Anthony Garone recently interviewed Travis Orbin, Sophia Uddin, and I for his Youtube channel Make Weird Music:
The interview is about Travis’s 3 new solo releases, which you can hear below:
Physical copies of all 3 records can be purchased at Travis’s Big Cartel Store.
Over the past year, I have recorded the following in my home studio:
-Afroman’s beer ad dance song, ‘Cold Fro-T-5 and Two Frigg Fraggs’. I contributed the 808 drums and recorded Afroman rapping, singing, and playing guitar, bass, and keyboards.
-Travis Orbin’s sixth solo release ‘Finite II‘ came out today. I engineered Sophia Uddin’s violin parts:
I also ran sessions for the violin, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, and upright bass parts on Travis’s fifth release and debut full length, ‘Silly String II‘:
-Matt Tate’s bass parts on Stephan Thelen’s upcoming record ‘Fractal Guitar‘, featuring David Torn, Henry Kaiser, and Markus Reuter.
-I engineered, co-produced, and helped arrange the vocals on Baroche’s debut EP, ‘Sides‘:
I also recorded Sophia Uddin’s 7-string violin parts on the opening track.
-Two songs, ‘Viotar‘ and ‘El Touba‘ for Sophia Uddin’s group ‘Folklear Nuclei’.
-Sacha Mullin’s second Christmas EP, ‘Snow & Such‘, was entirely recorded and mixed in my apartment. I edited some vocals on his sophomore record ‘Duplex‘ and have been helping him to record demos for his next record. I also played keys with Sacha on Chicago Acoustic Underground, Episode 701.
-I recorded and performed a guest vocal spot on Instar’s track ‘One Word at a Time’ from their EP ‘The Ex Nihlio Cycle‘, also featuring Travis Orbin:
I am always available for engineering work, so contact me if you’re interested in hiring me.
Firstly, I’ve got a few shows coming up in Chicago. I have my first gig with Sacha Mullin since 2015 – it’s a CD release show for his new record Duplex. Sophia and I are doing a duo gig as The Gabriel Construct. Then Pavlov3 is reforming for our first gig of 2017.
-7/15/17 Sacha Mullin at Cafe Mustache (CD Release show)
-7/16/17 Gabriel/Sophia duo with Nine Worlds Ensemble at Uncommon Ground Devon
-8/28/17 Pavlov3 with Sonar at Reggies Music Joint
I’ve been working with Trey Gunn on a sheet music book for King Crimson’s THRAK for quite a few years now, and it ships September 1! You can preorder it here.
Here’s a sample… Bruford playing sextuplets phrased in 5s against a 4/4 groove while Fripp improvises:
On a somewhat related note, here is a sample of a piece I engraved and helped orchestrate for Markus Reuter:
Sun Trance by Markus Reuter (short cut) from Dennis Kuhn on Vimeo.
The Gabriel Construct’s live lineup has merged with Chapman Stick/U8 Touch Guitar player Matt Tate’s Pavlov3, essentially becoming one band with two leaders. We have a number of shows coming up.
-Pavlov3 @ Progtoberfest II on Saturday October 22, 2pm (Facebook) (Tickets)
We will be playing on the same day as many legends, including Mike Keneally and Trey Gunn. We couldn’t be more excited!
-The Gabriel Construct opening for Kayo Dot at Cobra Lounge! Sunday 10/23, 8PM (Facebook) (Tickets)
-Both bands @ Harding House Halloween Festival. Saturday October 29, 4pm (Facebook)
We will be playing alongside some of the best local Chicago bands, including a light sleeper, Origin of Animal, and Lovely Little Girls.
-Pavlov3 opening for Renaissance at Arcada Theater, St Charles, IL! Saturday 11/12, 8pm (Facebook) (Tickets)
-Pavlov3 opening for Felix Martin at Cobra Lounge! Sunday 11/13, 8pm (Facebook) (Tickets)
-Both bands @ Q-Bar in Darien, IL on Saturday November 18 at 8pm (Facebook)
This will be TGC’s first show outside of Chicago, and we’ll be playing alongside our friends in Legacy Black, who will be playing their first show ever!
-The Gabriel Construct headlining at Martyrs, Chicago, IL on December 12 (with The Phantom Broadcast and Conflux) (Facebook) (Tickets)
-Pavlov3 opening for Sons of Ra album release party @ Reggies Music Joint, Friday December 16 at 7pm (Facebook) (Tickets)
I am also working on a sheet music book for Pavlov3, which I imagine will be the second sheet music book ever for Chapman Stick and U8 Touch guitar. And on that note, the Stick Men drum book is complete and you can check out a bonus score and track from their new record here.
We will be playing a show at Beat Kitchen at 9PM on Wednesday September 7, 2016 with Gushing Cloud, Pavlov(3) and The Four Three. Bill Banks, Sophia Uddin, Thor Bremer and will be playing in both TGC and Matt Tate’s newly reconfigured Pavlov(3). We first played with Pavlov last October at Martyrs. I’m excited to finally share the stage with Matt!
The Four Three is trombonist Mike Hagedorn’s new trio with Alex Perkolup and Jeff Goulet, and this will be their second show (go check out their first one on Wednesday!). All three of them are members of Lovely Little Girls and Hot Garbage, and have been known to play with Cheer-Accident.
Gushing Cloud is the electronic solo project of saxophonist/bass player Cory Bengtsen (also of Lovely Little Girls and sometimes Cheer-Accident). This will be the first GC show in 2 years. Witness the madness below and I think you’ll be as excited to see this as I am:
We will be playing a show at The Elbo Room on Thursday March 24, 2016 with the following lineup:
8PM: LYBRIA
9PM: Sea Charms
10PM: The Gabriel Construct
11PM: Sacha Mullin (solo piano/vocal set)
Midnight: Balkan Blue Band
Tickets ($9)
Facebook event
Here is the first half of the first TGC show ever:
The video features performances of Arrival in a Distant Land, Retreat Underground, Subway Dwellers, and the first part of Fear of Humanity. Take a look at the full setlist, or check out an excerpt from Sacha Mullin’s opening set.
Here is a video of the song ‘Sun Dies’ from the show Sophia and I played with CHEER-ACCIDENT on June 19 (also featuring Sacha Mullin and Dante Kester, and also at Martyrs’):
Setlist – Sophia and I also performed on ‘Language Is’ and ‘Rockabilly’, and Sophia made an appearance on ‘Ice Cream and Lies’.
And here is some footage of a cover of the So Weird song ‘Questions’ from the first show I played as a sideman for Sacha (June 13th at The Burlington – setlist):
Logical Phalluses are the demented, sex-crazed alter-ego of The Gabriel Construct. Inspired by John Waters, John Cage, John Christ, John Zorn, John Cale, John Butler, John Tavener, John Frusciante, John Wetton, Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, Mr. Bungle, and Tronald Dumpf.
Lineup: see the lineup for Spinning Webs, plus Alex Ellsworth (cello)
‘Pyrorapture’ written by Skull Fist
‘Fred & Ethel’, ‘A Vacation in Your Spleen’ and artwork created by Blood Mask
Recorded and produced by Gabriel Riccio except:
Drums & percussion arranged, recorded and mixed by Travis Orbin
Piano on Pyro & F&E recorded by Jeremy Goody at Megasonic Studios
Mixed and Mastered by William Wells at Eeyore’s Lair
Drum tracking video:
Drum charts:
Pyrorapture – Drum Set | Percussion
Fred & Ethel – Drum Set | Percussion
The Gabriel Construct will be playing our first live show on October 5, 2015 at Martyrs Live in Chicago, IL (8PM). We will be appearing alongside tapping player Matt Tate’s band Pavlov and singer Sacha Mullin’s solo outfit. TGC’s lineup will be as follows:
Gabriel Riccio – Vocals, keys
Sophia Uddin – Violin, vocals
Jeff Siegfried – Sax, vocals
Sacha Mullin – Vocals, keys
Bill Banks – Guitar
Dante Kester – Bass
Thor Bremer – Drums
Bill Banks and I will also be appearing in Sacha Mullin’s band, so give his solo album a listen before coming out. We hope to see you there!
I apologize for the long silence. I think it’s about time for some news. Here is the current studio lineup of The Gabriel Construct:
Gabriel Riccio: Vocals, Electric Keyboards
Ben Rachbach: Acoustic Piano
Jeffrey Siegfried: Saxophones
Sophia Uddin: Violin
Greg Loman: Guitar
Tom Murphy: Bass
Travis Orbin: Drums
Ever since just before Interior City came out, we’ve been very slowly recording a new TGC record. The working title is ‘Spinning Webs’, but that is subject to change, as I haven’t written any lyrics yet. This time around, all of the drums are being tracked out of Travis’s home studio and the bulk of the other instruments are being recorded with Gabriel’s home studio. We’ve been taking our time on this record, so it may still be quite a while before it comes out. I apologize for the long wait – thank you all for your patience and support!
Travis, Tom and Sophia are all returning from the Interior City lineup. As for the new additions, Greg is a fantastic guitar player who plays with The Funk Ark, in addition to teaching music to wounded veterans with Musicorps to help them rehabilitate. Jeff is a saxophone graduate student from Northwestern University. Ben is an old friend of mine who helped me bring some of the music on Interior City and the upcoming record to life for the first time when we were in college – it seemed only natural to have him return for this record.
In addition to new TGC material, we’ve also been recording a number of side projects, mostly of a more lighthearted nature. Tracks from two of these projects are currently in the mastering phase, so you will hear them soon! They will be a good indicator of what to expect from this group of players and from our new home-oriented production approach.
I’ve decided to announce this now since I’m also currently assembling a live lineup for TGC, and I didn’t want to create any confusion by announcing both lineups simultaneously. Jeff and Sophia will also appear in the live lineup, but the rest of the players will be new!
