Web Log 09 (201-225)

Volume 9
Posts 201-225
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
to
Monday, May 5, 2008
W E D N E SD A Y , A P R I L 2 , 2 0 0 8
Equipment File #5: Yamaha keyboard
Yamaha PortaSound PSS-460
The year was 1986. The band Pheonix had been playing for a few months. Harry
was playing his new Korg DW-8000 synthesizer, Brad played his drums, Mark played
his guitar, and Jason usually ran the tape recorder. Jason could play piano and
keyboards, but he did not have a portable one.
So Jason's parents fixed the problem that fall. In October, for his birthday, they
got him a Yamaha PortaSound PSS-460 keyboard. He used it for the next few
Pheonix jams, but the band soon fizzled out.
Jason then turned his attention to a solo career. He recorded a total of six tapes
(later called albums) of him playing the keyboard, sometimes Christmas or cover
songs, but most of the songs were originals.
This practice at writing and recording his own songs was a strong foundation that
he built his later solo projects on. By 1990 he was starting to acquire better
equipment. He started recording songs under the name Mune Mud. In early 1990 he
bought a drum machine that replaced the drum sounds he used from the Yamaha
keyboard.
By 1991 he had a multi-track recorder, so his recordings were much cleaner. And
he realized his music had "outgrown" the sounds his small Yamaha keyboard made.
So in 1991, during the Mune Mud Olympus recording sessions, he got a new Casio
portable keyboard. Some of the songs on Olympus used the Yamaha keyboard,
some used the Casio. But by the time the next album was recorded, Underwater
Problem Factory, the Yamaha was in storage and the Casio was the Studio's
keyboard.
The Yamaha has not seen much action since. In the last couple of years it has been
brought out for Jason's kids to play. But even they have recently moved up to the
Casio. So the keyboard now sits as a monument to the early days of Jason's solo
career.
Posted by - Mune Mud - at 11:23 AM 0 comments
Labels: Equipment File
T H U R SD A Y , A P R I L 3 , 2 0 0 8
Studio News: Precursory 33 Information
On Tuesday, April 8, less than one week away, the new Mune Mud album will be
released. But today the album cover, play list, and news about the album website
are being revealed.
Tracks:
1. That's All I Need to Know
2. Plutonic
3. Ominous
4. Peach Tree
5. Lyric
6. Why Did You Go? v2.0
7. Harley
8. Fruit Preserve
9. Under the Sky
10. Umbra Flame
11. That's Life
12. Decomposition of a Song
13. I'll Be Here
14. I Dream
15. Go West
16. Tip 26
17. King Song
18. Just Defied
19. The One-Liner
20. Eighty-Eight II
21. We Dog
22. Suburban 70
23. Leaves Fall
Next Tuesday will also see the launch of the Precursory 33 website. At the website
you can read about the history of the album, listen to and download the Online
Album version, or order the CD version.
Tune in tomorrow for a Listen Online! preview song from the new album.
Labels: Studio News
F RI DAY , APRI L 4 , 2 0 0 8
Listen Online!
Today's audio nugget is a preview song from the Mune Mud album Precursory 33.
The song is called "Peach Tree". It was recorded in July of 1990 and originally had
a different set of lyrics that were to be sung by Jason and his friend Joe. But Joe
was unavailable when it was time to record so Jason wrote these new lyrics and
recorded the song himself.
This was recorded before the Studio had a multi-track recorder, so it was done
with two standard tape recorders. It features two guitars, a drum machine, and
two vocal tracks.
The song appeared on the original 1991 Mune Mud debut album, then again on the
Mune Mud re-release in 1994.
Click here to listen to the song.

Labels: Listen Online
SA T U R D A Y , A P R I L 5 , 2 0 0 8
This Day in Studio History
It was this day in 1994 that the NueroMorgue EP E. Phantasmata was released.
This was a short collection of outtakes, alternate takes, and demos from 1993's
NueroMorgue album Devis Tortura. It was the last NueroMorgue release to date.
Labels: This Day in History
SU N D A Y , A P R I L 6 , 2 0 0 8
Album of the Week #33: Diversity au Troi
Project name: [early keyboards]

Album name: Diversity au Troi
Release date: unreleased (recorded in 1986-87)
Release format: cassette
Studio name: none
Tracks:
1. Laceration
2. Thrall Stint
3. Treatise de Sticks
4. Nobody Cares Anymore
5. Amplitude of Immense Necromancy
6. Remorse of the Seraphims
7. Confusation
8. Lassitude to the Max
9. Black Square
10. Two Dogs
11. Indochina
12. Free from Jail
13. Stellar by Sunlight
14. Round One
15. Cedar House
The first few songs on this tape were recorded in late 1986, but it is guessed that
most of this tape was recorded in early 1987. This was the follow-up to, or
continuation of, The Deuce. As the tape used for The Deuce got full, a new tape
was started and this is that second tape.
The title followed the trend that this was actually the third tape recorded (Merry
Christmas to Me and The Deuce being the first two). It was also inspired by the
fact that during 1986-87 (Jason's sophomore year in high school) he took his first
French class.
This tape had the first experiments with "multi-tracking". A song would be
recorded. Then while it played back from a tape, another part (or sound) would be
played with it and both of those were recorded. "Laceration" and "Black Square"
are good examples of this.
As with the previous two tapes from this era, this album has not been heard by
others. It has been transferred to the computer so it will now live forever.
Next week's Album of the Week: Quadraphonic from 1987.

Labels: Album of the Week
M ON DAY , APRI L 7 , 2 0 0 8
Studio Chapter 6: Metal XOR-B
Metal XOR-A was not around for even a year before the Studio was once again
moved. On October 30, 1995, the Studio was moved from the damp basement to a
dry bedroom on the ground level of the rental house Jason was living in. This move
also allowed him to incorporate his computer in the Studio. He had just bought his
first music software, CakeWalk Pro 3, and was eager to use it. After a long day's
work, Metal XOR-B was ready to make music.
The first song worked on was a remake of "I'm With You", originally from the 1991
Mune Mud album Olympus. This was an experimental song for his new music
software but it was never finished. The first song to be completed was "Albino Boy
(Dance Mix)" on December 18, 1995.
But all good things must come to an end. In July of 1996 Jason moved out of the
house and back to his parents' house. His roommate was getting married, so Jason's
spot in the rental house was being replaced. The last song recorded in MXOR-B was
on July 21, 1996. It was "One Lunar Minute" which appeared on the 1996 Mune Mud
album Equation of Time.
On July 27, 1996, MXOR-B was taken down. The equipment was moved back to the
location of the old Circle IX Studio and on August 3, 1996, MXOR-C was complete
and ready for business.
There were three albums released under the MXOR-B label:

* NueroMud Nine Days Wonder [November 1995]
* Isthmus Electric Field Donut [July 9, 1996]
* Mune Mud Monograph [July 16, 1996]
In addition to the albums released, there were also several NueroMorgue songs
recorded (still unused to this day).
This period of the Studio's history lasted from October 1995 to July 1996.
Labels: Studio Chapter
T U E SD A Y , A P R I L 8 , 2 0 0 8
Studio News: *** NEW ALBUM RELEASE ***
Metal XOR Studio is proud to announce today's release of Mune

Mud Precursory 33!!!
This is the 19th Mune Mud album to be released. It is a re-re-release of the original
Mune Mud debut album originally released in 1991. The songs have been digitally
cleaned up and are now on CD. This album makes available the very beginning of
Jason's solo career.
Also available today is the official Precursory 33 website where you can listen to or
download most of the album and read a detailed history of the album.
Click here to visit the website.

Labels: Studio News
W E D N E SD A Y , A P R I L 9 , 2 0 0 8
Equipment File #6: Casio keyboard
Casio ToneBank CT-395
The Studio had been using the Yamaha keyboard since 1986. So it was decided to
get a new one. In late July or early August of 1991 the Studio got a Casio ToneBank
CT-395 portable keyboard. This one was bigger than the Yamaha and had more
realistic sounds.
The day it was delivered to the Studio, Jason opened the box, plugged it in, and
started playing "To Clementi". So he immediately recorded the song and it ended
up on the 1991 Mune Mud album Olympus.
In 1993 when the Studio bought a sound module and started using MIDI, this
keyboard went out of favor. But when recording began in late 1996 and continued
into 1997 for the Mune Mud album Sleep State F, the Casio keyboard was dusted
off and used to bring back that classic Mune Mud sound from the first few albums.
It has been used for various recordings since, but for the most part it has joined
the Yamaha keyboard as a monument to music of the past. It is now used by
Jason's kids as their keyboard of choice.
SU N D A Y , A P R I L 1 3 , 2 0 0 8
Album of the Week #34: Quadraphonic

Album name: Quadraphonic
Release date: unreleased (recorded in 1987)
Studio name: none
Tracks:
1. Left Back
2. Launch
3. Horizons
4. Image of Old
5. Coeur de Coward
6. Treasure Hunt
7. For Elise
8. Level Field
9. Swans
10. Confusation II
11. It Says I Love You
12. Speed
13. Classical
This was the follow up to the Diversity au Troi tape. And once again, it was named
in reference to which tape it was in the series ('quad' because it was the fourth
tape).
Whereas Diversity au Troi experimented in early 'multi-tracking', this tape was

experimental in style. Most of these songs abandoned the verse-chorus-solo build
to use a more random structure. "Launch" was nothing more than starting at the
low end of the keyboard and slowly working its way up to the high end, using a
rumbling, rocket-launch sound. "It Says I Love You" was named because the
particular sound Jason created, while played in fast appregiation during the song,
actually made the keyboard sound like it was saying 'I love you'. There is one cover
song, "For Elise". It was included for the same reason the cover songs were
included on The Deuce, it was a song he had played many times on the piano.
This tape also features the infamous song "Coeur de Coward". You can read about
that here.
Although there are thirteen songs on the tape, it was never considered finished.
There is enough material to consider it as an "album", but it was shorter than the
previous three tapes. And this was probably due to the fact that it was in early
1988 that he experimented with a new solo project called X-Selsior. Also in 1988
the Two-Tones started recording music. And it was in 1988 that Jason started
playing electric guitar exclusively (for the Two-Tones). So because of that band,
his solo career was put on hold (until 1990 when Mune Mud was created).
Since the tape was never finished, most of the songs (and the album itself) did not
have names. So on January 1, 2004, everything that did not have names received
them. It was then that the tape was considered 'complete'. Chronologically, this
was the last solo tape using the Yamaha keyboard that Jason would record. There
was one more tape, Songs to Enjoy, but that was recorded in March of 1987, during
the recordings of Diversity au Troi and possibly Quadraphonic.
Next week's Album of the Week: Songs to Enjoy from 1987.

M ON DAY , APRI L 1 4 , 2 0 0 8
Studio Chapter 7: Metal XOR-C
Metal XOR-B had been taken down on July 27, 1996, because Jason was moving
once again. The equipment was taken to the house where the previous Circle IX
Studio had been located. The Studio was rebuilt and Metal XOR-C was ready for
action on August 3, 1996.
Along with the new Studio came a new version of the music software Jason had
been using. It was an upgrade to CakeWalk that allowed him to do not only MIDI
with the computer but audio editing also. The problem with his computer was that
did not have much storage, so the use of audio editing was limited. But he began
experimenting on September 11, 1996, with "One Night" (which appeared on the
1996 Mune Mud album Equation of Time) and "Tim Is Tuff", an old Two-Tones song
that had been re-recorded at the first Isthmus jam session. Neither of these songs
got far due to the lack of computer storage.
The first new song recorded in Metal XOR-C was on September 19. It was called
"Vestige". Unfortunately the song has long since been lost.
In early October he finally started working on "real" songs, ones that made it to
albums or are still in the Studio's catalog.
After a couple of years of productive recording, the Studio moved again. The last
song recorded at Metal XOR-C that appeared on an album (Purging the Great Abyss
by ORC) was "Element of Fire" on December 24, 1998. There was another song
recorded on January 4, 1999. This was "Mother Nature (Serenity Mix)". It was also
an ORC song but it was not used on the album.
The albums released under the Metal XOR-C label were:

* Mune Mud Equation of Time [August 13, 1996]
* Isthmus Lambskin Temple [November 19, 1996]
* Isthmus New Mexico Igloo [December 17, 1996]
* Isthmus Ideas [May 6, 1997]
* Mune Mud Sleep State F [September 23, 1997]
* Isthmus Parabolic Dish Festival Vol 1 [July 21, 1998]
* ORC Purging the Great Abyss [March 2, 1999]
* Isthmus Parabolic Dish Festival Vol 2 [March 23, 1999]
So after two and a half years, the longest run thus far, Metal XOR-C was finished.
On April 17, 1999, it was disassembled and moved once again, this time to become
Metal XOR-D.
This period of the Studio's history lasted from August 1996 to April 1999.
T U E SD A Y , A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 0 8
Video File #2: Isthmus "Lost in Detroit (Free II)"
"Lost in Detroit (Free II)" video is now online!
Today is the release of the first Isthmus music video, "Lost in Detroit (Free II)". The
song comes from their 1998 album Parabolic Dish Festival Volume 1.
The footage used in the video comes from two sources. The first is the Isthmus jam
session where the album was actually recorded. The second is a NASCAR trip to
Michigan which took place in June of 1998.
Click here for the YouTube post.

Labels: Video File
W E D N E SD A Y , A P R I L 1 6 , 2 0 0 8
Equipment File #7: Korg synthesizer
Korg DW-8000
It was time to upgrade the keyboard again. In April of 1993, Jason bought Harry's
Korg DW-8000 synthesizer. This was the synth that Harry had used way back in
1986 with their first band, Pheonix.
This synth provided many new sounds for the Studio to use, but more importantly
it was used as a MIDI trigger for the new MIDI equipment the Studio purchased in
June of 1993. And that has remained the synth's primary role all of these years. In
fact, it is one of the key components of the current Metal XOR Studio since most of
the music being record today is done in the computer.
There were recent plans to purchase a smaller keyboard, one to act as a USB MIDI
trigger to connect to a laptop to make the Studio portable, but those plans were
scrapped and it looks like the Korg will be in use for quite some time in the future.
SU N D A Y , A P R I L 2 0 , 2 0 0 8
Album of the Week #35: Songs to Enjoy

Album name: Songs to Enjoy
Release date: unreleased (recorded in March of 1987)
Studio name: none
Tracks:
1. Moon River
2. Autumn Leaves
3. Londonderry Air
4. Occident
5. Aloha Oe
6. Beautiful Sunday
7. Alley Cat
8. Michael, Row the Boat Ashore
9. One Dozen Roses
10. Somewhere, My Love
11. Yankee Doodle
This tape was recorded as a follow-up to 1986's Merry Christmas to Me. Jason
enjoyed recording his own songs, but occasionally he liked to record a cover song.
So taking a break from recording Diversity au Troi, he churned out this tape, his
second of covers.
Most of these songs were from the same organ book that he used to play. The only
original on the tape is "Occident".
The tape was recorded and filed away. Not many, if anyone, has heard this tape.
There are no plans to release it, but it is in the computer so now it will last
forever.
Next week's Album of the Week: Best of Harry and Jason from 1986.
M ON DAY , APRI L 2 1 , 2 0 0 8
Studio Chapter 8: Metal XOR-D
On April 17, 1999, Metal XOR-C was disassembled. Over the course of the next
month the equipment was taken to Jason's new house and the Studio was slowly
put back together. On May 12, 1999, Metal XOR-D was finished and ready for
business.
The first song recorded in the new Studio was on May 15, 1999. It was called "Park
Bench" and was an outtake from the 2001 Mune Mud album The Search for
Metropolis. The first song recorded to appear on an album was "Cambrian
Explosion", recorded on May 16 and appeared on that same album.
The albums released under the Metal XOR-D label were:

* Nikki and Jason Love Songs [May 19, 2001]
* Harry and Jason The Vintage Years Vol 1 [May 23, 2001]
* Mune Mud The Search for Metropolis [November 6, 2001]
* Mune Mud Olympus (10th Anniversary Edition) [December 29, 2001]
* Mune Mud UPF (10th Anniversary Edition) [December 31, 2002]
* Mune Mud Pryme Material (10th Anniversary Edition) [2003]
* Mune Mud Singles Collection [2004]
* Mune Mud Hobson's Choice [November 23, 2004]
* Mune Mud Hobson's Second Choice [2005]
* Mune Mud Equation of Time (10th Anniversary Edition) [2006]
* Mune Mud Sleep State F (10th Anniversary Edition) [2007]
* Paige Watson My First Album [August 14, 2007]
This version of the Studio had four major changes, but remained in the same
location. Those time periods were differentiated by a number following the name,
thus Metal XOR-D1 was the first version of the Studio all the way to the final one,
Metal XOR-D4.
In November of 2007, the Studio was once again rewired to accommodate the
newest equipment and recording techniques. Although the Studio was in the same
physical location, it was decided to move on to the Metal XOR-E name.
Recording techniques changed in the last couple of years at the Studio. Everything
used to be recorded to the 4-track cassette recorder, but in 2005 the computer
started being used as the recorder. So the last song recorded to cassette at Metal
XOR-D4 was called "Goodnight, My Someone" on February 13, 2005.
This period of the Studio's history lasted from May 1999 to November 2007.
T U E SD A Y , A P R I L 2 2 , 2 0 0 8
It was on this day in 1993 that the Studio purchased the Korg DW-8000 synthesizer
from Jason's cousin, Harry. Harry was upgrading and needed to sell the synth. And
Jason was ready to upgrade from the portable keyboards the Studio had been using
for years, so the sale benefited both of them.
It was used in bands such as Pheonix, The Two-Tones, The Traveling Deengelburys,
Mune Mud, and more.
The Korg is still a 'key' part in the Studio today. It acts as a MIDI trigger connected
to the computer which has all the sounds the songs use today.
W E D N E SD A Y , A P R I L 2 3 , 2 0 0 8
Equipment File #8: Tascam recorder
Tascam PortaStudio 424
This piece of equipment arguably made the biggest difference in the Studio's music
than any other piece it has owned. This recorder allowed four parts to be layered
while retaining the first-generation quality. Using various recording techniques,
additional tracks could be layered in. Then the final four tracks were mixed down
to a master cassette from which duplicates were made. This was the process used
for the dozens of albums that the Studio has released.
The exact date it was purchased is not known, but the earliest recordings date
back to March of 1991. The first song recorded was a short guitar piece that was
later named "Tired". This was followed by hundreds of other songs. And then on
February 13, 2005, a song named "Goodnight, My Someone" was the last song to be
recorded using the 4-track recorder. Since then all songs have been recorded
directly into the computer.
Today the recorder is only used to play back old master cassettes. As its age begins
to show, the Studio has looked into buying a replacement so they will be able to
continue playing the more than two dozen master cassettes that were made during
its fourteen years of service.
F RI DAY , APRI L 2 5 , 2 0 0 8
On this day in 1989, the Traveling Deengelburys t-shirts were finally finished.
Although the performance took place on March 31, it was almost a month before
concert-goers and all fans alike could wear the shirt that promoted "The Brothers
D" and their 1989 Lost in Time world tour.
You can visit the official Traveling Deengelburys website by clicking here.
Posted by - Mune Mud - at 12:48 PM 0 comments
SU N D A Y , A P R I L 2 7 , 2 0 0 8
Album of the Week #36: Best of Harry and Jason
Project name: Harry and Jason

Album name: Best of Harry and Jason
Release date: unreleased (compiled in November 1986)
Studio name: none
Tracks:
1. The Beautiful Corns
2. How Beautiful Are Redenbachers
3. The Redenbacher Song
4. The Eye Song
5. The Nose Song
6. The Man from India
7. The Man from Russia
8. The Guitar Song
9. Ode to Eye Balls
10. The Song About Books
11. Are You Sleeping?
12. Summertimes
13. The Italian Song
14. George Washington
15. The Head Song
This is a collection of the best songs Harry and Jason had recorded up to the
compilation date of November 29, 1986. These are the songs that Harry and Jason
ad-libbed lyrics while singing to instrumental music from the radio.
The first session took place during the summer of 1985. They recorded many more
times over the course of the next year. Out of the several tapes they made, they
each had their favorites songs. This tape was a collection of those favorites. The
tape was made for Harry and Jason's enjoyment, so no one else has heard it.
Although these tapes have not been released to the public, the first two were
compiled on CD in 2001 for Harry and Jason The Vintage Years Volume 1. Further
volumes are planned for future release.
Next week's Album of the Week: Best of Harry and Jason II from 1988.
M ON DAY , APRI L 2 8 , 2 0 0 8
Studio Chapter 9: Metal XOR-E
Over the course of the eight years that Metal XOR-D existed, the equipment and
techniques used to record music changed many times. Then in November of 2007 it
was decided to record a new ORC album starting January 1, 2008. Once the
decision was made on what equipment to use on the album, it was time to
redesign the Studio once more.
On December 1, 2007, Metal XOR-E opened for business. Over the course of the
next month there were a few test songs recorded. And then on January 1, 2008,
the ORC album began. This lasted for several weeks until the project was put on
hold.
The new Studio has a computer at its center. The Korg synth is used as a MIDI
trigger to play sounds inside the computer. All drums are also generated from
within the computer. The only analog external sources at this point are the
electric guitar and vocals.
Metal XOR-E is also where Paige is currently recording sessions for her next album
(due out this fall).
And thus the weekly Studio Chapter feature comes to a close. We have covered
from the earliest days before it had a name all the way to the present day. And
with the upcoming Studio projects and this blog site, it looks like Metal XOR will
be around for a long time to come!!!
T U E SD A Y , A P R I L 2 9 , 2 0 0 8
It was on this day in 1992 that Jason bought the Ibanez bass guitar that is still in
use at the Studio today.
W E D N E SD A Y , A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 0 8
Equipment File #9: DR-550 drum machine
Boss DR-550
For drums, the early Studio used the drum sounds from the Yamaha portable
keyboard. But they were very low quality. At first it didn't matter, but as the songs
became more complicated and recordings were cleaner, it was soon realized that a
real drum machine was needed.
Some time around July 1990 the Studio bought its first drum machine, this Boss DR-
550. The first song recorded with it was the Mune Mud song "Peach Tree" on July
21, 1990 (the song appeared on the 1991 Mune Mud debut album, the 1994 Mune
Mud re-release, and the 2008 album Precurosry 33). After that the Yamaha drum
sounds were not used.
As the drum machine's memory filled up, the Studio would back up the drum
machine data to a cassette tape. Those data tapes still exist and could be used to
load up the original drum sounds and patterns used in those early songs.
Many songs were recorded with this drum machine. But as they say, all good things
must come to an end. And it wasn't long before something better than the DR-550
came along.
T H U R SD A Y , M A Y 1 , 2 0 0 8
State of the Studio #9: May '08
Let us see what is in store for the blog in May...
The weekly Studio Chapter feature has ended. It had a nine-week run that
covered the history of the Studio from its earliest days to present day. The series
will be summarized in an upcoming article.
Replacing the Studio Chapter feature on Mondays will be a feature called Singles.
An article was written last October explaining Mune Mud singles. Each week this
feature will spotlight one of the twelve Mune Mud singles that was released.
The 'vintage' Album of the Weeks will end mid-May, the feature that has shed
light on old cassette compilations that were made before the Studio was a studio.
But the Album of the Week feature will continue. [A note worth mentioning: this
is the only feature that has been posted every single week since the blog was
created. And it will be around for at least a couple more months.] The feature will
shift to the Mune Mud 10th Anniversary Collection of CD's that started in 2001.
Tune in on May 18th for the first one that will discuss Olympus 10th Anniversary
Collection.
The Studio has used a lot of equipment throughout the years. So the Equipment
File feature will definitely be around for a while.
There are a couple of additions to the Project Spotlight feature that will be
posted this month. You will soon be able to read about the two 90's bands called
The Spartans and The Duke Boys.
The Video File feature will expand once again with the release of the second
Isthmus video this month. Last month saw the release of the first Isthmus video
("Lost in Detroit (Free II)" from their 1998 album Parabolic Dish Festival Volume 1).
The second video is being edited as I write this. So look for it to be released some
time soon.
And rounding out the features list will be a new one called Web Log. These posts
will be .PDF collections of what has been posted on this blog site. Issue #1 will
contain posts 1-50, issue #2 will contain posts 51-100, etc. Currently there are
enough posts to release four issues, but as each fifty posts are made, a new issue
of Web Log will be released.
On the project front, Paige will have yet another recording session for her next
album. Isthmus is closer to having a ten-year reunion jam which will be used as
their next album. And a new, still unannounced project may make its debut within
the next couple of months. Keep checking here for news on that.
It is obvious that with summer on its way, the Studio will not have time to stretch
out and take a nap in a hammock. And as the weather outside gets warmer, all I
can say is I can't wait for fall!!!
Next update in 31 days. . .

Labels: State of the Studio
SA T U R D A Y , M A Y 3 , 2 0 0 8
Article: Studio Chapter Chronology
This article is a summary of the nine Studio Chapter features that were posted in
March and April.
1985 to November 1991 - unnamed

November 1991 to summer of 1992 - Quintessential Disco-Quest
October 1992 to November 1994 - Circle IX
February 1995 to October 1995 - Metal XOR-A
October 1995 to July 1996 - Metal XOR-B
August 1996 to April 1999 - Metal XOR-C
May 1999 to November 2007 - Metal XOR-D
December 2007 to present - Metal XOR-E
The Studio began when Harry and Jason recorded themselves ad-lib singing to
music on the radio in 1985. Since then the Studio has had several name changes.
There have been hundreds of songs recorded there. Dozens of albums have been
released. Many musicians have passed through the front door. Equipment has come
and gone. And with any luck, the Studio will be around for many years to come!
Labels: Article
SU N D A Y , M A Y 4 , 2 0 0 8
Album of the Week # 37: Best of Harry and Jason II
Project name: Harry and Jason

Album name: Best of Harry and Jason II
Release date: unreleased
Studio name: none
Tracks:
1. Jose's Funeral Home
2. The Catburglar
3. I Killed My Dog
4. Superman
5. Washington DC
6. Pool
7. Around the World in 80 Days
8. Forever
9. On the Ranch
10. Drops in the Ocean
11. Druel
12. Greek Numbers
This tape is a continuation of Best of Harry and Jason. These songs cover the
second half of this phase of their music careers. There's not much to say about this
one, just more of the same as their first tape.
Next week's Album of the Week: Best of Darrin and Jason from 1989.
M ON DAY , M AY 5 , 2 0 0 8
Single #1: Etesian Wind
Song name: "Etesian Wind"

Album name: Olympus
Release date: December 10, 1991
Tracks
1. Etesian Wind (album version)
2. Etesian Wind (original speed)
3. Etesian Wind (instrumental)
Song History
This was the first single from the 1991 Mune Mud album Olympus. It was also the
very first single released by Mune Mud.
"Etesian Wind" was the first song that had a real audience. Jason played it for
family and friends before the album was released and most people really liked it.
So it was naturally the first choice to become a single. And over the years, it is the
Mune Mud song that has had the most alternate versions recorded. It wasn't until
1996 that Jason finally found out what Etesian wind is.
Track Breakdown
The first track is the version that appeared on the album. The original song was
recorded a bit slower to better fit Jason's vocal range, but the tempo seemed to
drag a little. So for the album the song was mixed down at a slightly higher speed.
The second track is the original speed at which the song was recorded.
The third track is the instrumental version of the album track.

Labels: Singles
© Copyright 2008 Metal XOR Studio

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Volume 9

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Single #1: Etesian Wind

Song name: "Etesian Wind"

The third track is the instrumental version of the album track.

© Copyright 2008 Metal XOR Studio

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