the rebel wheel broadcast

Album release date

2010-06-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

It has been a long-time coming, lot's of hard work, some tough decisions and a lot of talk, but finally the CD is officially released to day. It can be purchased here .

I'd like to use this post to thank everybody on the project. First the band; Ange MacIvor, Claude Prince and Aaron Clark for doing such a stellar job. Then the guests; Rick Barkhouse and Guy Leblanc, for considerably raising the bar on our keyboard status. Of course a special thanks has to go out to Guy Dagenais who played on only one track of the CD, but has since joined the band full-time and has had to learn over 90 minutes worth of pretty complicated music. He has done so with aplomb and has also raised the bar for the band.

I'd also like to thank: Matthew Thomas of Shattered Wing for his wonderful engineering prowess, Francis Depuis for his amazing art, Roger Woods for his kind permission to use his iconic clocks, Socar Myles for her Discoverie art, and of course Nick Brisebois for the inspiration for the whole album in the first place.

I'll be sending each of you your very own CD's very soon (or of course you can go to any number of sites and simply download it illegally as so many people have already done). No matter; that's a rant for another post!

Ok, thanks all.

Who does what and we aren't Yanks thank you very much.

2010-05-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned numerous times in the past I love Robertson Davies' writing. In his novel "A Mixture of Frailties" some of the characters have a magazine called "The Lantern". In it they take critics to task for their inaccuracies and ignorant assumptions. Named after Diogones and his quest for an honest man, the magazine ostensibly gives a forum for the artist to correct his critic's unbased assumptions, but in reality is nothing more than a chance to rebutt the opinion's formed and published by them (which in itself is a pretty cool idea).

I remember talking to Guy Leblanc from Nathan Mahl about similar ideas where he would review the reviewers. As vindicating as it might appear I think it ultimately would do nothing more than reveal the artist as petty, thin-skinned and childishly nurturing his sour-graped grudges.

Nonetheless I also think having a blog allows me to address certain issues I have with some reviews we have been getting, so at the risk of looking petty I'm going to set certain trifling yet niggling details straight.

To begin with; WE ARE NOT YANKS!!!! I realize that to some Europeans, making a distinction between Americans and Canadians is a silly and unreasonable one, after all we essentially share a continent, a language (I'm honour/honor bound to say that) and much the same media, but as ridiculous as it might seem, we actually consider ourselves pretty different.

To our German friends who consider my son's "Evil Clock" story as a typically "Yank" (said with a disparging sigh no less) endevour, let it be said that he was only 10 when he wrote it and the Walmart in question (it's a strange tale, but in my son's story the Evil Clock in question gets bested and ends up working at Walmart) is a few kilometers from us and has been a growing (and highly unwelcomed) presence in most Ontario small towns. Working for Walmart then would be a just punishment for the fallen Evil Clock. Weird eh? Maybe there is a language barrier at work, but missing out on THAT nuance is actually missing the point of my kid's brain-power and sense of irony. Calling us typical Yanks as a result would be about as insulting as if we called our erstwhile German critic Norweigan (or Swedish, Dutch, South African whatever, they're all kinda the same aren't they? non-english ie).

To our French critic who thinks that by naming some high-profile (can that term even be used in reference to progressive rock?) prog bands as influences we necessarily think we sound like them; grow up! I grew up listening to Zappa and Gentle Giant and they were huge inspirations to me (among others like Antonio Carlos Jobim, Igor Stravinsky and John Coltrane) but that doesn't mean I write about yellow snow in 4 part counterpoint, play a recorder and love dirty-worded Doo-wop any more than some author who loves Ernest Hemmingway is going to pepper his novel with a thousand "fines" and write about characters who've had their balls blown off.

I guess being stupid enough to play in the "prog-rock" idiom invites these kind of
assumptions.

Ok. That's the vitriolic part of today's post. The other stuff is simply some clarification on who does what. Some reviewers are having an understandably hard time figuring out who is still in the band (we do change line-ups a lot and at any given time have tracks from members who are on their way out sitting cheek to jowl with those who have just joined) and just what each person does. The latter can be attributed to the very small info page included on the CD. It uses a arty little font that, along with its miniscule size, doesn't make sussing this stuff out any easier. The fact we all play keyboards at any given time and the fact that often I'll play bass as well as guitar doesn't help either. So..here's the inside scoop:

Evil Clocks P1
Aaron Clark: drums
Claude Prince: bass on the verses
Guy Dagenais: 5-string bass and fretless bass solos on the chorus,
David Campbell: opening industrial synth ambiences, programmed drum loop, electric guitars (dbl'd left and right), synth solo, acoustic guitar, vocals,
Ange MacIvor: alto sax, vocals.
Composed by David Campbell and arranged by the band.

Klak
Aaron Clark: drums
Claude Prince: bass
David Campbell: vocals, electric guitar, keyboard drones (bass swells at beginning and after solo) and mellotron pads in chorus,
Ange MacIvor: distorted organ, string synth pads in chorus, soprano sax solo
Music by David Campbell, words by Geordie Robertson. Arranged by the band.

Wordplay
Aaron Clark: drums
David Campbell: electric guitars, mellotron pads at intro, bass, acoustic guitars, synth solo, organ and electric piano.
Ange MacIvor: vocals, soprano sax solo
Composed by David Campbell, Ange MacIvor, Aaron Clark. Words by Ange MacIvor.

Scales of the Ebony Fish
Aaron Clark: drums
Claude Prince: bass
David Campbell: vocals, keyboard ambiences, acoustic guitar, electric guitar,
Guy Leblanc: synth solo
Composed and arranged by David Campbell.

Settling of Bones
David Campbell: electric guitar, synths , bass, vocals, drum loops, pads
Ange MacIvor: lead vocals
Music by David Campbell. Words by David Campbell and Ange MacIvor.

Convent
Aaron Clark: drums
Claude Prince: bass
David Campbell: electric guitar, synth solo before sax solo section, vocals
Ange MacIvor: keyboards, alto sax, vocals
Composed by David Campbell. Arranged by the band.

Hags 1
Aaron Clark: percussion
David Campbell: classical, steel string and 12 string acoustic guitars, ambiences, mellotron (strings, vocals and flutes), vocals
Ange MacIvor: vocals
Composed and arranged by David Campbell.

Mad Night
Aaron Clark: drums
Claude Prince: bass
David Campbell: electric guitar, synth line after guitar (leading into B section), B-section synth swells, electric guitar solos, synth solo, vectory loop, whispers, autoharp
Ange MacIvor: main synth bass riff, B-section synth pads, alto solo
Composed by David Campbell. Arranged by the band.

Hags 2
David Campbell: classical, steel string and electric guitars, ambiences, mellotron (strings, vocals and flutes), vocals
Ange MacIvor: vocals
Composed and arranged by David Campbell.

Invitation To The Dance
Aaron Clark: drums
Claude Prince: bass
David Campbell: electric guitar, mellotron at intro and exit, electric piano
Ange MacIvor: soprano sax
Rick Barkhouse: electric piano solo
Composed by David Campbell. Arranged by the band.

Hags 3
David Campbell: acoustic guitar, mandolin, electric guitar, ambiences, mellotron (strings, vocals and flutes), vocals
Ange MacIvor: vocals
Composed and arranged by David Campbell.

Invitation To The Dance
Aaron Clark: drums
Claude Prince: bass
David Campbell: electric guitar, loops and ambience, screams and hollers
Ange MacIvor: synth lead
Composed by David Campbell. Arranged by the band.

Evil Clocks 2
David Campbell: synths and ambiences

Some new tunes

2010-05-28T19:56:00.001-07:00

1st the new stuff. Lately I have been on a Charles Bukowski kick and among all that reading, I have been writing stuff that tends to focus on the similar seedy underside of life (read lots of substance abuse, grimy apartments, general low budget days and mostly transient company). I have had a ton of these type of tunes in my day stretching back to Vancouver 1979. In fact one of my favorite lyrics dates back from then (I have stains on my fingers I smoke too much). Really.

Over the years I have written various pieces with that same perspective and on the first Rebel Wheel CD as part of a larger suite there was an instrumental piece called Whore's Breakfast. I wrote that particular section during a week-long acid buzz in some hotel room in Brockville in 1981. I always meant for it to be the centrepiece of a song collection, but I was having difficulty reconciling an almost modern classical instrumental with more lyrical songs. Several times through-out the years though I was able to get close.

Now, thanks to Bukowski, I have managed to get a bit closer, so with that in mind, I'll post some new tunes that try to encapsulate that part of my life. Keep in mind these are demos only and that I have tracked all the instruments myself.

Song 1: Dream Of Stones

stream
download

The drums are Toontrack's Vintage and Custom kit samples and I used heavily edited midi files as well as my Godin Multiac to trigger them. The bass is my Fender Jazz through my Millenia media pre-amp and the gtr is my Howard Roberts through my Mesa-Boogie amp (mic'd with a Neumann and Millenia pre). The vocals are through the same mic and pre configuration.

Song 2: Cholera

stream
download

This one has the another Toontrack kit. The drum parts were played on my Godin as well as some edited midi files. The bass is again the Fender Jazz through the same rig. There is no guitar on this one, rather I used Logic's electric piano, clav and organ plugs.

Something else again.

2010-05-16T23:47:00.000-07:00

I have been having a blast configuring and re-configuring my pedalboard. In my last post I mentioned it would probably be something else again by the time we gig and while that is certainly still possible (likely even), it turns out I changed it drastically since the last post.

I had mentioned I wanted the EH ring modulator in the loop (literally) and with some tweaking and honest decision making was able to do that.
I dropped my Boss chorus, MXR compressor and Fairfield Circuitry distorion box out of the board and added the EH like I had wanted. The truth is, with the exception of one spot, I never actually used the chorus and the compressor anyway. I had liked the idea of switching between two effects loops and I remember reading the blurb the loop switcher maker wrote. In it he had said something like "imagine being able to instantly switch from a compressor and chorus as a clean sound to a distortion and delay for a lead sound". I liked that and as I had most of the effects I bought a chorus and compressor and I did just that. The truth is though I never liked the chorus sound, or rather, having used a Jazz Chorus for most of the '80s, have grown quite sick of the sound. Deciding to get rid of it all saved a few power cables and lots of real-estate.

Losing the distortion wasn't as easy, but truthfully, I prefer my Mesa Boogie for that kind of thing and I also have the Fulltone front-end which can yield me that sound before the buffers in the Radial ABY box so the Fairfield got the boot as well.

So. Now I have the EH ring modulator ("Frequency Analyzer") in loop 1 all by itself (which is convenient because I prefer to leave it on as it hasn't a led status light) and in loop 2 I have the EH phase, the Boss slicer and a Boss delay. I have also midi'd the slicer up to the Adrenalinn so now I can have both units in perfect sync via MTC. The Adrenalinn has its tempi pre-programmed per patch and now when I change patches via the FCB, the Adrenalinn and the Boss change tempo according to the song's pre-programmed BPM. I can also tap tempo on the Adrenalinn if I need (and of course the Boss follows).

What I also am finding is that the pedals are easier to acces when there are fewer of them. It was getting tricky there to get my big boots onto the right pedal, especially when we are ramming it out live. Now it is easier.

This certainly isn't big news (not that there's ever really much of that hereabouts) but lots of fun nevertheless. Here's a pic.

More gear info.

2010-05-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

Ok. Like I mentioned earlier we are now re-visiting the material with a sweaty-prog band attitude (ie a pretty scaled down trio of guitar, bass and drums). I also mentioned I had originally decided to eschew effects pedals this time out. Of course like a typical guitar player that idea has been changed. Typically I use no effects at all other than a channel switcher and maybe a wah/volume. Then of course I decide maybe a wee bit of delay would be handy here and there and over the course of several months I end up creating a huge rig of pedals and switchers. Then I get sick of it all and go back to square one.

Well I was at square one a few months ago and when Guy first joined our rehearsals were pretty gear-deprived affairs. Once the flood-gates opened to allow a few effects, then in typical fashion I am now lugging my pedal board and midi pedal controller around too. The rig:

So here is how it works. The guitar goes into a Fulltone Fulldrive 2, then to a wah/volume. From there it goes to a Radial switchbone A/B/Y box.

A-side continues on to a custom made effects loop switcher with two seperate loops (another A/B/Y configuration). A-loop has an MXR dynacomp, a Boss CH-1 chorus, a Boss SL-20 Slicer and finally a EH "Small Stone" phase. B-loop has a Fairfield circuitry "The Barbershop" overdrive and a Boss DD-3 delay. The looper pedal has a mute and a tuner out switch and for the tuner I use a Boss TU-2. The output goes to a Mesa-Boogie Maverick.

B-side goes to an Adrenalinn III controlled by the Behringer FCB-1010. The output goes to a Fender Hot Rod Delux amp.

The whole unit is on a Pedaltrain pro and uses a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 as well as an onboard power bar for the Adrenalinn and the Radial power supplies.

The system can go from full-on to bypass with the switch of one pedal and the ABY configuration allows me to keep the Mesa side mostly for overdriven sounds and the Fender side for clean. I might get another looper switch pedal for that side so I can bypass the Adrenalinn properly (unlike the other side, it doesn't have
true bypass) but seeing as how I mostly use that side for the Adrenalinn effects that isn't so problematic.

Unfortunately I ran out of room for my EH ring modulator and even tjough I seldom use it I do want it for one solo. In the meantime I am using the Adrenalinn for that.

So...that's the fullout version, knowing me, what I actually will use when we do finally get out will be likely be something else again.

Peeking out of the trench.

2010-05-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

We have been hard at it this last few weeks; rehearsing, re-arranging and generally re-visiting the rather large Rebel Wheel song-book. This last album was actually album three for us and while we seldom touch the material from the very first album, the other two have almost two hours of stuff. Of course we don't do all of it, but I try to keep at least 90 minutes of tunes available for onstage use. Given the amount of changes this band has endured that is actually a whole lot of work to keep the set-list ripe.

Right now we're closing in on 50 minutes of material freshly re-organized for our "touring" three-piece ensemble. It has been quite a daunting task to re-approach these tunes and arrange them for a trio format. A lot of the leads that would be otherwise played by keyboards or sax have been assigned to guitar and as we are trying to keep this unit stream-lined and capable playing any venue amongst a host of other bands (in other words severely gear-limited) we aren't bringing any keyboards onstage this time out. Usually we have three pretty complex rigs just of keyboards, controllers and triggers. Originally I intended to limit the guitar effects to just a channel switcher and a volume pedal, but recently I have been dusting off my rather extensive pedal-board to help capture some of the techno-elements (like effected odd-metered drum-loops and ambient soundscapes) we have used.

The old system went something like this.

Keyboard Rig 1:

M-audio Radium 49

and an M-audio Axiom 61

into a Dell laptop running Live.

On Live there would be a seperate VST instrument on each channel that I would access via the lap-top keypad. I had it set so that keystroke number 1 would access song 1 and whatever keyboard/vst or combination of keyboards/vsts I would use (etc etc). Each vst's track volume was controlled by the sliders on the appropriate controller so that I had the complete set mapped out on the two keyboards. I also used some rotary sliders to control the amount of effect was being used as sometimes I'd used grain delays to screw around with a sound.

Typically the session looked like this:
Number 1 keystroke:
Track1: Klak bass (Minimonsta) Radium
Track2: Klak pad (Mtron) Axiom

Number 2 keystroke:
Track3: Wordplay lead (Sonik Synth 2) Axiom

Number 3 keystroke:
Track4: Arachnophobia Combi (Zebra 2 Bass and Albino 3 pads) Radium
Track5: Lead Arachnophobia (Albino 3) Axiom

Number 4 keystroke:
Track6: Threads lead (Analog Factory) Axiom

Number 5 keystroke:
Track7: Mary Combi (lower Albino 3, Upper M-tron) Axiom For Cross-eyed Mary middle section.

Number 6 keystroke:
Track8: D1 lead (Minimonsta) Axiom

Number 7 keystroke:
Track9: D2 Combi (Lower zebra 2, pads and Upper Albino 3, leads) Radium
Track10:D2 Lead (Albino 3) Axiom

Number 8 keystroke:
Track11:D3 (M-Tron) Axiom

Number 9 keystroke:
Track12:Awaken Arp (Albino 3) Axiom
Track13:Awaken Combi (pads; Albino3, Flute lead M-tron) Radium

Number 10 keystroke:
Track14:Karnage (general ambience for Evil Clox) Radium
Track14:Live Pack (general ambience for Evil Clox) Axiom

I addition to that, I used an external usb number pad to trigger drones and ambiences. Those also had sliders that were controlled via the keyboards (the Radium and Axiom keyboards have 8 sliders and 8 knobs each to control any midi number).

Trigger 1: Hags 1 drone and ambience
Trigger 2: Hags 2 " "
Trigger 3: Hags 3 " "
Trigger 4: Arachnophobia middle ambience
Trigger 5: D2 Reaktor 5 Vectory percussion (set-up to play at 86bpm)
Trigger 6: D4 Intro (loop and ambience)
Trigger 7: Evil Clox Pulse (set-up at 110 bpm)
Trigger 8: Free
Trigger 9: Awaken drum loop

In addition a Dave Smith Evolver was used via the midi out from the Radium with the knobs mapped to generally control filters and lfos etc.

Key-rig 2 wasn't quite so complex, it was a Roland Phantom with all of Ange's leads and pads set up in sequence (ie patch changes in ascending order following the set-list). Key-rig 3 was even simpler yet: A E-mu vintage keys controlled by a Fatar rig and key-rig 4 was just an Alesis Micron. All the rigs (except for 2) had their patch changes controlled by my FCB-1010 and outs going into my Traynor K4 amp and then to the house.

Here is a picture of the set-up:

While that set-up is emminantly flexible on a huge stage setting it is less so in the type of venues we will be playing this summer so I gave it all a boot. Well rather, I have it all packed up nicely in cases and will use it when Ange re-joins and we do gigs as a 5 piece. Right now it is trio all the way and a MUCH simpler set-up.

The guitar rig will have to wait until tomorrow.

The Evolution of a Song part 5

2010-04-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

I have detailed most of the songs on Evil Clocks, from their first midi versions through various studio versions and finally to their released versions. I have a few more pieces sitting around but with the exception of Scales, most of them sound almost like the final versions. So, Scales will be the last one I'll post in this evoltion series.

The song itself is from 1979 and was my first contribution to the punk-jazz band I was in at the time called 3C-236. The name itself apparently describes a "Fanaroff and Riley Class II (FR II) radio galaxy" but as I didn't name the band, that was never really uppermost in my thinking of the unit. Anyway, we had a pretty cool approach to music I think. The guitarist and the drummer (Gerry Henri and Ralph Piedalou) were both Toronto ex-pats who had spent a lot of time jamming at the Music Gallery with CCMC stalwarts like alto-player Maury Coles. Combined with that spontaneous composition aesthetic was a charted-out punk energy and earnestness. It was quite a band, and we would often play a frenetic punk-rock head arrangement that would usually devolve into free playing and, with the inclusion of composed cues, back out of the blowing into a re-cap of the head. The songs might last anywhere from 3 minutes to an hour depending on our moods.

I brought Scales in as a number I would sing. The song's thudding 12/8 pulse was inspired by Robert Fripp's Exposure album (the song "Chicago" which itself was a prog-bluesy outing). We had the accordian free section (ie the length of the soloing was free to expand or contract as we saw fit, NOT something that was ever meant to be played on accordian, Pauline Oliveros notwithstanding).

I liked it well enough in that context because it was my vocal spot-light and the first song I ever wrote to be played by others (usually I wrote stuff where I played all the parts on jerry-rigged cassette decks), but it was a bit of an anomoly for the band as the tune sounded neither all that punky or even jazzy. It was fun to jam on though and that qualified its inclusion.

28 years later I did a version of the song that I put to 10T for their approval for the Diagramma CD (at this point we decided to expand the original release of 5 songs to a 7 song one and were dusting off "suitable" songs). It never made the cut. This time out I thought it might work as the lyrics were suitable to the vague album concept so I whipped up a demo for the lads. The tune was pretty well what 3C-236 did with it, even to the point that the solo section starts off almost identically (I played bass in 3C-236 and the bass part I played on the demo was almost identical to the original one). This time though the solo is a defined length.

Scales Demo stream
Scales Demo DL

Ange never played on the song actually and Aaron and I tracked the album version during our spring session at my home. I re-did the guitars, added vocals and keys and tracked a bass-line that Claude Prince later learned and replaced. After that I sent Guy Leblanc the tune and asked him to put a solo on it. Done. Scroll down to #4. "Scales of the Ebony Fish" to hear it.

Rebel Wheel at 10T

Left-over song

2010-04-18T01:46:00.000-07:00

At one point in the whole process of doing this CD I had recorded a guitar piece I had written when I was 16. It was an odd-metered finger-picking ditty that I had really liked way back when. It went unnamed for over a decade until I read a fantasy novel called "A Face in the Frost". I loved that book. Anyway, there is a chapter where the heroes (Prospero and Roger Bacon) have to spend a night in an inn. The place they stay is called 5 Dials and it turns out to be a phantasm and actually unreal place. I really liked the title "A Night in 5 Dials" so I decided that would be the ditty's name.

As the theme of the CD was clocks etc. I thought the piece would be perfect for it so towards that end I tracked a version of it playing drums, bass and guitar as well as some keyboard synth. It went along smoothly enough, but I was never sold on the piece and I decided early on it wouldn't suit.

As I doubt I'll ever do anything with it I figured I might as well post it here so here it is:

A Night In Five Dials streamed
A Night In Five Dials dl

The Evolution of a Song Part 4

2010-04-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

Well here we are at the last of the D series and unlike the others I have posted, this song never went through such a tortuous series of recordings and re-records.
The only versions I have are the original demo and the final master. Along the way the song certainly evolved though. Originally there was to be a big persussion jam, bit as I had mentioned in an earlier blog, Aaron's look of panic after hearing Ange Claude and I whacking on the various percussion rigs I set-up, put paid to that concept.

So. The song itself stayed pretty close to the original demo but after making the decision to excise the percussion section, the transition parts that are on the demo where similarly excised. The subsequent return to the main theme was eliminated as well. The demo doesn't actually have the percussion madness, but it has the transitions to and from. You can hear the difference among the three versions here.

D4 Demo stream
D4 Demo DL

Aaron and I recorded a version at Fiction Music that had all the parts I mentioned excised but still awaiting a possible percussion section (which at this time was still on the table). It was just Aaron on kit and me on bass live-off-the-floor. I started adding keyboards but we decided to re-do the song so this particular version is very sparse.

D4 V1 stream
D4 V1 DL

We threw this version away and re-recorded it with Claude, Aaron and Ange live-off-the-floor in its final form with no intention of adding a percussion section. I added my guitar later that same night. You have to scroll down to #12 "The Discovery Of Witchcraft - Cavort" to stream it.

Rebel Wheel at 10T

The Evolution of a Song part 3

2010-04-15T11:45:00.001-07:00

I had mentioned Keegan Melville awhile back and his playing on D3. Click his name and you'll get to the post that details D3's bass evolution. Or, if you'd rather, just read on and I'll repost the links below. Before we get there though I'll explain how D3 evolved.

To begin with it was a guitar vamp I just played one day and liked. When Aaron first came down to audition, he and I jammed on it for awhile. It was obvious right from the beginning he would do nicely! The song then was a perfect one to include on the album, but I wanted it to be a little less crude than how we had originally jammed it so I added keyboards etc. This particular version is the first midi sketch of the song leaning towards that "glossier" direction. This time I used my newly acquired Brian Moore midi guitar to play the drum samples (Toontrack). Then I played all the other parts on keyboards (Logic bundled ones I think).

D3Demo1Stream
D3Demo1Download

I kept adding stuff to it, like solos and more keyboards, but otherwise it is the same in this outing.

D3Demo2Stream
D3Demo2Download

The next version is Keegan playing over the demo I originally recorded of the tune. This is the version I gave to the band to learn.

D3Keeg1Stream
D3Keeg1Download

When we were tracking it in March 2009, Aaron decided to swing it. Keegan was at at the session and we recorded this next version. As I had already explained earlier, one of the adats broke down and we lost all of Ange's solos as well as half of the drum tracking (I jerry-rigged a quick work-around but was unable to capture the band in its glorious confusion). I later went in and re-did keyboards and some guitar. We kept this but ended up re-recording it when Claude joined:

D3Keeg2Stream
D3Keeg2Download

We tried a lot of different versions of the swing and we came pretty close with one that we did a day later, this time with just Aaron and I. I later went in and did a walking bass-line as an overdub. At the point this link starts we have already been playing for around 4 minutes and I had to change the bass up simply because my hand was beginning to cramp. I like the solo a lot and was arguing with Aaron about using this version but we ended up throwing it away because the track didn't really sit well (we got sloppy at points) and the high-hat pedal squeaked through-out. No matter, here's the solo anyway:

D3v1solostream
D3v1solodownload

Finally, here is the version that made it. It has a soprano solo from Ange, Claude on the bass and a deft snakey little electric piano solo from guest artist, the amazing Rick Barkhouse. You'll need to scroll down to #10 "The Discovery Of Witchcraft - Invitation To The Dance" to hear it:

The Rebel Wheel at 10T

Tomorrow I'll post the evolution of D4.

The Evolution of a Song part 2

2010-04-14T20:56:00.001-07:00

The next song that has a checkered lineage is D2 (discovery part 2 that is, officially known as Mad Night). In a fashion similar to D1, it was born as a midi demo, (only this time done entirely on keyboards) until it gradually evolved into to a gtr, bass, drums, keys/sax and vocals piece.

This tune was a favorite for the band live and was a new sound for us, derived as it was (and indeed much of the album has been) on a 12-tone row and permutations therefrom. Indeed.

So here is the demo:

D2 Demo streamed
D2 Demo download

Here it is live at Nuance (David, Gary, Ange, Aaron):

Live stream
Live download

We went to Shattered Wings and recorded live-off-the-floor with Gary on bass:

D2 Gary bass streamed
D2 Gary bass download

Then, just like D1, I replaced Gary's bass part with my Fender Jazz bass and gave that version to Claude to learn:

D2 David bass streamed
D2 David bass download

Then we re-did the song afresh at Ange's with Aaron, Claude, Ange and I live-off-the-floor with various edits and overdubs done later. This version is on the 10T site and you'll need to scroll down to "The Discovery Of Witchcraft - Mad Night" to hear it:

Rebel Wheel at 10T "Mad Night"

The Evolution of a Song

2010-04-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned several times we have a new bassist and as Ange is on Maternity Leave (official sounding term for being maternally pre-occupied) Guy Dagenais, Aaron Clark and I have been working out the material from the last two Cds in a trio format.

As I listen to the tunes sometimes I am struck at how they have evolved from mental sketches to computer-based demos, to rehearsal re-arrangements to recorded tracks, and finally to performance tracks to suit the ever-changing line-up. Here's an example of what I mean.

The first part of the epic track on the new CD is a piece called Convent. That's its offical name. In rehearsing we have always referred to it as D1 (discovery part 1 ie). So here are some versions of it.

D1 computer demo. This is what I brought to the band. I played all the parts on guitar and bass and midi keyboards. I used Toontracks drum sample software and a Godin Multiac to trigger them (that is, I played the drums on my midi guitar...a lot of fun that) as well as added some odd-meter drum loops among that. There are two bass solos at the end. One we dropped out along the way and the other we totally changed. The 12/8 13/8 section (the bluesy part) got trimmed in half and ended up with sax on it (and no drum loops sfx which the demo has in abundance). Anyway here it is:

D1 Demo stream
D1 Demo download

Now here is the version as it came out of Shattered Wings studio with Gary Lauzon on bass (recorded live off-the-floor). The ending is totally gone and Gary's solo is improvised. The sax section is far smaller and the "Dame Dame" part has undergone a transformation with the addition of guitar etc. This version never made it to the overdub stage so there is no Ange on it exept her tracking parts (keyboards and sax uni stuff; no solo and no vocals). It also is unmastered and has only the roughest of mixes. Here it is anyway:

D1V1GL stream
D1V1GL download

Here it is again with a new bass-line (after Gary quit the band) which we gave to Claude to learn (I replaced Gary's bass with my Fender Jazz and added more guitars). I totally threw out the bass solo and left it as a vamp between drums and electric guitar (it's at 4:52-5:16; I like that part actually). This version is the same tracking as the other one so lacks Ange's sax solo and vocals but does have the uni sax lines at 4:37-4:50 and all her keyboard parts. I give you D1 V1 DC:

D1V1DC stream
D1V1DC download

Finally here is what it sounds like on the CD (scroll down to song 6: Convent) with all the parts added, mixed and mastered:

Rebel Wheel's discography at 10T .

This last version was a total re-record. Aaron had changed his grips, Claude was onboard, and we had rehearsed the new version which we recorded at Ange's place. I added some guitar parts later (Dame Dame part) and Ange did her keyboards and sax solo as overdubs. We recorded the vocals at my place later.

I have a bunch of these songs and I'll post them in the coming days.

The evolution of a bass part.

2010-04-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

I had mentioned earlier that I would post some of the work of the various bass players who, although might not have actually had their work on the final CD for one reason or another, nevertheless contributed to the project dramatically.

The first player I'd like to mention is Keegan Melville. He is a young lad to whom I have been teaching bass and theory and has become a masterful player. Not only is he musical and has developed great chops, but he has an excellent attitude and a real knack for soloing. He played on the demo of D3 and it was that version I gave to the band to learn (this version is a straight 3/4 and different from the swung three we ended up using):

D3Keegan1stream
D3Keegan1download

We also had Keegan join us when we were recording for the CD and we all recorded the following version. This time the swing feel is evidenced but for various technical reasons (one of our recorders broke so we didn't get Ange's parts nor a good mix on drums, not to mention the fact Aaron just sprang this version on us that moment!) we didn't use it. Afterwards I added some keyboards just for fun.

D3Keegswingstream
D3Keegswingdownload

As well as Keegan, we also had bassist Gary Lauzon in the band at the start of the recording. We were able to track various pieces with him on bass. Here are the two which, although weren't keepers, were representative of his playing.

D1Garystream
D1Garydownload

D2Garystream
D2Garydownload

To hear the final versions of these tunes go to

The Rebel Wheel at 10T records

So that's the bass player side of the songs. Tomorrow I'll post some demos of the album and how the tunes went through various changes.

Klak Score and info.

2010-04-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

Progressive Ears is probably the only web-site I actually spend a lot of time with and through it I have met many interesting and very cool people. There was a thread on it awhile back where a several poets and people of a similar bent, posted their surrealistic stuff. There was a wealth of stuff and one in particular really struck me as a perfect song lyric.

I approached the author, Geordie Robertson, about using the words in a song and he gladly agreed. I also asked him if he had others and he sent me a batch. I wrote Klak using the original poem that caught my eye and also added another that he subsequently sent, as the chorus.

I posted the lyrics earlier, but I'll re-post them here as I also have the score ready to post so I might as well have one spot for both. So....the words first.

Klak

My baby klaks,
like the teeth of a shotgun cow,
dead meat, hits the killing floor.
My baby ticks,
like a deathwatch beetle,
waiting patiently beneath,
linoleum.

My baby fucks,
fucks like a hurricane,
tearing up the coastline at,
break-neck speed.

The other poem (whose name I have forgotten as the poem proper was subsumed by the song)

I dreamed I was homeless, wandering the strange avenues
In a daze lost and lonely, I called out for you.
I dreamed I was home lying in, your arms like a child.
Until laughing and loved I, kissed you awake.

When I put them together it came out like so:

V1
My baby klaks,
like the teeth of a shotgun cow,
dead meat, hits the killing floor.
My baby ticks,
like a deathwatch beetle,
waiting patiently beneath,
linoleum.

C1
I dreamed I was homeless, wandering the strange avenues
In a daze lost and lonely, I called out for you.

V2
My baby fucks,
fucks like a hurricane,
tearing up the coastline at,
break-neck speed.

solo section

V3
My baby fucks,
fucks like a hurricane,
tearing up the coastline at,
break-neck speed.

C2/3
I dreamed I was homeless, wandering the strange avenues
In a daze lost and lonely, I called out for you.
I dreamed I was home lying in, your arms like a child.
Until laughing and loved I, kissed you awake.

and the score:

As promised, I'll soon post various examples of bass playing our revolving door bassist policy has yielded.

Original art work and scores.

2010-04-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned several times already that the title of the Cd was inspiredby my step-son's art-work and short story. I don't have the story here, but I do have a scan of the art and here it is:

On a similar note here is the score for the title track "Evil Clocks part 1"

Page 1:

Page 2:

Page 3:

Synth Solo phrases.

The solo sound was played on a Korg legacy series MS-20 plug-in. The notes themselves were played with a M-Audio Axiom 61, but the modulations and knob twistings were all done on the MS-20 controller. There is a lot of modulation routings going on and I was able to play them all with my left hand (three fingers spinning controls, which, given the small stature of the controller is really quite easy).

So that's that. Tomorrow I'll post Klak and dig out those files fo keegan etc.

More bass player info. part 3.

2010-04-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

Ok. We've gone through the bass player saga, but I have to mention two other lads who were approached. The first is my bass student Keegan Melville. He has been taking bass lessons from me for over 1 year and it has been my distinct pleasure to watch him transform from a musical but inexperienced player, into something approaching a bass monster. Considering he only turned 16, the monster title is well within his grasp, in fact, if he sails through the next year's worth of material at the rate he did the first year he will be quite intimidating. I have been showing the guy all the ecclesiastical modes in one, two and three octave positions, all the symmetrical modes, a batch of pentatonics, harmonic and melodic minor (and all the modes therein) as well as tons of chord theory and lots of chart playing. He has aced it all. No wonder then we decided to have as a guest on the album.

When we decided this we were without a full-time bassist and as such it was looking like a great idea to draft a different bassist for each song. Guy was going to play "Evil Clocks 1", Keegan was going to play "Invitation To The Dance" (ie Discoverie part something or other), another buddy Francis Dupuis was going to play Scales, Gary was going to do MadNight, I was going to do whatever. All of this changed when Claude came on board and we assigned many of the untaken parts to him as well as some of the parts I had already done.

Even still, during March break Keegan came out to the sessions and layed down two versions of "Invitation et al". The first was a straight-ahead 3/4 feel that the song was originally cast in, the second was this swing groove that Aaron all of a sudden decided to play (this of course goes to the heart of the nature of the intended band dynamic; the ability to change a part to fit the moment). Keegan did amazingly at both. We unfortunately couldn't use his versions for various reasons. The first was that one ADAT tape machine busted just as we started tracking him and unfortunately the drum mix was substandard. The sax solo didn't get recorded and the drum part (while fresh and exciting) was too wobbly to keep (although we did decide to keep the hard-bop 3/4 swing groove that showed up on subsequent versions and ultimately the final one). Keegan also did a version in my studio for the final demo track (ie the one I bring to the band to learn). I will post both of them soon so you can see his prowess.

This brings us to the last bassist; Francis Dupuis. Francis and I have known each other for 35 years and are really good buddies. He and I went different paths in our lives; he is a successful graphic artist and I actually make my living more as a composer than a player. We have always been in bands though. Asking him was a natural choice, but as he (like many other bassists it seems) was going through a lot of personal matters he ultimately decided not to play on the CD.

Claude then had a clear-board.

After Claude left we were in the air as to what to do. Keegan was seriously considered, but given the fact he is still in high-school and has several other projects he is involved in, that seemed improbable. Guy Dagenais was contacted and at first was delighted. Several personal issues however became too time-consuming so he reluctantly passed, but we kept the door opened. He agreed to actually come into the fold several weeks later, actually the same week that we asked Francis to come down.

We had also gotten in touch with a few others but either the distance was too much for them (a point I'll never understand) or their schedules were too full to make revisions to suit ours (and I guess vice versa). Francis is still keen, but as Guy was asked before we had to honour our words (and as he fits perfectly with Aaron that becomes a serious point in his favour). As Francis and I are in another band already, that isn't too much of a problem.

So there is the (probably continuing) saga of the Rebel Wheel bassists. I won't even go into the ones I had in Toronto (now anyway) like Ken Miskov and Ed Campbell both of whom are monsters and often spot each other on gigs (very handy). Then of course we have the diminuitive Pelle Vadim who did an excellent job on the first Rebel Wheel CD (the out of print CD-R...hmmmm).

Tomorrow I'll post some links of the various players tracks and I also have some sheet music ready to post of the Klak and Evil Clocks (the other tunes are written down in a perfunctory fashion, but I'd like to clean them up before I post them).
Happy Easter.

Groove Achieved or More Bass Player info.

2010-04-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

So. In the song "Evil Clocks part1" there is a recurring section that lightens up the otherwise heavy-handed frenetic meanderings of the band. Guy Dagenais, the current bassist in Nathan Mahl (which I mentioned I was also in) gladly accepted my offer to play both a series of fretless solos and a steadying 5 string groove. He did. Wonderfully. In fact the song came alive and I decided to put down the vocal parts I had always been singing as a result (I often have vocal parts I sing along to tunes but generally they are silly and often dismissive and never meant to be heard). Ange was able to solo beautifully over those sections and the innate contrasts were made even more obvious.

Fast forward several months, where after much talk, Guy agrees to come out to our rehearsal spot (no longer in Carlton Place as that extra 20 miles from Ottawa seemed to be a deal breaker for many a bassist) and he Aaron and I went through some tunes. From note one it was obvious he was perfect; his time-feel was totally in the pocket and his ability to change a part to accommodate whatever is happening at the time invaluable. Much as we enjoyed the dedication, musicality and chops of the other lads, the abilty to improvise or alter a part to fit the dynamics of performance (where we might play a riff a bit differently or miss a cue) was sadly not in their repertoire. Finally we were approaching the idea Aaron and I had for a long-time; odd meter grooves but still pocket-oriented and able to twist and turn as performance and inspiration hits.

So, our new bassist was now onboard and I would like to take this moment to officially welcome Guy Dagenais to the band.

Music and bass players.

2010-04-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

So the album is out there now garnering praise and dismissal as is expected. Generally the feedback has been very positive and while I am far from expecting any big financial coup, there is every indication we won't take a bath this time out either. We'll see of course, and given the fact we are well on our way in rehearsing a new CD, we'll keep doing this no matter how well or poorly this album actually does.

Reading those lines back it seems somewhat dismal and actually this is far from the case; the feedback has been great and we already have a positive review.

Tommy Hash's review at ytsejam.com

So. I have explained the album in the last few blogs and most of the details surrounding the recording; all that is left are some insights into the players themselves and of course, the ever changing group dynamic.

We'll start with bassists. When we first started, Gary Lauzon was on board. We had done a series of grueling gigs going from Pennsylvania to Quebec city and topped off two seasons of gigging with a show at The Nuance Festival in Toronto. It wasn't all that well attended, but we had a great time and felt very happy with our performance. Wilton Said and his band invited us to play and stuck around to hear us (we were on last after the dinner break) and were both perfect hosts and audience members.
Speaking of which, while it isn't politically correct, I'd like to call out the other bands on the venue who left at supper and never returned. Normally I expect that kind of thing but what made this event somewhat exceptional was their unsolicited verbal promises to check us out ("we're really looking forward to hearing you guys") and all their onstage requests to "support the local prog scene" yet as soon as they were finished they bolted out of there. Yah Counterpoint and Lorne Hind I'm talking about YOU!!! Wusses all! If you want support, you have to show some in return. We drove all the way from Ottawa to make sure we were early enough to cheer you lads on. That won't happen again!

So now where were we? Oh yah, bassists. So we were tight and ready to record. Some of the intended songs we already had down cold, some others were in developement. We went to Shattered Wing and laid down the tracks for MadNight, Klak, Wordplay and Convent. It didn't take long to see that Gary had lost interest in the project. Wordplay and Klak were keepers, but the rest just weren't in the pocket.

This time out we played without click tracks and were relying on the internal rhythmic dynamic of the players. Given that Klak and Wordplay both had lots of sax solos (the solo section of Wordplay was completely improvised in the studio by the band while Klak had a defined structure) we put Ange in her own iso-booth. When we realized that we were getting better results with the bass turned down I knew we were in trouble.

I took the keeper tracks home, did the bass myself and we started discussing the situation. Gary was going through some rough times at home and that combined with the realization I was replacing his parts anyway prompted him to quit.

That was a big set-back but fortunately for us, after several weeks of searching, Claude Prince joined. Claude is ex-Nathan Mahl (a band I am in now) and was aware of our stuff and eager to join. He is a solid bassist and while he hadn't been in a band for several years, his not-too-rusty-chops and innate musicality added a great boost to both the band's morale and overall vibe.

We then had to bring Claude up to speed. We had done a recording session at my place for a week in March (March break in fact as my wife and kids had gone to Florida with their Grandparents) where we had keeper versions of Evil Clocks, Hags 123, Settling of Bones and Scales. Claude's first job was to replace the bass-lines I played (except for Wordplay and Settling ie where we kept the ones I had done). he did that incredibly well. We were very excited about having him in the band.

We then rehearsed all of Discoverie, both in anticipation of recording it live-off-the-floor and also for gigging. It's a good thing we did as we were asked at the last moment to replace a band at Progtoberfest. We did and it went swimmingly (more on that later). We never actually recorded Discoverie as one piece. Not only were the hags sections already done (with the exception of vocal fix-ups) the last piece wasn't fully written. We had a performance version of it worked up, but I really wanted to include a group percussion/vocal chant in the orgy section. I was still fucking about with it so we decided to record each section seperately and it went incredibly well.

As it happens we never went with the percussion idea, certainly not because it was pretentious or over the top (since when did THAT matter in prog?) but simply because as percussionists, Ange, Claude and I left quite a bit to be desired. In the end Aaron's look of panic convinced me we should shelve the percussion concept. I still hear it in my head but it just wasn't feasible.

So we finished tracking everything, we did Progtoberfest and I went into the interminable foray of mastering the album. It is generally not recommended to do your own mastering and usually advisable to get a set of fresh ears, but after the hideously compressed version I got back from a unnamed mastering house, I figured I might as well do it; it certainly couldn't be worse.

The fact is I am used to wearing a lot of different hats in any given tune. Just today I was playing a song for my 12 year old drummer step-son and asking him what time signature it was in. He answered correctly "5/4". I then showed him how I counted the chorus (12345,22345,32345,42345, 52345, 62345, 72345, 82345). He asked me why and I answered, so I can tell easily how many bars that section has. He looked puzzled and asked me, wouldn't I know that already having written it and all? Well yes, but when I am playing it, I'm not the composer anymore I am the guitarist (or keyboardist or bassist etc). The idea is that each fucntion has a distinct territory it works in and it is necessary to function in those limited parameters in order to do that specific job.

So I mastered it but it took about three months of testing mixes on every system I could find, hundreds of dollars of gas (my car was the benchmark after awhile) and lots of band frustrations. Through-out that process, just as I gave out final pre-release copies to everyone, Claude came into a rehearsal totally bummed out. It didn't take long to hear the problem (although it did take considerable coaxing) and it was clear we were soon going to be looking for ANOTHER bassist. Sheesh.

I really wanted this album to be a group effort and wanted the players who took the album live to be the ones on it. It made so much more sense. Diagramma v1 (the five song version ie) was all me and while I think it sounded great, (and not too much like a one man band), I also knew that the rest of the band didn't have as much of a vested interest in those 5 songs. I tried to avoid that happening again. As I pointed out to Claude, I could have easily had that puppy finished 6 months ago if I were playing bass on it; it was getting the logistics of the whole band recording that was time consuming (that and the actual recording process itself).

During all of this we did a track for 10T records Undercover album (Jethro Tull's Cross-Eyed Mary)and I played bass along with Aaron on drums. We overdubbed Ange's sax and vocals the next day and my guitar, vox and keyboards later that same night. We could easily have taken a similar approach for the Clocks CD that would have saved us a lot of time.

We didn't. But the cool thing is, we took 13 months to record it, there are 13 songs, and the cover idea was an evil clock that had a face that went to 13 instead of 12. (The album is exactly 1 hour long by the way). All in all the personalities and conflicts actually made the CD what it is, so I guess everything is worth it.

Tomorrow, or maybe later next week I'll introduce you all to our NEW bass players (who actually is on teh album anyway) and the recent line-up of the band. We are tighter now than ever before and the groove pocket Aaron and I have been searching for has finally been achieved!

Song 6 Discoverie of Witchcraft

2010-03-04T23:57:00.001-08:00

The Discoverie of Witchcraft

composer: David Campbell (music ), Ben Jonson (words)

Line-up:
David Campbell: guitars, keyboards, vocals
Ange MacIvor: vocals, saxes, keyboards
Aaron Clark: drums and percussion
Claude Prince: bass
Rick Barkhouse: electric piano solo on part 5

Parts 1-7

Part 1: Convent
Convent is the opening part of "Discoverie of Witchcraft" and is an aggressive rocker. It uses a 12-tone approach and is based on a tone-row that is broken into sub-sets and permutated quite a bit. It is about the gathering of the witches and the lines "Dame Dame, the watch is set" are used to request the leader's presence. The setting is a hill in France and the first batch of the 12 hags await their mistress (Dame).

Part 2: Hags 1
The first of the three hag pieces, it introduces the main themes and the typical lyrical content taken wholly from Ben Jonson's "The Masque of Queens" in a mostly tonal acoustic guitar setting. The musical approach is akin to a nocturne being slightly spooky and meant to evoke an outdoor midnight gathering.
Now that the Dame has arrived, the already gathered witches (Hags) recount what they had been doing prior to their convening (gathering wolves' hairs, killing babies, mutilating animals, peeling flesh of of hanging men and other such delightful past-times). The ambience has crickets, wind and a distant but rapidly approaching storm.

Part 3: Mad Night
Mad Night is the third part of "Discoverie of Witchcraft" and is another aggressive rocker that uses a 12-tone approach. This piece has whispered lines that again, like all the lyrics in Discoverie, are taken from Ben Jonson's "Masque of Queens". Here the next witches are making their way to the convent to report in.

Part 4: Hags 2
Like Hags 1 this is another account of devilish mis-deeds, this time by the witches that have just arrived. The music here is the first variation of the original theme with a similar acoustic nocturn approach. Again the windswept French countryside ambience plays.

Part 5: Invitation to the Dance
So now the last batch of witches arrives and they do a sprightly dance. Originally I had a scherzo-type waltz in mind, but Aaron decided to swing it and this is how it ended up. It is jazzy but still has lots of crunch. Guest Rick Barkhouse turns in a great solo on electric piano.

Part 6: Hags 3
The last witches recount their adventures (torturing animals mostly) and once they are all accounted for, they begin their orgy, hmmm.

Part 7: Cavort
Like the title suggests, the witches cavort and dance and the music is a barely contained frolic in 3/4 which has switched gears, after a long 12 tone goose-egged synth intro, to aggressive and riffy guitar and bass with Ange's synth lead above..

The Discoverie of Witchcraft

Part 1: Convent
Dame dame, the watch is set.
Quickly now we all are met.
From the lakes and from the fens,
from the rocks and from the dens,
from the woods and from the caves,
from the church-yards and the graves,
from the dungeon, from the tree,
that they died on, here are we.

Part 2: Hags 1
I have been gathering wolves' hair,
the mad-dog's foam and the adder's ears.
The spurgings of a dead man's eyes,
and all since the evening star did rise.

I last night lay all alone on,
the ground to hear a man-drake groan
I plucked him up though he grew full low.
And as I had done the cock did crow.

Under the cradle I did creep,
by day and when the child was asleep,
I had a dagger; what did I with that?
Killed the infant to have her fat.

Part 3: Mad Night
The owl is abroad, the bat and the toad,
and so is the cat-a-mountain.
The ant, the mole sit both in a hole,
and frog peeps out of the fountain.
The dogs do bay and timbrels play,
the spindle now is turning.
The moon is red, the stars have fled,
but all the sky is burning.

Part 4: Hags 2
A murderer yonder was hung in chains.
the sun and wind had shrunk his veins.
I bit off a sinew I clipped his hair.
I brought off his rags that danced in the air.

I have been choosing out this skull.
From charnel houses that were full.
I from the jaws of the watcher's bitch,
did snatch these bones and them leaped the ditch.

Part 5: Invitation to the Dance
(art by Socar Myles)

Part 6: Hags 3
The scritch-owl's eggs and the feathers black.
Blood of the frog and the bones in his back.
The worm in the mouth of the dog's remains.
I killed a black cat and here are the brains.

I went to the toad breeds under the wall.
I charmed him out and he came at my call.
I scratched out the eyes of the owl before.
I tore the bat's wings; what would you have more.

Yes I have brought to help our vows,
horned poppy and cypress boughs,
the fog-tree wild that grows on tombs,
and juice that from the larch-tree comes,
basilick's blood and the viper skin.
And now our orgies let's begin.

Part 7: Cavort
screams and noises and the occasional Hoo-Har.

Recorded at Fiction Music and A&R studios from February to August 2009.

Song 5 The Settling of Bones

2010-03-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

The Settling of Bones

composer: David Campbell (music and words), Angie MacIvor (words)

Line-up:
David Campbell: guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion, vocals
Ange MacIvor: vocals

I wrote Settling of Bones in Toronto back in 1994 and it was originally part of a larger song set called "Urbanities".
I had the chorus lyrics written but never got around to the verses. I played the song to Ange and she decided to put some of her own words to it. The melody is a difficult one, full of leaps and large intervals but is also pretty lyrical and sweet.
I recorded all the bed tracks and a guitar lead of the melody which we eventually replace with Ange's voice.

The words:

I sit here alone.
I think of the time that's passed me by.
I know that the dreams I have aren't mine.

So much still unknown.
I wanted to make my mark on time,
now it seems like my well is running dry.

So easy when you're pointing the finger,
what you say now, always goes.
It's different when you have to contend with,
the choices you've made,
and the laws to be obeyed.
All that's left is (x3)
A settling of bones.

Ashamed ot be here.
Never have left things come to pass.
Nothing thats good will ever last.

So easy when you're pointing the finger,
what you say now, always goes.
It's different when you have to contend with,
the choices you've made,
and the laws to be obeyed.
All that's left is (x3)
A settling of bones.

Recorded at Fiction Music Productions June 16th 2009.

Gear used:

Percussion: Neumann KM-184 x 2 into presonus pres.

Electric Guitar: Howard Roberts Fusion into a Roger Linn Adrenalinn to a Millennia HV-3 preamp.

Acoustic 6 string : Taylor 314-CE into a TLM-103 and a Millennia Media HV-3 preamp.

Bass: Fender Jazz into a RME-hammerfall preamp.

Keyboards: Albino 3, M-Tron, Minimonsta.

Voices: Neumann U-87 into a Millennia Media Origin.

Recorded direct into Logic 8 via Millennia Media pres.

Song 4 Scales

2010-03-02T10:52:00.000-08:00

Scales of the Ebony Fish

composer: David Campbell (music and words)

Line-up:
David Campbell: guitars, keyboards, vocals
Aaron Clark: drums
Claude Prince: bass
Guy Leblanc: synth solo

Scales is a song that I wrote back in Vancouver in 1979 for the punk-jazz band I was in called 3C-236. The song itself has none of the qualities of punk or jazz, but I really liked the 12/8 pulse. The title was taken from a science fiction book I was reading at the time (A Dead God Dancing), where something was described as being blacker than the scales of an ebony fish. I liked that line and of course borrowed it. I also borrowed the groove from Robert Fripp's "Chicago" as far as that goes.

I wasn't really intending to include the song, but the lyrics seemed to fit the album theme, and after Guy's blazing solo, I figured I'd be foolish not to.

Recorded at Fiction Music Productions March 15th 2009. Guy's overdubs at Leblanc studios September 2009.

Gear used:
Drums: Pearl
Kick: AKG D-112
Snare: Shure SM-57
Piccolo snare: SM-57 (x2, top and bottom)
Toms: AKG SE300 /CK93 (x3)
Hi-Hat: AkG SE 300/CK91
Over-Heads: AKGSE300/CK94 (x2)

Electric Guitar: Howard Roberts Fusion into a Mesa-Boogie Maverick into a Neumann TLM-103 and a Millennia Media Origin .

Acoustic Guitar: Taylor 314-CE, into a TLM-103 and a Millenia Media HV-3 preamp.

Bass 1: Status Graphite into an Aguilar tube DI.

David's keyboards: Logic Drawbar Organ, Electric Piano, Sculpture, Linplug Albino 3.

Guy's keyboards: Korg M-50

Voice: Neumann U-87 into a Millennia Media Origin.

Recorded onto 16 tracks of ADAT and transferred to Logic 8 for further tracking, production and mixing.

Song 3 Wordplay

2010-03-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

Wordplay

Music: David Campbell, Angie MacIvor, Aaron Clark.
Words: Angie MacIvor

Line-up:
David Campbell: guitars, bass, keyboards
Ange MacIvor: vocals, soprano sax
Aaron Clark: drums

Another song that was recorded live off the floor and bass added later. I added bass to all the songs so Claude could learn his parts and usually we replaced them, but this time we decided to keep it. The band played live and all the sax, vocals, drums and guitars are first take. I added keyboards and acoustic guitar at my studio later. This was the first song we finished and was a new direction for us; more accessible and verging on a jam-band feel.
I brought the music into the band without and lyrics and only the verse melody written. Ange created the chorus melody and wrote all the words. The middle section was improvised in the studio and unlike the versions we had tried earlier. There are some clams here and there, but the energy is right so we left everything as is.

The words:
verse 1:
Disturbing the heart and the head,
a heaviness descends.
Words spoken in a tongue of flame.
The three-eyed demon of,
lust, eny and deceit;
it knows your name.

chorus:
Close your eyes, nothing will be the same.
Close your heart, only way to escape the pain.
Pull away, retreat into yourself.
If you feel nothing you won't feel your own heart break.

verse 2:
Inspiring deep feelings of dread,
another chapter ends.
Mere tokens in a heartless game.
The three sweet angels,
fall on their knees and cry,
they cry in vain.

chorus

verse 3:
Disturbing the head and the heart,
like actors playing a part,
words spoken in a strangers tongue.
Inspiring deep feelings of dread,
another chapter ends,
'til the story begins again.

Recorded at Shattered Wings Studio January 19th 2009.

Gear used:
Drums: Pearl
Kick: AKG D-112
Snare: Shure SM-57
Piccolo snare: SM-57 (x2, top and bottom)
Snare Side: CAD E-350
Toms: Sennheisser MD-421 (x3)
Hi-Hat: Audio-Technica 4051a
Over-Heads: Neumann KM-184 (x2)
All into Daking preamps.

Electric Guitar: Howard Roberts Fusion into a radial direct box, split to an Adrenalinn and direct injected. The direct injected part was re-amped into a Mesa-Boogie Mark IV into a Neumann TLM-103 and a Millennia Media Origin channel strip.

Acoustic Guitar: Taylor 314-CE into a TLM-103 and a Millennia Media Origin.

Soprano Sax: Selmer Mark II into a Rode NT-V and Daking preamps.

Bass 1: Status Graphite into an Aguilar tube DI.

David's keyboards: Linplug Albino 3, G-Force Minimonsta.

Voice: Neumann U-87 into a Geoff Daking preamp.

Recorded live into Cubase Windows and transferred to Logic for final tracking and mixing.

Song 2 Klak

2010-03-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

Klak

composer: David Campbell (music) and Geordie Robertson (words)

Line-up:
David Campbell: guitars, keyboards, vocals
Ange MacIvor: soprano sax, keyboards
Aaron Clark: drums
Claude Prince: bass

This was the first song written for the album and featured a lyricist I met at Progressive Ears; Geordie Robertson. There was a thread about surrealistic lyrics and he (among a host of others) posted some very cool poems. I got in touch and asked if he any he would mind giving me some to put to music. Geordie in turn sent me around 20 poems, 2 of which I combined to make the verse, chorus combination that eventually became Klak.

The demo for this song, as most of the others, was already fully produced, yet at rehearsals we spent some time going over a tricky section. Instead of moving along with the tune, we kept repeating the section when Ange mentioned that she liked it better that way. The whole of the under-pinning to her sax solo is the result.

Because we wanted to keep the solo as spontaneous as possible, Angie, Aaron and I tracked this song live off the floor at Shattered Wings studio with owner/manager Matthew Thomas engineering. Claude added the bass part later.

The words:

My baby klaks,
like the teeth of a shotgun cow,
dead meat, hits the killing floor.
My baby ticks,
like a deathwatch beetle,
waiting patiently beneath,
linoleum.

I dreamed I was homeless, wandering the strange avenues
In a daze lost and lonely, I called out for you.

My baby fucks,
fucks like a hurricane,
tearing up the coastline at,
break-neck speed.

I dreamed I was homeless, wandering the strange avenues
In a daze lost and lonely, I called out for you.
I dreamed I was home lying in, your arms like a child.
Until laughing and loved I, kissed you awake.

Recorded at Shattered Wings Studio January 19th 2009.

Gear used:
Drums: Pearl
Kick: AKG D-112
Snare: Shure SM-57
Piccolo snare: SM-57 (x2, top and bottom)
Snare Side: CAD E-350
Toms: Sennheisser MD-421 (x3)
Hi-Hat: Audio-Technica 4051a
Over-Heads: Neumann KM-184 (x2)
All into Daking preamps.

Electric Guitar: Howard Roberts Fusion into a radial direct box, split to an Adrenalinn and direct injected. The direct injected part was re-amped into a Mesa-Boogie Mark IV into a Neumann TLM-103 and a Millennia Media Origin channel strip.

Soprano Sax: Selmer Mark II into a Rode NT-V and Daking preamps.

Bass 1: Status Graphite into an Aguilar tube DI.

David's keyboards: Linplug Albino 3, M-Tron.

Ange's keyboards: Roland Fantom (organ patches)

Voice: Neumann U-87 into a Millennia Media Origin.

Recorded live into Cubase Windows and transferred to Logic for final tracking and mixing.

Song by song details

2010-03-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

At long last the album is finished. The manufacturer just called telling me the final product is in the mail and I should see my copies anyday.

Instead of going through all the recording details as I have done (repeating myself as I go) I decided that I'd simply post the details of each song and that would cover much the same ground (re-cover in some cases) but also give more information for those who want it. So here goes:

Evil Clocks Part 1

composer: David Campbell (music and words)

Line-up:
David Campbell: guitars, keyboards, vocals
Ange MacIvor: alto sax, vocals
Aaron Clark: drums
Claude Prince: bass
Guy Dagenais: 5 string bass, fretless bass solos

This song title (and in fact the album title) was inspired by a story my then 10 year old son wrote called "Wii are in the time of Evil Clocks". It was about a wii game controller and an evil clock. They battled, the clock was defeated, and for some obscure reason the controller got a job at Wal-Mart where he worked until the end of his days.
We liked the title (and of course made wii a we) and decided to use the evocative qualities of it to write a series of loosely related songs vaguely suggesting some distopian evil future.
This is part 1 of the 2 part song and is mostly in 5/4 with a 4/4 B section and bridges featuring a drum loop originally played by Aaron which we subsequently took, processed heavily and then made a Rex file with Recycle.

Recorded at Fiction Music Productions March 15th 2009. Claude's overdubs at Fiction July 2009.

Gear used:
Drums: Pearl
Kick: AKG D-112
Snare: Shure SM-57
Piccolo snare: SM-57 (x2, top and bottom)
Toms: AKG SE300 /CK93 (x3)
Hi-Hat: AkG SE 300/CK91
Over-Heads: AKGSE300/CK94 (x2)

Electric Guitar: Howard Roberts Fusion into a Mesa-Boogie Maverick into Neumann TLM-103 and a Millennia Media Origin .

Acoustic Guitar: Taylor 314-CE, into a TLM-103 and a Millenia Media HV-3 preamp.

Bass 1: Status Graphite into an Aguilar tube DI.

Bass 2: Music Man Bongo 5 string bass and a Fender Jazz fretless.

Sax: Selmer Mark II alto saxophone into a Neumann TLM-184 and a Millenia Media HV-3.

Keyboards: E-MU Vintage Keys, Dave Smith Evolver, Logic Sculpture, LinPlug Cronox, Sophistry and Albino 3. Solo on Korg MS-20 Legacy Series via M-Audio Axiom 61.

Voice: AKG C-414 into a Millennia Media Origin.

Recorded live off the floor onto 16 channels of ADAT-XT then transferred to Logic 8 for further tracking, production and mixing.

Spring-time for Hinterland

2009-11-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

This has been the mildest November I can imagine. Instead of longing for spring or other similar sunny times, I am basking in the warmth of these mild, grey days. Oddly enough, I remember the spring break sessions we did as being a lot colder.

This was our second kick at the can and we had decided as a band to record the next few tracks at my house when my family was away on vacation. As my studio is in the attic anyway, it made sense to track downstairs and then transfer the files to my mac, for overdubbing and mixing. That's just what we did.

It began with renting some mics and pre-amps a monitor board and setting everyone up in my dining room and living room. We recorded on some ADATS I bought used ($200 for two, a sight less expensive than the old blackface I had bought for close to $5,000.00 back in 1994). The idea was to put drums on on machine (tracks 1-8) and then ghost tracks of sax, guitar and vocals on the other.

On Day 1 that system worked pretty well and we were able to track Evil Clocks 1, Klak, and D3. We had guest bassist Keegan Melville on board for a rousing version of D3 (for a lot of reasons, some technical, some stylistic, it never made the cut for the final CD, but we have a great version of it and will post it soon).

The next day was very productive too and also lots of fun. Aaron brought his girl-friend and baby out, Ange stayed over with her husband Rick Barkhouse (keyboardist extraordinaire) and we all had a supper prepared by aaron and myslef. Very hippy-ish communal type thing if perhaps more staid and sober. No matter; it was a blast and we were able to track D1, D2 and parts of Hags (all of these being working titles for the sections contained in The Discovery of Witchcraft).

Unfortunately the next day (day 3 ie) the second ADAT died when I sent a surge of static electricity through it. I blame it on the workboots I was wearing (that and the dry air) and it actually happened later in my studio although not with such drastic results. That meant that the next tracking we did would be limited to one machine (ie 8 tracks). We decided to use a ghost gtr track and 7 tracks of drums. In that manner we limped though Scales and parts of D4.

In the end we only kept Evil Clocks 1, parts of Hags (ie subsections of Discovery of Witchcraft) and Scales. The rest we pitched out (well I actually don't pitch anything out, but we decided not to use it nevertheless).

So...on to the next session, these being with our then new member, Claude Prince and done at Ange's house, where we always rehearsed. More later.

Wah-Wah Face

2009-11-06T23:14:00.000-08:00

Ok. So listing the recording sessions in the order that they were done brings us to the earliest (in January 2009) at Shattered Wings Studio. The session was to start at 12 pm. I got there a little earlier and no-one was there yet. Around 12.20 Gary showed up, around 12;30 Aaron got there and around 12;45 Ange called in to say she wouldn't be there for another few hours; NOT an auspicious start.

We set the kit up and, as I had brought along a video recorder (the old type with a mini cassette) I set it up to record the action (right!). We put Gary and Aaron in Matthew's excellent drum room and I set up in the control room. I was using an Adrenalinn amp modeler just to lay down ghost tracks (which I would later re-do at home with one of my many tube amps), and I also brought my laptop-based keyboard rig. The plan was to put Ange in the booth so we could record her saxes and solos as the mood hit.

We started tracking D1 which was a hard tune and not to everyone's satisfaction, but I figured without Ange being there it made more sense to track the songs that she played a less than major role on. We ran the tune down a few times and made some revisions (making Aaron play a modified groove instead of a drum solo for example). By the time we had a few decent takes, Ange arrived so we promptly went on to Wordplay.

The reason for booking Shattered Wings was so that we could do this tune as it had an entirely improvised middle section and we would need to keep all the sax and drum parts pretty well as is. Like I mentioned, I was using an Adrenalinn (which I had actually bought used from Matthew several years earlier, indeed, it was in answering his ad, that I became of aware of his excellent studio in the first place) and although we wouldn't keep the tracks, I would need to duplicate what I had played so I would need to use them as a reference.

So we started recording and it became clear in a few minutes that Gary really wasn't into the song and even let some disparaging remarks slip past his talkback mic. I actually missed what he said, but I knew that Ange was pissed about something as she and Gary became snippy with each other. There was a long-standing issue regarding the song as Gary didn't care for Ange's vocals and felt the song itself was not really a proggy piece and belonged elsewhere. I understood his reservation about the tune itself (although not the quality of Ange's singing which was excellent), but I know when I originally wrote the music I was pretty happy with it. I loved Ange's lyrics and vocal delivery, as well as the arrangement the band had come up with so I wanted to try it. As such the job was to track as good a version as we could, produce it up and then decide if it was worth including.

As I mentioned, Gary's comments angered Ange, but all that did was put the fire under her ass and she played a killer solo. The band actually did a great take, although none of us felt Gary's heart was in it.

That was pretty well the pattern for the rest of the day; Gary played well at times, but mostly dragged his ass on the tunes he wasn't happy with. Ange was kicked ass on the songs she was featured in and Aaron, bless his soul, was and infusing an otherwise dull session with fire. As you can see from the following picture, that was mostly an uphill battle. Seated from left to right: Gary Lauzon (bass), Rick Barkhouse (friend and sometime keyboard-player), Ange MacIvor (sax, vocals and keys), Matthew (owner of Shattered Wings and engineer extrordinaire) , Aaron Clarke (sighs and drums).

We filmed a lot of the stuff but I wisely left the camera on Aaron, especially as I used a wah on a few songs and didn't want to get caught making the ubquitous wah-wah face that ALL guitarists make when using that particular pedal. It is almost impossible not to mouth the words wah-wah along the foot movements. We tracked D1, D2, and Wordplay that day, and each tune had a wah-wah face moment. So wisely, no footage of me exists, BUT we do have some of Aaron doing D2. (this version is live off the floor and has Gary on bass, me on keyboards and Adrenalinned guitar, Ange on keyboards and effected alto sax).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=CA&hl=en&v=ZLlGSHCl3g4

Due to the mopey session, we never ended keeping anything but Wordplay, and even at that I replaced all the bass parts. It was shortly thereafter Gary left the band, but as we all could see he just wasn't into anymore, that was expected. As I am also a bassist, it really wasn't a big deal as far as recording went, but I didn't want to end up with another album like Diagramma, where I ended up playing all the parts on several of the songs. Although I think I did a good job, it also takes a lot of the energy from a band when the album they are promoting doesn't even feature them. To clarify; Aaron wasn't in the band when I recorded the bulk of Diagramma, and Ange, Gary, Alain Bergeron and Paul Joannis and myself, weren't really a band until the first five songs were already in the can. We recorded two songs as a band but the others were just me. NOT a thing I wanted to do this time out, in fact, I was looking for the total opposite, where we would track as a band live off the floor.

Anyway, in regards to Wordplay, I wanted to salvage something from the session, so I took the piece home, added acoustic guitars, keys and bass and re-did the electric guitar. I kept Ange's vocal track, sax solo and Aaron's drums (all take 1) and used my ghost guitar part here and there. That was that and I then made a concrete decision to get a new bassist and have the band do all the other tracks AS A BAND. Here is a picture of me pretending to be a band again.

So while the session was mostly unusable, it served to make the decisions and subsequent directions easy and essentially paved the route for how we were (weren't) going to do the rest of the album.

Are we there yet?

2009-11-01T23:34:00.000-08:00

No. Not quite, so shut up back there.
Sheesh, this CD is taking its sweet time. I figure by the time we are finished, the CD format itself will have passed and the idea that anyone might actually BUY music won't even be a joke anymore. No matter, we are slogging along and the end of the tunnel is well within sight.

So here is what has been happening since I last posted: we finished most of the tracking around June or July. Then I started the mixing process. That was going well and we had most of the rough mixes done around August. Then I started doing the fine tweaking according to feedback from the members as I fired off round after round of rough mixes and re-mixes.

All that went swimmingly until September. At that point the CD was basically done and most of the fine mixes were finished. That was also about the time that I started experiencing equipment failures. Up in the boonies where I live, electricity is pretty stable mostly, but during the summer we get some pretty wicked storms and it isn't unusual for the power to go out for awhile. All my stuff is surge protected and the computers are on UPS units so that this kind of thing doesn't pose too much of a problem. Usually. This summer however the storms were far more frequent and far more powerful.

I am not entirely sure how, but during the stormy season, I lost 4 drives (each at roughly 600 gigs), my TC Electronics' Finalizer (sob), and one old Panasonic dat machine. I also fried an ADAT (we used some for remote recording...the venerable format still sounds pretty good) when I sent a spike through the system (my work boots are the culprit as it turns out; every time I wear them I get shocks when I touch any equipment!).

We were still able to procede regardless mainly because I have a LOT of gear and I am a stickler for backing things up. All along my G5 kept reminding me of an update to 10.5.7. I never update during a project so I put it off until I was finished. So I updated, BUT as it turns out I wasn't finished. I decided to remix two songs. Unfortunately for me my computer began showing signs of age (or so I thought). It began to grind to a halt loading up programs until finally it shut down entirely. I tried to re-boot but unfortunately my computer was effectively dead.

All of October I tried various methods of resuscitating it, but finally I had to cave in and buy a new computer (an 8-core mac Pro...yeehaw!). I really couldn't afford to keep my studio inactive for so long. I was able to retrieve all my files and, as I stated earlier, I am adamant in backing files up (to a spare terrabyte drive that spends most of its time shut off and alone, and to a thousand dvds I archive to constantly) so I did a disk transfer via firewire (Target Disk Mode; a neat feature that) and pulled up the files for remixing.

That was when the problems started. I went from a PPC based to an Intel based mac and a lot of the Audio Unit plugs I used needed to be updated and in some cases (digital fish plugs, KLC-1, and elemental audio plugs for example) were impossible to get recent versions. For the last two weeks I have been updating, re-authorizing, e-mailing developers, installing and re-installing over 300 plug-ins. Sheesh.

In some cases I had to re-install the plug-ins on my old mac (which I got running again after a fresh install of 10.5). Use all the old codes (which I meticulously filed away thankfully; or at least had done up until around May 2009) and then DE-AUTHORIZE them from one computer and re-authorize them on the new. I am a fan of intellectual copyright (being a composer for TV I earn most of my money from the exercising of such copyrights) but the sheer amount of time it takes, as well as becoming conversant with the myriad schemes that exist, is a real time consumer.

Anyway. I JUST got back to the project tonight and did the remixes. The art work is done and the CD is ready to be mastered and printed. Finally.

Now all we have to do is wait for our official release date (sometime in January). So, until then I'll post some of the details of the process of this incredibly arduous journey. The point of this blog was to do that actually, but I have spent so much time mixing and maintaining that I haven't posted anything for months. Now I'll share.

The Grinding You Hear Is Not My Teeth

2009-06-08T22:56:00.000-07:00

It is my clock, grinding to a halt. Nah, not really, but this is taking a lot longer to finish than I had anticpated. Last week we were able to get the first part of the Epic tracked (re-tracked is more like it) with a set-up we are using in our rehearsal spot. The reults are fantastic. Aaron and Claude have a great rapport. We play as a band but tend to keep just the bass and drums as the sax and guitar bleed into the drum mics. We tend to track guitar through an amp modeller instead (the mighty Adrenalinn) to replace later, and the sax is eschewed altogether. Ange does get to play her keyboard parts though. So.

The last version we did has 6 takes which the rest of the band are sorting through now (in terms of approval; I already know which one I like best !). I took my favorite version and transferred it to my Logic software and tempo mapped it. We don't use a click track or record to sequences, so we are very concious of time. The song has is eight minutes long, has 21 time signature changes and two tempo changes, so there is a certain amount of drift to be expected.

We start out at 150 for tempo I and stay there all the way through the first 12 time signature changes (the song is in 9/4 but leaps about to 10/4, 11/4, 12/8, 7/8, 11/8, 13/8, 14/8). When it goes to the 12/8 groove we slow down to 146 (tempo II) then ramp it back up to 150 when we go back to a 1/4 note pulse. Through-out the whole piece tempo I drifts from 150 to 149 to 151, and tempo II from 146 to 148 (a set-up for a fill). That's pretty fucking amazing for an 8 minute complicated outing ! YayAaron. Yay Claude.

if you rebuild it, they will forget

2009-04-25T22:55:00.000-07:00

So. The new bassist Claude Prince is working out very well. He is a fast study and is learning song after song. He is a very welcome addition to the band, so much so that we have re-evaluated some of the tunes we tracked before he joined and have decided to re-track them with him on bass. Originally we were either going to use David's bass parts on some tunes, and replace the existing bass parts Gary and David had done on other tunes. Now we figure we'll re-record the whole epic song again, and replace the bass on the songs we feel are sitting well as is.

That obviously puts a serious dent in our schedule and we look like we aren't going to make our June release anymore. Pity. The amount of work David has put into the songs since they were tracked is HUGE, but even still, we all feel it is a better idea just to re-do the majority of them and miss our deadline.

On the plus side, at least half of the Cd is VERY close to being done. We have divided it up with the songy songs on the first half and the epic tune for the last. The first half is almost finished. All we have to do is re-track a bass-line, redo a vocal and track vocals for one other tunes. Oh, and add a keyboard solo from Guy Leblanc. And a fretless solo from Guy Dagenais. And...well, judging from the current addendums and add-ons: who knows? Still the album has a definitive shape and the last batch of mixes are very close to being final.

We hope to be done tracking and mixing by August and have the mastering done by September. This is taking a whole lot of time (more than any thing I have ever done before, and I typically grind out at least a 1/2 hour of finished, broadcast ready music a month).

No matter, the band is gearing up and the music is tighter and cleaner than before and that is very exciting!

A new wheel

2009-04-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

In January charter member Gary Lauzon left the band and we have been auditioning bassists since. Last week we had out last audition and we are excited to announce bassist Claude Prince will be the newest wheel. Claude has immaculate prog credentials having been a member for Nathan Mahl for their arguably most popular albums "Clever Use of Shadows" and "Heretic". As well he was the bassist for their now famous live gig at Nearfest, back in 2002, when they blew away many prog fans.

We had auditioned quite a few players, both formally and informally and were getting a little worried that we mightn't find the right fit. Quite a few had expressed interest but most of them balked when they realized both the work involved playing the tunes, and the distances needed to travel to rehearsals, (while we are basically an Ottawa-based band, we rehearse outside of the city). No matter, as it turns out, Claude came along and blew us all away with his chops and his personality. Not only had he learned the requiste tunes (pretty tricky ones at that), but he had also taken a trial drive by our rehearsal spot just so that he would know the way on the day of the actual audition.

Given his lineage, all of us felt that his audition was more a matter of finding whether the personalities were a fit. Nevertheless he played the pieces with such aplomb that even if they weren't, we would still have been eager to have him join. As it turns out though Claude fit right in regardless, so the band is now poised to enter what all of us feel as being our strongest phase yet.

In other news, we are still tracking parts for our new CD, as well as another tune for a 10T complilation of twisted cover tunes called Undercover. The idea here is for every band on 10T to submit a re-worked version of an influential tune. We have chosen Cross-Eyed Mary and have almost finished it. Quite fun that.

So here are some pictures of various recording sessions we have done lately. We have used Shattered Wings, my studio and our rehearsal spot for the various tracking sessions. The mix is to be done in my studio (as before) and the mastering is tentatively set to be done at Raven.

If You Build It They Will Leave

2009-03-02T22:13:00.000-08:00

We have been taking a wee break these last few weeks. Well a break from rehearsals anyway as I have been slogging away mixing the tracks we have already recorded, as well as recording beds for some of the other tunes. I am just about to begin writing up the score for the epic The Discovery Of Witchcraft. Right now some parts are fully scored, but mostly it exists as several dozen pieces of paper with very quick jottings on it (those pages at the top are the kind of thing I mean).

The search is still on for a bassist. We have several people coming out to audition still and we excited about the calibre of player we are attracting. Of course, there are always those people who get in touch acting like playing the tunes will be a cakewalk only to show up barely able to play their instrument let alone some of the pretty convoluted tunes we do. It makes you wonder if some people actually take the time to read the ads they respond to (or check out the rather lengthy list of links we provide). No matter, we are pretty impressed with most of the people who have come out and those who we have scheduled.

Our next in-depth recording session will be in two weeks, where
we will be recording in my studio. It will be a week-long session so I am hoping we can pretty well finish all the band tracking and just tidy up some solo and vocal parts afterwards. We'll see.

upward and onward

2009-02-08T23:33:00.000-08:00

So we are proceeding quite well with the CD and have five songs pre-mixed and awaiting a few final details before they are in the can. Given that these songs are very long (even the short ones) we have gotten quite a lot done so far. The art-work is finished and only needs the final details regarding song length and order to get the templates all finished for the CD replicators.

Gary, our bassist has informed us he will be leaving in the next few weeks as the band is consuming too much of his time and effort. We are all sad he is leaving but look forward to the aspect of some fresh blood as well. As far as the album goes, the tracks he is already on (three) will stay as is but David will probably step in to finish the others. As David is a bassist anyway that poses no real problem. We still have plans to co-write Arachnophobia 2 and include it on the album, so Gary's presence will certainly still be felt on the CD. We of course wish him all the best and thank him for the six years of hard-work and effort he has brought to the fold. Adios amigo.

So we are now on the look-out for a new bassist. Ideally we get someone before we finish tracking so that they might be on the CD. As Aaron's knee is still on the mend we do have a bit of breathing room, but there is still a lot of work we need to do regardless. This coming week we will start auditioning and hope to find a replacement. A band is a delicate thing and we are going to take our time to get the right mix of personality and of course chops. We have a pretty bass-heavy sound so it will be tricky getting the right player, but Ottawa has lots of really good musicians and we are confidant we will find one without too much stress.

Here is a glimpse of a new track we are working on. There are no lead vocals yet, but there are bgs. This song was premiered at the Nuance Art-rock Fest with great success. This particular version has a lot more texture (live was just two vocals and gtr) and is been fun producing. It also is the first song David has played bass on for the CD (but not the last!)

This of course is a rough mix, but close enough to get a feel of. The song is called The Settling of Bones and is on our Facebook player:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rebel-Wheel/41568152308

Studio Hijinks

2009-01-29T15:45:00.000-08:00

Well we have been hard at work in the studio getting the CD ready. We tried to get as much done before Aaron had knee surgery so we booked a 12 hour session at http://www.shatteredwings.com/ and tracked four songs. Considering each song is around 6-8 minutes long and we did quite a few takes of each that was quite a job.

We are trying to get a fairly live sound on the CD, which is not to say we won't be doing overdubs and punch-ins, or even some editing, but we want the thrust of the project to be live-off-the-floor (does anyone actually use that term anymore?). We were able to get good takes of all the songs and we were also able to video tape parts thereof. I just finished a video of Aaron playing drums on MadNight take 1 (a take we didn't use). This is all live in the studio except I processed the sax solo with an amp simulator and re-amped my di'd guitar into my Mesa. We are missing some keyboard parts and the mix is obviously a rough one, but all in all it is a fairly accurate representation of what we sound like. Listen to it here http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLlGSHCl3g4

Now we are finalizing the art-work and looking at a myriad of mock-ups. Francis has done a superlative job and once we decide on our final choices I'll post some of the stuff he has come up with. It seems that most bands these days are eschewing CD releases in favour of downloads, but we decided to not only release a CD, but to make it an elaborate and full-blown one at that. Our label 10T records, has a new download site they'll have up and running soon, so that those who want to just dl tracks can do so, but being an old-fashioned guy, I still want to have the complete package done up for those who prefer that kind of thing (me mostly it seems). No matter.

WE also have a new Reverbnation account AND a Facebook account (finally) so here are the links: http://www.reverbnation.com/therebelwheel and our facebook account is http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rebel-Wheel/41568152308

They are both new accounts so stop by and share the love.

Ok, that's it for now. We are continuing our recording (or will be once Aaron is on his feet again...or as is more appropriate given the fact he is a drummer, on his butt) and are working on the group keyboard parts for the interludes that string our massive 35 minute epic "The Discovery of Witchcraft" together (how corny is that?).

The work continues

2008-12-14T22:59:00.000-08:00

Ahhh...what a great feeling! We are in the midst of rehearsals for our new CD and are currently working on our 37 minute epic, "The Discoverie of Witchcraft". We have been approaching it section by section (essentially 4 long convoluted instrumental variations of a signature riff, and 3 pastoral sections with vocals and 4-part keyboards), and are at the 28 minute mark. I am happy that the band has the discipline and the motivation to tackle something this unwieldy (and so easily denigrated!), but not only have we sunk our collective teeth into it, we are having a blast doing it.

We only have one section left and one other tune to do and we can hit the studio running. Aaron has a knee operation in January so we will record about 3/4 of the album before then and the remaining sections after he is back on his feet again. Our target date to record is January 4-14th.

On others fronts, Francis Dupuis is doing a great job putting our design together. At this rate we will have a package ready to go by the spring!

Sessions

2008-11-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

Well right now the band is slogging through rehearsals getting prepared for our studio dates. We have all the material for the album written and most of it arranged and well-rehearsed. Aaron has knee surgery soon so we trying to get as much tracked before then as possible.

As before, each member has a keyboard(s) so we have quite a set-up going on at our rehearsal spot (Ange's basement by the by). I thought I'd add some pictures. Ange's set-up is a Yamaha analog synth and a Roland Fantom (both of which are at the bottom right of the picture). Her Selmer Alto and Soprano saxes aren't in the picture.

Behind that is my rig, which consists of an M-Audio Axiom 61 going into a Dell laptop running Live. I use quite a few plug-ins and samples collected from various places but the ones I seem to use the most are Linplug's Albino3, Camel's Cameleon, U-he's Zebra3, G-Force's M-Tron, Mini Monsta and Oddity, and NI's B4. I also use the Live plug-in Sampler (and Simpler) as they are both stellar. Behind that (or to the left of that) I also have an M-Audio Radium 49 going into a Dave Smith Evolver. My Mesa-Boogie MarkIV and Marshall 4x10 are against the wall facing the laptop and Axiom.

Peeking through that is Gary's StudioLogic keyboard controller (nearset the bass neck on the top left). That goes out to a E-MU Vintage Keys rack mount. He also has a Trace-Elliot Viper 6 bass amp, an Ibanex bass (among others, but right there he is on his trusty Ibanez).

It's hard to see from the above picture, but tucked between Gary and Aaron is an Alesis Micron which Aaron uses. Aaron's Rogers kit is to the right of the keyboard. Connecting all of this to the various PAs and amps is a morass of patch cords. Pretty cool actually.

I have met with artist Francis Dupuis who is going to put our package together for us. Aaron is an artist as well, so among the three of us (with some licensed art-work from other sources) we are sussing out the package design quite nicely. All in all things are coming along quite swimmingly.

More news, less whining.

2008-11-07T16:16:00.000-08:00

Ok. Desite the last post which, while posted today is actually several months old, the album is already written and is well on the way to being recorded. We have been rehearsing twice a week together as a band and been getting together often in smaller units to work on specific things like vocals and various instrumental sections. The work has been paying off.

We had several live gigs to finish up before we got down to the business of recording. This year has been VERY busy for us with gigs in Toronto, Philadelphia, Quebec City and of course our home town, Ottawa. The last show we did was at The Nuance Art-Rock festival in Toronto. It was a great festival with lots of good people and good bands. We were determined to have a good time so we got there early and watched each band's performance. We were pretty vocal in our support too. That may have been a bad thing though. Because we had driven so far (well Ottawa to Toronto isn't actually all that far, but considering the awe people had there about us driving that far, I guess others think it is) and were so vocal, I am pretty sure the other bands figured we were a desperate wannabe band. As we played after the dinner break (it was an all-day fest) only Wilton and a few of his band-mates actually stuck around. The others, despite polite and unasked for assurances that they would stay, didn't bother. Thanks lads.

Well regardless, we went on and played up a storm. I won't pretend I wasn't disappointed in the other bands (obviously I really was) but the crowd was so friendly and enthusiastic we were more concerned about giving them a good show. We did! The band was well-rehearsed and all of us were ready to rock out. Our stuff ranges from total angular dissonace to some fairly straight-ahead songy-song type tunes so we mixed it up a lot.

Here is a review from the gig itself:

The last band up at the NUANCE festival was 'Rebel Wheel'. I had heard of them, but had I had never heard their music before. I, and all of us, were in for a real treat! Unfortunately, the only flaw in the show was that there was no lighting at all on the stage! I had to check the web site to see what they looked like! Other than that, Rebel Wheel simply blew me away! Intricate melodies weaved through amazing arrangements that soared through the the night! They had a touch of King Crimson with a taste of Mostly Autumn in their sound, and I could give no higher praise. However, they really do have a sound all their own, and they are an absolute delight to listen to! This is what great prog music is; fantastic playing at breakneck speed, with intricate facets of each piece shining like a diamond!

For those who get a chance to see this incredible band live, do not hesitate to do so! They are an absolute delight to watch and listen to. They have a CD out, but you have to order it from the website. It's not available in stores. Stupid stores. A great show, and a great ending to another fantastic NUANCE show. A great thanks to everyone involved, especially Wilton!

Doug LeBlanc "

Thanks Doug. Now to the album.

We have contacted some artists and they along with our own talented artist-in-residence (our drummer Aaron Clark) have agreed to let us use some of their art in our package. We would like to thank amazingly unique clockmaker Roger Wood http://www.klockwerks.com/ for letting us use some images of his work as well as artist Socar Myles for licensing (and selling us) some of her very beautiful art http://www.gorblimey.com/ . The design is still a work in progress, but we are very excited about it and hope to have something to show soon.

We are almost ready to record and intend to use my home studio (a fairly well outfitted one as I am a professional composer and gear slut). There will be a short hiatus throughout as Aaron undergoes knee surgery, but we will probably have everything done by Febuary 2009. We have some amazing musical guests lined up but we won't divulge who they are right now.

Ok. Thats the news and with the exception of some post-gig-fellow-band complaints, no whining.

The MaCullums Don't Build Bungalows

2008-11-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned in prior, now somewhat ancient posts, my band The Rebel Wheel are hard at work writing, arranging and rehearsing music for our 2nd CD for 10T Records. We have decided to name it "We Are In The Time Of Evil Clocks" and plan to feature music that deals loosely with that idea, as well as songs that are inspired by Jonson's "The Discoverie of Witchcraft". So. I'd like to say everything is going swimmingly, but alas, due to the bad habits of my neighbours and their pets I am having serious doubts whether I can get all the material ready in time.

The problem is my neighbours (three in all) have bought dogs for their kids. That really shouldn't be a problem in and of itself, but when the kids in question don't care for their pets and the parents never intended to, you end up with neglected and unnecessarily despised nuisances.

The neighbours who live across the street from me bought a Golden Lab puppy for their daughters. At first they were enamoured and played with it constantly until one fateful day the dog nipped one of them (as puppies are wont to do). From that point on the dog has been put on a leash all day long. That is pretty sad but it is compounded by the fact that the same kids play just out of compass of the leash so the dog goes into loud exasperated barking mode from around 7:30 in the morning until around 7:30 at night, with a couple of breaks through the day when it is put inside. They never walk their dog, they never play with their dog, instead they taunt it and torture it by playing just out of reach of its leash. Yay neighbour # 1.

The neighbours who live several doors down from me also have a dog that no-one walks or plays with. The dog was for their kids who have since moved and gone on to university. In this case the leftover owners don't chain it up, instead they let it run around the neighbourhood. It seems like it prefers my lawn best of all for having its daily dump, but that doesn't really bother me so much as the fact it rips my garbage apart, growls at my kids (when they are in their own yard) and barks and attacks any other dog being walked down the street. Most of the people in my small town are very considerate and walk their animals (and even scoop up the poop) but thanks to the exploits of Maggie (demon bitch dog from hell) they get penalized for it by the inconsiderate ones. Yay neighbour #2.

The people who live just down the street from me have two new small yappy dogs they recently bought for THEIR daughter, and as is the trend hereabouts, that daughter has lost interest in her doggies. So now her puppies are chained up outside and bark continously (at each other, at fate, at everything that bloody well moves). At least the kids don't play in front of them (instead they play street hockey on one of the busiest streets in my admittedly small town...often after dark!). Yay neighbour #3.

So on any given day I might get 1/2 an hour of silence from the dog pack. I tend to write during the night as a result, but then the next day starting at around 7:30 am, I am kept awake by the continous barking. This is not the stuff that good tunes are made of but I trudge on regardless and have written some pretty good pieces. Unfortunately there are far too few.

I should have seen this coming when the vacant property next to me was purchased. There was an existing very small house on it but it was promptly torn down. When the new owner (a direct relative of Neighbour #1) was asked what kind of bungalow they would build there the answer (which has become synonymous in my house for pretentious yuppy bullshit) was:

"bungalow? The MaCullums don't build bungalows!!!"

Indeed they don't. Instead a McMansion was crammed into the small lot and threatens to explode onto my property and the street. Good fences build good neighbours, and so do good manners. This place hasn't got much of either.

The rewards of Sisyphus.

2008-05-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

Rolling the rock. Up and up. That's what it feels like sometimes keeping a band together and keeping material flowing, the excitement fresh and the many egos content. It is very tough and very tricky. This time however it seems like an exception to the rule.

The writing for the CD is well over half done; we are resurrecting a couple of old tunes I had written years ago (decades even) along with some brand new ditties fresh off the pencil. Now that the band is a four-piece, it makes a lot of arranging decisions and production directions easier to assess. The problem earlier incarnations of the band had was that often times we would create something in the studio that was almost impossible to re-create live. On the other hand, when we did have a larger ensemble other songs that didn't really require that many people, usually had to be re-arranged.

In this case however, we have found a happy medium in terms of size and have also discovered we have a strong improvisational sense. Often when we rehearse we often let ourselves take some part or section and jam on it. That has yielded some very interesting asides and alternative arrangements.

For example, at our last two gigs (Rosfest after-hours party and Quebec's Ninkasi gig) we brought out a new tune that was only several weeks old. It started life as a gtr-synth ditty (more demoing patches than actual composition) and gradually evolved into a showcase for Ange's vocals and sax. I wrote the basic melody and structure with my gtr-synth (A Brian Moore thingy which can switch from synth to gtr etc.) and my new pedal board (thanks to Rob Dontigny for that) and brought that to the band. We played it through and everyone added elements to their parts. After several rehearsals the tune had transformed into an alternative-indy type song with a Pink Floyd-like vamp. Very interesting.

This actually accented the idea I had had for this album. We are a prog band so it is almost incumbent upon us to have some epic tunes (that and the fact I LIKE epic tunes). I hear a lot of criticisms of "padding" and "lack of discretion" levelled at bands with epic tunes, as if to say that if the band had better chops, editing skills and taste, the tunes wouldn't have been epic but rather a succinct songy-song that actually works, instead of a "cobbled together" sprawling mess. I have read many threads on Progressive Ears that state that an CD with 40 minutes of well written music is better than 70 minutes of good tunes and not-so-good padding.

Well I like songy-songs and I like epics (and I often wonder just how familiar people are with the suite form) so we decided to cater to everyone! What we intend to do is around 40 minutes of songy-songs (and by that I mean non-epic tunes both vocal and instrumental) and then a roughly 30 minute suite (note I say suite and not the popular but ultimately meaningless "epic form"). For people who hate padding they can eject the CD before the big EPIC.
For those who like their CDs packed to the brim they can listen on. Seems fair eh?

So the songy-songs will have a loose relationship to the albums title ("We Are In The Time Of Evil Clocks" in case you've forgotten) and the epic is tentatively titled "The Discovery of Witchcraft". The term is not my own (are any?) rather it is a title of a manifesto written in 1584 by Reginold Scot. I don't know how much actual stuff we'll take from the manisfesto itself (other than the name of course) but along with Scot we do intend to use a lot of verses from Ben Jonson's The Masque of Queens.

I am a HUGE Robertson Davies fan and of course in his book, "A Mixture of Frailties" one of the characters (Giles Revelstoke) is a composer who has a piece that uses Scot and Jonson and is coincidentally called "The Discoverie of Witchcraft". His piece is angular but apparently doesn't use "wrong-note modernism" whereas mine is angular and abounds in it. I use 12 tone rows a lot in this one (although they are far from modern so I suppose only the "wrong-note" aspect is true).

As an aside, I once had an idea to use another Robertson Davies idea; the concept of the Seven Laughters. In The Lyre of Orpheus, the character Maria, while waiting to fall asleep, is worried that her academic prowess is being chipped away by a comfortable marriage. To assuage herself she reviews some of the learning she has acquired. She dredges from her memory a creation myth called The Seven Laughters of God. As she is a Rabelaisan scholar, I thought the Seven Laughters was some monkish writing (obviously I am NOT a Rabelaisan scholar). As it turns out, I am not the only one inspired by Davies, as painter F. Scott Hess has a fairly famous series of paintings called "The Seven Laughters of God" (he doesn't hesitate to credit the idea to Davies and although he gets the right trilogy, he names the wrong book). Apparently it is an Egyptian creation myth. Who knew? (no-one I suspect).

In any event " The Discovery of Witchcraft" is coming along beautifully; the trick is to try and limit myself to something that is playable by four-pieces live, although, like Gentle Giant say, I have no real objections to re-arranging a studio construct for live performances leaving out all the many overdubs and ancillary counter-point parts.

So...with any luck this venture will be something in the nature of a reward for old Sisyphus. When he reaches the peak this time he can sit back and smoke a butt and watch the sunset.

we are in the time of evil clocks

2008-05-07T00:09:00.000-07:00

My band The Rebel Wheel, signed a good old fashioned record deal last year with 10T Records. Part of the terms of the deal was to deliver two albums. We delivered the first almost immediately, (having had most of it recorded, mixed and mastered before we even approached the label) and we are just starting work on the second.

I created this account to document the "process", as we are in the primary stages. So far all we have is a title we pinched from a story my 10 year old son wrote called "We Are In The Time Of Evil Clocks". In the original story the hero gets preyed upon by a wi game and an evil clock. After some various travails, the wi game ends up having to work at Wal-mart (hey kids....do all your shopping....AT WAL-MART!!!). Not being a concept album as such, I doubt that our CD will have the same plot lines, but the name is sufficiently intriguing and evocative in and of itself that we decided to use it (with Nick's blessing).

So. We are in the time of evil clocks.