muted tones

cottages

january 01st, 2003

cottages
credits; instruments in order of recording
percussion, guitar, organ, orchestra bells, bass, chimes, drums and vocals by allison stanley
doublebass, guitar two and three by Steven Tod

‘cottages’ was recorded December 14th and 15th at Uncle Arnies and the Square Root of Five using analog tascam four tracks and a shure mic bought on the street for five dollars. the layering of instruments is entirely random with exception to the drums and vocals recorded simultaneously. the piece does have a proper ending, however, it went over ten minutes; hence the dramatic fadeout.

thanks Renee, Josh and to Steven (for helping the sound swim)

its illegal to starve a meter!

december 02nd, 2002

the loss of knowing where to start starts here. thats something. the holiday was superb, and i was on vacation right up until i walked into this office about two hours ago. i drove back to chicago this morning in a snowstorm which stretched the entire way - until gary indiana where the air was so thick with pollutant the snow couldnt keep its identity and just turned to wet drizzle. regardless, i am reminded how great i feel this time of year. i am so happy it is winter. i am so happy i can bundle up and think straight again.

my lovely parents gave me a super 8 camera over the weekend. with it came some old old film. i have two other cameras and have had them since high school, but this camera is far better. i filmed the weekend and travels back to the city this morning. i ended the entry with the robert taylor homes; filming them with the looming demolition crane as i hopped along 94 in morning traffic. they are almost completely gone now.

muted tones.
muted
tones
mut
ed
ton
es

time to
feed ****** the
$$$$$$$$$$ meter.

jukebox

november 21st, 2002

i went to the medicinal jukebox this morning and selected ‘thera-flu’ and although it creates the illusion i am healthy and not ill, it also comes with the side affect of total loopster. the tune is just ok if you ask me, kind of a boring loop. this week has been passing me by all too quickly, that usually happens when one is home sick. but i made it into work today and i am not sure if that was a good or bad idea.

somewhat lost in thought from the past week or two. especially the weekends. To provide a focused explanation seems nearly impossible. we played gigs, then we played a gig, then we played more gigs and met quite a few people - including the ‘Springman’. transaction Ensemble played Friday night at the Springman Gallery. Peter and Steven also performed ‘Fractured Flag’ and its a darn shame you missed it. REGENERATION also played and they were nothing less impressive. that evening i met a woman wearing tall heeled boots and i guessed her name point blank as we were standing next to the bikini exhibit made entirely of, well, springs. she showed up at the section X party the following evening and worked it over selling our cookies like horderves. (thanks Lori)

saturday evening the autumn-waking rocked out arnie’s as usual. thanks to all our kind friends who showed up and made us feel at home at home. we were loud, we were cheered on, and i must say the old style was nearly gone after completion of our chronological set. immediately following, the SILVER measure played next door at the square root of 5; Peter, Steven and myself, and that was very challenging - and very fun. the projected film was obscured by a red diamond bead of sorts, fragmenting and multiplying the picture into a kaleidoscope all about the large screen and ceiling. you couldnt tell what it was, with all the moving colors swimming within their respective boundries. go ahead…ask what it was!

the transaction Ensemble show at Hothouse sunday evening was fabulous. Mark, John, Renee, Davis, Alison, Steven, Peter, Jim, Chuck all pulled off a spectacular set that tranced, danced, and maybe even sold a few riffs. Steven and Peter had the films transferred to video, and the quality of the grain and artistic nature of the projection is quite appealing. unfortunately there is nothing on the docket as of yet for this hair transaction orchestra, but i’ll definitely keep ya’ll posted. also, thanks again to Hothouse for the usual pleasant demeanor and friendly staff - also, for the margaritas.

today an umbrella will not do

november 11th, 2002

listen to Atlas…really.

so I met steven at the square root of five saturday and we worked on an old tune we wrote a couple years ago….‘canteloupe on the side’
the arrangement is in progress; a perpetual state of metamorphosis.

daisy chaining arnie’s to the square root of 5

november 04th, 2002

i spent some time last week listening to some old music i had recorded in the previous three years, ‘technicolor’ and ‘schoolhouse’ are possible pieces for posting. too many choices, maybe posting something old isn’t the best idea. i got together with steven tod last night for recording. each of us played our drum kits in our own spaces next door to one another; connected to the same recording unit. i once thought ten minutes was a long time for this posting, now it doesn’t seem nearly long enough!
by the way, if you haven’t already, listen to the three postings already completed on this lovely site (Sept, Oct & Nov) It’ll make you forget its Monday.

back from the south in thanks

october 29th, 2002

i just returned from south carolina. i enjoy visiting the marsh; but am happy to be back under the cool often gray skies of chicago. i think clearly when the weather is not so agreeable. i am pleased to have invited chicago’s steven tod to accompany me in my muted tones work. i am thinking - i shall post a short solo piece, followed by a duo piece performed by myself and steven. the nature of the music? well, i’m still working on that.

i listened…

october 22nd, 2002

..to both entries today at work. it beautified my office considerably.

i had a dream saddam hussein was my cab driver. is that illegal you think?

my favorite season, my favorite PBR

october 15th, 2002

like i emailed to renee and josh; at recess i am going to go out and consult the pavement here downtown to see what it can tell me about the seasons. i doubt much. i am spending far too much time indoors these days. not really good for simmering ideas about wonderful Music.