electronic Rock

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After many discussions, Idea’s and iterations, we have a name for my new album. The cover art work has been completed!

Taking a lead from Ed Sheeran’s cover art for his album called “Divide”. The concept of multiply (thus the multiplication icon “X”) came to me and to embellish it further I took it to “Multiplier” in which has many meanings. I wanted that multiplication icon “X” to be the main focus in what your eye goes to first and foremost.

Multiplier – a device for increasing by repetition the intensity of an electric current to a measurable level.

Multiplier increases and intensifies that electric musical current – pulsating the electrons throughout your body and brain, making you twitch, dance, think and illuminate your feelings as the music multiplies and engulfs your surroundings.

Look for Multiplier to be released some time in mid late November!

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Yup! I’,m working on it, another new album and I’m very excited as I already have 5 songs done (just tweaking). And in the midst of writing 2 more.

I always find it so exhilarating writing, playing and producing new music. It is such a process that is so fulfilling, when I start off with an idea or a riff, start to build and layer and make it into a song. My process usually starts off with the rhythm, a bass riff or drum track. To me that is the foundation and from there my ears take over as I hear in my head what the song could and should be. Then I start layering, it could be guitar, it could be keyboards, or a virtual plugin, in essence it could be any instrument I play in which I start laying down tracks as it reverberates in my head. Then I listen to it on my hour to an hour and a half ride to work daily, continually playing it over and over and over. I hum to it, sing to it, make noises to it, to get down what more I want to add to the song. When I get home that evening (after listening again the whole ride back) I will rush up to my studio and lay down a few test tracks just to capture the right riff’s or vocal phrasings, this way I won’t forget what I wanted it to sound like or add in. This process can take only a few days or even is some cases months before the song is finally were I want it to be musically. Then the next step is the mixing and production that needs to be done to finalize and really make it a sharp, sleek and sounding great. Again on my hour and a half ride to work daily, I repeat continually playing the song over and over and over. This way I hear where I want to balance the instruments, add embellishments and ornaments to achieve that professional sounding song ready for release. This is my process that works for me. Oh, for those of you that may ask – I don’t have a name yet for the album that will come to me at some point. I do have some idea’s so I might need some help. What do you think I should name it?

Keep checking in on it’s progress and eventually a release date.

Cover Photo by Oscar Keys on Unsplash

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Plink is an experimental instrumental song -specifically done to be for this stop motion video I put together. It was a spur of the moment idea of art and music coming together over the course of one evening. It took me a total of about 6 hours to create without a storyboard. Just a thought in my head and a recorded soundtrack to inspire creativity. All done on an Ipad, a string of pearls on the kitchen table with a green screen background.

Please Enjoy

PLINK

Plink is a music blip in the universe created with stop motion video 

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Feel the Music 

A collaboration of eclectic styles from many different influences over the course of this musical journey. This album has two other artists that helped me envision this project with two very different styles. From Straight forward rock and roll to some Tom Petty, Dylanist feeling songs and then we twist you around to some very progressive more intricate songs and sounds. As the music comes together and flows from one song into another the collaboration works extremely well and the feelings that are brought out are genuine and timeless.

To be Release soon!

Eclectic Collaborations
Eclectic Collaborations

 

14 songs in this Eclectic Collaboration with the help of musicians, Kimo and Joezworld   

Make sure you are tuned in on Saturday 2/10/2018 for the first single and video release of

“SURFING”

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The second collaborator  on the “Eclectic Collaborations” CD is Joezworld. Mr “Z” contributed 2 songs and the art work for the cover, back cover and the background art  work on the CD.

Joezworld

Joezworld (Joe Menghini) whom I have known since the late 70’s. Has been in a few different very cutting edge bands, Rise, Master Radio Canaries and Vinyl Flesh (VF Joe and I were in this band together). Multi talented in music and art, “Z” strives for excellence at every turn.

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“Z”‘s early influences were the Beatles, Stones, Mamas & Papas, typical to the late 60’s. Then Z turned to the blues with the like’s of Muddy Waters, BB King and Motown. Following that exposure a few friends of his turned him onto Soft Machine, Van Der Graff Generator a far cry from his beginnings.  A music teacher at Mineola High School,  Burt Sachs was the most influential mentor, he lured him into Ives, Stockhausen, Scriabin, Xenakis, Mozart, Stravinsky and John Cage. That was then countered with exposure to Zappa, Phillip Glass, Captain Beefheart.  The Kessler brothers got him into Genesis (which he despised) but later Gabriel (who he adored), Bowie, Gentle Giant, among others in that genre. Another long time friend then pulled the ultimate coup-de-tas and got him going with avante-garde jazz at Studio Rivbea at 24 Bond Street. And that took him to John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, Miles Davis, Don Cherry, McCoy Tyner, Cecil Taylor, the fabulous bassist David Holland and that gang.

His musical life was never the same after that!

As for art, Z started college at Nassau Community College as an art student, became a non-matriculating student of art at Hofstra and studied under the famous black artist ‘Robert Carter’. Z stated he was an asshole and he almost came to blows with Mr. Carter. So at the behest of the faculty he agreed to an ‘incomplete’ for his course, but his taste and desire to create his own world of art was set – Thus “Joezworld” began.

I know there will be future collaborations that we will work on

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Thanks Joezworld!

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Yup, the final touches are done on Eclectic Collaborations and it’s been sent off to be pressed, copied, printed and whatever else that is needed to produce the finished CD. This album has been a lot of fun putting together as there are so many different genres that is captured that I never really dived into before. This is all a result of playing and connecting with the two other collaborators on this project. First and foremost, Kimo who is an old friend guitarist since my childhood day’s that is a straight forward rocker liken to The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty. You’ll hear some of these influences in a few songs on the album like , Pocket Full of Change and Losing you. Kimo played on many of songs on the album adding guitar riffs, vocals and some random hooting and hollowing. Joezworld on the other hand is a more slick and polished musician that you will hear on Fortune & Fame. “Z” was in my band Vinyl Flesh so if you follow my blog/website you can hear his influences from back in the days of the VInyl Flesh band. Z also is an accomplished graphic artist in his own right, and he supplied me with the cover and background art for the album.

You need to check out his stuff on Pinterest at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/224405993912322601/

Next up – a sneak pick of the album cover and artwork design

 

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Putting together the final touches to my next project, “Eclectic Collaborations”. Working on the cover art design and final content media on the CD package. I started working on this project right after the release of the “Test Drive RAW” CD. It’s been in the works for approximately 7 months. I have 14 songs on the CD with collaborative efforts from Kimo (guitar, vocals, harmonica, and percussion) and Joezworld (2 songs in which “Z” played all instruments and I added lyrics and vocals). Joezworld also contributed the art work for the front and back cover and the background art. Very excited to finish the project and release by the end of February. Will also have a few video’s to coincide with the release.

Can’t wait!

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This song was written when my daughter and her husband bought a new house and left our home after living with us for a few years. It was a bitter sweet moment, but I felt this empty feeling inside of me as we did love having them at our home daily. They only moved about 15 miles away in a new house that they purchased and I’m so very happy for them that they are now on a road to start a new chapter in their lives.

This song came out of me a few days after they had just left.

“So many Empty Feelings”

Featured Photo by: Ian Keefe  – https://unsplash.com/@iankeefe