INTA GRAYSHON is my new solo project! Over 60 album concepts have been planned in Omnioutliner to structure the creation of new music and the completion of unfinished musical ideas from what I call “The Pile,” going back as far as the 1980s! Albums and other projects have been designed around using specific software programs and live instruments, telling personal stories through sound, and exploring various compositional techniques, systems, forms and genres. After the completion of each project, videos will be created to share creative and technical information.
Here is the theme music that will be used at the beginning of every video. I tried to include numerous live and software instruments (including Maya and Noah performing 2 notes each), and Snuggles and Kit Kat make an appearance. The music was composed using a 12-tone matrix and will be explained in detail in an upcoming “Introducing Inta Grayshon” video.
There are currently several projects in progress:
ABS
- DAW: Ableton Live Suite
- Virtual Instruments: Absynth (recently discontinued by Native Instruments!) and Abbey Road Drummer Collection (all 12 kits from Vintage, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and Modern)
- Live Instruments: Electric Bass, Fretless Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Classical Guitar, Electric Guitar, Soprano Sax, Ram’s Horn, Rainsticks – all recorded using the AB stereo technique
- Microphones: 2 Avantone CK-1 Small-Capsule FET Pencil Microphones (Avantone is not Abantone, but close enough!)
- Amps: Vintage EBS Gorm Professional Bass Combo 300 Watt (EBS is not ABS, but close enough!) and PositiveGrid Spark 40 Watt Combo Amp
- Concept: The 12 titles feature “Ab” words that define the style and instrumentation: “Ab Laze,” “Ab Original,” “Ab So Lute,” etc.
MEOWZIK MAN
- DAW: Pro Tools Studio
- Virtual Instruments: 3 original Reaktor granular sampler/synthesizer ensembles utilizing samples of my cats meowing and purring (Pumpkin Patch Meowlody Synth, Kit Kat Kord Synth and Fuzzy Snuggles Bass Synth), an original Reaktor “drum” machine (Drum Meowchine) featuring samples of noises recorded during cat feeding, cat related ensembles from the Reaktor User Library including Fatcat, Midi Kitten, Misu (Octave Kitten emulation), Paw! and Octave Cat SRM, and also sounds and effects that have feline-ish names from other software devices too numerous to mention (from Air, Native Instruments, Spectrasonics and UVI)
Concept: Each of the 10 pieces has a title and style inspired by an Electronic Music genre: “Housecats,” “Jazztronicats,” “Musique Concats,” etc.
BITTERSWEET SUITE
- DAW: Logic Pro
- Virtual Instruments: Numerous Reaktor ensembles from Komplete 14 Ultimate and the Reaktor User Library
- Concept: An emotional collection of 18 Electronic Music pieces inspired by personal events. Since I have way too many Reaktor ensembles, this project is an attempt to make use of as many of them as possible. In addition to using Komplete Kontrol to organize my favorite sounds, I’ve also created my own “Kategory Kontrol” system for organizing my favorite sounds from hundreds of Reaktor User Library ensembles.
2 MUTCH HUTCH
- DAW: Digital Performer
- Virtual Instruments: Hutchinson Sparkway, a simple Reaktor synthesizer I created, and 684 Night Beats, Henry Hudson Harmonyway, Major Deegan Expansionway and Saw Mill Sampleway, all sample-based, original Reaktor ensembles using selected samples from Expansions.
- Live Instrument: Electric Bass
- Concept: Reflections on dangerous drives home from the late night NYC gigs I used to do. The 10 mostly Nu Jazz styled pieces borrow musical elements from songs I played over and over at private events since the 90s. Electric Bass is the lead instrument since that is the instrument I played on those gigs.
PSYBIENT SPOCK
- DAW: Logic Pro
- Virtual Instruments: Every Logic Pro X instrument
- Live Instruments: Electric Bass, Electric Guitar, Soprano Sax
- Concept: 10 Psybient styled Electronic Music pieces using Logic Pro instruments and effects exclusively, with inspiration from Mr. Spock of the original Star Trek series.
REAKTOR IN KONTEXT
- Concept: Chooser is a Reaktor ensemble I created that randomly chooses various parameters from multiple lists. It does not generate sound; it just chooses things! One press of the “Wife” button will choose 30 items (genres, scales, chords, compositional techniques, a DAW, instruments and effects) that will be used in the production of a new music composition (the Wife always likes to make all the decisions…). The lists in Chooser are constantly being updated; new items are being added all the time. It’s an endless, evolving process.
- Instruments and Effects: The plan is to create new music with familiar and unfamiliar software instruments and effects (not just from Reaktor) from my overwhelming collection that seems to keep growing and growing, and the many live instruments in my studio; my kids (and some of my neighbors!) play various instruments too, and they will participate if one of their instruments gets chosen.
- Styles: I always wanted to learn more about the numerous Electronic Music genres (some have ridiculous names!) and to borrow style elements from them.
- Chords, Scales and Techniques: I love the challenge of composing with randomly chosen musical parameters, especially combinations I would never come up with on my own. And there are so many exotic chords and scales I have never used before. I’m looking forward to having to do something with them, knowing that many of them will be at odds with the various genres. I’ve also accumulated so many music books and documents over the years and plan to use some of the concepts presented in them. There are hundreds of items in the Compositional Techniques list so far, and more will be added over time as I slowly review all the materials I have.
SCHMEAR CAMPAIGN
- DAW: TBD
- Virtual Instrument: Everything Bagel is a complex Reaktor synthesizer that I’ve been assembling that will include EVERY possible Reaktor Primary module (or at least most of them) so I can more fully understand all included options, and the sometimes complicated math and advanced modular routing involved. Reaktor Core or Blocks will not be used for this ensemble. One thing at a time! Everything Bagel will feature multiple forms of sound synthesis and extensive modulation, and there will be custom Bagel knobs, of course, with seeds! Content from existing Reaktor Factory and User Library ensembles will undoubtedly be borrowed and modified. Detailed explanations will be included inside the structure.
- Concept: 5-10 Electronic Music pieces using Everything Bagel exclusively. Lots of avocado, hummus and vegan cream cheese on O’Doughs Everything Bagels will be eaten during the recording of this project.