the pieces were created as structured improvisations using a monophonic synth (primarily) along with a yamaha dx7 (borrowed from a friend) and possibly a guitar. recording was made on an older otari mx5050 1/2 8 track. mixing was done on a tascam m-50 console and a revox a77 1/4 machine. i recall the project happened in two bursts: i did half of it in september 85, then i finished up and edited the album together in december 85. i dont really recall making copies for anyone. i think i played it for a dozen people and that was it. just forgot about it. i remember jeff ament from pearl jam (green river back then) came by while i had it playing on my home stereo. he asked what it was and said he liked it. surprised me a little. with regard to overall aesthetic: i like the sound of machinery, but i enjoy the fragility of human error and human instinct. i like to put things into motion then climb aboard and drive. i can’t play an instrument (in the classical sense) for the life of me, so i’ve always just played things that are mostly choice rather than a convolution of style and technique. i guess you call that the brian eno school of rock.
like their american third stream predecessors, the three musicians on stage, donald chifamba on cello, vimbai mukarati on sax and vocals and his brother tinashe on congas and marimbas, accompanied by the experienced pianist filbert marova, produced a kind of music that resisted any kind of stylistic pigeon-holing. it also mixed the influences of classical music and jazz but added in pop, soul and the melodies of their shona culture.
the new york downtown producer/composer returns with his first new album in 3 years!
eighteen: the year of release, 2018. eighteen: the age at which i first used a synthesizer. in creating eighteen i worked independently in the studio, initially building up tracks with synthesizers and found sounds recorded in my daily comings and goings. after working with the tracks over a period of months, i shared them with a few musicians, who added their own instrumental layers. though working independently, we all shared a similar working process: working in our personal recording spaces, as opposed to larger recording studios.
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