Over the last couple of months there have been music events which have been an opportunity to close off some loops in my life. Two concerts – the first was Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark at the Liverpool Philharmonic Halls with the full orchestra, and the second was King Crimson on their latest tour. It’s … Read more
In recent weeks I have bought a couple of really interesting albums. The first, John Coltrane’s “Both Directions at Once” is a ‘lost’ album from Coltrane recorded in 1963 during a time when he was in and out of the studio a lot. It has been hyped as a recording session that has coherence and … Read more
I’ve been listening to Bach’s ‘Goldberg Variations’ today. It’s a change from the ambient and drone music that I usually play whilst working. I played the recording made by Glenn Gould in 1981. It’s been a favourite of mine for years. I have a collection which includes Gould’s earlier recording from 1955. The way he … Read more
It’s a beautiful space. On the banks of the River Mersey is a small park called Vale Park, not far from New Brighton. It’s nestled behind trees through which you can look out at the river and see the profile of Liverpool against the sky. The city’s profile has changed radically in recent years with … Read more
As I write this post, I am listening to a music track randomly chosen by my iPad. It’s a track called “Driftin’ Back” by Neil Young and Crazy Horse from the album “Psychedelic Pill”. It’s a glorious twenty-seven minutes plus in length. A long jam of a song. And yet at no point in the … Read more
Why do I love abstract and weird? Well… to be honest, why not? Sometimes it’s so important for the music we listen to or the things that we read to challenge us. If all we listen to is the sweet and obvious sounds then we miss a whole sound palette. Being open to adventures in … Read more
I have mentioned before on this blog that I am a huge fan of the work of David Sylvian and Richard Skelton. An initial google might lead you to think that these two have very little in common. Sylvian began his career in the last 70s and early 80s with Japan, a band that trod … Read more
For the past few months I have been writing the first draft of my next book. It’s called “The Journey to Wonder”. It’s about the people who have been a huge influence on my life, on how I think, how I work and what I produce. Here is the chapter about Neil Young: The wild … Read more
‘You’re never in a secure position. You’re never at a point where you have it all sewed up. You have to choose to be secure and like stone, or insecure but able to flow.’ – Keith Jarrett
Some more working out loud. A marvellous concept that I read about in-depth in the book “Working Out Loud” by John Stepper. This creative journey. An opening out of ideas – and the lack of focus that emerges. Thus, all of these projects underway, open loops: Working on at least 6 non-fiction pieces Working on … Read more