Live solo improvisations, quick demos, curios and puzzles.

Ziji Zuode (自己做的 - Made It Myself)

AI Song Contest 2022
อสุระเทวะชุมนุม - ญาบอย ฮานอย
Enter Demons & Gods – Yaboi Hanoi

Eager to learn about the AI? Read my process doc to find out more https://lamtharnhantrakul.github.io/enter-demons-and-gods/

อสุระเทวะชุมนุม - Enter Demons & Gods

Touch Me Not

John Goodsall: (Guitar & Composer)
Todd Cochran: (Keyboards)
Donny Harvey: (Fretless Bass)
Bill Bruford:  (Drums)

Measure the Sky

Field and Border

Recently I mentioned that I had a cassette tape from over 40 years ago when The Takahashi Band of 82 made a demo track for a potential TV commercial. The track was only worked on for a day or two and then abandoned. I think we all had a busy year and for whatever reason this recording was discarded.

I also talked about sharing the recording one day just for nostalgic reasons, however the mix was a very basic end-of-day progress mix and no vocal part was conceived. Sharing it in this form would not do the potential of the work any justice.

The track began with chords and synths that Yukihiro Takahashi recorded, the basic building blocks of his composition. I added the drum part. Having been intensively rehearsing and performing Takahashi material this triggered a distinct blend of my own style as might appear on tracks such as 'The Art of Parties' and Yukihiro's style on tracks such as 'Glass'. Haruomi Hosono added his brilliance on bass, as well as Masami Tsuchiya overlaying guitar parts and Hajime Tachibana adding a saxophone solo.

Fast forward over 40 years....
 
At the end of 2023 I sent the demo to singer/songwriter Marco Machera, someone I’ve collaborated with a few times in the past and whose vocal style I felt would compliment the music. Yukihiro also enjoyed Marco's music, including it on his own radio show. I asked Marco to consider adding a vocal which he was happy to do, also composing lyrics too.

I used an AI program to break down the stereo mix of the original cassette recording into individual tracks (this is a relatively new technology and although the quality struggled it allowed for a little bit more flexibility with the mixing and blending of new overdubs). The performed parts were retained, and to which I recorded some additional instrumentation as well as joining Marco on the chorus vocals. I made a new mix of the track. So what we have here is the finished piece: “Impossible Until It Happens”. 

Marco and I share this as an homage to Yukihiro who passed away this time last year and is greatly missed. We can feel the essence of Yukihiro's writing style in this track and we hope that you enjoy it.

Music by Yukihiro Takahashi / Song & Lyrics by Marco Machera

Yukihiro Takahashi - Keyboards
Haruomi Hosono - Electric Bass
Steve Jansen - Drums & Percussion, Additional Sequencers & Synthesisers, Chorus Vocals
Masami Tsuchiya - Electric Guitar
Hajime Tachibana - Saxophone
Marco Machera -  Lead Vocals, Samples, Additional Synthesiser
(for more information www.marcomachera.com)

Impossible Until It Happens

An experimental piece from yesterday combining the outputs of several fractal/algorithmic programs from the 90s (including one of my favorites--Omar's Fractal).  The organ-like pedal tones come from a sampled mouth organ.  Each voice proceeds at a different tempo--yet, to my surprise, the overall sound reaches a Reichian stasis of sorts.

Previosly Unreleased

Minimalismo (092024)

You In A Place For A While By Yourself

I would never
Leave my girl alone
In the company of 
Some old crazy crone
I would never
Leave my girl prone
To monsters or whatever’s
In that castle made of stone

But she asked me to
So hear me out
You know I give in when she shouts
Like that. It’s not healthy
She’e got bats in her belfry
But who am I to criticize
Her weird chants and her evil eyes
In a foreign tongue, she whispers
And somehow I still miss her

She said she’d never
Delve into the occult
But with God as my witness
She’s completely engulfed
In esoteric sorcery
As pain goes, that’s the source for me
And I can’t take it anymore

Baby don’t cut
Yourself to draw some blood
With that ancient dagger
That you seem to love so much
Honey don’t draw
That pentagram you saw
In some dumb movie
Gullibity’s your only flaw

Nick Prol- “Bats in Her Belfry”

How not to use a looper. A live improvisation.

Jon Davis - Searching for Meaning Where There Is None (Demo)

An Atrium

Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair (Traditional, arr. Voice Coils)

Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair

First attempt working on a scheme for live solo improvisation involving the tools at hand. The percussion part was programmed in advance, but other parts done live to loops and sequences. Laptop sequencing controlling Yamaha MU-50 module (drums), Ensoniq Mirage (choir sample and bells), Chapman Stick through Bass Muff, Boss Chorus and Vox Dynamic Looper on the bass side, Rat and Memory Man on the melody side. Pro-One MIA due to technical issues. All sounds conceived by Jon Davis.

Zhongyu - Concept with No Word (Live Solo Improv)

A little sketch that will probably end up being part of something longer. Four Stick parts onto four tracks. Composed, arranged and performed by Jon Davis much too quickly.

Zhongyu - This Page Intentionally Left Blank

Experimenting with different sounds on the guzheng. Four improvised passes with different combinations of effects. Composed, arranged, and performed by Jon Davis.

Zhongyu - Word with No Meaning (Improv)

For a change, this multi-pass improvisation was done entirely with keyboards, specifically the Mirage. Composed and performed by Jon Davis.

Zhongyu - Meanwhile, in the Back of My Head (Improv)

Live improv on keyboards, 9 March 2019. No overdubs, just effects added in post.

Ensoniq Mirage piano sample
Novation Ultranova pads

Improvs

Mandatory Peace #1

Zhongyu (终于) is Chinese for "finally" (as in "what took so long?"), and is the name for the current musical project of Jon Davis, who currently lives in Seattle, and formerly lived in Beijing. Before that he lived in Seattle. A long time ago he was in a band called Wild Debbies. Some things from that bygone age will get posted here as well as new stuff.

For newer music, Zhongyu attempts to creatively combine progressive rock with adventurous jazz, electronics and various sounds from around the world. Currently that mostly includes East Asia, but most anything is possible.

Mandatory Peace #1

Zhongyu 终于

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