Mmmh, Roland...

Hello there...

Programming on the beach, eh?

Über-cool eighties ad, as seen on myblogitsfullofstars.blogspot.com

Free Drum Samples

No, not from here, but I ran across this interesting site today : http://samples.kb6.de/downloads_en.php

Lots of free vintage and modern drum machines drum sets, in wav format, and some available through donation. A very good resource overall.

And while I'm at it, some free samples on the more commercially oriented Dubsounds, which also feature info on the boxes and an excellent Polymoog article.

More Toys : Boss SP-303

I've purchased this cheap sampler last week, first to add some loops and fx to the live act, then to experiment a bit with chopping and things like that...

First thoughts : nice, cheap little machine, with a straightforward interface (which could still be simpler, but...).

I've been essentially busy putting samples from my own albums in there to play live, but this weekend I'll try to create some beats and loops and post that.

New Guitar : Epiphone Emperor Joe Pass

I needed a new guitar, having been borrowing the red Eastwood Airline you can see on the gig pics down there for some months.

I knew I wanted a hollow body guitar, because it seemed to fit my "clean modulated" sound better, and after reading some reviews and testing some guitars at my usual shop, my heart set on the Epiphone Emperor II Joe Pass.

I won't do a detailed review here because I'm more of a keyboard player, but let's just say it's a really really good deal. Warm, rich, open sound, and awesome looks.

Fruitful Weekend

I don't actually have anything for you to hear, but I thought I'd chime in anyway to say that I've been working all weekend on the cover EPs series (that is, the series of cover songs EPs I'm preparing for spring)...

I've laid down the basic tracks for two Syd Barrett songs : a lo-fi, funky rendition of "No Man's Land", with Moog bass passing through a EHX Big Muff fuzz pedal and some rocking Rhodes, and a catchy, clubby, psychedelic "Late Night", complete with nice Crumar pads...

I also taped a classical piano version of "We Will Rock You", with tons of intricate piano and Moog lines. Yeah, you heard me. It's gonna be awesome.

I don't know exactly the order in which I'll release all these EPs, but it'll probably be something like, Police EP on march 1st, Queen EP on april 1st, David Bowie EP on may 1st, etc... one per month till I drop dead.

More Live Pics

This time coming from Mr Jérôme (check out his other work : http://napssy.kz.free.fr)
As always, click on the pics for higer resolution.

Live January 9th 2010 (In Pictures)

So, last night's gig went very well... good place, good sound, good crowd, and not too many mistakes...

Synth-wise, I played my Roland Juno-1 and Jérôme Herbert played his Korg M50.

Some pics (thanks to Sébastien!)... click for hi-res.

Crumar Demos (with Claudine)

A couple of very simple demos I did on vacation using the Crumar Bit-01 analog polysynth, a Boss DR600 4-track recorder and my old oooold Boss DR550-mkII drum machine.

Crumar Demo 1

Crumar Demo 2

Crumar Circuitry Moment

While you weren't looking my way, on the last days of december, I bought a Crumar Bit-01...

1985 polysynth rack, 6-voices analog.

Opened here to change a switch, but otherwise I haven't had that much time to deal with it.

Tomorrow I'll post some crude demos I did with it while on vacation on a simple 4-track Boss recorder.

Back in Business

A new gig date for Khoral live, and serious this time!

Me and the boys will be playing this saturday 9th at Triolet, in Nantes, France (8 rue de l'hermitage), around 8.30pm, and probably later on that evening as well...

http://www.letriolet.fr/

Happy 2010

May all your monoliths be black...

2009 has been quite productive, as I've managed to put out a full-length commercial album ("Strawberry Blonde") and among tons of blog music, a free electronic EP ("Broken Sails").

2010 will a LOT busier, as I'm planning to release:

- a full-length commercial album ("Up the River", 12 songs)

- a commercial pop/electro EP ("Life on a Sinking Ship", 5 songs)

- at least 4 or 5 cover EPs (Police, Bowie, Queen, Gabriel, REM, Kate Bush... 4 or 5 songs each)

- at least 2 free pop/electro EPs (including the "Chasing Ghosts" project, 4 songs)