Oops, I Guess I Was Busy
Album Progress Report
Hola mi gente! Well, January was so chaotic and bent out of shape that even this blog got out of whack for the start of this year. This post was supposed to be the usual reflection of the previous year, reviewing goals and just general updates. It’s now the middle of February and I’m trying to carve out some time to at least capture an update on the album that I’m working on. That’s life, I suppose.
So, here’s the latest regarding this album I’m working on. The chaos of January definitely threw a wrench into the works, and I’ve gotten a little bogged down. However, one cannot sit idle, waiting for inspiration to lift you out of the mire. I have found that the best thing to do is to fire up the gear and just get started. You make your own momentum, as the saying goes. I’ve allowed myself some diversions, to keep it light and fun, but I’m committing to finishing this song that’s inspired by Aphex Twin’s “Girl / Boy Song”. I am very close to the end, I think. I have just about all the major pieces and I’ve even done a couple takes, trying to lay something down to have a starting point. Sometimes it helps to have a take out there just to say “Nah, that’s not how I want to do it”. As it turns out, that’s what’s happening with this song. After a couple of decent takes, I think I want to go in a different direction. I also shared those takes with a friend, and they confirmed what I was thinking – that rather than stick close to the structure of the song of inspiration, I think I want to get out of the way of the harp sample and let it climb and soar. I just need to figure out how to put this arrangement together. It’s in there, I just have to unlock it.
More Album Stuff
Beyond that, I’ve been doing some thinking about the bigger picture of the album – how many songs, what kind of songs, what sort of gear to use, and so on. I’m aiming for between 6-8 full songs. I want to explore some different genres while not veering too far from my voice, my point of view, if you will. I’m not too worried about that part though. Over the past year or two, I really do think I’ve developed my style, and I think it shows through in my work, regardless of the genre label that could be applied. As it stands, I think I have about 3 songs in the can, so I’m about halfway. I’m not sure yet if I’ll have the luxury of creating more than my target amount of songs, to then edit down to the best group, or if I’ll end up just taking the first 7 songs that I consider “finished”. I think that will depend on how much longer it takes me to finish this particular song. After that, who knows – maybe I get on a roll. I think it’s totally possible.
Next Time
The way this year has started, I can’t really say with certainty as to when I’ll post again. I hope it’s in the next two weeks, and I hope it’s with news that I have another song in the can and the ideas are flowing fast and furious. Cheers.
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