ambient

I think Bandcamp is fantastic for releasing music through. I release through my own label on there, and also release stuff through a few other small labels; who as well as having websites also use Bandcamp. I suppose it can be disheartening to work realky hard on something and for it not to be hugely commercially successful; but is that why you do it? Another thing with Bandcamp is it’s a shop window. I’ve got some nice gigs through people finding my stuff on there, I’ve also got music in the British library’s national sound archive through there. I’m kind of straddling two different paths, I produce ambient music myself using a variety of instrumentation, that sells ok, and I get to play at some really cool places; I played in Amsterdam the other month which was brilliant. I’ve got radio play coming up soon on the BBC through an album I had a track on. I’m also currently putting together tracks for another programme. I won’t get paid for that play though, it’ll cost me more to join PRS than I’d get back. I also do weirder electroacoustic stuff. That’s a different audience altogether, I’ve just today been approached by a Canadian DJ wanting to play my EA stuff on his show, again I won’t get paid for that. Though I always ensure that I’m credited for any plays I get. I don’t personally believe that I’m part of the ‘music business’, I create music, I play music, if people choose to buy it then that’s great.

That's the annoying problem with playing a 6, or indeed a 7 string bass; lack of string choice if you want to use something other than round wound.

I guess heavy is quite relative term though?

I remember reading a short while ago about the guy who designed the Steinberger bass. He came up with the minimalist design but wasn't happy about the sound; he felt that it lacked sonic depth and I guess 'bassiness'. He noticed that the sound improved when his design was clamped to the workbench, which he put down to the increase in the mass. Consequently he came up with the idea of using carbon fibre, which is denser than wood, and gave an improved sound.

I've never heard of that, I'll be sure to check that out. One the great things doing this is discovering what other people have done; either musically or in books. Thanks for listening :)

Thanks for listening. It’s probably the first piece for my PhD portfolio. The title of the track is the title of my PhD; Connecting Places to Sound. Beneath the sound of the traffic in most cities is a wonderful musicality, whether it’s birds singing, church bells, bicycle bells, we tend to ignore it though. I mostly used GRM plugins, the sounds themselves were recorded on a little Zoom H2N recorder. The classical music is some buskers sat by the Rijksmuseum.

An electroacoustic piece. There's no instrumentation at all here; it's all just sounds that I recorded during a recent visit to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. I did a gig there, and spent most of the three days wondering around the museums; specifically the Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk, and recording in the streets and around the canals. https://m.soundcloud.com/user-987830578/connecting-places-to-sound-one-amsterdam

You can download them yes. Click on the 3 dots at the side of the video, that should give you the option to download. I've attached a photo of one of mine.

I'm usually asleep when I have a nightmare.

The Make Noise 0-Coast is an excellent foray into the world of the analogue synth.

http://www.synergydistribution.co.uk/Welcome.html

I had fantastic service from Alan at Synergy last year when my PJB Double 4 broke down.

Sony MDR 7506, I just got a pair. they have very long curly cable. Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro also have a long cable.

I'd recommend the Lehle pedals. They work differently from normal ones. I've owned a couple of the Dunlop ones and found them to be quite noisy.

I was at uni with an Italian guy who was aghast the first time he witnessed someone making a cup of instant coffee.

You mean he doesn't like the cheese and pineapple or cold greasy sausages on cocktail sticks.