ROL:) G ;ONE Man Band 8
Songwriter - Singer - Poet - Multi Instrumentalist
Born: Northern Germany - Lives in London
Early Influences: John Lennon, Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Aretha Franklin, Sly Stone, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye etc.
Recent Favorite Artists: Erikah Badu, Macy Gray, Beverly Knight, Amy Winehouse, Corinne Bailey Rae etc.
Writing songs and composing music is my way of documenting life's experiences, some happy, some sad or a bit of both. Being dyslexic when it comes to musical notation, my only option to preserve musical strokes of genius is to push a record button before the moment disappears forever. Bouts of inspiration are best captured as raw as possible, using minimal instrumentation. Spending several months of nomadic life each year, I travel in a tiny old camper van to escape the energy draining London scene. Without this escape I would probably have gone mad a long time ago. Vocal lines and acoustic guitar get recorded on a MD walkman. On returning home many of these sketches are transformed into demos for new songs. After recording a rough demo containing some basic ingredients, there often follows an experimental phase jamming each song in a variety of styles, tempos, keys etc. That way melodies and phrasing get tweaked to perfection. Some people think it's a bizarre way to work, but as long as the results are positive I see nothing wrong with taking a song apart, possibly ending up with a version quite different from the original idea. Random example of an experimental re-write
I have been searching on and off for self motivated musical collaborators, especially for vocalists. I have met a few artists with impressive demos of covers, but nothing long term has materialized. More and more musicians I have come across recently, create their songs with ugly prefab loops, plagiarized samples or karaoke style backing tracks or computer based digital programs, which I find harsh and sterile. I love the warm, fat sound I get with my analogue reel multi track recorder on which I layer live tracks, one at a time. On most of my mono-mixed demos everything you hear has been captured with four classic dynamic microphones: SM57, SM58, MD421, RE20. The recording process usually begins with a vocal guide track and acoustic guitar, followed by drum kit, bass guitar, electric guitar, vocals etc. This process can cause complex timing and intonation errors to slip in because of impatience in wanting to hear the song with the next new overdub.
I do wish I had the luxury of an experienced producer or a trained engineer to take care of these problems. Despite this handicap I am making good progress in refining my art of recording using the proven traditional method. Many experienced listeners prefer analogue recordings to digitally re-mastered recordings. If analogue sound was dead why do people spend small fortunes for original vinyl LPs when re-issue CDs cost just a few quid ?
I believe that a voice or instrument should sound appealing in its dry, unprocessed state before effects are applied. Recording that way can be as suicidal as a high wire act without the balancing pole, the pole being a click track, reverb or both. I try my best to avoid using them in the initial songwriting stages. I do appreciate "Nothing Compares To You" as a song, but I can't see the point of making it sound like Sinead O'Connor sang her heart out in a large bathroom.
In 2004 I got kicked out of the Blues Band Workshop at Camden’s Workingmens College for allegedly being 'too advanced' at playing guitar. I have not performed live since.
I'm ready for a deal with a reputable publisher so that some of my music can be covered by established artists or used in films, documentaries or even advertising. The chorus of one of my rock'n'roll tracks "Charged Up"Lyrics would make a perfect theme for Duracell. Some of my lyrics are too personal to be covered by anyone else. To get them heard I plan to perform at showcase venues and cultivate a fan base. I need a tight band willing to rehearse a set of original songs from scratch. If any decent musicians out there want to collaborate, don't be shy - get in touch.
