Morphans (2018)
© 2018 Philip L. Thompson
It's Themelessness, Pt 2
You'd think after the first collection of unplanned tidbits I'd not soon repeat the blunder of creating music without a home, but here we are. More homeless tunes for the hardcore fan. Details follow:
Back to Normal C (2015) - new, improved mix to the 1990 bare bones version of this one. In December of 1989, when I sat down to put together what would become Flabby Worm (aka Flabby Worm: Cable Crossing) I intended to focus on voice sampling in order to document some of my more experimental/unconventional music.
Mike W was again loaning me his Fostex X-15, but this time in exchange for my drums (formerly his brother's). Which by this time meant for a month. Mike had recently moved to Atlanta, but would drive down to Fort Walton Beach for his monthly Reservist drills (I'd gone active duty in 88, at this time happily stationed in the same town). Whatever borrowing/loaning/swapology we conducted during his 2-day visit was what we'd end up with for a month. My Tamas would be out of reach, and I'd based my plans for FW:CC largely on that fact.
You'd think after the first collection of unplanned tidbits I'd not soon repeat the blunder of creating music without a home, but here we are. More homeless tunes for the hardcore fan. Details follow:
Back to Normal C (2015) - new, improved mix to the 1990 bare bones version of this one. In December of 1989, when I sat down to put together what would become Flabby Worm (aka Flabby Worm: Cable Crossing) I intended to focus on voice sampling in order to document some of my more experimental/unconventional music.
Mike W was again loaning me his Fostex X-15, but this time in exchange for my drums (formerly his brother's). Which by this time meant for a month. Mike had recently moved to Atlanta, but would drive down to Fort Walton Beach for his monthly Reservist drills (I'd gone active duty in 88, at this time happily stationed in the same town). Whatever borrowing/loaning/swapology we conducted during his 2-day visit was what we'd end up with for a month. My Tamas would be out of reach, and I'd based my plans for FW:CC largely on that fact.
For the most part I stuck by my original intent of going experimental/unorthodox with the 1990 album. The lone exception was this song. Given its (relatively) conventional nature, I cornily named it "Return to Normal C," even though it had no drums (on some versions of the album I included in the mix the the click track generated by Mike's drum machine, via its bass drum patch).
Fast forward to late 2015, and I've just gotten two important pieces of my studio upgrade: a Tascam DS-32, and a Roland TD-11 kit. Perfect opportunity for two birds, one stone (three birds?) finally laying long-delayed drum part upgrade to this thing. Poorly (i.e. not) planned--ended up playing around with a couple different ideas I'd created over the years, in my mind, for the drum part.
Fast forward to late 2015, and I've just gotten two important pieces of my studio upgrade: a Tascam DS-32, and a Roland TD-11 kit. Perfect opportunity for two birds, one stone (three birds?) finally laying long-delayed drum part upgrade to this thing. Poorly (i.e. not) planned--ended up playing around with a couple different ideas I'd created over the years, in my mind, for the drum part.
Big Red (2015) - Dedicated to my old friend, Steve Miller, who'd passed away the year before. Still plan to do something with this. One thing is certain: it's far too slow, tempo needs to be stepped up.
Bartók (2008) - Another Osan Casio recording. Don't read music; it's ear-picked, so don't be surprised by deviations from what it should be (I usually get pretty close). All but the 'solos' from Osan Casio were programmed, so this one was 100% machine played.
Chaff, Version 2 - not necessarily a newer or better version of what I was able to salvage for the first installment in the _rphans series, this was the best take of that recording session--one I'd thought I'd lost for good. More accurately, a 30-second snippet of said take. In a much older incarnation of this very website I'd listed/linked half-minute excerpts of some of my stuff, and this bass solo thingy was evidently one of them. A more faithful conveyance of the sound I was looking for in the bass + bass + drums project known as Chaff (see Orphans for more gories).
Bartók (2008) - Another Osan Casio recording. Don't read music; it's ear-picked, so don't be surprised by deviations from what it should be (I usually get pretty close). All but the 'solos' from Osan Casio were programmed, so this one was 100% machine played.
Chaff, Version 2 - not necessarily a newer or better version of what I was able to salvage for the first installment in the _rphans series, this was the best take of that recording session--one I'd thought I'd lost for good. More accurately, a 30-second snippet of said take. In a much older incarnation of this very website I'd listed/linked half-minute excerpts of some of my stuff, and this bass solo thingy was evidently one of them. A more faithful conveyance of the sound I was looking for in the bass + bass + drums project known as Chaff (see Orphans for more gories).
Chispitas! - at some point in 2018 I recorded a few "live" sessions where I'd program a pattern into one of my synths, and/or an arpeggiato grouping into the Sub 37, and then record myself accompanying these pieces on the Sequential, Korg micro and MS-10, and Sub-37. At least this one is in an odd time signature (9 time). In the end I came up with a couple shit tunes, trying to be . . I don't know, trance, or something? The two decent entries are here.
Cranky Dog (2015)- also known as A Cranky Dog Has Glamour Too, Mama. Don't ask. My first 'serious' attempt at working my Tascam DP32, present to myself in 2015. Bass wasn't working at the time and I probably left a point in there somewhere for a guitar or synth solo. [Yawn]
Korean Walkabout (2008) - see above. More Casio cheesiness from the Republic of Korea. In fact this is the only new thing I made for that mini-album. All the other songs were old stuff of mine, or covering someone else's material.
Latch (2018) - don't look at the length of this one and get your hopes up that I've created some Rush-like superlong piece of music. I WISH. It's just the second of the "live" stuff described above, for Chispitas! Think I might have stretched this one out a littttle too long.
Spanish Song, V4 (2008) - some more of the Osan Casio effort. If nothing else an excuse to keep my drumming fingers nimble (playing the drum part manually). I do recall relly digging that classical guitar sound.
Cranky Dog (2015)- also known as A Cranky Dog Has Glamour Too, Mama. Don't ask. My first 'serious' attempt at working my Tascam DP32, present to myself in 2015. Bass wasn't working at the time and I probably left a point in there somewhere for a guitar or synth solo. [Yawn]
Korean Walkabout (2008) - see above. More Casio cheesiness from the Republic of Korea. In fact this is the only new thing I made for that mini-album. All the other songs were old stuff of mine, or covering someone else's material.
Latch (2018) - don't look at the length of this one and get your hopes up that I've created some Rush-like superlong piece of music. I WISH. It's just the second of the "live" stuff described above, for Chispitas! Think I might have stretched this one out a littttle too long.
Spanish Song, V4 (2008) - some more of the Osan Casio effort. If nothing else an excuse to keep my drumming fingers nimble (playing the drum part manually). I do recall relly digging that classical guitar sound.
Sunrise - even older than the Waddler music, this composition dates from the early 80s. I've put this one on tape at least four times, and early on in my evolution of the tune I added a tribute to my keyboard hero, Rick Wakeman: those chords at the end of the 'solo' are his part from Yes's Siberian Khatru.
Waddler (2008) - old theme of mine, appearing throughout my work, as far back as the earliest piano stuff. In this instance I was recording/programming the stuff into a friend's keyboard. Was starting my year-long "remote" gig at Osan Air Base and discovered one of my business partners was a lot like me - guy named Chris, who was also a big hair metal fan and a homespun multiinstrumentalist. Knowing I'd be in billeting for a couple weeks, while looking for an off-base apartment, Chris loaned me his Casio (heretofore, the Osan Casio) to keep me entertained.
Thank you Chris!
Waddler (2008) - old theme of mine, appearing throughout my work, as far back as the earliest piano stuff. In this instance I was recording/programming the stuff into a friend's keyboard. Was starting my year-long "remote" gig at Osan Air Base and discovered one of my business partners was a lot like me - guy named Chris, who was also a big hair metal fan and a homespun multiinstrumentalist. Knowing I'd be in billeting for a couple weeks, while looking for an off-base apartment, Chris loaned me his Casio (heretofore, the Osan Casio) to keep me entertained.
Thank you Chris!
TD-18K Thompson Special (TD-11K plus most of the old TD-7), complete with 4x4 block for left pedal stablization.
