Dance For The Future

This previously unreleased audio recording of Any Questions? - Dance For The Future is the original 10+ minute improvised version which was taken from the final day of recording at 1 Gold Street (otherwise known as Der Palast des Goldes) in the Summer of 1990. A reworked final version appeared on our Illegitimate Release 1990 product.

As with the other music recorded that day, MC2P4 and I were in almost perfect sync and pushed our digital synths to their sonic limits while sometimes overdriving our Fostex X-15 Multitracker 4-Track Cassette Recorder during the process.

MC2P4 laid the groundwork for this song by playing a sparse but deliberate synth bass line and contrapuntal synth string melody to accompany the drum rhythm I programmed. Meanwhile, I had free reign to solo endlessly over the progressions he played. I started with an improvised electric bass part which I quickly abandoned for an all out digital synth assault. The Korg DW-8000 and DW-6000 were my synths of choice for the session and I very liberally mutated every patch I encountered.

As if all of that wasn't enough, MC2P4 provides a vocal performance to accompany the sonic experiment. His lyrics warn us not to squander our present lives by living in the past or dreaming of the future. A struggle that we all battle with every day!

Ken Chandler sings with Any Questions?

In Fall 1989, we formed our electro-terrorist unit called Any Questions?. In the very early days of the band, MC2P4 wrote and sang most of the vocal parts but we also worked with a few other singers before I (Ttam Troll) eventually took over all of the singing (term used "loosely") duties.

One of these singers, whom I wrote about in an earlier post, was Brian "Who" Black but the first singer we worked with was our friend, Ken Chandler. MC2P4 and I had both known Ken for many years and had played in several bands with him. Some of these bands included Fantasia, This Mistress, and The Secret Society (rev 2).

One weekend in Fall 1989, we invited Ken to visit and record with us at Der Palast des Goldes. We (Any Questions?) had been working on several songs and, by this time, had three (Nightfall, Numan (Madonna's Puss), and Vagary) that we felt were ready for vocals. We played these songs for Ken and then turned over our Fostex X-15 Multitracker 4-Track Cassette Recorder and pair of headphones to him so he could listen to them and compose lyrics.

After a day of sporadic work and excessive partying, which frequently happened at Der Palast des Goldes, Ken had finished lyrics for these songs and we endeavored to record them. The second song that we recorded is one entitled Vagary. It's quite different than a "typical" Any Questions? song. This pensive synth rock experiment showcases the more varied experimental sound of early Any Questions?. I hope you enjoy it.

Ode to 1 Gold St

Sadly, this post marks the end of Floating Fish Studios Holy Grail Week.  I hope you've enjoyed the past week of "classic" audio and video from the FFS Vaults.  Some of the material was funny, some serious, some controversial, and some downright hilarious but I hope you found it all to be entertaining.  While raiding the vaults, I came across more rare material so be on the lookout for a future Holy Grail Week.  Until then...

I'm pleased to share with you Ode to 1 Gold St.  1 Gold St or as it was otherwise known, Der Palast des Goldes, was the house I moved into with MC2P4 and LTJTHC when I first came to the Philadelphia area in Fall 1989.  After the long and turbulent Vizator Summer, I was glad to be able to get back to some fashion of normal life.  

The three of us wasted no time in setting up a studio in the house and the rest, as they say, is history.  When not at school or working (which wasn't very often), I was busy learning how to use all of the equipment we assembled in the studio and spent hours composing music.  Our set up was pretty small but, looking back, that turned out to be an advantage.

As evidenced in this song, taken from the final day of recording at 1 Gold St in the Summer of 1990, MC2P4 and I pulled out every bit of sonic might from the gear we had.  This majestically thematic improvisational jam was our final farewell to 1 Gold St.  Shortly after, we were off to Pottstown PA and the creation of Floating Fish Studios.