Ah, another CD and yet another excerpt from the "What were they thinking?" saga.

A New Dimension

Nate: Hmmm… track number 1 is pretty long. You know, I noticed that when we were finished recording this one, but it didn't seem that long at all. Anyway, Drew came up with the main chords for this one, and I created the diminishing chords you hear up against it that sort of fade in and out.

Drew: I knew this CD would be completely different than our last the minute we started playing this song. This is a song you would likely find playing at a rave party. However, with Nate's supporting chords and solos, it quickly turns into a true composition. You don't even realize that the song lasts for 7 minutes unless you look at your CD player's timer. A great song to start the CD, I think.

Body Shop

Nate: Whereas the last one was pretty much all Drew's, I think I came up with the main riff and the chords on this one. This has got such a killer groove. Drew is featured on the Rhodes with those great solos.

Drew: This song kicks, plain and simple. I love the bass line for this one, and the chords Nate came up with for this one gives it such a "cool" feel. I especially liked playing the Rhodes patch on this one.

Hopeless Expectations

Nate: The chords on this one were a combination of both of us. Drew had a chord combination but then I suggested we change the last one and give it an 8-bar progression so that it wasn't as predictable.

Drew: Nate originally wanted to add a separate drum track over the existing patch the Korg provided, but I talked him out of it. I like how this song has a good beat to it, but it has a "soft" quality to it that keeps it kind of mellow. In a way, this song can be somewhat meditative to me.

Electronic Symphony

Nate: Drew came up with the chords for the main part and my contribution were the string hits in between the beats in the verse. He does some nice playing in the bridge near the end to give the song a nice break.

Drew: This is my favorite song on the CD. I love the fast rhythm, and the strings that Nate came up with are killer. Not to mention, it has a full bass support to it, and it sounds great on a good system. I also enjoyed playing the break section in the middle in which I could go off on a tangent that didn't adhere to a set tempo. Definitely one of our best, in my opinion.

Attack of the Hermits

Nate: All three of the parts in this one were written prior to recording. I pretty much wrote all the chords in this one, but Drew definitely came in with some nice additions, including suggesting I use a grand piano patch instead of the crappy electric piano sound I was originally going to use. In addition I love the patch Drew uses to do his solos. Very Herbie Hancock-esque.

Drew: Slap Bass heaven!!! Seriously, though, this is another really cool one that we came up with. I remember going through many takes to get this song right, but it was worth it. I think Nate is being too kind in comparing me to Herbie Hancock, but I must admit I show some very unique improvisational skills on this song. And yes, Nate, the grand piano patch was a much better choice.

Movement on the Great Wall

Nate: This track definitely has an interesting background. On the last CD, we had a track called Movement in the Rainforest where we play this rainforest type patch and I do these tuba notes on the bottom. We had originally planned to use that patch again and show our "mature" side, but went with this idea instead. Thank God.

Drew: I'm glad we did this instead of what we originally had planned, which would have made us look so mature.

We Have a Winner

Nate: Both of us equally contributed on this one, and this is one of my favorites. I came up with the eerie chords in the verse then Drew changes the mood completely with his orchestral-type hits. I think this was pretty much improvised though.

Drew: Even though this song doesn't really have that many solos or distinct sections, I love it. I love the orchestra hits that I play, and I especially love the back-up melody that Nate plays while I'm doing the chords. He made it have an "echo" sound to it that added so much to the song.

Catch the Rave

Nate: I think Drew came up with the chords on this one, then I added the different effects and rave-type patches. I like this one a lot. This is different from anything I've ever heard Drew write. This was almost all on-the-spot improvisation.

Drew: I still can't figure out how I came up with the chords on this one. I honestly think I just looked away from the keyboard and hit any keys that I randomly decided to play, and this is what came out. It sounded great, and I love all the different modulations that Nate uses on his Alesis patch.

Traffic Control

Nate: This is such a great groove… Both of us came up with the parts for this one. I wrote the verse chords and Drew came up with the ones for the chorus. And a first… I have a vibraphone solo. There's a story behind the name on this one actually. Drew, be my guest.

Drew: The name "Traffic Control" came from a special spot in Iowa City. There's this one intersection in which there is a street, and then across it is a single crosswalk. There is a stoplight on either side of the crosswalk, and when someone wants to cross, they can just push a button and make the stoplight turn red. Nate thought that was the coolest thing in the world, and we started taking turns making the light red just to piss cars off. It was funny.

Tune In Tomorrow

Nate: Oh man, this one is awesome. It is such a perfect closing track as well. I think Drew came up with the main chords but then I actually had some chords of my own and they ended up going together perfectly. I wrote the melodies for this one and came up with a contrasting chord progression for the solos and end patterns.

Drew: As in the last CD, this song is a great one to close with. Just from hearing the beginning chords, you can tell it's saying, "This is the last track." Nate did a great job with the melodies, and I really like the drum patch that the Korg provided. A great way to end another awesome project.