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Hi-This is MJ. First of all, I would like to thank you for visiting the Shadowdown Music website. I have been away for some time now. I've got good news to share with you. I just completed my Electronics Technician Specialty course out of Atlanta, GA. It was very interesting and very powerful. This is something that will allow me to go deeper into the electronic realm as far as manipulating sound frequencies, cross fading, ping-ponging, velocity, sound effects, mastering, and things of that nature. It will also give me a deeper insight into the selection of high-end performance equipment. This also will be a very interesting year and I hope that you hang on for the ride.
I have been doing some very serious studying on electronic drums due to the course, and some very serious study with the electric 4-string bass, 5-string bass, and the unfretted bass, due to the course. And also very serious study with the keyboard synthesizer and recording consoles and recording machines due to the course, which will allow me to give my listener top-notch as far as cable connections, machine-to-machine mix down, things of that nature.
Also, I would like to thank all the MJ Static in the Attic listeners. It has been awesome. Static in the Attic is a limited production CD, due to the way I record, and it is a special CD, one of a kind, and also one of a 4-part series. Mainly, not sold in stores, pretty much on the Internet. Static in the Attic took me five years to make. Through those five years I had to break down a lot of different type of components to make a CD like that happen. You won't find a CD like Static in the Attic because the things that are done on Static in the Attic are just not normal. It is not a commercialized type of composing that I am striving for. I wanted it to be unique, I wanted it to be something that you are just not used to hearing, and that is where innovation comes in.
As a producer, my goal within my series is to push the realm of electronics as far as possible, to push the electronic drums as far as possible, to push the electric bass as far as possible, to push keyboard synthesizer as far as possible and also my recording console capabilities as far as possible. To do that, I have to do a lot of research, consult with professional musicians, and also recording industry people that I know throughout the years and throughout the world. That is pretty much primarily my goal: To make music that is different and as far as possible away from the mainstream, but not too far that you lose interest.
The things that I have learned in music theory will allow me to go even further into electronic Jazz/Funk music. The great thing about rules is that once you know what the rules are you can break them, manipulate them, break them down and twist them into all different directions, different colors, tonal characters, put things in places where people will say, "that doesn't go there" and "that doesn't sound right". But when the composition is done, it makes perfect sense.
That is one of the reasons why I will be exploring deeper into the Circle of Fifths. It starts at 12, ends at 12. Also, in my electronics course the symbol of Ohm's Law in electronics is a mathematical chart and the first time I saw it, I couldn't believe it, the similarities between them. It is going to be an awesome journey and I hope that you will continue to visit the site. I will give you updates from time to time.
I will be working in the recording studio, writing and producing, and keeping my fingers crossed that what is in my head turns out pretty good in sound. I pretty much write from a very spaced out imagination in order to do the kind of music that I do. It's just not mainstream; it's just not normal material.
If you want something different, something that will take you on a musical journey, then I'm your man. I just hope that you will be patient with me because this type of music takes time. You know, I work alone pretty much of the time, and when I'm not working alone I am working with other musicians and other players in the game to help establish their primary goals and in return they give to me and I give to them. That is what makes a lot of this work.
Also, to help you understand a little bit more about why my music sounds the way it sounds is because I come from a family of DJ's in Milwaukee, WI. I left DJ'ing back in 1980. My other four brothers pursued it and I left it to pursue producing.
All these years later, through my study, it's kind of odd to present my CD to my brothers that are all DJ's who pull pretty huge crowds when they have their parties here in Wisconsin. It was nail biting, it was scary, because with a lot of music today and their experience throughout their years of DJ'ing, after the first couple of bars, if it ain't slammin', it gets tossed. It's nothing personal or anything like that. When you come from DJ's that pull huge crowds like that, that are hard-hittin', there is no time to waste. When it's time for you to perform you have to deliver. For my four brothers to tell me I deliver on Static in the Attic is awesome.
At first, I was debating not to even take the CD to them because of the fact that being the DJ's that they are, they are looking for a particular type of sound to get the crowd up and running pretty quickly whether they are doing Rap, Hip-Hop, Jazz, straight-up old school 70's Funk, or Classical, any kind of music of that nature. So I was debating to detour from them and go with an unknown DJ and see what would happen there, which I did, and he liked it too.
One thing I have learned when it comes to music is that Static in the Attic is as American as you can get. But it is also International as well. The reason why is because America is made up of so many different cultures and these cultures bring their music to America as well and I have been exposed to all of these influences throughout my life.
I was fortunate to have friends in my life that introduced me to Rock, Speed Metal, Gothic, Classical, Country, Pop, Bluegrass, Reggae, Latin, Folk, Alternative and all different types of music. And then I had friends who introduced me to deep Funk and other different types of cultural music. That is why my music is a collective blend of all different types of music. That brings us to Jazz Fusion, where we are now.
It is a democracy where you have different types of music in chaos but that come together as one. Through confusion we make peace. My music also contains a lot of improvisation. Improvisation is reacting to a situation, like conversation. Two people sitting down, one is receiving information and one is giving information. When the two forces are combined together it brings to light counterpoint. When we both are conversing, one says one line and the other says another line, then we both merge together to the one line and then we can also take that and we can play against each other. Like conversation.
Static in the Attic is an improvisational CD. The structure is solidly laid out to get the listener aboard the cruise ship. For example, the upper part of the register of the music is a part that is written for the sax player. Then there is another upper part of the register for the trumpet. Then I will merge the two together and then I will merge them away from each other and that will allow me to put a new and different instrument between the two. So improvisation is like an actor who has a written script for half a scene. He or she should be able to complete the scene without the other half of the script-through improvisation.
I hope that my CD and my musical knowledge will help you to pursue your dreams and happiness. Take time in life to do the things you always wanted to do.
Once again, thank you for visiting Shadowdown Music. Drop me e-mail if you like. I'll see you soon.
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