Captain Salty Takes A Trip - Super Skull Music

Concept and analysis

Ahoy there, matey! All aboard, as we prepare to embark on a musical voyage, with the eponymous Captain Salty! This instrumental album is a playful, boundary-pushing sonic adventure that follows the bold sea captain, Salty, as he journeys into the unknown, to the most remote corners of the world in search of new sounds. Join him as he sets forth with a thirst for adventure and a penchant for the peculiar. Each track charts a chapter of his travels, blending whimsical melodies with experimental soundscapes to evoke the wonder and peril of new discovery. 'Super Skull Music' is a musical odyssey, a blend of genres and sounds designed to transport you to the farthest reaches of the world and bring you safely home, again. Are you ready to set sail? Travel broadens the mind.

'Beyond Echo Park', the album's opening track, features multiple layered electric guitars played over a crashing rock beat. Three distinct tunes emerge and intertwine, creating a sound that transports you to central Los Angeles and beyond. 'Sunshine Super Car', has a distinct touch of 'Black Moth Super Rainbow' fuelling its engine, and 'We Are Hong Kong' lets it rip big time with a unique collage of sound effects and voices played over an exotic soundscape and deft bass line. 'Island of the Alchemist' transports you to the island of the Mad Magician, where some snazzy lead guitar work will guarantee to entertain you. The 'Rubedo Mix' of this track pulls the lead guitar out of the mix somewhat, and is available as a single with new artwork. 'West Coast', and 'Raza, Robot Queen' are unique in that they were composed and recorded just a week apart. I used my Ashton 12 string acoustic guitar on 'West Coast' and added some choice 'film' strings, sitar, and 6 string acoustic guitar, to create a tight little number about the American West Coast. 'Raza, Robot Queen' features some cool, if not deranged Farfisa organ. Check out the single release of this track, the artwork is excellent. 'Magic Lanterns' crops up again on this album, it's reverse electric guitar noodlings ever popular with listeners. The next track, 'Pixie Loves Candy', is a bit of a weird one, using strange, 'fluffy toy'-like voices along side some cool synthesizer and organ passages. To top it all, there's some tight wah-wah electric guitar soloing half way through the composition that's just to die for. The title track, 'Super Skull Music', is a nice little 'rock-out' number, reminiscent of the album's opening composition. The next five tracks, 'Tin Gods in Eden', 'Dawntreader Bay', 'Shores of Naxos', 'Kon-Tiki Star', and 'Jenny Lighthouse' all explore the oceanic feel of the album, with 'Dawntreader Bay' being my favourite. The final composition on the album, 'Axe Over Frisco', is well worth waiting for. 'Frisco' is a lengthy rock-out track, featuring improvised lead guitar all the way through - a fitting end to a great album.

Instrumentation

• Korg M50 synthesizer

• AFQ Pro electric guitar

• Ashton 6 string acoustic guitar

• Ashton 12 string acoustic guitar

• Fender electric bass guitar

• Boss Looper drum machine

• Boss Dr Rhythm drum machine

Finished product

As a digital download, 'Super Skull Music' has sold consistently well since its release in 2015. A CD version of the album is in the pipeline. All artwork was created by Toby French. As always, most of the album tracks have been released as singles with alternative artwork. Check out my Spotify discography for full details.