- Title: Aerosol Concrete
- Artist: Tripecac
- Timespan: 2014
- Theme: finishing old song ideas
- Length: 74:37
- Tracks: 13
- Lyrics: 10
- MP3s: 13 play all locally
- Rating: (none) rate this album
Track List
# | title | lyrics | time | download | listen | started | recorded | rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Snail Space | - | 2:17 | download | listen locally | 2014-02-13 | 2014-04-07 | (none) |
2 | Drumidea | - | 6:24 | download | listen locally | 2014-04-14 | 2014-05-11 | (none) |
3 | Tripacat | lyrics | 7:15 | download | listen locally | 2014-05-17 | 2014-06-04 | (none) |
4 | Same Old Trip | lyrics | 4:31 | download | listen locally | 2014-09-01 | 2014-09-10 | (none) |
5 | Big Bad | lyrics | 5:44 | download | listen locally | 2014-09-11 | 2014-09-16 | (none) |
6 | Repeatish | lyrics | 4:50 | download | listen locally | 2014-09-17 | 2014-09-24 | (none) |
7 | Happiless | lyrics | 6:55 | download | listen locally | 2014-09-30 | 2014-10-06 | (none) |
8 | Bad Sector | lyrics | 6:09 | download | listen locally | 2014-10-09 | 2014-10-22 | (none) |
9 | Reggaer | lyrics | 6:15 | download | listen locally | 2014-10-23 | 2014-10-31 | (none) |
10 | What I Call | lyrics | 5:58 | download | listen locally | 2014-11-04 | 2014-11-17 | (none) |
11 | In This Song | lyrics | 5:52 | download | listen locally | 2014-11-18 | 2014-11-27 | (none) |
12 | My Hair | lyrics | 7:10 | download | listen locally | 2014-12-01 | 2014-12-08 | (none) |
13 | Aerocrete | - | 5:17 | download | listen locally | 2014-12-11 | 2014-12-15 | (none) |
Total | 74:37 | play all locally | album rating: | (none) |
Notes
This album is a collection of songs based on ideas that I had originally recorded on my digitial camera, starting in 2010. When I was working on it, I really enjoyed having those "seeds" of ideas to play with; there are few things as daunting (creatively) as a completely blank slate, at least to me. Also, since most of the song ideas had lyrics, this album gave me an excuse to record more vocals than I have in years. This equalled more fun for me, though maybe not for you. Oh well, that's why this is a hobby and not a job!
The album title, as usual, has multiple meanings. The first is a reference to a phrase that my parents misheard when I was a kid. I was playing a wargame called Air Assault on Crete and my parents thought I was saying "aerosol concrete". They thought it (or me) strange. (Did you know there's actually such a thing as aerosol concrete? I didn't, until after I started this album.) Anyway, the notion of "mishearing" references the task of listening to those camera ideas and then trying to reconstruct them for Tripecac. I was frequently wondering: Am I hearing them right? Am I capturing the coolest bits, or the lamest bits? Am I butchering or neutering them? Of course, no one really cares, except me. Well, actually, including me.
The second meaning is a reference to the way I worked on these songs. Ideas shot out quickly (like a spray) from the camera, onto the virtual "canvas" of my audio projects, but the editing of those ideas took a long time, usually several days. Waiting for a song to become "good enough" to declare finished (by Tripecac standards) was like waiting for concrete to dry. And a lot of times, I felt like I was waiting, playing a minor role in the decision making. But it was still relaxing, and, at times, fun.
Just like a parachute drop onto Crete!
Songs
Snail Space
- Aerosol Concrete track 1
- started: 2014-02-13
- recorded: 2014-04-07
- remixed: 2014-12-16
- length: 2:17
- Travis Emmitt - Battery 4, Kontakt 5, Reaktor 5, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This starts the album with the oldest song idea that I had recorded on my camera, back on 2010-08-24. I included the actual "tick tock" audio from that recording at the beginning of the song, and then used AudioSnap to quantize it so that I could added other instruments to it. Thus is introduced the "looking back" theme of the album.
As for the instruments, I was testing out the new synths in Komplete 9: Battery 4, The Giant, Monark, and Session Strings. My verdict? Cool, meh, meh, and meh.
The song title refers to the fact that my musical ability is progressing at a snail's pace. A confused snail, that often back-tracks. Pretty soon I'll be banging on tupperware again and singing songs about flat cats.
Ultimately, this is an uninspired mish-mash of quarter-baked cliches which clash with each other and grate on the ear drums. Aside from that, it's great!
Drumidea
- Aerosol Concrete track 2
- started: 2014-04-14
- recorded: 2014-05-11
- length: 6:24
- Travis Emmitt - Battery 4, Kontakt 5
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This started with the drums, which was based on an idea from 2010-10-26. On top of that I layers a simple bass track, and then a clav riff from an idea started on 2010-12-02. The funkiness came from the present, baby, the present!
Speaking of presents, I decided to finish this on Mother's Day, as a gift. Well, of sorts. It's not like my creations are worth that much these days. Especially not the ones that sound like half-baked rehashes of the same old same old thing I've done for decades.
But it's the thought that counts, right?
Right?
On a positive note, I like the EQ I applied to the kick and bass; they give the low-end a decent presence in some parts. But not in others, for some reasno; at around the 5 minute mark the beat kinds dissolves. But then it cames back in again. EQ is my friend.
Tripacat
- Aerosol Concrete track 3
- started: 2014-05-17
- recorded: 2014-06-04
- length: 7:15
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
I recorded the rough idea for this on my camera back on 2010-12-08. Shortly afterwards, I thought of renaming Tripecac to "Tripacat". I even bought the domain name (tripacat.com). But then over time the idea lost its appeal. Too much work, really; it's not like the new name was particuarly awesome or anything.
Well, years later, at least I finally get to use the name "Tripacat", if only for a song. A long song, though. Too long, perhaps. Like a cat's tail.
If you're looking for profound meaning in lyrics you should really go elsewhere. You can pretend that these are about the escalation of drug use or animal cruelty leading into violence against people. But really it's just babble.
I was fiddling with the EQ for the kick drum and ended up compressing it pretty heavily, giving it a really low-level thumping effect. It's a bit extreme, at least when I look at the waveform visually (maxed-out peaks with each kick), but it doesn't sound too bad, at least on my current headphones. If it sounds horrible on other headphones or speakers, I'll tone down it down a bit. Thump, thump, thump!
Lyrics to "Tripacat":
if you trip a cat if you trip a cat there's no going back there's no going back if you trip a dog if you trip a dog next you've got to trip a hog yes you've got to trip a hog and then you trip a cow and then you trip a cow but that's not enough for you now no not enough for you now so then you trip a horse so then you trip a horse a little bit difficult of course of course and then you trip a baby and then you trip a baby and then you trip a little lady and then you trip a little lady and you trip a big man and then you trip a big man and run as fast as you can run run run run run run you're trippin' too much you're trippin' too much you're trippin' too much yes you're trippin' too much you're trippin' too much you're trippin' too much it started with a cat meow and escalated from that yes it tripacat tripacat tripacat...
Same Old Trip
- Aerosol Concrete track 4
- started: 2014-09-01
- recorded: 2014-09-10
- length: 4:31
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
I recorded the vocal idea on my camera on 2011-01-13. It's pretty simple, both musically and thematically. The same old same old, really.
Lyrics to "Same Old Trip":
oh it's the same old trip oh it's the same old trip no no i beg to diff no no i beg to diff [repeat] it's the same old trip [repeat] it's the same old tripecac
Big Bad
- Aerosol Concrete track 5
- started: 2014-09-11
- recorded: 2014-09-16
- length: 5:44
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
The vocal idea came from something I recorded on my camera on 2011-02-17. It's a coincidence that I started working on it on the 13th anniversary of a "big bad" day.
Lyrically, it's pretty dumb. Musically too. But it was fun to work on it. And it took less time than the last song. So that earns it some big bad brownie points in my big bad book.
Lyrics to "Big Bad":
you got a big bad vocal inside your ear you got a big bad note inside your ear [repeat] big bad note inside your other ear
Repeatish
- Aerosol Concrete track 6
- started: 2014-09-17
- recorded: 2014-09-24
- length: 4:50
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
The lyrics came from 2011-02-22. The music is all new. It's got a faintly afrobeat flavor, which I like.
I didn't use any effects on the vocals. Not even reverb. At times they sound cool like this, but at other times they sound a bit too amateurish. Oh well, it's not like "amateurish" is anything new to my listeners!
Lyrics to "Repeatish":
do you like the bass? yes i like the bass do you like the drums? yes i like the drums you gonna change the chords? no, not gonna change the chords so you just gonna play the same old thing again and again and again? you gonna change the bass? no, i'm not gonna change the bass you gonna vary the drums? no i like the drums you gonna alter the chords? not planning to alter the chords so you like it this way? yes i like it this way now get out of my face
Happiless
- Aerosol Concrete track 7
- started: 2014-09-30
- recorded: 2014-10-06
- length: 6:55
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
The lyrical idea is from 2011-11-23. The music is completely different from the original vibe, this time with a krautrocky feel.
Lyrics to "Happiless":
the things that made us happy don't make us happy no more the things that made us glad don't make us glad no more like playing with blocks like banging on plates like sleeping outside like staying up late the things that made us happy don't make us happy no more the things that made us hyper don't make us hyper no more like drinking milk like eating cake like sipping soda through a straw like a snake the things that made us happy don't make us happy no more the things that made us funny don't make us funny no more like watching movies with friends from school like drinking schnaps and peeing on a stool like tripping a dog like tripping a cat like tripping a baby i remember that the things that made us happy don't make us happy no more the things that made us funny don't make us funny no more the things that made us happy don't make us happy no more and the things that made us sad well they still make us sad, don't they
Bad Sector
- Aerosol Concrete track 8
- started: 2014-10-09
- recorded: 2014-10-22
- length: 6:09
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
The bass, drums, and horn idea came from a camera recording on 2012-03-17. The lyrics came from 2012-09-23. They refer to an error message we used to receive on computers long ago (back when we used floppy drives).
Funky. Silly. Messy. Best as background. Tripical.
Lyrics to "Bad Sector":
we got a bdos err on a bad sector a bdos err on a bad sector a bdos err on a bad sector what we gonna do? we got a bdos err on a bad sector a bdos err on a bad sector a bdos err on a bad sector what we gonna do? boo hoo
Reggaer
- Aerosol Concrete track 9
- started: 2014-10-23
- recorded: 2014-10-31
- length: 6:15
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
The initial drum pattern is from 2013-01-24. The first verse of the lyrics is from 2013-05-23, when I was in the middle of working on my "reggae" album (Tripico). I don't remember why I didn't finish the song back then; it seems like it would be appropriate. Anyway, the rest of the music and lyrics I made up when it was time to finish the song.
It's all a bit silly, and messy. Hey, for the last album, it would fit right in. And for this one too. And just about every Tripecac album. They're all about the same, aren't they? :)
Lyrics to "Reggaer":
those 5 songs don't sound like reggae those 5 songs don't sound like reggae this song is reggaer than those songs this song is reggaer than your song i know my voice doesn't sound jamaican and neither does the music that i'm makin' but this song is reggaer than those songs this song is reggaer than your song it is so what if i don't sound like bob marley well at least i do not sound like i drive a harley i know that rhyme was a little rough but making reggae music is really tough for a white guy at least oh man here we go again it's time for more pathetic musical posturin' oh this is not what i call reggae it might have the structure but it lacks the soul the beat is the same thing over and over and the fake accents are getting old they're getting so old old old old they're getting old like mold mold mold mold and this getting old so old old old and outside it's really cold cold cold cold not like in jamaica what are you doin' oh man better stick to the jazzy newage musak trav that's your domain dot com
What I Call
- Aerosol Concrete track 10
- started: 2014-11-04
- recorded: 2014-11-17
- length: 5:58
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
I recorded the basic idea on my camera on 2013-03-29. The rest is new. But not so good. I really don't like the drum kit, which feels very canned. The delay is too agressive, and it didn't have any cymbals, which made things hard for me. Also, the drums breaks sound horrible. Yuck, yuck, yuck. To my ears at least. My precious ears.
Well, at least I squeezed a goofy vocal improv in there. Gotta love those. It was inspired by recent conversations. And my general disdain for hemp huggers.
Lyrics to "What I Call":
that is what i call multitasking well i don't need your help and no thanks for asking that is what i call multitasking well i don't need your help no way and no thanks for asking go 'way that is what i call that is what i call that is what i call multitasking [repeat] i am dribbling a ball and juggling with my hand and riding a unicycle and braiding my hippie hair my hippie-dippy hair and smoking a reefer all at the same time 'cause that is what i call multitasking yes and at the same time i'm thinking about philosophy and veganism and how evil the western world is multitasking uh-huh that is what i call that is what i call yes that is what i call multitasking [repeat] multi multi multi tasking multi vitamin multi personality multi philosphy multi tasking tasking
In This Song
- Aerosol Concrete track 11
- started: 2014-11-18
- recorded: 2014-11-27
- length: 5:52
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5, Battery 4, Session Instruments, Lounge Lizard Session, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
The musical idea was from 2013-05-29 and the vocals were from 2013-07-11; both were recorded on my camera.
The new material is repetitive, mellow, simple, repetitive, gentle, and repetitive. There's not much else to say about it. Other than it finally pushed us over the 60 minute mark for the album, finally. Yes, finally!
Hooray for Quantity! Quantity 1, Quality 0! Hooray! Hooray hooray hooray! Finally!
Repetitive.
Lyrics to "In This Song":
there are vocals in this song there are vocals in this song it has been so long since i had vocals in a song [repeat] so long (yeah) so long (yeah) so long (yeah) so long (yeah) [repeat] there are strings in this song there are strings in this song it has been so long since i put strings in a song there are strings in this song and many things in this song it has been so long since i put strings in a song so long (yeah) so long (yeah) so long (yeah) so long (yeah) too long (yeah) too long (yeah) song's too long (yeah) too long (yeah) and there are chords in this song (yeah) actual chords in this song (yeah) it has been so long (yeah) since i had strings in a song (yeah) yes there are chords in this song (yeah) lots of chords in this son (yeah) it has been so long (yeah) since i put strings in a song (yeah) so long (yeah) so long (yeah) so long (yeah) the song's so long (yeah) too long (yeah) too long (yeah) it's just too long (yeah) too long (yeah) and there are measures in this song yes lots of measures in this song that's why the song's so long it's all the measures in the song yes many measures in this song too many of measures in this song that's why the song's so long too many measures in the song
My Hair
- Aerosol Concrete track 12
- started: 2014-12-01
- recorded: 2014-12-08
- length: 7:10
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
I recorded the main vocal idea on my camera on 2013-07-23. The rest is new.
I like the krautrocky feel, but the mix doesn't feel right. The thresholds on different drum sounds in the kit (particularly the hat and cymbals) were a bit finicky, so different hits ended up sounding too loud/crisp or too soft/muted. I couldn't get it sounding balanced without spending a ton of time on it. And a ton of time I don't have, since we're nearing the end of the year and I want to get this album finished by Christmas. As a result, the mix is a bit rough, but the overall groove I like. Well, sorta. After all, it is Tripecac we're talking about. Or I am. Yep.
Lyrics to "My Hair":
my hair is growin' long my hair is growin' long my roots are pretty strong my roots are pretty strong go roots battle battle battle battle le bum bum ouch itch ouch itch head lice head lice head lice head lice
Aerocrete
- Aerosol Concrete track 13
- started: 2014-12-11
- recorded: 2014-12-15
- remixed: 2014-12-16
- length: 5:17
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
I sang the first piano idea into my camera on 2013-09-06. The rest of the stuff is new. And a lot funkier than the original idea! Who could imagine that a waltz could have so much (sloppy) oomph???
Since there were no lyrics in the original idea, and since I didn't want to take 5 minutes to make up new ones, I avoided adding them. It's not like they're needed anyway.
This song's title is a hasty cramming together of the album name. The music, similarly, is a hasty cramming together of different styles. It was fun to make, which is hopefully audible in the energetic solos, but the mix was horribly rushed (in order to finish the album quickly) and the song could definitely use more editing. Yep, it definitely could stand to be about 5 minutes shorter. :)
But at least it's done. And so's the album, more or less. Just a couple more days editing and designing the cover, and off it goes! Time to celebrate by breaking out the Christmas cookies... and the vaccuum cleaner!