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Fall 2011 - The Unstoppable Power Of Life - Fractal Harp w/ Tesla Coil Vocals/keys
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 


SWISS ARMY BASS.....    

"Heart Of Gold"

I've been lucky enough to get some great  mileage out of this video. . Years ago. I found that I had the ability to play this way and built the "Swiss Army Bass".  I've been exploring  innovative ways of creating music ever since. The instrument (s) was christened  on the stage of CBGBs back in NYC &. the road from there has led me lead me to some crazy & wonderful places

 

 

  
 
   
f The Factal Harp    
  "Fractal Harp Sonata"

The Fractal Harp TM is  another  instrument I dreamt up and built and a logical progression from its predecessor The Egotar (Egotar videos below) The Harp , features a central pivoting  slide that rests atop it's 24 strings and travels through 27 flexibly chromatic  increments offering over two octaves of notes for each position. ...(well duhh). The notes are laid out as a pentatonic harp but can be addressed in
limitless ways as an electric/acoustic guitar.
The instrument also has a group of strings that
function as a rudimentary pedal steel guitar (similar to the Egotar) Single or two-handed play allow for the simultaneous
manipulation of other instruments and effects 
The simplicity of it's design is remarkable when weighed with the range of expression possible with this elegant instrument.

 
   
       

 
 
 
The EGOTAR    "Levon" & "Rocket Man"
The Egotar is a combination bass/ pedal steel guitar I first got the idea to create, living in NYC back in the mid 90's. Frustrated with the shortcomings  of midi keyboard element of the Swiss Army Bass, (emulating slide guitar parts & sounds with keyboards is a real bitch), I got thinking  ,..."why not commit a truly authentic act of self indulgence?". At that, I set out to build the a prototype. The original rig was really clunky but sounded great from the start. I  managed to toss it on the back of a cart and go play in the subway and made a living for a summer when my band was on the rocks and my studio slow.

My approach to the instrument has been to find the discipline & challenge to play numerous covers with multiple chord changes in order to become more proficient player as opposed to the improvisational -"shooting fish in a barrel" - tripped out dreamscapes that comes so natural to the instrument.  I particularly enjoy playing old Elton John tunes on the Egotar because of the wonderful chord inversions and familiarity to the listener ... and yes... they're great songs 

 

  
      JOHNNY SKILSAW

"Lockjaw".   Johnny Skilsaw is my band that's had many incarnations of great friends / cool dudes - with different lineups and levels of success at freaking out audiences over the years -- seen here With Nick Dicorato on drums & Mark Hutchins on percussion,  performing a happy little tune from the Stuffed & Motorized LP ... no ducks were harmed during  making of this video..........

 
 

 

   Be All - End All Rig

"The Wind Cries Mary "  cover of the 1967 classic Jimi Hendrix classic -performed on the "Be All - End All Rig" the latest stop on my journey to find new ways to create and improvise fully realized music in real time. The rig includes   elements of the Swiss Army Bass the Egotar & the Fractal Harp-- with various electronic percussion thangs  taking root. - Some recent innovations include drums triggered by a guitar pick system I'm developing  ..  as well as drums performed across the ranges of the both  keyboards as well as percussion pads --....also,  a system of multi tiered triggers above and below each keyboard. I've come up with an anti feedback vocal gate system that is controlled by foot enabling hand free reverb rides for the headset vocal mic  . ,,,,,,ya dig?

 
 
   "Effortlessly" -one of my own tunes  ....... -- after playing with some great drummers through the years as well as being a consummate drum enthusiast/ programmer (I've concocted countless insane drum programs  for many a project including these for Foetus ) I finally went about getting  a drum set and figuring out how to get my  neighbors  to hate me even more . I managed to lay drums down for this - This video is done as close to "live" as I could get ,done in two continuous recording passes  ...until I figure out time travel at which point, I will promptly  go back to the 90s and beat the shit out of myself.  
 
   
"Yard Of Blonde Girls"

I've always been really fond of this tune . I first heard it while working on the Inger Lorre's "Transcendental Medication" LP an album that I produced, that had already had some tracks completed by Inger & Jeff Buckley, before I came on board, prior to JBs death ,Ingers version of "Yard Of Blonde Girls being one of them" - As part of the swag from  working on the Inger LP someone gave me a copy  of  Jeff Buckley's  "Sketches for My Sweetheart The Drunk"  with his version of the same song . The CD seldom  left my player -.........for years 

 
 
      

                   ...................a few more of my tunes tunes -- "It's All Coming Down " and "Shining On You"  being one of my favorites

 
 

This is a version of one of my tunes called  LEAD from the Johnny Skilsaw "Blood Lead" LP is a whole different take on one of my favorite songs from the album 

 

 
 
 
   

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