WATMM Discord competition for June challenged us to rap, and I Ain't Got None is my winning entry. I am not a rapper in the slightest, so it was quite the challenge. I don't think it /really/ qualifies as hip hop, I mostly took some vibe-inspiration from Mike Patton's Peeping Tom for the instrumentation and just did my best to rhyme a while.

The WATMM Discord Competition for May challenges us to find a partner and collaborate on a song. I leapt at the chance to work with Santino HS because he's a cool dude with excellent guitar and bass chops on top of an awesome metal songwriting sensibility. This is our winning entry, a ~5 minute competition edit of the real thing, which is almost 8 minutes in length and will be posted on Santino HS's channel.

It's June 20th, which means I get to make a song about /the incident/ again: on this day back in 2013 my left foot and leg became a lot less useful. When I originally started making songs on this anniversary I decided I'd make songs about it for ten years, but now I figure that ending up with just nine when you originally expected ten would be more apt.

Similar to Beetle Bus back in July 2021, April's WATMM Discord competition brought a Picture Competition. See the song cover in the video for reference. I decided to base my lyrics on the photo more than the sound of it all.

When the theme for r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Discord channel music competition humbly requests you avoid the 4/4 time signature at all costs, prog metal follows. This entry ended up winning as well, so I will stick around and not fly off into space just yet.

Last month's r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Discord channel music competition tasked me to do a 90's cover. Figured I'd go for the 12th best selling single of all time with Bryan Adams' (Everything I Do) I Do It For you, but in a slightly more punk rock direction, with some synthesizers on top.

For January the r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Discord channel set the task of simply making an original song. I took some inspiration from Invaders Must Die-era The Prodigy, but it possibly ended up a little more on the Drum & Bass side of things than New Rave or Breakbeat or whatever. I'm bad at figuring out sub-genres, in any case.

It's January 2nd, so that seems about the right time to release a Christmas song, right? This was my entry for last month's r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Discord channel music competition where we were tasked to take a Christmas song that's in a major key and modulate it to a minor key. I picked The Vandals' punk rock classic Oi to the World, also later made famous by No Doubt.

The r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Discord channel music competition for November tasked us to blend two genres that aren't a common combo. I chose the blues and, well, kind of the dubstep/drum&bass half-step beat thing, and Dirty Grey ended up coming in at third place! Given it's the blues I chose to write some bummer lyrics. Joy!

I decided yesterday morning I was going to write and record a quick song in order to dial in a metal tone for my new 7-string Schecter C-7 Pro, and the most edgelord, adolescent angst-ridden, walking-away-from-the-explosion track came out. I think it's kinda nu metal right? Throwback in some way that I can't quite put my finger on.

October's r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Discord channel music competition was obviously Halloween-themed, and after winning the St. Patrick's Day competition earlier this year, I now have established myself as a holiday song specialist by winning this past month as well. While this song isn't related to last year's 'Are You a Ghost?' it does answer the question nicely.

Whelp... summer is gone, and I forgot to upload this most summery song two months ago. This was actually made for July's r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Discord channel music competition. (The theme was to make music based on the photo of the Volkswagen van pictured.) I had plans for a lyrics video that I then decided against and before I knew it I had simply forgotten that I never published it. So here you go, a deranged and schizophrenic song about spending the summer in a van.

The r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Discord channel's music competition for September was to cover a song by a fellow WATMM Discord member. It became evident pretty quickly that I would choose something by Gory Gloriana. (Covererd with permission.)

Tyler and Nataly had themselves a little baby Kane. Let's celebrate! Keith smacked various pots and pans, seared some meat, and chopped food to supply percussion. Thanks Keith!

The r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Discord channel's music competition for June was to cover the theme from a video game, so I looked back to my childhood and Chris Hülsbeck's 'The Desert Rocks' from 1993's Turrican 2: The Final Fight quickly worked its way to the front of my list of candidates. There's some Drum & Bass, some Dubstep and a good chunk of Happy Hardcore because I've recently been blasting some S3RL. Amiga games and Happy Hardcore... I'm back in the 90's!

As I was having my morning coffee I decided I wanted to make and finish a new song today. Formula 1 and European Championship football got in the way a little, but this is what eventually manifested.

Another year goes by, and I've still not regrown what I've lost. By this point I must face facts and accept that I am not a salamander at all, and must fear for my position in the tribe, if not complete and utter ostracization.

This month, the r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Discord channel hosted a competition in which we were challenged to pick up an old, uncompleted project and simply finish it. I grabbed a project that dates back to april 3rd 2017 and this is what it ended up becoming. Sad robot is sad.

This month, the r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Discord channel hosted a competition in which we were challenged to pick up an old, uncompleted project and simply finish it. I grabbed a project that dates back to april 3rd 2017 and this is what it ended up becoming. Sad robot is sad.

The r/WeAreTheMusicMakers Discord channel hosted a small competition to see who could make the best Tavern Song, in honor of Saint Patrick's Day. Somehow my entry ended up winning. This is that entry, in case that wasn't yet clear.

After yesterday's news, and given how I've made a song called Capitol Siege Circus after the events of January 6th, this made sense to do.

Roxette was one of those backdrop-of-my-youth bands from before I ever consciously got into music. When Marie Fredriksson sadly passed away on December 9th 2019 I felt sad, and four days later I recorded this cover. Much vocoder.

So... I wasn't going to make a song this week. I spent 53 weeks in a row making music. I was gonna take a break for a bit, but then the trolls came out from under their bridges and attempted a coup in the US capitol building. How am I supposed to NOT make a new song?!

Whelp, I did it... I completed Song-a-Week 2020 with 53 total songs. I started January 1st, and with around 4 hours remaining on December 31st I finished the task I set before myself a year ago. I ended up with 3 hours, 42 minutes and 13 seconds of music. A couple of awkward parts here and there, but I'm altogether happy with the quantity and quality produced, and especially glad to have finally gained some understanding of the very basics of musical theory. Who knew that would be useful when making music?! Crazy. See you next year!

I'm so close to wrapping up and successfully completing Song-a-Week 2020 which is bizarre in and of itself. This is the 52nd song of the year, usually enough to fill it out entirely, but this year seems to want to persist for four more days, so I will throw a bonus track up on the 31st. Anyway, I decided to go a little meta this week.

Hey, did you know it's almost Christmas time? Here's a song to remind you. It's now also canon in both the Pulp Fiction and Scarface universes. Kinda cool.

1. I put down some chords and sent them to Tyler.
2. Tyler put down some B A S S and sent it to me.
3. ????
4. PROFIT!!!

Aw man, we failed to impress a dude.

So how about swimming out into a large, deep body of water?

Milk? You mean, like... neat? Straight up? That's a little hardcore, ain't it?

You know those creepy little girls in horror movies, right? They're jerks.

The celebration of a plastic tangerine's democratic (r)ejection. Is it coincidence or fate that this is Song-a-Week 2020 entry number 45 as well? Please don't mind the fluidity of my accent.

Let it be known this is not about Star Wars. Those sequels do not come close to how bad the prequels were.

Before things happen, things happen.

Week 42 of Song-a-Week 2020 yields metal about conscription.

My 41st Song-a-Week 2020 result is a peculiar one. I blame Keith for misspelling some words earlier this week.

Today Song-a-Week 2020 turns 40. More electronic this time, because that saves me having to play and record guitar. I don't have time for any of this, I'm committed to also be making a game this weekend in the Ludum Dare 47 game jam.

This story of a storied old man completes nine months of Song-a-Week 2020 which is kinda crazy.

Here I go growing frustrated with the goings-on of the world again.

I did not know Captain Hook, but the sad news reminded me of the loss of pets from my own youth. A salute to all fur babies. o7

Trickery and deceit!

Don't tell the catholic church I said this.

I asked Günter for a theme. He looked out the window, at the dead end road, and cleverly came up with what this song is all about.

This one is for that great big orange shit stain.

Well, at least I learned some valuable lessons.

Something regarding finality, I suppose.

Spiders... I'm not a fan. Cause they do shit like this. Not cool, spider-bro.

Among other things, my friend Ray suggested Grapefruit Habanero Margaritas as a theme for this song. So I made it the title. And the chorus.

It's metal but also not really, and perhaps a little electronic and avant-garde as well? Louis Cole inspired a drum section.

Last week the Stingrays flew up into space, and this week our protagonist joins them.

This week I reveal what Stingrays truly are. Tyler recorded some bass for me and went on vacation, so I cruelly mistreated his bass track by chopping it up and pitch correcting it to fit the rest of the song. As for this whole Song-a-Week 2020 thing, it's about halfway complete with this being number 26!

It's that time of year where we solemnly remember the part of me that accidentally went missing, seven years ago to this day now.

A kitty cat rises up and vanquishes evil! ✊ Tad Williams' Tailchaser's Song came to mind. All bass parts written, played and recorded by Tyler Chittick.

Heavy metal! This one was inspired by the camera falling over during The Tragic Radicals's most recent Three Song Thursday livestream.

After contributing his bass recordings to my recent Heavenfart remix, Tyler Chittick and I collaborated on this week's song. It's a little electronic rock song about thumbs. That's relatable to humans, right? Most of us have them, after all. Thumbs, not rocks or electronics. I mean, many people probably have those too, I was just specifically talking about thumbs. THE SONG IS ABOUT THUMBS GUISE

Some l'appel du vide, anyone? This week I tried to make something grunge-like.

Rather than having to do all the work myself this week, I crowdsourced some of the chorus lyrics for this song from various friends. As a result, however, nothing really makes sense. I suppose that's what the rest of the song is about.

I bought some Beefy Slinkies and tuned my guitar down to Drop C. This led me to try and be as cool as Khemmis, but without all the fancy lead guitars because that's, like... difficult. I'm sure this still counts as doom metal, though. This song is my longest yet, clocking in at 9 minutes and 45 seconds. And it didn't even exist before Friday. It's cray, y'all.

The adventures of a therapist and a problematic patient. Various time signatures and some tempo changes in this one. Not sure whether to call it alternative, avant-garde or progressive though. None probably fully apply.

Another thing referring to the Orange Lyin' Man who's full of hot air, and his cult of morons. I absolutely had to tune the bridge harmony vocals.

Instrumentally I tried to go for something like Weezer, lyrically I have no idea.

The story of when tectonic plates collide.

The second quarter of Song-a-Week 2020 tracks brings for some slightly blues-like metal about the Interesting Times we're living in. Thanks to Zel for handing me the title phrase that then spawned the rest of the lyrics.

The longest of my Song-a-Week 2020 tracks so far, ringing in at 5 minutes and 41 seconds, and concluding the first three months of this one-year-project. Rather than mucking about until I got something that sounds good I started this with the very small amount of musical theory knowledge I have. Maybe I will understand music one day. In any case, this one is for those down in the dumps.

A man in despair is called to unleash something old. I tried to channel my inner-Devin Townsend for this one, but definitely do not have the voice for it.

This one goes out the red-hat-idiots, the empathy-lackers, the populist-drivel-slurpers, the- you get the idea. Paycheck-to-paycheck is clearly the epitome of freedom. Enjoy your hospital bill.

My friend Tyler woke up in the middle of the night as children in the upstairs apartment decided loud noises were the way to go. This... is his story.

After last week's electronic outing we're back to rock. Specifically, stone being mined by Dwarves. Thanks to Thor for the lyrical theme!

No rock, no metal, minimal guitar, and a big dump of weird electronic gibberish. With this track, Song-a-Week 2020 is 15% complete.

The story of a liar. This, my seventh song-a-week 2020 track, turned out to be the longest yet at just under 5 minutes.

How about a little Swan Song to end the week with?

Five weeks and one full month into this project, things get dissonant and we wander into dreams.

Our hero was down in the dumps but found new purpose. Much like the protagnist of last week's song, he is up to no good, but only to those who have done no good themselves. Less metal, more punk.

The story of two friends who are up to no good.

Let's get silly.

This is part 1 of a hopefully 53-part series of weekly songs. Let's all get baptized in the river Styx! Last one in smells of sulfur.

December 20ths Vrijdagmiddagriffje is about the struggles that witches face every so often. Thanks to Tyler for the title.

Another Vrijdagmiddagriffje, put together on November 29th.

November 8th was when this Vrijdagmiddagriffje, or Friday Afternoon Riff, came into being.

I have a tradition where I write and record a song each friday after work. I call these Vrijdagmiddagriffjes (Friday Afternoon Riffs). This was October 11ths attempt. I made a poll for friend's to vote on the song's genre, and it resulted in an even split between 'Metal' and 'Something Alternative'.

Another Vrijdagmiddagriffje, or Friday Afternoon Riff. This one was September 27ths attempt. Nice and groovy.

Another anniversary, another anthem.

This is a cover of The Tragic Radicals' awesome song Madman from their Speaking Of Talking EP, posted with their permission. I took some liberties and changed it up a bit, because just making the same thing again defeats the purpose of a cover, and I cannot sing nor play guitar well enough to even try.

The Tragic Radicals' original version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2-DiS_Fv44

Their website: http://www.thetragicradicals.com

Their Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1LY8W46HjnE1LmHGdVKOcq

Some melodic pop punk for melodic pop punk reasons.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to considerable portion of you all!

This was MEANT to be a 1-Hour-Song challenge, but I just ran out of time to put the recorded vocals onto the playlist. And when I did, technical issues ensued. So this one's 80 minutes. Weird. Also, yay coffee.

Definitely the dumbest 1-Hour-Song Challenge result so far, and that's saying something after the excessively silly DRINK (MY NAME IS PEAT) and GIVE ME GRAIN. Again I took a timelapse for the music video.

I set up the song structure first, like before. I over-scoped a little by adding prechorus sections though, and with the longer intro and some technical difficulties with Edison, I only had 6 minutes for writing and recording the vocals. I was forced to repeat the verse rather than write a second set of lyrics, and could not do any vocal harmonies I was hoping to do. Whoopsie.

After making DRINK (MY NAME IS PEAT), I had a second go at the 1-Hour-Song challenge and I stayed on theme for this one too. This one also has a 1 hour timelapse for a music video.

I decided to write and record a song within one hour. I have no means of recording myself doing it, so I took a time lapse video of my desktop instead, which will have to serve as a music video.

I started by laying down a standard song structure and putting down sequenced drums. Then I began riffing away and recorded the nicer bits. All simple drop D power chords. After that came the bass, which was just my guitar's low E string tuned down an octave, and it follows the riffs. I think I had a little over 15 minutes left when I started writing and recording the lyrics. The song neither has an intro nor an ending. I simply ran out of time and the temporary intro I recorded didn't really suit the rest of the song. Looking back, I also wish I would've taken a few minutes to throw in some drum fills.

Anniversary #5. Learning guitar, recording country music, remembering my long lost friend.

This ain't sacrilege.

Take care.

Time passes quickly. As this is published, it is exactly four years since something heavy rolled on top of me and decided to stay there for a while. As before, this warrants a memorial.

Three years! Can you believe it? Neither can I, so I had Phoebe Anne Taylor do the heavy lifting (i.e. lyrics and vocals) for this one.

Time passes quickly. As this is published, it is exactly two years since something heavy rolled on top of me and decided to stay there for a while. As before, this warrants a memorial.

Almost exactly one year ago I suffered some trauma which left me in a permanently reduced state. Here's a song to celebrate my reduction! Here's a song to drown out the silence as we remember what we lost.

This is a song about a man named Rron--or rather, for a man named Rron. Keep on Rrocking, Rron!

For this one I require webcam footage of people enjoying this song in any way they want. Feed me your moves, and I will shit out a suitable montage. Go go go!

Don't knock it until you've tried it.

The passionfist frolicks freely, elbow deep, in its native habitat.

The full title of the song is: POOBOT DOES NOT KNOW THESE FEELINGS OF LOVE. The addendum is: POOBOT KNOWS ONLY POO.

Natural Selection 2 is going to be released October 31st, so I decided to release this merry little track in honour of that fact, dedicated to the folks at Unknown Worlds Entertainment. It is made entirely with sounds from the original Natural Selection. Game on!

Thenyou'll likes electronic music, but he told me "I'm also not a big fan of vocals in electronic songs." So I went and sang for him.

Oh dear.

Going back to something that I started long ago once again. Apparently this is a phase in which to complete the overdue.

In the works since 2007, this one required some long overdue finishing touches. Thanks to Adge - my own personal Leper King - for the title.

A happy little powerhouse. After all, why not?

Sickly sweet and overjoyously overjoyful. Chips, bells, and attempting to build up a wall-of-sound in places. Hurrah as well as huzzah.

Electro-rock from the very cleft of humanity. I'm sorry, I really have nothing to say at this time.

What? Don't look at me like that. The season warrants it. Also, I was going to make a video to go along with this, but then I came to the conclusion that I had A.) no idea what kind of video to make, and B.) certainly not enough time to do so. So just imagine a credits roll and season's greetings during the lengthy fade-out at the end.

We need moar cute. Hence, thus, etc...

How about some 90's? Shave your head, grab your track suit, and here we go again.

The full title of the song is: Q. Why Did the Suave, Oblivious Chicken-Man Hybrid Cross the Road? A. To Defeat the Vending Machine. Some questions in life shouldn't be answered... Or even asked, for that matter.

Somehow, though there are no evident similarities, Between The Buried And Me inspired this song. Funny how that works.

Squishy Squelchy Gas Pass Errors... we've all had them. Some might go so far as to say that they occasionally occur. They provide those who make said error with a sense of urgency. Running up and down staircases to find a bathroom, or even just a closet that just happens to be packed with spare pants; a safe haven where one can recuperate and re-dress.

All that aside, I made a song.

The full title of the song is: My Knapsack o' White Privilege (A 2010 Crapz0r)

The Crapz0r emerges from a long forgotten past. Happy and with pianos, like it has always been.

It happens. You learn to live with it.

Jetzt geht's los! ... you'll have to imagine the frantic glowsticking yourself.

After six years Synthetic Pathetic has had a small overhaul, retaining much of its original form but with a slightly better edge to it. Hooray!

"...then, and only then, does the royal king's court bloom, yielding its blossoms to the stars' watchful gaze, roots pulling gently from the fertile ground below, and as the raindrops land onto bud and leaf and grass, he steps out and he dances."

This are the sounds you hear when you fly in your dreams.

This is a poem that Phoebe Taylor gave me at the same time as Innocense, and I figured that sticking beats underneath it would be a nice gift. Happy birthday!

Phoebe Taylor gave me a recording of her poem Innocense and I had to go and throw fake instruments at it. The result is a lot more vocals than usual, and that's a good thing.

Hearken to its wail. Give heed to the baying beneath the black waves. Merriment ensues.

The full title of the song is: Sputnik 3's Failure To Record The Van Allen Radiation Belts, Its Lethargic And Uncaring Response To Said Failure, And Subsequently Its Nearly Two Years Of Indifferent Yet Merry Orbit.

Yup, it's the song that everyone has been waiting - nay - pining for: the wacky tale of that gosh-darned Sputnik 3's bogus adventure, which lasted from 1958 to 1960, expressed through instrumental merriment.

Slow pace, loud bass. I suppose it borders on hip-hop here and there, but I think I avoided the whole getting jiggy with it thing. This one came together pretty quickly, and while I doubt it shows up noticeably in the song, it is a product of having watched the movie Across The Universe. The title is of course a reference to Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. (Which I've always thought to be a cool name - my history of playing MUDs showing, perhaps.) but is not a comment on the artist in question - I am not all that familiar with his music.

This one has been in the making for quite some time, and when it was finished I forgot all about it for a few months. I guess a whoops! is in order. While working on it, the wall-of-sound that the roaring (fake) guitars put forth reminded me of Weezer's Devotion, and as a result I quite liked the sound.

Alas, no description or anecdote or whatever.

Alas, no description or anecdote or whatever.

Alas, no description or anecdote or whatever.

Alas, no description or anecdote or whatever.

Another episode in the never ending quest to combine roaring guitars - even if they are merely digital replacements for the real thing - along with rock and metal rhythms with electronicity. Whether it really classifies as industrial I don't quite know, but but I generally settle for the term when I mix said genres. Though it's a short one, I was quite satisfied with how it turned out. As digital as it is, it really does rawk.

This track was - and still is - to be the first installment of a set of house tracks named Fat Girl Stretch Pants, though as of yet it is the only one that I deemed decent and/or complete enough to release. Who knows, maybe one day it'll be joined by a couple of siblings.

I covered this song, originally written and performed by Phoebe Taylor, as a birthday present to her. I have the original available for download (3m44s / 128kbit / 3.41MB) as well, with her permission, so it is possible to to check them both out and (hopefully) enjoy the stark contrast between her gentle, atmospheric piano instrumental against my synthetic attempt at electrification. As a rule, I avoid remaining true to the sound of the original song when I make a cover.

There are very few songs I have made that were as difficult to put together as this one, as I covered it completely by ear, but then there are very few songs that - in the end - were as gratifying as Dead White Rose.

Alas, no description or anecdote or whatever.

Alas, no description or anecdote or whatever.

Alas, no description or anecdote or whatever.

Alas, no description or anecdote or whatever.

Alas, no description or anecdote or whatever.

The full title of the song is:The Adult Bile Sock Will Eat You When You Sleep.

Alas, no description or anecdote or whatever.

Alas, no description or anecdote or whatever.

Alas, no description or anecdote or whatever.

Alas, no description or anecdote or whatever.

Alas, no description or anecdote or whatever.

This was actually made and finished a while before the date mentioned, which is the actual date I rendered it to MP3 on a PC. I made this using OctaMED on an Amiga 1200, in full 4 track, 8 bit glory.

This was actually made and finished a while before the date mentioned, which is the actual date I rendered it to MP3 on a PC. I made this using OctaMED on an Amiga 1200, in full 4 track, 8 bit glory.

This was actually made and finished a while before the date mentioned, which is the actual date I rendered it to MP3 on a PC. I made this using OctaMED on an Amiga 1200, in full 4 track, 8 bit glory.