News and Musings

It all started with…

A pandemic? Well, sort of. After the dust settled from one long-term project ending (and a couple of not so spectacular post-projects not getting off the ground) there were moments of inspiration that needed capturing. It seemed the time was right to move forward and present musical ideas that had been lingering , swimming, and simmering over the past year or so. (Come to think of it, some of these ideas and loops, have been kicking about for at least a few years!) To kick it off, there are three pieces of music that have just been posted online with three or four new tunes in various stages of completion. Time to buckle down and finish what’s been started!

02/22/25: The new piece entitled, “In Absence of..” is now posted on SoundCloud. It’s definitely different than previous offerings but I’m quite proud of this one and excited to put it out there! If you can spare about 8 minutes and 4 seconds, I hope you take a listen. - And if you do listen to all of it(!) I mighty, mighty Thank You! - Take care!

02/20/25: Flying in the face of the current state of awfulness and dread, I’ve managed to complete a new piece! It’s definitely a different animal compared to my previous offerings! (Nary an acoustic drum to be found!) The inspiration for this piece comes from a few places. One big one, was the FX Channel’s version of “A Christmas Carol”. The music was so good and at times, perfectly haunting. A little repetitive melody would pop-up throughout, even when least expected. I like the idea of that approach (the U.K. band Fassine, also has a similar approach that worked amazingly well on their song, Englander! definitely worth checking out)

My hope was to juxtapose a simple melody against a dense, sonic wall. At times, the wall would be “full throttle” and other times, albeit briefly, tiny and easy to step over, as it were. As mentioned earlier, the acoustic drums were bypassed. That was something I’d been wanting to try for some time and this track seemed like the best one to give it whirl with! … No regrets! - Once I figure out which mix is the go-to version, it will be posted on the SoundCloud! Even though it’s a little different (maybe “strange”) I hope you’re able to make it little time to take a listen and share your thoughts with me.

Hang in there and remember, it’s okay to want to punch a Nazi!

01/28/25: Nothing more dread-inducing than a phone notification popping up saying “Doomsday clock is the closest it’s ever been to midnight” - Prior to that extremely humbling and dark headline, I found myself wanting to attempt a different approach to making a couple of music pieces. In short, taking a song (probably two), playing along to the arrangement but not playing what was played by the musicians. Effectively, a re-imagining/clean slate approach. Then layering a few other instruments with the rule that it can’t sound like what the initial “inspiration” was. I’ll try to impose a few other “rules” on myself once this gets underway, but that’s the plan!

We’ll see how it goes and how long it takes. Tick-effin’-Tock! … resist.

01/22/25: It’s becoming apparent that I shouldn’t say/use/utter the word “collaboration” until it has actually happened. Here we are in the 1st month of the new year and the downward spiral has just begun. (and I ain’t just talking about the newly announced NIN tour!) - I’ve decided to take one of the two songs meant for collaboration and add some instrumentation myself with the caveat of imposing limitations on myself. Basically, in the form of limited overdubs!

Without further chatter, The Drunken Monkey is now up on Soundcloud. Hopefully, the “collab” will happen but until then, I’ll keep chipping away with new ideas and new bits of music to share. - Hang in there.. stay safe and resist the stupid and the absurd. (and all things “Musk-y”!)

12/2/24: Stuff! Well, the “media” page has been updated with a couple of new, short video clips. I think I’ll be working on posting more of these in the future and adding a Tiny Spies YouTube channel as well. In terms of music, well, there are two new pieces of music that have completed drum tracks. However, the bigger news is that I’ll be finally doing a collaboration! One of my bestest friends (and main reason for being in the PNW) is working on adding some of his incredible bass playing AND Chapman Stick ideas to, said drum tracks. It’s been too many years since we’ve worked together so I couldn’t be more excited to hear what he adds to the beats and rhythms.

Stay tuned!

10/21/24: New Music, “Expulsion” is now up on Soundcloud. This piece was based on a simple melody that has been floating around in my head for a number of years but never got explored. In all honesty, there’s a little too-much going on in this track and it’s not as focused as I hoped it would be. However, the more I kept trying to reign it in, the more out of control it wound up! After a certain point, I had to throw up my hands and tell myself, “Enough, time to stop”. All that being said, I do like most of it(!) and it’s quite possible that down the road, I’ll revisit/revise the main melodic theme and try to take it somewhere else. For now, this is where it is and I am.

If you’ve made it this far, then I hope you take can take the next step and follow the link to the TS Soundcloud page and have a listen. Take care and enjoy the Fall Colors outside!

06/21/24: New music, “Fading Out (like ghosts) is up now on Soundcloud! - Sometimes, it’s good to give yourself certain parameters to work within and every now and then, you feel like it works! A couple of new approaches (for me) on this track. No need to “over-explain” this tune. Put on the headphones or sit in front of your monitors and take a listen!

I hope you’re able to spare some take to a listen (or two!) the music as it’s always very much appreciated when you do!

Take care and it’s time to get back at it for more….

06/20/24: We’re back, baby! A much longer than anticipated “bout of silence” was experienced. Not to say that bits of ideas or inspiration weren’t being explored during some of that time, but not enough of them were good enough to dig deeper into. It’s one thing in the moment to play or listen back to those ideas and think “yeah, that’s good/cool”. It’s another thing to let them simmer for a few days later with a little bit of objectivity, only to realize that they could be better. Or, even worse, “didn’t I already do that same thing not too-too long ago?” - Yikes!

New tune being posted on Soundcloud shortly! (Really!)

12/22/23: Well, that last bit of finger crossing in order to avoid the dreaded gap of “no creative output” worked like a charm, didn’t it? So many things transpired shortly after I typed that back in early June that well, here we are at the end of December. I’ve finally started to crawl out of the proverbial hole and I’m working on a couple of things that I hope to be able to share in the early part(s) of 2024. This time, no crossing of fingers. I just have to remain focused and do the work. If anyone is actually peeking in on this page, I hope you continue to do so as I’ve not given up on TS and if any of the music seems cool to you, I hope you don’t give up on it either!

Take care and a Happy Holiday Season to you.

06/07/23: Another extended period of “not much to report”. I think that finally, a bit of a creative spark is starting to reemerge. - Watch this space! (and fingers crossed, it won’t be a 4 month gap!)

02/28/2023: After a slightly longer than expected or anticipated break, a new tune as finally emerged. Like many of the previous tunes, this one started with a loop that I for a little while. However, the “origin-story” behind it, was that I was wanting to try and come up with something a little slower and for lack of a better word, more deliberate.

The result is a tune called - The Rust Inside. Admittedly, it’s on the longer side time-wise, but I’m happy with the sonic journey it goes on. Musically dense at times and at other times, not quite as musically dense. (if I said “sparse” I’d be lying! hehe) - Initially, the drum track started was meant to be used only as a “guide-track “ so the music would be easier to “flesh-out” with the other instruments. Once things got rolling, I just kinda liked the vibe that the drums had and decided to keep them, warts and all. Other than a overdub a little later with the Wavedrum & Nord drum, it’s all one performance-pass, as it were. Then came the layers! As with all of the music that gets posted, I hope that if you’re able to make time to listen to it, and I hope you enjoy what’s going into your ears!

12/28/22: As promised (or perhaps, “threatened”!) a new song has been uploaded to the Tiny Spies Soundcloud page. The roots to the track “Industrial Angst” have two main sources of inspiration for its inception. The main intro loop was inspired from an loop I would create “on the fly” for a song I used to play when I was in a band called “Loom”. At the time, I was using Roland’s TD-8 V-Drum module & their RC-20 Loop Station with my acoustic setup. The TD8 had some cool, industrial-styled sounds and the song would kick off with the “on the fly” loop before everyone else kicked in! In the past couple of months, those sounds and that loop started to replay in my head and I just thought, "why not try a revamped version of it and make a tune from it?”. So I did! The other inspiration was around the same time that loop started to come back to me (I can’t remember that song’s actual name, atm!) Rush’s song, “The Weapon” also started to pop up in my head. Mainly, the intro and the verse parts. It’s a pretty unique and interesting tune. Even more specifically, the 4-on-the-floor vibe in that song. It’s weird in a way, but it especially works in the chorus. - To “sneak in” a third inspiration, it would be that a recent acquisition of a Fender bass! (why it took so long to pick one up is still a mystery!) After I came up with the revised version on the loop (on a Boss RC-30 funny enough!) the bass riff happened almost instantly! Overall, I do feel that the “vibe” I was hoping to get does come across and while the track is definitely “dense” sonically speaking, it makes my head “bob” back & forth so hey, mission accomplished! :) - As always, if you have the time to take a listen to it, I hope you enjoy it! If you do, feel free to send a note! I hope 2022 was a good year for you all (or at least, tolerable!) and let’s try to make 2023 exciting and positive!

12/06/22: Well, that was fast! The new tune, Collision Theory has just been uploaded on SoundCloud. This one was quite frankly, like pulling teeth and I can only blame myself. When you start with a fairly random drum-track, it makes adding additional, and coherent instrumental parts afterward, it bit of a nightmare. A smart, and slightly more patient person would have just gone back and redone the drums BUT not me! In short, the reason is I’d already started to work on a new tune but my self-imposed rule of not completing something new until the current idea is completed, kicked in. The other thing that kicked in was along the way, I started to like what I was adding to this song. :) - A few new effects & tones (for me) and I finally picked up an electric bass, and this song is its maiden voyage!

Yes, there some disparate bits here and there BUT there are also some more than a few sections where happily, everything aligns! As always, if you’re able to make time to listen to it, I hope you enjoy it! - Onto the next one!

12/05/22: New Music coming soon! A much longer gap between the last batch of tunes and what will be these new ones. A variety of reasons along with a few excuses, can be blamed. Rather than getting bogged down in how’s and why’s for the delay, I’ll attempt to be optimistic (for a change) and say that I should have at least two (fingers and toes crossed for three!) new pieces of music uploaded in the coming weeks! - Stay Frosty, Seattle and Stay Warm for those of you below the Southern Hemisphere!

07/06/22: The new tune, “Ricocheted” was just uploaded to Soundcloud. This one took a little time to sort the electronic elements but then was “assembled” fairly quickly afterward. The main melody reminds me of something out of a 50’s era thriller. Late night car chase with sirens wailing and someone trying to make a clean getaway! That’s just me. Hope you enjoy it.

05/17/22: New music posted on the T.S. Soundcloud page ( www.soundcloud.com/cottadrums ) called “A Disjointed Echo”. Slightly more upbeat in its vibe which made it fun to layer a bunch of cool sounds! I Hope you take a few minutes to head over, check it out, and post your thoughts! - Until next time - Be well!

03/01/22: A new song will be uploaded to the Tiny Spies Soundcloud page in the next few days. The foundation of the tune came from two different “melodic” drum loops (at two slightly different tempos) that I’d wanted to use for quite some time. In “Cloud Bursting”, they’ve found a new home. As with the other songs that have been uploaded, I hope you enjoy it!

On a non-musical note, if you’re in a position to help & support the citizens of Ukraine, please go to www.rescue.org to safely/securely donate money to help those in need.

01/21/22: New Year and new music! A new piece of music, “Watermarks” has just been uploaded onto the Soundcloud page. This particular bit of music wound up being both fussy and challenging. The end result is that I’m mostly happy with it. In all honesty, it could (or maybe should) have turned out better (in a few different ways) but I needed to give myself a deadline in order to work on a few other musical ideas. There’s a chance that this tune will be revamped, revised, and rerecorded so that it can be uploaded with no excuses made about it! Either way, if you take the time to listen to it, I hope there are at least a few things that tickle your ears in a positive way!

12/23/21: After what started as a short break to revamp and reorganize the recording setup, the unexpected lull called “lack of inspiration” kicked in. Unfortunately, it lasted a little longer than I thought it might. Those things to happen from time to time and the hope is that you can keep quietly chipping away until the next wave of ideas that excite you pops out so you can then roll up the proverbial sleeves and get down to work! I’m happy to report that’s exactly what’s happened over the past few days. A couple of new ideas (one born out of an abandoned old idea!) and one happy accident!

Fingers crossed that by early 2022 a couple of new bits of music will be added to the SoundCloud music page! …. Until then, be well!

10/28/21: New Tiny Spies Music on the Soundcloud page. - We all look into the abyss from time to time and sometimes, the Abyss Smiles Back! This bit of music is definitely a moody, and dare I say slightly “epic” in its nature. Built on the backbone of an effected loop that hadn’t been used, it quickly lent itself to a mix of electronic sounds coming from the Nord Drum 3P, samples from the SPDSX, many effects pedals, and a few layered keyboard/synth sounds. Best of all (or rather, Finally for ME!) a little 4-note melody or motif, that had been kicking around and never used for years (and years!) finally found a home. It pops up a few times in a couple of different ways (and sounds) and I have to admit that I feel it worked out pretty well! - As we’re now feeling the effects of Fall, (darker days and lots of rain!) this tune’s mood seems to go hand in hand with the season! Grab a blanket, a nice drink, put your feet up, close your eyes, and enjoy a few minutes while the Abyss Smiles Back. Hope you enjoy it.

9/22/21: New music on the Soundcloud page. - For this one, I didn’t want to use any guitar for extra “melodic sounds”. It’s a pretty driving piece of music that has somewhat of driving through a city’s downtown, late at night. Maybe a wild joy-ride. Hopefully, you’ll like it! Go to the music page for a link OR directly to www.soundcloud.com/cottadrums - Thanks!

8/10/21: New song posted on the Soundcloud website. Go to the music page for a direct link.

A Run Through the Forest… - This one wound up being a bit more “rock” than I was initially going for. However, sometimes, you just gotta let go and see where the tune (and the distortion!) wants to take you. Like the other songs, all instruments performed by moi’.. for better or worse. Hope you like it.

5/23/21 - After some rearranging the recording setup (which included a different set of drums!) and adding a few new mics, it’s time to put some music in motion. New setup pics and sounds for your ear-holes coming soon.