Microwave is improvised Recording.
The goal is to create something of recognizable shape within the constraints of a few hours. The maximum is six but most are completed in about two or three. The musician or performers are given whatever tool they gravitate towards and perform their take. Very rarely are retakes allowed and never in a following session. Then these tracks are poured over and muscled into something vaguely audible. Followed by a production suite and post mix.

Using this process one can divorce musical creation from constraints like tuning and timing and musicianship, and with attention given to production they are wonderful expressions of ones feelings at that exact point of time. Like musical therapy, the performer finds something they’re interested in and is asked only to keep talking. Whatever is being felt is conveyed right then and there through the instrument and even without the planning of conventional music the feelings are often clear. Even if they often boil down to: Boredom, Absurd Humour, Frustration or just plain old Nervousness, the idea is make the track convey that without getting too far into the weeds of musicianship. It’s also turned out to be a good time among music friends.

Having all the time in the world seems to not be enough.
As the world began to crumble I found myself pulling together the recordings I always meant to finish, the things I made with friends with no other purpose but to exert effort. You know, Fun. The deeper the analysis of the improvisations got the more it filled the void, and instead of that being a revelation it was a reminder.
Artists can inscribe purpose and meaning to literally anything, and taking bad ideas seriously is lots of fun.

All of this was recorded before the pandemic and mixed and produced later and time became available and I talked myself into it.
As microwave 5 was mostly a solo affair this time I tried to have a guest on most tracks, it made for a great comedy factor and cemented the process by which I can get a musician to create something in a timely manner.

Full thanks to my household for giving somewhere conducive to this.
Super thanks to Wyatt Dusome for allowing me at his arsenal.
Ben Felts, this doesn’t exist without you.
Double thanks to Tommy for making me take this seriously enough to make it real.

MORE TO COME. (I have a process now)