music

This page is in need of an update – for now, go to Dancing with Architects to listen to the new project … then you might come back here for older stuff!

These are the original tracks of the solo album I recorded over the course of a week back in 1995. It was quite a giggle to record, wasn’t particularly serious, and still sounds, in parts, kinda groovy. Mostly first takes, not mixed or engineered much at all. The record button was hit by Greg, an ex-student. He inspired me to make it because he wanted to do work-shadowing with me. I thought making him watch me practice-teach-practice-teach for a week would kinda suck. So we recorded some tunes. Click for playback – you know you want to …

Praxis – This hails from a composition exercise I used to do, in which I’d open a dictionary at random, pick a word blindly, and write a tune based on it. Praxis was one of several that turned out quite nicely.

I, Sybarite– a fiendish digital dexterity exercise got somewhat out of hand here, it must be said! Still, if it’s taken in the right spirit, it’s fun. A transcription of the main riff is available here: I, Sybarite.

The Return of Boris – An odd little tune, more of a demo of a demo. The lead part is two passes, both guide tracks, and the drums etc were rebuilt after the cubase file disappeared. Listen to it as you would a live track where the guitarist is trying to find the melody … because that’s basically what it is.

Women in Corsets – this was, well, just a bit of gentle fun, really.

Plashet Groove– this is almost how you would pronounce the road I lived in were you from Norwich. Though you probably wouldn’t make it through the 7/8-9/8 sections  on account of them bein ord … thas no rite, tha t’aint …

Hirsute Interior– This was the sixth track in Dancing with Architects. A slightly obtuse, mildly swung ‘tune’ it was inspired, it turned out, by the Duchess of Malfi. Her brother, Fernando, is caught coming out of a graveyard with a human leg over his shoulder. He said something along the lines of ‘my skin is like that of a wolf’s, only that the hair is on the inside’.

P. Rex – my homage to that giant of the guitar world, the venerable Robert Fripp. That’s right, it’s polyrhythm time …

Red Dust – a rather odd two-handed piece I recorded in 1989, in the dark, while rather drunk. the third section sounds odd because it’s doubled … the parts separate at the end.

Gladiators, Ready – oh, not a lot to say about this other than it’s an alternate picking extravaganza … and every note was doubled … hehe … first  take. Yowza!

Dancing with Architects – a tune written over several years … a chord here, a chord there …

Random Rock stuff

Pretty little rich girl – One of my favourite solos … Me just playing guitar, tune by Halliwell/Godfrey/Aguis (1990)

Take me home – Me just on electric guitar, tune by Halliwell/Godfrey/Aguis (1990)

Slip – written by me with Peter Yeomans in Edmonton. Lead vocals Peter Yeomans, bass Gareth Morgan, keys Colin Swift, backing vox Pete, Peter, Gareth, Colin and Lucy Green. (1994)

Tomorrow – written by me in Highgate. Lead vocals Peter Yeomans, Bass Gareth Morgan, everything else me … (1995)

Esoterica

Show reel – just a short thing from way back

Pinkerton saves the day – part of a drunken session in Nottingham (1989)

Video

Promises – Life Andruszkow. I’m on the bus playing an ok solo (1998)

4 thoughts on “music

  1. Praxis and Red Dust and one other?? were recorded when you WERE actually drunk, in a walk in wardrobe in the Vic Centre Flats in Nottingham in 1989/90?? on a Fostex R8, Studiomaster 16/8/4 mixing desk Di’d with all that outboard gear I had in lieu of the fact that we couldn’t use an amp due to the noise and 10pm at night (not that you needed an amp for the clean sound). That’s why the end of Red Dust has that heavily effected chorused, slightly scratchy overdriven sound at the end – it was an ART multi effects unit we used, can’t remember the model. Fabulous pieces. I still have the master DAT, but I can’t play it cos I sold the DAT recorder about 25 years ago. I really can’t remember if you doubled the guitar at the end but I can remember you got your car nicked from outside the City University and I had to drive you home to London from Nottingham at some godforsaken hour – bloody good job I wasn’t drunk (in order to drive the car, not the studio gear 🙂 ).

    • Pinkerton and Red Dust – I doubled the third section of Red Dust which is why it sounds odd (plus we originally had sequenced stuff underneath) but got the count wrong which is why the end sounds like a delay … and yes, my bloody car!

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