It has been a long quiet while

Hello.

I am hoping to revamp this place to make it a bit more.. up-to-date.. soon

Famous last words of any blog, I'm sure

especially ones that I have been running.

But those won't be the last words here,
since the plan is to include other artists in the area on these pages.. to showcase the incredible talent in this community

that is the hope


As an aside.. for those of you wondering what will become of In Blackout Cities

My feeling is that it is part of a pretty big story.. and I feel as though I am almost a novelist, imagining characters.. events.. and so I want to continue the story.. expand it

the plan is to create a sort of album triptych.. the first story in the series is

Dr. Williams Pink Pills for Pale People LP

the second chapter is

In Blackout Cities EP

(only five-six tracks from blackout cities will be used on this version)

the third, final chapter..

Everything is OK Now EP

everything will be released together in a digital bundle which I am working with Klaudio on.

This is very exciting, since there is much to do, and much already done. Hoping to go into a studio and have some piano elements properly recorded as well, with the very talented Sarah Magie.

All the best for now!
C

is done

the record is mastered!


more soon

of mastering

I have been looking for a good place in Kingston to learn of the inner workings of a studio environment, and I think I may have found such a place.

Leopard Frog Studio, located about 25 minutes out of Kingston, is owned and run by Chris Coleman and Ellen Hamilton, husband and wife, whom both are very dedicated to music and music recording. I spoke with Chris at length today and he seemed interested in the Blackout Cities project, and interested in my experience. It is my hope that I would be able to have a function in the studio on a volunteer basis to learn some of the workings.

As you may recall, I previously had mastered the record last fall in Ottawa at Little Chicago Studios by Tim Greencorn. I had gone into the studio with mixes that were being snapped together at the last minute, and in the spirit of anxiety, I made some radical changes that were not good for the record. If you're not happy going in to a studio, you will not be happy going out. I didn't even give myself enough time to figure out if I was happy or not.

Since then I have sorted the mixes, and rounded the set of songs. I have even attempted to master the songs myself, trying to get the right balance in sound. The results are pretty good, considering Google was my only real resource. Still, I would love to go beyond that, and really get into the studio and see how it is done. Chris, unlike Tim, seemed very willing to allow me to learn what goes on in the studio.

So, in April, I may have that opportunity!

11 days of silence

it has been a busy time for me as of late, am busy working on music for Blue. Blue is ... well.. let me take something from the creators themselves:

"super-cool event
will be happening at The Artel on March 28th
BLUE is a continuation of YELLOW
previously revealed only 28 days before..
part of "The Primaries" this episode promises to
take you on a psychological ride "

it is an experiment in storytelling, and I am writing music to be used during certain portions of the storytelling. it is a story being told through narrative, puppets, video, paintings and music, which makes for a very rich experience. exciting.

one such piece I've been working on is titled Deconstruct, and you can listen to it on the right hand side of this page by clicking the play button.

how cool is it when quantum mechanics can be illustrated with Super Mario World?

"Still, we love when science is dumbed down to our level (that is, explained using video games we know and love). This video, for example, teaches Hugh Everett's multiverse concept, using 134 overlaid playthroughs of a Super Mario World hack."

from Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Christine Fellows, Nevertheless

okay maybe it's a kneejerk reaction (that's the best kind of reaction), but I just brought this record home and it is amazing

you should check it out!

the flight of the conchords is a great series

and here is why

it's garbage night

garbage to the street!

going to spend the day indoors like a hermit today
fiddling away at music

getting things right takes a long time

I don't know how long because I haven't gotten there yet

someday perhaps

drums, they happen to be the most problematic thing to mix
mainly because my drums are shitty

a shitty sample can't be made good no matter how much you filter and bend it

however, it can be made OK

for the next one, I have some good ones to work with so far: Typhoid Mary, Deconstruct, Elephant Physics

to contrast with In Blackout Cities, Paper Sailboat #2 should have a more rhythmic presence

a song has finished rendering, I must get back to work. much to do.