A new beginning...

Music and Art is my life, and i'm finding myself frustrated with the lack of originality out there today. Not only is there a lack of originality, people are becoming more and more complacent with mediocrity within the artistic world. I don't know how this has happened but i want to stop it. I absolutely refuse to believe that there is only a handful of working artists out there that still strive to be original.

I have given up a lot to devote my life to creating and playing music but i am sick and tired of having to wade through the absolute dross out there to connect with someone or even find another person who shares the same tastes and beliefs as me, with the actual drive to create something that will last. 

I listen to and enjoy all types of music, and i also like to create all types of music, and i want to really push myself into creating something new and original showing influence from the whole spectrum of music that is out there. Not just crap out another angst-y teenage song, or and "in the club" dance RnB track.

And so I have created "Free Range Human Music" an initiative that i hope will inspire people to create something that is an expression of themselves and that has soul. I spend a lot of my time creating music, and i want to use this as a way of reaching people, of promoting music and art of all genres and styles to the best of my ability.

Obviously i am limited money wise, i'm literally talking DIY punk ethic promotion and just getting things done. So if you think you have something worthwhile, something worth hearing, something that says "this is me, and i'm not like you or them" then get in contact at freerangehumanmusic@gmail.com

If i like what i see or hear i will go out of my way to promote, and help out as much as possible.

Show me originality isn't dead.

Time Flies...

Soooooooooo, the days have been flying by recently, and unfortunately not much progress has been made on the EP this week (although there isn't a lot left to do). I've finished the artwork, 4 out of 6 tracks are just awaiting their final mix and mastering, and the remaining 2 are just missing vocals (plus mix/mastering).
The EP will be called "Stryfe's Dangerous Friend" and should be out within the month.

I've also been working on some other projects this week, written a couple more songs, started a few more electronic/sample based pieces, and i'm also working on a remix for the track "Remission of Guilt" by The New Regime. You can download the track for free here: http://thenewregime.com/

I've made a few musical discoveries and re-discoveries this week, which leads me to a somewhat unrelated point: it's my birthday next week and as i've been out there shaking my money-maker on the front line of new music and discovering all these new bands, it would only be fitting if someone bought me a sweet little safari suit and hat....

Anyways i did make some discoveries, by way of Janelle Monae, her album The Archandroid is probably my favourite so far this year. She manages to fuse the soul of old 30s records with Bowie-esque story-telling and combine it with catchy and funky hooks. Absolutely amazing stuff, check out the singles Tightrope and Cold War, then buy the album.

My copy of Pulled Apart by Horses album also arrived this week and it's made me so ready to go OFF at their show in December. I'm gonna END it that night it's gonna be so sick. Great band.

Until next time troops...

Don't say i never follow through.....wait, what?

So yesterday i recall saying i'm gonna get a lot of music work done, well either i said that or I dreamt it, and although i have my moments i don't think i'm so boring that i'd dream about my blog posts, soooooooo i did say it. Anyway I'll just get to the point, i finished a new song today. It's a short instrumental piece, but i like it maybe you will too...

Free Range Human - She's Gone

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?wsq08qiexy15d9l

Stream: http://soundcloud.com/free-range-human

Thanks.

Clich-ay?

So yeah, the jam-less doughnut strikes back.
The next few days are going to be pretty packed full of music-making goodness, gotta work some stuff out of my system so college work be damned. Heartbreak is to the artist (um don't think for a second i call myself an artist but you know what i mean) what cat-nip is to....well cats, really, jeeeez do i need to draw you a diagram here?

Listening to one of the best albums of all time at the moment, which would be........?
Come on.....?
.....
.....?
Answers on a postcard kids!
I jest, i'm listening to Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space by Spiritualised of course! Pretty much the soundtrack to my life these days.

Whenever life gets you down watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYjBQKIOb-w
and cry some happy tears. Fuck it i did....once....................................but no more than that ok?..........OK!?

Jam

Been a few days since my last update, cos of y'know, life shit happening, the jam's been taken out of my doughnut, I am a jam-less doughnut if you will. But enough of my dessert situation, progress has actually been made on the EP, mainly on the artwork which I have been whipping up on Ye Olde Photoshop, my main focus with the artwork is to make it not look like a tacky Microsoft Clip Art job, and so far it's going.......ok. Think i'm still on track for the end of the month release date, although it seems college have recently decided that I have to actually do some work which is a bit of a draw back but I'll get there.

I've been listening to a lot of David Bowie this week, his 2002 album Heathen to be exact, and it's so good I love all the tracks....well minus the song “I Took a Trip On a Gemini Spaceship” which blows hard, but to be fair it is a cover, so i'll let him off. I can't stop listening to the songs “5:15 the Angels Have Gone” “Afraid” and “Everyone Says Hi” check them out if you get a chance.

Well anyway, back to finding my jam.

Things In Motion

Whoa what a weekend!!!

Bull whips and donuts with a side of purple sunrise....not really, this weekend was pretty lame but I did get a good amount of work done for the EP. 

At the moment it looks like there will be 6 tracks, 2 of which are finished (minus mixing and mastering) 1 is close to being done, i've just gotta finish the vocals, 2 of them have a way to go but i have a really clear idea of what i'm gonna do to them. And there's 1 that i've just started called "SDF" which i'm loving right now, it just sounds so ragged like it could fall apart at any moment, i think it's the fastest song i've ever recorded at 170 BPM.

Also this afternoon i'm gonna see how much producing the artwork for the CDs will cost me, hopefully not too much. I'm going to try and see about getting some vinyl made up as well, but i have a feeling that the cost might be a little on the heavy side.

I just recently started watching the 4th season of the best show on the-magic-box-with-pictures-and-sound-in-it: Dexter. I'm only 2 episodes in and i'm already tryin to pull the fishing line out my cheek. Seriously if you haven't seen it, buy the first series, you won't regret it. For anyone that doesn't know it's basically about this guy (erm...Dexter obviously) who's a blood spatter analysist working for the Miami police department who also happens to be addicted to killing people. So during the day he helps with catching the bad guys and at night he feeds his addiction by catching the sick motherfuckers that manage to escape prison (which lucky for him there seems to be a lot of). And it's led by probably the best American actor on the-magic-box-with-pictures-and-sound-in-it: Michael C. Hall whose performance is always top notch. Oh and if you have the time Six Feet Under's a good watch too.

Listening to the new Killing Joke album at the moment and it actually sounds like standing at the edge of the apocalypse, it's soooooo dark, friggin love eeeeeeeeeeeeet.

Discoveries

Got a loooooaaaaad of work done on the EP yesterday, and so i'm pretty sure i'll be releasing it by the end of this month now. Excited about that. I actually listened to all the songs yesterday and tried to listen like i would to any other music and I think the music i've been listening to recently has really influenced me (that music would be David Bowie, No Age, Deerhunter, NIN) and it definitely shows in the songs, I just hope it sounds like a decent mix of those rather than a straight up carbon copy. Well the proof will be in the proverbial apple crumble and custard i guess.

I've recently discovered loads of new bands that sound amazing as well, and it gives me hope to see so much music come out today that doesn't actually suck massive amounts of testicles.

The first band i discovered was Pulled Apart By Horses. They're a 4 piece that sound like a wicked mix of Black Flag style delivery and structures with hooks and riffs reminiscent of bands like The Rakes. Definitely gonna check these guys out live when i get the chance.

Pulled Apart By Horses - High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlGYwXdgpY8

Pulled Apart By Horses - Back to the Fuck Yeah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzDz5wVs8uw

Official website: http://www.pulledapartbyhorses.com/

Another cool band i've found is Tied To The Mast, I've only heard a few tracks but they sound kinda like Mudhoney meets QotSA meets (pop-y) Sonic Youth meets....i dunno just check them out ya hear!?

Tied To The Mast - Traitor's Gate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gD5BQMn5eg

Tied To The Mast - Bad Blood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU9-cHaS9r4

Official Site: http://www.tiedtothemast.co.uk/

Looking for that band with a modern desert rock sound that doesn't completely rip off Kyuss and doesn't jam the same song out for half an hour? Look no further pilgirim! I give you Tweak Bird.

Tweak Bird - The Future
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwjvRyM-eVk 

Tweak Bird - Lights in Lines
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mSYtizAhcE&feature=related

Official Site: http://www.tweakbird.com/

Well that's me done for the day...
Oh wait, i'm buzzing hard off of Death From Above 1979's album You're a Woman I'm a Machine, just fucking sick bass and drums, you'll get it if you know what's good for you....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qofA8N3xSUQ

Hard at work...

Hey you! It's been a while!

I haven't written in a while, because, well basically life's friggin mental right now, and it's starting to click that 24 hours really isn't many hours after all. I have hardly any free time at the moment between work, college, catching up with friends and that little word that used to offer so much relief but these days seems more like a necessary evil: SLEEP.

That's not to say i'm not having fun, and cool things really are happening. The EP is nearly done and is likely to have 6 tracks on it (if not more) i'm absolutely loving it at the moment as well. My idea with it is to kind of show as many sides as i can of the music i like to make, almost like a compilation of songs really, but a compilation which will fit nicely together as a whole. At the moment it seems the hardest thing to do is to actually STOP writing new songs (i have probably just jinxed myself in to having 25 years of writer's block there but y'know).

I've been listening to a lot of new music lately as well, the new Deerhunter album is amazing, it's just so relaxing but can still shake you up occasionally. At this moment in time i'm currently listening to No Age's new album 'Everything in Between' which is surprisingly pop-py, but still sounding pretty rad, (oh yeah if anyone wants to hook me up with tickets to see them on the 14th you're very welcome to).

It's my birthday in a couple of weeks and i actually can't wait, and not to constantly go oooonn about it but I'm aiming to have the EP out by then almost as a present to myself. Yes. I make my own fun ok!?

So my parting advice to use is this: DON'T drink a pint of vodka in 4 seconds. That shit'll kill you. For real: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-11437449