(Drums / Experimental Rock / Jazz Fusion / Trip Hop) Aric Improta - Blur-Lights in the Videodrome - 2019, MP3, 128 kbps

Produced by Meinl Cymbals and Aric Improta
Co-Mixed by Lee Unfried and Zakk Cervini
Original Video edited by Spenser Fritz
Recorded in one continuous take
"Blur-Lights in the Videodrome" by Meinl Cymbals artist Aric Improta
On July 01, 2017, Meinl Cymbals hosted our Meinl Drum Festival at our HQ in Gutenstetten, Germany. Meinl Cymbals artist Aric Improta was one of the performing artists at the festival that day and easily turned in one of the most unique and memorable drumming performances to have been given in the history of drum festivals in general.
Aric's performance was over 40 minutes in length and was one piece. Prior to the festival, Aric rehearsed his performance from start to finish 100 times. He said he did this not only to commit it to memory, but just as importantly to be sure that he had accounted for every possible thing that could go wrong so that he was as prepared as he could be. That's a rough cumulative total of 66.67 hours that Aric spent preparing for this. That's a lot of time, and it showed. Like all of our artists that day, Aric really hit a home-run with his performance.
Just like all of our artists' performances at the festival, Aric's was recorded for posterity, but more importantly for sharing with the rest of the world through our social channels. Unfortunately the recorded audio of Aric's performance was corrupted in various places throughout.
Given how absolutely unique Aric's performance was and how much time he invested into it, we knew we had to do record it again. And fortunately Aric was eager to do so. So after Aric rehearsed the piece many more times, we brought him to Nashville, set him up in a studio here and had him film the entire piece again.
What you see here is one take only.
Sure, we recorded multiple takes, but we didn't stitch any of them together. Aric played through the entire piece while in the studio at least five times, but the one take you see here is the one he chose to share with all of you. There's no video trickery or mixing trickery. It's just a good sounding room with good mics, and a really good drummer. I was at the festival in July and watched Aric's performance from start to finish and I was at the studio and watched this performance from start to finish. What the attendees at the festival witnessed is what you are now about to witness.
We uploaded this to YouTube as we usually do, but because of its length, they will insert ads into it and that will break up your viewing experience. So we uploaded the full length to our Vimeo channel as well so that you can witness this in uninterrupted glory. We hope you enjoy this as much as we do. Aric really gave this his all.
Chris Brewer / Meinl Cymbals

Aric Improta (from Night Verses) - drums, percussion, electronic effects, samples

[Intro: Brian Eno]
And the interesting thing is that the least interesting sound in the universe, probably, is the perfect sound wave. It's the sound of nothing happening. It's the sound of perfection. And it's boring (laughs) you know? As David Byrne said in his song "Heaven Is A Place Where Nothing Ever Happens." Distortion is character, basically. In fact, everything we call character is the deviation from perfection. So, perfection, to me, is characterlessness...
[Refrain]
Now begin levitation in the videodrome
Now begin levitation in the videodrome
Now begin levitation in the videodrome
If you get motion sickness, please go home
[Cont. Brian Eno]
Th-the difference between science and art is that science is very interested in looking at this world and trying to perceive regularities about it; trying to make consistencies and generalizing these. Trying to find things—discover things about this world. Artists, on the other hand, all kinds, are interested in exactly the opposite thing. What they want to do is to make other worlds. They want to say, "What would this world be like if these (?), and these events, and these catastrophes, and these tribulations and so on--what would that world be like to me?
[Cont. Brian Eno]
Th-the big mistake is to wait for inspiration; it won't—it won't come looking for you. It's not so much creating something, I think. It's-It's noticing when something is starting to happen; and noticing, and then building on it. And saying, "Ok, that's new. That hasn't happened before. What does it mean? Where can I go with it?"
[Transition: (Aric Improta) and Refrain]
(yells)
Welcome to the place between heaven and space
All of your memory is quickly erased
Now begin levitation in the videodrome
If you get motion sickness, please go home
(Yes!)
(Right!)
[Cont. Brian Eno]
Everything good proceeds from enthusiasm. The sense of 'I-really-want-to-know-how-this-turns-out' will drive you on through many, many long nights of no results. Um... Whereas the feeling of 'I-think-I-ought-to-do-this' dries out very quickly...
[Interlude: (Aric Improta) and Refrain]
(Ahhh! Let it stop!)
(yells)
Welcome to the place between heaven and space
All of your memory is quickly erased
Now begin levitation in the videodrome
If you get motion sickness, please go home
[Sample: Gene Wilder/Willy Wonka]
(girl screams)
Little surprises around every corner, but nothing dangerous
Don't be alarmed
Oh, you should never never doubt what nobody is sure about
Oh, you should never never doubt what nobody is sure about
Oh, you should never never doubt what nobody is sure about
Oh, you should never never doubt what nobody is sure about
Oh, you should never never doubt what nobody is sure about
Oh, you should never never doubt what nobody is sure about
Oh, you should never never doubt what nobody is sure about
Oh, you should never never doubt what nobody is sure about
Oh, you should never never doubt what nobody is sure about
[Sample: John Hurt]
There is no artist, or-or-or no craftsman—for that matter—umm, who can afford not to observe. I don't mean by that you go out and say, "I'm going to do some observing today." It's just [?] have to be a way that there can [?] that goes into your memory. Don't know how it's going to go in your memory. Depends on what you draw on [?]. All kinds of things get stacked away in the [?] mind, you know? (laughs) You're really not aware of until it comes to, perhaps, needing it--and somehow it's there. When you can't just fabricate it from nothing, I don't think...
[Improvised Segment: (Aric Improta)]
(screams into mic)
(radio static)
[Sample: Michael Grandage]
The child must banish the father; respect him, but kill him. I've been searching for that quite in a way for a long time. Just to be able to encourage somebody who's young to learn what's there to be learned from somebody who's got anything to pass on. But be unafraid of killing that and moving forward yourself, and developing your own creativity...
[Spoken Segment: (Aric Improta)]
(yells)
(Ahh, and you never know the way it'll be the very last time...)
[Sample: Gene Wilder/Willy Wonka]
There's no earthly way of knowing (laugher) (he's singing)
Which direction we are going
There's no knowing where we're rowing (rowing!)
Or which way the river's flowing
Is it raining?
Is it snowing?
Is a hurricane a-blowing? (laughter)
Not a speck of light is showing
So the danger must be growing
Are the fires of hell a-glowing?
Is the grisly reaper mowing?
Yes, the danger must be growing!
For the rowers keep on rowing
And there's certainly not showing
Any signs that they are slowing
(screams)
(Oh, make it stop daddy!)
(Wonka! I think you've gone far enough!)
Quite right
Stop the boat!
[Outro: (Aric Improta) and Refrain]
This is where I leave you now
Floating forever with the permanent sound
Of my body exploding into twelve thousand stars
(warbled voice)
(extended drum fill)
(rhythmic primal screams)
(backflip)
[End Credits]
"In loving memory of Aunt Cathy"
Vocal samples from:
Brian Eno, John Hurt, and Michael Grandage
Captured by Alfred Dunhill
Additional vocal samples from
Gene Wilder
(Thank you for keeping me inspired)