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.
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
