(Hyper) Static (4:21)
Previously unreleased version

History

Originating in 1991 along with our other June 2019 archive release “Tightrope,” “(Hyper) Static” began life as simply “Static” – and remained unreleased until 1999 when it was substantially rewritten for the ‘Presents of Mind’ album. At that time, the band was searching for a stable lineup (as described in the notes for “Tightrope”) and writing new songs as part of a production deal with Simmons Records. We were working with vocalist Tommy Ingham, revising some previously released tunes from the STANDING PAVEMENT ‘Crowded Emptiness’ cassette and writing four new songs together – one of which was “Static.” Based on an aggressive riff by then-bassist Roy Truax, the song has a definite punk rock energy.

We demoed the song along with seven others at “The Old Schoolhouse” in Ann Arbor, MI under the short-lived name HANOVER FIST. The band played only one unmemorable “battle of the bands” gig and ultimately, Gene was unable to secure a distribution deal with a major label for his new Simmons Records roster. At this point, Tommy moved on and Roy headed east to New York City and, although disappointed, Mark and I capitalized on the boost of confidence the production deal provided and began writing and recording what would become the debut TILES album.

Eventually, with plenty of songs written and no additional members in sight, we decided to start recording anyway and entered the “The Old Schoolhouse” as a 2-piece (influencing the White Stripes perhaps 😊). We had every intention of including “Static” on the album and with Mark’s drum track from the HANOVER FIST demo session as the foundation, I re-recorded rhythm guitars and eventually special guest Kevin Chown laid down a new bass track (we also kept the guitar solo from the demo). Unfortunately, as recording progressed several of the songs we planned to include didn’t get finished due to financial constraints (Reasonable Doubt, Changing the Guard, and Static).

Somewhere along the way, I got motivated to dive into “Static” and develop it further, but I can’t remember why. Anyway…, the tempo changed and counterpoint guitar riffs, a new chord sequence for the chorus, and new vocal melodies were written – and the band recorded an entirely different version (during the ‘Fence the Clear’ sessions) as heard on ‘Presents of Mind.’

Now it’s time to release the original. New for 2019 are Paul’s vocals (testing the upper-most limits of his still-intact range), acoustic guitar in the choruses, and a few minor keyboard embellishments courtesy of Kevin Sharpe’s Moog modular synthesizers. Otherwise, what you hear harkens back to where our heads were recording the first TILES album!

Because the versions are radically different, we had to give the original version a new title for copyright and publishing purposes – and “(Hyper) Static” seemed a fitting variation, especially when comparing the two versions. And all things considered, they are two different songs!

- Chris Herin, June 2019