As I said in my previous post, I have been working on a song about the bullshit concept of “normal”. Dexter has convinced himself he will never lead a normal life now, but that doesn’t mean his future has to be unpleasant. From one perspective, the “normal life” might actually be a unique brand of hell.

This is an unmastered song sketch. If you’re already a subscriber, you should have received an email about the difference between my previous sketches and these new unmastered sketches.

For more information about the upcoming album itself, visit http://whoisdexterpeterson.com

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Normal is Not For Me – Sketch 1 – 8.4 MB MP3
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There isn’t much I can do when something inspires me. If something wants out, it’s coming out. In the middle of writing a song I’m tentatively calling Normal Is Not For Me I encountered a sound that demanded its own attention. A few hours later and I’ve got this track- a rough draft of something instrumental and ominous.

I envisioned this one as the soundtrack for the scene where Dexter is running for his life through the hallways of the crippled starship Gale Odyssey, making this the penultimate track on the album. It’s a bit rough right now, I certainly think it needs some work- but there was something about the distorted electric piano sound that begged to become a central riff in its own song.

For more information about the upcoming album itself, visit http://whoisdexterpeterson.com

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The Wreck of the Gale Odyssey – Sketch 1 – 9 MB MP3
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One of the most difficult tasks when working on a full-length album is deciding what comes first. Fortunately, because of the story this album is based on, the decision is already made before I even record a single note. That doesn’t mean the songwriting is any easier, though. This song is one of the toughest I’ve worked on yet- mostly because I’m trying to create a very metropolitan sound with a very limited palette of instruments.

This song’s still unfinished, but I’m liking what I’ve got so far. Let me know what you think!

For more information about the upcoming album itself, visit http://whoisdexterpeterson.com

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Good Morning New York – Sketch 2 – 6.3 MB MP3
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This is the first taste of The Lives of Dexter Peterson that I would consider release-ready. I’d still like to send the album to a real mastering studio when it’s done, but this is the best mixing job I think I can do without calling in a professional engineer.

Also, since I really wanted to share this with more than just the subscribers, this song is the first taste of the new album going out to my mailing list. Hello other subscribers! If this is your first time visiting Matthew Ebel dot net, you’ve missed a LOT of song sketches and other goodies for months now. You can still get more releases as I finish them, though, just sign up for a pass today!

For more information about the upcoming album itself, visit http://whoisdexterpeterson.com

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I Wish I Were (Sketch 4) – 8 MB MP3
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Photo by Andres Rueda

Once again, this sketch is pre-real-drums, but I’m really liking how the production’s turning out with this one. Though a lot of us can’t imagine a time when we hated the snow (especially in AUGUST), this one should resonate with anyone who had to shovel several feet off their driveway every four days for a few weeks. For more information, visit http://whoisdexterpeterson.com

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Frozen Oasis Sketch 2 – 5.9 MB MP3
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Photo by Tim in Sydney

So I’ve got another song complete with lyrics and instrumentation, I just need to add drums. And a big pile of friends with their best pirate voices. This is one of the first tracks I started working on, but for some reason I couldn’t find an arrangement that made me happy until now. It still needs a bit of polish, but I’m liking how this is turning out. For more information, visit http://whoisdexterpeterson.com

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The Last Pirate Sketch 2 – 8.1 MB MP3
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Yet another song sketch from my next album project, The Lives of Dexter Peterson. I still only have about two thirds of a single verse and a full chorus written, but I wanted to hear how some vocal production would affect the sound of the song. There’s a LOT that needs to be done with this one, but this is the latest update. For more information, visit http://whoisdexterpeterson.com

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Who I Am Sketch 2 – 12.1 MB MP3
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The latest song sketch from my next album project, The Lives of Dexter Peterson. This one is a little bit repetitive without any words, but I’m trying to keep this song as minimalist as possible. I’m still working on lyrics, of course, but as soon as I get some scratch vocals laid down I’ll upload another sketch version! For more information, visit http://whoisdexterpeterson.com

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A Question of Sanity Sketch 1 – 6.1 MB MP3
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The latest song sketch from my next album project, The Lives of Dexter Peterson. I’ve got words for a chorus on this one, but I’m still hammering out the rest of the lyrics. In the mean time, I’m trying to focus on a unique sound for the limited instruments I’ve chosen to work with. For more information, visit http://whoisdexterpeterson.com

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Who I Am Sketch 1 – 4.9 MB MP3
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The latest song sketch from my next album project, The Lives of Dexter Peterson. This one’s inspired by the 800 metric tons of snow that fell on us this year. For more information, visit http://whoisdexterpeterson.com

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Frozen Oasis Sketch 1 – 8.1 MB MP3
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