Episode Two of Radio Leon is finally here! This episode is focused on acoustic tracks and features an intro, a track from Shake This Maze Live From the Studio, a Jazz Classic, and a Surprise at the end. I recorded half the tracks in Robledo de Fenar and half the tracks in the capital city of León,my new home for August. Thank you for the support for the last episode and I hope you feel this installment!
-Reflection and Response
Song One is a track I wrote 6 or 7 years ago. At the time I was experimenting with new chords. I re-recorded it two weeks ago (end of July) at the camp I was working in Robledo de Fenar, León, España. I then mixed and mastered it today (August 13th) in León Capital. It was a dope process to look back at this old track and revisit the arrangement. Sometimes we change old tracks based on new experiences, but this recording is more or less the same tune that I wrote back in my parents house in Berkeley in when the guitar was still so new.
-Reflection and Response.
Radio Leon (Robledo de Fenar, León, España) by Peter Muller
Reflection and Response.
The Snapshots from the Collective series works to create a space for Reflection and Response through photography. ANYone who wants to contribute ANY photos to this project can email us submissions at the.lifestyle.rr@gmail.com. One photo will be posted each week, and photos will only be used for the purposes of this series. Thank you and we look forward to building and expanding the Collective!!! -P & V
Radio Leon is a summer project. For the months of July and August I will be working a bilingual summer camp in the small Spanish town of Robledo de Fenar. I’ve brought some of my equipment from Madrid including my laptop, Akai MPK Mini, Novation Launchpad, Mics, Apogee One Interface, and acoustic guitar. On my days off I’ll be putting together a Broadcast of various projects I’ve been working on and release an episode every two weeks. Some of the pieces I’ll be putting up include Looping, Acoustic Guitar pieces, Shake This Maze Live From the Studio, and some special surprises. Along with the audio, I’ll release Tools of the Trade pictures and various Snapshots documenting the process and places that make up Radio Leon. I also hope to have some interviews with local DJ’s and people from the area. Tune in and check the RR coming straight out of Robledo de Fenar, España.
“I’m currently sitting on an overturned bulldozer head…”
-Reflection and Response.
First of all, we are GRATEFUL for the support with Shake This Maze Second Edition!! We still have copies left but many of you have helped build this project into a successful reality. Soon we will be posting a behind-the-scenes VIDEO of V’s Craft in the making of the albums by hand in Brooklyn.
The soundtrack of the piece will include some remixes of Shake This Maze tracks.
The first one is called He’s So Jade and contains elements from He’s Your Guy and Jade Eyes.
Elements are from
Our second Shake This Maze remix is called Spark Job Stab
Elements are from
Be on the lookout for the video dropping SOON!
Reflection and Response
-P
Whatup!!
Recently I’ve been working on music with Vivian Garcia, a talented performer who has extensive experience in the Chicago music scene. We met here in Madrid at the Thursday night open mic at Triskel Tavern. Soon after contacting her in December we began working together. Over the last few months we’ve done concerts around Madrid. V has provided some dope flyers and images for shows we’ve done:
I’ve also been recording some versions of some tracks we’ve been working on on my home studio here in Madrid using Ableton Live as my DAW.
Chan Chan is a track composed by Cuban composer and pianist Compay Segundo. Vivian is on vocals and plays rhythm guitar while I play leads.
Fool Me Once is a Vivain Garcia original. Again she is on vocals and rhythm guitar and I am playing leads.
Stay tuned for news about Peter and Vivian as we move into the future.
Reflection and Response.
-P
Untitled is classic V- Attention to detail that conveys texture, feeling, and meaning. For me piece’s lines stretch into the past and demonstrate the power of Legacy. For Patchwork Untitled I delved deep into the LIFESTYLE sample archives and found a track that V and I recorded back in the basement sessions at my parents house on Rose St, in Berkeley. Both the drums and the “organ” are from that period. The “organ,” is a sampled instrument from an early electric guitar part of mine.
Family/Generations.
Patchwork Untitled
Patchwork Untitled Acapella
One two three four
Everyday comes from 10,000 more
The family continues all through the lineage
Every single present’s connect to past millions
He stares head down/But no frown instead a smile/Imagines his seed’s achievements in miles away from where he toils each day/The night creeps up/He pees out green stuff/ This is enough/His shoulder gets bolder with every strike/No Folgers to ward off the latest of nights/This is today as the story I write/If it wasn’t for his spade/I wouldn’t have life/The present conditions are results of/Past decisions resolve so tough/That agrarian servant/Perhaps it was urban/ past pain joins today’s hurting/It’s all a current/As together we go/Lonliness lost in the family scrolls/Handed down from places so cold/Details forgot/But the struggle is known
One two three four
Everyday comes from 10,000 more
The family continues all through the lineage
Every single present’s connect to past millions
And they join together 1, 2, 3,4/Fists in the distance/Can still see more/ Moving tide/ Forever’s fact of life/Many times passed the mic/This story is ageless/This laptop was once pages/Before sound was translated/It was written in each language/Learned from the cave wall statements/This shit goes out to the Angulies and Mullers/And the names of my blood that time covers/And your people too/Generations of truth is the reason we get through current disputes/Smiles in the face of the burning sun/He’s got that ticket/Sister waits for him to come/ 200 years after the fact his offspring’s success validates sweat of the past
One two three four
Everyday comes from 10,000 more
The family continues all through the lineage
Every single present’s connect to past millions
Reflection and Response
-P
Patchwork: Landscape.
For this patchwork I used a sample recorded back in Berkeley from a nearly forgotten session with some old friends. I found an accordion track that seemed to go with the idea of the bicycle journey. I wrote the lyrics the next day (January 30th post day). V’s piece uses motion is such interesting ways- both the narrative and detail of V’s piece stuck out to me and were influences on this patchwork.
Full track
Instrumental
A Capella
Patchwork: Landscape
A friend said they look something like mountains/ obstacles to get around in/ a hill of wheels/ peaks an valleys/ bars and steel/ falling freely/ the feeling of a thousand movements suddenly still/
He said he’ll never again depict bicycles/Minute curves made many lights dull/Into morning/He’s pouring over each individual frame/3 panels later the piece became/What it is today/
Off in the dusk/ Johnny gets up/ Brushes off his must/Hops on two wheels starting to rust/ Heads downtown because it’s market day/ Grabs his mackerel two jars of lard mayonnaise/ Sets up his stand right by the French fry place/ Amsterdam’s morning hours are an early grey/ These surly markets will surely pay/ For a fresh fish sandwich that he’s still learning to make/
To the Southeast/ The second prayer is sounding/ Sarah peddles between beggars and sheiks/ Already the second quarter she’s missing her team/ Qualifying for championships/Rides her 6 speed over the mountain back to her crib/ Fast as shit/ Shifts to evade pebbles/Her gown nestles / Her nerves/If they score she needs it that’s passion for sure/ Cousin sees her fly fast a blur/ Blurts out Salam in time for the third/
A friend said they look something like mountains/ Obstacles to get around in/ A hill of wheels/ Peaks an valleys/ Bars and steel/ Falling freely/ The feeling of a thousand movements suddenly still/
He said he’ll never again depict bicycles/ Minute curves made many lights dull/ Into morning/ He’s pouring over each individual frame/ 3 panels later the piece became/ What it is today/
Back in Seattle/ Northwest’s saddle/ Steve’s done working/ He straddles the lake path’s rambles/ Got miles turned up with Chet Baker on the way/ Goddamn these Husky fans sure crowd up Montlake/ As he turns up that hill on forty-fifth/ Burning in his legs lets him know he’s still fit/ Prefers this to constraints of his car/ Gets home stows the Bianci in the backyard/ Feet up opens that peanut jar/
Joanna in the city where Steve’s bikes are spinning/ In the plant where this week her hours way past 60/ Used to make Ipads till her friend started feeling shitty/ Now can’t move her hands just turned 15/ Lives on the facility/ Her faculty is limited to assembling the same 4 millimeter part times infinity/ But she remembers when she arrived here on her two wheels/ Proud with work she can provide her own meals
A friend said they look something like mountains/ Obstacles to get around in/ A hill of wheels/ Peaks an valleys/ Bars and steel/ Falling freely/ The feeling of a thousand movements suddenly still/
He said he’ll never again depict bicycles/ Minute curves made many lights dull/ Into morning/ He’s pouring over each individual frame/ 3 panels later the piece became/ What it is today/
-P
-Reflection and Response.
The Organ Song/ Tools of the Trade
This week’s original post is a collaboration between V and P. Back in the Basement of the 55thandBrooklyn house in Seattle, P wrote a tune with a story. V later wrote up the lyrics on parchment and together the two pieces “The Organ Song,” and “Tools of the Trade,” become These People Are My People: A Story.
Instrumental
Acapella
Full Track
Lyrics
Reflection and Response.
the LIFESTYLE 