Tripecac - Jaminy (2003-2005)

  1. Painfully Moody Saturday [7:46] 2003-05-10 - 2005-03-15
  2. Gassy [4:41] 2003-05-14 - 2005-03-17
  3. Overtime [5:24] 2003-05-26 - 2005-03-21
  4. Death Rattle [7:10] 2003-05-28 - 2005-03-23
  5. Claim [5:49] 2003-05-29 - 2005-03-24
  6. June [5:45] 2003-06-01 - 2005-03-29
  7. Sadie [4:21] 2003-06-01 - 2005-03-30
  8. Mop Up [5:37] 2003-07-17 - 2005-03-31
  9. Eight Oh One [5:16] 2003-07-26 - 2005-04-05
  10. Fifteen [4:16] 2003-08-15 - 2005-04-07
  11. Shot Fuse [3:20] 2003-10-17 - 2005-04-08
  12. Pooper [6:05] 2003-12-13 - 2005-04-12
  13. Eve Ho [4:30] 2003-12-24 - 2005-04-14
  14. Free Wait [3:34] 2004-06-26 - 2005-04-15
  15. Got Gear [4:38] 2004-09-29 - 2005-04-15

The title is a combination of "jam" and "Jiminy" (Cricket). It represents the ambivalent mix of cautious conscience versus self-indulgent improvisation. Inside of us are two voices: one saying "do the right thing" and the other saying "do what you feel like!" Every day we hear these voices; the choices we make about which voice to heed define our "quality" as a person.

When I am in work mode (which is most of the time), I listen to Jiminy. I'm conscientious, methodical, and extremely deliberate in my actions, always questioning myself whether I am performing optimally. In fact, I often represent Jiminy, habitually advising other people about what I think is right. As a result, people often see me as controlling, serious, obsessive, and unadaptable. When I am in "work mode", I can seem boring and annoying, like Jiminy was to Pinocchio.

Perhaps as a relief from perpetually trying to do the "Right Thing" in real life, I enjoy immersing myself in a paradigm where there is no "Right" way to do things. Although in work mode, I strive to be "perfect", in play mode, I don't like to think. Instead, I just like to bang on a keyboard, adlib goofy vocals, make dorky faces in a mirror, eat fatty foods, drink enough to get a headache, makee lot sof tpyos, or churn out a bunch of silly liner notes about myself.

So anyway, yeah. So that!

As for the songs, I started them in 2003 and 2004 and finished them in 2005. Half the music is listenable, but boring (Jiminy). The other half is spontaneous, uncompromising, and sloppy (jam). When you listen to tracks 7 and 8 back to back you'll see what I mean. I'm not sure which I prefer; "Sadie" is prettier, but "Mop Up" gets me bobbin' my head more. Neither is perfect, but then again, no Tripecac is.

I created the music with my usual Triton (sounds and effects) + Sonar (sequences) combo, with no plugins or other instruments. I tried to spice up the last song ("Got Gear") with vocals, but its underlying groove was too thin to salvage the album. Oh well!

So here in this last paragraph I will say that it's okay to "dis" this album! If you find something to like about it, then great! Otherwise, you can console yourself with the fact that this is my last "finishing up" album; I'm finally caught up with my old songs, and will start conscientiously constructing brand new songs as soon as I feel like it.