Projects in Music

MUSIC:

https://soundcloud.com/christopher-vitale-2/sets/neo-prog-experimental-music

Songs (from most recent to oldest):

– Starlight (Starshine Part II), (5:55, Jan-March 2015): Started out as a remix of the vocals of ‘Starshine’ in a more aggressive context, and then took on a life of its own. A true neo-prog rock sonic exploration, six minutes of highly layered complexity, from complete aural overload, to a long hyper spacey middle section. Extended keyboard and guitar solos, with tons of industrial noises and analog synths surrounding it all.

– Starshine (2:57, December 2014): A space-ballad, with massively layered vocals (14 layers in the middle section), often processed through both forward and reverse reverb and various modulators. Shoegaze and Dream-pop influences, as well as classic prog like Pink Floyd. Nylon string finger-picking guitars, mellotron-style tape-strings, and analog synths all make their appearances, as do tons of sweeping sounds and effects. Most instruments here layered with at least seven tracks and varyingly processed to achieve a hyper-lush sound.

– Mutation Quadrilogy Part IV – Mutagenesis (4:15, late-November 2014): Experimental instrumental which starts off with a Hendrix meets punk/grunge wah-guitar solo, and quickly descends into algorithmic glitching software madness on the drums, layered with analog synths. The middle section ups the ante of the chaos with industrial style distorted keyboards, and in the final section, the guitars return, but this time, the entire song is being algorithmically glitched. What I imagine Hendrix might do as an instrumental if he were with us today, and took a liking to computers. Lotsa machines on this one.

– Mutation Quadrilogy Part III – Meiogenesis (2:46, mid-November 2014): Starts off with aggressive distorted drums and a highly dissonant digitally stretched lead doubled by analog synths, then a series of complex chord progressions move along to a highly melodic dream-like middle section, only to return to the chaos.

– Mutation Quadrilogy Part II – Mitogenesis (3:25, mid-November 2014): Dissonant keyboards and a strong beat lead to a complete crash in the center leaving one in a dissonant hazy sonic wasteland, which is then decimated by a wall of distorted industrial keyboard mayhem, which then blends with the original theme to find its ending. Much of this song focuses on the sonic possibilities of Native Instruments Massive software synth, peppered with various other instruments analog and digital.

– Mutation Quadriology Part I – Cytokinesis (3:32, late-October 2014): This piece starts with a distorted bass-line, then ring-modulates it, and then progressively layers up with dueling digital and analog synths, including a massive dub-step bass, along with various vintage instruments like Hammond organ and Fender Rhodes, all doing solos of various sorts, fighting it out with the slicing digital synths of Native Instruments additive software synth Razor.

– The Flower Bank Array (3:23, mid-October 2014): Loosely inspired by the Buddhist Avatamsaka Sutra, this piece uses vocoded vocals, virtual analog synths, distorted drums, tremoloed Fender Rhodes, and walls of guitar feedback and distorted slide guitar sweeps to imagine this fractal Buddhist domain. My first piece upon returning to recording, so not as polished perhaps as the others, but not without its charms.

All the compositions aim to push sonic boundaries in one form or another, often juxtaposing styles, sounds, or instruments not normally combined. The overall set of influences, however, include classic Progressive Rock (70’s Genesis, Pink Floyd, Yes, King Crimson, classic Bowie), neo-Progressive rock (Mars Volta, Zombi, Astra, etc.), Shoegaze (Catherine Wheel, Hum), Psychadelia (from Hendrix to Tame Impala), 90’s industrial and grunge (Blur, Built to Spill, Jawbox, Tool), and contemporary electronica, post-dubstep, etc.. I play all the instruments and do all the vocals on these tracks.

Primary Equipment Used in these tracks:

All tracks recorded in Logic Pro X

Analog Synths (currently in use): Sequential Prophet 600 Gligli, Korg Polysix; Moog Source

Synths (analog/other, used on these recordings but not still around, in approx order of usage): Waldorf Pulse 2, Dave Smith Tetra module, Nord Electro 4D, Novation Mininova, Korg Mini-Korg XL+, Dave Smith Mono Evolver Keyboard, Analogue Solutions Semblance, Moog Slim Phatty, Arturia Microbrute

Software Synthesis (in approx. order of usage): Razor, Massive, Maschine 2, and Monark by Native Instruments; ACE and Diva by u-he; Cyclop by Sugarbytes; LUSH-101 by D16 Group; Enzyme by Humanoid Sound Systems; impOSCAR by Gforce; Vacuum Pro by Air Music Tech; Sylenth by Lennar Digital; ANA by Sonic Academy; Logic built-in drums/synths.

Guitars (in approx order of usage): Fender Strat Deleuxe Players Edition; Epiphone Bass Guitar; Martin X-Series Steel String Acoustic; Yamaha CG171SF Flamenco-style Nylon String; Orange Crush 12L Guitar Amp; OCD Fulltone Distortion Pedal; Dunlop Crybaby Wah Pedal

Processing: Guitar Rig by Native Instruments; Live-Cut algorithmic glitching software by smartelectronix; Singularity warped delay processor by Sinevibes.

Basics: ProFx 12 channel mixer, Sure SM-58 Mic, Focsurite Scarlett 6i6 D/A converter.

I have been a musician since childhood, and spent most of my high school and college years playing in various bands and recording music. I am once again recording experimental music compositions, which can be found at my page on SoundCloud below.

All the compositions aim to push sonic boundaries in one form or another, often juxtaposing styles, sounds, or instruments not normally combined. The overall set of influences, however, include Progressive Rock (70’s Genesis, Pink Floyd, Yes, King Crimson, Mars Volta, classic Bowie), Shoegaze (Catherine Wheel, Hum), Psychadelia (from Hendrix to Tame Impala), 90’s industrial and grunge (Blur, Built to Spill, Jawbox, Tool), and contemporary electronica. I play all the instruments and do all the vocals on these tracks.

Studio away from home mid-November.