Escape From The Cosmic Abyss (Kraft MiX) - Bonus Track

Procession is an audio sculpture culled from Any Questions? - Darkness. This rare 1992 release offered an early glimpse into our Imbued Vagary project and an example of the synthetic tapestries that we would weave into our future film work.

Like the other songs from Darkness, this electronic soundscape invites the listener to follow me as I delve into my own dark psyche. Created during solitary late night recording sessions at FFS II, I would work through the night until the first rays of the dawn burned my skin. At that time, I would retreat until Darkness, once again, ruled the night.

Darkness

Any Questions? - Procession

The Summer of 1991 was another very fertile period for Any Questions? and for me personally. After purchasing our first computer (an Atari 1040STe) for music production in March of 1991, we had left hardware sequencing behind and been working almost extensively with Steinberg Cubase software for music sequencing. This software allowed us much more flexibility in music editing and song arrangements. It also allowed us to quickly and easier save and load our song ideas so we were no longer burdened with the arduous task of manually setting all of our instruments up for each song.

This previously unreleased demo of In The Pools Of Blood is a good example of how quickly it was to sequence the music for a song idea and then work on it. For this idea, I programmed a very basic 4 bar drum pattern. Next, I layered a synth bass line, some string pads, and a reverse cymbal effect. This 4 bar pattern was repeated ad infinitum.

What makes this song idea very unique in the Any Questions? canon is that it is the only one ever recorded that captures me completely improvising lyrics. Even to this day, all Any Questions? lyrics are written out (electronically or on paper) first and then rehearsed with the music. It was very early in the morning (around 3AM) at FFS II when I began to sing (term used loosely). As usual, my Korg A3 provided me with just the right vocal effect and set the mood for me to expel my dark, introverted thoughts. Some of the classic lines from this include... "Liquid tears from placid eyes mix tranquilly", "Slowly gnawing on your flesh", "Spiraling downward you and me", and "In the pools of blood".

The vocals were purposefully recorded farther back in the mix since they were just improvised ramblings. They may be hard to decipher but, if you're up to the task, write them out and e-mail them to me at troll@floatingfish.com. If they are correct, I'll send you a ***FREE*** autographed 18" x 24" Any Questions? - Prey For Death (Special Edition) poster. Act soon, this offer ends 10/31/10.

Any Questions? - In The Pools of Blood

As Dungeon Aire, we had quite an eclectic and adventurous set list for our first and only gig on 12/31/87 at "Number 9" in Shippensburg, PA.  It included such diverse songs as Led Zeppelin - Misty Mountain Hop, The Cult - Wildflower, The Suburbs - Monster Man, Mondo Rock - Primitive Love Rights, and even two original songs (Pung and Progressions) that we had written.  Somewhere between all of that, we also chose to perform INXS - Need You Tonight.

Here is a jam box recording from the show which features Brad Shaeffer - Vocals, Matt Skirpan - Guitar, Matt Norcross - Bass, Scott McConnell - Synthesizers, and Tim Harrell - Drum Machine.  It's the only song that Tim played the drum machine.

Dungeon Aire - Need You Tonight

In 2000, we began recording songs for the first Obomatic CD. The first song completed was a song idea I had originally sketched together while on vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC in 1997 using only a Roland MC-303. Steve O took that rough sketch of an idea and turned it into a more complete song. Scottologic and I added some additional parts and the song, T3, was born. I mention this song creation process because it was anomalous to the rest of the CD.

The second song we recorded was a Steve O track called Antidote. As with the rest of the tracks for the CD, Holy Uncontrollio!!!, Steve O would bring in his rather complete song demos and then the rest of the band would add their parts to them. Here's a previously unreleased early mix for Antidote which is essentially the Steve O demo with a rough vocal track and some additional synth parts added.

Obomatic - Antidote (Early Mix)

During the sweltering Summer of 1988, The Secret Society convened at Horse and Buggy Highway Studios in Shippensburg, PA to record songs for their debut release. This rev (Rev 2) of The Secret Society was comprised of members from This Mistress and concentrated on recording original songs written by M Scott McConnell and Matt Norcross.

When we weren't sweating to death (there were no air conditioners in the studio) or doing "serious" recording, we would sometimes roll tape and record some live versions of the songs with whoever happened to be visiting the studio at that time. This recording of Progressions is one such recording. It features M Scott McConnell (Synthesizers), Matt Norcross (Bass), Tim Harrell ("Live" Drum Machine), Ken Chandler (Vocals), and Kevin "Bart the Fart" Wilson (Guitar). It was recorded direct to a Fostex X-15 cassette 4-Track. It's distorted and sonically poor but still a fun listen. I hope you enjoy it.

Live in the Studio 1988

The Secret Society - Progressions

The FrightWorld Sessions was not a "normal" Any Questions? release. In fact, to this date, it still remains unreleased. Our "normal" harsh industrial sound was replaced by harsh ambient textures which we composed during work on our first feature horror film, FrightWorld, in 2007.

The compositions on the release were taken from our first improvisational sessions for the project and are at times sonically unruly and rough around the edges. However, they captured the essence of the horrific scenes that we were scoring for so we decided to include them.

Eventually, we may release The FrightWorld Sessions and the rest of the unreleased material from these sessions but, for now, enjoy this small sampling from our first film score. This track is entitled FBI Assault and it was used in the film.

The FrightWorld Sessions

Any Questions? - FBI Assault

This was the first time since 09/10 where all three core FFS II Synth Jam members convened and we wasted no time diving deep into the electronic plasma pool. The first audio to surface from FFS II Synth Jam 2011 - Troll Returns is this improvisation titled TR-2.

Dave Chandler (aka Thee Sub One Genius) provided the pulse in Ableton Live and rhythmic bass effects. Matt Norcross (aka Ttam Troll) added Roland RS-09 synth string soloing and Prophet 600 sound effects while M Scott McConnell's (aka MC2P4) Korg Z1 ambient washes glistened in between.

This was recorded on 04/16/11.

Imbued Vagary - TR-2 (Live at FFS II 04/16/11)

In January 1991, shortly after the start of the first Gulf War, we were very prolific with our musical output.  The deluge of 24/7 war footage and chemically-fueled all night recording sessions garnered many new song ideas.

Though many of those ideas never progressed further than the cassettes they were recorded on, a few like this one, GB+VX, ended up being produced more and recorded on our Tascam 38 1/2" 8-track reel-to-reel machine.

This one started out simply with a very repetitive drum beat and synth parts.  After adding a round of Gulf War audio samples, MC2P4 delivered his apocalyptic vocals and then I spent the rest of the night (and into the morning) recording multiple effected, electric bass parts before mixing the final song that we share with you now.

Enjoy...

Any Questions? - GB+VX

On February 03, 2013, Imbued Vagary held their first improvisational remote recording session.  Thee Sub One Genius was in his studio in Nazareth, PA, MC2P4 was at FFS II in Pottstown, PA, and Ttam Troll was at FFS III in Chambersburg, PA.

Thee Sub One Genius laid out the basic song structure and then sent it off to MC2P4 and Ttam Troll to work on.  After a few hours work, MC2P4 recorded an arpeggiated synth part and Ttam Troll provided an Arturia Mini V synth bass line.  They sent these back to Thee Sub One Genius who mixed these parts with his own work and created this track entitled Co LLab Bel.  Enjoy!

Remote Jam

Imbued Vagary - Co LLab Bel

We start off the Floating Fish Studios Holy Grail Week with some absolutely "classic" raw video studio footage. Only the FFS inner circle will realize the full "classic" nature of this but, hopefully, everyone else will at least be entertained and amused by it.

This chemical-fueled video studio footage was shot at FFS II shortly after the end of the first Gulf War in 1991. MC2P4's lyrics for this song were inspired by the fiery oil rigs that littered the Kuwait desert and sprayed their precious crude all over everything and everyone. His one-man, one take performance was captured by Brian "Who" Black and has long been hidden in the FFS vaults.

The audio for this song was recorded shortly before the video shoot and was our first (and last) attempt at multi-track recording using the Ensoniq ESQ-1 tape sync feature. As you can hear, the angular and disjointed music has a visceral, jerking quality that can't be blamed solely on the "altered" sub-humans that recorded it.

For the collectors out there, here is the original never-before-released audio recording for Any Questions? - Oil In The Gulf. Enjoy...

Any Questions? - Oil in the Gulf

First mutant to ascend from the plasma pool after the Cy-Tech Wars. Skilled in cybernetics and data manipulation. Exhibits an extreme appetite for blood and kills for his own pleasure.

Any Questions? - In The Pools of Blood

Ttam Troll

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