HeapSmash :: d21 m11 y09 "...sadly things happen we can't explain"

This latest tune came about after I read an interview with Imogen Heap in Sound on Sound magazine.I'm not one to normally 'try out new artists', but I gave her a wee listen on Grooveshark and then bought the album,

I really liked it, and listened to it in the car for a few days and did my normal thing of tapping breakbeats along to the music. To be honest, I actually keep a set of drum sticks in the car for this purpose; I'm normally found banging away on my steering wheel as I get stuck in traffic. I just kinda thought "Hmmm, that could work..."

The song is for the most part behind the song. It's been cut up and swapped around, and some re-timing worked into it. The main change is of course the big beat that accompanies it now, and the 'doobedoodib' synth line. I did my normal trick of playing around with the knobs until it sounded right (or at least as right as I thought I could make it!) I love that roll as well before things happen.

AAAThere is a wee spoken sample in there as well at about 3:30 - because I can't help myself. Just after that there is another one of those great rolls, and then it leads into that amazing section of the song where it drops into a major key. Imogen Heap is a real believer in the 'new' way to communcate with fans, so she's fairly accessible. I may therefore send it to her to see what she thinks. She'll probably just tell me to cease and desist or I'll be hearing from her lawyers.

Talking to Myself :: d21 m11 y09 "...this could be the day I'm dreaming of"

Another tune from a DinnerWithGreedo demo - I made this one a bit mucky though...

Paul came down to Sussex to record some tracks, and while we didn't get anything finished we did get the bare bones for this one. I had no idea how it was going to go. At first I could imagine a sort of guitar-y 'Masterplan' kinda tune. Sadly, I then fired up the 909 and played around with some beats. The guitar was then cut and peak controlled out of the drum line. I'm still not sure I like the pads... but bollocks it's done now and the masters are destroyed.

The bassline was troubling me for a long time - ironically for a bass player (which let's face it, is kinda the day job) I have huge trouble programming bass lines. I think I got it there by doubling up with a low register piano. I also show my 'frustrated guitarist' badge by doing a couple of whammy bar dives, power chords and feedback (like I used to!) I dropped the guitar at 3.40, but I liked the chaotic effect it gives. The snares are doubled, and compressed to buggery (my normal trick), and I think they're some of the best snares I've ever recorded.

Spin backs came from tape as opposed to decks - I just couldn't get it sounding right. Pauls harmonies are as spot on as ever

In the original demo the song slows down at the end, but I couldn't make this work as the timing was a little iffy - so I just put a few more tape stop and starts, and then left as is. It just kinda stops dead now!

Breathe Me In :: d20 m11 y09 "...hold me close, someone to depend on"

This is a Dinner With Greedo song that goes back a long, long time - back to the ill fated (and possibly inadvised) forming of Dinner With Greedo as a potential gigging outfit.

I started this as I drunkenly found the old DWG website, and it had a very rough mix of the song on (done before I had any real studio software - I think it was done in Audition!) I thought it deserved the proper treatment. Note that it was recorded originally from a microphone on an MP3 recorder - so it's not great quality to start with.

However, I think this is the one song that people will let me use as much convolution reverb as humanly possible. The settings here are based around the impulse responses from Westminster Abbey (so now you know) I've now put piano onto it, and also a Hammond organ. There IS a version with drums knocking around, but, well I know the writer prefers the version without. Having said that I know he doesn't like the pre-reflections on the "Breathe Me In" line, and that hasn't stopped me.

I also had to put my trademark cello on it. And I'm actually playing bass live - it's actually a proper bass guitar (which I hate recording)

It's a song about smoking - Paul Avery Rodriguez at his simple songwriting finest.

SickSickPunk :: d10 m11 y09 "...tiny little pleasure demons fighting for your mind"

Recording at Paul's place (AKA Dinner With Greedo HQ) we were playing around with a few tunes, looking for inspiration and ideas, and, well, just generally shooting the shit and listening to music. Now Extreme (and Nuno Bettencourt) is a weird subject. Amazing musicians, and some cracking tunes. But I don't think I'm not alone here when I talk about the difficulty of saying "Yes, I'm an Extreme fan" - I just can't do it...

However, Paul played me this tune, and said "Could you do something with this?" So I did. To be honest, I don't think it's vastly different to the original, just a whole lot filthier. There is now a big throbby bassline that goes the way through it, LOTS of dums and a few rolls - off beat clappage too. I threw in some trance style pikes too.

I guess the biggest change is Fatboy Slim's "Funk Soul Brother" sample in the chorus - I particularily like throwing this sample in when I dj; it just normally makes people go "Wow - that's new!" and also breaks up the manotomy of just playing one record after the other. I like the fact that there is a rest before the second '... now'. Have a listen, you'll soon realise what I mean...

And yeah, there is the normal dBlueGlitch VST in there as well - which I guess is the closest I come to an audio trademark

Miss Nobody :: d05 m11 y09 "...and she says she's alright"

Miss Nobody by DInner With Greedo. This was recorded in Sussex when Paul came down to work on a few tracks. Unfortunately I did my normal trick of drenching it with reverb and Paul got cross - this happens a lot when someone gives me a song and a reverb VST. The original of this song, can be found by clicky thee here. It comes from Paul's (as yet) fully unwritten album.

It's a really simple song; and also very sad - it upset Sophie, and not many things do. A very simple arrangement with some widdly bits in there, and the trademark cello comes back out. I took off all of the reverb, and then put it back on, and the off, and then on again. In this finished version, there's actually hardly any although it sounds like there is.

I also looked at buying a proper Hammond organ (with Leslie cabinet of course) but I'd have to save a lot of pennies! Therefore, you've got KVR's amaaaazing emulator!

StandingInTheWayOfDomshouse :: d03 m06 y09 "...everybody's out of work"

Oh it's all in this one - how did it start? Well, I started with a the main beat, some of which comes from Jean Michel Jarre (no wait...) and then I think this is when I started humming That Gossip Song over the top. After that it was case of building up that beat with some basslines and a few other bits.

The big slow start originally had a human rights speech over it that was pretty cool, but it wasn't quite right. Then I remembered the bit from the film Network, that in turn I remember hearing Too Many DJs use (it's all cyclic this sample/mash up business). I'll have that, I thought.

After that, the Beastie Boys ended up in it, as I always wanted to use Body Movin' in something (which incidentlaly was the first mp3 I ever had) Lots of use of dBlue Glitch again to bring the main vocal in, and then at 1:47 you're in it fully and dancing around the living room. 2:46 - Galvanize by The Chemical Brothers appears - and then the main Gossip chorus again - love it. You'll be dancing at this point. Then, at 3:30, Peter Finch from Network appears again for a build up / break downy thing. Beth Ditto is singing behind him - then Don't Hold back and it's 4:10 and we're back in and we're dancing again.

Lots and lots of synths were used for this - lots of samplers - lots and lots of VST! 5:05 is a wee bit out of time, but sod it, by this time you've been dancing like no-one is watching right?

Back In The Sun :: d16 m05 y09 "...and its good to be so misunderstood"

So Paul did his normal trick of going "Ummm I've got a new song" Amaaaaaazing. Just another great sing along. I pretty much instantly fell in love with it, and at this point thought "I wonder what I can do with it". I got him to send me the masters, and rudely produced it without letting him know what I was doing.

He's playing guitar on this during the start, although I overdubbed it hugely. The solo is still all him though - just put through some big amp sims. I'm playing guitar in the choruses and at the end. There's that glitch effect again - mainly 'cos I just can't help myself. Love the glitch at 1:35 - oh yes.

The end caused all manner of headaches - how to go from one to the other. It's got the original piano by Paul, and then the hammond organ comes back in under Paul's great vocals. Cello is back in at 3:00, with what can only be described as "sounding too like the Question of Sport theme for comfort". In come the string section, and then at 3:22 I start playing guitar, a big build and then at 3:35 we're all playing a Boston style outro. Feels good to be alive indeed.

ChemsHighSchool :: d14 m11 y08 "...don't hold back"

This one is a bit embarrasing. For two very distinct reasons.

1) It features one of the main songs from High School Musical. There - I've said it. I'm not a *true* fan, but, you know, I do accept it for what it is.

2) It was embarrasingly easy. I tossed this off in about five minutes. Accapella from HSM, and then put Chemical Brothers over the top. I could say "Oh I had lots of behind the scenes stuff to do" - but that would be a lie - I didn't. I just matched the speeds, compressed it, a wee bit of reverb (of course) and then it was done. And if I recall, I then went and ate shepperds pie.

Booyakasha.

mbAA3 :: d8 m02 y09 "...and now it's time for the shipping forecast"

I mean, this one shouldn't really be on here as it's very personal - but I love the story behind it.

I've always liked kinda ambient music - not the dreamy soundscape stuff, but your Mike Oldfield, Sky, stuff like that. Essentially it comes from the fact that when I was growing up, it's what my Dad listened to. If I had to describe my childhood memories in a sentence, it would be listening to Tubular Bells in the back of my parents car on a Friday night driving down to where our yacht was moored on the South Coast.

I still listen to this stuff - and when I was working in the garden earlier on in the year I was listening to such tunes on the iPod. I was wondering what to get my Dad for his birthday, and I decided that I should write him a tune in the sort of style that we listened to when we grew up. I also was desperate to put the BBC Shipping Forecast in a tune (and yes I know that Tears for Fears did it first with 'Pharaohs') Anyway, this is how it ended up.

Love the delayed guitars and thunderstorms, and the stereo spread as it comes in. The piano motif at 1:30 followed by the thunderclap. I didn't really know how to finish it, so it goes into a normal breakdown at 2:50. If you're listening to it on a big system then the bass really comes in at 3:15. Then the piano line comes back (doobie doo doo de dahhhh!) Then it's 3:50. the drums are back in and we're off to the end.

If you actually listen to the weather that's being forecast, it sounds like a bit of stormy day - looks like we're in for a rough crossing Dad; Love you man...

GoAmbient :: d01 m02 y09 "...introducing myself, MC Lisa Lee"

I can't remember the first time I saw or heard the GO! Team. I was probably sitting on my sofa. I remember just going "Wowwwww!!" I've always liked old school hip hop trip top double dutch style stuff (I always wanted to be in a 'crew' when I was younger...)

The wife - she wasn't amused. "What's this 'bang bang bang' music", she said, "It's just people shouting!" So I made her this. It's ambient, it's trippy, it's hippy, it's slightly Underworld-esque.

Those finger clicks actually come from my own fingers (that took me about an hour or so on it's own!) I love the bass - it's just a simple sinewave - no fancy bass emulators here. The vocal is just obviously an accapella that I ermm, found. The rest of the song is just based around that dadum dadum dadum dadum sample. It doesn't really do much to be honest...

But I like it...

FightBattery :: d12 m05 y09 "... advertising has us chasing cars and clothes"

My guitarist describes this one as 'the maddest thing he's ever heard' - I'm not convinced he's wrong. It's not particularily mastered, so bear with me.

Paul (of DinnerWithGreedo fame) downloaded for me the acappella of "Battery" by Metallica (I have no idea why) It just pretty much sat on my hard drive for about six months, as I had NO idea of what to do with it. Another very good friend of mine then introduced me to the latest album by "The Prodigy", and I pretty much listened to it nonstop. Then, I noticed that the 'metal' vocal from Battery could be moved to a Prodigy/Pendulum style track. So then the rest followed...

It's at about 170bpm, which is faster than I like to work, and starts with an orchestra doing something or other. Had to bump that up a couple of tones. Then at 1:01 Brad Pitt arrives (no, really) - and at 1:13 it just goes boom. My Furby comes in at 1:20, and then it just gets silly.

I always say that anything I write and record should be listened to loud. This is especially true in this case.

One Day :: d01 m02 y09 "...introducing myself, MC Lisa Lee"

Love the cello - and this was the first track of mine to have it on. Just love those big sweeping lines that this song starts with. Then I start hammering out a on a ride cymbal and at 0:28 Martin Luther King arrives (spun around a bit)

It sounds a bit Jean Michel Jarre I think, until 0:40 seconds in, when the breaks really start. Then after that, MLK's speech continues. I always wanted to put this into a track. This was the first track on which I learnt to automate my desk - and so there are lots of sweeping filters and such like. Particularily in the breakdown - I think it was the first time I really got a breakdown working right. ...

Took me AGES this track. This was back when I used to fiddle and fiddle and fiddle (before I got into the habit of deleting all of the sequencer MIDI tacks once I had declared "Finiiiiiished!". So it's all rock and roll until that breakdown at 3:00. Just sweep filters out underneath the cello and MLK. And then.... and then... 3:23 just all sweeps back in filthily, and all the while I'm playing the cello...

ShoutyBreakBeat :: d7 m10 y09 "...smash smash mash it up"

I like Tears for Fears; my brother used to play it constantly when I was growing up. I realised that 'Shout' was just an amazing song.

And whilst this doesn't have the power (I don't think) of the original song by TFF it does have a certain something. I'll tell you what it has actually, it has John Simm at 1:57, declaring that his weekend has landed. Oh yes. I was going to put the whole of the Human Traffic intro in here, but I just ouldn't get it sounding right, so instead at 2:50 Jim Morrison/Fatboy Slim arrives.

I've glitched up everything behind, and built it to a breakdown at 3:36, which I think sounds quite sexy. Then at 3:48 Tears for Fears arrive again with John Simm.

However, at 4:03 there is a fucking great big audio drop out - this follows a high pass sweep, which I think overloaded the ASIO drivers. But I like the bit at 4:20 - so it MAY distract you!