I Brought You Some Samosas

Ah....

I've got quite a few things to let you hear, so I have.

First off you may remember this fine fellow:

Robin Kick

Robin's band is now called 'Belgrade'. Anyways, I have two snippets of songs that he is singing on!

And a little bit of chat about what he thinks about the project etc etc... this was recorded a long time ago, so one song didn't have a title back then and his band was still called 'The Kick', so please forgive these seeming contradictions.

Robin Talks

Robin Pringle

I was paid a visit by these two lovely ladies: Harper and Reid.

Harper and Reid

Who did some vocals along to a track that was already assigned to my drumming friend Scott. We've turned the song into a kinda duet. Also, a wee sound bit of the two of them chatting.

I've also been busy getting back into writing music for Afterlives. Here is my latest creation to order, a piece of music for scenes where time is disjointed.

DisjointedEx2

Daniel Cumming

Just incase you thought I was gone...

I haven't. And I've not been entirely lazy. I haven't been working on 'Samosas...' but I have been working on three tunes for a high school show. This gig was very kindly handed to me by Alan McDonald of Afterlives fame. Anyways, here's the opening number I've been working on, just to show I've not been skiving completely.

OpeningNumber

Alrighty!

Mr John Newlands has been busy with me working on vocals and guitar parts.

John Newlands

Here are some snippets of what he has contributed:

and here is a bit of chat from the man:

John Chat

John Newlands

Hope you enjoy!

Dan.

Hi folks.

Shockingly long time since my last post. The reason for this, however is that I've been busy recording, mixing, mastering, and composing music for the second series (or 'season' as they are know across the pond) of Afterlives.

Logo

Afterlives is an audio drama. In this case, a drama specifically for podcast. So, I suggest that you get yourself on over and have a listen. All of the first series is archived on the site, along with the new series. The last installment will be going up towards the end of next week! Anyway, since this blog is about my music, here are some of the pieces used that I composed and a bit about them all:

Afterlives 'Spooky' Theme

The 'Spooky' Theme is for the second episode of the second series. I wrote the melody for this piece before I'd even learned to play a single chord on guitar. I was really into Radiohead at the time (and I still am) and wrote by just playing about with the top two strings. I remembered it when the director asked for a piece of music that would be used for when the main characters enter a prison.

Afterlives 'Sad' Theme

The 'Sad' Theme originally wasn't going to be used. The director said he didn't find it sad enough, and that it had a bit of a lounge-groove feel to it. I maintain he is off his head. However it did make an appearance over the prologue of one episode. I feel it goes rather well!

Afterlives 'Eve' Theme (non 'pan pipes mood' mix)

Doing the Eve Theme for this series of Afterlives was an interesting challenge. The character of Eve already had a theme from the previous series, so I had to write something that harked back to the original piece, but was a bit different at the same time. This turned out to be one of the director's favourite pieces. Personally I think it is cheesy as hell. But that taught me an important lesson when you're writing to order, and in particularly when you're writing just for effect, not for the sake of the music. It doesn't matter whether or not I liked the pieces I wrote for this series, the questions to be answered are does it do the job? does it reflect what is happening with the characters? is it reasonablly universally recognisable as sad/spooky/sinister?

Afterlives 'Emptiness' Theme

The Emptiness Theme was fun to do. Music was required to be the theme for a force that comes and destroys all in it's path. The director specified is should just started as noise, banging; anything rather indistinct but which signifies something isn't quite right, but before breaking out it heavily distorted, and barely musical noise. The droning sounds were made by tunning a bass to an open chord then tapping the headstock and back of the next with drumming brushes. The tapping, clicking drum-like noises where done by hitting the strings and then processing that audio through distortions and compressor. The guitar sounds came courtesy of a fat sounding electric guitar through an original 1970's 4-knob Fender Blender.

Afterlives 'Dave' Theme (Extended)

The 'Dave' Theme was another piece of music that had to mimic the original theme from the first series. The first one I wrote was deemed by the director to be too upbeat, happy and optimistic. However it did get used later on in a happy flashback scene. The similarity to the final piece was strong enough to tie the two together, and the change in tone lifted the mood. The piece here is the final draft, as it were, of the theme.

Afterlives 'Darkness Comes'

This was a fun theme to do. Originally I was directed to write something 'Adventurous and Energetic'. I set out trying to write a modern day Indiana Jones theme tune. The director soon put me right however, using the direction of "think more 'darkness comes'". He was very chuffed with the final piece. Again, this piece mimics some music from the previous series. I'm very happy with how this one turned out.

Afterlives 'Candleman' Theme

I really enjoyed writing the 'Candleman' theme. The director had put in a request for a 'childlike, sinsiter' piece of music. I had an idea of mimicing a music box, but half way through use a ring modulator on the main meldoy to make the music box sound as if it had 'broken'. When I sent it over to him, he declined to use it for his intended purpose, as he felt it was perfect to display the madness of the 'Candleman' character, and from then on this became his theme. I do really like this one. I feel it hits the nail right on the head for what it was used for.

Hello folks,

Been too busy to update this thing, but recording has been taking place. Another vocal is completed, another one has been sketched out. Another has been half completed! Another guitar has been put down... progress is still slow just due to the nature of musicians (hard to get hold of, even harder to get them to turn up on time...) but I am happy that this project probably has just crossed the halfway point in terms of total material needing to be recorded.

This is how you soundproof a screaming vocalist on a budget.

and yours truly with the cans.

I will return soon with some sound clips!

Benz.

Hi folks,

just to let you know the project is not forgotten about. I've got another fellow working on some trumpet and I've had a fellow in who's recorded half of his vocal, so it's still progressing, just slowly. Will update more when there is another complete contribution added,

steplight,

Benz.

Hi folks,

a quick update; my friend Jen came over and recorded piano for two of the songs on '...Samosas'.

have yourselves a listen.

Hello again.

Long time and no action. But all that got changed when Owen and Gary from Almighty Me came around to record.

A good time was had. In the afternoon hours Own laid down two Trombone tracks and a nice bit o' trumpt. Later on Garry joined us and did several vocal takes which has provided me with many choices for mixing. Anyways, best thing to do is to let you have a listen. Two soundfiles below. First is Owen and Gary talking about the project, and the second is a snippet of what we recorded:

Enjoy,

Benz.

Hello folks.

Over a month since the last update! You'd think I'd been slacking off! Well, truth being I have a bit, but work has been done. The main acoustic guitar has been recorded for another of the tracks, along with a will-it-stay-will-it-go take of the accompanying guitar.

There's a bit of news on the personnel front. Newly recruited into the '...Samosas' camp is Mr Robin Pringle of The Kick

Robin Kick

Originally, I was intending Robin to sing on the track I mentioned above, which I'd just finished getting the guitar recorded for. However, he was too sure if it was suiting to him. So he dropped by one day and we sifted through some stuff over a couple of beers, a pizza and settled on a different track for him, which has the working title of 'Difficult'. That leaves me with just 3 songs needing singers now...

For a re-cap, here's a list of everyone who has contributed/has agreed to contribute/who are currently working on stuff for the album. I can't thank these people enough for all their enthusiasm which they responded to my invitations with.

Alan McDonald of Afterlives and 99Confessions (vocals)
Michael Bret Klein (vocals, blues harp)
Kevin Stevenson of Silva (bass)
Scott Mitchel of  Bends and Boots and Drive A Tractor (vocals, guitar, drums)
Michael McCue of Slient Transmission (vocals)
Owen and Gary of Almighty Me (Brass, Vocals)
Mr Robin Pringle of The Kick (vocals)
Kenny the bassist with the funky green bass (bass)
Michael Thorpe of Dead Fly Buchowski and El Casio Immunitas.

Big thanks also goes to Alan Walsh of Q10 Studios, who recorded all the drums.

Hopefully there'll be more sound clips a month of two down the road,

Steplight,

Benz.

Hello again folks,

There's not really been an update for a while, but I have been busy; more in the organisational way than recording though. Another 5 people have been contacted with regards to taking part in the recording project, and I also sat down with another vocalist and assisted in the writing of lyrics for another one of the tunes. Things are starting to take shape, however there is still the majority of the acoustic numbers without vocalists assigned to perform on them.

In my last post I put up a snippet of Alan singing 'Present Tense'. Well, tomorrow he's coming back to record different verses and a different bridge section! Seems he's up for improving on his previous melodies, and I'm delighted to be able to offer him the chance.

Other than '...Samosas' I've been roped into some other recording duties. Bret, who sings on one of the rockier tracks for the album came around and finished his '...Samosas' vocal, but then knuckled down and recorded three of his own songs; just vocals and acoustic guitar.

SoloBret

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FluorescentCross

Michael Bret Klein