Kickstarter

Dear Forward-Thinking Music-Lover,

The big turning point for any musician is their first album.  I've been fortunate to play with many talented artists, but none of that has been…well, MY music.  But that's about to change in a big way.  I'm working to complete my debut album, a labor of love that's ambitious, personal, and super-catchy.

The Ulysses Cycle is an 20-song instrumental suite based on the greatest adventure story ever, The Odyssey.  The sound is rooted in classic jazz, but zig-zags into rock, electro, funk, latin, folk, indian, and classical music.  It's music that knows no boundaries, and tells a timeless story you can actually follow as you listen.  I started writing Ulysses in 2008, and after years of live test-drives, took my band into the studio to record the definitive version.  Their performances are mind-blowing, and I don't use that term lightly.

The performances, however, are just one small piece of the puzzle.  Making an album is, it turns out, a complicated (and expensive) process!  I've spent all I can out of my own pocket to record the first 80% of the music...but there's still a lot more to do.  The major expenses include:

Musicians - $1,400
Mixing - $3,000
Mastering - $1,200
Artwork/Graphic Design (21 illustrations!) - $1850
Pressing CDs - $1,250

By now you probably know how this Kickstarter thing works: if we don't meet our financial goal, we don't get ANY of our funding!  Now I'll admit it... The Ulysses Cycle is a lot of music (80 minutes), and it's costing more than a typical album.  But if you feel the way I do, the world has too many "typical" albums...I want to give the world a fun, unique, and immersive musical experience!  Who's with me?

Oh yeah...I almost forgot one of the coolest parts!  In addition to creating some innovative music, I'm also being creative with the product itself.  In the digital version of The Ulysses Cycle, every track will be embedded with a custom illustration, which will instantly pop up when you listen on your iPhone or iPod; PLUS, text will scroll across your screen, describing what's happening in the story!  And if you want the physical CD, never fear...the CD version comes with the same artwork and narrative, in booklet form.

With The Ulysses Cycle, I feel like I have the chance to create something truly special.  I hope you decide to become a part of it!

All my gratitude,
Russ

www.russkaplanmusic.com