Stepping up to the plate...

Like I said in my last post, I've been listening to way too much ISIS; specifically, their latest album, Panopticon. It's simply amazing. And it's exactly that: simple. It's definitely minimalistic and not very technically demanding, but great music doesn't necessarily always have to be. There isn't a lot of singing, maybe 10% of the album has vocals, and when there is singing, half the time it's traditionally sung, while the other half is growled. The music focuses on creating atmosphere. There is a heavy use of repetition and swirling melodies. The entire album is one living, breathing piece. It's definitely one of those ones where you listen to it through headphones and just get lost in it, sorta like Tool or Radiohead or techno. Sometimes I wish I did drugs just so I could experience it in a different way.

Anyway, this is my first attempt to get back in the game. I just finished watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and for some reason I really wanted to play my guitar. Being that it was 2:30am, I had to play with my headphones plugged in, but alas, I didn't have a 1/8" to 1/4" adapter for my headphones. So I had to make this stuff up sans amplification, but I managed to hear what it would sound like in my head. Looks like I'll have to wait until tomorrow to get the full effect. I called this the "ISIS Ripoff Riffs" because it is very simple, with layered parts that build off one another. Riff A is the low-end heavy riff. Riff B is two octaves above Riff A and has three variations - just strings being added to give the revolving "melody" a sense of movement. Riff C is basically Riff B down one octave. This one is added just for a little flavor. Sometimes two guitar parts aren't enough. Despite how easy it is to write parts that are octaves above or below one another, I find it very sophomoric and somewhat boring, but I guess I've gotta start somewhere...

I'll try and remember to document the date and time I write stuff down. If I forget, and you're musically inclined but lacking originality, please don't rip me off. It would be cool too if I can setup some software and record myself so I can post audio clips of what I've written. Ah, things to come...