all tracks ©1995-1997 Noel Lairson
Guitar Violence is very much a companion CD to Soapbox Sampler. It was recorded during the same period, using a lot of the same methodology. Soapbox is for the most part a collection of planned events, while this CD is more of the 'press record and GO' variety.
Church & State
A Few Words Without Brother Michael
Broken String Wave
Jeezo-Junta
These are all 'turn on drum machine and hit record' improvisations. 'Church & State' is in an unknown tuning, 'A Few Words Without Brother Michael' is just the backing track from Soapbox Sampler's similarly-named track, Broken String Wave takes it's name from the last minute or so of the improv, and I don't remember a THING about Jeezo-Junta
Ferret Race
Clearly, this was somewhat planned. The distortion tone is strictly from tape saturation. There's an obvious flub at the end of the solo that I hate every time I hear this. Wish I had just done another take.
Xenocratony I, II, and III
Xenocratony is a name coined by Frank Zappa for a technique of juxtaposing enrelated recorded performances to create a polyrhythmic piece. Xenocratony I, II, & III were all created the same way: I took a blank tape and recorded a guitar solo along to a live version of 'Advance Romance' by Frank Zappa. Then I overdubbed a beat from the drum machine, then a bass line was improvised in the same key as the guitar solo.
3 Fates - Backing Track
I can't stand to listen to my own voice, so this is my preferred way of listening hearing this. Plus this way you can hear the weird, barely audible guitar stuff I put in it.
Kept Boy
I seem to recall that I took all my delay pedals and hooked them up to each other in some random order, then played a randomly-tuned guitar through it. The original recording is about twice as long, but veered off in a very atonal and chaotic direction that detracted from the first part.
Qualified Advisors
I don't really remember much about this. Obviously the backing track was planned - I think it was an experiment involving stacked power chords. The lead is more xenocratony - it was imported from another piece that was (also) pretty much atonal.
The American Family
The American Family was another drum machine piece, except the guitar was split into stereo with one line plugged direct into the 4 track and the other into the drum machine (which valiently tried to translate the notes into MIDI information - my cheapass guitar synth!). Eventually I hit play on the drum machine and set it to record notes. Basically everything that happens happens in real time - no preprogramming involved. (well, I did remove a bunch of repetitions just before the guitar solo...)