Video File #3: Isthmus "Flathead Midget"

"Flathead Midget" video is now online!

Today is the release of the second Isthmus music video, "Flathead Midget". The song comes from their 1998 album Parabolic Dish Festival Volume 1.

The footage used in the video comes from two sources. The first is the Isthmus jam session where the album was actually recorded. The second is a circus that came to Isthmus' home-town in April of 2008.

Click here for the YouTube post.

Equipment File #10: DR-660 drum machine

Boss DR-660

Although the DR-550 drum machine was a great improvement over the drum sounds from the Yamaha keyboard, it had a limited number of kits to choose from. So after two and a half years, it was set aside and the DR-660 was purchased in late 1992.

The DR-660 put in over ten years of service before its internal battery finally died. Hundreds of songs were recorded with this unit. It provided many more drum kits and programmable patterns than the DR-550. It also included bass sounds so an entire rhythm section could be programmed. And this one could be backed up via MIDI cables to a computer (as opposed to the cassette deck back-up method of the DR-550).

And now with drum loops and built-in drum machines, the computer has replaced the DR-660. The Studio can now use the drum machine sounds of the 80's and 90's or loops that sound like real drums from within one program on the computer.

This Day in Studio History

It was on this day in 1997 that the Isthmus album Ideas was released.

This was a collection of songs from the 1995 Electric Field Donut jam session that did not make it onto the 1996 Electric Field Donut album.

Single #1: Etesian Wind

Song name: "Etesian Wind"
Album name: Olympus
Release date: December 10, 1991

Tracks
1. Etesian Wind (album version)
2. Etesian Wind (original speed)
3. Etesian Wind (instrumental)

Song History
This was the first single from the 1991 Mune Mud album Olympus. It was also the very first single released by Mune Mud.

"Etesian Wind" was the first song that had a real audience. Jason played it for family and friends before the album was released and most people really liked it. So it was naturally the first choice to become a single. And over the years, it is the Mune Mud song that has had the most alternate versions recorded. It wasn't until 1996 that Jason finally found out what Etesian wind is.

Track Breakdown
The first track is the version that appeared on the album. The original song was recorded a bit slower to better fit Jason's vocal range, but the tempo seemed to drag a little. So for the album the song was mixed down at a slightly higher speed.

The second track is the original speed at which the song was recorded.

The third track is the instrumental version of the album track.

Album of the Week # 37: Best of Harry and Jason II

Project name: Harry and Jason
Album name: Best of Harry and Jason II
Release date: unreleased
Release format: cassette
Studio name: none

Tracks:
1. Jose's Funeral Home
2. The Catburglar
3. I Killed My Dog
4. Superman
5. Washington DC
6. Pool
7. Around the World in 80 Days
8. Forever
9. On the Ranch
10. Drops in the Ocean
11. Druel
12. Greek Numbers

This tape is a continuation of Best of Harry and Jason. These songs cover the second half of this phase of their music careers. There's not much to say about this one, just more of the same as their first tape.


Next week's Album of the Week: Best of Darrin and Jason from 1989.

Article: Studio Chapter Chronology

This article is a summary of the nine Studio Chapter features that were posted in March and April.

• 1985 to November 1991 - unnamed
• November 1991 to summer of 1992 - Quintessential Disco-Quest
• October 1992 to November 1994 - Circle IX
• February 1995 to October 1995 - Metal XOR-A
• October 1995 to July 1996 - Metal XOR-B
• August 1996 to April 1999 - Metal XOR-C
• May 1999 to November 2007 - Metal XOR-D
• December 2007 to February 2010 - Metal XOR-E

The Studio began when Harry and Jason recorded themselves ad-lib singing to music on the radio in 1985. Since then the Studio has had several name changes. There have been hundreds of songs recorded there. Dozens of albums have been released. Many musicians have passed through the front door. Equipment has come and gone. And with any luck, the Studio will be around for many years to come!

State of the Studio #9: May '08

Let us see what is in store for the blog in May...

The weekly Studio Chapter feature has ended. It had a nine-week run that covered the history of the Studio from its earliest days to present day. The series will be summarized in an upcoming article.

Replacing the Studio Chapter feature on Mondays will be a feature called Singles. An article was written last October explaining Mune Mud singles. Each week this feature will spotlight one of the twelve Mune Mud singles that was released.

The 'vintage' Album of the Weeks will end mid-May, the feature that has shed light on old cassette compilations that were made before the Studio was a studio. But the Album of the Week feature will continue. [A note worth mentioning: this is the only feature that has been posted every single week since the blog was created. And it will be around for at least a couple more months.] The feature will shift to the Mune Mud 10th Anniversary Collection of CD's that started in 2001. Tune in on May 18th for the first one that will discuss Olympus 10th Anniversary Collection.

The Studio has used a lot of equipment throughout the years. So the Equipment File feature will definitely be around for a while.

There are a couple of additions to the Project Spotlight feature that will be posted this month. You will soon be able to read about the two 90's bands called The Spartans and The Duke Boys.

The Video File feature will expand once again with the release of the second Isthmus video this month. Last month saw the release of the first Isthmus video ("Lost in Detroit (Free II)" from their 1998 album Parabolic Dish Festival Volume 1). The second video is being edited as I write this. So look for it to be released some time soon.

And rounding out the features list will be a new one called Web Log. These posts will be .PDF collections of what has been posted on this blog site. Issue #1 will contain posts 1-50, issue #2 will contain posts 51-100, etc. Currently there are enough posts to release four issues, but as each fifty posts are made, a new issue of Web Log will be released.

On the project front, Paige will have yet another recording session for her next album. Isthmus is closer to having a ten-year reunion jam which will be used as their next album. And a new, still unannounced project may make its debut within the next couple of months. Keep checking here for news on that.

It is obvious that with summer on its way, the Studio will not have time to stretch out and take a nap in a hammock. And as the weather outside gets warmer, all I can say is I can't wait for fall!!!

Next update in 31 days. . .