A New Event Horizon

Here is the newest version of "Event Horizon."

I had quite a few issues with the previous version that always bugged me, and many of these new changes come from your ideas, suggestions, and recommendations. Thank you.

Here's a rundown of the big changes:

While I like the moody introduction of the previous version, it takes a whole minute before the vocals kick in, which is more than enough time to lose many listeners. The new version cuts right to the chase, as it did when I originally wrote the song. But I really wouldn't count it out altogether; it's something that could easily reappear on an album (as a tag on the preceding track) or as a live performance transition.

The repetition in the previous version also bugged me. There were three verse before much changed, and then it felt like the chorus cycled too many times. The new version goes into an altered bridge after the second verse at about 1:50, giving more variety sooner but still keeping the parts that I liked by spreading them out.

At 2:39, the bridge is extended for a keyboard solo. This solo was actually in the song for many different versions before I ended up taking it out. Usually when I'm adding solos, they are over the loudest part of the song, so I tried going the other way on this one. By dropping out most of the instrumentation around it (leaving some pads and drums) in this new version, I thought the solo finally fit. The dip in dynamics for the solo also adds to the final choruses.

Most of all, I'm happy with the end. The way that the vocals explode, I feel like the focus of the song is a lot clearer to the listener, making the song title make more sense. At 3:52, the missing third verse comes back to close the song (replacing a recycled first verse in the previous version). I knew that changing the vocal part was the right move as soon as I heard it in my head, though getting the right sound was difficult. I ended up layering around five voices with various effects and distortions to get a grungy sound that wasn't too dirty.

When I get into a song, it gets difficult to walk away from the workstation, and most of this was actually finished last night at about two. After listening to it again, the only additional idea I had was the add a reverse sound at about the one minute mark. I also bypassed the drum reverb for one beat to emphasize the stop. Since I dropped out the word "again" from the chorus, this filled in the space nicely while also sounding damn cool.

And that's pretty much it, folks.

Next, I'm working on a version of "Dotted Lines and Whispers" with live drums; while rehersing last time, the way Kurt played the track made me totally rethink whether or not I wanted to keep the digital drum sound in the recorded track. At the very least, the live drums are going to make it a great performance song.

May the Fourth Be With You

It's been a few weeks since I have had a day to sit down and work on some music. This version of "Event Horizon" stemmed from a change of the bass line in the bridge, which is where you will probably notice most of the differences. In general, the mix has been altered and some slight instrumentation changed. Whether this makes the song any better is yet to be heard, because my ears are a bit burnt out at the moment and I need to walk away. I thought it would be as good a time as any to post and get some feedback. Overachievers can compare the new version to the previous version posted on the Facebook page.

Also, I thought I'd give you a look at the extra gear I have jammed into my workspace. Please note the Game Boy sized, hand-held sequencer just below the monitor and the camouflaged keytar on the bottom tier of the stand on the right, trying so hard to fit in.

That's what the inside of my head looks like.

Event Horizon

Strike while the iron's hot, I've heard. I know it isn't a new song, and if you see me somewhat regularly, the vocal part for this is quite old, but I reworked it much like I reworked "Slight of Hand" yesterday. New vocal recordings, some new parts, and a slightly varied arrangement.

You'll notice (if you haven't already) that I'm starting to work little intros into each song. While these may not stay, the idea is to give me an idea how some of the tracks may flow together. When the album is finished, I really want it to be a seamless listen from the first track to the end.

Now, "Insult Comic Dog" will be known as the far more formal Event Horizon.

According to Wikipedia.org (a website that students should not use as a direct source on any research papers), an event horizon is "a boundary in spacetime, most often an area surrounding a black hole, beyond which events cannot affect an outside observer. Light emitted from beyond the horizon can never reach the observer, and anything that passes through the horizon from the observer's side appears to freeze in place, with its image becoming more redshifted as time proceeds."

In unrelated new, I sent Kurt the multitrack file for "Dotted Lines and Whispers" last night. I'll be sure to post up any new sort of creation that comes out of it.

I think I'm going to take a walk. The weather seems like it's finally catching up with the calendar.