'Garage grind days & Z-files' is released

The "GGD&Z" is finally 100% ready. It is freely available from www.scumfusion.com - just head there and get into downloads section (refresh the site / pages if needed, just updated the pages). The package is about 100 mb in size (rar package). It contains:

- 20 songs (320 kbps mp3)
- high quality artwork for jewel case front/back (PNG format)
- "liner notes" / info for all songs, combined with lyrics (PDF format)
- 300x300 front cover for mp3 players' "album art" (JPG format)

One sample piece can be found from youtube - song # 13, "hypnotic aim". Here.

Album cover can be seen at flickr.

Here's the tracklist. Overall length is ~43 minutes.

01. Twisted mass of burnt decay (Autopsy)
02. This menace
03. Pestilent decay (Repulsion)
04. Death poem
05. Deceiver (Napalm Death)
06. Disposal of the body (Cannibal Corpse)
07. Think? (Venomous Concept)
08. Greenthumb (Bongzilla)
09. Storm of stress (Terrorizer)
10. Realm of chaos (Bolt Thrower)
11. Twisted sacrilegious journey into our darkest neurotic delirium (Incantation)
12. Sacred smoke (Bongzilla)
13. Hypnotic aim (Carbonized)
14. End (Nasum)
15. Strongman (Rotten Sound)
16. The art of death (Atrocity USA)
17. Krossa (Nasum)
18. Eternal summer (Celtic Frost)
19. Thaw (Septic Death)
20. Zombies

Enjoy!

Statement: GGD&Z was made 1. just for fun and 2. celebrating the 10 years of SF (which started by covering other bands), and as anyone can see, thus it contains mainly coversongs as tribute to the inspirators. The future of SF will be purely about making original music, and getting deeper into defining the term "scifi grind" better through the music. Keep in mind, that in space no one can hear you grind.

After revisions

I have corrected some things and somewhat satisfied with the results. Antti will surely let us know if something needs tweaking, or if everything is ok.

Stay tuned.


Weekends to ya,

T
-------------

Damn deal done, but not quite yet

Funnily Timo happened to write and kind of predict things exactly in his previous post:

"No recording ever goes down effortlessly and this one was no exception to that rule"

I just listened the supposedly final version of the whole package - and while it made me grin a lot, in how good it feels, I also found few things that will have to be corrected before putting the release out. Mainly some vocal tasks, two songs need bit more recording to make them work 100% - and one ambient noise section gets more alien noise to it. No more than that.

If all goes well, the GGD&Z will be released during the coming weekend.

EDIT: Uploaded the ancient SF releases and now they are available after quite a long break at www.scumfusion.com - just keep in mind that it's 1. ancient material and 2. with 128-160 kbps ... that's the form they were once done back in the day. They are the original files in original shapes, for better or worse.

Done!!!

Finally.

Recording, mixing and mastering the brand new Scumfusion offering is finished. Antti will surely fetch the files from the net asap, and they will be made available for download very soon.

No recording ever goes down effortlessly and this one was no exception to that rule. No animals were harmed though, neither did I sustain serious injuries during the process.

I hope the results are listenable and maybe even enjoyable!


Yourbuddyyourpal,

T
------------

Soon to be released

Timo just got all the ambient / industrial noise elements finished for the GGD&Z package. The Z-files will be drowned within those elements ... still some final messing around with the generic audio things based on what I heard from Timo today. It sounds that the GGD&Z might get released within a week. Perhaps on weekend, who knows. We shall see.

Low end finished

And so it was done. The bass tracks for the new selections are on "tape". I might continue with the vocals as soon as today. Stay tuned.

T
---------------

And so it begins...

Finally!

All the hassle is fading away and I found some peace and quiet time which I will effectively destroy by recording some noise!

All the tracks (drums and guitars) are already onboard Logic, and next stop is the bass guitar. I'm quite familiar with some of the tracks so I expect no great difficulties. Wish me luck.

I'll report any recent developments here, hopefully very soon : )


Yourbuddyyourpal,

Timo

Site moved

Moved the Scumfusion site into new service & server today. More space and especially more reliability = win. Might be that I'll put up the old releases there too, at some point.

GGD&Z package has been waiting longer than was expected as Timo has been extremely busy with all sorts of music business etc. But the package will soon go ahead as Timo gets into it. Expect updates in coming weeks.

Piece from the Z-files package at youtube

As I happened to have old rehearsal videoclip from 2007 summer, I partially replaced the rehearsal audio with the final piece of the song ("death poem", Twin Peaks influenced single from 2007) and threw the video online as a small teaser of the package under works. If you wanna hear somewhat fast (programmed) drums, check it out.


And the video is right about here.

Cover artwork & info package

Got the cover artwork finished some hours ago for GGD&Z. Both the front and back cover for jewel case / CD. Came out pretty good. Used the pictures I shot few days ago in the wilderness for the coverart creation and abandoned my original idea of using a picture from 2002 ... the new rust & machinery theme fits the release much better. So, it's two PNG files, front and back covers, which will be added to the package when the package is ready to be released.

I also got the information & lyrics package also finished earlier. There's short background tale for all the songs in GGD&Z, overall 4 pages with some graphics added. Then the lyrics are in the same package, 10 pages of them. Well, it's not the smallest font out there -but it's not exactly the usual font either. Demands bit larger size as it's rather messy, intentional choice. The information & lyrics package is not in jewel case booklet form, it's simply A4 sized thing coming in PDF format.

More news as things progress, there's now quite likely some kind of pause in news. Finally?

GGD & Z

Spent some 3-4 hours working on the information package for the release. The release, which no longer is to be called as plain "Z-files". It has formed into a double title and the final title will be:

Garage grind days & Z-files

There will be total of 20 songs, out of which 11 songs form the "garage grind days" package while the rest 9 songs form the actual Z-files. These are color-coded in the information package in the works, too. And a musical detail; the Z-files will be surrounded by ambient noise, which fits to them being the Z-side materials. Twisted? Well, it should be. Overall length is yet clouded, but by looking at rough mixes of GGD package and combining that with Z-files - it should be around 40 minutes overall. Perhaps even bit more than that. Much more longer than what I originally thought, but 20 tunes ... so the average length is not much. And the longest song is around 5 minutes so ... you can bet the real average length is not too long.

Not just the title change, but it might well be that also the coverart gets totally re'worked - not because of the release title change but ... because I was shooting some rusted tubes and machinery in the wilderness few days ago and things kind of clicked visually speaking.

The last two covers

Pretty musical day since I spent last 3-4 hours recording not one but two covers. First choice was Terrorizer's "storm of stress". Timo suggested Terrorizer and since I had already been considering that too, the selection was easy one to make. The coverbase feels really good and the same goes with my personal favorite grind blaster from Incantation, the song being "twisted sacrilegious journey into our darkest neurotic delirium".

Now it's Timo's turn to work on the music, record bassguitars and vocals - and then looking how to connect all the songs (plans for some dark ambient'ish noise where the actual z-files are drowned, kind of). I will start doing the actual info package since I got better idea how to do it.

EDIT: Gotta emphasize that there's no deadline with this package - originally I thought it would be really fast thing to complete, but it took a life of its' own, so to speak. Not to mention that as it's summer, there are lots of things to do - there was talk that Timo might be able to record his parts in August, and in latter half of it. That's just fine as this is a hobby band instead of some serious business. And this Z-project is purely just for fun, not a sequel to "a Lossidian threnody". Actually I got a name idea yesterday which might change the final name of this Z-package a bit. Since it's no longer just the Z-files ...

As mad as grindcore can be?

Phew. Just finished recording the next coversong. This time the challenge was both sweaty and extremely noisy. Not to mention enjoyable. The song was "krossa" by Nasum. If you want to get definition for some mad grindcore music, that song is pretty good reference. You can find it from Nasum's awesome "grind finale" package.

The Z-files took some extra development as well; I found one more z-file, and a very fitting one at that. Very ugly piece, as it's from very start but hey - what else would fit the name "z-file" as well, then? Nothing if you ask me. That one extra z-tune raises the amount of z-tunes into 9 and so there will be 11 coversongs recorded during summer 2010. Two coversongs left to record! (Timo's job is somewhat bigger at this point since he hasn't yet started his parts, bass and vocals, but I don't have any worries whatsoever on that - the package is forming more than great).

Until next time ... which might be tomorrow already?

Going to past

Next coverbase, drums and guitars, got already done. It was both inspiring and entertaining song to cover and one of my personal all time noise favorites. What was it this time then? Septic Death's "thaw".

Targets

Tonight the next cover song got recorded (drums & guitars). This time the target was Rotten Sound and the amazing grind train of "strongman". Very garage'like cover song seems to be forming, but at this stage it's hard to say more precisely yet. Felt really satisfying though, the cover base.

During last few days the "Z-files" took a new and more likely final shape. Originally these covers we are recording were meant to be some bonus covers, recorded just for fun & entertainment. Well, they still are very much fun to do, certainly, ... but the final amount of them will be nine instead of lately guessed seven. Seven would be a lot for "just bonus covers" too, and nine is even more. They aren't bonus covers, they form the half of the Z-files package - covers of bands & songs that have inspired a lot during the years. Mainly grind stuff, with some exceptions (Autopsy, hardly just grindcore unless you choose something like "bonesaw") as Scumfusion is mainly grind, too.

The nine cover songs in the package are all with the odd numbers, beginning with number 1. The eight actual "z-files" of sorts are all with even numbers, beginning with number 2. Package opens with a cover, and closes with a cover. All in all, that means as much as 17 songs, but the more the merrier.

The information package will be done bit more interesting as well - not just background info about the Z-songs, but also about why this and that band and song was chosen for covering out of these new covers as well.

Looks like the Z-files will get released during August at earliest. Two more covers to choose for targets.

More and more

Heatwave seems to generate very good grind inspiration, since ... the basework (drums + guitars) just got finished for Carbonized's "hypnotic aim". A really furious and noisy cover, it seems at this point. More than satisfied how the base for this cover came out.

If the amount of these cover songs turns out to be 7, then there's room for one more cover in this Z package. Why 7 one might ask? There are 8 "rarities" and if smashing a bonus cover song between all those, the sum you get is ... 7. No more reason than that.

It might be that even that this Z-files is "just for fun" style package, there might be some machinery / ambient noiseworks done for it by Timo. So that all the songs would be combined into one big ... mess. We'll see how it forms in the end.

Grind through heatwave

Spent last 3 hours working on next cover song for Z-files. This time the target was Bolt Thrower's "realm of chaos" from the 1989 album with same name. It might be argued if that album was grind or not, but for me personally it stood right next to Napalm Death's "scum" and made at least as big impact on me. The cover base came out pretty good, drums and guitars, even the guitarsolo got recorded already.

Fast action for a fast song

Got really inspired for making yet another cover before leaving for a holiday trip. Already programmed the drums and recorded all the guitars ... this time the target is pretty new material; Venomous Concept's "think?" from their second album. Turned out pretty good and noisy.

Deceiver sent forwards

Just got the guitars recorded for "deceiver". Quite some garage going, which feels fitting for the song ...

Now there will be a necessary break as I'm on a holiday trip. Timo might be recording bass and vocals in the meanwhile already, we'll see what happens. I originally thought this "z-files" package would be fast thing to be done, but as the bonus covers idea took fire, it will take at least July. Perhaps late July release is possible, it depends on time and inspiration. More news about progressing as things happen.

Enjoy the summer!

More noise

Programmed the drums for Napalm Death's "deceiver" already late last week. Haven't had time to record the guitars for it yet, but I suppose I'll get them recorded in coming days (hopefully). Then it's summer holiday time, one longer trip ahead, and as holiday passes on, this little project fun goes forwards, too. Not decided yet how many "bonus covers" we'll be doing overall. There's one idea how it might be done, then the overall amount of bonuses could be as much as 7. But as it's grind covers, ... the more the merrier?

Grind evening

Next bonus coversong got started and my parts (drum programming + guitars + solo) recorded tonight. Very promising, chaotic cover base. I was thinking some early Napalm Death tune would had been the next choice, but Repulsion mood jumped in and that's it. Perhaps ND is the next one. I have a feeling that these bonus covers we are making for the Z-files package, will be more or less chaotic grind stuff, to counterbalance the actual Z-files material, which is somewhat grindy only occasionally. Well, that explains the name of Z-files, too, don't you think? Far from even B-sides!

PS: Few days ago I uploaded one covertune (which will appear on "Z-files") to youtube.

"Z-files"

I'm working on a collection of songs that haven't been properly released previously. Most of the songs are coversongs. Oldest one dating back to 2003. Currently it looks like the amount of these "rarities" will be 8 songs - but we are also making some coversongs as bonus material to the package. Autopsy and early Napalm Death are certain choices already and well, today I already recorded one essential Autopsy coversong. I created the coverart for the "Z-files" already yesterday as I found a fitting picture I took back in 2002. The package will also contain lyrics and information when the songs were recorded, with what lineup, and why, etc.

Timo is currently busy with other soundworks and stuff (for example Torture Pulse and Tuhkaus) so he will be able to record the bassguitars and vocals in July at earliest. It looks like this release could be out there in let's say August or so. If things happen to go exceedingly well, it might happen in July already.

'a Lossidian threnody' is released.

The most epic set of scifi stories ever told (ha ha!) is released. You can grab it from:

Here or alternatively here.

The package contains 16 songs (320 kbps mp3), cover artwork and lyrics. You can stream the songs also from sites like Mikseri or Last.fm.


Tracklist:

01. I Revolt I
02. That's when they burned me
03. Detention colony
04. Remembrance
05. Above the hills of Lossidia
06. Deflector shield overload
07. Dimension shift
08. Phantom moon
09. Enter the nebula
10. The eye on the surface
11. The silent howl
12. Adrift am I
13. Vengeance against no one
14. Parade of the morbid
15. Lost in the solar winds
16. The rings of the red moon

Overall length is 28+ minutes.

Have fun (that's what we had while creating this package) ... over and out!

Third (from the planet Lossidia)

Third master under the listening & checking currently. Quite likely the old saying of "third time lucky" fits for this. The changes have been rather small from first master, but overall they add much more to the package, considering how small the changes are technically speaking.

It starts to look that it's very much possible, that this release from the Lossidia will see the light of the day (on earth) still during January.

For the master

Heard the first master version today, the whole package. Sounds rather promising I'd say. Only one song had minor "problem" with it (some guitar leads forgotten) and it will get fixed still today. Some volume questions elsewhere, perhaps, but nothing major. It seems quite likely that there won't be more guitarsolos recorded - that's how the package is forming, this time.

There will be severe grind punishment moments, as well as really heavy doomdeath'y moments. Mixed with d-beats here and there, and death metal elements. Rather varying package, it seems. And the dark ambient'ish elements, both within the actual songs at times, and around them. Hmmm. Is it scifi grind, or scientific grindcore? To answer that question, ... it might need some studying with qualitative research method to find out. Ha!

Getting there ...

Status report from earlier today; all songs except one (track 13) are now done with the vocals too. So that one track is the only one with some "basic work" left to do. After that's done, then some synth/machinery/ambient department & finetuning - and also if it looks like there's some room for guitarsolos, then some solos will be thrashed down by yours truly. At the moment only one song has a guitarsolo, the song being the only coversong of the package.

What's the coversong then? Well, it is a piece by Atrocity (US) from their 1992's "the art of death", ... a song called "parade of the morbid".

Virtual soundcheckin'

I got this funny little idea few days ago, about utilising the "second life" system for a virtual Scumfusion soundcheck / rehearsal video. Using a brutally altered rough mix demo for music. Part of one new song. It took overall something like 4-5 hours (out of which 1,5 hours were complete waste with Windows Moviemaker - don't ever try use it for anything more demanding!) and the result is rather funny, as I hoped. Or should I say funky? Grind funky?

It's a part of a song called "that's when they burned me" and you can see it:

Here!

Have fun.

Nighttime birds chirping

I heard few rough demomixes by Timo, with bassguitars and vocals added - and it sounded promising to me. It's always such a huge difference to hear the material with bassguitars and vocals added (than just drums and base guitars). And this time also some of the synth / dark ambient elements too ... it makes an exciting little experience for sure.

Last time I heard from Timo, he had already big bunch of lyrics done and some nighttime recording session resulting into something like 7-8 songs finished with the vocals. Talk about action!

Passing of time

What's going currently, is that Timo is creating the rest of the lyrics for the songs (last time we spoke, he had lyrics ready for 8 songs) plus preparing vocals recording at some point. And also creating & finetuning the so-called dark ambient'like elements. To my knowledge all the bassguitars are already recorded.

Oh, and the release will be called as "a lossidian threnody".

Ambient elements in the dark

Recorded some more ... guitars tonight. Well, not the kind of guitars you'd expect in grind stuff, that's for sure. Very dark ambient like clips and pieces, out of which some will end up into the music, together with Timo's equally dark soundscape creations.

This is turning into scifi grind. New genre, ha ha.

Guitars completed

Got the main guitars completed late yesterday evening (two tracks). Felt really good to realise that part is now completed. Well, some chaos-soloing might happen still after Timo has worked some bass & vocals, depends if there's room for them.

Next up I'm going to look into some intro matters, which makes a refreshing change from exploding guitars ...

Continuing ...

Project goes forward; during the weekend I got the cover artwork finished (just front cover, this release will not have anything else when it comes to artwork package) and it came out good. Easy for me to say since it's fully based on photographs I've myself taken in past ... ha! Well, musically speaking one new song was born during the weekend, late saturday evening.

After that, there will be two more new tracks (out of which other's drums were created already tonight) and then the material is all there. Overall it means 16 songs, out of which last one won't be exactly metal piece. No point in guessing the overall length anymore; it remains to be seen. Timo has been recording bassguitars and preparing the lyrics as well.

If all goes as smoothly as it has gone so far, the package might get released already during January 2009. (this is just a very careful estimate though, since lots of lyrics are under works and recording vocals, final mastering / mixing process will take some time - and as we both have the dayjobs to take care off as well ... but we'll see).

And the project goes on

Again kind of same story; 2 new tunes have been recorded since last writing. Bit funnily whereas the other new song is about 50 seconds long, the other new song is about 3 minutes long. You can bet if there's some tempo differences or not ... and it feels there might still some more songs to come. I certainly didn't think this release would turn out to be this long. I thought it would be few tunes, let's say 2-4. It seems that overall length of this release will go past 20 minutes for sure, making this longest SF release ever.

The coverart is also well under way; I have been creating the coverart from photographs I've taken. A creation that would fit the scifi story of the release ... and it feels it will fit more than well.

More and more

Since last writing another two new pieces have been created. Longer piece and shorter piece. Theme for the release is building up, something scifi 'n' space style ... suits nicely. Probably still few songs coming, current count being 10 songs. Depends on inspiration.

Two new tunes again

Managed to re'work two ancient pieces (9-10 years old) today into brand new condition. One furious tune, and one doom'death like thing, possible instrumental case. Both songs turned out really good even that it's only guitars and drums at this point. Timo has been recording bassguitars to the new tunes during last few nights (yes, not days) so the project is literally on fire.

PS: Few days ago Timo suggested some dark ambient elements into some of the songs. I liked the idea and there might be some special "odd sections" as well as result. Fits well the mood we're after.

New material being recorded

I have been recording new Scumfusion material (guitars & programming drums) since 29th Dec 2009. Volcano'like eruption, as during the past five days I've prepared six pieces. Five originals and one coversong as a tribute to a certain noisy band. Longest song so far is around 1 min 50 sec while shortest one is around 1 min.