Re-joining Society

Today I re-join society after being home ill for pretty much the whole of last week. It was a horrible illness that couldn't decide whether it was a cold, the flu or sickness. Coupled with the fact that the holiday television programming was dire, I had a pretty miserable week.

Whilst I was sweating out my germs in my sick bed the rest of the world was busy getting on with it meaning that there were new exciting things for me to learn about upon my return.

Taunton has a new cafe/bar called Perfect 5th and it is my new favourite place. I want to be there morning, noon and night drinking cold cappuccino and playing on the guitar they have propped against the wall near some board games. I had a really relaxing afternoon in there on Sunday where I did just that - drank several coffees and worked on some ideas for a new song.

The staff in there are all new and very eager to please - there isn't that horrible 'get ya in get ya out' mentality of other coffee shops in Taunton and the decor is still fresh and welcoming.

My new song will hopefully be finished very very soon so that I can perform it at my next gig on the 9th of January at The Brewhouse. I pretty much have the lyrics done, most of the arrangement including a middle 8 section and I am just working on the overall rhythm of the song. I am desperate to try and continue writing at the high standard I have set myself with my earlier material which is proving hard since my new material is quite different so I think its difficult to draw straight comparisons.

I am also excited to have a potential subject for my first audio documentary. Martin is currently working hard on a proposal for the Appledore Arts Festival and I'm hoping he will grant me permission to document his preparations for this, as well as me interviewing him and producing a piece on the topic of his move into the studio.

Ive also had some ideas this afternoon regarding the recording of some informal interviews and performances by local singer songwriters from The Winchester Arms open mic night.

Simplify

The output of the BBCs radio programming is of a much higher quality than that of their television programming. I wonder why they are unable to transfer the talent from their radio broadcasting over to their television broadcasting.

You would expect as technology develops and integrates itself into our lives more and more, the quality of what is produced and broadcasted would also become higher. However, no matter how high the definition of your television screen is, Strictly Come Dancing and The Graham Norton Show will always be terrible.

For a while now I have been threatening to purchase a hand held digital video camera in order to shoot my own mini documentaries. I really like the idea of tackling a subject in a raw, real way and the filming would also allow me to show off my talents in sound and music production.

But the other night an article in The Wire magazine made me re-think these ideas. What is stopping me from doing the exact same thing but instead of recording the footage with a camera, recording it with a handheld microphone, capturing ambient background noise, over dubbing music and narration - using sound to tell the story.

Yes video will instantly allow us to see what colour the sky is, the face of the person speaking but so could careful narration. And a soundscape of a busy town centre or of carpenters hard at work would force us to imagine whats creating the blur of sounds presented to us.

Would the use of cutting edge technology lead to cutting edge results? Or could I achieve better, more powerful results using only audio?

I am really excited - genuinely excited at the the possibilities for audio documentaries and cant wait to get out recording and putting my ideas together.

Things Are Looking Up?

The new home of Open Mic Night is now The Winchester Arms, Castle Green, on a Wednesday night. The Monday sessions are still taking place at The Pen and Quill but for many the future of them is uncertain and the warm, cosy environment of The Winch is becoming an attractive replacement.

The new landlady of The Winch has also declared she wants to get rid of the live sports fans and fill the pub with artists and musicians and will be holding life drawing classes, art exhibitions and more live music.

Tuesday the 23rd of December sees the infamous Cafe Mamba reopen, this time as Perfect Fifths. This building has been open and closed more times then.....

This time the management have bought the building and will be opening it primarily as a coffee shop during the day with live music and alternative club nights downstairs in the evening. I cant think of two better uses for a building.

The 23rd will be the launch of a new alternative night where local band Paper Plane Pilots will be playing alongside many of the DJs who frequented the MFN and EP Presents nights. I will definitely be attending this night and support Steve fully in what he is doing. Yes Taunton has had indie nights before and yes they haven't always been great but I don't see that as any reason why a new one shouldn't be started. Its in our hands to support things like this, to get involved and to build them into the type of nights we want to attend. Entrance is £3 all night and doors are open 9 till about 2. Maybe 4, I cant quite remember.

January the 9th will be the next first Friday of a month which means the Brewhouse will be holding another Late Lounge. The Late Lounge takes place in the bar of the Brewhouse and starts when their main production finishes, usually about 10ish, and goes on till the early hours with chilled out acoustic sets from local artists. I have been lucky enough to play at a few of these and am amazed that they aren't better supported.

I will be playing on the 9th and cant wait to be out gigging again - I hope to see some faces in the audience - its free after all.

Maybe things are looking up in Taunton for the time being with lots of cultural activities to be getting involved with.

Great Expectations

The music buying (or stealing) public can be extremely hasty when choosing bands to lay their admiration's upon. Bands will appear in the mainstream music media seemingly over night and by the time they have finished putting the final touches to their debut, people are labelling them saviours of music, the greatest band since....

How many times have you listened to a bands debut album, perhaps seen them play a live show, then added them to your list of favourite artists?

When The Killers released their debut album 'Hot Fuss' in 2004, their alternative indie disco sound was everywhere. Songs such as 'Mr Brightside' and 'Somebody Told Me' are still played most weekends in clubs around Britain and still find their way onto compilation Cd's of indie musics greatest bands.

With their debut being so critically acclaimed the band already had so much to live up to with their second album, 'Sams Town', which saw them move away from their disco pop edge and onto something that drew influence from much deeper. Whereas 'Hot Fuss' had more of a European twang to it, 'Sams Town' was definitely an American album, and why not? They are after all an American band. Despite the inclusion of some radio friendly hits which certainly did the MTV rounds, the album pretty much came and went without causing much of a stir.

What the album did demonstrate though was that The Killers were hard working musician who were capable of creating an entire album of music that separated itself from the other collections of hits, or in many cases, collections of fillers, that other acts in their position would have put out.

'Day and Age' is the third album from The Killers and sees them move in another new direction, combining more of the electronic sounds of 'Hot Fuss' with the experimental sounds and arrangements of 'Sams Town'. Gone are the fuzzy angular guitar riffs and disco 4/4 beats and in their place are big synth textures and a more classic guitar sound as demonstrated on their previous album.

For me, 'Day and Age' has a sound reminiscent of 80s nu-romantic-esc bands such as Roxy Music and Spandau Ballet, however, this album isn't as sickly sweet as many of the comparisons that could be drawn and Brandon Flowers vocal does bring a sincerity and hints at a darker edge to their commercial sound.

The arrangements are built from layers of soft synthesiser sounds and classic rock guitar tones, along with other, more unusual instrumentation creating complex sound-scapes under the main driving melodies. The combinations of vocal harmonies also create a bigger, more epic sound but without losing intimacy and personality.

I think the greatest thing about this album is that it again shows the bands ability as songwriters and shows an artistic spirit that refuses to sell out and to go for the easy money. No matter what direction music and fashion seems to be heading in, The Killers have proved again that they will produce independently of this and can offer new sounds and ideas far from what their peers are offering, but which can still be heard on daytime popular radio.

The Killers - Day and Age

Martins New Studio

I say his "new studio", I'm not sure that he has ever had one before so I guess the title should be; Martins First Studio.

I went to visit him last night in his studio which is located somewhere north of Taunton around the Kingston St Mary area. I found the drive to get there an interesting one since I was travelling at night and in the pouring rain which meant I couldn't exactly follow Martins directions which instructed me to look out for a driveway with yellow chippings and two big trees. Thankfully though my gut instinct led me down a random driveway where I was greeted with the sight of Martins Toyota and just behind that, his studio.

The studio was much much bigger than I had imagined with ample space for the four artists who would be working there, leaving enough room for some seating where they could relax and discuss the types of things four artists discuss.

At the moment Martin is basically killing time, waiting for his materials to arrive so that he can get stuck into the first project he has planned. Despite the fact we had a little gas heater in the room and I was riding on an exercise bike, the temperature inside the studio was freezing. You could see your breath in the air.

Martin had already said that the studio wasn't the warmest of places but that when you were doing physical work, you soon warmed up.

I think there can be a misconception amongst a lot of people about what a studio is and what its actually there for. Maybe the requirements for a studio differ depending on the artist using the space but I got a feeling last night that the purpose of Martins new studio is for work. Yes the work is creative but in its current state the building is not to inspire the conception of creative ideas but to provide a space where the ideas can be realised, a space for the production of and the manufacture of art.

Although the studio at the moment may appear cold, bare and even lonely, I think it is important to what Martin hopes to achieve that he maintains this studio as a work environment and that he doesn't transform it into a cosy hangout for people like myself.

So in conclusion, being creative is work. Also if you are visiting the studio, wrap up warm.

Records

I have been collecting records now since about September 2006. It was definitely in my first year of studying music technology at Bridgwater College that I purchased a copy of Hot Chip 'Over and Over' remixes on 12".

I love being able to hold the music in my hand. There's something raw and brilliant about a vinyl record which you don't get with digital CDs in their horrible plastic cases. The paper sleeve often has a quality and texture that makes me want to wrap it up, protect it and cherish whats inside.

I love the historical element to collecting. I have a small sub collection of original Factory Records vinyl, most of which has been out there now for over 30 years! The very records I now have in my record box are part of British punk history, not re-issues, the real thing.

Shortly after I began collecting my girlfriend bought me a DJs record box to house my collection. At the time it was massively too big for what I had. Now though, the box is full with my collection, not even enough spare room for my collection of 7" singles.

I feel this is a mini conclusion to my collection and have decided to purchase a new record box and begin a new record collection.

The theme will probably be electro/house and I cant wait to fully submerge myself into a new genre with a whole host of new artists and labels to learn about.

How Much Is Too Much?

There is some fantastic artwork on display along the corridors at work this month.

One piece that I particularly like is a detailed painting of a cow which has been placed upon a flat green background. A tremendous amount of time must of gone into painting the cow and this is contrasted by the simple wash of colour around it which serves to grab your attention as you meander on by. The vibrancy of the colours used really makes the piece stand out from the rest of the artwork on display, which must be said, is also of a very high quality.

I stopped to look at the prices of the work on display and as I had suspected, Id be looking at around £700 to purchase one of the pieces. £700 for a beautiful piece of work, but for something that I have no connection with other than it pleasing my eye.

Also, if the artist is unfortunate enough to end up dead and enough people decide that the picture looks nice, the price will go up again and again until we have a piece of art now priced out of reach of the average consumer and so costing publicly funded galleries millions to hang on their walls. The cost would of course be justified by art critics and the like declaring that for us to lose this piece of art would be a crime to the public.

I struggle to understand sometimes why artists can justify such large amounts for their work.

I am fully aware of the amount of time and passion that goes into producing a piece of art. I understand that for a 'professional' artist there are costs of material, studio rent etc to take into account as well, but still, how can you place such immense value on an image that serves no purpose other than an aesthetic one?

On the flip side of this there is the music industry where an artists music can now be purchased for a mere 79 pence as a download. The value of a piece of music is near non existent due to the wide availability of it across budget formats. Could a musician demand thousands of pounds for a single, exclusive pressing of vinyl?

I believe musicians need to rethink how they make their music available. We need to rethink the value we place on our work before we remove value altogether. Similarly, I'm starting to think that the visual art world needs to do the same, otherwise perhaps it is in danger of pricing itself out of the reach of its potential customers.

open mic

i put the mild success of the pen and quills open mic night down to the fact that it was free (and everyones afraid of the credit crunch) and that it was one of the only places in taunton that was hosting regular live music.

i presumed that in bigger towns and cities that actually had live music venues, the need for open mic nights wouldnt really exist. why would you want to sit in a grubby pub, listening to the same old sub quality cover versions, when original bands and artists are playing in the local union bar, supporting touring acts.

it would seem though that my presumptions were wrong, which is good.

a trip to exeter on friday night for a rum latte would reveal that the open mic night is a popular feature on a students calender. a few emails to friends in other cities reveals the same story, bath, exeter, bristol, all host several open mic nights.

perhaps its the intimacy of an open mic night. the artists are there, drinking on the same level as you. they play their set and then rejoin you at the bar. perhaps the divide between artists and audience is destroyed making those that attend feel that they are actually involved in the night, even if they dont perform.

perhaps, especially where competition for a space on the bill is high, the lure of a bill that constantly shifts between musical genres, abilities and style is what brings people to the nights. not one single person can dictate musically where the night will start and where it will end. new performers will emerge every week and regular faces will attempt new ideas not yet polished enough for a proper show.

whatever the reason, it is extremely reassuring to know that the south wests music scene appears to not entirely revolve around what is coming from afar and what is printed in the national music press. there is still a stage for, and a demand for local, informal music performance.

wedding fayre - last minute adjustments

prague night shot

the weekend

the weekend just gone was particularly busy and particularly tiring. this is a good thing though, theres nothing i hate more then the feeling that iv wasted time.

friday night was a pretty standard friday night. when you work all week, friday night is the time to blow off some steam - its the official start to the weekend. the mistake is to go so wild that saturday is then lost to a hangover, however, to spend a friday night not drinking and not staying out late in town with friends would be equally as wasteful in my opinion.

after spending some more time on my mix-tape we headed into town for a chinese meal to celebrate my grans birthday. 82 years old! and shes still so fit and healthy. whilst in the plough me and trish decided that her growing up in the country was probably to thank and that people who grew up in towns and cities were probably less healthy.

friday night was also when we welcomed our friend back from his navy training. i cant really explain why but for some reason the night left me with a new found respect for those serving in the forces.

i felt really ill friday night, probably because i drank too much lager.

saturday morning i forced myself out of bed and eased myself into the day with a coffee before starting work cleaning my scooter. i wondered why it was that no matter what food i ate from tuckers, my burps the next day would always taste the same. i did a tiny bit more work on the mix-tape before heading into town for a ride about on the scooter and to get some vital supplies for the coming months.

saturday night was a pretty weird one. we all met in the plough to say a fond farewell to our mate chris who is soon leaving for india. i was driving so perhaps didnt get into the atmosphere of the night as well as the others, but found myself wondering why i would celebrate my friend leaving for what is going to be a very very long time. id gone from welcoming someone home the previous night to saying goodbye the next and it didnt exactly put me in a great mood, although i do wish him all the best and i hope everything goes great for him.

i was feeling pretty overwhelmed in town so i left and had a really nice ride home on the scoot where i watched the omen and had a beer.

sunday was an early start as i was going on another scooter ride with me dad and his mate barry. we didnt go far but i loved every inch of it on those quiet country roads. we spent most of the morning discussing scooters, motorcycle driving tests, scooter fashion and books about scooters or adventures. i drank two cappuccinos.

sunday afternoon was spent finishing the mix tape so that i could deliver it to chris before he left for india. martin popped over to keep me company whilst i had the exciting job of bouncing the mix down into single audio files. i was sure there was a reason why i shouldnt bounce the files as aiff but i couldnt think what it was so i simply went ahead and did it. as i tried to burn the cd i discovered that format wasnt accepted by my cd burning software so i had to go through the whole process again. it took a good few hours of watching progress bars slowly move across the screen. it was especially annoying as the welsh bird from catatonia was standing in on bbc 6 music and her music taste is awful.

after a busy weekend, sunday evening was spent with my headphones on, listening to new order, doing some of those things i didnt really want to do but had to before work on monday. ironing, tidying, shaving.

the weekend was a sensory and emotional overload so for the next few weeks im taking some time out for myself to concentrate on the simple things close to home. im looking forward to the chance for my health and wallet to recover, to spend some time with trish and my friends and to sit back and listen to some music and read.

mix-tape-mix-tape-mix-tape

following on from my last blog, i have decided to put together a mix-tape of my work to date. i call it a mix-tape, its actually a cd but thats just a minor detail in my opinion.

the mix consists of 10 tracks, all from my catalogue, and will be presented with 'sleeve notes' explaining what each track is and why i have chosen to include it in the mix.

i feel the need to stress one point about this mix-tape. it is not an album! this is not me presenting a finished, complete, professional collection of my best work.

the mix-tape is a collection of music that demonstrates my development as a producer. there is something in every track that has inspired and motivated me to continue working and ideas from one piece will have been developed into another.

i have not omitted any track because the bass sounds too mushy, but have included it because the synths sound great, or i like the percussion break.

the mix-tape will be produced in small runs - about 5 to begin with - and if you would like one, just ask.

unofficial channels today

i am currently midway through reading an article in the wire magazine which is exploring the unofficial channels, predominantly underground music, reaches us through. by unofficial we are talking about acts not signed to record labels, releasing music and getting air play, or acts from years ago whose music is not being published anymore so is near impossible to find.

the article highlights the perhaps obsessive and greedy nature of record collectors, seeking rare vinyl not for love of music but for the desire of owning something nobody else has. i can imagine this is very similar with art collectors.

the article also has a 'rose tinted spectacles' aspect, talking about early rave and drum and bass tapes where fans have recorded the pirate radio shows blasting out of their home hifis. infringing on copyright? yes. but those records being played couldnt be found in the shops, there were no online record shops doing home delivery back then.

these crude home tapings were what fueled the scene and were shared amongst friends and distributed across the country, perhaps even the world, by fans desperate to consume this new music and wanting to share it with the growing community.

and this is pretty much the subject of the article. community and a hunger for new music that cannot wait for an official release, doesnt care about sonic perfection or owning something rare.

the big question on my mind today is - what unofficial channels are we using now? how are artists sharing/broadcasting/distributing their work with communities today?

the obvious one of course has to be the internet. myspace/last fm/youtube all allow users to post music/video, network and for others to download the work (if the artists wishes of course). a quick search will reveal there are thousands of these sites across the net.

podcasts are a great way for people to broadcast music, images and thoughts for users to subscribe and regularly download and listen to.

even our official channels now cover a wider audience/range of tastes then ever before, perhaps removing the need for these underground networks of musical distribution.

im not sure how long its been since i came across an unsigned, underground artists through one of these unofficial, un-moderated channels. how long since iv actually trawled through these sites looking for fresh, exciting new music and not just looking for youtube videos of talking heads tracks that i probably have on cd somewhere anyway.

perhaps with so many channels, overflowing with new music to be discovered, weve lost the desire for it. we dont have to go and expose ourselves to new music - its constantly being exposed to us. and although the internet has made the world smaller and made the possibilities for communication endless, its ease of use and its speed has perhaps removed the hunger from communities.

or has it removed the community altogether? the community is no longer your mates in the pub. it doesnt include the local record shop guy or the djs at your local club. the community now is whoever will listen from anywhere in the world. why build a community in a town in somerset when you can just as easily build one in london or new york, all from your own home?

im not going to say we should abandon technology, or that technology has destroyed modern society. that would be hypocritical since i am currently posting this in a blog, but perhaps we need to force ourselves to allow space in our lives for our community. perhaps instead of keeping in touch with someone via email, pop round and see them. instead of me posting a link to a new track on the internet, burn it to cd and give it to the people i want to hear it.

those who know me - look out for a mix-tape of my work on its way to you soon

prague

a photo from my trip to prague in september.

lets push things forward

not sure why but that line from a streets song has always stuck in my memory.

all around me everyday people are complaining. this includes myself. im constantly unhappy with how things around me are going.

its really starting to get me down - i feel as if im in a whirlpool of negativity and self pity.

ive decided that from now on, if your not happy with something, no mater what, challenge it. challenge everything, every little decision that you dont like. its the only way you can change anything.

ok - weve identified a problem - now lets push things forward.

so how am i going to be the one to push things forward? i would really like to try and change the cultural ambiance of taunton. id like to see more people picking up instruments and writing music, more people capturing taunton and somerset through photography and film, highlighting issues they think need to be looked at. id like to see people paying to see musicians perform, paying to visit exhibitions. id like to pick up the gazzette and read something written that actually informs me, challenges me and isnt dumbed down or tided up or simply incorrect - robert miles few column inches are a strong step in the right direction.

as members of the butterscotch world collective, we have an incredible amount of intelligence, passion and ability at our disposal, not to mention our physical resources.

but what are we actually doing to push things forward?

what am i doing to push things forward?

photography

i think im going to devote some more time to photography. just try and keep the batteries charged up and take the camera out with me more often.

i got some brilliant pictures yesterday and really enjoyed having the camera in my hand, forgetting about everything but what i was seeing through the view finder.

i need to post more photos - i need to print more photos.

i think using a digital camera slows me down as theres this horrible stage of editing after the shoot. they all get loaded into the laptop as raw images, then they should emerge the other side, out of the printer, as crisp, absorbing, colourful pictures. but they dont. they stay sat on my hard-drive as i spend weeks, months even, tweaking them, undoing the tweaks and never being truly satisfied with the results.

today - i promise to stop this.

we could all do with a think

howies make clothing. they are totally forward thinking in their approach to business and life.

wasted

the other morning at work i received a package consisting of - the package, a large brown envelope and an A4 sheet of white paper addressing the package to me and detailing when it was sent, by whom and why.

without giving it much thought i threw away the top sheet and continued with my work.

now why did i need to throw away that top sheet? that clean, white, A4 sheet of paper with only a few lines of text printed along the top.

its just an automatic thing we do. we have no shortage of paper so we can afford to use it once, then throw it away. next time we need some paper to write a memo or something, we simply pull a fresh, clean sheet from a pile. this sheet will also find its way into the bin once it has served its single-use purpose.

i made a decision yesterday - this is almost an experiment - im not going to throw anything away until i am sure i cannot use it again. even if i only find one other use for it, this is better than simply throwing it straight into the bin.

this isnt so much an environmental thing. i dont really know enough about the processes and costs involved in recycling to argue either side of the debate. this is about consumption. needless consumption creating needless waste.

today i have forgotten my lunch again so will have to go to the shop and buy a sandwich.

what the hell can you re-use a sandwich box for? those triangular plastic, or card, boxes.

some things are going to require a little bit of imagination, especially whilst companies are dressing their products up in needless packaging. in the meantime though there are plenty of simple products that score high on the re-usability scale, one of which is second hand woolly jumpers from charity shops which come with the added bonus of helping the needy.

drip drip

i am very relieved to see that mp3unsigned has managed to overcome whatever issues it was having at the the weekend resulting in me not being able to access the site. unlucky for me it timed perfectly with me posting a link to the page on the sound on sound forum so it also meant no one from there could view it either. but thankfully normality has now returned.

my musical sketch pad being offline was a direct threat on my drip drip way of living and i actually found that kinda scary.

my drip drip lifestyle is almost entirely inspired from reading a blog by seth godin, a marketing expert from the states. its based on the idea that things need to be built upon solid foundations. these take time to build but once they are there....

it is possible to grab peoples attention with one brilliant performance, with one great track, but if you consistently perform solid sets, regularly release good music and keep your site updated with new and current info then you will go beyond grabbing peoples attention and they will become fans. they will recognise who you are and will trust you when you deliver something new because you have demonstrated consistency.

you need to give your audience the attention you expect them to give you. i have been blogging here for a few months now. i dont really promote the blog and someone once asked me why i bother to post with apparently no readers. a few weeks ago i saw that someone had been reading my blogs and had taken the time to respond to the post with a comment. proof perhaps that the drip drip lifestyle pays off.

my musical sketch pad, this blog and my butterscotch world profile are part of the drip drip lifestyle, fighting the notion that something that doesnt gain instant recognition should be abandoned in favour of instant gratification.

3 good things

a little while ago i posted this blog.

another tuesday lunchtime another whinge about last nights open mic.

i was going to post a very long technical report of last saturdays recording session but i think it will be much more useful if i post three things about open mic night that i actually enjoyed.

• keiths set with joe etc. the sounds just worked together really well and keiths vocal performance was relaxed and sounded smoooth.
• joe playing crunchy blues on his gibson. he is easily the best guitar player to attend the night - he knows exactly when to play and when not to - gotta leave the spaces in between the notes.
• garys set. he doesnt play very often but like joe, he knows how to play as part of a group and i do enjoy his covers of old rock n roll tracks.

there are good things about open mic night, however, for every good performance there are usually two of three bad ones, not because of lack of skill, but lack of judgment, lack of effort and lack of respect for the audience.

musical sketch pad

i now have a musical sketch pad where i will be uploading new music.

i am very keen to keep my butterscotch world page for finished pieces - an online portfolio of my best work. my musical sketch pad is going to host works in progress, demo tracks and experiments.

i currently have one acoustic track uploaded - i hope you enjoy it.

please dont buy me a vintage guitar

a shop in bath that sells vintage guitars

some of these guitars are absolutely beautiful. i can imagine they have great tone and feel really superb to play.

but imagine taking one out gigging. even playing it at home - accidental knocking it against something and chipping the wood, breaking a string or some other minor accident.

with a new guitar you know that if you completely destroy it, you can still buy the very same model from any guitar shop. with a vintage strat from the 60s though - they dont make them anymore.

i made a decision yesterday that i will not buy myself a vintage guitar until i am so rich that i can afford to find and buy another one from a secret auction or something. otherwise i would be too scared to even touch it.

supply and demand

does supply fuel demand? or does demand just always find its supply?

i used to like open mic night for its subtlety. singer songwriters testing new material, gaining experience for their own shows, amateur performers simply covering their favourite artists songs and the occasional jam session between a few (sometimes skilled) musicians.

it seemed people were happy with this format. a new performer would generally get peoples attention and then as they became a regular feature people became familiar with their songs and simply relaxed with friends and enjoyed a conversation, the music being a background accompaniment.

over the last few weeks though the tone of the nights has shifted. many of the artists at last nights gathering were what i describe as glory hunters. they are not interested in testing new material but in playing crowd pleasers, the same songs every week played in exactly the same tried and tested way. bands are taking to the stage and playing fully electric covers complete with guitar solos - it is no longer possible to have a conversation with the people sat around you - my ears were actually ringing when we left.

and it seem that people are happy to spend their evening listening to this type of performance. perhaps because taunton doesnt really have a live music scene so this is the only time when people are exposed to this type of music.

have these acts been increasing at the events because the audience are crying out for a more rounded, fuller sounding, attention grabbing act, or is it that the acts are forcing themselves upon the public who feel they have no say in the matter so are simply accepting the change?

doing the pointless

what a productive weekend.

when your in a school or college, you spend a lot of time working on, perhaps, seemingly pointless tasks that are over and done with in a week and never lead to anything worthwhile.

in my case as a music technology student, you might walk into a lesson and be presented with a set of technics, some drum and bass records and be told to record a mix. or one afternoon you will be handed a guitar and will record yourself playing with a drummer and bass player in a little jam session. the recordings will never be used and you will never play again in that small formation. a pointless task perhaps.

but its these short, pointless tasks that often teach you the most important things and more importantly, they inspire creativity.

i am hopefully soon undertaking a small project with a local hip hop artist to re-mix some of his acoustic work with some beats and (my signature) synths.

i have never worked with hip hop but am really excited to try my hand at something new and explore some new ideas. i am not expecting to sell the track, for it to recieve any air play or for it to lead to some kind of production contract - it is purely an excersise and an opportunity to try something i have never done before.

i hate modern hip hop. well i hate the stuff that gets played on radio 1 and that twats dance to in tauntons clubs, so it is really important to me to retain the roots and feel of daves (the artist) work and this means avoiding digital, programmed beats and using some funky, old skool samples.

if i were in a top commercial studio, producing a commercial - even underground to be honest - urban track then time and money would be against us. the arrangement would be created using the biggest, most powerful software drum machines available. for a more authentic sound then the very latest sample CDs would be available to me so i could simply pluck some pre-prepared loops and drop them into the track. instant radio friendly hits.

i do not work in a commercial studio and am not producing a commercial track. time and money is not against me which is why i dedicated an entire day on saturday to sourcing, playing and recording 60s and 70s soul, funk, disco and motown records.

hopefully there will be some useful drum breaks i can use to create an arrangement. maybe not. either way it was a brilliant way to spend the day. my creative juices are flowing and i am full of ideas for this upcoming project and others.

a lot of people who i meet are very career minded. they will only do something if they think it will take them a step closer to their dream career. i too am often guilty of this.

theres more to life then that. there are better ways to spend your time. better things to occupy your head.

next weekend, when you are trying to decide how to spend your saturday, forget the project you are currently working on, forget starting your next big project - set yourself a small challenge for the day, a simple pointless excersise and have some fun.

in order of importance

• finish the two songs i have been working on
• finish the track i have been working on with martin *
• record full arrangement of one of the songs mentioned earlier
• spend some time recording and arranging 'found' sounds to create some percussion loops
• begin work on production for dave marrow hip hop track
• continue building portfolio for publishing and library music (ongoing)

i explained to martin at lunch that i needed to focus on one long term goal. to stop taking up small projects that didnt have any future to them.

i have now decided that this was a stupid idea. i am 19 and everything that i do does not have to be leading up to any form of career. i should be undertaking any form of project that comes my way, no matter how small and pointless. its all good experience.

* i need to post a short version of this track online in order to receive some feedback on the production - i will need to edit the track, get a copy to martin, get him to upload it to butterscotch world, and then post a link to it from the sound on sound forum.

making of a hit part 3 and a bit.

so there has been lots of development in the track since i last blogged an update.

martin was unhappy with the original recordings performed at his house since he had a cold at the time and felt the end result reflected this too much. i couldnt remember thinking that when we recorded the takes but often these things only really become apparent when you listen back to the track and i have to admit, i never got round to doing that.

so we arranged for martin to come over to my place and re-record the vocals. an extremely productive session with him performing excellently practically first time. he went to the pub, i went for a jog.

the next night i listened back to what we had recorded and dropped a few samples of the vocal in with the track, purely to get a feel for what it was sounding like and so that i could plan how i would complete the project with all the vocals. i purposely didnt begin editing and arranging any of the audio until i had a strong idea of what needed to be done and how i would go about doing this. i just felt that i would get a much better result if i took a step back rather than racing head first into the track, making up the process as i go along.

and i havnt really got much further than that.

about a week or so ago i drew up a mix down plan. i simply made a list of everything i needed to do to get the track from its current state to a finished, club ready piece of music. i also included notes of things i specifically wanted to try and any extra ideas i had for sections.

on saturday me and martin met up and put phase one into action - finish all sound design and melodic arrangement of track so that i could bounce the many synths, drum machines and effects down into short loops to save processor power, but also to tidy up the arrange page.

two important lessons learnt from saturday:

1 - dont get drunk the night before a mix down. mix downs are boring and require tons of concentration on tiny, tiny details.

2 - if your partner is really hung over and asleep on your sofa, they probably wont be very helpful during a mix down and winding yourself up, trying to get their input will result in neither of you being able to focus on the task in hand.

i can see from the weekend that i have issues with being the producer. i just get such a clear vision in my mind of where i want to take the track and find myself enforcing military like rules on the session - some may see this as a good thing, when the creative part of making a track is over then you need this attitude to finish what you have started, however when you want to encourage the input of another person who perhaps does not share your desire for efficiency then things can start to become stressful.

all that aside, the track is now in a more workable state and i have a very clear idea of what i need to do to it this week before i feel i am ready to arrange and mix in the vocals. and distorted bass does sound sweet.

this blog, and others, can also be found on the butterscotchworld blog.

dont stop the pop.

as i sit here running my hands through my hair, two thoughts are circulating my head.

firstly, i should probably have made more effort to do my hair this morning. i look like something from the 70s and not in a cool retro way.

but mainly im thinking that i havnt posted a good blog in a little while. i havnt really had any big concepts that iv wanted to discuss.

however, the issue isnt that i havnt been thinking about things, but that i havnt been able to make any sense of the discussions iv been having with myself whilst sat quietly at my computer. at this moment in time, i am struggling to structure my thoughts into any form of writing.

(i am aware that by writing this blog now i am kinda contradicting what iv just said)

getting to the point - i have been wrestling this week with these two questions:

what makes good pop songwriting?

and when does pop become alternative and when does alternative become pop?

after watching a robbie williams DVD i have become fascinated with songwriting for the pop genre, and have been working hard, attempting to write my own 'pop' songs.

i consider myself lucky that i am able to write good songs. they only come around every few months or so but when they do they just seem to work so i figured that writing for the pop genre would be pretty easy. just a case of sitting down and working, picking up the guitar and putting pen to paper.

wrong.

in my opinion, what makes a subject 'pop' is that it appeals to, touches the hearts of if you like, a wide audience. perhaps the reason you see dance floors full of girls singing along to kylie songs is because each one of them feels they can relate to whats being said, even if they all live very different lives.

so many pop songs become timeless classics and why? because human emotions never go out of date. politics and fashion does.

in 20 years time people will still be singing angels and knowing what every single word means.

this is what im finding so hard. coming up with a topic, a concept, that a mass audience can relate to and structuring this into a 3 minute song complete with a catchy chorus and perhaps a key change here and there. oh and something that doesnt just sound cheesy as well.

F1 racing cars

a formula 1 racing car will fail to start unless its engine has been heated to the required temperature. they have to do this by pumping hot water around it.

it will also fail to pull away if you do not give enough gas approaching the bite point. some form of electronic wizardry on board will cut the engine to avoid stalling.

also whilst on the track, the car must be driven hard enough to keep the tyres warm and to create sufficient downward force from the spoiler, otherwise you wont be able to keep it on the track.

in some ways, F1 racing cars are alot like people.

people who have to get all fired up before they undergo a task. people who will not start something they dont think they will be able to do. people who need stress in order to perform, even if they have to create that stress themselves.

as martin pointed out though, formula 1 racing cars have been carefully engineered to perform at their best under these conditions.

people havnt.

blogs are special

i havnt been posting as much as id like to recently. perhaps i havnt had so much on my mind that iv wanted to share.

however something that i have been gradually realising is how important these blogs are. i mean blogs in general, not mine in particular.

i cant really be sure why the internet/www was originally created. communication seems the primary intention but it seems to have developed into a world wide billboard for companies to advertise themselves and to gain information on potential customers so they can target them with better, more specific advertising.

for ages i thought sites like myspace and facebook where genuine social networking sites built for that intention. facebook we all know now is purely an advertising machine. and i wonder too whether google was created because the brains behind it wanted to give the world quick and easy access to information, or because they knew the idea would be popular and that they could sell advertising space on the site and that companies could sponsor the page in order to get a better placement.

i find myself now feeling very cynical and dubious about anything i see on the www. can i trust the motivations behind a site if all around its edge are flashy banners trying to sell me something, averting my attention from the information i was originally looking for.

but have you noticed, an abundance of flashy banners around this blog? the sole content of this blog is my thoughts and what i want to say.

what the www offers us is the chance to talk, communicate whatever we want to whoever we want without censorship. forums allow us to share information and discuss topics with like minded individuals and email is personal way to communicate with those close to us be it personally or through business.

start using the tools available to learn. read what people have to say, discuss opinions and broadcast your own. ignore the advertising and the money making scams, especially those under the guise of social networking.

dont think outside the box

you have to have rules and you have to have boundaries. its ok to break the rules and to push the boundaries but without the original rules and boundaries this would be impossible.

dont think outside the box - try placing yourself out of the box but continue to think within the box.

dobry den

prague is such a fascinating city.

at first it feels like you are walking through the set of a costume drama. you expect to see people carrying lighting equipment and as you turn a corner, some kind of make-up trailer with a director screaming orders at bumbling extras.

every building is a work of art - i really do admire that style of architecture that is just so over the top and glorious - it makes you sad that so many british citys have lost that period of architecture.

but at least britain has developed visually as it has culturally. i mean with huge multi-level shopping centres and trendy clubs and bars built in and around modern buildings.

i wonder if some of the architects who built prague would ever dream that one day, their building would house the "biggest club in central europe" where you can listen to techno and watch girls dance in their underwear until 5 in the morning.

although this element of the city has become widely popular with stag parties and the like and is now perhaps what the citys reputation is built upon, i would urge anyone visiting prague to simply spend an evening strolling around the old town square and venturing down its many side streets and they will see a different side of a prague that is more breath taking then anything the clubs and cabaret bars could offer.

my blogs over the coming weeks will purely consist of photos of prague.

things this week that have made me happy/smile

(sometimes we are too negative)

the above image was found via google from randomsynapsesoftheheart.blogspot.com, i dont know where they found it from.

the list is as follows:

• listening to radioheads 'in rainbows'


• drinking shandy


• riding the scoot around in the sunshine


• riding the scoot around in the rain but still staying dry


• preparing for my trip to prague with my girlfriend


• having extra long, extra steamy showers in the morning and not worrying about the time


• that stories get completely blown out of context and people tell you about them when they dont actually know what the original story was


• discovering new and interesting web sites


• drinking well made coffee


• and eating bon bons
  

its good to do this every now and then - especially following a bad week perhaps.

FAME!

or lack of?

i will start by saying that some of the ideas you will read about in this blog are founded on interpretations. they could be entirely wrong and if they are, id rather not know.

i have been thinking a lot about the ideals of an artist who i have been spending a lot of time with recently. i wont say who he is - after reading this blog you will hopefully understand why.

most artists are constantly seeking attention, looking to get their work seen and heard. we measure our success from our notoriety - 'have we made a name for ourselves in our chosen field?' and so on.

sometimes it feels like it isnt enough to be purely creating, there has to be a recognisable outlet that can be measured such as how many people come to your show, how many pieces you are selling and for how much. this is what we want to tell people about in pubs and at work, not that we have just been locked in our studios producing for ourselves.

it seems very rare to meet an artist who is the opposite of this and perhaps this is why i have been so intrigued by this topic recently.

the artist in question is not interested in recognition for his work - in his words (roughly) - 'its just something he feels he has to do.'

i really like the way he will produce work and share it only with close friends and family instead of whoring it to a mass audience.

a big turning point in my development as a performer was when i stopped caring about audience reaction. of course a good reaction is always nice and you can definitely tell when you have an audiences full attention, but 9 times out of 10 you dont and this use to really bother me.

recently though, i have found increasingly that my best performances come when i completely shut out the audience - if they want to listen then they do - i wont try and force any reaction from them. the only opinions i seek afterwards are my own and that of my very close friends.

i can imagine that this is similar for 'artist'. being able to produce, free of any expectation or demand and the only reward being the feeling of satisfaction which can only ever come from within no matter what.

i have set my sights on this type of existence. to be able to produce, write and perform entirely free of expectation or demand and i wonder whether this type of attitude should be embraced by more artists.

perhaps the internet and channel 4 have taught people that a creative ability is another way to make money and become famous rather than something personal that should be nurtured with those close to you.


(an unrelated blog i found today - http://www.sethgodin.typepad.com/)

making of a hit part 2 (and a bit)

recording spoken word at martins.

id like to think that i passed on a bit of knowledge during this process as recording vocals is something i have had to do time and time again and in many different circumstances although i am by no means an expert.

the day was productive - now all thats left to do is edit.

ping pong

feel like im ping ponging between happy and sad today.
the biggest thing thats pissing me off is that i cant seem to make anything happen. like plans that should really be falling into place by now but arent. time is slowly dragging by and nothing is making any progress.
its not my fault - its totally out of my hands - but everyone else is now holding me up and when it all goes wrong - im gonna be the one who looks like a mug.

interesting also how everything that goes wrong seems to be someone Else's fault. i think i need to work on that. without noticing it sometimes, i think we project emotions and attitudes onto those around us. my girlfriend always thinks theres something wrong, that i have some kind of a problem with her and that makes her feel unhappy. i have no problem with her what-so-ever. i love her to bits and being around her always makes me happy, but perhaps, if i have something on my mind, even right in the back of my mind, that gets projected out giving people this impression of unhappiness. so perhaps the reason everyone else seems to be getting on my nerves is actually my fault to begin with.

the weekends nearly here and i really need it. hopefully once friday nights out the way then i can relax - i have a feeling this weekend is going to be a good one.

self promotion

so the other day i entered a massive online/television competition for unsigned artists to win a record deal. think x factor but for bands and singer songwriters.

http://orangeunsignedact.co.uk/acts/bonde-de-wolf

im already feeling pretty disgusted/embarrassed with myself.

looking through the acts that have signed up and created their profile they all have something in common. they are so desperate. scrambling over each other to try and get noticed, to get votes and to convince us that they are the next big thing.

sure you gotta be confident, you have to make chances happen for yourself but this kind of shameless plugging is degrading isnt it?

these bands are an A&R mans wet dream - they cite their inspirations as 80s bands such as the smiths, they sound exactly like the libertines, they dress straight out of high street acceptable alternative fashion stores and have perfected a rock n roll style swagger and drawl that they have clearly spent years practising in their bedrooms.

am i one of them too?

id like to think that i have more class. that my music has depth and that i am a three dimensional artist. not that i dont want votes, that i dont want to be successful and my music to gain recognition, but i think if i dont keep my music personal and maintain my identity as an artist - id just feel empty inside.

making of a hit - part 1 (and a bit)

part one would be when i first started mapping out the tracks and got this rush of excitement as i realised that this piece had serious potential - things have developed a bit since then - hence part 1 (and a bit)

(anyone stuck for time may want to skip to the sentence written in bold - its probably the most important sentence in the blog)

so my good friend martin has been writing all this poetry and i can tell is desperate for an outlet, so when i find myself with the beginnings of a monster dark-house track, i decide that he should perform for the piece.

the track is basically some industrial percussion sounds, thick, sweeping synth pads, a heavy 4/4 kick and then a big electro bass line. think daft punk with a visage edge. his spoken word performed in a deep, monotonous vocal would finish the track perfectly.

i had emailed martin raving about my plans and had got him all excited and wanting to hear the track, so last night, a butterscotchworld.com meeting, i took along my laptop so he could hear what id been up to and decide whether he wanted to be a part of it or not.

this is where i get nervous.

most of my electronic music gets written and produced on my laptop and stays there - forever. its very rare anyone else listens to it. martin is also well known for his great critical skills and has a very clear knowledge of what he likes, and what he doesnt. i was fully expecting him to dismiss the track or to be very un enthused by it. then id feel like a right mug!

anyway,

you should never doubt your work. never make excuses for it and never be afraid to share it, so, i swallowed my pride, cranked up the stereo and the rest, they will say, was history.

i cant really explain the feeling of accomplishment you get when people are excited about your music. that what you spend your time obsessing about and slaving over actually gets peoples attention and for the right reasons too.

now all thats left to do is finishing the sound design, finish the arrangement, finish the mixing, record the vocals, mix the vocals, master the track and then figure out what to do with the result.

thats not my song, thats not my song, thats not my....song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtmS2ePSSdU&feature=related

radiohead playing covers during their studio time.

im starting to change how i feel about covers.

i mean i still stand by what i said in my last post.

but im really warming to playing other people songs. i find they stretch me and force me to develop my performance more than my own songs do which i find i can sing and play too comfortably.

and even simple songs i can play easily, its a chance to really pick a song apart and look at what its actually made up of.

anyway enjoy the vids.

best open mic night everrr

monday night was the best open mic night ever.

firstly, it wasnt as busy as the week before. this meant that it wasnt so hot and noisy but also, each artist could play three or four songs and take their time on the mic, not having to rush through their set so that the next artists could play. the atmosphere was really relaxed.

also, there was a really high standard of performance from everyone. this is especially nice to see from newer performers who you can tell are really nervous but then go on to play fantastic sets.

most importantly though, i played brilliantly. not meaning to blow my own trumpet but it was the best set i have played in a long long time which was nice, taking into account all the worries i was having regarding my music and my performance.

next week though, i am taking a break from open mic night. by that i mean i have decided to play a set of covers rather than my own songs which i have been playing for the last three weeks.

im not normally a fan of covers for two reasons. firstly, i usually just end up ruining the song. i either cant play it properly, its in the wrong key or just doesnt suit my voice, or worse, i end up doing an exact copy of the original along with accent and everything.

secondly, too many performers, at open mic night especially, use them as an emotional weapon against their audience. perhaps they feel their own songs arent as powerful as they would like them to be so use other peoples songs to try and create epic, movie style moments and capture everyones attention. i have no respect for people who do that.

so im going to have to think hard about the songs i cover - bit of a challenge for the weekend - see what i come up with, it will be nice though to relax and enjoy playing some songs that everyone knows and not having to worry about how i present my own material - to get fully into the open mic spirit of coming together to enjoy and share music.

no more complaining

another interesting blog i have found on the subject of songwriting

http://measureformeasure.blogs.nytimes.com/

i have also taken some inspiration from a recent article in sound on sound magazine with songwriter diane warren.

"showing up" may not sound like a magic bullet to many aspiring songwriters and musicians, but its amazing how many of us dream rather than show up. by contrast, warren knew from day one, even in her parents garden shed when writing three songs a day ("they all sucked"), that 'showing up' is the first commandment of success."

ive decided that it is better to do something than to do nothing, even if that something is just to play about with a simple chord arrangement, or to record a sample of an unfinished song....

or to enter yourself into a silly television competition hosted by my hero, alex zane....

motivation?

today i have moved on from thinking about my success as a musician, or rather, the lack of.

todays question is, where has all the motivation gone?

i have absolutely none - i seem to have lost all interest in my music.

i wondered if this was just a form of writers block but i have decided that this is much worse. i am perfectly able to write, i have the material and the ideas, too many ideas perhaps, i just dont feel compelled to do anything with them, im just letting them go.

i can currently think of two possible reasons why i am experiencing this problem.

reason number one:

no outlet. there is nowhere to perform - no audience wanting to listen and there is absolutely no need for me to record - who would buy the CDs?

reason number two:

no inspiration. this is partly due to the first reason but i havnt seen or heard anything for ages that has made me excited about music, challenged me and made me want to pick up the guitar and be a musician.

there is nothing compelling me to write and i see no purpose for any material that i do write.

im not gonna just give up tho - i am sure that this feeling will pass but its me who needs to make the changes - no one else is gonna turn up and motivate me.

so i have been thinking hard for the solution.

no luck as yet.

however - i am making a promise to myself to keep on writing and playing until i realise the solution.

(although i have a sneaky feeling that if i do this, soon enough, something will just happen, something that excites me, keeps me up all night writing and that drives me to perform to whoever will lend me half an ear)

? recognition

martin joiners thoughts on the measurement of success:

"i have worked to please the masses and i have worked to please the underground. I have had exhibitions that made me feel whole and i have had exhibitions that made me want to give up. looking at these facts in hind sight i can say that my measure of success is the number of people who genuinely talk to me having been excited or moved by my work. on a good show it will be 4 people, on a bad show it will be 0 and 1 or 2 is average. but! beware the people who come and talk to the artist not to discuss the work and its effect, but for their own personal gain."

ignore the spelling and grammar, this was discussed and written in the pub on friday night.

recently martin exhibited a visual instillation at a local music festival. the instillation was set up between the branches of a cluster of trees with a small PA system amplifying a soundtrack to fit the visuals. he had spent months working on fantastic footage and collaborating with musicians and DJs to create a fitting soundtrack.

the installation was switched on as the sun was setting at around 10pm. it was a really great piece of video art but martin was extremely disheartened with the lack of attention the work gained. perhaps, judging by his earlier statement, he viewed the installation as a failure.

in my opinion, the installation as a work of art was a huge success, progressing with the soundtrack through a range of emotions and clearly demonstrating his talent as a film maker, however, his success at planning the location and timing of when he exhibited the work was perhaps not.

he placed himself, a fairly unknown artists in direct competition with the biggest bands of the day hence why he failed to significantly capture peoples attention. his installation was also hidden from his audience behind the trees, barely noticeable from the festival green.

when we talk about success in creativity, do we need to separate the creative act from factors such as budgeting, marketing and promotion?

measuring success

im a musician

how do i measure my success?

i guess usually you would tell by the number of records you sell. or the number of tickets you sell for gigs.

maybe even the number of hits/plays/downloads on your myspace page.

well i see little future for the record companies - they are fighting a losing battle against technology.

what about live performance? seems to me that its more about artists playing sets full of covers to please beer hungry punters.

the venues and artists that dare to perform original music often do so at the expense of their pockets.

please do not think that i write music just for attention - i am not chasing fame or record deals - its just that it can become difficult to ever finish a song or album knowing that you have no outlet for what you produce.

i can only imagine that this becomes even harder for visual artists/film makers who cannot busk their work on the streets or open mic nights - how can they exhibit their work to the world and gain recognition for what they have produced, other than in a traditional gallery?

so how do i measure my success? how can you tell if anyone is appreciating what you do? is it worth writing and rehearsing songs if the only person who will ever really listen to them is yourself?

im going to find an answer - a way for an artist to measure their success in a world where people always want something for nothing and fashions and trends shift from one week to the next.

why this blog?

need somewhere to log what i get up to everyday

need somewhere to let people know about the new things im going - the music im making

somewhere to post my thoughts

bored of the social networking sites