Ian Narcisi's posterous

 

Concept album progress...

I am nearly two months into the concept album and I have already vetoed out 2 of the 24 nearly completed songs I was confident I would use. I am writing new material because I just can't handle some of my old songs (old = written in 2010). These songs just don't fit into what I am trying to create. I feel that these two will not be the only ones I remove. As I roll ahead and as the overall concept falls into place more and more, I most likely will discard more and more of my older material. I'm happy with this!

I am approaching this future double album in a whole new way. Sometimes I record the drums first, sometimes voice and sometimes keyboard. Depending on which is used determines how the song will end up sounding. An example of this is when I record drums first. I lay down a track of a simple beat. From this beat comes a basic melody. I record this melody over the drums and BOOM! The song explodes to life. This happened today and, as a result, I got a very cool song (reminiscent of U2's "Joshua Tree" album. Which is one of my favorite albums of all time!) came into existence. As far as where this song will appear in the grand scheme of things (within concept album) is still a mystery. 

It's hard writing a concept album! Questions like: "what is the theme of this concept album?", "where will this song go within the concept album?", "should write the intro and work my through to the end, or what?", "will this song even fit within the theme lyrically?" all come to mind. These are just a few of the many! 

My approach to recording this double album had to grow and unfold in a whole new way. No longer could I simply record each track (drums, keys and vocals) on my convenient little Tascam. Songs had to be butted up aside one another in order to hear how they would work within the whole. To achieve this I had to get creative. Software to the rescue! I had to "master" each rough draft from my Tascam and import them into my PC. From there I had to import them into the actual recording application and conveniently butt the songs against one another. Once this process was mastered I was in awe of what I could do using recording software! I'm still hesitant about recording directly into my PC one track at a time. At this point the aforementioned process works just fine. 

I'm planning on recording at Ballistico in May for the release of another single. This time it will be from my future concept album. More songs will be released over the summer and fall. Exciting stuff!

Congratulations to the winner of my "Weight of the Words" t-shirt! The contest went well. I will be posting a new contest in a week or two.

Thank you to all for listening and your continued support!

Ian

SIGN UP ON MY WEBSITE RECEIVE MY LATEST SONG "Come of Age (New Sun)" AND BE ELIGIBLE FOR ALL MY FUTURE CONTESTS! 

Posted February 15, 2012
 

I'M HAVING A CONTEST!

I'M HAVING A CONTEST! 

Sign up for my newsletter on my website between Jan. 6 and Feb.1, 2012, and you'll be entered into a contest to win a free "Weight of the Words" t-shirt! Everyone that enters will receive an mp3 of "Burning" from my 2008 release "Weight of the Words". How cool is that! Just sign up, you'll get a free song and you're entered to win a t-shirt - it's that easy! Winner will be notified by email! 

Good Luck! 

More stuff to give away soon!! 

~ Ian ~

Posted January 7, 2012
 

Full length video: "In the Studio with Ian Narcisi: The Making of Phone Call to Infinity" released!

NEW SINGLE "Come of Age (New Sun)" available:

Released this one a few weeks back. You can listen to a good chunk of my latest single "Come of Age (New Sun)" on iTunes. You can purchase the song on iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, Spotify, Napster, etc...

NEW INTERVIEWS:

I will be adding several new podcast interviews to my website in the next few days and will be written up in several blogs over the next month. I will add the blog links to my site as well.

THE FULL LENGTH VIDEO:

"In the Studio with Ian Narcisi: The Making of Phone Call to Infinity" is COMPLETE!

I finally got around to finishing this one! Don't be fooled by the identical "Sneak Peek" intro. I left it the same to save myself about a months worth of time reediting.

Within the full version video "In the Studio..." are interviews with Dave Bowers (guitar) and Erik Swanson (bass) as well as many other interviews with Tim and myself. 

To witness the magic: go to my main page on my website (ianmusic.com), or YouTube. The entire video was shot in HD, so make sure to set your web settings to a 720p (HD) in your YouTube window.

Enjoy! 

MORE T-SHIRTS!:

Due to popular demand I have added some new T shirt designs and mug designs to my Zazzle store ("Phone Call to Infinity" and "Come of Age [New Sun]"). "Come of Age (New Sun)" design by none other than my wife.

WHAT'S NEXT?:

What is next is blowing my mind! I have 24 new songs - some completed, some not - that will be molded and crafted into a concept album. This is a daunting task to say the least! The concept album will be comprised of both instrumental and non-instrumental songs that I have written/will be writing (I may swap newer songs that I haven't even written yet for some of the older ones). The overall theme will be non-religious, spiritually-based and will really kick some serious ass when completed! 

I will be releasing a few songs during 2012 that will be from the concept album. 

I expect the whole enchilada to be completed some time in early 2013.

I may add a few talents to the mix. Dave and Erik will be the backbone. I will be writing all the lyric/song material, playing all drums parts, key parts and singing all vocals.

I will have to out do myself in 2014 with a quadruple CD concept album (only joking?)

Stay tuned and stay safe!

Happy New Year! 2012 is going to kick my musical ass and I can't wait!

Ian

-- 


 
 
 

Posted December 29, 2011
 

FREE SONG ON MY SITE (ianmusic.com)

All you have to do is sign up (upper left corner of my website) to receive bi monthly newsletters in your email and I will send you my latest song "Come of Age (New Sun)". You can opt out of this at any time.

:~)

- Ian -

Here's the link to get a free song (http://www.ianmusic.com)

Posted November 15, 2011
 

New Song available for free!

My latest tune "Come of Age (New Sun)" is available on my site for free! Yeah, you need to sign up on my mailing list (upper left side of my web page) to download it, but no worries there. I only send newsletters once a month if that. Plus you can drop it any time you want (l certainly hope you'll stay :~). As always, this song was a labor of love and features Dave Bowers on guitar, Erik Swanson on bass, and Tim Sandusky as the master sound engineer and co-producer. I play the drums, keyboards and sing. 

If you don't want to sign my mailing list you will be able to buy "Come of Age (New Sun)" on CD Baby, iTunes, Napster, Spotify and many other mp3 stores Monday, November 14th.

More new music on the way. I plan on recording my next song in late January.

- Ian -

Posted November 10, 2011
 

"Come of Age (New Sun)" release date

"Come of Age (New Sun)", my latest song, is nearing completion! 

As expected, the recording process at Studio Ballistico went smoothly. Erik Swanson (bass), Dave Bowers (guitar), Tim Sandusky (co-producer and sound engineer) and myself (singer/songwriter, drums, keyboards) spent a week crafting this song. "Come of Age (New Sun)" is layered with shifting tempos, intensity and serenity. I really love this one!  Tim is feverishly working his magic mixing and mastering to make this song what it needs to be. I am looking at a release date of November 12th. 

I will give all of you fine listeners a chance to listen and download the song in its entirety for free Friday, November 11th. Simply go to my site (ianmusic.com) and on the home page (main page) simply sign up to my mailing list on the upper left side of the main page. If you would like to opt out from the list later on - feel free! However, I do sent out only monthly newsletters (no saturated email sent to you :~).

"In the Studio with Ian Narcisi. The making of Phone Call to Infinity" (the full version) will be completed during the last week of this month (November 2011). Like the "Sneak Peek" I release back in July 2011, the full version will be released on YouTube as well. Added to "Sneak Peak" will be interviews with Erik Swanson (bass), Dave Bowers (guitar) as well as candid conversations between Tim Sandusky (co-producer and sound engineer) and myself revealing possible future trends my music will take and why I do what I do.

Special thanks to Bob Rice at KYRS "Thin Air Community Radio" for the March 18th, 2012 Crossroads live telephone interview. I can't wait! Stay tuned!

Tonight (Saturday, November 5th, 2011) is a very special night for me! My wife and I will be thoroughly enjoying The Musical Box' rendition of Genesis' 1974 masterpiece "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" at The Vic Theater in downtown Chicago. For one reason or another;  I am not one of those who goes out of my way to see tribute bands very often, however, "The Musical Box" not only covers the music of Genesis precisely, they emulate all costumes, instruments, playing styles of the former members as well as, on occasion, have the actual members of Genesis jump up on stage and play along! Now that is how it is done! Phil Collins, when watching "The Musical Box" in Geneva (2005) commented, "they played it better than we did." And Peter Gabriel took his children to a show so, "they could see what their father used to do." I seriously and pumped for this!

All is good in the world and it's getting better every second! 

Ian

Posted November 5, 2011
 

New song to be released very, very soon!

OK....it's time. I can only wait so long before I have to get off my ass and record a new song. I will be recording a new song at Studio Ballistico with the same guy's starting next week. Both Erik (bass) and Dave (guitarist) now have the latest rough (and I mean rough) draft to work with prior to going into the studio.
 
This one is a bit different than the rest as it has a quicker tempo and has room for intense vocals. As always, this one has room for intense creativity as well which I always encourage to Erik, Dave and Tim and they never dissapoint! To put it simply: I am totally excited about this one!
 
I plan on having this song completed by the 23rd of this month. I will be releasing it for sale on my site as wel as CDBaby, Amazon, Napster, etc during the last week of this month, or early November.
 
The full length video "In the Studio with Ian Narcisi. The Making of Phone Call to Infinity" is still sitting there on my hard drive staring at me and sighing every so often. I don't blame it! I'd be pissed too if I was neglected for so long! I plan on getting this polished up and uploaded to YouTube by the end of this month, or early to mid November. It's almost complete. It just needs my fingers on the keyboard and time.
 
More songs are on the way in the upcoming months! I will keep you posted :~)!

See ya!
 
Ian
 
 

Posted October 6, 2011
 

In with the new...always

Ok...so the full-length video "In the Studio with Ian Narcisi. The Making of Phone Call to Infinity" still isn't out. I apologize for this. Mid October guaranteed.

I have contacted the "make-it-happen-with-creativity-and-spontaneity-crew" to record a single starting in mid October. I will be sending three or so rough drafts of my new songs to Tim to see which one he feels will work. 96.78888% of the time I agree with his decision and within a month we will have a completed song. I am just as excited as I have been for all the songs I have written in the past! I love this period of time in the creative process!  Just knowing one of my songs will be sanded, polished and presented to the public is very exciting! This one will be a doosy! I'd like to be able to belt it out vocally like "Behind the Dawn" with more of an upbeat tempo. I may write a new song tomorrow just to get what I hear and want in my head. The 16 new songs I have on my hard drive recorder may not cut it. You will find out soon enough!

Such an odd day! Smoke in the air everywhere. When I first smelled the air I thought that there was some sort of chemical leak, or massive toxic fire occurring somewhere nearby. A guy I talked to at lunch thought the same. He shut his windows and doors to his business for fear of such an event. Ultimately it turned out to be a fire alright, but in northern....yeah get this.....MINNESOTA! The friggin' Boundary Waters were ablaze! And since a cold front (one of two) hit today, it brought with it cooler air, northerly winds and smoke from those fires! What was odd was that the smoke didn't smell like forest fire smoke. It smelled like cough syrup. Sweet and nasty. Anyway, yeah, that's what it was. Something that just doesn't happen around here everyday. The sunset, I later heard and expected, was amazing! Smoke in mass quantities always does amazing things to the sunsets! Volcanic events as well. Just the way light refracts off the smoke particles A must see!

Ok...I am nearing tome status here. Must go, watch something about space, astrophysics, meteorology, dendrochronology, or something with "ology" tailing it.....

Until we meet again....

Ian

Posted September 13, 2011
 

Video, music and more!

Ok, here's the deal....

The full-length version of "In the Studio with Ian Narcisi. The Making of Phone Call to Infinity" has been pushed back to mid September. I have a lot going on in my life right now that is taking precedence over this labor of love.

My next visit to the studio looks to be somewhere around November. I am planning another 3 song EP that will most likely be released in January 2012.

I am planning another major road trip to the west. This time it looks like the target location is eastern California. Mileage should tally up to around 6,500 miles. Amount of photographs taken during this trip: about the same!

Life is cool....keep those eyes open and stay aware!


- Ian - 

Posted August 26, 2011