Tuesday, September 27, 2011

"Crim Crimeny" - Dubby Copicat


If you need a dubby journey into the somewhat paranoid subconscious of Murray's Collingwood lair, look no further... You have found it here, complete with tape delay, piano, and yes, flute!


Listen to Crim Crimeny Dub...
or download Crim Crimeny Dub.mp3 (13mb)

I dusted off the Yamaha 4 Track recorder, and recorded this little piece, not really knowing where I was headed once again.  Started with 606 drum beat through my Copicat IC400 Varispeed, for a dubby beat.  Then added Piano through the Copicat delay, then Guitar with Foxx Fuzz Wah, then finally, Flute through Copicat.


A flute I bought from up the road for $90 on Smith St.


Friday, July 22, 2011

You Hold Up My Sky


Listen to You Hold Up My Sky...
or download You Hold Up My Sky.mp3 (6mb)

Murray sings.  Yes indeed.  This song is just waiting to become a number 1 hit.  Just need to pull together Murray and the Magic Tones.  Anyone?


A song I recorded yonks and yonks ago, and have never quite felt is "complete".


But I reckon it's rad, and can't be assed working on it any more.  That's how punk I am.  Yo.  Eat it.


I think of it as a Sonic Youth Love Song.  I enjoy that sort of dirty pop naivity.


I used Talkbox on bass, which was fun.  Bammed out some loud drums, and saturated those little bitches.  Um, evil Jim Dunlop Bass Wah on the guitar for those nasty chorus swells.

I dug up some old photos from the session, January 2010.











I asked Yoda for some feedback.
"More harmonies in the chorus, it needs."

Yes, I must agree, the chorus is lacking a bit.

"A solo in the bridge, it needs."

Yes, Yoda!  Okay, okay.  Jeez.
I will do more work on it one day.



"F Major Mania" - A hark back to the 60's


Listen to F Major Mania...
or download F Major Mania.mp3 (7mb)

I was playing my brother's old amp in Park Orchards.  We call it "The Dr Who Amp", because it looks like it was made by the BBC special effects team, out of tin foil, or something.


It sounds really crusty, like some old Beatles amp.  so I was just playing around, and then everyone went out, and I was about to leave.  And I thought, "I'm gonna record a quick song!


I ran downstairs with my H4 Zoom set to Multitrack Mode, recorded a drum beat to the click track, then ran upstairs, and wanged out some guitar over it with the Dr Who Amp.


Then I went home and threw some bass on there.  Done!  It's real scrappy!  But another fun journey into the sounds of the late 60's.


The structure of the song is a bit weird.  I kinda like the Verse part the least, and it appears the most.  Would chop and change it around a bit before making it into an actual song for a band format!  I like the intro riff a lot, which re-appears at the end.


This is me from years ago.  Seemed appropriate.

I wanna be in a psych prog rock band. 
Fax me if interested.


"Runnin' on Empty" - an exploration of exploitation


Listen to Runnin' on Empty?...
or download Runnin' on Empty.mp3 (12mb)

I've been loving the sounds of the 60's and 70's in a big way.  I started listening to a bunch of blaxploitation movie soundtracks, and wanted to try my hand at a tune in that style.


Whenever I try to do that, it seems to go in a Beastie Boys direction, because I listened to so much "Check Your Head" when I was a teenager!  It's embedded!


I started with a percussion loop from Edwin Starr's song "Runnin'", and added my own stuff over that.  I played Organ, Foxx Fuzz Wah Guitar, and an overdriven Gonzales Jazz Bass.


Fun!  I tried to add Trumpet, but I suck, so I gave up on that.  If anyone wants to add Brass for me, that would be stupendous!

Foxx Fuzz Wah, the most troublesome, frustrating, pain in 
the ass pedal I've ever owned!

Barely ever works, known to cripple minds and hearts.  
Sounds proportionately evil awesome!

I love you, you blue wretch.






Saturday, May 7, 2011

Made of Dirt (featuring Brendan Barnett)

Listen to Made of Dirt (featuring Brendan Barnett)...
or download Made of Dirt.mp3 (13mb)

I bought a ridiculous old Farfisa transistor organ, and made this song, which my good friend Brendan did some golden improvisation over.

It cracks me up, and at the same time, I honestly just love it.  :)

Brendan, you're a legend, mate.  One of our finest fun-time works.


The Farfisa 257R, at the centre of most of this piece...








Friday, March 18, 2011

Where Are We Going?


Listen to Where Are We Going?...
or download Where Are We Going.mp3 (6mb)

I dusted off the 4 Track recorder, and recorded this little piece.

Featuring the voice of Denis V Smith, 
from the Northside Christian Centre, Bundoora,
from an old cassette I bought at an op shop in Coburg.



Country Thinking


Listen to Country Thinking...
or download Country Thinking (v33).mp3 (5mb)


I was in Ruffy.  I thought I'd like to record a country song.  

I wanted to try some slide guitar, and also to use my little smokey amp.


I recorded an egg shaker, and a broom, inspired by having seen Neil Young use this technique on an MTV Unplugged performance.  :)


I also added guitar played with a cello bow to give it more country vibe!


Here is an older sketch of the song recorded on a Zoom H4 multitrack thing, while I was in NZ in my hire car, I think!  It's got more of a wistful, perhaps sorrowful vibe.  I guess "melancholy" would probably feel more apt, actually.


Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The New Loutonians - Said Hello!


The New Loutonians debut album "Said Hellois out now on Bandcamp!


It all began when we won the Parkwood Highschool Talent Quest.
It wasn't until 10 years later that we began playing music again.
This albums represents our debut full length album.  :D


Sunday, January 2, 2011

Empty Sea Disco

Listen to Empty Sea Disco...
or download Empty Sea Disco.mp3 (11mb)


You're my isotope
My last hope
My love dope
My dreamgirl
No joke.


I went up to Ruffy for a few days with dear and inspiring friends Jim Batt and Kim Boekbinder, between Christmas and New Years.  We ate amazing food, picked raspberries, relaxed, drank a bit, and I made some tunes.  Here's one of them!


I started with the Roland 606 drum machine, running through my Watkins Copicat tape echo, then through an overdrive, delay and reverb...




Then I played my Fender Precision Bass through my Ibanez SB7 Bass Synth pedal to get the main part of the song.  I also used the Behringer Reverb Machine (RV600) for the Space Echo, which always makes me think of some sort of strange angel choir, and the Line 6 Echo Park for it's nice Sweep Filter Delay.  I also used the Reverse Delay setting.




Then I used my Rocktron Talkbox with my Phantom Guitar to do some sort of vocals, that also stood as a guitar lead.  



Then I added some glockenspiel, and some normal bass, and slap bass parts, and edited it all into something more manageable once I got home!


Listen with your stereo set to phat.  
Good walking music.



The Book of Ships: ...Aagh (Thneed Remix)

I'm playing bass with The Book of Ships, a band lead by David McCarthy.  Hailing from Newcastle, David also produces records for the likes of Mojo Juju and the Snake Oil Merchants, and Kira Puru, among many others.

We've recently been touring up the coast to Sydney, Newcastle and beyond.  

I did a remix for the album single "...Aagh".

Listen to ...Aagh (Thneed Remix)
or download ...Aagh (Thneed Remix).mp3 (6mb)


I dubbed it the Thneed Remix, because it's what everyone needs!  


I loved The Lorax story, by Dr Seuss, when I was growing up.  I recently bought copies of the book for my good friends' kids for Christmas!  Spread the message of the Lorax!



This is the official single and music video of "...Aagh"

Also...