Yesterday Once More - Instrumental - RD

G and D discuss their world of art & include artists of all kinds as a special guest.
D is nice & G is a bit of a jag-off. Somehow it works.


Although classically trained, my heart and passion has always been for electronic music and those deep evolving soundscapes.

How does my music differ from everyone else I hear you ask? My compositions are free flowing with catchy melodies. Each one its own adventure into the cosmos and beyond.

Elskyo is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and producer from Belgium.

I don't want to make music, I want to make magic.

Reverbnation:
https://www.reverbnation.com/elskyo

Skaarl is an electronic musician, bassist, producer, and DJ. He used to upload his tracks to Soundcloud regularly, but doesn’t any more.

Kirby Howarth is a talented singer-songwriter hailing from the picturesque city of York in the United Kingdom. With a captivating blend of folk, indie, and blues influences, Kirby's music weaves together heartfelt storytelling, soulful melodies, and raw emotions.

Drawing inspiration from personal experiences and the world around him, Kirby creates songs that resonate deeply with listeners. His lyrics are poignant and introspective, offering a glimpse into the human condition and the complexities of life. Accompanied by his soul-stirring acoustic guitar, Kirby's warm and emotive voice carries his melodies with a graceful authenticity that leaves a lasting impression.

Kirby's talent has garnered recognition beyond the local scene, with his music being featured on esteemed platforms such as BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 6, as well as receiving widespread airplay on various local radio stations. His performances are characterised by an intimate and genuine connection with the audience, where each song becomes a shared experience that touches hearts and lingers in the memory.

“Acoustic laid back new wave punk indie folk with a sprinkle of deep meaningful day to day observations on how the world goes round and round and round and sometimes I actually notice this happening and decide it’s worthy enough to write a song about.”
- Kirby Howarth

"In the years I’ve been tracking the progress of York singer songwriter Kirby Howarth it’s been fascinating to hear him refining his approach and zeroing in on the sound he’s been hearing inside his head all these years.
As a result, his songs grow ever more focussed and appealing"
- Tom Robinson, BBC Radio 6

" A strong collection of songs, well written and delivered. The vocal styling is distinctive and appealing - you connect emotionally with the listener."
- Tom Robinson, BBC Radio 6

" That's another fantastic song everyone's a gem from you, you write really really nice songs Kirby."
- Alan Raw, BBC Radio Leeds Introducing

I am a composer and producer of instrumental music in several genres, including ambient soundscapes, electronica, orchestral and chamber music.  

Musical influences include John Coltrane, Igor Stravinsky, Gustav Holst, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Tangerine Dream, Robert Prince, Frank Zappa, Brian Eno, Heinrich Ignaz, Franz von Biber.

My Method of Composing and Producing
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I'm sharing my method of composing and producing music recordings in case other composer-producers like me might find ideas worth exploring in their own work. I use this method for Classical, Avant-Pop or Neo-Folk Instrumental genres, not for Ambient and Soundscape pieces. Non-composers might find this explanation interesting, but having a bit of music theory background will definitely help. I consider myself a humble learner when it comes to music theory. 

I owe a debt of gratitude to British musician and educator Gareth Green, whose Music Matters online courses and free YouTube lessons have taught me so much over the past few years. Thanks to his instruction, I’ve moved from struggling to compose music by trial and error to something more enjoyable and productive. The knowledge I've gained has taken my work in new and expanding directions. As the saying goes, “Theory is not a cage — it’s a map. It doesn’t make the journey for you, but it keeps you from getting lost.” 

When I start a new piece, I begin by choosing a key, and picking a scale drawn from one of these sources:
 
1) Western Tonal / Functional Harmony - major or minor chords I II III IV V VI VII
2) Modal Harmony - Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, etc.
3) Slonimsky's "Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns" 
4) Messiaen’s "Seven Modes of Limited Transposition" 

For many pieces, I also decide on a progression, one as a simple as I IV V, or something more elaborate.  

Next I create a "scales and progressions" piano track in my DAW (digital audio workstation software) and enter the chords I to VII in my chosen key. These harmonized scales serve as a basis for writing multipart harmonies and finding pivot chords for key modulations. 

At the start, I know what instruments I want to use, making adjustments along the way. I tend to write chord parts first, then melodies created through a mix of improvisation and direct input in the DAW. Sometimes I start with a melody.

I develop melodies and variations of a phrase by some combination of: a) passing it from one instrument to another, transposing it by an interval that sounds pleasing, b) reversing it, c) inverting it around the tonic (first) note of the scale. These are well-known methods. 

After completing a section, I choose another scale and maybe a new key and repeat the process until I have a draft of the entire piece. Then I export a recording and listen to it “offline”, take notes of errors and new ideas, and incorporate them back into the piece. Often this “compose / listen / compose” cycle is repeated many times. These iterative cycles include adding new ideas, polishing transitions between sections, changing the arrangement, and incorporating expressive details like accents, and articulations (staccato, sustain, portato etc.). I’m often working several different pieces at once. 

Last is mixing and mastering: balancing the loudness between instruments and adjusting elements like reverb, compression, and equalization. I tend to mix as I compose, even though many producers frown on that approach. I find mixing as I go helps me envision the completed piece and make adjustments to the choice of instruments; it self-inspires me when the piece is starting to sound good.  At the end I do a final mix, but as the saying goes, “A mix is never finished — it’s surrendered.”

In the end, this method gives me a basis for exploration and creativity and helps me stay focused. The goal is always to make a piece of music that feels expressive, cohesive, and emotionally resonant.

Micia Recordings is a record label based in Manchester, but managed from Italy. Releasing carefully curated music ranging from pleasant horizontal bliss to beats to wear jogging pants to when you need to buy the emergency rolling papers from the corner shop, five minutes before it closes.

The word "Micia" is an Italian word which translates as a female "Moggy" (or cat)in British English. As I learn more Italian, I am beginning to admire the efficiency of it having a different word for masculine and feminine things, when initially I found it was a bit annoying!

We used to have a predominantly orange cat that my Italian wife used to call "Micia". Eventually it was the name the cat responded to in the most positive fashion, so we changed her name to Micia.
Micia loved to lie next to the sub woofer in my studio and, I don't know whether it was coincidence or not, but she used to give approving meows when the music was vibin'. Micia was the inspiration for the name of the label.

Soundcloud is just one of the platforms we visit. Like most cats we have a a few places to chill and make ourselves comfortable, but we can be found elsewhere on the internet if you're curious. Please feel obliged to explore the collection of links below ;-)