The first EP from my “CHILL” sessions is Factoring the Chill. It has “CHILL” titles like “Cool Desert Mirage” and “She Walked in the Room Like a Spy” amongst others. It drops February 3rd 2023.
I’m happy to report that the immensely talented composer, percussionist and artist Ken Topham is featured on this recording. He did the art work to my Modes of Motion recording that was released this past November. We have collaborated throughout the years and it’s never enough. He is the legendary drummer for GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES! and played the percussion parts for this recording.
The artwork for the album cover is by the very uniquely talented Brian Murray. He use to sit and sketch pictures of me as I played in a local Peterborough NH venue almost 40 years ago. I always love to see and am surprised to what develops next in his work…….. So imaginative and “CHILL” !
My “chill” guitar sessions have been going on and off for about a year and a half at Loud Sun Studio with sound wizard Ben Rogers. The goal was to bring my sonic blue Fender Strat, my little Fender Vibro Champ amp and maybe some picks to the studio and be as unprepared as possible.
Well that’s slightly exaggerated.My mind wasn’t totally blank. My preparation was reminiscing about some of my favorite guitar music that involved electric guitars. Which of course would take forever to list. However,a few would be anything by the Ventures, or my very large collection of obscure instrumental surf guitar bands from the 60’s to now. Vick Flick playing the James Bond theme, Duane Eddy playing “Raunchy” and “Rebel Rouser” and so many others like these with their captivating guitar tones. I always refer to all of this music as surf, spy and psychedelic. I think that gets to the point. That’s my filing system.
An interesting album that also informed these sessions was one titled Painted Desert released in 1995 with Ikue Mori doing drum programming and Robert Quine and Marc Ribot on guitars. I loved their playing and their conjuring allusions to the sounds that are mentioned here.The drum programming always stuck out and fascinated me as well as the lack of a bass. This at first bothered me and over time I really dug it!
So getting back to the main point… Other than thinking about this music that I love I showed up in the studio each week having no idea what would happen. I just started composing and recording and waited for “CHILL” tunes to develop. It is past time to just write and not worry.