This album began in the middle of 2009 as I contemplated life, and my place in it. I spent nearly a year gradually piecing together the parts for this bizarre concept. I decided to use strings and arrangements, backup-singers as well as odd time signatures, unique instruments and a whole bunch of unusual recording and production approaches to put the concept together.


I pressed it to Vinyl only [United Record Pressing, Nashville] and released it to no one in particular in December of 2010. I had no clue what to do with this. I simply racked my memory of about 3-6 people that would be interested and told them. I sent out around ten to a couple friends and around another ten to relatives for the holidays but I honestly had no idea what this was that I made.

I still to this day do not know.

My friends mentioned "Masterpiece!..Magnificent!" in their humblest voices, naturally, and then my family didn't say a damn thing to me at all. I think that their old record players were all dead. Or in storage buried deep in their garages or attics.

[This is where I say that releasing an album ONLY to vinyl in 2010 and not telling anyone about it was probably not the wisest of choices]

Meanwhile I was frozen in my thoughts about this album/EP that I had such a mess making and such a fun time pressing to 10" vinyl. I still to this day do not know if this album is primarily garbage or somewhat decent. The traditional "Blues" publications were not going to know what to make of this as it was such a departure from my musical niche. But being a stubborn craftsman and a persistent little weirdo I found the resolve to push this deranged little work of beauty out into the world.
The best song I ever wrote is on this:

The Loudest Sound

All I can say about this album is that I made the best couple songs of my life and a couple of the strangest. Everyone that participated were certainly aware of my "maverick" [read:insane] status as a composer and producer and still this album happened without a thought to anything but the process.

I have no clue what this album means as far as it's actual accessibility to other human beings but it does make me proud. I'm going to do a New American Century volume II soon. it will be another EP like this one. 6 songs.

Anyways:

You decide.

This album was never available on anything accept 10" green or black vinyl until today. I pressed 400 records and I have 100-110 left. You can purchase them from CD Baby or me directly.

Thank you for letting me disappear for awhile to make a family,

Chris Cotton

PS:
Full Credits:

Recoded 2009/2010 in Palo Alto, San Francisco, CA

Featuring Minna Choi/String Arrangements

Strings:

Phillip Brezina/Violin
Jory Fankuchen/Violin
Michelle Maruyama/Viola
Lucas Chen/Cello


Nate Pease/Bass
Justin Markovits/Drums
Keren Bein/Vocals
Dorothy Wood/ Vocals
John Henry Bradshaw/Vocals/claps/snaps
Angie Heile/Vocals/claps/snaps
Pius Ficher/Vocals/claps/snaps
Dorothy Wood/ Vocals/claps/snaps

Recorded by Ryan Kingsmith
Recorded by Charles Beutter
Recorded by Christopher Cotton
Mixed by Charles Beutter, Ryan Kingsmith, Chris Cotton
Mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios

Executive Produced by Chris Cotton

Special thanks to Minna Choi, Issac Pritzker[photography], Mike Seeba, and especially Greg Bossman.