Download Album (80mb – Zip format – high quality, DRM-free MP3)

Track LIsting (with samples)

1. Ladies and Gentlemen
2. The Sounds That Surround You
3. Do You Feel?
4. It’s Alright
5. Mathilda May
6. X-Ray Eyes
7. A Boy and His Machine
8. Pluto’s Not a Planet Anymore
9. D
10. C’mon Babe
11. Chattanooga Fish Eggs

Album Notes

This split LP represents pivotal moment in my musical career; this was the last album I recorded on my old Fostex 4-track (given to me by my parents one Christmas) before switching to digital recording.  My love affair with the 4-track was long and prosperous.  I bought my first one (a Tascam Porta2) in 1993 (the year I graduated from high school), and along with my friends – Ronny, Jeff, and Ryan – I recorded many songs and a few albums, some which will appear on these pages at a later date.

In addition to the transitional move from analog to digital, this album also represents a switch in tone and intent.  It is here where my arranging and compositional skills began to grow, and I started to move into newer sonic territories.  It would also serve as my introduction to the greatest make-believe record label of all time – Rotting Audio Sound Recordings, “where quality comes third.”  This long-time project (including audio, video, and print media) was started by Chris Reid, Chris Hyatt, and Vance Hernandez.  Vance would go on to design most of my album covers under the moniker ‘Time Slip Designs’; his work is fantastic.  Mr. Reid and Mr. Hernandez are also recording-artists.  You can check their stuff out at:

Rotting America

Start of Darkness

I had a fantastic time playing these songs live with the help of my old friends Ryan and Todd.  We actually sold-out a couple of shows.  This was the first time that I realized that other people liked my music.  People showed up, and they were actually singing and clapping along.  We even started a short-lived trend of wearing unplugged headphones as a fashion accessory.  I really wish I had some pictures of this era, but sadly I don’t – this was a little bit before inexpensive digital cameras.

This is also an important album for intensely personal reasons.  1999 was a very fun and strange year for me.  I had just moved from Southern California back to Fresno, CA, after spending a year trying to “make it” in the music biz.  That year was very crappy, and it was really nice to move back “home.”  My sister had just been married, I was living with her and her husband in a very cool apartment, and I had recently met my wife-to-be, Nicole, while working at Tower Records.  The move back to Fresno proved to be incredibly prolific in terms of music – between the years 1999 and 2001 I produced a lot of great stuff; the whole collective I was working with did as well.  These years were informative years, a time of growth, and a time of maturation.

Anyhow, back to the album.

The first five tracks were recorded under the ‘Z Phantom 4′ name.  I got that name while working at Starbucks.  On the schedule, ghost hours, hours that weren’t claimed by an actual employee, scheduled by the computer were slotted in under the name ‘Z Phantom’ followed by a number – ‘four’ sounded the most aesthetically pleasing.  Thanks Starbucks!

While I like these five songs, there are some problems with many of them.  The first three tracks are far too long for what they offer.  Even I, their creator, their sole parental unit, don’t fully love them at these lengths.  However, I am presenting them here just as I recorded them -  there is no post-editing; George Lucas I am not!  I think these three tracks, especially ‘Do You Feel?’, contain some good stuff (I like the Mac-Talk voices, thanks to my sister’s iMac), but dang it, they just go on forever – sorry.

Track four, ‘It’s Alright’, is better, and this one I like quite a bit.  The whole thing was done using cheesy sounds off of a Casio keyboard.  Track five, ‘Mathilda May’, is a personal favorite of mine.  It is also a favorite of Vance’s.  This song is, of course, inspired by the gorgeous Mathilda May and her eye-opening performance in the incredible SF film, ‘Lifeforce’.  If you’ve seen it, then you’ll know exactly what I am talking about.

The final six tracks are, I feel, much better.  These were recorded under the name ‘Twin Cam Akiko,’ a name inspired by my love for anime and the Japanese girl’s name, ‘Akiko’.  I actually love all of these, and I think they represent some of my best work.  This portion kicks off with ‘X-Ray Eyes,’ one of the rare songs on which I rap.  That’s right – this was my first attempt at emceeing, and, while the lyrics are pathetic, the delivery is pretty good.  This song is just fun.  Next up is one of my favorites ‘A Boy and His Machine’; a song inspired by The Flaming Lips and Wayne Coyne’s storytelling abilities.  This song is just vocals and a single keyboard track.

This is followed by a trip-hop instrumental, ‘Pluto’s Not a Planet Anymore’.  This song goes straight out to my favorite planetary body in our galaxy; and who are we to determine what is and what isn’t a planet?  Pluto, I humbly apologize.  Humanity is so presumptuous and pompous.  Rather than strip Pluto of its planetary status, I say we should expand our definition of what a planet is to encompass whatever it is we think Pluto might be.  Science – it is to laugh.

Next up is a little track called ‘D’, and another one on which I rap.  This one contains a sample from a His Name is Alive track, but I can’t remember which one.  ‘D’ is followed by ‘C’mon Babe’ my most indie-sounding love song.  Chicks dug this one.  And finally we have ‘Chattanooga Fish Eggs’ one of my favorite songs, containing some of my best lyrics (not my forte), and my most creative arranging.  I will forever love this song.

Wow…so that’s ‘The Sounds That Surround You’.  I hope you enjoy the album..

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Like always, my music is free to download.  If you feel like donating, you can do so through the Paypal link.  However, more importantly, I am far more interested in having my music heard, and in getting feedback.  If you download, and listen, please take the time to comment on the album.  Anything will help, from a simple sentence, to a long thoughtful review.