New Song Preview - "Watch the Skies"

"Hellooooo......is anybody out there...?"
(I shouldn't say it too loud..."they" might hear me...)

A New Song for "Spooky"

I might have mentioned a time or two that I really enjoyed The X-Files. I watched at least 100 episodes over the winter, ordering up DVD's from Netflix (handy little service, that). With the new movie coming out in July, I suddenly got a weird notion to record a song inspired by the show. Since I've also been on a bit of a Thomas Dolby kick lately, I was in the right state of mind to do something more left-of-center (and maybe just a little bit nerdy).

Hence, "Watch the Skies," the latest song preview for the new project to roll off the hard drives and straight to your speakers, via the worldwide immediacy of the Net.

This song also sees me deviating a bit from the more dance-friendly track I'd been more or less following for a while. With its ebb and flow in and out of half time, it's more the kind of thing you sit and listen to. I have a feeling there's going to be more of that coming. It's good to have a few toe-tappers on an album and those kinds of songs do come in handy when playing clubs, but I like to poke into stranger corners sometimes too. Worrying about whether people will be able to dance to a song you're working on can be limiting...you shy away from doing things that would interrupt the groove too much, and may not do what you're naturally wanting to do with a given song, so it becomes a bit more contrived and not as instinctive and genuine.

Let's Play "Swap the Synths"

For those fascinated by the technical stuff, this song features a bit of the Waldorf synthesizers I mentioned in my last blog. But I actually just sold them both (aren't I fickle?) and replaced them with an Access Virus TI, which is also used on this song here and there. It wasn't that I didn't like the Waldorfs...the Virus is just way easier to use, since it interfaces more completely with the computer and can be totally controlled and programmed on screen - essentially, it's a hardware synth that behaves like software. In addition to those, there's also a bit of u-he Zebra 2 (my favorite software synth) on here too, using some new sounds from the Adam Van Baker collection.

"When Will We Get There?"

I've been asked more than once lately when the new album will be finished and released. Truth is, I don't know exactly. The past eight or ten months have thrown a lot of distractions my way which slowed me down, plus I've been going in a few different directions creatively. I've recorded enough new songs to fill an album, but they're a bit scattered style-wise and not all of them would hang together well on one CD, so not everything will make the cut. I suspect I'll probably keep cranking out some new ideas for a while yet, and with any luck, have something that feels cohesive and ready to roll out by the end of the year. It sounds like a plan, anyway!

I also need to find a little time here and there to enjoy some small part of the summer, before another one slips by. Damn, they go fast anymore. So on that note, it's time to get off the computer, have a small glass of Zinfandel, and chill out for a few.

See you on the mother ship....

DV