Happy recording times
14/05/12 23:47 Filed under: New Music
The new album is very much happening and I am so excited to finally get some recordings down for it. Last weekend I went down to London's Premises studios with Laura (my amazing voice for this project) and fellow composer and Bigo & Twigetti labelmate Jim Perkins to get the vocal and keyboard tracks done.
I didn't manage to get any photos of Laura in action because I was too busy squealing with excitement at how amazing everything was sounding. She did such an incredible job, it almost pains me to make you wait to hear the results. I did, however, manage to get some photos of the delicious vintage keyboards I borrowed for the weekend. Total keyboard porn.
I didn't manage to get any photos of Laura in action because I was too busy squealing with excitement at how amazing everything was sounding. She did such an incredible job, it almost pains me to make you wait to hear the results. I did, however, manage to get some photos of the delicious vintage keyboards I borrowed for the weekend. Total keyboard porn.
I got the Rhodes stage 88 and the Wurly EP200 from Matt Snowball backline hire, whose service I can highly recommend. Totally helpful and reliable, and the high quality vintage kit seems to be lovingly maintained. Needless to say, I now need a Wurly in my life; if only to soothe myself to sleep each night with some gentle buttery chords.
A few days prior to these sessions, I was at Kool World studios in Luton with George Hinchcliffe (of 'Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain' fame), recording material for his new album (which I am producing). He brought along what I can only describe as an abundance of ukuleles:
This little one, in particular, summons up strange maternal instincts within me when I hold it...
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Verklempt
23/04/12 23:29 Filed under: Gigs
I had such a lovely night at the National Portrait Gallery; it was the last London performance of my Feather Hammer show with Matthew Greasley and I must admit I was feeling a bit emotional by the end of it. The place was simply packed with beautiful people and wonderful artworks, I felt so blessed to be in the room and allowed to make such a racket. As I said to everyone on the night, my heart is full.
We were told by the NPG staff that we weren't allowed to take pictures in the space, but here are some sneaky ones taken by some audience members before they got told off for doing so.
Sound check (photo by Liz Tray)
During the show, taken by Sam Grinsell before getting scolded
From the front row (photo by Charlotte Noon)
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We were told by the NPG staff that we weren't allowed to take pictures in the space, but here are some sneaky ones taken by some audience members before they got told off for doing so.
Sound check (photo by Liz Tray)
During the show, taken by Sam Grinsell before getting scolded
From the front row (photo by Charlotte Noon)
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My next album (can't say much about it yet, except this)
I want to play with a very specific sound world for this one: breathy dream-pop, tiny detuned autoharp strings, warm gooey vintage keyboards (Rhodes and Wurly), body percussion, cellos. The text comes from a collection of (slightly poetic and/or poignant) spam emails I've received over the last 15 years.
Recording scheduled for May!
I'm too excited!
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Proud moment
Had a proud moment today when I received my copy of Pam Burnard's new book "Musical Creativities in Practice", and laid my eyes on the wonderful cover art by my good friend Kristian Purcell:
... and an extra proud moment to see myself featured inside!
Huge congrats to Pam, it's a fascinating and timely book - I am extremely honoured to have been involved. If you're interested, you can purchase a copy from Amazon, or directly from Oxford University Press.
Here's the lovely lady herself, talking about her research (she even talks a little bit about me at around 3 mins in. Also, notice the soundtrack used is "Core" from Feather Hammer thrown in for good measure! So chuffed!)
CUBO on Deep Bleep
14/03/12 18:16 Filed under: New Music
Check out this mix by Brazilian producer CUBO for Deepbleep.com - the last track (at 32.11) is a collaboration with Cubo and Ana Eliza Colomar that uses some takes from Feather Hammer's 'The Waiting'. I think it's just lovely.
If you can understand Portugese, check out a short interview from the man himself over on deepbleep.com.br
If you can understand Portugese, check out a short interview from the man himself over on deepbleep.com.br
00:00 | DIGIGARDEN (with Panais Bouki) – Chronos 01 | 2008
03:12 | PABX (with Estevan Sinkovitz) – Chuva [remix] | 2009
06:25 | CUBO – K7 Demagnetizer: It’s A Fine Day In The Hidden Place [mashup] | 2011
09:30 | NEUTRA (with Fernando de França) – Under Empty Places | 1998
13:15 | THE LAPTOP BOYS (with Panais Bouki) – “Wonder”, to Claudia Wonder [demo] | 2006
14:18 | CUBO – Cry feat. Dot Allison [remix] | 2008
17:40 | CUBO – Copal: Sétimo Sonho (with Astrid Hage and Gabriel Levy) [demo] | 2009
19:35 | CUBO – K7 Demagnetizer: Intro + Rolling In The Time [mashup] | 2011
23:06 | VISAVIS (with Panais Bouki) – Despedida | 2004
25:37 | PABX (with Estevan Sinkovitz) – Rádio [remix] | 2010
29:05 | VISAVIS (with Panais Bouki) – Degradê | 2005
32:11 | CUBO – Copal: Dia (with Leah Kardos and Ana Eliza Colomar) [demo] | 2009
And while you're listening to the mix, you really should feast your eyes on this wonderful art book that accompanies the project:
SEQUENCE3
02/03/12 16:04 Filed under: New Music
I am so very happy to be included on their latest release SEQUENCE3. It features a never-been-heard-before alternate version of DFACE (Practice This Video) from Feather Hammer.
Click here, or the gorgeous cover art to the right, to stream or download the whole 39 track release, it's beautiful. Or click below to hear my contribution.
Photos by Jez Brown
01/03/12 20:09 Filed under: News
Last week I had the honour of being snapped by super talented photographer Jez Brown, with my hair having been tousled by Sarah Dunn (Sarah's Doo Wop Dos), wearing some fabulous clothes from Rose-Tinted Vintage.
Jez and Sarah usually work together creating amazing pin-up and retro styled shoots; when I came to them asking for something "composery", despite not really knowing what I even meant by that, they had loads of great ideas and somehow managed to make me look like a classy lady. I'm so impressed with the results! Anyone out there who needs some photos taken for whatever purpose, you can't go wrong with these guys.
Check out some of the results below, and a few more on the updated photos page. x
Jez Brown Photography
Sarah's Doo Wop Dos
Rose-Tinted Vintage, Bedford
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Jez and Sarah usually work together creating amazing pin-up and retro styled shoots; when I came to them asking for something "composery", despite not really knowing what I even meant by that, they had loads of great ideas and somehow managed to make me look like a classy lady. I'm so impressed with the results! Anyone out there who needs some photos taken for whatever purpose, you can't go wrong with these guys.
Check out some of the results below, and a few more on the updated photos page. x
Jez Brown Photography
Sarah's Doo Wop Dos
Rose-Tinted Vintage, Bedford
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Review and Interview with Headphone Commute
28/02/12 20:35 Filed under: News
Here's a wonderful review of Feather Hammer by Headphone Commute. I was blown away by this bit:
And here's an interview I did with them, too. Yay!
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"...Feather Hammer is an album that I wish I made. And that’s pretty much the highest praise I can give to any album. Period."
And here's an interview I did with them, too. Yay!
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"Composing the Curriculum" Symposium & Workshop at Cambridge University, 17th March 2012
I'm going to be presenting at this symposium at the Faculty of Education in Cambridge on Saturday, March 17. 
With help from friend and teaching colleague Mike Watkinson, who will be leading the creative workshop, I will be sharing and talking about some original music made by my students enrolled on level 3 and 4 vocational music technology courses at Bedford College. I'll be focussing on how technology can make sound and music worlds accessible to students whom have received little former musical training. I want to discuss various strategies in using technology to bridge the knowledge and confidence gaps that exist between composition students that are more and less experienced with music theory and performance.
Do you find that sort of thing interesting? Come along! I've been told the event is very much 'open'.
Click here for details on how to book your place.
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With help from friend and teaching colleague Mike Watkinson, who will be leading the creative workshop, I will be sharing and talking about some original music made by my students enrolled on level 3 and 4 vocational music technology courses at Bedford College. I'll be focussing on how technology can make sound and music worlds accessible to students whom have received little former musical training. I want to discuss various strategies in using technology to bridge the knowledge and confidence gaps that exist between composition students that are more and less experienced with music theory and performance.
Do you find that sort of thing interesting? Come along! I've been told the event is very much 'open'.
Click here for details on how to book your place.
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National Portrait Gallery, 20th April 2012
23/02/12 13:14 Filed under: Gigs
RSVP HERE
Ok I'm really excited about this one! It's happening on my 33rd birthday*!
Once again I'm going to be performing with amazing video artist Matthew Greasley, and we'll be changing up the set, throwing in a few new additions. Best bit, it's free! Head over to the Facebook event page and RSVP, and pencil it in your diaries. :)
*I was born on the 21st, but it will be my birthday in Australia, where I was born, so that counts right?
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I Care If You Listen: Hanging Out With Leah Kardos At Steinway Hall | Hang #2
21/02/12 01:01 Filed under: Stuff
While in New York City last week, I had the great pleasure of finally meeting up with long time twitter friend and fellow composer Thomas Deneuville, who runs the great new music blog I Care If You Listen (which you should all check out immediately, by the way).
We got to hang out together at the gorgeous Steinway Hall, in the Henry Z Steinway recital room. He asked me a few questions and I performed a slightly ropey improv around the themes from Feather Hammer's Katerina on a piano probably worth more than my house. Check out the video below.
We got to hang out together at the gorgeous Steinway Hall, in the Henry Z Steinway recital room. He asked me a few questions and I performed a slightly ropey improv around the themes from Feather Hammer's Katerina on a piano probably worth more than my house. Check out the video below.
Video + Editing + French accent: Thomas Deneuville
Opening animation: Daniel Thompson at DTWebart (http://www.dtwebart.com)
© 2012 I Care if You Listen
Stuff from Shhh! Festival show
21/02/12 00:43 Filed under: Gigs
Some photos from the Shhh! Festival performance with Matthew Greasley from earlier in the month, taken by the lovely Magda Wrzeszcz (click here to see more photos and larger versions and you should also check out her amazing blog while you're at it):
And here's a video (a bootleg! I've always wanted to say that!) shot by Charlotte Noon, in which I try and manage/remember all the bits flying around in Repeater, and occasionally stand about looking confused.
Sonic Fascination
21/02/12 00:29 Filed under: Fangirl
A while back I was honoured to be asked by my record label (Bigo & Twigetti) to come up with a playlist for February. It features a selection of pop, experimental and classical composers stepping over genre boundaries and borrowing from each other. It's also a celebration of studio composition; where the sonic elements, like timbre, texture and ambience, communicate ideas just as effectively as words, notes, harmonies and rhythms do. Have a close listen, be fascinated and enjoy.
Click here to listen to it via 8 tracks
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Click here to listen to it via 8 tracks
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Rumour Cubes Album Launch 18.2.12
17/01/12 21:14 Filed under: Gigs
This info was taken from the Rumour Cubes' Facebook event page:
"We've just finished our album! It's called The Narrow State, and we're quite chuffed with it! It's not getting released til the 27th February 2012 (you can pre-order from http://rumourcubes.bandcamp.com/) but we're far too impatient to wait til then to play some of it live!
We will be supported by the simply wonderful Leah Kardos with second support to be confirmed: with free entry and a lovely venue, this is pretty much guaranteed be a great night! Hope to see you there!"
Saturday 18th February @ The Horatia, 98-102 Holloway Rd, N7 8JE
Doors: 7.00pm
Entry: FREE
Click here to RSVP
These guys are one of my favourite new bands at the moment. You should do yourself a favour and grab their EP from bandcamp, it's a free download and it's excellent. Also, check out this track from the forthcoming release 'The Narrow State', I just love it:
The Gove Curve by Rumour Cubes
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Happy New Year
14/01/12 14:52 Filed under: Personal
Apologies for the slightly late "Happy New Year" message, I've been caught up in various states of marking, hustling, writing and being hungover. And now I finally find a day to myself to update this site (notice the new "shows" link up there? Seems I might be doing a few of them over the coming months, so do check back often for updates if you're interested in that sort of thing) and take a moment to pause and reflect on 2011, what was a pretty intense year.
Anyone who knows me personally, or follows me on twitter or Facebook, might have noticed that I worked my butt off last year (larger projects of note including the David Bowie tribute EP 'You Can't Hide Beat', the feature length soundtrack for 'Attack of the Herbals' and of course Feather Hammer), and those people also might be aware that towards the end of 2011 I had a bit of personal upheaval, breaking up with my partner of nearly 9 years and moving out of my home. It's been a very weird experience, going through all that emotional muck whilst at the same time Feather Hammer was taking off and so many good things were happening for me, music-wise. Now at the start of 2012, it feels like life has stabilised a little bit and more than anything I want to keep the productivity level up because there's so many things I want to do! A full length acapella vocal album! Finish the dang string quartet! More piano things! Looping saxophones! A polyphonic/polyrhythmic purely electronic math-rock monstrosity! More performances! And, it seems, I want to collaborate with every interesting person that I meet. I'm set for a busy time.
Speaking of busy, it's been suggested that I try and aim to have my PhD finished and submitted by early summer. I'm going to give it a shot, even though the mere thought of all that writing up, on top of everything else I want to be doing, gives me the fear. I know I've been stalling a bit, I always have this idea that my portfolio will be "complete" once my latest crazy musical ideas are done, but people are telling me I have enough music now to write the thing up and be finished with it. Part of me will really miss being a PhD student, in the sense that it's a very convenient excuse to indulge in some intellectual wankery now and then. That, and I'll sorely miss my mentors, and being able to run to them in my frequent moments of doubt.
So, in summary, 2011 was indeed the best of times and the worst of times; I got a lot of stuff done, at the expense of lost sleep and personal relationships, but I am excited and optimistic about what 2012 holds in store. I hope you are, too. x
******
P.S. - In the next few weeks I will be moving back in my Bedford house to prepare it for sale. Anyone out there looking to buy a quaint 3-bed end of terrace in the Castle Rd area of Bedford? (worth a shot)
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Anyone who knows me personally, or follows me on twitter or Facebook, might have noticed that I worked my butt off last year (larger projects of note including the David Bowie tribute EP 'You Can't Hide Beat', the feature length soundtrack for 'Attack of the Herbals' and of course Feather Hammer), and those people also might be aware that towards the end of 2011 I had a bit of personal upheaval, breaking up with my partner of nearly 9 years and moving out of my home. It's been a very weird experience, going through all that emotional muck whilst at the same time Feather Hammer was taking off and so many good things were happening for me, music-wise. Now at the start of 2012, it feels like life has stabilised a little bit and more than anything I want to keep the productivity level up because there's so many things I want to do! A full length acapella vocal album! Finish the dang string quartet! More piano things! Looping saxophones! A polyphonic/polyrhythmic purely electronic math-rock monstrosity! More performances! And, it seems, I want to collaborate with every interesting person that I meet. I'm set for a busy time.
Speaking of busy, it's been suggested that I try and aim to have my PhD finished and submitted by early summer. I'm going to give it a shot, even though the mere thought of all that writing up, on top of everything else I want to be doing, gives me the fear. I know I've been stalling a bit, I always have this idea that my portfolio will be "complete" once my latest crazy musical ideas are done, but people are telling me I have enough music now to write the thing up and be finished with it. Part of me will really miss being a PhD student, in the sense that it's a very convenient excuse to indulge in some intellectual wankery now and then. That, and I'll sorely miss my mentors, and being able to run to them in my frequent moments of doubt.
So, in summary, 2011 was indeed the best of times and the worst of times; I got a lot of stuff done, at the expense of lost sleep and personal relationships, but I am excited and optimistic about what 2012 holds in store. I hope you are, too. x
******
P.S. - In the next few weeks I will be moving back in my Bedford house to prepare it for sale. Anyone out there looking to buy a quaint 3-bed end of terrace in the Castle Rd area of Bedford? (worth a shot)
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The Local presents Shhh! - A celebration of quiet music, art and film
14/01/12 02:29 Filed under: Gigs
Shhh – A celebration of quiet music, art and film
Saturday, February 4 The Gallery Cafe – Bethnall Green, London E2
RSVP via Facebook | Buy Tickets
from The Line of Best Fit:
For the third year running The Local and The Line Of Best Fit are teaming up to present Shhh – an all day celebration of quiet music, art and film. Moving from our regular North London home of Cecil Sharp House to the more intimate surroundings of The Gallery Cafe in East London’s Bethnall Green, this year sees performances from Tiny Ruins, Tom Rogerson (Three Trapped Tigers), Mirel Wagner and the debut UK performance from Swedish troubadour The Tarantula Waltz.
Other acts include Felix, The Singing Adams, Anna Meredith, Rob St John, Leah Kardos, Hyperpotamus, Dog Ears, Fierce And The Dead, Alex Haynes, Stranded Horse and Our Feathered Embers.
In addition to this fabulous lineup, other attractions include a screening of a new film about David Thomas Broughton, plus various acts soundtracking silent movies by the artist Luke Drozd and an arts and music stall.
A limited number of early bird tickets are on sale now priced at £7.50. The event will take place on Saturday, February 4 at The Gallery Cafe which is located on 21 Old Ford Rd, London E2 9PL.
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I feel completely honoured to be sharing a bill with such an amazing line up! Like the premiere, I'll be working with video artist Matt Greasley again to present the music from Feather Hammer, and I think we might be performing our set from a little cinema space in the venue. Can't wait!
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Another review round-up
13/01/12 02:26 Filed under: News
And still Feather Hammer is out there doing it's thing, finding its way into people's earholes and hearts. Here's some snippets from some of my favourite new reviews and mentions:
Amazing, right!? I continue to be floored by the response I've received since releasing Feather Hammer - to know people are out there listening it on their ipods or in their homes and enjoying/engaging with the sounds I made in my little bedroom studio is the best feeling ever. I can't imagine what could top that, maybe sitting in RAH listening to a symphony orchestra blow your face off with your own chord, but I'm a long ways off that ever happening. In addition to those awesome reviews and mentions, I also had the extreme honour of being included in some best of 2011/year end lists, mixtapes and podcasts. Click on the links to check them out; I definitely recommend downloading the mixes, there's so much great music out there to discover.
Headphone Commute’s Best of 2011 : Music For The Frosty Night When I Miss Your Warm Light
New Weird Australia's Releases Of The Year 2011
I Care If You Listen - Winter 2011 Mixtape
Chris McGovern/The Glass - My Year-End Picks for 2011
DFACE (Practice This Video) - Beautiful Song Of The Week (19/12/2011)
Headphone Commute/Ambientblog.org - PvC "stillness" podcast
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- Echoes and Dust"If I had to pick only one word to describe this self-released debut album, it would have to be ‘captivating’. When I signed up for reviewing it, I was warned it’s going to be ‘a bit weird and tricky’. It turned out to be my own musical Rescue Remedy... "
- Devin Hurd / HurdAudio"And yet for all its post processing and carefully crafted grooves and textures there emerges this amazingly heavy lightness to the whole recording. The craft and the ideas in this music run deep without overwhelming the sound. It's a startling quality and it's one that invites multiple listening to an expression that explores new directions in studio composition."
- Peter van Cooten / Ambientblog.net"It's obvious that the piano is the center instrument on this album, but it's the use of recording techniques and special recording effects that really make the difference."... "If it sounds fragile or unstable, that only underlines the solid quality of these compositions. I guess that's what makes this album such a pleasant surprise to listen to."
- Dick Mac (alive!) 2011 - The Year In Review"Engagingly listenable and attention-worthy, the cuts also work as ambient sound that tickle the brain when you don't even know the sound is there. Hardly invisible, each track is intricate and dynamic, reminiscent of David Bowie's "Low" album."
Amazing, right!? I continue to be floored by the response I've received since releasing Feather Hammer - to know people are out there listening it on their ipods or in their homes and enjoying/engaging with the sounds I made in my little bedroom studio is the best feeling ever. I can't imagine what could top that, maybe sitting in RAH listening to a symphony orchestra blow your face off with your own chord, but I'm a long ways off that ever happening. In addition to those awesome reviews and mentions, I also had the extreme honour of being included in some best of 2011/year end lists, mixtapes and podcasts. Click on the links to check them out; I definitely recommend downloading the mixes, there's so much great music out there to discover.
Headphone Commute’s Best of 2011 : Music For The Frosty Night When I Miss Your Warm Light
New Weird Australia's Releases Of The Year 2011
I Care If You Listen - Winter 2011 Mixtape
Chris McGovern/The Glass - My Year-End Picks for 2011
DFACE (Practice This Video) - Beautiful Song Of The Week (19/12/2011)
Headphone Commute/Ambientblog.org - PvC "stillness" podcast
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Feather Hammer now available in hi def
16/12/11 23:28 Filed under: News
Click here to go to my artist page on Linn Records. Click here to check out some other great Bigo & Twigetti releases.
Obviously it's also available through Bigo & Twigetti's bandcamp, as well as on iTunes, eMusic and Amazon as a normal download. You can even stream and purchase it through spotify! Never let it be said that I didn't provide you with options.
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Photos from the premiere
30/11/11 23:09 Filed under: Gigs
The gig happened! We sold out of tickets! It was a wonderful night! Phew!
Here are some photos from the event, taken by Justin Hannaford.
www.justinhannaford.com (the whole photo set can be found on Justin's website, if you're feeling extra nosey)
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Here are some photos from the event, taken by Justin Hannaford.
www.justinhannaford.com (the whole photo set can be found on Justin's website, if you're feeling extra nosey)
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Signed with Bigo & Twigetti!
20/11/11 16:16 Filed under: News
It would be fair to say that November has been a crazy month for me - so much has happened and it's not over yet! There's the live premiere this Friday and tickets have been selling quickly, which means many people are going to come, which means it is really happening! Oh the nerves! Tickets can be bought in advance from here: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/135477
A few weeks ago I signed with one of my favourite new music labels, Bigo & Twigetti; they're releasing Feather Hammer properly for me and I couldn't be any more delighted! I've followed and admired their artists for a long time so to now be part of that group is a dream come true. From the 25th it will be available to buy from iTunes and eMusic and other online retailers, and there's a free download of DFACE available from their bandcamp site, where you can also pre-order the album before Friday.
The switch from selling the record DIY style to doing it properly through the label means that the 'music' link above takes you to their bandcamp site and not mine. I'm in the process of creating some new music related pages for the website dedicated to my film soundtracks and other stuff. Maybe I'll have a spare moment in December to sort that out.
There's been more radio play, this time in Ireland (Steve McCauley for the BBC - for a limited time you can listen again here and here) Outpost Radio and Lion.fm (Penn State University Radio) in the States. I still feel like pinching myself when I see the company I'm keeping in these playlists.
Finally, you have got to check out these amazing illustrations by super talented Bedford artist David Litchfield - I adore them! See you at the gig! x
A few weeks ago I signed with one of my favourite new music labels, Bigo & Twigetti; they're releasing Feather Hammer properly for me and I couldn't be any more delighted! I've followed and admired their artists for a long time so to now be part of that group is a dream come true. From the 25th it will be available to buy from iTunes and eMusic and other online retailers, and there's a free download of DFACE available from their bandcamp site, where you can also pre-order the album before Friday.
The switch from selling the record DIY style to doing it properly through the label means that the 'music' link above takes you to their bandcamp site and not mine. I'm in the process of creating some new music related pages for the website dedicated to my film soundtracks and other stuff. Maybe I'll have a spare moment in December to sort that out.
There's been more radio play, this time in Ireland (Steve McCauley for the BBC - for a limited time you can listen again here and here) Outpost Radio and Lion.fm (Penn State University Radio) in the States. I still feel like pinching myself when I see the company I'm keeping in these playlists.
Finally, you have got to check out these amazing illustrations by super talented Bedford artist David Litchfield - I adore them! See you at the gig! x
Radio Play, Interviews and Reviews
17/10/11 21:58 Filed under: New Music
Earlier today I was delighted to learn, via the magic that is twitter, that my music has been played on Fbi 94.5FM (Sydney, Australia) over the weekend. Chuffed! Firstly, on the New Weird Australia show on 13/10/2011, and then another 3 tracks on the Utility Fog show presented by Peter Hollo on 16/10/2011. Made my day to learn I was given airtime in a playlist sandwiched between Hauschka and Bjork (.... *sigh*).
A couple of weeks ago I had the honour of being interviewed by Chris McGovern for The Glass blog, and was asked some interesting and probing questions about my creative practice, how I approached certain specific pieces in the Feather Hammer project. If you're interested in that sort of thing, check it out here. On the same day this interview came out, I was also (bizarrely) featured alongside my best friend Liz in an Observer piece about Morrissey/Smiths fans, an article which has nothing to do with my music but features an embarrassing photo of myself kissing my Smiths lyric tattoo, which is under my arm. So yes, virtually kissing my own armpit. Classy girl.
A few more reviews & mentions have come out in the past few weeks, all of which have been lovely. Here's some of my favourite quotes, with links to the original articles/postings:
- Chris McGovern / Chamber Musician Today"The album is very much like a classical suite (sometimes sounding as if it could have been collaboratively recorded by Massive Attack and Arvo Part) on her first love, the piano, and its mini-movements read like pages of a diary that go from a good day filled with visions of hope to days less inspired and more stressful as a student" ... "the varied sounds of the piano (straight piano vs. the flatter prepared-piano) give sort of an artistic timeline between a classical and an experimental sensibility, as if to say that the constructed has now been deconstructed."
- Barcode"Feather Hammer is a quality release by Kardos, exploring a wide range of emotions through her instrument of choice, and complementing it very well with the addition of acoustics, percussion and sampling. But most of all, Kardos makes a wonderful job of bringing displaced thoughts back to life through her music - whether delicate or challenging, she does not shy away, but confronts, thus ensuring her music communicates with the listener on an emotive level. 81%"
- Kat Arney / You Do Too Much (blog)"A new album of gorgeous manipulated piano tracks – by turns minimalist, ambient and crunchy"
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Reviews and Mentions
29/09/11 21:39 Filed under: New Music
- Acid Ted"This is ambient coming at it not from the dub and dance sources of The Orb but the more austere, aescetic end of classical chinstrokers John Cage and John Tavener. There’s also something about the scale of this music. Like some of Tavener’s Orthodox chant pieces and especially The Protecting Veil they either need to be heard very small and personal or at an enormous and public scale like the Albert Hall. But there’s less the sense of being small in the face of a Deity, rather small in a pained and personal suffering way."
- Fictionfish"This blissful yet daunting at times piece of art will take you on a journey"
- telephant"Feather Hammer is truly DIY at its finest - full of warm tones and beautiful piano. It's one of those EPs that makes you want to put your headphones on and stand in the middle of a four way intersection at 3 am, watching the brief solitude of a once busy street, observing the traffic lights change for nobody but you."
- Chip Michael, Interchanging Idioms"Classical music is so much more than dead white composers. Leah Kardos is living proof of what it not only can be, it moves toward what it may be in the years ahead... The music is a mixture of styles and influences from Debussy to Tavener, Shostakovich to Bryars with pop elements from Bowie, Brian Eno and The Flaming Lips. From this rich tapestry we are given a sonic-scape that transports us into a distant world of colors, shapes and sounds like nothing I've heard before. At times the music is opaque and difficult to see clearly all that's happening, while at other times there is a clear lyric glide to the musical lines that float over the listener with utter beauty."
So it is out there, and it seems that people are enjoying listening to it. As a composer, I cannot imagine a better feeling. A big thank you has to go out to the people who tweeted, responded on facebook or emailed me their beautiful comments and reactions - my heart is full. Now I'm getting prepared to present the version of it at the premiere event on Nov 25th (tickets here!). Expect some divergences, I want to make room for lots of improv. There'll be none of this 'press play' business you see so often with the performance of electronic works! Slackers.
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Resonance104.4fm Clearspot 16/09
17/09/11 07:58 Filed under: New Music
If you're interested and you missed it, here's the Clearspot radio show from last night.
Resonance 104.4fm Clearspot 16/09/2011 - Leah Kardos presents Feather Hammer
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Resonance 104.4fm Clearspot 16/09/2011 - Leah Kardos presents Feather Hammer
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Feather Hammer premiere performance tickets are on sale
Tickets are on sale for £5, you can buy them here: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/135477
If you're on Facebook, you can RSVP to the event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=276449095715751
It's going to be kickarse, I promise!
Here's a write up about the event, stolen from the Chaos Theory website:
Time: Friday 25th November 7.30pm
Venue: The Wilmington Arms, 69 Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 4RL
Chaos Theory are proud to present three fiercely inventive talents premièring their contemporary works during this one-off event. All of the musicians tonight combine various disciplines, technology and defy tradition. In the true spirit of what Chaos Theory wishes to promote, we invite all of you who wish to experience challenging new music and art.
LEAH KARDOS: FEATHER HAMMER
Leah is a multi-talented composer, producer and pianist whose latest work will be showcased tonight. Her breathtaking new album Feather Hammer (released on 19th September) combines tonal and ambient soundscapes which fuse contemporary classical and electronica styles.
The recorded version of Feather Hammer uses the sounds of acoustic pianos, making use of the hammer, strings and wood percussion of the piano as well as playing them conventionally.
Tonight, we will witness a special presentation of the album featuring digital piano, electronics and video art by Matthew Greasley.
LIGETI QUARTET
A brilliantly innovative quartet who we’ve had the pleasure of hosting at our monthly night Candied Nonsense. Continually looking to promote the music of established and emerging 20th and 21st Century composers, these graduates from the Royal Academy Of Music, Royal College Of Music and Oxford University never shy away from the new and the experimental. Over the past few months they have premièred ten new works.
Featuring Mandhira De Saram and Patrick Dawkins on violin, Valerie Welbanks on cello and Richard Jones on viola, tonight they will present short pieces by contrasting composers including John Cage, Anton Webern and Harry Partch.
SAM GRINSELL
Opening the evening will be this gifted soloist, who will be creating extraordinary music using his original music concept.
Gathering field-recordings within one mile of the Wilmington Arms over the course of one hour, Sam will be manipulating the sounds to forge a one-off soundscape purely for this evening, adding no new sounds whatsoever. He will accompany these recordings with his improvised slide guitar.
A unique start to a unique evening.
This is a rare opportunity to see such vast talent together in one evening and we invite you to come and see how limitless music can be.
Tickets
£5 advance
£8 on the door
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If you're on Facebook, you can RSVP to the event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=276449095715751
It's going to be kickarse, I promise!
Here's a write up about the event, stolen from the Chaos Theory website:
Time: Friday 25th November 7.30pm
Venue: The Wilmington Arms, 69 Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 4RL
Chaos Theory are proud to present three fiercely inventive talents premièring their contemporary works during this one-off event. All of the musicians tonight combine various disciplines, technology and defy tradition. In the true spirit of what Chaos Theory wishes to promote, we invite all of you who wish to experience challenging new music and art.
LEAH KARDOS: FEATHER HAMMER
Leah is a multi-talented composer, producer and pianist whose latest work will be showcased tonight. Her breathtaking new album Feather Hammer (released on 19th September) combines tonal and ambient soundscapes which fuse contemporary classical and electronica styles.
The recorded version of Feather Hammer uses the sounds of acoustic pianos, making use of the hammer, strings and wood percussion of the piano as well as playing them conventionally.
Tonight, we will witness a special presentation of the album featuring digital piano, electronics and video art by Matthew Greasley.
LIGETI QUARTET
A brilliantly innovative quartet who we’ve had the pleasure of hosting at our monthly night Candied Nonsense. Continually looking to promote the music of established and emerging 20th and 21st Century composers, these graduates from the Royal Academy Of Music, Royal College Of Music and Oxford University never shy away from the new and the experimental. Over the past few months they have premièred ten new works.
Featuring Mandhira De Saram and Patrick Dawkins on violin, Valerie Welbanks on cello and Richard Jones on viola, tonight they will present short pieces by contrasting composers including John Cage, Anton Webern and Harry Partch.
SAM GRINSELL
Opening the evening will be this gifted soloist, who will be creating extraordinary music using his original music concept.
Gathering field-recordings within one mile of the Wilmington Arms over the course of one hour, Sam will be manipulating the sounds to forge a one-off soundscape purely for this evening, adding no new sounds whatsoever. He will accompany these recordings with his improvised slide guitar.
A unique start to a unique evening.
This is a rare opportunity to see such vast talent together in one evening and we invite you to come and see how limitless music can be.
Tickets
£5 advance
£8 on the door
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Apology (the version with the subway and not the voices)
16/09/11 08:43 Filed under: New Music
Here's the version of Apology that didn't make the cut on to the Feather Hammer album. When I asked by Facebook and Twitter friends which version they preferred, the reaction was split 50/50 between this and the version with the voices that I ended up using.
If you're interested to hear how it might have been, knock yourself out!
[Feather Hammer] demo 1 Apology (with subway) by leahkardos
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If you're interested to hear how it might have been, knock yourself out!
[Feather Hammer] demo 1 Apology (with subway) by leahkardos
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Feather Hammer on the Clear Spot, 8- 9 pm 16/09 on Resonance104.4fm
01/09/11 16:12 Filed under: New Music
Where: in London tune in to 104.4fm, or online via iTunes radio or one of the links on this page: http://resonancefm.com/listen
In this radio show I will be previewing tracks from my new album "Feather Hammer" which will be available to buy from the 19th of September.
I will be talking about what inspires me, my creative processes and sharing the stories behind the pieces. I will be on my own, live on air for an HOUR. Please tune in and make all the stress and anguish I'm going through be worth my while!
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Feather Hammer is coming 19:09:11
30/08/11 20:13 Filed under: New Music
This might be welcome news for anyone out there who has been following the progress of various demos and Feather Hammer experiments on this blog over the last few months. The finished album will be available from 19th of September! Behold the beautiful album cover art by Kristian Purcell.
I've taken down the demos from my soundcloud account - big thank you to everyone who listened and commented and helped me. The finished album will be available from Monday the 19th of September from my bandcamp page, which you can access instantly by clicking the 'music' link on the site menu above. I'll be back soon to post details about the album launch/premier performance event happening on the 25th of November at The Wilmington in London. Exciting times!
I've taken down the demos from my soundcloud account - big thank you to everyone who listened and commented and helped me. The finished album will be available from Monday the 19th of September from my bandcamp page, which you can access instantly by clicking the 'music' link on the site menu above. I'll be back soon to post details about the album launch/premier performance event happening on the 25th of November at The Wilmington in London. Exciting times!
dface (Practice This Video)
16/08/11 07:54 Filed under: New Music
Another demo of a Feather Hammer piece [edit: the Feather Hammer demos have been taken down] "dface (Practice This Video)" uses the audio track from an instructional Youtube video (included at the bottom of this post) and a collection of patterns that mostly use the notes DFACEG, the spaces of the treble clef, though not necessarily in that specific range. I'm not sure how close to the finished product this piece is, there are about 3 very different versions that exist and one of those could very well make it on to the album. However, in making this particular version I tried out a new method of writing that I thought was worth a comment.
Approaching this piece the primary aim is creating interesting textures and playing with the proximity of those sounds. A secondary aim is to recall the feeling of early piano lessons and repetitive practice routines, pattern based technical exercises, the warmth of harmonies built from 3rds. After recording the various patterns using a variety of mic types and positions, I used Logic's space designer, delay designer, some FabFilters, in addition to scissors, stretch and flex-time to manipulate the material. Each "part" to the arrangement is a unique pattern that repeats, so my starting point was this thick texture of all of the looped up cycles working at the same time. The arrangement you hear in the demo below is the result of "carving" into that cyclic material, editing, erasing and eliminating certain bits to create some sense of form. This way of working reminds me of a method my artist friend Kristian Purcell often describes to me, of applying thick layers of media and then carefully stripping it away to reveal the piece.
Here's where I got the sample from:
Approaching this piece the primary aim is creating interesting textures and playing with the proximity of those sounds. A secondary aim is to recall the feeling of early piano lessons and repetitive practice routines, pattern based technical exercises, the warmth of harmonies built from 3rds. After recording the various patterns using a variety of mic types and positions, I used Logic's space designer, delay designer, some FabFilters, in addition to scissors, stretch and flex-time to manipulate the material. Each "part" to the arrangement is a unique pattern that repeats, so my starting point was this thick texture of all of the looped up cycles working at the same time. The arrangement you hear in the demo below is the result of "carving" into that cyclic material, editing, erasing and eliminating certain bits to create some sense of form. This way of working reminds me of a method my artist friend Kristian Purcell often describes to me, of applying thick layers of media and then carefully stripping it away to reveal the piece.
Here's where I got the sample from:
Big thanks to PianoforteMaestro for letting me use it.
________Updates
Firstly, here's a demo of "Katerina" [edit: these demos are long gone], which one of the tracks from the Feather Hammer album. All the sounds are generated from the one instrument, be it played, picked, strummed, thumped, tapped or sampled - which is one of the themes of Feather Hammer, a celebration of all those *other* sounds that live around the notes. I have 13 such pieces in various stages of formation at the moment and the album is set for release on 19th of Sept. I'm excited! There will be gigs to promote it. Actual gigs! Featuring myself! ... and other special guests, if I can get some funds together. I truly can't wait :)
In other news I have my next PhD milestone due around the end of August. Cue overly dramatic flailing about, anguish, gnashing of teeth, etc. This time it is the first few chapters of my exogesis, which mostly means lots of writing about myself. Can't be too hard, right? I'll keep telling myself that and hopefully one day I'll wake up one morning and have a PhD.
Something I'm a little more excited to mention is the "art/music" collaborative project I have started with my friend (and amazing visual artist) Kristian Purcell. For a while I have been preoccupied with exploring the connections between sound and vision, in particular looking at my own language and how I perceive things, the way ideas and inspiration cross over between the two senses. Everyone's perception is different, so I'm not about establishing knowledge for anyone but myself here. That said, there are certainly ideas and vocabulary that cross over easily - line, form, structure, repetition, chance, colour, shape, dissonance, juxtaposition etc etc etc. I've been keeping an art blog for a few months now (http://thisticklesleah.tumblr.com) where I have been posting/reblogging anything that has tickled my fancy and made me think of music, and tagging each posting up with the terms and musical ideas that speak to me in that moment. This process has been surprisingly useful to my creative practice and it led me to ask Kristian if he wanted to participate in a little creative back and forth, responding to each other's art with quick, intuitive working.
We're only a few weeks in, and already the material being generated is really interesting. Maybe when it's done we'll publish it online, and I am hoping that when it is viewed as a larger body of work the threads of inspiration that run throughout can be seen and heard. For now I'm just enjoying the freedom to explore musical thoughts without being tied to a brief/job/commission/context or any "this should be serious you're a PhD student" bullshit ideals.
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In other news I have my next PhD milestone due around the end of August. Cue overly dramatic flailing about, anguish, gnashing of teeth, etc. This time it is the first few chapters of my exogesis, which mostly means lots of writing about myself. Can't be too hard, right? I'll keep telling myself that and hopefully one day I'll wake up one morning and have a PhD.
We're only a few weeks in, and already the material being generated is really interesting. Maybe when it's done we'll publish it online, and I am hoping that when it is viewed as a larger body of work the threads of inspiration that run throughout can be seen and heard. For now I'm just enjoying the freedom to explore musical thoughts without being tied to a brief/job/commission/context or any "this should be serious you're a PhD student" bullshit ideals.
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A Music Related Bucket List
15/07/11 10:37 Filed under: Personal
- dance on stage dressed in a furry animal costume at a Flaming Lips gig
- compose a demo for Tonehammer
make a musical tribute for David Bowie and have him hear it- achieve my PhD
present a seminar at Cambridge University- compose for the Piano Circus
- stage invade at a Morrissey gig
- get a PRSF grant to do something very cool
- perform a live set of Tool covers with a string quartet
build my own studioearn enough from music to teach part-time- go to Cannes film festival to see a film that I composed the soundtrack to
- remix something released by Nonclassical
- finish a large scale orchestral/choral/multimedia work by the time I am 35
- be involved in the music or sound production on a AAA game (preferably Bioware, Rockstar or Bethesda, but I’m not fussy)
Feather Hammer sessions
27/06/11 19:17 Filed under: Work
Spent the morning at The Hat Factory music studio in Luton to get some more sounds for the Feather Hammer project. It's a really nice studio they've got there - huge thanks to Paul Jolly for letting me in to use (abuse) their piano. This record is burning a hole in my brain at the moment; as soon as summer holidays hit I can't wait to lock myself away and finish it off!
We mic'd up the strings and the pedal mechanics (underneath, though you can't see that)... we also set up a mic on the keyboard itself to capture the clacking of my currently unkempt fingernails. Matt was very helpful today, not only in being a roadie but also in holding down strange chord shapes for me while I prepared the strings. We had a little jam session on the lowest E string featuring me playing the 2pence coin and Matt's slap bass action-thumb. Nice!
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We mic'd up the strings and the pedal mechanics (underneath, though you can't see that)... we also set up a mic on the keyboard itself to capture the clacking of my currently unkempt fingernails. Matt was very helpful today, not only in being a roadie but also in holding down strange chord shapes for me while I prepared the strings. We had a little jam session on the lowest E string featuring me playing the 2pence coin and Matt's slap bass action-thumb. Nice!
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PhD Seminar at Cambridge
27/06/11 19:03 Filed under: Study
Big thanks to Pam Burnard from the Faculty of Education for inviting me to share at this thing.
Attack of the Herbals - Trailer
15/06/11 20:14 Filed under: Work
Camelot Entertainment in LA have released a trailer for the Herbals movie that features bits and pieces from my original score. It's funny hearing my tongue-in-cheek typical 80s end credits music being featured so prominently!
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Netaudio London 2011: The Picnoleptic Muse
I might be doing some gigs later on this year* to promote the Feather Hammer album, which is where this track comes from (or will come from, once the album is completed). I'm very excited about it all, and will definitely post news about it on this site as soon as I can. For now I just have to concentrate on finishing off the production, and adapting everything for live using Albleton and my lovely new APC40.
*this projection could get blown out by a few months, since film soundtrack work takes priority (i.e., we need to pay our bills, right?) and I just got news of some urgent film work that needs doing in July. Time will tell if I manage to get everything done. Now that I think about it, it's actually a good idea to take every projected date I publicise and add 2 months - I seem to have no concept of the limitations of time, space, distance and real life.
The Picnoleptic Muse by Ed Baxter by NetaudioLondon
Netaudio London 2011 festival broadcast, 15 May 2011
produced and presented by Ed Baxter ( 120’ )
*Tracklist*
introduction
Max Neuhaus - Public Supply
Christoph McGown - Grid Public Lock
Lance Dann - The Flickerman
Daniela de Paulis/CAMRAS - OPTICKS
mEtamina Free Net Radio - Don’t die wandering, the sound of impatient wandering
Monty Adkins - Remnant / Suspended Edges
Sol Rezza - Verdades Minúsculas (Tiny Truths)
Spider & I - Feather Hammer - The Waiting
Theme for capcicans - Bite the capcicans
Andrew Jacques - Fedbakontin
Ed Osborn - Stone North
Preslav Literary School - This Good Lesson Keep
Cheapmachines - Ellipse
Filipe Cruz - New Impulses to Old Elements
StSanders - Metallica Shred
Yan Tan Tethera - Full of Noises
RAF - Cage
RAF - KUA
Piet Stoaling - Pudding
Outro
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Attack of the Herbals OST
16/05/11 21:39 Filed under: New Music
Check it out, I updated the music page with some new soundcloud sets of my recent work. Including this set of tracks from my soundtrack to Attack Of The Herbals.
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CUBO: COPAL
02/05/11 14:27 Filed under: New Music
I'm so excited about this. You may remember back around new year I was posting a few improvisations with the curious title "Copal". It was for a collaborative project with Brazil based composer/producer CUBO, aka Nivaldo Godoy.
We met (in the virtual sense) on the Steve Reich remix contest in Indaba, and he invited me to take part. It started with a facebook group, initially with people posting videos and pictures of dream-like subject matter. I responded to the stimuli with some improvisations, and from there the music passed through many hands - singers, guitarists, composers, arrangers, sound designers - so many talented people have their fingerprints on this thing. I'm glad I got to be one of them.
We met (in the virtual sense) on the Steve Reich remix contest in Indaba, and he invited me to take part. It started with a facebook group, initially with people posting videos and pictures of dream-like subject matter. I responded to the stimuli with some improvisations, and from there the music passed through many hands - singers, guitarists, composers, arrangers, sound designers - so many talented people have their fingerprints on this thing. I'm glad I got to be one of them.
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Cloudburst & The Millipede Engine
01/05/11 01:44 Filed under: Work
For both projects I served as arranger/orchestrator and ad-hoc session musician/noisemaker (you see I don't just play piano and sing bvs, I also rattle shakers and I bang sticks together! I also pluck at an autoharp, screech into mic'd up rooms through open doorways, thump acoustic guitars and even dance on planks of hardwood with heels on).
Both projects happened in close succession while I was on summer holidays, and it was fun to forget about composing for a while and just focus on arrangement. Matt was with me, acting as an all purpose sound/mastering engineer so we got to hang out while we were "working" which was sweet... compared to now where he's in London working on infrastructure for the Olympics and I'm keeping vampire hours in the studio on my own. It even helped me with my studies, giving me a practical context to consider the producer/arranger's role in communicating other people's ideas: you're controlling timbre, you're choosing combinations, constructing texture - it's making creative decisions and it feels like composition but it's not.
In terms of approach, the Millipede Engine material seemed to want a bit of bombast and thickness and a 'more is more' type of approach filled with musical pop culture references... a bit of a Mike Garson flourish here, some screaming Dark Side of The Moon vocalise there, a glistening Soft Bulletin-esque orchestra popping up out of nowhere, and, in the case of my favourite track from the record (1001 Nacht) gothic drums of death straight from the 80s.
In stark contrast, Cloudburst needed to be warm and gently minimal so I found myself writing, performing and recording 3 note piano solos; just the bare minimum that was needed. It's funny to note that the simpler the instrumental part, the more difficult it is to record - a lavish arpeggio piano flourish could be improvised in one take to capture the energy of the performance, but a single piano note to support a harmony change could take 5 or 6 takes to get right, and longer to mix. Respect to the minimalists of this world.
Cloudburst has released a collection of songs on Soundcloud and is also giving them away as a free download through his website. Go, listen and enjoy.
http://cloudbursting.webs.com
http://www.millipedeengine.com
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More AV from Spider & I
12/03/11 14:38 Filed under: New Music
A couple more AV realisations have been created for the AV performance project. First up, a reworking of a Black Mouth of August movement III: Silent Movie. This loosely improvised track uses a MIDI foot switch to drive various digital effects - bit crushing, delays, static. These effects are also linked to the video mixing.
The next piece uses/recycles parts of the Feather Hammer sessions, working with infinite loops and sampling/retriggering. The warped piano sound is a beatmapped filter effect I just discovered by accident, which made the whole thing sound about 80% more evil than I originally intended! The strange video just adds to the "eraserhead" vibe.
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Attack of the Herbals
08/03/11 21:00 Filed under: Work
It's finally official: I'm composing the score for David Keith's new comedy horror feature "Attack of the Herbals". Whoop!
Core
07/03/11 20:07 Filed under: New Music
This video is a demo for a live audio visual project I have developed with Matthew Greasley - something about creating experimental textures and surreal imagery that we can manipulate and improvise through live performance. At the moment we're collecting a new live set - the stuff is mostly being drawn from the Feather Hammer project, but a few older pieces might also get a look-in (like the ill-fated Black Mouth of August project, for example).
This piece, Core, is an unusual one for me as it started life as a poem. I'm a terrible poet so there's no chance of me posting the thing here, I only mention it because it's a strange way for me to work - from words; taking a picture in my mind and abstracting it with imagery and language, then further abstracting it into music and sound. The best bit is passing the music over to Matt Greasley to see what he sees in it. The final beautiful abstraction that gives the whole thing a new context.
I am loving the imagery Matt is coming up with - the perfect soft/heavy subject matter to match the style of the music.