Hello World

I just figured it out that people are looking (reading) this blog from all over the world.  This makes me happy, and it would be interesting if someone would leave some comments.

I was driving to work this morning listening to Annette Funicello, taking in a foggy world.  I stopped to get a few photographs of a large field of grass that was hidden under a blanket of fog.  Really beautiful.

I often carry on discussions in my head concerning music to pass the time while driving, but I hardly ever write them down.  One of the items is that I consider there to be two ways of presenting music when performing.  Recital or Improvisation.  I have tried to go totally towards improvisation.  This type of music, when performed can be instantly ruined when someone causes a power surge that gets into the loop and causes an immediate end to the piece.  If it is something I have been working on for years and I'm finally getting a good groove on the piece, it would cause much grief.  If it's an improve piece, then if it is not too loud of a pop, I try t work it in. (BTW, this has happened, so I speak from experience.)

As far as recording, the pieces I have done that were pre-writen and later carried out do not have the same life that an improv piece may have.  Much of what I record is made up of constructed works anyway.  Some are one take, one track.  Some are a few tracks from separate sessions combined.  Most are usually one days work, or one week.  I have long felt that the idea behind making a track that lasts over an hour is not preplanned to be that long, I merely allow such a thing to happen.  The tracks that are 6 hours are preplanned to be that long.  I am now working on a four part, 24 hour (6 hours for each part) piece.  I had originally planned it to be something quite philosophical, but I have changed gears, become more honest with myself, and decided to make it more personal.  (It seems that everytime I get into some deep philosophy, I start researching the subject and find that there are many people who add their own opinions and extrapolate the philosophy to the point that I would not have anything worth while to add, and that if I did, it would provoke many arguments.  To quote Lincoln: "It is better to be quite and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.")  Back to the "more personal" theme.  I have decided that it will be type of self-portrait, one that defines Wayne Higgins' daily life.  The overall theme will be exploring just how boring of a person that I really am.

More later....

WAR!

26-WAR!
01-The Demon Awakens     5:56
02-Youth and Patriotism    57:33
03-Dancing the Dance    34:07
04-Examples Of Opposing Victory Prayers  37:19
05-Before the Dawn    14:07
06-The Last Day of Our Lives   69:34
07-Final Preparations    37:42
08-Let The Fray Begin    33:38
09-The Presentation of the Chocolate Bar  2:10
10-The Long Road to Recovery   42:42
11-Home at Last                                 12:36
Total time    5:47:27

WAR! is an acronym for We Are Right!  I did this while I was recovering from an illness, brucellosis.  I'll write more after the settlement.

Regular Divisions of the Plane

Regular Divisions of the Plane
01-Tetrahedral Planetoid                53:29
02-The Sea at the Mouth of the Ebro     53:11
03-Mobius Strip                         24:45
04-Metamorphosis                       238:35
Total time    6:10:01

This album is based on a few pieces of art by MC Escher.  I'll be writing more when I have the strength.

Searching for Intelligent Life

Searching for Intelligent Life
1-The Universe Within            60:33
2-Procyon A,B                    38:32
3-Struve 2398 A,B                29:21
4-Lalande 21185                  21:20
5-Luyten 372-58                  16:08
6-61 Cygni A,B                   48:48
7-Lacaille 9352                  57:28
8-Ross 128                       24:12
9-Groombridge 34 A,B             84:25
Total time    6:20:52

I have always enjoyed reading about astronomy, and wish I had a better grip on physics and calculus to understand it more thoroughly.  Also, I cant see a thing through a telescope.  It is a simple task to some, but I just can't focus.  I did, however point my telescope into the sky one night and say so many stars in one area that it frightened me.  How anyone coudl believe that we are alone is personally unacceptable.  Each track on this compilation is named after a star within 12.5 light years from us.  The titles follow my own twisted logic of titleing.  The star, the system, the size, the distance, the process of discovery, the possible emotion of discovery, what life would be like in a sertian system, or even what it would be like to travel to that system.  Hopefully, I have never pretended anything but the truth.  Sometimes I name pieces due to actual visions or interpretations of impressions of visions, events, or emotions.  The introductory track, "The Universe Within" is a college of outtakes from the "recording sessions" of the remaining tracks.

The following scientific information is taken from a website http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/ which is created by Richard Powell.  The cover photo is also by Richard Powell and is a diagram of the stars 12.5 light years from earth.  I have attempted to contact him, but have no success.

Procyon A,B - Type=F5+DA, Magnitudes=0.4+10.7, Distance=11.41 ly
A brilliant yellow-white star, and the eighth brightest star in the sky. With twice the diameter of the Sun, Procyon is also the largest star within 25 light years. Procyon is orbited by a white dwarf companion first seen optically in 1896. The orbital period is 41 years.  [Musically, this was very exciting for me, for I finally found a method which displays my love for the music of the composer, Alexander Courage (the original "Star Trek" series).]

Struve 2398 A,B - Type=M4+M5, Magnitudes=8.9+9.7, Distance=11.6 ly
A binary system of two red dwarfs named Struve 2398 from a catalogue of double stars published in 1827. This system is also known by the rather more boring name of BD+59°1915. The two stars are quite widely separated (50 AU) and orbit each other in a 450 year period. [A backward/forward spiralling piece.]

Lalande 21185 - Type=M2, Magnitude=7.5, Distance=8.31 ly
Recorded in JJ Lalande's star catalogue compiled in the 1790's, this is one of the brightest red dwarfs in the sky, but it still needs binoculars to see it. G Gatewood reported in 1996 the possible indications of a couple of Jupiter sized planets orbiting it but this remains unconfirmed. [This one sounds more like an underwater sonar than a telescopic event.]

Luyten 789-6 A,B,C - Type=M5+M5+M7, Magnitudes=13.3+13.3+14.0, Distance=11.1 ly
There seems to be three red dwarfs in this system. The main pair orbiting each other in a 2 year period, and a dim third star orbiting the first at a very close range. [More Alexander Courage influence, with a bit of Stanislov Lem thrown in.]

61 Cygni A,B - Type=K5+K7, Magnitudes=5.2+6.1, Distance=11.41 ly
This binary system of two orange dwarf stars is famous for being the first star ever to have its distance measured by F Bessel in 1838. Both stars are very similar but are widely separated (86 AU) requiring about 700 years to orbit each other. [A quiet, dancing snowflakes, sort of piece.]

Lacaille 9352 - Type=M2, Magnitude=7.4, Distance=10.73 ly
A fairly bright red dwarf which can easily be seen with binoculars, it was first recorded in Nicolas de Lacaille's catalogue of southern hemisphere stars compiled around 1752. [The previous but at half speed.]

Ross 128 - Type=M4, Magnitude=11.1, Distance=10.89 ly
A dim red dwarf, also known as FI Vir - its variable star designation. [A variation on the theme used for "Lalande 21185".]

Groombridge 34 A,B - Type=M2+M6, Magnitudes=8.1+11.1, Distance=11.64 ly
Another pair of red dwarfs, this system is usually called Groombridge 34 from an 1838 catalogue of northern stars or sometimes BD+43°44. Both stars are variable in brightness and have the variable star names of GX And and GQ And. Both stars lie far apart from each other (150 AU) and orbit each other in a 2500 year period. [Another variation, this time utilizing a ring modulator.]

Water Deities

Water Deities
01-Triton       2:35
02-Sao         36:27
03-Psamathe    60:19
04-Halimede     4:00
05-Nereid      24:57
06-Galatea     54:18
07-Naiad       30:03
08-Larissa     42:35
09-Thalassa     4:00
10-Neso        55:57
11-Despina      4:00
12-Laomedeia   21:34
13-Proteus     38:57
Total time    6:19:46 

An astronomical theme.  The titles of the album are all named after the 13 known moons of Neptune, which are all named after mythological water deities.  The first is Triton.  This is the largest moon and the first moon discovered.  The reason for making it the shortest track is that Triton was discovered 17 days after the discovery of Neptune itself.  The idea is that even though the first and largest, the significance of the discovery may not have been considered as important at the time as the disovery of Neptune.  Halimede, Thalassa and Despina are short drum programming tracks, the other tracks are all played on electric guitar.

Basically, this disc is comprised of works that describe the emotion that accompanies "discovery", as well as trying to describe the moon and the water deities that the moon is named after.  I read a week ago that earth is the only world not named after a God.

A Round Trip

A Round Trip
01-A Round Trip, version 1                   73:23
02-The Party Car                             29:00
03-This will get us an R-rating for sure     25:32
04-Animatronic Conductors                    21:56
05-Closely Watched                          126:00
06-Suspense, like picking the right color    31:51
07-A Round Trip, version 2                   59:46
Total time     6:07:28

"A Round Trip" explores the irritations of commuting.  Each one of, excluding the lucky few that work at home, has to commute for work.  Living where I do, the commute consists of a solo drive.  Many people have to deal with public transportation.  I can't honestly say which would be worse, I can only say that the drawback in the solo drive is no interaction with any other individuals.  Saying this, I would probably be correct in assuming that those on trains and buses would trade that daily interaction with a ride through the country on a motorcycle in a heartbeat.  When I'm up to it, when the situation permits, that is my solo drive.  I am not complaining, just painting the mental picture.
The title track was completed and mixed and remixed and remixed as ususal.  Only, in this instance, I couldn't decide which one to use, which one was "worse".  So I used them both as bookends for the album.  The difference are slight and subtle, but exist within the same recording's mixdown.  "Closely Watched" is inspired by the Chezchoslovakian film "Closely Watched Trains", which I found and watched while working on the project.
These three pieces are performed on electric guitar.  "Animatronic Conductors" and "Suspense, like picking the right color" were sequencer realizations, "The Party Car" is a sequencer/percussion programming piece, and "This will get us an R-rating for sure" is a combo of percussion programming and that mechanical device I used for "Wheel of Fortune" on "Transmissions From The Machine Planet".  "Animatronic Conductors" and "Suspense, like picking the right color" are inspired by two of my favorite film makers, "Conductors" being Felini, "Suspense" being Hitchcock.  ( I don't consider myself to be a film critic/historian/authority of any measure, but after watching Michealangelo Antonio's "Blow Up" I commented that I felt that the use of color in the film was amazing.  I later read in an Hitchcock biography that his comment on "Blow Up" was that the Italian's were years beyond anyone else in the use of color.  A truely good feeling!)  I can also say that "Conductors show a Larry Fast influence, while "Suspense" shows a Brian Eno influence. "The Party Car" is an interpretation of a train ride I took from Venice to Rome.  The Italian railroad was on strike (of course), the train was packed, and in the car with my wife and I were four female students from Southern Mississippi University and the reggae band Burning Spear.  Their tour manager was hillarious.  "This will get us an R-rating for sure" tops off the movie influence of the album, using various sounds and beats to create a somewhat erotic experience.

The Pixie's Lair

The Pixie's Lair
01-A Long Corridor      58:15
02-Origins Of Power      64:43
03-Peluda's Ballet      77:33
04-Kissed, Like in a Fariy Tale     44:53
05-The Pixie's Lair      101:54
Total time     5:47:19

The idea behind "The Pixies Lair" is entrapment.  Pixies are looked upon as tiny supernatural beings, full of mischeif.  To be pixilated is to be led astray by pixies, elated, titillated, whimsical.  From my viewpoint, pixies have to eat too.  On the brightside, a pixie can be charecterized as Tinker Bell, who was personified from the likeness of Marilyn Monroe.   On the darkside, a pixie can be an evil, razor-toothed, sharp clawed, flying being that has powers beyond our comprehension.  SO, in my little musical story, I have the pixie.  Extremely beautiful and equaly dangerous.  To be trapped in the lair of the pixie can be exhilarating as well as fatal, and only the pixie which has entrapped you will determine your outcome.

"The Long Corridor" is a tale of being led to one's own imprisonment.  Happily accepting the beauty that surrounds you, to end up in a stiuation one can best define as questionable.  "Origins of Power" is a quiet, meditative piece, which becomes split by many different options.  "Pedula's Ballet" is a demonic balet, named after the deamon.  It's amazing how many names come to me and then disappear.  The same thing happened with Zephania.) An obviously evil dance, intended to bring out the darkside of the story of the lair.  But once again, the interpretation of the outcome relies on the listener.  "Kissed, Like in a Fariy Tale" The Frog Prince or Sleeping Beauty?  Possibly the kiss of death.  The ending has a "been captured and this is it" feeling.  The title track, "The Pixie's Lair", is the longest in the collection.  It's theme is based on accepting one's fate.  The idea is that even when captured, one should make the best of one's situation.  The track ends with a guitar solo, which, even though all the music on all the albums has been performed on electric guitar, there aren't many traditional guitar solos.