The Rammel Club gig went really well and I really enjoyed the whole thing. the place was full as loads of people had come to see Emeralds.
I was on second, after Gareth Hardwick who did some droney/ambient guitar looping stuff, joined on stage by Dan Layton aka Apalusa, who I'd seen before an rather enjoyed. Their set was plagued by technical difficulties at the start and took quite a while to get going, but ended up much as I'd hope from hearing them soundcheck, as a wall of chiming, droning guitars
I went on shortly after they finished, after a speedy equipment change and played 30 minutes of improvised space music 'to help propel you into the outer reaches of the cosmos', or something like that
My set was improvised live using a Nord G2, Electrix Repeater and SP-404 through a couple of Boss pedals, a DD-20 Giga delay and an RC-20 Space Echo. It was my first gig using the Repeater to build up loops and layers and it worked really well, I cam up with some stuff that surprised even me and at one point I got a loop going that just made me grin
I tried to keep things changing, playing live stuff over loops from the Repeater and layering in some stuff from the SP-404, at one point I even went a bit Vangelis, just for the fun of it
Recording of my set is on rapidshare here
After me came Birds of Delay who started out with a single bass note drone that didn't change much for four or so minutes, when it was joined by something that sounded like metal blades being sharpened and then this all dropped out to be replaced by several different versions of the word 'snap' repeated and layered in ever so slightly out of sync loops for about 20 minutes. I stayed for a few minutes but decided this was a good opportunity to retire to the bar
Emeralds were on last and they were what everyone had been waiting for, myself included. They are three young chaps from Ohio, two with synths (Korg MS10 and Moog Microomoog) and one with a guitar, all three with lots of pedals. They played a set with huge walls of synth/guitar drone interspersed with sections of spacey melodic guitar and even a section of sequences. It was all very loud and noisy but still kind of cosmic and was over far too soon after only 30 minutes.
lots of people I knew turned up, so many thanks to:
Alan Walker
Pete Challoner
Rob Johnson & Jon Poole
Dave Davies
Susi O'Neill
Suzie and Ian from work
Dave Buxton and Geoff Kemm
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Astrogator, The Omega Syndicate, Create & Modulator ESP, Live at the Awakenings 8th July 2006
The gig last saturday went really well, I got there last but was set up first, which shows that keeping the same rig from one gig to the next really helps.
I went on first at just after 7pm (halfway through my tea) to perform for roughly half an hour as Modulator ESP, doing a lightly more ambient set than usual and using my laptop to edit Nord Modular sequences on the fly. i also had some sequences set up in the Regelwerk, which was triggering the SH-101 and Mono/Poly. The time went really quickly without any major cock-ips and I was fairly satisfied with my set. Audience feedback was pretty good.
Next up was fellow Astrogator Steve Humphries aka Create, who performed a couple of nice spacey pieces for his solo set, he had a few technical difficulties in the first one, but carried on regardless. there were also a few humourous samples, just for fun. I really enjoyed Steve's second pice which had some nice minimal backing sequennces.
Next up were The Omega Syndicate, with new members Glenn Alexander on keys and Rob Clynes on guitar. What followed was a powerful set of sequence heavy EM/prog/space rock. The new boys added extra dimensions to the TOS sound and allowed Dave and Xan to concentrate on some nice lead work and sequencing respectively.
Finally to round off the evening Steve and I performed a live improvised version of Dreamlight, which sort of had the main themes and ideas from the rehearsal versions, but with a slightly different structure and extra bits. I really enjoyed this set and according to Steve the recording sounds pretty good so who knows, maybe it will be made available as Dreamlight Live.
The only downside was that the audience was quite small, though we had a nice surprise in that a US EM fan who happened to be in the UK came over from Manchester to see us. Thanks Tom. Read his review on the Awakenings website.
We released the new limited CDR 'Dreamlight' and sold quite a few copies on the night.
All in all a fine evening of EM
Photos soon...
I went on first at just after 7pm (halfway through my tea) to perform for roughly half an hour as Modulator ESP, doing a lightly more ambient set than usual and using my laptop to edit Nord Modular sequences on the fly. i also had some sequences set up in the Regelwerk, which was triggering the SH-101 and Mono/Poly. The time went really quickly without any major cock-ips and I was fairly satisfied with my set. Audience feedback was pretty good.
Next up was fellow Astrogator Steve Humphries aka Create, who performed a couple of nice spacey pieces for his solo set, he had a few technical difficulties in the first one, but carried on regardless. there were also a few humourous samples, just for fun. I really enjoyed Steve's second pice which had some nice minimal backing sequennces.
Next up were The Omega Syndicate, with new members Glenn Alexander on keys and Rob Clynes on guitar. What followed was a powerful set of sequence heavy EM/prog/space rock. The new boys added extra dimensions to the TOS sound and allowed Dave and Xan to concentrate on some nice lead work and sequencing respectively.
Finally to round off the evening Steve and I performed a live improvised version of Dreamlight, which sort of had the main themes and ideas from the rehearsal versions, but with a slightly different structure and extra bits. I really enjoyed this set and according to Steve the recording sounds pretty good so who knows, maybe it will be made available as Dreamlight Live.
The only downside was that the audience was quite small, though we had a nice surprise in that a US EM fan who happened to be in the UK came over from Manchester to see us. Thanks Tom. Read his review on the Awakenings website.
We released the new limited CDR 'Dreamlight' and sold quite a few copies on the night.
All in all a fine evening of EM
Photos soon...
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Time Zero Review
Nice review of Time Zero by Artemi Pugachov
"Tronic Pulse" starts with warbling & rasping synthesizers coupled with mysterious Mellotron flute. After a while a sequence builds and we are immediately in mid-70's Tangerine Dream territory. Not bad!
"Beyond the Sun" has excellent deep intro. Jez made an excellent job of synthesizing really out-there sounds on this one. This is cosmic EM of the highest order. I just have to wonder why they don't use this stuff in movies about cosmos these days, going for some boring orchestral drek instead. Excellent sequence starts and what a great sequence it is! Coupled with a super-punchy bass sound it really has a bite to it! The Mellotron flute appears in this track as well, combining to great effect with synthetic textures. This is Berlin School with a fresh attitude - top notch stuff!
"Quadratic", once again has quite an aggressive intro, with harsh, raspy sounds and echoing clangs. After a while a slow sawy bass sequence appears. Another sequence joins the flow, making this a real wall-of-sound experience. This is stark, dark and decidedly un-commercial Electronic Music. The sequences are excellent while the overall nature of the track remains absolutely otherworldly. I think if you're into geometry - you will enjoy this. Jez has really managed to express the beauty of simple geometrical forms with this one - sort of a dry, naked beauty wrapped in intricate forms. And where one would be without that Mellotron flute? There's a bit of that too, but it only appears for the last several seconds of the track.
Next is "Eos Flight" that initially sets the stage with deep and mysterious effects & pads. A rhythmic pulse starts but never dominates. Looks like it's the most laid-back track so far. Various lead sounds and additional sequences play on top but overall the track retains that relaxed, jamming feel.
The title track starts with echoes of unknown origin but after a while we hear some whooshing sounds and very deep bass throbs. Various other sounds can be heard and this is easily one of those effective intro's you don't want to end. However, as we are closing the 10 minute mark, a slow bass / rhythm combination starts and takes us to the next section that is dominated by ever-so-slightly shifting and morphing rhythms, all of them of the laid-back variety. This is an unusual track indeed and it's unlike anything I've heard from Jez so far. A great lead line is heard around the 16 minute mark. Another sequence appears as the lead line continues its play. Some heavier rhythms can be heard after 20 minutes into the track that has turned into quite a journey by now. Superb analogue-sounding solos add a pleasant warmness and really make me go "wow!" This is quite simply some of the best neo-prog EM I've heard in a while. Fans of Berlin School will be delighted, especially those who favour complex, long-form compositions with great rhythms, lots of sequences, atmospheres and a sparkling solo or two to boost. One thing to add is that Jez' sound is now much more refined (compared to previous efforts) and supplied with a good dose of reverb, adding the pleasant "spaciness" to his compositions. He seems to have put much more effort in his songs which are now better thought-out and composed with a level of precision and feeling that many would be jealous of. The last part of the title track lets the sequences to shine in all their glory and adds a new bell-like sequence that sounds very organic. A mournful pad sound is all one needs to complete the mental picture of traveling through space & time. The journey's over and we want more.
But wait, Jez serves us a little dessert in the form of "Chromium". It consists of typical "Modulator ESP" atmospheres - all in a mysterious and a bit claustrophobic setting. Interesting little track.
"Time Zero" is the best Modulator ESP album so far and a real must for fans of Berlin School / sequencer music. Excellent!
from the Encyclopedia of Electronic Music
"Tronic Pulse" starts with warbling & rasping synthesizers coupled with mysterious Mellotron flute. After a while a sequence builds and we are immediately in mid-70's Tangerine Dream territory. Not bad!
"Beyond the Sun" has excellent deep intro. Jez made an excellent job of synthesizing really out-there sounds on this one. This is cosmic EM of the highest order. I just have to wonder why they don't use this stuff in movies about cosmos these days, going for some boring orchestral drek instead. Excellent sequence starts and what a great sequence it is! Coupled with a super-punchy bass sound it really has a bite to it! The Mellotron flute appears in this track as well, combining to great effect with synthetic textures. This is Berlin School with a fresh attitude - top notch stuff!
"Quadratic", once again has quite an aggressive intro, with harsh, raspy sounds and echoing clangs. After a while a slow sawy bass sequence appears. Another sequence joins the flow, making this a real wall-of-sound experience. This is stark, dark and decidedly un-commercial Electronic Music. The sequences are excellent while the overall nature of the track remains absolutely otherworldly. I think if you're into geometry - you will enjoy this. Jez has really managed to express the beauty of simple geometrical forms with this one - sort of a dry, naked beauty wrapped in intricate forms. And where one would be without that Mellotron flute? There's a bit of that too, but it only appears for the last several seconds of the track.
Next is "Eos Flight" that initially sets the stage with deep and mysterious effects & pads. A rhythmic pulse starts but never dominates. Looks like it's the most laid-back track so far. Various lead sounds and additional sequences play on top but overall the track retains that relaxed, jamming feel.
The title track starts with echoes of unknown origin but after a while we hear some whooshing sounds and very deep bass throbs. Various other sounds can be heard and this is easily one of those effective intro's you don't want to end. However, as we are closing the 10 minute mark, a slow bass / rhythm combination starts and takes us to the next section that is dominated by ever-so-slightly shifting and morphing rhythms, all of them of the laid-back variety. This is an unusual track indeed and it's unlike anything I've heard from Jez so far. A great lead line is heard around the 16 minute mark. Another sequence appears as the lead line continues its play. Some heavier rhythms can be heard after 20 minutes into the track that has turned into quite a journey by now. Superb analogue-sounding solos add a pleasant warmness and really make me go "wow!" This is quite simply some of the best neo-prog EM I've heard in a while. Fans of Berlin School will be delighted, especially those who favour complex, long-form compositions with great rhythms, lots of sequences, atmospheres and a sparkling solo or two to boost. One thing to add is that Jez' sound is now much more refined (compared to previous efforts) and supplied with a good dose of reverb, adding the pleasant "spaciness" to his compositions. He seems to have put much more effort in his songs which are now better thought-out and composed with a level of precision and feeling that many would be jealous of. The last part of the title track lets the sequences to shine in all their glory and adds a new bell-like sequence that sounds very organic. A mournful pad sound is all one needs to complete the mental picture of traveling through space & time. The journey's over and we want more.
But wait, Jez serves us a little dessert in the form of "Chromium". It consists of typical "Modulator ESP" atmospheres - all in a mysterious and a bit claustrophobic setting. Interesting little track.
"Time Zero" is the best Modulator ESP album so far and a real must for fans of Berlin School / sequencer music. Excellent!
from the Encyclopedia of Electronic Music
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Latest Updates
Shrewsbury gig with Mooch:
This went very well and was most enjoyable, there was a good reaction from the audience and I even sold some CDs. Stayed over at a very nice B&B and spent the following day mooching round Shrewsbury with Steve Palmer (Mooch).
Time Zero:
Was released at the Shrewsbury gig and initial sales went very well with virtually no advertising and I got some good reviews from people who bought copies. At the time of writing there are now only 7 copies left. There are full details here and reviews here
Awakenings 2006 vol 2:
This compilation will feature a new exclusive Modulator ESP track entitled 'Time Running Out'.
Awakenings 2006 vol 2.5:
This ambient compilation will feature a new exclusive Astrogator track entitled 'Astral Drift' which is an edit of material from the second Chesterfield Jam.
Astrogator:
Went over to Steve's house on 2nd - 4th June, primarily to go on his stag do but also to plan/rehearse our set for our next gig, which is on July 8th at the Brudenell in Leeds. We will be doing a set as Astrogator and individual solo sets. Also appearing are the mighty Omega Syndicate. Should be a good one.
Listening back to recordings of the sessions we decided we probably had enough material for a limited edition release, provisionally entitled 'Dreamlight' which we hope to get sorted in time for the July gig.
I am also working on my solo set for Awakenings on July 8th and hope to do something a bit different from my last appearance.
Artist Server:
I've also just upgraded my Artist Server account so I can upload loads more music, I've just put up some old stuff and a couple of new pieces, which were improvised using the step sequencers in the Nord modular:
Modular Xperiment 01 - An experiment using multiple layers of shifting sequences, ebbing, flowing and morphing. One slot was used for sequences and another was used for background noise effects. This one turned out to be quite 'Berlin School' like.
Modular Xperiment 02 - Another experiment, this time with more random sequences. Sort of minimal chaotic ambient.
This went very well and was most enjoyable, there was a good reaction from the audience and I even sold some CDs. Stayed over at a very nice B&B and spent the following day mooching round Shrewsbury with Steve Palmer (Mooch).
Time Zero:
Was released at the Shrewsbury gig and initial sales went very well with virtually no advertising and I got some good reviews from people who bought copies. At the time of writing there are now only 7 copies left. There are full details here and reviews here
Awakenings 2006 vol 2:
This compilation will feature a new exclusive Modulator ESP track entitled 'Time Running Out'.
Awakenings 2006 vol 2.5:
This ambient compilation will feature a new exclusive Astrogator track entitled 'Astral Drift' which is an edit of material from the second Chesterfield Jam.
Astrogator:
Went over to Steve's house on 2nd - 4th June, primarily to go on his stag do but also to plan/rehearse our set for our next gig, which is on July 8th at the Brudenell in Leeds. We will be doing a set as Astrogator and individual solo sets. Also appearing are the mighty Omega Syndicate. Should be a good one.
Listening back to recordings of the sessions we decided we probably had enough material for a limited edition release, provisionally entitled 'Dreamlight' which we hope to get sorted in time for the July gig.
I am also working on my solo set for Awakenings on July 8th and hope to do something a bit different from my last appearance.
Artist Server:
I've also just upgraded my Artist Server account so I can upload loads more music, I've just put up some old stuff and a couple of new pieces, which were improvised using the step sequencers in the Nord modular:
Modular Xperiment 01 - An experiment using multiple layers of shifting sequences, ebbing, flowing and morphing. One slot was used for sequences and another was used for background noise effects. This one turned out to be quite 'Berlin School' like.
Modular Xperiment 02 - Another experiment, this time with more random sequences. Sort of minimal chaotic ambient.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
New album - Time Zero/ Gig update
The next Modulator ESP album is due for release at the Shrewsbury gig on 2nd May 2006. The album is called 'Time Zero' and will contain a selection of unreleased studio and live recordings. The provisional track listing at the moment is:
1. Tronic Pulse (Retro Improv)
2. Eos Flight
3. Quadratic
4. Chromium
5. Undecided as yet (possibly something new, if not, one of the catalog of studio and live improvs currently residing on the hard drive)
6. Time Zero
It will be a limited edition CDR release, probably of about 25 copies. Each copy will be individually numbered and signed. Let me know if you'd like a copy reserving
Flyer for gig:
Running times:
Doors around 7:30
Modulator ESP 9:00-9:45
Mooch 10:00-11:00
DJs Jez and Steve playing spacey music 'til about 12:00-12:30
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Modulator ESP: Live Shrewsbury 02.05.06
I am currently due to play at a club/bar in Shrewsbury called C:21 on Tuesday 2nd May.
This will be supporting Steve Palmer aka Mooch as he launches the new Mooch album Gaiaspace.
Further details as and when they become available.
This will be supporting Steve Palmer aka Mooch as he launches the new Mooch album Gaiaspace.
Further details as and when they become available.
New tracks and Myspace
I've recently uploaded a couple of newish, rather Berlin Schoolish tracks:
Quadratic - This was to try out some ideas for the Quadra Jam recorded on 18.02.06. A bit rough, but some nice sequencing using the P3 and the Cheetah MS6, other sounds were from the Microwave XT, Prophet 600 and Prophet VS. A report of the jam is still being drafted.
Retro Improv - This is a simple improvisation, and is my first recording to feature Mellotron flute, courtesy of my new Roland M-VS1 sound module. Sequences were from the SH-101, other sounds were from the Prophet 600 and Prophet VS.
Also if anyone else on here is on Myspace I have recently set up an account. Both of these tracks are currently available to stream from there...
Quadratic - This was to try out some ideas for the Quadra Jam recorded on 18.02.06. A bit rough, but some nice sequencing using the P3 and the Cheetah MS6, other sounds were from the Microwave XT, Prophet 600 and Prophet VS. A report of the jam is still being drafted.
Retro Improv - This is a simple improvisation, and is my first recording to feature Mellotron flute, courtesy of my new Roland M-VS1 sound module. Sequences were from the SH-101, other sounds were from the Prophet 600 and Prophet VS.
Also if anyone else on here is on Myspace I have recently set up an account. Both of these tracks are currently available to stream from there...
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Updates: Forum, Recording, Jams
Forum: I have a new forum, for the discussion of my music and electronic music in general, it's at:
Recording: Work has begun on my new studio album at last.
As I've been concentrating on improvising it's been a bit of a change trying to do something a bit more organised.
I've booked a couple of days off to do a bit of recording as I never seem to be able to find the time, what with work and life and stuff .
It's not gone so well so far as I'm still suffering from my cold and my concentration isn't so good. The hacking cough doesn't help either.
Have managed to get started though, which is always the biggest hurdle.
Have a very nice spacey intro and some nice analog sequences laid down so far.
Hopefully, now that I've got the ball rolling I'll be able to add to it in due course.
Jams: I've got a couple of jams lined up, tomorrow I'm off to jam with Steve and Dave and Xan of The Omega Syndicate. Should be fun.
Then on the 25th of February Steve and I are off down to Bedford to jam with Brendan Pollard (Rogue Element) and John Sherwood (4m33s, Entity, Cult of Ashand). This should be a very interesting session as we will get to try out some of the vintage gear in the Rogue Element studio
Recording: Work has begun on my new studio album at last.
As I've been concentrating on improvising it's been a bit of a change trying to do something a bit more organised.
I've booked a couple of days off to do a bit of recording as I never seem to be able to find the time, what with work and life and stuff .
It's not gone so well so far as I'm still suffering from my cold and my concentration isn't so good. The hacking cough doesn't help either.
Have managed to get started though, which is always the biggest hurdle.
Have a very nice spacey intro and some nice analog sequences laid down so far.
Hopefully, now that I've got the ball rolling I'll be able to add to it in due course.
Jams: I've got a couple of jams lined up, tomorrow I'm off to jam with Steve and Dave and Xan of The Omega Syndicate. Should be fun.
Then on the 25th of February Steve and I are off down to Bedford to jam with Brendan Pollard (Rogue Element) and John Sherwood (4m33s, Entity, Cult of Ashand). This should be a very interesting session as we will get to try out some of the vintage gear in the Rogue Element studio
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Formication + Modulator ESP 19.01.06
Well the gig with Formication went really well, apart from a few technical problems and a few car-related incidents that I will get to later.
Got to the venue for 7pm, parked outside (on a bit of pavement) and unloaded, helped by the Formication guys.
Got everything set-up quite quickly and tidily and was soundchecked by about 8:30. Somehow managed to misplace my camera while setting up but did manage to get the video camera set-up to tape the gig.
The venue was full of young trendy students, quite a different crowd to a normal EM gig. A few friends also came down, including Dave, Pete, Alan, Ian and Katy. (Thanks guys)
I was quite nervous due to the large crowd, but pulled myself together and went on at 9:05 and played about an hour long set of drones, spacey ambient sections, sequencer sections and a few wig-out solos too.
Unfortunately I had a few technical problems during the gig:
I forgot to press record on the minidisc, then when I did remember, when I checked the recording levels I realised I'd also forgotten to plug the minidisc in, as I'd been using it's output with my headphones for a few final checks. Hopefully I should only have missed about 5 mins.
Also, during the first half of the set, when I came to fade things out for a transition, I found I had some stuck notes droning in the background. After desperately checking all the faders on the mixing desk I realised it was the Prophet 600, but in the dark I couldn't really work out why, so I just turned it off. Later when I decided to give it another go I discovered that about 5 of the top keys had slipped out of alignment and were sticking down.
Apparently no-one noticed so hopefully the recording won't have been ruined.
There was a fair bit of applause at the end of the set and at several points during the set where it sounded like I may have been coming to the end of a piece.
Unfortunately, as soon as I came off stage, Alan, one of the promoters, came up to me to tell me that someone had snapped the wing mirror of my car whilst I was playing. Luckily the bouncers had manged to get the pieces off the miscreants. I managed to put all the pieces back together but despite the best efforts of Alan and myself we just couldn't get it back on. Deciding to leave it 'til the morning I headed back inside to sort a few things out.
I was still on a high from the performance and wasn't really bothered, as I was sure it could be fixed.
Reports from people I spoke to afterwards were that my set was pretty well recieved and that there were even people dancing. I sold a few CDs too.
Next thing I knew, Jared, the other one of the Leftlion promoters was outside arguing with a traffic warden, who wanted to give me a ticket for illegal parking. Ooops, in all the excitement I'd completely forgotten to move my car and lo and behold I was issued with a £30 fine. Bugger.
Even this didn't really phase me, so I got in the car and drove off to find a parking space 1/2 a mile up the road.
Headed back in time to catch the bulk of Formications set, slightly dazed by the evenings events.
Jared very kindly paid my fine too, which made me feel rather guilty as it was really my fault, but it made him happy as he was still feeling guilty about the wing mirror incident.
Some photos:
Gratuitous gear shot
Me in action (photo by Alec of Formication)
Formication in action
rest here
All in all, quite a strange evening, but overall a positive experience.
I even had some girls come up and ask me questions after the gig which was nice.
Also big thanks to Joe who helped me pack up afterwards
Got to the venue for 7pm, parked outside (on a bit of pavement) and unloaded, helped by the Formication guys.
Got everything set-up quite quickly and tidily and was soundchecked by about 8:30. Somehow managed to misplace my camera while setting up but did manage to get the video camera set-up to tape the gig.
The venue was full of young trendy students, quite a different crowd to a normal EM gig. A few friends also came down, including Dave, Pete, Alan, Ian and Katy. (Thanks guys)
I was quite nervous due to the large crowd, but pulled myself together and went on at 9:05 and played about an hour long set of drones, spacey ambient sections, sequencer sections and a few wig-out solos too.
Unfortunately I had a few technical problems during the gig:
I forgot to press record on the minidisc, then when I did remember, when I checked the recording levels I realised I'd also forgotten to plug the minidisc in, as I'd been using it's output with my headphones for a few final checks. Hopefully I should only have missed about 5 mins.
Also, during the first half of the set, when I came to fade things out for a transition, I found I had some stuck notes droning in the background. After desperately checking all the faders on the mixing desk I realised it was the Prophet 600, but in the dark I couldn't really work out why, so I just turned it off. Later when I decided to give it another go I discovered that about 5 of the top keys had slipped out of alignment and were sticking down.
Apparently no-one noticed so hopefully the recording won't have been ruined.
There was a fair bit of applause at the end of the set and at several points during the set where it sounded like I may have been coming to the end of a piece.
Unfortunately, as soon as I came off stage, Alan, one of the promoters, came up to me to tell me that someone had snapped the wing mirror of my car whilst I was playing. Luckily the bouncers had manged to get the pieces off the miscreants. I managed to put all the pieces back together but despite the best efforts of Alan and myself we just couldn't get it back on. Deciding to leave it 'til the morning I headed back inside to sort a few things out.
I was still on a high from the performance and wasn't really bothered, as I was sure it could be fixed.
Reports from people I spoke to afterwards were that my set was pretty well recieved and that there were even people dancing. I sold a few CDs too.
Next thing I knew, Jared, the other one of the Leftlion promoters was outside arguing with a traffic warden, who wanted to give me a ticket for illegal parking. Ooops, in all the excitement I'd completely forgotten to move my car and lo and behold I was issued with a £30 fine. Bugger.
Even this didn't really phase me, so I got in the car and drove off to find a parking space 1/2 a mile up the road.
Headed back in time to catch the bulk of Formications set, slightly dazed by the evenings events.
Jared very kindly paid my fine too, which made me feel rather guilty as it was really my fault, but it made him happy as he was still feeling guilty about the wing mirror incident.
Some photos:
Gratuitous gear shot
Me in action (photo by Alec of Formication)
Formication in action
rest here
All in all, quite a strange evening, but overall a positive experience.
I even had some girls come up and ask me questions after the gig which was nice.
Also big thanks to Joe who helped me pack up afterwards
Monday, January 16, 2006
Dave Davies + Modulator ESP 13.01.06: Secret gig report
Did a 'secret' gig supporting Dave Davies at Bunker's Hill on Friday 13th January, sort of as a dress rehearsal for the gig supporting Formication on the 19th. Was very useful as it helped me iron out a few wrinkles in the sounds and setting up departments. gig was video-taped and recorded and highlights should be made available in due course.
Photos:
The funky backdrops lit properly
Dave performing his very minimal spacey electronica
Nice shot of me in action
More here
Photos:
The funky backdrops lit properly
Dave performing his very minimal spacey electronica
Nice shot of me in action
More here
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Modulator ESP interview in LeftLion
Here's the text of an interview I did recently for LeftLion, a magazine and website dedicated to Nottingham culture
When did you begin to record as Modulator ESP?
Well, I have been recording bits and pieces in between playing in bands since the early nineties, though I didn’t actually decide to use the name until about 2001, when I compiled my first proper solo album (Random Fluctuations) out of the best stuff I’d produced over the previous 5 or so years. More recent albums as Modulator ESP have all been recordings of improvised gigs. I’m just about to start work on my second studio album, if I can ever make the time.
How would you describe your style to new punters?
A mixture of (dark) ambient, ‘70s electronic music (Jean Michel Jarre/ Tangerine Dream) and prog rock (Rick Wakeman). To people who don’t know the music of the artists mentioned I’d say it was spacey instrumental music, the sort of music they would play in planetariums.
So what exactly is this experimental synth project?
A ‘get out clause’ so that I can do different things when I want to without getting labelled as one particular style. Also a way to get round the one small problem I discovered after choosing to call my project Modulator, that there is an American pop/rock band who have been using it slightly longer.
What instruments and kit do you use to create the music?
I use analog and digital synthesizers in combination with analog style step sequencers that allow real time interaction with the sounds and the rhythmic parts enabling me to improvise more freely.
Tell us about the other bands you’ve been in during your time in Nottingham?
I’ve been in three ‘bands’ in my time in Nottingham: ‘Spiritland’ was a studio project with a guitarist called Dave, we made a tape and then he left to play with Toyah, she dumped him after the tour and he lives down somewhere down South. ‘Voyage Within’ was an obscure ‘prog’ band. We did about 3 gigs, very weird, complicated music in all sorts of odd time signatures. We had terrible problems with drummers and vocalists and were an instrumental band for most of the time we were together. I left due to ‘personal’ differences. ‘Made in the Shade’/ ‘Shadowdancer’ was the last band, doing quirky melodic rock/pop, with another two guys called Dave, we did lots of gigs around Nottingham and even one in Derby, again without a drummer. I left to do my own thing, which turned out to be the current project ‘Modulator ESP’, and I’m also in another band called ‘Astrogator’ with a chap from Manchester.
If you could get anyone in to hook up on a track, who would you choose?
I’d quite like to do some stuff with a guitarist, someone like a young Dave Gilmour or Robert Fripp, into more textural stuff.
What other music in Nottingham are you feeling?
Not a lot really, there doesn’t seem to be anyone doing the sort of stuff I’m into in Nottingham these days. I mostly go to gigs up in Leeds or at the National Space Centre at Leicester.
What other music are you feeling generally?
At the moment, I’m listening to lot of pretty obscure electronic music, stuff by Steve Roach, Stephen Parsick/ [‘ramp], a band called Node etc.
What’s your idea of a good night out in Nottingham?
On a night out I generally prefer the rock end of the music spectrum, so I like the Tap for a drink then on to Rock City.
Do you follow County of Forest in the footy?
Neither, I’m afraid I’ve never understood the appeal.
Who is your ultimate Nottingham hero?
After much deliberation I’d have to say Richard Beckinsale, he was funny and it was tragic that he died so young.
What was the last thing that made you laugh?
Marvin the Paranoid Android shooting the Vogon soldiers with the Point Of View (POV) gun at the end of the Hitch-Hikers movie, leaving them all collapsed on the floor moaning about how depressed they were. Sad to say the POV gun was probably the funniest bit of the film.
What was the last thing that made you cry?
The end of King Kong., when Kong dies at the top of the Empire State building
What was the last film you saw?
At the cinema – King Kong on my birthday, fantastic, made me laugh and cry and even feel a bit sick.
On DVD – The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, as a huge fan of the books/radio series/TV show I couldn’t bring myself to see this at the cinema after reading a review that slated it. It was an interesting experience, with great visuals, but I felt it suffered from superfluous additions to the plot, crap characters and the wanton removal of all Douglas Adams jokes. I did laugh occasionally though, the POV gun amused me
What was the last book you read?
Batman Year One, graphic novel by Frank Miller, an extended take on the Batman origin detailing his first year as a fighting crime and corruption in gotham City.
What can we expect from your gig at the Orange Tree?
Depending on time, one or maybe two quite long evolving improvised pieces, with some weird abstract bits and some more rhythmic, melodic bits. There are several good examples of live sets available from my website, including one recorded very early on New Years Day which was streamed live around the world.
Is there any question that you really wish we had asked you..?
No, these have been pretty comprehensive.
Anything else you’d like to say to LeftLion readers?
Come to the gig at the Orange Tree if you fancy an evening of music almost but not completely unlike anything you will hear anywhere else...
link to interview online here
When did you begin to record as Modulator ESP?
Well, I have been recording bits and pieces in between playing in bands since the early nineties, though I didn’t actually decide to use the name until about 2001, when I compiled my first proper solo album (Random Fluctuations) out of the best stuff I’d produced over the previous 5 or so years. More recent albums as Modulator ESP have all been recordings of improvised gigs. I’m just about to start work on my second studio album, if I can ever make the time.
How would you describe your style to new punters?
A mixture of (dark) ambient, ‘70s electronic music (Jean Michel Jarre/ Tangerine Dream) and prog rock (Rick Wakeman). To people who don’t know the music of the artists mentioned I’d say it was spacey instrumental music, the sort of music they would play in planetariums.
So what exactly is this experimental synth project?
A ‘get out clause’ so that I can do different things when I want to without getting labelled as one particular style. Also a way to get round the one small problem I discovered after choosing to call my project Modulator, that there is an American pop/rock band who have been using it slightly longer.
What instruments and kit do you use to create the music?
I use analog and digital synthesizers in combination with analog style step sequencers that allow real time interaction with the sounds and the rhythmic parts enabling me to improvise more freely.
Tell us about the other bands you’ve been in during your time in Nottingham?
I’ve been in three ‘bands’ in my time in Nottingham: ‘Spiritland’ was a studio project with a guitarist called Dave, we made a tape and then he left to play with Toyah, she dumped him after the tour and he lives down somewhere down South. ‘Voyage Within’ was an obscure ‘prog’ band. We did about 3 gigs, very weird, complicated music in all sorts of odd time signatures. We had terrible problems with drummers and vocalists and were an instrumental band for most of the time we were together. I left due to ‘personal’ differences. ‘Made in the Shade’/ ‘Shadowdancer’ was the last band, doing quirky melodic rock/pop, with another two guys called Dave, we did lots of gigs around Nottingham and even one in Derby, again without a drummer. I left to do my own thing, which turned out to be the current project ‘Modulator ESP’, and I’m also in another band called ‘Astrogator’ with a chap from Manchester.
If you could get anyone in to hook up on a track, who would you choose?
I’d quite like to do some stuff with a guitarist, someone like a young Dave Gilmour or Robert Fripp, into more textural stuff.
What other music in Nottingham are you feeling?
Not a lot really, there doesn’t seem to be anyone doing the sort of stuff I’m into in Nottingham these days. I mostly go to gigs up in Leeds or at the National Space Centre at Leicester.
What other music are you feeling generally?
At the moment, I’m listening to lot of pretty obscure electronic music, stuff by Steve Roach, Stephen Parsick/ [‘ramp], a band called Node etc.
What’s your idea of a good night out in Nottingham?
On a night out I generally prefer the rock end of the music spectrum, so I like the Tap for a drink then on to Rock City.
Do you follow County of Forest in the footy?
Neither, I’m afraid I’ve never understood the appeal.
Who is your ultimate Nottingham hero?
After much deliberation I’d have to say Richard Beckinsale, he was funny and it was tragic that he died so young.
What was the last thing that made you laugh?
Marvin the Paranoid Android shooting the Vogon soldiers with the Point Of View (POV) gun at the end of the Hitch-Hikers movie, leaving them all collapsed on the floor moaning about how depressed they were. Sad to say the POV gun was probably the funniest bit of the film.
What was the last thing that made you cry?
The end of King Kong., when Kong dies at the top of the Empire State building
What was the last film you saw?
At the cinema – King Kong on my birthday, fantastic, made me laugh and cry and even feel a bit sick.
On DVD – The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, as a huge fan of the books/radio series/TV show I couldn’t bring myself to see this at the cinema after reading a review that slated it. It was an interesting experience, with great visuals, but I felt it suffered from superfluous additions to the plot, crap characters and the wanton removal of all Douglas Adams jokes. I did laugh occasionally though, the POV gun amused me
What was the last book you read?
Batman Year One, graphic novel by Frank Miller, an extended take on the Batman origin detailing his first year as a fighting crime and corruption in gotham City.
What can we expect from your gig at the Orange Tree?
Depending on time, one or maybe two quite long evolving improvised pieces, with some weird abstract bits and some more rhythmic, melodic bits. There are several good examples of live sets available from my website, including one recorded very early on New Years Day which was streamed live around the world.
Is there any question that you really wish we had asked you..?
No, these have been pretty comprehensive.
Anything else you’d like to say to LeftLion readers?
Come to the gig at the Orange Tree if you fancy an evening of music almost but not completely unlike anything you will hear anywhere else...
link to interview online here
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Awakenings 02.12.05 AirSculpture, SkinMechanix, Astrogator, Entity
Well I had a pretty good night, barring a few 'technical' problems things went quite well. Here's a brief review:
Entity opened with a good set of spacey ambient/sequenced EM. They played one continuous piece, also called 'Entity'. John and Steve produced some nice music with a very minmal set-up. There is a download of part of their set available from here.
Astrogator was fun. One member of the audience said it was like seeing TD in '81. We did a very sequencey set, semi-improvised (Steve and I had exchanged some basic ideas on CD so that we weren't too crap). Track 1 didn't work out as planned as Steve couldn't hear half of what he was playing, and the original melody got lost somewhere along the way. Tracks 2 and 3 were more fun because by then we were both a bit more relaxed and decided to go for it. Due to time constraints we couldn't really go for the long drawn out gradual development of our more improvised jams, but most people seemed to prefer it when the sequences all kicked in. Maybe next time we'll be able to do a bit more spacey stuff.
SkinMechanix had had problems getting to the venue and had to setup halfway through the gig. Dave played some new stuff, which was more ambient/melodic, some of which even used the Zeit! Dave's more structured appoach to EM isn't really my cup of tea these days but there were some good bits when it all came together.
Airsculpture played two pieces, the first was about 40 minutes of solid sequencing, which got off to a slow start but gradually built-up into some sort of demented hybrid of EM and dance. do I detect the influence of Mr Nagle?
The second piece, their encore, was a bit more traditional and started out as the intro to TranceAtlantic, then built solidly as more sequences were added and then changed. Nice
More photos here
All in all, apart from a particularly horrible drive home, it was an excellent end to the first proper year of Awakenings gigs, thanks to everyone who played, attended and especially to John Sherwood for setting it all up and organising it.
Looking forward to next year already.
Entity opened with a good set of spacey ambient/sequenced EM. They played one continuous piece, also called 'Entity'. John and Steve produced some nice music with a very minmal set-up. There is a download of part of their set available from here.
Astrogator was fun. One member of the audience said it was like seeing TD in '81. We did a very sequencey set, semi-improvised (Steve and I had exchanged some basic ideas on CD so that we weren't too crap). Track 1 didn't work out as planned as Steve couldn't hear half of what he was playing, and the original melody got lost somewhere along the way. Tracks 2 and 3 were more fun because by then we were both a bit more relaxed and decided to go for it. Due to time constraints we couldn't really go for the long drawn out gradual development of our more improvised jams, but most people seemed to prefer it when the sequences all kicked in. Maybe next time we'll be able to do a bit more spacey stuff.
SkinMechanix had had problems getting to the venue and had to setup halfway through the gig. Dave played some new stuff, which was more ambient/melodic, some of which even used the Zeit! Dave's more structured appoach to EM isn't really my cup of tea these days but there were some good bits when it all came together.
Airsculpture played two pieces, the first was about 40 minutes of solid sequencing, which got off to a slow start but gradually built-up into some sort of demented hybrid of EM and dance. do I detect the influence of Mr Nagle?
The second piece, their encore, was a bit more traditional and started out as the intro to TranceAtlantic, then built solidly as more sequences were added and then changed. Nice
More photos here
All in all, apart from a particularly horrible drive home, it was an excellent end to the first proper year of Awakenings gigs, thanks to everyone who played, attended and especially to John Sherwood for setting it all up and organising it.
Looking forward to next year already.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Hampshire Jam 4: Liphook 12.11.05
The Hampshire Jam was a bit different this year, as Steve Jenkins, the organiser, had decided not to do the usual Berlin School sequencer fest. He'd got an interesting line-up, with plenty of variation, but even though nothing stood out for me as much as Arc at HJ3, there was some good stuff from each of the acts.
Narcosis played a short set, which was a bit like the more improvised bit of Stephan Whitlan's HJ2 set, with Steve Jenkins adding backing textures and sequences. Stephan then performed his infamous SF medley.
RMI played a very mixed set, started ambient and weird and then built up into some huge sequences, then did a couple of pieces which didn't really do it for me (too structured and rather formulaic, with cheesy organ chord sequences) and ended with a very experimental piece (which was like an excerpt of the Leeds Awakenings gig) and a guitar, bass and drum workout called 'Syd Barrett'
Keller, Schonwalder & Broekhuis had a few problems with gear in the first part of their set, but got back on track for part 2 and their encore. Nice to see a laser harp being played. Also some nice sequence manipulation from Mario. I thought Detlef played some really nice stuff, esp in part 2, but just wished that the sequences had been a bit more upfront.
Technical problems throughout the day held everything up so much that der Spyra went on an hour late. His set started out very modern and quite melodic then he was joined by a guest performer, who played the 'bow chime' for a mulimedia experiment in Metallitronics called Steel Lament, with projections of steelworks and such. The second part of the set was much more powerful, with some nice basslines and sequences (from 2 laptops). Wolfram really seemed to get into this part of the set, even standing up to play.
All in all a good day of live EM finished off with a good curry with Adrian and John from Airsculpture.
What more could you want?
Narcosis played a short set, which was a bit like the more improvised bit of Stephan Whitlan's HJ2 set, with Steve Jenkins adding backing textures and sequences. Stephan then performed his infamous SF medley.
RMI played a very mixed set, started ambient and weird and then built up into some huge sequences, then did a couple of pieces which didn't really do it for me (too structured and rather formulaic, with cheesy organ chord sequences) and ended with a very experimental piece (which was like an excerpt of the Leeds Awakenings gig) and a guitar, bass and drum workout called 'Syd Barrett'
Keller, Schonwalder & Broekhuis had a few problems with gear in the first part of their set, but got back on track for part 2 and their encore. Nice to see a laser harp being played. Also some nice sequence manipulation from Mario. I thought Detlef played some really nice stuff, esp in part 2, but just wished that the sequences had been a bit more upfront.
Technical problems throughout the day held everything up so much that der Spyra went on an hour late. His set started out very modern and quite melodic then he was joined by a guest performer, who played the 'bow chime' for a mulimedia experiment in Metallitronics called Steel Lament, with projections of steelworks and such. The second part of the set was much more powerful, with some nice basslines and sequences (from 2 laptops). Wolfram really seemed to get into this part of the set, even standing up to play.
All in all a good day of live EM finished off with a good curry with Adrian and John from Airsculpture.
What more could you want?
Monday, November 07, 2005
Free System Projekt: NSC 29.10.05
Went to see the extremely wonderful Dutch EM band FSP last Saturday at the National Space Centre. They play some quite retro stuff inspired by the great electronic music of the '70s. I saw them do a great set last year at the Hampshire Jam and expectations were high.
As ever there was plenty of new and vintage equipment on stage, which was put to work producing deep sequences, dark spacey pads and drones and weird effects.
They played two long sets and an encore and there were some amazing moments in both sets. A particular highlight for me was when the 3D light show took us on a journey through the Solar System and out into space with FSP's music providing the soundtrack.
More photos here
As ever there was plenty of new and vintage equipment on stage, which was put to work producing deep sequences, dark spacey pads and drones and weird effects.
They played two long sets and an encore and there were some amazing moments in both sets. A particular highlight for me was when the 3D light show took us on a journey through the Solar System and out into space with FSP's music providing the soundtrack.
More photos here
Monday, October 24, 2005
Two have fun in Holland - E-Live 2005
Well, it's taken a while, but I've finally caught up on nearly all the things I had to do and now have time to record the adventures of Steve and myself in Holland
Day One - Thursday 13th October - Departure
I had to work Thursday morning, so I didn't get home to get my stuff ready until about 2:00, Steve was coming to pick me up at about 3:00. It took me ages to get all my stuff together, even though most of it had been packed the previous night, as I spent ages looking for one power supply. Even when Steve arrived I had a bit of a job making sure I didn't forget anything. Eventually everything was packed and we headed off to Hull.
Arrived in Hull around 6:00 pm and got to the ferry terminal about 6:15. We were on the ferry by about 6:45. We found our room, dumped our stuff then headed up to the top deck so we could get reception to send a few text messages. Enjoyed some entertainment from a Yamaha Grand acoustic piano, which was merrily playing itself, and then some 'light cocktail' music from a young lady singing acoustic ballads.
We then had a wander round to see if we could find some food, discovered everything was really expensive and finally settled for some Continental snacks. We then headed back to the cabin for a can of beer. Steve was pretty tired from all the driving and went straight to bed, whilst I had a play on my P600 for an hour or so and then decided to get some sleep too.
Day Two - Friday 14th October - Lost in Holland/ Garden Rehearsal
The ferry arrived into Rotterdam at about 7:00 am, which was 8:00 am UK time. We had directions from Ron from Rotterdam to Best, were he lived, which looked fairly simple, but were in fact rather confusing. We found ourselves looking for a road called the A16, but could only find the A15. Not having a map we decided to stop at some services to see if we could buy one. Unfortunately they had maps of France and Belgium, but not Holland. Luckily there was a map on the wall on the way out which we used to get our bearings and plan our route.
Back on the motorway we made good time and got to Best around 11:00 (NL time). We found Ron's house quite easily and rang the doorbell, which was answered by his wife, who invited us in and made us a drink :)
Ron wasn't there when we arrived as he was finishing a few jobs ready for the big day. We wanted to unload our gear and Steve wanted a bit of practice, so rather than clutter up Ron's house, as it was a lovely sunny day, we decided to set up outside, under a canopy on Ron's patio.
Gear in the garden
Posing
Ron returns
Steve played through his set then we practised a few ideas for our encore as Astrogator and then just jammed for a while. Whilst we were playing we were joined by Mick Garlick who had come over with Michael Shipley and Steve Smith (VoLt), who stayed for a chat and a bite to eat then had to head off to check in to their hotel, but not before arranging a rendezvous in Eindhoven for beer that evening.
We finished rehearsing, packed all the gear up, moved it into the house and then sat out on Ron's patio as darkness fell. Ron returned from some more preparations and we had a discussion about the electronic music business and Ron shared his views on EM from the perspective of a musician, label owner and retailer. Some thought provoking stuff.
Then it was time for dinner, burgers and fries (with egg) and then into Eindhoven for beer. We decided to drive, as taxis are relatively expensive in Holland, so we got directions from Ron and confidently headed off. Unfortunately we hadn't got our bearings right and got horribly lost, then found a road into Eindhoven, then had to do several circumnavigations of the town centre as we couldn't find anywhere to park, eventually finding a car park near the station. Then we had to find our way to our destination, based on memories from last year, which amazingly, we did.
We met Mick, Steve and Mike, as well as Phil Booth and Ian Russell and spent a pleasant couple of hours enjoying some fine Dutch lager and chatting about electronic music. It was quite weird the way the bar was run as waitresses came to take orders, but never took any money. Soon it was time Steve and I had to leave, so that we could get back to Ron's before the door was locked at 1:00am and we still hadn't paid any money, so as the others were staying, we left them some money, which was lucky for Mike and Steve, who got the bill for the whole evening when they finally decided to leave.
Well, unsurprisingly enough we had a job getting back to Ron's in time as we managed to find a different way back to Best and got completely lost, ending up going round the ring round trying every exit until we accidentally found one that led to Ron's. We were pretty tired and headed off to bed as we wanted to make an early start as we had a big day ahead.
Day Three - Saturday 15th October - E-Live 2005
After the previous two rather tiring day our good intentions of an early start came to nothing as we slept in late, luckily, as we were playing in the evening we only had to get our gear to the venue by lunchtime. We just about managed it as we only got slightly lost on our way to the venue. thanks to Ian we got our stuff in as Pyramid Peak were sound checking, and stored it all on the side of the stage.
We then went off to the artists dressing room for some food and a chat with the Kees and the boys from VoLt, then we had a wander round the stalls before the acts started up. It was nice to meet a few people from the EM forum and chat about music and stuff.
The first act on was 'Fear Falls Burning', billed as an ambient guitar project. He produced some rather loud and occasionally abrasive drones and loops that built into a cycling wall of noise. It was rather interesting to see a mass exodus of folk who weren't at impressed. No photos I'm afraid as it was too dark :)
Next we nipped upstairs to see René van der Wouden, from Holland, who was performing on the sub-stage between the acts on the main stage.
René apparently played three quite different sets, but due to having to get our gear onstage and soundchecked as soon as Pyramid Peak had performed, we only managed to catch the first set. This was pretty pleasant melodic EM, with some nice sequencing and understated solos.
Next up on the main stage were Pyramid Peak, from Germany, who seemed to perform their set to backing tracks played from a DVD which provided the synced visuals. The music was quite good and what was played live was execute well, I just felt that the backing sounded a bit flat and let them down a little. It was an extremely professionally executed performance, but it just seemed to lack life.
Next up were Steve and I, Steve to do about an hour or so as Create, then the two of us to do the encore together as Astrogator, following the example of Gert Emmens and Ruud Heij from E-live 2004.
Both VoLt and us had about an hour to setup and souncheck, apparently we did really well as we were ready to go after 45 mins, so Steve got some extra practice time.
Setting up
Soon it was time to take my seat and watch Steve's performance, which I thought was much improved over his performance at the Awakenings in August, thought there was one small timing problem in the last track, but I doubt many people would notice.
(Thanks to Martin Hoegee for the photo)
As Steve started his final piece I started to get a bit nervous as I would be joining him on stage soon. I actually thought about pretending to have fallen asleep, which wouldn't have been too difficult as the long days and lack of sleep were starting to catch up on me. Then Steve was announcing that I was to join him and I had to do the long walk down to the stage, across and up to my synths.
(Thanks to Martin Hoegee for the photo)
I started the piece with some rather nice ambient sounds from my Prophet VS and some FX from the Prophet 600, then layere in an arpeggio from the Korg Mono/Poly. Steve joined in with some spacey sounds and we gradually built it up until it was time for the main sequence to come in. I dropped ou the arpeggio an layered up a few sounds to allow Steve's sequence to be mixed in and then we were off on the main section and all the nervous energy was unleashed. Too soon it was time to draw everything to a close, which we did in time honoured tradition with a nice spaced out ending.
I think it went down well as we seemed to get a fair amount of applause, which helped make all the effort worthwhile.
Loads of people came up to the stage to look at our gear and take photos and several said they had really enjoyed it. There were some nice comments about my gear too.
We got some good feedback about the fact that both Steve's main set on his own and the two of us together as Astrogator had obviously been 100% live, which people seemed to really appreciate.
We almost sold out of Astrogator CDs after the show and Steve was busy signing Create CDs. I even got asked to sign a copy of The Darkness Between, which was quite nice.
All too soon it was time to head back to the auditorium to see Steve and Mike. VoLt had almost as much gear on stage as we did, and used it to good effect, producing a set of classic sequenced EM, marred only by a mysterious hum which turned out to be somehow be something to do with the lights. A particular highlight for me was a medley of old Michael Shipway tracks in the middle of the set, and the rocking encore.
I have to say, if I had only gone as a paying audience member, this set would have made it worth going all the way to Holland. As it was meeting VoLt and getting to know Mike and Steve as fellow musicians made seeing them play even more enjoyable.
Then it was time to pack up, helped once more by Mr Russell. Unfortunately we couldn't go into town for a farewell beer as we had a car full of gear to get home so we headed back to Ron's for the traditional post gig kebab supper with the crew.
As ever we managed to get lost once more, but still made it back just as everyone was starting to eat and managed to get some food and join in the discussion about how the day had gone. which was very well apparently, then it was time for bed, 'cos we were knackered.
Day Four - Sunday 16th October - The Aftermath
We stayed in bed 'til 11:00, then got up to have a lazy breakfast, then we were joined by Ron who showed us round his studio and played us a new track from his next album. We had an interesting afternoon talking about gear and recording and found out a lot about Ron's history as an electronic musician and the history of E-Live.
Soon it was time to head for Rotterdam to catch the ferry home, which we managed to do without getting lost at all :-)
The ferry back was much the same as the ferry over, so not much to tell, except we decided to have the beers we hadn't been able to have the night before and had a pleasant evening getting ever so slightly drunk ;-)
Day Five - Monday 17th October - The Traffic Nightmare
With the time difference and journey time we expected to get into Hull pretty early, only to find that they had obviously come back slowly to compensate, which lead to us getting into Hull just in time to hit the morning rush hour. It took us nearly an hour to get onto clear roads, then we hit fog on the M1 and it was back down to a crawl for about another hour. This wouldn't have been so bad except that Steve had to work that evening and wanted to meet his girlfriend for lunch before he went on a late shift for several days.
In the end it he was lucky as work actually gave him the day off, but it was pretty frustrating as we were sat in traffic, and nearly spoiled the whole experience, but not quite.
Maybe one day we'll get to go back and do a full set together, I certainly hope so it was great fun.
Day One - Thursday 13th October - Departure
I had to work Thursday morning, so I didn't get home to get my stuff ready until about 2:00, Steve was coming to pick me up at about 3:00. It took me ages to get all my stuff together, even though most of it had been packed the previous night, as I spent ages looking for one power supply. Even when Steve arrived I had a bit of a job making sure I didn't forget anything. Eventually everything was packed and we headed off to Hull.
Arrived in Hull around 6:00 pm and got to the ferry terminal about 6:15. We were on the ferry by about 6:45. We found our room, dumped our stuff then headed up to the top deck so we could get reception to send a few text messages. Enjoyed some entertainment from a Yamaha Grand acoustic piano, which was merrily playing itself, and then some 'light cocktail' music from a young lady singing acoustic ballads.
We then had a wander round to see if we could find some food, discovered everything was really expensive and finally settled for some Continental snacks. We then headed back to the cabin for a can of beer. Steve was pretty tired from all the driving and went straight to bed, whilst I had a play on my P600 for an hour or so and then decided to get some sleep too.
Day Two - Friday 14th October - Lost in Holland/ Garden Rehearsal
The ferry arrived into Rotterdam at about 7:00 am, which was 8:00 am UK time. We had directions from Ron from Rotterdam to Best, were he lived, which looked fairly simple, but were in fact rather confusing. We found ourselves looking for a road called the A16, but could only find the A15. Not having a map we decided to stop at some services to see if we could buy one. Unfortunately they had maps of France and Belgium, but not Holland. Luckily there was a map on the wall on the way out which we used to get our bearings and plan our route.
Back on the motorway we made good time and got to Best around 11:00 (NL time). We found Ron's house quite easily and rang the doorbell, which was answered by his wife, who invited us in and made us a drink :)
Ron wasn't there when we arrived as he was finishing a few jobs ready for the big day. We wanted to unload our gear and Steve wanted a bit of practice, so rather than clutter up Ron's house, as it was a lovely sunny day, we decided to set up outside, under a canopy on Ron's patio.
Gear in the garden
Posing
Ron returns
Steve played through his set then we practised a few ideas for our encore as Astrogator and then just jammed for a while. Whilst we were playing we were joined by Mick Garlick who had come over with Michael Shipley and Steve Smith (VoLt), who stayed for a chat and a bite to eat then had to head off to check in to their hotel, but not before arranging a rendezvous in Eindhoven for beer that evening.
We finished rehearsing, packed all the gear up, moved it into the house and then sat out on Ron's patio as darkness fell. Ron returned from some more preparations and we had a discussion about the electronic music business and Ron shared his views on EM from the perspective of a musician, label owner and retailer. Some thought provoking stuff.
Then it was time for dinner, burgers and fries (with egg) and then into Eindhoven for beer. We decided to drive, as taxis are relatively expensive in Holland, so we got directions from Ron and confidently headed off. Unfortunately we hadn't got our bearings right and got horribly lost, then found a road into Eindhoven, then had to do several circumnavigations of the town centre as we couldn't find anywhere to park, eventually finding a car park near the station. Then we had to find our way to our destination, based on memories from last year, which amazingly, we did.
We met Mick, Steve and Mike, as well as Phil Booth and Ian Russell and spent a pleasant couple of hours enjoying some fine Dutch lager and chatting about electronic music. It was quite weird the way the bar was run as waitresses came to take orders, but never took any money. Soon it was time Steve and I had to leave, so that we could get back to Ron's before the door was locked at 1:00am and we still hadn't paid any money, so as the others were staying, we left them some money, which was lucky for Mike and Steve, who got the bill for the whole evening when they finally decided to leave.
Well, unsurprisingly enough we had a job getting back to Ron's in time as we managed to find a different way back to Best and got completely lost, ending up going round the ring round trying every exit until we accidentally found one that led to Ron's. We were pretty tired and headed off to bed as we wanted to make an early start as we had a big day ahead.
Day Three - Saturday 15th October - E-Live 2005
After the previous two rather tiring day our good intentions of an early start came to nothing as we slept in late, luckily, as we were playing in the evening we only had to get our gear to the venue by lunchtime. We just about managed it as we only got slightly lost on our way to the venue. thanks to Ian we got our stuff in as Pyramid Peak were sound checking, and stored it all on the side of the stage.
We then went off to the artists dressing room for some food and a chat with the Kees and the boys from VoLt, then we had a wander round the stalls before the acts started up. It was nice to meet a few people from the EM forum and chat about music and stuff.
The first act on was 'Fear Falls Burning', billed as an ambient guitar project. He produced some rather loud and occasionally abrasive drones and loops that built into a cycling wall of noise. It was rather interesting to see a mass exodus of folk who weren't at impressed. No photos I'm afraid as it was too dark :)
Next we nipped upstairs to see René van der Wouden, from Holland, who was performing on the sub-stage between the acts on the main stage.
René apparently played three quite different sets, but due to having to get our gear onstage and soundchecked as soon as Pyramid Peak had performed, we only managed to catch the first set. This was pretty pleasant melodic EM, with some nice sequencing and understated solos.
Next up on the main stage were Pyramid Peak, from Germany, who seemed to perform their set to backing tracks played from a DVD which provided the synced visuals. The music was quite good and what was played live was execute well, I just felt that the backing sounded a bit flat and let them down a little. It was an extremely professionally executed performance, but it just seemed to lack life.
Next up were Steve and I, Steve to do about an hour or so as Create, then the two of us to do the encore together as Astrogator, following the example of Gert Emmens and Ruud Heij from E-live 2004.
Both VoLt and us had about an hour to setup and souncheck, apparently we did really well as we were ready to go after 45 mins, so Steve got some extra practice time.
Setting up
Soon it was time to take my seat and watch Steve's performance, which I thought was much improved over his performance at the Awakenings in August, thought there was one small timing problem in the last track, but I doubt many people would notice.
(Thanks to Martin Hoegee for the photo)
As Steve started his final piece I started to get a bit nervous as I would be joining him on stage soon. I actually thought about pretending to have fallen asleep, which wouldn't have been too difficult as the long days and lack of sleep were starting to catch up on me. Then Steve was announcing that I was to join him and I had to do the long walk down to the stage, across and up to my synths.
(Thanks to Martin Hoegee for the photo)
I started the piece with some rather nice ambient sounds from my Prophet VS and some FX from the Prophet 600, then layere in an arpeggio from the Korg Mono/Poly. Steve joined in with some spacey sounds and we gradually built it up until it was time for the main sequence to come in. I dropped ou the arpeggio an layered up a few sounds to allow Steve's sequence to be mixed in and then we were off on the main section and all the nervous energy was unleashed. Too soon it was time to draw everything to a close, which we did in time honoured tradition with a nice spaced out ending.
I think it went down well as we seemed to get a fair amount of applause, which helped make all the effort worthwhile.
Loads of people came up to the stage to look at our gear and take photos and several said they had really enjoyed it. There were some nice comments about my gear too.
We got some good feedback about the fact that both Steve's main set on his own and the two of us together as Astrogator had obviously been 100% live, which people seemed to really appreciate.
We almost sold out of Astrogator CDs after the show and Steve was busy signing Create CDs. I even got asked to sign a copy of The Darkness Between, which was quite nice.
All too soon it was time to head back to the auditorium to see Steve and Mike. VoLt had almost as much gear on stage as we did, and used it to good effect, producing a set of classic sequenced EM, marred only by a mysterious hum which turned out to be somehow be something to do with the lights. A particular highlight for me was a medley of old Michael Shipway tracks in the middle of the set, and the rocking encore.
I have to say, if I had only gone as a paying audience member, this set would have made it worth going all the way to Holland. As it was meeting VoLt and getting to know Mike and Steve as fellow musicians made seeing them play even more enjoyable.
Then it was time to pack up, helped once more by Mr Russell. Unfortunately we couldn't go into town for a farewell beer as we had a car full of gear to get home so we headed back to Ron's for the traditional post gig kebab supper with the crew.
As ever we managed to get lost once more, but still made it back just as everyone was starting to eat and managed to get some food and join in the discussion about how the day had gone. which was very well apparently, then it was time for bed, 'cos we were knackered.
Day Four - Sunday 16th October - The Aftermath
We stayed in bed 'til 11:00, then got up to have a lazy breakfast, then we were joined by Ron who showed us round his studio and played us a new track from his next album. We had an interesting afternoon talking about gear and recording and found out a lot about Ron's history as an electronic musician and the history of E-Live.
Soon it was time to head for Rotterdam to catch the ferry home, which we managed to do without getting lost at all :-)
The ferry back was much the same as the ferry over, so not much to tell, except we decided to have the beers we hadn't been able to have the night before and had a pleasant evening getting ever so slightly drunk ;-)
Day Five - Monday 17th October - The Traffic Nightmare
With the time difference and journey time we expected to get into Hull pretty early, only to find that they had obviously come back slowly to compensate, which lead to us getting into Hull just in time to hit the morning rush hour. It took us nearly an hour to get onto clear roads, then we hit fog on the M1 and it was back down to a crawl for about another hour. This wouldn't have been so bad except that Steve had to work that evening and wanted to meet his girlfriend for lunch before he went on a late shift for several days.
In the end it he was lucky as work actually gave him the day off, but it was pretty frustrating as we were sat in traffic, and nearly spoiled the whole experience, but not quite.
Maybe one day we'll get to go back and do a full set together, I certainly hope so it was great fun.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
It was a dark and stormy night...
...as I drove down to Northampton motorway services to pick up my latest piece of musical equipment, a Korg Mono/Poly purchased at the weekend from a guy called Matt from London, who had intended to send it to me by courier, but on Monday when he'd gone into work to pick up the box he'd put aside for it he discovered that it had been removed. Not wanting to risk posting such a fragile item without proper packaging we agreed to meet up halfway. Because he worked until late he couldn't head off until 9:30, so we arranged our rendezvous for around 10:30. Rain was pouring down and visibility on the motorway was abysmal, but we both managed to get there on time and though the trip was pretty scary at times, it was well worth it 
Friday, October 07, 2005
Eos Flight - New Modulator ESP track uploaded
I've just uploaded a new track. Eos Flight is an almost complete track I found lurking on my hard disk recorder this evening. After giving it a quick listen I thought, this is pretty good, all it needs is a few small overdubs, basically some fx and a lead part, and it will be finished, so rather than mess around, I added the extra parts live whilst mixing down to the pc. Hope you like it.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Awakenings 30.9.05: Vietgrove, Second Thought & Nick Robinson
Nick Robinson got things off to a good start with some ambient looped guitar, using fx to morph the loops into otherworldly textures.
Then Second Thought, in his first ever live appearance, made some interesting rhythmic electronica with a laptop and acoustic guitar. He was very nervous and kis keyboard stopped working but he still made some nice noises.
Finally Vietgrove returned to the stage after 8 years to perform a selection of new and old tracks. both Mark and Norman played lots of guitar, with a lot of the rhythmic keyboard parts being sequenced. Not surprisingly there were a few rough bits, but there were also som bits where it all came together. norman used his Wiard modular for some ambient bits and for their final improvised encore.
After all the trouble we'd had earlier, with the main PA amp dying and so on, it was a great gig and we actually managed to finish early - hurrah
And here are some photos from the gig:
Nick Robinson
Second Thought
Vietgrove
rest here
Then Second Thought, in his first ever live appearance, made some interesting rhythmic electronica with a laptop and acoustic guitar. He was very nervous and kis keyboard stopped working but he still made some nice noises.
Finally Vietgrove returned to the stage after 8 years to perform a selection of new and old tracks. both Mark and Norman played lots of guitar, with a lot of the rhythmic keyboard parts being sequenced. Not surprisingly there were a few rough bits, but there were also som bits where it all came together. norman used his Wiard modular for some ambient bits and for their final improvised encore.
After all the trouble we'd had earlier, with the main PA amp dying and so on, it was a great gig and we actually managed to finish early - hurrah
And here are some photos from the gig:
Nick Robinson
Second Thought
Vietgrove
rest here
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Modulator ESP + Astrogator 04.09.05
The gig went pretty well and was pretty enjoyable. Thanks to those who came, especially Ian and Phil who came a long way and Pete for taking some photos.
Dave did eventually perform, but only a very short set as he was not fully recovered.
Unfortunately I don't think the venue is very suitable for EM gigs as the stage is quite small and the room is up two flights of steps. Will have to keep looking
Dave did eventually perform, but only a very short set as he was not fully recovered.
Unfortunately I don't think the venue is very suitable for EM gigs as the stage is quite small and the room is up two flights of steps. Will have to keep looking
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