"The Barking Eye"

Who is Mike Cliffe you ask?  Mike is a guitarist/ song writer from Sault Ste. Marie.  He is in my opinion one of the more unique song writers in our area.  To my ears, Mike's writing is truly experimental and all about expression.  He doesn't stick to one style nor does he seem to want to bite into what is mainstream music.  I first connected with Mike's music on the Revernation site where tons of independent artists like Mike and myself showcase our music.  He has easily 50 songs on his site that range from rock to the ultimate edge of bizarre.   I can honestly say I've not heard anyone like this locally.  For me, the outer edge of creativity whether it appeals to the masses or not, appeals to me.  Experimental music has always been part of my life.
Listening to Mike's music just keeps me wondering what he'll dream up next.   I've mentioned to Mike that his music should be a score to a movie which is my own objective when writing music.   Mike's music is not for everyone but I don't think that bother's him at all.  He is a writing machine and I think deep down that if you like just a part of what he's doing, he's happy with that but the bottom line, he's a writer just for pure enjoyment.    Mike is one of the many independent musicians writing songs but also recording their material within the walls of their own homes these days.  With full control and enough gear to get the job done, the freedom to write and record on home computers has never been easier.

Recently, Mike asked me to do a drum track for a song of his called "Bad Regime".   It's an interesting concept in that we aren't playing in the same building.   He recorded his guitar track to a click track on his software and then sent me the sound file and the speed settings of the song.  All this was sent via the internet.  I then loaded his guitar part into my computer using my own software and set the speed to his settings.  I then recorded my drum parts.  I then send my drum sound file back to him and he places it in his computer as he will be putting it all together.   He also has a female singer from over seas doing keyboards and vocals on the song.   If it works great, but if it doesn't, it's still a unique experience to try.   I've done it with other players and the results are quite cool. ;-)  One thing about Mike is that he is constantly listening to new artists and their music and passing his findings on to others.  There isn't a day that goes by without a Mike Cliffe recommendation popping up on Facebook of some new artist he likes.   Being that I love new music, I always make an effort to check his links out.

Mike's influences are similar to mine which are the, Jeff Beck, King Crimson (Robert Fripp), Hendrix, Zappa arena of music.   His music is out there but if you want to hear something outside the box,  give Mike's  music a listen.  Visit his website at the link below.

http://www.reverbnation.com/mikecliffe