Click on the thumbnail to view a printable cd sleeve.- Title: Reduced to Clear
- Artist: Tripecac
- Timespan: 2015
- Theme: not enough time
- Length: 77:06
- Tracks: 9
- Lyrics: 2
- MP3s: 9
- Rating: *** [3] (1 rating) rate this album
Track List
| # | title | lyrics | time | started | recorded | rating | mp3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Light Start | - | 4:34 | 2015-02-09 | 2015-03-31 | **½ (1) | download |
| 2 | April Full | - | 8:06 | 2015-04-01 | 2015-04-17 | ***½ (1) | download |
| 3 | HCD | lyrics | 5:59 | 2015-04-22 | 2015-05-05 | *** (1) | download |
| 4 | Streamboat | - | 10:03 | 2015-05-11 | 2015-05-15 | **** (1) | download |
| 5 | Ouchie | - | 5:08 | 2015-07-03 | 2015-07-24 | **½ (1) | download |
| 6 | Puncle | lyrics | 14:35 | 2015-07-30 | 2015-09-05 | **** (1) | download |
| 7 | Whitherr | - | 14:17 | 2015-10-06 | 2015-10-31 | ***½ (1) | download |
| 8 | Fillller | - | 8:48 | 2015-11-02 | 2015-11-30 | **½ (1) | download |
| 9 | Xoda | - | 5:36 | 2015-12-05 | 2015-12-31 | *** (1) | download |
| Total | 77:06 | album rating: | *** (1) | ||||
Notes
This year was incredibly busy, with less time and energy for making music than ever. Yet somehow I managed to find pockets of time to squeeze out a few tunes.
Because I anticipated this year would be so time-constrained, I created some rules which would help reduce the "pressure" of creating a Tripecac album. My goal was to make it easier to finish the album by the end of the year, and make the process of working on music more relaxing. In other words, I wanted this album to feel a little more like Trex.
Rule #1 was: no remixing. Recently, whenever I finish a Tripecac album, I listen to the earlier songs, and, if I feel compelled, I make some edits here and there. Usually it's just tweaking volume levels, but sometimes I remove measures, or add "reinforcing" notes. Well, not this time. Once a song is done, it's done, warts and all. This removes the likelihood, and therefore pressure, of creating a "perfect" (ahem) album. The key is the reduced pressure.
Rule #2 was: no equipment upgrades. For the first year in ages, I didn't upgrade Sonar or my Native Instruments software. Even though there's a brand new Sonar, I avoided it, because I know from experience that each time I upgrade software, I end up sinking many hours into installing, configuring, learning, testing, troubleshooting, and discussing any issues that arise. And invariably, there are issues. Well, this year I didn't have time to add that "meta" stuff. So I stuck with my old gear. And saved a few bucks in the process.
Rule #3 was: no other rules. There'd be no theme, no "style guide", no creative constraints, nothing that would make me have to "think". I just needed to be able to noodle around on the keyboard, press Save, and call it good. As fast and fun as possible.
So, was the album fun to work on? Yeah. Did I finish it on time? Yeah, just. Is it good? Ha! But there are fun moments here and there. And with this attitude of reduced pressure, I find myself going into next year with more musical energy and ambition than I have in a long time. So maybe this was the "warm up" to something great. Yeah, keep believing that, Trav. Well, in any case, I end the year with a musical smile, and that's worth a lot to me. :)
Songs
Light Start
- Reduced to Clear track 1
- started: 2015-02-09
- recorded: 2015-03-31
- length: 4:34
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5
- mp3: download (HTML5 player)
I wanted to start the album with something gentle and easy. But the instant I put my fingers on the keyboard, I started playing aggressively. I guess I was in a testy mood. I considered changing the title, but decided to keep it, since maybe obviousness isn't a virtue in a song lacking other virtues.
It starts off noisy and sloppy, and ends a bit crisper and more rhythmic, but also a bit bland. And heavy handed. And distorted. And I hate the cymbals. Oh well. At least the title isn't obvious.
User Comments:
- "Sounds a bit basic. Plodding. Been there done that many times. Really not much there." [**½] - (2020-04-16)
- "Tentative and unfocused, though some of the solos are ok." [**½] - (2025-07-13)
April Full
- Reduced to Clear track 2
- started: 2015-04-01
- recorded: 2015-04-17
- length: 8:06
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5
- mp3: download (HTML5 player)
I started this song on 1 April, anticipating a busy month ahead. Is busy good? I don't know. Hopefully the busy schedule won't impact my music making too much.
Too much.
One thing is for certain: I need to pick up the pace if I'm gonna finish this album this year!
As for this song, well, it was fun to work on, from the first day to the last. It's not super-polished, but it is long, and long is good, in terms of meeting the goal of finishing the album.
Finishing the album, finishing the album, finishing the album. That's the theme of this album. For sure. Right on. See ya next song.
User Comments:
- "Prettier. Still a bit plodding. Where's the drums? Oh, there they are. Yawn. On the other hand, the solos and overall mood are nice." [***] - (2020-04-16)
- "Much stronger and prettier than the first track." [***½] - (2025-07-13)
HCD
- Reduced to Clear track 3
- started: 2015-04-22
- recorded: 2015-05-05
- length: 5:59
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5, vocals
- mp3: download (HTML5 player)
The title is short for "highest common denominator". I wanted to avoid the lowest common denominators in my soft-synth based music, which tends to be certain Kontakt patches. I also wanted to see if I could get less reggae-ish and less solo-based for a changed. So it ended up being loopy.
Of course, by the end of the song, reggae-ish bits and improvisations crept in. Oh well. At least the overall tone of the song is different. If a bit sloppy and empty-feeling at times.
Lyrics to "HCD":
highest highest highest common denominator
User Comments:
- "Too heavy-handed, lacks the subtlety of the previous songs." [**½] - (2020-04-16)
- "Harsh. Vocals seem unnecessary. But the relentless trippy feel is pretty cool." [***] - (2025-07-13)
Streamboat
- Reduced to Clear track 4
- started: 2015-05-11
- recorded: 2015-05-15
- length: 10:03
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5
- mp3: download (HTML5 player)
We took a steamboat ride the day before I started this song. I wanted to create something funky. But it ended up sounding more like krautrock. Oh well. Not the end of the world, though.
In fact, I ended up enjoying working on this song a lot. A nice, long, stream-of-consciousness jam. Not much sophistication, but lots of noisy, chugging energy. Sort of like a steamboat!
User Comments:
- "Cool. It's loud and repetitive, but kinda rocks." [****] - (2020-04-16)
- "Nice and trancy. I really like this one!" [****] - (2025-07-13)
Ouchie
- Reduced to Clear track 5
- started: 2015-07-03
- recorded: 2015-07-24
- length: 5:08
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5
- mp3: download (HTML5 player)
After a long break from music, I'm back... with a complete dud.
Oh well, at least I'm back.
With a complete dud.
The title comes from the fact that I wasn't feeling well when I started this. It had been a long, long time since I had worked on music, thanks to tax season and other factors. And I was rust-city. Still am. Ouchie.
User Comments:
- "This has some pretty melodies but they combine weirdly and the underlying beat is too basic." [***] - (2020-04-16)
- "Weak mix and structure." [**½] - (2025-07-13)
Puncle
- Reduced to Clear track 6
- started: 2015-07-30
- recorded: 2015-09-05
- length: 14:35
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5, vocals
- mp3: download (HTML5 player)
So now I'm a punk uncle!
I started this a few days before my sister had her first baby. I intended to finish it shortly after the birth, but my busy work schedule made it hard to find enough time to make music. By the time I was able to work on it again, I was so music-starved that I ended up adding lots of musical ideas and solos to the song, making it longer instead of finishing it. Yep, longer and longer. And longer.
And so now, here we are, with a 14 minute monster. Repetitive, yeah. Messy, yeah. Fun and cute at times, yeah. And that pretty much sums up life with kids. Welcome to the little leagues, Jess!
Lyrics to "Puncle":
puncle puncle
puncle puncle
puncle puncle
puncle puncle
puncle puncle poo poo
puncle puncle
puncle puncle poo poo
puncle puncle
so i'm an uncle
a punk emmitt uncle
puncle puncle poo poo
puncle puncle
puncle puncle poo poo
puncle puncle
hmm hmm hmm hey baby
hmm hmm hmm hey baby
hmm hmm hmm hey baby
wah wah wah hey baby
i'm a puncle
diapers
nappies
stroller
perambulators
pacifiers
binkies
bottles
pouches boosters bibs all those accessories
i'm a puncle
hey baby baby
hey baby baby baby
hey baby baby
hey baby baby baby
shhhh
shhhh
shhhh
shhhh
and that's just the start
User Comments:
- "The lyrics are a little juvenile, but the overall vibe is good. Sounds epic." [****] - (2020-04-16)
- "I definitely prefer these forceful and focused trancy ones to the more meandering and "experimental" ones." [****] - (2025-07-13)
Whitherr
- Reduced to Clear track 7
- started: 2015-10-06
- recorded: 2015-10-31
- length: 14:17
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5
- mp3: download (HTML5 player)
It had been a long time since I had a chance to work on music. It shows.
I'm determined to finish the album by the end of the year, so am resorting to really long songs. This one is like a collage of ideas. Rambling and repetitive, but overall peppy. Kind of like jogging in order to get errands done. Functional, but not necessarily memorable.
The title may have meant something at some point, but I forget what. I was in too much of a hurry to change it to something more meaningful. Too much of a hurry to do sufficient mixing or editing either. Oh well, at least I can say: errand accomplished!
User Comments:
- "Loud, but pretty cool. Doesn't flow as well as the last song, but has some great moments." [***½] - (2020-04-16)
- "Started pretty meh but gradually morphs into something driving and trancy and pretty cool.between the trancy good ones and the weird ones." [***½] - (2025-07-13)
Fillller
- Reduced to Clear track 8
- started: 2015-11-02
- recorded: 2015-11-30
- length: 8:48
- Travis Emmitt - Kontakt 5
- mp3: download (HTML5 player)
The title shows that I'm not aiming too high. Just trying to finish the album.
Artistically (and is that really an adverb we should be using with Tripecac?) I wanted to start quiet and build up into a great big surprise. Unfortunately there was no surprise. Just quiet.
But at least the song was long, and at least I finished it by the end of the month, which was my goal.
My, the bar's low!
User Comments:
- "Dumb name, but the music is all right. A little subdued." [***] - (2020-04-16)
- "Mellow, kinda aimless. Yep, filler." [**½] - (2025-07-13)
Xoda
- Reduced to Clear track 9
- started: 2015-12-05
- recorded: 2015-12-31
- length: 5:36
- Travis Emmitt - Battery 4, Massive, Reaktor 5, Absynth 5, FM8
- mp3: download (HTML5 player)
For the last song, instead of a long, boring coda, I wanted something snazzier and extreme, a "xoda". Yeah, nice and hip. Well, compared to the rest of the album, maybe.
It was a struggle to finish it before the end of the year. I had to resort to working on it before work rather than in the afternoons. Maybe that's why there's more pep than usual.
Regardless, it's done, and so's the album, and now it's time to start planning the next one. One with a little more brain behind it. And heart. And time.
Yeah, good luck with that.
User Comments:
- "Peppy, but too loud. Pretty nice. Neat ending." [***½] - (2020-04-16)
- "Better groove, but mix is muddy." [***] - (2025-07-13)
User Comments: