DEMO 10.10.2006 4:53am

Prague 02 didn't contain any audio, so here's Prague 03. I probably set up Prague 02 to record one day, then left and forgot about it for whatever reason. Guess I wasn't as organized as I thought! Many of the Prague ideas were fairly short in nature, this being one of them. I remember not focusing as much on traditional song structure during this period, which was a welcome departure from the whole intro verse prechorus chorus verse prechorus chorus solo verse prechorus chorus outro type deal. No matter I reckon. Thanks for listening.

DEMO 10.9.2006 3:33pm

Here’s Prague 01. This idea eventually evolved more fully a couple years later in New York City to become The Golden Ratio, the first track from By The Numbers. It's amusing to listen to this now, remembering just how much was added and improved upon at The Gallery in Brooklyn through the mindful guidance of Brian Forbes. The lyrics were written in a tiny room over a smoky bar during a trip to Krakow & Auschwitz. Thanks for listening...

THE GOLDEN RATIO

SOUND SOUND
GIVE ME THAT SOUND
MELODY SWEET & RHYTHM PROFOUND
WORDS WORDS
ALL OF THESE, WORDS
WRITE THEM DOWN AS THE BEAT DESERVES
PHI, PHI
COULD IT BE PHI?
THE RATIO’S GOLD AND THE TIME IS NIGH
WHEN I WILL LEARN HOW TO ABIDE
LET THE MUSIC BE MY GUIDE
WHEN THE YINS AND YANGS COLLIDE
I’M GOING TO SEE HOW I’M DEFINED

SO I’M GETTING PREPARED
I’M BUILDING WALLS
I’M GATHERING FOOD
I’M WORKING HARD
I’M WETTING MY LIPS
I’M COUNTING CHIPS
I’M LOOKING AHEAD
I’M PLAYING DEAD
I’M CLEANING IT UP
I’M TALKING SHOP
I’M TAKING VOWS
AND MAKING LIFE
SO WHY SHOULD I APOLOGIZE
FOR AN ACTION THAT WAS NEVER MINE?
SHOULD I HAVE BEEN SURPRISED
WHEN I LEARNED I WAS PAST MY PRIME?

NOW THERE’S NOTHING LEFT HERE TO BEGRUDGE
BECAUSE I PLAYED BASS FOR FILBOYD STUDGE
I NEVER WANT TO, BUT I JUDGE
IT’S INVOLUNTARY SLUDGE
I BREAK IT INTO FRAMES
BECAUSE I WANT TO DISCERN
WHAT THE POINT OF THIS IS
BEFORE THE MEETING’S ADJOURNED
SO TEACH ME TO FORGIVE
OR FATHOM A SIGH
IF YOU CAN’T SHOW ME HOW TO LIVE
THEN SHOW ME HOW TO DIE
SHOW ME HOW TO DIE!

DEMO 10.8.2006 7:44am

We moved to Prague during the summer of 2006 and immediately loved it. At the dawn of my creative efforts in the Czech Republic, I finally decided that a system of numbering made more sense to keep things organized. My tools also began to shift toward virtual instruments, writing primarily on my computer for the first time. Finding new ways to compose has always been appealing to me. Picking up a new instrument can open one's mind to different methods of writing, with varied results of course, but all toward creating something new and exciting. Anyway, I'll attempt to write more eloquently about all this as we move through my time overseas. For now, let's begin at the beginning. Thanks for listening.

DEMO 5.31.2006 2:37am

As you can see, about six months went by between the last idea of 2005 and this first one from 2006. What was I doing that whole time? I reckon it's natural to experience lulls in one's creative output at times. Thanks for listening.

FAKEUPHORIA

SAY THE THINGS I WANT TO HEAR
SPEAK IT PLAIN AND KEEP IT SLOW
MAKE MY DISTRACTIONS DISAPPEAR
GUARD MY PRECIOUS STATUS QUO

THOUGH THE LATERN'S BURNING
YOU CAN ALMOST FEEL THE WIND
CREEPING UP TO CLAIM THE NIGHT
WHEN YOUR RHAPSODY BEGINS
AS YOU'RE FINALLY WAKING UP
FROM YOUR FAKEUPHORIA

WHEN THE WORLD IS TURNING
IS THE MOTION WASTED?
WHEN YOUR FAITH IS BURNING
DOES YOUR ID EMBRACE IT?
IS YOUR FUNCTION SOMETHING MORE
THAN JUST MOVING THINGS AROUND?

TELL ME THINGS I NEED TO HEAR
KEEP IT DETAILED AND APROPOS
COME TEACH ME HOW TO PERSEVERE
TO RAZE THIS DATED STATUS QUO

THOUGH THE LATERN'S BURNING
YOU CAN ALMOST FEEL THE WIND
CREEPING UP TO CLAIM THE NIGHT
WHEN YOUR RHAPSODY BEGINS
AS YOU'RE FINALLY WAKING UP
FROM YOUR FAKEUPHORIA
EUPHORIA!
EUPHORIA!

DEMO 12.17.05 3:37pm

Here's Song 9 from the end of 2005. The last idea from that year actually. The audio doesn't start until about 9 seconds in just in case you're wondering where the hell the music is (if anyone is even listening). The track is also about 10 minutes long because I guess I didn't feel like editing it at the time (or now for that matter). Another layer appears about 40 seconds in, after which it basically stays the same for the next 9 minutes, so just stop when you get bored obviously. All the parts were written on the DR-880 drum machine and bounced in together to ProTools because I'm an idiot like I've mentioned at least once before. At the very least once. Thanks for listening.

DEMO 12.6.05 1:17pm

This was titled Song 10, an indication that things had moved on past ascribing words or phrases to new ideas. My songwriting process has almost always consisted of music first, words later. I guess this was near the beginning of my realization that assigning words to new ideas imbued those ideas with an inherent meaning that I hadn't chosen yet. Numbering is also a much easier way to keep track of everything obviously. Anyway, below is the initial bass/drums idea from 12.6.05, plus the same idea plus guitar from 12.20.05. I still enjoy this idea and would like to flesh it out someday under the right circumstances. Thanks for listening.

DEMO 12.6.05 12:04pm

Just bass and drums on this one, but the semblance of a song is in there somewhere. Not sure why I toss out ideas like this and never revisit them. At some point I thought this was interesting enough to record though. What was happening in my life that caused a lack of followup? Maybe the holidays in this case? Guess it doesn't matter. Here it is regardless.

DEMO 10.16.2005 11:53am

I recall this idea coming about later in the cycle of A Forest Through The Trees, before heading in to work with Glenn at the studio, but after the home programming phase had time to marinate. It seems songs like this are in my DNA. Acoustic guitar was among the first instruments I learned to play, which makes my familiarity with it conducive to composition if I feel like using that particular tool.

I recorded this right before our wedding. One could read into that (as one could be inclined). Reading the words now is an adjective I don't know yet unfortunately, especially amid our recent decision to move to Louisville.
Thanks for listening.

SMOKE SIGNALS

I AM LIVING IN A WORLD OF PLAIN
BORN BY WAVES OF LIGHT AND SOUND
FAITH IN THE WORDS THAT I PROCLAIM
AIDS A METHOD THAT YOU ASTOUND
SO I'M BREAKING THESE SOUVENIRS
I'M SEARCHING FOR NEW FRONTIERS
I'M ESCAPING THIS ATROPHY
RIVER CITY WILL SET ME FREE

I WAS LIVING IN A WORLD OF PLAIN
WITH NOTHING NEW TO FEEL ABOUT
EVERYDAY TURNED OUT ALL THE SAME
BUT ONE DAY I COULD DO WITHOUT
ALL I COULD TAKE PLEASURE FROM
OH THEN WHAT HAD I BECOME?
NO MISTAKING THIS APOGEE
RIVER CITY HAS SET ME FREE

DEMO 7.25.05 1:27pm

Here are the demos for The Ideal Citizen, the third track from A Forest Through The Trees. After listening to all these again, it's possible that some or all of this might have made it onto the final master. The first file from 7.25.05 presents the basic form through bass/drum/keys. By 7.29 I 'd added electric guitar, percussion, scratch vocals, and more keys. On 9.13 I made a couple minor melody changes on keys and a slight different mix it seems. The next two mixes from 10.10 and 10.16 sound pretty similar to me, but there's probably something I'm missing. I titled the folder 'wah wah wah' - doesn't sound like I'm using a wah pedal though. Whatever. Thanks for listening.

DEMO 5.26.05 11:29 AM

Here's an idea from 5.26.05, just a straightforward chord progression (and slightly out of tune at that). I think the bridge needs to be longer. Or does it? Depends on the lyrics I reckon, which I didn't bother to write it seems. Here's another version from 5.28.05. It's essentially the same song, shorter form, different key. No major objections I guess. Maybe it will evolve someday.

Thanks for listening.

DEMO 5.25.05 12:58pm

Here are the demos for An Alien Communique, the final track from A Forest Through The Trees.

5.25.05 was the first occurrence of this idea anywhere, just a single guitar laying out the basic form. By 7.6.05 a few weeks later, I had added more guitars (doubling acoustics, electric leads), vocals (which might have been used on the master), and various keyboards (bass, pads). The ending had begun to take shape, though without the bevy of eventual noises.

The next three versions (7.29, 9.13, 10.16) are all fairly similar to the previous file and are included for the record. There may have been some new tracking/mixing in each session, but it's beyond my capacity to decipher at present. You are more than welcome of course.

And then there's the studio version. The ending is still something I can't quite explain, although I wish I could very much. Ten years later and I still can't figure it. Perhaps it represented an exciting new way to create, fueled by a stronger than usual sense of anger and uncertainty. That's a guess though. I'm happy it exists regardless. It was instrumental (yup) in opening up my thoughts about how music and sound could be created and recorded. It continues to educate and inspire me and for that I'm very grateful.

I'd also be remiss without mentioning Mr. Glenn Matullo. What a pleasure working with such a great producer and engineer. He is responsible for a variety of great mixing ideas here, plus many more throughout the entire album of course. A few weeks ago I thought about how it could be fun to re-record an entire album with the same group of musicians, discovering how we interpreted the music at different times in our lives. It could either be a fun creative journey or more like looking through your high school yearbooks for a while.

I prattle on though. Thanks for listening.

DEMO 5.9.05 5:59pm

So I found these two ideas in a folder called 'melodious funk'. I guess there's something melodious in there, but I'd take serious issue calling it funky. It's more olfactory funky, amirite?

The first idea from 5.9.05 reminds me of a bad version of an 80s video game soundtrack. Another version from 5.29 has the same chord progression but different instruments, as if switching instruments would make things better. The whole thing just repeats after the first B section if you want to save yourself the time (I would).

Sometimes things like this take shape and never really go anywhere, probably because I decided that what I heard in my head wasn't all that appealing once I'd put it to page. But they happen (or have happened) nonetheless. They're empirically part of the process. It's because of these that others exist and vice versa. So there.

Thanks for listening?

DEMO 4.26.05 1:10pm

Through the haze of memory, it's difficult to remember what I was aiming for with this one. If I had to guess (and I guess I have to), the lyrics stemmed from a machine coming alive and turning on those who used it for war. Guess I was pretty angry about Iraq, WMDs, GWB etc back when. Or maybe I'd watched Maximum Overdrive again. Either way, this could have been better with more experience and maturity on my part. But that's true of everything, right? Thanks for listening.

TANK ASSAULT AT MIDNIGHT

Lost in a foreign land
Washed in the golden sand
I was assured life was secure
Inside this desert you're calling home

Born of the finest steel
Made with camo conceal
I was to blame time and again
For destruction and pain on the road

I will obey
I will obey
But there will come a day when I resist

Tank assault at midnight
Tank assault at midnight

DEMO 4.26.05 12:38pm

Here is evidence yet again of my inexperience at recording even the basic elements of a song back in 2005. I'll try to explain. The drum machine I used was capable of producing not only drum sounds, but also rudimentary bass sounds as well. Therefore, one could program it to run through an entire song with both drum & bass parts playing together.

However, when I transferred the drums & bass parts of this song into my recording/mixing program in order to edit them alongside other tracks, I recorded them both into one audio track, fixing them together permanently. If I had known how or even thought about that being a problem later on, I would have transferred them separately then edited them how I wanted. But noooooooo.

Oh well. 'Twas my knowledge at the time. I'm sure one would find my current level of expertise lacking too. But hey I'm doing the best I can, right?!

Thanks for listening.

RAPTURE SCHEMES

Primed for the days
Designed for the craze
Fear is on the rise
So make your best disguise

I journey into space
With smoke for my escape
We altered our design in ecstasy

Can I entertain a sphere and not a plane?
Can I understand the chaos is planned?

I journey into space
With smoke for my escape
We altered our design in ecstasy

Are you ready for rapture schemes?
Are you ready for rapture schemes?
Are you ready for rapture schemes?
Am I ready for rapture schemes?
Am I ready for rapture schemes?
Am I ready for rapture schemes?
Am I ready for rapture schemes?
I am ready for rapture schemes!

DEMO 3.31.05 1:05pm

Below are a couple demos of what would eventually become Video Motion, the second track from A Forest Through The Trees. Although it's unfair and probably unwise to say so, this idea definitely ranks up there amongst the favorite songs that I've written over the years.

I started work on this at the end of March 2005, initially calling it 'newdrum' (very unique and descriptive indeed). I programmed the drums and bass on the drum machine and then transferred them to Pro Tools, which meant I couldn't separate them later to edit any further. I'm not sure why that never occurred to me at the time. It's probably because I was a blundering idiot at recording much of anything, let alone thinking ahead in general. Anyway, first is the initial drum and bass track.

Over the next few months I added some guitars and vocals to reach the next version around mid-September. There were several other versions in between, but they're all rather similar in nature, so I'll refrain from listing them all here at the moment. I doubt you want to spend your time listening to five slightly different demos of this song.

And finally, last is the final studio version to put things in perspective.

Thanks for listening.

VIDEO MOTION

ALL YOUR BONES ARE CONNECTED TO YOUR MUSCLES
YOUR OBJECTIVE IS TO CRACK THE CODES
YOU CAN DO IT BUT YOU’VE REALLY GOT TO HUSTLE
YOU’VE GOT SEVEN HOURS LEFT UNTIL THE BOMB EXPLODES
HOW MUCH CAN YOU SUSTAIN?
HOW MUCH CAN YOU RECALL?

YOU WANT TO KEEP IT STEADY
YOU WANT CONTROL THIS TIME
‘CAUSE YOU’RE IN VIDEO MOTION

CONCENTRATION AS YOU’RE PUNCHING ON THE CABLES
INTERRUPTION FROM THE DINNER FOLK
FIGHTING DIRTY LIKE YOUR SCRUPLES WERE DISABLED
AND THE THOUGHT OF CONVERSATION WANTS TO MAKE YOU CHOKE
HOW MUCH CAN YOU FRUSTRATE?
HOW MUCH CAN YOU DENY?

YOU WANT TO KEEP IT STEADY
YOU’RE ON A ROLL THIS TIME
‘CAUSE YOU’RE IN VIDEO MOTION

YOU WANT TO KEEP IT STEADY
YOU WANT CONTROL THIS TIME
I SEE YOUR HANDS ARE SWEATY NOW
YOU’RE ON A ROLL THIS TIME
‘CAUSE YOU’RE IN VIDEO MOTION

DEMO 1.25.05 7:54am

Here's an acoustic number I came up with at the beginning of 2005. I never wrote any lyrics for it. I may have tried at one point, but couldn't come up with anything that worked. It's nothing fancy, just a couple guitars and bass, but I've always liked it. Maybe I'll come back to it someday. Thanks for listening.