- Title: Brroom
- Artist: Tripecac
- Timespan: 2002-2004
- Theme: first winter in bellingham
- Length: 71:04
- Tracks: 17
- Lyrics: 2
- MP3s: 17 play all locally
- Rating: ***½ [3.5] (2 ratings) rate this album
Track List
# | title | lyrics | time | download | listen | started | recorded | rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Click | lyrics | 6:05 | download | listen locally | 2002-01-02 | 2004-03-23 | ****½ (2) |
2 | Gentle | - | 6:02 | download | listen locally | 2002-01-04 | 2004-03-25 | ****½ (2) |
3 | Logic Test | - | 5:04 | download | listen locally | 2002-01-13 | 2004-04-26 | ***½ (2) |
4 | Comotoast | - | 3:49 | download | listen locally | 2002-01-23 | 2004-03-31 | *** (2) |
5 | Early | lyrics | 5:55 | download | listen locally | 2002-01-26 | 2004-04-06 | **** (2) |
6 | Logic Test 3 | - | 4:02 | download | listen locally | 2002-01-28 | 2004-04-28 | ***½ (2) |
7 | Deep Snow | - | 3:23 | download | listen locally | 2002-01-30 | 2004-05-03 | *** (2) |
8 | 222 | - | 3:12 | download | listen locally | 2002-02-02 | 2004-05-05 | *** (2) |
9 | Ordered Sonar | - | 3:04 | download | listen locally | 2002-02-05 | 2004-05-10 | *** (2) |
10 | No Valentine Jam | - | 3:04 | download | listen locally | 2002-02-14 | 2004-04-09 | ***½ (2) |
11 | No Valentine Jelly | - | 2:43 | download | listen locally | 2002-02-14 | 2004-04-09 | ***½ (2) |
12 | No Valentine Honey | - | 1:35 | download | listen locally | 2002-02-14 | 2004-04-09 | *** (2) |
13 | Ditch | - | 7:42 | download | listen locally | 2002-02-15 | 2004-04-13 | **** (2) |
14 | Freedom Clock | - | 5:45 | download | listen locally | 2002-02-16 | 2004-04-15 | **** (2) |
15 | Relapse | - | 2:02 | download | listen locally | 2002-02-22 | 2004-05-11 | *** (2) |
16 | Vibrate | - | 7:22 | download | listen locally | 2002-02-28 | 2004-04-22 | *** (2) |
17 | Logic Reprise | - | 0:15 | download | listen locally | - | 2002-01-13 | ** (2) |
Total | 71:04 | play all locally | album rating: | ***½ (2) |
Notes
During my first winter in Bellingham, I enjoyed the cool, clean, rainy air so much that I never turned on the heat! I spent most of my waking life in my cold ("brr") room, either working, watching movies, reading, or making music. My excursions into the "real world" dwindled to once or twice a week; sometimes, if it was raining and really cold on the weekend, I wouldn't go outside for an entire week. After a while, I started missing seeing people outside on the trails (since it got dark earlier) and now that Christmas was over, I had no social opportunities planned for the next year. A rare thing happened. I began to feel a bit (ahem) lonely (cough). Fortunately (and characteristically), I didn't just play games and mope around in front of the TV; instead, I threw myself into tasks. I sorted all my receipts and records from the past 10 years, catalogued my old practice tapes, learned Logic (before it was bought by Apple), became very active on music newsgroups, and upgraded my main sequencer to Sonar. As part of the learning process, I created lots of test songs, which, although started during a small time period (January-February 2002) in a small room, are stylistically wide-ranging, my main taste of adventure during that time.
Gear:
These songs were started in 2002 using either Cakewalk / Sonar or Logic, and then finished in 2004 using Sonar 3.1.1. "Click" and "Early" have vocals and "Freedom Clock" has guitar piped through the Pod Pro. The Triton makes the rest of the noises.
Songs
Click
- Mix 2 (triton vocal) track 3
- Brroom track 1
- started: 2002-01-02
- recorded: 2004-03-23
- length: 6:05
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Woah, vocals! This is the first full-fleged vocal song since "Half Hour". I constructed the main groove and wrote the lyrics for the choruses ("I am bad...") back in 2002. In 2004 I fleshed out the rest of the music and improvised all of the chorus. I have no idea what the title has to do with the lyrics; it probably doesn't matter, since the lyrics themselves are mostly stream-of-consciousness. I really like the way this song turned out. It's a little muffled, but it's fun!
Lyrics to "Click":
INTRO: woah! travis has got some vocals? this is the first time i've recorded vocals in over a year my accent has gotten worse and worse uh yeah all right this is just an idea of the vocals of course, i don't want to make it introverted so this isn't gonna be about me it's gotta be about someone else (you hear that? someone else) i don't know the title, maybe "this is bad" it's called "click" currently VERSE 1: when i was a kid i sat by myself i didn't know as i boarded the plane when i was a kid i sang by myself i didn't know it would always be that way CHORUS 1: this is bad this is bad this is bad this is really bad this is bad (so why do you try?) this is bad (why do you persist?) this is bad (tell me, why do you keep doing this?) this is really bad VERSE 2: when i was i a student i studied really hard got lucky at my classes and i even had a guitar i was gonna say car (guitar) what's wrong with a car? (a guitar is better) okay who needs a car when you've got your feet? CHORUS 2: if this is bad if this is bad if this is bad (they said this is bad, travis) then i'm a bad, bad boy (you're a bad, bad boy) if this is bad if this is bad if this is bad then i'm a bad, bad boy (i told myself i wouldn't sing about myself) (what am I doing?) VERSE 3: [clav solo #1] is this the work of a man? okay, drop the accent, drop the accent this is my real accent i sound like every day (sure) this is how the travis sounds when he's out in northwest way this is how he sounds this is how i sound this is how i want to sound BRIDGE: operatic, operatic, operatic, operatic what have you got up there in the attic? that's a stupid rap this is stupid rap travis' all your raps sound like poo poo... (to the left, to the right...) poo poo poo poo... (you're not right, you're not right...) (you're not right in the head) VERSE 4: thank god for the instrumental versions vocal versions go in the trash listen to what you want put it on dad's picks or anybody's picks why do you run? why do you read? why do you run? why do you read? what do you want? what do you need? what do you want? what do you need? why can't you be like everyone else? (where did the music go?) where did the music go? (where did the music go?) why can't you be like everyone else? (travis you should know) why must you be so solo? (travis you should know) where did the music go? where did the music go? don't talk during the solo don't talk during solo CHORUS 4: what do you want? what do you need? what do you want? what do you need? can you tell i've been listening to public image ltd recently? what do you want? what do you need? what do you want? what do you need? do i need to give them credit for that idea or is it me? VERSE 5: annoyance factor (to the left, to the right...) annoyance factor (stand all night) annoyance factor alert alert alert gotta really high annoyance factor CHORUS 5: this is bad this is bad this is bad and i'm a bad bad boy this is bad this is bad this is really bad and i'm a bad bad boy VERSE 6: ok one more solo it's called a clav clav trav clav clav trav clav likes the trav clav writes the trav whatever CHORUS 6: what does it matter what i see? what does it matter what i see? what does it matter what i see? it always sounds the same i always say the same thing anyway i always say the same thing anyway i always say the same thing anyway i always say the same thing anyway VERSE 7: i like the instrumentals do you like the instrumentals? (yes i do) do you like it when you can put on a cd and not get irritated by the sound of travis' vocal chords? (yes we do, trav) (yes we do, trav) (we like it when there's peace and quiet) sorry CHORUS 7: i am bad yes i am bad i am bad 'cause i'm a bad bad boy oh, i am bad this is bad i am really bad and i'm a bad bad boy (sing it again) i am bad bad this is bad and i am bad and i'm a bad bad boy this is bad (i'm singing about myself) this is bad (like i said i wouldn't) this is bad (i guess i broke my promise) and i'm a bad bad boy spank me
Gentle
- Brroom track 2
- started: 2002-01-04
- recorded: 2004-03-25
- length: 6:02
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
If "Click" was me being a "bad boy" (with the in-your-face rock), "Gentle" is my leap back into being a "good boy". I wanted to see if I could make some really pretty jazz. This starts off kind of "tender", with harp, strings, and light EP arpeggios; it reminds me of "Tension". When I tackled it again in 2004, I gave it a stronger groove, added sound effects, improved the dynamics, and ended up turning a somewhat drab new-age ditty into a miniature epic. I really like the way it turned out!
Logic Test
- Brroom track 3
- started: 2002-01-13
- recorded: 2004-04-26
- length: 5:04
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was the first song I started using Logic. I was testing Logic, Cubase, and Sonar, trying to decide which to buy. I quickly decided I didn't like Cubase. I really admired Logic, despite its learning curve, but then Apple bought it and discontinued the PC version. That left Sonar, which was the easiest to use, the most Windows-oriented, and the cheapest; yay!
For some reason, all my Logic test songs sound different from the ones I started in Sonar. They seem more forceful, electronic, and cold. Maybe it's just a matter of my using different Triton effects templates in my Logic projects, or maybe the Logic workflow pushes a certain type of music; I don't know. I don't necessarily dislike the Logic sound, but very few of the songs I started with it really grabbed me, this song included.
Comotoast
- Brroom track 4
- started: 2002-01-23
- recorded: 2004-03-31
- other names: Sonar Combi Test
- length: 3:49
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This sleepy number is about as exciting as toast. Get it??? No? Oh. Sorry, if you don't understand Spanish (or even if you do), that probably won't make any sense. Neither does the song. We get glimpses of a groove, but then lose them in a puddle of annoying synths and distorted bass.
Early
- Brroom track 5
- started: 2002-01-26
- recorded: 2004-04-06
- length: 5:55
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Initially, this song was a pure instrumental; I had no plans on adding vocals. When I listened to the mp3, I felt like the song needed something to spice it up. I scribbled down some quick lyrics and re-recorded this vocal version in a couple hours. I didn't like the initial vocal mix, but when I tried to re-record it, I ended up with a bunch of timing problems. This song became a huge headache to finish.
Musically, this song is labored and muffled. The bass is much too loud and the delay-laden groove muddies the mix instead of providing a cool texture. I tried to liven things up with the vocals, but they ended up being depressing (about hangovers). Oh well. There is one really cool part to the song, though: the sudden "wake up" at 4:39.
Lyrics to "Early":
INTRO: oh, it's early VERSE 1: oh it's early and i'm hungover it's early and i'm hungover all right what a night it's early and i'm rotten it's early and i'm sodden all right kill the light it's early and i'm hungover it's early; i puked all over the floor what a bore it's early, and i'm surly my stomach's squirrelly, it's early and i'm gone here comes the dawn here comes the dawn it's early and i'm hungover it's early; i puked all over the floor what a bore it's early, and i'm surly it's early, it's squirrelly and i'm gone here comes the dawn here comes the dawn CHORUS 1: now i'm happy again i'm sitting with my best friend the bottle yes i'm chatty again i'm talking and laughing again with my bottle because i'm drinking again i'm with my only friend the bottle (baby bottle) i'm dizzy again ignoring what's around the bend of the bottle (baby bottle) VERSE 2: shut the shades turn out the light gimme some space (I need my puke bucket) (I need my puke bucket) (I need my puke bucket) (my precious puke bucket) my head hurts mr hyde hurts smeagol hurts here, trav, drink some water it'll make you feel better just lay over there and drink some water you're gonna feel better, i promise just take it easy don't exert yourself don't do anything just sit don't create don't write don't talk don't exercise don't clean don't smile don't feel good about yourself just sit down on the couch and suffer because you drank too much last night and you just deserve some quiet wrapped up in those sheets with the puke bucket, the puke bucket i know you want to say "bleep it" i can't even say the f work that's just me (gotta puke, gotta puke) i don't have a point i always... they always sound the same they always.. (gotta puke bucket, puke bucket) if i'm gonna spice it up if i'm gonna snazz it up then it always just ends up... [inaudible] ouch! you opened the door! (jesus!) you let in the light you let in the people my head hurts why are you don't this? why are you don't this? (you're doing this) why do you hurt me like this? why did i do it? why did i drink so much? why am i on the floor again (you're sadistic; you're mean) what's this yellow bucket? where am i? what am i doing here? (my best friend is killing me) CHORUS 2: now i'm happy again i'm sitting with my best friend the bottle (baby bottle) (i don't call this happy again) (i call this miserable friend) and i'm chattin' again i'm speaking in latin again with the bottle (stupid bottle) (here i go, addicted again) (addicted again, addicted to gin) here i go i'm drinking again i'm with my only friend the bottle (stupid bottle) (there goes control again) i'm feeling sick again i know what's around the bend of the bottle i know what's around the bend of the bottle [snort!]
Logic Test 3
- Brroom track 6
- started: 2002-01-28
- recorded: 2004-04-28
- length: 4:02
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Here's another Logic test, this time focusing on backwards reverb. I like the forcefulness of the drums and bass, but didn't have a "plot" in mind for the song. It ended up sounding pretty empty. It might be cool background music, but there's nothing to hold your attention, nothing to burrow its way into your memory. It has no soul.
Deep Snow
- Brroom track 7
- started: 2002-01-30
- recorded: 2004-05-03
- length: 3:23
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is one of the few Logic songs that's almost memorable. It's got nice drums and bass, but seems a little too mechanical. It sounds like all I did was copy a pattern over and over and then lay some hasty, heartless solos on top. For a while it's cool, but I think the patterns are too full to be comfortably repeated.
You know; my comments about this song are plagued by the same "disconnect" as the song itself. It's like I'm approaching insight, approaching a connection to the audience, but then I fall short. The Logic songs are all like that. There's something about them that prevented me from being as expressive as I wanted to be. They're fine for background, but disappointing under scrutiny.
Or maybe the problem has nothing to do with Logic. Maybe it's a matter of temperature. When I started the song, there was lots of snow outside (if we can trust the title). Right now, as I type this, my fingers are freezing. Maybe the "cold" music and "stiff" writing are due to the environment. Maybe it's a coincidence that I was using Logic in the winter, when my fingers were cold and it was hard to play fluid solos. That's a possibility!
222
- Brroom track 8
- started: 2002-02-02
- recorded: 2004-05-05
- length: 3:12
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
I named this after the date I started it: 2002-02-02. Like the other Logic tests, this is repetitive, industrial-sounding trance. The sound effects are interesting in the beginning, but then I repeat them too much. The drum and bass groove's solid enough, but where are the subtle textures? Where are the wild, enthusiastic solos? Hello? Is anybody home?
Ordered Sonar
- Brroom track 9
- started: 2002-02-05
- recorded: 2004-05-10
- length: 3:04
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
I probably started this on the day I ordered Sonar, and intended it to be my last Logic test. It's just as repetitive and "cold" as the other Logic songs, but at least the groove is upbeat. I think I was happy about finally deciding on a sequencer.
No Valentine Jam
- Brroom track 10
- started: 2002-02-14
- recorded: 2004-04-09
- length: 3:04
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is the first song I started with Sonar (before that, I had been using Cakewalk, Cubase, Logic, and the Triton's sequencer). It's the first in a trio of bluesy jams recorded on Valentine's Day 2002. I decided to break the trio into three parts for the CD.
None of the "Valentine" songs are interesting or "cool" in themselves. They're muddy and rambly, but they seem to have more of a "live" feel, which I like. They sound completely different from the Logic tests. Whenever I hear them, I think "yay, the Tripecac is back!"
No Valentine Jelly
- Brroom track 11
- started: 2002-02-14
- recorded: 2004-04-09
- length: 2:43
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This the second of the three jams recorded on Valentine's Day 2002. It has the same tempo as part 1 and the same key as part 3, so it acts as a sort of bridge between the two. I think I named these songs "No Valentine" because I didn't get any valentines that year. Poor Trav!
No Valentine Honey
- Brroom track 12
- started: 2002-02-14
- recorded: 2004-04-09
- length: 1:35
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is the third and final of the trilogy I recorded on Valentine's Day 2002. It didn't have a click track, which means I couldn't quantize or loop anything; hency the sloppy, minimalist feel. It was originally over 15 minutes long! I kinda regret whittling it down to under 2 minutes for the CD; it had a neat trancy groove going.
Ditch
- Brroom track 13
- started: 2002-02-15
- recorded: 2004-04-13
- other names: Brass Jazz
- length: 7:42
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
I like the peppy, piano-based groove, but dislike the fake-sax melody. My favorite part is the "ditch" in the middle, where everything gets quiet and focuses on a long piano solo. The annoying melody starts up at the end again; I could have faded the song out earlier, but then the title wouldn't make any sense. This is one of the few songs where the title actually described the structure of the song (another is "C Cm F Fm").
Freedom Clock
- Brroom track 14
- started: 2002-02-16
- recorded: 2004-04-15
- other names: Funk Timing Test
- length: 5:45
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton, Ibanez StageStar
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This noisy guitar and keyboard funk groove is dedicated to Miro, who got married the weekend I finished it! It was originally called "Funk Timing Test"; the new, improved title comes from something Miro said that week, something along the links of his "freedom clock" ticking off its last few seconds. I love the dual guitars on this song! The synthy sounds actually help out for a change, giving the song an "epic" feel.
Relapse
- Brroom track 15
- started: 2002-02-22
- recorded: 2004-05-11
- length: 2:02
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
I think I was having some sort of problem with Sonar, and decided to go back to Logic for a bit. Perhaps I was having second thoughts about buying Sonar? Well, Logic may have worked more smoothly that day, but the resulting song was a real clunker. When I first finished this, I called it "mind-numbingly boring mood music". I kinda agree, but at least it's short!
Vibrate
- Brroom track 16
- started: 2002-02-28
- recorded: 2004-04-22
- length: 7:22
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is a return to the long, piano based jams that I was creating before I started messing around with Logic. I really like it! I think the title comes from a vibration the Triton used to get; I fixed it by wedging bits of paper into cracks in the case.
Logic Reprise
- Brroom track 17
- started: 2002-01-13
- recorded: 2002-01-13
- length: 0:15
- Travis Emmitt - Korg Triton
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This is an early version of "Logic Test", recorded in mono. I didn't bother to convert it to a Sonar project, and instead simply added fades.
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