Destroying Music Since 1980

Guitar Violence

Guitar Violence is very much a companion CD to Soapbox Sampler. It was recorded during the same period, using a lot of the same methodology. Soapbox is for the most part a collection of planned events, while this CD is more of the 'turn on the drum machine and GO' variety. (Also during the period that I was compiling these things I was also in favor of turning to the bold and italicised words in The Real Frank Zappa Book for titles...)

1: Church & State
Church & State is the epitome of 'turn it on and go'. I made this beat (or was it a preset?) started it, and picked up my tuneless guitar, which was probably restrung randomly, and just improvised.

2: Ferret Race
I seem to recall that Ferret Race was somewhat planned. The distortion tone is strictly from tape saturation. There's an obvious flub at the end of the solo that I hate every time I hear this. Wish I had just done another take.

3: Xenocratony III
Xenocratony is a name coined by Frank Zappa for a technique of juxtaposing different recorded performances to create a polyrhythmic piece. Xenocratony I, II, & III were all created the same way: I took a blank tape and recorded a guitar solo along to a live version of 'Advance Romance' by Frank Zappa. Then I overdubbed a beat from the drum machine, then a bass line was improvised in the same key as the guitar solo.

4: A Few Words Without Brother Michael
A Few Words Without Brother Michael is (naturally) the backing track from 'A Few Words With Brother Michael' from the Soapbox Sampler CD. As hilarious as the found sound is, I still love the backing track, with its HUGE guitar tone and the wild shit I did at the end.

5: 3 Fates - Backing Track
Another song from Soapbox Sampler. I can't stand to listen to my own voice, so this is my preferred way of listening to it. Plus this way you can hear the weird, barely audible stuff I put in it.

6: Kept Boy
I seem to recall that I took all my delay pedals and hooked them up to each other in some random order, then played the tuneless guitar through it. The original recording is about twice as long, but veered off in a very atonal and chaotic direction that detracted from the first part.

7: Broken String Wave
Another turn on the drum machine and go piece. I want to say that this is the first thing I ever recorded with my 7-string on the day I brought it home, but I could be wrong. At 4:40, I broke a string, but didn't want to end the improv there. So I grabbed the whammy bar and just started pulling it every which way.

8: Xenocratony I

9: Xenocratony II

10: Qualified Advisors
I don't really remember much about this. Obviously the backing track was planned. I know the lead is more xenocratony - it was imported from another piece that was pretty much atonal.

11: The American Family
The American Family was another drum machine piece -> the guitar was split into stereo with one line plugged direct into the 4 track and the other into the drum machine (which tried to interpret the notes - my cheapass guitar synth!) eventually I hit play on the drum machine and set it to record notes. Basically everything that happens happens in real time - no preprogramming involved. (well, I did remove a bunch of loops when I was turning the record function off just before the guitar solo at the end...

12: Jeezo-Junta
Another Drum machine improv.