Eddie Hazel, ambient Eno, Javanese gamelan, Terry Riley, Alvin Curran, John Martyn, Jason Sensation xxx,Can, Newcleus, Jerry Calliste Jr., Charles Stepney, Arthur Russell,Norman Whitfield, Harry Partch, Lou Harrison, Charles Ives, Morton Feldman, Miles Davis, Martin Hannet, The Chameleons, King Tubby, Keith Hudson, Philip Jeck, Dif Juz, Cocteau Twins, Pere Ubu, Bernard Parmegiani, Blind Idiot God, Roedelius / Cluster, Stooges, Section 25, Joy Division, New Order, Curtis Mayfield, Electric Prunes, David Axelrod, Gang Starr, early Mobb Deep, Robert Wyatt, Godspeed / A silver Mt Zion / Set Fire to Flames, Glenn Branca, Amon Duul II, Linda Perhacs, Ethiopiques (Ethiopian Funk compilations of late sixties to mid 70s heyday), Fela Kuti, Wire's '154', 80s Sonic Youth, Robert Fripp, Paul Dresher, ESP, ESG, A Certain Ratio, Street Sounds Electro 1-9, Kraftwerk, PiL's "Metal Box", The Byrds and all their offspring, Moby Grape, Skip Spence, Vashti Bunyan, Vaughan Williams, Debussy, Steve Reich, Arvo Part, Xenakis, Thomas Tallis, the Blue Nile, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Tom Verlaine, Love Unlimited Orchestra / Barry White, Live Skull, Durutti Column, Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane, Autechre, Arovane, Phonem, Photek, The Remote Viewer, BoC, Bola, TG, Derrick May, Juan Atkins, 97 jungle, John Lennon, George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass", Phil K Dick, Lao Tzu, Austin Osman Spare, Milan Kundera, Charlie Kaufman, Oliver Postgate, Pete Carrol, Bukowski,Rex Probe / Serge Tcherepnin, Rothko, Turner, Anish Kapoor, Sartre, Scotland, Isles of Scilly, forgotten England,, love, dreams, nature, empty spaces, fear, exhaustion, boredom, shit music, people who talk too much, bus journeys, bathtime.
Sounds Like
I think one of our colleagues once described it best:
"spunkbubbles".
Back from the dead.
What a strange couple of years.
Anyway.
The Verve seems to be on holiday, and shows no sign of not being on holiday- so, I've been hesitant to breach Official Secrets style policy with any missives from the, well, from any front, basically.
Don't ask me anything about the big V, just let me enjoy my non-alcoholic Piña Colada and tell you about what's going on elsewhere.
Thumb twiddling was never our forté so Si Jones and I have been busy with a new project. Currently this includes the brilliant violinist, Davide Rossi, who you may have had the pleasure of seeing with the Verve at various festivals last year. Also with us, an old friend, multi instrumentalist Michelle Schillace on drums and whatever he fancies playing that particular day. The project is shaping up nicely. Expect krautrock style excursions into the unknown and maybe, just maybe, the killer pop record we're toying with making. Two sessions took place so far, Best Kept Secret studios in Copenhagen last year, and this year, my place in Walworth. There is a huge amount of material being generated and we have several interesting vocalists in mind. Clips to follow.
Also up and running as hinted above is my humble tracking studio in South London. Current clients are willing Guinea Pigs while I am learning the craft. The Albini model is a good one, the days of the super studio are gone thank god but bands still need a place to track and I've put a place together which is already serving this function.
Recently we have had Jamie and Alex from Bath's X is Loaded, along with Charley Bickers, another Bath veteran (ha ha, sorry mate) and myself (just veteran, heh) playing together for the first time, again at my place in Walworth. An incredibly productive two days, very promising and Charley is in fine voice currently.
Also played with Damo Suzuki, Jeff wooton and Mark Heaney at Night and Day Cafe, Manchester. Will be working more with both Jeff and Mark in the near future.
Pictures and sound to follow.
Will try and wade through some of the missed emails in the absence but Verve radio silence has infected my very being (ha ha ha). Do my best though.
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Studio:
Trident Fleximix- 8-bus 16 channel.
small mic collection including various ribbon and small and large diaphragm condensers, handful of dynamics.
Alesis HD24XR and/or Digi003 recording.
Selection of analogue synths.
1TB Linux based SFTP (FTP over SSH) server for collaboration and/or archiving.
ah monsieur McCabe, i refer you to page 24 of the aforementioned book, i too have the schedule of a doldrum..i am thinking milo was bought for you as a present in college land?? i dont know what is tiny i think it time for change they is all old tunes.. hurry up i need a teabreak.x
You were top drawer in Manchester (22nd) i was a bit disappointed not to hear Already There.....i was the crazy lad directly in front of you doing a bit of bowing lol What is going on with Richards barnet...strange, to be polite lol i think he fancies himself as a bit of a socialite these days! Nice one Stu
Good show in manchester last night(fri). Funny seeing you speak on the mic, were not used to that! anyway great show and well performed. Have a good new year.
Hey Nick, how's life been treating you since after the tour? I wish I wasn't poor and that I didn't live in the States--I bet it was mindblowing. Listening to "The Way the Light Bends" once again today...I love your guitar tone at the end of the track...it was beautiful the first time I heard it this summer and captured the mood perfectly and now it's still captivating in the winter as the snow falls, perfect atmosphere...I hope that your unique and distinctive, dreamy, elemental, ambient sound as displayed in this track makes it into the recording sessions for the new album. :-)
looks like things are going well...cheers on some amazing shows! And i really like what yer doin' in Sit and Wonder. Very far out in a crazy John Carpenter sort of way. Almost spooky! Get over here to the states.....CHEERS from San Francisco
