tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33143996650059880652024-03-13T15:57:25.131-07:00Victorious CombinationsThe adventures of Combine the VictoriousVictorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.comBlogger234125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-20858659022958708242024-03-04T16:43:00.000-08:002024-03-04T16:43:42.502-08:00Danser tout le temps - Streaming everywhere!<p> We are very excited about our new single "danser tout le temps". It is our first time going back to the dance rock sound we started out with in a long time. With Dan Clement's influence I think our sound has gotten a lot more lively and we are pushing up the tempo to match. Danser is the result of our collaborations and it is plain to hear the difference. </p><p>Listen anywhere you want it is streaming now! <a href="https://songwhip.com/combinethevictorious/danser-tout-le-temps">click thru</a></p><p>It is a small note that the mix on Spotify and YouTube are slightly different.We made a funny intro to the song on the first demo where we added in a big crowd sound effect and Isabelle gave a <i>Bonsoir Paris!</i> into the mic. </p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-JPVHyp21K5VpF9fAjA_XhgK_xd36qQtHXw5fBYVjTCr6b3yj3PPf_W9FMEuP0btykyit6IiPnIl35g_Ahzmlz8N7fcKfuZSFUEeyruSdwMdzxSIvj5TlTPargBsmubuzr9i0txbM9BzIBaYyTnfZhHZmEfg_6ACbRVIoC5NCFtlXdya2NkMN7Nxwtc0/s2163/CV-%20Danser%20tout%20le%20temps%20single%20cover2.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2155" data-original-width="2163" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-JPVHyp21K5VpF9fAjA_XhgK_xd36qQtHXw5fBYVjTCr6b3yj3PPf_W9FMEuP0btykyit6IiPnIl35g_Ahzmlz8N7fcKfuZSFUEeyruSdwMdzxSIvj5TlTPargBsmubuzr9i0txbM9BzIBaYyTnfZhHZmEfg_6ACbRVIoC5NCFtlXdya2NkMN7Nxwtc0/s320/CV-%20Danser%20tout%20le%20temps%20single%20cover2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Our watch the <a href="https://youtu.be/IOF0LUV0dkA?si=zwgyKKT08-OqKx1c">video</a>, which has been very well received I'm happy to say.</p><p>Thanks for reading, lots of music on go these days. Looking forward to June 8th at the Rickshaw! </p><p><br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-82103391664326810752024-02-24T13:10:00.000-08:002024-02-24T13:10:34.542-08:00Soundcloud and Bandcamp - Danser tout le temps<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUjEd4ayY2yYgM5wX6-XDnIgSQvPvj9hM7Jf3SrETpKF7BErrwtqiF2h32E3oPUgHkypJOINGO44x6wL59aQzftXshZMcomBrMAmQxmDb1pq_nV4zYuhyphenhyphend8MZhwZJyeM1TkvEpB-O8dgjGgpVCBl8tnWosQbRkMJ8Yneu7c6_7A37xg3xHbVe7JpfA3VG/s2163/CV-%20Danser%20tout%20le%20temps%20single%20cover2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2155" data-original-width="2163" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUjEd4ayY2yYgM5wX6-XDnIgSQvPvj9hM7Jf3SrETpKF7BErrwtqiF2h32E3oPUgHkypJOINGO44x6wL59aQzftXshZMcomBrMAmQxmDb1pq_nV4zYuhyphenhyphend8MZhwZJyeM1TkvEpB-O8dgjGgpVCBl8tnWosQbRkMJ8Yneu7c6_7A37xg3xHbVe7JpfA3VG/s320/CV-%20Danser%20tout%20le%20temps%20single%20cover2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />We have set up our new song "<i>Danser tout le temps</i>" to be available for streaming or purchase on our respective <b>Soundcloud</b> and <b>Bandcamp</b> pages. <p></p><p> </p><p>Please click through to either if you are a patron. </p><p> </p><p><a href="https://soundcloud.com/combine-the-victorious/danser-tout-le-temps">Soundcloud</a> <br /></p><p><a href="https://combinethevictorious.bandcamp.com/track/danser-tout-le-temps">Bandcamp</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The single will be released onto all streaming platforms on March 1, 2024. <br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-29365168701236537172024-02-20T14:05:00.000-08:002024-02-20T14:07:15.959-08:00New Video - New Single: Danser tout le temps<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMy7K3tJRBUPWe_30YBcLUGzCeU5059TRConMlo87xi-amCFNv0Ma-PeP213fB7UaKISFTUlCmt6efL6-YzYOaHSiElyCXGxHB1fLo3cw1dQoY_MVhB9gUiMKzVLci4fCnpC09S_VITo48-37M4-MzM72UeXYcphP6gXazHFEukIUiVzQyWBNVeW6D7Zs/s2163/CV-%20Danser%20tout%20le%20temps%20single%20cover2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2155" data-original-width="2163" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMy7K3tJRBUPWe_30YBcLUGzCeU5059TRConMlo87xi-amCFNv0Ma-PeP213fB7UaKISFTUlCmt6efL6-YzYOaHSiElyCXGxHB1fLo3cw1dQoY_MVhB9gUiMKzVLci4fCnpC09S_VITo48-37M4-MzM72UeXYcphP6gXazHFEukIUiVzQyWBNVeW6D7Zs/w200-h199/CV-%20Danser%20tout%20le%20temps%20single%20cover2.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /> We are extremely happy to release this new single. It reflects the change in sound we've developed since adding <b>Daniel Clement</b> on guitar. <i><b>Danser tout le temps</b></i> is a fun exploration into disco, This video is our first collaboration with Vancouver artist <b>Jean Vercoe</b>, who was the camera operator on the night. We invited a handful of friends to come down to the <b>Boutique Empire </b>studio in East Van. to help us film a video for the song. My reasoning was that we'd look better on camera if we were actually playing our instruments and singing rather than just acting, plus having an audience tends to pull a performance out of you. Big thanks to Minna, Phoebe, Shephanie, Cindy, Sean, Mike and Matt for having fun with us. <p></p><p><br /></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IOF0LUV0dkA?si=V_XrNgRdIE5hcfJ9" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<p>Video filmed and edited at Boutique Empire Studio</p><p>Produced by Boutique Empire</p><p>Camera Operator - Jean Vercoe</p><p>Directer, editor - Mark R Henning</p><p><br /></p><p>Music produced by Mark R Henning</p><p>Recorded and mixed at Boutique Empire Studio, Vancouver, Canada</p><p>Words and music - Combine the Victorious (Dunlop, Henning, Clement)</p><p>Vocals and synths ; Isabelle Dunlop, Mark Henning</p><p>Guitars and backing vocals - Daniel Clement</p><p>Bass and drum machine - Mark Henning</p><p>Congas and percussion - Greg Hanberry</p><p>©2024 CombinetheVictorious <br /></p>
Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-10451500728441573032024-02-02T14:19:00.000-08:002024-02-06T11:00:27.507-08:00Opening for Images In Vogue!<p> We are very pleased to announce we will be opening for Images In Vogue on June 8th at the mighty </p><p>Rickshaw Theatre. </p><p><br /></p><p>Images In Vogue were the first Vancouver band i ever saw. It might have even predated seeing The Police at the Coliseum, certainly the venue was different. Back in the early eighties, I was still in highschool, but Images In Vogue has a song that was on the radio and even on late night video shows. I don't remember if I saw their stuff on Much Music. </p><p>The cool news was this synth band was playing an all ages place call the Soft Rock Cafe. It was a curious venue, that if memory serves me right, was a bakery in the front and then in behind the counter there was a big room with a small stage in the back. I'd love to see pictures again if anyone has any. </p><p>The night was really fun, I'm sure it was Dan, Callan and I, and we drove into Vancouver from White Rock. The place was busy when we got there and I recall seeing a whole bunch of Sequential Circuits synths on stage with a Simmons electronic drum kit all wired up together. It seemed so futuristic. Then they played their songs with those big analog sounds and Dale the singer sounding wonderfully romantic through the PA. It hooked me into my fascination with synthesizers and gave me the impression that cool bands can come from your hometown too.</p><p>I had the pleasure of meeting Joe and Glen at our last show at the Princeton and I confess to being a little self-conscious when we performed in front of them that night. So this is a real treat to be able to open for them in June.</p><p> Hope you can make the show, when the Rickshaw sells out it is a joyous venue!</p><p>Thanks for reading,</p><p>Mark</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QBYtYFWXdm8?si=egq5LBZyT0IAF7fe" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-41380274732084120352024-01-23T14:55:00.000-08:002024-01-23T14:55:33.050-08:00Danser tout le temps Video<p> We filmed an in studio performance of our next single "Danser tout le temps" with some friends last week. Our good friend and artist Sean McFarland, also know as Jean Vercoe within the painting world, brought out his gear and we played our song a bunch of times in front or our friends. Never ones to stop at the simple of course we set up the lights in a way that I knew would allow me to do some drastic post effects too. Plus we all have strong recollections of the eighties and backlighting was always a cool trick in those days. </p><p>Here are a couple frames I've grabbed while editing. I am very impressed with how good the image is, Sean pulled off a few tricks for us! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPStVLxt_NufE_xrRBqBUnp1ZVifJ-Xc1JMDpQ03m8y4utcfooGMVzyXelioRCJuVgfg6RfUSbh1k1plFD7Lsxf8EEq7Cp6kiSx2OEKyGVeCmXgjBZydzmor2sI0kAg2Hs1V_DXoyH1Y7lQLv5x-RSKxLZckiY8cavcSNM6qw8ieaiLx54hA9Ed65haIMO/w640-h360/CV-Danser%20Video%20capture%203.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Danser tout le temps- video Sean McFarland<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEfQG1v9fO0HMdmm-wn-XjZWY9h7u4SSVT_SL8Xv7EW_3kD-Ey7uXf68nCv6X5YYmpfK_X_PY-SepMRVu2p15SKrFcA_e3Zp1NfPOmGXHEo1jLdgfH9FWQG2PMdND2-6g-ZITleVyQmg3JWZKg7TxdSvkyv2ho4dyugdX6BL5RXexYMOzQ5RqU0YWttnPn/s3840/CV%20Danser%20video%20grab%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEfQG1v9fO0HMdmm-wn-XjZWY9h7u4SSVT_SL8Xv7EW_3kD-Ey7uXf68nCv6X5YYmpfK_X_PY-SepMRVu2p15SKrFcA_e3Zp1NfPOmGXHEo1jLdgfH9FWQG2PMdND2-6g-ZITleVyQmg3JWZKg7TxdSvkyv2ho4dyugdX6BL5RXexYMOzQ5RqU0YWttnPn/s3840/CV%20Danser%20video%20grab%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEfQG1v9fO0HMdmm-wn-XjZWY9h7u4SSVT_SL8Xv7EW_3kD-Ey7uXf68nCv6X5YYmpfK_X_PY-SepMRVu2p15SKrFcA_e3Zp1NfPOmGXHEo1jLdgfH9FWQG2PMdND2-6g-ZITleVyQmg3JWZKg7TxdSvkyv2ho4dyugdX6BL5RXexYMOzQ5RqU0YWttnPn/w640-h360/CV%20Danser%20video%20grab%201.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danser tout le temps- video Sean McFarland<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHfigGK9a0M1CKur6aUSYr-cYMXln9p6ngdTY8HrbaGFpjE5bCYAVkpJRXqLOQHXStfXepQLP4CiaqlwZ1kRFK95CAvFNARC83ny8_FtOMKNbYgwKgLMj9VQFxOnJfePhUsKWy_Dc30JH6i_eO5KFJzVcV4IbkWSmc_oiq68-tp9iDTmTHk2uSb81M762/s3840/Danser%20video%20grab%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHfigGK9a0M1CKur6aUSYr-cYMXln9p6ngdTY8HrbaGFpjE5bCYAVkpJRXqLOQHXStfXepQLP4CiaqlwZ1kRFK95CAvFNARC83ny8_FtOMKNbYgwKgLMj9VQFxOnJfePhUsKWy_Dc30JH6i_eO5KFJzVcV4IbkWSmc_oiq68-tp9iDTmTHk2uSb81M762/w640-h360/Danser%20video%20grab%202.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danser tout le temps - video Sean McFarland<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We are getting close to done on this video, it will go up on YouTube first! <br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-33381246744226832812024-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:002024-01-11T10:00:00.136-08:00Next performance - January 25th Cascade Room<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWZLltWZaV7nupL6xts8uefoStF50e3jOoD0JbPUSdVLxY3YcCE4I4QxxpRNdvvBmk0nppi8PfHK_9np_47EO7xD20NrEBYW1S4wLK8Ang7DcuFOHRp1Nd-d__RKueXbXTNLMe5QwiYQHovx8Q_VEx99jxPjSprkCG18P8n9pAmXQmOUCG7TcQC5fX8ti/s1920/CV2024%20Cascade%20Room%20Jan%2025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWZLltWZaV7nupL6xts8uefoStF50e3jOoD0JbPUSdVLxY3YcCE4I4QxxpRNdvvBmk0nppi8PfHK_9np_47EO7xD20NrEBYW1S4wLK8Ang7DcuFOHRp1Nd-d__RKueXbXTNLMe5QwiYQHovx8Q_VEx99jxPjSprkCG18P8n9pAmXQmOUCG7TcQC5fX8ti/w360-h640/CV2024%20Cascade%20Room%20Jan%2025.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Edmonds original art and layout<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>We return to the Cascade Room on Robbie Burns Night, January 25th. </p><p>Show starts approximately 9PM</p><p>Come early for the Robbie Burns night celebrations and join us for some music and dancing! </p><p>Reservations are recommended. </p><p><span class=" fc-falcon"><b>The Cascade Room</b>, 2616 Main Street, Vancouver</span></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-19455537753085008482024-01-10T22:56:00.000-08:002024-01-10T22:56:32.182-08:00New single, new video coming soon!<p> We had a fun night in the Boutique Empire studio on Monday evening, when Sean McFarland (aka Jean Vercoe) took to the camera and filmed us performing live in the studio our new single "Danser Tour le Temps." In effort to give the video a little more authenticity we actually played our parts to a small group for friends who heard it for the first time. A little bit of dancing and fun was had by all! <br /></p><p>Tonight Isabelle and I had the chance to have a first look at the footage and cut together a rough edit to start building our next video. It is turning out really well and big thanks to everyone who came out on that rainy Monday night to help us celebrate our new single. Progress is being made, the video is looking good and the song is set for mastering. We shall be setting the release date very soon!</p><p><br /></p><p>Here's just a quick glance at one of the shots we liked from the video.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0v7ZLK5roOdrDDeYk1-5KCecwFhvCg_ZRnpdqgnBe6709xpEvpuQQ5QcRYikaEInT4_Ov59GCU4e2Z-oSkjTRFy5WJy1-MZQNMs0inclTjhlSyEovKtkIlxbKZc1yGhhRTqLF42iGAVnWQbNs7P3Rai9kS-DcPJFAQ2Y2XB76VVyDirnCF4tWT_YVKQ-/s3840/Danser%20video%20grab%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0v7ZLK5roOdrDDeYk1-5KCecwFhvCg_ZRnpdqgnBe6709xpEvpuQQ5QcRYikaEInT4_Ov59GCU4e2Z-oSkjTRFy5WJy1-MZQNMs0inclTjhlSyEovKtkIlxbKZc1yGhhRTqLF42iGAVnWQbNs7P3Rai9kS-DcPJFAQ2Y2XB76VVyDirnCF4tWT_YVKQ-/w640-h360/Danser%20video%20grab%202.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-13301254656442290202023-12-15T16:15:00.000-08:002023-12-15T16:15:54.957-08:00New member Daniel Clement<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBR2Yjkh-lyZl_wTcP28oWyYT1hm0rH4ePRX5OLjWAGZSbcEJTKHPYvxcOAWlrK3zDsvZKaBgi_sAdNgzSAPwTqGhMv6b8yZstihKx3bKDMdWstG60G4cT2LTVg3vufDMlVo9W4NHcDhltmgWBiTOnQLk0bzhilqsU2huCUW34hMoSCtPHMvvSwmLrTP6/s6458/Cv%20%231_1.2.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4308" data-original-width="6458" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBR2Yjkh-lyZl_wTcP28oWyYT1hm0rH4ePRX5OLjWAGZSbcEJTKHPYvxcOAWlrK3zDsvZKaBgi_sAdNgzSAPwTqGhMv6b8yZstihKx3bKDMdWstG60G4cT2LTVg3vufDMlVo9W4NHcDhltmgWBiTOnQLk0bzhilqsU2huCUW34hMoSCtPHMvvSwmLrTP6/w499-h333/Cv%20%231_1.2.1.jpg" width="499" /></a></div>For the past two years we have been playing music with my long time friend <b>Daniel Clement</b> on guitar. Dan and I have been friends since highschool, and shared our first band together back in the 80's in White Rock, B.C. After many decades of creating independently we have rejoined forces to enhance the sound of<b> Combine the Victorious. </b><p></p><p>Isabelle and I have been writing together since 2005. We've had several successful song licenses to television and film over the years but we have always remained primarily a studio project. With Dan's addition on guitar our sound is more complete and we feel better represented when we play live. His influence has helped up find faster songs for the repertoire and accelerated the writing and recording process; we already have our next single (Danser Tout le Temps) recorded and ready for mastering and three more tunes are waiting in the wings for us to finish off. It's very fun and exciting. This year we've played more live shows than any in our history and I expect we will play many more in 2024. </p><p>So here's a cheers for the momentum and the promise of a lot more to come. </p><p>Thanks for reading. </p><p>Mark<br /></p><p> <br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-23409595347408534562023-12-11T15:43:00.000-08:002023-12-11T18:54:44.704-08:00Danser Tout le Temps<p> We have been recording a new single this past month. It is a funny one that emerged quite naturally right before a rehearsal. I had been sorting through my overly large and needlessly over complicated Ableton Live set and hit a wrong scene and a basic four on the floor kick and hi hat pattern played. The scene had been set at 130 bpm though, which is much faster than most of the songs we play, so it set me to playing a simple octave sequence on A. It had a Kraftwerk-like charm.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbslF8CFYe0TOEneW2ryIM3ctiKXwZhoo-DwgrNOxD2Gq2PkfJPohffFzluYqD04dn0y4ahnN209o3pQ5RIFXnHalDKIyweP5IpYB33Gi8wGavvGYTtPNxVnBUAVkj67d0cJ25mFJDIsF_zT6kexEQpeS70Wmdn9Ej4Hgiv1gBh0KZ4enLPl1wI54L5mO/s6458/Cv%20%231_1.2.1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4308" data-original-width="6458" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbslF8CFYe0TOEneW2ryIM3ctiKXwZhoo-DwgrNOxD2Gq2PkfJPohffFzluYqD04dn0y4ahnN209o3pQ5RIFXnHalDKIyweP5IpYB33Gi8wGavvGYTtPNxVnBUAVkj67d0cJ25mFJDIsF_zT6kexEQpeS70Wmdn9Ej4Hgiv1gBh0KZ4enLPl1wI54L5mO/w400-h266/Cv%20%231_1.2.1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> When Isabelle and Dan (Daniel Clement is our new guitarist) arrived I played them the core elements and Dan quickly came up with the arpeggio guitar part, which later came to define the chorus. Isabelle left the room momentarily but when she returned she was singing in French! Why? dunno, but it all felt right. <i><b>Danser tout le Temps</b></i> was born! <br /><p></p><p>We jammed on it for a few rehearsals and even tried a super loose version of it at our last Cascade Room gig. It wasn't fully realized at that point though, and a couple cool things were still to come.</p><p>Our friend and sometimes live-band member Greg Hanberry came to the studio a week later and we recorded a conga part that gave the song the human energy it needed. He wasn't content to leave it with just congas though so went thru his percussion case and hit, shook, and played everything that would make a noise. It was great but did make deciding on which fit the song a fun challenge.<br /></p><p>Once we had the main instrumentation right Isabelle came in to record her lead vocal. We even asked a friend to come and help us with the French. I wanted to ensure we were saying something understandable to a French person. (Thank you Nathalie!) With her advice we figured out what we needed to say and even managed to keep it rhyming. Dan shocked me with his falsetto. You will hear it in the big disco section at the climax of the song, I think it was the highest note he's ever sung. Kinda crazy. <br /></p><p> The mix has been interesting to figure out. Even though it's a dance song we don't want it to be a banger, so finding the balance between song and dance has been the majority of the effort. I messed with the arrangement for two weeks, and re-recorded my bassline four times. Part of that was finding something that drove the song but also could be played while singing, something I'm conscious of now that we are playing live more. <br /></p><p>Danser tout le Temps is seven minutes. We wanted it to be eight, but after much editing and revision it dropped to seven. It might well be a seminal song for Combine the Victorious. Dan's influence on our sound is taking root and we are better for it!<br /></p><p>Our plan is to release Danser Tout le Temps in January. That way we start 2024 on a positive note. </p><p>However, if you'd like to hear it before then please come down to the Princeton Pub on Dec 29th in East Vancouver. It's Friday night and should be a great party!</p><p>Thanks for reading,</p><p>Mark<br /></p><br /><p><br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-86851115019604037612023-12-08T15:42:00.000-08:002023-12-08T15:42:55.881-08:00Live! Dec 29th The Princeton w Rat Silo<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqFjriTeykmjxKMQOWk4ptuJm772cMSAVGbXg8fTVRILRK1DWb8rmJDwgDHHAy7ek5ZargLXX-y01IO2eJrLJcdyRWgr5k0NAFQtm4JLI_E2EU7z7j2jDigXa184aqLgYxJZLLGf9kzZ0YDPD8zyDxkis5Q-R5IsmAuGx2FF0vUG17KYOS-y8Jblxj9t8/s1224/BQE_RAT-SILO-CTV-PRINCETON.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="792" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqFjriTeykmjxKMQOWk4ptuJm772cMSAVGbXg8fTVRILRK1DWb8rmJDwgDHHAy7ek5ZargLXX-y01IO2eJrLJcdyRWgr5k0NAFQtm4JLI_E2EU7z7j2jDigXa184aqLgYxJZLLGf9kzZ0YDPD8zyDxkis5Q-R5IsmAuGx2FF0vUG17KYOS-y8Jblxj9t8/w259-h400/BQE_RAT-SILO-CTV-PRINCETON.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>We are excited to be performing with our pals Rat Silo on Friday December 29th at the Princeton.<p></p><p><b>Rat Silo </b>is hosting the night and will be performing two sets starting from around 9pm. </p><p>Combine the V will hit the stage likely at 11:30 or so. </p><p>Quite looking forward to this gig. We habitually meet on Fridays for a pre-rehearsal pint at the <b>Princeton </b>as its only two blocks away from my studio. It will be fun to try our material out on that stage. I am planning on bringing a sub-woofer to ensure our sound has a chance to impress! </p><p>The live set is progressing rapidly. With <b>Dan Clement</b>'s addition to the band we are more prolific and the new material is a lot more up tempo. We shall be making a formal introduction to our new single "Danser Tout le Temps" this night. It's quite a cool dance track that has all three of us excited and singing in French! More on that imminently. <br /></p><p>If you are in Vancouver and looking for a party on Friday come down to the Princeton. I don't even think they charge a cover! </p><p>Cheers!</p><p>Mark <br /></p><p>p.s. We have a handful of Crazy Story t-shirts left too. Only Large and Xl though. Perhaps one will fit someone you love! <br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-23777355063451508632023-11-28T15:49:00.000-08:002023-11-28T15:49:53.270-08:00Combine The Victorious Gives Us A Bright Single<p> Our latest single got a brilliant feature write up on Buzzslayers.com today! </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJbJXC3XlF6lKdW3WE1dGeIhhXb_NdeQO8Wis6YEaXjWhsWxrCiw5xJit3tVlQ-ze7qwCex1V6kfCIuR_usHsVBNE1aUZSSH4hvOiAQuAQU4U1kFlAEvTfdB90iZ4avb2YX0n6JbVdhZzoNFy5GVYjBviOKJ5Dh8wecCNDYuSt7JQzp98Wh0ujbIFkkEQ/s600/ctv_really-like-your-style_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJbJXC3XlF6lKdW3WE1dGeIhhXb_NdeQO8Wis6YEaXjWhsWxrCiw5xJit3tVlQ-ze7qwCex1V6kfCIuR_usHsVBNE1aUZSSH4hvOiAQuAQU4U1kFlAEvTfdB90iZ4avb2YX0n6JbVdhZzoNFy5GVYjBviOKJ5Dh8wecCNDYuSt7JQzp98Wh0ujbIFkkEQ/s320/ctv_really-like-your-style_v2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-af6u9" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>In the new release from Combine the Victorious, the band delivers a lush set of textures and a ton of character for you to latch onto and get down with coupled with a colorful approach and an almost youthful energy that brings on a pop-rock undertone, but a reggae rhythm and those two attributes come together with such a smooth and seamless feel that this track is completely addicting from beginning to end.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block3" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-caf0h" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block4" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-fpen3" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>"I Really Like Your Style" will get you moving straight away and if you're driving along in the car listening to the tune, you'll start shaking your butt in your seat in no time because that groove is undeniable, and you can tell from listening to the song that the band had an amazing time playing it down.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block5" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-7u2q6" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block6" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-3a887" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>What's more, is that the energy that's delivered on this track has the vibe of a live performance to it, almost like the players are feeding off of each other's energies the entire time.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block7" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-8ie1h" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block8" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-69kp9" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>Maybe these were recorded live on the floor. I can't be sure about that of course, however either way this track definitely makes you want to see them live because if the energy is like this in the recording, then in a live performance it's got to be amazing.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block9" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-7g7f9" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block10" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-dt5kd" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>A lot about this song has a very positive persona and that is something that I've kind of missed in music for quite some time.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block11" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-7fckl" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block12" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-lval" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>When you're done with the song you kind of feel good and listening to the song feels good as well so it's something that you can really enjoy, and I feel like it's also good for everyone.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block13" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-d30fv" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block14" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-1l425" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>It's got a certain kind of relatability to it that makes you feel like you know the band better afterwards.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block15" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-3v221" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block16" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-3k1do" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>I know, that sounds kind of strange I guess but it's just how it is. These guys pull off such a massive character and such a short time span that you fall right in love with the whole thing and immediately want to find out more about them.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block17" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-d4hnr" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block18" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-3fo57" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>The guitar tone and arrangement of the song are all really spot on and it delivers this sort of shine and presence that has the ability to sort of wrap itself around you and keep you right where it wants to.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block19" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-7m0ep" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block20" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-c3lnv" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>The track truly lets you get washed away with the soundscape and sort of Escape into it for a little bit which I loved as well.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block21" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-6lb7b" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block22" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-ah3dc" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>I like songs that you can escape into and let it just take over your mind for a moment of time.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block23" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-1loc9" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block24" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-aovje" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>I feel like that's what some music is really for honestly.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block25" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-cc3tm" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block26" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-3iedm" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>You can tell there was some great attention to detail in the songwriting and likely the recording of this song but it never loses that heart or character that it started off with in the first place so the message is loud and clear by the end of the track.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block27" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-9iidc" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block28" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-e7l1a" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>I would definitely be paying attention to this band and what they might be coming out with next because I'm sure it's going to be something well worth your time just as this song is.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block29" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-irs2" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block30" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-2ppbr" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>Pop this song on in the living room, turn it up, and dance around because it's a damn good time.</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block31" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-fq0ni" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>
</span></span></p><div data-hook="rcv-block32" type="paragraph"></div><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-6eivj" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>Remember where you heard it first.</span></span></p><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-6eivj" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span> </span></span></p><p class="xVISr Y9Dpf bCMSCT OZy-3 lnyWN yMZv8w bCMSCT public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr" id="viewer-6eivj" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="B2EFF public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><span>from <a href="https://www.buzzslayers.com/post/combine-the-victorious-gives-us-a-bright-single">buzzslayers.com </a></span></span></p><p><br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-28668222634815289822023-10-06T12:26:00.000-07:002023-10-06T12:26:59.781-07:00New today "I Really Like Your Style"<p> It is really exciting to release this single today! This is the first song we've written with our new guitarist (and longtime friend) <b>Daniel Clement</b>. I Really Like Your Style is a slight departure from the trip-hop inspired songs of the past few years. We start out with a kind of homage to that sound but then quickly shift into a more uplifting reggae influenced sound that builds to a charming chorus filled with Isabelle's lifting melody. </p><p>This song has been brewing in the background for a while now but truly came to life when we shared it with Dan. The addition of the guitar changed everything about our approach and the song transformed into the shape we have today. During the past months one day in rehearsal Dan and I were jamming on a descending riff and then Isabelle popped into the studio and sang the line "Is this everything you wanted." I was so surprised by that melody and the lyric I knew we had to incorporate it into the song. I had been needlessly concerned that the song was "too poppy" and wouldn't fit in with what we were doing elsewhere, but with the slower moody intro I felt we could transition between the lounge feel of say <i><b>Crazy Story</b></i> into the uplifting chorus of<i> <b>I Really Like Your Style</b></i>. With that the arrangement was complete. We only needed to finish the recording. </p><p>My other project, <b>Headlong Hearts</b>, has also been recording songs at the studio and one weekend we had <b>Matt Brain</b> over from SSI. I asked Matt to add a swinging jazzy drum part to the intro and the middle eight and it completely made the moments work. Then we asked out pal <b>Greg Hanberry</b> to bring his congas to the studio and he laid down a brilliant groove. Everything was almost done except I was doubting the sampled strings I'd put down for the intro. Thankfully our friend, the virtuoso violinist <b>Johanna Sö</b> came back to Vancouver and she laid down a couple tracks to really bring the first section to life. It's incredible what a difference the real thing can make! </p><p>The last stage was probably the most challenging and that was to make the entire thing sound right! It took many mixes and masters but I am quite pleased now with how it's all turned out. Please give it a listen and if you like it feel free to share with the world!</p><p>Cheers and thanks for reading!</p><p>Mark Henning<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0L3RetpCIR1DIU6_esp_2ntqGtCr6a-_P6tMiEoxfKWAhGIDEp8HGKQEBH74kNaFHi7gV64fedcvS0MIdTB-PFcIV1ibLjQ8TtUNrdhB5GB3VC_lrYCZFJF5CocuMxUjcxRmCUUORcsOI6i-WroySINQ1OgmB2rAVCtWWpv4R44fXTdqw8Y9VJ9UJii9/s1200/CV%20I%20Really%20LIke%20Your%20Style.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0L3RetpCIR1DIU6_esp_2ntqGtCr6a-_P6tMiEoxfKWAhGIDEp8HGKQEBH74kNaFHi7gV64fedcvS0MIdTB-PFcIV1ibLjQ8TtUNrdhB5GB3VC_lrYCZFJF5CocuMxUjcxRmCUUORcsOI6i-WroySINQ1OgmB2rAVCtWWpv4R44fXTdqw8Y9VJ9UJii9/w400-h400/CV%20I%20Really%20LIke%20Your%20Style.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Artwork and graphic design by Robert Edmonds.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://songwhip.com/combinethevictorious/i-really-like-your-style">Listen Here</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-10410862718896754422023-08-26T12:24:00.002-07:002023-08-26T12:24:07.123-07:00Next single is coming soon!<p> We are excited to release our next song, "<b>I Really Like Your Style</b>." This will be the first song we have written with our new guitarist <b>Daniel Clement</b>. It's been a bit of a journey getting this one together.<br /> </p><p> It started as a completely different song back in 2021 with now only the chorus line remaining the same. Originally I had written a completely different lyric for the verses but they were not working for me on review a year later. So early 2023 we abandoned the old arrangement and began the version we will be releasing.</p><p>Isabelle took over writing the lyric for the entire song, and thanks to a lucky moment while we were rehearsing we unveiled a totally new intro for the song. I have been consciously attempting to keep our ideas in a certain tempo and mood in hopes of creating a unified collection of material for a full length release. Well "<b>I Really Like Your Style</b>" has turned into a happier song, with a strong lean into reggae for influence in the chorus. The introduction is a strangely satisfying nod to our trip-hop influenced tracks, with a dramatic chromatic descending string line all suddenly morphing into the main song. It's a trick we haven't attempted before but I think works to great effect. </p><p> Our resident graphic artist and all around superior human being <b>Robert Edmonds</b> has created another cover art for the single and we should have it ready for release but end of September. A video must be created but we haven't even started on that yet! </p><p>Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the recording of this single: Johanna Sö (JoSö World) - violin, Matthew Brain (live jazz drums), Greg Hanberry (congas), Daniel Clement (guitar), Isabelle Dunlop (vocals of course!) with me programming the drums, keys and bass guitar. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPYmZb-e0RlvU-odfL9Qi-IsapdhyDTcMC1YF_fuVZusymIDRvhTfSUw2NyxEUOUaXgrPqN2vVdzIXnfmqx3EMie1eDvJbYPkBPc7uzgFSl5zAHlEMJvE9yx3N9orDcevFbSbgzZGWu9eG15MOgsQ-47YwWaUPOZIUKvBEYIUh8P6u9r1MaPMtpIbrP_D/s600/ctv_really-like-your-style_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPYmZb-e0RlvU-odfL9Qi-IsapdhyDTcMC1YF_fuVZusymIDRvhTfSUw2NyxEUOUaXgrPqN2vVdzIXnfmqx3EMie1eDvJbYPkBPc7uzgFSl5zAHlEMJvE9yx3N9orDcevFbSbgzZGWu9eG15MOgsQ-47YwWaUPOZIUKvBEYIUh8P6u9r1MaPMtpIbrP_D/s320/ctv_really-like-your-style_v2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-61803370854550351682023-02-27T09:15:00.004-08:002023-02-27T09:15:58.164-08:00New video! "Rushes Over Me"<p> We are pleased to announce the completion of another video, Rushes Over Me. This video was born from an idea of Isabelle's, wherein we would look up headlines from the earlier parts of our lives and combine them with images of us. It seems to say these are the events that have rushed over us in the past decades. One of the interesting things about combining the two elements is how many historical events have transpired since we were born. </p><p>The performance elements were shot in the Boutique Empire studio in East Vancouver. I blacked out the walls to give us the infinite background and then had each of us "perform" our parts for the camera. Thank you once again to Daniel Clement for his guitar sync Felix Taylor for the trumpet (on record as well video), Greg Hanberry for the congas (and percussion on record) as well as Leigh Grant for the always powerful drumming. </p><p>Isabelle has done some of her best work this past year and this song is another great moment on tape, and now video. Her voice has solidified and her ideas have expanded and Rushes Over Me is a wonderful culmination of the two. </p><p><br /></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cxlpeQYgL7s" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<p><b>Rushes Over Me</b> - Combine the Victorious </p><p>Produced by Boutique Empire</p><p>Directed and edited by M R Henning, Camera operators: Henning, Isabelle Dunlop</p><p>On video:</p><p>Isabelle Dunlop - vocals <br /></p><p>Mark Roland Henning - bass </p><p>Daniel Clement - guitar</p><p>Felix Taylor - trumpet</p><p>Greg Hanberry - congas</p><p>Leigh Grant - drums</p><p>©2023 CombinetheVictorious<br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-41857650217188575972023-01-26T15:28:00.001-08:002023-01-26T15:28:23.317-08:00Rushes Over Me <p> First reviews are all positive so that's a good sign. Here's hoping we land a couple big playlists with this single. If you are into it please have a listen on which is your preferred streaming site and add the song to a playlist. Those couple of things help us get into the patterns of the algorithm and may even get us approved for an official Spotify editorial playlis. </p><p>If you haven't yet please listen to Rushes Over Me! </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0vVxkDatko-AGCgb5D9SNJtZFrPJ673YrtJTGwFK7DZQXCJhwVt_ZpBO5yL2zu1X7XpxR67JGZ0WYwtzFksMu9Aw7HaZ0AMujqLbfbYQ8PMuucjplng_41Rp_zDv-LbzA0aBIYALMevgo9D7TCX2pLzCVR-3hTLLxQhH7O0BlcHiuJgpFP-2S-Tubg/s2160/CV%20Rushes%20Over%20Me%20cover%20RE_4.1.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="2160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0vVxkDatko-AGCgb5D9SNJtZFrPJ673YrtJTGwFK7DZQXCJhwVt_ZpBO5yL2zu1X7XpxR67JGZ0WYwtzFksMu9Aw7HaZ0AMujqLbfbYQ8PMuucjplng_41Rp_zDv-LbzA0aBIYALMevgo9D7TCX2pLzCVR-3hTLLxQhH7O0BlcHiuJgpFP-2S-Tubg/s320/CV%20Rushes%20Over%20Me%20cover%20RE_4.1.1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><a href="https://songwhip.com/combinethevictorious/rushes-over-me" target="_blank">Click hear to listen</a><br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-39131304935166973232023-01-09T19:53:00.002-08:002023-01-09T19:53:11.212-08:00Next single out Jan 25th!<p> We are pleased to announce that our next single will be released worldwide on January 25th 2023. <b>Rushes Over Me</b> combines the dark moodiness of trip-hop with 90's inspired shoe-gaze and features the trumpet of Felix Taylor. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfOUR0tUk0pApV2afSkLVemt7ecgy_x9DWnmj5VTcM-f8ofsvMBbPIOne2nqsbKZiPGNCSFWwItzzqVkbma00T236f_rTzJhpbvXtO3X2WFrvR87RTU2xmraSeRf3ydm3YYXICDLD_GdiRsnxRveupfMXhVXtCTvMKN4CsnMpcpvis2XyKn52YDt0XQ/s2160/CV%20Rushes%20Over%20Me%20cover%20RE_4.1.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="2160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfOUR0tUk0pApV2afSkLVemt7ecgy_x9DWnmj5VTcM-f8ofsvMBbPIOne2nqsbKZiPGNCSFWwItzzqVkbma00T236f_rTzJhpbvXtO3X2WFrvR87RTU2xmraSeRf3ydm3YYXICDLD_GdiRsnxRveupfMXhVXtCTvMKN4CsnMpcpvis2XyKn52YDt0XQ/s320/CV%20Rushes%20Over%20Me%20cover%20RE_4.1.1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Words and Music: Combine the Victorious (Dunlop/Henning)</p><p>Produced and recorded by Mark Henning</p><p>Vocals - Isabelle Dunlop</p><p>Bass, guitar, keyboards: Mark Henning</p><p>Drums: Leigh Grant</p><p>Percussion: Greg Hanberry</p><p>Trumpet: Chad "Felix" Taylor<br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-54041674386030848362022-11-16T18:14:00.001-08:002022-11-16T18:14:07.607-08:00We have a gig! Combine at Lana Lou's Dec 1st<p><br /> After several years off the stage we are now booked to perform as the opener for <b>The Aleatonics</b> album release party December 1st at <b>Lana Lou's</b>. <br /> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnhhqHmq-ukTRU_WzuETI4gsvHUO5mZ088ew_tZrcIG55vJJhw_q6IPRCBZ96OMvaHGsxG2B3VHMRSDIT_KTA0NlnPVaY0Whu3Ku1N5MDK3ifP7pCd01LjJijlQsvfzimxXHu4ifew6rH_xjP0UiSKg5m4GGhdYr_qVbcsaAu4_kOflW_vrb92Ss8EQ/s2048/THE%20ALEATONICSPoster%20Dec1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnhhqHmq-ukTRU_WzuETI4gsvHUO5mZ088ew_tZrcIG55vJJhw_q6IPRCBZ96OMvaHGsxG2B3VHMRSDIT_KTA0NlnPVaY0Whu3Ku1N5MDK3ifP7pCd01LjJijlQsvfzimxXHu4ifew6rH_xjP0UiSKg5m4GGhdYr_qVbcsaAu4_kOflW_vrb92Ss8EQ/s320/THE%20ALEATONICSPoster%20Dec1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Isabelle and I are rehearsing for our first show on stage in many years. Joining us is our long time friend Daniel Clement on guitar. We shall be debuting a few brand new songs and of course our latest single "<i>Crazy Story</i>." <p></p><p>Speaking of <i>Crazy Story,</i> it's a pleasure to announce it has crossed 11 thousand plays on <b>Spotify</b>. The song has been added to a few popular playlists and it seems to be our most popular track to date. We are happy about that! </p><p>Our next single <i>Rushes Over Me</i> is about to be mastered and we need to figure out some kind of video for it next. </p><p>Many things happening right now and it's all feeling fun again!</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks for reading, and hope you can make it down to Lana Lou's on Thursday December 1st!<br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-83212123456789584932022-10-10T18:24:00.006-07:002022-10-10T18:24:53.043-07:00Another single coming <p> 2022 has been a prolific year for us, I think the reality of Isabelle's recent health issue has really put us in the mindset to focus in on what counts. And it seems that music is essential to both of us! </p><p>At the start of 2021 I took over the former studio of <b>Ryan Dahle</b> in the East Van Song City building. I spent all my free time last year in the studio working on ideas. We have now been choosing from those songs and finalizing them. We Are Not Alone was the first one we finished because that one was almost the last song we wrote. <a href="https://youtu.be/g1VK1IeGMHM" target="_blank"> Crazy Story</a> was the last song we wrote and it came together almost instantly, however it did take me months to figure out a part and learn how to tune a piano!<br /></p><p>The next song we're putting out is titled Rushes Over Me and is another from the group of songs we started last year. I pursued a series of trip hop type experiments and really invested into that darker groovy sound. Rushes Over Me started from a field recording of the air conditioning units and traffic noise from Powell Street.I based the vibe off that and wrote a super dub style track over top of it. <br /></p><p>Next we listened together and Isabelle immediately came up with a vocal line. I didn't understand what she had done at first and was confused by her choices. However in light of several great moments in our past I decided to not change her idea but figure out what wasn't working over mine. An illuminating moment and certainly the moment of big change in the song. The chorus arrived with a major chord change. Very cool. Can't wait to play it for you. <br /></p><p>We are working on it now and I think have it close to done. Just reviewing the mix and pondering percussion. Out in November. </p><p>Thanks for reading and listening!</p><p>Mark</p><p><br /></p><p>p.s. thanks to our new listeners on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/5UeLM9K0V5KBn3tIjjY0Nu?si=UuCSmTSPTdOz1KDFlYZW3A">Spotify</a>, welcome if you're reading this for the first time!<br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-78216668730287756232022-09-22T21:40:00.001-07:002022-09-22T21:40:23.068-07:00Crazy Story - Earshot Song of the Day<p> We are really happy that our song "Crazy Story" was chosen as song of the day for the Earshot Distribution System.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FdQx8AmX0AEqD7a?format=jpg&name=medium" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FdQx8AmX0AEqD7a?format=jpg&name=medium" width="400" /></a></div><br /> We hope all of Canada starts listening to this one soon! <p></p><p>Thanks Earshot!<br /></p><p><br /></p>
Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-7881812896025038412022-09-12T00:00:00.001-07:002022-09-12T00:00:00.232-07:00Official video release; Crazy Story<p>We are proud to announce our latest single "<b>Crazy Story</b>," official release date is Sept 14th, 2022</p><p>Label: Boutique Empire, catalog number BE22052</p><p>The video below was filmed mostly at the Boutique Empire studio here in East Vancouver. There are a few segments that were videod around Vancouver, including a moment of live performance that was captured at the Isabelle Dunlop Clothing store on Main Street this spring. Thanks to Seam McFarland for his camera work on that. The rest of the clip features a heavily kaleidoscopic looking piano, the old Baldwin upright I inherited from my dearly departed and always missed friend Todd Simko. That piano took up a big part of the personality of this song and though it is quite a tricky thing to get or keep in tune it is very inspiring!</p><p><br /></p><p>Have a look and please let us know what you think of the song and video. We have been submitting our new singles to radio so if you have the will please try requesting it at a local station that might play such music.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g1VK1IeGMHM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-73576564006062347322022-09-05T17:12:00.003-07:002022-09-05T17:12:44.379-07:00New Artwork! Crazy Story<p> Our dear friend, the always brilliant and affable Robert Edmonds, has created this artwork for our new single "Crazy Story".</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgZKiUXvEUnL8zzl_ZeicqAydRMqm4LHt8IeqhmSI0vVQd46YP8Kr2OPGMLHtGoFyRWrS7XWGJX8AnEaYtXTXWD-R7clV-_BFK_p-GsWraxnESa91lf8zF5XmOlNaCoCohPyEcX63V7A8izBs4MH33th2viV-5mT9yl33y8041YsBqd2b9zvrfPuwnQ/s2000/ctv_crazy-story_2000x2000_72dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgZKiUXvEUnL8zzl_ZeicqAydRMqm4LHt8IeqhmSI0vVQd46YP8Kr2OPGMLHtGoFyRWrS7XWGJX8AnEaYtXTXWD-R7clV-_BFK_p-GsWraxnESa91lf8zF5XmOlNaCoCohPyEcX63V7A8izBs4MH33th2viV-5mT9yl33y8041YsBqd2b9zvrfPuwnQ/w400-h400/ctv_crazy-story_2000x2000_72dpi.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crazy Story - Combine the Victorious - Robert Edmonds artwork<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The artwork was inspired from a random top-of-her-head thought that Isabelle dropped in the middle of telling us a funny story while we sat in front of Cascade in the sunshine having a pint. Rob caught it and came up with this. I can't wait to print t-shirts.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thank you once again Rob Edmonds!! We love it!<br /></p><p>The single drops on Sept 14th 2022. <br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-60743156964288008292022-08-11T11:39:00.002-07:002022-08-11T11:40:31.968-07:00New single - Crazy Story<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxkg36sKANhD13VhPVeSdQMUiV1Njgp7HHVk8wDHFoAUVzxbPLyDAyPDszecVpo1d9VreG1AhGuXxBFKj4p8NFmyXE1ObeudK7xkCqUR_COUQMoR0B-1LBGxBAbCNWU2gqIT2T0FGFEEJyj584Zz9vDQkWdJfDvHFgcEYMDbBy-kJ9Ay1VVbZ2psmbQ/s2157/CV-Crazy%20Story%20blue%20cover1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2157" data-original-width="2157" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxkg36sKANhD13VhPVeSdQMUiV1Njgp7HHVk8wDHFoAUVzxbPLyDAyPDszecVpo1d9VreG1AhGuXxBFKj4p8NFmyXE1ObeudK7xkCqUR_COUQMoR0B-1LBGxBAbCNWU2gqIT2T0FGFEEJyj584Zz9vDQkWdJfDvHFgcEYMDbBy-kJ9Ay1VVbZ2psmbQ/s320/CV-Crazy%20Story%20blue%20cover1.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />Crazy Story</b> is one of the last songs that Isabelle and I wrote together over the winter. In 2021 we created an album's worth of material which we are this year putting together to release one song at a time. Our Love Is Stronger than some Crazy Story is probably the best collaboration the two of us have done since we began writing together in 2006! <p></p><p> </p><p>In the Autumn of 2021 I was determined to create either a new song or at least a new loop everytime I went into the studio without a client. I had been studio maintenance and fixing things one afternoon and hadn't really done any creative work that day. However I had been listening to random songs on Spotify while I was cleaning up and I got inspired by the vibe of one song. Rather than simply copy it - which is of course illegal - I challenged myself to create something that felt similar but wasn't actually the same. It all started with a kick drum pattern honestly. From there the beat came together pretty effortlessly and then a sort of skank guitar part was added with a descending line. I doubled that with a keyboard part and an acoustic and it felt pretty good. Next I just grabbed my bass and played this looping bassline over and over until I found something that locked in. It's a bit different for me as it never really changes but it does suggest chord changes without actually laying them out directly. I saved the session and went away for a gig with my folk band Headlong Hearts up in Powell River that weekend.</p><p><br /></p><p>When we next came into the studio the following Monday I mentioned that I had a new idea to Isabelle and she said she too had something: a little voice memo she'd made on the weekend. I opened the song up and just copy and pasted my loop several times so she'd have something to sing over. I couldn't believe how well the two ideas went together as Isabelle had not heard my idea at all yet her vocal line fit perfectly with it! I was incredibly excited at the two ideas fitting together. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasYEFfHj9AChO3b1qBe8ZyHZZ2NlfBqiHjPbgdRXke1sFlcZfD6ntF2W9BRFMwqZ64OZ7RdeDi5ENvtxJVwE_0IdbKUY9gAO78Ptfse-Q4MXAtI7gcwJyhS3hE7svMfGGeDgFOzp1c1M8N6mCAeivQPPhVnPIIArTOiGLaDWKj4iVKMz9GdKDd-7IAA/s4032/Baldwin%20piano.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasYEFfHj9AChO3b1qBe8ZyHZZ2NlfBqiHjPbgdRXke1sFlcZfD6ntF2W9BRFMwqZ64OZ7RdeDi5ENvtxJVwE_0IdbKUY9gAO78Ptfse-Q4MXAtI7gcwJyhS3hE7svMfGGeDgFOzp1c1M8N6mCAeivQPPhVnPIIArTOiGLaDWKj4iVKMz9GdKDd-7IAA/s320/Baldwin%20piano.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The last piece of the puzzle turned out to be my piano part. I have a small upright piano in the studio that I inherited from my friend Todd Simko after his death. It's a quirky little Baldwin piano, and sadly it had fallen out of tune quite badly over the decade from being moved several times. It became a project for me to learn how to tune and I boldly made the decision to bring it up to A440 tuning (which it hadn't been for well over 15 years at least!). This proved a very challenging decision as I truly didn't know how to tune a piano and even though I could get it close in the evening by the morning the entire thing had drifted out again! I kept this up for nearly three months, each time getting different parts of the piano closer to being in tune but sadly never locking it up. I did however discover that I was learning how to properly tune a piano by this time and took advantage of the time in front of the keyboard to figure out some nice piano lines. I think it was around late June that I recorded something that didn't make me jump out of my skin from tuning issues! The sound on the record is from back in July when I spent an afternoon doing takes and asking Isabelle's opinion of various lines. I'm rather proud of what we came to put together, probably the first time I've performed a piano part for the full length of a song! </p><p>The lyrics seem to have come from life itself as Isabelle had been diagnosed with breast cancer this winter. "Our love is stronger than some crazy story" just seemed so significant in light of her situation and her vocals are probably the best I've ever heard her sing. And what makes things even better is that in August she has successfully passed through chemotherapy and surgery and is well on her way back to full strength! She is indeed stronger than some crazy story! </p><p>This song lines up with several other down tempo tracks that we recorded over the past year. I think it will be an important part of our repertoire for years to come and serve as a beautiful introduction to Combine the Victorious for a lot of new listeners. Please let us know what you think when you give it a listen!</p><br /><iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="300" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1321957945&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true" width="100%"></iframe><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, Lucida Grande, Lucida Sans Unicode, Lucida Sans, Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: 100; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/combine-the-victorious" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Combine the Victorious">Combine the Victorious</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/combine-the-victorious/crazy-story" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Crazy Story">Crazy Story</a></div>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-52333781301324580762022-06-20T18:23:00.000-07:002022-06-20T18:23:16.913-07:00July 8th - We Are Not Alone (New Single)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YT38VHUgJJ8AARVB6eCm3nVstXpUxUUTouRc7VGnLXOUQfEjZK_ZfK7nNeTq746emevB-o3kygB4qIqk00hmkq-z7sVMU1KU97tKP4JmfnOtdeYaU_6EsJ-9LVJa6cBUvYan6cOEzc4cOcJ1knP3O-RThCBQ4bYWdTcxFgziLGs54PkUDPFgL-oLMg/s3840/CV%20We%20Are%20Not%20Alone%20video%20cover%204.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YT38VHUgJJ8AARVB6eCm3nVstXpUxUUTouRc7VGnLXOUQfEjZK_ZfK7nNeTq746emevB-o3kygB4qIqk00hmkq-z7sVMU1KU97tKP4JmfnOtdeYaU_6EsJ-9LVJa6cBUvYan6cOEzc4cOcJ1knP3O-RThCBQ4bYWdTcxFgziLGs54PkUDPFgL-oLMg/w400-h225/CV%20We%20Are%20Not%20Alone%20video%20cover%204.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Isabelle and I are very excited to release our next single. <b>We Are Not Alone</b> was initially inspired from a day spent on the water whale watching last September as part of a birthday present for Isabelle! While we where out there the magnitude of the animals in the water, and the sheer vastness of the ocean all around us and the seemingly infinite horizon really made an impression on me. Perhaps this was due to spending so much time inside over the past couple covid years. <p></p><p>As our ferry returned from Vancouver Island and the city of Vancouver slowly began to appear as a tiny dot on the shoreline I was hit again with the scale of the world and how self absorbed I had been over the past decades. All my life was contained in a dot on the horizon and seemed so huge while we were there. Yet the moment we left the city the whole world began to filter into my consciousness. After getting back that weekend Isabelle and I went into the studio and We Are Not Alone was born. </p><p><b>Peter Gabriel </b>has been a big personal favourite of mine from his first solo album (I wasn't as big a Genesis fan as I was of his solo output). A few summer's back I rediscovered his records and was really re-impressed with the moods and style of those first three. I think the most obvious inspiration on our song is the big low single-note piano bass with its heavy chorus effect. That helped set the tone and stateliness of the song. As with many of our songs I programmed a drum part to run the length of the tune. However as soon as the arrangement took shape I knew I had to get my pal <b>Leigh Grant</b> to drum on it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHI4omeAeBKygMGBqfONIrux5yHhcp1RaQPI4qyEHGof0wDA9gvPxncslpncr1TepmfM5ia-EZ8fg1238DU4gqr_5SVgLDxsH5UBkMaBPm89gTGsOF6rzXn4Adzd7q7yR7rP9oNEkeLQSWMEK2deQgoi2vUHj2pwtQpk40ev2BQW3iTy8Ul7ClWW_jYQ/s1920/Leigh%20drumming.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHI4omeAeBKygMGBqfONIrux5yHhcp1RaQPI4qyEHGof0wDA9gvPxncslpncr1TepmfM5ia-EZ8fg1238DU4gqr_5SVgLDxsH5UBkMaBPm89gTGsOF6rzXn4Adzd7q7yR7rP9oNEkeLQSWMEK2deQgoi2vUHj2pwtQpk40ev2BQW3iTy8Ul7ClWW_jYQ/w320-h181/Leigh%20drumming.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Leigh and I go back to <b>Pure</b> days together and he's been kind enough to play on several Combine songs over the years. He brought his trusty Gretsch kit into the Boutique Empire studio and we spent a very efficient day tracking on <i>We Are Not Alone </i>and another song which shall soon see the light of day. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQE8by_XgLc7hFMNyr71v4F42kQimTsh_qGQ0sM5D2OGRpwbDlgKohp4ST2G_Zk6OtVVq9ZnPrB2Z3Db-d05GRgxIGoOidJ-dKaLJJz3suRPvW9YlkDAmD76CAoKcrCWdz4ouIt5uSXGVY8RQXYSCB8JAI84zfpj5C93x3AWh1ac7I3pG0X-nVYR7bmw/s4032/IMG_8615.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQE8by_XgLc7hFMNyr71v4F42kQimTsh_qGQ0sM5D2OGRpwbDlgKohp4ST2G_Zk6OtVVq9ZnPrB2Z3Db-d05GRgxIGoOidJ-dKaLJJz3suRPvW9YlkDAmD76CAoKcrCWdz4ouIt5uSXGVY8RQXYSCB8JAI84zfpj5C93x3AWh1ac7I3pG0X-nVYR7bmw/w200-h150/IMG_8615.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Replacing the programmed drums with Leigh's drumming was quite the energy shift but I will add that Chad "Felix" Taylor's trumpet really sealed the deal! Felix came in one night back in February and we had a blast building up a horn section for the outro of the song. He was replacing some rather dodgy horn samples I had put in to give the direction and as this is the very first time we've added live brass to a song I am overwhelmed by the energy his playing added. Certainly something I will want to do again! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2cCw7gSS9BmfHz8N_aSEXSNNLZCUsqXVubRBXH1kvwZkrQdf5iHg1KB4qNe-_v02qI11zV9bDd0IMEK71rSH9-5nOpU92VzD_h0XJiT5aiSzcMMg3_gjrT3KSjDStU0o2xyfvCfWihuah_iDgSS0DbqFP2HgI51Io5lVz6VP8jrYxiJFHHXut76Eaw/s4032/IMG_0049.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2cCw7gSS9BmfHz8N_aSEXSNNLZCUsqXVubRBXH1kvwZkrQdf5iHg1KB4qNe-_v02qI11zV9bDd0IMEK71rSH9-5nOpU92VzD_h0XJiT5aiSzcMMg3_gjrT3KSjDStU0o2xyfvCfWihuah_iDgSS0DbqFP2HgI51Io5lVz6VP8jrYxiJFHHXut76Eaw/w150-h200/IMG_0049.jpeg" width="150" /></a></div><br />In a funny side note I did also squeeze in the same brass section sample that I'd played on<b> Pure </b>"Spiritual Pollution" back in 1992. It was a bit hit or miss that the Ensoniq <b>ASR-10 </b>sampler would still boot up (and it didn't manage to read a couple of the first syquest drives I tried) but the venerable floppy disk came through in the end. Maybe it's silly but I think there might be some magic to those sounds and I'm glad that sound made it onto the song. (I believe they were the absolute final bit of recording for the single). <p></p><p>We Are Not Alone was mixed right here at the Boutique Empire studio and wonderfully mastered by this space's former occupant Ryan Dahle over at his new studio on Mayne Island. His analog approach really shined up the song and I'm very pleased with his work. </p><p>If you've made it this far into the post then perhaps you can do us one more thing. Below are pre-save links for the single. If you use one of the streaming sites below please click thru and pre-save the song into your library. It apparently helps greatly with the algorithm and enhances out chances of being offered for more popular playlists. Plus it ensures you get to hear our new track! </p><p>Thanks for reading and hope you like the song and video on July 8th!</p><p><a href="https://apple.co/3QwwJvm">Applemusic</a></p><p><a href="https://www.catapultdistribution.com/magnet/Combine-the-Victorious/We-Are-Not-Alone" target="_blank">Spotify </a><br /></p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/3n3YBJO">Amazon </a><br /></p><p> <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-65616220676401693112022-04-08T18:03:00.003-07:002022-06-20T18:16:30.875-07:00Paros - an anthology<p> We are very pleased to announce that we have a new album about to drop! <i> </i></p><p><b><i>Paros</i> </b>is a collection of remixes, remasters, and new tracks (including <i>Façon Fashion</i>, the song made popular on the <b>Netflix</b> series <i>Tiny Pretty Things</i>) being released on Thorvald Records, April 29th.<br /></p><p>The anthology is curated and directed by Thorvald Record label chief, record producer and impresario<b> Stefan Sigerson</b>. We have collaborated for over a decade on songs, dating back to our <i>Crumbling Hearts</i> ep, where he co-produced and co-wrote several tracks. His support over the years has always been uplifting and inspiring, so it's exciting to launch this package out to the world with his new label's guidance and assistance! </p><p>A wonderful surprise from this venture has been the connection with graphic artist <b>Steven R Gilmore</b>. (famous for branding Nettwerk Records, Steven was the graphic artist on the 1988 After All album, as well as the debut <b>Pure</b> album <i>Pureafunalia</i>.) He has created a luscious cover for the album, and we are pleased to add that he has designed the digital booklet as well! Isabelle and I think the cover makes our music sound better! (Thank you Steven!). </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkhLG1NK-mWzyrHNm9adzUJrGQSfIj9o88BAPQ-04utirDmbIr_nyq-nXnTqOF-WzcpMjzHPGCXNK1b-jvVzfSQ11DYhxgviSMfNHtEONKgM9oCLs24TaJN3gKxBZez4DVBSKz97OPrp97DRkHSA9u9s9yfphrap4DeqTJ083Il_-UAhUriO7xZ36XQ/s1000/CV%20Paros%20SRG%20cover%20art.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkhLG1NK-mWzyrHNm9adzUJrGQSfIj9o88BAPQ-04utirDmbIr_nyq-nXnTqOF-WzcpMjzHPGCXNK1b-jvVzfSQ11DYhxgviSMfNHtEONKgM9oCLs24TaJN3gKxBZez4DVBSKz97OPrp97DRkHSA9u9s9yfphrap4DeqTJ083Il_-UAhUriO7xZ36XQ/w640-h640/CV%20Paros%20SRG%20cover%20art.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Release date for all streaming sites is April 29th 2022. </p><br /><p><br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314399665005988065.post-20785072441642248192022-02-14T09:00:00.001-08:002022-02-14T09:00:00.230-08:00New Video - Love Ballad<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AxzS1-OOwrs" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </p><p> </p><p>Love Ballad (Official Video) </p><p> </p><p>We are quite pleased to present out new video, <b>Love Ballad</b> filmed on location at Isabelle's shop, the Isabelle Dunlop Clothing Store. The video is a literal depiction of a day in the life of Combine the Victorious' singer and independent clothing designer Isabelle Dunlop featuring Carmel Amit as the loyal customer! </p><p><br /></p><p>Video produced by Boutique Empire</p><p>Directed and Edited by HENNING</p><p>Camera operators: Mark R Henning, Isabelle Dunlop</p><p><b> </b></p><p><b>Isabelle Dunlop Clothing Store</b></p><p>4158 Main Street, Vancouver BC <br /></p><p><br /></p>Victorious Combinationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252126778533429457noreply@blogger.com0