h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I pitched an idea to Irving Washington, that we start an internet band, and record music by sending mp3's and stuff back and forth to each other untill we come up with something relatively audible. I thought, that since we met at h2g2, it would be fitting to call ourselves Disaster Area (and if anyone asks where our band leader is, we could just say that he's spending a year dead for tax reasons) at which point he said that you might be interested in such a thing. Well, are you?

And by the way, have a fish

Hmmmm, could be interested.....
Sounds like fun!

What would you like me to do?

D@A

Well, what instruments to you play?

I play guitar! or any stringed instrument.....
I also play some pretty mean digital drums!

Have you been to the World Wide Jam yet?
http://www.h2g2.com/A195581

Yeah, same here. I also play piano and any form of keyboard. My drums are nice, but I don't have too good software for them. I haven't been to the jam. I've been avoiding it 'cause is seems really big. So I think the three of us should be enough to pull this off. I'll get Irving to come to this forum, and we can discuss what material we should do.

Look, he was right! He DID get Irving to come to this forum! When he told me his idea about the internet jam thing, I thought that, given your idea about the world wide jam, etc. it wouldn't be right to leave you out, Dan. So here we are... what now?

~Irving

Well, we could always start with lyrics, and then maybe move on to chord progressions before we actually start tossing audio files back and forth.

So what do you say, we start with the theme of boy-being meets girl-being... world gets blown up for no apparent reason... you know, the cliche.

That could work... of course you must realize that by composing this song on H2G2 they get non-exclusive copyright to anything we do... which probably includes our finished products if we post them here...

Well, we wouldn't actually keep the material on h2g2 since they only support our text. We could always set up a communal hotmail account as well as a xoom thingy. Anyway, I don't think we have to worry about that just yet. Besides, the h2g2 people are nice and friendly (uh, right? )

Okay. That sounds like an idea!

~Irving

Ok I am back!
Sorry about the delay guys!!! My week was, well, the only word to describe it is a word that is seldom used - Belgium! It's been a BELGIUM week! There I said it!

Can I lay down a drum track, to start with? Then you guys can add some stuff, then I will add some more, and so on until the recording becomes so loud and groovy that it becomes a real and true 'Disaster Area' Song.....

I suggest we call the first song SunDive and make it a tribute it to the people who have made this site and how we hope they never get caught, trapped or stuck in a stunt ship that seems to be heading directly towards a dying sun with no hope of turning around and actually surving!

D@A

I think that starting with the drum track would be the best way to go about it, that way we'd have a fixed tempo all the way through. But maybe we should work on words and chord progressions first. That way we'll have a structure. Tell you what. You start on a drum track and get the basic beat and various fillers going, and we'll all come up with chords and stuff, and then well decide on an arrangment, or structure, so that you can edit the drums to fit our plans.

And can you let me know what kind of software you use? Because I've got this massive CD of lots and lots of music software but I don't know what's good and it will take me an eternity to go through everything.

As far as I know, I can only record in Real Audio format (unless you guys have Macs, in which case there's this SimpleSound format that isn't too great but at least it's an option). I've got access to both electric and acoustic guitars, but this week (Well, between now and Wednessday) I'll only have the acoustic... from wed on i'll be back home but packing for my one week trip (starting one week from today) to San Francisco.

After that I'll be home and hopefully poking my head in occasionally

Anyhow, I'm assuming 4/4 time here? Or do we want more of a waltz feel, like a 3/4 or 6/8? And who wants the first line?

~Irving

Daniel

I am assumiong that you are Australian and live in Adelaide. If I'm wrong - sorry.

I am also assuming that, compared to London where I live, Adelaide is quite small.

Have you ever come across an artist called Trevor O'Sullivan? If you have, please let me know.

Cheers. Perriand