September 2008 Archives

And now we have an official video to accompany the remix of "Seville". I like this "readymade art" approach to video making.

This is my latest tune. I think it is a lesser piece. Parts of it sound right, but there's something wrong with it I can't put my finger on (other than it is a bit undercooked). Not sure if it will make the cut. Who knows?

Direct download: CLICK HERE

The great thing about the Internet is that it brings people together and it can also be a means of producing new art, new work, new music via virtual collaboration. The enigmatically titled "Piggyback Orchestra" contacted me recently with a remix they had done of my track Seville. I liked it and I present it here for your delectation. So here is "SVL":

Direct download: CLICK HERE

Oh well it looks like a new "album" might be coming. The muse has paid a visit and when the music comes, we've got to do our best to serve the muse and get it all down on the hard drive. I've gone back to one of my old recording tricks of relying on the technology dictate the music. In this case, the Boss SL-20 pedal is acting as a sketchpad, allowing me to quickly generate rhythmic guitar loops on which to build songs. It's a bloody great piece of kit for stimulating the musical muscle, but I have to be careful not to repeat myself...not to repeat myself...not to repeat myself...

Direct download: CLICK HERE

And so the looped guitar that was "Nicely Sliced" has evolved into a fine crazy chicken of a song. It's a bit too King Crimson for my liking, but what can you do about it. When the muse drags you in that direction, you must follow!

Enjoy...

Direct download: CLICK HERE

Not had much time to do much at StudioLock at the moment. Moping around, I picked up the guitar, fired up a drum loop and twiddled with my knob - then I decided to play some guitar! (Who said cheap innuendo is dead, eh?) But after some knob-twiddling, the Boss SL-20 Slicer pedal I'm using spat out this most excellent loop - which is basically my guitar sliced about and manipulated by the pedal. I immediately recorded the loop and drum combo and believe that this could be the foundation of a snazzy improv somewhere down the line.

Direct download: CLICK HERE

Meanwhile, on the blog Jess had this to say:

"Hi, great info about xtsa maintenance! thanks. I note you comment on problem with the nut, I have it in my xtsa and I wonder how you apply the HB graphite in such narrow grooves? I am very interested! again thanks, btw.. cool videos with your Godin!!

Jess"

Thanks for the positive words, Jess. It always gives me a thrill to think that someone out there in virtual cyberland might be enjoying my stuff. It's a warm glow that cannot be bought by money. With regards to applying graphite to the nut of the Godin (or any guitar that's giving you tuning problems) - the trick is to use a soft pencil. 2HB is a good start. You then sharpen the pencil and rub the graphic into the groove of the nut as if you were scribbling. You can wipe the excess graphite away with your finger. Alternatively, you can buy liquid graphite solutions (I think there's one on the market I've tried that's enigmatically called "Nut Sauce") that does the same job but is more expensive than a pencil.

I hope that this information is useful to you! (Or any other guitarist who might have wandered by)

You see, I must be cool, still hanging with the hip cats, my finger on the digital pulse of pop culture. How do I know? Well Peter Gabriel is covering a Vampire Weekend song with Hot Chip.

Thank gawd for that!

OK, by now you'll realise that I am a juevenile prick, but there's something inherently funny about a small child being made to swear in the interest of comedy.

...when myself and The Missus decided to step out together. In the old days, I guess you'd call it "courting". It was a crisp Monday morning, bright and sky-blue. I was nervous as hell as I travelled to Stratford bus station for our rendezvous. We spent the day travelling around central London, taking in the sights, checking each other out and reinforcing our friendship. I did my best to be charming, witty and a perfect gentlemen. The charm must have worked because she's still here, still putting up with my airy-fairy nonsense, my stupid creative ideas and my idiot dreamer persona. She understands the blackness, the light and the joy. We have our secret language, our dialogue, our jokes that no-one else knows. It is a precious thing and I am blessed.

Thank you (though I know you will never read this because you never read my blog, but that's OK)

Us in 1989, roughly a year after our first date.

Ortho Stice commented on my post about Vampire Weekend:

Oh come on, Darren. Vampire Weekend are yet another group of privileged white kids stealing sweet beats from Africa. We all have heard this before on our Afro-Fusion compilation CDs.

One could also foolishly argue that all rock and roll comes from Africa, but does that mean Elvis shouldn't have curled his lip and wiggled his hip? Influence and inspiration are good things. When you mix two or three or four different genres together you make something new. I'm not saying Vampire Weekend are particularly new, but at least they are trying to move outside the current trend of spiky guitar pop. The use of a mellotron also scores extra points.

Quirky video - check!
Spiky guitars - check!
Retro geek chic - check!
Superb use of a melltron - double check!

Welcome to my new favourite band: Vampire Weekend. In an effort to stay hip with the kids, I always keep my ear out for new tunes that touch me in some way. This band's album came up on eMusic and I gave it a try. It mixes 1979 pop sensibilities with the rhythms of Soweto and a dash of prog-rock mellotron. The album is good fun, if a little samey in parts, but the hooks are good and that's what makes good pop music.