The Last Old Mod***MDP74 v. 3.0

Started as an idea of making “a song” out of randomly created loop on piano. So yesterday I stroke on my midi keyboard several times and used quantization and created the rest of the tune around it. It is called “At the Gates of Mausenhoffen”.

I like sketches and drawings, usually more than paintings. They capture the moment rather than some conception and, for me, they are easier to read. Last week’s visit of Frida Khalo exhibition reassured me in some ways. Sketches are usually uglier and they don’t bear philosophical messages like some paintings, so they are raw but honest, I looked into my iTunes library to make some space on my HD and I realized that I made dozens of musical sketches and compared to just two long-plays they can tell a bit more about me and what I am doing or I am up to. And here it is, the idea: I will post all these tests, demos, ideas and sound bits. As some people do with pictures, drawings or photos, my main communication tool is music and it ever was.

Here is the first one, it came out from doodling in a van yesterday and I put some more tracks today morning. It’s called “Rock With Me” and das ganze Lied ist zu Greta von Parkhaus geschenkt. Made on Logic instruments, Moog Little Phatty and TAL Bassline synth.

Written for Instinkt magazine this week, here is another re-post of my “Creaking” column, in Czech.

Divokej Bill má prý vrchol popularity ještě před sebou, říkají v rozhovoru pro Musicserver. Při pohledu na volební preference Čechů to určitě není plácnutí do vody, tady jim pšenka pokvete. Hudebními periodiky hýbe spor dvou produktů, Christiny Aguilery a Lady Gaga, o to, kdo koho kopíruje nebo jestli obě kopírují Madonnu, největší značku v oblasti polyuretanového showbizu. Nemám na to názor. Queen, kapela s 19 let mrtvým zpěvákem, přešla od EMI do Universal Music, což je zřejmě bomba, protože jinak nechápu, proč se o tom někdo zmiňuje. Robyn, skandinávská korunní princezna na pomezí alternativní scény a polyuretanu, letos vydá tři desky, první singl zní jak Sabrina, písníčka je o tancování, má taneční rytmus a tempo a v klipu se tancuje. Stovky lidí komentují video, že to je báječný a dost možná nejlepší video na světě. Je tu nový český velký open air festival a jmenuje Open Air Festival. Zřejmě si pořadatelé řekli, že v týhle zemi není radno si zahrávat s kreativitou a je třeba jít čelem k masám. Za uchem má velké logo operátora a jako hlavní hvězdu Kasabian, což se líbí mně, ale zajímavé bude zjistit, kolik lidí tuhle britskou partu narozdíl od už zmíněného Billa slyšelo nebo alespoň slyšelo její jméno. No a já byl v Sasazu na B.R.M.C. a změnil jsem si status z obdivovatele týhle party na oddaného fanouška.

For more than two years I am looking for the best solution of amplification of my Martin OM-42. This beautiful rich sounding guitar looks like this and it’s clear I do not want to do any harm to it:

Some people were amazed that I let myself build a custom guitar with my name inlayed on a headstock, but it’s a different story.

So, how to plug the guitar in in live situations where microphone is out of discussion and do not reach the sound of thin wires rounded around a plastic basket? I didn’t want to cut half of the guitar out to implement some Fishman preamp “base station” with EQ, tuner, 5 transducers and one condenser microphone despite that could be one of the best sounding solutions. But I hate how it looks and feels and it is also too much sophisticated which means too big chance to fail for me. Plus – it is the most invasive solution and if you go wrong, you went really, fatally wrong for your guitar. Seeing Black Rebel Motorcycle Club live this friday I noticed that their great-sounding acoustic guitars were picked-up by a classic looking true to the roots magnetic pick-ups. I also remember seeing this solution on one of Martin Ledvina’s Martin D’s used on tour with Aneta. But I was always a bit suspicious how acoustic this can sound (as I didn’t pay any attention to it during the Aneta tour) and if you have to combine this with another technology.

I did a little research yesterday on the net and found very useful review at Fingerpick Magazine. This comprehensive overview of all the important ways and gadgets for picking up the sound of an acoustic guitar gives you really good idea what’s available and thanks to videos and mp3s with sound clips you can listen and compare for yourself. I am completely new to this topic as my second acoustic guitar Taylor came already equipped with some kind of saddle pickup so I didn’t have to do anything and a page like this helped me a lot to get to know at least something and make my decision without personal experience. Especially the category of “non-invasive pickups” is something I sticked to and I was selecting the winner within this particular list to keep the guitar untouched and having a chance to rethink my decision later.

In the end my personal choice is one of the reviewers: LR Baggs M1 pickup. See the videos bellow. And as soon as I will put aside some cash for it I will post my own review.

I fell in love with the sweet sensation
I gave my heart to a simple chord
I gave my soul to a new religion
Whatever happened to you?
Whatever happened to our rock’n’roll?
Whatever happened to my rock’n’roll?

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, friday night at Sasazu. They came, started and played like a real rocknroll band and it would be enough for the money and my expectations. But Whatever Happened To My Rock & Roll and Six Barrel Shotgun i.e. weren’t played, they were fired from a dozen barrel shotgun and despite scattered audience in quantity of approx. 300 it seemed that all targets were hit. Final encore ballad was a dramaturgical masterpiece. Good and extensive playlist of great songs, amazing guitar and bass gear, impressive yet minimalistic guitar techniques, good sound and all the biggest hits (except Stop) created an event you won’t forget. The audience gave kindly the energy back and together with a real band created an atmosphere you would like to see more often in Zombieland. Only thing I regret is the idiotic size of M T-shirt I bought there. I forgot they are from U.S.

B.R.M.C. – Whatever Happened To My Rock n’ Roll

B.R.M.C. – Spread Your Love

And here’s one from history. An Oskar commercial I shot with director David Slade back at Kaspen six years ago on location in South Africa and Prague. Music: B.R.M.C. – Stop

In Indonesia spotting vulcanos on every island and Adolf Hitler T-shirts on every teenager. Different (der Führer) and beautiful (vulcanos).

Working with Niceland and Amak. Gut. Nicesongs. Hunting for an edge on a pop record. Will spend more time at home now when I have the record on a disc. It is an inspiring work for me to try to fit into something already invented and composed. It forces me to be gentle and cooperative – uncommon qualities for Destroyer. I am really curious what Kay will do on the record.

Technically speaking, Logic 9 and Mac OS Snow Leopard is a brill update. The biggest Wow in last few weeks belongs to this DAW of my choice. Amps, stomps and great update to MainStage. Loop machine, backing tracks, virtual mixing desks make my MOTU Traveler, guitar and MidAir keys finally a potentially ultimate live setup for any imaginable occasion.

The Logic Amp designer:

http://blog.nsovocal.com/

and the Pedalboard:

I didn’t have a much time to test it properly yet but sounds I tested easily competed with Guitar Rig 3 and the routing and controls seem to be Apple-easy and more user friendly than the German amp boutique. Nevertheless, the native Logic guitar tools are new, good and simple looking, seem-to-be-good sounding and way more my laptop screen friendly than anything else I have been using and it is now my tools to go when I need lay down a quick guitar track or humanize a totally chemical sounding clip. But, to be exact, a serious guitar or almost any recording work should be still left to outboard, real air and real pressure.