S.A.W (not the bloody kind)

My buddy Richard is the one to blame for getting my ass in motion writing some new stuff by forcing me to participate in his Song a Week podcast, the original idea of which subtly inspired this blog (and by subtly inspired I mean I completely ripped it off). So, here's my entry in the 1 Song a Week podcast, entitled "Where the Grass is Greener".

I've got to thank my friends from Dust is Noise / ADR for introducing me to the Melodyne plugin. You're hearing it heavily used throughout this track. It's giving my verse vocals that robotic sound, and it's making my chorus vocals sound like I'm singing four parts when I'm actually only singing like 1.5. Fun fact: It's also used to create the voice of GLaDOS from the game Portal, which, if you haven't played through entirely, you should quit slacking and go do right now (you know who you are).

The rest of the track is thoroughly classic SoR stuff. Weird synthetic textures with an old school synthpop song structure and totally gay chorus crammed in on top of an otherwise industrial track. If you're a fan of Son of Rust or this blog (meaning that you check in every few years or so) I like to keep people guessing and please absolutely nobody by aggressively mixing genre's that go together about as well as jews and arabs. It creates a caustic mix that I like to call "that Son of Rust sound". Yummers.

IF you're wondering where I've been for five months, and I'm sure all five of you are, I've been putting most of my free time into an actual human relationship (Hi, Kat!), building my computer repair business (www.1201.com, yo!), and finishing work on two remix albums. One for Son of Rust that has about 5 original Son of Rust mixes on it and one for the Slants that contains 7 tracks of which I worked on 7. So I haven't been slacking. Really, I haven't. Stop looking at me like that.

Here are the lyrics:

you
try to lead but you hide
thinking time is on your side
when you fail
you wonder why

sweat
as the minutes pass you by
as the storm blacks out the sky
once again you say
goodbye

you
run and hide
as the times get leaner
I'll see you
on the side
where the grass is greener
all the tears
we have cried
never reach you deeper
I'll see you
on the side
where the grass is greener

you
put your pride before the fall
threw yourself against the wall
thinking you
could have it all

breathe
as the minutes tick away
as you waste another day
knowing this
is where you'll stay

.chorus

...oh, and if you hate my music and are just here because you suffered a blow to the head and think I'm some sort of literary genius you should check out my computer repair blog here. You just might learn something!

Iris FTW.

Ahhhh.... the cover. The last oasis of the uninspired musician. I haven't had a lot of new ideas kicking around in my head lately, but seeing as how we're still very likely going on tour at the end of the year with a synthpop group, it was time to bust out a groovy cover... It's pretty much expected that any unheard of band should include at least one popular cover in their set, so I chose "Sentimental Scar", my favorite track off Iris' awakening.... and, despite it being intended as a live track, I decided to polish it up vocally for you, dear readers, so that you might give me your fair critiques.

I decided to take it in a lower-tempo darker direction than I usually go in, but I felt like the mix needed it... There's also some guitar in there provided by my friend Pete from Lakeshore Driving, and some backup vocals by Micheal in the chorus sections.

Can I just say that transcribing this song gave me new respect for Reagan as melodic songwriter? Damn, those are some fracking good hooks.... Micheal was actually floored (not being a big iris fan) "this is iris? this is some @#%@# good songwriting!" was the direct quote. Yeah. So go check out Iris if you're lame enough to not have already. You big old lame face. Lame-o.

oonst oonst oonst!

When I first started writing music my teacher at the time suggested that the best way to learn theory was by transcribing songs that I enjoyed at the time, meaning: listen to a track you like and dissect it piece by piece. This wasn't an easy process for me at the start, but I soon realized that every song was in the key of a-minor, so that made it a little easier. Of course, I just happened to be choosing songs because I liked the sound of a-minor, but I didn't know that. At the time I thought EVERY pop / electro song was in a-minor.

I did eventually learn better, but the first Son of Rust / Vermillion albums (for those of you who are OLD school) were written mostly in a-minor. Ben and Michael's joke around the rehearsal studio at the time was that it'd be easy to sign on a guitar / bass player 'cause they'd only have to know three chords, Am-F-G-Am. Yeah, hardy-har-har.

Ever since then I've been attempting to avoid a-minor as I feel like I've kind of done it to death, but man, does it ever feel good to just lay down good old Am-F-G-Am again and just effing go for it. Ahhhhhhhh... it's like crack after not having done crack for like, a while... I don't really know what that feels like but I'm guessing it's exactly the same.

So my point is that this song is in a-minor again.

In case you haven't lost interest yet I'll carry on and say that I have another weird addiction that pops up every now and again to write cheesy club songs. This is a total cheese-ball club song. I have no idea why I do this (because I can never quite get them RIGHT, you know?) but I keep on doing it and it feels good so go @%#@ if you don't like it.

Next week I've got a just effing SICK cover of an Iris track that I did for the sheer hell of it for you, I think you're gonna like it.... because I know exactly what you like, whoever you are. I'm inside you're brain! HAHAHA!

Excuse me, I think somebody put something in my coffee. And if they didn't I'm going to go put something in my coffee. See you next time.

Did I say March? Hmmmmm....

Why is the sky turning that weird red color? Do you hear horses?

Yeah, that's right, it could be a sign of the apocalypse but I've crossed the sandy desert, tasted the blood of the star flower(?), found my spirit animal, completed my existential quest and do in fact have a new track for you. As well as a revitalized, totally rejuvenated passion for Son of Rust that I haven't felt since the beginning if I'm being honest. By all that I mean that I ate a bunch of weird mushrooms I found growing in my bathtub and woke up a few blocks away in my underwear, but it's basically the same thing.

I hate to say it, as we "artists" are generally supposed to have this "it's my art so fuck what you think" mentality and just frakking do art for the sake of doing art, but let's face it, a little validation goes a long way.

...and by that I meant that this is going to be a colossal year for SoR. It's pretty safe to come out and say that right now there will definitely be a west-coast tour this summer, and very likely a european tour later this year. I am, to put it bluntly, totally stoked.

Anyway, about this (rough) track: It's probably the most uplifting thing I've ever written, so it's maybe a little on the lighter side than what all the SoR kids are used to, but hey, I'm in a chipper mood for once in a long time - allow me a little indulgence. Hey, at least I say "miseries" and "pain" a few times so there you go, happiness haters.

Michael and Ben helped me out in the studio on the vocals and you can even hear Michael in the mix if you listen carefully... It was an old-school Son of Rust reunion of sorts.

I've tentatively decided to go with a "perceptions of time" theme for the next album, so this track is basically the flip-side of the previous "Time Devours", looking at more of the "freeing" aspect of the old hourglass and less of the "wasting away".

Here are the lyrics, for those of you who haven't gotten bored by now and gone back to looking at porn:

all we have is memory
that holds us here
in repetition's loving arms
finding peace in anything
twisted things
those things
that do us harm

all those distant memories
that keep me here
that keep me holding on
all those distant memories
of you my dear
I know
will soon be gone

together you and I
time
we will wash away
everything

together you and I
time
we will take away
all the pain

time
is an ally
(leads me here)
time
is an ally
(holds me near)
time
is an ally
(whispers in my ear)
that your memory
will soon me gone

All we have is memory
that chains us here
experience and scars
can't find release in anything
but twisted needs
those things
that do us harm

all those childhood miseries
that formed your fears
a fallen house of cards
all the pieces in the sand
spell anything...

together you and I
time
we will take away
all the pain

....

You're feedback, as always, is appreciated (and by appreciated I mean angrily scoffed at and then discarded).

I've also got a slightly darker more dance floor oriented track on the back burner that's 90% finished so you can probably expect a taste of that in a week or so. Ta.

Bodog a scam - straight from the horses' mouth.

I thought I'd come back from hiatus briefly to bring you the news, straight from a band that was actually OFFERED a Bodog recording contract, that the Bodog band competition is officially a scam - created to rope talented upcoming bands into awful recording contracts with the promise of $1 million dollars in advance money - money that the band members would probably be re-paying until they were living under bridges and fist fighting each-other on youtube for $5 a pop.

This is big news to me because I seriously considered entering the competition this year, and am now very freaking grateful I didn't. Plus, I'm a big fan of "The Slants" as you well know (see the awesome remix to your right). :)

Here's their official press release, chock full of tasty evil Bodog trivia.

Press Release: The Slants Reject Million Dollar Recording Contract and Reality TV Show Opp...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEBRUARY 26, 2008

THE SLANTS REJECT CHANCE AT MILLION DOLLAR RECORDING CONTRACT; TURN DOWN BODOG BATTLE-OF-THE-BANDS AND REALITY TV SHOW, REFUSING TO SIGN CONTRACT

Portland, Oregon's dance-rock band The Slants, while carrying a consisten touring schedule, have been participating in Bodog's Battle of the Bands, competing (and winning first place in every round) in Portland and Seattle, and earning an invite to the semi-finals in Los Angeles, California--until they decided to throw a million-dollar contract back in Bodog's face.

Prior to rejoining Bodog and other competing bands in Los Angeles for the next round of the battles, The Slants were given a 73-page contract to sign. They were told that the non-negotiable contract had to be signed and submitted within ten business days, or The Slants would not advance to the next round. Thus they would not be eligible for the grand prize, a million-dollar recording contract from Bodog Music, label subsidiary of Bodog Entertainment.

After consulting with their entertainment lawyer, who told them he would need more than ten business days to go through the contract with a fine-tooth comb, The Slants decided the contract was too dodgy to sign. So, on advice from their counsel, they told Bodog Entertainment they would not be signing a non-negotiable contract filled with bear traps.

"We've decided to turn down the opportunity to participate in the Bodog Music Battle of the Bands reality TV show to win a million dollar recording contract," says bassist Simon Young on The Slants' decision to leave Bodog's Battle of the Bands reality TV show. "This was just not the right fit for our band at this time - or any band, really. We were being strong-armed into signing a non-negotiable contract that would strip away any artists' rights and that is completely unacceptable."

The Slants are the true definition of do-it-yourself independence, and have been since their inception. From self-recording, mixing, producing, and releasing their own material, to financing their own tours, The Slants have not sought outside label support, investors, or any financial aid, aside from competing in the Bodog Battle of the Bands for a chance to win a million dollar recording contract.

"We entered the competition almost on a whim, just to have fun and see if anything cool would come out of it. It was a lot of fun winning the rounds and meeting other bands, but regardless of what their corporate reps thought, we were definitely never desperate for Bodog," comments keyboardist Jen Cho.

"I even took out a second mortgage on my house to pay for this record,"
states Young. "The last thing we're looking for is some arrogant company with millions of dollars thinking that they can dangle the 'possibility' of winning a contract 'valued' at a million dollars to strip away everything that we've been working so hard for. I'd rather keep playing shows, making music, and getting kicked out of clubs for fire-breathing, than sign a contract giving a corporation with dubious influence in the music industry control of my music and merchandising."

Young continues, "It is my hope that there aren't any bands desperate for the publicity that they are willing to gamble their futures for a 'chance' to win a 'million dollar recording contract.' If anyone continues, they better have a pretty
good lawyer and a whole lot of luck. We've enjoyed the ride and meeting
new bands, but as soon as I saw that contract it was like red flags all
over. We're done."

The Slants don't count their time on the Bodog circuit as a waste, though. They learned many valuable lessons, including a reminder never to enter a battle of the bands competition again (regardless of its reputation or marketing describing how different it is) and they enjoyed the attention Bodog showered them.

"We've enjoyed the ride while it lasted. Getting first place in every round and being featured on Bodog's website was nice," Young confesses. "Having them trying to force us and other independent artists into a binding and heavy-handed contract was not."

Look for The Slants to continue touring in support of "Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts", their debut full-length, and hitting an area near you this spring and summer.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Alex Steininger at In Music We Trust PR alex@inmusicwetrust.com.

------------------

Check out "The Slants" here - I'll be back with more music in, uh, March. Yeah, that's it. March.

*pause*

"the muse"
by me

I'll tell them that she ran away
across the shining sea
the truth is, though
she's in the shed
murdered by
my apathy


I'm on pause for a few weeks (moving, christmas, world domination). Back in January.

The heart of everything...

...is what Wikipedia tells me "Kokoro"'s literal translation is, so Son of Rust's "Heart of Everything mix" is the actual title of this, not just "Son of Rust's heart" like the player claims.

Anyway... I promise all you industrial lovin' vampire freaks that I'll get back to the darker stuff next post, but here's another club-anthem type number. This one's a club remix of everyone's favorite chinatown dance-rock band, The Slants.

The timeline of this mix goes something like this:
1. I was in the Slants' studio helping with the recording of their first album, and Michael's working on this song "Kokoro". Simon comes in and I says to Simon in my best british accent, I says to him "That's a number one record." and he looks at me and goes "What?" and I say, "that, um, that hook is really good."
2. Then I forgot all about it.
3. Then I'm sitting in a stark flourescent-lit conference room in LA listening to Bobby Borg talk about how to market a band and I'm ticking off all his major points on my fingers by going "The Slants do that, the Slants do that, the Slants do that too." Meanwhile about half a mile away The Slants are playing a massive anime convention, drinking free Makers in the penthouse suite green room, and Michael drunkenly texts me "You should do a dance remix of Kokoro!". I'm picturing him dancing to a club song with four beautiful asian girls in Sailor Moon outfits and contemplating throwing myself in front of bus.
4. I went home from the convention and wrote this remix.

I just want to point out that the line "Do you want to sell my guts?" has got to be the weirdest lyric I've ever heard in a pop song. Hence, I couldn't resist starkly highlighting it halfway through the remix.

I'm fairly certain this is the best club song I've written, but I also highly recommend you check out the original before I got my grubby little hands on it over on the Slants page at www.myspace.com/theslants . Marketing's not the only reason they're popular, they're also excellent musicians.

Next post, something fresh!

In the land of broken dreams.

I know I'm posting on a weird day, but I was done with the track so what the hell.

Here's the first song to grace this blog that isn't a remix or an experiment of some kind, it's just an honest to god new Son of Rust song in my usual style that I'm sure will appeal to people who like Son of Rust and my usual style.

The past two weeks or so have really been tough, and that's good for my muse... she's definitely a sadist, as she only really speaks when I'm miserable. This has been a problem for me as anyone who listens to my music generally thinks "oh god, somebody please give that pathetic sad sack a hug!" when in real life I'm fairly up-beat. When she's working she doesn't mess around, though... this song was one of the easiest to write I've ever had the pleasure of recording. It just wrote itself from start to finish without any thrashing, forcing, or nervous twitching of any kind. It's highly unusual that I don't spend two days beating my head against the wall trying to figure out how to make a track sound like it's supposed to, and the last one I can remember being so easy was Violator. Hopefully, "easy to write" translates to "really effing good." I'll leave it up to you. :P

Oh, and not to sound desperate or anything but it would be really nice if you could comment if you're reading this so I know I'm not screaming into a vacuum. That's a funny image if you picture like, a hoover vacuum.

"In the Land of Broken Dreams"
I can feel you breathing
when everything goes wrong
will you be standing with me
when the world comes crashing down

remember winter evening
when everything went wrong
you put your arms around me
they played our favorite song

the call of chaos frees me
and every angel screams
will you be standing with me
in the land of broken dreams

(one rose at the altar of her
one blink and your ten years older)

I can feel you breathing
when everything goes wrong
and I still know you're near me
when the world comes crashing down

remember winter evening
when everything went wrong
you put your arms around me
they played our favorite song

the wind of chaos frees me
lays waste to all my fragile things
can your tainted ears still hear me
in the land of broken dreams

(one love lying on your shoulder
one blink and your five years older
one rose at the altar of her
one blink and your ten years older)

Some things that might jump out at you that need improvement: my @%2?#% awesome rode NT mic bit the dust so I'm using a Shure SM57 for the vocals - musicians in the audience will know that this is a great stage mic but the absolute bottom of the barrel as far as studio work goes. I also still don't know how to master things properly so the eqing may be a little out of whack on your system.

Missed one....

Okay, so it's my first week without a new track. I've been recovering from the show, and after putting on a big one I'm always dragged into an existential malaise that owns me for a week or two... I guess it's kind of a post partum depression thing.

Regardless, I hope to be back to my old tricks next week. I fully intend on actually putting together something shiny and new and SoR worthy, now that I've got my good mic back so I can lay down some honest vocals... so there'll be that to look forward to. Don't give up on me yet, dear listeners, I'm sure I have a few more good ones left in me.

It always leaves me desperate....

Okay, so I'm a day late on this post. The truth is I actually had this song ready yesterday, but I completely forgot that it was Thursday. That's life without a 9-5, all the days just kind of blur together like the previous night after a serious bender... that description seems more apt then it probably should.

Anyway, I've been spending most of my time trying to get ready for the Son of Rust show with Assemblage 23, which means that most of the music work I've been doing centers around making a spicy live show. Last time I rehearsed with Jason while we were playing my Violator mix he gave me this look like "ummmmm....". You see, I had mentioned to him that I had "hardened up" the mixes a bit to make the live songs a little more dance-able. I got the impression that he still thought Violator sounded.. well... a little gay.

I decided to rectify the matter by putting together this mix, which combines all three of my "new tech" elements (vocoding, side-chain, and my new soft-synth the ReFX "Nexus"). It's along the same lines as the Highest Cost VF Mix in the fact that it's meant to stomp you into submission. Let me know if I succeeded. :P

This one isn't for download. Come to the show on the 22nd if you want to hear it in all it's live glory. :P

The more you know.

This week's track is more of an experiment in using some new tech then art, but despite having started work on it just yesterday I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

I'm doing a few things here that I've never really done before.... the first is using a vocoder for 99% of the vocals. I finally have a vocoder that's not a free shareware download that sounds like a toaster vomiting, so I thought I'd spend some time on figuring out how to make it sound pro. You tell me if I pulled it off. Vocoders are about 1000x more complicated than I thought they would be, and are hard as hell to get sounding right.

The other thing I'm doing is what's called "Sidechain compression", and apparently every DJ, producer, electronic musician and bum living in the park has heard of this except me. Ready for a lesson? Well, it's coming anyway.

"Sidechain" compression is used to create an effect called "ducking". "Ducking" is a method of isolating a kick drum that is used in virtually every track intended for a dance floor since the early 1990's. I believe Daft Punk was the first band to try it. What it does is take a carrier wave (say, a kick drum), and then drops the volume of everything else in the song when that carrier is happening. This causes whatever you're "ducking" to suddenly pop out of the mix regardless of what else is going on. This is how people make those huge KICK KICK KICK KICK's that never drop out even when the song gets really busy, and is something I really wish I'd taken the time to learn before I published the album, as it's pretty fucking handy. Ben actually mentioned it to me a year ago and I just chalked it up to more crazy Ben talk, like all his rambling about "particle physics" and "string theory" and all that other made up nonsense.

This song is basically a total rip off of various Necessary Response / Aesthetic Perfection tracks, but hell, I had 10 hours. Sue me.

The incredibly deep lyrics that I typed out in 15 minutes, if anyone cares, are:

it's been a thousand years
since I've
become this machine
time is god's
weapon poised to
strike
ruin everything
you are his
synthesizer
playing
divine apathy
I'd sell
a thousand souls
if I
could feel anything

time
is the great destroyer
exterminating
everything
time
is the equalizer
exterminating
everything

you
are reduced to nothing
just like everything that came before
ash to ash and dust to dust
no kinder meaning
no faith restored

laugh while
you can still take breath
the clock will have it in the end
no kinder meaning
no faith restored
the ground our last and final friend

Calm the f*ck down!

I've never been good at relaxing. Case in point, I know that I have two roommates but every time I turn around and one of them happens to be standing behind me within 10 yards I always jump at least two feet in the air. Gives them no end of pleasure, but probably not so great for my heart.

Yes. I'm basically one giant tightly wound nerve 99% of the time, which is why most of the music I write tends toward the more aggressive, in-your-face variety. I like to think of the process of bringing an idea to fruition the same way I would the process of... say, wrestling a bear to the ground. Then beating it into submission. Then calling everyone I know and telling them about it, because hey, I just TKOed a fucking bear!

In order to expand my horizons this time I've decided to write this down-tempo ambient number, "Tens10n", suitable for the 100's of taxi listings for "music needed for TV - down-tempo ambient numbers!". If the idea of this song being written strictly for cash turns you off a little, allow me to enlighten you as to my process for writing this.

I focused on the one romantic moment in my life that is the only time I can actually remember experiencing that "slow motion, time standing still" effect that so overused on television and in the movies... and I mean, REALLY experiencing it... I was 17 and dating this girl I was completely in love with, and hadn't even kissed her although we'd been seeing each other for more than 2 months. Yes, I was incredibly awkward and shy back then (shock! surprise!). Stop laughing and I'll continue... okay, so we're on the way home from a wonderful dinner at the Montage here in Portland and my car breaks down in the middle of the Morrison bridge. I can't get it started again, and, this being like the fifth time this has happened during the trip was too infuriated to do anything but suggest we get out of the freaking car for awhile. We stood there in the middle of the bridge, totally alone in the middle of a perfectly clear spring evening in this new city (you have to realize Portland was still mysterious and exciting to our youthful Salem-bound selves) looking out over the water and the reflected city lights, and when we finally turned toward each other time literally STRETCHED out like a gooey stick of caramel at the fair and we were staring into each other's eyes and then...

Nothing. We got back in the car and went home. I'm a giant douche.

Thinking of that moment I wrote this song... it builds and it builds and I feel like it's on the brink of capturing that perfect moment leading up to... well, nothing. But that's the point this time, it's supposed to be ambient, not bombastic.

Enjoy.

Get your freak on.

So, this week is the week that I'm officially releasing "Vicious Cycles", Son of Rust's second (and way awesome) album, and supposedly a review will be showing up 0n VampireFreaks.com . They also claim they'll be doing a feature on the main page. So, in order to grease the wheels a little, I thought I'd go ahead and do an exclusive remix that will only appear on my band profile over there and would appeal to their own interesting slice of americana. I guess they probably have vampire freaks from other parts of the globe, too, so maybe americana isn't quite right... oh, who gives a crap, nobody reads this thing.

"Nobody reads this thing" is also my excuse for why I'm posting an exclusive remix that will only appear on my vampirefreaks profile here on the blog. So I'm fudging the term "exclusive" a little. Sue me.

In order to appeal to Vampire Freaks of all kinds I decided to make this the "hardest" remix I've ever done. It's all screaming distorted synths and crazy drillish sounds and brain-piercing vocoded vocals. I know that's not my usual deal but I think at least one of you will probably like it.

To compensate I'm spending the next two weeks working on a down-tempo, chill out sorta groove thing that will create balance in my universe. Therefore, if you absolutely hate this remix, you'll probably like next post's thing. Don't give up on me just yet, is the gist of what I'm trying to get across here.

Keep an eye on vampirefreaks.com for the review and the feature which will hopefully be happening soon! Also, buy the damn CD if you haven't already (www.sonofrust.com), I'm getting sick of eating ramen and old shoes.

See you in two weeks!

Lift off.

If you found this, you probably already know me. I'm Justin, the guy from Son of Rust (www.sonofrust.com). I'm a computer geek, tried and true. I also happen to love music - and I'm really into the lyric-driven structured kind. Pop music, modern rock, alternative, you name it. I call the kind of stuff I do "geek rock", hence the name of this blog.

Stephen King's "On Writing" is really a must read for all you creative types. There are a lot of great tidbits in there, and one was "Force yourself to write something, ANYTHING every night. If your blocked on your current story, write a poem, write a short story, write something. The artistic mind is like a muscle in a lot of respects, you've got to keep it in shape." This may not be a direct quote, but it's close.

"Stagnating" is probably the right word for my particular creative muscle, so I've decided to get myself on a workout program. That's this blog. Bi-weekly I'll be posting a new song. It could be a remix, a possible Son of Rust track, a taiko-drum based dance track with a rippin' accordian solo, a cover of a Bing Crosby single, literally anything. My plan is to write whatever the hell I'm in the mood to write and throw it up here on the old inter-web. The quality will likely range from decent to barely listenable, but that's not really the point. The point is to stay in shape.

Some tracks will be free downloads, others I'll be begging a dollar for. If you want to support this effort and keep me from having to sell my soul in corporate america, throw a dollar my way occasionally. Hey, a barely-listenable track by yours truly is probably still better than the weird off-brand batteries you can buy at the Dollar Store.

The first thing up here, "Drive", is a resurrection of an ancient ditty by the band Lakeshore Driving. They're my buds and I happen to know for a fact that this particular band will likely never exist again, so I decided to take their catchy little pop tune which I happened to still have the vocals for and do a little CPR. That's Cameron Cartier on vocals, the original track was written by my live keyboard monkey, Micheal Pacheco. Let me know what you think!

See you in two weeks, dear listeners.