The Aloha State

The Aloha State is a studio project of Jimmy Ether focused on creating Avant-pop with flavors of R&B, Hop-hop and experimental noise.

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The second tune Thad Thompson and I did this Sunday. I like where this one is heading especially. Kinda low-rent Robert Fripp/Stephen Malkmus guitar work with fuzzed out Rick bass.

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Recorded with Thad Thompson on bass this past Sunday. This is the first of 2 songs we cooked up. Also, I'm bowing out of the RPM and plan on spending a couple more months on this record rather than sloppily tossing stuff down... hopefully involving even more friends.

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Erik Ostrom laying down the rich 10CC vocal layer on our yacht rock tune. :)

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Tracking of amplified Rhodes organ and drums for the song "Ramachandran's Mirror Box"... which started out Christopher Cross, headed 10CC soon after this, and has veered Hall and Oates with my vocals. More on this to come...

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The second song with John from Sunday. This is my personal favorite of the two. Working title "This Didn't Happen". This is both takes, but mostly I'll be using the second.

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Another video of Sunday... this the 1st of 2 songs I did with John of Ether Fam. Drums + guitar through MXR Blue Box.

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From day 12 of #RPM12... drums for "Striking Kooks" to intentionally cheesy guide track (the guide will be tossed after this).

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Drum overdubs over the Moog loops I put together earlier in the week.

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If that ain't enough for you...

I am spoiled by great bandmates in my real "bands". Working on a solo project is a lonely tour through the dead, black heart of the soul. Probably why I've put it off for 10 years. Hoping it's cathartic & fulfilling in the end. Don't know how you full-time solo folks do it.

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"Striking Kooks" I just lost my cool Laid a man flat for acting the fool Days pinned under stress An underworked over-extended mess Should be going great This engineer who's steeped in solid-state Sits here sipping foam Numb, ashamed, afraid to go back home I just read a book Of a moral man who turned a crook When he laid in bed He found he'd swapped a different kind of dread Got me pondering About this precious time I'm squandering Fixed on feebleness As if I need some place to convalesce Ignition of ambition Vacillate no intuition Striking kooks out in their prime Begin the demolition Shallow recess Kids of regress Steak your claim but dig for less Striking kooks don't stand behind All fixed games are reassessed with time

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Recorded 02-06-12 at 10:00AM EST Another new song demo for the RPM Challenge project. "Everything and Nothing" Mediocre rivals will rave Moves for the making X for the taking Kids are alive Vessels of love We were just shoving Angst filled Above a lingering drive You'll never stop If you're in a hurry I'll be your jury, judge and the cops Heavy metal singers All grey-hair-headed minstrels Scream fables of skulls, brimstone and bane But watch what you say 'cause you'll leave impressions The cubist abstract ones The Grauman hands lain Stars play charades But it's not their fault The pillars of salt Nostalgia invades Everything and nothing Is changed

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Recorded 02-05-12 at 5:30PM EST

This is a song I wrote on Day 4, but didn't get around to demoing until today.

"Our Little Lives"

Kiss your derriere goodbye

Windblown by a blinking eye

Unaware through dark we fly

Lonely waiting for reply

From fossils in clay

Take all the missions

Back from all the Christians

And we'll throw transition

Up against the wall

And what will stick

Will be tradition through now which

We get to live our little lives

Maybe I should have a heart

Beatings are the hardest part

Of painting scenes of bloody art

Thoughts so very far apart

Moving farther away

Take all the missions

Back from all the Christians

And we'll throw transition

Up against the wall

And what will stick

Will be tradition through now which

We get to live our little lives

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My video entry for Day 3 of the 2012 RPM Challenge. Live ping-pong drum delay with Tascam 38 reel to reel. (a bit late posting... crazy couple of days)

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My day 2 video for 2012 RPM Challenge. Noisy Moog loops using the Animoog iPad app miked through my Fender Twin.

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Recorded 02-01-12 10:30AM for Day1 of the 2012 RPM Challenge All The Vast Selection (lyrics so far)

So, come to our side It's where the money is We've got all the blonde girls And God is in our church So, come to our side 'cause we know from fair It's all organic here And we put our faith in science So, come to our side We need no one We need no one We need no one I guess we're just wasting time Because your mind works different from mine

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RPM 2011

So, I'm going to attempt to do the RPM challenge again this year with a few friends under my Aloha State guise. It's kinda like the NaNoWriMo of music. I plan to post video, sound clips and blog a bit about it as time allows.