The Next Step

(artwork by Lisa Freeze)

As the project was drawing to a close and I had more and more songs to work with, I toyed with the idea of producing a cd and playing in a show to promote it. Then I chickened out. Then I thought about giving all proceeds (not just net profit) to a local charity. Then I chickened out again. Then I told the fine folks at the middle audio forums my plans; a little bit of encouragement goes a long way, and here we are!

Above, you can see that I'm showing off some preliminary album artwork by Lisa Freeze. Because I think it's awesome. Saturday, February 20th - 52 days from this, New Year's Eve 2009 - will mark the release of a cd with all 52 tracks on it. Here are some reasons to buy it, even if you've already heard every song on the site here:

- It will only cost you $5.20 - that's only 10 cents a song! (In today's downloady age, if you're willing to pay $1 for a song that you like, and there's 52 songs on this cd, the odds are in your favour of getting yourself a bargain!)

- the entire $5.20 of your money will be donated to the Saint John Animal Rescue League. Any supplies and materials to make the cd, come out of my own pocket.

- There will be a new track order, to capitalize on the strengths and weaknesses of certain songs (they'll still be named so that you can rearrange and play them in chronological order, if you're into that).

- a few tracks will be cleaned up (as much as I want to leave all my mistakes in, there are a few tracks that have static going through them that shouldn't; the only reason it's in there at all was because I didn't find the master faders in my software until late in the project...if it's such a quick and simple fix, I feel like I can get away with it).

- in addition to the hand-made packaging, your cd will be one in a limited run of only 52; I'll be displaying a checklist of numbers that have already been claimed by people. Email me in advance (chrisleblanc79 at gmail) if you'd like to claim one for February 20th!

To help promote the cd and get the word out there (because I seriously don't want to be left with a pile of 40 or 50 cds burning a hole in my self-esteem!), Dan Chamberlain is helping me to set up a show at Sunstar Lounge, Saturday night, February 20th. I'll be providing more details as they become finalized, but it's shaping up to look like a solo electronic showcase, if that's something that interests you! And if it doesn't: c'mon out anyway. C'mon, it'll be fun!

Anyway: keep watching this space for more details as they become available. I also still plan on posting a few articles here about what I thought of the project, some thanks, and some spotlights on other people out there that have done the '52' thing before.

52

52:52 by ChristianLeBlanc

I may have had better songs, but I've never had a 52nd song of the year before. So that has to count for something :)

As promised a few weeks ago, I tried getting drunk and doing this song all in one session. Didn't quite work out as planned; I did get slightly buzzed on absinthe one night, with the lights off and a full moon reflecting off the freshly-fallen snow on the trees outside. This produced the jangly guitar line and half the lyrics. I had some more absinthe and finished it off tonight, but I didn't really get drunk either night, so nothing all that weird.

Thanks, reflections, and a spotlight on other '52' artists to come, along with rumours of a cd and a show a little later! Stay tuned!

"This is my last song
So I don't want to get this wrong
You must know how I feel
By now

A fracture and a bond
I suspected all along
Nobody's wrong
But me

Can someone draw this picture
Of daylight on the trees
'cus this is what you mean to me

One last chance to say I love you
So let me get this right
You're the fire in my cold winter night

It's only my last song
This year"

51

52:51 by ChristianLeBlanc

Here it is, part 3 of my little 'trifecta.' As you can see, all I did was mix elements of songs 49 and 50 together to make 51. The impetus for doing this was to give myself a little bit of a break near the holidays, but I think I ended up with one of my stronger-sounding tracks. I don't necessarily love the tune itself all that much, but I believe the song sounds a lot 'stronger' than previous efforts - that is, there's just a lot more going on, and in different places, which is what I'd like to be able to write more of.

So when I started writing 49, I also recorded some of the synth lines from 50, kind of working ahead on 51, but then I muted all the electronic tracks and just finished making a straight-ahead guitar tune for 49. For 50, I just muted the guitar tracks, and added more electronic parts to what I already had to make a new song. 51 took the original song I started working on for 49, and then added all the embellishments that I made coming up with 49 and 50. I may just have to try this technique again in the future :)

"That was a darker time, up until I met you
(Where did I go on a wind that won't blow)

Robotic response in kind, warmer than a virtue
(And it's starting to show, fly as high as a crow)

These simple words at night, helping you to pull through
(I'm not on my own, temperature flow)

Artificial as a satellite, no less of a world view
(Now it's starting to snow, barometer's low)

That was a darker time, up until I met you
(In those darker times)

Robotic response in kind, warmer than a virtue
(Your words felt so kind)

These simple words at night, helping you to pull through
(Helped me sleep at night)

Artificial as a satellite, no less of a world view
(In my old satellite)

Where did I go
Where did I go
Where did I go
Where did I go

50

52:50 by ChristianLeBlanc

Drums from the Triton, everything else from the Moog.

Part 2 of a 3-part cycle of songs (49-51).

"Where did I go
Temperature flow
Barometer's low
Now it's starting to snow
Fly as high as a crow
On a wind that won't blow
I'm not on my own
And it's starting to show

In those darker times
In my old satellite
Your words felt so kind
Helped me sleep at night"

49

52:49 by ChristianLeBlanc

As promised, Jill helped me with some of the music on this one (thank you Jill!). This is also part one of a three-part cycle.

Overall, this song sounds really far away and underwater - which wasn't intentional, and doesn't sound good to me. Methinks I had too many delay, reverb etc. effects, which makes things sound further away. I have a harder time mixing strictly guitar sounds (of which there are three on this one: ebow, chords, and plucking, not to mention a bass guitar), which is why last week's song sounds so much better (no guitar in it at all, save for the bass). I can start to understand why guitar people spend so much time on their tone, now :)

"That was a darker time
Up until I met you

Robotic response in kind
Warmer than a virtue

These simple words at night
Helping you to pull through

Artificial as a satellite
No less of a world view"