Aurora EP
Today I’m proud to announce the release of “Aurora” on Bandcamp. “Aurora” is a collection of remastered instrumentals that I’ve recorded over the years. I’ve always enjoyed creating instrumentals and soundscapes but rarely do they make it onto my recordings. Occasionally they pop up as is the case of “Pinata” that appeared on My So Called Band’s “Always Something There to Destroy Me”, or “Mid Winter’s Morning” and “Waiting for Dawn” off of The McGinnis Project’s “Big Night Sky”. With “Aurora“, I decided to take a step forward and let these instrumentals shine on their own.
Darjeeling Pipedreams opens the EP. Believe it or not, I first came up with this song on an iPad, while waiting on my wife. I had friend’s of mine comment that parts of it remind them of Herbie Hancock, who I can’t deny was an influence. I also love the way the sitars work with the beat. It’s been a favorite of mine for a long time. The remastering adds a much needed boost to the dynamics of the song and I love how the beat sounds in the car.
Moonlight is for Lovers is a track that started as an improvisation jam long ago. My brother was testing a new recording program and wanted me to play something, so I played the riff that would eventually develop into Moonlight. When it came time to overdub, I literally improvised the melody parts. This original recording floated around in his circle of friends, without my knowledge. I didn’t find out till months later when one of his friends complimented me on my new song. Eventually I recorded it on my own and put it on my Sound Cloud where it has languished for years, since apparently SC is pretty dead at this point. The remastering of this song brings out so much depth and allows you to hear all the background instruments. I love this track dearly, it’s one of my favorite recordings ever and serves as a tribute to jazz great, Dave Brubeck.
Smash and Grab is the final track and it’s a bombastic romp with the emphasis on the killer beats. I recorded it at some point after Darjeeling Pipedreams, but you can hear the influence because I’m using the sitars again. Also this song marks the first time I recorded a guitar solo since leaving My So Called Band. It’s a speedy solo that serves as the climax of the song. It’s a lot of fun and works killer as a driving song, just don’t get caught speeding.
