Fantasy in Earth Tones takes its name from Earth Tones, a piece for fixed media written by the composer in 1978 on the Moog Mark IV and the Arp 2600 synthesizers.  The sounds of the times were dominated by the warm pulsing of square wave pads and glissing lead lines.  Groups like Emerson, Lake & Palmer and the Moody Blues fixed these sounds firmly in my ears when I was a high school student.  So when Jay Gilbert and his 26 colleagues asked me to write a piece combining fixed media with high school band, my mind and my ears went immediately to those days, and those sounds.  The opening runs in the synth and the last 30 seconds of the piece borrow from Earth Tones, but the remainder of the piece is pure fantasy.

I am delighted to have been asked to write this piece for them, and to bring a little of my own youthful musical experiences to the ears of the talented young players of a new decade.

This performance is by the UMKC Wind Symphony, Steven Davis conducting.

Fantasy in Earth Tones

"No use for a Noose"
appears on Still Feeling Bronze E.P.
Written, performed and recorded
By: Thom Hoskins
Even with the brightest scope of everything 
Death still creeps up on every living thing.
To have joy means there’s no use for a noose;
birds don’t do it, bees don’t do it, how do you find the
time to.
 I resolve I still cannot rest 
even with my head upon your breast.
It’s a reach maybe you can teach me to be still.
If needed I can gain the will 
to let go, that’s how we know we can grow.
Till then hold on,
Hold on, hold on,
Till then hold on,
Hold on, hold on.


No use for a Noose

Half Drawn Strawberry “Tides are Turning” Ostronic 06.06.23

Retrospect On Repeat

I recently built a Classic Audio Products of Illinois VP28 mic pre.  This is the result of my first demo.  All instruments were tracked with minimal processing into a Apogee Duet into Pro Tools 10 with one single Sennheiser MD 441 U.

Capi VP 28 Test Mix Demo

Sam Evian - Dark Love
from the album Premium - out 9/30/16
Order from Saddle Creek: http://saddle-creek.com/store/721
Order from iTunes: http://found.ee/premium_it

Premium

Sam Evian - Dark Love

The Faint - ESP
From the album CAPSULE:1999-2016
CD/Digital out 9/30/16
LP out 10/28/16
Pre-order: saddle-creek.com/store/722

CAPSULE:1999-2016

The Faint - ESP

Three tracks from the forthcoming third full-length album by Ghosty, to be released April 17th, 2012 on More Famouser Records.

Vinyl and Digital Pre-order available at http://ghostysounds.com




Take

You Shut Me Out

Still feeling bronze mp3

This piece is my Final Project I created for MIDI Composition class.  I titled it Le Sous-Marin Detectives.  The Submarine Detectives.  

LE SOUS-MARIN DETECTIVES

Thom Hoskins is an American Songwriter from Kansas City, Missouri. Hoskins began playing and writing music with his brothers, cousins and friends from the age of 13. Piano, organ, guitar, harmonica, bass, drums and percussion were some of the first instruments Hoskins picked up. Hoskins has been a fixture in the Kansas City music scene for 10 years. Hoskins has played under his own name at times playing solo or with a rotating group of local musicians backing him. In 2005 the band Buffalo Saints in which Hoskins was the primary singer and songwriter released their first and only record the (Walking the dead E.P.) It took over a year to record the album and release it; due to delays like insufficient funding, Hoskins losing his father and creative differences. Even though it was a challenging experience for all involved the album finally came out to critical acclaim. Buffalo Saints attempted a short tour but with no label support the band took a short break with Hoskins playing intermittent solo shows. It was at one of these shows Hoskins met another singer songwriter Chris Tolle of The Belles. The Belles whom had put out a few records with the Lakeshore Records imprint had been steadily touring through Europe while coming home and writing new songs. During one of these tour breaks Tolle employed Hoskins to play with the new line up which Include Hoskins on guitars, keys and backing vocals and former Buffalo Saint now FUN bassist Nathan Harold. Both Tolle and Hoskins were reciprocal in helping the other perform and at one time Tolle played one of Buffalo Saints final shows. After having met Chris, Hoskins was introduced to another Kansas City Songwriter Jim Suptic. Jim was a guitarist of The Get up kids a now defunct band that were on the Vagrant Records Imprint. The Get up kids had just broken up and Suptic’s new band and project Blackpool Lights whom where on the Curb Appeal Imprint were without a lead guitar player and were looking to tour on their new record. Hoskins obliged. After a solid year of touring the United States, Canada and Japan with Blackpool Lights Hoskins called it quits wanting to focus on his own music career. Points leading to Hoskins career change included meeting his future wife and having two beautiful children it would seem Hoskins life saw some major life changes in a short span of time. You can hear some mature wisdom as if someone’s life turned a page by listening to his lasted record the (Still feeling bronze E.P.). Hoskins wrote, recorded and pressed this four song E.P. in his home studio. It is a limited release with local printing shop Hammer Press having printed the album sleeves.  Hoskins is currently active as a performer, and recently played at Ink magazine and The Record Machine’s (Middle of the map fest) with former band mates Nate Harold of FUN and Ryan Johnson of Portland based band Minden. Hoskins has also performed at local music festival The Crossroads Music Festival. Hoskins is due to release a follow up full-length record this year as well as a split E.P. with local songwriter Doby Watson. Doby introduced Hoskins to a local songwriter named Richard Gintowt. Gintowt’s band Hidden Pictures invited Hoskins to adapt his style to the band Hidden Pictures as a lead guitarist. After Hoskins departure with Hidden Pictures he is currently a student earning credits toward a Bachelor of Arts degree in music composition. Hoskins can be seen playing at the 2014 Folk Alliance Music Festival on the Money Wolf Music Stage.