Is that a real piano? You don't hear many real ones these days.

The Steam Abacus 'poots forth.

Full albums available from.....

http://steamabacusproductions.bandcamp.com/

http://stevebaker.bandcamp.com/

Assorted Emissions from the Steam Abacus

There may be life out there!

[edit 06/02/2023] NOW WITH VIDEO! - https://vimeo.com/793448249

Uncle Sam's Robot On Mars - Hawkwind (SteamAbacus remix) 6'24"

Samples taken from ...

UNCLE SAM'S ON MARS
           (HAWKWIND - TAKE ME TO YOUR FUTURE. 2006)
UNCLE SAM'S ON MARS (EARLY VERSION)
           (HAWKWIND - QUARK, STRANGENESS AND CHARM, ATOMHENGE REISSUE 2009)
ROBOT (FIRST VERSION)
           (HAWKWIND - PXR5, ATOMHENGE REISSUE 2009)
ROBOT (LIVE)
           (HAWKWIND - ASTORIA LONDON, 19/12/2007)
THE FIRST LANDING ON MEDUSA, SNOWFALL, CATERPILLAR
           (ROBERT CALVERT - CENTIGRADE 232, 1986)
PERSEVERANCE MISSION LIVESTREAM
           (NASA-JPL MISSION CONTROL, 18/03/2021)

Uncle Sam's Robot On Mars

This is a way too fast version of my song, with me singing. It was, as a result, a bit of a nightmare for me, especially when Dave Brock 'broke a string' and had to leave the stage, therefore not being able to do the high octaves and harmonies, as we'd rehearsed. Strangely enough, it was also the very first time that I'd ever sung lead vocals to a live audience - in this case 4.5K people! 

That's Alan Davey on bass (not difficult to tell) and Huw Lloyd Langton on lead guitar, perhaps Jerry Richards on rhythm guitar. Who played the weird tambourine  - why didn't he just play on the offbeat instead of shaking it around in a meaningless fashion?  The harmonies were by Ron Tree, in the absence of Dave Brock.  The keyboards are way too low in this monitor mix. But the multitrack recordings are safe.  One day...

Words and music by Steve Swindells © Warner Chappell Music.

Shot Down In The Night.  Hawkestra. Brixton Academy. 2000.

From the album - 'Unquiet Spirit, Steve Baker Guitar Diaries, Winter - Summer 2013'.
Available to download (with full CD packaging artwork) from http://stevebaker.bandcamp.com

© Steve Baker 2013


Another volume from my ongoing Guitar Diaries. There's been a lot of material in the last 18 months and  this latest volume brings things right up to date.



What are ‘Guitar Diaries’?

“In my home studio I have a guitar recording set up that I can power up at any time with just the throw of a couple of switches. I don’t even need to start up the computer as I have a minidisc recorder ready to record immediately. I can plug in a guitar and be recording an idea within, literally, seconds. I use a ‘looping’ set up that allows me to layer guitar tracks on top of each other on the fly (based around a Line6 DL4 looping pedal, occasionally I will also employ a software sample player for beats). The emphasis is on spontaneity and creativity. Every 6–12 months I will compile the most interesting of these ‘sketches’ using the computer – the tracks will be edited, cleaned up, mastered and ordered into an archive CD with accompanying artwork. These are my Guitar Diaries.”

Slow Melt (from the album 'Unquiet Spirit', available from stevebaker.bandcamp.com)

A couple of snippets from a long-stalled album initially started in 2016 of material originally recorded in 1993. Who knows when the rest of it will see completion?



Beyond the Beginnings of Time & Space (ep edit)

1. Times and Spaces
2. Beyond the Beginning

JaglanBeta

John Harmer - piano & retrograde piano
Steve Baker - synth, samples & fx

All original material recorded 1993
Additional samples, fx & editing by Steve Baker
on the Steam Abacus, 2025

© JaglanBeta 2025

JAGLANBETA - Beyond the Beginnings of Time & Space (ep edit) (1993/2025)

Blessed Relief

texte Luciole Langevine
guitare:deep man

texte:

Miss Anthrope est vraiment très malade
Un 10 sur l’échelle des douleurs
Les humains lui font mal au cœur
Malgré les pilules les pommades
Miss Anthrope est vraiment très malade
Miss Anthrope veut fermer les yeux
Sur une terre à sang et à feu
Elle s’invente de très jolis rêves
Dans sa tête vivent Adam et Eve
Jamais leur amour ne s’achève
Au paradis un chant s’élève
Et l’harmonie est si profonde
Miss Anthrope veut quitter le monde

Miss Anthrope se rêve en garçon
Un genre de chevalier du bien
Plein d’amour pour le genre humain
Phil Anthrope ce serait son nom
Miss Anthrope se rêve garçon

Miss anthrope,,,Luciole Langevine and deep man

kjbvafsivuregfrei

From the album 'Fretboard Challenged', available to download (full CD packaging artwork included) or stream absolutely FREE from ...
http://steamabacusproductions.bandcamp.com/album/fretboard-challenged

As a denizen of thefretboard.co.uk guitar community I
have been a regular contributor to the periodic 'Fretboard
Composition Challenges' under my forum username of
SteamAbacus.

Every 2 or 3 months there is a new challenge with a
different remit - these can range from as simple as
(Challenge #11) -
"Freedom! - Record whatever you like! No time
limit!"

through the more technical (Challenge #3) -
"Chord Fun. Create an audio track a minimum of 1
minute and a maximum of 2 minutes in length using
only the chords Bmaj7, Gmaj, Esus4 and the notes
within them"

to the downright silly (Challenge #9) -
"They said it couldn't and shouldn't be done but to
save the world you must compose the ultimate funky
folk mash up song! Go forth and ruin music forever,
good people!"

My compositions have ranged from simple guitar &
looper based recordings to fully-fledged tunes multitracked
on the computer. Part of my motivation in undertaking
these Composition Challenges was to familiarise myself
with my 'new and improved' computer recording set up -
which, for me, actually means a WindowsXP computer
running CubaseSX! Not without reason do these
productions go under the name 'Steam Abacus'.

This collection is a chronological record of each of my
submitted compositions and my struggles to embrace
modern (or not-so-modern) digital recording technology.

My thanks to Sheldon (Antique_Guitars on the forum) for
organising and to all the other contributors to these
Fretboard Composition Challenges.
- Steve Baker, 28/05/2016


© Steve Baker 2016

I Have A Door! (from 'Fretboard Challenged', FREE album at steamabacusproductions.bandcamp.com)

I've recently uploaded another album from my 'Steamy Vaults' to my Bandcamp page, available for download or streaming and absolutely FREE!

https://steamabacusproductions.bandcamp.com/album/circulation-of-the-light

This is from 'Circulation of the Light' from 1999 and, although the title track, it is quite different to the other seven tracks that comprise the rest of the album - they feature virtually no guitar and consist of long meditative (and admittedly quite psychedelic) synth and sample drone pieces recorded on some borrowed synths/keyboards and rack fx. The tracks are named after the stages of meditation in a Taoist alchemical text and this solo acoustic guitar track is the endpiece to the album.

[from the sleevenotes]

1. Cessation of outflowing
If thou wouldst complete the diamond body with no outflowing,
Diligently heat the roots of consciousness and life.
Kindle light in the blessed country ever close at hand,
And there hidden, let thy true self always dwell.


2. The six periods of circulation in conformity with the law
If one discerns the beginning of the Buddha's path,
There will be the blessed city of the West.
After the circulation in conformity with the law,
there is a turn upward towards heaven when the breath is drawn in.
When the breath flows out energy is directed towards the earth.
One time-period consists of six intervals (hou).
In two intervals one gathers Moni (Sakyamuni).
The great Tao comes forth from the centre.
Do not seek the primordial seed outside!


3. The two energy-paths of function and control
There appears the way of the in-breathing and out-breathing of the
primordial pass.
Do not forget the white path below the circulation in conformity with the law!
Always let the cave of eternal life be nourished through the fire!
Ah! Test the immortal place of the gleaming pearl!


4. The embryo of the Tao
According to the law, but without exertion, one must diligently fill oneself with light.
Forgetting appearance, look within and help the true spirtual power!
Ten months the embryo is under fire.
After a year the washings and baths become warm.


5. The birth of the fruit
Outside the body there is a body called the Buddha image.
The thought which is powerful, the absence of thoughts, is Bodhi.
The thousand-petalled lotus flower opens, transformed through breath-energy.
Because of the crystallization of the spirit, a hundred-fold splendour shines forth.


6. Concerning the retention of the transformed body
Every separate thought takes shape and becomes visible in colour and form.
The total spiritual power unfolds its traces and transforms itself into emptiness.
Going out into being and going into non-being, one completes the miraculous Tao.
All separate shapes appear as bodies, united with a true source.


7. The face turned to the wall
The shapes formed by the spirit-fire are only empty colours and forms.
The light of human nature (hsing) shines back on the primordial, the true.
The imprint of the heart floats in space; untarnished, the moonlight shines.
The boat of life has reached the shore; bright shines the sunlight.


8. Empty infinity
Without beginning, without end,
Without past, without future.
A halo of light surrounds the world of the law.
We forget one another, quiet and pure, altogether powerful and empty.
The emptiness is irradiated by the light of the heart and of heaven.
The water of the sea is smooth and mirrors the moon in its surface.
The clouds disappear in blue space; the mountains shine clear.
Consciousness reverts to contemplation; the moon-disk rests alone.


- from the HUI MING CHING, The Book of Consciousness and Life



All instruments played by Steve Baker

© Steve Baker 1999

Circulation of the Light

Circulation of the Light(from 'CirculationOfTheLight',FREE at steamabacusproductions.bandcamp.com)

Live in one take out of ProTools; Omnisphere II "Inside Grandfather Clock"
Typical of music inspired by the timbre of the patch.

I want a Gamelan Hat, and a Gamelan Bopper.

Collected Journies

Gamelanesque

After hearing my Plutobot track ( https://soundcloud.com/steam-abacus/plutobot-06052017 ) Paul (aka DeeplyDazzled in these here parts)sent me a message about an idea he was working on - "I like this vibe, I have a Conservative Dalek vocal track waiting for your lead guitar". So he sent over a link and I had a creative afternoon splashing somewhat more than just 'lead guitar' over the rudimentary idea Paul had sent. There were a couple of bass phrases floating around at the end of the vocal snippet - I extracted and looped these and added a drum loop in order for me to have something to play lead guitar along to. I also put down some semi-random rhythm guitar chords and then sprayed whole-tone scale angular guitar over the top.

I sent these back to Paul with the usual message of 'use as little or as much of this material as you see fit'. He generously suggested I should carry on and do the final mix myself with the parts I had come up with. So I did a lot more work on the arrangement (mostly drum programming) and produced this final mix.

Paul - original concept, vocal treatment, bass loop
Steve - arrangement, guitars, drum sequencing

DEEPLY DAZZLED/STEAM ABACUS - Dalek Confusion (2017)

From 'Substratum' - the latest volume of my 'Guitar Diaries' covering the period summer '16 to spring '17 and available to stream or download (with full CD packaging artwork) from ...
https://stevebaker.bandcamp.com/album/substratum

© Steve Baker 2017

What are ‘Guitar Diaries’?

“In my home studio I have a guitar recording set up that I can power up at any time with just the throw of a couple of switches. I don’t even need to start up the computer as I have a minidisc recorder ready to record immediately. I can plug in a guitar and be recording an idea within, literally, seconds. I use a ‘looping’ set up that allows me to layer guitar tracks on top of each other on the fly (based around Digitech JamMan SoloXT and Line6 DL4 looping pedals, occasionally I will also employ a software sample player for beats which are then loaded onto the JamMan looper). The emphasis is on spontaneity and creativity. Every 6–12 months I will compile the most interesting of these ‘sketches’ using the computer – the tracks will be edited, cleaned up, mastered and ordered into an archive CD with accompanying artwork. These are my Guitar Diaries.”

- Steve Baker

Substratum

How Could It Be?(from 'Substratum', available from stevebaker.bandcamp.com)

A curiosity that I discovered in the Steamy Vaults.

Back in 2011, DeeplyDazzled had begun to relate the epic saga of The Donkeys. He asked me to contribute some guitar to a track and sent over a rough, unfinished backing track over which I layered various guitar parts. I sent the separate parts for DD to 'fold, spindle and mutilate'* however he saw fit in the final piece but I also included a rough mix of all the parts I'd recorded and how they lined up with each other just in case there were any synchronisation issues.

This is that rough mix with all the stinky** guitars to the fore.

Original idea, drums, synths and programming - DeeplyDazzled
Guitars - SteamAbacus

*© FZ

** "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar: now that's my idea of a good time" - Frank Zappa

(The finalised track may still be on SC although DeeplyDazzled's original page is no more and he can now be found as DeeplyDazzled2. I'm not sure if this track survived the transition)

[edit] The finalised track is still available here ...

https://soundcloud.com/deeplydazzled1/the-non-sacrificial-ritual-tap

Look at all those comments! Those were the days. :)

eMissions

DeeplyDazzled/SteamAbacus - The Ritual Tap Dance of the Two Missing Donkeys (Stink mix) (2011)

Quality is a bit dodgy, but it's the real deal.

It was recorded onto cassette, I think!

Brock, Bainbridge, King and me.

The pic is of me in the porch of Rockfield studio's  Mill House, where we recorded this first demo, in the beautiful adjoining, linked ex-chapel, where we rehearsed.

Words and music by Steve Swindells (c).

Shot Down In The Night. Original demo. 1979.

Hey, folks--Hanklebury here. I have, at last, assembled a first volume of the works of my musical alter ego, Uncle Hassell, for your downloading and listening pleasure. I won't say much about it--just listen to this short message from the man himself!

Find the album here: https://hanklebury.bandcamp.com/album/uncle-hassell-delta-drone

"Delta Drone" album by Uncle Hassell now available at Bandcamp.com

From the album - 'Or, Steve Baker Guitar Diaries, Summer 2012 - Winter 2013'.
Available to download (with full CD packaging artwork) from    http://stevebaker.bandcamp.com

© Steve Baker 2013


Well, my series of 'Guitar Diaries' CDs has finally gone digital! (just the one at the moment but more will follow). These tracks have been posted in their raw form up here on SC over the months but have been cleaned up and mastered for this CD.


What are ‘Guitar Diaries’?

“In my home studio I have a guitar recording set up that I can power up at any time with just the throw of a couple of switches. I don’t even need to start up the computer as I have a minidisc recorder ready to record immediately. I can plug in a guitar and be recording an idea within, literally, seconds. I use a ‘looping’ set up that allows me to layer guitar tracks on top of each other on the fly (based around a Line6 DL4 looping pedal, occasionally I will also employ a small Zoom ST-224 sample player for beats). The emphasis is on spontaneity and creativity. Every 6–12 months I will compile the most interesting of these ‘sketches’ using the computer – the tracks will be edited, cleaned up, mastered and ordered into an archive CD with accompanying artwork. These are my Guitar Diaries.”

- Steve Baker, 06/03/2013

Light in Water (from the album 'Or', available from stevebaker.bandcamp.com)

Steve Baker, Producer/Guitarist, London, UK

Guitars, guitars, guitars.....and some more guitars! With a few other devices thrown in (notably, a Line 6 DL4 looping pedal).

All the tracks here are emissions from the venerable 'Steam Abacus' - once a wheezing old pentium-powered antique (Windows 98SE!, mainly utilising Cubase VST 3.7, Cool Edit Pro and T-Racks), now resurrected as an only-slightly-antiquated younger specimen (Windows XP, Cubase SX, et al).

Much is initially recorded direct to minidisc before being edited/compiled on the Steam Abacus.

Some older tracks even started life on Compact Cassette. 

State-of-the-art this ain't!

JAGLANBETA - Beyond the Beginnings of Time & Space (ep edit) (1993/2025)

Steam Abacus

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