…but no, not ‘the’ new album.
Next week, or the week after that, I’ll release a new album. It’s an instrumental album, an electronic album. Initially I’ll release it over at my Sound Cloud-profile then we’ll see. It will feature a cover made by the one and only Stooss.
This album won’t be for everyone. But then again, my music rarely is.
So, check back here, or on my Twitter-account, or on my Last.Fm-profile.
Today I got the second (of ten) rough-rough-mixes (yeah, that’s what we’re calling them) of a song from the upcoming album. As I said on Twitter, it’s Tom Petty all over the place. You’re going to be surprised when you here the end result.
When I got the first mix I was in doubt and a bit in disbelief; was this what we had done? What have we done!? A.s.o. Now, when the second mix dropped in, all feels really well. It’s going to sound great! Super stoked.
You’ll hear it soon enough.
Late last night I got the first rough-rough-mix (yeah, that’s what we’re calling them), from Rob, of a song to feature on the new; next; upcoming album. Did not really have the possibility to listen to it since my ears, and most other parts of my body, were frozen to a ‘I-CAN’T-FEEL-MY-BODY-HEEEELP-ME’-state. (Camilla and I had been freezing our ass’ off watching the international football friendly between Sweden and Germany.)
I haven’t managed and analyzing listen today either. Schoolwork (and writing blog posts… and going for dog walks) keep me busy. But, somewhere between now and Sunday I’ll get around to having a nice, long sit-down, listening, thinking and taking notes.
However, what I can say from my first listen (where I basically just listened to the song) is: You’re in for a surprise. I’ve gone all farmer on you.
As an islander eventually does I guess.
In the midst of recording my new album, and soon releasing the ‘Summer Love AA’ single, I’ve booked myself some studio time to do some more recordings.
Why? Well Rob is about to have his second child (any day now, might even be today), which means that the album-recordings are put on hold, and ‘Summer Love AA’ is done and just waiting for release. And, creativity is still flowing.
I’ll go into the studio with Lars-Martin and whip up two songs. These will probably be released this fall.
It’s good to be able to give the music side of things my full attention!
Just came back from a guitar rehearsal session with KG.
Went great.
We covered all the songs KG has left to lay guitar on. Hopefully we’ll get them all recorded on the 3:rd. Then we’ll see what happens.
Strange how the songs shift shapes with every added instrument. Even if the track is just a dub the style and feel of the song can completely change. I hope this is a good thing. Have no idea where this album is heading. It’s going to be so much fun to hear the end product.
Yet another blog-hiatus.
Sorry about that. But truth is, I haven’t got that much to say at the moment. True, some of my blog posts in the past (and indeed even this one) have been less than necessary. Still, events around me seem even less interesting than ones previously talked about. However, a quick summary might be in order.
Musicwise not much has happened. I am working on two things, perhaps three. One being the album. One being… well, not an album. The third thing is not an album, not not an album… well, I do not know what it is. I reveal everything. All in due time. (Not that it’s some big secrets or anything but as long as nothing is finalized then talking about it doesn’t seem to make sense.)
Studywise I’m in/on the home-stretch. Just now I’m, as I have for a couple of days and am going to for another couple of days, sitting with an exam due Sunday at 2359h. Then, on Monday I have a seminar for an essay-course that has been running the entire semester. I’ll have to read up on some Wittgenstein for that.
Lifewise alls going pretty well. I’ve gotten into some kind of routine.
Seagullwise it’s still on. As I tried to let The Boo out on the balcony the other day, I found two large spatters of shit. They’re targeting me. I know it. Not long now before I call the hot air balloon rental place.
That’s about it really.
Really really.
So, yesterday Rob, KG and I headed out to KG and Lars-Martins place Studio Väst (A.K.A. Studio Zen). It was supposed to be a super-productive day but the volcanic ash had its say on, and in, this matter as well. As I did not get home until Wednesday and Tuesday was the day on which KG and I had pencilled in some rehearsals, we ended up with a kind of rehears-record-come up with ideas-session. Great end result, not much of it though. KG laid some tracks on two songs, I on a third. Sounded awesome though. New dates next week.
So, I’m home, we’re home. After a 12h journey by Underground, Express Train, Airplane, Train, Bus and Car. We came home the day before yesterday. My body still aches. I’ll give you all the lowdown on all our adventures. Also, I’m soon going to talk about the guitar recording session we, Rob, KG and I, had over at Studio Väst yesterday. (Yes, that’s right: yesterday. No rest here.)
Rob
and I
loaded my stuff
into his broken car
and started our journey towards Nowherville.
Naturally we found ourselves behind a slow truck.
We arrived at the studio and commenced to record guitar through this
and these.
At halfway/half-day we went to lunch.
After eight songs, and an entire day of recording, we ran out of energy.
Nowhereville was left behind for now.
On the 1:st and the 6:th of April Rob and I will be in the studio recording some guitars for my upcoming album. Yes, you heard me… or read me. We’ll be recording! Recording sessions comes few and far between but we’re getting there. The album will get done… this year… I hope. To be honest it hasn’t taken that much time; ‘Rob and Tomas’-time that is. We started recording in October 2009, and I’m pretty sure, although I don’t want to jinx it, that we’ll finish before October this year. And that’s quick! The 1:st record, The Anger, took two and a half years from first recording session to release. I’m also going to try to set up some rehearsal sessions with KG before his recording sessions (he plays classical lead guitar, Eddie van Halen shit). After that there’s only the odd percussion, synth and effect left…
Oh, and all the vocals…
Better start singing into that mic.
I’ve been kicking it today.
It’s been nice.
Just doing nothing,
This ‘new life’-thing, which started on Wednesday, is working nicely. I haven’t made any grand changes to my life but baby steps, baby steps. I’m hoping all will lead to a happier, healthier me. It’s amazing… or; on of two things is amazing: 1. The immense impact my physical state has on my mental ditto; wether it be over-all or pain. 2. The fact that I haven’t realized this earlier (which I probably have but forgotten… so) 2.1. The fact that I have realized this before but forgotten it!
On a musical tip (!), I got a mail from Rob today and were looking to get some recording sessions in these coming weeks. It’s guitar all the way. Let’s hope we can find the time; synch so to speak. For you all, it’s going to be worth the wait; I think the album is going to be really good.
As for school, I’ve taken the last two days off, and plan to continue with that over the weekend. I really need to get a way from the books and thoughts for a while. Not to mention all the sitting down (since I need to heal my ass).
Then we have the whole Arsenal-Barcelona thing… haven’t made up my mind whether it’s a good or a bad draw.
TH14 is coming home though:
Sorry for the non-blogging.
This week is packed. Recording and exam! (And as a little added bonus, my tailbone, or some muscle in the region of my tail bone is hurting like hell. No fun, no fun at all!)
Ok. On with the important stuff: Bass recording!
Yesterday Mr. Brandt, Rob and myself headed over to Studiolokalen (which we now have re-named to Studio Inspelningsstudion, in a nice Gothenburgian word pun tradition). Initial problems set aside all went well! We managed to record all the bass-tacks, for all the 10 songs (of my upcoming album) in just one day, and get a great lunch in at Maharani! mostly thanks to Mr. Brandt and his quality of always being well rehearsed.
Got a text from Rob today! He sat down this morning and listened to the tracks and said they sounded great (with an emphasis)! So, that’s fun! Excited about tomorrow when Lars-Martin and I are going to head over to Studio Inspelningsstudion and start recording keyboards!
Mr. Brandt and his weapon of choice. A nice Fender Bass borrowed from Daniel, the Punk of Country!
Last exam of this year done! Still have one to finish off this semester, which oddly enough runs until the 15:th of january. But still, last exam of the year is done! But, no rest for the wicked, tomorrow Camilla, The Boo, Loads of packing, ridiculous amount of Christmas gifts and I take the train to Kopparberg, via Örebro, and then car the last bit to Högfors. After that it is officially Christmas break! Let’s just hope that the Christmas break comes as soon as it can, that is; let’s hope the train gets there on time. Not something they, the train company, do a whole lot when snow has fallen and winter has set in. I mean come on! After all, we do only live in a northern country, it’s not like it’s the north (or south) pole. Who wouldn’t be surprised year after year after year…
(Just because I’ve written this I’ll bet you things will get fucked up…)
I also have some fun music news. We’ve finally, well almost, set some dates on which we will continue the recording of the next album. (I don’t know if I’ve written this but) I have a title; the record has a name. For now, however, it is, well… not a secret but information only known to a chosen few. (Who these few are I do not know but I imagine I’ve told someone.)
That’s it. Tomorrow I guess there’ll be only Twitter, so follow me for your daily fix.
Friday, and oh what a Friday!
What have I done? Nothing! Nothing, I scream! I scream! (I scream, I scream, I scream for ice cream! As the old TriumfGlass slogan goes.) But, I got a phone call today. A phone call with a date. February 5:th. Yes folks, that is the date!
KG called me and said that the renovation/re-modelling of his studio has been postponed from Dec 1:st to Feb 5:th. Good news! And, as I am a man who take my signs-sent seriously (not, however, this time it fit) I think it’s not more than fair, to you all, my super avid fans, to say that the album, the new album, of which there is a title (which I haven’t shared with you yet, or… I might have, but don’t remember having, and I’m guessing you do not remember being gifted that title if I have so) I won’t share. Not yet. But it’s a stunning title. You’ll be stunned. Put your phaser on stun! (And no, I do not med the guitar FX-pedals.)
As you might have seen on the sticky-post (WordPress-lingo for post that stays at the top of the page all the time) above, or on the page 1:st!, I have now put a time frame on the ‘The Anger’ give-away. Everyone, in every country that has not yet been claimed still has the chance to get my album for free, with unique cover art, but only up until November 30:th at 2359h. Just mail me.
I’m doing this, the time frame thing, for three reasons.
1. It’s been like 50 days since a country was claimed.
2. I am planning a little something for christmas (more on that as December’s nearer)…
and
3. … after christmas comes new year and in 2010 it’s all about the new album!
I handed in my bachelors thesis today. For the third time. My advisor has been nice to me. But, I’ve also done good! And the deal still stands: If I get the highest grade possible, I will publish it here. and you will read it, oh yes, you will read it.
So, thats about all I’ve done today. Cleaning up the thesis for hand-in. Well, apart from the odd dog-walk, the doing of the laundry, a Kant-lecture and a nice city walk with The Boo and Camilla in the beautiful, beautiful but cold, oh so cold fall/winter weather. Really thought I was going to freeze my ass off there for a bit, and I’m not one who freezes easily, but then I got a cup of coffee and all was well.
Rob hooked up with KG today to get the files, filled with nice drum sounds. (The files for the first five songs). Don’t know much more about that then… well… that. On Friday KG and I are going to listen trough, and edit, the last five. The they’re of to Rob then Bass Man Brandt should get hold of them and not long after that, sweet bass is to be recorded.
It’s all coming along very nicely!
Good morning to you all!
Starting off this Sunday chat with the news that the band and I are finally going to start recording (the second album). We’ve, or more I’ve, been back and forth as to how to record this album but in the end it kind of decided itself by default: There is no possible way to get all the guys together for the amount of time it would take to record the album so we’re going to do it in a classical track-by-track style, starting with drums this friday.
October 1:st passed without much fuzz. October 1:st being the date when my album, ‘The Anger’ was released, digitally, world wide. Now, as I wrote when I first posted that news, the album can be a little slow getting in to your favoutire digital platform store. This because 1. We did not give our licensor six week notice. 2. We are a small label. 3. I am an ‘unknown’ artist. But rest assured, the album will get there. Keep searching for it. For, if you’ll search, you will find!
Today is game day. so, at 1430h cet, I’ll be in red and white cheering my guys on!
I’ll leave you with a picture taken this Friday (and yes, it’s a bit of a re-hash, again, from my Twitter-feed).
This is Friday afternoon coffee at Vegetable Square with Camilla (not in pic) and The Boo (ears in pic), with a nice center shot of the number 2 tram:
[Just a little tip to all you iPhone and iPod Touch users out there. Ping! It’s a sms-like messaging system for iPhone OS. It’s free, the messages are free and it works great! Sure it has some flaws and bugs but I’m sure they’ll be fixed soon enough.]
A full day of rehearsals today. Up at 0700h. Met up with Martin and KG at Martins place at 0845h and at around 0910h we were at KG’s place (The Studio/Rehearsal Space etc.).
We had 10 songs to run through. Or 10 songs we could run through. There was no pressure to do all 10, and we did not, we did 9. 8 of the 10 songs feel like keepers, the other 2 I have to think about for a bit. I think that I think that they don’t fit… with the others… sort of.
It sounded great! I was really surprised. 1-3 rehearsals more and we’ll be ready for the studio.
Clarification: Not surprised that it sounded great, at all. Surprised that it sounded so great already, after only 2 rehearsals and a month since the last one.
There.
So, on to the pics.
First one: Kg and myself engaged in deep conversation about shredds, sweeps, melodies in harmony, power chords and the ever ongoing battle of Yngwieeeeeee vs. Vaaaiii…
Second one: Martin playing air bass.
Third one: A lot of air-instrumenting going on.
Fourth one: I only managed to get two decent clicks of Brandt. So here’s him hiding behind a car upon our arrival.
Today I did it.
I threw out Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac and replaced it with iWork’09. I’ve had such hassle with Word so I was driven to it. Sorry Microsoft. Word might be the best word-processor out there but it does not work. Mine froze or hung when I used (according to the program, and I guess) too many footnotes, around 20 in a document of 9 pages, around 3000 words. Absolutely ludicrous.
As you might have guessed, If you’ve been reading this blog at all for the passed six month, I’ve been fiddling with my bachelors thesis again today. As most weekdays. It’s coming along nicely.
Music news! What!? Yeah!
Got a mail, or a text I mean, from Rob today. We’re going to have a meeting of sorts to plan the recording of the next album. and on Saturday the boys and I are going to rehears. 10 songs; the songs for the new album. Nice.
Thoughts go out to Arsenals Nasri who got one of his fibulas fractured today in pre-season training.
Don’t worry.
These no-post days, there not going to become a habit, a habit of no-posting. Not now anyway. I will always have something to say, no matter how mundane.
The reason for the poor effort today is an 11h shift at work. Driving around, all day, with the weather being clear, sunny and 26°C. In the car it was some what warmer. Yes, I had an AC. Yes the windows worked. My throat is a little rough, a bit soar. The AC and the wind did not help it, so I tried to keep both of them to a minimum. Why? Rehearsal with the new band tomorrow! First rehearsal for the new album. Official music kick-off!
So, naturaly I’ll be back tomorrow with pics and stuff!
Tomas Halberstad 