Amazing ! Really admire how you can do something like this so fast. Really love the rythms on the piano part. Also curious, the piano is the monkey and the ep is the gorilla, or the other way around? And the harmonies are super cool! 

Amazing ! Really admire how you can do something like this so fast. Really love the rythms on the piano part. Also curious, the piano is the monkey and the ep is the gorilla, or the other way around? And the harmonies are super cool!

The internal struggle between monkey and gorilla is real and eternal.
- Valx

The internal struggle between monkey and gorilla is real and eternal. - Valx

composition: fun and energetic - lots of exploration in the soloing.  the rhythm is upbeat and joyful, the chord changes are bright but then turn slightly dark for a little spice

sound: PERFECT reverb on the main piano, electric piano is very classy

performance: loved the MONKEY GORILLA

Boucherie version:

composition: interesting to hear you have to split/decide/switch on hitting the full chords or soloing.  I always like it when jazz pianists play the chord, but solo the rhythm.  that's hot.

sound: sounds great WHY DID NO ONE APPLAUSE SO LAME WHAT THE HECK

performance: your hair is gorgeous

composition: fun and energetic - lots of exploration in the soloing. the rhythm is upbeat and joyful, the chord changes are bright but then turn slightly dark for a little spice sound: PERFECT reverb on the main piano, electric piano is very classy performance: loved the MONKEY GORILLA Boucherie version: composition: interesting to hear you have to split/decide/switch on hitting the full chords or soloing. I always like it when jazz pianists play the chord, but solo the rhythm. that's hot. sound: sounds great WHY DID NO ONE APPLAUSE SO LAME WHAT THE HECK performance: your hair is gorgeous

I love that you're playing at a cocktail bar. Wish I was nearby to check it out in person!
Great tunes as always

I love that you're playing at a cocktail bar. Wish I was nearby to check it out in person! Great tunes as always

Thank you! composing this live at the gig was a bit like jumping in the water and then figuring out how to swim. Which is actually how I learned how to swim back in like 2017.

Monkey is the A,B part and gorilla is the C part of the composition, not the instruments!

There are two wolves inside you. Monkey … and Gorilla. Thanks for listening.

Thanks!!! Ahahh I appreciate the sentiment at boucherie, it is so fun to play stuff without accompaniment and mostly have it in the head, but (hopefully) what you hear is still groovy and in context. the listener inevitably invents their own context which can be even more rich than what I had in mind. like reading between the lines.

Oh and glad u liked the tone of reverb and e piano - actually half the time (ok like 1h) was spent on that but it added a lot of juju once I put it on. I had recorded with the dry sounds w just a little reverb. V lucky it worked out so fast! Could have easily been too muddy.

Yeaaa thanks! Would love to have you! There’s always more DUENDE when playing for an audience you know. Even when recording actually! It is more exciting to make these knowing people will actually listen and enjoy them!

[quote=Suhpos]Amazing ! Really admire how you can do something like this so fast. Really love the rythms on the piano part. Also curious, the piano is the monkey and the ep is the gorilla, or the other way around? And the harmonies are super cool! [/quote] Thank you! :) composing this live at the gig was a bit like jumping in the water and then figuring out how to swim. Which is actually how I learned how to swim back in like 2017. Monkey is the A,B part and gorilla is the C part of the composition, not the instruments! [quote=DESLRV]The internal struggle between monkey and gorilla is real and eternal. - Valx[/quote] There are two wolves inside you. Monkey … and Gorilla. Thanks for listening. [quote=orangedrink]composition: fun and energetic - lots of exploration in the soloing. the rhythm is upbeat and joyful, the chord changes are bright but then turn slightly dark for a little spice sound: PERFECT reverb on the main piano, electric piano is very classy performance: loved the MONKEY GORILLA Boucherie version: composition: interesting to hear you have to split/decide/switch on hitting the full chords or soloing. I always like it when jazz pianists play the chord, but solo the rhythm. that's hot. sound: sounds great WHY DID NO ONE APPLAUSE SO LAME WHAT THE HECK performance: your hair is gorgeous[/quote] Thanks!!! Ahahh I appreciate the sentiment at boucherie, it is so fun to play stuff without accompaniment and mostly have it in the head, but (hopefully) what you hear is still groovy and in context. the listener inevitably invents their own context which can be even more rich than what I had in mind. like reading between the lines. Oh and glad u liked the tone of reverb and e piano - actually half the time (ok like 1h) was spent on that but it added a lot of juju once I put it on. I had recorded with the dry sounds w just a little reverb. V lucky it worked out so fast! Could have easily been too muddy. [quote=SQF]I love that you're playing at a cocktail bar. Wish I was nearby to check it out in person! Great tunes as always[/quote] Yeaaa thanks! Would love to have you! There’s always more DUENDE when playing for an audience you know. Even when recording actually! It is more exciting to make these knowing people will actually listen and enjoy them! :) <3

sweet track! i think you did a great job building on that bar jam, which by itself, is really nice aswell!
thanks for sharing

sweet track! i think you did a great job building on that bar jam, which by itself, is really nice aswell! thanks for sharing :)

BANGER!

BANGER!

Beautiful stuff. I am enjoying your talent this week!

Beautiful stuff. I am enjoying your talent this week!

Congrats on the gigs. Always impressed those of you who can entertain off-the-cuff like that. Little bit of a Take Five vibe. Sounds like you slip in some 5 here an there, but maybe that's just the jazz playing tricks on me. I really like the "conversation" your two characters are having. So creative to make an instrumental, but have it follow a theme like that.

Congrats on the gigs. Always impressed those of you who can entertain off-the-cuff like that. Little bit of a Take Five vibe. Sounds like you slip in some 5 here an there, but maybe that's just the jazz playing tricks on me. I really like the "conversation" your two characters are having. So creative to make an instrumental, but have it follow a theme like that.

That's some cool, smooth and playful monkeys

That's some cool, smooth and playful monkeys :D

Lovely exploration of these chords. Beautiful stuff, man!

Also love the interplay between the 2 voices!

Lovely exploration of these chords. Beautiful stuff, man! Also love the interplay between the 2 voices!

Yes! Congrats on the gigs, it shows in the virtuosic command you hold in your playing: feels confident and driven *fist-pump!*
I really love the jazzy progressions, too, they have this organized chaotic vibe where i can delve into the warmth of the playing, but also get lost in the way the composition scatters into many diverse but cohesive directions(the stereo placement also lends effectiveness to this, too). Props!

Yes! Congrats on the gigs, it shows in the virtuosic command you hold in your playing: feels confident and driven *fist-pump!* I really love the jazzy progressions, too, they have this organized chaotic vibe where i can delve into the warmth of the playing, but also get lost in the way the composition scatters into many diverse but cohesive directions(the stereo placement also lends effectiveness to this, too). Props! <3

Great job on getting thoughs gigs! Ove the song as well

Great job on getting thoughs gigs! Ove the song as well

that rhythmic playing is so groovy, and love the ep dancing over top!

that rhythmic playing is so groovy, and love the ep dancing over top! [img]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffacts.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F10%2F20-mind-blowing-facts-about-randy-newman-1697508517.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=64a76c311740af94ad623b4b19234dee1c562acf8b621617d701a08e8f4b09a9[/img]

Excellent performance at both your gig and in this version.  A hypnotic groove throughout especially enjoyed the epiano. 

Excellent performance at both your gig and in this version. A hypnotic groove throughout especially enjoyed the epiano.

Love the latin feel of the rhythm an chords. Nice job with the improv and super cool exploration in the EP dub. Insane that you developed this in a live performance setting. I don't know whether I'll ever feel free enough to do something like that in front of an audience. So hats off to you for pulling that one off so naturally!

Feedback: there were a couple moments where the dub kind of went off and did its own thing, only for you to realise you lost track of the main take, took a tiny break to listen, then continue noodling. It's super hard to improvise on an improvisation like that, but having a birds eye overview of the parts and how often you play a progression before moving to the next can help make the soloing feel even more cohesive. That way you can play into the next chord, instead of merely reacting to it. But also realise this is nitpicking, I really enjoyed this one. Awesome craftsmanship on display

Love the latin feel of the rhythm an chords. Nice job with the improv and super cool exploration in the EP dub. Insane that you developed this in a live performance setting. I don't know whether I'll ever feel free enough to do something like that in front of an audience. So hats off to you for pulling that one off so naturally! Feedback: there were a couple moments where the dub kind of went off and did its own thing, only for you to realise you lost track of the main take, took a tiny break to listen, then continue noodling. It's super hard to improvise on an improvisation like that, but having a birds eye overview of the parts and how often you play a progression before moving to the next can help make the soloing feel even more cohesive. That way you can play [i]into[/i] the next chord, instead of merely reacting to it. But also realise this is nitpicking, I really enjoyed this one. Awesome craftsmanship on display <3

That is some great improv ma man!

That is some great improv ma man!

This was awesome, top notch!

This was awesome, top notch!

Fantastic composition - rhythmic interplay is great - love how the EP hangs back at times and lets the piano charge forward. Such a strong foundation, gives that EP such a playground. I’m hearing a bit of that Take Five feel as well, that kind of 60s jazz. Awesome.

Fantastic composition - rhythmic interplay is great - love how the EP hangs back at times and lets the piano charge forward. Such a strong foundation, gives that EP such a playground. I’m hearing a bit of that Take Five feel as well, that kind of 60s jazz. Awesome.

hope the monkey & gorilla can become friends but they make nice music together either way

p.s. La Boucherie sounds LOUD impressed with your concentration!

[img]https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExaDRkbmd3bzBpNmRpcGNwbmMyZm9xOHExbTZzMWExNjFyeGprdjhyZSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/MKoIkENNdOw0w/giphy.gif[/img] hope the monkey & gorilla can become friends but they make nice music together either way p.s. La Boucherie sounds LOUD impressed with your concentration!

Really cool tapping inspiration from gig improv. Not a level I have reached yet.

Really cool tapping inspiration from gig improv. Not a level I have reached yet.

Thank you! it's actually pretty good when hearing without the immediate judging brain. clear lack of main theme but at least some nice ideas over the stable main groove

thanks!!!

thank you! I enjoy it every week! ;D

thank you! about inserting a 5: i would never! show me a 5 and I'll eat my hat!
nah jk jk I may have lost it here and there but overall I think I did a pretty solid job grooving without the metronome. even in the bar when I lost it severely I MOSTLY kept it to 3/4 altho the tempo is quite ... fluid.

thanks! gorilla says they don't approve of being called a monkey lol. they must have got that from Terry Pratchett

Thanks!!! I have been reluctant to compose with very wild chords because I wanted to be able to play my songs with other folks if given the chance, and keeping it simple seemed like a way to make sure it will be more approachable if that day comes. But I would like to try and push the harmonies to higher levels and see what I can come up with, altho it will be harder to learn and play the songs... I don't wanna fall into the trap of random fake-jazz where there are many chords just for the sake of many chords. I hear that sometimes and the music loses its approachability and ends up kinda smug. don't wanna forget my ROOTS (not sure what those are even)

[quote=lasko303]sweet track! i think you did a great job building on that bar jam, which by itself, is really nice aswell! thanks for sharing :)[/quote] Thank you! it's actually pretty good when hearing without the immediate judging brain. clear lack of main theme but at least some nice ideas over the stable main groove [quote=djippy]BANGER![/quote] thanks!!! [quote=Cakes]Beautiful stuff. I am enjoying your talent this week![/quote] thank you! I enjoy it every week! ;D [quote=blighters_rock]Congrats on the gigs. Always impressed those of you who can entertain off-the-cuff like that. Little bit of a Take Five vibe. Sounds like you slip in some 5 here an there, but maybe that's just the jazz playing tricks on me. I really like the "conversation" your two characters are having. So creative to make an instrumental, but have it follow a theme like that.[/quote] thank you! about inserting a 5: i would never! show me a 5 and I'll eat my hat! nah jk jk :D I may have lost it here and there but overall I think I did a pretty solid job grooving without the metronome. even in the bar when I lost it severely I MOSTLY kept it to 3/4 altho the tempo is quite ... fluid. [quote=Minnamari]That's some cool, smooth and playful monkeys :D[/quote] thanks! gorilla says they don't approve of being called a monkey lol. they must have got that from Terry Pratchett [quote=RajaTheResidentAlien]Yes! Congrats on the gigs, it shows in the virtuosic command you hold in your playing: feels confident and driven *fist-pump!* I really love the jazzy progressions, too, they have this organized chaotic vibe where i can delve into the warmth of the playing, but also get lost in the way the composition scatters into many diverse but cohesive directions(the stereo placement also lends effectiveness to this, too). Props! <3[/quote] Thanks!!! I have been reluctant to compose with very wild chords because I wanted to be able to play my songs with other folks if given the chance, and keeping it simple seemed like a way to make sure it will be more approachable if that day comes. But I would like to try and push the harmonies to higher levels and see what I can come up with, altho it will be harder to learn and play the songs... I don't wanna fall into the trap of random fake-jazz where there are many chords just for the sake of many chords. I hear that sometimes and the music loses its approachability and ends up kinda smug. don't wanna forget my ROOTS (not sure what those are even)

Thank you! feels good to answer those calls, show up, play, wham bam AND get paid for it!

haha thank you! nice Randy Newman, it's funny people mentioned him before on my instrumental songs but I am not aware of Randy playing instrumental that much. Still I take a lot of inspo from him now that I discovered him since ~wb2022.

Thank you! ahh it's so fun to play and get lost in it! tho one thing about doing more than a solo instrument (or solo with percussion) is u have to agree on the chords more or less... otherwise you are bound to play stuff in the wrong key every now and then which can be fine but it can be a bit sketchy at first. tried this with the band and it did not go very well at the very first practice hehhe.

Thanks! I've been aiming to do this kinda impro-composing in a live setting for many years, so in a way it's a culmination of all those efforts. Def takes time but you can get there!

Hahh, you are right about the feedback, more or less that happened. In general, I always avoid noodling and always play everything intentional or leave space. That said, with wb time pressure, plus playing only with backing track, means I have to react to someone who is not reacting to me... and I have to do the "reactions" of the first track before there is anything to react to... kinda faking it in a way.

So on second layers I have to follow the existing structure, which in this case was not overly planned (I repeat parts a different amount of times, on purpose), but I had to rely on hearing the harmonies changing, and I didn't telegraph it that well in the main take, plus the ac piano doesn't have such clear bass. Ahhh but whatever, excuses are for losers! What I really have to do is get better at hearing and reacting on time (and telegraphing the changes before they happen), tho it will never be truly great because of that non-reactive problem, that doesn't go away even if you redo the layers over and over (altho that helps).

Another reason I didn't want to set the structure too much at first, is to not fall into the "jazz standard" trap where I can't follow the improvisation where it wants to lead. I'm not sure yet how many loops I want in the solo, before I get there, so I don't like to force it to be 4xA, 4xB, then C, if I can avoid it. The side effect is what you heard. I don't know if it's the best way, but it's interesting to study.

Bonus point which I tried this week (07): I recorded a helper vocal track before doing some of the layers, where I say "here comes the B part" or whatever, so I didn't have to remember/look so much at the structure. I got the idea from like math metal bands where I know everyone has an earpiece with hints playing to a click. Of course that never gets heard in the final rec. It can be a bit annoying but actually it works! will experiment more in the future.

[quote=b bro]Great job on getting thoughs gigs! Ove the song as well[/quote] Thank you! feels good to answer those calls, show up, play, wham bam AND get paid for it! [quote=jwh]that rhythmic playing is so groovy, and love the ep dancing over top! [img]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffacts.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F10%2F20-mind-blowing-facts-about-randy-newman-1697508517.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=64a76c311740af94ad623b4b19234dee1c562acf8b621617d701a08e8f4b09a9[/img][/quote] haha thank you! nice Randy Newman, it's funny people mentioned him before on my instrumental songs but I am not aware of Randy playing instrumental that much. Still I take a lot of inspo from him now that I discovered him since ~wb2022. [quote=Tone Matrix]Excellent performance at both your gig and in this version. A hypnotic groove throughout especially enjoyed the epiano. [/quote] Thank you! ahh it's so fun to play and get lost in it! tho one thing about doing more than a solo instrument (or solo with percussion) is u have to agree on the chords more or less... otherwise you are bound to play stuff in the wrong key every now and then which can be fine but it can be a bit sketchy at first. tried this with the band and it did not go very well at the very first practice hehhe. [quote=Dustsucker]Love the latin feel of the rhythm an chords. Nice job with the improv and super cool exploration in the EP dub. Insane that you developed this in a live performance setting. I don't know whether I'll ever feel free enough to do something like that in front of an audience. So hats off to you for pulling that one off so naturally! Feedback: there were a couple moments where the dub kind of went off and did its own thing, only for you to realise you lost track of the main take, took a tiny break to listen, then continue noodling. It's super hard to improvise on an improvisation like that, but having a birds eye overview of the parts and how often you play a progression before moving to the next can help make the soloing feel even more cohesive. That way you can play [i]into[/i] the next chord, instead of merely reacting to it. But also realise this is nitpicking, I really enjoyed this one. Awesome craftsmanship on display <3[/quote] Thanks! I've been aiming to do this kinda impro-composing in a live setting for many years, so in a way it's a culmination of all those efforts. Def takes time but you can get there! Hahh, you are right about the feedback, more or less that happened. In general, I always avoid noodling and always play everything intentional or leave space. That said, with wb time pressure, plus playing only with backing track, means I have to react to someone who is not reacting to me... and I have to do the "reactions" of the first track before there is anything to react to... kinda faking it in a way. So on second layers I have to follow the existing structure, which in this case was not overly planned (I repeat parts a different amount of times, on purpose), but I had to rely on hearing the harmonies changing, and I didn't telegraph it that well in the main take, plus the ac piano doesn't have such clear bass. Ahhh but whatever, excuses are for losers! What I really have to do is get better at hearing and reacting on time (and telegraphing the changes before they happen), tho it will never be truly great because of that non-reactive problem, that doesn't go away even if you redo the layers over and over (altho that helps). Another reason I didn't want to set the structure too much at first, is to not fall into the "jazz standard" trap where I can't follow the improvisation where it wants to lead. I'm not sure yet how many loops I want in the solo, before I get there, so I don't like to force it to be 4xA, 4xB, then C, if I can avoid it. The side effect is what you heard. I don't know if it's the best way, but it's interesting to study. Bonus point which I tried this week (07): I recorded a helper vocal track before doing some of the layers, where I say "here comes the B part" or whatever, so I didn't have to remember/look so much at the structure. I got the idea from like math metal bands where I know everyone has an earpiece with hints playing to a click. Of course that never gets heard in the final rec. It can be a bit annoying but actually it works! will experiment more in the future.

thank you!

thank you!

Thank you! yea it's the fake "reaction" I seeded in the first take, where I leave space for the EP but then I take a bit of solo so the EP will have to make space for it. It worked OK but it's never gonna be like a real live impro.

Thank you emily! yes they are friends!

and YES Boucherie was mad loud, also fun fact there was a photographer who came UP TO MY PIANO AND PUT A DRINK ON IT (on the mf KEYS) and started taking pictures, WHILE I WAS PLAYING. I was like wtf u doing my man. He was like just taking pics, it's the reference, and proceeded to show me a pic on his phone (I was still playing and having to look at this mf phone) and then he continued to take pics of this FULL ASS DRINK on my piano. I was considering doing a run and spilling the drink to say "oops it was in my way, now fuck off" but I was nice about it... as a reward he continued for like 5 more songs. you can see some of it in another recording on my youtube.

fun times at la boucherie

Thank you v much! You gotta play a bunch ( A BUNCH ) live and you can do it! it is still scary tho, but kinda like skydiving or smth.

[quote=CTRL DEL]That is some great improv ma man![/quote] thank you! [quote=mzunguko]This was awesome, top notch![/quote] thank you! [quote=Paisleyfrog]Fantastic composition - rhythmic interplay is great - love how the EP hangs back at times and lets the piano charge forward. Such a strong foundation, gives that EP such a playground. I’m hearing a bit of that Take Five feel as well, that kind of 60s jazz. Awesome. [/quote] Thank you! yea it's the fake "reaction" I seeded in the first take, where I leave space for the EP but then I take a bit of solo so the EP will have to make space for it. It worked OK but it's never gonna be like a real live impro. [quote=emily][img]https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExaDRkbmd3bzBpNmRpcGNwbmMyZm9xOHExbTZzMWExNjFyeGprdjhyZSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/MKoIkENNdOw0w/giphy.gif[/img] hope the monkey & gorilla can become friends but they make nice music together either way p.s. La Boucherie sounds LOUD impressed with your concentration![/quote] Thank you emily! yes they are friends! and YES Boucherie was mad loud, also fun fact there was a photographer who came UP TO MY PIANO AND PUT A DRINK ON IT (on the mf KEYS) and started taking pictures, WHILE I WAS PLAYING. I was like wtf u doing my man. He was like just taking pics, it's the reference, and proceeded to show me a pic on his phone (I was still playing and having to look at this mf phone) and then he continued to take pics of this FULL ASS DRINK on my piano. I was considering doing a run and spilling the drink to say "oops it was in my way, now fuck off" but I was nice about it... as a reward he continued for like 5 more songs. you can see some of it in another recording on my youtube. fun times at la boucherie [quote=prophisee]Really cool tapping inspiration from gig improv. Not a level I have reached yet.[/quote] Thank you v much! You gotta play a bunch ( A BUNCH ) live and you can do it! it is still scary tho, but kinda like skydiving or smth.

oh H - i hate that story
i've dealt with some rude/drunk/entitled folks at shows...
but this is on a whole other level - full drink ON THE KEYS!?! & the phone - i just can't

keeping your cool shows you are a true professional & you deserve a better treatment as an artist

[img]https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExdzFrdTVoYjhmeHFieDdqMHhsMnVyc3dhNzQxa2ozZ3pocXdhNm51bSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/vwI4mYEHP8k0w/giphy.gif[/img] oh H - i hate that story i've dealt with some rude/drunk/entitled folks at shows... but this is on a whole other level - full drink ON THE KEYS!?! & the phone - i just can't keeping your cool shows you are a true professional & you deserve a better treatment as an artist <3