Kickstarter

I am currently arranging and recording my first full length album as Young Rites. I need your help to produce and release it! 

In October 2011, I released the Young Rites Demo Cassette, "Past Life Hangover/ Saturn Psalm I." It was collection of haunted old riffs and memories fleshed out by the Tascam light, first drafts of naive psych and fingerstyle pluckers, all drifting amid the drone and charge of distant reeds and crude synthesizers. 

Since recording and self-releasing the 2011 Demo, I have received a great deal of feedback, encouragement, and support from my community in Brooklyn. Some local tape and record labels that I admire had even suggested that they would be interested in releasing cassettes and 7''s of my new material. While I am still somewhat surprised by this attention, it means a great deal to me, and I would like to consolidate my efforts in order to live up to and exceed the expectations of anyone who is lending an ear. I am also looking forward to meeting collaborators and embarking on some brief East Coast tours throughout the coming Fall. Therefore, it is my aim to have this full length cassette* completed and ready for release by October 2012. Though I am unsure as to whether it will be initially distributed by a small label or self-released, it must be ready nevertheless.

Unfortunately, 2012 has been a fickle year for my finances. I had to put my DIY electronics/synthesizer building operation on hold for lack of time and resources, and my access to rehearsal space was considerably reduced, both of which put a damper on my ability to prepare for shows and release new material. But not to moan, these are obstacles that should easily be overcome with your help!

The 2012 release is more than a clarification of the themes and processes heard on the 2011 Young Rites demo. It is testament to a new compositional maturity, a more intentional approach to song structure and balancing of the structureless, and a careful reverence for the recording arts. The new album also displays a far wider palate of electronic sounds, enabled by my growing assemblage of electronic instruments. It is intended as an homage to, and conversation with, traditional folk and psych forms, as well as a decidedly controlled application of noise and electronic sources. Highlights include original material as well as multitrack recordings of three British and Irish folk ballads arranged for three guitars, harmonium, electronic drone, and bodhran.

* If you are interested in supporting the production of the album, but prefer CD to tape, please let me know. If I meet my goal, I will probably be able to run a small batch of CDs in addition to the cassettes.

My expenses (estimated at $700) include:

Studio time, professional mixing, mastering, and duplication services, several hundred professional grade audio cassette tapes, packaging, inserts, and printing costs.

The 2011 demo tape (a double-sided C45 edition of 100 w/ hand cut inserts) ran me around $200, and I did all the recording, mixing, and mastering myself. In bizarre locations, and in guerilla fashion, I might add.