Here we go again - and in oh, so many ways!
Christmas is over. Lockdown number two has bitten chunks out of our Gluteus Perseverance Max. And that feeling of isolation has truly set in for many.
This year I'm using the imposed free time to better effect, pushing forward to get new material shaken out of my fingers for the next album (initially titled 10 Campfire Songs) for the summer.
After the previous, electronica-themed release of 'Sun Rises As Concrete Sets' last October (well received so far), I can look forward to getting back on acoustic guitar, re-recording and adding new ideas into the mix before deciding on final tracks. I'll probably also add a video on my youtube channel along with a few other alternative video channels, including some demo ideas in there somewhere.
This time around I'll also limit myself to using a smaller selection of instruments. I can already see a tone and shape for the whole project which is perfect at this stage. I want this to be a more acoustic and simpler sounding album. Also, I'm just considering dropping double-tracking instruments altogether - but not completely convinced until I try it out first.
I'd like to play around with the mono / stereo stage settings too. It's always a great feeling when you don't realise something is in mono until it jumps out wide into left and right speakers - I like that, but I'll have to see how it can be best used.
And lastly, I've been collecting 'real world' sounds for this project. Mainly in and around wooded areas and recording fires, streams, walking boots, wind in trees and farting sheep.
All useful stuff... apart from the sheep.