Devianocus sonariae

Music is Expression in the Form of Sound

2011-09-02T19:03:00.001-05:00

Art (painting, acting, dancing, writing, playing an instrument, etc.) can manifest from two internal states: the intellectual, technical perspective and the emotional, sentimental perspective. Art, first and foremost, is the expression of emotion or spirituality through some medium. Or, at least, it should be. The origins of music started this way--music to accompany the hunt, to mark a death, to celebrate a marriage, etc. The intellectual side of art developed over time, as man's mind developed beyond simply concerning himself with food, shelter, and other basic needs. I attempt to cultivate both sides of that dichotomy when I dabble in art, whether painting, playing, composing, or writing. That's why I can dig the craziest Frank Zappa Synclavier piece and then turn around and love Tom Petty, Robert Johnson, Rob Zombie, Fleetwood Mac, B.B. King, or Audioslave. There's a place for the emotional side in music, but the expense of one over the other can be problematic for thinking, feeling human beings. If I spend too much time consuming so-called "simple" music, I eventually go through a balancing stint of listening to more esoteric, experimental stuff to buttress the intellect. If I go on a jazz listening spree, I'll shortly thereafter undergo a pop music consumption binge to feed the sentimental or nostalgic side. I'm a bit bipolar when it comes to music--happily so.

There's something to be said for musicianship (a part of the intellectual frame of reference). If music exists primarily as a means to creatively express something through sound, musicianship serves to improve that expression (or, occasionally, to overshadow it). It's a balancing act; some schmucks screw it up by obsessing over arpeggios, scales, and other theoretical concepts (i.e., Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci, or <insert shredder name here>) at the expense of expression; those sorts of musicians sometimes end up without anything to say with their music, except for the theory or technique itself. It's very rare to find someone sufficiently talented who can skillfully fuse the two together: equal parts feeling with equal parts technique, where the mesmerized listener--any listener--is just blown away. The layman is attracted to the emotional and rhythmical, while the technician gets sidetracked by the theory of it all. The technician then wonders to himself why the masses prefer Soundgarden to his scale-filled rock guitar masterpiece. Because Soundgarden stirs the emotions of the average listener, shredder guy! Your scales sound like weedily-wee-wee-wee to the unschooled listener. Maybe the layman is temporarily impressed by your technical display, but he eventually awakens from that stupor and goes back to dance with the one that brought him: lyrics, melodies, repeating phrases, and simple rhythms--music that stirs the sentiments. There are, of course, exceptions to that phenomenon, because in amongst the masses are the few intellectual types who, unfortunately, go on to be the next generation of shredders. Some of those shredders will, over time, mature and learn to broaden their pallet to enjoy highly intellectual forms of music, like jazz, so-called "classical," or experimental music forms (I put myself into that category).

Yes, I realize that someone might argue that a pure consumer of "intellectual" music--having listened to and digested such auditory works continually--might be moved emotionally by such music. I believe there is some truth to that assertion (I can be moved emotionally by what some might consider "strange" music). But it's still academic sentiment; it takes time to develop that sort of appreciation, whereas the casual listener--even a baby--can discern simple rhythms and melodies right away. I'm not saying we should all be babies when we consume art, but maybe infants could remind us of simple joys that we sometimes leave behind (like bopping to a simple dance groove). One of my favorite musical thinkers of the recent past, Marion Bauer, stated in her 1933 book, Twentieth Century Music: "The untutored listener responds to obvious rhythms (a foot-listener), the banality of which annoys the trained musician who seeks his satisfaction in melodic and harmonic complexities...sounds which were painful, when once accepted and organized by the brain, may become pleasurable."

My intellectual side agrees with Marion, wholeheartedly; I have honed a certain appreciation for what most would consider strange and inaccessible in the world of art. However, I started off in life as a "foot listener." And so did she (and everyone else). There's nothing wrong with "obvious rhythms," though they may not seemingly impress those paying lip service to the intellectual, the obscure. Yes, the trained intellectual (the shredder or music elitist) may look down on what he considers banal musical forms, even though he may avoid admitting that he, secretly, loves those obvious rhythms too! Very few of us are, purely, one or the other.

What I'm attempting to convey is that I can stand on stage with a hot amplifier fed by a Fender Strat in my hands and feel just fine chunking on a few simple power chords, especially if that certain unspoken energy is circulating in the room and entrancing both the listeners and musicians. That's a feeling that's hard to define or explain. It's also one of the reasons that some of the best performances have occurred live, becoming seminal moments in popular music history (Jimi Hendrix's burning Strat, The Who destroying their instruments, Janis Joplin squawking in all her blues-laden fury, Frank Zappa's performance art--especially the NYC days, etc.). Such moments involved some form of energy that was being shared between listener and performer. Antithetically, I can also completely vibe out on Arnold Schoenberg or Igor Stravinsky performances and recordings. All of the aforementioned performances and works hit at different sides of the brain. The response--or even the intent--might be emotional or intellectual or both (though rarely both).

Ten years ago, I was living in Virginia and playing in a swing band; I was the youngest guy in this large group of mostly graying horn players, and it was very challenging hanging with all of these old cats who had played those big band charts a thousand times. I struggled at first but eventually got better, because they were willing to put up with me. I've also been in groups where I was the most knowledgeable and experienced; I had fun in both situations. I found that I really got better when I learned to take my ego out of the picture; I know there are tons of guys better than I am, technically, at music. But NO ONE can say what I personally have to express from an emotional, creative perspective--whether I pick up a pencil and draw it or pick up a guitar and play it. We're all different in that regard, and no one can express what you feel better than you! My advice to all musicians is to avoid the trap of comparing oneself to others; usually, such comparisons involve trivial thought patterns, like how much better another is technically or musically (there's that intellectual stuff creeping in again, interfering with the emotional). No one on earth touches an instrument the way someone else does, with the same tone, the same quirks, the same mechanics. All of those little things make each of us different and give our creations a unique quality.

There is no best in art, in my opinion. Music competitions--including the informal, comparative ones--are stupid; it took me a long time to learn that lesson.

New Album Release: Paroxysm

2011-02-19T09:41:00.001-06:00

It only took four years, but I've finally put out another record. You can check it out and purchase in two ways: either CDBaby (for those who still prefer a physical CD) and digital distribution (iTunes and others). Other avenues of digital distribution will follow shortly. Hope you'll give it a listen! This one features a good bit of fretless guitar and other surprises. I was particularly pleased with the production quality. Enjoy!!!

Merry Christmas: Jingle Bell-bottoms

2010-12-25T15:18:00.001-06:00

Recording a new Christmas tune has become sort of a holiday tradition here in the studio. So far, I've recorded Silent Night and What Child Is This (Greensleeves), both of which are "public domain" pieces. I did a version of Frosty the Snowman once too, and that wasn't public domain (though it was never for sale or anything).

This year I decided to do a really hokey version of Jingle Bells called Jingle Bell-bottoms, complete with lots of wah-wah'd guitar parts, lots of bells, jazzed up lines, and a family chorus right in the middle. Hope you like it! It's freely downloadable.

From our house to yours: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Jingle Bell-bottoms by sonicdeviant

Sing Me My Breakfast Appears on "braincast"

2010-11-22T10:16:00.001-06:00

SD's jazzy piece Sing Me My Breakfast appeared on the German podcast called braincast in Episode 221 on 22 Nov 2010. Thanks for the play.

Ein jazziger Einstieg mit Sing Me My Breakfast von Sonic Deviant
[From Ernährung 3 - Tipps | braincast]

The Gunter Hotel: Robert Johnson's "Studio"

2010-09-12T14:40:00.001-05:00

My wife and I recently went to a show in downtown San Antonio to see one of our favorite 70s pop artists, Kenny Loggins, at the grand Majestic Theater on Houston Street. This is the same theater where we've seen Bill Cosby and Puscifer; the theater is worth seeing all by itself--an early 20th Century marvel, complete with restored atmospherics, such as clouds that move across a starlit ceiling.

Our usual habit is to find someplace to eat before a show, so we strolled along the streets, vainly attempting to decide on a restaurant. We finally settled on Barron's, a cafe located on the ground floor of an opulent hotel, situated almost directly across the street from The Majestic. Downtown San Antonio is full of great, old hotels dripping with history: The Menger, The Havana Inn, The Crockett, and of course, the hotel where we dined, known for over 100 years as The Gunter. We ate a good meal at Barron's and decided to walk around the hotel lobby before the show started, perusing the memorabilia and historical artifacts that included the hotel's retired telephone switchboard (last used, amazingly, in 1979) and guest registers dating back to the hotel's beginnings.

The Gunter Hotel, Then and Now.

What amazed me most was to discover that a few tracks from Robert Johnson's seminal album, King of the Delta Blues Singers, were recorded in room 414 of The Gunter in the fall of 1936, including the oft covered "Cross Road Blues." The Gunter Hotel (now owned and operated by Sheraton, Inc.) has a wonderful display honoring RJ, and room 414 is a shrine to the milestone recordings made there.

Perhaps the ultimate irony is that one of the songs Kenny Loggins performed at The Majestic later that night was a cover of "Crossroads" (the rocked-out Cream version). Robert Johnson had no way of predicting that one of his recordings, made two years before he died at The Gunter, would be performed by a major pop act 74 years later at the theater he, no doubt, noticed when he was checking into his hotel "recording studio" across the street. Very cool stuff.

SD Appears on "Book Artists and Poets"

2010-07-11T17:03:00.001-05:00

Sonic Deviant's "In Odio Circulus Sonus" appeared on Steve Miller's podcast episode 21 May 2008 of "Book Artists and Poets" via The University of Alabama. In this episode, Steve interviews Oregon book artist Roberta Lavadour.

A direct link to the podcast is HERE.

Roberta Lavadour is an Oregon book artist who loves outdated printing technologies. She says, "I think by moving objects around." and "We all have an obligation to make art." A May 21, 2008 interview with Steve Miller at Arrowmont School of Art and Crafts. Music by Sonic Deviant.
[From Book Artists and Poets]

TC Electronic Impact Twin Review

2010-02-08T20:59:00.001-06:00

Check out my complete review over at Big Al's blog: HomeStudioGuru.com

Holy Hand Grenade Appears on PiratesWeek

2009-11-30T19:50:00.001-06:00

Shane's new video and podcast music project known as GShane scored a play of the rock instrumental Holy Hand Grenade (of Antioch) on PiratesWeek. Shane has appeared before on this podcast back in 2006 and 2007.

Neat because this podcast is played on several pirate broadcasts across the country!

[From PiratesWeek 11/29/09 | PiratesWeek Podcast]

New Project: Christmas Party Presentation Music

2009-11-22T17:14:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine, Norman Bates (no, not really...I can't back that up), is using his visual art talents to create a digital presentation of photographs, featuring our fellow Air Force squadron members to be displayed at the upcoming annual Christmas party. He asked me to put together four songs that would be used as backing music and take up about 20 minutes.

So, here are three of them for you to check out, in all their lame glory. The songs are sort of hokey on purpose (can you tell by the titles?), and I'm not sure what I'll do for the final number yet--maybe a country piece. The following three are in the bluesy, heavy rock, and dance genres, respectively.

Baah-lad Sheep Love

Holy Hand Grenade (of Antioch)

I Can't Back That Up

Logic Pro 9 Help deserves 'to be killed with fire' LOL!

2009-11-15T16:22:00.001-06:00

Funny blog post. Already went nuts with this earlier here and here. Wish they would put it back in the Help Menu though...guess I'll make an Applescript that will do the same thing...just open the PDF with a click.

I don't mean to be rude or crass but apparently it's been long since Mac Help files SUCK BALLS... what are Mac Help files? they are some sickly wrong files (that deserve to be killed with fire)
[From Logic Studio Blog: Logic Pro 9 Help file Slow? Download PDF]

Apple 'Never Intended' to Eliminate Logic PDF Manuals

2009-08-22T10:54:00.000-05:00

The reason I don't believe this 'production delay' excuse is that, first, Apple had a documentation survey trying to "feel out" the user base to see if Apple could swing including only the Help Viewer documentation. Second, when has a major software company like Apple EVER released the software BEFORE releasing the documentation for the software (and what would be the point of doing that)? Third, the manual was already finished in the form of Help Viewer HTML files at release; users on the Apple Discussion forums produced their own Frankenstein PDF manual from those HTML files in less than a day, so I find it difficult to believe that there was any sort of delay at Apple producing the PDF of a manual that was already written in another form. Fourth, the PDF manuals were once linked directly from the Help menu in Logic and now that's not true--the links are gone and only that crappy Help Viewer stuff is there; I bet a future update will put the links to the PDF back in the Help menu!

My personal view is that someone at Apple rolled the dice, realized the mistake after the backlash, and now they're doing damage control.

Regardless, it's nice that they fixed their faux pas.

In other Logic news, those of you wondering what happened to the PDF manual for Logic Studio 9, it’s back! Apparently there was a production delay that held up its release; Apple says it was never their intention to eliminate the PDF version.

[From Create Digital Music » Logic Express Packs Most of Logic for Less; Apple Adds PDF Manual to Logic 9]

Apple Releases PDF Manuals for Logic Pro 9

2009-08-11T15:41:00.001-05:00

Yay! They came to their senses. Since I came into this issue midway (I was deployed to Iraq) and discovered Apple had produced a "documentation survey" for Logic (I guess Apple was trying to feel out its users to see if Apple COULD omit the PDF and hard copy manuals), I'm not sure if these manuals were in the works all along or not. Seems to me one would want to release manuals WITH the product right away to avoid any firestorms, but we are talking about Apple here; they're famous for their firestorms.

I think we can kiss the hard copy manuals goodbye, however.

I would like to take this opportunity to inform everyone here that PDF versions of the Logic Studio (2009) Manuals are now available on http://documentation.apple.com/

Select the product from the list and then click the "View as PDF" link available below each manual title to view the PDF manual.
[From Apple - Support - Discussions - Documentation rant (slightly) -- no ...]

Online Haunts Updated

2009-08-09T21:35:00.001-05:00

I have updated the web site, to include additions about the band project called MELTNOW. I hope you like it.

Pod Studio GX and Pod Farm Crackle-Echo (FIXED!)

2009-07-27T19:33:00.001-05:00

This problem has apparently now been fixed by Line6 with the most recent updates (July 2009). Thanks Line6!!!

Logic Studio 9 - No PDF or Printed Manuals Included!!!

2009-07-27T10:29:00.001-05:00

Okay, I'm a huge Apple fan, a former user of Logic 7, and now a user of Logic Studio 8. I want to get the Logic Studio 9 upgrade, but Apple has decided to do something I consider to be dumb in an extreme way. They took a basic feature--easily searchable (offline), bookmarkable PDF manuals for Logic Studio and put them all online in html format.

No longer can you rapidly search using Preview. No longer can one close the PDF manual and have it reopen where one left off. No longer can one quickly bookmark pages in Preview. No longer can one just take the printed manual to the park to read. No longer can one be in the middle of Iraq (like I was) and access the manual, because one doesn't have an Internet connection. Granted, Apple's not thinking about U.S. military musicians when it makes its business decisions, but damn it...this pisses me off!

This just falls into the 'if it's not broke don't fix it' paradigm and smacks of Microsoft's decision to change all the toolbars around in MS Office after PC users had spent years getting used to where everything was. Suddenly power users were reduced to nitwits. A really numbskull idea. Seems like Apple is following in those MS footsteps in some ways.

Apple, please--at least--bring back the PDF manual. I'll take the loss on the printed one, but I NEED the PDF!!!

Logic users, register your displeasure here: http://www.apple.com/feedback/logicpro.html

Jahloon writes about Area 51 Debris

2009-01-04T11:54:00.000-06:00

Jahloon, fretless guitarist, GtrOblq denizen, and keeper of unfretted.com, has penned a nice article about how he acquired Area 51 Debris, a fretless instrument created by an accomplished GtrOblq luthier, and formerly owned by Infinite Ego; the instrument is also believed to have been used by Bofatron Sofasaurus on several recordings.

I had known about the instrument for some time, and like I mentioned, web-searches can turn up some intriguing stuff. My search found a picture of a guitar like nothing I had seen before, enigmatically named "Area 51 Debris".

At first I thought it had been made specially for Infinite Ego, a formidable instrumentalist.

He hosted an Internet site and forum, which went through several iterations, changing name, changing identity, but with a core of avant garde musicians varying from the obscure to the almost famous.

One day you could find them, join their conversation, and the next day they had jumped continent, to reinvent themselves on a new website. Some website names you might recognise; Kronosonic / Shred Like Hell / Cone of Silence / Negation Hoster and their latest incarnation www.GtrOblq.com

Additionally they were a very close knit crew, with limited membership, if you weren't a serious musician, or didn't turn up on a regular basis, you were history.
[From Area 51 Debris]

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T17:30:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to wish everyone out there a Happy 2009!

SD appears on again The Word Nerds

2008-12-26T16:07:00.001-06:00

"Under the Stairs" recently appeared on The Word Nerds podcast, #111. Thanks for the play! This song has appeared on The Word Nerds 3x now (also Episode 81 and 99).

Morphing, Changing, and Dying Words (111) at The Word Nerds:

Music bumper from “Under the Stairs” by Sonic Deviant. (33:43)

SD's "Frosty," jazzy style

2008-12-25T17:25:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! I recently purchased a Line 6 Pod Studio GX, so being in the Christmas spirit, I went ahead and pulled down my jazz fakebook yesterday and gave this classic a go to try out the Line 6 unit (I've had a few problems with it in the connectivity department, but it sounds awesome otherwise).

Everything was recorded through the GX using Pod Farm and into Logic. The guitar I used was my Epiphone Performer SE acoustic (all through the pickup); it has two pickups, and one is in the neck so I can get a neat, jazzy sound. For the fretless bass, I used my fretless guitar and then just dropped it down an octave...can't believe how much it sounds like an acoustic bass! The drums are Beta Monkey's Jazz Essentials.

Enjoy!

Frosty The Snowman.mp3

Shane's "Silent Night" appears in animated feature

2008-12-23T22:53:00.000-06:00

Sonic Deviant's instrumental recording of "Silent Night" recently appeared on "Seasoned Greetings," a short holiday film animated by Tyson Moore.

GameBored » Blog Archive » Seasons Greetings:

The photography was taken at my parent’s cabin in Colorado and most of the editing was done in Houston, Texas. The notion of this pyramid movie is to fade the comparisons between the holidays of the winter solstice: Christmas, Hannukah, Yule, Duali, Kwanza, and most importantly - Oshnaqua. Send the link to all your friends.

Show notes: Tyson Moore:

http://tymora42.podbean.com

http://www.gamebored.blogspot.com

http://www.myspace.com/tymora42

ICEHOUSE game pieces by andrew looney / looney labs - www.looneylabs.com

The song “Silent Night” performed by Sonic Deviant - www.sonicdeviant.com

Break It To Dolt Gently

2008-12-16T09:05:00.001-06:00

Sonic Deviant previews a mainstream rocker that will appear on his next (currently untitled) album.

Check out: Break It To Dolt Gently

SD appears on ikthuscast

2008-11-23T09:32:00.001-06:00

SD's version of "Silent Night" recently appeared on Ikthuscast 2.2 (www.ikthuscast.com). Thanks for the play!

CCO Benefit Series: Neil Haverstick

2008-10-07T21:14:00.000-05:00

If you're going to be in Denver, come out, donate, and hear some great music from my friend Neil Haverstick!

Colorado Chamber Orchestra:

Sunday October 12, 2008
CCO Benefit Series at Trinity

Trinity United Methodist Church
18th & Broadway, Denver

Neil Haverstick, microtonal guitarist
http://www.microstick.net

J. S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
Neil Haverstick: Spider for 19 tone guitar and orchestra (arranged Blomster)
Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste

FREE (Donations accepted)

SD appears on 'Close of the Eleven' in Japan

2008-10-04T18:45:00.000-05:00

Shane's old tune East Wind Blows West was recently featured on Close of the Eleven #19 of TaraChannel! out of Japan. Thanks very much for the play!

QNL Studio Upgraded!

2008-09-06T19:26:00.000-05:00

The studio has been completely upgraded with a new Mac Pro Quad Core 2.8 GHz system, a Samsung SyncMaster 220wm LCD monitor, and Logic Studio (Logic Pro 8).

Model Name: Mac Pro
Model Identifier: MacPro3,1
Processor Name: Quad-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed: 2.8 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 4
L2 Cache: 12 MB
Memory: 6 GB
Bus Speed: 1.6 GHz
Boot ROM Version: MP31.006C.B05
SMC Version: 1.25f4

Now if I only had more time to use it!

SD appears on GtrOblq compilation

2008-07-27T22:08:00.000-05:00

GtrOblq represents a confluence of forces within the world of avant guitar and experimental string music. From the wreckage of the Kronosonic movement, GtrOblq aims to focus the popular imagination upon the obscure universe of creative sound production, recording, and performance. The artists profiled at GtrOblq are among the finest composers, improvisers, loopers, microtonalists, noisicians, soundscapers, sound designers, fretless guitarists, and synthetic guitar wranglers.

"The Unraveling Begins" is a seminal compilation produced by fourteen of these varied, talented artists.

Number of Tracks: 14
Disc Duration: 43:27:02
UPC/EAN Code: 7202178000180

Shane's track, Bimbo Spam, is a collaboration with Aliensporebomb, who contributed all the bass tracks and a few guitars bits too. Preview it on myspace.

Available now at CDBaby.com!

SD assembles his Carvin Bolt-T kit!

2008-06-15T12:45:00.000-05:00

I recently sold my beloved Ibanez JEM77FP, mainly because I never played it much; it was one of those guitars that I practically put on an altar in equipment-lust homage, obeying the commandments of some bizarre cultish ritual to which we musicians are occasionally subject. The problem for me is that I'm a player--I've never been good at collecting guitars. I do much better PLAYING good quality guitars that I don't mind putting a ding on every now and then. So I sold the JEM to a really nice guy in PA (who is already worshipping the JEM the way I did) and used the cash to buy two great guitars and modify a third.

First, I bought a used 2006 Fender American Deluxe in Montego Black; it's a great sounding and looking guitar that needed only minor setup. Then, I ordered the gear from Stewart-MacDonald to convert my Fernandes Retrorocket X (with Carvin electronics) into a fretless. And then, I ordered a Carvin Bolt-T kit with a classic tweed case.

Key word is "kit," for it needs assembly and adjustment. So, I figured that this would be harder than it looked. Well, the assembly was a breeze. The adjustment was more difficult, as this was the first time that I ever dared to touch the truss rod in a guitar. But I had no choice; there was a tremendous reverse bow on the neck after I got the strings on, so it had to be done.

I need to say a word about Carvin's increasingly poor customer service. I've been a Carvin customer since the mid-90s, and my main stage amp is a Carvin 200SXD (a powerful twin). When I bought the amp, my first one blew up and they immediately sent me a new one and even paid for return shipping (BTW, my Carvin amp is nearing a decade in age and still blasts heads off regularly).

Well, I just ordered a kit guitar (on 15 April) that required a basic paint job. Again, "kit" means that Carvin did not have to assemble it. It took an amazing 8 WEEKS TO RECEIVE THE GUITAR, even though the fellow on the phone told me 4 to 5 weeks!!! I could understand 8 weeks if I had ordered a fancy neck-through-body guitar with spectacular finish options, but this was a kit with the most basic paint job. I sent an email at 6-weeks asking for a status and received no reply. So I called at week 7 and spoke with someone; he took my number and said he would call the next day with a status, and he NEVER CALLED BACK. I didn't get too mad, as the guitar came in the following week. So be warned: Carvin seems to be having a customer service crisis at the moment.

I should add that the guitar has a few, minor cosmetic flaws, but nothing worth sending it back over. I'm very pleased with the quality of this instrument, especially considering that I plan to beat it to death over the coming decade. In short, I think it was worth the wait, though I think the wait was silly and unnecessary.

Anyway, here's a photo journal of the assembly process (more photos here).

This is what the box looks like when you open it. Instructions right on top!

I had them paint my body for me...matte Classic White! (one small blemish in the finish)

The beautiful neck (one small flaw on the ebony fretboard - side piece facing the bridge).

Pieces and parts! Awesome Wikinson tremelo and Sperzel locking tuners.

Classic tweed case (also made in USA).

Installing Sperzels.

All installed!

Had to make my inscription.

Installing the Dunlop strap locks.

Cavity shielding...reminded me of the material they use on satellites and other space vehicles.

Nerve-racking part: Hammering in the tremelo posts.

Putting on the spring claw.

Installing the neck.

Pre-wired pickguard. No soldering required.

Voila! Now strings and adjustments.

My collection...the Fernandes fretless, Carvin Bolt-t, and Fender American!

SD converts strat to fretless

2008-04-27T15:31:00.000-05:00

So my really talented buddies over at gtroblq.com have managed to instill such a lust for microtones in me that I decided to take my beloved (albeit, cheap) Fernandes Retrorocket X and convert it into a fretless guitar. Now, I'm no luthier and depend heavily on folks who've already done this sort of thing to keep from screwing it up too badly.

Unfretted.com (Jahloon's famous site) has several DIY articles, including the one I mostly used (courtesy of Emre Meydan) to get this project accomplished. I also sought and received advice directly at the gtroblq.com forums.

I decided to post my photo journal of the process (complete photos without commentary available here), so that I might offer my own personal experiences with this relatively easy project.

BTW, I've been playing fretless now for just over a day and I love it. If you're a guitar playing veteran of many years like me, I recommend giving it a try. (Beginners might be a little more frustrated; I recommend starting on a fretted guitar or doing both at the same time).

1. Heat up the fret with a soldering iron, carefully. I would do this until I saw glue seep out from beneath the fret.

2. Use fret pullers to gently remove the fret, starting at one end of a fret and working all the way to the other end. I experienced no significant chipping by doing this slowly, after heating each fret well.

Close-up view of fret removal.

3. Defret complete!! That part was pretty easy.

So long, frets!!!

4. I used links provided by Chris Shaffer to explain how to remove the nut. Here was my first (and really only) problem. When I attempted to gently tap out the cheap, plastic nut, it broke into 3 pieces, and I chipped a small piece of rosewood out of the nut slot! Oops! Fortunately, the piece of rosewood was in one chunk which fit perfectly back in its place, and I had also bought a new graphite nut from Stewart-MacDonald!

Enter the 2-ton, 60-min Epoxy! Not only would I use it to repair the nut slot, but I would also use it to fill the fret slots too!

The new graphite nut I bought from Stewart-MacDonald (bought mainly to aid sustain but now quite necessary to finish the job, considering the original, broken nut)!

5. Mixing the epoxy THOROUGHLY! I should add that I used a razor to clean out the fret slots before proceeding!

6. Using toothpicks to apply epoxy to the slots. This took a while, and I ensured a good application by running the tip of the toothpick along the slot until the epoxy flowed in and along it completely. I eventually used a styrofoam plate to prepare my epoxy (to keep from using old epoxy in subsequent slots).

7. The chipped nut slot glued back together without any problems using the epoxy!

8. Guitar is taped up and fretboard ready for sanding, using grades of sandpaper from 80 to 320 or so. Note the 14" radius block purchased from Stewart-MacDonald and the double-sided tape.

9. Sanding was the toughest part. First, I used the rough sandpaper (80) to remove all traces of excess epoxy. Once I could no longer see any epoxy, I progressed through the grades of sandpaper systematically, ensuring a smooth finish.

Wear gloves and other protection, because rosewood dust can be irritating.

Progress! (Please be okay, strat!)

I also sanded the sides of the neck too, to remove excess epoxy.

Sanding the outside of the nut slot made it hard to tell it had ever chipped.

Voila! Sanding complete! It's a fretless!

10. I removed all the protective masking tape and cleaned up all the rosewood dust (using a vacuum cleaner)! Next, I sanded down the bottom of the new graphite nut, and I lightly sanded the interior of the nut slot to remove any old glue. Then I installed the new nut and new roundwound strings (I didn't glue the nut in this time...I want to be sure it was not too high before gluing it). When I glue it with the next string change, I'll use a few drops of regular wood glue (so that I can remove it again easily if ever necessary).

Playing my new fretless! It was love at first touch and first sound!

UPDATE: Here's a sample of what it sounds like!

Under the Stairs appears on The Word Nerds

2008-03-22T15:11:00.000-05:00

Under the Stairs (featuring the percussion talents of Alberto Vargas in the now defunct 1993 band Celestial Icons) appeared recently on The Word Nerds' podcast on episode 99, Rhetoric, part 2–Tropes and Schemes. This is a repeat performance, as the tune has already appeared once on their podcast back in 2006.

Thanks for the play!

Little Sickness appears at Lunaticfish.com

2008-03-22T14:56:00.000-05:00

One of my tunes got picked up on a really neat U.K. podcast; check lunaticfish.com, specifically the episode called That Special Bloke.

Though it's cool they used a bit of my tune as a midway transition, the coolest part is that I really like their podcast. Very funny stuff. In this episode, they discuss rough vaginas (lol).

Updates and Happy New Year

2007-12-30T20:24:00.001-06:00

I've completely updated my web presence at a variety of places, including this blog. Also check out:

http://www.sonicdeviant.com
http://shaniacimac.blogspot.com

...and be sure to sniff around to see what you'll find!

Shane records Silent Night

2007-12-16T16:00:00.000-06:00

I've just finished recording, mixing, and mastering my version of Silent Night, and I'm in the process of posting it all around the Internet for your holiday listening pleasure!

You can check it out at the official myspace site:

http://www.myspace.com/sonicdeviant

Happy Christma-hanukk-wanza!

Pendahl featured on Downtempo podcast

2007-11-22T08:32:00.000-06:00

Shane's tune Pendahl was featured on Downtempo #18 recently. Thanks to DJ Cary for the play! You can also download this podcast via iTunes or get the mp3 version here.

"Glass Shard Teeth" appears on Pirates' Week

2007-10-14T12:44:00.000-05:00

The jazzy tune Glass Shard Teeth recently appeared on the Pirates' Week podcast in the episode for Pirates Week 10/14/07.

Thanks to Ragnar Daneskjold located in the Fook'n Ionosphere!

"The Dream" appears on iSPINIT Premium Podcast

2007-10-10T22:00:00.000-05:00

SD's rock tune The Dream from the album Transduction Euphony recently appeared on the incredible iSPINIT Rock Podcast in episode 005.

Host Daniela Baldean stated:

I'm going to leave you with Sonic Deviant, which is actually Shane Hendricks. I was very intrigued when I heard Shane for the first time; he is fresh and very current. He plays all sorts of music, including jazz, rock--very experimental. So enjoy.

Thank you Daniela and iSPINIT for the play!

SD appears on Help Andy Buy A Mac

2007-10-01T01:00:00.000-05:00

Glass Shard Teeth from the album Transduction Euphony appeard on Relax Podcast #22 from HelpAndyBuyAMac, which also features the podcast X-Pat Radio. SD appeard on X-Pat previously.

Thanks for the play, Andy!

"Peach's Lullaby" appears on Quiet Study Area

2007-09-22T17:28:00.000-05:00

The tune Peach's Lullaby from the CD Cantaloupe Napalm appeared on the Quiet Study Area podcast in the episode Starting a New Grading Period.

New "Sunday Jam" video posted

2007-09-22T17:19:00.000-05:00

Shane has posted a new video entitled Miscellaneous Sunday Jam on youtube.com. This is just a little guitar improv in one take, complete with errors, bleeps, and bloops. Hope you enjoy it.

String Skipping and Theme/Variations

2007-06-15T11:11:00.000-05:00

I posted my first video on youtube.com; it's a sputtering, quasi-instructional-promotional video describing how I used string skipping and the baroque method of theme and variations to create the tune It's A Little Sickness from Transduction Euphony.

The tablature is a little tough to read on this compressed version of the video, so I'm including links here to the tablature:

Hope you enjoy it and get something out of it. You can check out the recorded version of It's A Little Sickness on myspace.

Now...coming to you from San Antonio!

2007-06-15T10:42:00.000-05:00

Sonic Deviant's Quarter Note Laboratory has relocated to San Antonio, TX (ahem...home of the 2007 NBA champs). I'll post up some new pics of the studio soon, which doesn't look a whole bunch different than the previous incarnation. I'll also be throwing some miscellaneous pics of San Antonio up as well...what a great city.

Now available on iTunes Music Store

2007-03-24T12:11:00.000-05:00

Transduction Euphony is now available via the iTunes Music Store (iTMS). Click here to open iTunes and listen. Future Sonic Deviant releases on iTunes can be found here.

Project Studio Network mention!

2007-03-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Big Al Wagner and Mike Bolan over at the Project Studio Network (PSN) podcast, which is part of the awesome Home Recording Network.

They mentioned the release of Transduction Euphony on Show#62, and they graciously posted some SD links on their web site.

Stay tuned to PSN for your chance to win a free Transduction Euphony CD!

Transduction Euphony RELEASED!

2007-03-05T20:16:00.000-06:00

SD's new album,Transduction Euphony, is finally out after 4 years of toil and tribulation. You can get your copy on CD by visiting CDBaby.com. It will be available in the coming weeks on several online outlets for paid download, including iTunes.

Transduction Euphony is a record featuring 24 mostly instrumental tracks at a total run time of approximately 1 hour that will appeal to the rock, jazz, and avant-garde music enthusiast. If you enjoy guitar playing, music, and art from the likes of Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, John Scofield, BMR3000, Neil Haverstick, Dan Stearns, Marco Oppedisano, Ken Rubenstein, Infinite Ego, and other experimentally minded artists, you'll probably enjoy this record.

Featuring special guests artists DAVID SLACK (aka BMR3000 on bass) and SCOTT SIMMERMAN (on keys) on the jazz number, Glass Shard Teeth.

Additionally, the Sonic Deviant Official Web Site has been updated heavily. New scores have been added, as well as a new Press and Praise page, featuring encomia from many of Shane's influences.

SD appears on MusicWorld podcast

2007-02-17T09:19:00.000-06:00

"Sing Me My Breakfast" appeared on MusicWorld's podcast MW22 from Jan 30, 2007. Thanks for the play guys!

Named to "Critically Overlooked" on iCompositions

2007-02-04T09:49:00.000-06:00

jdwyer05's "Criminally Overlooked" Music Recommendations on iCompositions, featuring special guest contributor becwil, named Sonic Deviant to the list of "Critically Overlooked." This list was sent out via the iCompositions Newsletter dated February 3, 2007, and it appeared in the forums of the website. becwil begins by saying:

I love to listen to music. I love to share my enthusiasm with other people. So, when Julian approached me to write my take on The Criminally Overlooked, I immediately thought about the artists here whom I have found and love that perhaps are a bit under the radar. Because I especially like the more edgy side of musical exploration, I will, today, list some of those artists I personally keep my ears on. This is not an all inclusive list, for I want to keep this brief, nor is it in any order other than as I read down my iTunes iComp playlist. I leave it up to you as to how far you explore each of these artist's catalogs.

Later, he talks specifically about the music of Sonic Deviant:

There's some Zappa influence, admittedly so, and sonicdeviant plays to the beat of his own drummer, all puns intended. In-your-face. Crappy Products knocks your teeth out. While I Frade Errpains is a bit more friendly. A bit.

Thanks jdwyer05 and becwil for the mentions. If you visit my page there, you can browse my list of favorite artists on iCompositions. There are many talented folks over there!

Cafepress stuff UPDATED!

2007-01-20T14:31:00.000-06:00

Lot's of cool new stuff; the site and product choices were completely updated. Show your support and get some snappy SD apparel and other nicknacks.

Official Sonic Deviant Merchandise : CafePress.com

"Poisoned" appears on Multiple Sclerosis Blog podcast

2007-01-06T15:11:00.000-06:00

Am I Not Poisoned from the upcoming album Transduction Euphony appeared on the MSB podcast in episode msb-099 on January 4, 2007.

SD "opens" for BMR3000

2006-12-30T19:43:00.000-06:00

BMR3000's show at the Pizza Kitchen in Knoxville:

BMR3000
November, 25 2006
at
The Pizza Kitchen
9411 S Northshore Dr
Knoxville, Tennessee 37922

The music of SONIC DEVIANT will be played before the show.

Thanks to Dave Slack for featuring my tunes as his opening act. Dave told me he played four tunes, including Feline Demise off the upcoming album, Transduction Euphony.

I wish I could have been there to see the show! For those who haven't checked out BMR3000, do it NOW!

Recent podcast appearances

2006-12-30T19:32:00.000-06:00

Some of the tunes have been featured on several podcasts over the last few months.

We weren't aware, but East Wind Blows West was featured on the BareFT podcast episode 58.

Our friend, Chef Mark Tafoya, has made great use of Coffee Bean on several of his podcasts. The tune appeared on two November episodes: 66 (The Wines of Rioja, Part 2) and 64 (Cranberry Time!) of the ReMARKable Palate podcast. Mark also featured the same tune back in October.

He also featured Coffee Bean on his personal blog, Remarkably Mark, in episode 33: Tapas Crawl in Spain of November 5, 2006. Thanks for all the support Mark!

Don't Want To Go appeared on Mad Money Machine's MMM-045: Should I Risk Exposure of October 31, 2006.

Holiday Greetings from SD

2006-12-25T09:11:00.000-06:00

I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and <insert your observed winter solstice holiday here>!.

Feline Demise was updated with a remix/remaster featuring MORE BASS. Enjoy. Also, we've completely updated the main site, as well as myspace (much bug squashing there and here on the blog--some missing images and other browser formatting errors should be addressed now).

We've added two new pages. One will be used to update all places on the Internet where we'll host tunes for listening and download. The other lists all the professional services we offer, including inexpensive, high-quality mastering for your 2-track mixes.

Transduction Euphony is coming along and will hopefully be shipped for manufacture by mid-January.

"Under the Stairs" appears on The Word Nerds

2006-12-15T20:31:00.000-06:00

Shane's tune Under the Stairs from Celestial Icons' 1993 album Timid Blue Planet (featuring drummer Alberto Vargas) appeared on The Word Nerds podcast episode 81 (Prepositions).

Thanks to Dave Shepherd et al. for using the tune on their show!

Download Mozart's scores--FREE!

2006-12-12T08:07:00.000-06:00

Mozart's entire musical score now free on Internet:

"Mozart's year-long 250th birthday party is ending on a high note with the musical scores of his complete works available from Monday for the first time free on the Internet.

The International Mozart Foundation in Salzburg, Austria has put a scholarly edition of the bound volumes of Mozart's more than 600 works on a Web site."

Here's the link:

http://www.mozarteum.at/

SD featured on sufferingfromsanity.com

2006-12-02T08:05:00.000-06:00

Coffee Bean was featured on The Suffering from Sanity podcast in the first half of Episode SFS-034 on December 1, 2006.

The theme? Coffee and tea. Hence the title, “Morning Coffee and Afternoon Tea.”

Thanks to Bryce Allen for including us in this array of talented musicians.

MP3.com Deja vu

2006-11-16T20:14:00.000-06:00

Good news for us musicians! Store and share your music projects with MP3.com once again. Deja vu!

MP3.com reopens servers, accepts files - Yahoo! News: "The site, acquired by San Francisco-based CNET Networks Inc. in 2003, has recently undergone a redesign. Relaunched officially on Tuesday, the site now offers up to 100 megabytes of storage space for audio tracks and unlimited space for videos, free of charge."

Now on iCompositions

2006-11-06T14:24:00.000-06:00

You can check out SD's new site now on iCompositions! Come on over and vote for Shane's music...

Technorati Tags: music, guitar, composing, licensing, audio, musicians, new, recording, promotion, podcast, mp3, creative commons, jazz

"Feline Demise" now posted on My Space

2006-11-06T12:41:00.000-06:00

You can check out Feline Demise now on the My Space site.

Here's the current incarnation of the album cover for the upcoming CD, Transduction Euphony. Thanks to Michael David Jones for allowing me to use his bacteriophage image for the CD cover.

"Coffee Bean" appears on ReMARKable Palate Podcast

2006-10-31T20:03:00.000-06:00

Shane's jazz tune "Coffee Bean" will be featured on the ReMARKable Palate Podcast episode #63 for November 1st, 2006, featuring Executive Chef of The Guilded Fork, Chef Mark C. Tafoya, out of New York City.

Thanks for the play, Chef Tafoya! Great podcast!

Technorati Tags:
music, podcast, promotion, creative commons, licensing, jazz

Accepted: Pump Audio Catalog

2006-10-25T11:47:00.000-05:00

Nearly all of Shane's entire catalog of instrumental music (recorded since 1993) has been accepted by Pump Audio, LCC and offered in their music licensing catalog.

Hopefully, you'll hear some of these tunes soon in movies, commercials, television, games, answering systems, environmental sound systems, etc.

PSN listener comments on "Feline Demise"

2006-10-18T22:05:00.000-05:00

Subscribe For Free Now!

A few PSN listeners have emailed some really nice comments to Big Al Wagner and Mike Big Honey" Bolan over at Project Studio Network regarding their review of my tune, Feline Demise, in Show #39.

In Show #40 at 34:30, Dave Criddle from Home Recording Odyssey sent some nice comments and an appropriate criticism regarding the lack of a strong bass instrument in the tune:

"Hey, tell Shane Hendricks I really enjoyed his song. Like a strange siren, I kept being drawn to it. I actually rewound and listened to it three times."

In Show #41 at 39:24, Nick Dodson had some really nice comments too:

"Not only were there Zappa-esque allusions, but there's also references to Captain Beefheart."

"Penguin" appears on Dorm Room Daily

2006-10-18T21:45:00.000-05:00

The Dorm Room Daily podcast entitled Wiped-Out Wednesday featured the tune "Penguin With A Ruler" at 6:23 into the podcast.

Thanks Sir William for the play!

"Sing Me" appears on 2 podcasts

2006-10-16T22:17:00.000-05:00

Shane's jazz tune Sing Me My Breakfast was featured on Career Mom Radio Episode 9 out of the United Kingdom.

The tune was also featured on Pirates Week for 10/15/06.

Thanks for the support!

Shane gets a mention on IHR

2006-10-13T20:09:00.000-05:00

Inside Home Recording's Neat links for October 12:

Derek from Inside Home Recording makes a mention of the Feline Demise review that appeared on PSN Show #39.

Now on Podsafe Music Network

2006-10-13T17:39:00.000-05:00

Shane has posted 24 old and new tunes and licensed them for use in podcasts or other legitimate, legal uses under a Creative Commons license.

As a matter of fact, all original music posted on the Internet (under the names Sonic Deviant, Shane Hendricks, etc.) is hereby licensed under the Creative Commons 2.5 license listed below; all music is freely useable and distributable in accordance with the license. Have fun and enjoy the fruits of my labor!

These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.5 License.

Featured on X-Pat Podcast!

2006-10-13T17:31:00.000-05:00

Shane's older tune East Wind Blows West was featured in episode 58 on the X-Pat Radio podcast via podshow.com. This happened within hours of posting the music, so thanks X-Pat!

PSN reviews "Feline Demise"

2006-10-02T18:55:00.000-05:00

Project Studio Network Podcast #39:

Shane's tune, Feline Demise (from the upcoming CD Transduction Euphony), is reviewed by the guys at the Project Studio Network podcast in Show #39. The review is located at 39:36, but you'll want to catch all the other great information within the podcast if you're a home recording enthusiast.

Subscribe For Free Now!

Web Presence updated!

2006-09-12T22:50:00.000-05:00

Be sure to check the changes to all the sites on the web, starting with sonicdeviant.com. My Space has been updated as well. The changes are in anticipation of finishing my next CD, Transduction Euphony.

I'm working hard on the next CD, but grad school takes precedence most of the time. I've posted some of the tunes from the forthcoming project at the sites listed above. Also, check out the awesome video Leo Alves Vieira put together for Mutation p53.

Avid sucking up everything musical

2006-08-02T08:36:00.000-05:00

Macworld UK - Avid buys Sibelius for $23 million:

Macworld Daily News

Wednesday - August 02, 2006

Avid buys Sibelius for $23 million

By Macworld staff

Avid Technology has acquired London-based company Sibelius Software in a $23 million deal.

Sibelius makes music notation software that is widely used by musicians for movies and songs and by scho.

Avid Technology now owns Digidesign (ahem...ProTools), M-Audio (midi controllers and other music hardware/software), and now Sibelius (a top notation program). I fear companies that become too monopolistic.

Inside Home Recording

2006-07-25T15:26:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to send folks over to visit my friends Paul Garay and Derek K. Miller of Inside Home Recording. They're running a nice blog and podcast that I found whilst perusing the iTunes catalog one day, looking for podcasts to consume for an upcoming long road trip. The discussion forum is here, there's some great fickr content, and there are many RSS feeds with which you can cram your newsreader.

They not only review new gear but also provide useful tips and techniques vital to us home recording and project studio nuts. Go check 'em out.

Pump Audio - Amateur film composing

2006-07-10T09:44:00.000-05:00

Pump Audio | Welcome: This seems like a great new site to check out. Amateur composers and musicians can license their work for use in amateur film!

Lot's going on...(Rubenstein review)

2006-05-31T23:26:00.000-05:00

I've revamped the web site quite a bit. I'm trying to decentralize as much as possible to allow easier maintenance of the site; for example, I've started moving my links to del.icio.us to allow me to share and update them easier, and I've started hosting my images at .Mac (also allows easier updating). News will now be mostly through this blog and on myspace: Neil Haverstick and other guitarists from around myspace and kronosonic posted some nice comments over at my myspace site.

I met a bunch of great guitarists, musicians, composers, and artists over at Kronosonic at the invitation of friend and experimentalist Dan Stearns.

I also finally met Ken Rubenstein, a terrific experimental guitarist who has been around for years. I bought his CD, Invert and Transcend, and decided to write a review of it for CDBaby:

Ken is a pioneer in the genre that many of us have only recently come to know--that of experimentalism, especially as it relates to the beloved, popular stringed instrument we all adore--the guitar. Experimental music is not wholly constituted of just random noise (though that sort of aleatoric music has its rightful, valid position in the realm of experimentalism); Ken (and a few others like him in this relatively young anti-genre) has shown that such music takes talent, skill, and courage. They are treading sonic ground where no one else has dared walk for fear of being misunderstood or outcast. Unlike the "others" in the music industry that popular culture tries to cram down our throats as currency in art, Ken and his ilk are the REAL pioneers--the REAL artists. They should be on the cover of Rolling Stone--not the latest Brittany Spears reject (or whatever corporate invention happens to be popular at the time)."Invert and Transcend" offers a rich treasure from the first to the last cut. Unlike some experimental music that can be tremendously dissonant and sonically overbearing, this CD is acoustically painted and very approachable for the casual listener, as well as for the trained musician. At times sounding similar to Michael Hedges and at others undefinable, this work is a watershed auditory experiment. Ken has chops that any guitar nut will appreciate, but the music is the star here--his technique is tastefully employed only as a tool to relate the story.

Ken breaks the listener in easily with a short acoustic intro tune called "Yudawee Sang With Love and Joy." The song features some very nice guitar synth embellishments and short bursts of fat, distorted guitar.

"Smallest Words" opens with a nice, chirping koto motif, interwoven between the left and right channels. Then there is an abrupt segue into the acoustic guitar introduction, followed by powerful, conjoining bass and drums. A real treat awaits the listener, as soprano Wendy Parker beautifully sings the unique melody line. Ken likes odd meters, and you'll hear plenty of that here and throughout the album. This number reminds me a bit of Steve Morse from "High Tension Wires." The song is full of changes and turns, so there's no chance of boredom setting in.

The next cut is "Xin Gap Lan." Soft, droning, flute-like synths lead into a very beautiful, arpeggiated acoustic flurry. The material is very rich, flowing, and extremely non-repetitive. Ken sucks you in and takes you on a journey of texture and variation. Interspersed throughout the beautiful tune is an unintelligible spoken word track, and a tastefully delayed horn solo (possibly created via guitar synth).

One of my favorites is "A Man Called Whores / You're All Whores / Lost In All That I'm Not." Here, the listener is taken through more adventurous territory. The opening lines, spoken in Arabic by Ameer, set the tone for the tune, which has a very Eastern ethnic feel, with incredible string lines, odd rhythms, and snapping drum corps snare lines. The spoken Arabic at the front of the tune has an extremely rhythmic, almost argumentative cadence that defines the bedlam to follow. Then there is a chaotic, bizarre interlude of atonal bliss, which rounds back into less dissonant territory toward the end, revisiting the sweet singing of Wendy Parker.

"A Song for Paul" opens with spoken exclamations of terminal drug-induced delirium (I'm assuming of "Paul") and cascading acoustic guitar work. The tune is thick with ambience and underlying busy fretwork, and the rhythm section is spectacular, as it is throughout the recording. There is a very cool upward glissando appearing throughout the tune that translates the emotional richness of this work.

"Broms" is an excellent atonal acoustic piece with some gorgeous Metheny-esque guitar synth lines. At the top of the tune, doubled guitar and synth phrases busily duck and dodge (in pulses of 8) around a quickly paced bass line. A short middle section here encapsulates remarkable guitar synth solo work.

"Lament for St. Thomas of Cantebury" is a nice horn and string arrangement, full of interesting counterpoint. "Invert and Transcend" is another of my favorites on the CD. Here, as in other places on the CD, there is little in the way of static, reappearing ideas; Ken is constantly moving, cascading, driving, and flowing from place to place--rhythmically and melodically, asking us to come with him. Miss Parker's singing talents reappear again on this piece, with an unusual melodic line, and provide a transition into a rapid, tasteful ethnic guitar passage.

"Woe Be Unto Thy Tangible Soul Who Cares Not What's At The End of the Pole As Long As He Fills Your Tight Black Hole" may be one of the longest (and most tongue-in-cheek) titles ever dreamed into existence by an artist, but the musical ideas contained within betray the covert Freudian humor of the song's moniker. More pleasing, pulsing, masterfully composed and performed acoustic guitar, synth, bass, and drums are found within the left and right bookends of the piece. By this point, the listener wonders if Ken will run out of ideas. The music is experienced with a belief that he certainly is conjuring it all at will. Midway through the approximately six-minute work is a staggering, traipsing guitar breakdown, replete with wailful string lines.

The last piece, "Beatrice Foley (for Charles Rosenberg)," is a short, mournful, slow work that initially starts with lightly tinkling piano lines, which, at first, seem to be trying to convey a melancholy narrative. Joining in toward the end are interesting synth bloops and, possibly, a guitar lightly feeding back in the background. A nice, soft, cushiony ending to a terrific project.

Ken is one of the great talents and pioneers of experimental music and guitar--a new realm of musical exploration also championed by such great artists as Neil Haverstick and Dan Stearns. This album is a must-have if you're sick of the "popular garbage" or "wannabe popular garbage" that pervades most Western music. As a matter of fact, just check out kronosonic.com to meet the REAL undiscovered talents of creative guitar and experimental music and art. These are the guys I look up to musically; they're real, talented, approachable, and nice folks too. Ken and others like him are the patriarchs of this genre--this anti-genre.

Now on myspace.com

2006-02-26T11:09:00.000-06:00

Be sure to check out:

http://www.myspace.com/sonicdeviant

Two new songs are on there from the upcoming album! Have fun...

New Songs Added on Download.com

2006-01-15T17:48:00.000-06:00

I’ve added a few new songs to CNET for download: http://music.download.com/sonicdeviant

Crappy Products
Jemistry

More to come as my new album is finished...tentatively titled Transduction Euphony.

Enjoy.

Unga Bunga - Thirteen

2005-12-30T15:33:00.000-06:00

There was once the dreaded 16 Semester Hours of the undergraduate days, but this stint of 13 graduate hours, though somewhat shorter, was as tough or more so, given a 10-year college hiatus. In my insanity, I--for some reason unknown to myself--took Organic Chemistry, Genetics, Organizational Behavior, and Infectious Disease Epidemiology. So I’m basically a crack smoker. After a week or so of organic, I visited my graduate committee and respectfully beg--uh--asked if I could change course and go with more of a management focus. In other words, can I please drop the organic chemistry--sniff, sniff, whimper? Their sadistic responses amounted to saying, “Shut the whining and get on with it.” They were right. I was wrong. I made it through and appear primed to go all the way in the realm of biochemistry and molecular biology. I actually find chemistry, including organic chemistry, fascinating, but the Brainiac from the Planet Krypton who was teaching it--we’ll call him Dr. X--made it very intimidating. I learned and understood a lot, but there’s so much more I don’t understand. Stereochemistry is the devil.

But I also gave myself a break. I opted (whimped out) and decided on the non-thesis option. None of our ideas were really panning out towards a workable project, so I’m instead writing up a mishmash of special problems--molecular techniques comparison, bioterrorism, and a molecular CBT for med techs. I’m still sticking with my plan--a mix of science and management. The science foci will still be in molecular biology and related areas. No matter what, I will ultimately be an administrator, so I must keep myself immersed in this area. It doesn’t pay to ignore it.

On the music front, during the break I’ve been working on a project planned for nearly two years. My life seems measured by completed audio projects. Around 6 songs are semi-finished except for mastering. Many more are laying around on the hard drive much like parts of a thalidomide baby--maybe an arm, leg, or head--but lacking the entire body. I’ve found I’m not as efficient when I work on too many things at once. It’s better that I take one piece at a time, so I’m going to head back to that after this project. Sometimes it’s hard because of all the ideas swimming around in the noggin’. The real problem now is time. Quality and options abound because of my trusty Macs and software, but there’s not enough time with the strains and demands of adulthood and fatherhood ever present.

The year has been hell. In just over a year, I went to Iraq in the middle of the Sunni Triangle (where I was mortared just about daily); lost my Dad; flew home for two weeks and then back to Iraq to finish my deployment; finished in North Carolina and moved here; lost my Mom (back to NC to take care of her arrangements); came back here and experienced the wrath of Katrina; and then went through a semester of academic torture. Other than that life is great.

USM and a decision

2005-05-13T07:23:00.000-05:00

I made it down to Mississippi and met with the Medical Technology Department Chair, Dr. Jane Hudson, of the College of Health at the University of Southern Mississippi. We discussed a few potential plans of graduate study for me. One plan has me taking classes that are more closely aligned to laboratory management--mostly management courses with a few science courses thrown in and a thesis or several academically-documented projects related to molecular microbiology or bioterrorism. The other route has me going through a more intensive scientific plan of study, which will unfortunately require me to go back and at least audit undergraduate organic chemistry and genetics (I didn't get these courses in my undergraduate study). This way I could get biochemistry and then molecular biology; I could choose or not to do the thesis, but I really want to get the experience of higher level graduate writing with the added defense requirement. I have no idea if I'll go on and seek a Ph.D. currently.

I've spent time visiting with old friends in MS; we've had a great visit. I played tennis here with buddies who've advanced tremendously in their playing abilities since I lived here, but I managed to hold my own. I had a lesson with my first tennis teacher, Torbjorn Fasth. Tomorrow we head off to Myrtle Beach for a short weekend before returning home in NC. We have only a short few months before we make our move to MS. I'll have around one month to settle in at our new residence before starting school. It's only a matter of time now before I launch into full-time graduate study.

Stick Man and Dan

2005-05-07T20:00:00.000-05:00

I just received a terrific CD, Stick Man, from a good friend of mine, guitarist Neil Haverstick, out in Colorado. One of the many tremendous attributes setting Neil apart from the ocean of competent, fervid guitarists out there is his use of microtones. Neil doesn't typically dabble in the ubiquitous 12-tone realm that most of the rest of us are trapped in; he takes an octave and, instead of dividing it evenly into 12 steps as is the prosaic Western way, he splits it into 19 or 34 equal divisions--hence the label microtones. The resulting music can be very challenging to the banal, jaded listener unwilling to tramp unfamiliar, enigmatic sonic ground. This music can sound out of tune, even to the most highly-trained, educated musician fancying herself tolerant of new or different things.

I'm personally not so jaded in my own listening that I find his non-12-tone music offensive to the ears. Actually, I find it quite refreshing, and I find his exuberance and enthusiasm in its perpetuation and promotion inspirational. I've also read his book, The Form of No Forms, and found it a staggering instructional tool, advancing a new way of learning to understand, compose, and play music. Come to think of it, being the eclectic composer and artist he is, all of Neil's CDs are terrific listening digressions into tasteful, exceptional experimentalism. I've been a fan of his since 1993, and I first read about him when his music was reviewed in Mike Varney's Spotlight column in the December 1985 issue of Guitar Player magazine. At that point I had been playing guitar not even one year, but I remembered how cool he looked holding his ES-335 with the Yin-Yang emblem prominently adhered to the guitar's body; Neil was no posing shredder like the other chaps in Varney's column, trying to convince the magazine's readership he was the next incarnation of Yngwie Malmsteen--all the rage back in those days. It was that review that led me 7 years later to contact Neil and purchase his book, The Form of No Forms. From there we became friends, exchanging our latest projects and occasionally phoning and emailing each other. Since that 1985 review, Neil has appeared in numerous magazine reviews, has played with many prominent, renowned musicians, and has been praised by many of the same. He's among those I count as a musical influence.

Neil introduced me to another master experimentalist named Dan Stearns, who likewise has been honored by many of the same publications that wrote about Neil. I could use many of the same encomiums I listed above and apply them to Dan without inaccuracy. He's just a plain nice guy with extreme loads of talent. Dan plays a fretless guitar and invents his own forms of musical notation to address the microtonal systems he employs. Another really cool thing about Dan is his use of polyrhythms, which is another realm of modern music that can confound all but the most adventurous auditory spirits. Frank Zappa and Steve Vai, two of my other influences, are (in the case of Frank--were) huge proponents of polyrhythms, where you apportion base elements of one meter into odd tuplets ad infinitum. Dividing a quarter note from 3/4 time into 5 sixteenth notes with the last sixteenth further subdivided into 3 thirty-second notes would be a sample polyrhythmic occurrence. Clearly all but the most technically talented of us can conceive and, much less, accurately play such forms, but Dan can do this stuff blind-folded. His guitar playing sounds almost computer-like in its virtuosic, accurate rhythmic interpretation of these fast tuplets. He's got chops for days. I'm lucky; Neil and Dan are two guys I know personally who just happen to be big influences on my own music and my life. I think other guitarists would benefit by adding them both to their influences list.

So if you're interested in discovering some great, oft overlooked musical giants, visit Dan's and Neil's sites. Read about them and buy some of their music. Support them because they're the real pioneers out there. They're the Lewis and Clark of 21st Century guitar playing. These guys are doing it for the art...not to be the next pop sensation.

Acceptance and Vomit

2005-04-24T20:19:00.000-05:00

Great things can transpire in the same week. A few weeks ago, I finally heard from my preferred grad school that my application was accepted. So now what do I do? I have to actually act like a graduate student--a scientist/researcher wanna-be. This could be interesting. My hope, of course, is that I will maintain the required 3 GPA to retain my funding and academic stature. I've been told by those who've trudged the path before me that grad school mostly amounts to perseverance, discipline, and organization; it has less to do with brain power. This gives me optimism, though I'm certain some amount of intelligence is required. That stupid GRE proved it. Man, I sucked at the GRE. Clearly I can't think my way out of a paper bag at hypersonic speeds; I need increased time and clambering to get to the same place others will easily reach in an ephemeral time. So is this acceptance a blessing or a hex?

Somewhere along the same timeline of the acceptance news (and speaking of hypersonic), I was given the opportunity to fly in the back seat of an F-15E Strike Eagle. This is a twin-engine jet fighter with more than adequate horsepower to elicit the loosening of various digestive sphincters, which keep stomach juices and contents in their proper places. I was given some initial training, to include instruction in the so-called G straining maneuver, which is the way you should tense up your lower body and breathe while under the affect of positive G forces. I had to go through a miniature flight physical and get fitted for my flight suit, G suit, and body harness. Other training topics included means for emergency egress, both in the air and on the ground; egress simply refers to exiting the aircraft in a hurry, so I was somewhat alarmed to learn how to eject my seat and collapse my body upon landing, after floating to the ground on the end of a parachute.

So there I was--the guy who doesn't partake of roller-coasters, bungie-jumping, sky diving, rock climbing, or any of the other various X-game type behaviors--walking out to row Juliet among a multitude of fighters, where my F-15 and its maintenance crew awaited. They took time to tether me securely to the airframe: first, my seat kit; next my lap belt; followed by my shoulder harness straps; then my G suit connection; and finally my oxygen connector and radio connections for my helmet. My assigned pilot, Sparky, was a very nice chap and took it easy on me, but there's no real tranquil way to fly in an F-15. Even though the take-off, flight, and landing can be conducted in the same manner as a commercial airframe in terms of speed, altitude, and turning, the fact that one can easily view anything 360 degrees in any direction through a transparent canopy really forces one to come to grips with what's actually happening; our dispatch, though no more remarkable in speed or maneuver from a Delta Airlines flight, was quite exhilarating and simultaneously terrifying, as I was forced to actually notice our extreme acceleration when the landscape turned into a blur-scape and the jet pulled up and away. Our jet's mission call-sign for radio purposes was DIME 41.

Once airborne, things felt fairly normal (as normal as they can in a fighter jet), as we made our way to our assigned mission airspace, where we would be free to perform some "aerial acrobatics". Our sortie was part of a two-ship formation, so Sparky, being the lead pilot, demonstrated various ways he could communicate intentions to our sister F-15, DIME 42, (the pilot's handle was Sloppy) by merely jiggling his wings a certain way. This is quite a weird feeling too, as one never feels this sensation on a commercial flight unless something is very wrong. I thought to myself this is a portent. Sparky shook his wings side-to-side and Sloppy obediently maneuvered his F-15 from our right side, went under us, and came up on our left side. Another neat aspect of this trip was just observing the other jet get close enough to see and wave to the other two fellows inside it; I felt almost as if I could jump right into their jet, though one should obviously take that only for illustrative purposes.

Finally the time came when we had arrived at our airspace and Sparky asked, "So Shane, are you ready to try some Gs?" My reply was a weak and tepid, "I guess so." He instantly banked abruptly right and accelerated, and I felt my first positive G-force--a weak 2 G turn (my body felt twice as heavy as normal), which for me might as well have been a 9 G turn. As we came out of it, Sparky asked, "How was that?" "Uh...okay I guess." I felt myself becoming squeamish. The turn, even with the G suit and G straining maneuver, made my lips and skin tingle. Then a hard bank left into a slightly stronger 3 G turn. My body was suddenly three times it's normal weight, and my lips and skin went numb for a second. I immediately opened up my airsick bag, unlatched my oxygen mask, and proceeded to dry heave a few times. "I'm not doing too well with those Gs," I told my pilot in a feeble voice. "Okay," he replied. "We'll just fly straight and level for a while." I'm such a wimp.

At around this time, Sparky gave me the stick saying, "You've got the airplane." I wiggled the stick as he had instructed me before the flight and replied, "I've got the plane." He had explained before our sortie that there was nothing I could do to hurt us or the plane by taking the stick, but I found myself just gently banking the plane, first right then left. The whole time the nose of the jet was rising, and Sparky told me, "Dude...we're climbing outside of our ceiling. Nose it down a bit." I pushed down on the stick minutely but sharply, and the jet dove quickly down a story or two and took my stomach with it. I couldn't believe how responsive it was. Sparky told me the jet would literally respond to exactly how I manipulated the stick. Jerk it sharply left and that's what will happen to the jet. Push forward and to the right and you perform a diving right turn. What a sickeningly good time.

After a time, Sparky made another suggestion. "At this altitude, you really don't get a good idea of how fast we're going. Let's drop down to cloud level and get a reference point for you to look at." That day we were flying at a ceiling of 18,000 feet. Below us was a nice, fluffy blanket of clouds extending from horizon to horizon, and above us was pure blue sky. After a few seconds we had gently descended down to the clouds, and I noticed them begin to zing by at a rather high rate of speed. He was right; a reference point definitely clarified things. "We're going about 215 mph right now," explained Sparky. "Let's punch it up a little bit." He hit whatever knob, button, or lever that controls the throttle, and two seconds later he said, "400," meaning 400 mph--in just two seconds! Then he said, "afterburners," and two additional seconds later our airspeed was up around 600 mph as the afterburners kicked in. So in a mere four seconds we had tripled our airspeed; the cloud cover transformed from a discernible cottony field into a sheet-like white blob. We hadn't even neared passing the first Mach level the plane is capable of hitting. I immediately exclaimed, "Dude, I'm going to throw up!" So he killed the throttle and we moderated back to a more acceptable airspeed. So far I had managed to avoid actually puking.

We met back up with Sloppy and his passenger and dumped some fuel to be light enough for the landing. Then we flew a straight vector back to our home base. As we approached the airfield, Sparky said, "Shane, we're going to have to do some turning to line up for the landing. One of the turns has a little more G action than you pulled before, but don't worry...it will be over quickly." We flew straight over the airstrip far too high to touch down; then we banked hard right, flew in a semi-circle vector parallel with the ground, and pulled 4 Gs. The G suit squeezed me tightly and I strained the way they taught me under the G-forces. My pilot never uttered a sound; obviously a puny 4 Gs was nothing to him. We seemed to travel the length of the runway again, and made an additional diving tight turn, this time without any Gs thank goodness. As our wheels touched down on the glorious Earth, I proceeded to vomit into my airsick bag a few times, and I caught Sparky smiling at me in his rearview mirror. I somehow had survived this brush with the Top Gun experience and definitely underscored the fact that I'm currently in the correct line of work. I wasn't meant to be a pilot or any other sort of flying person; I belong in a laboratory behind a microscope or in a studio behind a guitar.

Sparky told me that my incentive ride was pretty typical; I guess most non-flyer types can't handle the 7-plus Gs that the F-15 routinely pulls on a sortie (the F-15 can pull up to 9), but I also think Sparky felt sorry for me and was just attempting to boost my ego up a bit. He told me, "No matter what...you can say you've flown in an F-15 Strike Eagle. Not many people can say such a thing." And this was true. I had flown in it and flown it, even if for only a few minutes. Man, am I dumbass or what? I'll never do that stupid crap again! But I faced my fear and did it anyway. Like I said...dumbass.

Grad School? Who me?

2005-04-04T23:17:00.000-05:00

Right now, I await the news on whether I've been accepted to graduate school. All signs point to the affirmative, but one never knows; in one reassuring correspondence, the professor at this university told me she didn't see any reason, given what she knew of my academic record, that I would be turned down. I did very well in undergraduate study, but I admit that I'm trepid, and probably unnecessarily so, when it comes to thinking of myself as someone capable of higher science.

After all, we're getting into some difficult, challenging material here--research--hypothesis and experiment design--and the mental skills required to pursue the research to a sound, academically-acceptable conclusion. I never dreamed of myself as a potential researcher, and that was probably out of that sinking fear that I sometimes get. Somehow or another, it always comes down to math. Ha! Self-doubt as a scientist equals self-doubt at mathematics. After all, I'm the guy who stares into space when asked to quickly convert some value in my head. I go off poking around for a calculator, or else some Brainiac from the Planet Krypton computes the figure before I can mutter the first befuddled, quizzical "uh".

But then again, I am a geek--a classic oddball computer-and-science-loving nerd. I can't disappoint the inhabitants of geekdom; I can't mar the reputation of all those claiming the moniker, who have traveled the technical and academically-bound road before me. I have a high standard to live up to. Who said geeks don't feel pressure!

Vai and "Reflections"

2005-02-25T21:42:00.000-06:00

There's nothing like the anticipation of going to see Steve Vai live in concert. I've seen him on three other occasions and actually met him on one of those. I would describe his guitar playing as infinitely accurate and his engineering chops as some of the best I've ever heard. I still don't think there is a rock guitar player living or dead who has surpassed his technical expertise, but that's just my opinion. I'll be seeing him and his band, The Breed, at the Jacksonville, Florida show. In my older days now, I'm not as turned on by guitar technique as I once was as a teenager. Ironically, I now have a lot of those chops that once eluded me when I really wanted them. Maybe that's for the best. Age and wisdom are growing a new musical beast within.

While I was in Iraq I wrote and recorded around 5 new songs on this very Powerbook. I started about 3 more that are unfinished. I'm not sure when I'll finish a complete project, but I've got some new distribution ideas. I'm no longer going to charge for my music. This may seem silly to some, but I don't earn my living via the music I write and record. To be honest, writing and recording hasn't earned me very much at all in the nearly 20 years I've pursued it. Comparitively, I've earned only a penurious, slightly larger amount by playing live music in the 15 years I've been doing it. Basically, music is a tough business to live on. I'm a clinical lab scientist during the day; in my off-duty time I'm a composer, guitarist, and studio engineer. There are a lot of great composers, guitarists, and engineers out there, and the Internet age is making it possible for all of us to discover each other. Since I have no fantasies that I'm going to suddenly become famous and earn millions through my hobby, I'd rather just share what I do with the world; my compensation will come only through the knowledge that my music is enriching someone else's life besides my own. Maybe my music, and not compensatory benefit, is how I'm to leave my mark on this planet.

So I plan to put most of my music up on CNET and make cover art and labels available on my web site for download. If someone finds they'd rather forego the time required to download and produce their own CD of my music, they can just pay a minimal amount to cover the cost of the disc and postage, and I'll make it for them and mail it right to their door. If they'd rather just use the new model and put the music only on their hard drive and iPod, that's cool too. But that's going to be my new music distribution model--shared freely with the world.

I'll only ask that downloaders not use my music for profit without my permission. Other than that...share and share alike!

Composing in Iraq

2005-02-22T07:03:00.000-06:00

I've returned from my hellish travels abroad. One might be inclined to believe that an Iraqi winter is a mild experience in contrast with Iraqi summers, but though the temperatures moderate considerably, the monsoon season turns everything that isn't paved into a soupy morass. In short it was a miserable experience, except for the wonderful friends I made and the terrific Cuban puros I indulged in. I won't even discuss the mortar attacks; some things are better left unsaid.

So we smoked a lot of cigars to pass the time (there are few better pastimes). I've been accepted for graduate school funding; now I must get accepted to graduate school. Let's hope all goes well.

I wrote a lot of music in Iraq, but I'm not sure when I'll publish it. Everything comes down to time.

Studio upgrades

2004-05-06T19:35:00.000-05:00

Made it through military school. I'm back. Have been cleaning up the studio - installing new gear, getting rid of old gear. I've updated the Dual G4 Mac with a DVD rewriter, and I've added an awesome guitar pre-amp - the Behringer V-Amp Pro, along with a nice midi foot controller by the same company. I can pretty much record through any amp I want now (albeit a virtual one). I'm trying to update my web site and stay on top of family and work. I want to record new music but I'm not sure when I'll get the time. I'm soon off to grad school. More later on...