The Song With No Name
Saturday night Rebecca and I focused on ‘Untitled06′ and added a 2nd part (perhaps a chorus) and a strange sort of middle 8 bit. It always feels like a big accomplishment to me - taking something that’s a nice idea, then fleshing it out and realizing that it actually WILL become a song. I’m definitely NOT one of those gushy creative types who dwell on the ’spirit’ of the artist’ and all that kind of horseshit, but this is the moment that I still enjoy the most - whether anyone ever hears the song or not.
Working on this track has been a blast as Rebecca and I at this late stage in the songwriting are trying some new things, hoping to coax something a little different out of the old machinery. It’s also helping to leave the synths off. I’ve been forced to do a lot with bass and guitars, which has taken things into a different direction - one that doesn’t bore me the way the electronic stuff has been. In fact, the only electronics I’ve really been using lately are the Arturia models of vintage synths like the Minimoog, CS-80, Arp, etc. (they’ve also just released their Jupiter-8!)
Posted in Ryan, Album 4 Updates
June 6th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Hmm… I’m hoping there won’t be a glaring lack of electronics on your next album. One of the things I love most about you guys is the gorgeous combination of electronics with the more organic. The main weird beat line in “Everything Is OK,” for example, is one my favorite elements of any song ever. Don’t get me wrong - I love some of the “rockier” songs, especially “Stonefruit” and “Albatross,” but I’m not too keen on “Wholeness,” and I’m afraid a complete lack of synths could be, er, pretty boring.
That said, though, I do have faith that you won’t disappoint. “Wholeness & Separation” is one of my all time favorite albums, so the bar is just particularly high now. I don’t expect it will be surpassed, but I do expect a lot!
Any idea when the album will be released? I cannot wait.
June 17th, 2007 at 1:42 am
Cory,
Thanks for your thoughts. There will certainly be electronics on the album. Far too early yet to tell how much of a departure this will be from what we’ve done before. All of us, however, are very keen to continue to evolve and to move in directions that are new to us.
Having said that, I am finding that these days, its the records with a lot of synths that are boring me. Imagine that. My dad rolls in his grave.
Best,
Ryan.