Dearly Beloved
It’s been a little over two weeks since the release of When We Were Vampires, and the response has been amazing. It may have taken me 147 tries, but I finally achieved the coveted “more…” link below the supporter list on my Bandcamp page for the album. I also got a pretty killer review from a listener:
The album has done really well on GetMusic, so well that I had to add more codes today. If you’ve been slacking and haven’t got a copy of the album yet, you can get it for free by clicking on the button or link below.
Of course, if you really would like to give me money, you can also…
I was pleasantly surprised when Neuguitars shared the album on their newsletter, which is where I get most of my news on the avant-garde and experimental guitar scene. Check it out here:
I’m also happy to share that my track “The Garlic Incident” from the album was included today as part of Audio Interface’s Disturbing Dreams podcast. You can check that out on Mixcloud or get the full details on the Audio Interface website. Thanks to Pete Xylander for including my track in this great selection of dark music.
Today’s Track
I recorded Blood Philosopher during today’s morning ritual. It has a similar vibe to the Vampires album, although I’m playing with a few new apps. The track is based on xenome 820, which is the start of a new group of scales in this series. Listen if you dare, and let me know what you think.
Elsewhere in Book News
Although it’s been in the wild for a bit, I’m happy to announce that The Book of Xenomes has been officially released on Metalabel. You should probably read it.
Thanks, as always, for your support!
How to Listen to My Music
My music specifically is meant for deep listening with headphones. This is an approach to experiencing music that is mindful and centers the music listening experience as the thing you are doing, versus passive listening, which is how we generally experience music. Like with meditation, clear you mind and focus on the music as it happens, paying attention to the distinct elements that come and go. Allow yourself to focus on different parts of the mix: the guitar, the background sounds, the little glitchy sounds that move around. Consider how the music makes you feel in your body, and give awareness to the thoughts or memories that come up.
When We Were Vampires
This is my latest album, released November 12th! This album will only be available until the next one comes along, so get it while you can!
The Book of Xenomes
It’s been a long time coming, but the Book of Xenomes has finally been released, with a surprise foreword by composer and music theory guru Ian Ring. Here’s an excerpt:
Qid Love eschews random colonization of the pitch universe, and has instead developed a system of naming that encodes each scale’s structure in a meaningful form. Each musical scale is represented as a compact notation – a “xenome” – that functions like an acronym for the scale’s identity. Xenomes allow musicians to recognize and work with pitch-class sets intuitively, without needing to engage with the deeper mathematical calculations typically associated with set theory. The approach empowers musicians to bring the insights of xenomes directly into their practice, in a format that feels accessible and memorably simple. Notably, thinking of pitch-class sets as xenomes illuminates certain symmetries that will spice up your scalar vocabulary.
There is no expectation that the reader will already know set theory, hexadecimal notation, binary or modulo arithmetic. Qid explains each concept so clearly that both seasoned theorists and beginners alike will find the system intuitive and engaging.
Whether you’re hoping to deepen your grasp of musical set theory or are simply curious about an innovative approach to scale identification, this book offers a refreshing take. Qid Love bridges the gap between the highly theoretical world of pitch class set naming and the everyday reality of making music. A gift to musicians and theorists alike: a practical, accessible way to explore one of music’s more enigmatic subjects. - Ian Ring
I’m also thrilled that xenomes have been added to the scale reference pages on Mr. Ring’s “The Exciting Universe Of Music Theory” website, right above Forte numbers. This is a huge moment of validation for me, and I’m extremely grateful to Ian for taking the time to read my book, write a foreword, and integrate my system into the most comprehensive scale reference on the internet.
Let’s Talk About You
I’m accepting new coaching clients. If you want to work on your art or your life, I’m happy to spend some time chatting about your goals and dreams.
