This is a song written in response to a prompt by the "Muse and Method" group, which consists of some of my creative friends here in Kansas City. The theme this time was to create something based on the words "If Only".

Francine, do you remember how the ocean laid so still
The world seemed perfectly flat there, we had eternity to kill
I don't know what was between us and I guess I never will

But Francine, do you remember how the people looked so small
Way down on the beach below from the balcony so tall
You wouldn't go near the railing, afraid that we would fall
Oh, Francine

And then came the moment I'd longed for, when finally we kissed
I accidentally bit your lip, I was so embarrassed
You pushed away and shook your head, said "I should've expected this"
And you turned and walked, and you left me there
Oh, Francine

If only I'd been smoother on that long-lost summer day
Maybe my life would be better now, you know, I couldn't really say
Or maybe I saved us some trouble and we both wound up okay
Oh, Francine

This is a work of fiction, by the way.

Photo by Henry Tilbury, Jr., circa 1954

Francine

The latest challenge from my friends' "Muse and Method" group was to create something based on the idea of "Cycles". It had me thinking of how clawhammer banjo playing is so reliant on repeated patterns--cycles, if you will. I've fooled around in the past with multitracked and interlocking banjo patterns (Steve Reich's worst nightmare?)and thought I would revisit the idea here.

This track consists of five five-stringed banjos playing in five-four time. The picture is Charles Demuth's "I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold".

An older, looser, maybe more fun version of this experiment, from 2012, is here: https://hanklebury.bandcamp.com/track/the-dream-of-rain

5x5x5

Gritty electronic 808s set the tone on this collaboration between theDGTL and B-boy Fidget, celebrating the art of getting paid.

Paid feat. B-boy Fidget

This was written in response to a prompt from my friends' "Muse and Method" group here in Kansas City. The theme this time was "Possible". It wasn't my intention to be the Yin to everyone else's Yang, but that's how it turned out.

Image: "He Persists" - watercolor, 2023

Impossible

My friends with the "Muse and Method" creative challenge have issued another prompt. This time the topic is "March".

This track was built with two samples from my personal collection of field recordings. The 4-beat rhythm loop is the percussion section of the Shawnee Mission North High School marching band, recorded at the Overland Park Fall Festival in 2011. The horn sound is an air horn on an antique steam tractor, recorded at the Northwest Michigan Engine and Thresher Show, Buckley, Michigan way back in 1989 and played back through a keyboard sampler.

The Marty Street Hi-Steppin' Boogie

Grabbed an OP-1 last week and decided to work on a new concept: micro beats. Short format, 6 minute EPs meant for your enjoyment. Done completely in the OP-1, then uploaded to SC.

op-001

Four Flips sampling Austin radio waves during SXSW, utilizing sounds created on Teenage Engineering's OP-1. Made entirely on the OP-1.

op-002

Finally a tune in 4/4 for fretless clawhammer style guitar. This one is from an Ismail Demircioglu record called "Nasibolsa." In keeping with this summer's theme of trying not to clutter the arrangements, I tried to keep this one relatively open, while throwing in some new techniques to keep it from sounding too square. The backbeat for this tune is one of those 3+3+2 feels, called cocek or rumba in various parts of the world. May have to get a percussionist to record this one with me at some point.

Esref Bey (Recorded 8 12)

tstevig

Related tracks