After much free improvised work the past few years, I am careening back into the realm of more structured music. It is a necessary yin and yang balance, but pendulum always swings…and to that end, I am working several angles.
One is becoming a better musician and player – more practice, learning, listening, theory, etc. The Prehistoric Horse Tour this summer was really cool in that it really beefed up my ability to improvise and compose spontaneously, with intention and intensity. Having two other simpatico musicians helped with that, but there were some moments (and especially of late) that I came to the realization that my actual guitar chops and musical vocabulary was/is/has been lacking. Suffering from disuse. Finding oneself trapped in a box and repeating things, tricks. Good ones mind you, but in the end less freeing and satisfying than one would hope for.
The other is the return to writing material that is melodic and structured. I have two album projects in the works. One is the launching of my long planned Lumen project. This is melodic instrumental and soundscape/soundtrack music, sometimes roots/rock in nature, sometimes ethereal, sometimes both. Lots of old material and some new along with a few of the recently Nightsoil scores. I’ve got some great musicians and friends playing on the tracks such as Pat Spurgeon, John Hanes, Wil Hendricks, Brandon Essex and more to come. Here are a couple rough mixes of songs to be on the CD:
Repeat Performance (Pat Spurgeon, LM) Written in the studio, I was going for a sparse, winter, Low (the band) feel.
Highway Song (Pat Spurgeon, Brandon Essex, LM) Music for driving. In a convertible. Preferably vintage.
Another is The Bodice Rippers. A fun blues/punk/cabaret band that I play in. Great singer, great songs and kick ass band. We put work into it and the work pays off.
Last is my songs project, Lucifer Meltdown. For years I’ve piled up songs with lyrics and occasionally put together a kick ass rock band to play them out. But my voice being what it is (not a strong suit), these recordings often never leave the sloppy demo stage. Now they will. It might take a while, but they are being recorded properly and will someday see the light of day. More soon…
Of course I will continue to pursue improv and experimental music and this diversion will only make for better music on that end. Just wait till I tell you about the scored improv piece for ten guitars, two drums and one bass that is planned for Dec 7 to celebrate the proximity of Pearl Harbor Day and The Death of John Lennon…