Mark Hansen Music - LDS Rock Music - Free Downloads

Mark Hansen Music - LDS Rock Music - Free Downloads
Get the new CD, "The Third Time" HERE




WARNING: Listening to this music doesn't require parental approval. It's a bit of clean rebellion. It keeps your outlook up and your hope alive. It's got strong drums and screaming guitars. It pumps you up and drives your life. It's a hunger for exploration. It chooses the right and returns with honor. It's music you don't have to confess to your bishop.

It's not your parents' "Saturday’s Warrior".

It's "A Joyful Noise"

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

So, a couple of nights ago, I cut the vocals for "Torocagua". Tonight, I comped it. It's OK. I might not keep it. Then again, it could work. Hmmm...

MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Thursday, December 07, 2006

I forgot to mention that one of my problems has been that I've been sans keyboard for a long time. Of course, I've been sans studio for a long time, too. But now that I'm getting slowly set back up, I realized that the only keyboard controller I have is really nice, but not working.

So, my friend's wife had this Yamaha keyboard (a consumer model with all the drums and sounds and bells and whistles and speakers and everything) that he'd let me use. So, he did, and the first thing I did when I plugged it in and found that it worked was to make him a quick MIDI tune, drop it to mp3 so he could use it as a ringtone. Lots of fun.

Then, when I started working on my own tunes, that's when the troubles began. Finally I started to notice that it was my DS404 sampler VSTi that was the consistent factor in all of the errors. So, that's where I am now.

After I played and blogged last night, I was on the net looking for a replacement. I found a bunch of freeware soundfont players that I'm excited about, along with some good brass and string fonts. So, hopefully that'll take care of it for me.


MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Wednesday, December 06, 2006

I was working on some things last night and tonight, some keyboard parts. Unfortunately, I found out that one of my critical VSTi's isn't playing nice with Cubase, and keeps shutting it down. It's my freeware sampler. The problem is that it's what I use for strings and horns. I can't afford to shell out five or six hundred dollars for a really sweet sampler, and this one stops working...

Bummer!

But I did manage to get some horn parts tracked for "Torocagua". It's using a cheezy synth horn right now. Hopefully I'll find some kinda sampler, or I'll be able to talk John into playing the parts for me. We'll haveta see...

MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Tuesday, December 05, 2006

So, this morning, I get up really early. I mean, early for me. About 6:00. I go downstairs, weaving through the boxes and plastic tubs full of stuff (which we absolutely HAD to have when we bought it, but is now forgotten in the clutter) and I sit down at my music desk.

I dig out my drum pad controller, re-install it, and open up "Summer of 87". And I have a great time putting together the basic drum tracks. A lot of this song sounds pretty good already, even though I know I'm going to end up recutting a lot of the tracks. I don't know if I'm going to use piano or acoustic guitar for the basic chords of the song. I may do both...

MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Sunday, December 03, 2006

Well, I'm finally in my new house, as of about three weeks ago, and I finally hooked up my studio computer! I spun a few of my old tunes, and then a couple of my Christmas tunes. It made me want to see if I could finish one and do a Christmas single for my family. Hmmmmm


MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Wednesday, October 11, 2006

My interview with Candace at the imagine podcast is live! Go to http://imagine.candacesalima.com/

MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Thursday, October 05, 2006

I busted out my computer tonight. I wanted to try and work on some music, in spite of my situation.

It was pretty fun, but frustrating, too. I'd forgotten how many ghosts and problems my equipment has. I could only get one ear on my headphones, my bass kept cutting in and out. I did crack open the bass and fix it, so that worked out. Still it broke into the creative flow.

Oh, well...

I worked up the chords and the basic structure for "Summer of 87". I'm excited about that one.

MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Tuesday, October 03, 2006

I know it's been a long time since I posted. My studio's been basically shut down while we've been living with my in-laws. Our new house, however, is nearing completion, and that excites me. You can see some pics at marks digital designs.

I have done some writing. I created a new one for Jodi, in honor of our 19th anniversary. It's called "The Summer of '87". It's one of those old '80's power metal ballads. It'll be fun to do. Hopefully it'll be done before my 20th anniversary!

We did the fest again this year. It was a great show, and lots of fun. Not much of a turnout, though. Oh, well.

And, last night, I did another podcast interview. I really enjoy doing those. It's fun to share all the thoughts that bounced around in my head when I was writing the songs. I'll post immediately when I find out the address of the podcast!

MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Thursday, May 11, 2006

Oh, why do I do this to myself?

After a long, long, long day, I came downstairs and I wanted to record. It's been a long time, and I wanted to move a song forward before I had to strike the studio to move.

So, I fired up "The Things I Do" and cut a bunch of lead vocal tracks. I was pretty pleased. I'm starting to learn a bit more about intensity and style. I also recorded some scratch harmony vocals (very badly, but I wanted to remember the parts), and some whisper vocals. You'll have to hear when those come in, because it's REALLY COOL!

MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Wow, what a night! I got to perform for the youth of a ward in South Jordan. It was soo fun! I did about a 45 minute set, all using my songs based around the "For the Strength of Youth" booklet. I did all new tunes, too. I mean, from "Generation" forward.

Well, with one exception. They did ask for another song, so I'd prepared "Sometimes My Life" just in case. So, I got to do that one.

About half-way through, there were these kids standing in the back, and they started clapping along on almost every song. And the last few songs, they and a bunch of other kids in the back were dancing and having a great time! That's never happened to me before.

I started with "Here in Me", and they weren't quite sure how to react. They sat there, but they responded when I spun the mic by the cord, and at the end the clapped and screamed. By the end of the second song, "He's Out There", they were into it, singing along and shouting out.

Afterward, a lot of them came up and told me how much they liked it, and the adult leaders did, too. The Bishop told the leader that had booked me there, "He can pretty much plan on playing here every year!"

All these years, I've wanted a gig like this one. A chance to play a rock show to someone besides my own home ward. I've only done it one other time, in Indiana. That was so many years ago, the girl that booked it is now married and a mom!

Well, it finally happened again, and I was excited to see it go so well!


MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Monday, April 10, 2006

I couldn't sleep tonight. I woke up at about 2:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. I imagine it was due to the fact that I pretty much slept all day yesterday...

So, anyway, after a while of flipping lame infomercials, I came downstairs and worked on some drums for "Things I do". It wasn't too much. I kept erasing what I was doing. It just wasn't gelling as quickly as I would have liked. Still, what I ended up with is keepable, I think. This new drum pad thing is really cool, and helping a lot. I tap a pad for each drum, and it records it. That feels a lot more live than the keyboard. I almost sound like I could become a drummer! :-)

Then, I started again compiling some of the names and addresses to my email list that have come off the website. There's been a real jump in signups and contacts off of my website ever since I switched to plain mp3's. That's been a very smart move.

MRKH





MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Tuesday, April 04, 2006

I just took a few minutes tonight and added some distorted organ to "The Things I Do". It's a really drivin' tune, and I'm hoping to have it done for next month. I'll have to get together with Doug Erekson to play the slide lead, though. I hope I can track him down.



MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Thursday, March 30, 2006

Lots of things have happened over the last couple of days.

First, after a couple of attempts, I arrived at a mix of "Dance" that I really like. The first one was OK, but the guitars were too tame, then the snare was too hot, and the low toms weren't strong enough. But now it's all there. I'm quite proud of this tune.

And I posted it to the site, but with some major underlying changes. I've decided to share my tunes as mp3's for a while, and not as weedshare. I'm going to try it for a while, and see how it works.


MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Monday, March 27, 2006

I went to the FCMA workshop yesterday. It was fun, and a wonderful experience, but I'm kinda getting this sense that LDS music is in a transitional phase, and it's floundering a bit. I mean, Julie De Azevedo got up and talked about how low the sales of contemporary artists are, compared to inspirational or sacred. The Pearl Awards seem to be struggling some, and through it all, I'm not sure where I fit into it.

I'm thinking more and more that my role will probably end up simply putting out my tunes on the 'net, playing a few sparse gigs a year, and selling a few CD's.

I have been getting some really cool emails talking about how my music has impacted people, and I'm starting to see that more and more as the value of my art, rather than the sales.

Which makes me question things like sales. Should I even sell my singles via weedshare, or should I just put them out on the web as open license mp3's?

And tonight, I'm getting closer and closer to having a new song done. I cut the vocals to "Dancin' With the Devil", comped them, and then whipped up a basic mix in the headphones. This tune rocks, and rocks HARD. I'm really pleased with it.


MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Friday, March 24, 2006

Oh, my land...

It has been a seriously, seriously long time since I did anything musical. It has been very frustrating and depressing. Life has gotten in the way, and my motivation has sagged. I've even considered giving it all up. If it weren't for some really special emails I received from a few listeners, I might just have done it, too.

That, and I just kept listening to the roughs of "Lost and Found". There are some really, really good tunes that will be on this CD. Day after day, I drive to work and back, listening to these new tunes and signing along. The ones I've finished, the ones undone. All of them. They keep calling to me!

One of my big frustrations has been getting together with a drummer that can cut the tracks for me. Steve's kit has been down, Morey's not been available.

But today, Jodi let me buy a drum programming pad! And oh, how sweet it is! I was able to sparkle up the tracks for "Dance with the Devil". Then, I put down a synth pad on it as well. The first tracks I've recorded since Christmas! And here it is, spring already.

And tomorrow's the FCMA workshop. I'd hoped to have this tune ready for that, but at least it'll be done by the end of the month for the April website single! Then, I think I'll do "The Things I Do". A couple of rockers in a row! I won't be able to get John in to do horns until the summer. That'll be OK, tho. I'll get some other things done in the meantime.

MRKH - Mark Hansen
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Saturday, January 07, 2006

Last night and today, I did some remixing on a couple of songs. I'd been feeling like the lower choir on "How Beautiful" wasn't standing out as necessary, so I boosted them, and resettled the choir in the overall mix.

Then, for a long time, I've felt like "Turn it Up" wasn't agressive enough. The guitars always seemed to be buried, almost like an afterthought instead of the driving force behind the song. So, I did some tweaks in the EQ and levels of the guitars. It rocks much better, now. I'm pleased.

On both of them, I also added a bit of high end in the overall mix. As I looked at an EQ spectrum analyzer, it looked bottom heavy, so I boosted it up. Not significantly, but it should add a little air.

MRKH - Mark Hansen
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