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Welcome to our 4th album Inside the Hurting. I will say right now that this will polarize! This is quite an oddity in the discography for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it is one of only 2 albums where everything is entirely digital: there are no acoustic instruments at all. Everything is played using the legendary Korg 01W/FD. Anything that even remotely sounds like a guitar was played with a MIDI guitar.
The MIDI guitar, in fact, was the sole reason for this album as I wondered if I could write and record something using just the two instruments. The whole thing was written, recorded mixed and mastered in the space of seven days, completed 10th December 1993. At that time I had a DAT machine, so everything was mixed to a stereo pair using the keyboards sequencer and recorded straight to digital tape. As a result, the recording quality is light years ahead of the stuff recorded onto cassette.
And what of the songs? Well, if you approach with an open mind I think you might like them or at least appreciate them as an example of what one man could do with one keyboard and a MIDI guitar in 7 days! I’m rather fond of it and it has the added bonus of being relatively short!
I had 100 copies pressed on cassette (in two batches) and if you have one, drop me a line and claim your free upgrade!
Release Info
| Label | Cat No | Year | Format | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proximity Records | ESDD20200828 | 28th August 2020 | Digital | Buy Now |
| Proximity Records | ESDDL 04 | 1st November 2011 | MP3 | Deleted |
| Proximity Records | ESCD 4 | 1999 | CD-R | Deleted |
| Proximity Records | ESA 4 | January 1994 | Cassette | Deleted |
Tracks
- Learn To Think (5.32)
- Symbolism (4.42)
- Inside The Hurting (10.19)
- The Return Of Sorrow (12.33)
- What Could Happen (7.59)
Line Up
Steven McCabe: Synth, MIDI Guitar, Programming, all Compositions, Arrangements and Production
Track by Track
01. Learn To Think (5:32)
We kick the album off with a lively number that is almost . . . . almost . . . . danceable! If you have no dance skills, of course! Lots of wild synth noises and a great punchy melody that really cuts through. No MIDI guitar on this one, though. The middle section is quite manic and has a riff that would sound awesome on guitar!
02. Symbolism (4:42)
A short track with many synthesizer noises that sounded awesome back in the day but sound cheesy now! However, it is a product of its time and this is still a great tune with lots of atmosphere. Fast and involving song. The ending is off the chart crazy!
03. Inside The Hurting (10:19)
The first of two epics and what a contrast between this and the frenetic energy of the opening numbers! Lovely bass riff and some cool arpeggios. This all builds up into an epic synth melody. Then the whole lot calms down with a steadily evolving soundscape. What sounds like a heavily sustained guitar is actually the synth. Sounds great!
04. The Return Of Sorrow (12:33)
Another trip to epic land: this is a favourite of mine. Lovely piano intro and a steady build up. This features MIDI guitar throughout. Everything you hear that you think might be a guitar is actually the MIDI guitar. So, I’m playing a real guitar but the strings vibrations are being converted into synth sounds. Quite tricky and you have to be very clean with the playing technique. Anyway, a lovely song with lots of contrasting sections and a fantastic ending!
05. What Could Happen (7:59)
Those of you who know our music will recognize some the themes in this tune as I pinched them for the Anhedonia album! Again, this is a wickedly atmospheric piece that build up to an epic MIDI guitar solo finale. Franky, if you’ve ever wondered what shredding on a MIDI guitar would sound, here it is!
