bands and projects

Music On Fire is a band project where I aimed to capture a specific sound and tone that showcases our artistic vision. The goal was to compose a digital album that flows as one cohesive work, taking listeners on a journey with highs, lows, and detours that invite multiple listens to enjoy. This project is part of our broader music collaborations, including tracks like 'Four Way Hit' and 'Little Black Book.'

The guitar-driven sound I envisioned was brought to life by Tony Naranjo, whose contributions gave the album its great sound and appeal. His diverse background in punk, metal, blues, rock, and acoustic genres allowed him to seamlessly switch between styles as the songs demanded. Bunny Vargas emerged as the record's secret weapon, providing captivating bass lines and fantastic background vocals. Additionally, my good friend Ken 'Long Beach' Huntington added the perfect harmonica to round out the sound, enhancing our music for movies and other projects like Psychotropica.

Music On Fire's third album, featuring tracks from the travel/airport/hotel theme, was enhanced with additional studio time for vocals and guitar overdubs. As with many modern bands, several songs and arrangements were unfortunately lost during this period due to computer and hard drive crashes (I'm looking at you, foreign TSA agent swigging that huge thermos full of whatever that was). Because of this mishap, I only have two tracks in mp3 format, which are the sole remaining copies I could locate, scavenged from emailed drafts intended for potential music collaborations. These tracks are part of our ongoing projects and the digital album 'Four Way Hit' as well as 'Little Black Book,' with elements that might fit into our 'Music for Movies' or even 'Psychotropica.'

Four Way Hit

Four very different guys. Four very different backgrounds.

Mike Santo - Guitars

Ron Hayes – Drums

Mas Takauchi – Bass

Dan Vargas – Vocals

Around 1987/1988, Mike and Dan collaborated on Sludge’s two major recording projects (an excellent full Sludge LP is still awaiting release). They reunited in 2008, beginning practices at Ron’s house with Mas on bass. 

“We borrowed a 24 channel board and set it up in the room. Eight mics on the drums were submixed to two channels, which were output to a TEAC 788 along with the guitar and bass. Next came the vocals and guitar overdubs, and after a lifetime of remixing, we produced an album. 

We played intermittently for a couple of years, including one great show when Tony (Slug) Leeuwenburgh visited Long Beach and played with us at the Rhythm Lounge. There’s video footage floating around in YouTube land. 

The band started writing new material for a digital album, but due to a lack of shows and differing musical directions, the band called it quits in 2010. However, each member continues to engage in various music collaborations and projects in the Los Angeles area. 

Mike Santo Four Way Hit Write-up

"So Dan was asking me to play guitar on some tracks he had recorded digitally. They were a bit extreme, and I couldn't make heads or tails out of them. Fortunately, I had a jam band, which was just that—a jam band with no singer. It was myself, Mas, and Ron. We had tried some singers, but nothing seemed to work. So Dan gave me a stack of lyrics from his Little Black Book. I would go over them until something spoke to me. I would put music to it and show the band. I really didn't have anyone to bounce ideas off of, but I think I came up with some good riffs. I'm very proud of those songs that we created together."

Over the years, many songs have been composed that evoke vivid images of places and times. These tracks are not mere soundscapes but rather audio paintings that allow listeners to embark on an imaginary journey, influenced by various projects like the 'Four Way Hit' album and 'Little Black Book'. Different bands have created unique music collaborations that elicit completely different reactions to the same piece. Albums such as 'Music for Movies' and 'Psychotropica' illustrate how diverse interpretations can arise from a single audio experience.

Coming Soon!!!! A history of sorts of the amazing bands I have worked with, along with a glimpse into my music collaborations, including projects like 'Four Way Hit' and 'Little Black Book.' I'll also share some insights and stories from the creation of my digital album 'Psychotropica' and other music for movies that I wrote in the process.

This very early album was written and composed on airplanes, at airports, in hotels, and across various countries all over the world. Although the original digital album was compromised by a computer crash, that setback didn't stop me from resurrecting the songs from the ashes. I worked on multiple projects, including collaborations for 'Four Way Hit' and 'Little Black Book,' ultimately getting almost back to the original ideas. These songs also served as inspiration for 'Music for Movies' and my upcoming venture, 'Psychotropica.'

A recent article in Mix Magazine highlights various music collaborations from notable bands, including insights into their latest projects like the digital album 'Four Way Hit' and the intriguing 'Little Black Book.' The discussion also touches on the album 'Music for Movies' and the experimental sounds of 'Psychotropica.'