It's not uncommon for a musician to record more work than they release. In my case I have a digital ocean of snippets in various degrees of completion. Some are leftovers from assorted project recording sessions, projects that were never completed, sound check jams, demo snippets, etc. There are enough lonely unreleased notes in my world to fill an ''infinity shelf.'' VaiTunes are tracks that are culled from this melodic abyss, brushed off, sometimes severely hosed down, and released as digital singles.
These tracks may be specific to a particular project that has never had the chance to be a completed big picture, but now, with the advent of all this digital technology and distribution, it's possible to release a variety of tracks from a potential project without having to complete the whole project itself. Eventually, if there are enough tracks completed that fall into a precise endeavor, perhaps they will be compiled and released as a cohesive CD. In any event, it's a good way to release a constant stream of music.
Although the plan is to continue to create whole, full-bodied CD releases, VaiTunes can serve as temporary pacifiers for some delectable melodies to be sucked through the ears and absorbed into the soul.
About the Song ''Bodhi Tree'' by Steve Vai
Ah yes, that ol' Lydian thing again...
Every now and then, I get a new piece of studio gear, plug my guitar through it, and see what I can conjure up. One day, I built this patch using an Eventide H300 Harmonizer. After playing through the sound for 10 seconds or so, I realized I should document what was flowing through my fingers and out of the amp. It was easy and enjoyable to just play simple stuff and have this wonderful flurry of shimmery overtones emanate from each note.
I quickly built a little percussion track and just went for it. I wasn't sure what I was going to play, but I knew it was all going to work. You just get that feeling, and you know you gotta act quickly.
I was so looking forward to what the next few minutes were going to bring. I buried my head in the sound and slipped into a state of melodic meditation. I literally thought I played only for a few minutes, but it was more than nine! I thought that if I ever wanted to release this track, it would have to be edited.
But the other day when looking for a VaiTune's selection, I came across this track and fell back in love with it. The track is close to 20 years old, and I had totally forgotten about it. I had listened back to it only once after I recorded it.
Every time I tried to edit the track for this release, I felt as though I was cutting out a piece of its soul. In the end, I couldn't bring myself to shorten it, even though it was more than nine minutes long. What's retained here is the stream of consciousness I had at the time I recorded it, and this is how I thought it should stay. I also thought that anyone who's interested in this kind of track wouldn't mind its length.
These tracks may be specific to a particular project that has never had the chance to be a completed big picture, but now, with the advent of all this digital technology and distribution, it's possible to release a variety of tracks from a potential project without having to complete the whole project itself. Eventually, if there are enough tracks completed that fall into a precise endeavor, perhaps they will be compiled and released as a cohesive CD. In any event, it's a good way to release a constant stream of music.
Although the plan is to continue to create whole, full-bodied CD releases, VaiTunes can serve as temporary pacifiers for some delectable melodies to be sucked through the ears and absorbed into the soul.
About the Song ''Bodhi Tree'' by Steve Vai
Ah yes, that ol' Lydian thing again...
Every now and then, I get a new piece of studio gear, plug my guitar through it, and see what I can conjure up. One day, I built this patch using an Eventide H300 Harmonizer. After playing through the sound for 10 seconds or so, I realized I should document what was flowing through my fingers and out of the amp. It was easy and enjoyable to just play simple stuff and have this wonderful flurry of shimmery overtones emanate from each note.
I quickly built a little percussion track and just went for it. I wasn't sure what I was going to play, but I knew it was all going to work. You just get that feeling, and you know you gotta act quickly.
I was so looking forward to what the next few minutes were going to bring. I buried my head in the sound and slipped into a state of melodic meditation. I literally thought I played only for a few minutes, but it was more than nine! I thought that if I ever wanted to release this track, it would have to be edited.
But the other day when looking for a VaiTune's selection, I came across this track and fell back in love with it. The track is close to 20 years old, and I had totally forgotten about it. I had listened back to it only once after I recorded it.
Every time I tried to edit the track for this release, I felt as though I was cutting out a piece of its soul. In the end, I couldn't bring myself to shorten it, even though it was more than nine minutes long. What's retained here is the stream of consciousness I had at the time I recorded it, and this is how I thought it should stay. I also thought that anyone who's interested in this kind of track wouldn't mind its length.
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