A virtual pub but no rub-a-dub-dub

Sunday morning, or so it appears to be. I sat in on the Airsculpture/RMI/Boddy Zoom session but not sure I totally got what was going on half the time. Didn't really fit in.

This morning I'm mostly listening to tracks from the new Roedelius album, which so far sounds very good. It has the same pic as the one on the front of his book. Later I'll listen to the track I did yesterday, straight to stereo, and see if it feels close enough for multitrack. It's weird how I look at Octatrack's arranger now and wish Cirklon could match some of its tricks - not least starting at any point and setting the length independently of lengths set in patterns.

I might do another of my 'gear I like' posts. Let's go see what pix I have...

Time has passed. Several days I expect. Today I went shopping. None of them black rubbery things so yet again foiled in my lasagne making - did a bollocknaise instead. I appear to be buying just a fraction more beer each week.

Today I recorded a 15 min drone piece on 4 tracks of the Zoom. The bounce is realtime so that's a drag - but despite not hearing the first 2 tracks, the final thing sounds rather splendid. Just Synthi and Pipe, plus the usual bath of effects. Turns out that whistling through the Pipe is eerie but in a good way.

Next few days I almost hope the grey weather continues as I feel like doing some music and rattling off a few chapters. I'm running the next few scenes around in my head before committing to typing them out, which should help the flow. Dear old the flow.

Jasper's arse

Yeah the poor old mutt was suffering last night and it began again at six this morning. I opened the front door and he immediately shat and continued to attempt to squeeze more out until we got home. Then he shat in the library. Poor old lad doesn't seem to quite know what's going on - so frustrating because apart from his mind and arse, he's in good nick. OK, he can't see or hear much.
I think we may have to risk that double hernia op, once things go back to how they were. I'm reluctant to say normal because it really shouldn't be normal for us to poison the air and the water and to churn up the atmosphere...
Amazing how the weather has been consistently lovely lately - a reminder of my youth and a pretty convincing argument for simplifying our lives, decreasing the pollution and - above all - flying much, much less.

Anyway, it's Monday. I could go in the studio I guess. But sitting in the sun is nice too. I finally reached the last disk of the Philip Glass (Music in 12 parts) and it's maybe my favourite of the lot. Hard to tell now though - and I think it might be a while before I make myself listen through it all again. Can't quite remember why I ordered it now ;)

A couple more days of Jasper crapping and suffering while doing it prompted a call to the vet. We're taking him tomorrow evening, hopefully to discuss the double hernia op we'd been avoiding. It's almost like whenever I'm not around he craps - today when I went to Sainsbury's then again when I went to the Co-Op. He even tries is while I'm there, as if he no longer remembers he isn't meant to shit in the house. I can't bring myself to tell him off though as he's so sensitive.

Someone reminded me it's 20 years since Jodrell Bank so I put the gig performance up as a free download. Not one of the better ones I think. May post the Path at some point before I forget, since it's been restored from tape and bandcamp seems a good place to throw things and forget them.

Update on the arse thing. Seems that last nugget improved him no end, cancelled vet. Pat not really saying whether she thought me right or wrong.
Today the SOS review was published. I did a new tune that has possibilities - it's a variation on the Froese-style one begun yesterday but more concise. Some flash solos in the mix I just did direct to stereo, the kind of thing that CME keyboard does really well. Will try a decent recording tomorrow. Next I came down stairs and solved my current blockage in the novel - and kick-started the next section how I wanted. I told Pat about my zombie triumph and all she said was 'good'. Oh well, at least I interest myself ;)

And the wheel turns..

Yeah, Thursday again, got a reminder on Radio 4 this morning that some of my lizards need to have feathers. Went to Sainsbury's, treated myself to sushi for lunch. Getting inside was like queueing at an airport, except the only destination was for coffee and dog food. Now back trying to type - over my growing gut. Contemplating whether to record some music or continue sitting in the sunshine.

Yesterday I bought a couple of downloads - one from Polypores (good) and one from Ulrich Schnauss, which was terrible. Meant to be improvisation but just really poor and uninspired - I'd have been embarrassed to put it out. Polypores did a nice, minimal, unfussy, light and appealing set of tracks that are ideal for the current sitting around phase.

Well, it's Sunday. Getting up to speed, I did a track, which I later deleted. Amused to see people who like the post, even though if they clicked on the link it would tell them it wasn't there. I guess we're all serial likers these days - I do it too. I should do a better version of it though - depends on Colin fixing the voice allocation thing, on which the JD-XA part depended. Nice to have a bit of time to chat online while developing stuff. A bit like the old days.

Just listened to an online Roedelius gig using Zoom. So that's a new thing for me. Sound quality was poor though - I might have to try in dark front room rather than on Wifi extender in lovely sunshine. I didn't look too much at the chat but there was some talk about a 'complete' version of the Roedelius story - a 600 word version of the Stephen Liffe book. Could be that folks who bought the other big book are still going 'huh?'. I definitely have as many questions as I had before.

Nothing else to report, which is fab! The skies continue to be blue, unblemished by planes all day today, as far as I've noticed. How cool would it be if this thing carried on forever?

Fiddly Diddly

The new album seems to have gone down fairly well. I think the simple/minimal formula is working for me. Only took 40 years to discover it ;)

Back to novel work last night, sorting out a short but important timeline I'd skimmed over. May do more today, or continue playing with Hydrasynth - the new firmware fixes one Arp gripe but adds another (it 'replays' the notes of the arpeggio when you turn the Arp off). The clocklock parameter works properly now though (apart from a strange note repeat bug thing that has so far happened just once) and there are new noise colours and a new Mutant, which isn't terribly interesting until you modulate it, then it's kinda cool.

Sent in a support issue to ASM explaining some of the issues with 1.4 that I've found. Included a video.

Novel coming along, I checked the word count out of curiosity and I'm at approx 50,000 which feels about right for this stage in the story. May be just a fraction over half way through.

Just had to get in touch with medical centre about the mole on my back, which has been getting itchy of late and has started changing shape. Would love to ignore but it now has a different coloured border. At least the crustiness of the other day has gone. Nurse meant to be ringing this afternoon.

Tuesday. Going shopping later, once Pat comes back from horse ride and does me a list. Sun shining and I'm listening to Tracks & Traces again - Harmonia and Eno. I think it's my favourite of the Eno/Cluster records. I've had the 'remixed' version for years, which is nothing special, but the original is fab. Also got the Philip Glass Music in 12 parts album, of which I've only played the first three so far. It falls into Glass's 'relentless' category so is gonna take some time. So far one of those albums that you feel such overwhelming relief and joy when it ends. Hopefully that will change but I daren't play in front of Pat in case she thinks the record is stuck. :)

Wednesday. Saw a fox on my morning walk, down by the river Lostock. Sky getting more criss-crossed by planes and roads much busier so I fear nature's holiday from us is winding down. Nurse and doc reckon my weird mole could be a fungal infection (seems unlikely to me) so it's cream for 2 weeks and another look. On the plus side, the doc is capable of doing minor surgery so can whip it off if necessary. Shopping today but later as waiting for UPS to take Hydrasynth away.

Backed up all my sounds and sent to my module. Will miss the keyboard but if the Osmose doesn't work out (and no 5 octave temptations have appeared by then) I'm sure I'll be able to find one. No word from Tom about GR-1 but no hurry there.

I'm on disk 3 of the Philip Glass. It occurs to me how precious those silences between movements would be in any live performance of the piece. I do kinda like it though and movement 7 is strangely magical. Deep respect for the musicians able to play this stuff - it's almost trance-like but not enough for a performer to relax or zone out.

You probably can't see the fox in this but the phone ain't much cop for zooming.

Splendid Isolation!

The new ambient album is done, I think. I shaved a couple of minutes off it, mostly by smoothing some of the fades and doing proper transitions. Also changed the running order again. Just need a title in keeping with its low key nature, and a suitable cover image. Will leave the other on Wily's bandcamp site and make this one pay-if-you-like too. Must kill that other I put up.

I passed the point in the Book where Roedelius deals with 'Jardin'. Turns out it was an unhappy experience for him and I think more of the credit for the album's greatness has to go to Baumann than I had thought - seems he did a lot of arranging of scraps and snippets, although the text is far from clear on any of it. My biggest hope for the book has so far proved forlorn. There's almost nothing new or detailed about the recording of any of the albums, very little about working methods and approach in general.

Funny how Jardin was my first Roedelius album and although I bought dozens more, none ever quite lived up to it. Now I think I know why. Seems the man didn't even come up with the title. Some of the unused material found its way onto Lustwandel, which I didn't know before but should have worked out. Lacking Baumann's polish, that album was always a bit so-so for me (but not sowie-soso, hoho).

Anyhoo, I might get my paints out tomorrow..

It's tomorrow (Tuesday) and sunny again. I finished the Roedelius book. One of the poems had been translated into English - I remembered it from the gig. Well, I'm no wiser of course but the fault was in expecting to be. I'm not destined to be wise. Shall I too adopt the term 'autodidact' or continue with my 'I know nothing'?

I think the new album is done. I've a cover, pending Tony's approval of my using his photo. I have a vague feeling about moving a couple of track that come towards the end - the one with the backwards kick could go much earlier and the short one that just hangs there could find a better earlier home too.

possible alternate title (although seems a pixel or two too much to the right at this resolution)

I'm guessing that was Saturday

Good day. Weather nice, back still a bit sore but lubricated later. Did a few tracks - in fact I think I did an album or an EP anyway. All based on loops found in the RC-505 but still in there, presumably because  I thought they still had something to give. They sure do at 70BPM!!!!

I jammed over the top on the Hydrasynth, either on CME keyboard or its own pads, mostly the latter. It sounded mighty fine with some 505 reverb too, added over the older loops. Not sure how many tracks I did but I kept going having decided the formula worked. Didn't mix it perfectly but that might turn out to be OK, except for that one.

A couple of hints on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-j96fQh8Ow/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-j3g6FBV6J/

Tomorrow will listen properly, do some basic mastering and probably put up somewhere, either as single merged track or as individuals with fades.

Had the oddest conversation with a neighbour asking if I was 'fed up with all this nonsense'. He considered there were three positive results from the current crisis. I apologise because I have forgotten the first. The second was that 'you don't hear from that Greta Thunberg' and the third involved the cricket being stopped. I did suggest that her point had been successfully made (Greta's) and that the River Lostock was running clear every day. He was reminded of something about Venice. Yes clear now and tomorrow rather than once in a blue moon (and always sporting a frothy head). Anyway, I made my excuses and left, as the Sun reporters used to say, except I actually did it cos I was taking Jasper out.
I came home and fully intended to work on the novel. Currently listening to the ambient stuff again.

Roedelius book is going to be a hard slog, I think. You might think I'd moan that the poems aren't translated into english but no.

Friday again!

Yesterday the Roedelius autobiography arrived.

I managed to get through the first couple of chapters, which are quite difficult in terms of structure and word flow. It looks like it starts properly in the next chapter so looking forward to that. I get the sense that The Book has had no editor around to cast a beady eye over it - I dearly hope there aren't too many more paragraphs that last several pages! ;)

Today I might continue with the thing I've been working on, maybe make a lengthier, more spaced-out version of it and record on a few more tracks than two. I have a section to get through on the novel which should be fairly straightforward, and I must resist getting drawn into subplots too much - I noticed I was referring back to a novel written years ago (on the Atari ST!) which was called 'Renamed and Dangerous'. I never did anything with that, and when I occasionally find partial prints of it in the attic, I realise why - it was shit. Hopefully I will eventually get the hang of this writing lark.

Back still sore. Hasn't really improved all week, which is disappointing.  My plans to do a video have so far come to nothing. Think I'd rather try and find a melody for my new thing, even if really simple and unfussy - all attempts so far have been cheesy and uncomfortable.

Did what I think is good thing, 25mins of indulgence, forgot to save as wav so can't put on bandcamp as freebie but will do tomorrow. It sounds cool to me but, you know, it's Friday.

Opto-isolator

Today's pleasant discovery was Synthesist Reloaded - didn't realise Harald had redone it but from what I've heard so far it's lovely. I have the original but I think it might be on tape. Must order this. Haven't heard my Ashra vinyl for ages, hope it still plays.

Fired up Mac today and got no inspiration at all. Sent John those piano mid files. In the afternoon I turned to Cirklon and immediately began doing something I can continue working on. Cool!

For some reason, an error in my Hydrasynth review popped into my mind - checked the text and there it was. Sadly too late for the print edition but amended for the online version (not quite as I'd have done it but less intrusively). I really did do that one faster than I should. It's not a major thing (I claimed the Drive was for both filters when I meant so say all filter types of filter 1) but shows I'm past my use-by date.

This afternoon (Thursday) I will return to the track I started sketching today. Back still sore but sitting seems to make it worse, so I'll be standing next to Cirklon again. Adding that small CME keyboard directly before Cirklon has been a good idea - not just for recording poly AT into the Blofeld and Hydrasynth but for recording things like the V-Synth, ordinarily my master keyboard.

Having removed the Odyssey and connected it to the P3, I had a mixer channel spare, so slotted in the Novation Mono Circuit. Good call - by selecting a blank project and turning off the stupid scale function I can select patches remotely from Cirklon and -heypresto- it becomes a valuable member of the team. Actually fills a space my Bass Station and BS2 left in terms of being an analogue programmable synth. Will never need to touch the sequencer again. Had to compromise on which Ck output to put it on due to the synths on the one I wanted to use having no Thru (and I'm using all my other thru boxes elsewhere). Fortunately the Hydrasynth had an unused thru cos they did the MIDI port thing right.

In theory should reorganise as the P2K doesn't get heavily used these days - it sure doesn't need a port to itself any more. It also has a thru. Job for another day.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-cXnHHBYcr/

The other day I wanted to randomly mute notes and chords played by the Hydrasynth in a real-time pattern (so no aux events). Always a solution and this one I later extended to include other tracks - including a lovely Blofeld falling star noise -  muting and unmuting. The more entries you make for a particular state, the more likely that state will be set. Simple really but good.

Got my novel problem sorted I think, the characters all fleshed out sufficiently, the 'mini story' drafted.