ARZ: News

Here is a review that Angel from Melophobe did of our show at Donte's on July 1st 09.  http://www.melophobe.com/concert-reviews/obscured-by-clouds-echo-helstrom-arz-dantes-portland-or/

Pete posted a really nice review of our last show on the Aural Moon forum. Thanks Pete! :)

Here's the thread:

http://auralmoon.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4556

And a link to Aural Moon Progressive Rock Radio

http://auralmoon.com

Being a musician, all that you want to do is create music.  At least that is the case for me.  But the creation of music alone does not a successful band make.  All the other components of trying to make your band successful encompass so much more.  The crux of the issue is that for this musician those components lie in the camp of promotion.  “Ewwww”, I say!  “Can’t we just hire someone to do all this?”  As I sweep the cobwebs from our band lockbox checking to see if we have the funds to these people.  Damn, it looks like that no.1 single isn’t going to be written today.  Time to self promote ...

Some aspects of promotion are better than others though, so it’s not such a heavy sigh.  And you get to use the right side of your brain more than your left, which always hurts a lot less.  Those “creative” aspects of promotion are designing logos, making graphics, laying out websites, etc.  It’s almost fun to do at times when you’re completely bored. 

As our new album quickly approaches its completion, it is still without any art work to accompany it.  Not even a concept has been discussed.  This album has taken a exactly one year to the month from first note written to final mastering, and we still didn’t have a clue what the damn cover was going to look like.  Steve and I are starting to write new songs for our next album and Turn of The Tide is still without its defining visuals.  “Can’t we just hire someone to…” 

Time to get working!  I have a bit of Photoshop experience.  Spent many years as a draftsman, so that kind of qualifies as being sorta-kinda artistic.  So I have at this monumental task without a clue if where to start.  Months earlier I did design a logo for the band that a lot of people seemed to like, but like all artists, I feel it could be much better.  But since people like it, I use it.  And I’m going to start with that.  Thinking that this is the first ARZ recording since the inception of the logo, let’s have this album cover introduce the new look ARZ.  Sounds good to me.  Ok, now I have a starting point.  Can we end this now?  Unfortunately, no.  Generic brand ARZ is not what we’re selling here with a black logo on a white background.  I need something else interesting to look at.

My almost professional-like web browsing skills produced a neat little program called Genetica Viewer that generates these really cool textures.  Add a bit of texture, a cool font or two and some shading, I end up with something that I kinda-sorta like looking at.

You can preview and view the artwork as it is the new background of our myspace page.  I would love to read your opinions posted here.

Yours truly,

Merrill Hale (ARZ drummer and sorta-kinda artist)

Saturday, September 12th, 2009

Community Music Center

7 pm

3350 SE Francis

Portland OR 97202 USA

ARZ will be playing songs from their upcoming album at the Community Music Center. We would love it if you joined us!

And our opening act is Chris Hubbard, which we are excited about. Here is his bio:

My name is Mont Chris Hubbard; I am a musician from Portland, OR. I play keyboards and sing in a number of different bands around town. I also write and arrange music, for theatre as well as for myself. In 2008, I began a project of piano improvisations. It was quite extensive, and yielded over seven hours of music, including my two new CDs.

 

 

http://www.cdbaby.com/all/montchrishubbard

ARZ playing Birth of a Hero at Columbia City Theater in Seattle, WA.

And here is Shadow on the Wall

Friday, June 26th, 2009 (Seattle)
First of all, ARZ http://www.thearzuniverse.com/ is playing in Seattle tomorrow night with Obscured by Clouds http://www.myspace.com/obscuredbycloudsband and Echo Helstrom http://www.echohelstrom.net/. They will be at Columbia City Theater with the famed Laser-Light Show of Mindbender who designed software & lasers for many planetarium & museums laser Floyd fantasy shows across the N.W. & U.S., including Australian Floyd, Burning Man and OMSI! Hang with them and have a microbrew with extra lasers!

When: June 26, Friday
Doors open at 8:00pm, ARZ playing from 9 – 9:45 pm
Venue:
Columbia City Theater
4916 Rainier Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98118
US
Cost: $10

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 (Portland)
ARZ is again playing with Obscured by Clouds, Love Grenades and Echo Helstrom, this time at Dante’s in Portland. This is a really important show for ARZ, so they would love it if you came out to support them.
When: July 1, Wednesday
Doors open at 8:00pm, ARZ playing from 9 – 9:45 pm
Venue: Dante’s
1 SW 3rd, Portland, Oregon 97204
Cost: $6

Friday, July 10th, 2009 (Portland)
White Eagle
ARZ with Toxic Zombie and the Quintessentials - 9 pm
836 N Russell St
Portland OR 97227
USA
Price: $5
Here is a line-up for the White Eagle show:
1 - Jim Strange -The Dammed and the Proud
2. ARZ
3. TOXIC ZOMBIE
4. THE QUINTESSENTIALS

Friday, July 31st, 2009 (Portland)
The Red Room
ARZ and Tina S. Marie - 9 PM
2530 NE 82nd ave
Portland OR 97220
USA
ARZ will be playing with Tina S. Marie! Check her out at www.myspace.com/tinaemmett

Hello friends,


Just wanted to clue you in on what is happening on the ARZ front. Merrill and I have finished recording tracks for the upcoming album that we call “Turn of the Tide,” and are currently mixing and somewhat exhausted from the endeavor. The title tends to accurately surmise the lyrical flow and general context of each song: namely, that transition, confrontation, and change are thematic and consistent throughout the album.

And…we have been rehearsing our butts off. We just finished a show on March 21st which went reasonably well compared to past shows. Doing what we are doing, combining technology, our insistence on playing our material live without pre-recorded tracks, creating new roles as players (meaning that being just a drummer and guitarist no longer exist in our idiom) has completely changed how we perform and how comfortable we feel when performing. So, we play our tunes over and over.


This highly concentrated effort becomes tedious after awhile. After an intense practice session I usually break into an improv of some bluesy I-IV-V thing rife with adjunct lyrical commentary; Merrill supports the effort with the obligatory 4/4 boom chuck. Tunes such as “Smell my finger” and “You know what I mean” have blossomed from these spontaneous jams. On reflection on these creations we usually quip “if these tunes were released we’d have instant success” and “to hell with art!” Hmmm…perhaps a bootleg in the near future?

We hope to perform more and get consistently better and more comfortable playing these tunes: and the songs are freakin’ hard to play!


I know…”stop your whining” you say. Well, I guess we are pretty darn lucky just having the musical freedom to create anything we want without the pressure of trying to appeal to a certain demographic. Ah…the pleasures of not being signed to a record label (However, if any of you record label folks are reading this please contact us!).

Both Merrill and I have had our share of trying to “make it” in this industry. Why not simply be honest with yourself musically and if something happens great; if not, you’re still enjoying what you do. What more can we do as artists?

Please come join us for our first show with new material from our upcoming album. We'd love it if you joined us!

ARZ will be playing last, at 12:30 am.

9 bands , starting the evening at 6p.m.
With Fred Korman & Michael Allen Harrison,
Alexa Wily, Upper Left Trio, Our Special Country Guests (check dantes myspace) ,Tony Starlight,
Tina S.Marie Band, Kenny Lee and the Sundowners, Michael Manning and the Carolina Pump Station &

ARZ...12:30am

what a line up!!!
PLUS SPECIAL GUEST STARS!
More Information: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/46875


A BENEFIT FOR DANTE...

BEFORE YOU CROSS THE STREET..

TAKE MY HAND.



LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU

WHILE YOU'RE BUSY MAKING OTHER PLANS...



FRIDAY, NOV. 7TH, 2008 6PM-2 AM



BOSSANOVA BALLROOM

(503) 233-7855
722 E Burnside St
Portland, OR

$10.00 suggested donation per person



I Invite you to Join us in helping to raise funds for medical bills for Dante Emmett.

Dante is the son of Chael and Tina Emmett

from the Tina S. Marie Band.

Dante has autism and is 7 years old.

After being mis-diagnosed he was finally admitted to Legacy with a ruptured appendix. He was already in sepsis, they had to wait until September 2ND for the surgery as they dealt with 10 days of hospitalization and weeks of antibiotics…

The Emmett's do not have medical insurance and are now facing $50,000 plus medical bills.

Can you help?

Please join us.

We will also have a raffle and a silent auction.

All donations; cash, items as well as

gift certificates for services accepted.

Cash Donations accepted at

Oregon & Washington WaMu Locations

Under 'Benefit 4 Dante'.

Doors open at 6pm,

entertainment starts at 7pm.

Full stock bar.

Hi, everyone!

Steve and I are working feverishly on our new material. Our current schedule has us rehearsing 3 times a week for 5 hours a day. The rehearsals are exhausting, exhilarating, and fulfilling all at once. When we practice, our routine includes recording our progress, much like many bands do. During the last few weeks we tried to get good enough recordings to let the few that would like hear what we have been working on. Of the five songs we're currently composing, three (barely) made the grade to post on myspace. http://www.myspace.com/arzmusic We are so excited to share our work, it is probably a bit premature to release what we have, but I hope you can see past our mistakes and unfinished ideas and enjoy what we currently have.

The songs we present to you are…

Twilight, Light The Sky (I'm Alive), and Ancient Times.

Steve has mentioned in past blogs that we are trying something a bit different with this band. In these 3 tracks you'll hear a myriad of sounds you wouldn't think to hear from one guitarist and one drummer. You'll hear strings and bass and synths and orchestral percussion... and even a sitar (though we've come to expect that from Steve!). Those sounds played are a shared effort between the two of us. To accomplish this unique task we've had to reinvent our playing styles a bit to facilitate new technologies. Steve is sporting a fancy new Roland VG-99 MIDI guitar which enables him to play bass, keys, along with all the wonderful guitar sounds we've heard from him over the years. Myself I have tried to adapt my playing to an electronic percussion program that was written for live performing. I add bass guitar and synth melodies while playing drums when Steve is too busy with other stuff. And occasionally you'll hear a gong or 2!

So each track is what you'll hear from us two when you see us play a show. I hope you enjoy the new songs. And please give us any feedback about them. We'd love to hear from you.

Something else you'll hear that is a bit out of the norm for all you ARZ fans out there are the melodious sounds of Steve's voice. Like most singers they are THE worst critics of themselves, Steve is right there with them. But I think is sounds amazing and adds so much to what we're doing.

Stay tuned!

Merrill

ARZ is currently working on their new album. Stay tuned for more news about their songwriting process.

Our fourth release, Solomen's Key, is now available on iTunes and CD Baby. Most of the songs were written by Steve Adams, but Merrill Hale wrote Burning Bush and Solomen's Key.

We now have our new album The Last Kingdom available by digital distribution through CD Baby and iTunes.

The Last Kingdom was originally written intended to be a soundtrack for an RPG online computer game. Unfortunately, funding for the project failed to materialize. However, aside from this, good music was produced. I was given full creative license, just a brief description of the locations and moods of the game scenes.

About the songs:
THE LAST KINGDOM—This was the main theme; I wanted it powerful, with an orchestral feel, however still maintaining a strong guitar presence. I personally love the march feel in the beginning and the textured acoustic guitar. I think this was the most exciting piece to write; I was ecstatic at the thought that this work potentially would be heard by thousands of gamers.

MINES OF MORIA-- This piece was intended to depict a huge, underground cavern. As the work progressed I couldn’t help but picture Gandalf and crew trudging through Moria. I wanted a mystical feel in the beginning, a sonic description of the caverns indescribable beauty coupled with extreme darkness and ensuing fear.

So in great respect, I humbly dedicated this piece to Tokein’s genius.

WINTERREISE—Named in homage to Franz Schubert’s famous Winterreise. This tune was intended to be heard between adventures when the gamer’s character wandered in search of activity. Originally three minutes long, I was asked to extend it keeping the feel and instrumentation, namely piano, bass, and drums. This almost has a jazz feel to it, however the harmony is not in the jazz idiom.

CROM—I honestly don’t remember what the intent was here. I knew though that I wanted something powerful and barbaric. Named in adoration of the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

SCHOLA MYSTERIUM —“School of Mystery” would be the English equivalent. As the gamer entered the magic shop this tune would be heard. The player could purchase/trade items in the merchants shop. As I composed the piece, it took on a greater aspect than the original game criterion. I pictured a school of wizardry (this predated the Harry Potter craze) more akin to the school fictionalized in Ursula Leguin’s A Wizard of Earthsea. What came out I’m very pleased with as a whole; in retrospect some things I would have changed.

LADY OF THE LAKE—Again, I forget the game intent; I vaguely believe it was a lake that regenerated the life of the player…oh well. Aside from that, I’m very proud of this piece. I’ve always wanted to write works that flow, and emotionally move the listener. The tune does that for me…hopefully a few listeners will have the same experience. As a kid I must have read every Arthurian legend available. I was entranced with tales of his Knights and was especially intrigued by Merlin and Lady of the Lake. Ah, to feel like that again…

BATTLEREALM—The only piece not intended for the game. I wrote this a few years later working with vocalist Martin Edward. The piece may still be released with vocals; however I felt that the work stands on its own as well, and is consistent with the mood and feel of the material from the Last Kingdom. Something told me it belonged…

ARZ continues the “sonic story” ideal, telling tales of ancient mythos and future worlds in the second release The Magi. The Magi features five tracks that exemplify an array of electric and acoustic guitar textures embracing fresh progressions and chordal voicings.

Unlike Serai, ARZ’s first release, this album is understated in its approach focusing on bringing the listener to a “state,” a mental and spiritual receptivity to the sonic tales.

Ur and The Magi are part of an ongoing song cycle that began with “The Strange Experiment of Dr. Trent” a track from Serai. Ur was an ancient Sumerian city home of the Chaldeans and also of Abraham mentioned in the book of Genesis. The Magi were the “priests” of Sumer; practitioners of the divinatory arts and magic.

Much in the tradition and length of the symphonic poem (a form popular in the late Nineteenth century) both Ur and The Magi are rich in timbre variation and thematic material, blending elements of rock, metal, and world music.

ARZ has released its first recording, Serai. ARZ weaves guitar textures of hard-edged distortion, classical fingerstyle technique, crystalline acoustic, intermittent mandolin and banjo, layered against classic Moog and string sounds.

Each track seeks to tell a story, akin to a graphic novel -ranging from tales of Lovecraftian eldritch horror, modern sorceries, medieval warfare, to the aftermath of a very strange experiment conducted in Victorian London.