Travis’s fourth solo EP, ‘Finite’, is out now! It’s written for four instruments – drums, violin (performed by TGC’s own Sophia Uddin and recorded by me), bass (Cameron McLellan returns) and synth. Give it a listen or purchase a copy at Bandcamp:

Or check out Travis’s tracking video:

Read more about the EP at http://travisorbin.com/Finite.htm.

On a related note, Sophia has launched a website, which can be found here. She has also uploaded some chamber music, which can be heard at Soundcloud. I play the inside of the piano on this folk arrangement:

Travis’s third solo EP, Projects II, is out now. It’s a bit like Projects with synths. Adam Edgement (Dyed in Grey) returns on guitar duty, while Cameron McLellan (Protest the Hero) delivers a blistering bass performance in his first appearance on Orbin’s music. I had the pleasure of playing keys and recording a sax freakout by TGC’s own Jeff Seigfried for the final track. Give it a listen below or purchase a copy at Bandcamp:

Here is Travis’s full tracking video for this EP:

Read more on the EP at http://travisorbin.com/ProjectsII.htm.

Daev Tremblay of Can This Even Be Called Music? (one of my favorite blogs for experimental music) contacted me with a rather unusual request on Thursday – he wanted me to soothingly sing protest lyrics against Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper over some experimental black metal. This sounded appealing to me both musically and politically, so I decided to give it a try. However, he needed it done by the next morning, so I knocked this out in a few hours. This is possibly the fastest I’ve ever finished a track, and while I would consider my vocal performance a demo in a lot of ways (I didn’t warm up, tracked the whole thing sitting down, and many of the takes are first takes, or even the very moment that I came up with the melodic line), I’m strangely satisfied by it. Enjoy!

Travis’s second solo EP, Silly String, is now available! It’s a bit more adventurous and synth-driven than his first EP, and I had the pleasure of engineer and re-amping guitars and bass on the first two tracks, in addition to providing compositional feedback along the way. Greg Loman of TGC & Funk Ark performed the guitars and bass on the first track. The great Pete Peterson was responsible for all of the synths and the EP’s mix, in addition to the bass on the final track. Give it a listen below or purchase a copy at Bandcamp:

As usual, Travis has posted a tracking video for all but the last song (which can be seen here):

GARMONBOZIA is a new duo featuring Sophia Uddin (violin) and Gabriel Riccio (keyboards). Here are our first three improvisations:

Travis Orbin’s first solo EP is out now! Travis was assisted by guitarist Adam Edgemont of Dyed in Grey in realizing this mind-bending take on modern instrumental progressive metal. Pick up a copy at Bandcamp or give it a stream:

Travis has posted a big tracking video for all but the first song, so check that out:

Temporary Thought Exchange

A head self-severed from a body
Floats up to the clouds like a helium balloon

Gazing down upon the earth dissolves boundaries between once separate designs
Identity release

Never touching the ground wire

Find another mind up here
The heads join at the base
Two spheres form infinity
Distinct beliefs unite

Orgasmic mental mingling
Then floating comfortably
A temporary thought exchange
Eternal moments leave

It burns as the bond between the heads is broken by the wind
They are blown in opposite directions, separated

Drifting back down as they deflate
Having touched the ground wire, the head rejoins the body.