Well, today was a crazy day. I was at NRG Studios with my friend Jeff Robert (pictured below) who started the studio 15 years ago. Artists like Linkin Park, Incubus, Evanescence, Foo Fighters, and Korn have recorded there, just to name a few.
We were sitting around talking about hiring a producer to take it to the next level, and I played him a remix of my song "Building The Machine" by Daniel Anderson of Idiot Pilot. Jeff loved it, which was convenient because I did too. In fact, yesterday I emailed Daniel to ask if he would produce my entire album. Literally 5 minutes after I played Jeff the remix, Daniel called me to let me know that he would be interested, and we both agreed that it would be an exciting project!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Nice Review of "To Build A Fire"
Marvin from Free Albums Galore wrote this review of To Build A Fire:
"Back in 2007, I said some very nice things about Post Human Era’s debut album Where I’m Going Half The Time. As happens, I’ve have not heard anything from this talented artist since then and assumed, as often happens, he has returned to obscurity. So I was surprised and pleased to see this new album titled To Build a Fire on the Clinical Archive netlabel. It is again an album full of melodic electro-pop and downtempo goodness accented by the synths and vocals of multi-instrumentalist Daniel Finfer. The description compares him to The Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie, but I find Finfer’s sound to be quieter and more accessible. The 48 minute album is full of catchy songs yet I especially find “You In The Future”, “Replacing You” and the Eno-like “Holograms” to be worthy of repeated listening. Hopefully we will not have to wait three years for Post Human Era’s next album."
Read Full Review of Post Human Era's To Build A Fire
"Back in 2007, I said some very nice things about Post Human Era’s debut album Where I’m Going Half The Time. As happens, I’ve have not heard anything from this talented artist since then and assumed, as often happens, he has returned to obscurity. So I was surprised and pleased to see this new album titled To Build a Fire on the Clinical Archive netlabel. It is again an album full of melodic electro-pop and downtempo goodness accented by the synths and vocals of multi-instrumentalist Daniel Finfer. The description compares him to The Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie, but I find Finfer’s sound to be quieter and more accessible. The 48 minute album is full of catchy songs yet I especially find “You In The Future”, “Replacing You” and the Eno-like “Holograms” to be worthy of repeated listening. Hopefully we will not have to wait three years for Post Human Era’s next album."
Read Full Review of Post Human Era's To Build A Fire
Post Human Update
Quite a bit of action is taking place in the Post Human Era Dome these days. I've been building a new recording studio at my house in Brentwood, so if anyone lives near West Los Angeles, let me know if you want to record in a studio with a pool, hot tub and basketball court. Services include recording, mixing, post-production, song writing, graphic design, marketing, SEO, and film editing. Music lessons include singing, guitar, bass, keyboards, and Logic Pro.
Also, Daniel Anderson from Idiot Pilot is remixing our first single Building The Machine, which I'm incredibly excited about. They've been one of my favorite bands since 2004 when I first heard that there was actually a good band from my home town of Bellingham, WA (except for The Postal Service).
If any of you know Ben Cooper from Electric President, and Radical Face, we are putting together a concert in May at my house as well. It should be really kick ass and intimate. Again, another one of my favorite artists.
My new album, Echo Corridor, is still being carefully mixed, and Pete Yorn recommended a couple good mastering engineers. I've spent a lot of time toiling over this album, yet almost have ANOTHER ONE done.
Also, Daniel Anderson from Idiot Pilot is remixing our first single Building The Machine, which I'm incredibly excited about. They've been one of my favorite bands since 2004 when I first heard that there was actually a good band from my home town of Bellingham, WA (except for The Postal Service). If any of you know Ben Cooper from Electric President, and Radical Face, we are putting together a concert in May at my house as well. It should be really kick ass and intimate. Again, another one of my favorite artists.
My new album, Echo Corridor, is still being carefully mixed, and Pete Yorn recommended a couple good mastering engineers. I've spent a lot of time toiling over this album, yet almost have ANOTHER ONE done.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Review: Idiot Pilot "The Tail of a Jet Black Swan"
Every time I hear a new Idiot Pilot song, I can't believe that they have yet again managed to progress while still feeling like the same band. This new song is Idiot Pilot, but better. If that makes sense.
They remain firmly planted in electronic territory, but have adopted more of an organic feel this time around, with live drums layered with glitchy electronic hi hats, colorful synths, a clever chord progression, and a catchy hook that will loop in your head again and again.
A little bit of NIN, R&B, and post-rock influences are shining through as well. I also love their lyrics- at first they seem ambiguous and mysterious, yet over time they start to make more sense when put into context. Can't wait to hear the whole album.
http://idiotpilot.com/
They remain firmly planted in electronic territory, but have adopted more of an organic feel this time around, with live drums layered with glitchy electronic hi hats, colorful synths, a clever chord progression, and a catchy hook that will loop in your head again and again.
A little bit of NIN, R&B, and post-rock influences are shining through as well. I also love their lyrics- at first they seem ambiguous and mysterious, yet over time they start to make more sense when put into context. Can't wait to hear the whole album.
http://idiotpilot.com/
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Hilarious Review of "To Build A Fire"
By D. A. Peters
February 2, 2010
Until recently, Post Human Era co-founder Daniel Finfer wasn't known for being prolific. Actually, he wasn’t known much outside of the California University music scene – and cities in Washington State with populations under 9000.
So, when I heard he was creating an album called, “To Build A Fire” my first thought was, “Jack London’s going to be pissed!”
Virtually all of Post Human Era is the studio output of Daniel Finfer, a California resident. While touring live, he is flanked by his brother, Mike Finfer and Steve Kurshner on drums.
The band is really best understood in the context of its influences: there are elements of Nine Inch Nails, the Postal Service, Radiohead, even Kraftwerk. In a way, it’s a tribute to Daniel Finfer’s composition process to have such traditional melodies and song structures buried under layers of noise (and interspersed with experimental fair). He sounds both contemporary and vintage – a step up from overly self-aware kitsch that plagues most independent labels.
It seems, Post Human Era is about moving forward while acknowledging the debt owed to artists past. Newton summarized it as “standing on the shoulders of giants.”
The production is incredibly crisp for a label-less, manager-less band: synths, guitars, baselines, and drums all serving toward Post Human Era’s undeniable pop sensibilities. However, unlike his electronic pop contemporaries, he doesn’t dabble in nostalgia for irony’s sake – no Lady Gaga moments, despite both can churn a catchy chorus. The high melodies are bright (“Lost Children”), the brooding parts are muddied and languishing in cerebral moments (“Holograms”).
The lyrics and vocals stand apart on many songs: otherwise moody content is offset by Daniel Finfer’s impressive range. He’s a competent vocalist: going from warm hooks to brooding tenor sections. There’s restraint to explore musical landscapes rather than overindulge a melody or hook. There’s even reference to Rene Descartes as he croons, “I’ll be the ghost in your machine.” Distinct themes reoccur – from the social commentary/relationship metaphor of a fire to existential, lonely malaise that recalls authors like Albert Camus or acts like the early Cure but layered in something more easily digestible and ironically catchy.
Final Grade: A-
February 2, 2010
Until recently, Post Human Era co-founder Daniel Finfer wasn't known for being prolific. Actually, he wasn’t known much outside of the California University music scene – and cities in Washington State with populations under 9000.So, when I heard he was creating an album called, “To Build A Fire” my first thought was, “Jack London’s going to be pissed!”
Virtually all of Post Human Era is the studio output of Daniel Finfer, a California resident. While touring live, he is flanked by his brother, Mike Finfer and Steve Kurshner on drums.
The band is really best understood in the context of its influences: there are elements of Nine Inch Nails, the Postal Service, Radiohead, even Kraftwerk. In a way, it’s a tribute to Daniel Finfer’s composition process to have such traditional melodies and song structures buried under layers of noise (and interspersed with experimental fair). He sounds both contemporary and vintage – a step up from overly self-aware kitsch that plagues most independent labels.
It seems, Post Human Era is about moving forward while acknowledging the debt owed to artists past. Newton summarized it as “standing on the shoulders of giants.”
The production is incredibly crisp for a label-less, manager-less band: synths, guitars, baselines, and drums all serving toward Post Human Era’s undeniable pop sensibilities. However, unlike his electronic pop contemporaries, he doesn’t dabble in nostalgia for irony’s sake – no Lady Gaga moments, despite both can churn a catchy chorus. The high melodies are bright (“Lost Children”), the brooding parts are muddied and languishing in cerebral moments (“Holograms”).
The lyrics and vocals stand apart on many songs: otherwise moody content is offset by Daniel Finfer’s impressive range. He’s a competent vocalist: going from warm hooks to brooding tenor sections. There’s restraint to explore musical landscapes rather than overindulge a melody or hook. There’s even reference to Rene Descartes as he croons, “I’ll be the ghost in your machine.” Distinct themes reoccur – from the social commentary/relationship metaphor of a fire to existential, lonely malaise that recalls authors like Albert Camus or acts like the early Cure but layered in something more easily digestible and ironically catchy.
Final Grade: A-
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
A Perfect Explanation of The Singularity
The director of District 9 explains the Singularity, and the challenges we will face as we enter the Post Human Era.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
February 2010 Updates
So its February! Things are really heating up for me right now - we just played an awesome show at USC, and the subsequent party raised about $500 for Haiti, and the foundation we donated to matched it dollar-for-dollar, so around $1,000 is going down to those folks.
In other news, some of you may have noticed that more netlabels are releasing "To Build A Fire", our 2009 LP. This is an experimental marketing tactic I'm trying out - instead of being signed to one, exclusive label, I'm releasing it through multiple, "non-exclusive" labels. Think of it as a double-barrelled shotgun as opposed to a sniper rifle. Anyway, I'm almost done mixing our new album! This, I feel, is the album I SHOULD have written instead of "To Build A Fire". TBAF was mainly auto-biographical, about a failed relationship with someone with too many problems to fix, loosely shrouded in a metaphor of being lost in an icy landscape.
This new album is a concept album about me communicating with my future self to prevent the end of the world. Its not over-bearing, and this concept won't be immediately apparent. This album sounds a lot more, well, "post human"; very industrial and electronic; gritty and digital.
This will be the first album we will formally shop to record labels, radio stations, what have you. Very exciting times indeed. Aside from all that, I'm also building a new recording studio, where I will produce a few new side-projects with some very talented singers.
Alright! That's enough for now. Have a good day, and remember to keep speeding up.
Daniel
In other news, some of you may have noticed that more netlabels are releasing "To Build A Fire", our 2009 LP. This is an experimental marketing tactic I'm trying out - instead of being signed to one, exclusive label, I'm releasing it through multiple, "non-exclusive" labels. Think of it as a double-barrelled shotgun as opposed to a sniper rifle. Anyway, I'm almost done mixing our new album! This, I feel, is the album I SHOULD have written instead of "To Build A Fire". TBAF was mainly auto-biographical, about a failed relationship with someone with too many problems to fix, loosely shrouded in a metaphor of being lost in an icy landscape.
This new album is a concept album about me communicating with my future self to prevent the end of the world. Its not over-bearing, and this concept won't be immediately apparent. This album sounds a lot more, well, "post human"; very industrial and electronic; gritty and digital.
This will be the first album we will formally shop to record labels, radio stations, what have you. Very exciting times indeed. Aside from all that, I'm also building a new recording studio, where I will produce a few new side-projects with some very talented singers.
Alright! That's enough for now. Have a good day, and remember to keep speeding up.
Daniel
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