3 April 2006

I was thankful to have that energy to carry into the studio for the next two days, when Bob Weston and I mixed the new Territory Band material (with some extra help from Mr. Lonberg-Holm). In some ways this process is really the hardest part of making an album for me; the joy of composing and playing the music is done, now it’s time to look at everything under a sonic microscope. It almost feels like you are taking the music apart in order to reassemble it again, not my favorite thing to do. The fact that we were able to complete the mix in two days, with music that involves twelve musicians and combines electronics with acoustic instruments, is a testament to the kind of engineer Bob is and the strength of the work he accomplished when the ensemble recorded with him in Osnabruck, Germany during October of last year. The end result of this process is four long form compositions, ‘Fall With A Vengeance,’ ‘Untitled Fiction,’ ‘Corrosion,’ and ‘Cards.’ These pieces will be spread over two cds, and I believe it’s the best document the group has created yet. The only problem, what to do with the live recording of our performance at the Donaueschingen Festival. That music is completely different from the studio work, and is also exceptionally strong. Right now I’m in discussions with Bruno Johnson of Okka Disk regarding this, and we hope to have a possible solution by the release date in August this year, in time for the ensemble?s performance at Chicago’s Millennium Park on the 24th of that month.

-Ken Vandermark, Chicago, April 3th, 2006.