apocalyptic. It makes you want to pick up the pace and get to a different place. I was happy to work in some jazz substitutions as well.

This is an older piano song that I could never settle on a melody for. Slapping on a beat and playing it on a crunchy rhodes sounded pretty good.

We are in Space right? When you’re floating in your escape pod there’s plenty of time to think. This song begins as ambient and unpredictable then ends with a free-time piano ditty.

This is the first song I sat down to write for the game. I stumbled on the folksy pentatonic melody, heard the surprisingly soulful sawtooth sound, and everything else fell into place. The more organic sounding version fit with the game better, however, that sawtooth really hits the spot for me.

Another one of those percussion-loaded, epic songs. The violins playing a minor riff give this song that movie soundtrack feel.

I was told to write an upbeat, victorious song prior to knowing the content of the game, and this childish one came out. I hear the words “you won the game, yeah you won the game, you’re so good, yeah you won the game, etc” in my head when I play it on the piano.

Pray To Hands

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 18:17:00 -0500

This song was written in early 2006, while living in my insane asylum looking apartment. – Russell

My Tears Are Floating

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:31:00 -0500

We are in Space right? When you’re floating in your escape pod there’s plenty of time to think. This song begins as ambient and unpredictable then ends with a free-time piano ditty.

I Thought Your Mother Told You (About Space)

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:30:00 -0500

This is an older piano song that I could never settle on a melody for. Slapping on a beat and playing it on a crunchy rhodes sounded pretty good.

Victory (Space Ice Cream All Around)

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:36:00 -0500

I was told to write an upbeat, victorious song prior to knowing the content of the game, and this childish one came out. I hear the words “you won the game, yeah you won the game, you’re so good, yeah you won the game, etc” in my head when I play it on the piano.

A show

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:06:00 -0400

Monday – June 30 @ 7pm

I will be playing at Caffe Vivaldi (www.caffevivaldi.com).

Come out, clap, and try to get me a regular show there.

Recording

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 13:23:00 -0400

Today turned out to be piano day. Worked on hewoiwo, crossed lines, and a new lydian one with no name. Anyone who knew what they were doing would probably laugh at my piano miking. Unfortunately none of those people are around… Anyway, everything felt and sounded good, but I foresee frustration as I enter software hell.