Grant
October 19, 2017
Random Post
Nothing particular to say today, just that I finished this track and it’s unusually happy…
So I though I’d share 🙂
Grant
October 7, 2017
Totally Fictional #5
Seven tracks inspired by the Cassini mission this week, various takes on the space theme; some serious, some wimsical.
Grant
October 1, 2017
Totally Fictional #4
Five tracks made over one week plus one from earlier in the year, all very synth and beat heavy. Two are jams; I am experimenting with ways to build up a live set.
Grant
September 13, 2017
Totally Fictional #3
It’s been a while but I finally got around to making another radio episode for Mixcloud.
It’s a concept that I’ve been developing as another way to showcase my tunes and as a fun way to indulge myself in a little fantasy; so I have the lovely but totally fictional Trudi Mcboody run her own radio show.
The previous episodes had tunes all made in one week but since it’s been a year between shows I’ve included tracks made from September 2015 to June this year.
I hope you enjoy it.
Grant
September 6, 2017
Grant’s Music Diary September 6 2017
I’ve spent more time sorting and organising my many files, and unposted tracks, and bits and pieces, than I have actually making music this month. Hey housekeeping chores are essential and I am guilty of procrastinating my way around them (more than once) till my iPad is choked and groaning under the weight. So while my inspiration levels are low I decided it was a good time to try and catch up.
It’s still an ongoing process which has surprised me at times; lots of good tracks unposted, lots of unfinished tracks that deserve more effort spent on them. As well as lots of crap to go in the trash of course.
So if you’d like to check out some of my discoveries my Soundcloud postings of the last month is all full of these old tracks.
This one I discovered today and I’m only partially happy with it; I probably need to re-record the vocals, probably in a more spoken word style rather than this half sung monotone, and perhaps in a different setting…I’m happy with words…Open to suggestions.
Grant
August 17, 2017
Grant’s Music Diary 17 August 2017
Hi guys,
Just letting you know that I’m still here and still beavering away; perhaps a little unfocused at times but beavering away nonetheless.
I seem to have accumulated several unfinished projects that are lying around weighing on my mind, not to mention slowly sorting through the Track A Day pieces for release which is a huge weight of it’s own.
One of the new projects is an idea to do some live performance videos which I hope will interest people as well as encourage myself to develop the live aspect of my iPad music making; an aspect that is sorely in need of some attention.
Here is my first attempt, more a proof of concept video; I hope to improve all aspects both of video making and sound ideas in future vids. Hope you enjoy it anyway.
Grant
July 3, 2017
Grant’s Music Diary July 3rd 2017
Hi Peeps,
For the last few weeks I haven’t been making any tracks but I have been busy making and assembling samples for my drum apps.
Specifically for Patterning but DM1, ElasticDrums, iMaschine, and iSpark are also sample based and I have been having great fun both making samples and trying them out in each app and seeing what each can do.
Today I assembled 5 beats that I had made in Patterning using 5 sample kits, I loaded them into Auria and made this Beatscape. Then I made a video (which I also haven’t done in a while).
Great fun was had. I hope you enjoy.
Grant
May 13, 2017
Grant’s Music Diary 13 May 2017
This is an older track; made last year and never posted, for some reason I decided it wasn’t good enough but listening to it now I really like it. There are lots of tracks still sitting around; some unfinished, some not very good, some good but for one reason or another passed over and awaiting their time in the sun.
As it’s title suggests I have posted this to mark my 500th post on Soundcloud.
Who would’ve thought 2 years ago that I could be so prolific? Certainly not me.
It was the discovery of the iPad as a musical tool which sparked off this unexpected plethora of creativity and for that I am very grateful. It’s not that I have ever stopped wanting to be creative, that has been a constant desire all my life, but for some reason the iPhone and iPad was the platform that I needed to overcome my personal demons and to unleash those silent parts of myself that were consigned to dark, dusty and hidden corners.
The other essential ingredient of course was meeting my wonderful wife Lene without whose encouragement and support I could never have beaten back my demons long enough to make anything. The demons still come knocking from time to time of course but she is still there to help me, as I hope I am there to help her.
I am not sure when I will post here again.
It is time for me to revaluate my musical options and explore the different avenues open before me. There is still much to do but I now feel that I will be better served pursuing those avenues without the pressure to produce finished products on a regular basis. It’s just a slight adjustment of perspective I suppose.
Anyway thanks for watching and listening and reading and following my journey so far. This is not the end but merely a hiatus after which I hope to return stronger than ever.
Peace out Tracklings 🙂
Grant
April 17, 2017
Grant’s Music Diary 17 April 2017 (Horn Edition #11)
I’m getting more and more fluent with my horn writing and enjoying myself immensely with these pieces. Hope you find them fun too 🙂
Grant
March 31, 2017
Grant’s Music Diary 31 March 2017
I have been playing guitar regularly again lately and am finding it hugely influential on the way I hear and think about music. Something essential of me comes to the fore when I physically play either guitar or bass; it’s present when I just use the iPad apps but seems to come to the surface when I hold these instruments, which after all I have spent countless hours and about 40 years playing (on and off).
Anyway Gadget has been updated with the possibility of adding audio tracks, both vocal and guitar, and I have been exploring the new options this opens up in app. Previously any tracks with guitar or vocals have been made in Auria which is certainly superior in sounds and options and versatility but having everything in Gadget makes it easy to sketch ideas etc in one place.
Probably the best option would be to import each track from Gadget to Auria for finishing but that is for another day. This track is all Gadget.
I began by jamming 7 tracks of guitar along to the drums, slowly building up the (admittedly simple) idea. The horns where also built up by playing the guitar, this time triggering the midi in Gadget by way of MIDI Guitar. This required quite a bit of editing because it wasn’t very accurate but I think yielded good results so I will continue to try this out. I tried singing the vocal but ran up against my inability to sing well, so I ended up doing it as a spoken word, just keeping the last bit of singing which is reasonably in tune and made a good backing I thought.
Anyway I’m really happy with this, I hope you enjoy it.