So this is really amazing, General Fuzz has broken down the composition of his recordings of Soulful Filling. Here is our favorite song off the album, Comfort Zone … Click the large link below to see what we are talking about …
This track was composed in the order you hear it – meaning I started out with the deep pad sound, then added a rhodes line (which I’m pretty fond of), and then added the melody on top of it. This track is an example of the other way I work with collaborators – I had completely charted out the melody in sheet music, then had these very talented musicians reinterpret them. It took several sessions until I had the articulation that I was totally satisfied with. Check out the original rhodes melody contrasted with the vastly richer violin melody. I also learned how tricky it is to record a violin.
There are really only a few track groups in this song. It took a number of sessions to record the solo which takes place at the bridge of the song. It’s actually comprised of lines from both Michele and Ryan. I crafted a slow breakdown and used the opportunity to bring the rhodes to the front of the mix, and created a few new melodic ideas on top of this new rhodes line. I then put the old melodies on top of the one ones, and tweaked the new melodies so that they sort of worked together – setting up the track for a smooth transition from the new melodies to the original melodies.
I am sure there is a long list for this question but who are your major musical influences?
When I was a teenager, I discovered new age artists like Suzanne Chaini and Ray Lynch. Later on I was turned on to Orbital, the Orb, Juno Reactor, Chicane, and the Crystal Method. These are some of my electronic music influences, but honestly, these days I mostly listen to jazz, funk, and jam bands. I really love live music, which is sort of ironic.
You already answered this question on your website but for our readers … Why do you give your music away for free?
Because I’m lucky enough to be able to. Growing up, there was no internet, and the cost of equipment to produce electronic music was extremely prohibitive. Now all you need is a computer, a mic, and some software. My goal has always been to have people listen to my music. I have a day job that supports me.
That said, I’m always extremely grateful for donations. I make a little money through licensing. I’m spending more on making music these days. I’m going to put a fair amount of money into my next release. I’m really hoping that I’ll make it back from donations and licensing in the next year or two after the release.
Tell me more about why you left the prestigious conservatory at Oberlin and your musical odyssey that followed?
To clarify, I was admitted into the college – not the conservatory. I auditioned and was eligible to take conservatory lessons, which I did during my first semester. It was no fun at all. My teacher had crazy high standards, and I finally recognized that I didn’t really like classical piano. I knew there was an electronic music program at the conservatory (TIMARA), so I eventually took some classes. It was awesome and altered my life forever. During that time I started playing in jam bands, which was crazy fun. After I graduated, I was playing in a band with some college friends in the Bay Area for about a year. A couple weeks after my band broke up (which I was pretty upset about), Reason 1.0 was released. I used it to fill in the musical gap, and never strayed from that path.
Since you started playing real instruments, what are your thoughts on electronic/computer based musicianship versus conventional forms of music?
There’s no wrong way to make music. I “cheat” incessantly using my computer. I quantize and do quite a bit of micro editing after playing in lines. Melodyne has been my savior. If you make music that you are proud of using pre-recorded loops, more power to you.
On the other hand, if I’m going to go see live music, I want to see LIVE music. If the bulk of your sound comes from your laptop, then I’m usually not interested.
Why the name GeneralFuzz?
I was actually “DJMessy” for my first two albums. In college, a lot of people called me “Mr. Messy,” so I adopted it as my musical moniker. People would ask me where I spin records, which is a natural question if you have DJ in your name. So before releasing my third album, I decided to change it “generalfuzz,” which was the title of my first album.
I read that you have a day job … Eventually do you want to ‘quit’ your day job and pursue music full-time?
Nope. Sometimes all I want to do is work on music, but sometimes I have no interest at all. I would find it very stressful if my income came from my music, and I think it would greatly detract from my overall enjoyment.
My next two albums are going to be fairly contrasting, and I know I’m going to alienate some of my audience. It’s nice to have the freedom to make the music I want to without imposing a economic penalty on myself.
