My Adventures With Superman

Any Superman/DC fans out there?
 
I’ve been sitting on this for a hot minute. Check out the theme song for the new My Adventures With Superman coming to Adult Swim, Max, and Toonami in July. You just might hear some Kyle Troop & The Heretics.
 
It was a blast getting to work with the creators of the show and write some 90s pop punk that would be just right for running out of the Daily Planet and flying off to save Metropolis. There may have been discussions of the original Thundercats for inspiration too.
 
Pretty cool working with Warner Brothers Animation after seeing that logo slapped on most of the cartoons I watched as a kid.
 
Oh yeah…it’s all Orange Amplifiers and SJC Drums on this jam.

Ten Swords EP from The Heretics

Out today!! This EP has been in the works since late 2018. I named it Ten Swords and getting this to the finish line has lived up to the name. The Heretics genuinely hope you enjoy these songs.

Links below 👇

Thanks to all the folks who helped.

Tracking – Faraday Recordings
Mixing & Mastering – Peter Catalano
Album Art – Oceaneater
Album Photo – Heretic Tiff
Licensing – 411 Music

🗡 Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/kyletroopandtheheretics/ten-swords

🗡 Bandcamp
https://kyletroopandtheheretics.bandcamp.com/album/ten-swords-ep

🗡 YouTube
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n4XfDqMszJMgdinrKcwdWQAQN0vzPmNTk

Tragic Magic Rules So Hard

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I did this one with some friends. We call it Tragic Magic. These songs rule so hard.

Evan and I tracked all the instrumentals at my place. And then Tim did the vocals over at Evan’s spot. I mixed it. Evan mastered it.

 

The Heretics Record

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Wrapping a record is always an interesting thing. Something I’m so focused on and spending all my spare time with is now finished. But getting to look back at how the entire process went is fun. Working and hanging out with my friends, playing and recording with rad gear, and creating a work of 10 songs that we’re all damn proud of is exactly how it should be. I’m very excited about this record.

We dug into some cool tones using a few combinations of gear. On the recording side, a mix of Daking, HHB, API, and Rupert Neve pres and DBX, ART, and Lindell compressors were used on the way into an Apollo 16. The mic selection was kept simple. Various Audix dynamic mics, some SM57’s, Nuemann TLM103, a pair of Audio-Technica AT4040’s, and a few others did most of the work. Once it hit the computer, I used some of the UA and FabFilter plugins. But I kept that light. The tones were the way we wanted them on the way in. No need to get in the way of the rock & roll.

Drums. Everyone loves drums. And everyone loves Jake Dwiggins. Jake can play the hell out of a drum kit. His meter and controlled chaos makes everything else come together in just the right way. We used an SJC Drums 60’s kit. After checking out a handful of different snares from Ludwig, Pork Pie, OCDP, and SJC, we landed on an SJC 7×14, 6 ply maple snare drum. It had the blend of body and cut that the songs needed. We were left with some really awesome sounding drum tracks to build the record from.

Bass next. Tiffany throws down her unique playing style into the rhythm of the song giving it a texture that locks in, but stands out on it’s own. We used Tiffany’s Japanese Jazz Bass into an Orange AD200 and then onto an Ampeg 6×10. The tone was kept fairly dirty with a fuzz pedal handy to push it over the top, when needed. These fuzzed bass sounds put with the punch and thud of the drums really set the foundation up right.

Then comes my guitars. With drums being my primary instrument, I really love playing rhythm guitar. My setup with pretty straight forward. I used my Gibson Les Paul Jr and Mario Guitar Jazzmaster on just about every song. The Orange A30 combo and Rocker 30 amps handled all of my guitar tones perfectly. The Oler Audio Boost and Yellowcake Furry Burrito pedals were used here and there. These are some of my favorite guitar tones ever.

Time for face melting leads. Dean is the coolest of the cool. His thought for structure, harmonies and texture ideas for expanding the vibe of a song absolutely blows my mind.  A Gibson Les Paul Goldtop is the weapon of choice here. He pulled out the Dr. Z Carmen Ghia and a Fender Pro Jr to get a nice range of sonics. The Teletronix Mullholland Drive and Ibanez TS808 were used to sculpt tone and get way nasty, when needed.

For vocals, I set up a Neumann TLM103 and threw some blankets over mic stands to create a controlled area within a larger room. My vocals aren’t crisp or precise. Pretty much yelling. So I end up running them through a compressor or two and that’s all I care to do, for this record. Dean’s vocals were done the same way. Any doubled vocals were tracked twice. It all feels and sounds real.

This record came together perfectly. It packs a punch and I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.

Interview with Cartersville Daily Tribune

Interview with Cartersville Daily Tribune

This is pretty rad! James at The Daily Planet, I mean Cartersville Daily Tribune, gave me a call the other day to talk about the new Superman theme song, Kyle Troop & The Heretics, and rock & roll. Check out the article...

Riding Around On Expired Gold

Riding Around On Expired Gold

A few views of an afternoon riding around the warehouses in town with a new (to me) Nikon FE and a roll of Kodak Gold that expired in 2002. Pretty sure the lease was a Nikon 35mm f2 AIS. I intentionally over exposed a little, or a little more depending on the shot....

Towed

Towed

Might need a tow. I think they've been sitting there a few. It's always a blast grabbing the Nikon FM as I'm headed out the door. I know there will be something cool to see. This time it was captured on Lomography Lady Grey 400. 

De Soto Hotel Light Leak

De Soto Hotel Light Leak

There's always something to see driving through downtown Kingston. The De Soto Hotel still has its charm. I'd very much like to see this place brought back to life with either a small hotel or restaurant. But even as it sits, the vibe of the area is welcoming. So with...

Interview on Superman Homepage

Interview on Superman Homepage

It was way cool getting to chat with Steve and Michael on SupermanHomepage.com last night! We talked about the process for writing the new My Adventures With Superman theme song, punk rock, and the relationship of music with film and television.   Check it out here!...

First Roll of JCH StreetPan

First Roll of JCH StreetPan

I picked up a few rolls of Japan Camera Hunter StreetPan with the best intentions of shooting a roll or two pretty quickly for the fun of it. Then it got thrown in a box and forgotten about for a few months. When I came across it again, I threw it in my Nikon FM with...

My Adventures With Superman

My Adventures With Superman

Any Superman/DC fans out there?   I've been sitting on this for a hot minute. Check out the theme song for the new My Adventures With Superman coming to Adult Swim, Max, and Toonami in July. You just might hear some Kyle Troop & The Heretics.   It was a blast...

The Local Wildlife

The Local Wildlife

You just never know what you're going to find roaming the streets of town around here. I know the government released coyotes in the 70s. But I didn't realize there's a flourishing t-rex population keeping it pretty low key. It's fun to wonder around on sleepy...

Industrial Remnants

Industrial Remnants

They're almost like ancient giants hiding in plain sight. Just about anywhere you go, there they are. Keeping watch from the forgotten and overlooked places where nature has reclaimed. But the gate was open. And now the abandoned space let its presence be known. I've...

Just Walk In

Just Walk In

This building catches my eye each time I drive past. It used to be tucked in a little better with a bank previously sitting on the lot next door. As other structures are pulled down, this spot keeps on keeping on. So on a rainy weekend day, I thought I'd check it out...