what to expect in 2014

hope everyones having a good start to the new year. here's what to expect from Hectic Zeniths in 2014:

-long overdue hectic zeniths t-shirts! (they actually were printed a few weeks ago but there was a minor setback, should be putting them up for sale within the next month).  the logo looks awesome.

-putting up a new song w/ artwork on bandcamp a few days before valentine's day.  i made it for my girlfriend.  i like it a lot.  i hope you like it.

-hoping we can finish this 4 song hectic zeniths/sketch lightly collaborative EP and put it up by the end of the year.  it sounds pretty different than anything else i've done (almost entirely composed from field recordings).  i love it. 

-lastly, here's a progress update on whats up with the next full album:
 one of my goals in 2013 was to have 30 piano ideas for HZ II.  (why 30? seemed like a good number to be able to scrap the ones that arent as strong and have enough for an 1 full album plus an EP or LP of b-sides/outtakes.)  i don't know when i will be able to practice and record them in a studio and start turning them into new songs, but...I do have 30 piano ideas for it.  i've been writing them on music paper this time instead of just trying to memorize everything.  also got a new turntable in 2013,  did my first record dig for the album, and chopped/saved samples from most of it.  in 2014 i will be a bit occupied with going back to school [again] and trying to change careers, but finishing writing all the piano parts i plan to record was a huge step forward.  maybe i'll get with the times and finally get an iphone to do instagram updates once in a while so this page doesn't become too dead in 2015-2016 when i'm working on the album.

"Ruminate"

Anyone want a holiday gift? Let's try an experiment. There's a piano/fieldrecordingy/synthy slow track called "Ruminate" I left off Type One Era, that will never show up on any future project ever. Send an e-mail to hecticzeniths@gmail.com with the subject "Hectic Holidays", and I'll respond with an attached as a 320 kps mp3. Doooo it...you know you want to.

hectic zeniths post trip-hop 90-minute hannukah megablend

mediafire download: http://www.mediafire.com/listen/rtbohhw4xabajuh/hectic%20zeniths%20post%20trip-hop%2090-minute%20hannukah%20megablend.mp3

"hectic zeniths post trip-hop 90-minute hannukah megablend" is a mix of some of my favorite trip-hop songs and artists. "post-trip hop" because they all came out after 2000 (most in the last few years). i lean heavily toward the crackling-left-in-the-samples, bittersweet/pained vocals, grimey synths type of trip hop, but there's some fun/upbeat songs as well. all songs with vocals, no instrumentals.

here's the tracklist:

0:00 Beth Gibbons Interview Intro
0:10 underwaters - Behind the Veil
2:42 Child Actor - Getaway
5:23 Built To Fade - Glow True
8:21 Daughter Darling - Sweet Shadows
10:28 THE LIVING - Brooklyn Ovid
13:44 Little Dragon - Twice (Aaron Jerome Remix)
16:30 Paper Tiger - Make Make 2 (feat. Maggie Morrison)
18:22 Phantogram - When I'm Small
22:21 VANDAAM - LEARNtoSIGN (Remix)
24:10 Moon & Pollution - Solace Sandwich
27:17 Sister Crayon - Headline
30:56 Radiation City - Find It Of Use
34:26 Utada - Devil Inside (RJD2 Remix)
38:05 Blue Daisy - Firewall (feat. Anneka)
40:42 Stoupe - Find A Way (feat. Lorrie Doriza)
44:30 Dimlite - On The Same Picture (feat. Elan Tamara)
47:25 Blue Sky Black Death - Shoot You Dead (feat. Yes Alexander)
50:10 Little People - Breathe Again (feat. Rachael Roberts)
52:58 My Brightest Diamond - Golden Star (Alias Remix)
55:51 Sonnymoon - Blast Off
59:53 MADE IN HEIGHTS - Wildflowers
1:01:58 Dutch - Pearls
1:05:00 Folium - Psychic Blue
1:08:35 Furcast - Grey Is Old
1:12:22 Pillow Fight - Get Your Shit Together
1:15:50 Quintero - Home
1:20:00 Careful - Quite
1:22:51 Anja Garbarek - The Gown
1:25:44 Fjer - Long Nights (Hectic Zeniths Remix) [PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED]

5 cassettes left / the next 3 HZ projects?

thanks everyone for any posts/support/listens given to type one era...only 5 cassettes left for sale on the buddha tapes bandcamp page! also, quick/random update on what i'm working on:

i have some sketches of melodies/chords written for a second hectic zeniths album that i'll hopefully move ahead/start doing more with come July when I move into a loft in old city and buy a bunch of new equipment.  right now ive mostly just been focused on practicing trumpet every day...trying to get good enough to comfortably add trumpet lines to the next album/EP.

i think hectic zeniths projects, at least the next 2, will alternate between being more focused on field recordings and brief sample chops (type one era EP) and original compositions/live instrumentation (self-titled)...so the next HZ release will be closer to the first album but probably even more focused on original/live stuff.  the one after that, which i have a title for but don't want to reveal the concept yet, i've started collecting samples + field recordings.  i think in retrospect i learned from type one era a few things i would've done differently and will hopefully improve upon for that one.  i also want to do a first amplifya album but haven't started on that at all yet. 

in summary, just felt like announcing to whoevers reading that i started working on 1. a HZ project focused on live/original music, 2. a HZ project focused on sampling field recordings, and 3. i have a clear idea for a first amplifya album but haven't started it yet.  and also 4., hopefully a live set to accompany all three.

i just turned 28 a few days ago...hoping to have those 3 done, or at least mostly done, when i turn 30.  feel free to yell at me to keep working on them on twitter/facebook.  ill try to provide occasional updates along the way.

- amp

PS, theres the first official HZ remix for another artist finished but i have no idea when it'll be released

PPS, if you missed it, i put a screwed version of "On Standby" on soundcloud.  i think it sounds nifty: https://soundcloud.com/hecticzeniths/on-standby-7-minute-screwed

'Type One Era' Limited Edition Cassette Now Available!

Type One Era is now available! Buy a tape here!
http://buddhatapes.bandcamp.com/album/type-one-era

a geography of time

finished reading this book a couple weeks back for hectic zeniths "research"; expect to see some future song titles picked out of concepts in it: 

http://www.amazon.com/Geography-Time-Tempo-Culture-Pace/dp/0465026427

'type one era' artwork and tracklist

01 Beau Geste (Extended)

02 Type One Era (feat. Careful)

03 On Standby (Part 1)

04 On Standby (Part 2)

05 Beau Geste (feat. Sketch Lightly)

06 Type One Era (Instrumental)

07 Beau Geste (Screwed)

Beau Geste coming soon...