Fun-A-Day and Jamuary 2021

[Lunkhead]

It's that time of year again! Fun-A-Day is a challenge where folks try to work on art every day in January. Jamuary meanwhile is a challenge started by Jonathan Mann a couple years ago where folks try to write a song every day in January. He also made a set of prompts for each day: https://www.jonathanmann.net/jamuary (I'm not actually sure Jonathan is keeping that up anymore, it's listed as "Past Project" on his homepage.) I think there may have already been a "#jamuary" thing going on before Jonathan's too. Anyway, time to make some stuff! I'm going to give it a whirl again. Glenn Case is going to do it too, he'll probably be live streaming himself making a song every night.

[Lunkhead]

I made my first piece of music, it's very dumb.

[vowlvom]

Here's my first one from yesterday. Moody synthy post-rock.

[Lunkhead]

No idea where this came from, but, I kinda like it. It's a "serious" song this time, electronic, slow and atmospheric. Oh yeah, and I snuck in the current Song Fight title so I will probably enter this in the fight.

[vowlvom]

I did a Song Fight entry on day two, day three found me a little short on inspiration but I managed to get a synthpop instrumental done. Ran into some Melodic Confusion towards the end so threw in a guitar solo... as you do.

[gizo]

No idea where this came from, but, I kinda like it. It's a "serious" song this time, electronic, slow and atmospheric. Oh yeah, and I snuck in the current Song Fight title so I will probably enter this in the fight.

This is lovely.

[Lunkhead]

I was short on time and also low on inspiration so I just made a live synth jam. (No MIDI sequencing, just using the built-in step sequencers on my volcas and in this case the arppegiator on my SH-101, plus effects pedals on everything. I added some reverb on the drums and bass in post too...)

[vowlvom]

My 4th song is very stupid. A beat that I made on my Circuit, plus Duolingo samples.

[Lunkhead]

So for Fun-A-Day I set the bar low and just try to "work on music". Tonight I cut rhythm and lead guitar tracks for a Song Fight entry that will either be me and Ken or BSS.

EDIT: I also cut a possibly too late guitar solo for Glenn Case's Jamuary song for today, and, shared a Song Fight entry I had started last week with somebody who I may collaborate with on it. So, productive after all even without a song to show for tonight.

[vowlvom]

Sad little country-pop song today. Really enjoyed this one, super-obvious chords etc. but I like the result.

[vowlvom]

topical synthpunk for day six!

[Lunkhead]

I forgot to post last night, I made some more instrumental electronic music.



I doubt I'll have much time during the week for actually writing songs with lyrics and vocals, it seems like.

[Lunkhead]

Instrumental electronic again, this time a drum and bass ish live synth jam. Man, I'm just feeling like weeknights are brutal, and I don't see myself having enough time or energy or inspiration left to actually write songs during the week much.

[vowlvom]

I've been furloughed from my job (again) so all I have is time. That said, I have a piano lesson tonight so this one was written and recorded very quickly. Atmospheric guitar instrumental...

[Lunkhead]

Dang, sorry to hear that Vom, that sounds crappy, other than the upside of having more time to make music. I hope you can get back to work soon.

More electronic garbage from me. This one is not a live jam, it's a weird composed thing with a really crazy bridge.

[vowlvom]

Low on energy and inspiration today, and spent too much time setting up Ableton on recently-upgraded laptop (first seven songs were done in Reaper).

Little synthy thing will have to do, hopefully get more into it tomorrow.

[Lunkhead]

Oof, so tired today. Instrumental music with instruments this time, typical band setup. My hard drive that I record to also was acting up, which is very scary. Also, I'm sick of the damn bots on Soundcloud!! Ugh.

[vowlvom]

I assumed I'd have more energy and inspiration when the weekend arrived but... I didn't.

Still, this was quite fun - I sampled my Reface CS into my Casio SK-5 for each of the instrumental parts (and used the built-in bongo samples). Feel like it could have been the start of a fun song but I am totally blank on lyrical ideas.

[Lunkhead]

I very nearly threw in the towel today. I've been poisoning myself with too much social media and news since Tuesday. Maybe this is a tiny bit of opening a release valve or something.

[vowlvom]

I assumed the weekend would provide me with more energy and motivation. But it didn't! It provided me with backache and a hangover. Still, this one's quite fun. A noisy ode to online discos.

[Lunkhead]

I made a silly cover of "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails but it's about donuts. I spent way more time on this than it deserved, but, I was having fun.

[vowlvom]

Ahhh I didn't pick up on it being a cover, that makes more sense now somehow? Loving the synths!

I got experimental today and made a rhythmic techno thing from chopped up sounds from the BBC archives.