Thanks to The Westword for their writeup of our new video for "manhattan beach": http://bit.ly/adsf6b

Working on video for "manhattan beach" http://bit.ly/8Z54xh

"cometa" pre-release sample: http://bit.ly/5mC2MY

Writeup for A Shoreline Dream on the @nx35 website! http://bit.ly/13uQUp

Recording "Oudekerk" drums today. Sample soon...

2010 - Full steam ahead

Ryan:

As I sit and recollect the previous year, it's indeed nothing short of a roller coaster ride. On one hand the band stepped up a few rungs of the enormous ladder we've been on since 2006. Releasing "Recollections of Memory", guest appearing with Ulrich Schnauss at SXSW, playing live on KEXP and East Village Radio, playing Monolith, and releasing the side project known as Brim Liski were big highlights.

But on the other hand it was a battle and many things were lost. Enoc and the band split ways, countless nights of sleep were lost from the ever present death of my friend Michelle, and we had to hold back on touring till 2010. Of course we're all aware of the increasing pressure of the economy, a very unstable war, and the consequences avoided which have resulted in an unstable climate. But with the new year comes new hope. That's really all we can have at this point in time as we all know the future is completely black until we turn on the lights with each passing day. We look forward to new experiences, new music and a step out of the secure pasts we lived. I vow to make change for myself, the band and for the fans we have so graciously found through our music.

Starting with day one of twenty ten I promise to devote more energy to the one thing I love most of all, that being music, and I surely hope to share it all with you and with those new ears who stumble upon it. Some risks indeed will have to be taken to make this possible and I look forward to giving some new ideas a try. This coming decade is all about not standing back, but standing up and taking a chance. Every person should and does have this right as with every passing year it's remembered how short of a lifespan we all really have. I feel grateful to be alive and to be able to experience all of this. It's indeed amazing how possible it is for us to consciously act on our own in this existence. Might as well take full advantage of it...

I very much look forward to SXSW, a new album and an overall focus of present. I'm proud to have the guys in A Shoreline Dream there every step of the way and couldn't imagine it otherwise. Here's a toast to 2010 from A Shoreline Dream to you!

Westword 2009 albums of the year list

Thanks to Westword for their "favorite release of the year for 2009" mention!
http://bit.ly/4wurVf

SXSW 2010

We will be performing at SXSW 2010! Official announcement today: http://bit.ly/4iLRKZ

Red Rocks = Mars

Ryan:
Went back up to Red Rocks today to recollect some memories...

Pics from Monolith

While you listen, why not check out some pics from the amazing gig at Monolith. Wish you could of joined us!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanpolicky/sets/72157622268611287/

changes

Ryan:
Seasons change, people change and music changes. A Shoreline Dream is no different. Red Rocks changed us, and so do our fans. The band is my family. The music is my love. I'll never turn my back on it no matter who may. More music is on the way, in one form or another, and we thank you for being a fan. For taking even one minute to listen and to us. This is what it's all about, and though things change, the music will always live on.

WOXY Stage - MONOLITH

It's confirmed. We will be playing the WOXY stage at 12:20 PM on Sunday, September 13th at Red Rocks. Hope to see you there!

Monolith

Waiting for the final word on when we'll be playing this year at Red Rocks on September 13. Stay tuned and check our myspace/facebook pages for more details. Back to making music. . .

departure

We're giving away a copy of the track Departure, which was a song we wrote with Ulrich Schnauss. Just go to latenightweeknight.com and click on Label Newsletter Sign-Up. When you are prompted to send us an email just let us know you want Departure and we'll hook you up.

2009 MONOLITH FESTIVAL

Very happy to announce that we will be performing on Sunday, September 13th at the Monolith Festival at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado! Check out our myspace page or the offical Monolith site for the full lineup. monolithfestival.com

Seattle next weekend!

Will be heading out to Seattle next Saturday for a gig at The Comet Tavern, and will be doing a live in-studio on Monday, June 22 on KEXP! Find out more about it at http://kexp.org/programming/instudio.asp

the days turn into years

Ryan:
Listening to "I can't see New York" by Tori Amos over and over tonight. It brings about such vivid memories of my time with Michelle. I just can't shake it free. She was the one there by my side no matter what crazy shit went down, with a smile brighter and happier than any other I've ever seen. Its been a very rough 7 months now. I've been at a loss for words. I plan to try and weather it soon with some new recordings. I need to clear the brain a little more before diving into the pool again. Hopefully some of the new gear coming will lift me up a little more.

In the meantime we are hard at work getting ready for our appearance on KEXP coming up in a few short weeks. How can such amazing things happen at the same time as the sad?

Interview on East Village Radio

We're extremely happy to announce we'll be hitting the airwaves with a great friend, Timmy G on Fast Forward Reverse this Saturday on East Village Radio in New York. Click the graphic below and stream the show from 8-10AM EST to check out some new songs from our latest album, and to hear what we've got to say!

2 Dates in NYC - This Week!

Thurs, May 14th and Sat, May 16th will be our first shows in New York! We'll also be making an appearance on Fast Forward Reverse on East Village Radio Saturday morning. Tune in or come out! All info can be found at http://www.myspace.com/ashorelinedream

"manhattan beach" in Scottsdale

"Manhattan Beach" LIVE at The Rogue - a shoreline dream from Latenight Weeknight on Vimeo.

"medusa" at SXSW

"Medusa" - Ulrich Schnauss / Rob McVey & Ryan Policky of A Shoreline Dream from Latenight Weeknight on Vimeo.

Post SXSW with Ulrich & Long-View

Ryan:
I plan to write more, but wanted to say that this year's event was quite amazing indeed. In fact, a huge goal was reached as soon as I stepped on stage with Ulrich and Rob from Long-View for the first performance at Elysium. The house was packed, the energy was electric, and the music was epic. I could have never asked for anything more. As we all discussed after the show at our rental house, it now feels like the whole thing in fact could have been a dream. Never would I have imagined I would have met such amazing people. Vinita, the Long-view guys and friends and Ulrich made it well worth the 15 hour trek down. I can't wait for the next meeting.

SXSW with the gazing

Ryan:
It's been a journey full of prostitutes working the fields, haunted houses out in the woods full of ping ponging ghosts and rocking in front of a packed Elysium crowd with Ulrich and Rob from Longview. Worth a 15 hour drive? Yes!! So very happy I was invited by Mr. Schnauss. This is exactly what it's all about. Life, that is. A dream has come to reality and that's all I can ask for. More updates soon!

SXSW with Ulrich Schnauss

For those heading down to SXSW, make sure to stop by the Ulrich set at elysium - 705 red river st, AUSTIN, Texas. Ryan Policky from "a shoreline dream" will be performing a few songs with the legend during this rare live collaboration.

masking the loss

Ryan:
Once again using this blog as a venting landing pad. It's been a bit since I've updated so I guess now is the time. Every day has been tough since October, and thankfully the music is helping. The CD Release went off great and a few shows coming up look super promising. Absolutely can't wait to play in NY! But I must say I didn't think it would be this hard to cope with the loss of Michelle. I guess it's mostly due to the fact that nearly everything around me relates to an experience I had with her. The visions of her smile are almost too real and too frequent, and at least once a day a breakdown occurs. I guess that would be my own personal therapy. Or maybe some songwriting would help. Not sure. Been kinda in a coma. As per the usual you can prep yourself with a loss and understand what someone is going through, but until you yourself have to deal with it firsthand it never truly clicks. Well it's clicking, and tapping, and punching now. Time to figure out how to make it subside.

"RECOLLECTIONS OF MEMORY" at itunes

Time was once again a machine gun and the album is already upon us! Starting Tuesday you can download it from itunes, and we hope you do! Three of the tracks are collaborations between us and Ulrich Schnauss and mixing came from the legendary Kramer of Shimmy Records Fame! Click the link below to visit our itunes page and thanks so much for all your support!!!

RECOLLECTIONS OF MEMORY - ITUNES LINK

^Coming UP^
CD RELEASE with MOONSPEED & SONNENBLUME
February 26th
BLUEBIRD THEATER

CD RELEASE PARTY - FEB. 26

FILTER MAGAZINE PRESENTS:
A SHORELINE DREAM CD RELEASE PARTY!
Bluebird Theater
with Moonspeed & Sonnenblume
935 E. Colfax Ave, Denver, Colorado 80218

reflect

Ryan:
As we near the release of the storybook inspired and near psychic induced album we mustered up, I find myself reflecting even more. Never have I changed as much as I have in the past 4 months. The death of someone I felt closer to than most of those throughout my days really spun everything all around. I have felt lost in many ways. It's been extremely difficult to let go of it, and the art is even getting clouded lately. It truly feels like it happened at the most peculiar time. A time that made far too much sense, and I'm having a hard time of dropping that. When you share just about everything you have and feel with someone it's hard to just let it go. Luckily we have such amazing fans who care, and people to support through it all. I've been different, and it's moving slow, but the music keeps the inspiration going. I am excited for you to all hear what I'm talking about here and in previous posts. It's been a long and difficult journey, but I feel it was worth it. I hope you do too. February 10th we'll find out what you think. . .

Pre-Release Show on January 23, 2009

A Year of Recollections

Ryan:
Simply put, 2008 was one of the most intense and emotional years of my life. One which will never be forgotten for both the good times and the bad. New friends came into the picture which helped build the steps we needed to put in place to take our music that much further. Ulrich Schnauss in particular became that one friend I always hoped for since I was a child dreaming of the day I would finally hit the stage. He was not only a huge influence to me, but also one of the most amazing collaborators I've ever worked with. The chance to write music with such a legend brought a new sense of excitement into my life and I am so grateful for the opportunities we had with him, not only in songwriting, but also in touring. The chance to work with yet another legend, Kramer, nearly floored me. It was amazing to have that second ear in my own home studio helping shape such an important album for us. It was an eye and ear opening experience I'll never forget. Having finished the album now and receiving the finals xmas eve was the greatest present I could ever imagine!

Losing a friend a week after the anniversary of another friend who passed along nearly destroyed me. It was quite possibly the hardest thing I've ever experienced in my life, but it was also one of the most important learning experiences I've ever had happen. We take everything for granted daily, and it's easy to lose hindsight to it all due the hectic nature of life in general. It opened my eyes and changed me more than anything ever has. It gave new insight into what our music is all about and why it keeps me moving every day. I learned how important it is to let out the tears and the heartbreak through music and art, and how it really can heal the deepest of wounds.

I also learned how important it is to keep a tight friendship with those around you no matter what. My friends, band and family feel closer than ever, and I am humbled by it all.

Here's to another year of amazing events! This time I look forward to more positives than negatives, and I know that no matter what, it's great to be alive with you all today!

Recollections of Memory

Recollections Preorder and A Shoreline Dream live Jan 23 and Feb 26, 2009

So we did it. We finally got it done. And, not just done - but done done. After months of recording, having Kramer from Kramer Shimmy Fame (former ween bassist, Rolling Stone producer of the year, producer of the band Low, etc) come in and help out with the mixing and now that mastering is complete we are in full production mode.

The CD drops on February 10, 2009. You can pre-order at www.tonevendor.com. Just look on the home page it won't be hard to find us.

We are currently booked for two performances in support of the release. The first is scheduled for January 23 at the Marquis Theater on 21st and Larimer in Denver. The second show is scheduled for February 26 at the Bluebird Theater on East Colfax in Denver. We are performing with another Denver based band called Moonspeed - an extremely talented group of musicians.

erik

You can always visit myspace.com/ashorelinedream for more details and band updates.

"the missing"

"the missing" - a shoreline dream from Latenight Weeknight on Vimeo.

album finished!

Two extremes happened simultaneously. Kramer finished mixing our album at the same time as a dear friend of mine passed away. Now I know the true meaning to why the name "recollections of memory" came to mind while writing the album. While it's on it's way back from Kramer's to our studio I wanted to let you all know that this is a very important one for all of us. It personally kept me sane for the past year and a half, and it taught me a lesson about life that now holds very true. Life itself is very fragile. We live in great numbers letting that make us feel secure, while at any moment it could all be stripped away from us without any compromise, no matter how many surround us. We must make our time full of all the love and hope we can. Never take your friends for granted. Hold them dear. Live for life.

I look forward to you hearing this album...

'Ryan Policky

Michelle Brim

Ryan:
More of a personal thing, but I figured I'd blog it since I have to get this out in all ways. I stated the morning with news darker than any monday has ever been for me. The word came in of the death of my dear friend Michelle Brim. It's only a week after the anniversary of my other friend, Scot Gordon who took his life in 2003, which alone almost drained me completely. Now I feel empty. I've lost all emotions. I'm in the so called "shock" mode, and the flashbacks are brighter than ever. Life is so sad really. To see those you love disappear completely has such a huge effect, and can never be explained till it happens. I'm dead inside right now, but full of hope that maybe now she is finally in a happy place, smiling forever, and letting a true love surround her. I love ya Michelle, and I'll always remember you. You changed me forever with all you did. You are truly my little DM.

Au Revoire!

The mixing is complete but the memory is not. The album is simply sounding stellar. Kramer sprinkled in quite a bit of love. Can't wait to reveal it to ya.

mix-o-rama

Mixing it up with Kramer as we speak. Good ole fashioned fun and lotsa hard work. Can't wait to reveal it all to you! For now here's a pic of us in front of the studio.

ready for the final liftoff

Ryan:
Kramer arrives tomorrow and everything is good to go. Got the hookers, the booze, the good times, and the sound of music. Now add the mixing and mastering of a legend.

"hypermode" preview at Filter

Mucho thanks to Filter for posting a preview of what's to come. A new track from the album coming out February 10, 2009, featuring Ulrich Schnauss:

http://filter-mag.com

tracking is complete!

Today is the day. We are now complete in the land of tracking. Kramer is heading to our studio on October 27th to add his "core" magic to the disc. Fun times ahead. . .

Abandon the Media Truck before it explodes. . .

Ryan:
We live in an increasingly dark time that relies on scare tactics, corporate mind washing & increased political anger. I wanted to take this moment to remind everyone to live not for what is told to you by your newspaper, television set or web blog sponsored by Chevy, but to start living, thinking and researching history and the present day for yourselves. I fear that too many have lost touch with reality, and are being controlled without awareness. It's been told through history time and time again, and we still can't learn from the mistakes of the past. It's sad, but it can be stopped. Fear spreads worse than any wildfire, and the current level of fear is way past orange. Think about it. Every civilization destroys itself by this fear spreading and weakening the interior. We must stop it from happening or face a consequence we'll regret more than losing our 401k's. There is truly nothing to fear. Corporations are not our mothers, and we don't have to do what they tell us to.

Freight Train

One of our goals has been to compose music that makes you feel the way that a train does as it approaches from the distance then passes closely. You can feel the energy build as the engine approaches and the rails begin to tremble. You are then somewhat surprised by the speed and sonic pressure as the engine and its cars begin to pass. You become acclimated to watching each individual car as you become adjusted to the speed and presence. It is at that point that you begin to gaze beyond the glass and into the depth of the interior of each car. Each glimpse creates a new story only limited by the briefness of the glimpse and your own imagination.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Germany. With our full length nearly complete, I took the time to listen to our efforts while I traveled through the city and the countryside. As I waited on platforms and rode in cars I compared our work to the sensations that I experienced. And, after everything was done I had a chance to reflect on our efforts during a very long flight back from London. It was during my flight that I wrote my final comments as I listened. The more opportunities I had to listen, the more excited I felt about our work. I feel like everyone has done an exceptional job on composition and recording and the album is sensational.

With only a few more sessions left we will have completed the task of recording our next full length album. And, once we have it completed I look forward to hearing everyones thoughts on the moods and sensations they felt while listening to the album or coming out to a show. We will have to see.


Erik

"manhattan beach" lyrics - FINAL

song: manhattan beach
album: recollections of memory
release: february 10, 2009
lyrics: Ryan Policky

-

all my way
stepping on a love
thousand miles away

forget it all

Insist on a live one
that you borrow
a never ending love

didn't she know you
didn't she love you
didn't she
didn't she

Insist on a live one
that you borrow
a never ending love
a live one
that you borrow
it tears your whole world down

all my way
tripping on a love
thousand miles away

didn't she love you
didn't she love you
didn't she
didn't she

no one
undone
reliving it

3 tracks with ULRICH SCHNAUSS

Just received keylines from Ulrich for 3 new tracks to be released on "recollections of memory". He will appear on "hypermode", "departure" and a tour version of "neverChanger". More details to come. . .

the missing

Ryan:
this week = the missing.
music.
song.
record.
album.
for you.

"recollections of memory"

a shoreline dream

Ryan:
So what is "a shoreline dream"? Where does that name come from? We're asked this question quite often and the only true explanation would be the irony of the phrase. The dream = a glorious life by the beach. The reality = a future wasteland and a horrible place to build a home, building, or city. Humans have accelerated their way of life in search of the future, totally unaware of the consequences of their actions. Doing something before fully thinking it through. Fighting, working and striving for that perfect life. Well, as time advances we have learned something we should have known a long time back. The world changes... all the time. We were clueless in our decision making process and we'll unfortunately pay the price for thinking for some reason that stability of climate, environment and life could even remotely be possible. We built entire empires in some of the most dangerous places on earth. What happens when these places become an environmental war zone? I for one don't think it will be very far off in the future as I believe it's already started. We were just too greedy as a race of people to ever understand. The water has boiled over and we never saw it coming.

Parallels can be drawn to this "shoreline dream" as well. It's not just on the shores, and it's not just an environmental issue. These bad decisions happen every day in many different ways. In relationships, in community, in religious views, and on and on it goes. People forget to think of the consequences of their actions, and we all do it. It's an imperfect world, but one not to take for granted. We always forget that we really have no time at all to appreciate everything around us. We tend to always focus everything into the "dream" of what we want to happen, and not the true "luck" that we're even alive to focus on it.

november 2008 = new album

Ryan:
Some good news to share! We've determined the album should be ready just in time for thanksgiving! We're shooting for November 11th, and plan to leak some samples very soon. On top of this we'll also be doing a swap remix with the engineers! Here's the tentative track list:

1. manhattan beach
2. hypermode feat. Rachel Goldstar of Experimental Aircraft
3. seattle
4. departure
5. neverChanger (tour version) feat. Ulrich Schnauss
6. the night before
7. missing
8. the mid decembers
9. interlusion
10. pasadena (a heartless romance)

still on the album

Working out some fine details on the album as I write this. Trying to figure out timing of when we'll get it out there to you all. Hopefully will know shortly. Stay tuned. . .

the number one flaw

Ryan:
Time for a bit o' ranting and raving if you will. Don't mean to offend, but I for sure am using this to speak some mind. Taking some time out from mixing "manhattan beach" to do this as my ears need the rest. The issue is this. . . I want to see a day where musicians and artists as a whole are all paid what they're worth. Instead I'm starting to see independent artists lose faith and lose money, forcing them to hault their creativity while they figure out how they can actually afford to make it happen.

Why is it that artists starve while the artistically defunct gain enormous amounts of power? Well it's very easy to figure out if you can see that it's almost entirely based on genetic lifestyle decisions developed by previous generations. Some grow up learning that winning the race of financial success is number one priority, while others learn to create and develop new concepts and visions. Problem is most of the time these "creatives" can't think beyond their lifestyle boundaries. They put up a wall when they are put in a situation outside of their norm. And yes, most people do this cause it takes quite a great deal of energy to think outside of your everyday. Artists don't want to deal with money, and business people don't think they can create. But it's when these two simple elements join forces that we can finally realize the full "idea" without any explanation.

I often times see the best creative ideas in music, movies & video games lose all their steam due to the guy with cash and his disciples climbing the same ladder, pouring water down to a seed, which was sadly already burned by the sun. Other times I have taken witness to the best idea finally finding it's way out there, eventually down the road getting destroyed by something copied and distributed in higher quantities.

The true passion of whatever "it" is needs to get out there, and people need to learn to understand each other a bit more. Closing any door, for whatever reason does nothing but hinder the evolution of art. The music and movie industries need to wake up and stop feeding copied art done poorly to the masses. It's destroying art as a whole, and tearing apart the artists trying to do what comes naturally. Only till both sides can talk will it happen.

It's sad, but if you can't operate on both sides of the fence (creative & business) then you're gonna find yourself burned. And it's not that you have to do both, but you need to understand and talk to both in a logical manner. This is the number one flaw of the creative industry as a whole. Communication. Without it, it's nearly impossible to let the best ideas show their full strength.

We seriously as a whole need to start communicating again. And I'm not saying everyone cause there are key people out there making it happen (I for sure know quite a few!). I just think more of us need to do the same, or be doomed with some very lonely futures. The family lives on and spreads itself out there. Why not teach it the right thing to do. Maybe then we won't need to build more jails like the one above.

Yes, it was random, but random is good. Thanks for listening!

Mixing "Manhattan Beach" tonight

Ryan:
After some fine tuning of "Hypermode" it's now time to move on to "Manhattan Beach" for some adjustments. It's a process I generally go through every time I produce a record. I spend a few days mixing, listen to everything in context, get feedback from everyone, and go back for a second run through. After that I'll usually let all the songs sit and do the same process again a month or so later. This allows for a good detachment time period. Detachment is key after recording. If you spend too much time working on something it will be good in your eyes no matter what. This approach let's me come back into it and determine if the songs are working. Sometimes we'll realize a particular track has much more potential and needs more work, where other times we'll realize that we hit the mix dead on and can release it to the wolves.

So far I'm very optimistic about this record. The tracks are right where I was hoping they'd be sonically and emotionally. They have a really nice flow, and once dialed this could be our best effort yet.

Favorite unreleased album

Ryan:
Wanted to take a minute to post my "favorite album which should have been released by their label in 2006 award". The Engineers have been sitting on an album which is to be released digitally this year that is nothing short of amazing. I happened to grab an advance copy and can't stop listening to it on my in-between days of recording.

love is a ghost in america - LIVE at The Parish Room in Austin

love is a ghost in america - LIVE at The Parish Room in Austin from Latenight Weeknight on Vimeo.

ulrich schnauss & experimental aircraft collaborations

So we're getting close on finishing up the album version of "neverChanger" which is basically gonna be the same version as what we played live with Ulrich Schnauss. We've started some rough tracks and I've sent it off to Ulrich for him to add his love.

Also spoke with Rachel of Experimental Aircraft today and we've decided to work on a track together as well! Should be quite an amazing recording. Absolutely adore the Monster Movie album she's on, and it's quite a dream come true to be able to dive into the depths of vox with such a legend. Looking forward to that.

LIVE Review :: FILTER :: THE FALCON

Originally published at the following site:
http://www.uptheantics.com/blog/entry/a_shoreline_dream_denver_july_9

July 14, 2008
A Shoreline Dream. Denver. July 9

Text & photo by Robert Castro

Last night I had the opportunity to witness a transformational night of music, compliments of Denver’s own A Shoreline Dream and German import Ulrich Schnauss. A Shoreline Dream opened their set with an awe-inspiring dream-rock sound that is often compared to Sigur Rós and Vast (lead singer Ryan Policky even going as far as to wearing a Vast t-shirt during their set). The intimate crowd seemed to be riding a tidal wave of musical bliss that was coming from this four-piece outfit. With atmospheric guitar riffs and sonic bass lines, in addition to Policky’s chiseled vocals, it’s no wonder the band has received various accolades from the press, even recording with master producer Schnauss, who took the stage with them for the song “neverChanger” off the EP of the same name.

If I could describe Ulrich Schnauss’ music, I would say it is Herbie Hancock meets Hans Zimmer. At times during his set I, like many others in the crowd, found myself in a euphoric state enjoying the masterpiece of sound he was creating. With complementing visuals, Ulrich conducted his one-man orchestra to the tune of electronic bleeps and beats mixed in with a touch of ambient techno. It was a rare opportunity to catch these two performances in a single night; nonetheless the crowd absorbed every square-inch of musical mastery served to them.

"neverChanger" album version kickoff

Ryan:
So before Ulrich took off we decided to collaborate on a live version of "neverChanger" for the album. Something similar to what we jammed out during the tour. We decided to jump right in by recording the drums and bass today. Gonna hit up guitars and vocals this week and send it on over to Ulrich for his final additions. Will be interesting to see how much different it sounds from the EP version.

the tour is over but the memories live on

Ryan:
What an amazing trip. I can't put into words how much fun we had with Ulrich. From the moments in the car driving across pure hell, to a night of hanging with Rachel of Experimental Aircraft and her man Carlos at their pad, to a few nights of pure bliss onstage jamming with Ulrich, it was utterly superb. I'll never forget it, and I for sure look forward to doing it again sometime very soon.

"neverChanger" TOUR

Ryan:
The tour with Ulrich Schnauss is nearly here and we are fine tuning everything to make sure the sonices are intact. Taking today to finesse the reverb and vocals, and may dive into some recording of "Hypermode" for a little break. Stay tuned for more. . .

video for "projections" - directed by Francesco Brunotti/Davide Chiesa

Projections from Latenight Weeknight on Vimeo.

DIRECTED BY:
Francesco Brunotti/Davide Chiesa

EDITING/POST PRODUCTION:
Francesco Brunotti

CINEMATOGRAPHERS:
Davide Chiesa/Michelangelo Visconti (additional help from Paolo Silvestri)

OUTFITS:
Francesca Cocchi

LIVE FX BY:
Davide Chiesa

ACTORS:
Simona Sala/Chiara/Valentina/Ilaria/Manuela/Gino/Maya

landmark theatres sampler - "neverChanger"

Ryan:
Here's something you don't see everyday. Not only was Filter so generous to offer us a spot on the Summer 08 Landmark Theatres Sampler CD, but the main people at Landmark decided to have us as one of the two highlighted artists on the cover, with the other one being one of my biggest influences "Portishead". My jaw dropped when I saw the disc in person. So amazing to even share the same sheet of paper as Portishead, much less the same CD.

lyrics for "hypermode"

song: hypermode
album: recollections of memory
release: february 10, 2009
lyrics: Ryan Policky

-

oh, let's go
embrace the last snow
and only love knows
how we'll burn

cold hands
break apart

noone will take your life
noone will take me
cause light goes
on and on
our lives know love

oh, let's go
embrace the last snow
and only love knows
how we'll burn

cold hands
break apart

Westword Music Showcase 2008 and the future. . .

Ryan:
So the show went great and I can now zip my lips for a bit. Even though we opened the entire event, people were waiting in line to check us out, and we had some great response, which is a rarity in Colorado territory if you aren't playing dance oriented fashion rock.

Today I've decided to dedicate to hypermode, which is turning out really well! I plan to layer in some more vocal layers, fine tune the guitars (which I'm currently doing) and hopefully get to a point where all it'll need is some fine tuning in the mix department of my mind.

I think I'll post a sample for you soon. . .

hypermode

Ryan:
Today was quite a roller coaster ride, so I figured why not finish it off with some recording of a new track titled "hypermode" that we've been working on for the past two weeks. It's for sure been a good release out of my mind to sit down and concentrate on the music again, and by far the best way to separate myself from all the biz bullshit. Seriously sometimes wish it could go back to the simple days of just writing, playing and having a good time. Tomorrow we play at the Westword Music Showcase, and I have my fingers tightly crossed that more people come out than what I'm used to seeing here in Denver. It's demoralizing to put on the performance of a lifetime to a crowd of 10 standing there looking at you like they're really watching a tv on the wall right behind you. The West coast is where I would call home as at least people go crazy for music without having to push them to get into it with free booze, chicks and cover songs. I'll put on my happy hat, and think positively, and maybe that will work in getting out some people who watch music for reasons other than to be "seen". I'm tired of the music fashion rut of the scene. Do people even like music for music anymore?

calle 20

Very excited to announce our inclusion in a story/interview in the latest issue of Calle 20, from Spain.

CLICK HERE to download the issue in pdf format.
The story is titled "Retazos Shoegaze" on pg. 26

CD's shipped tomorrow

Bundled up all the cd's after another a late night session, which are ready to go out to toneVENDOR tomorrow! Official release is June 10th, 2008.

FILTER MAGAZINE

Many thanks to those at Filter Magazine for putting up a preview of "neverChanger" on their site today as a top Media item. Very excited! Make sure to visit and listen to the track before it's official release on June 10, 2008 on itunes and toneVENDOR

interlusion

Ryan:
After a brief period of distraction it's now back to recording. Finished up some vocals on an interlude titled "interlusion", written by Erik, with vocals, guitarkeys and tweaks in the background by me. Think it'll fit quite nicely on the full length disc.

"neverChanger" toneVENDOR pre-sale

Ryan:
We are very proud to announce the preorder of a very limited run of discs we're hand assembling of the track we more than love. Ulrich Schnauss is seriously such an amazing musician, and we are so proud to have collaborated with him for such a epic sounding track. Double thanks to Kramer who put the magic mastering dust on top, and Francesco Brunotti for the gorgeous photo for the cover. Just click away on the image above to make sure you get one.

"neverChanger" CD COMPLETE!

As of tonight, "neverChanger" is complete and ready to be shipped to distro. Can't wait for you to hear it. The remixes by Cacheflowe and Jap Jap are absolutely stellar. A very special thanks to Francesco Brunotti / Andrea Boccalini for their amazing photo used for the cover art.

"neverChanger" is going to make a very sneak preview appearance on East Village Radio Saturday, April 26th 8-10am EST. You can stream it online by clicking on the link below. Very excited to have you hear it, and very excited to have it debuting on Timmy G's show. Without him, Ulrich probably woulda never heard of us. He was our direct link with Tonevendor, and Tonevendor is where Ulrich picked up our disc.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN AT EAST VILLAGE RADIO

master of "neverChanger" ready

Ryan:
This song seriously is such a huge milestone for us and it's now complete! Not only did we co-produce the track with Ulrich Schnauss, but we also had it mastered by Kramer. I never thought in a million years we'd be working with either of these legends of music, but we have, and "neverChanger" is the baby of our polygamy. . .

We plan to launch the song in early summer, with it's first appearance being on the June/July Sampler that comes packed with XLR8R. But as a super sneak preview, we've arranged for it to appear on Fast Forward Reverse in the coming weeks. Stay tuned. Of course more to come. . .

crazy week

Ryan:
Very crazy week. So much going on. Was hired at the end of the week to work on some music for "the north face", which has eaten up most of my day today. First round is due on monday, so it's for sure a challenge. Kramer is finishing up the master of "neverChanger" tomorrow. And to top it off, tonight we recorded a live room version of "the night before" to be on our next release.

The battle moves forward. Time to slay the beast.

Kramer up next

Ryan:
So the individual tracks for "neverChanger" have arrived from Ulrich, and after some small tweaks tonight the song will be sent off to Kramer for mastering. Also have been working with Cacheflowe on a remix, which for sure put us in a coma last night. The song seriously puts you in some weird trance. More soon. . .

EP vs. LP

Ryan:
So we sat down this eve and talked about what we're gonna release. It's still totally up in the air as we're still doing much refinement, and it may turn out to be an extended EP, or who knows, maybe an ELPPP. Does it really matter anyways? People have such short attention spans nowadays, and all we wanna do is release our very best stuff, so I guess we'll just play it by ear. Anything is possible.

We will for sure be releasing "neverChanger" before our short tour with Ulrich, and that is a "for sure". Just waiting on the tracks to be delivered, and once we do some fine tuning, off it will go to mastering.

The joys of recording!

Shows with Ulrich Schnauss and Soundpool

Big news today! We have confirmed our first of a few quick southland dates with Ulrich Schnauss and Soundpool. Very excited about these as not only do we all know Ulrich is brilliant live, but Soundpool is absolutely stellar as well. Can't wait till July!

revisiting "seattle"

Ryan:
After some discussions, and heroin overdoses, we figured out how to bring some life back into the intro of "seattle". Tried out some panning reverb swells, and chamber sounds to get the guitar sounding just right. Looking like we may have another ready for final mastering. . .

mondays suck, but music does not

Ryan:
So no photo today, but plenty of music is in store. I've been working like mad on "neverChanger" and "Manhattan Beach", and this weekend we started a new pass on "The Mid Decembers", with Sean re-working the drums to give it more life. It's been quite a trek, but we love it. More details to come.

Ulrich finished up "neverChanger"!

Ryan:
A few moments ago I received word from Ulrich that he has finalized his parts on "neverChanger", and of course had to download first things first all latenight weeknight style. Upon first listen I must say I am absolutely blown away. His parts have done nothing but make this an absolute epic track!! I cannot wait to reveal it to all of you. Very exciting times indeed!

thanks URB!

almost done

Ryan:
"Manhattan Beach" is nearing completion! A few small tweaks and it should be good to go. . . for now at least. It's time to start diving into some new tracks. Oh, and yes, we're still hanging on the seat of our chairs waiting to hear the final version of "neverChanger". Hope Ulrich is almost done, but not gonna push it.

The Night Before

Ryan:
Got together with Erik last night to write one new song before the latest jeffries arrived today. "The Night Before" it is. Also worked out some kinks with "Manhattan Beach" and once again worked in a new vocal line. Had to decide how to get this certain roar out, and I think I'm close. Also spoke with Ulrich Schnauss a bit more today and our friends in "Tribes of The City". Plans are to hit up a european tour together this year. Would be quite amazing. More soon. . .

chorus recording - Manhattan Beach

Ryan:
Totally changed the chorus on "Manhattan Beach" and I think all is sounding right now. Layered some harmonies to see if it all works with the mix. This track is for sure taking a bit of time, but I think it will be worth it.

Erik on "Manhattan Beach"

Ryan:
Erik Came over this morning and we worked on capturing his tracks for "Manhattan Beach". I think this one is gonna turn out pretty good. Love the overall vibe of the song, and the end is working perfectly. Next step is to add in some vox and see how it's all coming together. Stay tuned.

keys on leap year

Ryan:
No ranting tonight. Just recording. Dialed in a sound for "Mahattan Beach" and I dropped a line in to compliment the track. We'll be recording Erik tomorrow morning, so I was hoping to get this in before he comes over to see what he thinks.

Oh yeah, and today was insane. But I'll leave that for the imagination for now.

distances

Ryan:
Now I'm an official ranter. But it never hurt anyone, so whatever.

It must be interesting watching us as though we were molecular. With the real energy source being the earth, which in turn is molecular is quite interesting. We're all freaking out over stupid petty instances for whatever reason and it never really does any good. I wonder if those visions of burning skies were really just visions of something like a supervolcano.

I mean look at where I live. This place is bulging from something going on under the surface, and as it bulges further and further, eventually it will need to release whatever is causing the disruption. We can only look at it in a short term format till we absolutely force it down our own throats to do some research.

It's sad, but true, theories have to be passed down through mass media. It's the only way we can talk to everyone about something and truly make them believe it to be true. It's great that nowadays we have more freedom in what we watch, and that we can form our own opinions, but at the same time it leads to war between beliefs.

I guess, to get back to the point, we really don't have forever to figure shit out. Eventually a cataclysmic event will occur, and we will be wiped clean. And that's not a fairy tale, as it often seems to be for some reason. We need to seriously think about things a little more often. Nuclear fallout is a pinprick compared to the reality of what the universe has in store. All we can do is ride it out and enjoy what's happening right now, during the dormant stage.

Was that Nostradamus fairy tale about war or changes in the earth happening before our eyes?

global warming

Ryan:
I know it's not recording related or anything, but I was just driving home from Erik's and looked over to see a driver watching a monitor sitting right next to them, which was playing a movie. Now come on. Seriously. The world isn't interesting enough? Being alive isn't interesting? Experiencing "something" was dull? I just don't get it!!

We take advantage of life far too often. I think we forget that one day down the line the world is gonna pop a gigantic zit, called "yellowstone", which is far too similar to "la garita", which in turn is gonna completely change the surface of the planet, minus, say, fish, and things that can survive deeper than the blackest night on a moonless night.

Why are so many people so bored out of their minds?!? I just don't get it. There are so many things to see just sitting right outside your door. And maybe part of this is a speech kicking my ass written to do so. Who knows. . .

All I know is I'm gonna do what I can, while I can, and while I'm free to. Also while the earth is finishing it's cooling phase. Forget "GLOBAL WARMING", try "GLOBAL LIVING". Take advantage of life while you can. It's not always gonna be how it is now. Haha! That sounds like some late-night motivational speech right there. I picture Patrick Swayze right now.

But for fucks sake, turn the TV off already and go outside. Go somewhere foreign. Do something you never thought you'd do. And make sure to remind me to tell myself to listen to these damn words already. So easy to let yourself down. It's the easiest thing to do. It always has been. You gotta force yourself to shut the fuck up.

I wonder what's gonna happen next. I'm not scared of it. But I wonder. How can you not wonder while you're alive. Oh yeah, you could if someone on TV that you "loved so much" told you to not miss another episode of a marathon run of episodes of pointless episodes.

Damn. Just drive. Just watch whats in front of you already, and quit wasting your own damn time. Live, while you still are doing so.

true "latenight weeknight"

Ryan:
I know the headline is cliche, but it really is the way things are, no shit. I originally thought I was gonna take a chill evening after a super crazy day and not do anything at all, but after accidentally putting on the latest recording of "Manhattan Beach" I had to record. My brain wouldn't let me do otherwise, no matter what time it was. So I started laying down some tracks around midnight and think I nailed it. Who knows. . . Looking forward to giving it a listen after giving my ears a rest. Next up is Erik's part. Really looking forward to that.

Drums and Bass - Manhattan Beach

We sandwiched our show last night at the infamous lions lair with the recording of drums and bass for "Manhattan Beach". Still eagerly awaiting the tracks from Ulrich, but we are continuing forward with this track, as it's really on the forefront of the brain. It was really nice to open with it last night, as we had some great response. Will be interesting to see how it comes through on the recorded front.

today is the official "love is a ghost in america" day

To celebrate the hallmark tradition of forced love, we send this video to you all once again.

Lyrics on the 11th - Manhattan Beach

Ryan:
After a somewhat unsuccessful day of shooting to bring in the day of birth I came back to the studio for a rather redeeming night of lyric writing. "Manhattan Beach" is now in full form and ready for revealing to the guys. Love this track. Can't wait to see how it translates on the final recording.

MANHATTAN BEACH
oh all up and down
spread all around
forgotten plans burn away

cold summer cloud
no fun
breathing out

oh
breathe out
breathe out

cold summer cloud
no fun
breathing out
I doubt all your lies
I doubt another blank disguise

oh all up and down
spread all around
forgotten plans burn away

cold summer cloud
no fun
breathing out
I doubt all your lies
I doubt another blank disguise

last day of 30

Ryan:
So we are primed and ready for our show this coming friday, and are also very close with "manhattan beach". Practiced through it a few times today, before doing another test photo shoot. It's my last day before hitting the big 3, 1, so I for sure had to chill with some good friends afterwards. It was quite a day. Almost got in an accident with a 125,000 loaner car, and spent some time throwing bobas into the lake which has accumulated in the front of the studio.

Ryan:
Maura Gramzinski came over and did some shots of us while we worked out some finer points of "manhattan beach". It's for sure starting to really take shape, and the photos also turned out amazing. Will for sure share some more soon.

bottom of the well

Ryan:
How often do we have a date like 2-4-8? Very good question. The last number times 2 equals the next. Maybe that's why I'm all down tonight. That or because of the fact it's snowing again. Seriously! Some towns are reporting over 160 inches!!! I've seen photos of houses nearly covered by snow entirely. Ice age is coming, eh, mr. yorke?
Hiding up in the attic now, waiting out the end of something, or maybe just the beginning of another week. Mondays have always been strange.

a sample

Manhattan Beach with Drums

Ryan:
So the song is coming along very nicely. We jammed it out with Sean, and it's turning out really kick ass. Very excited about it. Recorded a few takes tonight and I think we've nailed down the overall structure. It hits you like a ton of bricks right from the start. . .

first talks. . .

Ryan:
Ulrich and myself had our first phone conversation this evening and things are full steam ahead. Some very exciting things in the master plan. Will make sure to keep you all updated once things become final. Some dreams just come true because they had to. Very thankful to be able to work with such amazing artists!

Props to Powerpoint!

Our buds in Powerpoint landed a spot on Wired Magazines Blog. Congrats to you for making software cool again!!

meadowlark - friday, february 15, 2008

Yarimir Caban "MiMa"

Enoc:

I Just came Back from Puerto Rico and I had the pleasure of meeting Yarimir Caban "MiMa" She's an incredible singer songwriter from Puerto Rico who released an album in 2005 and is currently working on a new one. MiMa's album is incredible and so are the musicians in this album. This Album is sold out but you can still find it digitally (itunes etc.) The album is a blend of Bossa Nova, Jazz, Caribbean music and Yarimir's unique voice. Go say Hi to MiMa myspace.com/mimamusica, check out her music and more about her at http://www.mimamusica.com/
Recomended tracks :
-Fabula para Ivo
-Era Aquello

-Peregrina

-Ojo Avisor

lions lair - saturday, february 23, 2008

co-producing with ulrich-schnauss - update

Ryan:
So the track "neverChanger" is on it's way with Ulrich. Talked today and we went over some of the details of the coming months with this track and hopefully more. We're also still discussing the possibility of touring in September of 2008 in Europe with Tribes of the City and Ulrich. Probably Baltic States, Germany, France and Netherlands if it does happen. Will let you know if I find out anything more. Fingers crossed.

experimenting tonight

Ryan:
It's still extremely frigid here in Barnum, and it's time to experiment a little bit. I'm gonna take this moment to try a few techniques out, and maybe write some new material. We have a whole shmorgasborg of stuff to pull from, and there's nothing wrong with adding more fuel to the blazing fire.

Update:
Got the new rig up and running and worked on some various keyboard tones. Saved out a library of patches to later use on some upcoming tracks. Figured it would be good to get some new sounds in the mix.

"manhattan beach"

A new song has found structure tonight as Erik braved the frozen tundra of a very frost bitten night to come over and jam. We recorded what will soon to be called "manhattan beach", a place we visited while on tour late at night in California. Still dreaming about the beach each and every night.

URB Magazine's Next 100 artists of 2008!

Ryan:
Just got word from URB Magazine that they have selected us as one of their "Next 100 artists of 2008". Look for the issue coming this spring! Very exciting news. . .

Also, side note, one of my main pieces of recording gear has died and I now have to get it replaced. Big bummer, and kinda a huge hurdle, but I'm not afraid. The good news for sure masked the pain I'm feeling.

engineers. . .

Ryan:
During the engineering times of the new recordings for both Peña and our new stuff, I took some time to get ahold of yet another amazing band I've been a big fan of for quite some time. . . that being the "engineers". I figured I'd see if they'd be down to co-produce some tracks with us since we have such a similar mood, and I've gotten response! Nothing solid, but I will for sure let you know if I hear anything more.

Engineers - "Forgiveness":

intermissionary

So we are pausing for a brief moment to dial in our live sound/record. We have been working with Sean Merrell from tintin/ian cooke (who is brilliant by the way). He has been a great friend from the drop the fear days, and it's great to have him drumming for us now. We're getting ready to play a few shows in February, and also working on new material. I am actually also helping out Peña record some new tracks here at Shoreline Studios.

For those who may be interested, Shoreline Studios/My House has been a self-proving ground, where I have spent way too many hours working late at night on mixes and overall production. My late friend Scot Gordon of Scary Valentine and Randall Frazier from Orbit Service both helped along the way with the basic understanding of overall production. I couldn't even come close to the masters I'm making now if it wasn't for a few very important tricks from Scot, so wherever you are, thanks man! Randall really helped in the EQ and mic'ing department, and for sure stepped my game up in the knowledge of room mic'ing.

So now I'm stepping out of my own element to help out friends who make music I love, and what better way than working with Peña, who are absolutely stunning live. Tomorrow night we record drums with Mike Scarano. Looking forward to it. . .

puzzles and pictures

Ryan:
Drove through some super frigid weather up to Erik's tonight for a jam and to celebrate the new years. Was a good start 2008. Lunched it up with Rosemary (grandma) and took it easy on the last day off. Reflected bout a bunch of things. The good, the bad. . . sometimes too much of the bad. But it was good to vent.

We did some 4-track recording with Kurt and I think I stumbled across a melody on acoustic that I'm drawn to. Gonna let it fade and listen again in the coming days.

Anyways, to those who actually read this, have a great New Year! Sure it's not truly a "New Year" for anyone personally in my opinion, but it's for sure a great day to reflect upon everything that happened, and what's to come.

I know I'm excited!

Seattle

Ryan:
It's interesting to look back at the year and dig up old recordings of tracks you worked on early in the process. We had been playing this new track "Seattle" live for about a year now and have had some great response. This along with "New York", we knew we had to get them recorded. So we hooked up with Mike Scarano and laid them down one afternoon. Everything seriously went over like butter that day. Was an amazing experience!

Well, we produced it for about a week, and I tweaked with the EQ and layering for a few more weeks and put it to rest. Now after all the new recordings and excitement of the Ulrich news, I came back to this song as I always felt it was an amazing tune. Well, let me say, we have a pretty kick ass track so far! We even turned on my old temp vox (it was originally an instrumental tune) and they fit in perfecto. Or at least that's how it sounds like tonight (change mind so often due to mass loads of ADD). Anyways, I'm really excited about it and can't wait to have a final version to spread your way. May just have to release this as a single with the Ulrich tune. . .

"The Mid Decembers" on Xmas

Ryan:
So I of course was gonna try to take the night off and chill after the overload of emotional holiday parties, and as I sat, reflected, and tried to pick up the game controller for some zombie eyed fun, the second verse came to me on this latest track and I had to record it in. The song is near completion, and a great song for those mid december blues.

the lyrics at this stage:

One in Ten
Falls again
Pouring Rain
She's locked away inside your head

And it's cold
below
I know

it's time to focus farther
a positive dream
never losing matter
you concentrate to feel
She's locked away in your head

And it's cold
below
I know

And it's cold
below
I know

-

btw - mucho props to Jonas Tempel of Beatport for hooking me up with some amazingly influential gifts this year. The next one goes out to you!

tribes of the city

Ryan:
So a few quick updates:

First of all, have the next week and a half free to record! Looking forward to that. Been jamming a bunch with PEÑA's very own Mike Scarano, and getting the chops up to do some experimenting these following days.

Also, been talking with "tribes of the city", a band from latvia who is simply amazing. Same caliber as "the gathering", but with a twist. They have there own vibe for sure, and a few tracks of theirs, especially "a day in the city" are jaw droppingly good. Well, anyways, we are trying to coordinate possibly doing a tour with them in the baltic states. Would be amazing. Right now shooting for September. We'll see what happens. Make sure to watch their video above for "a day in the city"

Ulrich Schnauss got back in touch the other day and we are still good to go. He said he'd love to do the second track as well, but we'll for sure see if he has enough time. He's in such demand these days, and rightfully so. His new album is absolutely gorgeous. If you haven't picked it up yet, please do so by clicking here.

vox this eve

Ryan:
Wrote a new batch of winter blues vox this eve to go along with "The Mid Decembers". This time of year always seems to bring out the darker side. I'm not saying they are death metal or anything like that, just bleak. Have had a rough couple months and this was a good way of getting it out. I recorded them up in my attic/living area, and though I'm not feeling they are final, they are for sure a good start. Big thing for me is always trying to find that sound that compliments the overall vibe. I seem to mix on the fly quite a bit to find that element. I think with some fine tuning it could be a good track. but who knows, it may also become a scrapper, or a remix. The future is always so muddy.

Bass is funtown.

Ryan:
Enoc headed over for a good time of recording bass for "The Mid Decembers". We used live mics as well as a direct feed from the U5. Sounding super full and lush. Can't wait to figure out some vox for this one. Almost feel Ulrich could do some cool stuff to this as well. May have to hit him up!

"The Mid Decembers"

Ryan:
Woke up with a wicked hangover today and instead of spending the day sleeping, wound up writing a new song titled "The Mid Decembers" with Enoc. We jammed it out to a structure I put together right before he got here with some drum loops. So far so good!

Note: Really digging the new production style of using multiple amps on the same take. The room itself sounds stellar, and to get both the Fender Deluxe and Twin Reverb in the mix for sure gives it that much more depth.

btw - for those interested in knowing, I have been listening to Carcass - "Heartwork" a lot lately. Some of the best death metal production ever. Very inspiring!

"Breakup Breaker"

Ryan:
Opened up the project Erik started up on Sunday to start up some vocals. Have been needing to unload some stuff related to some of the changes going on. Plus it's freezing and for sure the time of year to record. Winter always seems to bring it out of us. Not sure why. But it does. . .

The song is currently titled "Breakup Breaker". Kinda an interesting play on words that goes along with a theme of confusion. Will be posting a sample for Erik to check out in a few.

Tracks sent to Ulrich

Ryan:
The tracks have been exported and sent off to Ulrich. Will move on to a new track this week and dream of what we'll get back from him every night.

Erik also brought over a track tonight we started recording acoustically. He had the full structure laid out, so I plugged in a mic and started getting it figured out. Could be a great track to dive into after "NeverChanger". We recorded it in the kitchen. My ceilings are very high and it really serves as a great space for recording the room. Very warm and open.

Max Eastley's Sound Sculptures

Enoc:
I came across Max Eastley thanks to my good friend and sound designer Cesar Davila. This is a clip from a documentary by Derek Bailey. Enjoy!

Recording 12/06/07

Enoc:

After a long time searching for new sounds and textures I think I've found what I was looking for.
I've been trying some new pedals and a new bass that I recently got. It is very interesting what's happening in the studio right now. I've recorded some new tracks for "NeverChanger" our new song. More details soon......

Bass for "NeverChanger"

Ryan:
We continued on with "NeverChanger", recording the bass & some crazy tweaking parts coming from Enoc's array of pedals. I've started exporting tracks for Ulrich and will be sending them his way shortly. It'll be like opening a xmas present when he sends the song back to us. Can't wait for that!

few days of rest

Ryan:
Resting up after some serious work on "NeverChanger". It's always good to give a song some time to sit. It's the only way you can truly be critical of your own material. Still can't wait to see what Ulrich has in store for it. We'll most likely move on to a new track soon to breathe new life into our progress, and to get some new inspirations in the mix.

Before, on "Avoiding the Consequences" we ran strong and hard, with stiff deadlines and relentless mixing and recording schedules. This time we're letting it grow organically without pushing too hard or too fast. Thus why we are running later than we initially planned. It's a new approach for me, and I'm doing the best I can to let it happen this way. I think every album should have it's own approach. I'm really starting to believe that you have to mix things up to truly give life to something new. We'll see what we give birth to this time around. . . .

more from the neverchanger kids

Ryan:
We continued on with "neverchanger" this eve. It's frigid as hell, and since my house/studio has little to no insulation, it get's pretty damn cold. Thankfully the asbestos siding helps keep some warm air in.

The guitar parts are about 90% there, and I think my vox are close, but have tweaked the ambience factor a bit to help giver them some depth. Still recovering emotionally from all the insanity floating around me right now, and this is a great diversion.

"NeverChanger" lyrics

Ryan:
So I stayed up a bit late this eve in honor of the label name to get some lyrics written and vox recorded. It all came out quite easily due to all the stuff happening around me nowadays. Very inspired to write this stuff right now. Maybe it also has something to do with the cold ass weather. Love the direction of the song. Much more electronic, with organic still flowing strong.

LYRICS:
One Sun
Kinda Erases it Whole
One Fall
Makes a Lesser Man Evolve

Never Open Up Your Eyes
Fantasies of Endless Sky

Never Open Up Your Eyes
Fantasies of Endless Sky

BREAK

Never Open Up Your Eyes
Fantasies of Endless Sky
And Moons Are Falling
Salt in Water
Never Want Her Father

Never Open Up Your Eyes
Fantasies of Endless Sky
And Moons Are Falling
Salt in Water
Never Want Her Father

Never Open Up Your Eyes
Fantasies of Endless Sky
And Moons Are Falling
Salt in Water
Never Want Her Father

Co-Producing with Ulrich, continued. . .

Ryan:
So have been talking with Ulrich and also passed "NeverChanger" over to him to preview and all is now solid. We will be co-producing the track with him! Very excited to say the least. Personally, my next step is to get some solid vocal lines put in place before sending him files to work with. Keeping the whole thing very loose and open. More details to come. . .

"NeverChanger" structuring

Ryan:
Started layering in some guitar parts this evening with Erik. We recorded in the main room downstairs, with my new Explorer and Erik's Les Paul. I tried adding in the Tube Tape as well. Song has been stuck in my mind for the past 3 days straight. The main melody line is playing over and over. It's a crazy sounding bass synth sorta thing. It burns a hole in your head. Gotta remember to give it room to breathe. The melody can almost live on it's own and I'm hoping with some magic from Ulrich we'll have something quite solid here. Very much digging where it's going.

Lots of songs in the hopper. "Seattle", "Portland", "Santa Monica", and the list goes on. Lots of work to come!

co-produce with ulrich schnauss?

So here's some really good news. Ulrich Schnauss of all people is in talks of co-producing a track with us! It's not happening yet, but we are talking about it with him to see what happens next and if all works out, it will be happening sometime soon on "NeverChanger" or possibly another track.

To give some background, while on tour with Innaway we found out he was a fan of our music, sending out an email blast to his fans saying he was currently listening to us. It blew us away to be quite honest as we've been huge fans of his epic music since I first heard him back in 2004 from a recommendation from our original drummer Gabriel Ratliff.

So ya never know. It's quite a dream in which I hope comes true.

roxy show!

Wanted to say once again, thanks Filter/Alan for hooking us up with the crazy gig down at the roxy. Will never forget the bum who jerked off right by us while we loaded in! Was a fun night, and we for sure love you all at Crackle/Scrambler for recording the gig and doing an interview. Hope to do some more drugs with you again soon!:

From Crackle: A Shoreline Dream - Revenge of the Sunset Strip

"NeverChanger"

Today is the first posting of what's sure to become a barrage of postings of us, a shoreline dream, recording our new album. We've basically decided to document it all not only for our future enjoyment, but also to show our fans the process behind what goes on while we record our layers of sound. Hope you enjoy, and we for sure can't wait to explain more as it all goes down.

Ryan:
Since it's only days after "pilgrim day", and only one day after "Black Friday" (Isn't it funny how we name something that has been setup to be the day we are lured into spending all our money on xmas gifts as something dark and ominous?!), we have jumped into a new track titled "NeverChanger". I basically started it up as an experiment. I wanted to try some new approaches to recording with our new 16 track setup. Since most don't know, we recorded with 8 tracks here at "shoreline studios" for "avoiding the consequences", which was cool for sure, but limiting on the drums. We basically had to track all that separate to get the right sound, but now we don't have to anymore. We can record everyone all at once if we want to. This is a huge breakthrough, and for sure a dream I've had for years. I can't wait to see how it all turns out.

Technology was a big hurdle to overcome getting it all setup, and I for sure had to invest quite a bit to make it happen, but it's worth it. The house/barn which contains this new "studio" is basically just that. I have a bed upstairs, a kitchen, a bath, and nearly every other room has been setup to either record in, or control the recordings.

The day before taking a trip up to my brothers cabin I started up the idea of what was to come with the song. I figured out some sounds on my micron and with my new tube tape echo, and started producing some shyt. It wasn't perfect, but for sure an inspiration point. And speaking of inspiration points, the cabin is just that. The mountains always have a tendency to get my musical mind prepped and ready for whatever happens next.

The day I came back, I sat down and started up what I felt was one of my best melody lines in over a year. Starting like I used to in Pure Drama, first came the synth, and then came the analog instruments. What was key for me was arranging not only based on the synth line, but also the drums I programmed. I always miss the days when I composed entirely on the Roland 303 and 505, which forced me to concentrate entirely on structure and timing. So this for sure brought me back to that feeling, which I love having. I dropped it all down in a few hours, recorded a few vocal ideas, starting with the second verse to leave the beginning open for now, and left it alone till the morning when Erik and Enoc came over to jam/record.

We all seemed way into it and started immediately working on it. Erik came up with a cool sound to compliment it all, and Enoc had some really good lines to work in for bass. I really feel it's coming together nicely! The best stuff generally flows out fast, as is the case here.

Now, if we could only get Ulrich Schnauss to sprinkle in some love and collaborate on it. I emailed him today to see if he'd be interested. Fingers crossed. . .