The Forever
Is Everybody In?
Noodle could play her guitar in any atmosphere and be perfectly comfortable. Her strums always started off very soft and timid before she would eventually find a rhythm and matched a few chords that she liked together, suddenly losing her shyness and playing an all out riff. While Murdoc and 2D – despite having a natural talent for recognizing any musical note – had to write scribbles of chords, notes, and lyrics in their books, Noodle could keep everything in her head before she would set it down on a skeleton track.
When she started an ongoing riff, 2D would start humming or singing softly, usually something mumbled and unintelligible. Later, 2D wrote something down, and asked Noodle to play it over and over. Occasionally, Murdoc would start up with a solid bass line, and Noodle would improvise off of whatever he started. Russel spun a few percussion samples and beats on their systems and computers before they all tried to find what fit right for what. Then they would all start recording in the booth.
This was their musical process. It wasn't just something they smacked down in the studio and called it a day.
It was the time that they all could be very agreeable. It was also the time that they could all be very disagreeable.
One night in the studio, Murdoc was fiddling with his bass, headphones on, and was plucking something that Noodle found to be particularly… sinister.
Murdoc kept playing cooperatively when he saw her pick up her guitar and sit near him. Noodle let him get to a certain line before she started her own crooning lines on her acoustic. It was timely; a comfortable setting when both of them played in unison, especially when 2D started right off humming something. The improvisation of fine music Murdoc and Noodle made from one another like they always had was uncanny. They were able to read each other almost flawlessly, their musical though process so similar.
Noodle finished off a fading note and Murdoc ceased playing as well. 2D kept humming softly in the studio with Russ. He clicked a knob on in order to communicate with them through the booth.
"You wanna put that down?" Russel asked. His cool voice came into their headphones.
"Sure," Noodle piped up, her hands absently strumming another set of chords gently with her thumb.
"Wait, wait," Russel fumbled around the keys on the control boards with large hands. "Play that part again, Noodle-girl."
She furrowed her brows just a little bit, and she dipped her head to look at her fingering. She stayed quiet while Russel started up a blank tape. Her slim fingers took their place on the neck and she started strumming with a pick. Noodle played her major chords together for four measures before elongating the last chord for a few more measures, while flicking the pick to the higher strings for a tiny plucking effect whilst she played full chords. Then she started another string of long single notes, all around the neck of her guitar.
She stopped when she thought she had nothing else to play, and Russ stopped the recording. "Those two sets sound completely different." He mused.
"Maybe we could put together..." she stopped, searching for another word. "Integrating them together. I thought when I heard Murdoc-san play those lines…"
"That long part sounds nice by itself, you know," 2D put in. "I think it sounds cool."
"I think it needs a rehearsal," Murdoc murmured, smiling and flicking high notes on his bass, sliding one headphones off his ears and around his neck.
Noodle put away her acoustic and went for her fender behind her stool. Making sure it was tuned properly, she adjusted the tuning knobs and volume on the amplifier before making a big strum…
BLANG! Ch'clamp!
"Oop – sorry!" Noodle clamped the strings to stop blaring and adjusted the volume on the amp again, apologizing to 2D in the studio (he had immediately grappled at his ears and bent his head in between his knees because of his migraines). She made sure her guitar was quiet when she sprung back up on the stool she was using.
Russel clicked on a few switches and knobs, making adjustments for the electric guitar recording, and asked her if she wanted another blank tape. She nodded, and 2D leaned over Russel's shoulder when Noodle started to play the long stream of single notes again.
Murdoc let her run to a certain measure and started up the bass line they were playing around. Everything that was now turned electric made a much larger and more magical affect than when Noodle played her acoustic.
Silence in the booth prompted Russel to stop the running tape, and Noodle yawned when she stepped off the stool to put her instruments back into place. Murdoc tossed off his headphones and unplugged his set with his bass set against the wall. They both exited the booth with the door banging behind them. The tall bassist patted Noodle's hair and walked off towards the Studio Kitchen to get himself a drink. Noodle talked with 2D and Russel about what to do with the track and settled to work on it tomorrow afternoon. Russel hurried the young girl off to bed.
Before Noodle entered her room, she finished off a rice cake and kicked her shoes off after closing her door. She plucked the lamp on her floor on and settled herself to sit cross legged on her futon, flicking out her mobile and dialing a long number.
There was an endless ringing, and despite how early in the afternoon it was on the west coast of America, a person answered with a groggy and sleepy mention in his voice. Noodle knew he had been expecting her to call anyway.
"Danger-san? It is Noodle… Yes, I am going to send you a few demo's, and a few new skeleton tracks within the next week… Yes, I am pleased as well, Danger-san."