Last minute post, folks! Orkestar MEZE is going into the studio next week to record some incredibly grooving new music for our sophomore release! Come celebrate with us and hear some of the new tunes, performed live in public for the very first time. Two other fantastic bands are warming up the room before us, Klezmer junkies Bubbeleh and techy-world-jazz wizards Orange Tulip Conspiracy. The show starts at 9pm, but if you can't make it until "after hours", don't despair!!! Orkestar MEZE takes the stage at 11pm, and we play until last call. Tell them you are here to see MEZE!
Orkestar MEZE/Orange Tulip Conspiracy/Bubbeleh
El Cid
4212 W Sunset Blvd
Doors at 9pm, MEZE at 11pm
$10, 21+ only
Facebook it!
Bring your belly-dancing skills...there are prizes to be won at the classic Orkestar MEZE belly-dancing contest during our set!
Michael Mull Octet
Friday, August 9, 2013
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Meshuggah pt. 2 - Transfixion
Long, long ago (in January 2012) I did a post where I shared and analyzed a transcription of Meshuggah guitarist Fredrik Thordendal's solo on a track called "Beneath". You can check that post out here. If this is the first you are hearing of Meshuggah, or of my interest in them, I recommend you read the prior post before diving in here. I am presenting another solo today, with a third on the way (this time I mean it, I swear!).
Today we will look at Thordendal's solo on "Transfixion", a song from the same album as "Beneath", entitled Destroy Erase Improve (1995!). You can listen to the whole track here. The guitar solo begins at 1:40 on the full track. Spend some time just listening to the groove and the solo - follow along with the transcription to get used to how the rhythm guitar part (bottom staff) emphasizes different beats in the 2-bar repeating phrase. This riff is much less complex than a "typical" Meshuggah riff, but it makes for easier following-along on a very complex solo. Let's take a look (I recommend saving the pic to your desktop so you can zoom in with a picture viewing program):
Unlike the previous post, this is a very difficult solo to discuss harmonically, probably because it seems not to be about that at all. To me, this solo is all about shape - there is a lot of twisting and turning, and what you might call spiraling. From my limited knowledge of guitar techniques, I am fairly certain that the middle to the end of the solo (excluding, probably, the last few beats) is performed by tapping, which seems very visual and lends itself toward shapes. Thordendal goes mad-scientist on this one...
Taking a look at the first couple of interjections in relationship to the rhythm guitar riff, Thordendal shifts major to phrygian minor to an Eb/C# sound, and then completely departs. The beginning of m.4 hints at a whole-tone sound and jumps up to what I would call a "funky" phrase that lands on a B on the last eighth-note of the measure. This "lick" could be described in the diminished mode (respelled as C#-E#-G-A#-B, it fits the profile of C#13 with a flatted fifth), and introduces the diminished sound to the solo, to be expanded later. Thordendal hangs onto the "funky lick", an eighth-note earlier and isolated (m.5), and then begins, twists, and replays it once more ("fakeout", m.6).
M.7 is where the plane takes off - dropping almost three octaves from his last note, Thordendal digs into the diminished sound more fully, but with a slightly different selection of tones from the same diminished scale (looks like a tritone away from the previous set, G-B-C#-E-F). Beginning in m.8 we see a definitive 6-note shape appear (slurs are used for discussion and don't indicate any emphasis in the performance). Compare the second and third phrases, marked a and a' respectively - they are identical except that in a' Thordendal switches the first two notes (E and Bb) and places the E an octave higher, setting up the fully formed, prevailing shape for the next 3 measures (note also that here the rhythm guitar "opens up" from palm-muted to ringing notes, highlighted brilliantly by this high-register pattern). This shape continues to develop and alter slightly, as labeled, and upon the introduction of Eb's in the phrase marked c'', the melody departs from the diminished sound to what we can affectionately call "no man's land".
The rest of the solo spirals upward until another shape is revealed in m.14, this time a group of nine that is played three times, transposed up a half step each time. The third time, the final interval is changed to a major 3rd instead of a major 2nd, setting up another wild line that both concludes the rising chromaticism (G to Ab in m.15) and reaches the highest pitch in the solo (4 ledger-line G). It is worth noting that from the G to Ab resolution, Thordendal's line leaps outward (wider intervals), and seems to "close", with shrinking intervals all the way up to the last note.
I'll finish up with a general impression. The lack of a harmonic center in this solo is a highlight for Thordendal's ability to give identity through shape- and rhythm-based phrasing; the first two short phrases of the solo end with an upward leap of a 5th, and every subsequent phrase-ending is a downward-leaping tritone, every time landing on a strong downbeat (with the exception of m.4 ending on the "& of 4). The effect is a solo that is outwardly chaotic with a deeper, funky sensibility underneath. I'd love to hear other ideas, thoughts, and comments from readers. Thank you for reading and keep your eyes here - next up, a Meshuggah "classic" off of the Chaosphere album!
Today we will look at Thordendal's solo on "Transfixion", a song from the same album as "Beneath", entitled Destroy Erase Improve (1995!). You can listen to the whole track here. The guitar solo begins at 1:40 on the full track. Spend some time just listening to the groove and the solo - follow along with the transcription to get used to how the rhythm guitar part (bottom staff) emphasizes different beats in the 2-bar repeating phrase. This riff is much less complex than a "typical" Meshuggah riff, but it makes for easier following-along on a very complex solo. Let's take a look (I recommend saving the pic to your desktop so you can zoom in with a picture viewing program):
Taking a look at the first couple of interjections in relationship to the rhythm guitar riff, Thordendal shifts major to phrygian minor to an Eb/C# sound, and then completely departs. The beginning of m.4 hints at a whole-tone sound and jumps up to what I would call a "funky" phrase that lands on a B on the last eighth-note of the measure. This "lick" could be described in the diminished mode (respelled as C#-E#-G-A#-B, it fits the profile of C#13 with a flatted fifth), and introduces the diminished sound to the solo, to be expanded later. Thordendal hangs onto the "funky lick", an eighth-note earlier and isolated (m.5), and then begins, twists, and replays it once more ("fakeout", m.6).
M.7 is where the plane takes off - dropping almost three octaves from his last note, Thordendal digs into the diminished sound more fully, but with a slightly different selection of tones from the same diminished scale (looks like a tritone away from the previous set, G-B-C#-E-F). Beginning in m.8 we see a definitive 6-note shape appear (slurs are used for discussion and don't indicate any emphasis in the performance). Compare the second and third phrases, marked a and a' respectively - they are identical except that in a' Thordendal switches the first two notes (E and Bb) and places the E an octave higher, setting up the fully formed, prevailing shape for the next 3 measures (note also that here the rhythm guitar "opens up" from palm-muted to ringing notes, highlighted brilliantly by this high-register pattern). This shape continues to develop and alter slightly, as labeled, and upon the introduction of Eb's in the phrase marked c'', the melody departs from the diminished sound to what we can affectionately call "no man's land".
The rest of the solo spirals upward until another shape is revealed in m.14, this time a group of nine that is played three times, transposed up a half step each time. The third time, the final interval is changed to a major 3rd instead of a major 2nd, setting up another wild line that both concludes the rising chromaticism (G to Ab in m.15) and reaches the highest pitch in the solo (4 ledger-line G). It is worth noting that from the G to Ab resolution, Thordendal's line leaps outward (wider intervals), and seems to "close", with shrinking intervals all the way up to the last note.
I'll finish up with a general impression. The lack of a harmonic center in this solo is a highlight for Thordendal's ability to give identity through shape- and rhythm-based phrasing; the first two short phrases of the solo end with an upward leap of a 5th, and every subsequent phrase-ending is a downward-leaping tritone, every time landing on a strong downbeat (with the exception of m.4 ending on the "& of 4). The effect is a solo that is outwardly chaotic with a deeper, funky sensibility underneath. I'd love to hear other ideas, thoughts, and comments from readers. Thank you for reading and keep your eyes here - next up, a Meshuggah "classic" off of the Chaosphere album!
Thursday, July 11, 2013
MEZE Marquee
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
FREE SHOW - Orkestar MEZE at House of Blues
Join Orkestar MEZE for an absolutely FREE show this Saturday 7/13 on the famed House of Blues main stage! Here's the trick - you still have to get tickets to get in. Just email peasantfunk@gmail.com with your address and the number of tickets you want. That's it. FREE! If we can't mail them to you in time, we'll find another way to get them to you at the show! Look what happened last time we explodified the HOB mainstage:
We have another amazing guest this time around - K'noup from VIZA, a longtime friend of Orkestar MEZE and a helluva singer. We will be performing a song of his, a slamming Greek MEZE staple tune, and some edgy Bulgarian pop songs with a MEZE "tvist". Don't miss this one! Details below:
Orkestar MEZE feat. K'noup @ House of Blues Sunset
Saturday July 13th, 2013
9:00pm, one set only
FREE (email peasantfunk@gmail.com for tickets)
ages 18+
8430 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood
RSVP on Facebook
We have another amazing guest this time around - K'noup from VIZA, a longtime friend of Orkestar MEZE and a helluva singer. We will be performing a song of his, a slamming Greek MEZE staple tune, and some edgy Bulgarian pop songs with a MEZE "tvist". Don't miss this one! Details below:
Orkestar MEZE feat. K'noup @ House of Blues Sunset
Saturday July 13th, 2013
9:00pm, one set only
FREE (email peasantfunk@gmail.com for tickets)
ages 18+
8430 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood
RSVP on Facebook
Friday, June 21, 2013
Mahadev in Concert 6/22
I've had a great summer so far - got to experience Bjork at the Hollywood Bowl a couple weeks ago! Had a rip-snorting good time playing with my Trio last Saturday for the Blue Whale outdoor concert series, and very cool to play with amazing drummer Gene Coye for the first time. Sticking around after that to hear the Bennie Maupin trio (with Darek Oles and Tootie Heath) was icing on the trio cake...what a sound! Here's a nice shot of my trio having fun, with my bass clarinet nabbing background props.
Tomorrow night, Saturday 6/22, I'm performing at another outdoor concert series, this time in Thousand Oaks and with world music mash-up masters Mahadev. Check this facebook link for addresses, ticket info, and more. Show starts at 7pm at the beautiful Hillcrest Center for the Arts, right up the hill from The Oaks mall area.
Finally, I've jumped on the Twitter-wagon - follow me if you please @mmullmusic. I'll be updating there about shows and events, as well as keeping tabs on the progress of recording a couple different albums throughout the rest of the year, including one for my Octet (in the planning stages), and one for Orkestar MEZE. We have a fundraising campaign, please take a look and watch our video!
That's it for now, stay friendly here, on Facebook, and on Twitter for some great music coming down the tubes!
Tomorrow night, Saturday 6/22, I'm performing at another outdoor concert series, this time in Thousand Oaks and with world music mash-up masters Mahadev. Check this facebook link for addresses, ticket info, and more. Show starts at 7pm at the beautiful Hillcrest Center for the Arts, right up the hill from The Oaks mall area.
Finally, I've jumped on the Twitter-wagon - follow me if you please @mmullmusic. I'll be updating there about shows and events, as well as keeping tabs on the progress of recording a couple different albums throughout the rest of the year, including one for my Octet (in the planning stages), and one for Orkestar MEZE. We have a fundraising campaign, please take a look and watch our video!
That's it for now, stay friendly here, on Facebook, and on Twitter for some great music coming down the tubes!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Michael Mull Trio + Gene Coye, Tempest Twins
Reached my 27th year on June 7th last week, and am ready to keep the ball rolling along with perpetually increasing musication! Orkestar MEZE played some super funky sets down in San Diego, the Michael Mull Octet is sounding incredible on some new music, and the Tempest Twins are officially launched on bandcamp and youtube! Get launched while you read the rest of the post - play the track below:
I'm excited to announce that I'll be playing a Michael Mull Trio gig at the Blue Whale's new outdoor series this Saturday, June 15th at 6:30pm! Shows have been taking place outside in the Weller Court area every Saturday and are ALL AGES and FREE. The Trio will feature a special guest this time around, the illustrious Gene Coye on drums! I saw Gene play shortly after I moved to LA and have been hoping to play with him since...come and see it go down if you are in the LA area. Did I mention it's FREE?! Bennie Maupin Trio is playing upstairs at the Whale after we play, so stick around!
And a shout-out: if you are in the Valley on Saturday the 15th, you might like to go to Barclay's in Northridge and catch Ami & The Marissa Calille Quartet at 7pm!
I'm excited to announce that I'll be playing a Michael Mull Trio gig at the Blue Whale's new outdoor series this Saturday, June 15th at 6:30pm! Shows have been taking place outside in the Weller Court area every Saturday and are ALL AGES and FREE. The Trio will feature a special guest this time around, the illustrious Gene Coye on drums! I saw Gene play shortly after I moved to LA and have been hoping to play with him since...come and see it go down if you are in the LA area. Did I mention it's FREE?! Bennie Maupin Trio is playing upstairs at the Whale after we play, so stick around!
And a shout-out: if you are in the Valley on Saturday the 15th, you might like to go to Barclay's in Northridge and catch Ami & The Marissa Calille Quartet at 7pm!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Summer Begins
Long time since the last post...what a busy Spring it has been! Had a great Octet show at the Blue Whale, played a musical, did some fun sets with Mahadev, and recorded with tenor saxophonist Frank Silva for a new record of his original music. It's going to be a rip-snorting record, and I even got a tune on there, so keep your eyes here for more info as it gets released.
May is flying by, and I have a few shows with Orkestar MEZE coming up. First, this Sunday 5/19 we are playing at the Annual Bulgarian Festival in Culver City. It is a four-hour event with tons of other music, delicious Bulgarian food, arts, dance, and all that wonderful festival stuff! Best of all, pre-sale tickets can be purchased online for only $11. Eleven bucks. Yeah! Still only $20 at the door, but get them early and pick them up at the venue. Event runs from 12:30 to 4:30pm at the Veterans Memorial Complex, 4117 Overland Ave, Culver City 90230.
A week later, on Saturday 5/25, we are driving the plow and mules down to sunny San Diego (albeit with a somewhat downsized MEZE) to play a small daytime festival, and then rock the Turquoise Bar at night! We'd love to meet some new SD Peasants, so please tell your friends and enemies to come check us out.
Lots of other good stuff in the planning stages right now...stay in touch! Here's Orkestar MEZE with the incredible Ellis Hall in March!
May is flying by, and I have a few shows with Orkestar MEZE coming up. First, this Sunday 5/19 we are playing at the Annual Bulgarian Festival in Culver City. It is a four-hour event with tons of other music, delicious Bulgarian food, arts, dance, and all that wonderful festival stuff! Best of all, pre-sale tickets can be purchased online for only $11. Eleven bucks. Yeah! Still only $20 at the door, but get them early and pick them up at the venue. Event runs from 12:30 to 4:30pm at the Veterans Memorial Complex, 4117 Overland Ave, Culver City 90230.
A week later, on Saturday 5/25, we are driving the plow and mules down to sunny San Diego (albeit with a somewhat downsized MEZE) to play a small daytime festival, and then rock the Turquoise Bar at night! We'd love to meet some new SD Peasants, so please tell your friends and enemies to come check us out.
Lots of other good stuff in the planning stages right now...stay in touch! Here's Orkestar MEZE with the incredible Ellis Hall in March!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Octet @ The Blue Whale this Thursday 3/28/13
Friends, it is my pleasure to "officially" announce the Michael Mull Octet's next show, this Thursday, March 28th, at the Blue Whale in downtown LA. We played our first show there in June 2012, and we have developed as a group over the past months. The Octet is taking over the whole night this time around, so come and enjoy two sets of music, much of it brand new, on Thursday! The band has been putting in a lot of work and is sounding incredible...
Michael Mull Octet is:
Michael Mull, Frank Silva - woodwinds
Harrison Kirk, Will Wulfeck - trombones
Adam Ratner, Tim Fischer - guitars
Emilio Terranova - bass
Mike Lockwood - drums
Michael Mull Octet @ The Blue Whale
Thursday, March 28th
9pm, two sets
$10, no minimum (food and full bar available)
Ages 21+ only, sorry!
facebook
Blue Whale
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St Los Angeles, CA 90012
Michael Mull Octet is:
Michael Mull, Frank Silva - woodwinds
Harrison Kirk, Will Wulfeck - trombones
Adam Ratner, Tim Fischer - guitars
Emilio Terranova - bass
Mike Lockwood - drums
Michael Mull Octet @ The Blue Whale
Thursday, March 28th
9pm, two sets
$10, no minimum (food and full bar available)
Ages 21+ only, sorry!
Blue Whale
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St Los Angeles, CA 90012
Free street parking, or structure parking off of 2nd St.
Monday, March 18, 2013
March Rolls On
What an extreme second week of March last week...full of highs and lows, but I'm sure only to remember the highs in years to come! I was battling a nasty flu all week, but was able to participate in a couple great nights of music.
Orkestar MEZE played a ferociously energetic set of peasant funk on the House of Blues main stage on Thursday night! We were blessed to give out so many free tickets as a gift to our fans, old and new, for their incredible support over the past year. Part of the treat was sweetened with our guest, the ambassador of soul, Ellis Hall, sitting in on our version of Stevie Wonder's "I Wish". I wager that the House of Blues hasn't been that funky in a while!
One day's rest afforded me a little increase in health, so I was ready to join my wife Ami on Saturday for a night of female singer-songwriters at the Tribal Cafe in Echo Park. She performed a diverse set of originals and arrangements to open the night.
Getting excited to keep the ball rolling and bring my Octet to the Blue Whale for a full night on March 28th! A full post with more details to come.
Orkestar MEZE played a ferociously energetic set of peasant funk on the House of Blues main stage on Thursday night! We were blessed to give out so many free tickets as a gift to our fans, old and new, for their incredible support over the past year. Part of the treat was sweetened with our guest, the ambassador of soul, Ellis Hall, sitting in on our version of Stevie Wonder's "I Wish". I wager that the House of Blues hasn't been that funky in a while!
One day's rest afforded me a little increase in health, so I was ready to join my wife Ami on Saturday for a night of female singer-songwriters at the Tribal Cafe in Echo Park. She performed a diverse set of originals and arrangements to open the night.
Getting excited to keep the ball rolling and bring my Octet to the Blue Whale for a full night on March 28th! A full post with more details to come.
Monday, March 11, 2013
FREE Show with Orkestar MEZE 3/14/13!
Our Orkestar MEZE show at MALABOMBA! two weeks ago was a rip-snorting good time, full of sweaty peasant dancing and foot-stomping grooves. As you might remember, we also played a few weeks prior to that at the House of Blues Foundation Room.....and sold out the show! We owe it all to the fans for your amazing support, so we want to say "thank you" with a FREE show this Thursday night, 3/14 - this time, on the historic main stage of the House of Blues on Sunset! That's right: not only a chance to rock out with MEZE for free, but you'll be doing it at one of the premier clubs on the West Coast with fantastic sound and good vibes. What's more, we'll be hanging out in the Foundation Room after our set to keep the party going, so come on upstairs and have a drink with the band! We're all peasants here!
The great Knoup from Viza joined us at the Foundation Room to rock some Greek goodness:
Word on the farm is that we will be hosting another legend with some major tricks up our shirtsleeves on Thursday night, so don't miss it! All you have to do is send an email to peasantfunk@gmail.com with your name, and the number of tickets you want for you and your buddies. As many as you want. Free. Just show up, pick up those bad boys at will call, and you are ready to get down! Here's the skinny:
Orkestar MEZE @ House of Blues Sunset - FREE SHOW
Thursday, March 14th
7pm, ages 18+
FREE - email peasantfunk@gmail.com to be added to the will call list
orkestarmeze.com
House of Blues Sunset
8430 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood
RSVP on Facebook
The great Knoup from Viza joined us at the Foundation Room to rock some Greek goodness:
Word on the farm is that we will be hosting another legend with some major tricks up our shirtsleeves on Thursday night, so don't miss it! All you have to do is send an email to peasantfunk@gmail.com with your name, and the number of tickets you want for you and your buddies. As many as you want. Free. Just show up, pick up those bad boys at will call, and you are ready to get down! Here's the skinny:
Orkestar MEZE @ House of Blues Sunset - FREE SHOW
Thursday, March 14th
7pm, ages 18+
FREE - email peasantfunk@gmail.com to be added to the will call list
orkestarmeze.com
House of Blues Sunset
8430 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood
RSVP on Facebook
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