Mobiles and music news
Firstly, you might want to know that my mobile phone is dead. Whether it can be revived long enough for me to get the non-sim card details off it is another matter. But if you’ve called me in the last week, this is why I haven’t answered you. Emails, tweets and to a lesser extent Facebook messages are still getting through.
This week I’ve been thrilled to see my remix of Ian Boddy and Markus Reuter’s ‘Dervish’ appear on the Din label site. The Spingere project seems to work well with the idea of remixing other people’s tracks and the collaboration with John and Will from Habitual Grace is benefiting form this experience. Rather than just send files of parts of a tune (a bass line here, a lead line there) I’m now doing a little more manipulating of a guitar part before playing bass with it. I’ve been a fan of sound manipulation since I got my first tape recorder and the modern tools of the trade (especially Ableton Live) feel like they were made for me. I’m having fun.
Good news: Soul Beaver are operational, despite our key player (Richard the drummer) being on the road with Marillion for the next few months. The urge to play has won out against the feeling of giving up because it’s too hard. This is a band worth fighting for.
The trio (piano, guitar, bass) is ever-so-nearly there for live performance and the first gig (for charidee) should be confirmed in the next few weeks. The most challenging and, frankly, annoying song had become a challenge for me to overcome. Several hours of batting ideas around, coupled with good old fashioned practise has resulted in the song finally being playable. I’m not usually asked to play written bass lines, and this genre of music is not something I’d usually play so I’m especially pleased when tunes work. One more run through and the fear inducing reality of a gig should make for some worthwhile music.
Talking of worthwhile music, I’m actually going to go to a gig this weekend. I don’t have the time to see much of other people’s music so this is a treat. The added benefit is that this is a guitar/percussion show so I won’t have to watch another bassist and feel either a) crap, or b) an urge to get on stage and take over.
Finally, and still on my favourite theme(s), my daughter walked in to the front room, grabbed the ukulele and strummed it while singing a ‘song’ of her own devising. She then walked up an empty guitar stand and held the top, tilting it toward her and singing again; for all the world like she was posing with a microphone stand. She danced about, strummed some more and then turned around to smile. I was speechless.
This week I’ve been thrilled to see my remix of Ian Boddy and Markus Reuter’s ‘Dervish’ appear on the Din label site. The Spingere project seems to work well with the idea of remixing other people’s tracks and the collaboration with John and Will from Habitual Grace is benefiting form this experience. Rather than just send files of parts of a tune (a bass line here, a lead line there) I’m now doing a little more manipulating of a guitar part before playing bass with it. I’ve been a fan of sound manipulation since I got my first tape recorder and the modern tools of the trade (especially Ableton Live) feel like they were made for me. I’m having fun.
Good news: Soul Beaver are operational, despite our key player (Richard the drummer) being on the road with Marillion for the next few months. The urge to play has won out against the feeling of giving up because it’s too hard. This is a band worth fighting for.
The trio (piano, guitar, bass) is ever-so-nearly there for live performance and the first gig (for charidee) should be confirmed in the next few weeks. The most challenging and, frankly, annoying song had become a challenge for me to overcome. Several hours of batting ideas around, coupled with good old fashioned practise has resulted in the song finally being playable. I’m not usually asked to play written bass lines, and this genre of music is not something I’d usually play so I’m especially pleased when tunes work. One more run through and the fear inducing reality of a gig should make for some worthwhile music.
Talking of worthwhile music, I’m actually going to go to a gig this weekend. I don’t have the time to see much of other people’s music so this is a treat. The added benefit is that this is a guitar/percussion show so I won’t have to watch another bassist and feel either a) crap, or b) an urge to get on stage and take over.
Finally, and still on my favourite theme(s), my daughter walked in to the front room, grabbed the ukulele and strummed it while singing a ‘song’ of her own devising. She then walked up an empty guitar stand and held the top, tilting it toward her and singing again; for all the world like she was posing with a microphone stand. She danced about, strummed some more and then turned around to smile. I was speechless.
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