Here’s a smattering of tracks from Curious Automata’s 2023 releases, including “Somewhere They’ll Find Our Pieces” off my album “What Was”. Richard Ellis has the other 5 tracks… that dude was busy.
Tag: Richard Ellis
Extrapolations on a Familiar Theme by Ellis/Carrillo/Crews (Produced by Vic)
Disaster Squad’s jam is finally fully released. 20 years ago, in pre-Katrina New Orleans, guitarist Richard Ellis, percussionist Louis Carrillo, and bassist Kendal Crews met to run some tunes. Richard was hoping to start a band balancing covers with long improvisations. They played “Strange Brew”, then jammed for hours, filling 5 cassettes. The sound was there, they just needed to refine it and gig. Then came Katrina. Homes were destroyed, clubs closed, and Richard moved to Colorado.
But we have these remarkable tapes. And you can now hear the tune that started the jam, their cover of “Strange Brew”, and wonder what might have been.
Happy 10th to Curious Automata
I started Curious Automata on April 5th, 2013, to solve a problem: that almost every band and musician I knew had a nearly completed project sitting unheard. Aspen Street’s “Still, Still, Still” lost its distributor less than a year after being released. Graphite Addiction’s debut recording had been out of print since 2008. Richard Ellis’ “Disaster Sessions” tapes were shelved for a decade. Tim Carmichael’s “Watching Water” was finished in 2012 with gorgeous production by Gusty Christensen, but no label seemed interested. Pete Ehrmann and I were recording “The Pete & Vic Duo”, a swing duo album that would be a difficult sell during the 2010s push for funkier jazz. I hoped that if I found a way to release those five orphaned albums, along with one of my own, it would encourage all of us to create new material. 10 years later, artists working with Curious Automata have produced a total of:
- 42 CDs
- 4 Lathe-Cut Vinyl LPs
- 5 Bandcamp Exclusive Digital Releases
- 3 Books
- 3 CDs Produced for Other Labels
- 3 Scores for Ads
- 2 Play-Along Albums
- 47 Unexplained Noises Archive Club Releases
I think it works.
“Disaster Sessions” by Richard Ellis (Curious Automata, 2023)
CDs: Code One | Code Two | Code Four | Code Seven
I believe music is good. Good when it’s grandpa’s fiddle on the porch, when it’s jazz with cocktails, when it’s pop blasted to the earbuds of a few million teenagers, and when it’s a local orchestra sawing away on tunes by 19th century composers whose names start with B. Music to distract, accompany a meal, or draw attention to oneself is still often better than silence.
But I think music is best when it is not made for the listeners pleasure or bent to the makers’ ideals, when it stands by itself, when it is made by those in service to the sound who make music because the music must be. I’ve seen a few great players who live in that space but it seems exceedingly rare in my own music making. Occasionally, I’ve had moments at gigs or recording sessions where we truly served the song but more often those come in rehearsals. We spark fire when least expected, then play its memory at the show.
So the music on this collection is special. Guitarist Richard Ellis, percussionist Louis Carrillo, and bassist Kendal Crews didn’t set out to make anything special on September 19th, 2003. They were just jamming on tune at their rehearsal space in New Orleans when they found a trancendent groove. They stayed there for hours-even Kendal leaving for an appointment then returning didn’t break the spell. It’s the kind of one-in-a-million collective improvisation that is almost always lost to the moment. But Richard happened to be taping it, just for future reference.
These are a few of those tapes. You should listen to them. They’re up on all streaming services, too.
The CDs for this release are also the 39th, 40th, 41st, and 42nd released by Curious Automata. 42: the answer to the question of life, the universe, and everything in Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide. I can think of no better way to hit that milestone than with this project.
CDs: Code One | Code Two | Code Four | Code Seven
New Release: Umm…Whaaat? by Richard Ellis (Produced by Vic Dillahay)
This is “Umm…Whaaat?”, a guitar and vocal improvisation by Richard Ellis. He played it on July 23rd, 2021 at Spring Creek Music .
It is one continuous track. It is 25 minutes and 5 seconds long. It is completely improvised. It is presented exactly as it was performed, with no edits or overdubs.
The cover is by Kiley Ellis.
You should listen to it now.
2018 Curious Automata Releases I’ve Produced
When I’m not making weird noises myself, I encourage others to make them. Actually, I “produce” music by annoying people until they give me albums to release. Here’s what that’s led to so far in 2018:
Richard Ellis―Doing Less with Fewer Notes
Solo improvisations on electric guitar from Colorado’s most befuddling guitar player.
3ology―Live in Longmont, Volumes 1 and 2
2 releases that capture 3ology at its finest: live and up-close.
Two from Richard Ellis
The lovely and talented Richard Ellis just released two new albums on Curious Automata.
Songs Found Under the Couch
First up is Songs Found Under the Couch. This collection of Richard’s introspective songwriting demos is the first Curious Automata release with vocals on every track. I really dig its dark tone and Richard’s guitar and vocals really shine, despite the somewhat lo-fi quality of the original tapes. It’s definitely music that deserves repeated listening.
Play One Song
Play One Song is an in-depth instrumental exploration of Richard’s song Sixteen Roses, featuring Louis Carrillo on percussion and Kendal Crews on bass along with Richard on electric guitar. Over 72 minutes of continuous music, the trio finds darkness and light in one of Richard’s best compositions. Listen to the original demo with vocals off Songs Found Under the Couch, then check this out to hear how great musicians can bring new depth to songs.
A quick note: as executive producer I shortened Play One Song by 10 minutes so it would fit a single CD. This is the most corporate thing I have ever done. I have become a suit, mea culpa.