Mix, master, mix, master!

Well lots has been happening this month, not least of which some serious upset on the day job front which has thrown me into a bit of a spin. Big life changing decisions afoot but hopefully all for the good in the long term.


I've been busy on the CD artwork and have managed to complete everything for the 4 page cover. The original front cover design was tweaked a little as it occurred to me that lush green fields looked more akin to Daniel O' Donnell's latest release than something from a progressive rock artist.
It's now much more Black Sabbath than Danny Boy which is where it should be to match the music.

At the beginning of the month I got to finally spend some time with my old friend Steve Dunn as he kindly invited me up to Gloucester for the Summers End prog festival, with no less than Steve Hackett headlining. We were both a bit dazed when at the end of his incredible set, he hung around and chatted to us. We got some great photos, one even sneaked on to the back cover of the album.

Music wise it's been a bit of battle in the mixing and mastering department. Lee Abraham was very kind in offering some very good advice in the use of filters. "Filters, filters and more filters" he said. It was a bit of revelation last weekend when I realised that the resonant bass freqencies were stopping the other instruments being clear in the mix. Some filtering tamed the bass and allowed the other frequencies some more space. Certainly works, and you can now hear the individal bass notes being played rather than the continuous drone of low frequency.

Unfortunately it's been a real back and forth act between mixing and mastering. You mix it all up, but mastering reveals some problems you couldn't hear before so you have to go back. Worse still is when mastering reveals some playing errors or vocal problem that you have no option to go back and re-record.

It's all there though I think. I've been listening on as many different systems and headphones as I can. The Master CD was burned last night and I'll be critically listening to this over the next few days to make sure everything is A OK. Fingers crossed.

Next Step, Duplication and Release!

I'm King Hennery the 8th I am

I can sort of see the chink of light at the end of the album producing tunnel. I very nearly have 10 finished tracks. It was 9 last week, but I had an unexpected flash of inspiration whilst laid up with the flu.

Whilst messing around with the most excellent Spotify, I found myself checking out a certain Mr Blackmore's Renaissance widdlings on 'Under a Violet Moon'. A seed was sown, so to speak and I found myself spending the next 10hours going Renaissance minstrel crazy.





By the end of the evening I'd not only taught myself to play a scale on my daughter's long discarded Descant recorder, I'd recorded my own version of Pastimes with Good Company complete with haunting cathedral rhubarb, recorder harmony, and blackmore'esqe nylon strung tinkerings. He was a good writer, that Henry VIII, it's a banging toon, and also serves as the perfect preamble to In the Sea as it also starts off in Dm. So there we have it. In the Sea, now becomes 'Return to the Sea' Part 1 and 2.

Here's the running order:

1. Who will you Serve
2. Sins of the Father
3. Evolution Railroad
4. A Day on the Moon
5. Return to the Sea -Part.1 (Pastime with Good Company)
6. Return to the Sea -Part.2 (Forget the Earth)
7. Flowers in my Hair
8. La Iglesia
9. Ministry of Failure
10. The Dark that Follows the Light

I'm hoping to finish recording tonight then onto mixing. Maybe I'll be ready for release end of October?

Long time no Recording

Well it's been over a month since my last update.

I'd like to say a lot has been happening on the album front but it hasn't. Holidays, a mega DIY project , and general malaise has resulted in slow progress.

Tools were picked up again last Sunday where I got to spend a whole day recording and mixing. Loads got done, a lot of stuff that was looking impossible to finish like the stringing together of the 10min prog rock epic ' The Dark that follows the Light' into a coherent track. The fine guitar work of my good friend Steve Dunn (Also Eden) is sounding fabulous, the vocals are larely done bar a short phrase and we are nearly there with this one.

Some drumming problems were fixed on 'Heard you were going' and I even managed to get 'Who will you serve' in the bag, after a titanic battle with a mix of 4/4 5/4 and 6/8 time in the same track.

The good news is I'm done writing for this album!! 9 tracks written and recorded. On now to last few overdubs and mixing.


Oh and the DIY project is going to be a brand new sound proof recording studio, at the bottom of the garden.

Work in progress (left).

It's going to cost a small fortune and hopefully be done by Xmas.

Artwork, and CD distribution options also to be explored next


So much to do, so little time.

P.S. Almost forgot to say 'A Day on the Moon' was broadcast on Radio Caroline on the 20th August 2009 on Tim Charles Magic Carpet Ride show. What a thrill getting airplay alongside one my great guitar heroes Ritchie Blackmore with a Blackmore's Night track being played just before mine!.

One step forward and two back

Well it's been a busy couple of weeks. 'A Day on the Moon' was released on YouTube a few weeks ago.

I also got to spend some time mixing in the studio with Lee Abraham, formerly bassman with Galahad and producer of prog rock material including his own acclaimed album 'Black and White' www.leeabraham.co.uk .

The short time spent with Lee was very educational and he certainly added some smoothness and commercial perzazz to 'A Day on the Moon' which was sadly lacking. You can listen to both versions at www.cosmograf.co.uk/music.php . Lee commented that I should really consider getting some real drum tracks done rather than using my trusty Roland TD20 kit. This has caused much thinking. In real terms, if I was making a commercial record with the budget that goes with it then it wouldn't be an issue to a hire a real drummer in, but I think much of the enjoyment I get from doing the drums myself would be lost. I think I'm probably prepared to sacrifice some of the sound quality to maintain that control over the music , just on this album anyway. Ultimately, it's the way to go for sure and I need to find a drummer who'd like to take this stuff on, maybe even to a few live gigs.

As an interim measure I've revised the drum setup to output 8 discrete channels so it at least gives you more to play with EQ and timing wise in the mixing process.

Our time spent mixing also highlighted a number of issues for improvement including recording vocals with way too much gain and perhaps using mic'd up guitars rather than DI to the recording interface. All this of course has caused a major issue though in that, it's highly likely I'm going to have to re-record a lot of stuff I've already done. We'll have to see whether the results justify the extra hassle. I'm looking forward to working with Lee again soon but need to spend a little time practising what I've learned.

I was thrilled when my good mate Steve Dunn (Also Eden) agreed to guest on one of the tracks, 'The Dark that follows the Light'. I've not worked with Steve for about 18 years and it's great to kick off the songwriting partnership again, if only remotely across the internet.

I threw a few keyboard tracks together and emailed them into the ether, and Steve weaved some prog magic across the top. It's sounding very dark, like a John Carpenter soundtrack. Lots still to do but I think it's going to be good.

Another track written in a day last week was 'Ministry of Failure'. Simple Piano and a few nice harmonies with a characteristically dour theme.

I reckon I have 50mins of music written now so enough for the album.


Overall recording progress so far:

- La Iglesia - Done
- Sins of the Father - Done
- In the Sea - Done
- Evolution Railroad - Done
- A Day on the Moon - Done
- Ministry of Failure -Done
- Heard you were Going (San Francisco) (WORKING TITLE)
- Who will you serve - More song writing/recording to do on this
- The Dark that follows the Light - More song writing/recording to do on this

To the Moon and Back

Time for another update.

The new album is shaping up in odd directions. I had planned this to be another concept album but I'm finding my current inspiration for tunesmithery is taking me all over the place. In the last couple of weeks, I've also managed to pen two fairly commercial sounding tracks which are really on the boundaries of what can be considered Prog. For one they are both too short at a radio friendly 3minutes each. Rather than try and remain a purist I think it's better to get this stuff out there.

'To the Moon and Back' was one of those magical song writing moments where you get hit by a chord phrase in your head. An hour later and I'd worked the whole song out. 8 hours later and it was recorded. I wish they could all be this quick.! I also got to borrow a gorgeous Ovation 12 string electroacoustic which sounds fabulous and takes centre stage on the track. The original idea came out of watching all the media coverage on the 40th Anniversary of the Moon Landings. I saw a piece on Neil Armstrong and how the vision of the earth from the moon had altered his life completely, maybe not necessarily in a good way.

'Heard you were going' is a bit of a dour pastiche of 'San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)' by Scott McKenzie written by John Phillips of The Mamas and Papas fame. Again I'm not sure it should be on this album, on account it sounds a little too 'Country Rock ' but it's cynicism should be fitting with the album's dark theme.

'The Dark that follows the Light' is going to be a full on Prog epic . I've promised myself it must be at least 15min long and will have some wierd and wonderful Jon Anderson 'lyrical nonsense' themes. Much work to do here.

Overall recording progress so far:

- La Iglesia - Done
- Sins of the Father - Done
- In the Sea - Done
- Evolution Railroad - Done
- To the Moon and Back - Done
- Heard you were Going (San Francisco) (WORKING TITLE)
- Who will you serve - More song writing/recording to do on this
- The Dark that follows the Light - More song writing/recording to do on this

Return of the Epiphone Dot.

Progress on the album has been slow over the past few weeks, mainly due to the recent good weather meaning that more time has been spent trying to get our garden in shape. I have way too many projects on the go.

My MIDI keyboard also died a death a few weeks ago and it's taken me this long to get it fixed, which has delayed some of the keyboard tracks.

In the meantime, in desperation for some inspiration I picked up my old 12 string, threw some open chord janglings together. Em, C, G, A. A couple of hours later and I had the basis of a new track. Hoorah, writer's block is removed. Really pleased with how this is sounding. It's a like a cross between an Oasis track and Green Day. Very different to my usual stuff and not very prog like. Much more commercial which is good and bad.. In the process of recording the last two tracks, I seem to have developed a vocal style which I'm quite enjoying. This album is going to sound very vocally different to the last. Bit more hard edged and a touch more gravelly. The danger of course is lapsing into a Joe Cocker impersonation but I suppose there could be bigger crosses to bear.

As well as having fun with the singing I've rediscovered the joy of a guitar I haven't played for about 2 years or so, namely my Epiphone Dot. This grumpy instrument refuses to stay in tune for more than 20mins at a time but when it's finally in the zone, it sounds fabulous. It's the only electric I've played where you can happily play open string chordings with an overdriven sound and don't get lost in the mush.

I've given it a starring role in the this latest track. Also making a return is the sound of the Hammond courtesy of NI's amazing B4 II. I've got the modulation wheel to trigger the virtual 'Leslie' and it's all sounding very Jon Lord.

So onwards and upwards.... I hope to have this one cracked by the weekend. I think I need about 3 more tracks to complete the album.

I'm also thinking about posting up one of the tracks on here to give a taste of what's coming........

A tribute to Ken Oakley - D Day veteran

65 years ago on Saturday, my dad's cousin, Ken Oakley, stormed the beaches of Normandy as part of Royal Naval Commando assault at D-Day. Sadly, he passed away in October 2007, a smashing bloke and fondly remembered by our family. It's chilling to think that this very day 65 years ago he was camped out in the woods at Cowplain, ready to embark from Portsmouth for D- Day, probably within throwing distance of where my daughter goes to school.

It was Ken's experience that subconsciously inspired me to write the concept album 'Freed from the Anguish', http://www.cosmograf.co.uk/.

The album is dedicated to all those brave souls who died that day and a celebration of the good lives that the survivors went on to lead.

You can read Ken's story here; http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/56/a2654156.shtml and here; http://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/Ken%20Oakley/4/ken_oakley.htm