ROPE, INC,
Kramer ran Shimmy Disc Records until 2000 and has since launched Second Shimmy. He has produced over 500 bands including Low and Galaxie 500. He was the engineer/arranger/producer of Urge Overkill’s cover of “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon”. Recently, he has been composing music for film productions, still producing many great bands, mastering many great albums and releasing solo albums on the Tzadik label.
Matt Menovcik is the lead singer / songwriter for the band Vinca Minor whose last album, Capital of Sorrow, garnered much critical acclaim. He was also the singer/songwriter for the band Saeta, who's album, We Are Waiting All For Hope, was released in Europe on Italian label Ghost Records, and signing a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Italia.
For this collaboration, Matt Menovcik writes and records parts of songs at his Ippylu Studio in Seattle and sends the files to Kramer, who cuts, pastes, adds parts and touches, mixes and produces the final product.
Matt Menovcik is the lead singer / songwriter for the band Vinca Minor whose last album, Capital of Sorrow, garnered much critical acclaim. He was also the singer/songwriter for the band Saeta, who's album, We Are Waiting All For Hope, was released in Europe on Italian label Ghost Records, and signing a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Italia.
For this collaboration, Matt Menovcik writes and records parts of songs at his Ippylu Studio in Seattle and sends the files to Kramer, who cuts, pastes, adds parts and touches, mixes and produces the final product.
The newly-remastered ep, Is That All?, has been released on Second Shimmy Digital 10/30/13
VINCA MINOR
Matt Menovcik’s latest musical project, Vinca Minor, began in the summer of 2009. Originally a Detroit native, Menovcik now resides in Seattle. He has been releasing his music on various labels including Italy's Ghost Records, Second Shimmy, Fish The Cat, and Ippylu. Vinca Minor’s debut release, Isolation, was somewhat of a departure, focusing less on the more traditional structured approach of his past efforts and instead highlighting the layers of ambience that were only briefly touched upon in past releases. Menovcik has also contributed a track to the Daniel Johnston tribute record, I Killed The Monster, with his project with Kramer, ROPE, INC.. He has performed around the US and Italy with his band Saeta, where he was the vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter, and the now defunct Ms. Led, where he was the bass player. Menovcik has additionally been involved in film scoring for the past several years and completed the Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Summer Intensive Program. He has also had Saeta's song, You Fade, used in the hit Italian film Giorni e Nuvole. A short film he scored, C.B., was part of the Seattle International Film Festival's Fly Film Making Challenge. He is currently preparing the the release of the new Vinca Minor album, Calmly Comes The Fog after releasing two singles in 2017, It;s So Quiet in Here and Now It Is Gone.
On Capital of Sorrow:
Menovcik's music and voice have never been easy to categorize. Capital of Sorrow, the sophomore release by Menovcik's Vinca Minor, is no exception. Though, as with Menovcik's previous works, it creates a strange and beautiful world unto itself - awash with ambient synth textures, propulsive beats, and Menovcik's plaintive vocals.
Also a film composer, Menovcik not only created a lush audio experience with the album, but also created a short film using the three instrumental tracks to further enhance the world of this project and give a visual image to some of the themes and concepts explored on this album.
Menovcik worked on the album from 2010 to 2012 adding and subtracting songs and changing arrangements. He recorded the album in his Ippylu studios as he did with his debut album, Isolation, using his arsenal of vintage synths, his MPC 5000 and his trademark vocals. For this album, however, Menovcik went with a more structured approach to most of the tracks and utilized the MPC more for its beat making abilities while still keeping the textures and atmospheres he explored on the first album.
Capital of Sorrow was released November 6, 2012 on Second Shimmy (formerly Shimmy Disc).
www.secondshimmy.com
Matt Menovcik’s latest musical project, Vinca Minor, began in the summer of 2009. Originally a Detroit native, Menovcik now resides in Seattle. He has been releasing his music on various labels including Italy's Ghost Records, Second Shimmy, Fish The Cat, and Ippylu. Vinca Minor’s debut release, Isolation, was somewhat of a departure, focusing less on the more traditional structured approach of his past efforts and instead highlighting the layers of ambience that were only briefly touched upon in past releases. Menovcik has also contributed a track to the Daniel Johnston tribute record, I Killed The Monster, with his project with Kramer, ROPE, INC.. He has performed around the US and Italy with his band Saeta, where he was the vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter, and the now defunct Ms. Led, where he was the bass player. Menovcik has additionally been involved in film scoring for the past several years and completed the Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Summer Intensive Program. He has also had Saeta's song, You Fade, used in the hit Italian film Giorni e Nuvole. A short film he scored, C.B., was part of the Seattle International Film Festival's Fly Film Making Challenge. He is currently preparing the the release of the new Vinca Minor album, Calmly Comes The Fog after releasing two singles in 2017, It;s So Quiet in Here and Now It Is Gone.
On Capital of Sorrow:
Menovcik's music and voice have never been easy to categorize. Capital of Sorrow, the sophomore release by Menovcik's Vinca Minor, is no exception. Though, as with Menovcik's previous works, it creates a strange and beautiful world unto itself - awash with ambient synth textures, propulsive beats, and Menovcik's plaintive vocals.
Also a film composer, Menovcik not only created a lush audio experience with the album, but also created a short film using the three instrumental tracks to further enhance the world of this project and give a visual image to some of the themes and concepts explored on this album.
Menovcik worked on the album from 2010 to 2012 adding and subtracting songs and changing arrangements. He recorded the album in his Ippylu studios as he did with his debut album, Isolation, using his arsenal of vintage synths, his MPC 5000 and his trademark vocals. For this album, however, Menovcik went with a more structured approach to most of the tracks and utilized the MPC more for its beat making abilities while still keeping the textures and atmospheres he explored on the first album.
Capital of Sorrow was released November 6, 2012 on Second Shimmy (formerly Shimmy Disc).
www.secondshimmy.com
VINCA MAJOR
Matthew Paul Menovcik's more upbeat, vaguely 80's sounding, electronic, instrumental project, Vinca Major, has released one ep, so far, entitled SWANN ep.
Matthew Paul Menovcik's more upbeat, vaguely 80's sounding, electronic, instrumental project, Vinca Major, has released one ep, so far, entitled SWANN ep.
SLOW RETURN
Collaboration with Cait Cole.
Collaboration with Cait Cole.
HEY BEAUTIFUL
Collaboration with Mackenzie Buchanan
Collaboration with Mackenzie Buchanan
SAETA
Saeta was an active band from 2000 until their last release, Else Another Light Might Go Out, in 2009. It also featured Lesli Wood on piano and vocals and Bob Smolenski on cello.
Saeta was an active band from 2000 until their last release, Else Another Light Might Go Out, in 2009. It also featured Lesli Wood on piano and vocals and Bob Smolenski on cello.