After I mixed-down a composition of mine for marimba and violin this weekend, which I did for its own sake because it's been in the can for a year, I realized that not only does it belong as the first track of A Bird In The World, but that I have reached a place where I have all the tracks for this EP. Right on!
Albums seem to go like this for me; very intuitively, slowly, almost like an "it isn't happening" process. I go for months not sure where the album is heading, or if it is going at all, until—flash!—"fuck! that damn thing is an album!"
There is still work to do. I have to master all the tracks, do the liner notes, set up distribution and marketing. But it is nice to reach the "track lock" stage. I never know it is reached until I just feel it, in my gut.
I will release the album, at least, through CDBaby, iTunes, other digital distributors, as well as through this website as a Flash Album, where you can listen but not download. (Check out my other Flash Albums.)
The seven tracks of this Extended Play are comprised of, as I said above, a work for marimba and violin, a work on guitar using only harmonics, lots of piano works, and finally a piece for piano and drum machine (which I played through my guitar tube amplifer to remove all ickyness usually associated with drum machines).
A BIRD IN THE WORLD EP 01. TO GESTATE — for marimba & violin (1:31) 02. TO FLOAT — for guitar harmonics (1:29) 03. TO FLIP — for piano (0:53) 04. TO WAKE — for piano (7:06) 05. TO DREAM — for piano (3:36) 06. TO SLEEP — for piano (1:45) 07. TO FLY — for piano & drum machine (3:46)
Twyla and my father make appearances; the latter from doing dishes and the former through her cries. Both were picked up by the microphones when I was recording Suite For A Bird In The World, and I decided not the "found sound" actually worked aesthetically, or at least I think they do, and Hannah as well as several others agreed. Knowing when to say "THAT is the name" is, for me, the same as knowing when my album is done—it is like sex, because you just know when it is over. Don't you.
After I mixed-down a composition of mine for marimba and violin this weekend, which I did for its own sake because it's been in the can for a year, I realized that not only does it belong as the first track of A Bird In The World, but that I have reached a place where I have all the tracks for this EP. Right on! 