New Song "It's a Ride" Preview Available for Streaming

"It's a Ride" will be available on Aura Blaze's debut album, release date TBA in 2015. Check this website for latest updates or keep in touch via Facebook




(Please note that the above preview is a work-in-progress and does not necessarily reflect the sonic quality of the final version)

Studio Update — November 28, 2014: Vocal Recording Sessions for "Gold Sparkle Sun Design" and "The Velveteen Valleys"

Throughout the last few weeks a great deal of attention has been dedicated to perfecting the vocal tracks for the songs "Gold Sparkle Sun Design" and "The Velveteen Valleys," both of which have developed into sonically massive works with a multitude of layers spanning the full stereo field. As any experienced mixing engineer will tell you, achieving a healthy balance between a large amount of tracks varying in frequency range and panning depth can prove to be a gargantuan undertaking.

Such has been my experience with the aforementioned works in regards to fine-tuning EQ and effects settings as well as adjusting overdub volumes, but thankfully my attention to these details is proving to be extremely worthwhile as the sound and atmosphere I envision begins to take form.

With such heavily-layered pieces, getting the vocals to sit prominently in the mix without overshadowing the rest of the music can be a bit of a trick. It is my estimation that the lushness of the composition of these two tracks, especially in the case of "The Velveteen Valleys" which features heavy use of orchestral elements (timpanis, strings, flutes, etc.) is the origin from which the need to incessantly adjust vocal track parameters derives. I have in effect been finding myself in situations where the adjustment of a gain setting for a particular vocal track or series thereof would influence the overall power of the instrumentation behind it, either weakening or intensifying it, thus requiring me to constantly alternate adjustments between vocal settings and instrument settings alike. 

Should this be the case, it is always a good idea to bypass all plugins running on the offending tracks so as to hear the raw audio without any processing. Working backwards in this manner will allow you to hear the individual tracks in a new light, oftentimes granting you the ability to pick up on aural subtleties and important frequencies of the original untouched audio that you may have overlooked the first time around. When you then reactivate your plugins one-by-one, you will immediately hear how these aspects are affected and can then make the necessary changes based around your new understanding of their sonic nature. I have been taking these steps with "The Velveteen" Valleys" in regards to the orchestral tracks in the song and have noticed quite a positive difference.

It is my plan this coming week to continue to direct my attention to the clarity of the mixdown of both "The Velveteen Valleys" and "Gold Sparkle Sun Design," finishing the final vocal edits and laying down additional overdubs. 

As these songs continue to take take shape I cannot help but be struck with the impression that they will certainly be among the highlights of the album.

—R

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New Song "Life is a Lucid Dream" Debuts On WDVR 89.7FM, Preview Available For Streaming

Those who tuned in to the "World of Work" show on WDVR 89.7FM this Friday would have heard my father and I discussing our musical aspirations and appreciation for non-corporate, non-government free speech radio as well as a few original compositions including a new Aura Blaze track entitled "Life is a Lucid Dream" which will be featured on the upcoming album.

Though the song is still in the working stages, I was able to render out a preliminary master cut to air this afternoon at the WDVR studio, a sample of which can be heard below. (Please note that this is a work-in-progress preview and does not necessarily reflect the sonic quality of the final version). 

Did you guys catch the show? If so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments and feel free to share the "Life is a Lucid Dream" preview on your social media pages. Thanks so much for your support, hope your weekend proves to be nothing short of monumental. 

Peace,

-R

News: Friday October 10, 2014

Hello! Today my father Carl Rachel and I will be guests on WDVR 89.7FM to talk about our experiences with the station as well as showcasing some of his latest music which I helped to produce. There may even be a brand new Aura Blaze song debut so make sure to tune in! 4:00 EST

-R

Studio Update – October 6, 2014: "It's a Ride" Drum Overdubs, Mixing

Those of you who have a fondness for early Beatles recordings will likely dig "It's a Ride," in which their iconic single "Twist and Shout" is referenced in the chorus. 

I recall many a night falling asleep to oldies music when I was but a little Greedy Humpty Dumpty-watching preschooler, freaking out about ghosts and zombies while attempting to divert my attention away from the darkness by listening to the radio. "Twist and Shout" in particular happened to find itself in regular rotation on many of those nights, leaving an indelible impression upon the musical perspective of my young mind. At the time I had no idea who these mysterious musicians were or how they were able to craft such catchy, uplifting songs but I knew that I loved what they were doing and felt comforted by the happy vibes (which undoubtedly helped to keep the monsters under the bed at bay). As a fan of both The Beatles and nostalgia for the good old days, I thought it would be appropriate to immortalize that aspect of my childhood in this song.

Like just about all of the other tracks for the album at this stage in the recording process, "It's a Ride" is essentially finished. Besides myself, only three other people have heard the work-in-progress unmastered version and all have expressed their sentiments that it will surely be well-received by fans of psychedelic music who also have a penchant for catchiness.

I am dedicating time today to finish the drum overdubs for the kick and snare as well as some additional mixing. For one reason or another this particular track has been a struggle to mix, with the bass often coming across as too muddy and indistinguishable which I remedied to the best of my abilities by adjusting the EQ on the kick drum to counter the gain boost I have for the bass at around 73Hz. I recorded a piano track in stereo which I duplicated in mono and EQed differently so as to add a bit of clarity to some critical single-note parts which had been buried in the mix when the piano was stereo only.

Seeing that my drum mic setup is not the most ideal (I am forced to use what I have available as an eternally-debted college graduate) I have found that layering extra isolated hits (snare, kick, a few cymbals) helps to supplement the punchiness required for a decent mix. I am using my vocal mic (AKG Perception 120 condenser) as a centered overhead and a Shure SM75 dynamic in front of the kick. If any drummers or producers out there know of a more optimal way to mic a drum set using only two mics, please let me know!

So there it is then. Still a ways to go in respect to overall mixing but it is certainly sounding much better now than it was yesterday. Always a good thing to be able to say that.

-R

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Announcement Regarding The Upcoming Album: Artwork And Tracklist Revealed, Insights Into Progress So Far, What Comes Next

Cover artwork for upcoming self-titled album, soon to be available here: http://www.aurablaze.bandcamp.com

Hello! It is an honor to finally present to you a deeper insight into what I have been laboring over so intensely for the better part of a year. As many of you are aware, I have been dedicating enormous amounts of time and effort into crafting a full-length psychedelic rock album in the vein of my initial single release, “A Glass of Tears Half Empty” / “The Crystal Ship” (available for FREE or with donation here: http://www.aurablaze.bandcamp.com).

Those of you who are familiar with the atmosphere of those songs can expect an extrapolation upon the melodic, catchy, dreamlike elements as well as experimental surrealism and the avant-garde. It is my vision to synthesize these otherwise contrasting aesthetics into a cohesive body of work that has a vitality of its own and which resonates at the depths of the consciousness of the listener, catering to the unseen spiritual magnetism of nostalgia, dreams, love, pain, sexuality and beauty. When the finishing touches have been applied and the rough edges have been smoothed as tastefully as possible I am confident that the album will be successful in accomplishing this.

The track list for the upcoming Aura Blaze debut full-length (release date TBA) is as follows:

1. White Lotus Chakra Blossoms in Pranotthanic Euphoria
2. A Glass of Tears Half Empty
3. Life is a Lucid Dream
4. It’s a Ride
5. Resonance
6. Gold Sparkle Sun Design
7. The Velveteen Valleys
8. Sub-Earthen Patchwork Torus
9. Third Path
10. Glorious Perspective from the Apex of the Kundalini Staircase

As the recording and production process nears completion it should be noted that the exact order of the songs as they will appear on the album is subject to change depending upon the overall flow of dynamic energy throughout the work as a whole as well as the quality of the transitions between one song and the next. That said, the above list is as near to what I believe to be the most optimal order for the songs, with consideration to their yet unfinished condition.

Save for a small handful of guitar layers and drum edits on a couple of songs, the instruments have been completely tracked and a significant portion of vocals have been recorded. Besides completing those tasks, the remaining production process will consist of final mixing sessions and mastering, the latter of which I plan to hire the services of a professional mastering engineer to handle (though I mastered A Glass of Tears single-handedly, I would prefer to have an experienced professional handle the mastering duties as the science behind it is something I am still in the process of learning.)

Aside from the aforementioned production responsibilities that lay ahead, the actual manufacturing of physical copies of the album (ideally in a variety of mediums including vinyl, CD, cassette, digital download, etc.) is another obviously immense undertaking that will require a great deal of personal financing as well as the enlistment of a network of trustworthy design specialists capable of meeting the needs of the album as they arise.

As of now, Aura Blaze is not signed to a label, thus the responsibilities of getting from A to B in regards to bringing the album from a collection of audio and image files into an actual physical product rely solely upon me. Since this is the case, I would at this time like to ask all of you for advice, especially fellow indie musicians, as to who you have worked with in the past to release your albums, how you were able to raise the necessary funds for doing it yourself, who you know in your network who might be able to offer their services to any aspect of the production/manufacturing process such as additional graphic design, CD replication, vinyl pressings, audio mastering, promotion, marketing, etc.

Your help and insight is very much appreciated at this critical time in Aura Blaze’s history and I sincerely thank all of you for your time and interest in my creations. Stay tuned for upcoming clips and previews as well as a few surprises! I am very excited to finish up this piece of psychedelic art and get it out to you as soon as possible in the most exceptional quality that I am able.

With peace, love, and utmost positive vibes,

-Rhode Rachel