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Thoughts On Portland, The New Thanatos Record

6/21/2020

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PictureView from Alexana Winery tasting room, Newberg, Oregon
This is a song by song run down of my thoughts on the new Thanatos record. I am adding  these thoughts on songs here one day at a time (and photos I took wandering in Oregon). Sam my also chime in as he is moved to. I plan on posting these all here, updating this post rather than posting individual things. So check back if you are interested...

Help with the pre-order / crowdfund HERE.



June 21, 2020

DAZZLING--Dazzling is one of the songs where I took a sort of epic poem by Sam and cut it to ribbons to stuff it into some music. I HOPE I kept some of the intent there and I think we chatted about it. As I look at the notes for this I recall that Sam's lyrics were extensive. I copied a small portion of those then cut even further as I made the words fit the song. It is a love song with a sort of cosmic scope but my cuts actually sort of take a bit of the cosmic out of it (unintentionally). I feel like the words that are not THERE are still part of the song because they inform how I sing it, how we structure the song and even how we play it (whether we know it or not).

June 21, 2020


FIRMAMENT--I've tried to write Firmament several times without success. I wasn't happy with the words the first several times. I had an idea but the words wouldn't come. The music was done. So DONE in fact that essentially the same chord progression appears on the last track of the previous Thanatos LP, The Coyote in the Graveyard I wrote the words in a notebook I brought to Portland for the first recording session while Sam was mixing. Right before I recorded the vocals, literally a minute or less before, I received a text than an old friend
of mine had died. I hadn't seen him for years but we'd corresponded. I was supposed to see him when I was in
NYC a year or so before but an Amtrak derailment and my disorganization intervened. So I never saw him. I
regretted that then and even more now. The song isn't about him but the performance certainly is.




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I think this is Mount Hood...but Im not sure...it could be Mount Jefferson...
January 22, 2020

BLOODBUZZ OHIO--I love The National. I've seen them in concert three times and each time I would have gone back the next night to see them again. To me? They are one of the greatest bands currently in existence. SO, naturally I had to record a half-assed cover of one of their songs. I do that, I make fun of myself but I assure you I wouldn't ACTUALLY release something I didn't think was good. I played this live at a show a few years ago and the idea stuck. This version is a lot different than I intended. I wanted it to be darker than it turned out but I like this. I don't think the purpose of a cover is to duplicate the original but to but a twist on it. I hope this does that.

June 28, 2020

SAM ADDS--
Sam: Unlike Pat, I never listened to The National before we recorded this track. (Yeah, I’m like that, I don’t listen to much music). For me, it was purely a Thanatos track for the album. When I record my part for our cover songs, I don’t listen to the originals. I don’t try to recreate something somebody previously played. I play a synth part that sounds good to me in the context and mood of what we’re creating. When we were done with the album, Pat wasn’t happy with this song because it didn’t sound like what he imagined. I think Pat suggested I listen to the original version for comparison; I checked out the video on Youtube and thought, “Well shit! I like our version better.” I like that it’s slower and sadder. It doesn’t have that incessant drumbeat. It’s just a sad guy reflecting on something that happened. Love that! I also like that I still have no idea what the song is about. “I still owe money, to the money I owe?” What? It’s a mood piece for me.


January 23, 2010

A CERTAIN SENSE OF COLLAPSE--It wasn't just Sam's lyrics I chopped up. A Certain Sense of Collapse was much longer when I started. It was coupled with another song (in my head) that I thought of making ONE long song out of. I didn't because the two songs didn't really fit together. "Certain Sense" was general while the other song was specific. It also had some language on gender I thought could be easily misinterpreted. Years ago I wrote a song and a reviewer wrote it was an "admirably two sided view of the AIDS crisis." This freaked me the fuck out. There were no "sides" in that song. It was a rant about how the authorities were concerned over politics and people were dying. There were no "sides". All I cared about were the people. SO, I looked at the song I'd thought about merging with this one? And I felt it was too ambiguous and to explain more would just make it clunky and condescending. I shit canned that song. The remaining lyrics for a Certain Sense were also cut down to the bone. And that is what you have here.

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June 29, 2020

CATHEDRAL SONG--Cathedral Song comes off what is one of the best debut records I can think of, Ancient Heart, by Tanita Tikaram. I was in college when it came out and it (and her next record The Secret Keeper) were in my heavy rotation records for years. She is actually younger than me. This song was one of my favorites on the LP. I played it at one of my rare live solo shows a few years back and I worked. Sam had never heard the song and his additions are him doing what he thought worked (the same is true of the song by The National). I also
feel like I have to add that Tikaram's third record Everybody's Angel is also really solid. I also spelled
her name wrong when I sent it to Sam apparently.


BARELY PLAN TO FEEL-- I don't have in depth ruminations on all the songs we did. This is another one of those where I took Sam's lyrics and wrote the music. There was, if I recall right, less slicing and dicing with this
one. I also recall that when we finished, just at the very end of the song, I thought "Hey, I sound like
Chris Connelly there." This would be the first time in over 100 recorded songs that I sounded even close to
Chris and it was purely unintentional (it would turn out tragic if I TRIED).

I'LL BE YOUR MIRROR.--The Velvet Underground and Nico is on damned near everyone's "influential album" list. I like every song on this record and my first choice to record would have been Venus in Furs but I didn't know how to play it. SO , we did this instead. I could tell stories how this record amazed me when I was
a kid but it is the same boring story everyone tells.

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Blurry action Sam!
June 30, 2020

HEARTS LIKE OURS- A year ago I had a conversation with a friend about love. I wrote down some words and they stuck in my head. In particular "Love is not the same" stayed with me. No love, no feeling is ever the same. I'm not talking about the difference between how you love your boyfriend and how you love your grandma--every single instance of that emotion we call love is somehow distinct. There is more to it than that but I really hate explaining lyrics because it takes away from other potential meanings for a song. If it means something else to you than it does to me? That is real too.

June 30, 2020

HALF PAST FRANCE--John Cale's Paris 1919 is one of my favorite records. Defintely a top 10 ever record for
me. I really wanted to do the song Andalusia but I could never put a good version of it together. I played
this song at a couple of solo shows I did over the years and liked my version. Ive seen John Cale play four
times. He had never played it at any of those shows--until the last one. He did a sort of avant garde jazz
version of the song. Sam and I both are big Cale fans so it seemed like a logical meeting of the minds, unlike
other covers where he didnt know who the artists are!

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Thanatos Delaying Our Release Out Of Respect For George Floyd

6/4/2020

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 Rest in peace, George Floyd and condolences to his family and friend.

We are pushing our release back a week out of respect for George Floyd and others who have lost their lives to police brutality. We didn't feel it appropriate to self promote in the days between Mr. Floyd's memorials in Minneapolis and his hometown of Houston. We are reflecting on what we can do to further the cause of equality this week and encourage everyone to do the same. See you June 12.

Some (very limited) organizations you may want to check out.


National Action Network

ACLU

Campaign Zero


Reclaim the Block (Minneapolis)

The Okra Project (fighting food insecurity)

FAIR FIGHT (fighing voter suppression)









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Thanatos' "Portland" Pre-Sale/Crowdfund Begins June 5, 2020 At Projekt Records' Bandcamp Page

5/27/2020

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The new record is a couple years in the making and is the first full length record featuring Patrick Ogle and Sam Rosenthal since 1995's "An Embassy to Gaius.". The style is similar (and different) from the first two Thanatos recordings.

The pre-sale is on Projeckt's Bandcamp page and goes live June 5, 2020. If you want a reminder of what Thanatos sounds like? Here is a free compilation.

More news and links will pop up here next week so keep an eye open.



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New Thanatos Record Mixed (Almost), Kickstarting Soon. We Are Looking For Your Input

2/15/2020

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The New Thanatos record is mixed. There may be a tweak here and there and Sam Rosenthal is going to add some parts to one outstanding song.

I keep calling it Portland which seems to be sticking as the title.

There will be a kickstarter in a month, month and a half and we are working out exactly what will be included. We want to know what people want. There will obviously be a download, CD and there will be SOME sort of vinyl option (likely  hand cut lathe vinyl which we will explain )....

What do YOU want?

Feel free to chime in with any suggestions.....you can leave comments here if you like....or email.

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"An Embassy To Gaius," The Second LP From Thanatos Now Up At Bandcamp ("Name Your Price Until September 7, 2019)

8/30/2019

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An Embassy to Gaius, the second LP from Thanatos now up at Bandcamp for free (aka "name your price") .

The record was inspired by the Hellenized Jewish historian, Philo's book "The Embassy to Gaius."  A group of Jews had prepared a compelling argument to prevent the placement of a statue in the city of Jerusalem. The Emperor Caligula wanted a statue of himself, as Jupiter, erected not just in the city, but in the Temple itself.  Graven images were a big "no no" for ancient Jews. Attempts to place far more innocuous items, a shield with an inscription for instance, had resulted in horrific bloodshed.

The embassy went poorly. Gaius Caligula was, of course, out of his mind.

How did the issue resolve itself? The Procurator of Judea put off erecting the statue and put of erecting the statue some more. Then Caligula wound up hacked to pieces by his own guard. Claudius was named emperor. . The new emperor didn't want to have his statue erected in Jerusalem.  The embassy had served a purpose in that it helped with postponements.

The record is about useless charges, wasted effort, lost love and the frequently destructive component on the drive for power, success etc. It isn't a particularly hopeful record but it isn't devoid of humor (few things I do are devoid of humor , even if the jokes are bad).

In some respects I am writing about this as if I was not involved in the creation of the record. It is how I see it now. It was, to me then, a more loosely connected group of work thematically. I envisioned a grander more linked selection of songs. What I wanted was almost a record that could be a play, a play crossing centuries from broad historical themes to tiny personal ones. You can judge the level of success.

I also feel it is far longer than it should be and I have often mused on re-recording this as a much shorter but more fleshed out record. I sincerely doubt I will ever get around to that. GO LISTEN TO AND DOWNLOAD THE RECORD. AVAILABLE FREE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 7, 2019 (OR THEREABOUT).

Also? I was a bit cranky in the process of recording this, especially after I moved to Los Angeles and I would like to say sorry, 24 years later, to Sam Rosenthal.

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All You Streamers? Take Note! You Can Listen To "The Coyote In The Graveyard" On A Bunch Of Different Services....

7/4/2019

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All you streamers? Take note! You can listen to The Coyote in the Graveyard on a bunch of different streaming services. I wish they would sort out the difference between this Thanatos and the Dutch metal band (we both started using the name in the 80s but the music, the labels etc are way different.

Here are the places you can stream this record and others...with priority given to places that understand there is more than one band named Thanatos.

Head to Spotify HERE.

Check out on Apple Music HERE.

Still using iTunes? Go HERE.

Google Play Music go HERE,

Amazon Music go HERE.

You can also find the LP on Youtube HERE.

And Pandora HERE. There is also a Thanatos Pandora station.



 I would, of course, be grateful if you shared these links or links to this page. Partly this is because I get paid when people listen and download? But also? I love spreading the music around. You can also listen to all of my other records at these locations and some others too.

I appreciate you reading this!

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Two Versions Off Of "The Exterminating Angel" Song "Dead Birds--Live And Studio,,,,

6/7/2019

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Coyote In The Graveyard, The Latest LP from Thanatos, Is Now Temporarily Up At Bandcamp (Until January 18, 2017)

1/9/2018

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Coyote in the Graveyard, the latest LP from Thanatos, is now temporarily up at Bandcamp (until January 18, 2017).

Let me state right off the bat this isn't the actual cover. This  is a photo of a background on a painting I took that turned IN to the cover. I just needed an image for here. You will notice that  I wrote lyrics on various layers that were ultimately painted over. This is sort of appropriate for this record--obscured ideas and intentions all over the place

The recording is now done and it is also mastered. It is up on Bandcamp HERE. The release is $10.

This record has taken years to record and there were many reasons for this--my malaise, the fact my initial idea was to involve a number of other people in the recording (ultimately it is myself, Tim Larson and my son Boyd Ogle II).

It is unique sonically from my other records and I am sure that it will perplex some folks with a preconceived notion of what my music should sound like. But I hope they, and you, like it anyway.

This is Thanatos' sixth full length reccord and a physical release will be out soon.

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Patrick Ogle Acoustic and Tim Larson At Uncommon Ground 7 p.m., Sunday December 17, 2017

11/13/2017

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I want to encourage folks who are planning to attend to call or visit online to reserve a table for the show. It is a small room and there are a limited number of tables.....it will also let the kind people at Uncommon Ground know that people will, indeed, be coming to the show.

Starting at 7 pm!....I promise there will be no length dawdling here we are gonna get to playing!

Being honest, earlier in the year I said I was going to play a bunch of shows and maybe do band shows in 2018.....That is about as likely now as me being elected Pope. I'd love to do it but it is more trouble than I am willing to go to. Id be shocked if I play again anytime soon.....hell I am shocked when I play at all.

I am dead solid certain only playing under circumstances I consider ideal....and I am dead solid certain not seeking out shows.
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Thanatos Solo Show &  Tim Larson  In Chicago At Uncommon Ground (North Clark St.)  7 p.m. Sunday, December 17

10/26/2017

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Picturephoto from Lovecraft Bar, Portland
Thanatos will be playing another solo show at 7 p.m. Sunday, December 17 at Uncommon Ground (3800 N. Clark St., Chicago). The show will feature sets from Patrick Ogle (Thanatos) and Tim Larson.

Thanatos shows are as rare as Unicorns. There was one recent short set in Portland with the previous show (a full band show) taking place in August, 2014. You can contact and reserve a table at Uncommon Ground in advance of the show. The capacity of the venue is 50 so it wouldn't be a bad idea to book early. The price is $8.

Thanatos will play some old songs, some never before heard songs. Larson ? Who knows what he will pull out of his hat....something old new, borrowed and blue most likely.

There may even be some Christmas songs played. Tell your friends, tell your enemies.

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