Most of a week mostly free

Pat went south doing her 'good samaritan baby looking-after' thing, leaving me to my own devices until Saturday. It's day one and I'm missing her already, so I can see I'm going to have to be brave.

Tried to swap one of the new mattresses for  a smaller one today but Bensons were a bit difficult about it. Fortunately it seems important that we never actually saw the items concerned in the store and therefore it's 'distance selling' or something. They were meant to ring back this afternoon but didn't. I will chase tomorrow with patient determination.

I didn't get into the studio after all today. Instead, I felt a bit shit and took a paracetamol and lay on the settee. I also wrote some novel stuff, filling in cracks rather than progressing, but a job worth doing if this thing is actually going to hang together. Now I appear to be binge-watching Californication. So far I have deliberately not stocked up on beer or chocolate.
Evening: had some of the exotic tea and felt woozy and sick. Agreed to swap my Elements for a pair of Pressure Points & Brains. I may get a Plaits as I had previously considered swapping Elements for a Braids.

Day 2 of being Just Me. Bensons totally twatted out on us so it's time for the Furniture Ombusman. Seriously, don't buy from any store, ever. Let those fuckers all go extinct. Take it from me: buy mail order and you have rights. Buy from twats and they write their own rules. Anyway, didn't do a lot today apart from hang around and have a few small ideas. I think I fixed the Digisound (found 2 loose wires) and I put up another small shelf for Ross's case on the only remaining space on the wall. Sent Elements off and contemplated the way I'll move stuff around (again). I've gone from no sequencers in my case to 3, no 4 if I bring in the Stepper Acid living in the Ross case.

Got chilled today (Thursday). Haven't fixed VCDO after all. Will get Tony to take it sometime. Wrote to Furniture Ombudsman despite his stupid 'wait 3 months' thing on website. No wonder the cunts were so cunty.
Recorded this and other stuff, dunno if too weird for Don. Drank beer.

Well, Friday was fun I think. Novel progressed, I did another mix of the Don thing but still not convinced yet. I seem to have watched a lot of Netflix and lay around getting shit-faced. Probably why the novel has moved on nicely and the music has no focus. Pat home later today, which will be nice. I should tidy up...

Probably the last of the snow pix for this year (we'll see)
Oh, there was a new Hitch Hikers on Radio 4. I lasted about 5 mins. In comparison, my writing seems sharp and witty. And that doesn't happen very often.

Some snow

Some heavy snow across parts of the country. Not here though, we just got a bit. Judging by the panic in the media, this bulldog nation, this sceptered isle, this seat of empire desperate to start ruling the waves once again, is on its knees. Hey ho.

That was as good as I got before the nasty east wind started telling me to go home.

An interview with Florian Fricke
http://www.eurock.com/features/florian.aspx

I've been continuing with the afterlife portion of my novel. Helped me think a bit going to the funeral yesterday, good to see people and glad I went. I have enough momentum to write a bit next week when I have lots of time. Also started preparing a few musical ideas and making short instagram vids.

Like this    and this    and this

What else? Can't think of anything worth noting. Pat's been working hard decorating, I've been, well, mooching around mostly. I have discovered that there is a way to make the most boring thing in the world (sport) even more boring. The answer: get an American sportist with the most boring voice and no personality and let him ramble on during sporty event type things. Anyway, nobody tunes in here for sporting news.

The photo doesn't really do those stalactites justice. Anyway.

An iMac and some creative spurts

Thinking about another project, realising my current laptop not suitable if I want to keep my eyesight, hey presto an iMac appears, affordable and from someone I know. Picked up yesterday, works great, will get a little more RAM and very chuffed.
Good Friday. Although a module arrived, I fitted it but worked on novel instead of powering up studio. Just got in mood, I think inspired by two books I'm reading, one Greek myths and the other about the brain. Amazing how both fitted what was already present. Had thought about doing new painting but the writing took over.
Listening to Last Day and realise it's not quite the turkey I first thought. Parts are really good, admittedly after a smoke. The order could be a little challenging though.

Got an early mix of another track with Don and I'm blown away with what he's doing. He's totally carving out a new genre or niche or something and this one is really catchy.

Spend the day (Friday) working on the new novel, which I'm eventually going to have to name. Making good progress, which is a welcome change. Still see a few blanks ahead but have got something just past most of them. And the ending popped into my head fully-formed.

Renovations

Yeah, the bedroom mashup continues. Plasterer did a great job, even if it took ages. Trouble is now he's gone we're seeing other bits that needed his attention. I can't really offer much input to the work though so I'm holding off pointing out obvious thoughts such as: why didn't we pull the paper off before he came? It's clear the bedroom window was added by idiots. Clueless idiots. Pat making a superb job of papering and I'm pottering with a module review (two more on the way apparently). This level of activity is actually enough for me and gives me incentive to try stuff on the modular I could so easily just leave.

I bought the complete works of Mooch - several dogabytes of mp3s, sounding very good so far and a nicely mixed bag. Came on a DVD so will have to transfer to a memory stick. Made me wonder, briefly, if I should do a complete works but on a memory stick, maybe get one printed. Trouble is I'd want to include collabs which would probably devalue them and be weird to organise. Adding JIC no probs but not Ideation, Headshock, Aeromancy, Binar... anyway, would be a massive collection and could not include library stuff. OK, even typing this I realise it's too much like hard work ;)

Did I tell you that I put out another old release? Quite a good one, I think, not that I'm any judge.

https://paulnagle.bandcamp.com/album/wilderlands

Exoplanets vol 4

I can see that these blogs are starting to follow a certain predictable path, as indeed does my life. As of today (Wednesday), I'm up to date with my module reviews, not actively looking out for more, not even personally wanting any new ones as there's still so much I want to explore with my current system.

Anyway, as I've been sitting on Exoplanets 4 for quite some time, I listened through, took out one long track and replaced it with the recent one (which simply uses the Tapographical Delay and Plonk modules with some random modulation and morphing). It's simple but sorta works as a change compared to all the drones. I included the most edited version of the 'big ambient bahoomy', in which removed most of the sequences. Cute though they were, they didn't quite sit with the Exoplanet theme which should be that nothing much happens. Fave track is the middle one, Kritl. Did a nice cover with a bit of PSP butchering of pilfered images.

https://paulnagle.bandcamp.com/album/exoplanets-volume-4

Bought Ann's Omnichord, did I mention that? Was rather drunk when she offered it and, as I'd always fancied one, plunged in. Not arrived yet but hopefully for the Friday afternoon sesh when I can put it through a zillion effects, or something.

The bastards at Netflix have cancelled Dirk Gently season 3. There's a petition going:  https://www.change.org/p/netflix-renew-dirk-gently-s-holistic-detective-agency-for-season-3-future-seasons?recruiter=63747374&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_message.nafta_milestone_share_ask_victory.control

There's also a form to send an email to Netflix executives: https://t.co/Fp9Fr7hmPc

I'm supposing anyone wacky enough to read this blog is wacky enough to appreciate this version of Dirk (far superior to the feeble effort made by the BBC). Anyway, it's a change for me to add anything other than my random and indulgent brain-dumps, so there you go.

I'll finish with purpley pix.

ANOTHER excellent Friday

This Friday I pushed ahead with the new novel, the first actual progress in a long time. The knot I was stuck at has now combed through and a few ideas have clicked together. Let's hope I can sustain it but it gives me the momentum to head towards the next plot point, which is all I ever ask.

Listening through old library tracks (trying to find some suitable for pilate type exercises), I realise how many I've done. I even used bass guitar in a couple. And I'm a rubbish bass player - must have quantised almost every note!

I recorded several things today, two of which I've spliced into the 'Bag of Smoke' album. Or perhaps one belongs in the other one that is growing in parallel. I got stoned and confused myself over what, exactly, I was recording and missed one cool loop from the Blofeld. All good in the end, I suppose. I still like the sound of the Easel on this album's other tracks. Will have another one day.

Found an old one: https://soundcloud.com/smokyfrog/the-enchanted-garden

Oh, and while mentally relaxed I bought Ann's Omnichord. She's going to live on a boat and has no room. Probably be some of her synths advertised too, will let the historians fight over those.

Saturday and wet. Must pick up the green today and continue writing while the ideas flow. Up to date with my current module reviews until more come. Really enjoying the DPO that I bought and the little Roland case is lovely. If I was more caring I'd have a photo but a link to an instagram pic will have to do ya.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Be-5hGaF_aA/

Excellent Friday. Worked on sequences for a fun side project.

And I confess I found a tiny amount of weed so all was good. Recorded the one in F, then new ones in A and G, tempii as requested. The one in G is perhaps unfinished/ropey but a good start and Don is encouraging.
On Saturday I recorded a new Exoplanet, or part of one. Sounds a bit like a haunted jungle and uses the Tapographic Delay and Plonk, both review modules.

Continuing to hack the bedroom around, keep making more work for ourselves but going to end up gutting it I think. Throwing away so many hoarded clothes... then going back and retrieving a few.

Discovered that the bedroom CD/Minidisk player is also a cassette player. So I feel a bit stupid at blowing £350 on that other one cos I bet this would've been good enough. What a knob I am.

Ordered the little Roland case and decided at last to get a DPO and not a Furthrrr Generator.

I took a couple of shots of the steps I missed on the moony night. Still waiting for a misty night to get what I want.