Astro Al: 2026

Monday, April 20, 2026

Echoes from Another Place

A write up about the album, Echoes from Another Place by the audio project known as Static Apparitions.

Static Apparitions is an audio project that I work on with DNA Girl from Astro Al. We both have different stage names for this project rather than the ones we use with Astro Al.

So you’re probably asking yourself, “How is this any different than Astro Al?"

Well there’s two key differences between Static Apparitions and Astro Al.

1. While some Astro Al stuff is improvised, 100% of every Static Apparitions tracks are 100% improvised recordings which are then cut and edited to produce the end result.

2. There no lyrics or audible spoken word pieces in a Static Apparitions track. There are some samples and some times spoken bits are recorded but they are distorted so that they just become part of the landscape. All vocals are wordless.

If anyone has a time machine so that Static Apparitions can go back in time and record soundtracks to Italian 1960s/1970s horror flicks we'd be game to take that trip.

Ok, now with all that out of the way, let’s break down this album a bit track by track.

Echoes from Another Place

1. Alien Disruption 4:11 - Some nice swinging guitar from Madame Inconnue on this one. The end is all about signals from the EMF field. For more info on that check below.

2. Sounds from Another Place 6:23 -Got some dark distorted tones contrasted by the light sounds of a tongue drum. This song is a good example of what we're trying to do with Static Apparitions, create art with collected sounds. I think I named this track but I'm not 100% sure.

3. Space Orb Sonata 5:12 - Madame Inconnue named this one. I think she might have named almost all of them. The Jupiter III analog synth is on this one. You can hear it in some of the "chirpy" synth sounds.

4. Rising From the Tomb 5:09 -Some fun distorted layers of guitar on this one curtesy of Madame Inconnue. Really good playing my friend.

5. The Musical Diary of Duchess Daphne Dukane 6:59 - Vocals and sounds. I believe this was partially recorded somewhere outside, but I'm not sure where. This is a mashup of a few different recordings. Name of the track is courtesy of Madame Inconnue.

6. Secret Basement Lab 5:11 -This is only track I'm certain that I named. It just sounded like a basement lab in an old school horror flick where the mad doctor is building a monster for science or revenge or both. At least that's what I hear.

7. Raven Cry 5:10 - Some textural guitars and moody synths. Ravens are associated with many things in different mythologies. Why is it a Raven Cry? Great job Madame.

credits:

Madame Inconnue: vocals, guitar, percussion, octave mandolin, mandolin, synth

Baron Vincent Von Lugosi: cassette recorder, sampler, weird sound generator, Jupiter III analog synth, saw, zither, TV/VCR combo, synth, percussion

The cover photo was taken on George's Island in Boston then distorted.

One might ask, how do you play a TV/VCR combo? On Etsy, I discovered someone selling an Electro Magnetic Field Microphone. It's a microphone that picks up electro magnetic fields. Held up against a TV/VCR combo it makes some pretty wild sounds especially if there's nothing but white noise on the TV. It works ok with a tape playing, but doesn't quite have the level of strangeness that the lack of signal to the unit feeds into the microphone.

Here's a link to an EMF mic

Yours in static based art,

Count Robot

Friday, April 17, 2026

The Great Shark Hunt

For those who don’t know about him, Hunter S Thompson was a wild journalist writing many articles and books chronicling his drunken investigative style of journalism.

I am currently reading his book the Great Shark Hunt. It’s a collection of his articles, poems, and esoteric pieces.

What is most striking to me about this work, the bulk of which was written during what arguably was his peak during the 1970s, is that his main antagonist, president Richard Nixon, could sadly all too easily be replaced by the name of the current pedophile cretin occupying the White House.

The names of the monsters may change, but their actions don’t.

Here’s an Astro Al track about Thompson called Gonzo Gone.

Astro Al is one of the audio projects that I am involved in.

Yours in gonzo-ing,

Count Robot

Friday, April 10, 2026

The Doors Immersive

I am a life long Doors fan.

The first time I heard Moonlight Drive my mind was carried away.

5.1 audio is my most treasured audio format, ever.

Put the two together…. ah magic is here.

Not too long ago, the Doors released a box set of their albums remixed into 5.1 audio by their engineer, Bruce Botnick.

Yes I got it. It is amazing.

Some highlights of the set:

The Doors:

This album and LA Woman are my favorite Doors album. I can’t seem to choose one over the other. They are astounding book

ends to a fantastic band.

Break on Through- kind of feels as if you’re listening to the playback in the control room. Some additional vocals added.

Deep and wide.

The Crystal Ship- A haunting beauty of a song. Some keys weep in the rear speakers.

Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)- Has good natural sounding reverb. The added depth of separation between the instruments is delightful.

Light My Fire-The keys sound incredibly rich. So rich they own their own island.

Nice cymbal wash in the rear speakers.

Back Door Man- Feels more improv/live at a blues joint which is nice. Different bits and parts of added vocals.

Robbie ripping the guitar!

I Looked At You- Has some added menace.

End Of The Night- Deep travel time inside and outside.

The End- Some additional vocal tracks are added here that really move this track into another level of insanity.

John is playing sublimely here and you can feel it in this mix. The snare is thunder.

He walked on down the hall….

More wild vocals.

Strange Days:

Most likely my second favorite Doors album.

Strange Days- Morrison’s reverb ladened voice in the rear speakers with keys and then more keys and the drums in front. Epic. This is why I love these mixes.

You can feel right inside the song.

Unhappy Girl -Now with clapping. Some interesting sounds I never heard before. It’s jarring in a way because I know the original well.

Very hippy cool.

Horse Latitudes- Trip! Trip! This is a wild swirl of chaos in sound. A classic. Beautiful without being beautiful. Savage power poetry. Full 5.1 powers activated.

Moonlight Drive- The first Door’s song I ever heard. Great immersion blur of sound. Morrison sounds amazing. So do they all. Robbie’s slide!!! Everything spread around the listener’s room on our moonlight drive.

Robbie’s guitar bounces around the channels! Worth the box set!!!!

People Are Strange- excellent chorus!

My Eyes Have Seen You- Good bounce layers of sounds. Some added vocals. Fade out is astonishing.

I Can’t See Your Face In My Mind- Feels like they’re on stage right in front of me in a tiki bar in LA. Really well done surround mix. Makes a strange song even stranger.

Fantastic slides Robbie!!!!

When The Music’s Over- John plays so into this song, wow. He makes it. Nice reverb on this mix. I get a control room sort of vibe. Imagine watching this being recorded live? I have that vibe with this mix.

Good feedback erupting from the rear speakers. Savage! We want the world…. those words fill it! Good job here!

Waiting For The Sun:

Hello, I Love You- Everything is in full surround mode. Nice spread of the sound. This track should be a primer for anyone making a 5.1 mix. This is an extended take too!

Love Street- Jim harmonising with himself. Bliss in sound.

Not to Touch the Earth- Snaking guitar in the rear speakers as John drives the drums in front! Some of the drums end up in the back speakers and it sounds killer.

I am the Lizard King I can do anything…

The Unknown Soldier- Jim’s voice is super deepened. The marching drums move all around. Brilliant! The bells crash into the mix.

Spanish Caravan- While not really using the back speakers a lot… the acoustic guitar at the beginning has a depth that puts

the original mix to shame. Sublime. Beautiful. Later the 5.1 kicks in very well…

My Wild Love- Shining percussion in this version.

Five to One- Trading your hours for a handful of dimes… The back speakers awaken with backing vocals. Get together one more time… Some additional vocals at the end.

The Soft Parade:

Touch Me- The strings are mostly in the back speakers. So good. Gives excellent separation of the instruments letting you focus on what you will. Sounds so full!

Shamen’s Blues- Guitar sounds so alive and dangerous. Keys on everything. This song sounds as if it’s a breathing life form.

The stereo version doesn’t have this vibrancy.

The Soft Parade- Has an alternate intro that is brilliantly odd. I dig it so much.

Morrison Hotel:

Roadhouse Blues- Feels like you’re in some tiny roadhouse with the Doors on a stage so small you could pass them a beer from your tiny table.

The mix of the harmonic is brilliantly perfect. They also dropped in some additional vocals from Morrison. Might be better than the original release.

Waiting For The Sun- Some of the keys are on the rear speakers and they have a bite that is really effective.

Peace Frog- The guitar! They really pushed the immersion with Robbie’s playing on this song.

Land Ho! - More good use of the guitar in the mix.

Indian Summer- Has some wonderful echo and reverb. Better than the original mix. Nice reflection of the drums in the rear speakers. Gives me wonderful chills.

LA Woman:

This is tied for my favorite doors album. Yes, I stated that already.

Of the two in 5.1 I prefer LA Woman. It takes more advantage of the format.

The Changeling- The keys are in both the front and back speakers. Gives it a nice full feeling. Robbie’s guitar cuts into the back speakers. Excellent!

You’ve got to see me change! Nice clapping in the rear speakers too.

Love Her Madly- Has a nice feel of you sitting at the mixing board while the band lays down the track in the studio.

Cars Hiss by My Window- The vocal take they use here is different than the original album and very cool. Even more bluesy than the one originally used.

LA Woman- The extended intro really helps set the mood for the rise and fall of this track. Riding riding.

L’America- Guitars moving all around. Perfect and not gimmicky at all.

The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)- Jim’s voice echoes across the speakers. The keys have a nice rich sound. The DRUMS burn across the speakers.

Riders on the Storm - This is what the word “immersive” means. You are surrounded by the storm.

Riding the music through the rain. I really dig the Doors ending albums with songs that stretch out like this one. Jim’s whispers are really audible.

My only complaint with this set is that, American Prayer, the two Jim-less albums (which I like a bit, there is some great material spread across those albums), and a live album should have been included.

Tightrope Ride alone in 5.1 would have made the inclusion of the two Jim-less albums worth it.

The wildness of American Prayer makes for an experiment of mind altering proportions.

Hearing any of their live albums in this set would have been striking too.

This is probably asking a lot.

Still, I am happy enough this set was released and the price wasn’t bank breaking, which if they included all that other stuff I wined about, it would have driven the price up. So maybe I should put a sock in it.

If you’re a die hard Doors fan with a 5.1 set up, get this box set!

Yours in wonderful 5.1 music,

Count Robot