Another re-release...

I mentioned recently that my Reverbnation store is closing down and that I need to migrate some of my archival releases from Reverbnation to Bandcamp. Well, here's another one...



TANTRUM EGO was my first album, which I released in 1999. It was rough and ready and recorded under difficult circumstances on crappy equipment, but I think it still sounds great, and there are some fine songs (if only lyric-wise) on the album. I seem to recall that the album was mixed/mastered the night before I was due to take the family off on a camping holiday in France. I was up til 2.30 in the morning doing the business. As it happens, my PC kept breaking down during the rendering process, so I never got to hear any of the tracks in its entirety while mixing. I'm surprised it sounds anything like palatable in that case.

A certain Mr. Dave Gregory from XTC said some nice words about the opening track, Every Bump In The Road. I was well-chuffed. Possibly one of two highlights of my "career" so far - the other being one of the tracks from HELLHOLE getting mentioned in dispatches by Tom Robinson last year...

In 2000, I did a sort of "companion" release, called MUTANT OGRE (it's an anagram, innit...?) which featured a couple of remixes (one done by the mysterious DJ Arse) plus me singing one of the TANTRUM... tracks in Italian. Geddowdahee, as you might say. Also included on the album were some recordings taken off an answering machine, where I'd asked a number of people to ring my phone and leave some messages which I'd scripted for them. No Oscar-winning performances (sorry, guys...) but all done in a spirit of fun.

In releasing TANTRUM... on Bandcamp, I decided to "enhance" it by bundling-in the MUTANT... tracks. So now you know what way my mind was working back in the day...:-).

I can tell you're not surprised...

Regards,


djp

I Choose Indecision - 260914

Sponsored by "All Songs Considered".

Tracked 11 Squier Strat parts on the Tascam 2488 via the Line 6 Pod 2.0. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

Another "jam" session - just looking for bits and pieces to use dubwise. The track doesn't really need guitars per se, so all the more reason to put them in. Came up with some mad stuff that might be considered "lead", but only by non-guitarists...;-).

I'm off on two extended jaunts to Europe over the next few weeks, so I won't be doing any more tracking for a while. I have a shipload of editing to do, so that will keep me out of the pool halls...

...and speaking of ships, mine has come in - finally. Those who know, know. Those who don't will just have to die wondering...;-).

Regards,


djp

I Choose Indecision - 250914

Sponsored by "Album In A Day".

Tracked 12 Ric bass parts on the Tascam 2488 using the Line 6 Bass Pod XT. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

Given the vaguely Simple Minds-y/Derek Forbes-ish/eurofunk stylee bass parts I came up with, I couldn't use my plectrum to play the bass, so I have developed quite a nice blister for myself on my fingertip. Mother always said that there'd be trouble if I insisted on fingering my Ric. Here all week, tell your friends...;-).

More tracking tomorrow (hopefully...).

Regards,


djp

Helicopter Shots Of The City - 170914

Sponsored by "90s Music".

Edited the Ric bass parts in CE5. Coming together nicely.

That's all for the moment. Real life impinges on me again tomorrow. Dang...;-).

Regards,


djp

I Can Explain...Everything - 160914

Sponsored by "80s Music".

Similar to yesterday, I "jammed" and tracked 6 Strat parts on the Tascam 2488 using the Line 6 Pod 2.0. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

Plenty of fun ahead with editing. Don't you just love structured activities?

More work tomorrow.

Regards,


djp

I Can Explain...Everything - 150914

Sponsored by "70s Music".

Tracked 5 Ric bass parts on the Tascam 2488 using the Line 6 Bass Pod XT. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

Because of the mad, random nature of the track (as you will eventually discover), I decided to "jam" the bass parts rather than meticulously composing/recording as I do, section by section. The 5 bass parts use the same pattern which acts as a counter rhythm to the beats, but the parts start in different places in the track in comparison with the beats. I think I have found the most advantageous starting point, but this being vaguely dub-by, I will probably switch between the various parts, provided I can find enough decent bits within the parts to come up with something...er...decent.

I had a repeat of the issues I had last week with the bass tones changing during the tracking. The situation improved during the course of the session as it seemed that whatever is causing the problem "warmed up". I tried the Fender Jazz Bass in the same set-up after the "warming-up". Sounded fine (very different from the Ric...). I suspect the problem is with the Tascam. Although this doesn't seem to be a problem with dirty contacts, it probably could do with a bit of a clean up. If all else fails, I can always track on the Gulag Mobile. But I'd rather not.

More work tomorrow.

Regards,


djp

Re-releases/Floaty Floaty/Tupolev Honey - 120914

Sponsored by "40s Music".

Reverbnation (the bastards) are shutting down their online music store at the end of this month. The Reverbnation site used to be my main online store for my releases which were not done through CD Baby. My Bandcamp store is now my main outlet, but I only opened that in recent years, so there's material on the Reverbnation store that isn't on the Bandcamp store. D'ye follow...?

So, in view of the imminent closure, I'm starting a programme of releasing material on Bandcamp that was previously exclusively available from Reverbnation. First up are the three EPs I released to promote my 2010 album HAPPY DAYS IN THE GULAG...

I'LL VISIT YOU IN PRISON



LUCKY DOPPELGANGERS...



...and STOP-GO GUY



There will be further releases over the next few weeks. Keep your eyes and ears peeled.

While I was rooting around for the wavs for these tracks, I came across files for tracks I'd been working on for HAPPY DAYS... but which, for whatever reason, remained unfinished.

FLOATY FLOATY is an experimental electronic instrumental based on a single VST plugin part. I'd obviously planned to do more with it at the time, but on listening to it now as is, it ties in nicely with the experimental stuff I'm doing for this project, so I mastered it in CE5/AA3. It'll either be an album track or an EP track. I'll know better closer to the day.

Meanwhile, TUPOLEV HONEY was about half-way finished, with a rockabilly drum loop rhythm and a MIDI piano take on Khachaturian's Sabre Dance...

...kinda sorta. I hear a walking bass part and some rockabilly guitar. And some vocals. If I have the time...;-).

So, a busy and productive day. How was yours...?;-).

Regards,

djp

I Am A Shadow Of Your Former Self - 110914

Sponsored by "30s Music".

Finally mixed and mastered in CE5/AA3. Another one in the can, as it were.

More work tomorrow.

In other news, I have a significant road-trip this afternoon.  The recession is nearly over in the Gulag!

Regards,


djp

Helicopter Shots Of the City - 030914

Sponsored by "John Fogerty".

Although not feeling the Mae West (I think I'm coming down with a lurgee), I still managed to track 11 Squier Strat parts on the Tascam 2488 using the Line 6 Pod 2.0. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

Again, like yesterday, I had issues with the levels changing while recording. Not sure if it's the cables after all - I used a different set today, as well as a different "sans amp", and different guitar. The only things in common with yesterday were the power supply for the Pod, and (more worringly) the Tascam 2488. I sure hope there isn't a problem with the dedicated guitar input on the Tascam...

...anyway, that's a worry for another day. Looks like this month and the next might be disrupted by travelling, so I may be coming close to the end of Phase 1 of the project. Let's see what I can put in place by the end of the year, shall we...?;-).

Regards,


djp

Helicopter Shots Of The City - 020914

Sponsored by "John Coltrane".

Finally got my act together and tracked 9 Ric bass parts on the Tascam 2488, using the Line 6 Bass Pod XT. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

Had some problems early on with cables, which meant I had to re-record some parts I'd thought I'd put to bed, but no bother. Quite a bit of editing required, but that goes with the territory.

More work tomorrow.

Regards,

djp

A Accident/I Am A Shadow Of Your Former Self - 010914

Sponsored by "Jimi Hendrix".

Plagued with technical problems today...:-(.

I didn't feel like tracking bass/guitar today, so I had a look to see what needed doing on the project, and found to my delight that I had two tracks ready to mix/master. I decided to give that a go...

A ACCIDENT

Mixed in CE5 and mastered in CE5/AA3. Benjy the Studio Cat doesn't like it. That's fine by me. He's a cat - what does he know?

...SHADOW...

Was all set to mix/master this, when the anti-virus software on my PC told me that one of the VST plugins used on the track, Motion 2.8, was actually a "trojan horse". This messed up the launching of CE5, but bizarrely the track would open but would only play some of the notes in the Motion 2.8 part. Strange that. I uninstalled/reinstalled CE5 and restored the project file from DVD to see if that would do the trick. No dice.

I wouldn't mind, but Motion 2.8 worked fine only a few days ago...

I was starting to desperate at this stage, until I remembered that I have CE5 on my laptop. I powered that up and found that Motion 2.8 worked fine. I did notice that the laptop was not connected to the internet, so obviously the anti-virus software was not as up-to-date as on the PC. Whatever.

I decided the thing to do would be to track the Motion 2.8 part in audio on the laptop and then transfer it to the PC. This eventually worked after several cock-ups, and I finally got a decent audio track. There was one big click on the track, but I sorted that with AA3.

So now I'm ready to mix/master the track at some stage in the future when I get a free day but don't feel like playin' geetarz...

As well that ends well, eh...?

Regards,

djp