Fredo’s first ghost cluster

Hello there, folks

Once again, apologies for being a month late with the cluster update. Truth be told, there may be a some irregular updating over the next few months, as I am working on something new. It's going to be very different, and well, I would rather you be surprised so I won't even describe it at all.

Anyway, today I am releasing my first ghost cluster performance. This is a technique I recently developed and will be doing a lot more with over the coming months.  The first is for my song The Turn. It's a solo performance with 6 voices done in my bedroom.

Hope you enjoy it. It's a spooky one!


Click me to watch!

5:13 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

my new glockenspiel!!!!

YAYAY!!! I got my glockenspiel in the mail today! It's from the 50s, of Deagan make. I was directed by a very generous and knowledgeable man by the name of Mike to buy this used instrument, despite it having some rust on a bunch of the bells. He explained that in the 50s and before that the manufacturers used different kinds of metal that, in his opinion, could not be matched today. Anyway, I LOVE the rusty bells. Love the weathered wood, broken case. This instrument makes me really happy to look at it, and it sounds lovely (although a few of the bells I have to position them specially to get a really clear tone.)


Anyway, look forward to hearing and seeing this in some upcoming cluster videos.





By the way, I'm sorry to have missed a month with my cluster videos... I have been working with aerstudio in Barcelona on a second website that is going to be really fun and will have several new videos, plus... well, I will let it be a surprise. Anyway, I should be posting a new video no later than early next week. Stay tuned. :)

5:27 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Friendship Is.. with Nami Unreal

Hello myspacers all,

I've just uploaded another track from my upcoming Turn album. It's called Friendship is... and it's an early one, but one close to my heart. I was lucky enough to get the sweet, tender uncanny voice of Nami Unreal on the track singing backing vocals. Hope you enjoy this ditty.

love,
Fredo
6:04 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Test of Friendship!
Category: Music

My fourth cluster performance is now online. It's a song called "Friendship Is..." This video is different as one of the voices is actually going through some filters and distortion that cause it to sound like an instrument when I sing through the mic. Watch for it, it's voice five all the way on the right. Hope you enjoy!

CLICK ME to watch Test of Friendship!

6:08 PM - 8 Comments - 12 Kudos - Add Comment

Cluster performance, number three!

Hi there, folks

I have just uploaded the third in my monthly cluster performance series.



Moon After Berceuse - Hall Cluster
It's a second performance of Moon After Berceuse that I shot with my little hand-held Digital Elph camera. I think it's more intimate then the one I did with Ike. I'm holding the camera myself, and each move of my body causes a camera move as well, and I think it works to have that for a spare song like this one.

>Hope you enjoy it!

8:29 AM - 4 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Sadness... Organ-izized!

Hi folks,

I’m on the hunt for a great organ player to play on a song I am finishing up called "Let the Sad Out". It’s actually quite an old and odd one. It’s a track I made with my extremely talented, good friend Donavan Freberg.

Anyway, I was hoping for a ghostly organ sound. Nearly atonal very high reedy sound that kind of hovers and makes subtle gestures... Sort of like a few of the Bitches Brew session recordings if that helps.

If anyone is interested, or knows somebody with great skills, please let me know!

you can contact me directly at the following email: fredo @ fredoviola . com (minus the spaces of course!)

Thanks!

5:10 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Two interviews with Fredo Viola

CMJ Spotlight sports a Fredo Viola interview done by Scott Oranburg:
cmj interview

For those who speak German, a second interview by Pascal Schulthess can be found here:
pasqualle.com interview

7:52 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

my dearest Martha

What a great trip I just had to the Martha’s Vineyard Independent Festival. I’m so appreciative to Jeremy Mayhew for selecting my two videos and arranging for me to perform. Also I’m grateful to founder Thomas Pena and to Brad Wescott, who I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time.



Martha’s Vineyard is a place that takes me back to some part of my childhood I guess. The first time I set foot on the island I felt like I’d been there many times before. Anyway, I was a bit worried that the magical effect this island and it’s great community had on me might during my first trip the festival two years ago may have been due to the fact that Sad Song was shown three times and I had received such an outpouring of love from the folks there. But I’m happy to say it wasn’t any of these things. It’s just a great place. I consider it to be one of my favorite places on the planet.

Here’s a few images from some footage I took walking with Jeremy and his friend photographer friend Josh Marowitz:


Look at how rich in color the cliffs are.


This is my good friend Jeremy Mayhew.



We showed Puss and The Turn at the festival. I think Puss went over better than the Turn, but I was really nervous during the Turn because an hour later I was set to give a performance. Still, folks were laughing a lot during Puss and many people came and told me they really enjoyed it. Never under-estimate the power of laughter!

The performance went well too, although I have to admit, it was a little odd... I was singing in front of a food line! haha. I guess any experience is a good experience, and really I was just grateful to have the opportunity to give my heart to these good folks. Here’s an image:



I left the island with plans to make a video with Jeremy within the next two months. I’ve got all kinds of ideas. As was the case last time I left Martha’s Vineyard, the place has set my imagination on fire.

3:25 AM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Fredo’s second cluster, with Ike Sturm

Hi there,

Moving on with the monthly cluster performance exhibition, I have uploaded my second video to my website and invite you all to come and take a look.

A cluster performance is basically when I shoot all of the vocal parts to a song live to digital media card and then stitch the visuals and audio recordings together using Logic and AfterEffects. Once again, I’m going to do one per month. So a year from now there should be 13 cluster performances on my website. :)

Anyway, this second performance is special to me, as it is my first live duet. The fantastically talented upright bassist, Ike Sturm, joined me at St. Peter’s Church. That’s the one known as the "Jazz Church" for which Ike is a music director. The place has great acoustics and is fantastically beautiful.

Patrick Ford came and engineered the audio beautifully for me.

Please come check it out if you have the time!

Moon Cluster Duet, featuring Ike Sturm

7:26 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

the seven mysterious doors

Hi there myspacers,

Just wanted to formally announce that my new website is finished. There's a ton of new stuff up there now, a good portion of it hidden, so let me walk you through the main parts...

Opus Videos
This is the name I give to full-fledged video works. Sad Song is now joined by The Turn, of which I am particularly proud:
The Turn

Cluster Videos
Sometimes it's a bit frustrating being a performing artist with nearly all of your backing material produced by your own voice. In a live situation things get a bit hairy! So it struck me... if I can record all my voices in live performance and then cluster them together in an interesting visual way, this would be the purest way to experience my music semi-live.

Allow me to introduce my first Cluster performance, Puss:
Puss

Every month I will post a new one, so if you have any recommendations, just email me. I'm definitely taking requests.

Downloads
Right now I have desktops and avatars available, but like the rest of my site, this content is going to be constantly updated, so check back again every so often for more treats.

The site has all the other elements you would expect to find... an audio player, blog, bio, news, events, links, signup, hidden doors to the unknown...

Please go take a look when you have a moment and check back for new Cluster performances and updates!

12:36 PM - 6 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment