Life, Death, Caterpillar, Butterfly

A gloomy brain-dump this one. I write this stuff, like my novels, mainly for me. I usually keep my misery in check, but not always.

Another old friend has died. As yet I don't know of what, although knowing him, I have my suspicions. We lost touch after he got married and moved to Manchester, meeting only a couple of times after that. Three times perhaps, as there was a chance meeting at Piccadilly Station one morning back when I used to travel across to Sheffield regularly. He was heading to a meeting, bleary-eyed, thick with alcohol despite the hour.

Social Media is a strange place for the important things.

I also unfollowed another old friend on Twatter. Indeed, it's a quote of his I've used to head this depressing post. I'll follow him again once they kill off Jeremy Corbyn (figuratively or literally) and he ceases being just another baying hound, If I wanted that I'd subscribe to the Daily Mail, Express, Sun etc. etc. I don't think the Labour MPs, Murdoch press or the rest of the media mind how JC ends his career, just as long as he does soon, ideally before the Chilcott report is published.
Nobody wants an honest, decent man at the top of politics, especially when he so clearly struggles in the toxic, lie-ridden environment. It's like we threw a kitten into a septic tank and everyone's now watching and waiting for it to go under so we can return to business as usual. My friend likes to post multiple sarcastic witticisms per day, yet humour isn't a strong point of his. (Wistfully reflecting on loss, on people and times past, if you were wondering. He's a wonderful writer).

So I'm still in a post-referendum funk. A friend of mine was told to 'fuck off paki' and had a bottle thrown at him. I look to those who lied to put us here for hope and see none. The rift we've opened up won't close any time soon and the scars will last. That there isn't any kind of plan has been obvious from before we voted, but people voted to take the risk anyway. We gave the mob live ammo and just sorta hoped it would all turn out alright.

Now I throw myself into work as best I can. Fortunately there are a few interesting things to write about as I try and forget the world outside. My novel continues being improved, although I have another issue to resolve now. It doesn't matter too much if I never finish but I'd like to. Writing is the refuge music used to be.

Downing tools for a bit

I know, I don't take much persuading. Mr Sequentix and Mr Oakley Modular are coming to visit, put the world to rights and eat curry. So I worked hard(ish) to get a review in - fortunately something I liked so could just sit and write fairly quickly - and now I've tidied the studio so it's presentable.

With the Binar gig coming up, I've brought in the KS4 in place of the CS30 to work on a few sequences. Sometimes think I should sell the CS30 as it is so large for a monosynth. Actually I may not work on the gig but it's ready anyway, the P3 driving it and the A4. Alas Colin doesn't have any spare euro CVIO but I guess I could've given him more than a day's notice. Will be able to discuss Cirklon development properly now he's getting them made. At last! :)

Still totally loving the Microgranny 2 - added yet more samples, more ethnic stuff, synth noises, big boomer percussion and more. Of course I forgot my naming standard so some are going to be hard to find. I see there's a euro version of it too - although limited to just 35 samples which might just be too few. The thing I like most is the multitude, variety and great length of them.

I replaced the old pond liner, we can now sit and look at the refurbished pond while having breakfast - or will once I move a few plants. Other than that, the garden's going wild (again). Ah well.

Continuing to work through 'From Beer' and have arrived at the really sticky part. I think I'm just going to delete all the nonsense chapters right up until the finale scenes. At least the parts I have done work now and the one character that was bugging me now has personality. Man, how did I ever think it was finished though? After this is finally done I'm going to write an uncomplicated sword and sorcery novel, I promise. No more cynical, apathetic lead characters ambling through, no more unattainable super-babes, no more National Lampoon juvenile humour...

Thought I had some new pix but guess they're still in the phone.

Oh yes, I'm voting to remain in the clutches of the slightly less nasty half of the tory party in perpetuity. Some choice. It's like choosing between the school bully and the school prefect when you know both are utter tossers with anything but your best interests at heart. How fucking depressing.

Seems we're in June now

I looked around and there it was: summer. Despite a hot week got a few reviews in, including the difficult one I'd been kicking around helplessly for too long. Still quite a bit to do but nothing that's hard I think.

Eurorack case arrived - not so tall because it's curved but still 3x84hp. Nice wood but will take up more desk space. Wider base due to curved shape. Will chase Ross about that other one, try and make it a giggable one. You never know. Power supplies can be added as modules, who knew? So one is on order... might eventually be able to use all those Dreadbox modules!

Went to see some great live music last night, took Pat but not sure if she enjoyed it. She was away like a greyhound after a hare at the end, barely had chance to say bye to my friends let alone hello to Rick, the violinist. Pretty sure I told Pat he was the guy who played on Lore, but my music means nothing to her.

Finally solved a long-standing problem with one of the main characters in 'From Beer To Eternity'. In the end, a surprisingly subtle adjustment needed and magically everything clicks into place - or will once I go through with my comb. With two weeks solid I could finish it but in reality it will take months. Ah well, at least I know exactly what I need to do now, belatedly.

I got the Wav of the gig - minus a bit right at the start - and loaded into Logic. Ended up making a few tweaks, trying to curb the harshness of the percussion, the bloat of the lower end. Surprisingly few bloopers and really they weren't obvious mistakes anyway but I tried a few things to make it more long-term listenable.

You can download my tweaked version of the gig if you like.

Bank Holiday (apparently)

And also our 28th wedding anniversary and my mum's 76th birthday. Perhaps I'll remember this weekend best for the Headshock session on Saturday in which we started late and without direction and accidentally stumbled onto 30 mins of ultra-cool music.

It turns out that to use the modular with our stuff isn't going to be too easy because of the time it takes to set anything up and break it down. I resorted to capturing sections in the looper, which worked very well. Also enjoyed giving the Microgranny 2 another good workout and of course the Synthi never disappoints. Freaky and avante garde were the results with Tim really enjoying the new Roland stuff.

Oh, last weekend's gig was OK actually. Considering it was totally off the cuff, it only started to feel limp towards the end when I started to wonder what time it was, how much I should still do.
Here's the raw link. Yes, everyone spells my name wrong...

What else? Well, I still have lots of work to do but am having a nice relaxed weekend in which I'll even do some gardening. Took some photos Saturday morning and Mr Picko introduced me to Luminance HDR...

Quite impressive results, probably wouldn't use it all the time but it sure makes an average photo look good.

The sun is still shining!

Concrete

Gig tomorrow in Preston, will set up to see what the minimum might be. Not taking sh-101 I think, just the blofeld and sampler to play, have A4 and drum machine too which is more than enough.

Part of an idea in its early stages
https://soundcloud.com/smokyfrog/bloink

So I know what I'm going to do, which is keep it simple - one long track, 30 mins long, can do another of 10 mins or so if need to fill 40 mins.
The MIcrogranny 2 is spectacular. For disturbing vocal loops and random voice nonsense it's gonna be brill, combining with the rc-505, its input adding a bit of reverb, sorry mental notes spilling out. Gig will be:
Blofeld through DD-20
Analog Four
Electribe Sampler
Microgranny 2
Roland RC-505 (on send so Blofeld and Microgranny 2 can be captured. Well, everything. Could do with mixer with alt sends but little Alesis is small and works...

UV it loves

I'm either a pioneer or a stubborn survivor ;)

Real Synthesizers

And by that I mean the kind of synthesizers you associate with making new sounds - sounds you've genuinely never heard before. Yes, that's what I think put eurorack where it is today. It's way more than the old 'patched out Minimoog' idea thanks to the diversity and sheer quality of its modules.
I've done tricks with just two modules recently that have actually got me excited.

So anyway, I bought some new modules including the special edition Wasp filter. I'll have to stop soon as I may be out of cash.

And they're really doing it, remaking the Minimoog Model D, as they always should have done. So much for my 'instrument as investment' idea. Still happy I've got one though.

Sonic Weekend

Yay, survived another. For me the best yet. Hadn't been looking forward to it - long drive, time away, work to do etc. etc. but in the end the atmosphere was brilliant, the place spacious and the music really turned me on this time. We were lucky in being able to set up a Dronespace which was presided over by the genial recording maester Scott. Basically we hardly left. Whatsmore, the drones we did were good - real good. I've droned by myself of course but this was different, better, much better. We all added our bits and the thing moved, evolved and just filled the time without any sense of urgency. Even a very stoned and shroomy string interlude from yours truly kinda worked, although the random chords slightly after showed just how far gone into Shroomland I was.
Great seeing everyone again, the main recordings were fab (I think I was on one) and actually more in focus than ever before. Lots of love to Marc and Ann for their awesomeness.

I could go on, but this ain't really a diary and there's not too much value in recording the weirdies of satnav driving in Wales, the case of the broken lamp, the reality shifts, the early Toyah, the halving of Darth Vader and the reed crosses. It wouldn't make sense to even try.

I agreed to do a gig this month. I bought a new module and spotted another I want.
Today I contacted lots of modular people, sampled some 70s porn on an 8-bit sampler, threw grapes at magpies. Then I hung some CDs on the line as that's meant to intimidate them. I'm told mothballs are good too as it a high-powered water pistol. So that's my life!

Oh and boys and girls, if you're reading this and prize your teeth, get an electric toothbrush.

And afterwards
https://paulnagle.bandcamp.com/track/ode-to-granny-o