Tuesdays with Riley: IRC Music and Other Jive

Another Facebook chat session with the one and only Shael of the Rileys.

Shael Riley Last FM

How’s a little chat tonight for you?

Let’s do it.

Word.

So, how’ve ya been since we last talked. I read that you were sick on your Twitter.

Still having some health problems. I’ve been light headed and fainting, and have a chronic muscle spasm in my neck and shoulders. I’ve had a lot of MRIs and other tests, but still haven’t been diagnosed.

That sucks!

It’s OK, man.

I’m not mad or anything.

So, what are you working on musically?

Anything new?

I’ve been trying to write new songs for the full length Double Ice Backfire release, primarily. Working on a little bit of Grammar Club on the side.

Doing one-hour music writing contests every other week or so.

That’s been fun.

Cool. One-hour music writing?

Never heard of such a thing.

Yeah!

You’d never think of it, right?

It’s cool. What websites do contests like that?

It started, in so far as I know, with the video game music arranging crowd, but I’m sure its roots are older.

ThaSauce.net does the ones I participate in right now.

Everyone gets together in a chat room; we’re all given a theme and an hour to compose, then we all listen to each other’s work and vote on our favorites.

While I’m not much a musician, I’ll have to try sometime.

You should! Everyone’s welcome. #ThaSauce on the Enter The Game IRC network.

It’s a lot of fun. It’s super nerdy, though, because you’re hanging with all your friends in a chatroom while you’re sitting by yourself on a computer.

So, I reviewed Dual Core. They got my name from you. I absolutely loved their album. Have a favorite track of theirs?

“Here to Help” right now.

Rad. Have you ever done a track with them?

Not under the Dual Core name, though C64, the producer of Dual Core, is producing the new Grammar Club album right now.

Int 80 might make a guest appearance.

That’s awesome. As a big fan of you, them, and Beefy, I will have to rock that as soon as it’s ready… which will be…

I don’t know, man.

We’ve had three or four false starts with this album, and a lot of personnel changes. I think everything’s finally rolling now, but at this point I’m just not gonna give a date until it’s done and being processed by CD Baby.

You’re only as fast as the slowest band member when you’re working virtually, over the Internet.

Who exactly is in this incarnation of Grammar Club?

Oh man!

Check this out:

Me on sequencing and vocals;

Beefy on vocals;

Kabuto the Python replacing Glenn Case as our third vocalist;

And C64 doing final production and engineering. He’s also doing a lot of drum loop and synth arrangement stuff, and some awesome turntablism too.

Nice!

Facebook tells me you didn’t get half of that

Kabuto the Python on vocals

Ailsean on guitar

Mustin on bass for half of the album

Adam!, the producer of our first album, on bass for the other half of the album

DJ Snyder doing some table work and some drum loop stuff

So that’s 8 guys.

I think….

Awesome. I did miss like half of that.

Yeah.

8 different artists.

Double Ice Backfire, by contrast, is only three.

Ok, well, most of those cats are new to me. Who are they (minus you and the Beefster)?

Snyder did all the scratching on our first record, and did some production.

C64 is, as I mentioned, the producer of Dual Core. He creates all of the instrumentals that Eighty raps over.

Mustin is the front man of TheOneUps, a jazz fusion video game cover band with a good bit of a following. (www.oneupstudios.com)

I’ll have to check that out, for sure.

Ailsean is an old school overclocked remixer whose guitar work I’ve been a fan of for a very long time. It’s amazing to be on a project with him since I was a big fanboy of his video game music arrangement stuff. Still am, actually.

I’ve heard mad good stuff about Kabuto, but I’ve never heard anything myself.

Kabuto the Python is a really good rapper. I’m stoked about the addition of a second rapper. The new album takes a more hip-hop direction than our last.

You should check out his mix tape Parseltongue.

I will, where can I get it?

Lemme check….

http://www.scrubclubrecords.com/music/parsel.html

SCHWEEEEET!

I’ll be rockin’ that on my new iPod tomorrow.

Did I mention I got a free Touch?

No.

My sis bought a MacBook and already had an iPod Touch. It came free, so I got an early B-day gift.

Sounds good.

I am digging on it. So anyway… I am watching Greek (an ABC Family show that is basically a college sitcom/dramedy) with the wife.

You are married, right?

Where did you get that idea?

I don’t know. I thought it said so on your Facebook.

It’s never that on my Facebook.

Then, I’m crazy. Not sure why I thought so.

No wife, then I guess.

I like these interviews. lol

Haha. Me too.

Any lady friend? or man friend? or…

I’m straight and single.

To the point.

I always find it easier to write music, though, when I’m not in a relationship.

A girlfriend takes a lot of emotional energy. You know what I mean?

And making the relationship work takes a time investment, too.

Agreed. Am I at least right on the fact that you live in NYC?

Kind of. I’m a little ways North of the city right now, dealing with this health issue.

Ahhh. I’m originally from Northern NJ, so I am familiar with NY.

Yeah. So I’ve been really happy with the stuff I’ve been writing recently, since I’ve spent most of my adult life in relationships and haven’t had much of an opportunity to write music while single until now. I think the stuff I’ve just recently written is my best stuff yet.

Interesting.

So, I think I’m gonna bounce. Next week, we’ll have to hit up some controversy, like politics and uhh… stuff.

lol

Oh man.

That’s gonna be great. :) :)

You’re gonna be like

“I hear you’re a Libertarian.”

Hmmm…

lol

I’m not.

I’m very Liberal.

I’m just ribbing you, man.

We’ll be ok.

Besides, libertarianism is just anarchy for rich white guys with guns… or so I’m told.

This week’s session will be up tomorrow by like noon, most likely, so check it out.

Anyhoo, I’m out like trout, homie. Keep it real.

Peace out.

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~ by thepaintedman on September 8, 2009.

4 Responses to “Tuesdays with Riley: IRC Music and Other Jive”

  1. […] I forgot to start with, “So, I heard you are a Libertarian.“ I was, but I stopped being one when I left my first […]

  2. Just to follow up on what Shael said about compos: I’m pretty sure the compos we do in the VGM community are a direct derivative of those in the demoscene. I know Jake “virt” Kaufman was really active in the demoscene, along with other remixers like Xavier “mv” Dang, so I expect that’s where the link is.

    That said: You don’t need to be an established musician to enjoy compos. More than anything they’re an exercise in composition and musicianship to help hone your skills. People like virt, Suzumebachi, and injury all credit compos for the most of what they know today.

  3. […] about when you met your wife? Haha. I’ve had dramatic realizations, but they’ve all been from my learning something […]

  4. Is roots as popular now?

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