"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. . .