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2015
Dave is now in a state of semi-retirement and finally enjoying a
long overdue break but any changes or news to be reported will be posted here (however unlikely that may seem at the moment!)
October 2013 - November 2014
The lack of news over recent months has indeed been significant.
Quite simply there have always been too many issues to contend with to make for any sort of productive work progress. Dave
has fully realized that he needs far more space and time before he can even decide what might be the next step - or how best
to take it! So there will be a lack of "news" over the coming months, until such a time when there genuinely IS progress to
be reported. Dave sends his gratitude to all who have helped or supported during this lean period and hopes that your patience
can be rewarded one of these fine days!
January - September 2013
Obviously, 2012 was hardly the most prolific of years but despite
the start of any calendar year always being full of distraction and an ever increasing "to do" list of simply every day living
(survival?) chores, Dave has at least been able to make some studio time for himself. This is not any major news in itself
but let's just see how things pan out over the next few months and, with any luck, more studio time can be found and with
it more news and developments to report.
November / December 2012
And so, it has been rather a messy year (just like the weather!)
but Dave knows he will just have to stick at it during the winter and basically hope that there are as few calamaties as possible
to sap precious time and energy. The whole 'download revolution' has of course affected the very concept of an 'album' for
all independent artists but that is also why Dave knows he must keep an open mind regarding any future release but, nonetheless,
we can but hope that 2013 will herald far more than 2012 was ever threatening to!
September / October 2012
As expected, the pace of progress has remained very slow but at
least Dave IS gradually getting himself back into WORK! It has been such a complicated year all round but it is always about
looking forward rather than looking back (and all those other cliches) and the struggle really is to create as much opportunity
for uninterrupted work as possible. Yes, Dave knows that a miraculous turnaround is hardly likely, but slowly, slowly, step
by step, just getting back on some sort of track is at least a starting point. OK, we have run out of cliches for the moment
but, hopefully, we might soon be able to report more concrete, genuine news!
....And perhaps here is a little of it....A break does indeed seem to have been as good
as a change in this instance and, having taken a long period away from the work, it has created a far better chance to listen
back to some of the 'troublesome' mixes with a fresh ear and Dave was incredibly surprised by some of the results, whereas
previously he really had felt that a lot of tracks really would need some serious re-working. It may only be a small step
in the right direction, but if it genuinely turns out that more tracks have been completed than Dave had believed, then at
least there are several fewer steps to be taken than previously thought. Come on Dave, fully concentrate your efforts to try
and build on this unexpected turn of events!
July / August 2012
Trying to keep so many plates spinning at once has inevitably added to the slowness of progress
but a bout of illness has also resulted in a severe lack of energy which has slowed everything down even more....Hardly the
best of news but Dave always tries to take some positive out of any situation, so he sees it very much as a chance to take
a break, recovery the necessary energy levels and come back to the whole project in a fresh light. He realizes it would be
futile to try and rush to complete work that he was not entirely happy with, so it is better to take as much time as is needed
to create the best overall situation for totally concentrating on the work, even if it takes another year, even if it means
completely starting afresh - we shall just have to wait and see how things develop during the coming weeks and months. We
must also thank the producer of Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone for letting us know that 'Let's Take The Whole Of Finland By Storm'
has been play listed for inclusion on the BBC 6 Music show, so anybody interested in catching this short blast from the recent
past should tune in on Sunday 12th August or listen back via the BBC web site during the following seven days.
May / June 2012
So, after such a slow and sluggish start to the year,
we can but only hope that progress may warm up along with the climate over the coming months! We already appreciate that it
might be one step too far to have any album ready for release before the end of 2012 but that is a long way off and we are
only too aware that there are a great many difficult stages to be tackled before we can even reach that point, so it is very
much about dedicating all efforts towards each single step of the process, as and when they occur. However, lack of both time
and energy have become a real stumbling block and Dave is constantly trying to re-evaluate things on an almost weekly basis.
In this disposable age perhaps (sadly) the concept of an 'album' is already dead and it might well be that concentrating on
a single release might be far more useful (and hopefully a little less of a logistic nightmare too!) so Dave really is keeping
his options open for the moment but, of course, any definitive decisions will be published here first.
March / April 2012
Although things may still appear to be quiet on the "news" front, we would like to remind people
that Dave is certainly not sitting around doing nothing - it is simply that the one man multi-functionalist suffers from
the age old not-enough-hours-in-the-day syndrome! It is fair to say that the pace of progress has slowed a little recently
but that is only to be expected at this time of year (March usually heralds the advent of endless distractions but the
impact of various circumstances have only added to the burden!) and hopefully an ever improved time management structure
will pay benefits in the long run so that April might provide rather more than just a few rain showers!
January / February 2012
While many people may get caught up in the ritualistic 'festive' season, we are pleased to report
that Dave has been putting in a lot of good hours at the studio and results have been very positive so far. It really is a
case of just getting back into the routine, trying various things out, weighing up various options while allowing each
track to grow in their own individual way. These things certainly can take time but now that many foundations have been laid
we can only hope that things may progress at the current rate and, after yet another long delay, a whole new body of work
(and, indeed, a third album) can emerge in 2012. Progress may have seemed slow at the start but, step by step, gradually finished
(or hiopefully finished) mixes of new tracks are building up and Dave's aim is to accumulate at least 12-15 completed works
and then blend a selection of 10-12 together into the end product.
November / December 2011
As expected, there have been the customary teething problems with the new studio (the new bunker)
and progress remains very slow at this time but, even if they are only tiny steps so far at least they are in the right direction
at least! Dave genuinely is doing all he can to clear up as many indirect distractions as possible and slowly dedicate more
and more time towards putting the third album together. As usual, the ideal would be: 'hibernate to create'
but you can never predict what chaos the British winter may bring so patience might well be the desirable option, rather than
panic!
September / October 2011
So this is very much a transitional stage, while Dave tries to slowly get himself back into a work
routine, rather than continually being distracted by all the many other things that have had to be dealt with in order to
get to this point! It will certainly take a little time but Dave is (slowly) starting by overdubbing and mixing down some
rather challenging material that has had to remain dormant for far too long and then, as well as work on other 'tracks in
waiting' the next step will be to concentrate on starting brand new recordings and put together an entirely fresh body of
new work, no matter how long it takes.... Fingers crossed, touch wood etc. etc. etc.
July / August 2011
The new studio project has been in action for almost exactly to years now and the multiple tasks/headaches/plans/problems
have been truly relentless but we are cautiously optomistic that soon the music itself will be THE priority once again! Of
course, any studio is liable to be a perpetual work in progress but it is inching ever closer to finally being up and running.
Delays have also been caused because some replacement equipment has been very hard to track down because everyone seems so
obsessed with computer recording these days - Dave is no luddite but he does very much prefer to 'keep it real' and so continues
to avoid the use of any computers in his work. Now it is just a matter of testing and double-checking, then trying to iron
out any remaining issues before launching headlong into all things aural once again - praise be.
So (we will type this
very quietly for fear of upsettng the recording gods) as of August 2011 the studio may be unfinished but is now workable ad
finally in active use. It will be such a relief for Dave after the countless hurdles of the past 24 months but now it is just
a case of slowly getting back into a creative, working routine and (hopefuly) not have so much time and effort constantly
concentrated on all of the other issues. Everone is invited to join us in a toast and a celebratory "now get to it!" but,
as a sort of coincidental celebration, we would like to extend out gratitude to Stuart Maconie and the 6Music team for their
support of Dave's work and making 'Neuing The Neighbours' Dave's first ever airplay on 'The Freakier Zone' - e very timely
boost if ever there was one!
May / june 2011
The lack of news continues! Dave continues to work tirelessly (though tiredly) day and night in a
step by step by step process of house conversion and studio building. Unfortunately, the relentless drain of energy and resources
surrounding the actual studio makes progress inside very slow indeed but Dave is well used to hard work and having to make
sacrifices for the better good, so let us just hope that both will be suitably rewarded as soon as possible.
March / April 2011
Naturally this is a very slow period as far as "news" is concerned but the studio progresses step
by step and there is enough activity in general to retain a sense of cautious optimism! We welcome all exposure and thank
everyone who contacted us following the airing of 'Goodnight America' on 6 Music's Freak Zone and also a tip of the hat to
whoever it was that created the 'Media Monkey' Youtube video (above) - fittingly postmodern or what?! There are plenty of
other little bits and pieces that we could list here but will save your time as well as our own by waiting until we have something
a little more "concrete" to report. Keep listening and keep spreading the word!
January / February 2011
So, the start of another year - and hopefully one with more end product than sheer endeavour! The
harsh start to the European winter has brought much chaos to these parts but, so far, the studio in waiting has not been directly
affected by the burst pipes, water shortages etc. etc.....but it's early days and Dave will just have to deal with the conditions
as and when they develop. If there are no major disasters Dave hopes to have the studio up and running within the next few
months and then really get down to the hard work of putting new (and waiting) aural delights together - in the meantime, we
have been very encouraged by the initial response to the two track radio promo and the lead track 'Neuing The Neighbours'
(yes, pronounced 'noying' of course) has already featured on radio playlists across the UK, Europe and North America, so
we hope people can continue to enjoy this limited un-edition until such time as new work can be made available.
November / December 2010
While Dave continues work on the new studio, we are very pleased to announce news of far more creative
activities that have been taking place recently. Dave was finally able to make time to put together a series of exclusive
improvised pieces for Roger Hill's legendary 'Popular Music Show' (PMS) on Radio Merseyside and we were so pleased that three
tracks were aired on the 15 November show - for those of you taking notes, the tracks played were: 'Ill Id Idyll', 'Shudder
Cover' and 'The Lost Key Of Rutt'.
we must also thank Stuart Maconie and the team at BBC 6 Music's 'Freak Zone' for providing the very
unexpected bonus of airing 'I Am Busner', which seemed to generate some fresh interest (always very welcome, of course!)
Dave
shelved any plan for releasing a download single, choosing instead to make the two mastered tracks a "free gift" to select
DJs and individuals who have actively supported this work over the past three - four years, a personal 'thank you' gift if
you will. It may have been more money down the drain but we do feel that this is all rather excellent
work and we will just have to see if there is any response to it or not as we move forward and try to plan
the next move within this ongoing saga - after all, who knows what 2011 may have in store for any of us, so here's hoping!
September / October 2010
Naturally, there are always countless delays and problems to be dealt with when tackling tiny little
things such as modifying a house and building a new studio within! Nonetheless, Dave has indeed completed and mixed down some
material which might not only be classed as "in between studios" but also a stepping stone between the second album and
the proposed third. All very last minute stuff but the results of having these tracks mastered with a view to a possible
single release before the end of the year was unfortunately a step too far and the 'crazy gift of time' got the better of
us. However, even if just a download release, we do believe these tracks richly deserve to be heard and so a release
at the start of 2011 does look the best bet. For now, we will just put it on the back burner, let Dave try to progress with
assembling the studio and perhaps also contemplate some of that radio work he has never got around to all year (!) and then
weigh up our options over the winter months.
July / August 2010
As ever, July is a very quiet month as far as the music "biz" is concerned but Dave continues to
work flat out on assembling the new studio. While some time for reflection on the works already started is never a bad thing,
he is itching to set up the studio and get back to work on the numerous tracks in waiting. Nobody counts any chickens around
here of course but the prospect of a whole batch of new material emerging before too much longer does remain a mouth watering
thought...
May / June 2010
So, a quieter time now...Dave is concentrating entirely on completion of the new studio and taking
a long overdue break from all of the work that was done over the winter months. Depending on whatever pitfalls lie ahead,
hopefully some new material will emerge before the end of the year, whether it be radio tracks, a download release or whatever.
There are some pretty amazing recordings made from never heard before circuit bent instruments which Dave hopes to mix down
and complete as soon as his busy schedule will permit - and much more besides!
March / April 2010
Despite being in need of a darned good rest after these long years of endeavour, while also taking
on the task of single-handedly building the new home studio, the 'hardest working man in anti-showbiz' (?!) continues to come
up with new ideas and recordings all the time. A quiet spring and some time for reflection are certainly in order but the
abundance of new material to be worked on and developed is breath taking. We keep our options open though - every single CD
and download sale genuinely does help to keep this work going but, in such drastic financial times for planet earth, it is
not always possible to "physically" release all of these amazing sounds. Still, perhaps just a demo or download single might
be an idea - who knows? - but one way or another the likelihood of new material emerging during 2010 remains a distinct possibility,
keep checking back - all news will be posted here first.
January / February 2010
Warmest wishes to listeners old and new as a new "self-fulfilling calendar" opens! Although the crumbling
world economy does indeed make life even more difficult for a small collective such as ours, 2009 was a very rewarding year
in terms of the album release, positive exposure and feedback from so many different sources. The many different aspects of
the second album have clearly appealed to a very diverse listenership - in addition to making such a strong initial impact,
this unique body of work certainly has proved to be a "grower"! The frantic pace of the last two years shows no signs
of abating and Dave continues to write, record and produce new material all the time - this work can only benefit from the
new studio which is currently under construction (i.e. "The New Bunker"). This will take time of course but, in the meantime,
new radio / session material may well emerge in the coming months so we do urge evryone to keep their eyes and ears open in
2010! Exposure of this material does continue at pace and many new listeners discover these sounds all the time - notably,
we were very surprised that Stuart Maconie featured 'Idler' on his recent BBC 6 Music show - naturally, all such interest
and airplay is more than welcome so we can but keep our fingers crossed!
November / December 2009
The continued interest and response to the second album has been incredibly heartening indeed for
all concerned. Radio exposure of this material keeps cropping up in unexpected places and the diverstiy of the tracks being
broadcast does again signify how different people seem to connect with different elements of this work. The tracks 'Bunker'
and 'Cartooner' are both currently on the playlists of two different shows on Germany's Alooga radio station and a further
track is featured in Andrew Morrison's Dandelion radio show in November (we know not which track). Speaking of which, we are
very pleased to announce that Dave has recorded an exclusive three track session for Andy's show and this will be airing throughout
December. As well as recording exclusive renditions of "Surfing On A New Tide Of Violence" and
"Strychnine Come Dancing" there is also a version of a brand new track entitled "Missy's Latest Imagining" which uses previously
unheard circuit bent instrumentation - we can't urge you enough to check these tracks out! So, on with the promotion,
spreading the word as best we can, the exposure conitnues, most recently via 'The Vanishing Point' show in Australia, while
Dave gets down to building his new studio and - recording addict that he is - still continually coming up with new tracks
along the way
September / October 2009
Naturally we are all very excited about 'I'm Not Here, I'm Never Here' finally being released on
14 September. It has been another long, hard slog but two and a half years of hard work have resulted in such a unique album
and the interest from music pros and the listening public have been 100% positive so far. The only downside to the whole affair
has been the abysmal service and behaviour of TNT international, who have invented imaginary freight charges of almost 200%
on top of the, all inclusive, invoice total. This must be some VAT scam on their part but if G. Graham Macqueen, Kelly
Hogan or anybody else from TNT would like to let us know whether it is even legal to claim VAT and duty on charges that have
never existed in the first place, then we will be only too happy to listen. If it is merely a tax scam or attempt at extortion
then we simply are not interested...we're waiting to hear from you.....
OK, rant over, let's concentrate on the album! A big thank you to everyone who has supported and
helped this project reach fruitition. Dave has a new studio on the way and many more recordings are in the offing, but a little
break first might not be a bad idea, so let us just hope the interest and exposure continues. Two tracks are due for
airplay on Rockomondo and Andrew Morrison and Matt Jones of Dandelion Radio have both requested Dave record a session for
each of their shows and, indeed, he would love to do so but time is very precious right now so please be patient people, Dave
is dealing with the whole new studio set up - and the technical problems involved - as well as everything else, but will endeavour
to continue promoting the album as best he can! Big thanks to Dandelion though - Marcelle and Matt are both playing various
tracks on their shows in October and further exposure is in the offing - so do check back for details....
July / August 2009
Things are certainly moving along at an amazing pace - the promo CDs have
received a lot of interest from even the most established and experienced of industry professionals. BBC radio's Roger Hill
has described this material as "wonderful stuff" on several occasions and The Garden Of Earthly Delights cult radio show has
already had Dave record an exclusive session for the show. A special mix featuring the four session tracks has gone
down well and is now available as a free download - as 'The Head Gardener' stated on his show: "You're gonna love this!".....
The CD itself has finally been manufactured and will be available from Monday 14th September so we thank all the DJs,
old and new, who have helped promote the release and we continue (even without what could be called a "budget"!)
to get this material heard by as many interested parties as possible. This album has been generating a lot of interest
so far, including being Cracklin' Radio featured album of the week (August 12th show) and, although Fenny and Steve of On
The Wire were bigging up the title of 'Strychnine Come Dancing' on the recent show, don't be confused - they did indeed
play the track 'First Day At NASA' instead! Thanks must also go to the likes of Dandelion Radio's Andrew Morrison, The
Black Channel's Tobias Kuechen and Radio Panik's Kosten Koper
May / June 2009
Things are certainly racing along at an astonishing pace. The new album, entitled 'I'm Not Here,
I'm Never Here' has been excellently mastered by sound engineer James Barlow at KHz studios - we have to say a big thank you
James for all the mastering and post-production work. As ever, the standard of your work was excellent. So, now we are sending
out promo CD-Rs of this material to (hopefully) interested parties and will have to see how things develop. The response on
MySpace etc. has been totally positive so far and, again, we thank Roger Hill at Popular Music Show/ Pure Musical Sensations/
P M S/ Call it what you will (!) for playing the (exclusive) tracks 'Rock God' and '70 20 10' from the e.p. (but never sent
to any DJ before) as well as a specially recorded version of the album track 'That Last Bus Feeling'. We apologize if anyone
was inconvenienced by some computer problems we were having but all emails will be answered in time, so just bear with us!
We are all working day and night to get this work out there....We are incredibly excited about this work so do stay tuned
....
Momentum is certainly gathering and more and more people are catching on to this work - a special thank you to all
DJs and everybody else that is supporting this work. Roger Hill has already described this material as "wonderful stuff" (on
three separate occasions!) and we must also say special thanks to Eric Wincentsen, Kosten Koper and Shane Quentin for their
invaluable support. Speaking of Shane Quentin, we are currently in negotiation with 'The Head Gardener' regarding a new, exclusive,
live circuit bent session for his 'Garden Of Earthly Delights' radio show and, indeed, even having an entire show built around
Gore Infidel Records and our various work over the years - wow, imagine that?! We will keep all listeners posted so do
keep checking back for the latest details.
March / April 2009
2009 has certainly been a hive of activity so far and we are very, very pleased indeed to announce
that Dave has actually finished recording and mixing the new album. This material has gone beyond our wildest expectations,
15 amazing tracks clocking in at around the 50 minute mark, featuring a heady mix of various songs and sounds, including many
unique circuit bent elements, the like of which have never been heard before. In short, we are incredibly excited about this
work. The album is currently being mastered - we will then manufacture some promo CDs, send them to possibly interested
parties, see what sort of response we receive, then hopefully move on to the next stage of sorting out the CD artwork
and then establish a release date. Keep listening to your favorite cool music shows, you might well be about to hear
something incredibly interesting......
January / February 2009
While there were undoubtedly some very creative elements to 2008, it was not the most rewarding of
years on the work front. Thank you to all the DJs and listeners who have so actively supported the Circuit Bent Selections
e.p. - special thanks to Roger Hill at BBC Radio Merseyside for recently playing three tracks on his P M S show, including
'Painting With Cyrillic' and 'Let's Take the Whole Of Finland By Storm' - but now is the time for much more productivity.
Dave has worked tirelessly throughout the "holiday" season and continues to make good progress regarding recording and mixing
material for the new album - we only hope that these efforts can continue and that the album can reach completion without
too many hiccups or minor disasters. Keep your fingers crossed folks, early results have been very encouraging so far and any
news of the new album will be posted here first!
November / December 2008
Afer a very constructive month of further radio play (including Shane
Quentin's 'Garden Of Earthly Delights' show) and steady downloads, hopefully this can herald the start to an extra creative
winter ahead. New material is constantly being written, recorded, mixed and edited with a view to releasing Dave's
second album in 2009. Things are never straight forward of course and it remains to be seen what potenial problems lie
in wait but the output so far has been very positive and hopefully progress will continue apace well into the new year. A
big thank you to everyone who has actively supported this work over the past twelve months - we couldn't do this without you.
September / October 2008
Save for a few problems updating this site, the release of the 'Circuit Bent Selections' e.p. is our priority right
now and is our own sort of moral victory in these times of global economic upheaval! We can only hope for continued exposure
of this work and, as always, every single download will help Dave to progress with work on the new album. It remains a case
of working each day and night to put the new material together, while giving each track its own space to develop - these things
take time but results have been encouraging so far...patience, patience, patience...
Dave prefers to avoid personal publicity and rarely gives interviews, however we could not deny our supportive friends
at ABC's The Sound Lab and Dave agreed to be interviewed on the Sunday 7th September show. Apart from that, DJ Fenella
Kernebone played three tracks from the e.p. - 'Battery Dance', 'Painting With Cyrillic' and 'Got A Little Give' during the
broadcast. As there is no budget to promote this work all exposure is very welcome and the listener response has been
excellent. Other notable exposure of this work has come from the likes of DJ Eric Wincentsen who has aired this work on his
internet radio show as well as on his live show for Canadian radio and Resonance FM's 'Where's The Skill In That?' opened
it's 17th September show by playing two tracks from the e.p.
On a technical level, the new Myspace music player has been causing a lot of problems and the fact that no track details
are now available (such as album title, year etc.) it hardly seems to make life easier for the listening public. Having
lost out to Facebook in the social networking stakes, music has been the last stronghold for Myspace...it remains to be seen
how things will pan out. Nonetheless, Dave himself is busier than ever writing and recording material for the new album and
that IS the most important thing!
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July / August 2008
Work continues at
pace as the new album slowly starts to take some sort of shape, though it is just the start of another long journey. Meanwhile,
the exposure and response to the circuit bent work has been very positive indeed and although we do not have the funds for
any CD release, more tracks are being mastered. In keeping with modern trends, we are exploring the idea of releasing an EP
of this work as our first fully digital release. All developments will of course be posted here and on the beloved MySpam.
The feedback from listeners and exposure of this work has been very encouraging indeed and, despite a long delay at the mastering
studio, we are very pleased to announce that the 'Circuit Bent Selections' E.P. will be released directly through the iTunes
store on 15th September 2008 and will follow on all reputable download sites shortly afterwards.
May / June 2008
Yes, we are very pleased
that downloads are finally available - catching up with the 21st century at last - and each download genuinely does assist
Dave in his continuation of this work. Now is all about composing, recording, arranging and mixing material for the second
complete album. The results so far have been very encouraging but we know there is a long, long road ahead.
The circuit bent material remains very much a side project but the feedback has been very encouraging, with 'Battery Dance'
and 'Got A Little Give' both featuring on The Sound Lab recently, so a big thank you to Fenella and the team at ABC. It looks
like another long summer ahead but we can take nothing for granted, so every radio play, CD sale and download is a fillip
on the journey towards completing the second album.
March / April 2008
An incredible
amount of circuit bent material has accumulated over the past twelve months and we mastered a few tracks, really just as a
demo. The track "Battery Dance" is now posted on MySpace - it is very 'straight' for a circuit bent track but at least people
can check it out for themselves and see what they think. These are all "live", improvised recordings without any fancy editing
or overdubs but we think it's rather interesting stuff. Anyway, maybe this is one way of drawing a line under this work, because
Dave is busy, busy, busy writing, recording and mixing material for the proposed second album.
In total, four circuit bent tracks have been mastered (the others are: 'Rock God', 'Painting With Cyrillic' and 'Got A Little
Give') but these recordings really are an experiment so, in typical Dave fashion, it remains to be seen whether they will
ever actually see the light of day. The new album tracks remain the priority and the writing/recording continues at a furious
rate. Also, for all you hi-tech listeners, we are very pleased to announce that we have finally negotiated to have Dave's
work made available on iTunes and other download sites. As with each CD sale, every single download will help Dave to continue
his work, so we thank everyone in advance for their support. Downloads are NOW available!
January / February 2008
So 2007 was
a good year for exposure rather than creativity, but the end of the year was far more productive and there is much encouragement
for the year ahead. Dave is working on a lot of material for the proposed second album and also doing a lot of "circuit bent"
recording which might well develop into a separate project of its own, but only time will tell. As ever, an open mind must
be kept regarding any / all of this work, so we shall just have to see what will emerge during the months ahead. The response
to, and continued exposure of, 'While You Were At Church' has been very positive, even if it was a rather rushed affair in
the end.It must be said that, although the reviews have been positive, so much of what has been written online regarding this
work is wholly inaccurate. People are so used to everything being done by computer that they don't realise there are some
people out there still creating genuine sounds - for example, there is no "looping" on 'Second Breakfast', Dave painstakingly
multi tracked all the guitar phrases over a period of months, but people just assume it is computer trickery. Oh well, in
an age when journalists feel that googling is a fair substitute for research then you have to expect such things. Take the
internet with a pinch of salt - just like the whole MySpace thing, it would be churlish to decline Alison Moyet's friend request,
we never knew she was such a fan! Anyway, at least it gives us a platform to post the music and let people judge for themselves.
The circuit bent recordings would make a fascinating release, we simply do not have the funds to do so, but at least we hope
to master a few of these tracks and put up one or two in the next month or so. The opinion of you the listener is the most
important thing, so we can gauge the response to this rather "unusual" work and then consider how best to progress.
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November / December 2007
So, at last
the new mini album is released and though cramming months of work into the space of a few weeks is far from ideal, there is
a certain sense of achievement as well as relief. We are very thankful for the positive exposure of this work so far from
The Garden Of Earthly Delights, On The Wire, Rockomondo and ABC's The Sound Lab. There is no advertising budget for this collection
but we just hope people will continue to spread the word. Of course, this mini album is more concerned with quality rather
than quantity but, as Dave works on his proposed next album, we hope listeners will find this companion volume of interest.
A big thank you to all that helped us to finally realise this project and to all listeners who continue to support this work
- we could not do this without you. It has been a very difficult and testing year but hopefully Dave can now concentrate on
much more creative concerns during the winter months ahead and start 2008 on a much more productive note.
September / October 2007
The 'Bombarding New York 12' MP3 collection is now doing the rounds and we have been approached
by independent film makers in the USA concerning the use of 'Media Monkey' in a forthcoming production, so things are moving
along but, of course, the release of 'While You Were At Church' is facing further delay. If we went into the details here
you wouldn't believe us but this is just another time of having to be patient and hoping these expensive delays can be kept
to a minimum...we will get it out there one of these days!
And, after another year of struggle and "unforeseen circumstances" that day has finally arrived. The last few weeks have been
hectic but the new CD mini album will be released via this website on 29th October. We also apologize if this website sometimes
looks a little 'out of order' - this is nothing to do with us at all but we are trying to deal with these peculiarities and
rectify them as quickly as we can. Dave has a mountain of new material to work on but, for now, we are just relieved that
'While You Were At Church' is at last ready for release and, of course, we hope all of you will enjoy this material as much
as we (and others) do.
July / August 2007
Very glad that the new material is already receiving exposure - special thanks to the On The Wire team,
your support remains invaluable - and perhaps a little surprised that the atmospheric, hypnotic instrumental '43 Birthdays,
29 Candles' is gaining the most attention but, as ever, any spreading of the word is a good thing in our book - the 'Sportive'
going-out-take remix is also receiving airplay and we can only hope for more of the same! We are currently tackling the mini
album artwork and trying to resolve other manufacturing issues, in the hope of reaching our late August release target. As
usual though, there are delays but we hope all problems can be resolved as quickly as possible and that the CD will be available
soon.
May / June 2007
The mini album 'While you were at church' is now full compiled, mastered and promo CDs are currently being
manufactured - basically we just want to see if this material can receive any of the feedback, that we feel it certainly deserves,
before scraping together the cash to go ahead with the complete project. Dave has hardly had the chance to even pick up a
guitar during the past two years, so it really feels fresh to be writing again and making rough recordings. The usual "technical
problems" always arise but things just have to be dealt with one at a time. The circuit bent keyboard work has also been very
encouraging - perhaps this will result in yet another side project?? - and it is just such a relief to get back to creating
again.
As stated above, we finally gave in to all the pressure and created a MySpace page - we don't like using that site much, it
is unreliable and inaccurate, but people will get carried away with these fads! We will probably only update it very occasionally
but at least it gives people the chance to hear some tracks and, as we have no budget at all for marketing, then we have to
conceed it is a decent way of spreading the word. Of more importance to us is the news that, after only a month's delay, the
promotional copies of 'While You Were At Church' have arrived and we are sending them out in the hope of gaining some
extra exposure. Any DJs or other interested parties out there, do feel free to contact us!
March / April 2007
Compiling and finalizing all work for the proposed mini album is just one of two major aims for this
year. The second aim is probably more important - namely, for Dave to get back to composing and creating new work. So much
has had to be done over the past two years just to have this work heard and exposed that it is has left practically no time
at all for concentrating on new music. Now Dave can finally get back to the real work of putting new ideas together
(and realizing so many old ones that have had to be put on the back burner for all this time) with a view to putting together
a new album....with all the experiences gained through the long 'Istvan Zsolt' ordeal, we will not make any rash predictions
but a new Dave Swain album? Well, we can but hope and dream...
So, back to a routine of trying to stretch resources in order to secure some new (old) equipment and getting back to recording,
whilst dealing with a fresh set of technical problems (some things never change.) A circuit bent keyboard has been the most
intriguing and inspiring addition, so fresh sounds are certainly flowing!The Wire magazine exposure has also resulted in more
radio plays but we are well aware that it is about time some new material was unleashed. A big thank you to James Barlow at
KHz studios for his mastering work on the collection "While you were at church", which we soon hope to have some promo copies
of and, if there is enough exposure/response to the material, then hopefully we can think about manufacturing this CD mini
album in the summer. That's a long way off for now and there is plenty of time for problems to emerge, so we won't count our
chickens (or Easter eggs) yet. In the meantime, the unrelenting hard work continues as thoughts are concentrated on the new
writings/recordings and we just hope that Dave's creativity can progress as smoothly as possible.
January / February 2007
2006 certainly was a remarkable year of progress for us with the continuing international
exposure and sales, quite an acheivement when you consider that we are not a 'proper' record company and Dave is
what is loosely classified as an "unsigned" artist. The hard work will continue in 2007 and hopefully the global coverage
will too. Four tracks will appear on the 'Listen Loudest' MP3 compilation 'Bombarding New York 12' from Croatia; The tracks
are: 'Sportive' (radio edit), 'Goodnight America' (edit), 'Media Monkey' (original master) and 'Giada' (edit), available in
the next month or two. These compilations are free of charge, Listen Loudest simply ask a very small fee to cover the postage/shipping
costs.
Apart from that, there is more progress on the mastering front and Dave is back to work remixing, compiling and planning future
track ideas while continually juggling several project ideas at the same time (as usual, finance delays the realization of
these projects as much as anything else.) A BIG thank you to everyone who has supported this work over the past 18 months,
let us all keep the faith and hope for continued good fortune in the year ahead.
With favourable results on the mastering front, our immediate aim is to compile a mini-album of "other" material recorded
over the past few years, such as favourites from the CD-R releases and tracks that were recorded before/during/ slightly after
'Istvan Zsolt's Plane Ticket' but never quite found an appropriate home before. Naturally this will be done on an even tighter
budget than before but every order received helps us to fund this project and we do hope to release this new collection of
material on the unsuspecting public at large before the end of the year. All progress/hiccups will be posted here first.
|
November / December 2006
So, perhaps
a quieter time (at last) for a week or two but the encouraging news is that The Wire have chosen to include 'Media Monkey'
on the Wire Tapper 16 CD which accompanies the December issue of the magazine (On sale from 30/11/2006) As orders still drift
in for the album it is always good to have this material heard by a new audience and, of course, we are grateful for any further
exposure. It has been quite an amazing 18 months, so let's hope there will be more "spreading of the word" before the end
of the year.
We cannot say that we are particularly happy with how the Wire Tapper CD was compiled or mastered (and, no,
we have no idea why they chopped the end of the track off either) - it certainly does not to justice to the track but these
things happen when you deal with "the business" so you sort of learn to expect it...
Anyway, further interest has been
generated and that is all that really matters (any publicity is good publicity perhaps?)
We are more concerned with our
efforts to find a new mastering studio and there do seem to some feasible options out there so, hopefully, more material will
be available in early 2007. Much work to compile, complete, remix, get started etc. etc....let's just hope for a positive
month to end such an encouraging year and see what may emerge in the new year.
September / October 2006
As we attempt to plunder the minefield of digital distribution and, having already spent what we could on some
(not too eye-catching) advertising, this could be a much needed quieter period for us. As ever, Dave has about 20 potential
projects in mind, but now is the time for a well earned rest and a chance to recharge the batteries for a month or two. Of
course, if any opportunities arise to promote the album further then we will take them but we are only human! We just hope
that the interest in the album will continue and, with any luck, Dave's next project will be in progress before the
end of the year...
Of course, this is why Dave tends not to "plan" in advance - the rest period lasted for about five days.
Well, there are always so many promotional options (usually very time-consuming) and we cannot ignore them, however we do
not have the time or manpower to do anything about digital distribution at this time - if you want MP3 files, just email us!
Added to that, Dave is also working on some new 'Sportive' remixes / versions that we are very enthusiastic about. A
million more ideas still to be tackled but, as things take shape, you will hear about them all here first.
July
/ August 2006
Anyway, we are glad that the CD is now easily available by using the shopping
cart option. As ever, we appreciate all your emails but for those of you who were not sure how to get hold of the album, now
you can do it with a few simple clicks. A big "danke" to Borderline Extra for playing 'Goodnight America' recently (the complete
version, to boot) and thanks also to Radio 3's Mixing it team for giving Sportive yet another airing. Onwards and upwards
(or sideways at least.)
The past twelve months have been quite amazing - so much radio airplay, support from so many new
listeners, the radio session, interviews (not Dave's favourite activity in the slightest) - who'd have thunk it?! Now activity
is centred around advertising/promoting the album and the hard work continues. We appreciate that hi-tech kids are more interested
in downloads these days and we are also working on securing the digital distribution of this material (yes, we know we should
have done this a long time ago but hopefully we are on the right track now.)
May / June 2006
We are not sure how
long The Garden Of Earthly Delights Session will remain online but, again, the response has been very positive so we urge
you to check it out while you can. Of course, all the airplay and all this positive feedback to the material is vital to us
but it does not equate to distribution, so we can only do our best, keep our fingers crossed and hope that the light at the
end of the tunnel is not the light of an oncoming train.
Anyway, we will endeavour to keep promoting this material to the
best of our modest ability and see if someone out there wants to make some money from it (surely these
DJs, reviewers and listeners can't ALL be wrong??!!) Keep your ears and eyes open as you never know where 'Istvan Zsolt's
Plane Ticket' will turn up next (and we certainly don't have a clue either, but that's half the fun!) As ever, any developments
will be posted here first.
March / April 2006
After almost five years of continuous hiccups, we can never hope for an easy
ride, but we do hope we can secure distribution for 'Istvan Zsolt's Plane Ticket' in the coming months. We certainly do welcome
all orders for the advance copies, but now we must try to get it to the unsuspecting public at large. You would think with
the global airplay of 'Sportive' and 'Media Monkey' that it should not be a major problem but there are never any guarantees.
As ever, the key words now are patience and effort.
The most heartening thing is that different tracks from 'Istvan
Zsolt's Plane Ticket' are now receiving airplay and exposure from different DJs/reviewers, associated with different
genres. The album is such a diverse mix and it's great that tracks including 'Brand New Jesus', 'Goodnight
America', 'Icy Queue' ( Alt Rudey ), 'Recuerdo', 'Sun Over Simferopol', 'Line Central' and 'Last Year's Visitor' are all being
picked up on (and heard by) different audiences.
Shane Quentin recently included 'Nt Wrkng' on a mix for his cool
'Garden Of Earthly Delights' radio show and the even better news is that Dave will be recording a session for the show, due to
be broadcast on Friday 21st April. It's all about having the material heard so hopefully we can keep things ticking over
this month as we still try to plot a release date for the album.
The Garden session was recorded without too many hitches
and again the response has been very positive so far. What actually happened was that Shane, the Head Gardener built an excellent
66 minute mix around the four exclusive mixes that Dave provided. Be warned that this whole mix does include language of an
adult nature - if that does not offend, then you can listen to it online by clicking on the link you will find on our CDs/Records page.
January / February 2006
Sportive continues to receive much online and radio airplay - it pops up in some
very unexpected places! Although some of these plays are of the incomplete "demo" version, it is all good publicity and we
welcome it all. No other Dave Swain track has ever received so much exposure, so long may it continue throughout 2006! We
also thank all of you who have ordered the limited edition 7" 45 and the album. Remember that copies of the single and
advance copies of the complete CD album are available - just click here So, may 2006 be a kind year to all visitors and let us all hope that "Istvan Zsolt's Plane Ticket" can be distributed
in the coming months, with a minimum of fuss.
For those of you (like us) who are not used to reading such positive
things here, do not worry, there are still plenty of problems! Anyway, after a two month delay, the 12" LP version of the
album, which has been a series of headaches all in itself, is finally available. Well, we will keep the positive thinking
going...at least 'Sportive' continues receiving airplay (in some very bizarre places!) and other album tracks are starting
to get exposure - 'Media Monkey' has been played on 'On The Wire' (a genuine honour) and recently featured on 'The Sound Lab'
(Triple j Radio, Australia) - so let us all just hope February will be a kinder month. |
November / December 2005
The "demo" version of Sportive has certainly taken off online, you can download
it all over the place and it keeps popping up on pod casts all over the world.Very fitting, given the nature of the track,
but for those interested in hearing the complete track, order the 7" single from us while you still can! The whole response
to the airplay has been such a boost and helps to make up for all the struggles of the past four years. At last the album,
'Istvan Zsolt's Plane Ticket', has been sent for manufacture and, while the Christmas curse would make distribution impossible
before the new year, advance copies of the LP and CD should be available through this site from December ( again it is just
a case of keeping fingers crossed and trying to keep further disasters to a minimum )
Sportive continues to receive radio
airplay and positive reviews, so it has been a brighter ending to yet another bizarre year. Due to a problem at the printers
(typical!) the vinyl pressings of the LP have been delayed and will not be ready until almost the holidays. However, the CD
is NOW AVAILABLE, so order now!
September / October 2005
Well, what a difference a month can make. Having been badly let down by photographic
models ( Natalie Donnan etc. ) , continually for the past fourteen months, we have had to come up with a completely new idea
for the Sportive demo / single artwork. Doing battle with our failing printer, we were finally able to put together a couple
of demos. Thankfully, one of these copies was sent to Rob da Bank who recently played ' Sportive ' on his BBC Radio
1 show. The response since then has been very encouraging, so we thank One Music and all those who have been in contact. You
can download this demo version of the track from the One Music page, but the even better news is that the complete single
version has now been sent for pressing. This limited edition 7" will only be available via this website, as our efforts are
still concentrated on having this material heard and pushing on with the album, rather than losing more precious time trying
to distribute the single. So, now we just nervously wait and hope there will be no disasters with pressing process ( well
you know what our luck is like! ) but things have been going well so we must stay positive.
The continuing positive response to 'Sportive' really has taken us by surprise
but ( fingers crossed ) the single is now completed and available as a Limited edition 7" 45 - order now to avoid disappointment
folks!
All our efforts now are fully concentrated on preparing the complete album for manufacture and, even though it would
be very unlikely to have the album distributed before January 2006, it should be available through this site before
the end of the year. Just like the music itself, we are very much playing it by ear at this time.
July / August 2005
The BIG news is that all recording and mixing for the album has now, finally,
been completed and has been sent off for mastering. In truth, the hard work only starts here but after all the disasters of
the past couple of years this is still quite a milestone for us! Dave can take a tiny little break for the first time this
year before we must "mobilize" and try to push on with the next phase....well, we knew this wouldn't be easy, so we just hope
all efforts will be rewarded in the end. Ideally we would hope to make a single from this project too but we will just have
to see what time and finance dictates.... Anyway, after a few minor hiccups, the LP has been mastered. There are many more
mountains to be climbed but each tiny step counts as progress in our book! We can just hope for a month of better progress
now and hopefully some more concrete news to report very soon.
May / June 2005
We really are getting to the "business end" of things now. The album would appear
to be only three tracks shy of completion ( one in progress, two more to be negotiated ) and, despite the usual hiccups, we
can only hope that it will soon be ready for mastering. So, it looks like a busy Summer ahead, but after everything else that
has happened, what a relief it will be! Of course, we don't want to tempt fate of get ahead of ourselves here, let's just
hope the winds of change will blow kindly for us...
The good news is that ( at long last ) we are finally uploading sound files to the site. For
now, these are just mono WAV files which don't do full justice to the orignal recordings but they just serve as a rough guide.
For those of you unfamiliar with Dave's work, these files will just give you some idea of what to expect, so please keep checking
the CDs / Records page as we gradually upload these files. Of course things never go smoothly and we appreciate that, for some reason, these files
are slow to load - but they do play eventually! - so we hope they don't cause too much inconvenience for our visitors.
Anyway,
May was a good month of steady progress and we just hope that will continue to this month - the finished tracks continue to
mount up and completion of the whole project feels ever closer....we hope to have more definite news to report very soon.
March / April 2005
This year has been a bit of a grind so far but it is just a case of patience,
patience, patience. The body of work slowly grows and it's just a matter of time and effort before completion. Hard to believe
that this site has been up and staggering for three years now - aw, don't they grow up so quickly? ( er, well not in this
case, they don't!) We hope to have much better news to report here in the months ahead and also to make improvements to this
site - that just brings us back to patience... well, we'll all get there sooner or later, one way or another! Onwards...
So, as he finally overcome further technical problems, the "news" is slightly better - the
album really is taking shape now and Dave continues to work seven days a week, writing, recording, mixing.... It is all about
finding the correct last few pieces of the jigsaw. Effort, hard work, concentration and just a little luck is required but
it's getting there step by step. Apologies to all who have been waiting for replies to e-mails - we are catching up woth our
mail as best we can! Hopefully we will not be dogged by further problems and, more importantly, we hope to have much brighter
news to report in the coming months. Special thanks to all those who have shown their support - and patience!
January / February 2005
So, the start of a new year....and the work goes on... We reckon that over the
past four years Dave has completed enough work for about three albums, but ever the perfectionist....there is always more
to be done : more tracks to be started, completed, reworked, adapted. Progress is slow but steady at this time and it's just
about concentration and hoping for the best - well, you have your whole life to make your first album and that's very much
how Dave treats it. OK, 2005, here's hoping! More updates as and when they occur ( computer system permitting, of course )
November / December 2004
Sorry folks - a few computer problems are making updates a difficulty....and
on it goes....but it's really a case of 'as you were', with Dave trying to dodge the catastrophies and curses to progress
( even at such a slow pace. ) Talking of computers though, we do hope to give this site a facelift in the new year as we appreciate
it's a bit overdue. We hope to provide more of an update next month - computers and progress providing!
So as the winter weather takes a grip outside, another period of 'hibernation for creation' begins...truly a case of
"Wait until Spring, Bandini"...as ever, at this time, we would like to thank all visitors to this site, old and new, for your
interest and support. Hope it's a happy festive period for you all and let us all hope the album will finally be completed
in the new year! Keep your fingers crossed....;-)
September / October 2004
Another month passes by and still very little for us to report! In all truth
it seems unlikely that this work will be completed by the end of this calender year but Dave presses on, working on a vast
range of new tracks and ongoing 'works in progress'. The track 'Sportive' sounds like an ideal single to us but only time,
luck and budget will tell if such ideas are feasible, so let's concentrate on getting this whole project completed and then
see what may happen.... ( certainly a demo at very least )
Obviously it is apparent that the album will not be finished in this calender year but work
goes on and on. The new target is to have the complete album ready for mastering in January 2005 so we can finally bring the
curtain down on this sorry saga. So it looks like another Winter strategy of "hibernate to create" for Dave, which is no bad
thing.
At this point we must comment on the shocking news regarding the death of John Peel in Peru.
This is a terrible loss to the generations of us that musically grew up with the Radio 1 DJ and is certainly the end of a
long and illustrious era. His impact was truly immeasurable and we send our condolences to Sheila and all of the Peel family.
We are going to miss you Peely but we will never forget what you did for us. Rest in peace.
July / August 2004
Oh, Summertime and everyone's on their holidays...er, well not quite. This will
be a Summer of hard work and Dave continues to tackle all the tasks ahead. It's a very long and slow process sometimes but
it is all necessary to the cause. To be fair, much of the album has already been completed and is ready for mastering,
but there is still much more to be done, so Dave keeps his head down and gets on with things - and will continue to do so
until it is finally time for the fat lady to sing... OK, OK, so there is very little actual concrete news at this time. It
really is a case of juggling old recordings, new ideas and that endless list of other jobs to be done. Patience without laziness
is probably the key - so on with the struggle. Slowly, slowly the album takes some shape and that really is the main thing.
May / June 2004
Chris Hudec did an excellent job mastering the 'Insurmountables' project and
it is currently being pressed. This is always a nervous time, as we know ( from experience ) that many things can go wrong
at pressing plants...but hopefully this very limited edition 10" will be ready very soon. ( That's a 25 cm record to our European
visitors - what DO you call them?! ) As we wait for these pressings, Dave continues to work on prospective album tracks -
most notably 'Sportive', which is a very humorous "East meets West" track ( Thank you for all your good work blondie :-)))
) - very relevant at this time in particular. Progress on these tracks and the 'Insurmountables' release will be posted here
very shortly....we hope.
Indeed, with a minimum of fuss the pressings for 'Insurmoluntables' have arrived
and everyone is very happy with the end result! 8 instrumental, short and very varied tracks make this another interesting,
emotive project - and it's SO GOOD to be working with the superior sound quality of vinyl again. Very limited edition
but good for the soul - check out the details here!
March / April 2004
It bores us to write the same old bad news as much as it probably does for you
to keep reading it but there has been yet another technical setback. Audio CD burners always seem to burn themselves out after
8 or 9 months use - and this has happened yet again. Our tip to anyone wanting to buy such equipment is quite simple - make
sure you get an extended warranty. Dave has done just this and despite the extra expense, hopefully work will resume soon.
On a far more positive note, we really are looking into the possibility
of putting out a very limited 10" of instrumental works and hope to start compiling this as soon as the neccessary equipment
arrives. Already it seems like a very interesting body of work (very modern?) and we'll post regular updates here as this
project takes shape. Also, as this site hits it's second birthday we'd like to thank all our old and new visitors - our levels
of traffic may not be earth-shattering to most people but it has been a very pleasant shock to us! OK, let's all hang
in there and see what will happen in the coming months...
Actually, it has been a very fruitful start to Spring. The 'Insurmountables'
10" project looks like becoming a reality in the near future. As we wait for the material to arrive back from the mastering
studio in Canada, Dave continues to work on new material at a very encouraging rate. Tracks such as 'Sportive' are really
taking shape - also it is a relief to finally have 'Goodnight America' mixed - and that was no easy feat! Onward...
January / February 2004
As Dave works on and we wouldn't want to hope for too much
at this time of year, for fear of tempting another false dawn, let us quietly hope that the album will finally reach completion
during 2004. Work has progressed at a slow but steady pace, and long may it continue. Thus far, we haven't made very
much progress with the 'shopping cart' or with creating new sound files for this site, but those are more things to keep us
occupied over the coming year! We would at this time like to thank all of you out there for your patience and support. We
sincerely wish all our visitors a wonderful new year and may it bring you and us both much to be truly thankful for!
The most significant development during the start of this year has been the short
visit of German singer Nico Forster, who has added backing vocals to 'Goodnight America' as well as recording some voice samples
- this should all help Dave to keep busy during the months ahead. Nico is also a professional voice coach and has tried to
pass on some tips to Dave...well, fine in theory but we won't hold our breath waiting for the improvements! ;-)
November / December 2003
As this period of ' creative hibernation ' gets underway - i.e. cutting out as many distractions
as possible and finally being able to concentrate fully on the album work - there may not be too much news to report
over the coming monthes, but 'no news is good news '. We still have not been able to find any workable way of adding a shopping
cart to this site, but we continue to look into it. However, ' Heart of Europe ' has already become one of our best - selling
CD's and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have bought this title and especially thank you for
the very favourable response to it. All we can say is that we hope next year there will be more ( and even better? ) work
available...fingers crossed!
Another apology...we are very sorry that the 'Sum of the parts' files are no longer available
for download - this was beyond our control as 'Fighterguppy' radio removed them without even telling us ...as is always their
way.At least Dave's current stratedgy seems to be paying dividends, with tracks such as 'A woman and her dog' and, in particular,
'Goodnight America' really taking shape. Let's just hope this is not another false dawn and much more work will emerge to
counteract the freezing cold outside...
September / October 2003
If there is any 'silver lining' to the latest technical 'cloud' then perhaps it is that
Dave has had a chance to concentrate more on guitar work, rather than the more electronic / sound sampling work of late and
also to spend more time developing ideas that for one reason or another, have been dormant in recent times...still, it would
be nice to record some of these ideas, but hopefully that will be possible in the very near future. As far as this site is
concerned, we are looking into the possibility of setting up a shopping cart ( for all you milions, desperate to get your
hands on this material!! ) so we hope to have that up and running soon - if not, people can still mail us for quotes, best
prices etc. or use PayPal secure online payments.
The D1600 has returned and, despite having it's "guts" ripped out, much to the relief of
all - the existing work IS still intact...phew! These are still times of too much distraction and too little progress, but
Dave is already planning to hide himself away over the Winter monthes ( even more than usual ) and hibernate to create. Seems
unlikely that any work will be released this year, but perhaps a brighter start to the new year could help signal a brighter
future
July / August 2003
Travel broadens the mind...it also helps give inspiration and ideas for an 'artist',
especially one who also thrives on collecting new field recordings. Dave has just returned from a well-earned break in
Italy, collecting recordings, ideas, recharging the batteries and generally taking inspiration from the new sights, surroundings
and, in particular, the new faces...
Yes, we hope the summer will be a very productive time with much progress - the start has
been ideal and has provided an extra dimension to the works and ideas that have already been in a formative state...inspiration,
rather than distraction, is such a welcome change of fortune! ...BUT...It will come as no surprise to regular visitors of
this site, to learn that there have been yet more technical problems. A suspected 'internal fuse' problem with the D1600 has
yet again put plans on hold. Awaiting repair, our only hope is that all the material stored on it will not be lost...to lose
all this material twice in 10 monthes just isn't worth thinking about...oops...evryone just tries to stay calm...and breathe
VERYdeeply
May / June 2003
As ever, so it seems, these are testing times, but at least with the release of 'Heart of
Europe' the focus is now firmly on moving forward. Material, ideas and various projects which will all hopefully help towards
the goal of completing the album project continue to grow and as they change, so we must change with them ...looks like a
long Summer ahead of us! We have been surprised by the wholly favourable response to 'Heart of Europe' and
would like to take this opportunity to all those who have offered their support and positive feedback, as it really does mean
a lot...THANK YOU!!! If you haven't heard this work yet, check out the Gaz 'zine reviews section!
March / April 2003
Although certain tracks have been completed for the album, the demise of the old master
recorder has left a lot of work in the ' is it or is it not?! ' file, so the thought of documenting some of this material
as it exists, is more than a possibility. A potential mini-LP's worth of material has been sent to the mastering studio, so
we await the results to see if they may be up to scratch, like some sort of half term report....We already know the words
" could do better " are emblazened on it, but it could be a helpful pointer to us - and to the listener. Despite the expense,
we are also looking into options for making a very limited run of vinyl pressings, as it has been so long since we had a chance
to produce anything in this superior format! We'll let you know about our findings...
Despite a few delays and other 'problems' the material has finally been satisfactorily mastered,
so these are mixed times - recording the new and documenting the old. The mini-album has finally mareialized! It was unfeasible
to make a vinyl version, but these funds are set aside for future use...there WILL be vinyl this year!! The mini-album 'Heart
of Europe' is an intriguing journey - from warmth of 'Giada' to some very strange and dark places- from acoustic to electronic
and 'noise'. Not sure where or what the Heart of Europe it is, but it must be full of mystery! Check out the details here
January / February 2003
The festive season is finally over and hopefully the hitches that came with it, will pass
as quickly! Yet more equipment problems have made for a far from perfect start to the year, but hopefully the whole new 'studio'
set-up will be in place and this long period of creative hibernation can soon come to an end. Material has been saved and
there are always new ideas to develop and work on, so it's just a matter of taking a deep breath and trying to get everything
back on track. Hope we will have some PROPER news to report very soon. At least the mixes of the much worked on track
have been completed and saved, even if the track will need to be started over from scratch again. Also, the Korg D1600 has
arrived, so now is about learning how to get the best results from it so that progress can finally recommence! The upgrade
in standard, as well as the move up to 16 tracks, has also meant a re-evaluation of the work already completed ( and
uncompleted ) and the idea of putting out a mini - LP as a marker and a means to clearing up some of this material is already
begining to take shape...money, time and progress will determine how best this might be done!
November / December 2002
True to form, our 'pallandromic anniversary year' ends as it began - with technical failure and that ' what
can possibly go wrong now? ' feeling -the whole scenario has deteriorated into a Franz Kafka novel! Dave's hard disk recorder
needs to be replaced, along with other vital equipment - that would be bad enough, but having spent well over a month working
on one ( rather special ) new track, which requires three seperate mixes, the master recorder needs to be rested for three
days at a time to enable just a single attempt at mixing the track. No overdubs or re-workings are possible - it is
simply a matter of trying to get the right mix out of the track as it exists. What should take an afternoon to complete, is
taking literally weeks...turning into monthes...oh boy... If there are any religious people out there, please say a prayer
- we will gladly accept divine intervention from any available deities!!! Thankfully 'Sum of the parts' has received only
positive feedback and the folks at Fighterguppy radio have gone crazy about it....still... Roll on 2003 ;-)
September / October 2002
So the Winnie Storms / Dave Swain collaboration 'Sum of the parts' ( see CDs / Records ) has materialized without too many hitches, and will hopefully serve as a catalyst for a more creative end to
the year! The fastest project in our history? Definitely! So back to the album... getting slowly back into the swing of things,
or some kind of routine, it is taking some kind of obscure shape, but much hard work ahead... and always more options to be
considered.
July / August 2002
A chance meeting with U.S. poet and singer Winnie Storms, in West London, has resulted in some very interesting
collaboration! Apart from adding vocals to the track 'Murmur mermaid' ( working title ) some other possible projects may also
be taking shape - just what everyone needed...Another project to worry about! Interesting though...watch this space...
Other than that, armed with new keyboard and other equipment, the LP material gradually builds - after the many
setbacks this year, even the slowest and smallest progress is very welcome.
May / June 2002
Having struggled through many technical problems, and replacement of equipment, the album is finally starting
to take shape. Being composer, arranger, multi-'un'instrumentalist, vocalist, engineer and producer all at once, is not Dave's
idea of fun, but he carries on regardless of the problems, in his UK hideaway! Dave would like to take time to thank all those
people who have offered support and assistance, through this site and elsewhere, during this rather rough patch! You know
who you are, and you are appreciated.
March / April 2002
It's been a long, painful process, but finally 'All you never needed to know' is completed. This was meant to
be the easiest part! This unreleased CD is a clearing up of the archives, containing many previously unheard demos, experiments,
work tapes etc. 12 years of home recordings - and it felt like it took that long to finish! Hitch after hitch, but at least
it is done. Further problems have arisen, such as technical failure of equipment etc. Still, on with this project... even
if it kills us! Stage One is now completed.
January / February 2002
Having spent the past sixteen months or so, buying up affordable home recording equipment ( that makes the Black
Ark studio look like Abbey road ) Dave is currently working full-time on his first full length LP - completely self-funded.
Back to his roots, you might say.
Early experiments formed the 'Work nearing progress' CD single ( G.I. 05 ) and other out takes and 'mops' can
be found on the 'All you never needed to know' compilation. This is a good place to start for those of you unfamiliar or unsure
of the material !
The early signs are that this project will be an intriguing mix of semi-acoustic songs, spoof keyboard soundtracks,
field-recording loops/samples, children's toy instruments, home-made percussion and much, much more! Never one to make life
any easier for himself, Dave still refuses to use any computers. The way he sees it, human error is a crucial, but all too
often overlooked, element of music and it's production. Sound like an excuse? Of course it is, but not a bad one really.
More updates will be posted here, as and when they happen.
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