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A little musical project: EJECT EJECT EJECT tracks

I have been making some electro stuff for a while now and have never shown it to anyone, well, my Brother and he seemed to like it. I thought I should put something up on this blog. Here are two kind of tracks from my side project "Eject Eject Eject" - The first track is "34576" and the second track is "Poetry for the dead" (it has a vocal on it but I am not quite ready to put that up yet...Need more confidence.) -  I made these in Reason. Of which I am a big fan. Hope you like it - I do - Comments welcome. : )

"34576"

"Poetry for the dead"

The rank deluxe single art work

As you probably know I am in a band called The rank deluxe and we are signed to Fat-cat records. Anyway we have an album out soon and have so far put out one single. Here is the artwork for the first and second singles. The pictures were shot by the legendary Nic Shonfeld. I really like the way the images look...hope you like them too.
                                     

                                     

 

 

The sounds of nature

I was sitting at my computer and got the need for some birdsong, not enough of it these days. One things for sure it definitely takes me away from where ever I am. Well if you fancy getting away from it all for a bit then click here for some tunes....my favourite is the The Living Outback: Pied Butcherbird - really nice and chilled.

The flaming lips with all your power what would you do?

If you could blow up the world with the flick of a switch
Would you do it?
If you could make everyobody poor just so you could be rich
Would you do it?
If you could watch everybody work while you just lay on your back
Would you do it?
If you could take all the love without giving any back
Would you do it?
And so we cannot know ourselves or what we'd really do...

With all your power
With all your power
With all your power
What would you do?

The world of music in your hands...no excuses...

Now all we need is a record deal - Oh, well perhaps Apple could hook us up....In the words of Art Brut "We started a band"......Rock on! here are a couple of songs from two ibands.....Maybe got a way to go yet....but soon enough....soon enough!

Jay-Z, U2 and the live experience

When music makes money, it really makes money....Jay-Z, Gangster inspired business mogul has managed to secure a ten year deal with Live nation for $150 million. Now some would see this as quite excessive. I personally think that this is a very shrewd piece of business by the live nation crew. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to work out that an album sell for approx £9 on a good day and a ticket to a live show...well it has a value only the buyer can determine(just check out Ebay). The logic is simple - In a digital, networked economy people place a very low value on anything that can be copied. Albums can be downloaded for free and those numbers that do sell are seeing their album sales decline. The live side of the music business is a different story. As previously discussed "Reality is the new experience" and the live experience is one in which the band can sell an awful lot of merchandise and offer the fan a completely unique experience, not just musically but outside of mediocrity. So it seems the technology that spawned MTV and enabled bands to Virtually tour continuously anywhere at any time and sell millions of records has performed a 360 and now reduces the value of an album to zero. This Zero value for the actual product has led bands to now seek revenue from actually toruing and  playing shows. You can't copy the experience of a live show, hence its perceived value is higher. Being in a band myself, this non-stop touring lifestyle can seem intimidating and exciting. I gather from some of the recent articles about EMI, that they are looking to start tpuring their acts intensively. I am still intrigues to see what this will bring..Will the music get better? Will bands last longer? Will we see touring festivals? This deal, along with the U2 $100 million, will make the musicians rich and if technology doesn't change rapidly.....could make the companies wealthier...Only time will tell and one thing is for sure if it doesn't work out....Jay-Z will have the cash to sue.  Enjoy the Jay-Z classic.

Radio head @ roughtrade in Bricklane

I am not hating on Radiohead ---- But come on guys Bricklane Rough trade....Someones gonna get hurt....you know how people act----confined space---pushing, desperate shoving....Your not a small band....I love you new tracks tho----

its getting better man

So I have been making music for a while now with the Rank deluxe www.rankdeluxe.com or www.myspace.com/therankdeluxe. Our album is going to be coming out on fatcat records in about april- We are really looking forwards to that... I think its going to be called "You decide", Some real british sewage for you ---- Other than that I have been putting together some new electronic shitzle(eject eject eject) on a rig that I have recently upgraded. I went from Mbox2, Korg Micro and Reason 3 to Mbox 2, Akai MPK49 and Reason 4 - I have to say the stuff you can do with this equiptment is outrageous. I am loving every minute of it and really trying to make some crazy sounds and interesting beats....getting there. I am still learning and always trying to innovate and love reason because(apart from using 3 for a bout a year) it gives you a chance to try out rack combos, beats, samples and mixes. Alot of people I have spoken to have been hating on Reason...Personally I think, used in conjuction with Pro-tools, it is hands down one of the best sequencers in the market.....Combine that with the akai MPK49 and you have an equivalent super charged MPC 2500xl with a 49 keyboard attached....Sickness. So I have been putting together some tracks involving 80's movie soundtracks - If you know anyone who is up for collaborating over the web please let me know perhaps we could get an international players club going......in which...."we never meet cept the greet the beat" --- look forawards to hearing from you!!! Here a video for you geeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Listen to the lyrics in this song!!!!!!!!!!

I am really digging this track. I feel the lyrics are very fitting for our time. Sometimes I feel like the world is heading for nowhere for the satisfaction of of our very low expectations.

Speaking up

Spoken word poetry is an interesting scene, it takes all comers and is a vibrant form of expression. I went along to a  Dan le sac vs scroobius pip show a couple of weeeks ago and rather than trussed up indie bands singing about not having enough hairspray  - I found a group of relaxed people sharing poetry, rythmic anecdotes and come hither glances. I have always been a fan of Poetry - being a songwriter, i often delve in the odd collection looking for some direction or inspiration or both!!! I guess the difference between spoken word and poetry on the page is the rhythm of the performance. Everyone has there own interpretation of a poem and for the record - some peoples are much better than others - well if you have a choice check some of it. Not only was I entertained, I felt understood. Heres a tune to check out in the mean time.  Well here a piece by said artist for starters......Provactive!

 

 

Grace Jones - The frantic libertango

   I think of Grace Jones, I think of James Bond and a very powerful woman. However that has all changed since I watch Frantic on Saturday night. I was strumming my guitar looking for something music to come, watching frantic(the harrison ford movie). My ears pricked up and the room was full of the strangest music, Harrison is in a night club meeting the man who kidnapped his wife, and the girls he is with is wildly dancing, free, alive. It was a mix of reggae and french electro....excited I needed to find out more. It turned out to be Grace jones and a track called "I've seen that face before(libertango)". I have since managed to get hold of a compilation of GJ's music....Excellent stuff. Exotic and chic, sexual and dominating, selfish and distant. Grace jones just rocked my world, her cover of "love is the drug" is awesome. There is something about the late eighties that makes me feel wierd. Time before the internet.....A rare find. Grace jones is more than a bond villain, she is an institution......So I went over to the first website I could find and there I found this quote

"THE GRACE JONES SHOW WILL OFTEN DEVOLVE INTO MAYHEM. SHE’LL THROW CHAMPAGNE BOTTLES AT THE AUDIENCE, DRAG FANS ONTO THE STAGE BY THEIR HAIR. SHE ONCE JUMPED AT ME STILETTOS FIRST. ACTUAL FIGHTS HAVE BROKEN OUT. SHE MIGHT TOKE ON A JOINT, PERFORM NAKED, OR IN TEARS. SOMETIMES SHE HAS CHATTED FOR HALF AN HOUR AND HAD TO REPEAT A SONG SO THAT SHE CAN ACTUALLY SING IT PROPERLY. SHE’S SHOT US ALL THE FINGER, STORMED OFFSTAGE AND THEN BURST BACK AS IF NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. NOT SHOWING UP, SHOWING UP SIX HOURS LATE, DOING TWO-SONG SETS IS COMMON. – A FAN. "

An thats from a fan....I wouldn't want to piss her off - Watch the libertango video and tell me this is not ahead of its time - ahead of our time.......Who is this person? What happened to celebrities? When did they all become wimps?

Cherry bomb Disco - Cultural exchange

Had a great gig in Yorkshire...The rank deluxe doing catologue poses but a little worse for wear!!!! Leo the promoter is a one man cultural exchange.....Legend! Click here to see the Cherry bomb dayglo myspace.......The best thing about being in a band is is getting out there and going to places you probably wouldn't go. We had a great time. Thanks to everyone for coming down....mucho appreciado.

TRD at warwick university tonight

Having just got back from NY, I am now off to play a show in that place called Warwick and at the university as well. So probably some drunk people will be there....It's nice apparently.....Then after that we are also playing in Yorkshire tomorrow, to play a show for a friend in Barnsley. Should be interesting......Beer bongs get given away nowadays with term schedules......Well onwards and upwards....The kitchen in the picture is wierd I think the camera must be on drugs....How does robin hood get into the fridge!! Click here for The Rank deluxe's myspace and let me know what you think....

Eureka moment

I was at an after drinks for the London calleing festival and I was talking with a representative from IODA(great company). I asked do you ever allow your users to aggregate compilations online from other distributors and sell them? The answer was "No!, we just supply Itunes, we are invisible" Instantly I thought of a great way to redistribute the choice of music. Users can not only buy albums of tracks they like, but they can put them together to form compilations which other users can buy. A kind of positioning for obscure tracks. Making them more sellable by allowing users to determine the best place for them in a compilation. Kind of like designing playlists but you get to sell. Them. Its a crazy idea! But I am going to do it and find out if it works. I mean whats the worst that can happen. Right!

Let the people decide!