An unstoppable avalanche of thrashing and shouting. Hope you like it. Also useful for earwax removal.


I Blame Myself

An old friend recently got in touch with me and we quickly got onto the subject of our old musical collaborations back in the day. Long story short, this track is a joint effort between me and Rob Gill (his lyrics, my music). Hope you like it.

One Thing in Your Life

One Summer

Mega City One

A little instrumental track that finds me gazing sadly into the whirling storm of a snow globe…

Winter colours

Uploaded with AudioShare app - http://kymatica.com/audioshare

Secret sidelong glance

Another instrumental track produced entirely on an iPad mini using NanoStudio 2. Not sure what genre I’d call this. Synthwave perhaps?

You know it’s true

Girl on the Moon

A new song after 8 months! It feels good to have finally got one 'over the line' after many, many failed attempts. This was made mostly in garageband and then I tweaked the mix in Auria using things like Turnado (very very subtle - just to sex it up a little). Vocals done hastily in the car using an irig mic. 

I dare say

Quick instrumental piece done with my laptop DAW. The bare bones were done using the chordbot app on my iPhone and I then exported the midi, played around with it and ad libbed a lead over it using REV on my Mac 

A Certain Frame of Mind

The return of Mr Cheerful... 

a big thank you to Darcie for allowing me to use a detail from her painting for this track 

Tuesday

for Greer - who always keeps a smile handy     

U always hurt the 1 U love

Here’s something new. Not sure anyone is interested, but I guess I’ll find out. I love you all - especially those who can be arsed to comment😉

Passing Through

no one could recall her name (free download)

This is a brand new version of one of my older songs.  There used to be a version I made on the iPhone on here, but this is rewritten and rather different. 

Summer everyday

This track began on my laptop and was then further developed and arranged on my phone while riding on the tube

Futility for beginners

Mondays (Auria Pro)

Because sometimes it's just about submarines and fish

Walking the ocean floor

A stroll among the stars... Because past, present and future exist simultaneously... or something like that.

Lunar walkway

Thought it would be fun to try to make some playable samples out of garageband loop slices on my phone and use them to make a song. This odd little track is the result.    

Where she goes

This is an old song of mine in demo form using GB iOS. I'm working towards a posh version on my laptop set-up.

Waiting

A quickly written song. There's a lot more space in this one than is normal for me. Makes a change from the usual chaos I suppose : ) 

I'll tell you something

Mystery Girl

Trying to be a bit Cocteau Twinsy here... This started on my phone but then I moved it to Logic for further development.

Lunar walkway (draft 3)

Another retro indie song I wrote using Nanostudio and a bunch of synth apps on my phone and then developed further in Logic.

Moths

Mr Miserable returns... 

Note to regular listeners -don't worry - I haven't given up on the electro-bagpipe riffs and synth belches, I'm just playing with some different sounds for a while.   

This is a new song done on Garageband for iphone.

The long goodbye

I went down a rabbit hole with this track. Not sure what it is or what to do with it. I'll call it an experiment or an indulgence... Uploaded with AudioShare app - http://kymatica.com/audioshare

Childhood Mystery

This is a collaboration with itneverhappened whose work I have admired for a long time.  It's my first track on Soundcloud that wasn't entirely produced on an iphone. It's also my first collab on SC and indeed the first song I've written with someone else for a very long time. I had great fun and I am incredibly grateful to INH for his patience, encouragement and being prepared to share his god-given talent with me! 

Shot down in flames (itneverhappened/clocktoys collab)

The Ghost of Soho

Nostalgia time. I don't do covers, but I'll make an exception for Joy Division. Huge thank you to the mighty Phat Salmon for letting me sing to his magical backing track. Be sure and check out his cloud!  

Love Will Tear Us Apart (Phat Salmon Joy Division cover, Clocktoys vocal)

Vocals recorded in the car, in a car park. Curious bystanders. 

She moves in mysterious ways

Just another poor fool with big dreams and a crappy old iPhone

World turned blue

This track is included on the new album Fractal Recurrences (out 15-06-12) which is a Cricketsmakemath remix collection. You should defo check it out - and it's free!

Thanks to Daniel for letting me mess about with his brilliant track angelface. Check out the original on the ep Together in This in Us at  http://www.cricketsmakemath.com/

Angelface - original by Crickets Make Math - iphone remix and vocal by the clocktoys

I may re-record some little sections of the vocals but for now, here's a slightly less raucous mix for those whose ears can't take a bit of a hammering now and then. You delicate souls. You probably wear mittens in the winter... 

song words

Oh my god! What have I done?

Righteous turned to Reason and rolled her eyes
Reason shook her head and said 'it's no big surprise'
Sympathy gave up on me and pushed me aside
Friendship lit a cigarette and blew in my eyes

(freestyle howling) 

Arrogance, she heaved a sigh while turning away
Charm just threw a face palm - she simply couldn't stay
Nonchalance was horrified - like somebody died
Hope wrote me a little note entitled... 'Goodbye'

(more howling)

Have mercy on my soul

Oh my dear, dear friends...
Must this be how it ends?


   

Oh my god what have I done

Here at last is my second collaboration with the mighty itneverhappened. INH did all the guitars, bass and drums as well as production and I drank a lot of tea and fretted in a corner before finally coming up with words and vocals. I really hope you enjoy the song... 

Go check out http://soundcloud,com/itneverhappened 

and the first song we wrote together

http://soundcloud.com/the-clocktoys/shot-down-in-flames

Unhappy ending

(Manly crooning)

It could have been beautiful
But that's not the way the story ended 
So let's not pretend
Anymore
Fair-weather friends sympathise
But I prefer to defy them 
And kick off a fight

Such a sad, reflective phase
Time passed by
And Cupid needs a gun these days

It should have been you and me
But - change of plan - 
Now it's me and the silence
And time on my hands
Too much time
I cannot stand
Their sympathy
In the end I'm alone like a victim
Of Love's weary glance

She sucked me in 
Just to spit me out
What's the point?
I just want to kick and shout

It should have been beautiful
But that's not the way the story ended 
So let's not pretend
Anymore
I cannot stand
Their sympathy
Patch me up, send me out like a victim
To wander this land

(Manly crooning)

With a bloody nose
And all the money gone
Prepare to dance
To Disappointment's brand new song

Unhappy ending (itneverhappened-clocktoys collab)

I've been watching a lot of Japanese anime. Track was started on my Mac and dirtied up a bit with fun new iOS plug ins. Maybe overcooked it a bit!

Robot Police Adventure

Stars collapse

Journal entry 61,537,021

Well, at last, here is an actual new song. It's a bit 80's gothwave, so be warned! You may want to throw yourself under a bus...     

Christina falls apart

I'm a singer songwriter and for the last few years I've been making my music with nothing more than an old iPhone and an iPad mini. I have tried to overcome the obvious limitations of having no actual instruments by exploring the world of music making apps. Hopefully along the way I have created some ear-catching, toe-tapping music with complex and unusual arrangements, bleakly evocative lyrics and a big indie atmosphere.  As a result, I think this collection of songs is unlike anything else you will hear on SoundCloud. Lend me your ears and find out for yourself! 

Drop me a comment (good or bad) - I will usually reply.
 
BIG Love to all those who actually listen.

Don't be a stranger...

With love, hope and despair, 

pete : )

About the clocktoys: me plus occasional others (but usually just me). I have written songs from a tender age and never let the hysterical laughter grind me down (well, not often). I taught myself to play keyboards with the mighty Casio VL 1 perched on top of my little sister's toy organ (the old asthmatic wheezing kind made from elastic bands, glue and the cheapest plastics known to man).
I enjoy the creative freedom of writing alone and my music is, frankly, a muddle of influences veering off in different directions. Which is a good thing in my book.
As well as my music I may also eventually get round to reading some short stories (do i hear a a low murmur of pleasure at the back?). Basically, I'll be boring the arse off you in as many different ways as I can think of.
I like: music from many different styles past and present but in my writing I often look back to classic indie music like: the smiths; aztec camera; cocteau twins; the associates; badly drawn boy; new order; teardrop explodes; japan; early omd; echo and the bunnymen
I wish: i could play the guitar like Johnny Marr; sing better

If you've read all the way down to here, can I please say a little thank you, embrace you in a manly way, and ask that you keep listening. One day I'll get it right!

The Clocktoys

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