here are some songs i recorded. (open-house afterstasis-bashing)

[afterstasis]

a lot of you know that i've been playing music for a pretty long time now, but you probably didn't know that i've had a bit of a writer's block over the past year or so. this project is my attempt to shake it loose (and it's working).

i've mostly played drums and piano/synth over the past 15 years. yeah, i've had guitars, wind instruments, and all sorts of other stuff around that i'd mess around with, but i typically rely on friends who are much better and stay behind the drumset and keys. this also applies to singing, which i consider my absolute low-point in spectrum of musical talent.

i also have never hesitated to admit that i'm not very good at writing traditionally-composed songs. i typically make music that falls under either the black/doom metal or the psychedelic/experimental spectrum. as strange as it may sound, i recently realized that i hadn't written a song with a traditional verse-chorus-bridge format in many years!

i suppose this is folk-rock... i dunno. i refer to it as "normal music" because that's all i can think when i listen back to it, considering the past 10 years of ambient black metal, harsh noise, and 20 minute prepared-piano compositions. :p

so with that out of the way, here are a few songs...
i'm playing all of this... i had originally made some rules for this project, but they were quickly broken. i mainly wanted to avoid synth and any driving/busy percussion, but i also tried to avoid going nuts with multi-tracking (which i tend to do).


http://www.mediafire.com/?jyqw4unmhqd
this is one of the few completed songs from this project, though as you can see i'm already breaking my own rules regarding the use of drums and more than three instruments at once.
oh well. it sounds pretty good.

http://www.mediafire.com/?yntwtymtehr
another completed one. more broken rules, but this time at least proving my roots as a southern boy who still loves his allman bros!

http://www.mediafire.com/?hgnowigm1xn
this song is still in demo form, but at least it shows the stripped-down approach that i originally intended. it's unmastered and may receive a little additional work further down the road.


feel free to let me know what you think. it's definitely not a super-serious project, and i realize it's fairly rough and that there's a reason why i stick to my more comfortable style of writing (and instruments that i'm actually good at). :)
but it's nice trying new things and this has quite honestly given my more serious projects a new perspective and has really increased my productivity all around.

[DarthAthema]

Sounds pretty cool. Sort of has a Velvet Underground feel to it.

[a21schizoidman]

Just listened to Such A Never Ending Space, I love it man, I'll listen to the others in a bit, just may need some work on your voice near the beginning (I can hear a little trembling). But great song dude. I can't wait to hear the others.

[afterstasis]

hehe, i'm a big velvet underground fan so i'm not surprised it shows. glad you like it (and that i'm getting comparisons to musical gods).

and yeah, i'm definitely a trembler. my roommate teases me about it relentlessly.
let me know what you think about the others. one of my main reasons for posting these here is so i can get feedback from a wide variety of music fans, and it's especially interesting to hear what a hardcore prog fan thinks of my admittedly simple tunes.

[a21schizoidman]

after listening to the other 2, I just have to say: YOU ROCK!

the first track sounds soooo trippy, reminds me of Jefferson Airplane

the second track sounds kinda like a mix between VU and a reggae background

[Night_Ryder_IV]

Wow the one i listened to was great man!!!

I look forward to listening to the others :D

[benson111]

First question. Is that you on Vox?
Second question. Can i send you some lyrics, that maybe you could put some music to?


Review...
The first tune is pretty good. Kinda got a Marcy Playground thing goin on there. "Dripping = Tripping?"

"Tell me do you..." My Fav of the three. Got a more over Beatles feel to it. Older Guitar samples. I like it.

"Such A Never Ending Space". I fear i cannot compare this to any other band. That isn't a bad thing, unique and more mellow, than i would have expected from you. Still over all, there is some melody's here that transcend the song. Like it.

Good work Stasis, keep it up.;)

Chris-

[afterstasis]

dear benson,

yes, that's me on vox (and every other instrument).

i'm admittedly terrible at online collabs (just ask whiffleballtony how long it took me to get him 5 short drum-tracks recorded for him), but i could totally do some instrumental stuff for someone else to sing over... as you can probably tell, i'm very shy about my voice and don't know how well i'd be able to handle singing someone else's lyrics. maybe we can find a vocalist here and make it a three-way collab, though?!

glad you liked the tunes, though i'm pleased to announce that none of those are guitar samples. those are tasty licks played by own two hands! :)

[benson111]

dear benson,

yes, that's me on vox (and every other instrument).

i'm admittedly terrible at online collabs (just ask whiffleballtony how long it took me to get him 5 short drum-tracks recorded for him), but i could totally do some instrumental stuff for someone else to sing over... as you can probably tell, i'm very shy about my voice and don't know how well i'd be able to handle singing someone else's lyrics. maybe we can find a vocalist here and make it a three-way collab, though?!

glad you liked the tunes, though i'm pleased to announce that none of those are guitar samples. those are tasty licks played by own two hands! :)


There is no worry about ime, or differance of opinion. I dont have a "Musical Style" that i perscribe too, and after listening to you sing, i would trust you with whatever direction that you would want to go with them. ;) But yea if i sent you some lyrics, and you wanted to lay down some tracks and have someone else belt em out, that would be cool too. Drop me a line and tell me what you think.
Chris.

[JukeBoxHero]

I like your work quite a bit, I don't think your voice is bad at all. The music gives me a slight Gong feel(Magick Brother).

[afterstasis]

I like your work quite a bit, I don't think your voice is bad at all. The music gives me a slight Gong feel(Magick Brother).

gong is another band mentioned that i listen to fairly regularly, though i would have never thought to list them as an influence.

this indicates you have either have a really good ear or are super-lucky with your guess. ;)

[zack10house]

Going on my rock band forum playlist (along with Wounded Soul and Iliad :p) Loved it

EDIT: I've officially listened to all three. The over all style is not really comparable to anything I'd normally listen to, but I thoroughly enjoyed all of them and I'll definitely listen again

[instantdeath999]

I'll have comments later tonight :) Can't listen at the moment.

Also, what do you record with?

[zack10house]

Also, what do you record with?

I'd like to know as well, but I have a mac, so I doubt you can help me :( :p

[afterstasis]

i use a firepod through a studio projects vtb-1 preamp...
software-wise, i typically use reaper, though i have cubase in case i need multiple inputs to go to separate tracks (very rare). and yeah, i'm an unwashed PC user. :)

as for mics, i have a pretty large collection but nothing terribly expensive (i think my $250 mxl condenser mic is probably my biggest investment). antares makes a fairly decent vst plugin that can replicate some higher end mics if you get a good recording to work with in the first place.

my main reverb unit is some big space-station looking tank that i picked up when i worked at goodwill (i can't find a name and no one has id'ed it for me), though i don't use it all the time. it has such a specific sound that i typically reserve it's use for my black metal project since it's so rare to find that kind of sound in the genre.

i think that's about it. i'm glad you guys are digging this! i'll post some more songs soon.

[JukeBoxHero]

gong is another band mentioned that i listen to fairly regularly, though i would have never thought to list them as an influence.

this indicates you have either have a really good ear or are super-lucky with your guess. ;)

It might be just luck, I listen to Magick Brother by Gong quite a lot in the past month. The atmosphere in your songs just to seem to fit a bit of the vibe on Magick Brother.(Luck for me simply loving Magick Brother).

[DarkSide247]

I've listened to the first two already, and I'm listening to Such a Never Ending Space now. I love them, you have a great voice.

[afterstasis]

here's another batch of assorted stuff... different from last time, though...

http://www.sendspace.com/file/fk4hdu

here's the rundown...

apple snails started out as a noisy psychedelic three-piece in late 2004, mostly based on improvisational vintage synthesizer abuse through way too many effects pedals. within a year i was flying solo (with occasional guests) and although the project is still pretty psychedelic and sometimes kinda noisy, the influences have broadened to an almost silly degree and instrumentation has done the same (but the effects pedals still remain most of the time)...
it was incredibly hard to pick just two songs to represent the project considering the wide variety, but i figured these two "in progress" tracks that were abandoned over a year ago and recently picked back up would be the best way to sum it all up (though there are also acoustic songs, purely ambient tracks, etc.).

eitraður taugaveiklun is my most recent (and unusual) black metal project... though i record everything solo, i have members in tennessee to help with performances. you'll also notice this is a purely instrumental band.
you can immediately draw parallels to no wave, neo-classical, post-rock, and other non-metal genres but the focus is on creating primitive, hypnotic, and ritualistic music.
this song is actually complete, though i have a little work to do on the mix and mastering. this is one of the few songs from this project without piano.

staynless was an emo/hardcore band i spent a brief period with while living in memphis about 10 years ago. i drummed and felt out of place amongst older guys until excusing myself and never seeing half of these guys again.

the satyrs were another memphis band i played with around the same time, though i felt less out of place here because my good friend john was the bassist. i'm not sure what you'd call us... definitely the most straight-forward band i've ever been in, and one of the only ones my parents aren't ashamed of...
everyone but me moved to new york and apparently they broke up before finding another drummer/keyboard dude.

let me know what you think... most of the these songs are nowhere near as accessible (and definitely not in the same mood) as the hunted horse songs, but hopefully someone will dig 'em!

[afterstasis]

is it bad to bump a thread when sendspace tells me that none of you goobers downloaded the file from my last post after bugging me to upload some of this stuff? :(

[trench762]

doh, wanted to listen but can't till I get off work, will check it out though. You from memphis?

[afterstasis]

doh, wanted to listen but can't till I get off work, will check it out though. You from memphis?

i actually grew up in an incredibly small town in tennessee called atwood and ventured further west soon after school.

memphis turned in a gigantic butthole, so i went east to nashville and am now in south carolina.

[LinkStrifeLeonhart]

I definitely like the sounds of all the instruments and I like how they mix well with the vox. Like probably many others, I feel the vox is the weakest point, but moreso the quality than anything else. I don't think an overpowering vox would work well, but one that could 'match' the instrumentation going on.

[afterstasis]

I definitely like the sounds of all the instruments and I like how they mix well with the vox. Like probably many others, I feel the vox is the weakest point, but moreso the quality than anything else. I don't think an overpowering vox would work well, but one that could 'match' the instrumentation going on.

i assume this in reference to the songs in the first post?

if so, i definitely agree! :)
i maintain that i'm an absolutely horrible singer, but i figure that since i enjoy plenty of music with equally poor singers that i shouldn't let it stop me.

[Hungryfreak]

I'm listening to the first song (will have to finish the others later due to school). Its exciting since I've wanted to hear some of your work for a long time (I still have to hear your didgeridoo metal!). I'm loving it. Even if it's staying in a more traditional structure, it manages to bear certain untraditional elements. And even if you say you are a horrible singer, I thought that your singing actually fit the piece very well. CAn't wait to listen to the rest.

[Zeleii]

The Apple Snails one is really good, his friend is a good vocalist... I CHOOSE to listen to it

[kanerules]

Hey man...great job!

While listening to the first batch (downloading the second atm) I couldn't help but think how much "Tell Me Do You Feel That Heat" would work in Rock Band, lol.

You should seriously consider contacting Harmonix with that song (or any others), and who knows, maybe one day they'll do one better than that "other guy's " music studio. When it comes to music creation, they could have like a monthly thing or something of suitable songs that fans sent in. :p

[afterstasis]

wow, thanks for the compliments dudes!

i'm actually super-late with sending HMXhenry a package of my music, though it's just for him to hear since we discovered that we share a lot of common musical ground... if it ends up in rock band i sure as hell won't complain though! :)

i may throw another demo track with niwi's vocals up. it's a shame that she has such a beautiful voice, yet all of her own music is instrumental. she's actually one of my favorite microtonal composers, but i'd love for her to use that voice more!

i'll try to upload a gabool the wild track soon, hungryfreak. then you can sink into didgeridoo drone-metal bliss. :)

[R33DH4M]

Not bad at all, good work.

[ZOMG_A_RANCOR]

these songs are terrible.
They suck bit time

Whats that? Have i actually listened to them?

Well...no...

But...its not the jonas brothers, so it must be bad...

Ill pass my judgement any way i see fit, tyvm.

[Hungryfreak]

Listened to the other two of the first set.

I honestly thought Such a Never Ending Space was a tad cheesy. I didn't like it all too much. It had a good melody, but I thought it lacked variation. I did love Tell Me Do You Feel That Heat, though. I think it just felt more complete and less repetitive. I don't know what else to say about them, really. Overall, I'm loving this (and, if you're listening, HMXHenry, I would definitely buy it as DLC, haha). Listening to the second batch later.


i'll try to upload a gabool the wild track soon, hungryfreak. then you can sink into didgeridoo drone-metal bliss. :)

I'm excited! I've been waiting for this moment for a while, haha.

[GodxIsxInTheTV]

Unfortunately, I am at work now, but I'll definately have to give these a listen when I get home!

[trench762]

Finally got around to checkin these out. I like the organic sound to it. The only thing I would suggest is you sound either nervous or insecure when you sing, might be what your goin for but good tunes either way. BTW from tn here too, live about an hour from asheville, love it over that way, where I'm from all the local bands are metal, or crappy cover bands, over there it's more of an experimental, musical hippie vibe, everytime I go over that way I feel like I'm home.

just listened to the rest, winter birds is awesome! Creator is pretty good too.

[afterstasis]

thanks for the kind words! i haven't been to asheville in so long...
yeah, i've discovered our local music scene here in columbia is pretty terrible. we have one good old-school screamo/hardcore band and a guy who does pretty decent harsh noise... i've heard a few decent indie rock bands, but nothing special. everything else i've run into is incredibly generic radio-rock and watered down metalcore.

i'm definitely a very nervous person, so i can see why it would come through in my singing. i try to work tension and uneasy vibes into the majority of my music too, so i'm honestly pretty glad to hear that comparison to my voice. :)

it's cool to get compliments from such a wide variety of people (i'm drawing that assumption based on what bands they have listed in their sigs and profiles)... i've mostly stuck to small black metal circles and the eastern chunk of america's experimental music crowd over the past 8 years so it's nice to hear from others.

i've been pretty busy recording lately, and have people over for another 3 days to do more, but will try to upload some more stuff soon.

[timmay9]

Damn man I didn't know you were that good. Sounds trippy, like if Jefferson Airplane and the VU were one band.

Edit: Do you go by any specific name as an artist?

[afterstasis]

total blast from the past!
the album's finally done, though i've gotta work on artwork and figuring out what order these tracks will go in...

here's a low bitrate upload of the whole thing for you ladies and gentlemen who may have missed my post up in the history of rock subforum...
http://www.mediafire.com/?vwntvtydfzj

[AxlVanHagar]

Dude! That is some great **** you've got going on, damn! I don't mind your vocals at all, I think it suits the music stylistically very well. Really loving the groove you have going on Tell Me...., loved it immediately. The more it went on the more it began sounding like one of those super cool obscure tunes that Quentin Tarantino uses on his soundtracks.

Phenomanal work man, keep up the great work!! :cool:

[afterstasis]

Dude! That is some great **** you've got going on, damn! I don't mind your vocals at all, I think it suits the music stylistically very well. Really loving the groove you have going on Tell Me...., loved it immediately. The more it went on the more it began sounding like one of those super cool obscure tunes that Quentin Tarantino uses on his soundtracks.

Phenomanal work man, keep up the great work!! :cool:

thank you very much, axl!
"tell me do you feel that heat" is still definitely one of the weirdest recording experiences for me because with each take i was convinced the song was not going to work and was going to be a huge waste of time until suddenly i realized "hey, it worked". :)

[AxlVanHagar]

thank you very much, axl!
"tell me do you feel that heat" is still definitely one of the weirdest recording experiences for me because with each take i was convinced the song was not going to work and was going to be a huge waste of time until suddenly i realized "hey, it worked". :)

I hear ya. The amount of recording sesions I've done or writing sessions I've had that were that way is staggering lol Funny how we tend to overthink and analyze something instead of just doing it off the cuff and going for it.

[tridentgum0]

Downloading now Stasis.

[Refero]

thank you very much, axl!
"tell me do you feel that heat" is still definitely one of the weirdest recording experiences for me because with each take i was convinced the song was not going to work and was going to be a huge waste of time until suddenly i realized "hey, it worked". :)

That's actually one of my favorites. That and Such a Never Ending Space.

[timmay9]

Urge to listen and rock out....rising...