Whenever I tackle a secret mixter project, my objective is always to get about a 50-50 personality blend of the person that I’m being assigned and my own sound.

I was thrilled when I got Speck, because I knew that the assignment would both be rewarding and also very difficult. I would characterize my sound as very melodic and also very idiomatic, perhaps to a flaw.

Speck thrives in the space of atonality and colouring outside the lines, and not hewing to any specific genre at all.

I hope this piece has enough atonality and colouring outside the lines to sound like speck, and yet enough melodic sense and idiomatic traditional blues to sound like me. Also there’s a bit of a message here which I hope Speck agrees with (see lyrics). I hope I got the assignment right.

Lyrics

He flings chaos and mud at us, making a mess
But the crux of it is, it’s not so complex
The agents and forces, all put into place
Are so he won’t have to leave when there’s a new face
So take out the clutter, come see it clear
It’s easy to stand when clarity’s near
Put the bins to the curb — the power is yours
Make the energy yours, when vinegar pours
We can’t do it for you, now — it comes down to you
Peace is a village, you live in it too