Saturday, April 20, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
We are Like the Spider. We Weave our Lives and then Move Along in it. We are Like the Dreamer. Who Dreams and then Lives in the Dream.
The new Koala album, "We are Like the Spider. We Weave our Lives and then Move Along in it. We are Like the Dreamer. Who Dreams and then Lives in the Dream." is out an available for download on our bandcamp.
The album was written and recorded in 2011, mixed in 2012, and completed in 2013.
We recorded most of the album in July of 2011 at the Recording Company in Boston - recording all the basics live in a 36 hour lockout, and then overdubbing all the other textures (which often help depict the setting or events that are happening at that point in the dream). All of these textures we created musically (rather than using a field recording or a sample). For example, here's a picture of us using hollow tubes to recreate the siren's that were in my dream:
In that 36 hour lock out we - had our tape melt on us and we had to re-record a tune, had the support of some great friends who popped in, as well as the help of our good friend Keith Nelson who was our engineer, drank a whole lot of coffee and seltzer, and even found a mysterious collection of honey bears on the roof:
The following night after the 36 hour lockout we played our last show. We played our new album in it's entirety for the first time as well as some older favorites. It was a bittersweet celebration with great friends of the three years Koala had been together.
I am extremely excited to be able to share this record of strange rock music that we started working on 2 years ago - so without further delay,
ENJOY!!!
Mike
The album was written and recorded in 2011, mixed in 2012, and completed in 2013.
Each song is based on a dream from a different band member. Dreams have been a source of inspiration for me for almost as long as I started writing music - so being a part of a project where dreams were the source material for all of the compositions was a dream come true. The album follows dream logic and aims to musically recreate these four movies that were made by our subconscious minds.
We recorded most of the album in July of 2011 at the Recording Company in Boston - recording all the basics live in a 36 hour lockout, and then overdubbing all the other textures (which often help depict the setting or events that are happening at that point in the dream). All of these textures we created musically (rather than using a field recording or a sample). For example, here's a picture of us using hollow tubes to recreate the siren's that were in my dream:
In that 36 hour lock out we - had our tape melt on us and we had to re-record a tune, had the support of some great friends who popped in, as well as the help of our good friend Keith Nelson who was our engineer, drank a whole lot of coffee and seltzer, and even found a mysterious collection of honey bears on the roof:
The following night after the 36 hour lockout we played our last show. We played our new album in it's entirety for the first time as well as some older favorites. It was a bittersweet celebration with great friends of the three years Koala had been together.
(photo courtesy of Peter M. Loftus)
Shortly after that, the band members of Koala have left Boston one by one - but despite being on oposite ends of the country, we slowly but surely continued to work on the album and now in April of 2013 the album is finally completed.
The tracks that we were once called "Mike's Dream", "Kenyon's Dream", "Orion's Dream", and "Jame's Dream" are now:
1. In Burden's Grip
2. The Dream That Ended The World
3. Chasing Rain
4. The World That Ended The Dream
I am extremely excited to be able to share this record of strange rock music that we started working on 2 years ago - so without further delay,
ENJOY!!!
Mike
Sunday, March 31, 2013
dlrow eht dedne taht maerd eht
Koala's new album drops in two days!!! In the meantime check out this video of us playing in reverse:
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Deserted Island 24
Keeping up with my anual birthday traditional of making a list of my favorite 24 albums of all time - here's my list for this year:
1-Music for 18 Musicians (Steve Reich - 1978)
2-Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 2000)
4 - Midnight Marauders (A Tribe Called Quest - 1993)
5-Tri Repetae (Autechre - 1996)
6-Bitches Brew (Miles Davis - 1970)
7-Remain in Light (Talking Heads - 1980)
8-In C (Terry Riley - 1964)
Score:
Instructions:
"All performers play from the same page of 53 melodic patterns played in sequence.
Any number of any kind of instruments can play. A group of about 35 is desired if
possible but smaller or larger groups will work. If vocalist(s) join in they can use any
vowel and consonant sounds they like.
Patterns are to be played consecutively with each performer having the freedom to
determine how many times he or she will repeat each pattern before moving on to
the next. There is no fixed rule as to the number of repetitions a pattern may have,
however, since performances normally average between 45 minutes and an hour and
a half, it can be assumed that one would repeat each pattern from somewhere
between 45 seconds and a minute and a half or longer..."
You can read the rest here.
9. What's Going On (Marvin Gaye - 1971)
10. Kid A (Radiohead - 2000)
11. Donuts (J Dilla - 2006)
12. The Next Step (Kurt Rosenwinkel - 2001)
(Unfortunately - there are no longer any good videos on youtube, or tunes on soundcloud from this album and can't illegally upload songs from it here...sorry)
13. The Lemon of Pink (The Books - 2003)
Take Time:
14. Deep Listening (Pauline Oliveros - 1989)
Opening Track: Lear
15. Loveless (My Bloody Valentine - 1991)
16. Revolver (The Beatles - 1966)
Key Tracks: Tomorrow Never Knows, Love to You
17. Mirrored (Battles - 2007)
18. Black Up (Shabazz Palaces - 2011)
19. The Velvet Underground & Nico (Velvet Underground - 1967)
20. Einstein On the Beach (Philip Glass - 1976)
21-Stand (Sly & the Family Stone - 1969)
22-Exodus (Bob Marley & the Wailers - 1976)
23. Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (The Pharcyde - 1992)
24. Standards (Tortoise - 2001)
Friday, March 15, 2013
Koala - 2013 Album Promo
The new Koala album will be available to listen to and download on April 2nd 2013 at koalatheband.bandcamp.com
Check out this teaser:
Koala - 2013 Album Promo from Koala on Vimeo.
Check out this teaser:
Koala - 2013 Album Promo from Koala on Vimeo.
Friday, March 8, 2013
RI House Show
Hey folks,
On the 30th I'll be playing a show at my parent's place in RI. It'll be my birthday as well as a couple good friends of mine (or close enough to celebrate in Bill's case). It'll also be my brother's first weekend back from England - so we'll also be celebrating that. I'll probably start playing around 9:00 PM, and there may be some surprise guests playing as well. I'll have copies of my EP for sale as well as some other new music to share. If you're coming up from Boston and want to stay the night it shouldn't be a problem providing you with a couch to crash on - just give me a heads up if that's your plan. If you need directions or more details feel free to contact me.
Looking forward to hopefully catching you then!
Mike
On the 30th I'll be playing a show at my parent's place in RI. It'll be my birthday as well as a couple good friends of mine (or close enough to celebrate in Bill's case). It'll also be my brother's first weekend back from England - so we'll also be celebrating that. I'll probably start playing around 9:00 PM, and there may be some surprise guests playing as well. I'll have copies of my EP for sale as well as some other new music to share. If you're coming up from Boston and want to stay the night it shouldn't be a problem providing you with a couch to crash on - just give me a heads up if that's your plan. If you need directions or more details feel free to contact me.
Looking forward to hopefully catching you then!
Mike
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