News

Note that these old news items were uncovered among the rubble that was Google's cached internet storage. We will continue to cull through the rubble and post any more information we uncover.

12/23/2009: Diablo is available to purchase! See the links to the right. More distribution sites are coming soon, although we love CDBaby. They've been great to us over the years. We also recommend the CD over the mp3s. It just sounds better, and we spent a lot of time maximizing the sound quality of this album. If the CD format isn't feasible for you, then our next recommendation is to buy the entire album in mp3 format. It is a concept album that tells a story, and as such, it should be experienced as a whole. Now if $9.99 is too much to spend on a band you're unfamiliar with, check out the samples we've uploaded here and on our MySpace page.

In the CD liner notes, we provide a few hints regarding the concept of the album. They're pretty damned vague, though. If you want the full story, feel free to ask us.

12/5/2009: Where did 2009 go? Early in the year, we concluded that the mastered version of Diablo that we completed last year was lacking sonically. It sounded good, but when compared to other recordings we like, it was clear that some highs were missing, and the soundstage could be bigger. So we remixed and remastered it during the middle of the year. Now it sounds fantastic!

One big factor in the improvement was Dennis Warters' work on Jim Waters' console. He changed out a boat load of components, and the difference was striking. We also spent a lot of time during the mix watching FFT and Lissajous graphs - and not just because they look cool. They assured us of the highs and soundstaging, respectively.

Back in July, John and I (Craig) spent a day with Kevin Gray at Acoustech Mastering in Camarillo, CA, knocking out the second set of analog and digital Diablo masters. What an amazing experience that was, too. Kevin is one of the best in the business, yet he's such a nice, down-to-earth guy. I am so excited that Diablo has that clear, detailed sound that I believe is Kevin's trademark.

The next few months were spent finalizing the liner notes with Christine Scheer. We're very happy with the results. Late last month, we ordered 1000 copies of Diablo from Discmakers. Soon Diablo will be available for purchase and download. Yes, you read that correctly. I said download!

Please check back soon for the official announcement of Diablo's release!!! It's really happening this time!

3/20/2008: I have to apologize for the significant gaps in the news below. To see more newsworthy items, visit the blog on our MySpace site. And in case you haven't noticed, we have a shiny new look and feel for our web site! We have Christine Scheer to thank for it. Yay!

11/11/2006: Yes, it's been awhile since I rapped at ya. We've been busy, as you can hopefully understand. So, the guitar parts are mostly done, the keyboard parts are about half done, and the string quartet is rehearsing for our recording session next month. A week after that session, we're recording more guitars and keys. Then it's on to the B3, Mellotron, marimba, classical guitar, percussion, and so on and so on. For those of you who have been keeping up with this process, thanks a ton for being so patient! The end result will be well worth the wait. Trust me!

07/01/2006: Shortly after my last update, I got on the MySpace bandwagon, so that's where all the latest news has been. I wrote up a nice blog about our first Diablo recording session. Check it out! It was quite the event. To summarize though, the bass and drums are on tape, and they sound *terrific*! In a few weeks, John and I are heading back to start recording guitars and keyboards. Wish us luck!

11/09/2005: Jeff is almost done writing the killer drum parts, and he's practicing his arse off to get prepared for the recording sessions. We're also working with an insanely good bass player named Chris Johnson. For his Senior recital, he performed a piece called "Failing". To give you an idea of it's complexity, Bang on a Can recorded it (the recording is out of print, though). We're excited as hell. The first rehearsal with Chris and Jeff is in a couple of weeks.

8/18/2005: Sorry it's been a long time since I rapped at ya, but I've been busy finishing the notating and sequencing (which are now done, by the way). I also acquired a Roland Jupiter 6. Here's the list of keyboards that could show up on the album:

  • Cwejman MkII
  • Hammond B3 (or something just like it)
  • Mellotron M400
  • Moog Minimoog
  • Moog Taurus I
  • Oberheim OB-Xa
  • Roland Juno 106
  • Roland Jupiter 6
  • Sequential Circuits Prophet 5
  • Sequential Circuits SixTrak

The arsenal is getting frightening! Well, the bad news is that Brad Draper can no longer drum for us. Instead, I've been working with an old friend (and I do mean old :-) named Jeff Martinov. He's a big fan of MD - he even bought the very first copy of Prometheus! Now he and I are churning out drum parts so we can get him in the studio ASAP. Once the drum parts are down, we can get busy recording the rest of it.

4/29/2005: Sitting here listening to 5uu's on payday. More money to pay for recordings that will happen. Really, they will. I'm about two-thirds done with the sequencing and notating. John has built a third amp... another Marshall clone if I'm not mistaken. It has a nice, creamy sound which will also most likely enhance my synth parts. I'm learning my new Cwejman - it's a beast to be reckoned with. It could replace my Minimoog if necessary (blasphemy!).

Interested in song titles for the new album? Sure you are. Subject to change, they are:

  • 01. Refresh
  • 02. Comedown Seduction
  • 03. Imbroglio I
  • 04. Consuming Emotional, Legal, EXigent Assistance
  • 05. Deceptive Cadence
  • 11. Fiddlin' Bill
  • 12. Imbroglio II
  • 13. Arzamas Revisited
  • 14. Breathe, Breathe, Breathe
  • 15. No Jesus
  • 16. Imbroglio III
  • 21. 225 Piece Jigsaw
  • 22. Old Tapes
  • 23. Another Refresh

The numbering scheme is significant; the album is in three parts, so I'm hoping we'll be able to make the CD tracks cooperate. I'm also hoping that track 04 won't pose any trademark problems if someone at the company who manufactures a certain anti-depressant that worked wonders for me happens to notice what that title spells out if acronymized.

4/2/2005: New Year's resolutions always slip away after a couple of months, don't they? Anyway, I (Craig) now possess a Cwejman MkII synthesizer, thanks to Roger at Big City Music. I also acquired enough virgin Ampex 2" tape to get this album recorded (not an easy task at the moment). The sequencing and notating are progressing as well (more than 1/2 done on both). In the meantime, John has built replicas of the Marshall 1987 50W and the Vox AC30. I can't wait to hear those! Last but not least, Jesse has finished the album front cover and is going to continue the painting to wrap around to the back side. It's a powerful piece, soon to be uploaded to our site (once I figure out how to shrink it down below 2MB).

1/24/2005: Craig is about a third done with the notation of the score (here's a plug for the free notation software we use: www.lilypond.org). John built his own amp, using the blueprints of a classic Marshall tube amp (the specific model escapes me at the moment, but it's one of the cool ones), and he's in the process of building a second amp. He's also acquiring new axes. More on that later. Plus, we lined up a drummer! This time it'll be Dow's brother, Brad Draper. He holds a Master's degree in percussion performance, so I suspect he's going to totally kick ass all over the album. We're really excited to be working with him.

12/31/2004: Craig has finished writing the second album! It is a 45 minute instrumental piece depicting his battle with depression a few years ago (which is why there was such a long wait between the 1st and 2nd albums... sorry about that). In addition to our regular gear (which has been enhanced in several ways), this will also feature marimba and a string quartet. The demo recordings are approximately 50% complete, the notation of the score is underway, the cover art is being done by a fantastic artist named Jesse Young (peruse his other work at www.epilogue.net), and we are planning on recording the beast throughout 2005.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to keep a blog that will track the progress of the album, so check back frequently for updates! Or if you'd like an email sent to you when we add a new entry, write me.