Busted...apparently...

So someone at work discovered my blog via my email and a running joke has drifted around the office over the christmas song. It doesn't bother me too much, but saddens me that I haven't updated for almost a year, and haven't played piano much for ages either. I am not doing lessons anymore. I guess the depressing world of the public service has won over.

I'll get back into it one day soon, I am sure.

Hi Work people!

I am still here...

In fact, I am probably doing more than ever. Writing lots of songs in both the ballady and post rocky electronic spaces. I originally came here to try and keep track of progression of songs and development, but its just a time thing. Time on the piano is rare and I suppose its better spent playing than writing about playing.

I might try and get some of the songs up, but we'll see.

Trying to work in a few different places - continuing to write the KPTB style songs but also trying to work up my speed and reading and inversions and progressions and such.

I hit a point where some of my songs need guitar, but guitarists seem to all be unreliable pricks by nature. I am currently investigating Ableton as a looper to allow me to perform solo. We'll see..

It hasn't been a hugely productive January. Have a few years banging around. I'd really like to get past the first two bars of 'Karma Police' That power is in my hands.

Went to the National Museum today. Ended up walking past the theatre just as a show was starting...a musical satire of 'the howard years' that went for about an hour. It was good - the best was 'there's never been a leader called kevin'. The guy was really good at piano. Maybe he wasn't even that good, but he was good enough that he could just play songs and impress you. It made me feel bad almost.

I could practice a lot more, I suppose. I really should. I want to just be 'good enough for me' - that has always been my goal, but what does that mean? Like I am really proud of my CD, but half of that was either sequenced, or sped up or retouched. And all the songs I've learnt to play in the past...even my own...I haven;t really committed them to memory...and I haven't become disciplined enough to sight read yet.

Anyways, my goal now I think for a while is to play some old timey stuff - learn the types of chords and progressions to get that vibe.

All of your presents are in my house...all of your dinner is in mymouth...

Far too long, yet again, but for once I am truly proud of what I have achieved.

Some weeks ago I set myself the goal of having a CD of my music complete by Christmas. Its been a hard and long ride...too hard to even stop and blog about, but I've done it. 9 Tracks coming in at around 40 minutes. Some are tighter than others and perhaps a little better, but that's OK.

I suppose a lot of this has been more of an exercise in editing and fixing and ideas than real piano playing, at least in the later stages, but that comes with the territory.

So here is kevinplaystheblues:cloudedmelody



Intro Song.

Anthony & Alf.

Insensibility - Stupor VS Coma.

Clouded Melody for the Ocean.

Clouded Melody for Microelectronics.

Forest Feet.

Ballad for an Australian Vampire.

You're Top 12.

Ok, so maybe ambient isn't the best way to describe this stuff after all, Warwick.

Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without a finally mixed and mastered version of my Christmas single going up as well!



So there you have it!

Now of course I need some ideas for the new year...maybe work on being actually able to play this stuff live?

Guess who's coming soon?

Pretty busy here and there. The band is taking up a fair bit of my time, but I have been working on a few things:

This is a little pop thing I came up with. Needs a lot more work. I've got some lyrics, but I doubt its something I'll run with.

This is a little jazz thing I came up with. Did the lead first and then tried to figure out chords. Paul has helped me with a more appropriate progression, and I'll work on that this weekend.

This is just me double tracking a fuck around on my synth. I like some bits there. Its pretty grating, but I should work on this to play live.

Finally Thelonius Monk's 'Blue Monk'. Only worked out the first bit, and then solo'd over it. I need to work it out in full, but I quite like some of my soloing here.

Kevin's Gonna Ruin Christmas!

Ok, so tonight I was talking to the missus on the phone and I started singing her a song as I played the piano. I am a pretty bad singer at the best of times, and tonight I was told that I sounded like a villain in an xmas film. So I ended up with this.

Haha.

It kind of reminds me of The Streets playing Elton John's Your Song. Cept I am not that good.

Month?

Wow. Almost a month. That's quite inexcusable, I suppose. The new band has been taking up a bit of my time, I suppose.

Still, I haven't totally neglected the playing. While I haven't been composing much, still working on covers a bit. As part of my lessons I have been working on Miles Davis'.
All Blues. Without going into it too much, here's something I sequenced in and did a bit of soloing/arranging on. Nothing too elaborate, but a bit of fun. I tried playing some of this organ stuff on non-weighted keys. I am trying to get back into that style of playing to at least some extent. Also, the finishing drums were played entirely by me. Can't say the same for the ones during the song. Ha.

What else? Tascam finally released the drivers for my recorder! That means I am actually able to record things on my computer. This is good. I've also got the right amount of midi ports now, so I can play in and out of all of my instruments without re-rigging. Getting a bit more out of the synth now, which is nice. Talking to this guy I met about a synth band, too. Could be interesting. I wish I still had that moog. :(