Maktub

1996

Reggie Watts reads The Alchemist, stumbles across the phrase "maktub".

Meanwhile, drummer Davis Martin decides to form a side project. Bassist Kevin Goldman leaves Phoenix, meets Davis his first day in Seattle. Davis asks Reggie to come jam. Reggie brings voice, telephone mic and the name "maktub". Long-time friend of Davis, Alex Veley, signs up as keyboardist.

1997

Maktub records three song demo with producer Gordon Raphael. Dichotomy is one of the songs. Gordon goes on to produce an unknown band called The Strokes.

1998

Industry hype descends on Maktub along with recordless tour with G-love in 1976 Dodge van. Band decides to go it alone and records Subtle ways in November of 1998.

1999

Maktub releases Subtle Ways. No guitars, but lots of love and plenty of fanfare. Alex moves on.

2000

Thaddeus returns from Japan. Daniel returns from London. Band writes songs at the Chophouse at 11th & Pike in Seattle's Capital Hill district. Guitars enter the mix. Daniel is the first Alopecian American to join the band.

2000

Demos are recorded live using a handheld MiniDisc and small button microphone. They sound great!

2001

Maktub records Khronos with producer Steve Fisk and his pug, Sarah. Recorded and mixed in 14 days, Khronos releases and sells like hotcakes.

2002

NYC label Velour signs Maktub. Perks include posters for promoting re-release of Khronos and the offer to sell the band a van with 160,000 miles for $5k. Band declines van but signs with Velour. Oops.

2003

Band tours 6 months out of the year and puts 90,000 miles on their 2001 Chevy Express van. The trailer spindle breaks 3 times, once with the wheel nearly flying off the axle. Maktub takes a break to avoid serious injury and begins writing songs for the new album. It's a cold winter and the demos are recorded in the basement studio wearing longjohns and scarves.

2004

Half the demos are recorded live to mini-disc with button mic; half using Garageband. NYC producer Bob Power moves to Daniel's house in Seattle for 3 months to record the album. Bob loves the Northwest. Seattle experiences a record-breaking summer of heat and lack of rain. Maktub sweats in basement studio with Bob.

2005

Say What You Mean releases and band tours until New Years Eve 2006. We're tired and broke.

2006

We chill out. Move. Do stand-up comedy. Get married. Build websites. Tragedy strikes.

2007

We set up a recording schedule and get Steve Fisk and Stuart Hallerman (the producer and engineer behind Subtle Ways & Khronos) on board. Fans send in $50 each to fund the album. Reggie's father dies the day before we enter the studio. We write, arrange & record the album in 6 days. Fans love the new album (better than Khronos?).

2008

We wake up a bit hungover but pleased with playing 5 songs off the new record at the Showbox New Years Eve gig in Seattle. We begin scheming about recording a new album.

It's now July 2008. New songs recorded in May with Michael Cozzi and we're now mixing and overdubbing. MARC8?