Deluge Grander Myspace Page
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Deluge Grander is a progressive rock group from the Baltimore and Silver Spring area in Maryland in the U.S. The members are:
Dave Berggren: guitars
Dan Britton: keyboards
Patrick Gaffney: drums
Christopher West: bass
Deluge Grander formed in 2005 in Baltimore.
The first Deluge Grander album was "August in the Urals," which was released in September 2006.
The second Deluge Grander album was "The Form of the Good," which was released in July 2009.
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Deluge Grander music is usually:
COMPLEX: dense compositions with more instruments than normal. This means you have to concentrate on listening to the music to really appreciate it.
"RETRO": Mellotrons and mellotron-like sounds and non-modern production. For the record though, a lot of what gets labeled "mellotron" are actually samples of other instruments I spent a long time creating, in the vain hope that we might do something that sounded new, but everyone just assumed it was all mellotron and labeled us "retro-prog."
ATMOSPHERIC: lots of reverb, and a DIY production aesthetic that some will like and others will loathe.
_____________________________________________________________________________
NEWS (as of July, 2010): So what is Deluge Grander up to nowadays? Well, we are working on new material, and our plan is to record and release some albums a little differently than how we did the first two.
We're going to try and go into an *analog* recording studio for the next album, probably to be entitled "Heliotians."
This will necessitate executing the compositions very well as a group, and we'll only be able to make a few edits and overdubs. Some believe it may also yield a more natural sound.
So far, the material for this album is still epic and grandiose, but we're going to try to keep the album's mood more consistently atmospheric: it should be an album you can take a nice nap to. There might also be plenty of room for voices, but that's still uncertain for the time being.
In keeping with the analog vibe, we're thinking about releasing it on vinyl, perhaps in a very limited edition of 100-200 copies, maybe with handmade artwork for each one. Insanity! We would probably also make a CD of it, but I'd like to keep the handcrafted cottage-industry spirit with the CD release as well, so maybe deluxe packaging and limited editions in the digital domain, too.
"Why limit your audience like that?" you ask?
Well, the very tentative plan at this point is to release a series of FOUR limited edition albums, then combine the material on them, probably rewriting and re-arranging everything in the process, and release TWO regular CDs. Then, as the piece de resistance, release ONE other album that contains only the best material from all six of these releases, probably re-arranged and re-recorded yet again, and maybe release that as a free or very inexpensive download. The insanity never ends!
So it would be a three-tiered pyramid of seven releases.
Heliotians would be spacy and atmospheric, and you could take a nap to it.
Lunarians would be more "classical," intricate, and pastoral.
Creek would lean towards jazz, country, and alternative rock.
Din would be experimental, complex, and dissonant.
Then Oceanarium (notice how the title combines "HeliOTIANs" with "LunARIANs," sort of) would combine the first two.
And Cretin ("Creek" + "Din" = "Cretin") would combine the second two. At that second tier, we'd probably not worry about making the releases describe-able with one or two words.
And Creationarium would combine "Oceanarium" with "Cretin" and presumably have the very best material of all.
Clever, eh?
It will of course be a lot of work to actually execute this little scheme. I could even see it taking 10 years. And, as you might imagine, doing all these limited edition releases in the bottom tier would necessitate some costly product, roughly $30-50 apiece, and there may only be seven or eight people worldwide willing to pay that amount....so it might not happen. But hey, those are some nifty titular gimmicks, aren't they?
We'll try out Heliotians and see how it goes.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(artwork by Kezia Terracciano)
The Form of the Good (2009)
1. Before the Common Era (5:22)
2. The Tree Factory (14:08)
3. Common Era Caveman (6:26)
4. Aggrandizement (19:12)
5. The Form of the Good (8:41)
Before the Common Era:
The shortest piece in Deluge Grander history! Probably also the quietest one, even with the big climax in the middle. This one uses some samples of chanting recorded by Brett's uncle Frank at an old cabin in rural Saskatchewan several years ago. Compared to most of our songs, it's pretty minimalist, and not exactly the most intense way to open an album, but it's intended to create an atmosphere for what comes next.
The Tree Factory:
This one was built around two drum rhythms Patrick came up with (one in 10 and a half, and the other in 21) and a very conventional Supertramp-styled electric piano pattern I used to call "San Jose 83" for some reason. The symphonic intro and conventional ending were added on quickly after it occurred to us to combine those three ideas, and Dave's melodies during the middle part of the song really added a lot. We might have gone overboard with sound effects in a few places, but that made the song sound like what might happen in a factory, so there you go. The rather normal-sounding ending makes up for all the noise earlier in the song.
Common Era Caveman:
Mostly just a 2-chord sequence, but there's a tight bassline/melody that ties the electric piano, bass guitar, and drums together, with a lot of fun stuff added on top. Patrick had to put in a very intense and precise performance to get the drums right for this one.
Aggrandizement:
As the centerpiece of the album, a lot of work went into this. Parts for cello, trombone, trumpet, flute, clarinet, oboe, saxophone, and violin were written out and recorded as best I could. Plus the regular old drums, guitars, bass, and keyboards. This track represents the album as a whole, starting out atmospheric, then getting a bit more intense, followed by a conventional classical sounding section (composed around 1996 by the way) a noodly meandering middle section, and then a steady buildup towards the big release with fierce bass playing and drum work.
The Form of the Good:
Rather than end the album darkly, this closes on a more positive vibe. The first half is quiet and dark, but all of a sudden, at around 4:30, a majestic sequence is played 11 times, followed by a reprise of the first song.
Although there's only singing on the first song (and that singing isn't really in English), there is a general "concept" to the album in the artwork, song titles, and the music itself.
_____________________________________________________________________________
(artwork by Thomas Cole)
August in the Urals (2006)
1. Inaugural Bash (26:57)
2. August in the Urals (15:52)
3. Abandoned Mansion Afternoon (12:14)
4. A Squirrel (8:45)
5. The Solitude of Miranda (7:18)
Inaugural Bash:
This is a 7-part collection of ideas that, in spite of their diversity, hold together well as an extended piece. The first 4 sections were originally intended to be the bulk of the piece, but new sections were added on while those original 4 were being worked on.
August in the Urals:
Another extended piece, this one is basically in four parts, though there are a lot of sections that get reprised in alternate forms throughout. The main theme, stated in the beginning on acoustic guitar, at around 3:00, and again at the end as a coda, is made of a simple melody and chord sequence, as well as Brett's distinctive bassline. In fact, the bass is one of the most important elements of this track.
Abandoned Mansion Afternoon:
Although it's 12 minutes long, there aren't a whole lot of changes to this piece, which in some way incorporates both ambient and jazz music. (The working title for it was "Hancock/Schulze"). Although the rhythms rarely deviate from a steady 5/4 rhythm, the track ebbs and recedes several times. There are also a large number of snippets of some obscure albums thrown in for seconds at a time in many spots. (But here we are four years later, and I don't think anyone's noticed them.) This track could probably benefit from a re-recording...maybe someday!
A Squirrel:
This instrumental goes from baroque to jazz-funk and finally incorporates both approaches at the end. Other than the analog synthesizer, there were no additional overdubs to this one. This one and "Abandoned Mansion Afternoon" were the first two pieces Deluge Grander worked on.
The Solitude of Miranda:
Although this was the final track recorded for the album, I actually composed most of it on a cheap $90 acoustic guitar in 2001 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The middle piano section was added in just before we started working on it as a group.
Deluge Grander Facebook Page
Deluge Grander is a progressive rock group from the Baltimore and Silver Spring area in Maryland in the U.S. The members are:
Dave Berggren: guitars
Dan Britton: keyboards
Patrick Gaffney: drums
Christopher West: bass
Deluge Grander formed in 2005 in Baltimore.
The first Deluge Grander album was "August in the Urals," which was released in September 2006.
The second Deluge Grander album was "The Form of the Good," which was released in July 2009.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Deluge Grander music is usually:
COMPLEX: dense compositions with more instruments than normal. This means you have to concentrate on listening to the music to really appreciate it.
"RETRO": Mellotrons and mellotron-like sounds and non-modern production. For the record though, a lot of what gets labeled "mellotron" are actually samples of other instruments I spent a long time creating, in the vain hope that we might do something that sounded new, but everyone just assumed it was all mellotron and labeled us "retro-prog."
ATMOSPHERIC: lots of reverb, and a DIY production aesthetic that some will like and others will loathe.
_____________________________________________________________________________
NEWS (as of July, 2010): So what is Deluge Grander up to nowadays? Well, we are working on new material, and our plan is to record and release some albums a little differently than how we did the first two.
We're going to try and go into an *analog* recording studio for the next album, probably to be entitled "Heliotians."
This will necessitate executing the compositions very well as a group, and we'll only be able to make a few edits and overdubs. Some believe it may also yield a more natural sound.
So far, the material for this album is still epic and grandiose, but we're going to try to keep the album's mood more consistently atmospheric: it should be an album you can take a nice nap to. There might also be plenty of room for voices, but that's still uncertain for the time being.
In keeping with the analog vibe, we're thinking about releasing it on vinyl, perhaps in a very limited edition of 100-200 copies, maybe with handmade artwork for each one. Insanity! We would probably also make a CD of it, but I'd like to keep the handcrafted cottage-industry spirit with the CD release as well, so maybe deluxe packaging and limited editions in the digital domain, too.
"Why limit your audience like that?" you ask?
Well, the very tentative plan at this point is to release a series of FOUR limited edition albums, then combine the material on them, probably rewriting and re-arranging everything in the process, and release TWO regular CDs. Then, as the piece de resistance, release ONE other album that contains only the best material from all six of these releases, probably re-arranged and re-recorded yet again, and maybe release that as a free or very inexpensive download. The insanity never ends!
So it would be a three-tiered pyramid of seven releases.
Heliotians would be spacy and atmospheric, and you could take a nap to it.
Lunarians would be more "classical," intricate, and pastoral.
Creek would lean towards jazz, country, and alternative rock.
Din would be experimental, complex, and dissonant.
Then Oceanarium (notice how the title combines "HeliOTIANs" with "LunARIANs," sort of) would combine the first two.
And Cretin ("Creek" + "Din" = "Cretin") would combine the second two. At that second tier, we'd probably not worry about making the releases describe-able with one or two words.
And Creationarium would combine "Oceanarium" with "Cretin" and presumably have the very best material of all.
Clever, eh?
It will of course be a lot of work to actually execute this little scheme. I could even see it taking 10 years. And, as you might imagine, doing all these limited edition releases in the bottom tier would necessitate some costly product, roughly $30-50 apiece, and there may only be seven or eight people worldwide willing to pay that amount....so it might not happen. But hey, those are some nifty titular gimmicks, aren't they?
We'll try out Heliotians and see how it goes.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(artwork by Kezia Terracciano)
The Form of the Good (2009)
1. Before the Common Era (5:22)
2. The Tree Factory (14:08)
3. Common Era Caveman (6:26)
4. Aggrandizement (19:12)
5. The Form of the Good (8:41)
Before the Common Era:
The shortest piece in Deluge Grander history! Probably also the quietest one, even with the big climax in the middle. This one uses some samples of chanting recorded by Brett's uncle Frank at an old cabin in rural Saskatchewan several years ago. Compared to most of our songs, it's pretty minimalist, and not exactly the most intense way to open an album, but it's intended to create an atmosphere for what comes next.
The Tree Factory:
This one was built around two drum rhythms Patrick came up with (one in 10 and a half, and the other in 21) and a very conventional Supertramp-styled electric piano pattern I used to call "San Jose 83" for some reason. The symphonic intro and conventional ending were added on quickly after it occurred to us to combine those three ideas, and Dave's melodies during the middle part of the song really added a lot. We might have gone overboard with sound effects in a few places, but that made the song sound like what might happen in a factory, so there you go. The rather normal-sounding ending makes up for all the noise earlier in the song.
Common Era Caveman:
Mostly just a 2-chord sequence, but there's a tight bassline/melody that ties the electric piano, bass guitar, and drums together, with a lot of fun stuff added on top. Patrick had to put in a very intense and precise performance to get the drums right for this one.
Aggrandizement:
As the centerpiece of the album, a lot of work went into this. Parts for cello, trombone, trumpet, flute, clarinet, oboe, saxophone, and violin were written out and recorded as best I could. Plus the regular old drums, guitars, bass, and keyboards. This track represents the album as a whole, starting out atmospheric, then getting a bit more intense, followed by a conventional classical sounding section (composed around 1996 by the way) a noodly meandering middle section, and then a steady buildup towards the big release with fierce bass playing and drum work.
The Form of the Good:
Rather than end the album darkly, this closes on a more positive vibe. The first half is quiet and dark, but all of a sudden, at around 4:30, a majestic sequence is played 11 times, followed by a reprise of the first song.
Although there's only singing on the first song (and that singing isn't really in English), there is a general "concept" to the album in the artwork, song titles, and the music itself.
_____________________________________________________________________________
(artwork by Thomas Cole)
August in the Urals (2006)
1. Inaugural Bash (26:57)
2. August in the Urals (15:52)
3. Abandoned Mansion Afternoon (12:14)
4. A Squirrel (8:45)
5. The Solitude of Miranda (7:18)
Inaugural Bash:
This is a 7-part collection of ideas that, in spite of their diversity, hold together well as an extended piece. The first 4 sections were originally intended to be the bulk of the piece, but new sections were added on while those original 4 were being worked on.
August in the Urals:
Another extended piece, this one is basically in four parts, though there are a lot of sections that get reprised in alternate forms throughout. The main theme, stated in the beginning on acoustic guitar, at around 3:00, and again at the end as a coda, is made of a simple melody and chord sequence, as well as Brett's distinctive bassline. In fact, the bass is one of the most important elements of this track.
Abandoned Mansion Afternoon:
Although it's 12 minutes long, there aren't a whole lot of changes to this piece, which in some way incorporates both ambient and jazz music. (The working title for it was "Hancock/Schulze"). Although the rhythms rarely deviate from a steady 5/4 rhythm, the track ebbs and recedes several times. There are also a large number of snippets of some obscure albums thrown in for seconds at a time in many spots. (But here we are four years later, and I don't think anyone's noticed them.) This track could probably benefit from a re-recording...maybe someday!
A Squirrel:
This instrumental goes from baroque to jazz-funk and finally incorporates both approaches at the end. Other than the analog synthesizer, there were no additional overdubs to this one. This one and "Abandoned Mansion Afternoon" were the first two pieces Deluge Grander worked on.
The Solitude of Miranda:
Although this was the final track recorded for the album, I actually composed most of it on a cheap $90 acoustic guitar in 2001 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The middle piano section was added in just before we started working on it as a group.