nerdsxtreme

KUTOSIS BBC RADIO ONE

2011-10-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

So, we started setting up at 12, its now 1am and we've almost finished mixing down the KUTOSIS live session for Jen Long's Radio One show. It's sounding great. These guys have some great tunes constructed with driving drums, fuzzy bass and angular guitar riffs with vocals sounding like the audio equivalent of a panic attack (in a good way). Imagine if bloc party's first album was a rhythm section and it met up with at the drive-in's vocal patterns and sweet juxtaposition guitars. It would be pretty great right. Well stop imagining because it's here, in person and on record. In a world of boring Redrow homes they truly are an innovative grand design, comfortable and functional yet extremely enjoyable and exciting to live in. Check them here Specs: Was nice to use a vintage d12 on the kick, along with the fet47 and ns10 driver. On the snare we tried out taping a 451 to an audix i5. used a neumann kam84i instead of the 451. can't remember why but it worked a treat. I love tracking drums out at Monnow Valley. its harder to make them bad than good. the room is just so great. We also used a bunch of eumann 87s as well as a neve ribbon mic up in the room. Spacious. Guitar was recorded with my peavey classic 50 and the bass was di'd with a sansamp. The session is going to be aired on the 13th of November so if you fancy a late one that night, get on it...or if you have a job to get up for, iplayer might be for you.

BESTDAYS

2011-10-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

Last year a good friend of mine said he had been recording some song ideas. These recordings were scratchy, lo-fi demos of just a vocal and an acoustic guitar. After spending a cold Saturday together watching Championship football in Cardiff he played me the demos on the drive home. I loved them, brilliant chord structures and great, catchy vocal melodies.
He wanted to work on the tracks and have them 'produced' into a fuller sound. I was game.

I took the demos and started to play about with beats and sounds, aiming to support the songs, rather than distract from them. The ideas came together quite quickly even though we wanted each track to have it's own identity, sitting on it's own whilst not sounding alien to the others. A set of siblings, all unique but belonging to the same family.

In any case, we spent four long days during the summer working on four tracks, two of which can be found here.

some new l.p's

2011-10-19T02:48:00.000-07:00

So, after resisting the offerings that town or the internet had to bestow, I had to buy some musical plastic. The choices aren't radical or uber hip, but records I fancied having.

Lana Del Ray - Video games 7"
I heard about this songstress in the summer and pre ordered the single then. Little did I know that the hype bubble around her would grow to the size it has. A great voice and a pretty good song, I just hope that it doesn't pop to early and her new material steps it up.

Kasabian - Velociraptor!
I was never a fan of this band, the 'laddishness' of it all did not appeal to me. However, when they teamed up with Dan the Automator on the last album, West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, my ears pricked up and took notice. The production had his stylistic stamps all over it and really made the songs interesting. I then came to read about the dynamics of the band, something that always interests me from a 'producer's' point of view, and the fact that the Noel Fielding look-a-like guitarist does pretty much everything. If only he sang, his voice is better than the lead singers. Anyway, in short, this album is not going to change the face of music but what I do know is that when I play the catchy, groove laden tunes it contains, my little girl goes nuts. It must have some kind of primal energy and I can't argue with that.

The Horrors - Skying
When this band emerged with more style than tunes back in 2005/6 ish they offered me nothing. I heard a few tracks of their last album , Primary Colours, and did not recognise them. It sounded a loss less like a joke. The first thing that grabbed me with this record was the cover, I'm a sucka for a good one. I loved the colours and the silver lettering. I checked it out on Spotify and loved the production, it was self produced, and the sonic palette of the record. Also, there are some great songs on there, and if you don't have tunes then the great production is lost. Apparently the band did a shed load of ecstasy when they were making it. Now, I don't advocate drugs, but...

iReckon.

2011-10-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

The news of Steve Jobs passing made me stop and think. I tried to think of what the world would be like without his vision and drive.

He proved that shallow aims such as wealth, fame and power can be a bi-product of an overall greater goal, that a vision should be pure and not tainted by less significant trappings.

Granted, he was a staunch capitalist, but his pursuit for high quality outweighed his drive for dollar signs.

This ethos has been vibrating in my mind for the last few days like a persistent alarm bell. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning and prepare for a long stretch of hours in the studio I say, “Right, just get the job done and finish”. But then I think of the times I went to a studio as a teenager, the times I was rushed through songs, that were rehearsed for hours, by an ‘engineer’ who couldn’t care less if you played a part to slow or sung the wrong line in the chorus. He just wanted to get paid and send you on your way so he could record his ‘solo’ record. Then the alarm bell rings again. I think: it doesn’t matter if the take home profit goes down a little, it doesn’t matter if it takes an extra few hours to get the ‘right’ vocal, as these songs and the time I spend on them are my pursuit for the highest quality, the vision.

Of course, it would be nice to earn a few extra pounds at times, but its not about now. I’m sure Steve Jobs could have chosen a few short term gain options along the way. Thankfully he didn’t.

Like a puppet on a string

2011-10-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

Being Elmo looks great. This puppet has taken on a new meaning in my live as my little girl loves him.

Now listen to 'The Puppet' by Echo and The Bunnymen.

The Flaming Lips in a Skull

2011-10-01T13:17:00.000-07:00

This is strange but very, very cool.

It also throws up a bunch of ethical questions.

The Flaming Lips have just released a 6-hour song for charity. I bet that was great fun to mix.
They are going to top that by recording a 24 hour song, putting it on five hard drives and then encasing them in HUMAN SKULLS, actual HUMAN SKULLS. They are obtaining the skulls from a shop called 'Skulls Unlimited' and are quite pricey at $1650 each.

This brings new meaning to having a song stuck in your head. chortle chortle.

Here is a part of the six hour song - "I Found a Star on the Ground"
The Flaming Lips - Found a Star on the Ground [Part One of Three] by Slow•Nerve•Action 3

its a family thing

2011-09-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

Started work on the second record for 'Gareth Pearson'. Working with family isn't always easy, but we had a great first session. The fruits of our labour will surface very soon. I'll be posting some more pics from the session and some info on the record. For now, enjoy this lovely picture of Gareth, Papa Pearson and I getting in the way of the fantastic SSL desk.

way behind the times...

2011-09-30T05:34:00.000-07:00

I know these guys were hip a while back, unfortunately I'm not hip. Every time I went into Diverse Records in Newport the cover for the first album captured my attention; The name, the black and white picture of attractive girls...however I managed to resist. I was a fool. When the second album was released back in March I caught wind of a few tracks. I fell in love. The soft, tracked up vocals over the warm fuzzy guitars grabbed me instantly. I heard echoes of The Cure and Smashing Pumpkins which is all down to the amazing production work of Flood. I instantly ordered both the lps from Fortuna Pop. They are on rotation an awful lot. By 11 month year old loves dancing to them!
On a side note, I could imagine Adam Sandler singing some of these songs in The Wedding Singer. Not because they're synth-tastic, but because they remind me of this humorously tragic solo performance of 'Somebody Kill Me'.
Don't be a fool as I was...get involved.

Long time

2011-09-30T04:07:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't posted on here for a long long while. I've been in the grasp of work and the instant gratification that is twitter and facebook. Time to get back into the blogosphere.

Since Feb 2010, the last time I blogged, a lot has changed in my life. In terms of work, I am still as busy as ever. However, homelife is also very exciting with the birth of my daughter Autumn. She really does rule.

I've worked on a great deal over the last year or so, check out my soundcloud for a few tracks. I need to make better use and keep it updated.

lackadaisical

2010-02-11T05:03:00.000-08:00

not said much lately. well in forever. been VERY busy.
lots to update with.

coming soon

coffee no.1

2009-04-26T06:11:00.000-07:00

COFFEE NO.1
this place really does serve the best coffee. its rich and smooth with the elegance of a princess who has died too early, so unassumingly humble. it is remembered in your mouth with great warmth and gratitude. it's just a good coffee y'know.

nice.

2009-03-19T11:41:00.001-07:00

this is the closest you and i are getting.

aubergine sings

2009-03-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

that just happened. seriously!

hoffi coffi

2009-03-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

this is the best cup of coffee i have had in a very long time.
a lovely soy milk latte from the boston tea party, park street, bristol.

some nice new nikeeees

2009-02-22T10:59:00.000-08:00

Nike Sportswear is putting out some pretty 'smart' sneakers. They're both pretty basic and subtle - i feel like wearing them with a smart get up and going to hang out with some city bankers, y'know to take their minds of things.

Nike Air Zoom Toki Lux
Nike Air Royal Mid

Number ONE

2009-02-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

Four More Years, Four More Years!!!

im believing

2009-02-10T14:32:00.001-08:00

9! 9! 9!

11 ! 11 ! 11 !

12! 12! 12!

Don't believe the HYPE!!!

2009-02-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

it was nice to find out that 'retreat' was up to 13 on the hype machine 'popular' chart today.

keep decimals climbing here

www.myspace.com/decimalsmusic

mmmmmm

2009-02-07T09:39:00.001-08:00

what a lovely tart. this was suhweeeeet.

gethin is the scenery ;)

2009-02-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

we have less than a foot of snow and it turns the country into a hysterical panic. no wonder the swedish were laughing at the uk on their news.

anyway, i look pretty fantabulous in my jacket. probably the only week of the year where i don't look completely ridiculous in it. well.....

Before the fall

2009-02-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

Before the snow decided to put everyone's life on hold, i was visited in the basement by the fantastic 'Jamie Ley'. We spent two days putting down some tracks which, when i close my eyes, remind me of warm coffee, chapels and Jesse Harris. which is great. I think Jamie's decision to stop me putting house beats under everything worked out for the best :(.

go here to check out what we did.

retreat

2009-01-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

you ain't heard this...right:

RETREAT

www.myspace.com/decimalsmusic

richard hawley- morrisey cross breed in the baSSSement

2009-01-27T07:34:00.000-08:00

today i had the pleasure of working with a richard hawley - morrisey cross breed under the house. the results were outstanding. foppish electronic pop. beautiful.

kiloMEATier

2009-01-23T16:45:00.000-08:00

this is a suhweeeet a-trak remix of the already great 'kilometer' by the beardy sébastien tellier . a little sprinkle of gold here and there doesn't go a miss does it.

Sébastien Tellier - 'kilometer' (a-trak mix)

here's the original as well, y'know - for fun.

Sébastien Tellier - 'kilometer'

it's kicking right off

2009-01-23T16:12:00.000-08:00

so, i normally only covet (yearn to posses) nike's on a hourly basis but i cannot get these sneakers out of my head. seriously, i close my eyes and in my right one i see the puma 917 mid popart (in the blue/orange etc) and in the left is the new reebok ex-o-fit hi s.g strap (in black) .

these are some lovely lovely footwear. they will be mine soon. they must.

'alex the hedgehog' cake

2009-01-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

alex is made from chocolate and biscuits and biscuits and chocolate. he is a perfect cake for a nephew's birthday. masterchef 2010 i am coming.