Czajkowski-Minnemann album: West ZooOpolis NOW AVAILABLE

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Hectic Watermelon

Hectic Watermelon

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From the May 18th Hectic Watermelon Newsletter:

My new album, West ZooOpolis, featuring Marco Minnemann is now available for you at Abstract Logix! To recap, this album was written over a tremendous 51-minute drum performance Marco recorded and then invited me and several other composers to compose around. The complexity of the drums made analyzing Stravinsky and Boulez scores at graduate school seem almost easy by comparison. However, Marco’s profoundly inspiring performance kept my compositions rolling!

Many thanks to those of you who have already purchased West ZooOpolis during the pre-sale phase to help it already become the top seller at Abstract Logix. Additionaly, thanks to the listeners of the preliminary digital download and all your supportive emails.

Thanks to radio hosts, Dick Heath in the UK, Randy Allar of the Cleveland based “Fusion Show” and Tom Gagliardi of the Philadelphia based “Gagliarchives” show for bringing such a large portion of the album to your listeners. Additional thanks to Randy Allar for such an extensive on air interview as well. Thanks to writer Angelo Hulshout for introducing the album to the Prog Archives crowd.

I would like to thank Kevin Freeby for his fantastic bass playing and commitment to West ZooOpolis. His unique sound helps give the varied elements of this music a unifying sound and identity. Additional thanks go out to Chris Taylor for rolling up his sleeves and joining me on guitars, keyboards and co-writing on the two tracks “Three Trains to Tennessee” and “Mayor Ass.” Also thanks to big DeGenaro for a twisted fretless solo at the end of “Viking Rats.”

Additional thanks go to all the makers of the gear who have supported me to include but not be limited to: Ernie Ball Musicman and Suhr guitars, Deering Banjos, Egnater amplifiers, DiMarzio pickups, Port City cabinets, Evidence Audio cables, Tonefreak and XTS pedals, Sound Sculpture audio routing matrixes, and Fractal Audio Systems (makers of the Axe FX). Also, thanks to Victor Rocha for the revolving door of guitar loans!

Lastly, please don’t forget to go check out Trey Gunn’s CD, Modulator, as well as Alex Machacek’s CD 24 Tales which were composed around Marco’s drum performance. Marco also put together an album of his own! We are still waiting for Mike Keneally and Phi Yen-Zek to release their versions as well. I have heard some in full and just parts of others, but what I can tell you is that the creativity and unique voices of each composer and the wealth of opportunities provided by Marco’s beautiful playing give you several highly distinct albums in this historically unprecedented project. So, last but not least, thanks to Marco!

Best wishes,

John Czajkowski

Download Sampler, Press Release, Order Info @

http://www.abstractlogix.com/xcart/prod ... 277&page=1

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Album Distribution Update (27 May):

Additionally, West ZooOpolis is now available in both CD and mp3 formats at CD Baby:

CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/czajkowskiminnemann

Abstract Logix: http://www.abstractlogix.com/xcart/prod ... ctid=24621
 
John. Congratulations on this monumental release. I can't wait to hear it, and I'll order it immediately ... OH wait! You owe me a CD ( :lol: :LOL: ). It took you almost as long as I did to release the 3 Mile Stone CD.

I'm happy for you!!!!! :rock: :rock: :rock:
 
3 Mile Stone":1x1to5dq said:
John. Congratulations on this monumental release. I can't wait to hear it, and I'll order it immediately ... OH wait! You owe me a CD ( :lol: :LOL: ). It took you almost as long as I did to release the 3 Mile Stone CD.

I'm happy for you!!!!! :rock: :rock: :rock:
Click to expand...

Please pm email. Sorry I didn't get to this sooner...been putting out some fires. :D
 
Wagster":a9c1opgs said:
That is just insane John. I will be ordering a copy.
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Yes...yes...I know... :bash: Thanks for your sympathies. ;)

Also, please don't forget to email orders@hecticwatermelon.com with your order info if you would like the album download link too so you don't need to wait.
 
Is there somewhere you can listen to a sample.

Congrats on the project.
 
stephen sawall":xt0qxgkx said:
Congratulations .... very cool. :thumbsup:
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Thank you Stephen!

Here's a cool review from the inside at Chris Taylor’s (Sub-D) blog. Thanks!:

New John Czajkowski/Marco Minnemann: West ZooOpolis album

Composer / Guitarist John Czajkowski's Herculean task of composing music around a 52-minute freely improvised drum performance by Marco Minnemann is quite impressive in both concept and result. I had the opportunity to listen to this work progress almost from the ground up and even played a small part in co-writing and playing on 2 of the 20 tracks, which gave me a unique micro view into the enormous work John undertook with this project.

What remains most impressive to me is the music itself. John somehow managed to weave a beautiful and original musical narrative into Marco's wildly polyrhythmic and virtuosic improvisation with themes ranging from intense Zappa-esque orchestrations to ECM like sonic pastels and everything imaginable in between, all of which flow gracefully together to create a disc which never sounds forced or scholastic and takes the listener on a dramatic sonic ride that should not be missed.

With "West ZooOpolis" John Czajkowski and Marco Minnemann have created an outstanding work that needs to be heard !

Pre order, read more and download a sampler here:
http://www.abstractlogix.com/xcart/prod ... ctid=24621

Get it!

c
 
Update number 3: (Saturday, 8 May)

Thanks to a special arrangement with Abstract Logix, a download link is now automatically being sent to everyone who orders a copy of West ZooOpolis before the official Abstract Logix release date of 18 May 2010. So, as of now, there is no need to send any email to request the download link. A heartfelt thank you from Marco and I to everyone who has helped make this the top seller at Abstract Logix.

To hear the (quite thorough) sampler, read the press release and order a copy, just go to Abstract Logix.

http://www.abstractlogix.com/xcart/prod ... 277&page=1
 
John, listening to the sampler right now. Spectacular. Everything we know you have in you is showcased here. This was worth your time and diversion from Hectic Watermelon, no doubt. I love the use of the banjotar and pedal steel. Fantastic textures. I even heard some straight forward six string slide, sounded like it was through an EG3/4. (I think you know how I feel about that ... THRILLED!!!)

:rock: :rock: :rock:
 
3 Mile Stone":2jza0mcf said:
John, listening to the sampler right now. Spectacular. Everything we know you have in you is showcased here. This was worth your time and diversion from Hectic Watermelon, no doubt. I love the use of the banjotar and pedal steel. Fantastic textures. I even heard some straight forward six string slide, sounded like it was through an EG3/4. (I think you know how I feel about that ... THRILLED!!!)

:rock: :rock: :rock:
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Thanks Tommy, I was almost a little worried all those different sounds my not gel completely, but now that my ears have had some room to breath, I think it works even better than I hoped. I think a problem with jazz rock/fusion/ and progressive music is that it can often slip into a rut based on the typical orchestration expected of the genre(s); so it was a fun challenge to try to mix it up here with lots of Americana sounds.

Honestly I can;t recall what all the leads were tracked with, but it may have been actually a boosted Fendery module to get that tone since I don't have a stock EG 3/4.

Also, I assume you got the link the album fairy sent for the full album?
 
Yep, downloading right now. Thanks, but I will buy it eventually also, cause you know I'm an old dude and we like to hold the music in our hands for some stupid reason. It'll be cool to pop it in the car CD player and groove along till I loose all sense of space & time.
 
3 Mile Stone":2z0rtv5w said:
Yep, downloading right now. Thanks, but I will buy it eventually also, cause you know I'm an old dude and we like to hold the music in our hands for some stupid reason. It'll be cool to pop it in the car CD player and groove along till I loose all sense of space & time.
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Cool Tommy, yeah...age is all relative isn't it? I'm the same way with CDs too. Don't worry, I'll have them send you one when they ship next week. Just one little catch though: you need to post a video of yourself playing one of the pieces and post a full transcription of all the voices. Don't forget the drums either. If you get the drums at least 90% correct, then you're good to go.





:hys:

Funny huh? Just kidding.
 
:lol: :LOL:

Uh huh. Right.

How about this. You send me a CD if I can find the "1" at anytime while it's playing.
 
3 Mile Stone":2u6voy56 said:
:lol: :LOL:

Uh huh. Right.

How about this. You send me a CD if I can find the "1" at anytime while it's playing.
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Ok, that sounds fair. Please get me your address then!
 
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