The year was 2009. It was anything but a good year for me, in terms of life and activities. I started the year by saying goodbye to a bandmate heading to Italy for the semester. Granted we all knew she was leaving, but it didn't make it easier to take. Eventually, the band I was in fell into chaos and disorder, and within a month, I was cast out of my own band.
Slowly, the bricks were being laid down for something. But I didn't know what.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Blog Report: announcing collaborator #1
So here we are. The mixtape has started recording (finally) and we got some friends coming along for the ride. Yes, the guy who famously was "anti-collab" has had a change of heart. Blame being in bands and side-projects and seeing how much different and better stuff sounds with others involved, but this mixtape will have a selection of collaborators join in on the synth-heavy activities.
So without further ado, here's a special look at one of the guests on #N0_HER0ES (coming this fall)!
So without further ado, here's a special look at one of the guests on #N0_HER0ES (coming this fall)!
Monday, July 29, 2013
Blog Report 7/29: no heroes is...
it's getting there.
after what has been about a full 6-7 month process (if you want to add the SOF 2 production time, it's just over 1 year), the pieces are coming together for no heroes.
first recording started last thursday night. recording a collab with a friend of mine who you may remember from a while back. also trying to piece together at least 2 more collabs on this mixtape as well.
yeah, collabs. shocker.
but after being in 4 bands in 3 years, working with people seems more...rewarding. time-consuming, but rewarding.
writing is wrapping up this week. I got one more all-nighter session and the fact I may have some quiet time makes recording more attractive.
and then there's a few other things here and there that I'm working on as well.
the second EP will be done probably in the same sessions of no heroes. sounds crazy. but I know crazy.
aces down 2.0 is stalled. but I'm working on it. no singer yet, but odds are I'm probably going to be holding the bag this time. I even gave some thought to bringing back an old friend to do it but...well, I'd rather not get into it.
project nightmare x2 is up next after the recording is done.
the third EP will probably be happening in the end of the year. going to bring in some friends and guests to flesh out the all unplugged songs. yes, all unplugged. but the challenge will be keeping hip-hop traits in a live music situation.
the next full-length will probably start in 2014. and it will probably be a mix of the EPs, the mixtapes, the bands i've been in and project nightmare.
and there's movement on the trip-hop project too. could be a bigger part of Retroflux. will update on the story as time goes on.
now on the live performance front:
after what has been about a full 6-7 month process (if you want to add the SOF 2 production time, it's just over 1 year), the pieces are coming together for no heroes.
first recording started last thursday night. recording a collab with a friend of mine who you may remember from a while back. also trying to piece together at least 2 more collabs on this mixtape as well.
yeah, collabs. shocker.
but after being in 4 bands in 3 years, working with people seems more...rewarding. time-consuming, but rewarding.
writing is wrapping up this week. I got one more all-nighter session and the fact I may have some quiet time makes recording more attractive.
and then there's a few other things here and there that I'm working on as well.
the second EP will be done probably in the same sessions of no heroes. sounds crazy. but I know crazy.
aces down 2.0 is stalled. but I'm working on it. no singer yet, but odds are I'm probably going to be holding the bag this time. I even gave some thought to bringing back an old friend to do it but...well, I'd rather not get into it.
project nightmare x2 is up next after the recording is done.
the third EP will probably be happening in the end of the year. going to bring in some friends and guests to flesh out the all unplugged songs. yes, all unplugged. but the challenge will be keeping hip-hop traits in a live music situation.
the next full-length will probably start in 2014. and it will probably be a mix of the EPs, the mixtapes, the bands i've been in and project nightmare.
and there's movement on the trip-hop project too. could be a bigger part of Retroflux. will update on the story as time goes on.
now on the live performance front:
- reworking the show to work around the no heroes material. so this means, synths everywhere. glitch everywhere. dubstep nowhere to be found (GTFO)
- there may be a minimal band lineup. 50% pre-rendered, 50% live. yeah like I'm going to run 10 different synths live. you nuts.
- Fall 2013 sound good? OK, how about next month?
So stay tuned. Collabs will be revealed soon. Get ready.
-mc larny
-mc larny
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
EXPOSE DAY 3: The Cards Are Wild Again
So here's the story.
About 6 months ago, I started writing a bunch of songs. Only thing about it was, it was different. The songs took on a nature of their own. The nature was that, the songs couldn't be done using pre-programmed beats...they had to be made live, with real people, real instruments.
In that breath, the decision was made to reform/restart Aces Down, or at least try to.
I've been working with Andrew Warnock (ex-Mojo Kick) for the past couple of months to reconfigure the sound. It's been a creative crash-course in what does and does not work. And now the rest of the pieces of this project are filling out, gradually. Still a lot of work to be done. Specifically the search for a lead singer (I'm not doing that..can't sing and unless we want to play hardcore punk, I'm really limited) and probably a bassist.
But I'm excited for it, because I've wanted to do it for years now. It's going to happen. The rest of the pieces will be unveiled soon enough. Really really soon...we're trying to get everyone in the same room to jam....
Not easy. But it never was....
About 6 months ago, I started writing a bunch of songs. Only thing about it was, it was different. The songs took on a nature of their own. The nature was that, the songs couldn't be done using pre-programmed beats...they had to be made live, with real people, real instruments.
In that breath, the decision was made to reform/restart Aces Down, or at least try to.
I've been working with Andrew Warnock (ex-Mojo Kick) for the past couple of months to reconfigure the sound. It's been a creative crash-course in what does and does not work. And now the rest of the pieces of this project are filling out, gradually. Still a lot of work to be done. Specifically the search for a lead singer (I'm not doing that..can't sing and unless we want to play hardcore punk, I'm really limited) and probably a bassist.
But I'm excited for it, because I've wanted to do it for years now. It's going to happen. The rest of the pieces will be unveiled soon enough. Really really soon...we're trying to get everyone in the same room to jam....
Not easy. But it never was....
EXPOSE DAY 2: There Are No Heroes
Synthesizers are underrated. Often viewed in hip-hop as the instrument used by everyone to replace the sounds they wish they had, it's time to do something a little more...out there with it. An orchestra of synths? Sure, why not.
No Heroes was built on two foundations. The disgust with popular people and the fancy fashion of them being exposed for who they really are was the first foundation. The second was the sound, the idea behind it. It's a good enough idea for a mixtape. And it will be some of the most on-point material I pen in...forever.
It's not going to sound like NIN in hip-hop form, it's going to sound like a new idea. Listen for yourself.
I would never imagine that it would be such an edge-pusher. And somehow it still is, in light of Mr. West's new release. I'm hoping to finish the production by the end of the month and record in July...for a guy who never does mixtapes, this is taking so long.
I originally intended to go solo entirely with this one...but as of now, the goal is to get at LEAST 2 cameos on there. Could happen, could not, we'll see. It may have crossed into "free album" territory with all the work being done for it.
Enjoy a sample. COMING THIS AUGUST.
No Heroes was built on two foundations. The disgust with popular people and the fancy fashion of them being exposed for who they really are was the first foundation. The second was the sound, the idea behind it. It's a good enough idea for a mixtape. And it will be some of the most on-point material I pen in...forever.
It's not going to sound like NIN in hip-hop form, it's going to sound like a new idea. Listen for yourself.
I would never imagine that it would be such an edge-pusher. And somehow it still is, in light of Mr. West's new release. I'm hoping to finish the production by the end of the month and record in July...for a guy who never does mixtapes, this is taking so long.
I originally intended to go solo entirely with this one...but as of now, the goal is to get at LEAST 2 cameos on there. Could happen, could not, we'll see. It may have crossed into "free album" territory with all the work being done for it.
Enjoy a sample. COMING THIS AUGUST.
EXPOSE DAY 1: How's Your Coffee
Retroflux project 001
MC Larny x Nice Day present: Good Coffee Inc.
Twin Peaks hip-hop. It's as crazy as it sounds.
COMING SOON
MC Larny x Nice Day present: Good Coffee Inc.
Twin Peaks hip-hop. It's as crazy as it sounds.
COMING SOON
Monday, May 6, 2013
Blog Report: Restarting an Old Car
Howdy,
OK, so the radio silence has been for a good reason. The building of Retroflux for one, the work on N0_HER0ES and the planning for a couple of side-projects have made this blog a silent place.
But that's over. Here's a little story about a project on my docket since 2010.
Ever since I planned this EP series out, I always intended for the last EP to be a stripped down, unplugged effort, taking me into really unfamiliar territory that I have merely hinted at previously.
So with that said, this idea has been off and on, mostly because a). Writing a conceptual trilogy is tough, b). This needs real instruments and people, and c). Bad luck.
The furthest I got on this was back in 2010, when I ran through about 5 rough songs with a friend, planning it all out (at the time, I had no confidence with actually directing a song's creation) and with a different idea of who would be a part of it.
3 years later, and the project still lives but the cast has changed. People have moved, or fallen out with me, or whathaveyou.... I did come up with 4 good ideas for songs recently. One of them has the working title "Winter" and if I can get it to be 6 minutes, or close, then it works.
The challenge is to capture emotions after the story arcs towards the ending. And also to not sound whiny. In a way, it's creating arap hip-hop album, with the limitations of nothing plugged in, no computers, turntables, sampling, etc. Somehow there's a way to retain the DNA of hip-hop production (patterns, 4/4 drumming, chopped up keys, etc) and bring it over to the MTV Unplugged world.
Once the mixtape is out, the real fun begins. Hoping to get it out in the winter months...writing as many sequences for a full story as possible to hopefully start playing around with later on.
We'll see what happens, but it WILL happen.
-mc larny
OK, so the radio silence has been for a good reason. The building of Retroflux for one, the work on N0_HER0ES and the planning for a couple of side-projects have made this blog a silent place.
But that's over. Here's a little story about a project on my docket since 2010.
Ever since I planned this EP series out, I always intended for the last EP to be a stripped down, unplugged effort, taking me into really unfamiliar territory that I have merely hinted at previously.
So with that said, this idea has been off and on, mostly because a). Writing a conceptual trilogy is tough, b). This needs real instruments and people, and c). Bad luck.
The furthest I got on this was back in 2010, when I ran through about 5 rough songs with a friend, planning it all out (at the time, I had no confidence with actually directing a song's creation) and with a different idea of who would be a part of it.
3 years later, and the project still lives but the cast has changed. People have moved, or fallen out with me, or whathaveyou.... I did come up with 4 good ideas for songs recently. One of them has the working title "Winter" and if I can get it to be 6 minutes, or close, then it works.
The challenge is to capture emotions after the story arcs towards the ending. And also to not sound whiny. In a way, it's creating a
Once the mixtape is out, the real fun begins. Hoping to get it out in the winter months...writing as many sequences for a full story as possible to hopefully start playing around with later on.
We'll see what happens, but it WILL happen.
-mc larny
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