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About

About

A Michigan native, Vasas currently lives in Lansing and has been making music for more than 20 years. A graduate of Kalamazoo College with a bachelor’s degree in music, Vasas developed a style that cross-pollinates diverse music styles with a focus on technology, arrangement and audio production. Vasas holds a master’s degree from Michigan State University where he currently works.

Music from his LP “Grace Monica” has been featured in theater pieces in Los Angeles. Mike Vasas and The Beasts of Burden, a progressive pop rock group, performed across the state of Michigan from 2005-2010, including The Intersection in Grand Rapids, the Royal Oak Music Theater and The Palace of Auburn Hills.  An avid studio musician, his Songs Not By Me had Vasas recording and releasing 365 free covers in 2010. He released podcast mixtapes and freelances with media production work. In 2016, Vasas announced the forthcoming release of a trilogy of self-titled records and fans successfully funded a kickstarter campaign for a limited vinyl release of “Mike Vasas III,” the first record in the trilogy.

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Video

To Be With You (Mr. Big Cover)

To ring in the new year in 2012, we did this track for songs not by me… lead vocals, stomping and clapping by Amanda Vasas.

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News

Songs Not By Me

in 2010, I recorded and published a song every day to a blog called Songs Not By Me. Check it out here.

 

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Records

Just Lovely

In the midst of the Songs Not By Me project, this record snuck out. Performed by Ryan Malinich, Matt Mepham, Brian Richard and myself, the record is the perfect alternative comment on the dour vibe of the first Beasts of Burden record. The two records work well together…kind of like progressive pop yang and yin. I just said that.

Just Lovely
Mike Vasas and The Beasts of Burden
October, 2010
GRHL21

01. Photographs
02. Just Lovely!
03. Ammunition
04. Without Representation
05. Leather (Pts. 1, 2 & 4)
06. Filthy Grin
07. Poor Nancy
08. Occupation
09. Williamston
10. Weapons
11. It’s a Warlord!!!
11. A Money Apple Anthem

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Records

Songs Not By Me Project

Beginning in 2009, I decided I would move forward with a covers record…so in 2010, I recorded and “blogged” a free song written by somebody else every day. It was a covers project that ballooned from one album to twenty-four. 365 covers released in 365 days. The entire project can still be browsed on songsnotbyme.com.  Since the covers were divided into 24 records, I did try to create fairly flowing records for each month…

I ended up uploading the entire thing here.

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Records

The Found Sound Series Vol. I-V

The concept behind the Found Sound series is simple. Sound manipulated is new sound, but it is also, theoretically speaking, the same sound as well. This idea fascinated me to no end.

Technically, when a waveform is adjusted it is not the same waveform, but what about at a vibration-relationship level? What about sound source? Is this sample music or computer music?

Working within a program called Bidule, I focus on manipulation of the sound on my end, and the atmospheric result for the listener (myself included). These records are improvised and performed live “in the studio.” Basically, it means I can never recreate the music on any of the releases exactly although many of the “objects” I’ve saved so, I suppose I could do a similar version.

Each record is available for download on their respective pages. You can donate how much or how little you want depending on how much you value this type of music. The zip file comes with 256 kbs mp3s and printable album artwork for making your own hard copy.

These have been re-uploaded to archive.org permanently.

Found Sound I – Street Musicians
Mike Vasas
February, 2008
GRHL16

01. No Money
02. Fiddle
03. Folk Singer
04. Hymn

Street Musicians is the simplest example of the “FOUND SOUND” process. Each of the four pieces are
reprocessed from one of four audio samples. The titles hint at the original recording samples. Brian
Slagle recorded each of the four samples while recording and interviewing street musicians in Germany.
So, in case there is any confusion, each soundscape is designed from one individual sample processed
differently. For each new piece, there is a new sample.

https://archive.org/details/FS1StreetMusicians

Found Sound II – 60 Seconds of Guitar
Mike Vasas
February, 2008
GRHL17

01. Process One
02. Process Two

60 Seconds of Guitar is a record made up of two extended pieces all reconstituted from one 60 second
improvisation by guitarist Matthew Mepham.

https://archive.org/details/FS260SecondOfGuitar

Found Sound III – Hoboken Island
Mike Vasas
February, 2008
GRHL18

01. Hoboken Island
02. Entropy

Hoboken Island uses multiple reworked samples…some found sound, some recorded. Two extended
pieces perfect for relaxing/thinking/etc.

https://archive.org/details/FS3HobokenIsland

Found Sound IV – Medicine
Mike Vasas
February, 2008
GRHL19

01. Canadian Rockees
02. Medicine
03. Piccolo Sample
04. YWBHIYSLTY
05. Sunset Through Trees
06. Mustard
07. Hydrate Level 4 Please
08. Practice Theory Theory THEORY
09. Rainin’ And A-Rainin’

Medicine features work within Bidule and Cubase and it is safe to say that this is the most segmented
“album-like” of the Found Sound series so far. Lots of samples being reprocessed but overall a similar
vibe throughout.

https://archive.org/details/FS4Medicine

Found Sound V – Noodle
Mike Vasas
February, 2008
GRHL20

01. Ewow
02. Pedalboard
03. Draobladep

Noodle features guitar and effects reprocessed through Bidule. The first track is a sample of some guitar
improvisations by Brian Slagle during a Beasts of Burden rehearsal in 2007. The other tracks are
improvisations using my own board.

https://archive.org/details/FS5Noodle

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Records

Mike Vasas and The Beasts of Burden

Performed by Vasas and Eric Bredin, Brian Richard, Brian Slagle, Ryan Malinich.

Mike Vasas and The Beasts of Burden
Mike Vasas and The Beasts of Burden
July, 2006
GRHL15

01. Cross The Border
02. Makeshift
03. Slavery
04. Bread Beard Read
05. New Regime
06. Early Departure
07. One Day
08. Saints and Sinners
09. Selfish Circles
10. Rescue Team
11. Shells

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Records

Rescue Team/Makeshift EP

An odd one, this record features a few individual songs as well as alternate mixes and demos of songs from the Mike Vasas and The Beasts of Burden LP…before the Mike Vasas and The Beasts of Burden LP was finished…

Rescue Team/Makeshift EP
Mike Vasas
September, 2005
GRHL14

01. Rescue Team
02. Makeshift
03. Godess of Glory and Warmth (Demo)
04. Shells (Take 1)
05. The Wasted Drink (Final Mix)

Categories
Records

January Songs

Ambient Instrumental record of passive loops.

January Songs
Mike Vasas
February, 2005
GRHL13

01. 3pm 12th [8:32]
02. 1pm 19th [6:46]
03. 4pm 12th [2:51]
04. 4pm 12th [2:51]
05. 11am19th [7:48]
06. 5pm 13th [2:51]
07. 3pm 14th [12:47]

Categories
Records

Grace Monica

Recorded in the basement of the Fine Arts building at Kalamazoo College. Engineered by Vince Perri. David Poytinger plays bells and sings.

Grace Monica
Mike Vasas
May, 2004
GRHL12

01. Broken Dove
02. Warmth and Desire
03. Hometown Street
04. The Water is Wide
05. How You Loved Me
06. Aint It Grand To Be Alive?
07. My Precious Birdie
08. Songs
09. A Case of You
10. The Royal Family