Tune In And Zone Out. #1

Today marks the end of day one of my four day sleepless streak. To accomplish all I need to have done, put in hours at work, celebrate a friend’s birthday, and attend a show I’ve already bought tickets for, sleep is most likely not going to be an option. I’ve done the math, and I really need to invest in a watch from the terrible movie Clockstoppers. I’m going to try out this whole mixtape thing and give you guys the tunes I’m playing to keep my sanity and calm demeanour in check.

Below is a small playlist for you to put on right before bed, during studying, or at a time you just want to close your eyes simply exist in the world. These tracks are more on the digital side of things, but I think listeners of all genres could indulge in some of the most relaxing music I own. I’m seriously considering keeping regular posts on specific artists and interviews to a minimum, and giving you wonderful people more of these small collections. Might make it easier for you to find artists you love and me to spend more time on my degree. We’ll try it out for a bit and see how it goes. Send me some feedback.

Headphones and a dark room optional,

Grant.

Tracklist.

1. Télépopmusik – Breathe
2. Tycho – Elegy
3. Kaskade – Lick It ft. Skrillex (ICE Mix)
4. Uppermost – Téléguidé (Original Mix)
5. Deadmau5 – Xmas Stuff ft. Haley Gibby (I Remember Alt. Version)

Get the mixtape – tuneinandzoneout #1

Haunting and beautiful do belong in the same sentence. [Adam Prince/Hectic Zeniths]

Back in September, I’d received an email that I embarrassingly overlooked in the midst of all the music submissions and suggestions for this site. This last month, I received yet another email containing the same artist’s work, but the difference was that a link to the entire album was provided. I swear I listened to that record from start to finish at least five times before bed. I responded back the next morning and was able to get the chance to ask a few unanswered questions to the artist, who graciously accepted.

Brooklyn born Adam Morgan Prince is the man behind the musical project titled Hectic Zeniths. The title is an anagram for the German word Zeitsciechten, meaning ‘layers of time.’ Once you hear the music, you’ll understand how fitting it is. Currently residing in Philadelphia, Adam has been working on this record for the past three years, pairing original piano compositions with dollar bin vinyl samples, live instrumentation and subtle vocals. Although Adam provides the majority of the building blocks for each track, the record features violinist Patrick Bailey, guitarist Dave Cohen, and The Yetti on drums. Each and every time I listen to it, I find it hard to believe that something so musically beautiful could come from a math teacher.

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SSOM: So Adam, how long have you been making hauntingly beautiful sounds?

I’ve been creating music since I was about 12-13 years old…although the vast majority of the earliest music I made could hardly be described as hauntingly beautiful, most of it was pretty obnoxious sounding.  I always tinkered around making stuff up on piano, but never actually tried to sit down, write a short cohesive piece, and record it until I was about 21.  I’m 26 now.

SSOM: Correct me if I’m wrong, but from the sounds of it, you’ve had some classical piano training. Most people who layer their music and play each part individually simply use pianos as more of a filler or an added detail, whereas your keyed melodies can stand on their own and are actually quite impressive. Have you ever considered an a cappella or piano only B side to the EP?

Absolutely!  That was actually my original idea for the album – to have either a solo piano or version with no samples accompany the regular album as an alternate version.  I would still like to do something like that for a future Hectic Zeniths album.

SSOM: We have the meaning of the name ‘Hectic Zeniths,’ but what is its significance to you and why you chose it?

I’ve always loved hearing sounds being chopped and layered not just for the way they sound sound aesthetically, but the idea of it…the idea that the recordings captured by two different artists who may not have ever been in the same continent or been alive at the same time can be pieced together to create something new.  I wanted to use a name that would encompass not just the musical aspect of layering but the broader idea of overlapping eras of time between artists or just people in general.

SSOM: Have the cities you’ve lived in influenced your sound at all? What else has made an impact on your sound?

It’s hard to say.  I think growing up in Brooklyn definitely played some influence in my getting as deep into hip hop as I did at one point.  I can’t say Philadelphia has had much of an influence musically.  Honestly, the biggest things that have impacted my ideas about music are just endless hours looking things up on the internet and reading about different subgenres and artists of all different types, as well as probably digging through crates of vinyl and listening to music completely at random.

SSOM: I’m having a tough time with this one, so help me out. How would you describe the music you make to a complete stranger?

“I recorded myself playing piano, then put samples from records and synthesizers on top of that, and then got a few friends to play a few other instruments on top of that.”

SSOM: With the album taking three years in the making, it potentially has some greater meaning than just creating musical perfection. Care to give readers some insight?

(laughs) Unfortunately I can’t say it does.  Ultimately I just wanted to create something I really loved and was proud of, and then put it out to as many people who would hopefully also love it.

SSOM: Tell me about your creative and recording process. There are so many layers to each song, so which instruments do you start with both in writing and recording?

On the Hectic Zeniths album, 8 of the tracks started as solo piano pieces that were recorded in a studio, then chopped into loops on a computer.  I’ve decided I’m going to start actually writing out notation for the piano pieces in the future, but I mostly had them memorized and would record them in my room so I wouldn’t forget them, and then practice before going to the studio.  I spent a lot of time just saving random samples from records and building up a library.  Then I would go through and find samples I thought were fitting for each piano piece.  The outside instrumentation, guitar, violin, and drums were the last things to be added.

SSOM: Have you had the chance to do any live shows at all? If so, what does the stage setup consist of?

I have some ideas for a live show, but don’t plan on trying to put it together for a while until I have some more material as Hectic Zeniths.

SSOM: Ever considered doing collaboration work with a Hip Hop artist? I think you and I both know that your entire album can hold it’s own, but could complement an MC’s words amazingly.

Definitely, but it would have to be the right MC who I felt was on the same page as me in what we wanted to achieve and I felt would complement my sound well.

SSOM: I’m interested to know what someone as musically diverse as yourself chooses to listen to. What are your top five most played tracks?

The most recent artists I’ve become enamored with are Arthur Russell and Jacaszek.  According to last.fm, my top 5 played tracks in 2011 were:

Balam Acab – “Oh, Why”

Drake – “Dreams Money Can Buy”

Vespertina – “Hugo”

Made In Heights – “Viices”

St. Vincent – “Champagne Year”

Some other artists I listened to a lot in 2011 were The Weeknd, Blue Sky Black Death, Kendrick Lamar, Dimlite, Baths, Grouper, Tori Amos, Burial, Mew, Gold Panda, CunninLynguists, Rustie, How To Dress Well…I finished the album in April and have mostly just been a fan for the rest of the year.

SSOM: What do your students think of their teacher being a musical genius?

Yeesh…I’ve never mentioned anything about creating music in school, at most I’ve said I ‘liked music.’  The artists I’ve heard them talking about are Kanye, Jay-Z, Drake, J Cole, Meek Mill, LMFAO, Adele, and Lady Gaga, so I’m not quite sure I’d fit too easily into that playlist (laughs).

SSOM: Anything else you’d like to add?

The album is out January 10!  If you read this interview you must be sort of interested so make sure to download it or buy a copy!

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The full length album was released a day early today on his Bandcamp page and is available on iTunes and Amazon tomorrow. If you like the tracks below, the entire album can be streamed on his SoundCloud page. I suggest a dark room and a pair of headphones once you make the move.

Prepare to lose yourself in a sea of sound,

Grant.

Hectic Zeniths – I Might Drown [Mediafire]

Hectic Zeniths – Know My List [PurchaseOnly]

Hectic Zeniths – One That Got Away [PurchaseOnly]

Hectic Zeniths – Then And Now [PurchaseOnly]

Weather like waves.

It wouldn’t be summer in Vancouver without rain would it? Yesterday the weather was absolutely gorgeous. It was sunny, there was a slight breeze, and not a cloud in sight. Today I awoke to torrential downpour. I may as well say it now; I hate Vancouver’s weather. Whenever the weather is overcast, grey, depressing, or pouring rain in the middle of summer, I turn to music to keep me calm. My default rainy day music is usually Bob Marley, but today I will show you my secret weapon.

From what I’ve heard, not everybody likes the sort of music that Scott Hansen creates, but in my experience, everyone I’ve showed it to has loved it. Scott is primarily a graphic designer, and a damn good one. He also happens to have has two alias’. The first is ISO50, his blogging name. He runs a blog where work and music he appreciates and sometimes his own originals are presented in a beautiful format. It’s definitely worth checking out. The second alias is what I wanted to show you. Scott makes music under the name of Tycho. It could be classified as dreamwave, lo-fi, shoegaze, ambient, or any of a large handful of names for downtempo and relaxing music. Just tune in, zone out, and call it whatever you want.

I definitely belong on a small island in the tropics somewhere,

Grant.

Tycho – Coastal Brake [Mediafire]

Tycho – The Daydream [Mediafire]

Trycho – Adrift

Bonus

Tycho – Coastal Brake (Lusine Remix) [Mediafire]

Rain rain go away.

Surprise, surprise, it’s rainy once again in Vancouver. It is June, right? I usually tend to choose my music based on what the weather is like because I’m weird like that. I think some of the most perfect music for a grey, overcast, miserable outside day, is either of the two bands that Ben Gibbard is a part of. More specifically, The Postal Service. I have recently discovered the group below, and I can’t help but think that they’re stepping into his soaking wet from walking in the rain shoes.

Hrishikesh Hirway, born and raised in Massachusetts and now residing in LA, is the man behind the music. Hirway had produced, recorded, and performed two albums by himself until about five years ago when he added two other artists to the roster. Even after adding two more members, his soft, dreamy style remained. This is the sort of music that one could fall asleep to. Much like Ben Gibbard’s side project, Hirway’s signature sound is having his lush, soothing vocals over a mix of electronica and folk music. Since the expansion, he has released two more records with the most recent being Heaven Is Attached By A Slender Thread. Definitely save these guys for your rainy day soundtrack.

So much for the hottest summer ever,

Grant.

The One AM Radio – Sunlight [Mediafire]

The One AM Radio – The Heat [Mediafire]

The One AM Radio – Credible Threats [Mediafire]

The One AM Radio – Constance [Mediafire]

The One AM Radio – Everyone But You [Mediafire]

Remixes

Radiohead – Reckoner (The One AM Radio Remix)

James Figurine – Apologies (The One AM Radio Remix)

Social Studies – The Bandit (The One AM Radio Remix) [Mediafire]

Bonus

The One AM Radio – Everything Falls Apart (Blackbird Blackbird Remix)

Das good music. [Drew Harris/Germany Germany]

We live in a strange time. We live in a world where people perceive other people through what information is provided about them on social networks. We live in a world where anyone can become famous overnight by simply putting a thirty second clip of stupidity on YouTube. We live in a world where more and more people can create music without even touching an instrument. Suddenly anyone that can do a few keystrokes and move a mouse can be called a producer. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find any true, raw talent from all of these upcoming bedroom wonders. Drew Harris, the man behind the music of Germany Germany, is a shining needle in the haystack of noise.

Drew is an incredibly well spoken and mad stylish student from Victoria. For the past year and a half he has been creating soft, half synthetic, half physical, dreamy, sometimes poppy, ambient, danceable, incredibly-easy-to-listen-to music under the alias of Germany Germany. What truly sets him apart from other artists in the same category is that his music is never stagnant. Every song on each of the albums is different from the last in not only pace, but in overall sound and mood. It’s unfortunate that in this genre, most artists get sucked into one single style and tempo, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue for this obviously talented young lad.

Drew has released five records to date with the newest being the seventeen track Adventures, his biggest, and in my opinion the most experimental, album yet. The majority of his music is available for free download or at least streaming on his SoundCloud, but you can support this up and comer by purchasing Adventures on his Bandcamp for five dollars or whatever you would like to pay. It will be worth your while, I promise.

‘Adventures is like this – as represented by the album art, it’s not clean and spotless… it is how I want it to sound but that doesn’t mean that it’s always perfect. The DIY aesthetic has always been fundamental to this project and by that definition, Adventures nearly sums up all that is Germany Germany. The past synth-pop, electro, ambient, etc. sounds have all been combined into 2 sides, 17 songs, 60 minutes. ‘

Drew was kind enough to fit me into his obviously crammed schedule to ask him a few questions about this whole music thing.

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SSOM: Let’s say that someone’s never heard your music before. You’ve got lo-fi, progressive house and indie music made up of physical and digital instruments all wrapped up into one. How would you describe your unique sound to them?

I’d say that my personal style is probably just a shit-mix conglomerate of the styles I listen to. Electronica, ambient, house, post-rock, glitch, some hip-hop… a lot of stuff kind of works its way in there.  I like the term ‘electrogaze’ though.

SSOM: Any specific influences you can rattle off?

Besides what I said above – nature, natural things, noise, analog technology.  I guess those aren’t specifically musical things.  I like unpredictability. 

SSOM: How long have you been making music for?

In some form or another, since I was fourteen or so.  I played guitar in some really bad emo bands for a while, then tried some solo indie-pop stuff where I learned Garageband and Logic when I was around seventeen or so.  I started Germany Germany in the fall of 2010, though it was originally called something else (a really horrible name).

SSOM: What do you do besides music?

My full-time occupation is currently studying electrical engineering at UVic.  I’m finding it really hard to do that, make music, have a job and attempt to maintain some sort of a social life.  It’s nice to use that as an excuse for a prolonged lack of creativity though.  My musical output really drops down during school semesters, though all of Adventures was made in the spring semester.

SSOM: So what kind of programs/equipment is needed to make your style of music?

I like guitars.  I think/hope my inclusion of guitars and other acoustic samples makes my music a little different than the purely-synthetic stuff out there.  I use Ableton Live to put all my stuff together, and I use a bunch of free and paid plugins/softsynths along with hardware synths like Microkorg and Roland jx-8p.

SSOM: Do you play all the instruments heard in your songs, and layer them during recording, or do you get help from fellow musicians?

Yep, it’s all played by myself and layered.  I don’t really think of it that way though. My workflow is really based on patterns playing at the same time, I don’t really regard songs as linear combinations of instrument tracks.

SSOM: I’ve gotta ask, why’d you go with the stage name Germany Germany?

I get this question all the time.  I need to invent some nice answer for it.  It just sort of popped in my head, though at the time I was listening to Ratatat, so it’s probably from their song ‘Germany to Germany.’

SSOM: I’ve yet to have a chance to see you live, so I’m curious to know what a live show would be like. Is it more of a DJ set or do you bring out a full band to play with you?

I hope you do soon!  I’ve performed twice with a full band and it’s a lot of fun, but it takes a lot of practise.  I usually play live with these two cardboard “GERMANY GERMANY” signs that are lined with 100 super-bright LEDs.  The LEDs are connected to a microcontroller that interprets MIDI data sent by the computer.  Basically, we have MIDI clips that automate the brightness of the lights in real time – this allows us to have a drummer that’s not technically playing to a click.  It’s really fun.

SSOM: Do you do shows often?

Not really, but I like it that way.  I don’t want to be one of those bands that is playing every week; I want to keep it special.

SSOM: Tour plans. Are there any upcoming plans to promote and perform the tracks from your recent Adventures LP?

There are some really interesting possibilities in the mix right now but I’d rather keep it under wraps for now.  I’m returning to full-time engineering in September (this summer is my semester off) so that’s my current plan, unless something amazing comes up.

SSOM: So you’re in Victoria during the school year, how does doing shows there compare to here in Vancouver?

Well, we played our first show here but, to be honest, we’ve found Vancouver promoters to be a million times more helpful and supportive than Victoria promoters.  It’s really unfortunate.  A replied email or returned phone call would be nice.

SSOM: Last question, how can fans support your work besides going to shows?

Listen to it, tell your friends if you want, whatever.  If you want, buy it, if not, torrent it or whatever.  I’m not trying to make this a career, I’d rather keep it an interesting hobby.  The second I make something my main income I feel like there’s pressure that will turn me into a greedy narcissist.  There are some of those in this scene already and I’d rather not join them.

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If you’re going to be in Vancouver this week, Drew wanted me to tell you to feel free to drop by the Adventures album release party at Interurban Gallery on Saturday, June 11. It will be a good time.

Maybe I should invest in some of this production gear stuff,

Grant.

Germany Germany – Take Me Home

Germany Germany – Rain

Germany Germany – Too Much To Say

Germany Germany – River

Germany Germany – Beginning

Germany Germany – Last Summer

Germany Germany – Natural (Mixtape)

Futurecop! – Venice Beach (Germany Germany Remix)

Passion Pit – Sleepyhead (Germany Germany Remix)

Crystal Castles – Baptism (Germany Germany Remix)