Web Log 11 (251-275)

Volume 11
Posts 251-275
Monday, June 2, 2008
to
Thursday, July 3, 2008
M ON DAY , J U N E 2 , 2 0 0 8
Single #5: Reality Found Me
Song name: "Reality Found Me"

Album name: Pryme Material
Release date: October 5, 1993
Tracks
1. Reality Found Me (album version)
2. Ominous (remake)
3. Reality Found Me (instrumental)
Song History
This was the first single from the 1993 Mune Mud album Pryme Material.
This song was about an unexpected trip to a strange place. There was an earlier
demo of the song recorded that eventually appeared as a bonus track on the 2003
album Pryme Material 10th Anniversary Collection.
Track Breakdown
The first track is the version that appeared on the album.
The second track was a 1993 remake of the song "Ominous" that originally
appeared on the 1991 Mune Mud debut album (and again on the 1994 Mune Mud
debut re-release and 2008 Precursory 33 album).
The third track is the instrumental version of the album track.

Posted by - Mune Mud - at 1:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Singles
W E D N E SD A Y , J U N E 4 , 2 0 0 8
Equipment File #14: ART SGX effects unit
ART SGX LT
The Studio purchased this unit in 1993 during the big Studio upgrade. There were
not many effects in the unit, so it was mainly used to add delay or distortion to
drum machines or keyboard parts.
It was used in less than a dozen recordings over the years. Although the Studio still
has it on-hand, the computers that are used today can do much more than this
unit. But it is a part of the Studio history and will remain with the Studio for a
while longer.
Posted by - Mune Mud - at 5:30 AM 0 comments
Labels: Equipment File
T H U R SD A Y , J U N E 5 , 2 0 0 8
Studio News: Hosting Problems
The website that I use(d) to host all audio files, Mediamax, has re-launched as The
Link Up. When they made the change, all paid subscribers had their data moved to
the new site. All free subscribers, myself included, were apparently forgotten. At
this point I cannot access my Mediamax account since they no longer exist and I
cannot access a Link Up account because the free accounts did not transfer. So
everything I uploaded is now in limbo and all links I created to those files are
broken.
My only solution is to find another site with free hosting and upload all the files
again. Then the longest part will be fixing all the links to those new files. This
affects all my websites: the Metal XOR blog, Metal XOR Information Source, The
Traveling Deengelburys site, the Albino Boy site, the Precursory 33 official site,
etc. So this is going to be a big project to get straightened out.
I will begin the migration soon. Until then no audio will be available from any of
my sites. I will post another Studio News update when the files are available
again.
Labels: Studio News
F RI DAY , J U N E 6 , 2 0 0 8
Web Log #2: Posts 26-50
This second entry contains posts #26-50.
Web Log 02 (26-50) - Upload a Document to Scribd

Labels: Web Log
SU N D A Y , J U N E 8 , 2 0 0 8
Album of the Week #42: Equation of Time 10th Anniversary
Project name: Mune Mud

Album name: Equation of Time 10th Anniversary Collection
Release date: 2006
Release format: CD
Studio name: Metal XOR Studio
Tracks:
1. Fake Houdini
2. In the Memory of Man
3. Follow the Steps
4. En Crypt
5. Krietner
6. Summer Song
7. Essence of Pearl
8. Bumpy and Jumpy
9. I'm With You (Outcome)
10. Ever Regret
11. One Night (v2.0)
12. Under Venus
13. Before
14. Nightspell
15. On Good Terms
16. One Lunar Minute
17. Deviate
18. One Night (v1.0)
19. Winter Song
20. Little Germany
21. The End Den
22. Etesian Wind (Metal-X Mix)
This was the fourth album in the 10th Anniversary Collection. It was a digital re-
release of the 1996 Equation of Time album.
The first seventeen tracks are the same as the original 1996 album, just digitally
remixed. Tracks 18-22 are the previously unreleased bonus tracks. They were
unused tracks from the Equation of Time recording sessions.
Track 18 was the original version of the song. The version that appeared on the
album, "One Night (v2.0)", was the re-recorded version. The next three tracks
were finished songs, they just didn't seem to fit on the album. And the last track
was yet another version of the famous "Etesian Wind" song that first appeared on
the 1991 album Olympus. This was a faster, almost disco version of the song that
had lots of vocal effects.
Unfortunately, as with the previous album in this collection (Pryme Material 10th),
this album was never totally finished. The tracks were compiled but the CD's were
never burned. And in this case, none of the labels or covers were even designed or
printed. It does retain the 2006 release date though. The Studio is working to
hopefully complete the album soon.
Next week's Album of the Week: Sleep State F 10th Anniversary Collection by
Mune Mud from 2007.
Labels: Album of the Week
M ON DAY , J U N E 9 , 2 0 0 8
Single #6: Clouds Set Free
Song name: "Clouds Set Free"

Album name: Pryme Material
Release date: November 2, 1993
Tracks
1. Clouds Set Free (album version)
2. Up A Lonely Road (original demo)
3. Clouds Set Free (instrumental)
Song History
This was the second single from the 1993 Mune Mud album Pryme Material.
This was a slower song, recorded just a month before its sister song, "I Still Know
You" (which also appears on Pryme Material). It is obviously some sort of love
song, but is the protagonist happy or sad? Are they in a relationship or is it after
the relationship was over? It is hard to tell, but it is still a pretty song to listen to.
Track Breakdown
The second track was the original demo version of "Up A Lonely Road" recorded by
Jason and Darrin on April 28, 1990. Two new versions of the song were recorded in
1993, the remake version that appears on Pryme Material and the 'Splitz Mix'
version that appeared as a bonus track on the 2003 release of Pryme Material 10th
Anniversary Collection.

Labels: Singles
W E D N E SD A Y , J U N E 1 1 , 2 0 0 8
Equipment File #15: U-220 sound module
Roland U-220
In June of 1993, the Studio changed forever. It purchased a large amount of new
equipment and was rebuilt from the ground up. This was phase 2 of Circle IX
Studio.
The biggest change was the implementation of MIDI. A sequencer could now be
programmed to play the music parts all at once and recorded to one of the tracks
on the 4-track recorder, leaving three tracks open for guitars, vocals, or sounds.
Arguably, the second biggest change resulting in the purchase was this Roland U-
220 sound module. Now the Studio wasn't limited to the sounds of portable
keyboards. With this sound module it had access to hundreds of new sounds, most
derived from actual instruments. It also had dozens of strange sounds and sound
effects. It contained new drum kits for the Studio to use. And the unit, being
controlled from a sequencer, could play up to six instrument parts at once.
As has always been the case when new sounds are available to the Studio,
inspiration came forth! Many new songs and sounds were used in the 1993
recording sessions, leading to the Mune Mud album Pryme Material and eventually
the whole NueroMud project.
The U-220 has not been used in quite some time since the Studio now uses
computers for its sounds. But the U-220 is still in the Studio waiting to eventually
be used once again.
F RI DAY , J U N E 1 3 , 2 0 0 8
This third entry contains posts #51-75.

Labels: Web Log
SU N D A Y , J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 0 8
Just For Fun #11
Happy Fat her's Day
From all of us at Metal XOR Studio

Labels: Just for Fun
SU N D A Y , J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 0 8
Album of the Week #43: Sleep State F 10th Anniversary

Album name: Sleep State F 10th Anniversary Collection
Release date: 2007
Release format: CD
Tracks:
1. Waxed
2. Ginkgo Biloba
3. Reflection
4. Occam's Razor
5. Locker Life
6. Contact
7. Before (Again)
8. Sleeping with the Fishes
9. Last Five Miles
10. Dofuzia
11. Molybdenum
12. Clouds Set Free (Silent Cumulus Mix)
13. Overfed
14. The Phantom Funeral
15. Dolphins and a Seahorse
16. Biobot
17. Just Denied
18. Etesian Wind (Denny's Mix)
19. Prospecting Saturn
20. Atlantis
21. Back Up, Please?
22. Crystal
23. One Second
24. Sepia
This was the fifth and final album in the Mune Mud 10th Anniversary Collection. It
was a digital re-release of the 1997 Sleep State F album.
The first nineteen tracks are the same as the original 1997 album, just digitally
remixed. Tracks 20-24 are previously unreleased bonus tracks. They were unused
tracks from the Sleep State F recording sessions.
Tracks 20-22 were not used on the original because they were not finished. The
versions included here are the unfinished versions, preserved exactly where Jason
left off with them. And tracks 23 and 24 come from a short four-song session that
Jason recorded while house-sitting some one's house in August of 1997. The other
two songs of the four recorded at the house were "Overfed" and "Contact", both of
which appeared on the original Sleep State F album. "One Second" also appeared
as the b-side to the "Reflection" single in November of 1997.
Unfortunately, as with the previous two albums in this collection (Pryme Material
10th and Equation of Time 10th), this album was never totally finished. The tracks
were compiled but the CD's were never burned. And in this case, none of the labels
or covers were even designed or printed. It does retain the 2007 release date
though. The Studio is working to hopefully complete the album soon.
Next week's Album of the Week: Parabolic Dish Festival 10th Anniversary Edition
by Isthmus from 2008.
SU N D A Y , J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 0 8
This Day in Studio History
It was on this day in 1996 that the Mune Mud album Monograph was recorded.
This is the only "live" solo album recorded to date. It was "live" because Jason sung
all the songs live to the pre-recorded music in one take. The music was from the
original 4-track master tapes, so the only thing new were the vocals. Most of the
songs came from the 1991 album Olympus and many others were preview songs for
the upcoming Equation of Time album.
Hopefully this won't be the last "live" solo album.

Labels: This Day in History
M ON DAY , J U N E 1 6 , 2 0 0 8
Single #7: Summer Song
Song name: "Summer Song"

Album name: Equation of Time
Release date: September 10, 1996
Tracks
1. Summer Song (album version)
2. Winter Song
3. Summer Song (instrumental)
Song History
This was the first single from the 1996 Mune Mud album Equation of Time.
Jason was renting a small farmhouse with his friend Darrin when this song was
recorded. It was a nice, sunny, warm March Sunday and Jason decided to record a
song about the upcoming season. With the Studio window open, letting the cool
breeze blow in, the song was recorded. It was recorded as the opposite of "Winter
Song", which was recorded two months earlier during a snowstorm.
Track Breakdown
The second track was recorded two months before the first. It was recorded in
January on a day that took him almost two hours to drive home from work because
of a heavy snow storm. As soon as he got home he called his boss and said he
would not be in to work the next day either. And to make things worse, the power
went off for a little while. So when the power came back on he recorded this song.
The song did appear as a bonus track on the Equation of Time 10th Anniversary
Collection.

Labels: Singles
W E D N E SD A Y , J U N E 1 8 , 2 0 0 8
Equipment File #16: Boss mixing board
Boss BX-8
It was in May of 1990 when the Studio received its first mixing board. It was an old,
dirty board that was going to be thrown away where Jason worked. So he took it
home and used it in the multi-track experiments with his home stereo (early Mune
Mud).
In late 1991, after he bought the 4-track recorder and upgraded his keyboard to
the Casio keyboard, it was time to upgrade the mixer. This little 8-channel Boss
mixer was made to be used with keyboards but he has run all his instruments and
equipment through it over the years.
And now in Metal XOR-E, it is currently being used as the funnel for his computer
input. All instruments and equipment run to this board and the board goes into the
computer. It is simple and efficient and will be the way the Studio is set up for
quite some time.
F RI DAY , J U N E 2 0 , 2 0 0 8
This fourth entry contains posts #76-100.

Labels: Web Log
F RI DAY , J U N E 2 0 , 2 0 0 8
Studio News: New Website
Metal XOR Studio presents a new website...
The Time Door Is Closing
The new site has nothing to do with music. It is a collection of memories and
stories from Jason's past. There will be a new story every Monday and Friday, so
stop by and read about events that helped make Jason what he is today.
* A link to the site is included in the Studio Links section on the right side of this page.

Labels: Studio News
SU N D A Y , J U N E 2 2 , 2 0 0 8
Album of the Week #44: PDF 10th Anniversary
Project name: Isthmus

Album name: Parabolic Dish Festival 10th Anniversary Edition
Release date: May 22, 2008
Release format: CD
Tracks:
Disc 1 - see Parabolic Dish Festival Volume 1
Disc 2 - see Parabolic Dish Festival Volume 2
Disc 3 - various
It wasn't long after the first two volumes were originally released in 1998 and 1999
that talks began of a deluxe edition since there was so much extra content
recorded and not used for the original two albums. So the project was started.
Soon things got hectic and it was put on the back burner. A few years later it was
worked on again, but it still was not finished.
Fast forward to 2008. The band was eagerly awaiting the release of the new
Indiana Jones movie on May 22. And there were talks of possibly recording a new
Isthmus album in June. So Harry said what would inspire him the most for another
jam session would be the release of the Parabolic Dish Festival Deluxe Edition.
By coincidence, the date they recorded the album was May 22, 1998, exactly ten
years to the day prior to the new Indiana Jones release. Jason dug up the material
that was ready for the project and cleaned it up. Could it be done by May 22?
The new packaging was going to be adventure-themed since it was being released
on the same day Indiana Jones was coming out. But due to time constraints, the
only thing that remains of the adventure theme is the title font on the front cover.
It was decided to go with a space theme for the rest of the packaging.
So the album did release on May 22, the first Metal XOR Studio album not released
on a Tuesday. It contained 3 CD's, one for each of the original Volumes and a third
that contained all the bonus content in the form of MP3's and PDF's. Being a multi-
disc album was also a first for the Studio.
The band has been inspired to record the next album. Now it is a matter of getting
their three schedules to allow for a recording session. And as of now, July looks
promising.
Since the album was rather rushed to be completed by the May 22 deadline, there
were some things that did not make it in this edition. So there are already plans
for a bigger, much more complete edition to be released some time in the future.
Let's hope it doesn't take another ten years for this one to be released!
Next week's Album of the Week: Precursory 33 by Mune Mud from 2008.
M ON DAY , J U N E 2 3 , 2 0 0 8
Single #8: One Night
Song name: "One Night"

Album name: Equation of Time
Tracks
1. One Night (v2.0) (album version)
2. One Night (v1.0)
3. One Night (v2.0) (instrumental)
Song History
This was the second single from the 1996 Mune Mud album Equation of Time.
Jason had a group of friends over one night. Even though it was after midnight
when they left, he wanted to record a new song. So he recorded "One Night". The
song was good, but could have been better. So he re-recorded the song with better
vocals (still ad-libbed as the original version was) and slight changes in the
composition. It was the second version (v2.0) that was used for the album.
Track Breakdown
The second track was the original version of the song. It could also be considered
the demo for the album version.

Labels: Singles
W E D N E SD A Y , J U N E 2 5 , 2 0 0 8
Equipment File #17: Nexus MIDI switcher
Nexus MIDI switcher
This was purchased in the big Studio upgrade in June of 1993. As stated in a
previous post, the biggest change in the Studio at that time was the
implementation of MIDI. The Studio now had several pieces of equipment that was
MIDI capable: a synthesizer, a drum machine, an effects unit, a sequencer, a sound
module, and eventually the Studio computer itself. So it became clear that with all
of those MIDI inputs and outputs something was needed to control and manage it
all.
And that is where this little gem came in. It allowed up to three MIDI inputs (or
triggers) to control up to eight different outputs. So with the flick of a switch, the
synthesizer could go from controlling the sound module to triggering sounds from
the drum machine. And just as easily, the sound module could be triggered by
either the synthesizer or the drum machine with the flick of a switch.
So this unit provided the flexibility needed for the MIDI set-up the Studio used for
many years. But the switcher was recently retired since the only MIDI now in use
by the Studio is the synthesizer acting as a trigger for all instrument and drum
sounds in the computer. And that is accomplished by the use of one MIDI cable.
F RI DAY , J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 0 8
This fifth entry contains posts #101-125.

Labels: Web Log
SU N D A Y , J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 0 8
Album of the Week #45: Precursory 33

Album name: Precursory 33
Release date: April 8, 2008
Release format: CD
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
When Mune Mud began recording in 1990, it was with rudimentary equipment and
talent. By early 1991 there was enough material to collect onto a tape. The
collection was simply called Mune Mud. Over the next couple of years Mune Mud
recorded more music and released more tapes. In 1994 it was decided to re-
release the original tape, so Mune Mud was was reissued.
Years went by and many more Mune Mud albums were recorded and released. It
was decided in early 2008 to revisit the beginnings of the project once again. For
the re-re-release of Mune Mud, the songs would be put into the computer and
cleaned up, then released on CD. And for a more complete picture of the early
music, songs from the original Mune Mud were used along with some songs from
the 1994 Mune Mud EP Devaulted, which was a small collection of unused material
from the debut Mune Mud album.
So when the songs were chosen and cleaned up in the computer, it was time for
packaging. It has been confusing over the years to refer to the original 1991 Mune
Mud album (usually refered to as the debut album) and the 1994 version (usually
referred to as the re-release), since they were both called Mune Mud. So a new
name for this release was needed. That is why this album of previously used
material has a new name.
This album also had a Studio first... a website for the album. On the website you
can read the history of the album and listen/download most of the songs. You can
visit the website here.
The end.
M ON DAY , J U N E 3 0 , 2 0 0 8
Single #9: Ginkgo Biloba
Song name: "Ginkgo Biloba"

Album name: Sleep State F
Tracks
1. Ginkgo Biloba (album version)
2. Little Germany
3. Ginkgo Biloba (instrumental)
Song History
This was the first single from the 1997 Mune Mud album Sleep State F.
And then Jason was interested in herbs and herbal remedies. One aspect that
interested him in particular was memory. And Ginkgo Biloba supposedly has
medicinal properties to improve memory. So this song is a story about someone
connecting with their Ancient Chinese past through herbal means.
Track Breakdown
The second track was recorded during the Sleep State F sessions but was not
included on the final album. It's a peppy, up-tempo song about Jason's German
grandma. The song is full of family inside jokes and is fun to listen to.

Labels: Singles
T U E SD A Y , J U L Y 1 , 2 0 0 8
State of the Studio #11: July '08
Summer is here! And I'm enjoying the air conditioning.
It seems like there is always something new starting up at the Studio. And this
month is no exception. A new feature will begin soon to replace the Album of the
Week. This is a sad occasion because the Album of the Week is the only weekly
feature that has been around since the very beginning of the blog. But I knew this
day would eventually come because there is a finite number of albums that have
been released. And to tell you the truth, I had NO idea it was 45 of them!!! WOW!
But the new feature to replace it is a very exciting one...
The new feature is called Ethical Travels. I won't go into details about it here, but
as a teaser I will say that it will be about an entirely new music project and
include new music to listen to. Watch for it in the upcoming weeks.
The Equipment File will continue. It will move into the stranger instruments that
have been used.
The Singles feature will end later this month with the twelfth Mune Mud single
that was released. It is hard to believe this feature ran for three months, but as
with the Album of the Week I knew it would have an end for there were only
twelve single released.
And the Web Log feature will come to an end at the end of the month for it will
have caught up to the posts that have been made. But as each 25 new posts are
released, the next volume of Web Log will also be released. And watch for an
article around mid-month explaining what the Web Log Omnibus is.
And as was hinted at in last month's State of the Studio, there may be some HUGE
Isthmus news coming up soon...
Meet me here in 31 days and let's see what's going on in the Studio.
Labels: State of the Studio
W E D N E SD A Y , J U L Y 2 , 2 0 0 8
This Day in Studio History
It was on this day in 1998 that the publicity poster for the Isthmus album Parabolic
Dish Festival Volume 1 was released.
You can read details about the poster here.

Labels: This Day in History
W E D N E SD A Y , J U L Y 2 , 2 0 0 8
Equipment File #18: Swanson flutophone
The Swanson Tonette
This instrument belonged to Jason's dad who bought it over 50 years ago when he
was in grade school. Jason ended up with it in an early incarnation of the Studio
and it has traveled with the Studio to all locations since.
It has only been used in two songs. The first was "Nightspell", which was on the
1996 Mune Mud album Equation of Time. The second was recorded on December
19, 1998, for the song "Cheese, You Lying Sack", an outtake from the 1999 ORC
album Purging the Great Abyss.
Although it has been almost ten years since its last use, it still resides in the Studio
as a permanent fixture and is always on-call to be used if the need should arise.
T H U R SD A Y , J U L Y 3 , 2 0 0 8
This sixth entry contains posts #126-150.

Labels: Web Log
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Volume 11

Single #5: Reality Found Me

Song name: "Reality Found Me"

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

Equipment File #14: ART SGX effects unit

Studio News: Hosting Problems

Web Log #2: Posts 26-50

This second entry contains posts #26-50.

Web Log 02 (26-50) - Upload a Document to Scribd

Posted by - Mune Mud - at 5:30 AM 0 comments

Album of the Week #42: Equation of Time 10th Anniversary

Project name: Mune Mud

Single #6: Clouds Set Free

Song name: "Clouds Set Free"

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

Equipment File #15: U-220 sound module

Web Log #3: Posts 51-75

This third entry contains posts #51-75.

Web Log 03 (51-75) - Upload a Document to Scribd

Posted by - Mune Mud - at 5:30 AM 0 comments

Just For Fun #11

Happy Fat her's Day

From all of us at Metal XOR Studio

Album of the Week #43: Sleep State F 10th Anniversary

Project name: Mune Mud

This Day in Studio History

Hopefully this won't be the last "live" solo album.

Single #7: Summer Song

Song name: "Summer Song"

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

Equipment File #16: Boss mixing board

Web Log #4: Posts 76-100

This fourth entry contains posts #76-100.

Web Log 04 (76-100) - Upload a Document to Scribd

Posted by - Mune Mud - at 5:30 AM 0 comments

Studio News: New Website

Metal XOR Studio presents a new website...

The Time Door Is Closing

Posted by - Mune Mud - at 7:26 AM 0 comments

Album of the Week #44: PDF 10th Anniversary

Project name: Isthmus

Single #8: One Night

Song name: "One Night"

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

Equipment File #17: Nexus MIDI switcher

Nexus MIDI switcher

Web Log #5: Posts 101-125

This fifth entry contains posts #101-125.

Web Log 05 (101-125) - Upload a Document to Scribd

Posted by - Mune Mud - at 5:30 AM 0 comments

Album of the Week #45: Precursory 33

Project name: Mune Mud

Single #9: Ginkgo Biloba

Song name: "Ginkgo Biloba"

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

State of the Studio #11: July '08

Summer is here! And I'm enjoying the air conditioning.

This Day in Studio History

You can read details about the poster here.

Equipment File #18: Swanson flutophone

The Swanson Tonette

Web Log #6: Posts 126-150

This sixth entry contains posts #126-150.