Hey, stop hyping it so much, I can’t take the awesomeness! In all seriousness though, I think it sounds like you guys have the perfect situation. Having more material than originally planned most likely means better stuff on the record.
Would be great if you guys took some video footage of the recording.
Now excuse me while I pass out after a kebab pizza with french fries…
I have to say Kevin, I am bit more than jealous now that you guys are doing THE RETURN!!! What the hell! If I had known such a thing would occur I would have robbed a liquor store and flown out there with Kyle!
This album is just going to be amazing. New Masahiro material? - it cant get any better.
More shredding? – aw yeah, you’re speaking my language.
Also, I am super excited to hear what Kyle is pulling out of his old bag of tricks.
Woot!
Grant,
Your jealousy is also felt here in reverse. Meaning that there is a tragic feeling accompanying this recording session which comes from the absence of both Grant and Mike Penny. On the first Monsters of Shamisen CD Grant Reimer is featured on one tune playing a little Shami solo like a champ.
Since those days Grant has progressed tremendously and is now at the point where he could very comfortably hop in on many parts of many of these tunes as well as busting out some Fat solos! That is why it feels ironic in a tragic sort of way that Grant already used up his trip to Japan for this year. Right now would be an awesome time for you to be here. At least I can reassure you that you are in our thoughts. Each day so far has included multiple references to the Legend of Grant and his wild shinanagens!
The above post is the tune “The Return!”
It is an original written by myself, and Tim Smolens
And Timba Harris back when we all played in the group
estradasphere!
…just so you guys know what we mean when we talk about
“the Return”!
It is indeed ironic. But my trip would not have been as epic as it was if I had not gone when I did, so I must assume the attitude of “I regret nothing”.
I regret not robbing that 7/11 however. Seeing as how the only reason I am not there is a lack of $$$.
It is comforting to know I am in your thoughts! And I hope you can rest easily knowing that if I were there I would be increasing the destruction radius to at least another 4-500 mile radius.
It is nice to know that I’ve been getting better at least. I remember how desperately sad I was that I couldn’t join you guys on that album due to my lack of ability, and now I’m just too far away! Oh curses!
I’d say this is just an opportunity for you guys to get the first album out of the way so that Mike and I can usher in a new level of musical dementia and devastation on the next one.
I consider the inclusion of “The Return” as the biggest homage I could receive on the new album though. That song I go way back dog; we got history.
Not to bring back this Monster thread (no pun intended) but yes… The Monsters of Shamisen CD turned out exceeding all of our expectations and is going to be something all three of us will be quite proud of for years to come. I know most of the latest reports on this Cd are now being reported in other posts such as the blog casts or mobile continuation posts etc. but I just felt like wrapping it up here to give this one a sense of closure.
We set out to record 12 songs. We ended up ditching a few ideas and adding new tunes (a few of which were written in the studio during the recording sessions) and in the end we Ended up with 16 new tracks! Combining Tsugaru Shamisen with throat singing, bluegrass, metal, funk jamming, world music featuring folk songs from Russia, Peru, Turkey, Mongolia, Celtic tradition and others, plus some highly innovative original material and some of the best Masahiro Nitta improvising solos ever!
Guest musicians and instruments added will include ba toukin (horse head fiddle,Throat singing and normal vocals, percussion (taiko will be added), Gotan, banjo (Luke Abbott?), possibly trumpet and shinbone flute as well as Biwa.
It will still be some months before the final mixes are available and the recordings can be purchased so I hope you all stay excited and remember this Cd once it comes out! really hope you all like the material. For a “first” Bachido Cd, at least the first one to represent the website, it really came out pretty well!
Couldn’t have asked for a better week of recording!
Epic times, as Norm Nakamura often says… Epic times!
Good God! Don’t you just love auto spell check? I just noticed my intention to write shinobue was spellchecked to read shinbone.
I’m not even going to edit that cause it’s such a ridiculous example.
Shinbone flute. Either a very small flute or made from an animal with a very large shin I guess…
Yay Kevin! Isn’t it awesome that we met that cannibal who was playing a shinbone flute at the station? What a lucky find! 
On a similar yet semi-unrelated note, Masahiro is planning to have all his albums sold on iTunes (or something similar to it). Thus, once it’s released, you’ll be able to get this album immediately. 
K H, do you have any friends who are Russian singers? It would be great if someone could sing the words to Кorobushka. (We’ll have to see the recording though, as we may have played it a little too fast to sing. :-S)
My bear will sing anything if you give him couple shots of vodka.
Actually no, sorry.
Whoof, just finished over dubbing some metal vocals on one of the tracks. A two minute track jam-packed with awesomeness!
Anywho, now to make a little progress on the Bachido Store updates and then I’ll get on here. Can’t wait to check out the shirt design thread!
So stoked that the Great Morgani will be coming to overdub accordion in one hour from now! Will he come in costume? We can only hope.
Also, on an equally stellar note, Ceddin Deden has come out so well, as of this morning I decided that to make it epic as possible, vocals should be added. The Turkish words are rather simple, so I think we’ll be able to pull it off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se4qRyF9UN0
Fingers crossed!
Oh Man!! Is it too late to add a photo of the Great Morgani into our Cd art?
I used to see that guy all the time…every day almost (when I was doing street performing in Santa Cruz) funny that I’ve never seen his face. Kyle, are you going to be one of the lucky few that can say they have seen the true face of the Great Morgani? Anyway it’s gonna be a Stellar Cd now for sure!
You know, all the guests’ names will be on the back of the CD, but I really, really regret not taking pictures of them in front of the mic with their instrument. It’s too late now, but just have to move on.
I’m not sure I’m one of the few, but he didn’t have a mask on. 
What a boss! He piled on the awesome sauce THICK! Really funny man and a great story teller.
What about having pics of all the guests somewhere here on the site itself in conjunction with the release of the new MoS? Like as part of an announcement or something? Even if we don’t have studio shots people who played could just send you out a pic of themselves. Woot !
Oh!! That’s a great idea! Yeah, I think I’ll do that!
Perhaps a Facebook page should be created for the CD?
Heck yeah! Facebook it !
Hey folks!
The CD’s getting closer and closer to completion. I’ve been adding in panflute on the Bolivian song since yesterday (it’s actually a pretty easy instrument to sound acceptable on), and a friend is coming tomorrow to sing the Spanish lyrics.
Also, I had a chat with the very fine folks at Gadgetbox regarding mastering/mixing the CD. No question that they’re pricey, but they are the best.I think this CD is gonna be epic, so there’s no sense in skimping at the end.
This is the company who’s probably gonna do the final audio surgery. http://www.gadgetbox.net/
Mazzer!
Now you got me interested into hearing a comparison of before and after Gadgetbox
As of today, I have an emergency song to record for the CD. I have musical contributions from both Papa and Luke, but nothing from Mama. I’d feel terrible if I didn’t include her in the CD, so as of today, I’m cracking down one more Peruvian song with her singing in Spanish. I have about 9 days before I have to take it to the mixers, so I’ll be hunkering down in the studio for a while. It should be good, if I get it done in time.
This is the song - http://www.amazon.com/Jiliquita/dp/B000QLCKUQ
Ideally, it would be the best if she had lyrics to look at while singing. Unlike Bolivianita, I can’t find the lyrics anywhere online. I don’t even know if the song is in Spanish, Quechua or some dialect.
If Paco, Jamie or others fluent in Spanish, can understand any of the lyrics shown in the sample, would it be possible to quickly transcribe it if I sent the original recording?