The Efts on Indie69's November 2013 Playlist!

Download here -->   Indie69's November 2013 playlist

November is The Efts' birthday month.  This year's birthday month is starting off great, as we've been included in Indie69's November 2013 playlist.  If you're tired of listening to the same old music, we encourage you to fire up your favorite torrent software and suck down 70 new songs courtesy of the ever-present audiophile Indie Sixtynine.  We're honored to see our latest song Waiting Room included in the mammoth offering of tunes this month.  Thanks as always go out to our favorite music aggregator - Indie Sixtynine makes every month a reason to celebrate.

Attack of the Villain Phantom

Download our newest free album here --> The Efts - Attack of the Villain Phantom

Yesssssss!  Our 4th album has been released!  Attack of the Villain Phantom is a compilation of our seven newest songs, each of which have been re-polished and enhanced for your listening pleasure.  This is geeky music at it's core, with heavy use of mono analog synthesizers coupled with a distortion pedal.  These songs were written for some of our friends, some of our enemies, each other, victims of giant robot-related tragedies, and Tim Gunn.  This is our first title available through Google Play, a service that attracted us several months ago.  The album art and album title were both created by Jackson Yeager.  Thanks for the great art Jack!

Song List for Attack of the Villain Phantom:

1. Andrew Treat Does Everything Right
2. KY's Theme
3. I Don't Wanna Die
4. We Really Like Tim Gunn
5. This Love Is A Robot
6. Skill Tree
7. Sara Knows

Sara Knows

Sara and Greta way back in April 2002

...or you can check out the YouTube version --> Sara Knows - The Efts

     This song is dedicated to our great friend Sara Treat. She's dedicated her life to ensuring the well-being of her family, inspiring us to immortalize her with this tune. Sara has two cool kids, one of whom is still too young to be away at school. The lyrics in this song are aimed at being supportive as she transitions through her most recent chapters of being a fantastic mom.  Life is about choices and Sara is great at making good decisions. We love you Sara!

Lyrics: 


She knows about carpentry, the economy. 
She knows when it's time to go to bed. 
She knows about sacrifice. 
She is not afraid to pay the price for something nice. 
And she keeps her happy family fed. 


Sara knows. Sara knows. 
Some things you can't change. 
Sara knows. Sara knows. 
Some things you can't change. 
Some things you can. 


She knows where her boys go when they hide. 
And if they lied she'd know that too. 
She knows how fast they grow and then they go and she also knows they're coming home. 
They will go and they will always come home.

This Love Is A Robot

... or you can check the YouTube version --> This Love Is A Robot - The Efts

   Recently we were reviewing some of our previously recorded loops.  I proposed that Lolo choose her favorite of the bunch as the basis for a new song about her.  There were many cheerful melodies she could have picked.  Some were full of merry little beeps and boops that would have made a pleasant little love song.  Unfortunately for me, Lolo chose the darkest and most unsettling of loops in the pile.  Undaunted, I sallied forth and wrote This Love Is A Robot.  We hope you enjoy the result!

Lyrics:

This love is a robot
in the shape of my heart
It's got a button and the label says 'start'

This fate is a robot
in the shape of our hands intertwined. Interlaced.
Separate units with a shared interface. 

This robot came up from the fire.
This robot love will shape the future.
This robot's pulse will never tire.
This robot heart. My robot heart.

You pressed on this button with the face of your soul
on the side of this robot in the shape of my heart.

Skill Tree

My Sword Will Be On Fire by Wiles A.

...or you can check out the YouTube version --> Skill Tree - The Efts

   This song is dedicated to the PvPer.  Lolo and I have played many multiplayer games.  When given a choice, we pick PvP (player vs player) servers every time.  The added element of random spars with an actual player can make or break a game for us.  This tune reflects the feeling we tend to have after losing in a PvP situation.  The need for vengeance is usually overwhelming.  Skill tree tweaks, armor changes, hotkey placement, etc... it's all examined prior to a concerted effort to find and eliminate the perpetrator.  From MUDs in the early 1990s to current MMORPGs, we've been doing this for a long time.  May our enemies realize the futility of their ways.

Lyrics:

What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.
What if I'm dead?
What if I had a million lives? 
To my killers I'd say:

I'm adjusting my skill tree
and I will see you again on the other side.
My sword will be on fire
and hot rays of death will pour out of my shield.

There are twenty things I will do before we meet again:
practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, 

practice, practice, practice, practice, practice,
practice, practice, practice, practice, practice,
practice, practice, practice, practice, practice.

I'm adjusting my skill tree
and I will see you again on the other side.
My sword will be on fire
and hot rays of death will pour out of my shield.

Wearing acid coated armor
with a helm forged in molten rage.
I will ride upon a demon steed
and you will feel my wrath.

KY's Theme

KY's basement March 2002

...or you can check out the YouTube version ---> KY's Theme 0.4

This song is dedicated to our friend Kristian Yeager (KY).  We've been playing video games together for many years, so it seemed appropriate to write him a song about leveling up.  KY is a good dad and a good husband.  I (Shannon) am a terrible influence.  Regardless of my constant temptations of gaming goodness, KY puts his family first.  That being said, once his family is all tucked in bed KY becomes a gaming god.  Lolo and I have spent so many evenings playing WoW, DDR, WoW, Rock Band, WoW and WoW with Kristian.  May we level up again and again, KY!

Lolo and I were (as usual) experimenting with music recently and made a 240 bpm remix of KY's Theme 0.4.  Check it out if you feel like possibly having an earblow.  Yeah you heard me.  Earblow.  A mindblow of the ear.

Download/Listen to this song --->  KYs Theme 240bpm Remix - The Efts

Listen to the YouTube version ---> KY's Theme 240bpm remix

Lyrics (same for both versions)

Your kids are tucked in tight
Your spouse is sleeping all night
You got a drink and a game and you're feeling alright.

Shed your real life skin as you pass the login
and you know as you go that you'll level tonight.

Don't you stop till you get that drop. 
Fight fight fight till you level up tonight

Fade into this game with me
Let's blow this up with some TNT.
We might even do some PvP.
Now come along and level up with me.

Robot Destroy

...or you can check out the YouTube version --> Robot Destroy - The Efts

Lolo and I had a ton of fun making this song. This creation was born after a night of playing with sounds at Dylan and Deanie's place up in New York. We combined the dropped-octave synths with some lyrics we had worked up for Dylan's upcoming social networking game called Robot Destroy Club in an attempt to make a theme song for his project. Big thanks go out to our core beta-listening team who are integral to crafting the final versions of our songs - Dylan, Kristian, Deanie, Trista, Andrew, John and Sara. Thanks so much!!  And even more thanks to Wiles for his wonderful artwork created just for this song.

Lyrics:

There. You can feel it every time.
It's a tingle in your spine.
Your electric robot spine.
And it goes dunt, dunt, dunt, dunt.
Send a signal to your beat box
and we heat rocks with our lasers,
fire tasers with our robot claws.
Pew, pew, pew, pew
Robot destroy.

I. I am a robot.
You. You are a robot.
We can take this city down
Level this entire town
Robot destroy.
Robot destroy.

We. We can be robots.
Free. Free to be robots.
Computerized devil guise
deadly red robotic eyes
Robot enjoy.
Robot destroy.

Co-op Dreams

Dylan sets the tone.

Listen to/download this song --> Co-op Dreams - The Efts

Watch the YouTube version --> Co-op Dreams -The Efts

Happy birthday Dylan!! Here's a song in tribute of the last two decades of playing video games with you. We've co-opped our way through countless titles since meeting in 1991. The future holds so much promise for tomorrow's gaming, which makes our amazing teamwork even more of an asset. Thanks for taking so many virtual bullets for me! And thanks for letting me control the feet.

Lyrics:

When we get a new game
we get a new world to tame
we pick our character names
and they're always the same

We figure out the controls
with the easiest goals
such as looking in holes
for some cartoony moles

In our games, co-op teams
In our sleep, co-op dreams

We made our Katamaris
and we rolled through cities
now we utilize Wiis
to do exercisiis.

From your living room
with your Genesis
we have come so far
we are limitless.

When you fall asleep
in that world above
you can see me there
with a Powerglove.

When you get stressed out
and you need to play
get the Vectrex out
make blue skies from gray

The Efts on uNKnOwnCluBbErZ!!!

Link to the exclusive album --> TheEftsLoveuNKnOwnCluBbErZ

uNKnOwnCluBbErZ is a site that should be familiar with many people who like electronic

music. Ludo of uNKnOwnCluBbErZ has been gathering and posting new music for years, and it's with great honor that we are now included there! We've remixed seven of our more recent tunes, and also added our 4 newest songs in an effort to provide uNKnOwnCluBbErZ with a unique selection of our work. The mp3 versions of our songs available at Ludo's site are higher quality than those available here. We can't ever thank Ludo enough for his influence. His dedication and zeal for electronic music is unparalleled, and the world is a better place for having him among us.

What You Do

The Efts circa 1990

Listen to/Download this song --> What You Do - The Efts

Listen to the YouTube version --> What You Do - The Efts

Lolo and I have had many adventures. We've traveled thousands of miles together, spent thousands of hours together and are completely addicted to one another. I love her and what she does. This song is dedicated to the adventures we've had, and will be our theme song during future forays into chaos.

Lyrics:

The day after we bought our house you said
"This is where we could beat the living dead
in the zombie apocalypse."
and I said "I love you and what you do."

We were walking home from a show one night
and you stole those hens and chicks and took flight
through the neighborhood and
as we ran I yelled "I love you and what you do!"

Never listen to radio, oh no.
We control the audio
Our love is stereo.
I love you so.

Sneaking into that strange basement

and we hid next to the drums

and kissed and never got found.

Then we crossed the busy highway

and went into the woods

and I whispered "I love you and what you do."

MiniMotoX

Dylan and Eric take a tour of the grounds

Listen to/download this song --> MiniMotoX - The Efts

Listen to the YouTube version --> MiniMotoX - The Efts

This song is for our amazing friend Dylan. It was designed for a singular purpose: to be listened to whilst crushing his competition in the fast-paced, knock-down, backyard minimotocross circuit. We hope that he is able to utilize the power inherent in the mono analog sounds found within this song. May your traction be sticky and your battery be forever charged, Dyl.

Lyrics:

C'mon baby ride. You've got to win this minimotocross.

Spinning wheels, plastic wheels, little wheels make dirt fly.

Making the eights, making the eights, crazy eights.

Racetrack, racetrack in the lawn.

Wiles Goes to School

Listen to/Download this song --> Wiles Goes to School - The Efts

Listen to the YouTube version --> Wiles Goes to School - The Efts

This song is dedicated to Dylan and Deanie's oldest son. Wiles starts kindergarten this coming fall so we wrote a tune in support of his journey. We tried a few new things with this project. Singing like a robot was new (no effect used there, just sang in a nasally robot tone using a two-part harmony) as was an experiment with dropping the bass a full octave around 1:25.

Lyrics:

Wouldn't it be cool
when Wiles goes to school
Don't go alone
He takes a robot too

When Wiles goes to school
it gets robotical

Kicks the kickball real far
Stands in line for him
Gets an extra lunch

Knows the answers to tests
and how to solve all the quests
Robots are the best

Revolves Around You

My world revolves around her.

Listen to/download this song --> Revolves Around You - The Efts

Listen to the YouTube version --> Revolves Around You - The Efts

Lolo and I have spent over two decades together. She's the core of the gravitational force guiding my life's trajectory. I tried to convey that feeling in the lyrics to this latest song I wrote for her. The universe may unfold it's plans, but Lolo and I have our own schematics.

Lyrics:

Age is relative
to the speed of the Earth
as it revolves around the sun.

Time is measured
as we spin across space.
We'll take measure from what we've done.

We get older.
I don't notice.
I'm no satellite of the sun.

My world revolves around you.

Geek Love

Download the album (it's free!) --> Geek Love - The Efts

Yay! We're pleased to present our second collection of songs. The tunes in this album were designed as gifts for some of our friends or for each other. We hope that the geeky love contained within each song might provide some warmth for your heart as well. Some of the selections are unique updated versions of songs previously released on our blog. Lyrics and notation can be found at each song's original blog post linked to the list below:

01 Tiniest Viking v1.4

02 Tippytoe Frankenstein v1.9

03 My Science Garden v1.8

04 Your Turn Now v3.4

05 Everything Changes (Snowball re-edit)

06 Moving Away

07 Jackson and Sam

08 Chemical Love v1.5

My Science Garden

An early incarnation of Lolo's science garden

Download/Listen to this song --> My Science Garden - The Efts

Listen to the YouTube version --> My Science Garden - The Efts

I had Lolo in mind when I wrote this song. She has a carefully planned garden in front of our house. Raised beds, companion planting, customized soil mixtures, and many exciting botanical discoveries have made this a focal point in Lolo's vision for our property. I'm hoping this song will be re-recorded in the near future with Lolo's voice replacing mine. It's her science garden, after all.

Lyrics:

This space is mine.
I carved out of the world out in front of my house.
I see it every day.

When I close my eyes
I am in my science garden.

I made it better
nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus
I worked it into the clay.

It's my reflection
See me trade sweat and dirt with the earth
Beg the sun for it's ray

It's my obsession
Hypothesize with the hedge bindweed
and I theorize with the thistle seed

Tiniest Viking

Deanie holds a secret in her eyes

Listen to/download this song --> Tiniest Viking - The Efts

YouTube version --> Tiniest Viking - The Efts

This is Deanie's theme. In some circles, Deanie is known as the Tiniest Viking. She is a powerful positive force in this world, and radiates a feeling of warmth that can be felt at a subatomic level. Deanie has been a part of our lives for many years and we'll continue to love the time we get to spend together. Tiniest Viking forever!!

Lyrics:

To the left is a temptation
To the right is a brass ring
She continues down the middle
She's the tiniest viking

Head up, chin out, eyes straight
No lack of clout today.

In her eyes she holds a secret
see them glimmer, see them glow
In her hands she holds her sons
In her arms she holds her beau

In her heart are fields of summer

winter, spring and fall
In her mind she plays this song
with her voice she sings along

Breathe in, hold it. Take wing.
Breathe out Tiny Viking.

Your Turn Now (Updated!)

Download/Play this song --> Your Turn Now - The Efts

YouTube version ---> Your Turn Now - The Efts

This is a much needed update to one of our older songs. We originally wrote this song when our dear friends had a baby. It had lyrics like 'Used to be you thought for one, now you think for three." The song worked out fine until three became four. In an effort to make this song viable once again, a complete overhaul was recently performed. Lolo added some great background vocals and we remixed the majority of the synths to reflect a more modern feel.

Tippytoe Frankenstein

Listen to/download this song --> Tippytoe Frankenstein - The Efts

YouTube version --> Tippytoe Frankenstein - The Efts

Happy birthday Deanie! Here's a song about Tippytoe Frankenstein, the powerful alter-ego of Deanie and Dylan's youngest son. We had a lot of fun with this one, particularly with the vocals and the synthesizers. Lolo recorded some great chorus vocals (yay!!) for this project. We also extensively used this amazing new addon instrument compilation called SynthPack from AMG. It adds over 150 vintage digital and analog synthesizers to the already sizable instrument library within our Powerbook. Almost all of the sounds in this song are courtesy of the classic synths we discovered in SynthPack.

Lyrics:

Everybody rise
when he comes into the room.
You don't know why?
You'll figure out real soon.

Under a good sign
was born a good friend of mine.
No way to define
Tippytoe Frankenstein.

He has a heart of gold
that he wears on his sleeve.
He's a hero of old.
Salute him for me.

In Between Games

Listen to/download this song --> In Between Games - The Efts

Watch the YouTube version --> In Between Games - The Efts

I'm a lifelong gamer. Luckily for me, I'm married to a lifelong gamer. Being sucked into a really good video game can be exhilarating but can also wreck any chance of being responsible for actual life. This song is about the productive times in any gamer's life when no games are being played.

Lyrics:

Hard to believe all I do
when I'm in between games

Working and driving and writing songs
Talking and laughing and walking dogs
Sleeping and making Ovaltine
Seeing and touching you

Superimposed

Listen to/download this song --> Superimposed - The Efts

Listen to the YouTube version --> Superimposed - The Efts

Recently I watched a documentary about a mathematician that pioneered the field of quantum mechanics. After some follow-up research of the film and its subject, I became aware of the idea that quantum bonds are created as a result of spending a lot of time with others. This song is dedicated to all of those who've superimposed time and space with me.

Lyrics:

Our bodies fail
but that's okay
Our minds get frail
we have today

We share this ride
through space and time
Walk side by side
indivisible prime

We are superimposed
Oh yeah

Our lives just can't
be quantified
Our atoms dance
electrified