http://nascentmusic.com/mp3/2006/03/nm20060325.mp3

I might hope otherwise, but this once-a-week pace might keep up for a while as I figure out what to do with myself this Spring. This saddens me, as Nascent Music started as a clever way for me to have lots of new music all the time, and now I’m not able to keep up with my own appetites and will actually have to listen to other people’s music.

I’m kidding, of course.

I am, however, disappointed to contradict myself, as I’ve only recently sent Juan Leon a new custom promo stating that the show is 2-3 times a week. Sorry for the false advertising, folks. But there’s a lot in the Archives to tide you over until my sleep schedule stabilizes into something allowing more frequent posts. Juan played an excerpt from my 2/26 show on the 3/18 Strada-Sphere Radio. Thanks, Juan!

http://nascentmusic.com/mp3/2006/03/nm20060318.mp3

Sorry it’s been so long since the last one. Suddenly, due to stress and seasonal sleep issues, I can only sleep for four or fewer hours at a time, so instead of having several days a week that I can sit down to record, I catch my ZZZs when I can get them and spend my remaining hours staggering around waiting for the next fix.

I’d had such high hopes for this “weekend” (on a new work schedule with Thursday and Friday off), including making new sounds. Couldn’t find the energy to do it. I didn’t want to play any more with the current sounds, but didn’t want to spend the time to come up with new ones. Finally forced myself to sit down to it this morning, and came up with some awful, unmotivated, vapidly upbeat nonsense. Gave it one more chance, and finally this one popped out. I’m really happy with the little injection of almost-electronica, even if I did accidentally record it in mono.

http://nascentmusic.com/mp3/2006/03/nm20060310.mp3

My father-in-law passed away on Monday. The first couple of days were spent comforting my wife, helping her and her family make funeral arrangements, and occasionally trying in vain to get some sleep. My intent for this morning’s improvisation was to try to say goodbye in my own way.

I threw away the first improvisation, and this one, as long as it is, was longer before I cut three expendable minutes at the beginning, and still does not, in my opinion, find its way until about the 6-minute mark. Thinking about it afterward, I realized that the recording isn’t just about him: it’s also about my own feelings of exhaustion and sadness and inadequacy in the face of loss and grief. Like all improvisations, it’s a snapshot of where I am, and even though the intent was focused on someone else, I’d say this one has even more of me in it than usual. Mistakes included.

As the improvisation was winding down, the GNX3 did something it’s never done before: one of the drum tracks fell out of sync. I don’t remember the original timing, before the track was edited and an intro was added, but you can hear it at 13:45 in this recording, as each drum hit becomes two, first in the right ear and then in the left, adding an erratic heartbeat to the already lopsided rhythm of the piece. I have no idea what equipment malfunction caused this, but at the time, it felt utterly appropriate, even intended — though not by me.

Anyway… Charles, I’ll miss you. And if you can hear this, then I hope you enjoy it.

http://nascentmusic.com/mp3/2006/03/nm20060305.mp3
A longish piece with an evil middle.