To me it's BBC2 ident circa 1992 - all you need is some gongs!

This is another track I have been working on over the summer of 2022, as part of a somewhat leisurely-paced composition/recording project: a collection of instrumentals with 1970s progressive-rock leanings, influenced by various anime series which have inspired me. This is what I'd call a "waypoint" mix: it's not quite "there" to my ears, but I think you can get the general "direction of travel" here...

"Mercury Lamp" (in the sense of an electric mercury-arc light) is a rough translation of the Japanese word "Suigintou": the name of one of the titular dolls in the anime/manga series "Rozen Maiden", and the inspiration for this composition.

Suigintou is my joint-favourite of the Rozen Maidens, partly as I find her one of the most interesting characters: an outward "villain" who becomes more "nuanced" as the series progresses. This explains why I didn't make this piece totally "sinister", but added a major-key coda to acknowledge in musical terms, how Suigintou changes for the better.

In true "prog" style, I really layered up the instrumental parts in this recording... you can hear the following:

- Arpeggiated and lead electric guitar (D'Angelico Deluxe Bedford), plus two extra guitar parts played with an EBow
- The lead guitar is doubled an octave below, using Yonac Software's RoxSyn remodelling guitar-synth (an iPad app)

Plenty of MIDI guitar parts too:

- Klevgrand Hillman and Arturia Solina V (organ/string-machine)
- Cherry Audio Lowdown and Martinic Kee Bass (synth basses)
- Three instances of Logic's built-in Mellotron instrument (strings, cello, choir)

Mercury Lamp (waypoint mix July 2022)

I recorded this wonderful arrangement of a public Domain song: Dona Nobis Pacem by JS BACH. by David Haas.
I originally recorded it into Logic Pro X with an inexpensive Pick up. I just bought the Myer's Acoustic Pick up and the result is quite different. Much cleaner sound. NO HUM (that was the big issue with the cheap pick up) I did it a little different then the last one. I let the first part A play for a measure then brought in B and then Last C. The B and C tracks are panned left and right respectively. The A track is in the middle.
I recorded it into the Scarlett 2i2 interface into Logic Pro X. It was done on three tracks. Track one is melody A, Track 2 is Melody B and Track 3 is Melody C. I recorded it live one track at a time, listening to the track before while recording the new track.
Thanks for listening!
Maria

Dona Nobis Pacem with Myers Pickup arranged by David Haas played by Maria Calfa-DePaul

The Model 15 App is available on the App store here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/model-15/id1041465860

The Moog Model 15 App is an iOS version of the iconic 1970’s modular synthesizer. It is the first Moog modular synthesizer and synthesis educational tool created exclusively for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

Designed to evoke the joyous experimentation and sonic bliss of it’s predecessor’s vintage hardware, the Moog Model 15 App meticulously recreates the look, feel and sound of it’s highly expressive analog namesake. From the legendary Moog 921-series oscillators and 904A Low Pass Filter, to the coveted 907 Fixed Filter Bank; each module’s character, harmonic complexity and mystique have been painstakingly preserved.

Symbiotic Equations - Suzanne Ciani

So beta testing Moog's new model 15 app meant I could at last try and emulate early TD's Chris Franke sequencer sound using midiSequencer.

This is an early audio of that session, will share some later versions in the near future.

It's not just pure model 15 - uses echoPad, Conv Reverb too - all in AUM.

Moog Model 15 Rubycon cover

This is a new mix of a piece which originally appeared on my album "Lifecourses", and which I have remixed to take advantage of my improved resources and knowledge since creating the original version. Instruments have been re-EQ'd and processed where appropriate, and the string arrangement has been tightened up and re-voiced (with the East West Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra library) to improve the overall effect.

Ridgeway (2016 remix)

This week, I finally got around to purchasing Droneo - a "drone synthesiser" that is one of the longest-available instrument apps available for iOS. Launched in 2008, and still under active development by developer Henry Lowengard, Droneo produces a wide range of "tones and drones", and is well-suited to exploring scales and temperaments outside the usual "mean".

This sequence was produced on my iPhone 6S, with Droneo set to one of the "Evolving Mirror" presets in A. (I think it was "2", but I didn't screenshot the settings, so good luck to me recreating this clip!)The "churn" (in a way, the "loop length") was set to around 50 seconds, to give the sequence a bit of "drift".

In AUM, I ran the output from Droneo through two apps: Haaze (a "fake stereo" imager) to widen the stereo space a bit, and Crystalline Mini to add some "reverb space" and extra shimmery tones to fatten up Droneo even further.

This is just the beginning of my experiments with Droneo, but I hope you enjoy a few moments of "chill" :-)

iPhone drone/soundscape experiment

Moog Synthesizer IIIc (Or: Music For Riding Dragons) performed live in one take with no external effects. 

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFubiCmmEXc

Performance by Christopher Geissler (Moog Music Production Manager)

Moog Synthesizer IIIc (Or: Music For Riding Dragons)

Sword and Stone

Manchan's Wish

The first of my demos for the 5-in-5 songwriting challenge for September 2018, written and recorded quickly and pretty roughly, solo with ukulele into my TASCAM DP-006 Pocketstudio, on 11 September 2018 (a day behind schedule - I'm exhausted, basically).

Maybe I'll flesh this one out and re-record it sometime, but not this week...

The challenge was to use at least five of the following ten words in the lyric: Bow, Surface, Running, Graceful, Velvet, Stage, Break, Falter, Stitch, Cotton.

Count 'em...

The concert brought the house down, and so you take your bow
The rapture thoroughly deserved - no time to falter now
Your audience awaits you, their cheers demand you back
This surface belongs to you

Your steps enswirled in velvet as you rejoin the stage
A graceful glide through spotlights, that bow to pay homage
So steady in your confidence, no pause to break your stride
This encore belongs to you

In a gown expertly woven, or a life from start to goal
We no longer see the stitches, but just the seamless whole

Demos From The 5-in-5 Challenge - September 2018

Stitches (rough demo)

Celebrating the album "The Creek Drank The Cradle" at 10 years!

Originally released as bonus 7" vinyl with "Creek."

Thanks for 10 years of listening and support!

Her Tea Leaves

Guitarist/multi-instrumentalist, composer and songwriter, with "prog" and English folk inclinations. Influences include Paul McCartney, Peter Hammill, Anthony Phillips, Phil Keaggy, Mike Oldfield, David Kitt, Daniel Lanois, Bill Frisell, etc., and plenty of others.

iPhone drone/soundscape experiment

tawalker

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