11/08/2008 by Andy C.

Had loads of stuff happening the last few weeks, been on holiday for a few days camping and it didn’t rain (much). To be fair it did not stop us doing anything, it was really peaceful and calm even with the kids in tow. Went to Blickling Hall which is a great old house that was originally build in 1600 and something. It is supposed to be haunted by the headless ghost on Ann Boleyn, well she failed to make a appearance but the place was amazing the last big renovation happened in the 1920’s and it was a real insight as to how the top nobs got by. With a bit of luck we will be able to get away again for a few days before the kids go back to school.

Some music news as well the Bit Pixel album has made it onto iTunes so that’s that well and truly out global now. Also I have had the Grey Mirrors album signed to Magnatune, They have a very forward thinking business model and it is something I really feel could really work, I also found out that they only sign around 1 in 300 people who submit music to them, that was a bit flattering. Have a look at http://magnatune.com/artists/glimmerroom I got a caught short for a photo so had to use a old leafy one from a year ago.

Work on the live set is slowly plodding on realised today we have 6 weeks to go and had a bit of a panic. So it is off upstairs for me later.

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23/07/2008 by Andy C.

First day of the summer holidays today and for someone with a lazy summer ahead of them I am a bit down, cant put my finger on it but I suspect it was the fact I didn’t get as much of my course work done as I had planned before the break. Some serious cramming due in Sept, me thinks. Today threw a few nice surprises my way Grey Mirrors has started to sell on CD baby which is nice. I also got a contract through for a compilation that I didn’t know I was in the running for. It is a compilation of John Foxx influenced artists including Louis Gordon! I was well chuffed to find this out. I had to email and find out what track they wanted to use as I remember sending a whole lot up when I first approached them with regards to a podcast not even knowing about the comp, smart ehh? Bit Pixel is causing a bit of a ripple too which is great as I was very unsure how this would go down. The whole synthpop scene has become very small over the years I have been working on that album. Didn’t mention it before but I also have a Glimmer Room track on the new Awakenings 2008 vol 1.5 comp, somehow managed to get on as the first track, that was a first for me :)

I have got so much stuff I want to get done this holiday to tie up a load of loose ends, like the Framework comp just one track to get in on that. The Glimmer Room album I have got to crack the whip now as I would like to release it the day we play at the Awakenings gig. There is the Awakenings gig stuff for me to finish and hopefully some projections for behind the stage as well. I have also got to redo our key-worker system for work so it is in line with the new E.Y.F.S framework, that might be a bit of a brain-ache but at least I will understand it a lot more having done it myself, maybe.

I have been nibbling away at this blog for over six months now, not as many entries I had first thought but a few a month keeps it going.

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06/07/2008 by Andy C.

Well after over 5 years knocking around in various stages of depletion and completion the synthpop album has hit the big wide world. Feel a bit strange having it all put to bed now and all pressed and sitting on the shelf with the other albums ready to go out into new homes, I suppose this is the point that i loose control of it. Well it looks great and so far everyone has had encouraging comments about it, even those who quite openly do not get on with synthpop as a favoured style of music have commented on the production and how ‘pro’ it sounds. that was a major shock me sounding pro when the bloody ell did that happen? I am very pleased though so here it is in all it’s glory, you can pop along to www.myspace.com/bitpixelofficial to hear a few tracks and pick up a copy at www.a-framemedia.co.uk/catalogue if feel inclined.

Had a really nice experience early this week i had been working on then a-frame site trying to put in a shopping cart as the releases are stacking up a bit now and we have a few new ones coming through. I just could not get the code to work I didn’t understand what it did so I could not myself see what was wrong. I asked for some idea’s on a forum I tend to hang about in during the day when I should really be doing other things and was amazed at the help I received people went completely out of their way and wrote some long and in depth posts that obviously took some time to put together. I also received a email saying send it all over and they will sort it out for me, that was from a pro web designer who should well be charging me. in short I was completely blown away by all this so if any of ya are reading this thanks again it is so good to know I have support like that when ever I bit off more than I can chew.

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21/06/2008 by Andy C.

Fantastic week :) the money came back from dolphin, they didn’t tell me it just appeared, I hate it when I have more money in the bank than I think I should have more than not having enough. Not having enough i can cope with. So quick as you like I got a new xio ordered and all is well with it no dodgy keys and I really like the sound it reminds me of a synth I had back in the 80’s (roland alpha juno for the gearheads) nice and bright with some big ole bass on it as well. Ash ended up in the paper as his school gardening club have got through to the final of scarecrow competition, they are being treated to a trip to Hampton Court Palace as well I was asked to go but am working shame I fancied that one.  I am almost at the stage where I can start to work on the running order of the comp I have just about finalised the last few tracks and artists. I had planed on not really looking to my immediate contemporaries but a few conversations I have had this week have realised that this might not have been such a good idea as I was excluding some music that has been quite important to me personally over the last few years. Strange how things take on a energy of their own and a set of boundaries set at the start suddenly become obsolete, just needed a prod to see it. I had a totally amazing experience this morning me and Fern where walking through castle park and as usual there where loads of squirrels about someone had been feeding them so they where quite close. By chance I had got my camera with me as Fern had taken it to her archaeology club this morning so I thought I would try and get a few pic of the squirrels. For those who don’t know I have always really digged squirrels ever since I was a kid. I even wrote to the forestry commission when I was 8 asking them if they find any orphaned baby squirrels could I have them as pet’s. Now I got this really nice letter back stating that they would make bad pets and they consider them to be pests so they would not get that kind of treatment anyway, in so many words. But they did send me a poster all about the woods and do you know what not one bloody squirrel on the whole poster! Anyway back to the story I was trying to take a few pic’s of this squirrel eating it was probably 10 foot away at the time. Well it started getting closer and closer and quite literally ended up in my lap a completely wild squirrel. I managed to take  few pic’s when I had finished I got up and we where surrounded by at least 7 of them all getting really close, a few even followed us as we walked away. It was one of those moments when you feel really honored that they where so comfortable with the contact they where that confident around me and Fern.

music played..

Stars of the lid - And Their Refinement Of The Decline

William Orbit - Hello Waveforms

Louis Gordon - Goodbye Walnut Road

Sara Ayres - A Million Stories

Boards of Canada - Music Has The Right To Children

Ion - Future Forever

Mooch - 1967 1/2

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16/06/2008 by Andy C.

Made another week, still waiting to hear back from Dolphin with regards to the xiosynth return I was unsure about getting another but you know what I have missed it, so soon as I get paid out I will be grabbing another if they have made it into the country by then. Work was a bit flat out I have been given every morning for a while and as much as I love it and look forward to the money at the end of it stuff at home is getting left undone. I managed to get back on track with the compilation last week and that is going to plan the tracks sound bloody amazing all together cant wait to get this out to the folks who let me have tracks for it, it has gone so well I have already started a list for the next one. Is that counting one’s chicken’s I don’t know but I have really enjoyed putting this together. Fern has managed to pass her gold medal on the clarinet and is now starting to practice for her grade one, I was watching her practice today and she is really comfortable playing it all seems so smooth Iwas really proud of her she has worked hard for this. Ash has been off school today looks like he is going to suffer from hay-fever we thought he was coming down with a cold yesterday but he seem so much better today, having hay-fever myself I started to recognise the symptoms. I was kinda hoping he would get away with this but looks like the opposite worse luck. Yesterday was a great day Fern wanted to go to Sunday school so as usual I had to go along to, thing is as soon as we get there she disappears off to another room and leaves me to fend for myself. The first few weeks where a bit of a trail but I am kinda getting to like it the church is one of those really old ones 14 century some parts are. I find it really peaceful to just sit in there the organ and choir (all 3 of them!) sound fantastic in the large space I find myself looking forward to it in a strange way it is a Anglican church so the services are quite structured and you get the distinct sense that things have been like that for hundreds of years. I love anything that directly connects you to the past and this is like a little time warp for a hour every Sunday, my very own tardis. We had the village open gardens yesterday as well I love this some of the gardens are really peaceful spaces it also give you the opportunity to have a good look around the church and even go up on the tower roof, I have to do this even though the height and very low ramparts completely freak me out to the point where i get jelly legs, but the view is so worth it. It really reminds you just how much in the sticks we are here and to brighten things up a bit I managed to take some photes as well……

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20/05/2008 by Andy C.

Been a proper busy boy of late not that it gives me a good excuse for not getting on here since the 4th May, poor show. Well since I last graced these pages I have officially began middle age and turned 40 on the 9th and you know what I am well ok with it. I had a fantastic birthday that seemed to cover a week and a half of celebrations and trips down the pub, it has been one of the best birthdays so far. I was totally blown away with peoples generosity Maria had told folks to not buy me pressies but to give me money instead the result being I have now amazed a very nice wedge of cash to spend on studio stuff, the problem being what do I spend it on I like problems like these

I have been continuing to work on the compilation and have got some darn good music arranged for it so far and the final few things are getting sorted out for the Bit Pixel release so that is all still well on schedule for once. Strange the longer I leave between post’s the less I have to talk about to many moments have just passed. probably best if I just stop babbling on and try to make the effort to drop by a bit more frequently.

Been playing way to much music to list but to pick a few out.

Headshock - Explorers of the  Dreamworld

Louis Gordon - Blind Anorexic

Tycho - Past Is Prologue

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27/04/2008 by Andy C.

Well almost back in the land of the living, man been a while since I have been that ill. Tried to keep on going but by wed just had to chuck the towel in and rest up for a day or two, tell you what it did the trick too Got the bit pixel covers back from the printers yesterday and what a good job they have done on it, they look fantastic every head up arse arty concept me and Wayne worked into the design has really worked. Just got a minor reformat to do with the on body disk print and away we go. I have got a official release date set for July 1st but can see things being in place well before that. The car is not starting again so Maria has borrowed the works car this is a beast of a 4 by 4 Chelsea tractor affair went for a short spin in it today I was expecting to think cor this is nice was have been left undecidedly unimpressed by the whole thing. Felt a bit self conscious in it to tell the truth, not really me or what I am about. Been indulging in my most hated past time this weekend and finished off the decorating in Ferns room, now she is well made up which kinda makes it worth while but all in all not the way I expected to spend the weekend considering yesterday was bloody lovely as well, still it’s done now. Not even got round to playing much music just been crashing out at bedtime. back to work tomorrow and also back to getting up nice and early to get back on track with my course work, I think I might be a bit behind but am a bit scared to mail my tutor, should give myself a bit of a slap I know. Also I have got to make contact with another good friend who played a gig last week I really wanted to get to but felt so ill I doubt I would have made it to the end of the high street let alone London, must make contact this week. I am going to be stuffed on humble pie by Friday I can tell.

 music played:

Sickmoth - tecnosonicfusion

Sickmoth - lumine EP (later tonight)

Bit Pixel - the all clear ( nailed the mastering now)

Tycho - past is prologue

Tycho - the daydream

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