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Liner Notes…
Having come off of an album as dark, cryptic, and just plain bizarre as “Jessica and the Silver Eclipse,” I knew the next album’s direction would need to be the opposite: bright, simple, and catchy. ‘Simple’ was the most difficult of these three for me to wrestle with, as I typically find myself adding more and more complexity to a song whether its foundation is ready for it or not. Stripping songs down to their essentials is sure to expose weaknesses, and it was through this process that I learned a great deal about how to achieve my goals.

While Jessica and the Silver Eclipse dealt with the traumas within my 5-year relationship with Jessica Barriga, “Hey Girl Hey” is all about the experiences of searching for the right girlfriend and enjoying life in the process.

A La Mode:
The very first song written for the album, and also one of the biggest struggles. It was a long time before the overall structure came together – there’s something deadly about letting a song-in-progress sit without being changed for too long. Even if it’s bad, it begins to solidify as ‘that’s what it’s supposed to be’ because my ears are becoming used to it. So keeping the song from drying up allowed me to keep pouring creativity into it until it finally blossomed. Here are two clips from the early stages of production: Early Clip 1 | Early Clip 2

The lyrics refer to a female friend who said they wanted advice, but all they really wanted to hear from me was what they already decided was the right answer.

Rainbows and Curves:
I could never nail down the right lyrics for the first and second verse, and I have sense questioned whether I should have removed lyrics entirely. Regardless, it’s a pretty decent bass-driven rock song I have come to enjoy for its unapologetic simplicity.

These lyrics are pretty random, to be honest.

Lead the Attack:
The very last song finished, and it wasn’t even very definitive at the time. It was all over the place in terms of melodies and song structures, and at some point I said, “that’s just going to have to do – I’ll stick it at the end of the album.” But as time carried on, I really grew fond of its unexpected synth-solos and ever-changing drum rhythms. In the end, it earned its place as an early lead on the album, and a personal favorite of mine that sums up what the record is all about.

This song was written about a very short-lived relationship of three weeks during the album, and how her decision to break things off was the right call.

App Fer That (feat. Tim Ferrell):
There’s a lot to be said here, but overall we just tried to have a lot of fun. It didn’t come out quite as focused as I originally intended, but was a fun experiment in a style outside of my boundaries. Oh, did I mention it features some autotuned lightsabers?

Digital Delight ’10:
First appearing on “Proto a Go Go” in 2004, I recently reworked this song from scratch for my live concerts when I discovered the original file was incompatible with my newer software. Knowing that it had been a hit with fans of my early work, it was time to reintroduce it to a brand new audience.

While I don’t remember exactly what “Past Ray” was thinking six years ago regarding the lyrics, I at least know it’s about deciding on which videogame console is your favorite.

It’s Just a Dream:
The lyrics are not written about any one particular girl, but do deal with the constant inner-struggle of whether our soul-mates exist or if they are simply a fantasy.

Monkey Bossa Nova:
Was having fun playing around with the themes of Monkey Golf 2 and Monkey Target 2 from Super Monkey Ball 2, and decided to give it a fun bossa nova spin. I considered making it a call and return between boy and girl vocals, but that was eventually dropped to keep it a simple instrumental.

Neon Spring Blossoms:
I’ve always had a thing for K.K.Slider’s tunes in Animal Crossing, and had a sudden realization in the shower that I could humorously turn the Spring Blossoms song into a lightning-fast electric-rock version. As time passed, I came to fall in love with how tight and metronomic it came together, and its short length allows it to be just the right amount of burst for a memorable song.

The lyrics are about living a life in Animal Crossing.

Quota Zero (hey girl hey)
I wanted to take full advantage of creating unique and quirky drum fills, and this song became the canvas for that activity. What followed was a lot of “I’ve been meaning to this in my music for a while now,” so all kinds of random sounds and tricks were thrown in. Whatever stuck as entertaining stayed. This was written just after A La Mode. Here’s a very early clip from its darker beginnings: Early Clip 3

Simply put, this song is about showing my availability on the dating market. The title refers to the lyrics “I’ve got to fill my quota still,” which was eventually removed from the finished product. The original title stuck though, since I’ve never had title tracks on my previous albums, and I intend to keep that tradition.

Pure Imagination
One of the last songs written. Initially intended solely for my live shows, I eventually jumped through the right amount of legal hoops to ensure it had a spot on the album. The original song from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a bit wild when it comes to tempo and structure, so condensing it into a pop structure finally squeezed all of its memorable moments into a nice bite-size chunk. One quality I wanted to remain intact was its open and sometimes ominous atmosphere. My singing voice is admittedly poor, but the dry vocals on this one allow a pretty personal connection.

Star Man Constellation
I’ve always wanted to do my own version of Star Man’s theme in Mega Man 5, but the song is already enveloped by a such a classic 8-bit staccato sound that I decided to go the opposite direction: smooth and spacious. I really enjoy the two counter-melodies working in harmony in the last half of the song, but there was an entire bridge I removed from the middle because it dragged way too much.

Time Bomb
Certain personal choices result in what I consider to be a time bomb – in which the future is forever changed and there is no going back. This was written as a follow-up to Jessica and the Silver Eclipse. Sadness and hope abound.

If you have any other questions regarding the album, I’d be more than happy to take a swing at them. Otherwise, leave me your comments and reviews and I hope you enjoy the album!

- Ray

Ray’s new album is out, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Metroid Other M, annoying legalities, what 2P START! could have been named, and a never-before-told story about our free Wii giveaway.

Links referenced in the show:
Get Ray’s new album!

Announcing “Hey Girl Hey” – it’s my brand new album set to release on August 31st, but you can listen to a sample and pre-order the album right now! 12 new songs featuring covers of Willy Wonka, Animal Crossing, Mega Man 5, Super Monkey Ball 2, and even a full-blown rap song about iPhone Apps! (seriously?) Don’t miss out – it’s guaranteed to rock your core with synthesized goodness!

Ray recently made a guest appearance on his brother’s podcast, The Lame Show which we’ve linked here for you to enjoy. In the episode they discuss the iPhone 4 ‘Antenna-gate’, videogames as art, Inception, and other random musings. Check it out!

Find out what’s new with Tim and Ray as they talk Toy Story 3, Predators, LOST*, Grown Ups, Step Up 3D, Inception, Twilight, Piranha 3D, and bad movie trailers! Plus iPhone 4, an old lifeguard story from Ray, and much more!

*If you don’t want LOST spoilers, we tell you how to skip it all safely during the show.

Links referenced in the show:
New Super Mario Bros. 2: The Next Levels
Aeria Comic