Graham Sedam Writes

For what now seems like a long time ago, I had the opportunity to receive a digital copy of Draze Force’s new EP, III , along with its accompanying cover art. Nick Morris, Draze Force's sole mastermind, graciously sent it to me back in May before its June 8th release. I've been mulling over a write-up on the blog ever since, taking stabs at a post along the way. It hasn't been until recently that I was able to start tightening things up to publish this post. As I wrote, Nick humored me by answering some questions. I could make the attempt of breaking down each song descriptively and relaying that to you readers here, but this is not that type of post. I feel that music is a far too personal experience; it’s an art to be heard, not read. What I do here is merely a supplement to what YOUR ears tell YOU. If I had to give you a simple description, how would I describe the music of Draze Force? The first word that pops into my mind is electronic. Realizing that descripti

I'm still not sure, but I'm about as sure as I'll probably ever be. I've thought about it for many years, and I've had many design ideas as a result. In fact, last year alone, I had a few ideas I had thought through pretty far into the process. And, in the end, it all came down to the idea that I've executed. It's been a balancing act of going too far and not going far enough. Although it comes down to an opinion based on perspective, I think I made a pretty good decision. Last week, I constructed a basic sound-treated booth for recording. Though the primary inspiration for building it is for use in recording vocals, it can be used for anything that fits within it. I've known that I wanted something to use for recording this winter and delaying the building of a sound-treated booth would only kick the can further down the road. I'm good at that. You'll notice that I wrote "sound-treated booth" and not soundproof booth. Sound c

This past April, I finished mastering the Colour the Moon album, Reflections . I'm new to the whole "mastering music myself" thing, so it takes me a while to do as I am learning along the way. I technically started mastering it a year prior, and after working on it for a few months in between working on my second Mess of it ALL release, The Depth of Layers , I put it on hold for the summer and the following autumn. When I began mastering Reflections in the spring of 2015, my intent was to experiment and to see what I could learn about mastering on my own. When I began mastering The Depth of Layers in the fall of 2015, the learning was both hands on and in the form of reading many articles online by people more talented and knowledgeable than me. When I finished mastering The Depth of Layers , I continued this practice through the finish of Reflections . My approach to mastering Reflections changed a lot from the year prior and was a direct  reflection (*snicke

I know a singer through my day job who has released an album this year. And although I don't usually listen to the kind of music he makes, I downloaded his CD so that when I do feel like listening to that flavor of tune-age, it'll be there to satisfy those urges. That kind of sounds sexual. But, perhaps, I'm being highly appropriate. Take a listen for yourself and decide. Also, I want to show my support for what he does. It's good music. He loves what he's doing. He's putting his everything into it. Passion and effort should be acknowledged in the least and at most supported with enthusiasm. And on top of all that, he's a really nice guy. Plus, he's got some pro videos. Who doesn't like watching music videos? It's for your ears AND eyes! Two senses! Okay, maybe one of you doesn't like music videos. Maybe you like words? Here are some words pulled straight from his website: "Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson, Otis Redding - Mike De&#

This past spring, I finished a book called Exit Music . It's about the band, Radiohead , and it tells their story starting from when they all met in school and concludes with the release and tours for the album,  O.K. Computer . (Later revisions of the book, currently four, pick it up from there and continue their story. The first version is what I have.) It was a fun read, and I enjoyed learning about a band that I've liked for many years. I basically knew nothing about them before this book other than their music. I've had this book for a while and finally got around to reading it. It took me longer than it should have, but I don't give myself a lot of time to read, either. Besides, I do it for the enjoyment and not to compete. I fit it into my life and prioritize my time based on its importance to me. Lots I want to do and accomplish. Time is limited. Stupid time. Before I had finished Exit Music , I had already decided that I wanted to read a book called E

For the past three summers, I have abandoned any hope of being able to work on music in my makeshift home studio. To be fair, the first of those three summers was after I got engaged and had just recently bought a house. So, there was the whole moving and "getting settled" into our new home, and planning and preparing for our late September wedding that just so happened to be at our newly acquired house. Fortunately, the house was a flip, so we didn't have a lot to do inside. There was no "flip" on the outside, and we knew we wanted the ceremony to take place in the back yard. We basically gutted the back yard and created a clean slate to work with going forward. It did look nice with its new sod and openness. We could have spent money on venues, or we could use it to pay for home and yard improvements. Option two won easily. Everything went but the trees. The next two summers had their own projects and activities. The nice weather just screams, &q

I have recently released a new 6 song EP for my music project, Mess of it ALL, entitled, The Depth of Layers . As with the debut album, stages and cycles , the EP blends rock and electronic musical styles. Lyrically, the EP has a theme as it's inspired by the characters and events in the book, DUNE . The full songs are available for listening as well as much more at www.MessofitALL.com . If you would like to hear the songs or buy them, you can purchase the entire EP for $3.00 exclusively at MessofitALL.Bandcamp.com .

A while back I made a video for the song Prologue. Fuck This Name from the album Early Mourning, a soundtrack to the novel by the same name . Take a look at it here and check out our site at diads.net .

Would you like to join the Diads Mailing List?  We hope to send an email about every three months.  Sign up to receive messages. Links of Interest: Why Is Urine Yellow? Wave Power Farm Off Oregon Coast Make Sure Your Pets Are Taken Care Of In A Post Rapture World fin

Another month has passed and I finally was able to order Early Mourning soundtrack CD's yesterday.  Shipping is really expensive, so they will be a few weeks. I've been recording bass and mixing for the next Colour the Moon CD.  I'm about halfway through the tracks and the album is taking shape. The BlueRyckenMusics.net site has been remade.  It was nice to get a fresh, updated look to it. You should watch this: Links of Interest: Time Is Running Out History In The Remaking A Closer Look At Evolutionary Faces fin.

I don't have much to say this month.  Well, that's not entirely true.  Tomorrow is the release of both Early Mourning   the novel by Tim Kress and   Early Mourning, a soundtrack to the album by the same name .  We have been working on the release this month and are ready to get it out into the world.  We were having issues with our supplier of physical CD's and although we won't have any available right away, the issue has been resolved and now only time is the issue.  You can still order and we'll send them as soon as we can. Also out tomorrow, we will be making available for viewing the video for our second single off the new album - Break: Him.  ...And our new website will be up. Links of Interest: Diads.net BlueRyckenMusics YouTube

I'm getting a new bass this week and I'm pretty excited about it.  I've been wanting a 5 string with active electronics for quite a while now.  It's a Schecter Stilleto Studio 5 .  I tried one out at a Guitar Center a couple weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised by its playability and options/control over the sounds/tones you can get with it.  I originally wanted to get an Ibanez 755, but because I am plagued with left-handedness, I wouldn't be able to get one unless I signed away my first-born (or pay more money).  It all turned out for the better, though.  I did a comparison of the two in store and in my opinion the Schecter won.  The Ibanez basses are nice - don't get me wrong - but the Schecter fit what I was looking for.  Once I get that I'll be working on the new Colour the Moon album due out sometime this fall. Links of Interest: Arnis Lefthand Bass Community Schecter Guitar Research Jerry's Lefty Guitars And for those who aren't inte

Submitted for your consideration is a (very) long excerpt from Tim Kress' novel,  Early Mourning . At a certain point in the story, the protagonist reads a book written by a new friend. This is that book. But first, a video for a song from the soundtrack to the novel, by Diads . This song goes with the chapter the excerpt comes from, and is called,  The Weeping Song . Early Mourning , and its soundtrack,  Early Mourning, a soundtrack to the novel by the same name  will be released on the same day, which happens to be the only—controllable—unknown thing about the project at this point. Check diads.net for news on the soundtrack, and look to timkressfiction.com for news on the novel. My Time In The Weeping Lands by Dudo-uh Stoneking Around the middle of the fourth century, C.E., the High Priest of all the Mayan people issued a proclamation stating that any commoners caught using magic would be sent to their underworld, Xibalba , via the most gr