#instrumental #soundtrack #ambient #drone #electroacoustic #electronic #experimental #hardrock #metal #alt

Projects

Project Orange

The build page for my first Warmoth custom guitar, which was based on George Lynch's orange ESP used on the Wicked Sensation album and REH instructional video. This has been a popular resource for others who wanted to build the guitar of their dreams.

Undistributed Music

This is a catalog of older recordings and demos (circa 1994-2011) that were never officially distributed (though many had been posted on this site over the years). The recordings vary in quality but are posted for the seriously interested.

Call of Chaos (EP)

In 2008 I teamed up with two very good friends, Cosman and Jay Parmar, for this collaborative experiment. Three hard-rock guitarists, each with a signature sound, trade off licks, instruments, and production on this wildly exotic instrumental EP.

FooBarQuux (fictional band)

Three inner-city punks -aka Foo, Bar, and Quux- pirate a derelict apartment building in an attempt to record a barrage of electro-metal mayhem free of landlords and neighbor complaints. Drunk bums, police detectives, and personal vices threaten the project and ultimately derail it, but not before the guys release a killer sonic sampler. While one serves 3-to-5, the question looms... will they return to try again?

TOBIAH - Step Up (LP mastering)

In 2010, I was approached to master this mostly acoustic album by the awesomely gifted English singer/songwriter TOBIAH. It was an amazing experience and challenge as I'd never engineered female vocals, and certainly never such an angelic yet dynamic voice set to an acoustic guitar. The result is a very intimate, enchanting and accurate capture of Tobiah's natural talent.

Temple of Unmanifest Dreams (LP)

My 2008 debut concept album, Temple of Unmanifest Dreams, is an adventurous and meditative ambient-electronic guitar odyssey like you've never experienced. This compilation takes you on an enigmatic search for the origin of dreams and returns you nostalgically to the waking world. Recorded almost entirely with guitar, Temple is an astounding testament to what a guitar can convey!

13th B'ak'tun (EP)

The 13th B'ak'tun EP features four apocalyptic instrumentals (3 + 1 bonus track), heralding the momentous end of the Mayan 13th B'ak'tun calendar cycle on December 21st, 2012. This EP is available for free downloading and streaming.

Otherend

Otherend is the new official project for my ambient-electronic music and soundscapes. The focus is completely on the music and mood. Otherend features music and revamped imagery from Temple of Unmanifest Dreams as well as many previously uncompiled works.

About

I am a composer of instrumental music, often in the ambient, electronic, and pop/hard rock genres. My style and sound are unschooled, outsider, and employ typical rock band gear (guitars, bass, drums, effect pedals, and occasionally my ratty old Yamaha synth). While I love to play and learn different instruments, I've had to use what little gear I own to get my ideas out.

I began teaching myself to play guitar and write songs in 1991 at the age of 16, with only a Mel Bay chord book and my ears to guide me. I spent my formative years writing mostly for rock, blues, and metal, before slowly gravitating towards more individualistic experimental soundscapes. This allowed me to tap into a much greater list of influences and expand my creative vision.

I tried the 'band thing' early on and while it was a lot of fun and highly beneficial, I discovered I was not a performer. Where I felt at home was in writing and recording. As for my approach, I try to not funnel the music into a particular direction or genre, but rather just let it become what it wants to become. I may start with a particular outcome in mind, but the music is always different when it's done. Instead I strive to accept music as its own being, to be the conduit for it, and exercise just the right amount of creative judgement in bringing it into form.

In 2006-7 I studied under the legendary guitarist George Lynch via his Guitar Dojo. George, who has undoubtedly been my biggest influence, helped me tighten up my chops, think even more outside the box, and very graciously critiqued some of my recordings. Eternal thanks, G!

I've always loved listening to Micah's compositions because they're always so musically interesting. He has a lot of content and his soloing is never overkill. ... He shows a lot of room for growth and potential and has direction in his approach.

— George Lynch (Dokken/Lynch Mob/KXM)

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