This is the fifth Teenage Blackout release and, as usual, I'm trying to shake things up a bit. TB was always meant to be an electronica act, so on the first record it was drum & bass, the second was European atmospheres, the third sleepy-time ambient, and the last a techno EP. This time, it's toy music. Way back in the 1950s, there was this great composer named Raymond Scott. He wrote a lot of cartoon music, but he was also one of the pioneers of electronic music. He basically invented the first sequencer. In conjunction with a baby food company, he released a series of 3 albums called "Soothing Sounds For Baby." Housewives bought cans of mashed carrots and then got a free LP. The series was re-issued a few years ago and are widely considered amazing. I picked up a copy of Vol. 1 right before the birth of my son, Liam. We played that damn thing 300 times and now it's one of our family's favorite records. We bought Vol. 2, but it isn't as cool. I haven't bought Vol. 3. That series is grouped as 1 to 6 months (super simple music), 6 to 12 months (slightly more sophisticated), 12 to 18 months (sophisticated.) I really liked the idea of the series, the packaging, and, of course, all the old analog synthesizers. Scott's vision was to create audio toys for children, as fun as a ball or a doll. Because I'm a cultural thief (and willing to admit it), I'm trying to create my own Raymond Scott-esque records with the "Kidmodule" series. Right now, there are 4 volumes planned, mostly because I want to top Mr. Scott's total of 3. I may run out of steam before the last one is mixed, but that was the idea anyway. Each edition will come out about 2 to 3 months apart. I didn't do months of a baby's growth structure, though. Instead, I'm choosing to have all the records very uniform in sound and style. Sounds bend and shift and bounce around and that perks up children's ears. It's also built for adults, though, so have no fear if you're over 2 that you'll dig the record. "Kidmodule1" is the first release. It's 11 songs, all cryptically titled, lasting from as short as 1 minute to as long as 10. All are minimalist compositions, but there are dance grooves, too, and a bit more going on than a strict ambient record. Many tracks feature my 2-year-old son Liam. I had been recording him doing silly things like whispering "happy birthday" over and over. Liam actually made an appearance on the title track of "Saint James Station." However, I consider this our first collaboration. And, he loves it. He keeps insisting I play "Liam's record." He's cute.