Well I'm back at my trusty Mac and keyboard this weekend, sleeves rolled up and fingers ready to fine-tune the songs I have worked out as extra cuts for the upcoming singles. One bonus tune, an instrumental titled "Night Blind", is already 'in the can' which was recorded and mastered during the "Out of Orbit" sessions. Since it's ready to go, it will more than likely wind up on the next, yet to be determined, single.
The new songs nearing completion are "Sleep Spun Brown" which was co-written with my ex band mate and good friend Cobban Barnett. It's a sparse, piano driven piece that was originally created for a project we were working on together, but we both agreed it fit so well into the Alphanaut universe that it moved over to my sessions. Next is "Look To The Future" (temporary title - may or not stay) which is envisioned as a follow up to the themes set out on "Timid Creature" the first track from "Out of Orbit". "Timid Creature" was always intended as a two part story, to be expressed in a pair of songs sharing a similar melodic theme. The first as a confession of psychological boundaries, self imposed by the inexperience of youth, and the second, a story of personal restraints broken through the strength of adulthood. I originally wanted "Look To The Future" to close the album, but unfortunately it just didn't come together they way I wanted in time to make it into the studio. So I figured it would be released as the final cut from these sessions on the last single, wrapping up the whole collective.
I'm also teaming up with Larry Kutcher, my pianist from the "Out of Orbit" sessions, to work on a piano and vocal version of "More Than I Do". We had spontaneously created this alternate approach to the song while taking a break in the recording sessions, and I'm really eager to track this stripped down interpretation and get it out to the world. Not sure how it will make it's debut, but stay tuned.
Mark
www.planetalphanaut.com
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
"Don't Hide Away From The Sun" Featured on "Stag Night" Soundtrack
This is pretty cool news, Alphanaut has a song "Don't Hide Away From The Sun", from "Out of Orbit" which has been used in the closing credits of the movie "Stag Night" which is set for release mid to late 2010.
"Stag Night" is a gritty horror film is set in the New York subway system and is currently being screened in Europe. The film is directed by Peter Dowling who wrote "Flight Plan" starring Jodie Foster, in his directorial debut. The film also stars on of my favorite actors Breckin Meyer which makes the news doubly cool news to me!
Keep a look out for the film when it's released and stick around to the end to hear my tune!
Download "Don't Hide Away From The Sun" on iTunes, Amazon, LaLa or other digital retailers.
"Stag Night" is a gritty horror film is set in the New York subway system and is currently being screened in Europe. The film is directed by Peter Dowling who wrote "Flight Plan" starring Jodie Foster, in his directorial debut. The film also stars on of my favorite actors Breckin Meyer which makes the news doubly cool news to me!
Keep a look out for the film when it's released and stick around to the end to hear my tune!
Download "Don't Hide Away From The Sun" on iTunes, Amazon, LaLa or other digital retailers.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Alphanaut T Shirts, Ringtones, Downloads and Other Merch
Get Alphanaut t's with the official 'A' logo on high quality grade shirts in black, white or green. Purchase Alphanaut ringtones for your iPhone or other hand held device. Download "Spontaneity", "Jennifer", "The Innocence of Time" and other Alphanaut MP3s in the official Alphanaut merch store.
Friday, February 19, 2010
New Alphanaut Music Player Widget
For any Alphanaut fans who want to post my tunes to their social network or personal sites, here's the latest music player skin available. Just click 'Share' to grab the code to embed to your site.
Alphanaut's First Interview for "Out of Orbit"
Brian Lush at RockWired Magazine was first to offer an interview with me in support of the Alphanaut "Out of Orbit" album. Here is a quick excerpt from the introduction and a link to the full article is posted below.
"The musical journey of MARK ALAN - and his project dubbed ALPHANAUT - seems similar to the story of the missing-in-action protagonist from DAVID BOWIE’s ‘SPACE ODDITY’ – MAJOR TOM. The countdown commenced for ALAN around the late-eighties and early-nineties. ALAN cut his teeth in a couple of bands in his hometown of Seattle before moving to Los Angeles where he fronted the band NOVEMBER, whose spacey guitar and keyboard sound ran contrary to the grunge that echoed across the country from his hometown."
Read the full article: www.rockwired.com
Visit the official Alphanaut site: www.planetalphanaut.com
"The musical journey of MARK ALAN - and his project dubbed ALPHANAUT - seems similar to the story of the missing-in-action protagonist from DAVID BOWIE’s ‘SPACE ODDITY’ – MAJOR TOM. The countdown commenced for ALAN around the late-eighties and early-nineties. ALAN cut his teeth in a couple of bands in his hometown of Seattle before moving to Los Angeles where he fronted the band NOVEMBER, whose spacey guitar and keyboard sound ran contrary to the grunge that echoed across the country from his hometown."
Read the full article: www.rockwired.com
Visit the official Alphanaut site: www.planetalphanaut.com
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
New Alphanaut Myspace Page
Alphanaut launches it's redesigned Myspace page in preparation for the launch of it's new full length album "Out of Orbit".
http://www.myspace.com/planetalphanaut
http://www.myspace.com/planetalphanaut
Monday, February 15, 2010
"Out of Orbit" Gets It's First Online Review
This is a very exciting moment for me, and one I've been waiting a while for. Got my first album review for the Alphanaut album "Out of Orbit", courtesy of James McQuiston at www.neufutur.com. James gives the album an 8.6 out of 10 which I'm doubly thrilled about.
Here is an excerpt from the review:
"Where a great many of the New Romantic acts had little replay value to their efforts, the intricate and nuanced arrangements of Alphanaut here ensure that listeners will continue to listen until that point where they uncover every one of Alphanaut’s twists and turns. “Never Been To Athens” may just be the tip of the mountain during “Out of Orbit”, as it shifts the paradigm slightly to allow for insertions of nineties (God Lives Underwater, Stabbing Westward) to the overall sound of the track, which also takes in a little Psychedelic Furs to taste."
To read the entire article, visit: www.neufutur.com
To purchase a copy of "Out of Orbit" visit: iTunes, Amazon or LaLa.
Here is an excerpt from the review:
"Where a great many of the New Romantic acts had little replay value to their efforts, the intricate and nuanced arrangements of Alphanaut here ensure that listeners will continue to listen until that point where they uncover every one of Alphanaut’s twists and turns. “Never Been To Athens” may just be the tip of the mountain during “Out of Orbit”, as it shifts the paradigm slightly to allow for insertions of nineties (God Lives Underwater, Stabbing Westward) to the overall sound of the track, which also takes in a little Psychedelic Furs to taste."
To read the entire article, visit: www.neufutur.com
To purchase a copy of "Out of Orbit" visit: iTunes, Amazon or LaLa.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
"Jennifer" single by Alphanaut - Reviewed by Connexion Bizarre
Alphanaut receives a review on the single "Jennifer" by the music blog Connexion Bizarre.
This EP features Alphanaut's "Her Eleven Eyes" and various versions of "Jennifer". The overall sound of the EP is what I would categorize as alternative ambient.
Firstly we have the "Universal Expansion" version of "Jennifer", a nicely done long running tune with relaxing background atmosphere setting up Alphanaut's story of "Jennifer". Midway through the song the strings take over and add a touch of drama to the song. Also on the EP is a short edit of "Universal Expansion" mix, a condensed version of the song. Next up is the "EP Version" which is a more stripped down version of the tune, followed by the final version of "Jennifer", the "Alternate Ebo Version" which has a great deal of character. The backing electric guitar fits the mood of the song much better. As well as the ending of it gets some acoustic guitar treatment backed by subtle stings.
Finally we have "Her Eleven Eyes" which has more of an experimental feel to it and is very minimal in its instrument use, it defiantly ads a bit of a twist to the overall mood of this release.
For more information on Alphanaut, visit: www.planetalphanaut.com or www.myspace.com/planetalphanaut
This EP features Alphanaut's "Her Eleven Eyes" and various versions of "Jennifer". The overall sound of the EP is what I would categorize as alternative ambient.
Firstly we have the "Universal Expansion" version of "Jennifer", a nicely done long running tune with relaxing background atmosphere setting up Alphanaut's story of "Jennifer". Midway through the song the strings take over and add a touch of drama to the song. Also on the EP is a short edit of "Universal Expansion" mix, a condensed version of the song. Next up is the "EP Version" which is a more stripped down version of the tune, followed by the final version of "Jennifer", the "Alternate Ebo Version" which has a great deal of character. The backing electric guitar fits the mood of the song much better. As well as the ending of it gets some acoustic guitar treatment backed by subtle stings.
Finally we have "Her Eleven Eyes" which has more of an experimental feel to it and is very minimal in its instrument use, it defiantly ads a bit of a twist to the overall mood of this release.
For more information on Alphanaut, visit: www.planetalphanaut.com or www.myspace.com/planetalphanaut
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Never Been To Athens - US Music Video Campaign
I've been working with Andy Gesner over at HIP Video Promo on a campaign for the "Never Been To Athens" and "Spontaneity" music videos. Andy has been incredibly supportive of Alphanaut and his enthusiasm for these two visual pieces has really been incredible. The campaign will launch March 1st and will target mainstream video markets like MTV, VH1, Fuel, Logo, etc., as well as online and club promotions. So keep a look out for these two clips in March and April 2010.
Here's an excerpt from HIP Video's online promo published on their site. To read the entire article click the link below.
Begin with Ahlander's interstellar clip for "Never Been To Athens". Here, our animated space traveler rides through the stars in a vegetable, lands on shifting desert planets, and drifts past televisions embedded in asteroids. It's suffused with a sense of sadness and dreams unrealized: the astronaut has touched the sky, but his sad eyes reveal that he's missing something he'll likely never find. Most of the video is constructed from sliding two-dimensional solids and cut-outs, which gives this expansive universe a curious feeling of flatness and disorientation. It's a fascinating ride, and one that ends in disappointment for the poor main character, but in revelation for the viewer.
Much is revealed at the end of Nils Timm's clip for "Spontaneity", too. Here, the walking ghost is the creative spirit of an ordinary woman desperate (perhaps unconsciously) for escape from the mundane. The phantom wanders through hip clubs and busy avenues, unable to quench her desire. As in the "Athens" clip, the feeling of destabilization is generated by the director's technique -- here, thousands of still frames are stitched into a sequence that feels superficially logical, but is hardly uninterrupted. Motion is irregular, choppy, trippy; the ghost's tentative walk is more than occasionally terrifying. It's another thrill ride from a maker of dreams -- messages from the mind of a true musical visionary.
View the full article visit HIPVideoPromo.com
For more Alphanaut info visit www.planetalphanaut.com or myspace.com/planetalphanaut.
Here's an excerpt from HIP Video's online promo published on their site. To read the entire article click the link below.
----------------------------
Begin with Ahlander's interstellar clip for "Never Been To Athens". Here, our animated space traveler rides through the stars in a vegetable, lands on shifting desert planets, and drifts past televisions embedded in asteroids. It's suffused with a sense of sadness and dreams unrealized: the astronaut has touched the sky, but his sad eyes reveal that he's missing something he'll likely never find. Most of the video is constructed from sliding two-dimensional solids and cut-outs, which gives this expansive universe a curious feeling of flatness and disorientation. It's a fascinating ride, and one that ends in disappointment for the poor main character, but in revelation for the viewer.
Much is revealed at the end of Nils Timm's clip for "Spontaneity", too. Here, the walking ghost is the creative spirit of an ordinary woman desperate (perhaps unconsciously) for escape from the mundane. The phantom wanders through hip clubs and busy avenues, unable to quench her desire. As in the "Athens" clip, the feeling of destabilization is generated by the director's technique -- here, thousands of still frames are stitched into a sequence that feels superficially logical, but is hardly uninterrupted. Motion is irregular, choppy, trippy; the ghost's tentative walk is more than occasionally terrifying. It's another thrill ride from a maker of dreams -- messages from the mind of a true musical visionary.
View the full article visit HIPVideoPromo.com
For more Alphanaut info visit www.planetalphanaut.com or myspace.com/planetalphanaut.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Alphanaut Autographed CD Giveaway
I've got an idea for my first giveaway!
I've been fortunate enough to secure me a spot in a nationwide, in theater pre-show entertainment campaign for AMC, Regal, Edwards and Lowes cinemas. In February and March 2010, my single "Never Been To Athens" (available Feb 16th), is being played in lobbies and theaters as part of the recorded entertainment. Couldn't be more stoked about this, and I am extremely gracious for this opportunity.
I thought it would be cool is if I could create a fun contest around this and give away free merch to fans and friends. Here's my idea... If you have a phone or handheld with the capacity to capture video, and just so happen to be present when "Never Been To Athens" plays, simply record some footage with the song playing in the background for me to post on my Youtube site. As a reward I'll be giving away autographed copies of all my CDs and singles (6 total) including the new "Out of Orbit" album and "Never Been To Athens" single.
After you capture the video message me on Twitter http://twitter.com/alphanaut and I'll send you an email address so we can communicate directly about exchanging pertinent details.
For anyone who doesn't have a smart phone, doesn't have these theaters in their area, or those of you who live out of the country, not to worry, I've got similar contests planned soon.
Mark
I've been fortunate enough to secure me a spot in a nationwide, in theater pre-show entertainment campaign for AMC, Regal, Edwards and Lowes cinemas. In February and March 2010, my single "Never Been To Athens" (available Feb 16th), is being played in lobbies and theaters as part of the recorded entertainment. Couldn't be more stoked about this, and I am extremely gracious for this opportunity.
I thought it would be cool is if I could create a fun contest around this and give away free merch to fans and friends. Here's my idea... If you have a phone or handheld with the capacity to capture video, and just so happen to be present when "Never Been To Athens" plays, simply record some footage with the song playing in the background for me to post on my Youtube site. As a reward I'll be giving away autographed copies of all my CDs and singles (6 total) including the new "Out of Orbit" album and "Never Been To Athens" single.
After you capture the video message me on Twitter http://twitter.com/alphanaut and I'll send you an email address so we can communicate directly about exchanging pertinent details.
For anyone who doesn't have a smart phone, doesn't have these theaters in their area, or those of you who live out of the country, not to worry, I've got similar contests planned soon.
Mark
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