Music and Project Mixing/Mastering Services
Discography
One Small Step - Notes
The One Small Step album was created over a two and a half year time period following the previous project, Silver Star. The long period in between works, however, was not unproductive. In order to improve the sonic experience I have made the move from my previous DAW (digital audio workstation), ACID Pro, to Presonus' Studio One Professional. In addition to this, great strides have been achieved in gaining knowledge of the mixing process through the use of EQ, compression, and other audio tools used for years in the industry. The mastering process was also brought in-house and enables a more uniform sound across the entire project. From an instrument perspective I have also purchased a Roland JD-XI synthesizer, which is featured in many tracks.
One Small Step is not a concept album, but features (in part) an homage to my 3-year time period living in Dayton, OH. Neil Armstrong, like myself, is from a nearby town and the Wright Brothers are famously from Dayton, so "flight" is a recurring theme.
Right on Time
Probably the most upbeat get-your-feet-moving track on the album. It's a great way to start things off both on the album and in starting your day as a great shower song.
One Small Step
The title song of the album is a salute to NASA and Apollo 11 for landing on the moon and includes the famous Neil Armstrong quote "...one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind..."
Birds I View
Originally written in 2020, this track makes use of the new synthesizer for piano and strings, surrounding a hooky guitar melody. The title itself is an intentional play on words that illustrates the difference in perceptions.
Banger 18
This track is a raucous "banger" of a song, interrupted by a bridge that was inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughn's song Riviera Paradise. Of course, the title of the song is a play on words for all of those UFO conspiracy theorists out there. Hanger 18 is located at Dayton's Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Leaning into Life
This longest song on the album and is one of my favorite deep-cuts. As a guitar-centric song, I love the tone that I was able to achieve out of this track, more than any other song on the album.
The Western Seaboard
The Western Seaboard is more of a polished mix of instruments, featuring an arpeggiated synthesizer supporting the backbeat and double-tracked guitars. The song ends with a back-and-forth exchange between lofty guitar sounds and trumpet-sounding synthesizer.
Walk in the Park
This song is a definite "throw-back" type song that is probably the most distinct from the others of the collection and could envision this song in a commercial or movie from the early '60s. Background vocals and violins performed by the Roland JD-XI.
Ray Hu-Ray
A groovy blues tune that tells the story of that good-for-nothin' Ray Hu-Ray, who is always up to no good. Interesting use of the Xylophone and background vocals (via the Roland JD-XI).
Modern Technology
A cautious warning to a world racing through technological changes and the twisted shift of power that it creates as a result. A combination of two different arpeggiated chords on the synthesizer supports the song throughout.
Discography
Silver Star Notes
Tyler (“Ty”) Martinez, a genuine American hero from his years of service in the Army, received the Silver Star award for going above and beyond the call of duty during a particular battle in which his unit lost four men. Outnumbered during an ambush, Ty risked his life, while saving two injured soldiers and keeping the enemy at bay long enough for help to arrive by helicopter. If it were not for Ty’s actions, the number of men lost that day would have been higher, however, he struggles to see himself in the same light as those who have honored him and is frequently haunted by the events of that day, watching his buddies die and thinking that he could have done more.
The fictional story featured by this album takes place a couple of years after Ty’s military service ends. It involves a deep-sea fishing trip with a group of friends and family that ends tragically and leaves one wondering how strange it is how Ty’s military and civilian life mirror each other.
Family Reunion
Cousins and immediate family get together for a barbecue where some of the guys agree to go on a deep-sea fishing trip. Ty agrees to make all of the arrangements, knowing a few of his friends will join as well (Notes: I was not a fan of this song while making it. I struggled with the beat, as it is not the style of music that I would personally ever listen to, but as the song progressed, it quickly began to grow on me and is now one of my favorites on the album).
Playa Bonita
Arriving by plane to their vacation destination, the guys make plans for a day at the beach and night out (Notes: Featuring a groovy Latin beat, this song reminds me of my many trips to Rocky Point, Mexico and is named after a beach there).
Watch Out!
On their night out the guys meet “The Shaman”, a strange elderly black man who is part fortune-teller, part voo-doo doctor, part drug dealer. He warns the guys against their plans to venture out into the ocean and “prescribes” a drink to protect them from evil (Notes: Personal favorite of mine on the album. The song wrote itself).
Traveling Through Head Space
The Shaman’s “prescription” kicks in (Notes: This is one of those songs that you can tinker with forever and I thought many times that it would take that long. The original version was 13 minutes long).
35-Feet Tall
The deep-sea fishing trip begins and an ominous wall of water is heading their way [Notes: I was happy to stumble upon a sound effect that I incorporated about half way into the song that sounds (to me) like sonar, which reinforces the ocean atmosphere in an ominous way].
Ridin’ the Wave
All Hell breaks loose as the boat and the people aboard get thrown around like shoes in a washing machine (Notes: Time to pull out the air guitar/drums. This raw song is a great little hard rocker).
Silver Star
Clinging to parts of the capsized boat, Ty saves a cousin of his who is unconscious and bobbing in the water as helicopters arrive overhead. Flashbacks of the war cross Ty’s mind (Notes: This song was the initial impetus of the story. Not by intention, the song’s beat and repeated guitar melody that ends the song gave me the impression of a proud military song. The sound effects of the helicopter and explosions were added later to support that military feel).
Rescued
Plucked from the sea, the guys are rescued, however, two people from the group were lost at sea [Notes: This is the only song in which you will hear my voice (not in a singing context, of course)].
The Surgical Procedure
Ty undergoes surgery for his internal injuries (Notes: A classy, high-brow, almost jazzy type of song).
Concussion Protocol
Physical recovery begins (Notes: A slow hard-driving rock song. I had the hardest time incorporating the right drum solo on this one).
The Room Upstairs
At home Ty continues his recovery through bed rest in “The Room Upstairs”. Unfortunately, it provides a lot of time for reflection. This is the low point as Ty blames himself for the events that took place because it was his idea to go on the excursion. (Notes: When I moved back to Ohio, I temporarily moved into my parents’ house while waiting for my house to sell in Arizona. I would usually end the day by noodling around on my guitar. I wrote this song laying in my bed in the “room upstairs”).
Mr. Bean
Ty tries to cope with his depression through drinking [Notes: The song’s drum beat reminds me of the kind of beat that a good friend of mine (who is a drummer) would have created. People tell him that he looks like Mr. Bean, which amusingly pisses him off, thus the name of the song].
Pure Grain
Successful in coping with his mental and physical problems, Ty learns to live a happy and pure life (Notes: The song’s name comes from a combination of the pure guitar tone on this song and a nod to the brewery that I currently work in).