Spacehotel Music Blog
Misc
When I'm not doing a million other things…
Jul 22nd
When I actually get a chance to read (when away from making music, computer programming, Internet, DVDs, video games, cars and life) I like a mix of fact and fiction. The fact part currently is coming from a book by Phillip Lopate titled ‘Waterfront – A Walk Around Manhattan’ that I’ve been ‘reading’ for far too long now.
I got this in Christmas 2007 (along with some other books about the big apple inc a large hardback about the history and design of it’s famous skyscrapers) and I’m still reading it. It’s over 400 pages long and I’m somewhere around the mid 100s right now. I’m sure I’d have read it in a month had I not go so many other things calling for attention. Anyway it’s interesting if you are into the history, geography and architecture of Manhattan Island NYC. It goes beyond the glamour of the main streets and famous landmarks and covers virtually every foot of the perimeter of the island, warts and all.
Other ‘fact’ based books I’m reading ongoing include the Yamaha AN1x synthesizer manual. Very good bedtime reading, maybe not up there with ‘The Complete DX7 II’ by Howard Massey though. 
Fiction wise I have a back log of Richard Laymon books to get through (and a few Dean Koontz also), I love horror books.. as throwaway as many of them are they are very easy to read quickly (Some Stephen King epics notwithstanding) and require some imagination as they veer off into the shadowy depths of life and the afterlife. They are quick blasts of virtual adrenaline and intrigue… and I wonder why I can’t go 3 days without having a nightmare?
Talking of horror, check out the US show ‘Ghost Adventures’ if you can. Watch it with an open mind and it will creep you out for sure. I’m a skeptic in most issues, I do require a modicum of proof and I guess I’m fairly scientific in my analysis of the supernatural. However, I can easily suspend disbelief for an hour and watch this show (similar to the more popular ‘ghost hunters’ and ‘most haunted’ – but somehow more addictive and creepy), and I’ll admit it’s played on my mind a few times. EVP and Night Vision cameras capturing voices and moving shadows is something I both love and fear in equal measures. I think it would be cool if ghosts did exist, but I don’t think I’d want them in my house thanks.
As I’ve been waking up at around 3-4am the past few days I aware I’m knee deep in the ‘witching hour’ and should be more careful what my brain absorbs, I fear that I could inadvertently open up some spiritual portal and come face to face with Mr Shadow Man some dark morning…
Happy Dreams
Paul
Saturday Night with Mr Timson
Sep 20th
I won’t preface this with self analysis or talk of what is narcissistic or not. I’ve been writing/putting stuff on the net since ~ 1998, before blogs were big, when ‘myspace’ was something on my keyboard, facebook was something I did when I wanted to read and when there were only really ten unsigned indie bands on the net, in the UK, with a member with the initials PT. I kid you not!
So anyway, I don’t care. I am at my best when talking to myself as I’m not as wary, and maybe 30/60/90/120 years from now I may want to look back on this and see what I was doing at any given moment in time… hey at least I don’t keep a ‘diary’, and if I did it wouldn’t have a flimsy little lock on it that gave a placebo version of security it would be left casually around bars and libraries… waiting for people to look, and read… and ridicule… those raw feelings, usually stirred up by others, help with some of my best lyrics so I welcome it.
Right so tonight I’ve been sorting this blog out, dragging it out of 2006. I’ve also been listening to some nice music by an unsigned female artist that had me captivated. I’ve read Paul Draper’s blog. And in the background, beyond the confines of this firefox window my task manager is open on my PC (yes PC not Mac – get over it) and I’m getting edgy because I’m showing 20 processes and I normally like no-more than 18… I like it streamlined and shut as much shit (services) down as I can.
However, one of those is Nuendo, my lovely little DAW (well the software part of it anyway), the place where all of this weird nonsense comes out of my brain and mouth and fingers and ends up being transformed into slightly more palletable nonsense. The song I’m working on is a new track for a 5 track ep. The song is ‘Truth of the Universe‘ and I’m currently editing automation data for delay settings on some of the vocals and trimming up the start/end points. I spent a bit of time earlier today recording these vocals and now it’s time to kick them into shape (or my version of ‘in shape’).
I’ve also been cutting some frequencies on a synth part, it was so whistly/high that I swear I was reported to the RSPCA today at some point, well there were a pack of dogs howling outside my window when I played it… which is funny as it’s normally wailing cats that come to mind when I listen to these early projects.
And now I’m going back to it, it’s 2:42am so there’s plenty of time left to sit and stare at my computer screen and think about how it use to be more productive when I had my simple Roland VS880 8 Track hard disk recorder (and before it a Fostex 8 track cassette mulitracker hooked up to an Amiga!) .
erm… that’s it.
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