Systems Theory

Thank you all for flying the flag in Greg's memory. We now have both of Greg's OOP solo albums online at Mike Dickson's website. Please download them (VBR/HQ MP3) and share them with anyone that might have an ear for the kind of smart forward-thinking electronic music that Greg wrote.

Until such time as I get these albums back into print, and organize his remaining output into releasable product, these pages will serve as a way for people to hear his music.

I will get his latest solo album "The Noble Gases" out the door over the weekend, despite what seems like a never-ending obstacle-course to get through.

"The Dark Within The Dark":  http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/tdwtd

"Gecko Highway":  http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/geckohighway

Gregory Michael Amov, b. Nov 6th 1959, d. Nov 3rd 2009. RIP

I think it's amazing that he's stayed on this long - his will to live must be the size of Mount Everest.

Great that you guys manage to finalize these productions so soon. Perhaps not really important in the greater scheme of things, but when caught in such a hellish situation as he has been in these last few months, I suspect it has been something for him to hold on to - and something to focus on outside of his own condition.

Have been following the evolvement of this story. And how sad it may be, it is also a story of a very close and true friendship, one that will be remembered by many for years to come.

We've been very quiet recently dealing regarding all things to do with Systems Theory. This has been because we were working diligently to complete "overfulnoisecascade" and, sad to say, because of the resurgent health issues of Greg Amov. We are very close to release of the new album, which might even take place this week.  Certainly it will be done by Calprog on October 10th.

But there's not much point in keeping a lid on things any more regarding Greg Amov's health. Greg is in the ICU at County General hospital in Los Angeles. He has systemic cancer in the head, lungs and hip, spreading rapidly. He had a very bad turn this past Friday, and we were quite prepared that he was going to die this weekend.  However, he was on a steroid to reduce the brain swelling from early afternoon Friday, and responded very well to it.  So well that neurosurgeory at USC want to put a pressure-relieving shunt into his head on Tuesday morning.

To be completely clear, you should know that we're counting out time for him. Due to the rapid advance of the brain cancer -- which we still thought might be fightable with radiation treatment until this week -- he has been having loss of memory and "looping" spells. Also the fiercest migraines you can imagine. He was readmitted to the hospital on Friday. I was just leaving for the airport on business when his wife Diane called me to ask if I would come and take him to USC where he might been seen by doctors already familiar with his case rather than wherever the paramedics felt they could get him seen.

Greg is in a terminal situation.  The question being addressed is "how long?".  The hip and lung cancer are for all practical purposes irrelevent at this point.  The cancer in his head is what will take him out,  And do it in fairly short-order too. So if all things work out with the best possible results from here then he might have a few months to get his life orgainized the way he wants.  But given the swelling in his head, the associated cranial bleeding, the wicked migraines, and the dangerous losses of short-term memory that come with the problem of rapidly growing multiple brain tumors (resulting in him accidently over-medicating himself with sleeping and pain pills), he could be gone very quickly.

Greg had two CTs on Friday. After the first one the ER docs put him on a steroid drip to reduce swelling in his head. And ordered a 2nd one after a neurosurgeon came in and raised the issue of putting a shunt into his head. But it was decided he had to have swelling reduced chemically first, otherwise the surgery would kill him.
 
Before the 2nd CT I asked the ER docs (both seemed very capable BTW) if they thought the swelling showing on the CT was due to Greg falling and hitting his head during the night. Neither thought it was trauma related. They could see exactly where that was. And both were clear what they saw suggested rapid advancement of his brain cancer. Which makes sense given the voracious nature of the particular esophageal cancer that has come back after three years and was now systemic. So the second CT was to get an idea of how things were changing.

This weekend was touch and go. Either he would respond and the swelling reduce by midday Sunday (48 hrs) or things would move into the end game. From talking with his palliative care physician late Friday afternoon it's apparent that Greg didn't let on to anyone that the intended radiation for his head wasn't about  giving him a fighting chance to live but about slowing things down enough for him to get his affairs in order. A 6 weeks course would have been for someone expected to live. A 15 and then an intense 5 day course is for someone not expected to have more than a few months. He went from a 15 day course last week to a 5 day on Tuesday. Draw your own conclusions.

But he did come through the weekend.  He saw all of his family, several close friends, and by Sunday afternoon he was fielding phone calls on my mobile phone, including one from the thrid Systems Theory band member Mike Dickson in Scotland, and another from musical collaborator Cyndee Lee Rule. By the time I went home Sunday evening I was comfortable with the idea that he'll have the shunt put in on Tuesday.  So much so that I am prepping right now to make the business trip to Las Vegas that was about to go on Friday when I got the emergency call from Greg's wife Diane. And I will see Greg either Tuesday afternoon on Wednesday morning, depending on if he's up for visitors after his surgery.

It should be stressed that there's a lot of bridges to cross to get Greg more meaningful quality of life time.  And I have questions about some of it.  I do not want to see him having more time if it's just more of the hell he has been through this last few weeks.  Especially the last 5 days.  But if putting the shunt in leads to the radation team being able to go ahead and do some short-term work that will allow him to resolve the loose ends of his life to his satisfactin (and maybe even write some more music) then it's a good thing. But at very best he will have a few months.  Based on discussions with his doctors this past weekend he's still looking at weeks as the most likely time frame. And should the shunt not be effective then his departure could be just round the corner.

While I'd like my best friend, programming-project associate, and band-mate, see his 50th birthday in November I don't want him lingering on in a daily hell bereft of dignity just because those that love him can't let go and say goodbye. Maybe he will have a reasonable short-term recovery.  But maybe not. So, if you are a praying person, you might ask for mercy. I believe that is what Greg would want, not supplication for recovery that won't hapen barring the proverbial miracle.
 
I will post again if and when there is something meaningful to say, such as he has had the shunt installed and can now have radiation with some confidence that it will not be a futile exercise, or when it is time to tell of his exit from this play, stage right. I will also, of course, post here as soon as "overfulnoisecascade" is ready to go.  I'd like Greg to at least hold the finished product in his hand and hear it ASAP. As for a 4th Systems Theory album, Mike and I will sift through all the in-progress material and see what is what in the new year. And I will do the same for all the solo material sitting on the computer in Greg's home office.  Even after he's gone there will be music under his name.

Oh I see.  We're in the secure hands of Windhawk.  Then I have nothing to worry about.  Cheers, mate.

I am looking forward to noise cascade....

Originally posted by sdavmor Thank you Damo for the very kind words about "Soundtracks For Imaginary Movies".  Your praise is much appreciated.  I hope that you like "Codetalkers" as much, and "overfulnoisecascade" when it comes out 2-3 months.  What you'll find is that the three albums are each clearly by the same group of creative minds, but they are definitely not carbon-copies of each other.  BTW, we have 160 mins of new demos that I have presented to Mike & Greg for review.  These will form the core of the 2010, as yet untiltled, Systems Theory release.

Codetalkers should be worthy of praise too I consider.
Hope you'll check your artist page and my humble reviews out. :-)

overfulnoisecascade I'm lookin' forward to.

In case this hasn't been noted - Systems Theory has indeed been added to the archives by now :-)

Edited by Windhawk - July 19 2009 at 21:38

this album is awesome-it was the first album i heard cyndee lee rule on as well. i really enjoyed this. i have some of it on my ipod...

And please check my review too...



Awesome - exactly interactive communication with another space!

Soundtracks For Imaginary Movies, officially released in 2004, is SYSTEMS THEORY's first blow against the space rock scene and could make their musical style unshakable. Basically all members (Greg, Steven, and Mike) play various instruments and do programming, with keen sensitivity and supramundane majesty. They express themselves as a 'cinematic ambient spacerock world fusion' outfit and you can understand what should be said with feeling their space. Their ambiance is certainly worldwide - with classical, jazzy flavour, and ethnic, Oriental appearance.

You can be absorbed deeply into the Oriental atmosphere, in this two tracks 'Green Miata Baja Bound' and 'The Cool Vibe Of Asia C'. The former song has danceable melodies and rhythms with flavour of Indo-strings and Eastern percussive sounds, giving full play to your imagination of the faraway Eastern land. In the next slow ballad, shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo horn) and exotic percussion sounds play very active roles, so you should be confused as if you listen to Asian traditional music. 'Four Piece Suite', formed with four parts as the title says, has various emotional faces - a sadly graceful mellotron solo can let you weep, rhythmical and raindrops-like xylophonic synth sounds can make you dreamy, a dry techno loop can shake your body, and the last mixed sounds with a horn, electronica and percussions can raise your mind toward the sky. 'Silent Service' gets started with the sound of footsteps from the hell and chases you with speedy and streaming rhythms. This track is, I feel, one of the most avantgarde and most spacey scenes in this soundtrack. Indeed it's silent but short of breath for you surely. :-) In 'A Lifeboat, Tallulah And Me' are lots of seagulls crying and a keyboard solo weeping - please listen and think - you cannot help wondering how your life has been, in a lifeboat named YOU on the large sea. Instead of a spacey roadrunner in the previous track, you should stop a while and float on the green sea looking the blue sky - and the story goes on through the next 'Water Through Fingers'. In the beginning part solemnness and grandeur are around you as if you sink into the deep sea, in the middle you can find the seafloor very dark and very weird with such dangerous synth sounds, and in the last you should be absolutely free with the hugeness of the mellotron solo. Impressing! Again a slow ballad with ethnic flavour comes to you - 'Zero Sum Equation' is a comfortable area. I guess everything should reach the equation of zero...? Stable and gentle rhythms and melodies can remind you the wonderland you should go to. Lovely one. 'One Step To Freefall' - may not the above-mentioned wonderland be a wonderful land but a close-to-the-edge one? Extremely fantastic and fully plaintive melodies move you - into the violent fall. You should be immersed with SYSTEMS THEORY and no helper comes here. Are you prepared for the risk? The 'Last Letters From Stalingrad' should finish the movie with weird but awesome mellotron sounds and awful shout from Stalingrad...by whom? And the last scene should let you die with some funeral bells - and send you to the next world constructed by SYSTEMS THEORY.

A great movie and soundtrack by them - check it out! ;-)

I've bought "Soundtracks For Imaginary Movies" in CDBaby and listened.
Hypnotic, electronic and spacey sounds are very attractive for me.