Italians do it better - one of my fav record labels

OK, so after a long weekend of waiting to be paid I fantasised about what I would buy as soon as I did get paid.

And it would be the new 'After Dark 2' compilation from one of my favourite new(ish) labels 'Italians do it better'. I'm hanging out for it on vinyl. I hate to rush the year along, but jeez July you could not come sooner...

http://vivaitalians.blogspot.co.nz


Why do I like this label so much? Let me tell you...
-I mean, come on, the t-shirt Madonna wore alone should be enough. A record label that calls itself by the same name must be awesome
-The artists they sign are amazing. You know the 'Drive' movie with Ryan Gosling and how choice that soundtrack was (which I own by the way), has heaps of their signings.

i.e. DESIRE - 'Under Your spell' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K7rmxjk5RQ
i.e. CHROMATICS - 'Tick of the Tock' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWD7k6TrJ-g

And not from the soundtrack but equally awesome are :
GLASS CANDY: 'Warm in the Winter' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akjt-RuNc6U

-the music is like grace jones, or early madonna vox meets a bit of New Order. Quite beat and synth driven.

I WANNA SMOOCH SOME MOVES, SLOWLY, ROUND MY LOUNGE

 In other words.

Have you seen the new Pet Shop Boys music video -AXIS?

It's fucking amazing.

Here's why:
It's got lots of sharp, straight, colourful lighting
It features dancers with buffalo heads
Listen to that crystal rain synth! hear that Giorgio Moroder-esque bass line! hear that synth trumpet! and those beats are awesome.

Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDCU17wXktY

'For Lynn' - a track from the Little Bark archive

I wrote this track about 4 years ago now. Here's a link with a free download on sound cloud

Conrad Wedde (The Phoenix Foundation and the original collaborator for Little Bark) recorded it with me.

It features Conrad on guitar and handclaps (hee hee) and me singing. The original version of this song is very slow (about half the speed). I recorded a band version of it last year (at the same time as we recorded New York and The Dead, in Wanganui)

Should I publish it? It's the opposite. Dark, slow and very haunting.

I became obsessed with Mondegreens for quite some time. This song should sound like 'Fallen', but it's For Lynn. I tend to write about the creative process by accident. It's almost like my subconscious is trying to keep me going by empathising with what I have to go through to be a musician, to create things.

For Lynn:

The rainbow cloud
Is painting colours for Lynn
With a quiet sound
For Lynn

She is turning a page
That a writer is on
Making ink
Ink for Lynn

She is in Paris today
Tomorrow will be
Different again

She takes a dream
With her hands
And her head
Takes it into her car
And her bed

She is in Paris today
Tomorrow will be
Strange again

Here's a pic with me and the band from the recording session we did in Wanganui (and the lovely Warner Emery in the green stripes). Should i publish that song?? hmmmm

A band I used to be in - The Friendly Barnacle

About 5 years ago I was in a band called 'The Friendly Barnacle' led by Warner Emery. Warner made music that reminded me of The Bats, The Clean, Pavement etc. It was an awesome band. Warner and I toured the country as a two piece (me on synths, BV's and percussion and Warner on mini guitar and singing). We played lots of gigs as a 4 piece band band too (Lee Prebble on guitar, Poppy Sinclair Lockhart/Andrew Bain on bass). On one tour Minisnap opened for us! At the Wunderbar. That was a night I will never forget.

Warner taught me how to perform, be a great backing vocalist, how to play the synth and how to be in a band. His songs taught me how to write. He would spend hours practicing with me, he would teach me the lead synth lines and what sounds to use. I am very grateful for his patience and generosity. He gave me the confidence to be the musician I now am.

You can listen to The Friendly Barnacle here: http://www.myspace.com/thefriendlybarnacle
You can see us on youtube here playing at a live to air on bfm: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8AaOBVqKX8
and doing a live to air on kiwiFM for NZ music month 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VudlcWmlIG4

I'm the one in the bright pink jersey with my head down. Beware of the glare!

Some facts about Warner:

• He was bassist in The Phoenix Foundation until a few years ago
• He released his first solo album 'The Tides' in 2008. Here's a review by NZ Musician. I sang on a few tracks (The Tides, Glorious Days etc). 
• As a band we recorded a single 'I brought you a Robot' and 'The Old and Forlorn' in 2009/2010.
• He owns a recording studio called 'Emery Music Services' in Wellington, where I have been recording my current album.
• He now has a solo act called 'Double ya D'. He released an awesome EP last year through Stink Magnetic http://doubleyad.bandcamp.com

The 4th week of recording my second album USB

Sometimes I realise I am a very happy and fortunate human being. 

I spent the last 7 days, working between 10-12 hrs a day, recording my second album, USB, with Stef Animal.

What an amazing experience. 

I wrote and began recording this soundtrack album at the beginning of 2012. The songs came very quickly, as did the key melodies and drum beats. 

I spent a lot of time learning about drum beats while writing the album. Thanks geeky music sites! Stef and I then began importing some of these, replacing them with better samples ;) and imported the key synths (I have spent a number of years sampling, as well as buying, my favourite synths).

Then we spent 2 weeks last year doing more recording. We record at Emery Music Services in Wellington. It's like an underground bunker, which is quite an appropriate place to record this album. It's dark and gritty and heavy, mixed with pop. 

Stef and I are on the same page when it comes to how we want it to sound. We share very similar taste in music. I sorta have to pinch myself that I get to work with her. She's so good at engineering and producing, it's so easy and so much fun. 

We have just completed another week of recording. Menno came in and recorded some guitars, I finally finished my vocals and Regan played some awesome bass. 

We still have to mix and do some arranging. Another couple of weeks work? I need to find a place to mix in Auckland, so if anyone can point me in the right direction that would be awesome. Aim is to release in September. 

I haven't blogged for a week so writing now feels weird.

Here are some songs we 'cleansed' our ears with when recording.
'Age of Consent' New Order
'Walking on a Dream' Empire of the Sun
'Astronomic Club' Air 
'We Share our Mother's Health' The Knife 

You can view the pics and stuff on my facebook site https://www.facebook.com/LittleBark

Some notes for recording - USB

I've been listening over the demos the album I'll be finishing this coming week (USB)

Here are some notes:
-Add heavy guitar
-Add arpeggiator synth
-Re-record vocals (I'm a perfectionist, poor Stef having to put up with me)
-Fuck this sounds amazing, we don't need to do much at all except record the vocals
-love the crystal rain!

Some background on how I record, produce and perform albums

I will be attempting to finish my album next week, which is freaking exciting but also a bit nerve racking. There's a lot to organise.

Stef Animal, my producer, is set to go. We've booked Emery Music Services for 7 days.  I am recording in Wellington, because that's where I started and it's where much of my support and music buddies live. I'll be staying with my parents and I'm hoping my Mum will have some tasty food at the ready when I get home late at night. 

When I recorded my last albums I'd spent 5 years at home trying to learn how to play, write, record and produce songs. I'd done this mostly on my own, taking University and other courses to teach me in areas I wasn't able to teach myself. It was Hannah Curwood, a friend and musician from Auckland, who convinced a very shy me to give her a CD of demos. She played it to Dale Cotton (producer Dunedin), who then contacted me and asked me if I needed a producer and would I come and record with him. I decided to do it. I didn't know how to play the drums, bass etc. so he asked some of his friends to help us (Bob Scott, Rob Falconer etc). Tristan Dingemans was good friends with Dale and I and came and played some guitar. So that's how the other instruments got played on the Sophie Burbery album. The Little Bark album was recorded right before I went to Dunedin. A long time music collaborator, Conrad Wedde (The Phoenix Foundation) agreed to make the Little Bark album (EP) with me just before I went to Dunedin. He and I spent long nights recording that album. I was working during the day, so would pick him up after work and we'd go to the Car Club (a Wellington music studio) and would work until well after midnight. It was exhausting, but the two of us had a lot of fun, making all the music ourselves (it was all electronic).

I had to make the album to work with other musicians. No one would take me seriously/form a band with me before that. Once I released the album, and people could hear that I had some talent and was driven to succeed, I was able to form a band of musicians to help me play live. These guys became very close friends and helped me manouvre through a world in which I had very little experience. I didn't even know them before I released the album, had I, I have no doubt they would have supported me from the very start. And god they knew how to have fun making music. Which is really really important. I can't wait to work with Menno Huibers (guitarist) and Regan O'Brien (bassist) again next week. It's gonna be awesome. 

For this album, I recoded some good demos, Stef and I have been working to build (and replace) the sounds. I love working with Stef. He's got very similar tastes to me, is an amazing producer. Keeps me focussed (I have a very short attention span), encourages met etc etc. I'm a very lucky lady.

I would love to have this album pressed on vinyl, but may need some funding to do this. I fund all my recording myself, and it costs a lot of money and time. Knowledge of secret piles of money anywhere would be greatly appreciated. 

Wish me luck

Oh also:

You can buy (and hear) my last album here