released November 20, 2016

“Shoreline” is very much a CD of 2016 for us. Certainly there is a continuity that can be traced back to our earlier recordings but there is also a sense of where we are today. The tracks on “Shoreline” reflect the maturity and serenity that comes from years of collaboration. There is a sense of patience, a sense of space, and a sense of not rushing, allowing the music to develop. 

We were interviewed recently for a radio program. Part of the interview involved answering questions about our own music which proved to be a challenge. We don’t spend much time talking about what music we want to make or planning out any particular sound or style. The music we make is very much “in the moment” of the day we record and it is quite possible that on another night the same track might have come out quite differently. Some songs are developed with a pre-recorded backing track contributed by one of us, over which each of us then adds our own voice. Other tracks are very much a collaboration that takes place that night, in that moment, where we just play together and see what happens. This strategy of composing makes it difficult to discuss specific tracks or specific CD collections. With a few rare exceptions, most tracks simply trigger some memories of that time in our lives. 

As for our specific instrumentation, we each continue to experiment with our own voices. Mark has been exploring the possibilities and capabilities that come from some of the applications available for the IPad, often using more than one application for a given piece. In contrast, Warren’s guitar playing has become cleaner, less loaded with effects that may have previously masked the guitar’s sound into the electronic texture. There is also continued development of the use of loopers and syncing loops. The hope is to create music that carries a regular rhythmic pulse without strictly relying on drum beats. Of course, ultimately the music must also not fall into tedious repetition but continue to evolve and morph.