Welcome to zavracky.com. Please note I have begun including in my title the full first and middle names, making me sound way more important.
Follow me on twitter which I just signed up for today and I already have 4 followers, a testament to my unstoppable fame. All I really plan to use it for is to let people know when I've put new music up on the website, but I reserve the right to change those plans and post every asanine thought that comes into my head.
You can also follow me on facebook on this fan page that my girlfriend, who think she's pretty funny, set up for me. It's purpose so far seems to be to post humiliating pictures of me that I'd rather not have on the internet. But there are also updates there about new music on the website.
My good friends Dan Opsal and Rob Michael Hugel have created a show called "Acting Reel Master Database", a satire that parodies the demo reels that aspiring actors use to get work. You can see it here on Channel 101 NY. Dan asked me to write a song called "Sadness" (Dan wrote the lyrics) which starts around 3:30 but definitely watch the whole piece.
Here's a remix of Peter Gabriel's "Games Without Frontiers".
When I was 19 I saw Peter Gabriel at Great Woods in Mansfield, Massachusetts. It's now the Tweeter Center or something like that, this was back when not every arena in the United States had a corporate sponsor. Seems like a lifetime ago. Before the concert Gabriel was actually walking around the grounds and I saw him passing by. Using my extraodinary ablility to think quickly of something really clever to say, I shouted "WE LOVE YOU PETE" directly into his face. He gave a horrified look and moved on. After that I told everyone that I met Peter Gabriel and we had a great conversation.
I can't remember if he played "Games Without Frontiers".
Peter Gabriel "Games Without Frontiers" Featuring Kate Bush (Zavracky Remix)
Simple Joys Remix
Another remix for the Beautiful Small Machines and I loved the first song they sent me but this one blows me away. Written by Don DiLego and Bree Sharp, it features a guest vocal by Simon LeBon! It was really exciting to work on Simon's vocals and Bree sings particularly beautifully on this tune.
Life Lines
I did the soundtrack for the short film "Life Lines" (written and directed by James Evans and starring Tate Evans who sang the female lead on my worldwide smash hit "Breakaway"), which has just been selected to screen in the 6th Annual Big Apple Film Festival taking place November 3-7 at Tribeca Cinemas in New York City, and is also being screened at the SAG Foundation's Short Film Showcase.
Here are some of the songs from that endeavor:
4:50 (Campfire in Brooklyn)
10:30 (The Bells of Greenpoint)
2:17 (Lorimer Sunset)
14:40 (Calliope)
Lovewhip
I've written and recorded an album for a band called Lovewhip from Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Is this like one of those Prince bands where Prince controlled everything and they were just pretty faces? Yes it's exactly like that. Just kidding. Or am I? The album is called "Love Electric" and it comes out in November; everyone involved is psyched about it and Lovewhip was a joy to work with (because they did exactly what I told them to).
Here's three of my favorite tunes from the album:
Becky Oh
Wrecking Machine
Automatic
Music for Tru TV
I made some songs for the cable network Tru TV a while back - here's some of my faves:
Maui P.I.
South Coast Cartel
Robots In Love Remix
The band Beautiful Small Machines from NYC asked me to a remix of their song "Robots in Love" and after going through a bunch of beat oriented versions I arrived at this more grand and orchestral send-up.....
Medusa
A new single has been released on a label out of Chicago called Mental Monkey Records. It's called Medusa.
Breakaway
Numerous requests
for an mp3 of "Breakaway" have come in and so here it
is:
"Breakaway" is a 9 minute rock opera I wrote for Tom Bartos, a writer
and director for the show "Senor Nugget". (go to the TV page for more Senor Nugget Music). You can see the video on youtube by clicking below. Be
sure to read the comments for a laugh; some think the video is
"awesome" and "hilarious" while others contend that it is "gay".:
the Cyanide Valentine The Three Sides of the Cyanide Valentine
"The Cyanide Valentine" released 2 albums, the latest of which is called "The Three Sides of the Cyanide Valentine"
and it came out in November 2007. It features the beautifully haunting
voice of Kate Papineau. To download it for free click here
(the download will start immediately).
These were the worldwide smash hits from the album:
Neanderthals
The Reprise
Kate I'm Only Freaking/Amphetamina
Let it Rot
The debut album
was called "Let it Rot". It was released in April 2005
on Primary Voltage Records. This one featured Wendy Mittelstadt on keys
and violin, she also was quite vital to the final mix, Steve Scully,
Shayne Phillips and Chris Lambert on drums, Sean Connelly on bass and
Eric Barlow on guitar. To download it for free click here
(the download will start immediately).
You Are The Focus
Number Four
Alabama Song
My old bandmate and pal Wendy M dug up this up and sent it to me: an old timey back porch style version of "Alabama Song" song which was written by Bertolt Brecht/Kurt Weill, and covered by the Doors. (I used the Doors lyrics to the second verse for obvious reasons.) -
I have summoned all of my editing skills (which are in short supply so be forgiving) and created a short demo reel so people can see how a bit of my stuff was used. It can be seen here.
Music For GamePlayHD's 2008 Christmas Special
Gameplay has posted the Christmas special on their website; here's a link: Gameplay Christmas Special. I enjoyed working on this show with everyone over at GamePlay immensely. Here's some of the highlights from the soundtrack: Rockefeller Center (Descent into Madness): Tourists
cause an ugly scene in Rockefeller Center XMAS 360 Theme: Theme for the XMAS 360 character,
which is literally an XBOX dressed as Santa Claus. What I Want For Christmas Theme: Theme song for the
show. The Rise and Fall of Adam Beecher: The character
Adam believes he can jump across rooftops like the "Mirror's Edge"
video game. Zombie Lounge: One of the zombies from "Left for
Dead" is interviewed. Dreidel Battle!: A fierce Dreidel battle rages
between two main characters.
Here's another Gameplay show I've been making music for for quite some
time now called "Nikki the Knife". Nikki is really good at playing
video games and goes around to video game conferences around the world
and competes and interviews other gamers and so forth. The show usually
ends with him not getting laid. Here are some of my favorite things
that I've made for him; the show is about video games so most of them
have video game-ish themes:
Breakaway: A Rock Opera about the Halo Video Game
The last time I
knew anything about video games the Nintendo 64 was the
hot new item. So when asked to write a rock opera about the video game
"Halo" I had no idea what to do. I tried everything, I even got
hammered and watched wrestling. Nothing seemed to work. Then the Senor
Nugget people gave me a rough outline and it all started to come
together. (Senor Nugget is a hilarious new TV show at the popular
Gameplay HD Network). Here are the results of the
project on youtube, (performed by the incredible Tate Evans, the
demonically muscle-voiced Aaron Estes, and myself). Here's just the
audio file:
This segment of the show was created by Tom Bartos.
bit city theme song
and variations
Here's another segment of the same show about vintage video game
characters trying to make it in the big city. You can see it here
(scroll down on the side pane) or just listen to the audio files:
droog: a clockwork
orange-ish title track
This is a song I made for Senor Nugget for a segment of a Halloween
epispode that lampoons A Clockwork Orange (IN YOUR FACE STANLEY
KUBRICK!) called "Droog" and another one that I made for the same
segment that was rejected (IN MY FACE, ME!) called "Rat People"
The newer Cyanide Valentine album was released in November 2007. It features the beautifully haunting voice of Kate Papineau singing with me. To download it for free click here (the download will start immediately). For loads more information on this album go to cyanidevalentine.com. Here are the files individually; right click to download:
The debut album was called "Let it Rot". It was released in April 2005 on Primary Voltage Records. This one featured Wendy Mittelstadt on keys and violin, she also was quite vital to the final mix, Steve Scully, Shayne Phillips and Chris Lambert on drums, Sean Connelly on bass and Eric Barlow on guitar. To download it for free click here (the download will start immediately). Here are the files individually; right click to download:
(Both these features are coming soon. Which is good for you and bad for me because you can download both of the Cyanide Valentine albums, Let it Rot and The Three Sides of the Cyanide Valentine free. Do it now because the offer has nearly expired.)
