STEVE & ACE RELEASE SMASHING SMASHUPS! CD

For this cd-full-of-mashups--Smashups!-- Steve & Ace have tapped into their own catalog--transformationally electrified--and mixed in some potential future hits along with a decent amount of improvisation. At times, if you’re familiar with the material, you can pick out hooks from the originals. But the real magic of Smashups!comes from the creation of wholly fresh-sounding work here.



Steve--the man, and Ace--the guitar, have been making music together for quite a long time, but this is their first effort as an electric, multi-track outfit. As usual, the sound is rather unconventional. It’s sort of like hard rock meets new age crossed with classical mixed with a kind of punk metal avant-garde adventure movie soundtrack..



The guitar sound has a 50’s feel--with modern effects added. Methods of strumming the guitar produce percussive sounds that serve as rhythm makers. And so a wall of sound is constructed, in effect, from nothing more than one guy and one guitar--with utilization of a pickup, an amp, a pedal or two and some software



The vocal stylings range from cathedral--esque chanting to mock TV newscasts and commercials. Some of the “voices” are created by Steve’s playing the guitar a certain way; others are spawned in the studio by the layering of tracks. Which is to say, most of the vocals on this record are self-generated yet more or less “found.”



Overall, the sounds evoke epic visual dreamscapes of frenetic activity, as well as moments of serenity and wonderment, that are highly cinematic! The voices seem to be coming from a variety of depths and with a diversity of purpose and urgency. Some of it sounds like radio transmissions--having problems with interference.



Enjoy it over popcorn! Sounds best played loud! Cheers!


Now, a related post.
More on Steve & Ace’s new record “Smashups!” What they’re doing here can be seen as a rather revolutionary fusion of rock with classical.



They take your basic rock hook--sticking out like a sore thumb--and embed it in the composition. This way it can grow on you.



A couple or more guitar (tracks) play the same song/chord changes out of sync and/or in a different style or tempo. This provides some harmonies and some dissonance. Another guitar (track) usually plays an entirely different song or a medley of some--creating a polyphonic effect.



Often, guitars improvise or noodle around. There is an occasional solo/prominent bar or two. These serve to develop the theme, a lynchpin of classical music structure.



The drum section of a R&R band is covered by Steve & Ace with guitar percussives. Certain ways of interacting with the instrument can produce rich sounds that are rhythmic yet not overly melodic. At times, elements of the mix are rather industrial, or like a jet, or the wind and its effects.



Vocals are shared by a plethora of voices that seem woven into the mix. You’ve got a range from really high-pitch Alvin & the Chipmunkish to bassy Darth Vader-like. There are delighted voices saying things like “oh, joy” and “we’ve just won a million dollars” to desperate voices such as “what’s going on?“ and “we’re going under!” Expressions range from the mundane “it’s like 32 degrees outside”, to big questions like “where is the body?“ It’s a cornucopia of voices, really--Gregorian chanting alternates and overlaps with Dante’s Inferno, making it potentially polyphonic both vocally and guitar-wise..



To trump the devil’s advocate: if all of this sounds like the perfect recipe/storm for a train wreck kind of record, let me assure you--Steve & Ace is/are no gimmick. The music may sound like a train wreck at times--literally--but not figuratively The unique style on display here developed out of years of guitar practice sessions, a plenitude of weeks-at-a-time songwriting marathons, hundreds of hours recording vocals and acoustic guitar (3+ cds-worth), and decades of listening to a great variety of music (including one decade of regular show going in NYC--from CBGBs to Carnegie Hall).
Rock On! (With Class)

PS--When somebody mentions classical music, the first thing one generally thinks of is a symphony orchestra. While Steve & Ace’s wall of sound could be considered an update in that vein, the music also bears a striking resemblance to classical chamber music--as if a string quartet’s two violins, viola and cello have been transformed into electric guitars.