It's new album time again! This one is called "33", because it's my 33rd solo album. Imaginative, eh? It's a quasi-classical sounding thing, with lots of acoustic and electronic weirdness as well. You may check it out here: HERE! IT'S "33"!
I started the year off with a couple of albums based around studies of a software synth, the Krakli K200. Both albums, being instrumental studies, followed the same rules: use only that instrument; and no effects that weren't part of the instrument. I was very pleased with the outcome, and happy to offer them up for your ears. The albums are Imagine That and What's New is Old Again.
Following this came an album based around a session's worth of distorted drums. The music covers a wide range, but at the center of all of it are these strange sounding drums. They're not just distorted; the pitch itself became affected by the overloading mics. This one is called Riding The Anomaly.
Then there is a single song with Chris Gill, driving force behind the great Band of Rain. Chris did the music, I wrote lyrics and sang, and provided a bit of restructuring and orchestral blandishment. The song is called "Austerity", and is aimed at the (lack of) heart of the currrent UK government's social plan of the same name.
And here is where things get really interesting.
The new project is called "Invisible Ground Of Sympathy", and is credited to "Greg Segal with Friends". Yes, I know that's a strange concept, but even stranger, it is exactly as described: an album made with other people! Not a band, but a collection of duets with 10 different musicians, each of whom contributed a track, which I then fleshed out and finished. The range of music and musicians is wide, from very structured to very abstract, spacey or free-form. Contributors: Dave Newhouse, Eric Hausmann, Bret Hart, Jerry King, Forrest Fang, Walter Whitney, Charles Rice Goff III, Don Campau, Kevin Hay, and Tom Stillwagon. The album will be available here- permanently- as a free download, including cover files. That said, there was a tiny pressing of 100 hard copies, most of which are for promotional use. However, to make the cost of the printing back, and thus cover the cost of printing vol. 2, there will be 15 hard copies available for $10 each. I take payment through Paypal, and will post details when the discs are up for sale. If you know you want one, email me at phantom(remove this to email)airship@yahoo.com and tell me.
That is only what's right at the front of the line. Also in the works: a full album with Chris Gill, which will contain "Austerity" and a lot of related material; an album with poet/sax player Paul Green; a quasi-classical solo album; an album based around a synthesizer which models brass instruments, created by xoxos (who created the bird modeler synth used on "Birds"); and vol. 2 of "Greg Segal with Friends" is getting started.
Never one to do things halfway, except when I do, I have managed to not update for nearly 11 months. And- two albums since last update, say you 'last update'? HAH! I laugh at your puny two albums and raise you SIX! SIX new albums! And five remasters! Insert evil genius laugh here! And they are all up at my page on Bandcamp. (Individual album links below.) The new ones, in order of release are: Birds Noodles Toad Is The Uncle Of Heaven Reasons Simple And Not The Watermelon Seed The remasters: Tales Of Today Will Be Tales Of Long Ago Darkland Express one (remix/remaster) Darkland Express two (remix/remaster) Asleep Or Somewhere Else (Eric Wallack and Greg Segal) Jugalbandi Classic
First up came "Moving", released in mid-January. It has, as its theme, simply moving too much. Seventeen addresses before my 11th birthday? A bit much. Despite having a theme, it's an instrumental album. Yes, even my instrumental stuff is usually about or referring to something. Can't help it, it's how my head works. All the cover pictures are areas in which I either lived within walking distance of, or traveled by frequently. As for the music itself, it's in a somewhat similar avante jazz/classical mix vein with "Skeleton Parade" and "Beauty Sleep". And now today, it's "Energies Coarse And Fine". I have wanted to make an all-synth album for a long time. This isn't completely synth, but all the instruments are computer/virtual, controlled by a keyboard, so it's in a similar ballpark. If you're a fan of pre-'78 Tangerine Dream, the kind of things on here wouldn't be entirely strange to you. If you don't know what that is...stream this one before buying. I have said elsewhere that this makes "Skeleton Parade" sound like the Ray Conniff singers, and I wasn't kidding. Well I was, but I wasn't, see? Now despite having quite a few musical projects I could be working on, and more ideas than you could shake your naughty bits at, I think it's time for a short breather so I can take care of things like instrument repair. That's a big one. And the drum setup needs to be reworked- that's do-able, but labor-intensive and time-consuming and other word combinations requiring dashes. There are writing projects I'd like to do, and house projects I NEED to do, and and and and.....And the whole time, I'll probably be jonesin' to get back into the studio. Can't help it, it's how my head works. Until next time kids, stay real. If in doubt, consult your metaphysician.
Some brief notes have been added to this site for each of the 2015 releases, A Handful Of Ashes, "Beauty Sleep", and "Skeleton Parade".
Announcing the arrival of new Greg Segal album, "Skeleton Parade". It is available for download or streaming from Bandcamp. A step or two weirder than "Beauty Sleep", it is a continuation of the jazz/classical/avante garde fusion which began with that album.
I have also recently posted the following to Bandcamp:
Cold Sky:
The King Of Illusion Variations
Jugalbandi 2000:
The View Is Always Better From The Top Of The Food Chain
(The Jugalbandi discs have been remastered- they are a good bit louder [without the use of compression], and punchier bass EQ.)
Greg Segal and Chrissy Barr:
Greg Segal:
The Eye That Shines In Darkness (This has been remastered, and "Eye" parts 6-10 have been merged into a single, flowing, 15-plus minute piece.)
A Real Human Being (soundtrack) (Remixed and remastered with a bonus track.)
Phase Two: Selected Recordings, 2001-2006 (FREE DOWNLOAD!)
Announcing the arrival of new Greg Segal album, "Beauty Sleep". It is available for download and/or streaming at Bandcamp. The albums harkens back to the early days of fusion, and also to soundtracks of that period that featured such music. Despite the presence of odd time signatures though, the album is more textural and orchestrated than it is chop-oriented. It's instrumental music; look the vocals to return sometime in the near future.
Announcing the arrival of a new Greg Segal solo album, "A Handful Of Ashes". It is available for download and/or streaming at Bandcamp. It is the first solo album since 2006; the first solo album with vocals and lyrics since 1993; and the first solo album with a strong keyboard presence since 1985.
OK! Just a little bit behind on those updates, folks! So sorry. Most of you are probably checking things out on Facebook anyway. Nonetheless not everyone is, and this is the official website etc. etc. etc.....So......
Since last May? Wow...Let's look at that last update. OK....burner/computer problems solved. The problem of what Paper Bag album to put on Bandcamp was solved when I was asked to digitize "Ticket To Trauma" and took the job all the way through doing a remaster. It's now posted HERE.
I have been working on a new album. Called "A Handful Of Ashes", I hope to have it ready by spring.
I suppose there's more to say. I may even think of it and do an update with it eventually! Certainly there will be an update when the album is done.
This just in: Burner still dead! Signs of life: none. (Insert modified dead parrot thesaurus entry here.) Eventually I will work something out with the folks who built the current studio computer and figure out how to get me into a "new" one. Budgetary constraints apply.
As stated in our last entry, seven more albums from the catalog had been prepped for upload. Unfortunately the masters of two of them were compromised; and then there were five. (Not to worry; the original digital files are available to create new masters from. Which can be done, as soon as I have a burner. Therefore those two are unavailable until further notice. Some workaround may be possible. Stay tuned!)
Since last update, the following have been added to Bandcamp and are available for streaming and download:
An Awareness Of Frameworks (2010 remaster)
David McIntire/Greg Segal: Wonder, Doubt, And Curiosity
So what's next? Good question. Most of what remains of the solo releases are things I'd been hoping to remaster before posting. Ditto for the remaining Jugalbandi- I've never been entirely pleased with the levels on the trilogy from 2000, and never been entirely pleased with the EQ on the four 2003 releases. There's the double Dog Neutral set, "In Gear", which is tempting. Still no full consensus on what Paper Bag I can or should put up, so not much progress there. There could be a lot more up; just depends how things fall out. Eventually of course, the whole catalog must be available somewhere. It may be time to make a request at Bandcamp so that I can post some of the releases with pieces longer than 30 minutes, right now those albums are in limbo. We'll see.
In case it has not become obvious, the Phantom Airship catalog is making the move to digital downloads. What might not be clear, because it has not yet been stated directly, is that physical CDs will no longer be offered here once an album is available to download. It may seem I've abandoned those who appreciate a simple physical object more. I held out as long as I could. My free time is very limited and hard to come by. Materials have become both expensive and unreliable. This is really the only way I can continue.
I prefer CDs myself. This has made the decision that much harder. My FaceBook friends may remember that I asked for an opinion on this a year or more ago. Whole lotta serious deliberation goin' on.
I will say this: there are advantages to the downloader that couldn't be had otherwise. Let's look at some.
I use the same CDRs you will be using, if you decide to burn a CD off your download. We all know that sometimes things happen with CDRs. The discs and the burners aren't infallible. If I send you a bad disc, yes, I will make you a good one to replace it. But it'll take time to get it through the mail. If you have the download, you have something identical, or nearly identical (depending on the format you choose), to what I burn the discs from. I upload WAV files to Bandcamp. They sound as good as they do on the studio computer. So, if you have these and do the burning instead of me, you burn a bad disc? Meh. Burn another one.
With the graphics files (cover and tray card), print quality will depend on your printer. But the files are the same ones I'd print your cover from. Plus, Bandcamp lets me put in extras for no charge to me or you. Like with the "Cold Sky Live at Be Bop Records" disc, I've included a high quality scan of the original gig poster as part of the download.
If you're not worried about printing things up, and maybe prefer to look at the images in greater detail, leave 'em on your computer. They look larger than the printed copies and you can examine the artwork in detail.
Bandcamp allows me to allow you to stream. Listen to it. Try before you buy. Or just get acquainted.
And last, the obvious: if you are someone who likes to listen to your music on a portable device, you're all set.
And if you really, REALLY can't abide a download, I'm an easy guy to get in touch with. Contact me personally and we'll work something out.
So now, let's get caught up. Here's a list of all the Bandcamp URLs for my music, including some which are new to this update.
My main Bandcamp page is gregsegal.bandcamp.com/ .
New downloads/streams since last update:
Demolished (song only; remixed and remastered 5/14)
Tales Of Today Will Be Tales Of Long Ago
Other downloads/streams:
A Man Who Was Here (remastered)
Night Circus (remastered) part one and part two
The Fourth Of The Three (remixed and remastered)
Water From The Moon (remixed and remastered)
Adventures Of Forever And Nowhere
Cold Sky:
Seven more albums are prepped to be uploaded for your streaming and downloading pleasure in the near future. These are all releases which are ready to go, and which are not currently up for a remix/remaster, or are not trapped in the studio computer by its current lack of CD/DVD burner. So expect news of these further additions to the online catalog soon.
I had originally wanted to continue making the Phase 1 releases (up to '93) available in order. But the death of my burner has made it necessary to switch plans. There had already been later things up there anyway, but I'd hoped with these latest uploads to establish a better sense of history. What can you do? Can't help it, things are how they are. So for the moment, it looks like the focus will go back on Phase 2 work, ('99-'07).
Since the last post, "The Fourth Of The Three" has indeed been remixed, remastered and is now available for streaming and download at Bandcamp.
Intent on keeping this roll going, I remixed and remastered "Water From The Moon". I'm very happy with this mix/master, it's the best the album's ever sounded. "The Fourth Of The Three" and "Water From The Moon" also finally have the covers I'd meant for them to have.
But wait! That's not all! I also posted two Cold Sky albums (click on the titles to see 'em at Bandcamp): "Cold Sky Live At Be-Bop Records, 2/8/89", and "Cold Sky/In Process". Both have been remastered.
What's coming next? I don't know. But it will get a mention here!
Happy first day of spring, everyone. Fitting that the first post of the year be on this date. Of course if it had been earlier, that would have been fine too... Lots to tell. It makes me happy to type that! The Blog Of The Phantom Airship is alive and well, or at least alive, and has had a couple of entries added since the first of the year. Bret Hart, bless 'im, has done it again and managed to coax my ass out of its couch groove. He asked me to finish up a recording he and Bob Jordan did at the beginning of the year. I did so, and behold! A new "Building" recording was born! This one is called "Frank Idyll Growth", is quite wacky and at times jarring, and can be downloaded right here, from Bandcamp.
This activity with Building got me motivated to move "A Man Who Was Here" over to Bandcamp. When I went to do so, I discovered problems with the first two tracks. I also discovered my backups were not functional! Ack! Michelle Klein-Hass came to my rescue with some backups of her own. Since I had to rebuild the master, I used the opportunity to tweak the master one more time, and it now sounds the best it ever has. The Bandcamp download has full cover art (which is the cover the way it was actually meant to look since the album's conception), and all the production notes and lyrics from this site. I hope to keep adding the back catalog there. I'd like to continue in order, and that means "Night Circus" would be next.
During the sessions for the latest "Building", I recorded, but did not use, a lengthy drum truck on the currently-under-construction super kit. It was an interesting thing to do for documentation alone; the kit already has been changed and won't sound quite like that again. But beyond that, it turned out well enough that I thought I would share it. Now titled "This Is Not A Drum Solo", it is available from Bandcamp as part of the "New Music Mondays" collection, or on its own.
I have continued to have the occasional jam with Jeffrey Von Ragan. We always have fun, and have been recording to the H2. I will most likely try to assemble something from these recordings a la the partial digital concrete mode used in "Building".
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