April 16, 2024

Slowly but surely I am getting comforable jamming in real time with the machines. This is my half a jam at Jason's last night. I found myself in an entirely different headspace laying things on a grid, listening and reacting, shaping and mixing, than I do as a player, but not unlike where my head is at as a composer on a page or as an improviser doing anything leader-y - anything to steer the group in a direction. I really like the sound of pulse modulating a noisy found sound from shortwave, using a tremolo effect. I never put my guitar through that but will probably play with that more as time goes on.

I was working as a dishwasher at Claire's Pantry, a popular breakfast spot in downtown Edmonds, sometime in 1987. My boss knew I was obsessed with guitar, and he invited to his garage to take an amp off of his hands. I barely remember what it was - it might've been a Silvertone? - but what jumped out to me was the on-board tremolo and vibrato. I had instant access to the guitar sound on One of the Days by Pink Floyd.

We were in a rental by the police station, just a few blocks away, and my dad had finished off a section of the garage / laundry room for me to call a bedroom. I loved it, and didn't care the damp, until one day when the carpet got wet. My stack of albums leaned against the wall all had 2 inches of moisture damage, but my new gifted amp appeared to be ok, so I plugged and got the shock of my life. Luckily I wasn't barefoot or I might've died - but I lived to tell the tale!

Pic: The sunset refracted by an imperial beer glass at Peace of Mind Brewing.