My buddy Ben Burnes invited me to participate in his Two Hour Album Challenge. The idea is that bunch of us make songs in two hours, and we put them all on a compilation album.
Two Hour Album Challenge: “Cast a Pastel Spell”
Tag: Charlie McCarron Production
Kickstarter for New Album: “2020”
I just launched a Kickstarter for my new album of original songs.
They're some of my most personal songs yet, about lost relationships, anxiety, and the search for meaning in life.
How to Layer Guitars Like a Delicious Cake
This week I've been working on a 30-second track for a contest hosted by UniqueSound. A music supervisor at the ad agency TBWA will be taking a listen to each entry, and one person will win $200. The challenge is basically to write music that could be used in a commercial, with the following style guidelines: indie pop, dreamy, electro, and ambient. Oh, and the track also has to "start mind-blowing" and have an "emotional explosion" ending. Since there was no video element to this challenge, I just had to picture blobs of brain and heart flying everywhere to capture the feelings they suggested.
The Animal Song (aka The Battle for Life)
I just finished a song and animation for the latest SpinTunes songwriting challenge. Animating this brought me back to my childhood dream of becoming a cartoonist. It also reminded me of how much The Far Side has had an impact on me; the baboon I drew seemed especially Gary Larson-style.
How to Make Your First Chiptune Song without Rage Quitting
Since I'm getting more into writing video game music, and since a lot of game developers are looking for an old school chiptune synth sound, I thought I should learn the authentic way to make them: by using a music tracker.
Kim of the Sunset
My friend Jeff Schwinghammer filmed a mini documentary about a scooter-driving woman in San Fransisco, and he asked me to write "ambient surf-ish music" for it. Sounded right up my alley.
