tag:bigbluecar.net,2005:/blogs/ep-release?p=8Music Releases2023-07-29T18:23:44+01:00Big Blue Carfalsetag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/72492732023-07-29T18:23:44+01:002023-10-16T15:52:38+01:00Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes<p>Ah, the summer scent of broken promises and jasmine!</p><p>We're in summer mode at long last, but there's still no sign of ELOI.<br>But wait, friends… I have news.</p><p>I've found myself with too much spare material, not unworthy enough to throw away or ignore. I also don't want to over-burden the next album with too many tracks, so I have decided to put out a quick pre-release before the ELOI project release.</p><figure class="table" style="float:left;"><table><tbody>
<tr><td style="height:40px;" colspan="4"><strong>Strange Fish EP</strong></td></tr>
<tr>
<td><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/270429/869626693de4d7a18ad9d34df061a3bc7d2d734c/original/eloi-strange-fish-ep2.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_center border_" alt="Strange Fish EP Cover" /></td>
<td style="width:20px;"> </td>
<td style="width:300px;">
<p>So, the next 'EP' if you will, is going to be titled 'Strange Fish' and is a sort of precursor, or side project to ELOI.</p>
<p>It will most probably be released with just 5 or 6 tracks.</p>
<p>The cover is done (I think), and I'm now tinkering around with some slightly different sounds.</p>
<p>Speaking of which…</p>
</td>
<td style="width:300px;"> </td>
</tr>
<tr><td style="height:40px;" colspan="4"><strong>New Freaky Toy</strong></td></tr>
<tr>
<td><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/270429/3969b2bf64ca344218c5d5cc36e54cfce01a639c/original/pxl-20230729-164026910-2.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_inline border_" alt="Alturia MicroFreak Synth" /></td>
<td style="width:20px;"> </td>
<td style="width:300px;">
<p>I've also just bought a little Arturia MicroFreak synth, which is being used on both Strange Fish and ELOI.<br> </p>
<p>It's been great fun getting to grips with programming it - especially after installing the latest V5 firmware update.</p>
<p>V5 firmware now adds some smart vocoder, granular and sampling functionality.</p>
</td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan="4">
<p>That's all for now.<br>Strange Fish will drop soon.</p>
<p>KP</p>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table></figure><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/72034152023-05-05T12:49:16+01:002023-05-05T12:49:16+01:00Free 10 Campfire Songs booklet download<p>After producing the lyric/info booklet, which partners the 10 Campfire Songs album. I'm making the digital version available as a free download.</p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="/files/1224683/10%20Campfire%20Songs%20Booklet" data-link-type="file" data-link-label="10 Campfire Songs Booklet">You can get your free booklet (multi-page PDF format) here.</a></p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/68653702022-01-11T14:13:53+00:002023-05-05T12:32:47+01:00Jig-A-Jig : A Multi-Video looping piece with a floral tartan edge<p>I got it into my head that I'd like to create a video with multiple video loops of all the different instruments played while re-recording a little musical ditty through Logic.</p>
<p>So I did...</p>
<p>I pulled the mixed audio track into video editing software and used it to sync up the small video loops which were recorded at the same time. It's an interesting process and I've seen some great versions of this technique on YouTube in the past.</p>
<p>The track has an 'electro-celt' feel to it, and is reminiscent of one of my favoured Scottish 80's bands, 'Big Country'.</p>
<p><a contents="The Video" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSf3KHjVFEM">Watch The Video</a> (Youtube channel)</p>
<p><a contents="Big Country Live (1984)" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM9I6ZtpThM">Big Country Live (1984)</a></p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/67755262021-10-14T14:55:42+01:002021-11-23T15:44:10+00:00Is it really a waste of time putting out albums?<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:400px;"><tbody> <tr> <td> <p><span style="color:#7f8c8d;"><span class="font_xl">The ongoing and evolving discussions with regard to recording 'albums' in todays music marketplace.</span></span></p> </td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/270429/9f0ce672dd0b1081d7aa1e0ecdc9202ad59f276a/original/vinyl2.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p><span style="color:#555555;"><strong>If you scour a number of video and music editorials, you will at some point come across the sincere opinion that it's a waste of time for songwriters and bands to create and publish complete 'albums' of music.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#555555;"><strong>The story goes that because todays listeners get their kicks from playlists and streaming, they no longer have the need - and perhaps no longer the capacity - to sit down and negotiate an 8 to 12 track chunk of music - or an album to you and me. We are told that user data shows listeners are grazers and would much rather isolate a few songs and pop them into a playlist for later wash-rinse-repeat consumption, than dedicate some of their time digging around for past musical references. </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:null;">I get this, but I disagree on a number of levels, because this is just feeding into the narrative of digital marketing speak and promo processes - which is after all important, but only half the story.</span></p>
<p><br><strong>The Feeding Frenzy</strong></p>
<p>The strategy of releasing individual tracks works well if you're the type of artist who needs to put out lots of bits and pieces to keep your profile topped up and running with new content. In the world of musical fishtanks you are attracting the top feeders and will need to keep them bobbing up near the surface to feed often.</p>
<p>The 'bobbies' aren't necessarily a good catch for some artists though. They can be fickle consumers and, like fish, have the memory span of... a goldfish. So you need to be constantly feeding not only the fish, but also the system (fish tank) which are all those digital social outlets you exist on.</p>
<p>But what if you produce longer pieces of music or interconnected story pieces, where the sum of the parts makes the whole thing work? Do you want your 20 minutes of journey torn into smaller chunks of easily digested fish meal? The digitised version of many prog type music doesn't work well in chunks (check out Topographic Oceans by Yes on streams versus vinyl or CD versions for a comparison).</p>
<p><br><strong>The Vinyl Surge</strong></p>
<p>And it's a little bit of an ironic statement too when so many people are now wanting to get hold of more vinyl. You know, that thing which binds a whole set of songs to itself, without giving you the choice of breaking off bits you don't much like. Oh and also it's that medium where you can actually read the lyrics and feel the print.</p>
<p>I hear that vinyl sales have overtaken CD sales in 2021 - the first time for over 30 years. Is this just a retro fashion desire or something else?<br><br>My guess is that folks still like the older 'regressive' style of physical music products (although the cassette tape fashion thing drives me crazy - as a long-time tape recording user, that's just dumb). And those who have a deeper interest in music don't just buy singles. They will also buy an artist's back catalogue and tend to be album collectors and buyers.</p>
<p>Of course you can still digitise any of the vinyl tracks when you get them home, but why bother when you can just select a few choice digi tracks online and stream them anytime you wish?</p>
<p><br><strong>The Quick Hit</strong></p>
<p>The ugly truth is there's just simply too much music out there, and much of it is of the throwaway variety. What gets consumed avidly in the digital social feeding frenzy, quickly disappears to be excreted out the other end, where it eventually settles to the bottom. It is then to be filtered out of the waters of the search algorithms by time, further musical deposits descending from above, and a waning popularity. Music may be quickly produced and fresh but much of it has a shorter shelf life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The bottom line: Don't let anyone tell you how best you should produce, wrap up, publish, or market your music. And if they do, pick what you feel is right for you and carry on doing what you want with your creation.</p>
<p>It's not a one-size-fits-all world, even though some would like to see it that way (flocks are so much easier to manage than packs and lone wolves), but this just isn't the case.</p>
<p>Diversify your choices my little keyboard wobblers and string pushers - diversify.</p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/65855052021-03-26T14:06:23+00:002021-03-26T14:11:04+00:0010 Campfire Songs project : Late March update<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/270429/1f99c5c71a1b75fc50b28b5eec7e669abf333544/original/kp-blog09.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>I've just uploaded the latest work-in-progress video for the 10 Campfire Songs album project.</strong></p>
<p>If you are interested to see and hear a few bits of musical flotsam, please visit my Youtube channel <a contents="Big Blue Car : 10 Campfire Songs" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfTtR6sMaJQ" target="_blank">10 Campfires update</a> for some demos and explanations.</p>
<p>In spite of all things Covid and mask-like, the album is well on it's way now and (all being well) I should have it in shape for completion by the summer - whatever shape or form summer will take this year!</p>
<p>In the meantime, keep well and get a proper haircut.</p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/65140182021-01-05T17:54:51+00:002021-07-12T19:51:26+01:00Ten Campfire Songs update<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Here we go again - and in oh, so many ways!</strong></span></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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 <a contents="youtube channel" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjUXZza4kaXMfPLTH3dsIcQ" target="_blank">youtube channel</a> along with a few other alternative video channels, including some demo ideas in there somewhere.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>All useful stuff... apart from the sheep.</p>
<p> </p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/64499962020-10-06T17:33:16+01:002020-10-08T15:25:15+01:00Merging dual musical personalities? Bad dog!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/270429/af0b84149b2e6224b9aeee31a72073571b9ced0e/original/bbcvmeshd.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large">'I've thought long and hard about this, and I'm admittedly apprehensive... but I think it's the way to go'.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Self-serving Compartments</strong></p>
<p>For a long time now I've indulged in many types of music, and over the years I've tinkered, played, written and pulled sounds from the apparent ether which has tended to drift into a particular style. This ended up being put into my 'Big Blue Car' shaped drawer of music.</p>
<p>But I've also produced long, 'filmic' pieces (sometimes meandering too long for their own good) and 'Chilled' pieces. Or full-on angular, experimental anti-music with a hugely illegal use of film dialogue samples draped behind them. Or indeed something altogether more like a visit to an iridescent 90's Ibiza Clubland.</p>
<p>In particular, the more 'electronic' material - for want of a better description - has been easier to distinguish. So when ideas of that sort pop up I'll typically store them in the drawer marked 'Mesh'd'. So with a forthcoming album due for release (Sun Rises As Concrete Sets), Mesh'd was the name I intended releasing it under. But why the need for this alternate ego?</p>
<p>Well it makes sense doesn't it? Marketing yourself as a single brand is just easier.</p>
<p>And it's all about expectation too - if you write in a particular musical style and attract the appropriate listener because of it, they know what to expect. And the best way to lose your listening base overnight is to trade on their goodwill of liking that recent Folk offering, only to suddenly hit them with a new release of Funk Metal.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Consistency For Coffers Sake!</strong></p>
<p>If an artist always writes in or around one particular style where their music doesn't necessarily change much over time, well that's fine. But there are plenty of musicians and recording artists who dabble across different genres of music, or who get creatively bored and stagnant. Some of my peers went from trying to write a commercial hit to lounging in the comfortable duvet of Blues. Others loved a more mathematical framing of intricate progressive music only to bleed out their creative juices with a new found love for Folky Americana.</p>
<p>We get inspired, find a formula and use it. Wash, rinse, repeat. And with any added financial backing from an external source there's then a responsibility to keep finding that balance which retains some higher commercial viability. As most of us aren't like Radiohead (note, Kid A), we can't just abandon our listeners (earnings) for the sake of indulged creativity. But if we aren't tethered to the coffers we can, surely? We just need to improve how to communicate what we're about and where we are going that little bit better.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Merged But Separate</strong></p>
<p>Today, where so many of us are independently producing music and hoping it gains both a momentum and an audience, it seems to me that the freedom to be able to extend what we offer should be an obvious option. It's surely possible for us to have different audiences who are as distinct from each other as the material we might put out.</p>
<p>The danger of course is that once an artist or band starts down a different creative path, they will inevitably shed listeners and supporters who just don't like the new material - and that's okay. Artists and creators can become too readily moulded by what is put out, despite having an interest in creating other styles of music. Just experiment and do it.</p>
<p>This is why I've decided that from now on I will only be using the Big Blue Car name for everything I release - because look, it's still all me. I'll (probably) still use some kind of subtitle under the BBC logo, as in: (a Mesh'd music project), just to help distinguish it. In this way I hope it broadens not only my opportunities for gaining a new audience and expands the creative horizons for both creator and listener, but will also help keep Big Blue Car as the primary focus of the music.</p>
<p>independent artists should be able to do this successfully (I'm sure a few have). And once supporters and listeners 'get it', perhaps they won't knee jerk a reaction and jump ship completely. Change Isn't necessarily a new direction, it's more like a deviation or experiment.</p>
<p>Ultimately the artist has to take it all on the chin. Music is fast becoming automatic and not a little fickle. Many listeners are happy to graze upon algorithmic playlists, rather than wade through searches in an effort to dig deeper into the potential of more interesting musical territory. Why would you make that effort when there's just so much music out there being effortlessly thrown back in your direction?</p>
<p>Remember: Someone somewhere will always pick the lime centred chocolate in the box.</p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/63332232020-05-28T16:56:33+01:002021-06-23T16:48:42+01:00Are your locks down over Lockdown?<p>It's a strange feeling to think that you are having a largely shared experience to someone else on an entirely different continent. Covid-19 in its 'vanilla' form (and now clinically dubbed by the mainstream media) has had far-reaching consequences to many people throughout the world.</p>
<p>But on a trivial note; as my barber shut down and my hair grew longer, I considered the number of times I made excuses not to go and get my hair cut (4 to be precise). I was doodling with some melancholic chords and phrases while considering punishing myself with a recent purchase of some electric clippers.</p>
<p>After watching a few Youtube tutorials on cutting your own hair, I realised this little ditty pretty much sounded like my regret of putting things off and the further trepidation into unknown shearing territory.</p>
<p>Anyway this piece can be watch-heard here:<br><a contents="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrIeTUBqMSo" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrIeTUBqMSo" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrIeTUBqMSo</a></p>
<p>It will probably morph into a proper track for the next Big Blue Car project 'Campfire Songs' - it won't be about hair, nor will it have anything to do with pandemics or perceived police states and abuse of 'the science'.</p>
<p><em>Here's a thought;</em> I wonder who will be the first to release a proper post Covid-19 song?<br>I don't mean just some charity number, but a full blown original with humanitarian bias and desperate anti-gov commentary written all over it... Roger, over to you.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Let's hope we can all get back to a sensible form of normality soon because the conversation is getting a little frayed and overly-expansive on all sides.</p>
<p>In the meantime, keep well.</p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/60800182020-01-10T16:32:09+00:002020-01-10T16:32:09+00:002 new albums and 20 tracks later<p>It's January and after the Christmas / winter break I'm looking back at my initial recordings made over the last 6 months.</p>
<p>It does feel a bit like things have slowed in this respect, but in reality I'm doing 'not too shabby'. I've been working on two music projects at the same time, right up until October. But I now have them both in some rough form concentrating my efforts and energy to finishing one before the crocuses die back.</p>
<p>It looks like the <strong>Mesh'd project (Sun Rises As Concrete Sets),</strong> will be completed before the new <strong>Big Blue Car album (10 Campfire Songs)</strong>. The cover to Concrete is done, all the tracks are chosen and sitting nicely together in sequence, so I'm now at the ever-cycling stage of: mix a track... listen... make notes... refine... listen again... make more notes, etc.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Mesh'd will sound nothing like Big Blue Car - you can <a contents="visit the mesh'd page here for more info" data-link-label="Mesh'd: The Alternator Ego" data-link-type="page" href="/mesh-d-the-alternator-ego">visit the mesh'd page here for more info</a>.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/270429/7df773f01b5d6b7da0509a3959f9e94eb44a46e5/original/2albumcovers-blog.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Fingers and toes are crossed for a summer release of Campfire Songs.</p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/59884042019-12-02T17:24:03+00:002019-12-03T10:13:02+00:00A new Mesh'd album: The Alternator Ego<p>While I've been working on one of the two new Big Blue Car albums through 2019, I found myself drawn to playing around with a number of 'sandbox' ideas. These musical pieces are much too synth and sequence based than is comfortable for inclusion within the BBC style, so I'm now looking at completing and releasing a third album in the new year. This will be released under the Mesh'd title.</p>
<p>I've used Mesh'd before but not been able to legally publish previous recordings - essentially because they have many soundbites from prominent films and I just didn't want to tempt fate. Even after having a brief email conversation with Public Service Broadcastings almost-front-man, J. Willgoose, Esq. who suggested just going for it and sorting it out later ('it's probably never going to be heard, so don't worry about it' - until you attain a higher profile). But I just couldn't face it what with 70% of the material washed in copyright which wasn't mine.</p>
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="10" style="height:300px;width:300px;"><tbody> <tr> <td> <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/270429/46f63ea6825fab74ea6a334c517b20042593851b/original/meshd-2-02-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></p> </td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p>However, with this later material I've steered clear of using any recordings I don't own, so that problem just goes away.</p>
<p>This new Mesh'd album will probably be titled 'Sun Rises As Concrete Sets'. I may go with this particular cover (opposite). Out of the few roughs I put together, I quite like the slightly subdued, older graphical feel and colour of this one.</p>
<p>So... three albums in all; two Big Blue Car and one Mesh'd. Not bad, and I may well get the Mesh'd album and one of the BBC albums - probably Campfire Songs, out at the same time, which looks to be March-May 2020.</p>
<p>KP</p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/58866412019-09-10T10:15:15+01:002021-07-15T20:08:08+01:00Tee Shirts & T Shirts<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/270429/08906a457c339b105b09907e9384112a293e0f99/original/teespring-bbc.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>I've now set up a Tee Shirt store for some of my artwork and designs.<br>If you'd like to take a look, you can go here: <a contents="Big Blue Car Teespring Store" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://teespring.com/en-GB/stores/big-blue-car" target="_blank">Big Blue Car TeeSpring Store</a></p>
<p>or here: <a contents="Big Blue Car Spreadshirt Store" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://shop.spreadshirt.co.uk/big-blue-car/all" target="_blank">Big Blue Car Spreadshirt Store</a></p>
<p>More artwork will be added to this collection over the next couple of months.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>KP</p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/58199612019-07-10T18:00:50+01:002021-07-15T20:08:43+01:00New DIY videos<p>I've just uploaded three new videos onto Youtube:</p>
<ul> <li>The first video is for the track 'Than Ever More Than' from Happy Yet?</li> <li>The second is a 'Babble' video with thoughts and pointers regarding the next album(s)</li> <li>Video number three is a quick little acoustic snippet of an old 2002 track 'Oilflow' from The Masking of Everyday Things.</li>
</ul>
<p>You can visit BBC Youtube here:</p>
<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjUXZza4kaXMfPLTH3dsIcQ" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/270429/5f95c47e3798dd785fdfbe10da8a01aac9de0350/original/bbcyoutube-banner01.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_xl justify_center border_" /></a></p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/57734872019-05-30T15:46:00+01:002021-06-30T17:47:25+01:00New material taking shape<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/270429/95b2c6e41dc9a15180a57ab01a5112d774da9793/original/album-4-blog-image.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">After a restless few months it all starts again..</span></p>
<p>Big Blue Car is recording.</p>
<p>The usual writing process remains the same; I collect all my odd scraps of recordings from mobile phone videos, dictaphone type recordings and chord sheets. I put all the digital stuff together into a directory on my home server (for easy access wherever I may be). </p>
<p>At this point I have a habit of both looking back and forward in time at any material stored. Anything is game as long as it has that little 'something', but essentially I'm still scraping as many new ideas as I can into the digital bucket. </p>
<p>This will be the first time I can get a sense of a whole selection of musical ideas which could form an album, so I have to initially weed out things which won't sit well under the Big Blue Car hood. So far I have more than enough ideas for an album (I generally like to keep it to between 10-12 tracks). </p>
<p>Next stage; I'll get into recording and start writing even more ideas straight from within Logic Pro. Thankfully this 'honeymoon' period lasts for just a few weeks until I settle down and start to look at seriously sculpting and reforming what I have. </p>
<p>As yet I have no clear ideas for words or track/album titles so I'm just using pseudo-naming for the moment. </p>
<p>And thinking about this... I might put some working freebies up at some point, just to show that I'm actually really doing stuff :).</p>
<p>KP</p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/56599122019-02-26T12:13:53+00:002019-03-06T21:05:57+00:00Mark Hollis<p>It hits hard when music and writers you respect suddenly disappear off the scene.</p>
<p>If you are watching news headlines today (Feb 25) you may notice the sad news that Mark Hollis from Talk Talk has died. No details available as yet but I'm sure more will follow.</p>
<p>Talk Talk, who were from the UK, crossed over from producing some tight, relevant 80's synth-pop-indie rock, out of which they grew their sound into a much more sophisticated and experimental writing. I always found their material inspiring and it made me think twice about what I was trying to achieve when bolting together my own music.</p>
<p>If you wish to listen to some Talk Talk 80's hits, search out these albums: <strong>The Party's Over</strong>, <strong>It's My Life</strong>, <strong>Talk Talk</strong></p>
<p>If you wish to listen to their more organically recorded, landscape music, try these albums: <strong>Laughing Stock,</strong> <strong>Spirit of Eden</strong>, or the more accessible <strong>The Colour Of Spring</strong></p>
<p> </p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/56283502019-02-05T15:07:10+00:002019-12-02T16:50:11+00:00New album 'Happy Yet?' finished<p>After a series of self imposed, on-off moments between 2017-18, the album is done.<br>In late January it went to the publishers and has since been distributed to streaming and download sites within a few days.</p>
<p>So, now what?</p>
<p>Well, there's an empty hole in this early part of 2019, but I'm not going to fill it with thoughts of more music - not just yet.<br>Once I've played around with the idea of nothing else to do but earn money through my 'proper job', I'll probably sit down in late Feb and look at the new and unused material which came about through the many ideas for 'Happy Yet?'. I just had too many for one album, so I'm in the great position of sorting through a dozen strong musical demos and half ideas while gleefully in the grip of potential new ones, not yet massaged into life.</p>
<p>It's early days but possible album titles include:<br><em>'Bias By Us', 'Nature, Not Art', 'Pebbles', 'TV Sounds', 'Luddite', 'Deep From Within The Ears of Tim Tinnitus'...</em></p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/55654872018-12-22T11:19:06+00:002021-06-30T17:43:32+01:00Divide and Conquer reviews Mortal Orbits<p><strong>The good people over at Divide and Conquer Music recently reviewed the Mortal Orbits EP.<br>Check out the review for yourself: <a contents="Mortal Orbits Review" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.divideandconquermusic.com/indie-music-album-reviews/big-blue-car-mortal-orbits-ep" target="_blank">Mortal Orbits Review</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Divide and Conquer</strong><br>Divide and Conquer is a US based collaboration of music enthusiasts who want to share their thoughts about the music being released into the public domain. The website was started because they realised there was a huge surplus of music being created. One reason for this was because recording technology caught up and more people then ever were recording music from their home or at a local studio.</p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/54593992018-10-08T13:20:08+01:002021-06-30T17:46:24+01:00Radio Interview : Part 2<p>Continuing my live interview with Martin Kirby at The Flash Radio office.</p>32:30Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/54563892018-10-05T15:30:39+01:002020-08-19T18:10:29+01:00Radio Interview : Part 1<p>I have a chat with Martin Kirby on The Flash radio station and play tracks from the Mortal Orbits EP.</p>28:29Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/54503062018-10-01T10:55:32+01:002021-07-12T19:52:59+01:00Live Radio Interview<p>I had the pleasure of dropping in to be part of a live radio interview with Martin Kirby of The Flash radio station.</p>
<p>Martin kindly asked me along to talk on air about Mortal Orbits and played tracks from it during the evening. We also discussed how I started out writing and playing, and discussions were generally all things music.</p>
<p>I really like the fact that they not only set out to support local bands and songwriters but also the wider community, so well done The Flash.<br>if you would like to know more about this online radio station you can visit <a contents="Flash Radio here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://theflashonair.co.uk/listen/4571764225" target="_blank">The Flash Radio here</a>.</p>
<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://theflashonair.co.uk/listen/4571764225" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/270429/022d8c8c3603e0a4cf09bbbf20a4d463fbe39b2d/original/theflashradio-logo1.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></a></p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/53940672018-08-20T09:04:58+01:002018-12-06T17:41:10+00:00Mortal Orbits EP released<p>At last, Mortal Orbits is released and available to download from the usual suspects; Amazon, Google, and Apple. It's also available from a number of streaming services as well.</p>
<p>I'll still offer the EP as a cheaper download here, but that will change at some point soon.</p>
<p>Putting this one to bed now frees me up to finishing the new album which will be released later in the year (and somewhat later than intended). All 10 tracks are done, so it'll be a question of finding time to do a final mix, check licence agreements for any pre-recorded audio, then getting the stereo files over to Rob at Aubitt for mastering.</p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/53808442018-08-09T18:06:57+01:002021-07-12T19:53:49+01:00Increased Mortality<p>I've had some frustrating issues where Tunecore, Spotify, Apple, etc, who seem to have a slightly different view of what constitutes a 'single', an 'EP' or an 'album'.</p>
<p>The short and long of it is that I would have to either delete the words EP on my artwork and title, or add a further track. Although Tunecore don't specify the difference between and album and an EP on their upload site they generally say that an EP is 3+ songs. Spotify see's an EP as being 4+ and as I had included them in my stores list it would have failed their criteria.</p>
<p>Frustrating yes, but In a way this is all good. I've now added an instrumental track which has been kicking around for a little while now (God's Drone).</p>
<p>I should get the green light from Tunecore in a few days who will then distribute it out to the stores and streaming services - we hope.</p>
<p> </p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/53752802018-08-05T09:49:02+01:002018-12-06T17:43:18+00:00EP currently in a holding pattern<p>Yep, we are currently in a holding pattern above planet Tunecore.</p>
<p>The Mortal Orbits EP is done and dusted and was uploaded to my Tunecore account a couple of days ago. I also got the licensing sorted with them for the Hawkind cover. So now I'm just wating for them to go through and check my artwork and files. Once that's done and they're happy all is in order, the EP will be sent to my preferred list of stores and streaming services.</p>
<p>So I'll take a deep breath, kick back enjoy the oppressive sunshine and come back to it in a few days with digits crossed.</p>Big Blue Cartag:bigbluecar.net,2005:Post/52610312018-05-28T07:52:32+01:002018-12-06T17:42:27+00:00New EP for July/August 2018<p>The June release came and went due to unforseen circumstances. Rest assured it will be released and available some time in July. It will feature three tracks;</p>
<ul> <li>Mortal Orbits</li> <li>Peaceful Day (Red Tarn version)</li> <li>Hurry On Sundown, an extended cover of an old Hawkwind track.</li>
</ul>
<p>The EP will be titled... yep, <strong>Mortal Orbits EP</strong> and will be avaliable on Amazon, Apple, Spotify, Google, Deezer etc.</p>Big Blue Car