Brendan James

“Mystery Vinyl Mixtape”

My radio show from last night exploring the 70′s vinyl crates at KGNU Boulder.

2013_03-22-DJBPT-KGNU#005 “Mystery Vinyl Mix” by Brendan James on Mixcloud

Mid-week musical update, this track unearthed from the Global Gravity Feed catalog unreleased unearthed and remastered for your listening pleasure.

“Late Night Disco”

Late night uptempo mix by DJ Baked Potato @ KGNU Boulder CO with a focus on Jazz Funk and Disco dance music. Hosted By Brendan James.

2013_03-12-DJBPT-KGNU#004 by Brendan James on Mixcloud

“The Valentine’s Day Special”

In this episode I explore songs about Love, when it’s good, when it’s bad and when it’s long gone. I also play a few special tracks commemorating the passing of the late, great Donald Byrd. From Soul / R&B to Disco / Funk Breaks and samples these are some of my favorite and rarest grooves.

2013_02-13-DJBPT-KGNU#003 “Valentines Day Special” by Brendan James on Mixcloud

 ”Where We Go”

This song has quite a long story. I began working on it while on tour with The Acting Company in 2007 where I collaborated with Cellist Debbie Friedman in between shows with my mobile recording rig on the tour bus. Returning to Brooklyn, I flushed out the string parts with Violinist Jaime Marcello. Drums were recorded sometime in 2008 and slowly a song that had started out entirely digital and programmed was beginning to take a larger, livelier shape.

I originally wrote the lyrics to try and convey a the technological and mechanistic overload that I was feeling in New York City. I was commuting daily to Manhattan from Sheepshead bay, Brooklyn in race where everyone seemed to be moving so fast, but where I felt little progression our society on a whole was being made. I always had it in mind that a female would sing the vocals, and when I began working with Elvira K I petitioned the track to her. After struggling through a few sessions we realized that the voice of the song wasn’t her’s.

A year later with Abstract Rhythm in full swing. I was out with my partner Andrew attending a performance by Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra where I was able to see Natalie John fronting the 18 peice group. I immediately approached her after the show and ask if she would give “Where we go” a try, to which she agreed!

Natalie’s vocals were recorded with an AEA R84 Ribbon mic. She was able to work quickly with the guide vocals from Elvira and I believe we knocked out the takes in 2 days.

This track was an exercise in mixing with almost all of the elements recorded separately and in different locations. I ended up bringing Debbie Friedman back to the studio 3 years later to flush out and replace her original cello recordings from the tourbus. I also enlisted Jeffrey Young to play unison on top of the parts that Jaime had recorded earlier in an early string quartet -type experiment which was recorded WAY more difficult than it needed to be. This track was my first time arranging for strings, which was a learning process as well. I originally had used a sampled trumpet solo recorded by Ben Syversen at his apartment in Cambridge, MA sometime in 2008. Ben moved to Brooklyn sometime thereafter and I was able to get him into Abstract Rhythm to put some finishing touches on his part. I really like the presence ben has on this song and the harmonies that developed between his horn and Natalie.

All and all this track proved to be the introduction for me into a new style of live / electronic hybrid production made possible by the many excellent musical connections gathered in New York city.

[info_popup pop_title='Where We Go - Lyrics' message='PASTE THE MAIN TEXT HERE' Lyrics[/info_popup]

Credits:

Original Release Date: 02-01-2010
Natalie John – Vocals
Andrew McLean – Drums, Percussion
Debbie Friedman – Cello
Jaime Marcello – Violin
Jeffrey Young – Violin
Ben Syversen – Trumpet
DJ Baked Potato – Production
Brendan James – Background Vocals
Mixed By Brendan James at Abstract Rhythm Studio Brooklyn, NY

“Listening Expansions”

My second session at KGNU 88.5 Boulder, CO. In this episode I explore selections from my personal library with a focus on latin rock, and rare cuts from the 70′s funk and soul era.

2013_02-07-DJBPT-KGNU#002 “Listening Expansions” by Brendan James on Mixcloud

“The Chance To Choose”

Originally Recorded 2009 for the Strange Places Record this track was never released. I was very pleased with how the string arrangements came out as well as the instrumentation on this track.

Credits:

Vocals: Brendan James
Drums: Andrew McLean
Violin: Jeffrey Young
Cello: Yoed Nir

Mixed By Brendan James at Abstract Rhythm Brooklyn, NY

Strings Recorded 10/15/2008

Make The Choice – Lyrics

“Talk to Me” (extended mix)

Another featured song  off the Global Gravity Feed project. This track was started in the Jamaica Plain Basement Studio sometime in 2004. In this collaboration between myself and fellow NEIA allum Roldy Cezaire we enlisted the help of bassist Josh Oliver who came up with the funky bassline which was pretty central to the song. My Roommate Ryan Coughlin laid down the light acoustic guitar riffs. Giros and shakers courteousy of yours truly as was my percussion technique at the time.

I resurrected this track in 2007 after moving to Brooklyn, NY. I was never satisfied with the lack of lyrical content (Roldy and I were never able to come up with any verses) and I hired the sexist BK rapper I knew - Tense D to lay down a verse. “Frozen out in Aspen” .. loved it.

This song was originally programmed in Digital Performer (v.4?)  using a variety of software instruments. I tightened up the drums which were all programmed in Intakt moving the patch over to Kontakt and Cubase  in 2007. The final mix of the song was done in Cubase sometime in 2010 at Abstract Rhythm Studio Brooklyn, NY. This is the first time that I have released the full version of “Talk to me” with the extended ”shoo bop” ending with vocals by an early Brendan James.

Credits:

Vocals – Roldy Cezaire
Rap – Tense D
Bass – Josh Oliver
Guitar – Ryan Coughlin
Horns- Ben Syversen
Programming // Keys // Additional Vocals – Brendan James
© 2008 Baked Potato Music

“Can I See You Again” Explained

This was one of my first projects I worked on after moving to New York City.I teamed up with, then 19 year old Estonian model / singer Elvira K who had a strange affinity for R&B and soul music.

For this song I kept the production pretty basic focusing on the fender Rhodes even using the lower register of the instrument for the bass line.  I attempted to play guitar but only got in a “soul slide” so that’s all I used. The Guiro, and strings  were inspired by “Playing Your Game Baby“ by Barry white. Lyrical content more on the Stevie Wonder Side of things. I recorded the track in a Greenpoint studio / rehearsal space that I was sharing at the time, located a solid hour bike ride from my apartment in Sheepshead bay brooklyn.

This was the first time that I worked with drummer Andrew McLean, who replaced my programmed drums with  a reserved and perfectly pocketed hip-hop groove. I believe the same day we recorded the drums for another project, “Where We Go” which was originally going to be elvira’s tune as well.

We tracked the vocals for “Can I see you again” over a period of about a month layering Elvira’s multiple harmonies and working on the lyrics. We recorded the song line-by line to work out the phonics and rhymes and replaced the verses with live takes towards the end of the process. This was the first song elvira ever wrote.

A few months later I went up to boston with my mobile recording rig and got Ben Syversen to lay down a trumpet solo for this and the “where we go” track.

Credits:

Written By B. James and Elvira K
all instruments by Brendan James
Exceptions:
Drums – Andrew McLean
Trumpet – Ben Syversen

© 2008 Baked Potato Music