albums
Underway
2023 Battle of the E-Bands
2006 Wonday
Compilations
1993 Songs to Sleep By
1997 Songs to Sleep By 2
2002 Sunday Sampler
2002 Dad's Picks
1999 Mix 1 (sy55)
2010 Mix 2 (triton vocal)
2010 Mix 3 (triton instr.)
SY55
1991 Archives
1992 College Collection
1993 College Collage
1994 The Hermit
1997 Where's My Muse
1999 South or Southeast
Triton
2001 In the Margins
2002 Renewal
2002 Re-treat
2002 Convenience
2002 Back Up
2003 So So
2003 So On
2003 So Long
2003 Baby Steps
2003 Baby Talk
2004 Schmocial
2004 Brroom
2004 Chuckadee
2004 Disco Hike
2004 Extra Extra
2005 Coma Pill
2005 Ourboretum
2005 Jaminy
2005 Padden Drift
2005 Gorilla Love
2005 Aminals
2005 Vegibles
2006 Fruitine
2006 Dignored
2006 Miner
2006 Mouseculine
2006 Yata
2007 Zipit
2007 Sixawon
2007 Halfdosin
2007 Whatcom Home
2008 What Roses
2008 Pho Kit
2008 Composed Pile
2009 Decomposed Pie
2009 Swaddlicious
2010 Lost Train
Soft Synths
2011 Out the Margins
2011 Redebut
2011 Reprogression
2012 Working Progress
2013 Tripico
2014 Aerosol Concrete
2015 Reduced to Clear
2016 Motions
2017 The Walking Dad
2018 Mockolate
2019 Still Testing
2020 Slow Wins Teddy

Track List

# title lyrics time download listen started recorded rating
1 Please Hold lyrics 5:29 download listen locally 2003-01-02 2005-01-06
2 Drift - 5:49 download listen locally 2003-01-15 2005-01-05
3 Beeday - 6:30 download listen locally 2003-01-20 2005-01-06
4 Weak - 5:10 download listen locally 2003-01-26 2005-01-11
5 Zzz - 4:14 download listen locally 2003-01-26 2005-01-13
6 Late - 6:11 download listen locally 2003-02-04 2005-01-17
7 Moved - 6:33 download listen locally 2003-02-20 2005-01-18
8 Sitting - 3:10 download listen locally 2003-02-21 2005-01-20
9 Tantrum lyrics 4:55 download listen locally 2003-02-22 2005-01-22
10 Cleaning - 5:45 download listen locally 2003-02-23 2005-01-25
11 Larrabee - 5:15 download listen locally 2003-02-23 2005-01-25
12 Night - 3:48 download listen locally 2003-02-24 2005-01-27
13 Yeah Right - 3:45 download listen locally 2003-02-27 2005-01-31
14 Share lyrics 5:42 download listen locally 2003-02-28 2005-02-01
15 Please Hold Instrumental - 4:48 download listen locally 2003-01-02 2005-01-06
16 Recleaning - 1:02 download listen locally 2003-02-23 2005-01-25
Total 78:06 play all locally album rating:

Notes

I'll be the first to admit that Tripecac can get a little boring. The endless, aimless, muffled jams, new-age dirges, clumsy jazz noodlings, and sterile trance loops can be snore-city at times. Sure, it's decent background music, but very little of it is either memorable or inspiring. I've been trying to spice things up a bit. On Disco Hike, I added lots of guitar and experimented with different sequencers, effects, and techniques. Extra Extra added wild, a cappella improvs and a guest guitarist.

For Coma Pill I took the opposite approach. I kept the setup simple, limiting myself to Sonar and the Triton; I even reused instruments and effects on many songs. I focused on making the music as peppy and clear as possible; I sped up tempos, used lots of looped rhythms, and toned down the reverb.

I also worked very quickly. I usually spent no more than 5 hours per song: one or two in 2003 and the rest in 2005. I managed to finish all the songs within a month, making this the quickest Tripecac so far.

The end result is (IMO) the most urgent and cohesive bunch of Tripecac songs so far. The tunes can be a little same-sounding at times (e.g., "Larrabee" and "Night"), and the drum mix is occasionally a little off, but overall, the mood is upbeat enough to make me nod my head... and not out of drowsiness!

Gear:

The songs were constructed using Sonar. There's vocals on "Please Hold", "Tantrum", and "Share". The rest of the noises come from the Triton.

Songs

Please Hold

I started this on 2003-01-02 and picked it up again exactly two years later. The music is slow, loop-based funk. I added the solos and bongo sounds in 2004. This song isn't the most exciting opener, but at least it's peppier than "Rusty".

The lyrics have something to do with being putting "on hold"; perhaps I was feeling secondary? I think I intended it to be a sequel to "Cancel", but it didn't have the same power. The repeating vocals remind me of Phish, except there's a fake British accent for the "please hold" bit. Okay, next!

Lyrics to "Please Hold":

VOCAL 1:
  no, i can't see you
  i just can't see you
  not yet

VOCAL 2:
  see you 'round, see you 'round
  see you in my waiting room

  i'm waiting 'round, waiting 'round
  waiting in my waiting room

VOCAL 3:
  please hold for the number
  please hold for the tone
  

Drift

This tight little dance groove makes no attempt at sounding "live". Its most noticeable bit is the sitar; I think I had recently watched the Beatles' Anthology. I'm not sure whether the title is refering to a snow drift (I started it in January 2003), MIDI timing drift, or some other kind of drift.

Beeday

I started this on my birthday in 2003. I was left alone for a few hours, and needed something to fill the time. The piano solos remind me of "Icky".

Weak

I don't remember why I called this song "Weak". The music doesn't sound wimpy; it's a pounding orchestral dance funk thing. However, there's no real melody, no "swing", no finesse. It's just bang, bang, bang, bang... Maybe this was my idea of depicting "strength"?

In 2005 I flushed it out a bit, but got bored with the monotonous, aggressive pounding. I couldn't recapture whatever mood I posessed when I started the song; this made it hard to add expressive solos or rhythmic embellishments. The end result is rather weak. (ha ha)

Zzz

I guess I was feeling bored when I started this, but the music isn't all that sleepy. It's melodic, mid-tempo jazz/funk which builds a little in intensity (thanks to my 2005 efforts). Actually, it's kinda dull. Not even the manic organ solos can perk this baby up. Maybe the tempo is too slow?

Late

I guess I started this late at night or else someone was supposed to visit but was running behind. I must have been pretty tired, because there's very little creative energy. It's pretty formulaic: a long jazz/funk jam with lots of solos but not much in terms of genuine passion. When I was finishing it in 2005, I couldn't figure out how to unmuffle the mix without it sounding "dinky". Oh well. There are some solos buried in that mud, but unless you're wearing headphones, you probably won't notice them.

Moved

I started this soon after I moved into my new apartment. I was testing to make sure the equipment was connected properly. The effects are pretty crisp, and the solos and drums have lots of energy. On the downside, the instrumentation is crowded; the distorted organ, brass, and guitar parts run together. Also, the ending is a little too weird!

Sitting

Either I was kid-sitting, or I wanted to see how much of a song I could finish in one sitting. Unlike most of my recent songs, this one actually has a verse/chorus structure. It doesn't really go anywhere, though. The mix is muffled and messy; the only real clear part is during the synth solo, which only lasts a few seconds. Fortunately, the song is pretty short.

Tantrum

I guess someone was having a bad day when I started this. Wasn't me.

I added the vocals in 2005.

Lyrics to "Tantrum":

INTRO:
  okay
  get up
  and shake it, shake it, shake it

  wah wah wah
  wah wah wah
  wah wah wah
  wah wah wah

  wah wah wah
  boo hoo hoo
  i pretend i'm wise
  but i act 2

VERSE 1:
  i don't wanna work
  and i don't wanna clean
  no, i don't wanna study
  i just wanna be me

  i'm so tired of sitting
  in my stinky, cluttered room
  while other people have fun
  how come i can't be there too?

CHORUS 1:
  so i'll throw a tantrum
  and someone will run to me
  yes, i'll throw a tantrum
  so they'll pay attention to me

VERSE 2:
  wah wah wah
  boo hoo hoo
  i might be 9
  but i act 2

  i hate doing chores
  i'll escape them however i can
  yes i'll teach people to treat me
  like the royalty i am

  yes, i should be exempt
  from all their stupid, layman's rules
  well, i'm not gonna cooperate
  'cause conformity's for fools

CHORUS 2:
  so i'll throw a tantrum
  and they will respect me
  yes, i'll throw a tantrum
  so they will let me be

VERSE 3:
  (crying)

  only peons have to work
  only losers exercise
  only idiots have to study
  'cause i play all the time

  and if somebody complains
  that i'm not helping out
  i'll turn on my charm
  and from my bag of tricks
  i'll pull a pout
  and if that doesn't work

CHORUS:
  i'll throw a tantrum
  and they will succor me
  yes, i'll throw a hissy fit
  and they will cater to me

  yes, i'll throw a tantrum
  and all the world will see
  just how happy they can be
  focusing on me, me, me

VERSE:
  focusing on me
  doing things for me
  catering to me
  listening to me
  paying attention to me

  when i get a bit older
  and i h-have to live on my own
  maybe i'll get a wheel chair
  'cause i'm too fat to push my bones

CHORUS: (improvised)
  i'll be a loser
  i'll be dying at 25
  i'll be a cripple
  but i'm happy to be alive

  'cause i've got my computer
  and my gameboy too
  and don't forget the tv
  oh i love you

  'cause i threw a tantrum
  when i was a kid
  yes, i threw lots of tantrums
  like nobody else every did

  and i threw my tantrums
  and it was okay too
  for everybody to cater to me
  when i had my boo-boos

CODA:
  wah wah wah
  boo hoo hoo
  you're not gonna make me
  grow up like you
  

Cleaning

This was a simple 8-bar loop in 2002; all it had was the bass line and drums. When I got hold of it in 2005, I turned it into a funky, rock-tinged jam. I was purposefully trying to make mindless, head-banging jazz. I don't remember why I called it "cleaning".

Larrabee

I started this on the same day I started "Cleaning". On a whim, I decided to try to finish it on the same day too. As a result, my 2005 contributions are very slight: some rhythmic clav, a piano melody, and a little mixing. The song was already in an almost-done state, which made it easy to finish. It's named after the nearby state park or (more likely) elementary school.

Night

The title isn't very witty, but neither is the music, which is repetitive, pounding jazz/rock.

Yeah Right

This is a gentle, sparse, swinging reggae. It's much more relaxing than most of the songs on Coma Pill. The title suggests that I was skeptical about something someone said, or perhaps I was just dubious of my ability to follow through with the relaxed swing of the song.

Share

This song shares a bass line with some other Tripecac song (I forget which). I think that explains the title. I improvised and recorded the vocals super-quickly, because I wanted to finish the song that day and felt like I didn't have enough time to play and polish a bunch of solos.

Lyrics to "Share":

this is a lame song
  [repeat for entire song]

this is a short song
it doesn't go anywhere
but that's okay
that's okay

'cause i didn't intend
for it to go anywhere
all i wanted
was to finish today

this is a short song
it doesn't go anywhere
but that's okay
that's okay

'cause i didn't intend
for it to have vocals
i didn't intend
to say anything

this is a short song
it doesn't go anywhere
the bass is familiar
but that that's okay

it is okay
for me share my
old ideas
  (my old ideas)

this is lame song
it doesn't go anywhere
but that's okay
that's okay

'cause my tripecac motto
is the following
listen, attention
attention you pay

record lots of songs
at least some of them good
record lots of songs
at least some of them good

this is lame song
it doesn't go anywhere
but that's okay
that's okay

'cause i didn't intend
for it to go anywhere
i didn't intend
to have something to say

this is a lame song
it doesn't rhyme anyway
it doesn't rhyme
it doesn't do

what it could do
if it took the time to
record real vocals
and write down the lyrics

this is a lame song
it doesn't go anywhere
the bass is familar
it's another tripecac song

good one travis
stay in time
if you can
it's a challenge

  (keep going)

this is lame song
it doesn't go anywhere
you've heard it before
you've heard me before

i do lots of anything
that you did expect from me
  (oh no travis)
i just keep on messing up

this is a lame song
same old tripecac
same same thing
you've heard it before

but that's okay
'cause it's pretty good background
that's okay
'cause you know me

some old tripecac
  [repeats]

this is a lame song
it doesn't add anything
to an album
that's otherwise okay

it's called coma pill
it is an inside joke
ha ha ha
why aren't you laughing?

coma pill
is what you take
to make you be quiet
and stop the chomping

stop the sputtering
stop the smothering
it's a coma pill

this is a lame song
the lyrics are nonsense
the music's redundant
the bassline's familiar

tell me travis
can you do anything
can you put forth effort on a song?
  (that isn't half-butted)

half-butted
you get it? half-butted?
  (yes, i get it)

i must retain my
  (oh god)
integrity
at all times
 (travis, stop talking)

this is a lame song
so do not digress travis
do not get into a monologue

stick to the tune
and you'll be okay
stick to the tune
and we'll listen again some other day
  

User Comments:

  1. "It's very tuneful, I like it!" - Giovanna (2010-09-06)

Please Hold Instrumental

This is a shorter, instrumental version of "Please Hold".

Recleaning

This is the long ending to "Cleaning".