Dan Hewins: The Deck

This is one that has been in the works for a long time now. Back in the middle of August, I went to the space to record a lot of samples. I got samples of the acoustic guitar playing a bunch of different chords at different volumes (loud/quiet) and different lengths (long/short). I did the same for a clean electric guitar as well as a distorted electric guitar. Then I got single notes from the electric guitar. Then I got my voice singing Aaaah, Eeeee, and Ooooh (short and long). Then I had them and I didn't do anything with them until tonight.

This is the first of (hopefully) a bunch of things stitched together from these samples. This one's a bit wacky but just go with it. Maybe another in the future will be kinder to your senses.

MAYBE NOT! Who knows?

 Samplemania: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that "nothing will assuage" the Birthers. I've emailed back and forth with one and I believe that to be a true statement. I think this will continue to waste everyone's time until the end of Obama's Presidency. Maybe we can just ignore them. I hope so.

Anyway, on to the music. This is another home piece. I made it in Pro Tools but it's mostly a Reason thing. I did have a keyboard attached to Reason so I actually played some of the organ parts but I programmed the piano and vibes and drums.

This piece reveals my love for things that drone as well as Steve Reich. Eno rules too. Enjoy it!

 Nothing Will Assuage The Birthers: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Nine of Spades is a road song. Road trips are awesome and I wish I was able to take more of them. I still haven't done a cross-country drive and I really want to do it someday. There is so much to see and do basically anywhere you go. So, that's what this is about. I did this at home with the acoustic guitar and reason drums. I finished the vocals at the space this weekend.

Now, I'm gonna get in a zip car and go to Long Island.

 Road Song in the Key of We: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Four of spades is my first foray into the wetter side of life.

Wouldn't it be nice to be a fish in the sea? To swim around willy-nilly. Join a school and zip around with your friends. It would be fun to explore the depths and see all the pretty things that oceanic life has to offer. Swimming to any point in the wet earth might just be possible. Time wouldn't be an issue. What does a fish have to do all day except for eating smaller marine life and avoiding the jaws of the larger? Have mass amounts of fun, is what!

Or what about a crustacean? The insects of the sea. Swimming backwards might not be so bad and maybe kinda fun. And some have the added bonus of having claws. What I could do with a pair of claws! Nuts would not be a problem anymore; I wouldn't need that ballet-related Christmas ornament if I had claws. How exciting to not have internal bones! Oh, to be a mass of slime contained by a shell. Barnacles can go anywhere a ship takes them and they don't even have to expend the energy to get there. A leisurely life, indeed.

Squids and Octopi? Not too bad either. So many tendrils! The mystery! The ink! Escape under a cloud of darkness and confusion. Cram into that little nook, this cranny. How easy it would be to hide and be safe. And the lucky ones get to grow to immense proportion and have show-downs with the masters of the sea: whales!

Shellfish. I admit that is not as exciting. How to mobilize? Can they even vote? Are there elections in the sea? If not, maybe a clam or scallop could organize the first. That would be a good way to make a name for oneself.

Just listen to the song.

 Song Of The Sea: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I chose Tom Petty's "It's Good To Be King" for the first song to cover in The Deck. I didn't start at Ace because I thought that King would be more fitting for obvious reasons. I did this at home with acoustic and electric guitar, bass, and reason for the keyboard and drum sounds.

 It's Good To Be King: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Here is the Ace of Spades, the first card of the Deck. This song is aptly named "The Beginning" and is a simple song with a couple acoustic guitar tracks and a vocal. Here we go...

 The Beginning: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download