Tag Archives: emu

Onitod – Serves God [ Album: Eulogy ]

Serves God, is a hard-edged EDM song, built on the TR-909, Juno-6, and MKS-80, with Juno-106. The piano is a custom preset from a Kawai K11. Also featured is a JD-800, and EMU Ultraproteus.

This song to me, is mysterious. Sometimes that is exactly how I view Serving God. It can be quite the mystery. Some days, I feel like I know what is going on, and other days I am blinding walking a path, and asking am I doing the right thing.

A spiritual journey, is one that involves asking many questions, about what is going on, in life, and in yourself. It is a process, a journey, that is filled with a long quest.

Uncertainty is a form in which can cause fear, or eagerness to learn. I employ you to choose to engage in the learning avenue, rather than fear.

The title, Serving God is on this album, as this album is a collection of what I would like my life to be about. While you are in a good position in life, it is best to consider where you might want your life to end up, so that you can start preparing it to land in that place. Many people in the world, are surprised to find that things do not go as they wish, and in many cases, they wind up in a place, that was not of their choosing. The only way to reasonably live a life of your choosing, is to plan out what you most want to do, and then look for ways, in which you may be able to achieve it. Many people who have applied this method, have been able to accomplish that which they set out to do.

Enjoy this show, while you listen to the music. Serves God is a reminder to me, to try and live a godly life. I hope as you listen to this song, that you strive for that as well. The album name, Eulogy, is thinking about what you would like to be remembered for when you pass away, how you want to inspire people when you are no longer alive. My grandfather and great-grandfather served God, just like Joshua, and that is what I want to follow, to be like who they were, and do what they did, to live rightly, and serve God.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRVxCl8_1wc

Onitod – Snowflake Angel [ Album: Analog Movements ]

Snowflake Angel is a full-bodied composition, featuring, rich thick and fat pad sounds, which treat your ears to luscious textures. Featuring a Roland Sh-101, MKS-30, MKS-50, Juno-106, JX-3P, TR-909, Korg, Novation, N1R, KS4, Emu Proteus, Roland JV-880, JD-990, JD-800, MKS-80, Kawai K11.

Looking for the refreshing full featured compositions, that take your ears on a journey, and your soul to another dimension, this is the kind of audience this song was written for. Pondering, or contemplating a life decision, this track has a way of cutting through the grime of indecision, and cloudiness, and bringing forth clarity, and finalization to thoughts, ideas, creativity, and production of transmutation of thoughts and ideas.

This album was created around 1999-2001. Focuses heavily on analog keyboards. The sequences were done on a Roland MC50Mk2, and then tracked into 3 Tascam Da88 Multitrack recorders, and then mixed down on a 24 channel Soundcraft LX7, and then mastered between minidisc, and Soundforge. The primary gear was Roland Juno106, Juno1, Juno2, jx3p, mks50, mks10, mks30, mks80, mks70, tr909, tr707, tr626, mc303, sh101, Korg, Novation, Emu, and Kawai.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59eHhpPgNWA

Onitod – Beg To Differ [ Album: The Future of Music ]

Beg to Differ, was the first song that I recorded, produced, and mastered purely in Logic Pro. Featuring the driving vintage forces of sound from the Roland TR-909, JD-800, JD-990, MKS-80, Juno-106, Juno-1, Juno-2, and some other favorites.

Beg to Differ, was part of my spiritual journey. It was the part of the journey, when I had not realized it was in fact a journey, and a spiritual one. In this time, I had found a discontentment, which had built up over the last 10 years, about running into blockades with writing. What some commonly call, writers block. I was determined, that I needed to overcome this problem that I had to deal with, and started to very much desire a new way of dealing with song writing.

This track was first recorded in MOTU Digital Performer. Using a SoundCraft LX7, and an Art TubeFile8, I found that I was not getting the sound in the computer, to match the sound from the LX7 directly, and after many failed attempts to get things working, I switched from MOTU Digital Performer, to Logic Pro.

That was the last time I used MOTU Digital Performer. Once I started with Logic Pro, I had found my victory. Immediately I was able to reproduce the sounds from my LX7, into Logic, with great transparency. Then I was also able to fix the track, and arrange it, for the first time in my career, to my exact liking. This became my first hit, using Logic, with performance and flexibility to boot, I started writing many many songs, and this one was the beginning of it all.

When you face a trial in life, it is best to know, that all trials can be overcome. Many ways to overcome, do not come, by traditional methods, but they do come by diligence and perseverance. Hang on, hold on, and expect a better outcome, and surely, you will seek it and find it.

The future of music, for me, was that I stopped throwing away and walking away from sequences, that I had made. It was the first album I did in Logic Pro, and it was the frist set of songs, where I started thinking of how to solve the musical problems, rather than walk away from them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5clpZitz8I

Onitod – Settling Thoughts [ Album: Looking for the Sunshine ]

Settling Thoughts, embraces a chill track in an easy to listen electronic arrangement. Complete with Emu Proteus, JV-880, TR-909, TR-707, JD-800, JD-990, MKS-50, Juno-106, Juno-2, Juno-1, TR-626.

Softly pulsating, in the background, let your mind be put to ease. The song slowly progresses, into stress and destress, overcoming the odds, with a steady and powerful groove, that unlock the mind, and allow the mind to settle, and change course. The sounds bring for plasticity of the mind, with winds of liquified change to come and heal you anew.

To change the tide, in your life, or decide on a new direction in life, settle your mind, and let the sounds sooth your soul. Lean into your inner thoughts, and let them fade away like pillows, pushing through the clarity of disorder, and see a new light, and a new opportunity, that enlightens your soul, and brings life to your mind and body. Let the groove gather your heart, and soul, and plunge into a bliss of stress-reduction, and you find your way, and align your thoughts.

Enjoy this video of driving down Mount Scott, in Oklahoma, looking out the window. Put your mind at ease, and let your thoughts settle, as you take a break in your busy day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bD89l7GkgY

Onitod – Temperant [ Album: Spiritual Fruit ]

Temperant starts off with errie sounds, and driving string section, as it pick up speed, it picks up analog vintage snyths. Featuring the Roland TR-909, Emu Proteus, Roland JV-880, Roland JD-800, JD-990, U-110, Juno-106, Juno-2, Juno-1, MKS50, MKS100, MC-50MK2.

The song, climbs, and climbs building momentum, and finally reaching the end, and then resolving.

The word Temperant, means to be steady, to be calm. To be able to handle things, in a way which is not emotionally charged. To not be out of control, or hot-headed. Today, in many cultures we lack the ability to keep control of our own selves, and to have self-control, to be able to take a deep breath, and step back down. It is a lost art to be in control of oneself, with rush hour traffic, and speedy deadlines, life is much a busy whirlwind of activity, that many times does not afford us peace or the luxury to be able to slow down, and be in harmony, not only with our surroundings, but within our selves, in our inner selves.

This album was a series of older music that I did. Music that sat around for almost 10 years, before I brought it to cd. I like to think of myself as a later bloomer, or rather, sometimes it takes a while in life, to get to a place where you start growing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfh8gUty76M

Onitod – On A Quest [ Album: Looking for the Sunshine ]

On A Quest, is filled with the vintage vibe, Roland TR-707, TR-909, MKS-50, Juno-106, EMU Proteus, and Morpheus, Roland Juno-6, Juno-2, Siel, JD-990, JD-800, JV-880. This song morphs between two themes. The wanderer on a journey, looking and checking down the paths, exploring the surrounds, finding that they change as they move on. The end of the song wraps around to the beginning to complete the course, but it ends in a diffusion of sound.

Many time we are on a quest, one that turns out differently than expected. Many times the coping methods that we use to survive, are not what bring us the happiness and joy, we had once searched for. Sometimes the choices we make, take us away from where we want to go. Hope is always possible, and it is always around the corner. That corner may look cloudy, or seem distant, but trust in the Lord, and hold the course, for resolution.

Looking for the sunshine, is all about a journey, all about realizing your role in this life, and that you make choices, and you can grow in which ever direction you feed your choices. This video illustrates, how I climbed a tree, and then climbed down, because I saw something more precious at the base. Acheivement, can lead to disillusioned success, and a life less fully lived. Stay tuned for more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV3WWooQuHo

Onitod – Making Sense of it All [ Album: Looking for the Sunshine ]

Making Sense of it All, is an electronic piece, featuring many old vintage analog synths, including Juno-6, juno-60, Juno-1, Juno-2, U-110, U-220, P-330, Jd-800, JD-990, TR-909, among others.

This song starts out as pure confusion, and then finds resolve. Such is life, how many times we face uncertain things, and then find resolve only much later on. Press forward, and move on, and you too shall make it through this trial. Life is filled with trials, and your trials are like mine, we all face them, but we all have the opportunity to make it through, and to pass through that will is around us, or before us.

This video is an abstract video, and it coordinates with the theme. A lot of things in life do not make too much sense, and they are difficult to sort out. Dealing the cronic issues, day in and day out, is taxing, and frustrating, and for those who go through them, they are hard burdens to get a hold of. This album reflects on those struggles, and the nature of depression, going through the cronic issues, you are always hoping that there will be a day, when it ends, when what you are dealing with stops being an issue. Keep hoping, and keep looking for the sunshine, or things in your life, that you have to look forward to, and adopt a plan to be grateful for those things which you do have, and appreciate what is good in your life, that helps make it better, and can sustain your life through some long and unknown passageways.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPQvFk8SeL8

Onitod – Terms of Realization [ Album: Eulogy ]

Terms of Realization is a pop/edm piece, which features a bass grove, with strings. An arpeggio carries the melody through. While a industrial guitar adds some percussive elements and drive.

This song, is instrumental, but reflects on the idea of becoming self-aware about your life, and what kind of legacy, or impact you want to leave, or how you might like to leave the world. Its about coming to terms with death, and the multiple ways of dealing with it, and deciding to make the best of what you have now, and what you have left, living with an end in mind.

Terms of realization might best be through of as the journey to becoming more aware of yourself now, so that you have a chance to change who you become. It is about freedom to choose now, coming to those choices now, sooner than later. It is about coming to those terms of where you are in life now, and choosing to deal with them, most hopefully for a better outcome, one that you can even influence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVtFkBcWuk8

Onitod – Joyful [ Album: Spiritual Fruit ]

Joyful, is featured on the Album Spiritual Fruit. It is an electronic up-tempo song, that is sure to get you going. It is composed using traditional analog synths.

Featuring a tr-909, juno-106, jd-800, jv-880, mks10, mks50, mks70, mks80, and other beloved analog synths, it uses the original hardware in the recordings. This album was recored through a Soundcraft LX7, and then in DA-88s. It was mastered, and mixed on Logic Pro 8.

The name Joyful, comes from the qualities of the Hoy Spirit, one of which is joyfulness. The titles of all the tracks are fruits of the Spirit, hence the name of the album.

This album features music that was recorded between 1997-2008. It is electronic music, with alterations, and variations. Mostly along the lines of ambient, or new age, with a hint of jazz progressions, or odd sounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkG251AH72k

Onitod – Life is Fragile [ Album: The Future of Music ]

Life is Fragile, is not only a term that is true, in one second, life can change quickly. However, in this album, it had to do with music being fragile. There is a thin line, between making a song, and writing a bunch of notes, and hoping they work out.

This album, was a groundbreaking album for me. I had started on a Roland MC-50MK2, and tried to go through route of protools only to be frustrated. As a primarily midi composer, I found protools to not help, and I had to resume on my mc-50mk2, using a sync channel to keep multiple parts recorded together.

Being limited by the MC-50MK2, was the fact, that it was brutally hard and difficult to edit on the unit. The machine was very reliable, but very cumbersome to work with.

I had a small endeavor with MOTU’s performer, writing a single song in the software, before I donated it to someone else. The recording using that software was so horrible, that I decided MOTU was not the way to go.

Finally in 2007, I found Logic, or rather I got a Mac, and then I bought Logic. Logic was the culmination of every tool that I had needed, and it was accessible to me all at once. All the quantization problems that I had were gone. The ability to change and rearrange, and transpose midi notes, all of a sudden easy to do. What took days and hours to accomplish in the Roland MC-50MK2 was minutes in Logic.

It was at this time that I really found my software, and what was even more, is that in the preceding 10 years, I had written 800 sequences in that MC-50mk2, but most of those ended in sorrow, because I did not posses the tools to go and fix the tracks, and make them correctly. Since I could not fix the midi, I was not able to use many of them, so when I hit a snag, I started a new sequence and hoped for better results.

In December of 2007, I started out with Logic, and I determined, that I was going to start writing songs, that I would find a way to finish them, and complete them, and no longer leave them as half done, or thrown to sorrow. That is what The Future of Music was for me. The first songs that I wrote in Logic, where for the first time in my composing history, was able to fix, and get past the blocks that I normally got stuck on.

It was the first time, in my career, that I moved past, all the stumbling blocks, and started moving around them, and past them. I started defeating my problems, and finding innovative ways to arrange the music, and really make some great music.

The album is really about my break through, in recording and composing, in that now I had the leverage to make choices, and solve problems, and move ahead.

Life is fragile, but life can also be adventurous, and exciting, and fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppod1ghM-t8