In "Letter Dance," the ghost of a popular song ventures forth to claim its due of baroque vengeance.

The live foundation of "Letter Dance" was recorded in one 40-minute take, with one microphone, at the Crystal Palace in Santa Cruz, CA on February 10, 2009. It is presented here, but for an early fadeout, uncut. Thanks to these (present and past) members of James Rabbit for their valiant participation.

The overdubbed portion of "Letter Dance" was recorded, and the resulting product mixed, on Courtland Ave. in Oakland, CA between February 11 and March 30, 2009.

The finished piece was mastered, vitally, by John Acquadro between March 31 and April 1, 2009.

The attached album image concept and execution is by Alyssa Ilves.

Thor Andersen: live guitar

Max Bennett-Parker: live piano

Tyler Martin: live guitar

Spencer Owen: live drums, producer, etc.

Drew Stoeckel: live bass

e-mail from Spencer:

"Hoping
you're at the computer this afternoon... I have a new project in mind.
In one version of the project I track everything myself. In another
version, I am the drummer, you are the guitarist and someone else plays
the bass, and I come down to Santa Cruz TONIGHT and we record it."

Tyler:

"Yeah! Drew can play the bass."

Spencer:

"Hopefully
we can get this done in a couple hours. Should I tell you what it is
now, or should I wait to tell you when I show up?"

Tyler:

"Wait until you show up."

Tyler
didn't even tell Drew I was coming; luckily, he was game, as were Max 
(piano) and Thor (guitar). All four of them live together in Santa
Cruz, and they all play in the band James Rabbit (well, Thor doesn't
anymore). Following my whim, we played this familiar riff, and that's all we played, as steadily as
possible. The 40-minute, one-mic band recording session culminated in a
group hug. My instructions were to play together for an indefinite
duration, and remain conservative; don't give into chaos. We all
learned something about ourselves.

My follow-up idea was for me to take it home and do my usual thing
at home. Overdubbing! The raw James Rabbit track was now a grid for me
to fill in. Almost two months later (...I've been busy, okay?), I'm
done. A pass to New Jersey's own John Acquadro for some essential
mastering know-how and it's a listenable beast.

For my whole life, it seems like, I've been driving my own
Mobius-like path of musical discovery, energy and illusion. For every
pass through the loop, the track gets wider and wider, but nonetheless
I spend much of my travel time in the middle lane.

This is a complete give to the pure
musical-energetic desires and sensations that have sustained and
inspired me since earliest childhood. Many of my loves and influences
from adolesence and onward were also responsible for my decision to
make this piece; these loves, plus those that continue from my youth,
can be easily woven into the braid of obsessions that defines a
significant portion of my character.

I *think* that I can sum them up pretty well here:

1. Counterpoint, or the way melodies, overlaid, fill in each other's gaps or enrich each other.

(The
way I'd play on the synthesizer my dad owned, for hours, all on the
looping and layering function, just piling tunes and notes on top of
each other until the system overloaded.)

2. Minimalism/repetition/duration/boredom.

(Not THE
Boredoms, although I am indebeted to them. Instead, works that inspire
the act of drifting between total attentive appreciation and distracted
mind-crawling. See also: 20th century art and art music.)

3. Rock music.

(Rarely acknowledged by me this directly-- "SNOB," they cry-- but there it is. It's always around me, in all its disguises.)

That's it, really. Anything else I could try to label here would be superfluous.

I'm supremely grateful I didn't have to start this track from
scratch and record it all by myself. James Rabbit's willingness, spirit
and skill are invaluable to this recording, so they're co-credited, and
rightly so. Nonetheless I see the finished product as absurdly
personal. Hoping you all will soon enjoy coasting for some trips around the Mobius with me.

love - Spencer

POSTSCRIPT: These albums and
tracks are some of what inspired me, in different ways, to attempt this
piece. To some of them I am indebted; to others I am differently but
equally grateful.

Andrew W.K.: "The Song" from The Wolf

Animal Collective: "Brothersport" from Merriweather Post Pavilion

Johann Sebastian Bach: the Goldberg canons

Boredoms: Super Roots 7

Circle: "Uusi Uhraus" from Rakennus

Diblo Dibala: "Kelele" from Super Soukous

DJ Shadow: "In/Flux" from Preemptive Strike

Gilberto Gil: Expresso 2222

R. Kelly: Trapped in the Closet

James Rabbit: Perfect Waves

Manulo: "Fundament" from Makossa Connection: The Best Of, Vol. 1

Mekons: "Where Were You?" from Where Were You?: Hen's Teeth and Other Lost Fragments of Unpopular Culture, Vol. 2

Meredith Monk: "Choosing Companions" from Atlas: An Opera in Three Parts

Moondog: Moondog 2

Faustino Oramas: "Cuidado con el Perro" from El Guayabero

Papa M: "Turn Turn Turn" from Hole of Burning Alms

Perrey-Kingsley: "Baroque Hoedown" from Spotlight on the Moog

Prince: "I Would Die 4 U (12" Mix)"

Steve Reich: "It's Gonna Rain" from Early Works

Trio Despertar Huasteco: "El Caiman" from La Huasteca Danses et Huapangos