the vecctones

you can’t have a retro debut album without a retro mixdown….by that i’m referring to making the drum tracks mono and some other slight adjustments to give it more of an indie sound and feel.  from what i’ve read, mono drum tracks were the thing back in the day.  i like how they hit the compression/limiting and also because they seem to have more punch but with a warmer centered tone.

i actually made the decision based on the vecctones follow up album which is pretty much done. you see, i almost bailed on these ‘retro’ debut tunes by moving onto another set of songs without releasing the first set.  after completing the follow up album, i decided to go back and rework the first set.  all along growing and developing as a vocalist and producer.

so now i’m ready to hit the scene with 2 albums, each about 30 minutes, actually i think the retro is under 30 (though i have one or 2 other songs that could make the cut) and the follow up is over 30 minutes.

i also have guitar riffs worked out for the 3rd album which i did months ago when i got a new guitar and was all excited to play it (around the time i was finishing up the follow up album), but then put those ideas off to the side to rework the retro tunes…..

summary:

retro debut tunes (posted) = a bit more funky and abstract ….09 release date

follow up album = more guitar driven (still some funky elements)   ….09 simultaneous release date possible

3rd album guitar ideas = guitar driven  ….maybe end of 2010 probably 2011

why should the afternoon be any different than this morning?  well, I wasn’t as irritated, actually i was pleased that i heard somethings that i could do to make the tunes sound better.  so i feverishly went thru all the tracks and tweaked away.  these mixes are getting closer to the master.  i removed the slight touch of reverb on the master track, giving it more punch and also more saturated because now the reverb isn’t there to wimp it out too much.  I also added some tube overdrive to the bass tracks and added some higher frequencies to the drum tracks giving them more air.

now i can focus on recording the final vocal tracks without having any weird quirky things distracting me in the head phones…it’s all pyschological…mind over matter

Don’t be surprised if new vocals are posted a few more times within the next couple weeks.  I’m tryng to finalize this retro debut album during the month of July.  What’s posted also contains new mixes with some more compression and a slight touch of reverb to smooth things out.  These drum tracks consist of some nice DW’s and a mixture of Paiste, Bosphorous and Zildjian cymbals The BD is birds eye maple, the SD is also maple with a partial brass shell.

I’ve been emersed in a world of music since a young age and although through the mind and ears of a drummer, I’ve been exposed to all sorts of melodies and harmonies through it all.

Musically, my 30’s have proven to be about re-inventing myself beyond the supportive role that drummers often fulfill. I’ve had many great experiences as a drummer, everything from playing rock clubs in Worcester (my band once opened for Godsmack at the Lucky Dog), Boston (including Aerosmith’s Mama Kins), to having played on Cruise Ships while living it up on some of the finest beaches in the world. I also have plenty experience freelancing as a drummer throughout MA and have had the opportunity to have taught many good kids the basic fundamentals on how to be a good drummer.

The beauty of self producing The Vecctones was that I didn’t have to answer to nobody. After playing some guitar and bass parts, I would sometimes re-arrange them around before laying down some vocals. I was able to create some things I may have never thought of originally by working this way. I didn’t play the drums for these songs, I produced them, along the lines of how rap artists make their beats. The Vecctones has been my escape from being a drummer. Recording the bass and guitar was an adventure to say the least. Stepping up to the plate as a vocalist was just the result of saying, “fuck it!”. It was about challenging myself. In a lot of ways the music was improvised but required much thought, contemplation, and reflection..

The concept behind The Vecctones was to blend rock, blues, jazz, metal, trip hop, etc…, in a way that sounded different from everything it was inspired from. I think I got it… check it out…

check em out

….more songs will be added in the coming weeks

it’s a nice day out ‘n all, but I knew I’d feel better if I got some things done, so I did…

I resang “flyin”, and then I re-did the drum beats for “when it rains”.  I also switched up the song order a little…still trying to get it right.

I finally got the right order for the songs to be in (i think).  Now I just need to clean up the beats a little (mostly in “rains”).  Then I need to redo some vocals here or there.

these new mixes are as of May 12 and contain reworked beats.  there’s a couple of tunes that will be added to the playlist as soon as I finish up the vocal work

‘impressions’ vocals done mar14, ‘high on yourself’ done mar10, tweaked mar14