A day at the beach. Gentle waves lapping the shore. Slow, warm breeze blowing off the ocean. Glass like surface as far as the horizon. Sitting on a blanket in the sand with gulls soaring overhead and crabs skittering across the dunes. Pretty women in bikini’s strolling by.

FUN FACT: I’m not a fan of the beach, lol.

06Feb2022

Instrument List:
Addictive Drums 2
Bass, Synth Arps & Synth Strings: Roland Jupiter 80

Recording, Mixing and Mastering (poorly) in Presonus Studio One
All instruments played, programmed, sequenced and/or cursed at by Yours Truly

Shallow Blue

Just a little something I did over the holidays.  A blending of my love of guitar and strings.

Dec 2013

Instrument List
- Guitar: Les Paul Standard "Abbie" -> Vox Tonelab EX
- Strings: Cakewalk Dimension Pro

The Brocken Spectre

A journey of music from classical to early/mid 20th Century to modern times. Even though the way we produce music and the instruments we play change through the years, decades and centuries, music always fills that space in our souls.  To make us move, groove and to feel alive.

In keeping with a double meaning of the title, it gets louder, wider and faster as time goes by.

28Oct2022

Instrument List:
Addictive Drums 2
Piano, Synths, Electric and Acoustic Bass, Jazz Brush: Roland Fantom

Recording, Mixing and Mastering (poorly) in Presonus Studio One
All instruments played, programmed, sequenced and/or cursed at by Yours Truly
Picture by PublicDomainPictures.net

Time Traveler

This is just a wind up toy song. I’ve had the Fantom for a while and tried to compose something (anything) using the pattern sequencer on board. So this an attempt to do that. It’s repetitive, simplistic and hopefully somewhat fun.

28Feb2023

Instrument List:
Drums, Bass, Synth Pads, sequencing and (shoddy) mixing: Roland Fantom
Mastering (poorly) in Presonus Studio One

All instruments played, programmed, sequenced and/or cursed at by Yours Truly

Moods

Sorta Night Ranger meets RUSH meets Billy Thorpe.  Was also watching Gravity while working on this.  ;)  Primary inspiration was the Twilight Zone episode of the same title.

Aug 3, 2014

Instrument List
- Addictive Drums
- Cakewalk SI-Bass
- Clean Guitar: Les Paul Standard "Grace" -> Vox Tonelab EX
- Rhythm and Lead Guitar: Les Paul Standard "Abbie" -> Vox Tonelab EX
- Synth: Cakewalk Rapture

I Sing the Body Electric

For those that ever called in sick from work on a beautiful sun splashed day. At a work location many years ago, whenever someone would call in sick on a gorgeous day, we’d say they came down with a severe case of Blue Sky Fever.

“The Fish are biting”

30Sep2023

TR-808, Synth Bass, Synth Strings, Piano, sequencing and (shoddy) mixing: Roland Fantom
Mastering (poorly) in Presonus Studio One

All instruments played, sequenced and/or cursed at by Yours Truly

Blu Sky Fever

Starring my latest new toy, a Jupiter 80.  Was playing around with a couple of the presets and kind of came up with the main synth line.  Throw in a little Andromeda to taste and some guitars to season and you get this. Probably one of the more complex songs I've tried to put together.

02Jul2016 - Rerecord and remix to lose ground hum
29Dec2015

Instrument List:
  Addictive Drums
  Intro and Main Body Synth: Roland Jupiter 80
  Backing Synth overdubs and Special Effects: Alesis A6 Andromeda
  Rhythm & Lead Guitar: Les Paul Standard "Abbie" -> Tonelab EX

PULSAR

For those who've lost their best friend.

RIP Max    2006 - August 13, 2018

"To the meadow green, from the sky so blue, I will wait for you"

I have a dog and as of the production of this song, he is still alive, well and quite active. He's literally the best dog I've ever had. However, he is approaching 11 years old and when I look, he is becoming grayer in the face, his coat is thinner and not as red as it was and his eyes not quite as bright as they once were.  So I'm starting to come to grips with the thought that one day, I'll wake up and he won't be here.  And that will be a really bad day. 

My musical analogy to the "Rainbow Bridge" poem.

"The time we say goodbye, is closer than hello"

Instrument List
Piano, Strings, Choirs: Roland Jupiter 80

04 February 2017

Dogs in the Sky

NOTE: This is NOT a Donna Summer song. I'm 99.99999999999% sure she wouldn't have sung to this. 

What is it? My own personal memorial / tribute / life celebration, albeit eight years late. Growing up a rock music guy, I recently had a “Donna Summer Renaissance”, which is chronicled here (a bit of a read):

https://www.facebook.com/xray.two/posts/10217614164000198

That essay and this song are my way of processing the journey.
Also, she has a very lovely resting place:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/90273935

Rest easy Donna, but there are many still here who dearly miss you.

Followup to my essay above: https://www.facebook.com/xray.two/posts/10218786386785035


27Jan2020

Instrument List:
Addictive Drums 2
Piano, Bass and Synth Strings: Roland Jupiter 80
FauxcArthur Park interlude inspired by (what else) “McArthur Park” – 1967 Jimmy Webb
Recording, Mixing and Mastering (poorly) in Presonus Studio One

Donna Summer

This song was initially produced back in 2017. I wanted to go back and do a remix (now that I know a little more about what I'm doing *famous last words*). The song itself, to me, is about the Beauty of Nature (created around the time of the Solar Eclipse in 2017).

Here's the original to compare.
https://soundcloud.com/rayphelps-1/on-a-lonely-winter-night 

12Aug2020

Instrument List:
Addictive Drums 2
Bass and Synth Strings: Roland Jupiter 80
Synthesizer Arps: Yamaha Montage
Recording: Cakewalk SONAR
Mixing and Mastering (poorly) in Presonus Studio One

Splendor (2020)

So, no big story for this one. It just started off with that generic drum beat, then the synth bass and just kind of fleshed it out from there. Not really sure what genre this is classified as, it just kind of came out this way. But it is my patented “Wall of Sound to Dense to Mix” approach though, lol.

I guess it can be an ode to whatever makes you happy, as the title implies, whatever that might be..

08Oct2020

Instrument List:
Addictive Drums 2
Bass: Studio One Mojito
Synth Strings: Studio One Mai Tai
Choirs: Studio One Presence
Choirs: Roland Jupiter 80
Guitars: Les Paul Standard “Abbie” and Les Paul Custom → Tonelab EX
Recording, Mixing and Mastering (poorly) in Presonus Studio One

Bliss

Remix of a song from three years ago. Just playing around with the ‘Mr. Sidechain’ performance on the Montage

Original:  https://soundcloud.com/rayphelps-1/primordial

07Dec2020

Instrument List
Synthesizer: Yamaha Montage
Recording: Cakewalk SONAR
Mixing and Mastering (poorly) in Presonus Studio One

Primordial (2020)

"Feed Your Imagination"
Remix of a song from three years ago. Inspired by the excitement and fervor around the 2017 Solar Eclipse.
For all the kids (and kids at heart) who looked through a lens and saw another world.

Original: https://soundcloud.com/rayphelps-1/wonder

07Dec2020

Instrument List
Addictive Drums 2
Bass: Roland Jupiter 80
Synthesizer: Yamaha Montage
Guitar: Les Paul Standard "Abbie" -> Tonelab EX
Guitar: Les Paul Axcess -> Tonelab EX
Recording: Cakewalk SONAR
Mixing and Mastering (poorly) in Presonus Studio One

Wonder (2020)

Three songs compiled into a suite.

Primordial (2020)  0:00
Wonder (2020)     2:38
Splendor (2020)   6:22

07Dec2020

Mastered (poorly) in Presonus Studio One

Discovery Trilogy

I am not a religious person, but the idea of an Afterlife has always been an intriguing one. So this is from the point of view of a departed soul who is approaching Heaven. Although they are there, they wonder about those left behind. Are they sad for the ones they are no longer among? Some they will see again. And some they will not. Do we take what makes us human, into the Afterlife?

Through the Veil                         0:31 (0:00)
Path to Eden                               4:41 (0:32)
The Gates                                   3:00 (5:14)
Welcome Home                          4:56 (8:14)
Donec Iterum Conveniant?       1:37 (13:10)
A Path Behind                            1:52 (14:47)

Total runtime                              16:39

15Feb2021

Instrument List:
Strings, Choirs, Bells and Synthesizers: Roland Jupiter 80
Vocal Pops and Synthesizers: Yamaha Montage
All synthesizers played, programmed and sequenced by Yours Truly

Recording, Mixing and Mastering (poorly) in Presonus Studio One

The Path to Eden

The Path To Eden

Mostly a fan of 70's and 80's Classic Rock.  But like some other stuff too.  I just like playing with nice toys. My motto is "Simple Music Made Simply" (SMMS).

Influences: RUSH, Queen, Jeff Lynne (ELO), Led Zeppelin, Donna Summer

RayPhelps

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