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.
Monday, 29 December 2008
Friday, 19 December 2008
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.
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.
Friday, 12 December 2008
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.
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.
Monday, 8 December 2008
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
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
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
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.
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.
Monday, 1 December 2008
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.
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.
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