Recess

by Mikel Rouse

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about

Recorded between October 2008 and November 2009, Recess is a lyrical reflection on the state of the world economy and the “reset” taking place before our eyes and ears. Inspired by Rouse’s work with Merce Cunningham and iPods (Rouse completed a score for Cunningham, International Cloud Atlas, that incorporated iPods set to shuffle so that each audience member had a unique version of the score) Rouse has collected field recordings and then orchestrated those sounds with multiple voices and instruments. The field recordings reflect every imaginable sound, from a couples’ quarrel in a NYC park to cicadas in his native Missouri. Recordings of random conversations are vocally doubled and harmonized to enhance and heighten their meaning. While most people use mobile music players to “tune out” their environment, Recess takes the mobile device to a truly collaborative level. The experience of listening to Recess on an mp3 player or iPod while walking though a city environment is a new kind of mobile listening experience. WARNING: Extreme caution should be used while listening to this music in a public environment or while driving.

credits

released 07 December 2010
Written, Arranged and Produced by Mikel Rouse
Recorded and mixed October 2008 -
November 2009 at CENTER OF THE EARTH, NYC.
Mastered at CENTER OF THE EARTH, NYC.
Field recordings from New York City, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi and Toronto, Ontario. Design and photography by M+R NYC.

tags

tags: alternative alternative classical electronic New York

license

all rights reserved

feeds

feeds for this album, this artist
Track Name: Dolls & Dreams
Dolls & Dreams

You can’t go out, you can’t be free
A million times I’ve tried to see
And when you’re sure you’ll never win
Come back some day and try again

Dolls & dreams
Dolls & dreams

You need a minute, right?
Thinkin’ about it all the way here, right?
I could be suitable
Saving up time for a disco nap

Picket my poverty I was on the right side of the law
Try to keep up with me I was something better than you saw
Dolls and dreamology try to keep the rubber from the road
See what you wanna see: savings for consumers’ lock ‘n load
Dreams were inside of me now I’m on a shortlist for the end
Everyone oughta be trying to roll over what they lend

You can’t go out, you can’t be free
A million times I’ve tried to see
And when you’re sure you’ll never win
Come back some day and try again

Dolls & dreams
Dolls & dreams
Track Name: Cutting Class
Cutting Class

Taking a stand at the mini bar
Taking a stand at the mini bar
Cutting class, cutting class
Cutting class alone

Promises breaking the bank-promises filling the tank
Promises left you alone-promises threw you a bone
Alone alone alone alone alone
If only-if only alone
Alone alone alone alone

If only there were two of you
One for me and one for you
If only there were two of you
One for me and one for you
If only-if only alone

All these people will be
All these people will be your enemy
All these people will be
All these people will be your enemy

Being old is like being young but not as young today
And misery loves company especially when they pay
The world walks by indifferently
The years are thrown away
Being young is like being old but not as old today
I wanted to save the world
Now I just wanna save the world from me

Promises alone cutting class
If only there were two of you
One for me and one for you
If only-if only alone
Breaking the bank, filling the tank
Left you alone-threw you a bone

Being old is like being young but not as young today
And misery loves company especially when they pay
The world walks by indifferently
The years are thrown away
Being young is like being old but not as old today
I wanted to save the world
Now I just wanna save the world from me
Track Name: What You Want
What You Want

If that’s what you need to do then do it
I’m not gonna sit here and you know and
and beg you and plead with you. Unbelievable!

You’re talkin’.
I’m telling you how I feel.
So hear what I’m going through.

You haven’t been talkin’ yet you’ve done nothing
but like gone crazy went in circles.
Crazy and simple you know what
I’m talking about my job.

What’s going on with your job?
What’s goin’ on with your job
they cut you like one hour a week?
What’s goin’ on Oh My God
What’s goin’ on Oh My God

Are you sure? Very sure? Pressure point
One two three four five six seven eight nine OK?
You don’t hurt anymore
Better. Why? You don’t hurt anymore
Why? Better you don’t hurt anymore

Mommy, mommy. Think back.
I can see that you’re in charge.
Oh I’m very much in charge. I’m very much in
charge except in my own life. You can deal with this.
I have no choice. I fire my assistant and I fire people
that don’t even work for me.
I’m very much out of control.
I’m so out of control I pay my therapist. My own
therapist won’t even take my calls. He won’t even help
me anymore. Oh My God. Have a lovely day.

They all have names
MySpace profiles. That they maintain themselves.
You are very talented-you are very talented.
You’re never goin’ back-keep goin’ back
You’re never goin’ back-keep goin’ back
You are very talented

I don’t know what you want from me
I don’t know what you want from me

You may be feeling better
You may be feeling better
You may be feeling better but your risk never goes away
You may be feeling better but your risk never goes away
Track Name: Plug Nickel
Plug Nickel

I’m not sorry I don’t wonder anymore
Got no answers and bad credit like before
I don’t get it-House and Senate-it won’t fly
Take this mortgage take this money by and by
Over easy out of ideas out of steam
Continental, JP Morgan: the cream team

I’m a lucky guy.
Here’s the reason why: this plug nickel life

Most people charmed by their thoughtful ignorance
Politicians camping online on the fence
Single payer city mayor out of steam
Bonwit Teller-preppie princess-Field & Stream
America under focus PBS
Super cable and Anderson Vanderbilt

I’m a lucky guy.
Here’s the reason why: this plug nickel life

Almost forty-almost fifty-fifty two
Take a morning or a lifetime just to do
All this packing-point of order-no return
Better living entry-level crash and burn
I got buried in arrangements like before
I took tickets out of ideas by the score
I’m not bitter I’m just tired of the fight
Drink to forget drink to regret drink all night!

I’m a lucky guy. I don’t even try.
I will live and die never knowing why
Time to say goodbye to this plug nickel life
Track Name: Designing Women
Designing Women

I like the bread. The bread likes you.
Look at that. Budweiser and what you say?
I’m so happy to see you. Thank you.
Look at that. You’re so fun.

What runs around in my head
In a suit, in a suit on the green board.
That the only thing that they know is
what they see on TV or the Internet.
And it’s like advertising and you have
some hack leg come along. Some hack leg.

Designing women that never listen
Nutcracker action people
And here’s a lesson: what’s more is less than
Nutcracker action people
Designing women that keep on giving
Misapprehension, misappropriation, even misuse
They’re on a mission in every kitchen
Misapprehension, misappropriation, even misuse
Designing women that never listen
Designing women to love

So my computer crashes when I crash it.
When I crash it and I’ll shake and bake it.
Would you like a Medicare For All flyer?
Being in control of your own destiny so to speak.
I wanna fuckin’ build my own goddamn documentary
and say it the way I wanna say it.
Working history books that I got.

What runs around in my head
In a suit, in a suit on the green board.
The insurance companies are scrambling around
trying to figure out all the scenarios.
Misapprehension, misappropriation, even misuse.
Nutcracker action people.
I like the bread. The bread likes you.
And it’s like advertising and you have
some hack leg come along. Some hack leg.

I’m so happy to see you.
I’m so happy to see you.
You’re so fun-you’re so fun.
Budweiser and what you say?
I’m so happy to see you. You’re so fun.
And I’ll shake and bake it.

Designing women that never listen
That never crawl out of bed
And here’s a lesson: what’s more is less than
Less than waking up dead
Designing women that keep on giving
And give a bad name to luck
They’re on a mission in every kitchen
In every nip and tuck
Designing women that never listen
Designing women to love
Because it was too expensive for them to provide it
Track Name: Everything
Everything

Look at the size of this guy.
Hail Caesar! No headlines. Hail Caesar! No breadlines.
What’s wrong with Caesar? What’s wrong with you?
What’s wrong in this world you hang on to?
Everything
Don’t even ask. I’m gonna hate it.
Oh, don’t even ask
‘cause I’m not even asking myself.

Everything sit down. Sit down. Sit down.

Then she got spooked.
Yes, and mom got up to face them.
She said something to them but they were, um,
let’s say black and ghetto.
Hail Caesar! No headlines. Hail Caesar! No breadlines.
So you could imagine you shouldn’t be yellin’ and screamin’.

Everything sit down. Sit down. Sit down.

The reality that we’re alone, the reality is sinking in.
What’s wrong with Peter? What’s wrong with Pam?
What’s wrong with fairytales on demand?
Everything
Tolerance is the word we just don’t need it.
Years ago I could handle that.
Track Name: Family Dollar
Family Dollar

I’m updating Apps on my phone.
Is it itchin’? Liquid skin. Artificial skin.
Eat my advertisement and don’t think twice
Love through music and love through vice
Bright as nothing and nothing nights
Shooting down the dead satellites

I don’t know what it’s called but I’ve heard it that
referred to as liquid skin and artificial skin
and I don’t know…
The maintenance of success
Shooting down the dead satellites

Early on we had a bad tick problem
but then it got cool and I think that helped alleviate it
and then it got so dry. That helped. So I don’t know.
See early on dad would go out and you know be out in the yard
mowing or weed eating or whatever
and he’d come in and
he’d say, “Is that a tic on me”?
And I’d pull I don’t know how many of
those little seed tics off of him.

Well, you know I trapped one. Took him off to the river.
What’s Apps? An application. Oh. Then they came back
and then one day they just disappeared. Don’t get comfortable.
I quit putting out hummingbird feed for one thing.
They have them in Kansas City too is all I’m saying.
I don’t worry about it ‘cause I don’t get into it anyway.
Dad’s got nine. Everything’s modern in Kansas City.

We got enough money to have a good time.
What’s his is mine and what’s mine is mine.
I said, “Well, when I see you, you can retrieve it”.
Maybe it’s choice and maybe it’s fine. Are you homeless?
Maybe it’s the choice of phrases in time.
The Arkansas line they had thousands of utility poles down.
Maybe it’s socialized baseball. What is that thing?

This is the birthplace of rock ‘n roll music.
It is the only the most important room
in all of rock ‘n roll history.
Sun Studio. This is where all these guys got their start.
I said I read the book and I can’t figure it out.
Normally, used to, I could read the book
and do anything like that.
I’m trying to figure out it’s all symbols, you know.
And I said I hadn’t figured it out.
Well the book is… it’s the same book.

Michael’s milk cow done died
Michael‘s milk cow done died
Love is all you see loving family
Family dollar
He said we’ll have them set the clock
and I said no he said
well why I said well this is January
and the time’s gonna change in March.
So I just adjust it in my mind and that’s it.
Track Name: Coward
Coward

Why do we drink?
Everyone’s a coward until they get around to it
They get inside of it
I don’t wanna be you do you wanna be you do you?
Did you ever want to?
Cattle in the morning on their way to the wrong system
It’s either me or them
Simple when you crunch it
The numbers have their own logic their reason to exist

Everyone’s a number so baby watch them tumble down
And make a terror town
Unlimited matter I’m showing off my Mick Jagger
He’s still around you know
Maybe when we’re older the world will turn its cheek again
Forgetting where it’s been
Do the baked potato and everyone will never know
What took so long to grow
And everyone’s a coward until they get around to it
They see outside of it

Everybody’s waiting around
Waiting around. Why do we drink?
Track Name: Is That Money
Is That Money

Is that money look at that
Is that money remember that remember that
There she goes there she goes
Is that money there she goes

Is that money look at that that’s a man right there
Is that money remember that it’s all part of the act
Throw that money out the window there she goes

I diagnosed myself by watching machines work
I’m on a rendezvous with nothing left to lose
The weather’s never right it’s unpredictable
There is no rule we wanna believe that there’s a plan
There is no plan and it never stops

There she goes there she goes
Is that money there she goes

Is that money look at that that’s a man right there
Is that money remember that it’s all part of the act
Throw that money out the window there she goes
They spread it all over the fucking highway
Track Name: Failure
Failure

You make me talk about failure
Making believe I am through
Catching a light from a trailer
You make believe that the problem is me and not you

You disappear in the morning
You may have already gone
Left planet earth without warning
Ending’s the very beginning when life gets too long

On your own if it’s done life gets lonely for you for me

I wake up every morning
Cheating death most of the time
I skipped the rope and the warning
Everyone’s different and everyone’s standing in line

All the time never mind life gets lonely for you for me
As long as it’s gone adding on no more
failure for you for me

Everyone sticks to the center
Maybe it’s where they belong
Exiting where they would enter
Ending’s the very beginning when life gets too long

Everyday brings a new failure
Drifters and sidecars abound
Walking the walk about failure
Maybe success is reserved for the last one around

Lost and found underground life gets lonely
for you for me
As long as it’s gone adding on no more
failure for you for me
On your own if it’s done life gets lonely for you for me
As long as it’s gone adding on no more
failure for you for me
Track Name: Empty Nest
Empty Nest

The world I looked into the world
We end up where we started we end up where we start
We end up where we started we end

Here come that database again
When did that become your best friend?
How’s that trickle down for you tonight
This new version of market-lite?

Will we monetize everything?
We just monetized everything
Trickle down to your empty nest
Trickle down to your emptiness

Sunrise again sunrise again
I looked into the world sunrise again
Autumn in New York that you can’t afford
Cheering strangers she’s really coming on to you
Track Name: Courage
Courage

Courage wake up brittle as a crutch
Nothing no free lunch
Capitals gain capitols touch
I settle now my finder’s fee remarkable for me
Forgetting god flakes around
Returns the subject line god flakes

Courage wake up brittle as a crutch
Courage wake up nothing no free lunch
Capitals gain capitols touch
And I miss you so much

Courage just woke up brittle as a crutch
nothing no free lunch
Call the cavalry every century one or two agree
Sitting on her hands courage when she lands
look at all the fans
Naked and afraid courage just got laid something someone said

I swear it’s only fair
Forgetting god flakes around
Returns the subject line god flakes
Courage wake up
I swear I settle now my finder’s fee
Remarkable for me
Brittle as a crutch forgetting
Returns the subject line: capitols gain
Capitals touch