I just read a great article by Bob Lefsetz, of the Lefsetz Letter. I've been following his blog for about a year now and while I disagree with about a third of his opinions, and he comes from a completely different part of the world/industry, he's often beautifully insightful. This post is definitely worth a read if you're aiming to work/exist/survive in the music industry.
Today I'll be recording a young band, still in high school, called The George Kay Experience. George Kay is my old english teacher at Otago Boys' High School and a renowned music journalist in New Zealand. He's written for many major music magazines including Rip It Up and Real Groove among others. I remember fondly sitting in his class listening to his opinions on people like Billy Corgan and the Gallagher brothers when I was 15 or so; he thought Billy was a wanker and that Oasis were a bunch of chumps who'd accidentally made it big and knew it. I can't remember what he said about Bono... I really wish I could.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
This week..
On Wednesday night I recorded most of a song from my "solo" album. I've finished 4 songs and this one is the 5th. The band consists of a some seriously high caliber musicians which makes each session a total joy..
Drums: Samdrub Dawa. This guy is a rhythm freak. Unfortunately he hasn't been captured on any significant (i use that word loosely, we are based in dunedin after all) releases which is a shame but will no doubt be remedied as time goes on and people discover how good he is.
Bass: Bugs (Chris Miller) of Tono and The Finance Company and Sex with Bowie. oh.. and The Verlaines!
. Bugs plays pretty much anything. Look out for his solo group The Something Quartet.
Vocals/Accoustic Guitars: Anthonie Tonnon aka Tono. A vocal genius. Able to do what I ask and so, so much more.
That forms the core of the group. I've had Ralph Miller from RFM play trumpet and Aidan Fraser, who also played in RFM, play some piano.
It's not finished; needs vocals and a few other things need to be over dubbed, but I thought I'd upload it as it is now anyways.. unmixed and all that.
Listen here.
Last night I had the pleasure of recording a track with Soulseller. About 9 months ago I recorded their debut EP with the most ghetto recording setup you could imagine. Last night we recorded in the atrium outside Radio One, a large glass and brick structure with incredible acoustics. Once I mix the track I'll post it. It was pretty huge. We were lucky enough to stumble on some really good mics for it as well. Always a sound engineer pleasure.
Straight after the session I had to boost over to the starters bar and run sound for Smashproof; a South Auckland Hip Hop group. That was totally bizarre. I couldn't help but think that Hip Hop in New Zealand has totally been and gone and is now dying a high volume, bass heavy death. From the clothes and behaviour of the image conscious performers I was also reminded of how 80s hair metal is looked by the mainstream now.
I wonder if hip hop we'll be seen as some kind of brief, sexualised cash cow that we're all embarrassed about 10 or 20 years from now?
Drums: Samdrub Dawa. This guy is a rhythm freak. Unfortunately he hasn't been captured on any significant (i use that word loosely, we are based in dunedin after all) releases which is a shame but will no doubt be remedied as time goes on and people discover how good he is.
Bass: Bugs (Chris Miller) of Tono and The Finance Company and Sex with Bowie. oh.. and The Verlaines!
. Bugs plays pretty much anything. Look out for his solo group The Something Quartet.
Vocals/Accoustic Guitars: Anthonie Tonnon aka Tono. A vocal genius. Able to do what I ask and so, so much more.
That forms the core of the group. I've had Ralph Miller from RFM play trumpet and Aidan Fraser, who also played in RFM, play some piano.
It's not finished; needs vocals and a few other things need to be over dubbed, but I thought I'd upload it as it is now anyways.. unmixed and all that.
Listen here.
Last night I had the pleasure of recording a track with Soulseller. About 9 months ago I recorded their debut EP with the most ghetto recording setup you could imagine. Last night we recorded in the atrium outside Radio One, a large glass and brick structure with incredible acoustics. Once I mix the track I'll post it. It was pretty huge. We were lucky enough to stumble on some really good mics for it as well. Always a sound engineer pleasure.
Straight after the session I had to boost over to the starters bar and run sound for Smashproof; a South Auckland Hip Hop group. That was totally bizarre. I couldn't help but think that Hip Hop in New Zealand has totally been and gone and is now dying a high volume, bass heavy death. From the clothes and behaviour of the image conscious performers I was also reminded of how 80s hair metal is looked by the mainstream now.
I wonder if hip hop we'll be seen as some kind of brief, sexualised cash cow that we're all embarrassed about 10 or 20 years from now?
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Finally.. some new recordings
I've been a bit slack lately updating because I've been so busy recording a bunch of different projects. As well as that I'm pretty sure I had swine flu for awhile there, not good times.
Thanks to Gareth from Fea St Hustle I've finally got somewhere to host some music which was also holding me back a little.
So to celebrate here's two new tracks from two different bands. The first one is an instrumental called Throwback by Products Hit Parade; a 60s psychedelic band heavily influenced by the Brian Jonestown Massacre. We recorded 4 songs which they're going to release as an EP 1 saturday about 2 weeks ago.
Click here to listen/download it.
The second song is also an instrumental, tentatively titled "Friday night doom in Dunedin". It's a hybrid noise/doom track with myself on Drums and my good friend Gordon Duncan on guitars and bass. Gordon also plays guitar in the live Sex with Bowie band. I think this song is going towards Gordon's own project: Dancing Naked In The Mind Field.
Click here to listen/download it.
In other news the second Sex with Bowie album; "Absolute Beginners", will be released at Chicks Hotel on September 12th.
Enjoy the music. There's much, much more to come.
Thanks to Gareth from Fea St Hustle I've finally got somewhere to host some music which was also holding me back a little.
So to celebrate here's two new tracks from two different bands. The first one is an instrumental called Throwback by Products Hit Parade; a 60s psychedelic band heavily influenced by the Brian Jonestown Massacre. We recorded 4 songs which they're going to release as an EP 1 saturday about 2 weeks ago.
Click here to listen/download it.
The second song is also an instrumental, tentatively titled "Friday night doom in Dunedin". It's a hybrid noise/doom track with myself on Drums and my good friend Gordon Duncan on guitars and bass. Gordon also plays guitar in the live Sex with Bowie band. I think this song is going towards Gordon's own project: Dancing Naked In The Mind Field.
Click here to listen/download it.
In other news the second Sex with Bowie album; "Absolute Beginners", will be released at Chicks Hotel on September 12th.
Enjoy the music. There's much, much more to come.
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