BrainWorm

BrainWorm

BrainWorm Political Songwriting

BrainWorm written, performed, produced, mixed & mastered by Kenny Schick

Alternative Rock, Political, Art Rock, Alternative. Political creative commentary on current state of the states.

© Copyright All rights reserved Kenny Schick, Kenneth Martin Schick 2026   
ISRC: ushm82694318
UPC: 823000694983

It’s new song day, and in some ways, I’ve been apprehensive about releasing this one because it expresses what has been weighing on my mind, and the minds of many of my loved ones recently (not a song inspired by whimsey and fun).

I wanted to release this for the 250th anniversary of the declaration of our independence–the day we ‘celebrate’ our ‘freedom’ and the concept of what we are ‘supposed’ to be. Anybody who knows any American history at all knows the hypocrisy of the original idea from its very beginnings: ‘all men are created equal’. It really did literally mean ‘men’….well….only if you were white, of course.

Ever since I became politically aware, I’ve had a hard time being on board with empty patriotism–a super selective, myopic and falsely ‘rosey’ view that excludes a very large part of the reality of what America is—so when the concept of ‘making America great again’ comes up, I have to ask the question that so many ask…..’when were we great’? I’m sure some are ready to tell me to leave if I don’t like it here, which of course is lazy and absurd(and if you can’t imagine why, then you have no sense of reality and completely lack imagination ). Don’t get me wrong—I’ve enjoyed my life here in the ol’ US of A, and I’ve always seen potential for something much better…. But then I was born white, male, and cis—and that’s what this country caters to. However, one of my primary core beliefs is the concept of fairness, and this country is far from fair, even though it likes to wave that hypocritical flag of morality and equality.

To so many, these last years have been devastating, disappointing, and brutal—a backslide of hard earned progress. This country has always been controlled by the super wealthy, as privilege is always for sale here. From early on wealthy capitalists controlled the system. The Industrial era of the late 1800’s really depicts how America would be ‘great’ from that point until now—when Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Morgan funded the election of 1896 to install their puppet, McKinley(sound familiar?). Over time, we saw a very slow movement toward ‘fairness’ and ‘open mindedness’, but we can now see that the same old $hit has always remained seething under the surface.

I have been so disheartened to see that such a big part of the population would cut their own throats to ‘own the libs’…. F’king ridiculous….. I have never voted out of spite and vengeance… I have never wished ill feelings on anyone who has a different view of life than me(I just don’t interact with them). It is true that no matter which party one votes for, we are all voting for someone who is beholden to the people that funded them—really it’s simple bribery! Call it what you like, but that’s one of the biggest issues with the whole damn thing. However, there is one party that at least has tried to slightly balance their policies to be inclusive(and let’s not go back in history please when the parties were sort of opposite what they are now…deflective bull$hit will not be catered to)—but now we have an administration that isn’t even transparent about what they are doing, and we have a literal cult that will ignore completely objective information to support their ‘guru’ who constantly lies(provably). We have an enormous amount of people who despise education, take pride in ignorance, believe the stupidest conspiracy b.s., derive joy from being vengeful and hateful(they won and they are still angry, because they have always been angry and will always be that way—they just want to suck everyone into their misery)…and they have allowed for the implementation of the most corrupt and morally bankrupt administration I’ve been witness to in my many, many years on this planet. I have never seen such a polarizing presidency—one side will always be disappointed with the outcome, but presidents are supposed to be leaders of the entire nation, yet we now have someone who demonizes half the population rather than trying to unite and inspire—the great divider.

The year I was born was when the Civil Rights Act was signed–this state still had segregation, and racism still ran rampant throughout the entire country …. When I was 10, only then could my own mother finally have her own credit card—the eternal American patriarchy.  These are the times that were/are considered ‘great’?….c’mon!! I remember in grammar school, we were being taught what ‘conservative’ and ‘liberal’ meant… the super simple definitions we were given were: conservatives want to preserve the ‘status quo’(we had to be told what that meant too..haha), and liberals wanted change. It seems to me things have really flipped: conservatives are the ones who want radical change(only they want regressive change), and liberals are trying to protect any progress toward equality that has been established glacially over time(which doesn’t seem ‘radical’ at all)…. Funny too….conspiracy theories once tended to be far left ideas, but now they seem to belong to the far right….

Anyway… crank up this song, jump up and down, throw things if you need to…. This time in history sucks…we all have to be active in demanding a correction in direction… we have to take a more active stance here…going to a ‘no kings’ day is not gonna do it…maybe we do have to cancel our Amazon accounts, Netflix, etc….(and yes, I know…here I am using Zuckerberg’s platform)… I don’t want to do without things that make life more convenient , but we might have to in order to  make an impression on those oligarchs who are profiting from this chaos— those who have bought the current policy that is definitely not favoring the many in favor of the few. This time in history has sucked a lot of the inspiration from the amazing people I’ve known and befriended—it is a joyless, soul sucking time for anyone who strives for actual equality…. MAGA have always been joyless and spiteful—and they still are now. It is high time we stop praising and admiring wealth hoarders… the billionaire class is just a gross display of addiction, not something to hold in esteem. Problem is, their addiction affects more than just their immediate families….it is a cancer to this nation. Life is short, and it should be enjoyed in its wide array of experiences—we should all focus on making it easier and less stressful for the many. Let’s turn this puppy around…. Let’s aim for what is possible instead of being conned into supporting what has been.

Verse 1:
Chem trail, tall tale, big fail, run it up the flag pole
Burn books, fake looks, big hooks, Plastic beat and no soul
Hate crime, no rhyme, this time, illusionist fooled ‘em all
First stop, gen pop, black ops, round em up to take the fall

Chorus:
Turn Right
Roll in the mud with a brainworm
Old men
Burn it all down and they blame her
Rich boys, gluttonous pigs on their gold thrones
(The) masses choking on the splinters of old bones
We all fall all fall all fall down.

Verse 2:
War paint
Heart faint
This ain’t
The peace and love you promised me
Low rate
Sow hate
Deep state
The king of all stupidity
Flat earth
No worth
Still birth
Fables and futility
Clown show
No go
Eat crow
They lack in all ability

Verse 3:
No brains, more pain, no gain, make it all great again,
Backlash, plane crash, red rash, 0 on a scale of 10
More guns, no funds, shit tons, of misery and stupid men
False pride, backslide, denied, 0 on a scale of 10

Refrain:
Red Red rose colored glasses
Set ablaze, ashes ashes

SONIC

SONIC

Inspiration from Sonic Youth and Kenny’s love of guitars and guitar sounds. Jazz Master Guitars were the inspiration

Written and Performed by Kenny Schick
Orchestrated, Instrumentation, Mixing and Mastering by Kenny Schick
Backing Vocals & Artwork by Sabine Heusler-Schick 
Video by Jessica Fong – adaptedcreations.com

Releasing a new Kenny Schick song today called ‘Sonic’. Clocking in at nearly 7 minutes, this song won’t be everyone’s cup o’ tea — not Americana like a lot of my stuff, but rather, noisy and quirky with some ‘sonic’ exploration.

This one was inspired by the purchase of my Jazzmaster guitar—a Squier actually—and specifically, the J. Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) version that so many rave about in terms of quality/price point. I got it with the intention of having another guitar for more ‘crunchy’ tones, and as such, I began to listen to some famous Jazzmaster players like Nels Cline (Geraldine Fibbers, Wilco), and of course, Sonic Youth guitar slingers Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo.

I went on a Sonic Youth deep dive for about a month, going back to all the albums of theirs I used to love, and ones I hadn’t heard. I got in the mood to write something in that vein, and so I came up with a riff that I recorded into a session entitled ‘Sonic’.

As I built the song, lyrics started to come, and they started to form a story of someone trying to out-drive the demons and chaos of these past several years (we all know what I’m talking about). It’s a ‘road trip’ song in the weirdest of ways…. The whole ‘Sonic’ theme made it’s way into the lyrics as well…The song was going to be called ‘Super Sonic Highway’, but I decided I’d tip my hat to original session name, which was meant to be a temporary name—it just seemed that single word was the thread that tied this whole puppy together.

Hilariously, as I’ve played that guitar more, I ended up string it up with .012 gauge flat wound strings, and often like it for clean single note kind of stuff. Though it still does the grind nicely, if desired.

#jazzmaster #jmascis #grungyguitarsong

The Fixer – the EPIC rock sound & video!

The Fixer - th Epic rock sound & video

‘The Fixer’ is a bit different than songs I’ve been making over the last 15 years or so.

The Fixer – written, performed (all instrumentation), produced, mixed & mastered by Kenny Schick

"The Fixer is a dynamic and well performed piece of songwriting. The arrangement is compelling building up and down. The instrumentals are fantastic. Solid performances and excellent musicianship. I dig the energy and appreciate the musicianship!"

Though some of my songs always tend toward the longer side, not too many stretch to the 7 1/2 minute mark. Though I’m a fan of big crunchy guitar sounds, it’s not a texture I use too often as the main ‘sound’ of a song, though songs and bands in my past have certainly been centered around this type of sound.

An Instrumental Germ

This song sprang out of an instrumental germ really—Originally, the whole song was just the minute plus intro. It was an instrumental piece written for TV/movie placement, but for whatever reason, I was captured by it and felt that I wanted to hear more of the story it was trying to tell. It has a Tool vibe to it—that crunchy dark sound flavored with world music elements, and so I started to build on the piece like the Winchester Mystery house. It had no lyrics at first, but I built it more into a song form and figured it would start to inspire some lyric writing.

"Fun track. I like the quality of the production, the drums sound punchy and it feels textured and intricate with the variety of percussive elements and well placed guitar melodies. The flow of the chorus is pretty amazing though, instrumentals are well synced and vocals sound more convincing there. Had a great time listening… "

Ray Donovan

The idea for the lyrics started to come while we were watching the TV series Ray Donovan: it just struck me how weird it is that there are people who get paid by wealthy famous people to ‘handle’ their sometimes enormous indiscretions/crimes. I thought it curious that people could find the mindset and skillset to lead them to this ‘profession’. Because most of my life is spent in my studio these days, no longer getting into any of the intense, dramatic overly-emotional situations of my younger days (lol), I find it useful to take on characters and become a musical ‘actor’ for song inspiration these days.

"A very interesting production here, with a nice melodic structure. The sound is beautifully constructed."

Shared: EXTREMINAL: https://www.extreminal.com/en/the-fixer-by-kenny-schick-video/

Shared: Extreminal | Metal Magazine https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0kV07ihAyjQ8yLPPo2Yy50

Shared: https://x.com/Giventorock/status/1489602128985399299

Shared: https://soundcloud.com/tuneboostnet/reposts

©copyright all rights reserved Kenny Schick (Kenneth Schick)
UPC: 198002900180
ISRC: usdy42145462

ONE – the best thing I ever did

ONE - the best thing i ever did

SPOTIFY  |  APPLEMUSIC  |  PANDORA  |  BANDCAMP  |  AMAZONMUSIC 

ONE – written, performed (all instrumentation), produced, mixed & mastered by Kenny Schick. 

As I wander through the cemetery here in Tennessee
my feet on top of footsteps of ghosts who walked here before me
Despite different times and different sights, different lovers and different fights
God knows the struggle was still the same, regret attached to different names
but I blamed you
for what i’d failed to do

stray off course to find a love, one that fits just like a glove
and overnight, the path is gone, tossed the map cuz it felt wrong,
still the same since the dawn of time, the poison bite that killed divine
the need for 2 to become one, the struggle of the moon to kiss the sun
I blamed you
for what I’d failed to do

The worst thing I’ve ever done
Is to make you feel that we were one
When in secret, I always kept a piece for me
I led you down a dark country road
with the burden to shoulder my heavy load
(and a hope that your love might set me free)
and undying faith that you could set me free
and maybe we’d become
that pair that move as one
but not quite yet

you turned your world upside down, tried to wear a smile to replace a frown
wandering circles in the same unending maze
i seemed to miss your strength of heart, i’d almost tear your soul apart
still you’d be there to hold me in my final days
still I blamed you
for what I’d failed to do

The worst thing I’ve ever done
Is to make you feel that we were one
When in secret, I always kept a piece for me
I led you down a dark country road
with the burden to shoulder my heavy load
(and a hope that your love might set me free)
and undying faith that you could set me free
and maybe we’d become
that pair that move as one
but not quite yet

i thought every word i said was true, ’til i heard them reflected back off you
and what I always thought was solid ground was a hollow chamber full of sound
the sound a song that pulled you in to a game of chance you’d finally win
but as you’d make your final play, the song would move a different way

the best thing, I’ve ever done
is to make you feel that we are one
and give you, every piece of me
hold your hand down this country road
and help you lift our heavy load
and finally see that you’ve helped set me free
and maybe we’ve become
that pair that moves as one

©copyright all rights reserved 2019 Kenny Schic

The making of ‘SHUFFLE’

The Making of 'SHUFFLE'

It’s been 6 years since I released a CD! hard to believe how time flies, but it was 2007 when I released ‘Under’ upon my return from Australia. Sabine (my wife) and I run our own music production company, so actually, I’ve (helped) put out many CDs over the last 6 years – just not my own (this includes 3 ArtemesiaBlack CDs with Sabine, so sort of mine I guess…).

5th solo studio Cd – ‘SHUFFLE’ is Americana with colors of rock, punk and jazz, influences from a multi-genre past. Songs of longing, loss, hope – about love and politics and always thought provoking in his intense and deliberate lyric writing. Schick has a loyal following, and for good reason – his has very entertaining live shows, there is passion, laughter, tears, craftsmanship, and thought provoking lyricism. The shows take listeners on a journey with much interplay between him and the audience. Kenny is a generous performer and uses his quick comedic sense to balance the intensity of the songs, which often explore the darker realms of human experience.

Seems my own music sort of got set aside to help others, but last year, I began to notice I had quite a few new songs recorded – stuff I’d been working on in between client work. I also noticed that I had several songs from previous CDs that had never been released and that didn’t really fit genre-wise with the new material, so I was thinking multiple releases. Then I got the little brain worm – seems as though so many folks listen to iTunes in ‘shuffle’ mode, so why couldn’t I release a CD with ‘unrelated’ material and just make it a ‘playlist’ of Kenny music? I also realized there were songs from the first 4 albums that hadn’t really gotten too much attention and that were never finished off quite to my liking, so I thought this could be a retrospective as well. So it all started to come together in the form of CD #5, ‘Shuffle’.

The new songs are obviously just ‘new’, and the unreleased songs were mostly from the ‘Fuzzyland’ album which was released in 2004 – they were cool songs, but Mike Freitas (who played drums on that album and helped me co-produce) and I decided they didn’t fit, so they sat incomplete until last year.

The very first album, the 2000 release ‘Eating The Cannibal’ was a super limited release, and it was one of my favorites of all the albums being so experimental and being my first ‘child’. That album was started in the second of 3 basements that were my studios in the early years (thus Basement 3), and recording for that disc started some time in the early or mid 90’s. It was recorded to a single black face ADAT(8 tracks, bouncing, yadda yadda). I was very happy that the machine (after an initial error message) actually started and played the VHS tapes so I could get the material into Pro Tools….phew!!

‘Rising’ which was completed in 2002 was my first Pro Tools recorded album, and I was just never fully happy with that disc, though it got good reviews. ‘Fuzzyland’ came along in 2004 and was a ‘success’ in my eyes, with help from Mike Freitas, Gordon Gurley, and Jerry Ososkie. The first 3 albums had all sorts of great musical contributions from so many folks I’d played with over the years, but there was never a band to support them and there were never CD releases for any of them because of this.

It was after the release of ‘Fuzzyland’ that I started to seriously realize that I needed to play live shows to support my ‘children’, but having tried to put together bands a few times earlier, I decided to see if I could do it as a solo act, and thus started the more singer-songwriter approach that so many of you are familiar with in regards to my performances.

The solo acoustic thing was a lot more difficult and life changing that I ever imagined it might be: playing with a band, as I had always done, was one thing, but being responsible for the whole ‘thing’ was another, and I quickly realized that my singing, with the inability to do multiple takes in a studio, was a problem. I’d also never really loved the sound of my voice, as I’d learned to sing in really loud bands/situations, so producing a knife-like cutting sound was the result to get through all the volume, and that was just not a tone that really worked for me as a lead singer. I took voice lessons and studied acoustic guitar players for a year before I ever did a ‘show’, and the first shows were pretty rough by my estimation.

As 2006 rolled around, I’d started to get the hang of it and the song writing had taken a direction that reflected the performance format, but it was not quite standard singer-songwriter fare. Later that year, I ended up in Australia as many of you know to meet Sabine and play music.

With a lot of time to work on my craft, I came up with some methods of playing acoustic guitar that made it sound a little more like multiple musicians, and recorded the majority of what would be the CD ‘Under’ on a mini recording rig I brought down with me. This is also the time that the first ArtemesiaBlack album was born, and Sabine and I started playing together. Upon returning to the US, I played a lot of solo shows and even toured the west coast a few times, and then toured the whole US when Sabine arrived on our shores in 2008.

Then the mobile recording I’d started in Australia ended up being the start of our music production business as I began recording other artists in the fashion I’d always recorded my own albums. Still heavily influenced by all the acoustic music I’d heard during those years, I did begin to record some new material here and there, but I began missing some of the more layered instrumentation of my earlier approach, so some of that has crept it’s way back in just a little…. : ) As far as songs from old releases that appear on ‘Shuffle’, they have been re-sung and remixed to sound more like I’d always imagined them. And here we are in 2013 with me trying to remember how to play my songs in preparation for a CD launch.

I am very happy with how this CD came out and I hope you will all enjoy the variety and quality of this release – it is sonically the best thing I’ve done (as i now mix/produce constantly), and though I tried to make this CD purposefully ‘shuffle-like’ in it’s odd song to song relationships, I am surprised, actually, at how coherent it ended up sounding.

Players on Kenny Schick’s ‘Shuffle’:

Kenny Schick – songwriter, performer, vocals, guitars, bass, saxophone, percussion
Michael Freitas – drums/percussion – 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15
Sabiné Heusler-Schick – vocals – 2, 5, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17
Heather Courtney – vocals – 3, 6, 11
Madeleine Rowan – cello – 3, 11, 15
Tony Lanzino – trombone – 6, 11
Tom Maitland – trumpet – 6, 11
Dave ‘Swampy’ Ryle – bari sax – 3
Tim Kahihikolo – vocals – 6
David Sierra – double bass – 10
David Nelson – drums – 10, 12
Chris Jercha – vocals – 13
Les Harris – clarinet – 9
Jerry Ososkie – vocals – 6
Dan Shafer – piano – 17
Dave Gary Jr. – drums -17

ASCAP

UNDER

Under - for travelers

This is a cd for ‘travelers’ – for those on a journey seeking an extraordinary life.

kenny schick – guitar, vocals, percussion, kazoo & hooveroo.
other musicians: sabine heusler – vocals (3,7,9,10), heather courtney – vocals (4,11,12), lyndie way – vocals (4,6), db walker – dobro & guitar (2,10), rain cruz – percussion (1,2), gordon gurley – sandpaper (6), steve crain – cello (1), david sierra – upright bass (6,11), pam page – violin (9).
all songs (*except ‘revelator’ – welch/rawlings ©2001 cracklin music & irving music) were written, performed, recorded, and mixed by kenny schick – additional mixing by jerry ososkie. mastered to 2-track analog tape by jerry ososkie @ J31 studios, CA.
photography by kenny & design by sabine.
© 2007 kenny schick – basement 3 music, unauthorized duplication is naughty and just plain rude.
written and recorded in australia and california.

FuzzyLand – Agro-jazzy urban folk-core

FuzzyLand

Agro-jazzy urban folk-core from bottomland—basement 3 is where musical styles meet at a crossroads, mix, and explode like a volatile yet seductive coctail. vocals, strings, guitars, horns, drums, piano and a washing machine…

“Its smart and complicated music, very emotive but also wise in the ways of the world.” neo-zine

“I love what I’m hearing. My brain feels like it’s actually getting bigger.” indie-music.com

“Basement 3 are a wholesomely feverish eclectic mix of lucid rock, Zappaesque freakishness and musical complexity with lashings of Rage Against the Machine anxiety. They are ridiculously talented and play very diverse styles: folk, thrash, urban rap, grunge and progressive rock.” astrozombie

Since it’s conception in the mid 90’s as kenny’s solo project, basement 3 has continually mutated and altered it’s scope on both an artistic and a functional level. still spearheaded and conceptualized by kenny, the new cd,fuzzyland, incorporates drummer mike freitas and vocalist heather courtney in more prominent roles to provide a more unified result with added creative depth of field. the first 2 cds yielded a brand of music that kenny called ‘subterranean world-core’–a stew of world music, industrial, avant-garde jazz, and pop. now with a new obsession for singer/songwriter and neo-folk stylings, kenny’s songs have taken some new directions, with more emphasis on vocals, melody and harmony. but basement 3 fans of old need fear not–there’s still plenty of eclectic stew left in the pot. . .new for ’04: agro-jazzy urban folk-core from bottomland. basement 3-underground music for a new millennium.

Kenny Schick Music

Rising – Subterranean worldcore

Rising - Subterranean Worldcore

Kenny Schick Music

APPLEMUSIC  |  SPOTIFY  |  

Subterranean worldcore played by a tribe of angry moles in group therapy.

There are many treasures hiding in the basement. They may remain hidden for years, but finding them sparks memory and imagination. They have been carefully stored away for a reason. In this basement there is music – music that dances, music that screams, music that whispers, and music that ignites the mind. This music, rich in color and emotion, continues to unfold listen after listen. Passionate, dark, full of experience and humanity, this music is not disposable. Basement 3 is underground music for the new millennium…

Basement 3 is where primal meets urban—-it is flavors and rhythms of world music fed by the fury of punk, industrial, and avant garde jazz, all served with a side of pop. It sounds like what might happen if Maynard James Keenan, King Sunny Ade, PJ Harvey, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and John Coltrane got drunk, picked up Morphine(the band and/or the drug), and crashed a Portishead concert.

Meet Kenny, the man behind the global agro-pop concept:

Kenny became intensely involved in the San Francisco Bay Area Music scene in 1982 when he began playing jazz saxophone at local coffeehouses. Also an accomplished guitarist, Kenny was asked in 1984 to join Dot 3, a high energy, funky, tribal post punk outfit that would gain much critical acclaim due to it’s intense live shows, blending of world music with punk, and it’s unique instrumentation(horns, chanted vocals, stand-up drums, Chapman stick, and guitar). Dot 3 quickly became the most popular local support act for touring alternative acts of the time such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fishbone, Faith No More, Firehose, and Level 42. After countless near signings and 6 years of furious gigging, Dot 3 collapsed in frustration, but not without leaving a indelible mark on Kenny’s musical aesthetic. The struggle to seamlessly blend multiple musical styles with power and originality would be a goal of Kenny’s forever.

The next decade would see Kenny playing in multitudes of bands and writing/performing horn arrangements for a variety of projects, including releases on MCA, Warner Brothers, and Island. During this time, Kenny played with 70’s funk cover band Curveball, whose floating list of superb musicians included Arion Salazar of Third Eye Blind, Brain of Primus, Jay Lane of The Charlie Hunter Trio and Primus, Jeff Gomes of MIRV, Mike Urbano of Smashmouth, and Ray White of Frank Zappa’s band. Kenny also played sax, guitar and tin whistle in alt folk rock band, The John Singer Band, which spawned Counting Crows’ keyboardist, Charlie Gillingham.

In the latter half of the 90’s, Kenny became involved in the Bay Area reggae and ska scene when he was simultaneously asked to join Neosoreskin, headed by ex-Skankin’ Pickle front man, Mike Mattingly, as well as reggae band Dub Nation. Dub Nation quickly gained recognition as one of the “best American Reggae bands,” as it played some of the biggest reggae festivals in the United States and landed opening slots for the likes of Chris Isaac, Los Lobos, Ani Difranco, and Pete Escovedo.

As the band’s notoriety sky-rocketed, they became the back up band for many Jamaican acts touring without bands, such as Justin Hinds, Yami Bolo, JC Lodge, and most notably, Judy Mowatt. Dub Nation received a California Music Award for their 1998 release Let the Truth be Known, which featured reggae stars Pato Banton, Tony Chin, and Earl “Chinna” Smith. In the midst of all their popularity, with air play beginning on major radio stations in New York and San Francisco, as well as numerous rave reviews in the biggest reggae rags, Dub Nation fragmented due to internal conflict.

About 2 years later, Neosoreskin would call it quits due to lack of acceptance by music industry and audiences alike. With no time off, Kenny joined the newly reformed ska outfit, The Brownies and Dub FX, a band resurrected from the ashes of Dub Nation.

Between all these projects, Kenny has been working on a solo project called Basement 3, whose first release, Eating the Cannibal, was completed in 1999. The content of this CD saw Kenny fusing the rhythms of world music, the aggression of punk, and the colorings of industrial, along with jazz-like horn riffs, complex harmony, and pop forms. With the exception of ex-Dot 3 drummer Mike Freitas and a couple of guest appearances, the album was entirely written, performed, recorded, and produced by Kenny in his home studio.

Quitting work in spring of 2000, Kenny began recording the CD “Rising,” which had originally been scheduled for release in mid 2001. Due to complexity and scope of concept, the CD took almost an extra year to complete. As it turned out, the CD became somewhat of a “journal,” capturing a complete period of dramatic life change for Kenny. “Rising” became the auditory depiction of Kenny moving from a mind set of perceived victimization to a place of empowerment and self-acceptance. It is about seeking one’s own truth and rejecting, if necessary, the sometimes nearly impenetrable molds cast upon individuals by a society that is sometimes too lazy or scared to examine it’s outdated beliefs and traditions.

Adding to the lengthy recording process was the inclusion of a large number of guest musicians, which helped to give the CD a much more open feeling than “Eating the Cannibal”. On “Rising,” Kenny has really started to find himself both musically and personally.

QUOTES:
“A perfect balance of harmony and aggression. #8 rocks!”

“A very diverse listening experience. Well textured instrumentally, with a perfect balance of fast to slow tempos. Tender, fanatic, simmering, blatant. The musicianship echoes the talent of such famous musicians: David Gillmore, David Boey, Midnight Oil, Nirvana, Redhot Chili Peppers, ….”

#kennyschick 

Eating the Cannibals

Eating the Cannibals

Kenny Schick Music

This project was never officially released. 

Kenny Schick: vocals, guitars, bass, tenor and alto sax, piano, percussion, kalimba, african marimba, shakuhachi

Mike Freitas: drums and percussion

with:
Les Harris – clarinet on 3, 5, tenor sax on 7
Mike Vondran – congas/percussion on 2, 7, and drums on 8
Swampy Dave – baritone sax on 9
Kevin Higuchi – drums on 9
Kevin Murray – drums in chorus of 6
Mike Mattingly – percussion on 7

Recorded 1995-2000 at Rude Boy Studios, Ken’s various basements, CA
Photography, art work, and original design by Kenny (G-Spot) Schick
Layout by Chris Street

Written, Produced, Engineered and Performed by Kenny Schick
© copyright Kenny Schick 2000