Concept Album progress...

** If you would really like to hear my latest tune "Intro" (aka "Blue Born") in its entirety, sign up on my mailing list on my main page (http://www.ianmusic.com). It is now available for a listen on the world wide web! **

LATEST:

Tim (sound engineer/co-producer) and I are trying to figure out the best time (if any) this month to record song two from my latest concept concoction. At the same time this is going on, Tim is filling in his non-existent spare time, well... it's a simple task really... (NOT)... building his new sound studio! I will be helping him along the way. Quite a challenge to say the least! Yeah, things may get delayed a bit, but I don't give a rat's ass. As long as I am working on music, or am helping Tim build this beast - I am a happy camper.

If possible, I would like to be back in one of the studio's (most likely the one I've recorded in for the past 7 years) late this month. I was planning on using a song I recorded back in 2009 entitled "Below the Line" for song two, but after hearing how it worked with the overall theme of the entire rough draft of the concept album, I through it by the wayside. I may use it somewhere else in the concept album, or I may not use it at all. I am currently writing the new song (again, song two) now. I just completed a tiny, looped portion of the bass track last night. I will the drums and vocals in the days/weeks to come. This one is really gonna kick your cochlea's! "Blue", the main character, will be catapulted into sheer chaos soon after his glorious entrance into this world ("Blue Born" reflects beauty and blissfulness which precedes this). He will be marred and molded into "what is necessary" according to his parents. A most distressful and overwhelming time!

YOU PICK YOUR T-SHIRT CONTEST:

Congratulations to the most recent winner of my "You pick your t-shirt contest"! I will be holding off on future contests until some time in 2013. My Zazzle Store, however, never closes (http://www.zazzle.com/iannai29/gifts)

All is good in the world if you allow it to be in yourself...

Love to all,

Ian

In the studio once again!

It's been a solid year since I last recorded at Studio Ballistico. And, oh, man does it feel great to be back! 

I am working on my first concept album. I laid down the keyboard/drum tracks for "Intro" yesterday. This week will feature Erik on bass (Monday), David on guitar (Tuesday) and mixdown with Tim on Wednesday. I will be working on the next of an uncertain (perhaps infinite) amount of songs for this concept album in either December, or January. My plan is to have the entire concept album completed by December 2013. 

If you would like to hear 30 second samplers of the album as it's being created, sign up on my mailing list (upper left-hand corner of my web site). From there, every month, or two you will receive a newsletter from me personally with photo's, song samplers and perhaps some cool concept album web comic doddles from Sam Kirkman in the months to come! 

Much love to you all....

Ian

And away we go!

Hi everyone! :)

KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN IS LIVE!

My Kickstarter campaign is up and running! It certainly was and continues to be a labor of love! The video alone took several months to create. To create the video, I first had to learn Premiere (video editing application) and, from there, piece it all together. A learning curve to say the least! Please help spread the word! ( http://kck.st/Qo5vWj )

CONCEPT ALBUM THEME:

The theme of this album is the conscious awakening of humanity. It's about being broken inside and out, getting to a point where suffering is no longer an option, and realizing the only choice is waking up and evolving out of unconsciousness. This is something I hold very close to my heart. If you believe in yourself entirely you will propel yourself into better and better states of mind. And the best part: everyone has this capability! Everyone benefits from this! You see a positive, highly energized person nearby, or on TV and immediately you feel different right? Different in a better, more positive way! Now that's what I'm talking about! Just make sure you allow yourself to feel it when you're around these types of people!

CONCEPT ALBUM PROGRESS:

The rough draft of the concept album nearly complete. The real trick with this one is where each song will fit in the overall timeline of the concept album. I will be sending the rough draft to Erik (bassist) this weekend to give him a head start.

WIN A T-SHIRT OF YOUR CHOICE!

Well this one's a no-brainer. If you sign up on my mailing list before 9.25 you not only will receive a free song of mine and be automatically signed up on my monthly/bimonthly (depends how crazy things are) newsletter, but you will be eligible to win a t-shirt of your choice from my Zazzle store! It's pretty damn cool. There are a lot of t-shirts to choose from. For those of you who have already signed up; you are already eligible, so sit back and relax. Don't forget to mark your calendars! I will be picking the winner on 9.25. You will be contacted via email.

CONCLUSION:

You're cool, I'm cool, the world is way cool! 

A lyric section from the song "Anthem" by Rush (lyrics by Neil Peart)

"Live for yourself, there's no one else

More worth living for

Begging hands and bleeding hearts will

Only cry out for more..."

Love to everyone,

Ian

Concept album progress II...

It's one thing to write an album and pay for all the production out of your own pocket (musician fee's, sound engineer fee's, CD prints and distribution, etc. I'm all too familiar with this one :~). It's another thing entirely to ask several dozen people you know and a majority you DO NOT know to help fund your future concept album! 

I am currently finishing up editing the video to my future (soon to be public) Kickstarter campaign. The editing of this video has gone very well. What was tricky in the making of this video was having it gel with the overall theme of something I haven't completed musically/lyrically, or thematically just yet while gently prodding the 800 lb. virtual gorilla in the room - coaxing it to walk up each one of your magical computer monitor's with it's hand held out and asking for money. Not an easy feat! (No gorilla in the actual video :~P)

Samuel E. Kirkman (highly skilled illustrator/graphic novelist) and I have agreed to merge creatively on my future concept album endeavor. If you would like to view a couple of the rough sketches that Sam has already sent to me (a lot of other visual/audible samples will be available to you via my newsletter as we progress further), simply sign up on my mailing list! (yeah, it's a lure. Simply click on the "Get a Free Song" link on the upper left side of my main web page and add your email address). Once you sign up you will be prompted to download a free song! Next you will soon receive my newsletter in your email box (or spam box) with Sam's awesome samples to view (rough digital sketches) for the future concept album. In future newsletters you will also receive rough song samples (small - 30 second samplers) from my future album. You will also be eligible to win t-shirts, mugs, hats, etc from the many contests I post on my website. Along with all that, you will receive juicy information you just don't see in this here Posterous post.

I am looking at a late winter/early spring 2013 release right now (iTunes, CDBaby, Spotify, Last.fm, etc). I also plan to have a nice physical CD and CD cover laden with Sam's amazing illustrations available around that time as well. I am very much looking forward to the rest of this year and the first half of 2013!

Sam and I are also talking about creating an online digital web comic reflecting the theme of my concept album. This will be a static, "one-time" digital comic (i.e. it will not be continually updated like most digital comic books do).

More news in the upcoming newsletter. Sign up on my mailing list! This is going to be so damn cool!

Much love to you all,

Ian

Concept album progress...

I am nearly two months into the concept album and I have already vetoed out 2 of the 24 nearly completed songs I was confident I would use. I am writing new material because I just can't handle some of my old songs (old = written in 2010). These songs just don't fit into what I am trying to create. I feel that these two will not be the only ones I remove. As I roll ahead and as the overall concept falls into place more and more, I most likely will discard more and more of my older material. I'm happy with this!

I am approaching this future double album in a whole new way. Sometimes I record the drums first, sometimes voice and sometimes keyboard. Depending on which is used determines how the song will end up sounding. An example of this is when I record drums first. I lay down a track of a simple beat. From this beat comes a basic melody. I record this melody over the drums and BOOM! The song explodes to life. This happened today and, as a result, I got a very cool song (reminiscent of U2's "Joshua Tree" album. Which is one of my favorite albums of all time!) came into existence. As far as where this song will appear in the grand scheme of things (within concept album) is still a mystery. 

It's hard writing a concept album! Questions like: "what is the theme of this concept album?", "where will this song go within the concept album?", "should write the intro and work my through to the end, or what?", "will this song even fit within the theme lyrically?" all come to mind. These are just a few of the many! 

My approach to recording this double album had to grow and unfold in a whole new way. No longer could I simply record each track (drums, keys and vocals) on my convenient little Tascam. Songs had to be butted up aside one another in order to hear how they would work within the whole. To achieve this I had to get creative. Software to the rescue! I had to "master" each rough draft from my Tascam and import them into my PC. From there I had to import them into the actual recording application and conveniently butt the songs against one another. Once this process was mastered I was in awe of what I could do using recording software! I'm still hesitant about recording directly into my PC one track at a time. At this point the aforementioned process works just fine. 

I'm planning on recording at Ballistico in May for the release of another single. This time it will be from my future concept album. More songs will be released over the summer and fall. Exciting stuff!

Congratulations to the winner of my "Weight of the Words" t-shirt! The contest went well. I will be posting a new contest in a week or two.

Thank you to all for listening and your continued support!

Ian

SIGN UP ON MY WEBSITE RECEIVE MY LATEST SONG "Come of Age (New Sun)" AND BE ELIGIBLE FOR ALL MY FUTURE CONTESTS! 

Congratulations to the winner of my 2008 "Weight of the Words" t-shirt!

More contests coming up!

Stay tuned!

Ian

I'M HAVING A CONTEST!

I'M HAVING A CONTEST! 

Sign up for my newsletter on my website between Jan. 6 and Feb.1, 2012, and you'll be entered into a contest to win a free "Weight of the Words" t-shirt! Everyone that enters will receive an mp3 of "Burning" from my 2008 release "Weight of the Words". How cool is that! Just sign up, you'll get a free song and you're entered to win a t-shirt - it's that easy! Winner will be notified by email! 

Good Luck! 

More stuff to give away soon!! 

~ Ian ~