About SildRaya.com

Let me finish that thought for you. "Who are you and why should I care?" Likewise. I'm just some random dude on the internet who makes music and writes about music he likes, you're the one who found me somehow.

Right now it is a bit bare, but this site is still growing. I hate coding, love the result. More reviews and projects will appear over time and the site may change in appearance and scope. That's fancy talk for I got a life outside of this and I am not pretending it's a finished project, it's very much a perpetually ongoing one.

The cool answer is: Why not? The practical answer is: it was a college project. The actual answer is: I wanted a place to host any impulse driven creations without relying on other platforms.

It depends, I look at guitars, amps, and all that as tools in a toolbox. So for the gear nerds, here's a list of what I own currently. However, on my first album I had very limited tools. Most of this gear wasn't used on it.

Guitars/Bass

• Squier CV 50's Telecaster (Modded 4 way switch)
• Squier CV 60's Jaguar
• Gretsch Streamliner G2410tg
• Squier CV 60's Jazz Bass

Amps

I have used a lot of amps, so heres a list of what I currently use

• VOX AC15C1
• Marshall Origin 20 1x10 Combo
• Fender Champion 50XL 1x12 Combo
• Peavey Max 300 2x10 Combo Bass Amp

Keyboards

• Hammond L122
• Farfisa Mini Compact Model 1

Drums

Not picky with drums, they just have to be actual drums. Right now a Pearl Roadshow 4 piece kit.

Recording Equipment

I use a Universal Audio Volt 176 right now, in older recordings an M Audio M-Track Solo that died on me. I use only one mic, it's a 20 dollar Pyle Amazon Shure clone.

It's a lot, so many bands, and genres. I don't really think it matters, if you found this page you can name the inspirations before you even see this. Also too lazy to type them all out.

Multiple answers, it was mostly inspired by listening to mono versions of my favorite records. I love how claustrophobic and uncomfortable it can be to listen to when done right. Some practical reasons too, if it works in Mono, it will work in a live setting.

I'm not a good reviewer... because I'm not one. It's just fun to talk about the music I like, and I decided that's how I would like to do it. The job of my music reviews isn't to tell you what to think about them, it's to encourage you to go and engage with the work yourself.

When somethings done. Albums are built in realtime, you will never know what the album is like finished till it's suddenly in a playlist on my website and SoundCloud. Hint hint, if you watch the SoundCloud, you see the albums develop in realtime.

No, but I want to. This is new to me and eventually I will find the right people. After some thought, I think when I do make that leap it will either be it's own thing or an extension of my solo work.

I can't possibly predict where it will go, I do this all myself right now so it will be a process for sure.

I dunno, just listen to the work and read my unhinged reviews I guess. I'm not at the stage where I want money in it, even for just upkeep. Appreciate the thought.

As far as the music part goes? It's just me reaching milestones, record an album, print vinyl, improve my methods, try this thing, try that. I enjoy doing the music thing and am just living the experience. But I also have a pretty strict methodology and ethos.

The goal of the website is to document this journey for the project, all the milestones. And instead of pretending it was all neat and perfect, I lay it bare for everyone to see. It's genuinely hard to put your work out there, one moment you can be on cloud nine and the next you feel like a complete failure. Everybody hides that second part, because it's uncomfortable. I decided against it.