Drain Mallard Allergy

Do I get the prize for the most surreal and inappropriate blog heading of the week? Or is there no justice?

Sorry for the irregular blog keeping of late, but it's been a very sociable summer so far, and I've been a busy bee. Well, busy for me that is.

On the music front, I've got a bit more fluid with the new electronic drum kit, but not, by any means, perfect. It's taken me a while to get a song together using the kit, and it's probably not the best thing I've done, as it does sound a bit fragmented. I think it does, however, show what I might achieve with the new addition to my sound palette. I suspect that there will be more where this came from.

Far Beyond (mp3 3mb)

Hope you like it.

I've recently rediscovered a series of ambient recordings that I did shortly before we moved from Balham. They were very much done as a sort of memorial and thank you to our old abode, and I've found it hard to listen to them since. When I listened tonight for the first time in a few months, I found it rather haunting. It sounds melancholy, but with a certain beauty.

I called the 3 instrumental selections Bye Bye Balham, with the first track called Bye, the second track called Bye and the third track called, you've guessed it, Balham. The whole thing was recorded pretty much live, using just an AN1X synth on one patch, and an acoustic guitar through a delay. I've dedicated these songs to Sue, Matthew and William.

2nd Bye(mp3 6.7mb)

I had a few problems uploading this, as I've run out of webspace, so future songs may have to be shorter, or I'll have to archive things off, which will be a pity. I'll let you know what I plan to do.

Enjoy the rest of summer!

Hanging on the Telephone

Time for a rant. I'm fed up to the back teeth with people walking along the crowded pavements of London, talking on their mobile phones, completely oblivious to the world around them. If another person walks straight into me while they chat away on their phone, I will be tempted to grab the over-priced status symbol and grind it under my heel.

What is it that makes people so convinced that their own precious social life or business call is more important than any consideration for their fellow humans? They are so absorbed in their own world that they ignore social conventions and basic manners.

There should be a law against it.

Maybe there is a lyric in there somewhere

>runs off to find pen and paper<

On The Border

It's been a busy few weeks, and I'm sorry I haven't posted anything for a while.

We have had a couple of weekends with people staying, which has been a wonderful treat. I don't have time now to go into the details, but I must say what fantastic company our guests have been, and how at home it has made me feel having these people around.

On the music front, I have now acquired a splendid electronic drum kit, and many a happy hour has gone into mastering the elemental thunder of such an instrument. Fortunately for the neighbours, it is pretty silent when played with headphones.

I hope to soon regale you with the results of my drum battering experiments, and with luck they'll be worth the wait. Having a whole new aspect to the instrumentation takes a while to integrate into my recording methods.

This long, hot summer has meant our new hedge suffering, and it has required some care and attention to keep it alive. Our Nicotiana have been dramatic in our one border. I hope we can manage such a display on both sides next year! As you can see, the lawn has taken a bit of a hit from the combination of drought and children on holiday...