At The Helm
My Life In Sound
At The Helm--My Life In Sound

At-The-Helm Episode 34

Live solo "in studio" performance from August 20,1997 of a piece called "Liquid Center". Taken from the original master tape, no edits, no MIDI, no "undo" functions, only samples are from the PCM drumbox. This is the third take in it's entirety, recorded in my home studio. Originally released in 2000  by Studio Seventeen Productions.Performed and recorded by Bryan Helm, all rights reserved by the artist. Thanks to SJ and the boys of summer( including Tom G.) for their inspiration and support. For more info go to at-the-helm.us and click on the icon for "Liquid Center" at the bottom ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 33

Show #33 in the My Life in Sound series is the next to last in this retrospective. This time the music is again from 2005-6 and was recorded in my home studio in Colorado. Titles and start  times are as follows:

1- Omnistop Intro  00:00
2-  A  Walk Into Town  02:54
3-  April Fools  06:30
4-  Fit To Be Tied  11:54
5-  Todd Is God  15:47
6-  Omnistop Outro  18:06
7-  Roll The Credits  22:26
8-  The Walk Home  26:03  

Performed and recorded by Bryan Helm. All rights reserved by the artist. Tracks 1,2 and 6 contain samples of recorded ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 32

This installment in the My Life in Sound series consisits of more solo work from the home studio circa 2005-6. Titles and starting times are as follows:

 1- Intro  00:00
 2- Pieces  1:55
 3- Dad's Taxi  5:10
 4- After The Saints  08:35
 5- Monkey Slide  10:43
 6- Go Soak Your Head  13:08
 7- Picture Postcards  17:20
 9- Distant Objects  20:26
10- Outro 25:56

Performed and recorded by Bryan Helm. All rights reserved by the artist. Tracks 4 and 7 feature samples of other artists recorded work, used here without their permission and with my apologies and thanks to those musicians. ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 31

Show #31 is an all solo adventure showcasing recordings done in the home studio during 2005 and 2006. Tracks and start times are as follows:

1- Dustbowlarama  00:00;
2- Do The Wobble  02:55
3- Monkey Shuffle  05:13
4- Never Gonna Happen  09:23
5- The Slow Horizon 14:14
6- In Step Two Step  18:39
7- Long Away and Far Ago  21:25
8- Forest of Jade  27:22

Performed and recorded by Bryan Helm. All rights reserved by the artist.Tracks 4(drum/guitar) & 7(violins) feature loops built upon samples of existing sound recordings not officially sactioned for such use. My apologetic thanks to ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 30

Another collection of tunes from the BrotherSync boys. This show features  studio and live tracks as follows:

1- Wages of  Sync  00:00

2-It's A Bent World  06:03

3- Noodle Bowl  10:18

4- There's Bucks in Jingles  12:44

5- Hahalodics  15:17

6- Another Cup of Joe  19:56

7- Good Evening Folks  24:37

 All tracks by performed by Hardgrave, Moreland and Helm except #6 which is Hardgrave and Helm. All rights reserved by the artists.Track #6 features Mark Hardgrave on drums and lead guitar recorded Jan1 2005. Tracks 2,3,4 & 5 recorded live in the stuidio 9-7-04. Track #1 mixed and mastered by Bret Moreland circa 2002(casino field recording also)..Track 1 ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 29

 This show features solo selections recorded live in the studio during 2003 and 2004. Titles and start times are as follows:

 1- Wake Up Call  00:00
 2- Working Title  02:22
 3- Horse Number Five  05:10
 4- Morning Flowers  08:57
 5- Before The Saints  11:08
 6- Slow to a Trot  14:37
 7- Across the Gap  16:32
 8- A Little Foggy  18:57
 9- Bald Spot Sweat  21:24
10- So Long Red  25:36

Arranged, performed and recorded by Bryan Helm. All rights reserved by the artist. Track #10 is dedicated to the late O.J. “Red” Rhodes, perhaps the finest pedal steel guitarist of the ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 28

Episode 28 in this series features some solo tracks, recorded at home during 2002 and 2003. Titles and start times are as follows:

 1- SCN #1  00:00
 2- Futile Fanfare  03:03
 3- Around The Horn  04:35
 4- Letter From Home  07:54
 5- The Shiny Deep  11:51
 6- It's The Vicar....Not The Bishop  13:56
 7- The Time It Takes  19:06
 8- You Might Not Ever Get Home  20:58
 9- Iron Killed The Fairies  22:15
10- SCN #2  26:09

All music performed and recorded by Bryan Helm.All rights reserved by the artist  Drum and bass loop sample on track #8 uses a Yamaha DTEXpress digital ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 27

Show #27 of the My Life In Sound series is an all solo effort from 2001, recorded live in the studio in Colorado. Titles and start times are as follows: 

1- Last Day of Summer  00:00
2- June 1st 2001  05:42
3- Hindu Lineman  08:02
4- I Shudder to Think  11:03
5- Resonance of Memory  15:02
6- Steampunk Returns  18:42
7- Prelude (to Let's Talk About Toys)  22:47
8- Standing in the Sun  26:39

All music composed, performed and recorded by Bryan Helm. All rights reserved by the artist. ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 26

For this program the My Life in Sound series features excerpts from the Bindlestiff CD "Late". Released in 2000 this is music recorded from 1996-1998 and the final collection of new recorded works from Bindlestiff to date. Titles and start times are as follows:

1- Christopher Robin's Dead  00:00
2- Head Or Tail 04:57
3- Dark Water Search  08:47
4- The Earth Below  14:28
5- ...And Heaven Above  16:52
6- This Sleeping Circus 21:36

Performed and recorded live in the studio by Bryan Helm and Dave Stafford. All rights reserved by the artists. Original recordings produced by Dave Stafford. For ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 25

Episode 25 of At-The-Helm is the first show to feature the music of BrotherSync. This group consists of myself, Bret Moreland and Mark Hardgrave. The material heard here is from 2 cd's "Expect Delays" and "Sync or Swim" released in 2000 and 2001. Taken from recordings of live looping jam sessions done during 1998-2001 Engineered and produced by Bret Moreland who also does the stereo field recordings. Guest theremist on "Rotors of Raga" is David S. Miller. Titles and start times are as follows:

1- Sync or Swim 00:00
2- Mize Away 04:08
3- Aye Aye Eyes 08:10
4- ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 24

Episode 24 of At-The-Helm is an all solo outing featuring tracks recorded live in the studio in Colorado during 1998 & 1999. Most of these pieces are made up of  loops constructed to form an overall backround that then have a "live" instrumental (keyboard, guitar) lead played over it as it's recorded. Titles and start times are as follows:

1- Back East Out West  00:00
2- Bridge of Knots 04:30
3- Furrowed Brow 08:22
4- Touch the Fence 10:24
5- Last Resort 15:12
6- Down The Well 21:32
7- A Break In The Weather 23:32

All tracks composed, performed ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 23

Show #23 is an all Bindlestiff affair featuring two tracks from the 1998 CD "Distant". Both of these pieces began as live to tape solo loop works that I did in Colorado and then sent to Dave in California where he added his live loop tracks in much the same fashion we had always worked but with a distance and a delay to it. This music reflects a great deal of open space and was sparked (for me) by the new western landscapes that I was getting to experience and the sense of geographic distance from my musical partner that ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 22

Episode 22 of At-The-Helm features solo works from the second half of 1997 and a little of '98 recorded live in the studio in Colorado. Tracks and start times are as follows:

1- African Snowglobe 0:00   
2- Drifting Forward  5:01
3- Puzzle Dust 10:08
4- Falling Autumn Stars 13:55
5- No Jah In Sight 2   16:15 *
6- Pass The Lemonade  21:08
7- More Bad Advice 23:24
8- I Miss The Rain  28:25 *

All tracks composed/performed and recorded live to tape by Bryan Helm. Tracks marked with an * have a live guitar overdub to the original ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 21

Episode #21 of At-The-Helm features recordings of solo works from 1997.Titles and starting times are as follows:

1- Mr. Crow 1    0:00
2- All The Rabbits   2:20
3- Sad For Today    4:41
4- Tales From Treehorn   9:19
5- Our Hearts Are All Around Us    13:12
6- Mr. Crow 2   17:44
7- Frost   23:14

Recorded live to tape by Bryan Helm. Tracks 1 & 6 feature a live guitar overdub. All rights reserved by the artist. Please visit at-the-helm.us for more info. ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 20

Show#20 starts with one last track from the California period then it's off to beautiful Colorado in August of 1995.
I played a live performance in Denver on Oct.6th that year that would prove to be my last live gig for almost 10 years. The other tracks featured here are all from 1996 and are live studio loop constructions except where noted (*)

1- Silver Lining (3-2-95)
2- An Evening Breeze- 3:02
3- Boot With Love- 8:39
4- How Was I to Know- 13:15 (*)
5- Bob's Your Uncle- 18:30
6- While Rome Burns- 22:33
7- Autumn Light- 26:20

All ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 19

This is the last show in the California period and features a live Bindlestiff concert in San Diego CA from April 30th 1995. Recorded live to tape this is the last Bindlestiff concert to date and features the following tracks performed outside on a beautiful spring day some 13 years ago.

1- Short Circuit Circus
2- Fantasia- 14:05
3- The Night Sky- 21:18
4- Sleep It Off- 30:02
5- Orbital Noon- 39:57
6- The Night Sky 2- 43:40

My thanks to Dave Stafford for his playing and to Mr. John Goddard and family for hosting some of the live perfomances during those years ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 18

Episode 18 in this series in an almost entirely solo outing again except for the appearance of Dave Stafford on tracks 4 and 7.This is the first show of the second half of the series.Some of the base loop tracks used in these 1995 recordings date from as early as 1988.

1- Strange News
2- The Rain Returns- 3:22
3- Monsoon- 7:01
4- Sleep It Off *(Dave on midi pedal bubble effect)- 10:19
5- Big Saturday- 14:41
6- Ten Years- 20:14
7- Musing Moon and Solemn Sun*(Dave on E-bow lead guitar)- 24:13

Recorded live to tape from tape ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 17

Show #17 is the first to feature all music no talk. For more info on the featured music go to at-the-helm.us and click on the blog link. This is an all solo outing from me and features some of my early work(1994) with expanded loop length time (32 seconds) and some choral style vocal looping. Tracks are:

1- 32 Seconds
2- A Man I Know- 3:20
3- The Sunday River- 7:01
4- A Distant Embrace- 11:09
5- Mister Nelson's Radio- 15:12
6- My Old Man (for my father)- 21:11

Performed and recorded live to tape by Bryan Helm 1994. ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 16

This show features tracks from the disc titled "Loud" by Bindlestiff. Tracks included here are:

1-  Suspend Your Disbelief
2-  Passage by Day
3-  Suddenly Nothing Happens
4-  Fantasia
5-  Thunderous Voice

All music recorded live to tape 1994-95 in Escondido CA at Studio Seventeen. Engineered by Dave Stafford
All titles copyright 2000 (the universe) Helm/Stafford. For more info visit At-The-Helm.US or for more still follow the link there to Pure Ambient. ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 15

The second show in the series to feature the work of Bindlestiff. This installment features the following tracks:

1- Continental Division
2- Spiral Ginger/ Descent
3- Signs of Spring
4- Who is Number One?
5- Into Blue

From the CD titled "Quiet" All titles copyright 2000(the universe) Helm/Stafford. For further info go to At-The-Helm.US and for more info still follow the link to Pure Ambient. ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 14

Show #14 is the first show featuring all Bindlestiff material. The tracks heard here are all from the CD titled "Early" and are as follows:

1- Ariel Adrift
2- Parade Rest
3- Dos Vedanya, Tanya
4- Cartesian Dualism
5- More Earth Than Sea

All recordings are live to tape in the studio and date from 1991-93. Engineered  by Dave Stafford. All compositions by Helm/Stafford. For more exact equipment info please visit at-the-helm.us and click on the thumbnail for a particular cd to access more about the recording in question.All rights reserved by the artists.
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At-The-Helm Episode 13

Episode 13 is an all solo outing from the California period featuring me on syntesizer, electric guitar and loops.
Features the following tracks:

1- I Heard That
2- Milk Teeth
3- Lost in Paris
4- Nelson's Day
5- Questions of Distance
6- A Good Deed Shines

All tracks recorded live to tape by Bryan Helm. All rights reserved by the artist.
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At-The-Helm Episode 12

This episode features 4 tracks from the early 1990's. The first is just Dave Stafford and I as the Dozey Lumps. the next three have a featured guest joining Dave and myself.

1- No.17-  The Dozey Lumps

2- Kevin's House- Luxury Yacht ( Featuring Tom Freeman on drums)

3-Cutting Down Trees- Luxury Yacht (Featuring Tom Freeman on drums)

4-A Chink In The Armor- The Schizophonics (featuring Bill Forth on electric guitar)


This is the show where the Dozey Lumps begin to strive to become something totally different that will soon come to be known as Bindlestiff. Recorded live to ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 11

Episode 11 is the second show in this series to feature the music of the Dozey Lumps. These tracks were recorded in 1992 live at the Studio Seventeen facilities in Escondido CA by Bryan Helm and Dave Stafford.Originally released on the CD "One Lump Or Two?" copyright 1999 Helm/Stafford. The playlist for this installment is as follows:

1- Just Like Fog (Light Swaths)
2- Never A Dual Moment
3- Wistful Thinking
4- Mem 5 Watercan
5- Hole In My Head
6- Perelandra

Composed and performed by the Dozey Lumps in the New Standard Tuning.
Original recordings engineered and produced by ...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 10

At-The-Helm Episode 10 features 6 tracks of live in studio recordings of the Dozey Lumps from 1989-1991.
These duets for 6 string steel acoustic electric guitar in the New Standard Tuning were composed and performed by Bryan Helm and Dave Stafford. All tracks engineered and produced by Dave Stafford. Taken from the CD "One Lump Or Two? The Dozey Lumps -Copyright 1999 (the world)  Bryan Helm/Dave Stafford. All rights reserved by the artists.

1- Languid
2- Not Bloody Likely
3- Prebendary
4- Mutant Strain
5- Caithness
6- The Canteloupe Terrain
...<< MORE >>

At-The-Helm Episode 09

Episode #09 of At-The-Helm is the first in the series to focus on music for the media of both computer graphics and film. the following tracks are featured:

1- The Digital Sea
2- Beat The Heat
3- Images
4- Elbows 2
5- Elbows Outro

These original recordings date from 1984-1989 and feature me on synthesizer,drum machine, guitar,and effects.For more info please visit my blog at bryanhelm.wordpress.com. All rights reserved by the artist.
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At-The-Helm Podcast 08

Show #8 is the third in the California period of work(1987-1988) and features the following tracks:

New Conversations #1
New Conversations#2
Marshland
Blue Laws
The Spoken Word
Slight Confusion
Wrong Number
Cooloola


Recorded live to tape by Bryan Helm.  All rights reserved by the artist.
 Production note: There is a period of silence following the 6th trackof this episode that has presented itself in memoriam of absent friends.

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At The Helm Podcast 07

Music from 1986-1987 This is the second show from the California period. All solo works again, as follows: 1)3Squares 2)Sunshower 3)They Learn To Talk 4)Canyon Shadows 5)Winky.... 6)A Word From Our Sponsor
Composed ,performed and recorded by Bryan Helm. All rights reserved by the artist.
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At The Helm Podcast 06

This is the first show from the California Period-- late 1986 to early 1987. All are solo works as follows: 1)Desert Aire 2)India Street 3)Fixed Stare 4)From Here 5)Desert Kites 6)One In A Million 7)Tidal Pools
Composed, performed, and recorded by Bryan Helm. All rights reserved by the artist.
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At-The-Helm Podcast 05

Music from 1986 at the conclusion of the Ohio period. Its an entirely solo venture , except for Mr. Bob Kelley* on drums where noted. 1)A Short Answer 2)To Miles 3)African Rain 4)Canada 5)Barney Hillage 6)Quantum Jump II * 7)ie
Recorded by Bryan Helm. All rights reserved by the artists.

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At-The-Helm Podcast 04

Music from 1979-1985 Features four groups: Fukhedz, Ample Parking, Fez, Nelson & Helm 1)Scared Fun (Fukhedz) 2)Untitled Instrumental (Ample Parking) 3)Towing My Car Away (Ample Parking) 4)Snorkles In Reverse (Fez) 5)West Of Kiddieland (Fez) 6)Live Practice Excerpt (Nelson & Helm) Tracks 1-5 were engineered by Jim Cunningham
All rights reserved by the artists.
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At-The-Helm Podcast 03

Music from 1984-1985 1)Inca Freeway 2)The Hawk 3)Sign And Symbol 4)Centrifical Force* The first 3 are solo pieces , the fourth features Bob Kelley* on drums.The first track is one of the first pieces I did using a EH 16 second Digital Delay (in delay mode). Recorded by Bryan Helm All rights reserved by the artist.

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At-The-Helm Podcast 02

Music from 1984-1985 by Bryan Helm and Bob Kelley* 1)Saturday Samba 2)Nashville Godzilla* 3)You Are Confused* 4)Circus Peanuts 5)Second Chance 6)Cranky. To read the details, visit the blog at http://bryanhelm.wordpress.com. All rights reserved by the artists.

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At-The-Helm Podcast 01

Music from 1981-1982 Three solo pieces by Bryan Helm and one duet with Jim Cunningham*as Cloud Silence 1) Pressure Assemblages 2) Fat Man 3) UHF* 4) They Learn To Talk.Visit http://at-the-helm.us  to learn more. All rights reserved by the artists

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