Art and music have been easy bedfellows for a long time. Art colleges in the 60’s and 70’s were breeding grounds for many musicians and bands. When recording and mixing music, I have found the creative process to be very similar to that when I am creating visual art. As such, my relatively recent foray into musical creativity is not such a great leap. Or too surprising really.
When I studied Electronic Engineering at the University of Sussex, it was with the intent of being a sound engineer in recording studios. Life, as is often the case, had other plans for me. There were some nascent recordings produced in those university days and I did spend some years after then regularly jamming with some friends. Working as sound engineer in recording studios though, eluded me.
Music or Art?
The mid 1990’s saw a brief period in a band where, along with a couple of live gigs, we went into a small recording studio and produced some material I am still happy with. This came at a time when I was receiving my first large scale book commissions which required a fair bit of attention and I had to make a decision, to concentrate on one thing in order to do it well: music or art.
Looking at the rest of this web site it is clear that art won out and I left the band. It was the right decision for that time. What I did promise myself, at the decision point, was that when I knew how to draw properly then I would give music a go again. Similarly looking at the rest of this site, it may be fair to say I can draw. It may also be said I need not have left it so long before seriously looking at music again.
After the Tarot
Regardless, when I finished the work of the Celtic Tarot after producing 78 paintings over a two and a half year period, I decided it was time to focus my creative gaze towards music once more. I built a small home studio, which the march of technology makes far more feasible than when I was first dabbling in music. Once again, the digital revolution has democratised proceedings. Results once undreamt of with modest budgets are now possible.
After some experimentation with a couple of tracks it was starting to collaborate with fellow artist Laura Daligan that my musical venture took off. We released an EP in June 2018 which can be heard on our Bandcamp.
My musical weapon of choice the the synthesiser. Old school analogue machines, with one dating back to the 1970’s has pride of place. I work in the digital domain as well, with a number of software synths also coming into play. My prime role is recording, mixing and producing. What I intended all the years previously when entering the University of Sussex. I say I had to wait until technology caught me up.
There follows a number of tracks I have produced over previous years. They are very much electronic in nature. Some may well have further work at a later date.
Oberheim
Named after a legendary synthesiser manufacturer since this piece solely uses two officially endorsed software recreations of Oberheim products. Recorded Spring 2025.
Lazerus
Produced in October 2024 shortly after having a (thankfully incorrect) diagnosis of a detached retina late at night in the local A&E. There was still a risk of detachment for a few weeks so did not do any art for a while but worked on music instead.
Trancewave
A slightly clattery track produced autumn 2024.
Sunset
Tribal and moody. Produced a couple of years ago.
Birth of Fire
Similarly tribal but not as moody as Sunset. Started from a recording of some fire (or a match being lit, I can’t remember now) really slowed down to change the sound and it just went from there. Produced November 2020.
Distant Voices
My first contemporary dabbling at recording music after returning to it around 2016.
Not being one to practice in any creative form I prefer to get on and do to see what happens and learn while in the process. Which is what I did with this track.
New Beginnings
After Distant Voices I had a stab in the general direction of EDM. Not that it really is meant to be any specific genre. It is merely what it is. Assistance on this track came from Linzi Mumford. Long time friend who was both responsible for the custom bike I painted way back in time and got my art first noticed but also was drummer in the band I was in similarly a long time ago.
Dragons Awakening
A track I produced for my friend Laura Daligan. This was to go on a promotion video for a course she was running called Dragons Awakening sometime back in 2018.