Hey!
I do ring a bell once in a while... 12 times!
I didn't expect to do an album like this again, as I've put out a lot of those I guess, but.... I couldn't help myself. I'm writing "all of the time". Some sort of positive energy creeps in.
I had a lot of fun writing again in a more traditional way (on guitar or on piano). Tried to keep things upbeat, melodic, groovy. You can hear that in the first 6 songs. Then it gets a bit serious, deep, slow, but not that you fall asleep. Did ya? Noooo..
01.The Heavy Donut Discount Blues
Well this started the whole process all over again! I thought I lost my muze, but the melodies and the upbeat, bluesy chord progression took me by surprise, it's all very infectious. A lot happening here. I was inspired to challenge myself here. A bit classical (intro), latinesque and poppy. A quick write on guitar then! About donuts...
02.Flower Power Festival
I was on a roll as this song continued the melodic side I seem the pursue. Fun to do. Just some chords on guitar and melody (written on piano).
03.When U Go Rong
Still in the upbeat mode, this latinesque number had me by the balls, as I had to push the energy factor up high. All fun to do. Can't go rong...
04.Do It Without Love
A simple, easy to the ears, melody, sometimes does the trick. I am proud of this one, because it only took a symbolic 5 minutes to write. Well... the arrangements, that's a whole different story...!
10cc's "I'm not in Love" comes to mind i guess, hence the title: anti-love song.
05.Smart
This is one of the finest, compact grooves I've made thus far. I've worked hard all of these years to get to this. It all began to float when I had the melody to the chorus: "Do you wipe your ass before You Shit?" across that slapping bass.
I had an enormous kick doing this. Without a wipe!
06.And Again
Bossa nova spirit. Something I've grown up with, basically written on guitar. Melodicwise I like this a lot.
07.Midnight Cowgirl
Instrumental, started off on piano. Relaxing mood used as a contrast for the first energetic songs. Title? One of my favourite scores is "Midnight Cowboy".
08.Cold
Introspective acoustic song. Only guitar and voice, a few piano motives. The less instruments I use, the more difficult I seem to have with the vocal performance. The subtilities, details are getting noticed. A challenge for the next record?
09.Get Your Facts Straight
Jazzy, funky, sophisticated stuff always comes my way. I still listen a lot to the seventies groove I guess. Steely Dan, Ned Doheny comes to mind. Today a band like Young Gun Silver Fox seems to draw from the same inspiration, all retro blue-eyed soul, but very infectious.
10.U Save Lives
Slow shuffle, a bit darker than the rest. I had this melody creeping around the groove. I saved my life.
11.To An Inchworm
Instrumental, melodic tribute to Danny Kaye, dreamlike like the song "Inchworm" from his movie Hans Christian Andersen".
12.Over My Very Dead Like
Ragtime, slapstick? Just an antidote to all the heavy stuffWell in a funny way, I've use that phrase a few times on ocasion. And Yes, I don't need or like Facebooks likes!
Ok, a little (recording) history then
Let me see....I started writing little ditties in 1979 and have been recording since then. First on analog tape of course. I was hooked, played (drums, bass, guitars, sometimes synths, vocals) on primitive, cheap instruments most of the time and recorded my ass off! Here are a few machines I've hassled with (note: I am a musician , no technical chef):
I recorded mostly improvised stories, sometimes filled in the silences with jokes and dirty sounds
Remember the SOS function? Well, overdubbing with hiss was a non plus.
More tracks, more overdubbing, less hiss, still hiss on the tape
A 4-track Tascam did the trick for 43(!) tapes till 1998, followed by the digital/ virtual recording with a firewire and a cd burner. Since 1998 I've recorded 22 albums and 15 of them you can stream on www.
Digital, pre-amps, firewire, no hiss!
My present setup?
I have used the digidesign 003 since 2011 with Pro Tools and now as I've bought the Thunderbolt Apollo Twin Quad and a very heavy game laptop, so I'm in the middle of switching stuff. It gets smaller by the day!
"Man I'm really into it...", well what? A sexmachine? Yes, I like the joy of funky hypnotism.
I can't escape from the sounds. It took a while before the floods of creation really went open. I'm in the middle of that now, so that will keep me warm through another autumn and winter. A lot of songs have been building up through the years and waiting eagerly for my my finishing touch. I choose the ones that come naturally and quick. I'm into that. I LOVE what I do. Can you count it off?
Nope...CU.
Yes, I've been piling them up. Songs keep flowing in and out of my brains. Grooves and melodies. I'm not the only one of course. Don't want to compare myself with someone I look up to. Next to Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach and John Lennon there is Paddy-Prefab Sprout- McAloon, one of the last great songwriters, who I really admire, who has finally come back with a great new record "Crimson/ Red". Now for those, who've missed the best part of the often called notorious eighties music, listen to some REAL songs here: Prefab on Spotify. He has been piling up stuff for years, but as is common knowledge with all the geniuses, he's such a perfectionist, I don't even come close.....
Glad you're back Paddy!
So here's something I don't do often. Sharing some of the things I've been working on while not finished. Or is it? Knowing that it's not original, I'd like to step away from the safe tradition that I only want to share my babies, when they are ready to step into the world of streaming pleasure. This is my addiction to grooves and this funky tune came very quick. It's really about the intensity, I try to capture here. Banging away again on different instruments (piano, organ, bass, guitars), searching for patterns that fit together. Although I started out as a drummer (with an unbeatable Stewart Copeland fixation) and although I can play a saucy groove, I miss the finesses I hear in my head, to play fluent, fitting parts on these songs myself. So I use real, organic drumpatterns and alter, combine them as if I play them myself. Here's an example of such a groove, but keep in mind: it's not finishedyet, maybe I'll decide to throw it away in a moment of fustration, wahahaha....so grab it while it's hot.
Bare with me, to be or not to be consumed.
The green light is on. That´s quick. Just got the message from Routenote. In a couple of weeks, you can expect the new album on Spotify, iTunes, eMusic, Amazon, Rdio. I hope so. In the meantime I´ll be working on two little, funny Youtubes to support the album. Furthermore, I will put the album on several platforms like Jamendo, Noisetrade and Bandcamp. Spread the word...bla, bla, blah.
Here go the fingers again, typing, my head thinking how to begin. Well, here's a patronising starter: hope you all seize the day once in a while.
Well, "we"as in musicians, all used to have a page on MySpace. It became old hat, when other, more flexible platforms stepped in. In the end, I think they are all useful as tools and I'm grateful that I can use them to spread a few tunes. And god, I've been spreading! Like a faithfull catholic, except for the multiplying part- I've got two kids already- I've been creating like a rabbit. A lot will not see the digital www, but now I've finally decided to pick a few loony tunes, combine them with some favourites of the period between 2000-2012.
I've been recording since 1980 with the help of an old tape recorder. As time went by, technology kept me on my toes (Midi and all that stuff), so I could finally record my own digital albums, the first effort, burned on cd in 1998. This year I'll bother you again with some new songs, I've got more than a few in the pipeline already! Meanwhile, I hope you'll enjoy the "new space"......
Finally it's out there...now....got a second...?
Just like last year's record I´d like to fill you in with some details about the new one.
Well, the albumtitle came as a quick surprise: it was the flow and combination of the words.
The proces of songwriting goes on, even now, but it's just like a painting, you have to stop in time and say: it's finished. There has been a drastic change in the recording proces though. And some unexpected guests dropped in that have lead to spontanious combustions.... First, I had to profess myself with some new interface (Pro Tools) which had a positive influence on the process. Had a lot of fun with a whole new perspective on how to arrange the songs. Hey, only smooth recording here, no tape knots with too much hiss on it! I play everything except for some organic samples, like woodwinds, strings, a few basslines and drums (although I can handle a stick I have got a "high" standard in my head for that). As long as the organic, human feel shines through. For example, my son Sam plays bass- his recording debut- on song 2, only for a few bars (to keep it "simple"), so I could use his funky slapping all the way through the song.
On another one-take session, my old pal Wijnand Brant (WB) improvised solo acoustic guitar on song 19 intensively along my moody piano instrumental, so I had a lot of various melodies to choose from. Only some didn´fit in or didn't gel, so I used the cut/paste method (sort of had to rebuild his lines as I do with other samples) to find a new structure. With his feedback I changed some parts. On song 11 I also used his picking from that session.
What makes this process always so furstrating are the details I often seem to struggle with. Mostly on the vocal (come on, a little more self-confidence TVD!) and the lyrical side. I ain't a perfect pitched studio-singer. "Give it all in one-take" does it for me. The intensity is there. And, no auto-tune for me! So there are always the little rough parts I have to correct, with the right feel in mind. Work on it!
Another slowburner are the words: they-not-always-come-easy. A first spontanious one-liner does the trick mostly, but it can take ages before words blend when I put them on a melody. Let alone, without being too pretentious, preachy or self-important. Work on it!
Aaaaarrrrggggh.... I 'm aware I´m not a live band, I just use the studio as a tool to make the songs work just as I have envisioned them in my mind. Basically it´s guitar or piano I work on and if I´ve got a song worked out (a lot of repetition helps).
Pro Tools helps me out to do this all in a very flexible way. I guess many hermit studio- musicians recognize the things I do.
I don't care if It fits in a market, that's the exploitation side of milking out a blind cow. The market changes fast. As I write this, a huge merging is happening between Universal and EMI. I wonder who will have the power and monopoly over creativity. A more honest equal divided pay-system in the near future would be welcome(!)
To me, music is about emotion, freedom. To spread this around the world in a few clicks, is satisfying enough for me, because of the worldwide access. More people can listen. I thank them for that and for their patience to wait for this one. It is streamready (spotify) and you can even buy it! (iTunes, etc), just try out the widgets! Soon you can grab those new soundbytes on the right (scroll to "Grabbelton"). There's a lite version I saw somewhere by the way...You can support me by streaming the stuff (soon on spotify I hope). It's that easy...
Hey, but don't be a stranger, if this music means something to you.....I'd like to know.
You can give reviews on Jamendo, facebook or up here. It means a lot, more than a golden ticket.... Next up: the songguide, the moodswings
In between sessions I like to be a "nature" boy.
The songs are really progressing now. I've got 20 new "Fun Pop'n Roll songs coming up, chosen from about 40. Still got a lot to do lyricly and technically, until I'm really satisfied. Until then... keep listening (spotify for example)!
I can't wait...in the meantime let's fun(k) up the summer!
