Thanks loads to all the people who've downloaded this already - much appreciated:
I've made a new Mini Album - its called Esoteric - An Introduction To The Sunday Free Noodle:
If you are new to this music, this isn't the best place to
start!(Try Ghost first).
Immediate download of
9-track album in your choice of 320k mp3, FLAC, or just about any other
format you could possibly desire.
The idea of releasing this
Mini Album is to introduce the Sunday Free Noodle Podcast series and
raise some funds for the recording of my 3rd solo album. This download
will be available for a limited time only and features extensive liner
notes.
Pay what you want, what
you think its worth. Free is
also great, but please tell a
friend. You can also download MP3's of these songs completely free from
the itunes podcast free on my site.
For podcast sunscribers - this week’s noodle is:
Matt Stevens(guitars/loops)- Intermission
4 Ambient Live Loops Played Together, some backwards, some forwards – I faded in the bits I wanted, in and out. One part is in 3/4 one in 4/4.
About The Sunday Free Noodle:
The Sunday Free Noodle
project is a free MP3 every week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff,
spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. It was
started in Feb 2010.52 MP3’s. I think it will be a challenge to keep
this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe
to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me
what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you
enjoy it.
This project has only
really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance
to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop
on my chest. Odd how things happen.
I really it want to be a
collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist,
vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or
anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) .
Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something
to?
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Monday, 30 August 2010
Would you have invested so much effort in online marketing strategies if your back injury hadn't kept you from playing music instead?
Brilliant question. I wouldn't have had time to be honest. So no - i mean I'd rather be player loads but it really means a lot to me to have this relationship with the audience and the only way to do that is to build it up online.
I've met some really lovely people along the way and acquired lots of useful skills as well, so i am glad I did it. I don't really see it as marketing as much as doing interesting stuff to keep me sane. There is no hard sell there and most of the stuff i do makes no money directly but hopefully builds goodwill and you get this honest relationship with the listeners.
I've also learned how supportive people can be if they like you and your music, amazing really. I've been lucky with the audience I've got.
Saturday, 28 August 2010
How many languages can you speak?
Just English with a really dodgy Northamptonshire accent. I maintain I haven't got an accent but my wife assures me I have. Its really bad when I talk to other people from Rushden "alright moi duch aaaws it going? Oive got somfin on moi forrid"
Ghost Track By Track Part 1
As of today there are 2 CD copies of ghost left - if you want one let me know!!
My album Ghost track by track
Into The Sea
5/8 - into 4/4. Latin to post rock? I like the melody on the second bit. Kev who produced Ghost played some percussion on found objects, bottles and tables and we added the reversed guitar part going into the coda section. One of the last songs we recorded for the record and one of the songs we recorded at my house rather than in Pinna Studios. I'm really pleased with the way this came out.
I think the end is a bit ELO, with one of those Discipline era King Crimson type guitar parts running thru it!! I have to be careful with the odd timings/arpeggios thing as I don't want it to become a cliche but with the percussion i think we got away with it, moving away from the verse chorus verse chorus solo out structure.
I don't think I've ever played this one live but will try it in gigs once my back is sorted. I'm really happy with the way it lifts into the bridge section. No guitar solo on this one, which was something i wanted to move away from as i'd done a lot of that on Echo, the previous album.
All the guitar parts were played on my broken Ibanez acoustic and mic'd up using I think a Rhodes NT mic.
Big Sky
The closest thing to a rock song on Ghost - it reminds me a bit of Sugar and Bob Mould and My Bloody Valentine, the melody part is played on a whammy pedal, set to an up an octave up sweep.
Live i do the backwards end using the reverse button on the Line 6 DL4 pedal and drink a beer, its the only time in the set I get to have a drink. A few people said the backwards section was a bit too much, but i really wanted the woozy/psychedelic backwards feel.
I wanted to get a real feeling of joy to it. Some people have compared it to the Arcade Fire which I can kind of see that.
My album Ghost track by track
Into The Sea
5/8 - into 4/4. Latin to post rock? I like the melody on the second bit. Kev who produced Ghost played some percussion on found objects, bottles and tables and we added the reversed guitar part going into the coda section. One of the last songs we recorded for the record and one of the songs we recorded at my house rather than in Pinna Studios. I'm really pleased with the way this came out.
I think the end is a bit ELO, with one of those Discipline era King Crimson type guitar parts running thru it!! I have to be careful with the odd timings/arpeggios thing as I don't want it to become a cliche but with the percussion i think we got away with it, moving away from the verse chorus verse chorus solo out structure.
I don't think I've ever played this one live but will try it in gigs once my back is sorted. I'm really happy with the way it lifts into the bridge section. No guitar solo on this one, which was something i wanted to move away from as i'd done a lot of that on Echo, the previous album.
All the guitar parts were played on my broken Ibanez acoustic and mic'd up using I think a Rhodes NT mic.
Big Sky
The closest thing to a rock song on Ghost - it reminds me a bit of Sugar and Bob Mould and My Bloody Valentine, the melody part is played on a whammy pedal, set to an up an octave up sweep.
Live i do the backwards end using the reverse button on the Line 6 DL4 pedal and drink a beer, its the only time in the set I get to have a drink. A few people said the backwards section was a bit too much, but i really wanted the woozy/psychedelic backwards feel.
I wanted to get a real feeling of joy to it. Some people have compared it to the Arcade Fire which I can kind of see that.
Friday, 27 August 2010
Guitar Player Review and all that
Hello
Its been a interesting week. Been writing songs for the 3rd album - pretty much half way thru now. I might do it as a pre order funding thing - i asked the people of Twitter and they seemed keen - what do you think?
Last Friday Ghost(my new album) got reviewed on the new Guitar Player website - this meant a lot to me as I've been reading that magazine since I was 14! They said:
"He's an experimental guitarist with lots of fresh ideas and new takes on loop-based guitar composition.
(A)quirky, inventive, mostly upbeat, and entirely delightful instrumental album...While the music occupies its own creative zone, I found myself free associating names such as Brian Eno, John Martyn, Tom Verlaine, Anthony Phillips, Yo La Tengo, Steve Tibbetts, and even Radiohead while listening" Guitar Player Magazine US
Which is nice. Also there is a really cool in depth track by track break down of the album here on the Reviewbru site.
I went to the Osteopath(I've done me back in) he said to play in 20-30 minute bursts and ease my self back into playing that way so thats what I'm doing - gives me hope!
The Video Project is still going strong - if you missed it the idea is for the community here to make videos for every track on my album ghost - the more videos the better - I announced it a couple of weeks ago and have had lots of interest, which is amazing and the lots of talent involved. Steadicams to Iphones its all cool. I will publish some of them on the blog next week. Can we say a deadline of the end of September?
Speak soon
MS
Its been a interesting week. Been writing songs for the 3rd album - pretty much half way thru now. I might do it as a pre order funding thing - i asked the people of Twitter and they seemed keen - what do you think?
Last Friday Ghost(my new album) got reviewed on the new Guitar Player website - this meant a lot to me as I've been reading that magazine since I was 14! They said:
"He's an experimental guitarist with lots of fresh ideas and new takes on loop-based guitar composition.
(A)quirky, inventive, mostly upbeat, and entirely delightful instrumental album...While the music occupies its own creative zone, I found myself free associating names such as Brian Eno, John Martyn, Tom Verlaine, Anthony Phillips, Yo La Tengo, Steve Tibbetts, and even Radiohead while listening" Guitar Player Magazine US
Which is nice. Also there is a really cool in depth track by track break down of the album here on the Reviewbru site.
I went to the Osteopath(I've done me back in) he said to play in 20-30 minute bursts and ease my self back into playing that way so thats what I'm doing - gives me hope!
The Video Project is still going strong - if you missed it the idea is for the community here to make videos for every track on my album ghost - the more videos the better - I announced it a couple of weeks ago and have had lots of interest, which is amazing and the lots of talent involved. Steadicams to Iphones its all cool. I will publish some of them on the blog next week. Can we say a deadline of the end of September?
Speak soon
MS
What would your rider be?
Some back spray and co-dydramol at the moment(as well as the usual M and M's with the blue ones taken out). And Guiness. And a personal Osteopath and someone to set up and break down all my kit as bending is a problem.
Monday, 23 August 2010
Favourite Iron Maiden track?
Mmm Revelations off Piece Of Mind - its got an amazing bouncy guitar riff - i love it. Although there are lots of other maiden songs I love, wasted years, the trooper, wrathchild, aces high, children of the damned. I saw them a few years back - amazing.
Sunday Free Noodle 29
Sunday Free Noodle 29 is:
Big Sky (Alun Vaughan Remix) Guitars - Matt Stevens Programming/Production - Alun Vaughan - Original Production by Kevin Feazey
This is a fantastic remix of my song Big Sky by my friend the bassist Alun Vaughan. Incredible remix - the end is quite brilliant(and very little to do with me) - apparently he made this learning to use Reaper music production software. A very talented fella. Go tell him its great.
For me this is classic example of someone remixing a track and taking it somewhere i had no thought of doing but still making it great. Top work.
Powered by Podbean.com
Please let me know what you think of this and if you would like to do a remix or collaborate give me a shout.
More noodles next week
Subscribe to my podcast feed here and get the Sunday Free Noodle every week:
If you like this you get get my albums as a "pay what you want" download here
About The Sunday Free Noodle
The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.
This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.
I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?
Speak soon
Matt
Speak Soon
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com
Big Sky (Alun Vaughan Remix) Guitars - Matt Stevens Programming/Production - Alun Vaughan - Original Production by Kevin Feazey
This is a fantastic remix of my song Big Sky by my friend the bassist Alun Vaughan. Incredible remix - the end is quite brilliant(and very little to do with me) - apparently he made this learning to use Reaper music production software. A very talented fella. Go tell him its great.
For me this is classic example of someone remixing a track and taking it somewhere i had no thought of doing but still making it great. Top work.
Powered by Podbean.com
More noodles next week
Subscribe to my podcast feed here and get the Sunday Free Noodle every week:
If you like this you get get my albums as a "pay what you want" download here
About The Sunday Free Noodle
The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.
This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.
I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?
Speak soon
Matt
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com
Monday, 16 August 2010
Hello
If you are as much of a Robert Fripp nerd as i am you'll love this :)
Grinderman - Super Heathen Child (with Robert Fripp) by MuteRecords
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Sunday Free Noodle 28
Sunday Free Noodle 28 is:
Piece By Piece - Trinovantes - Lizzi Wood - Vocals, Matt Stevens and Kevin Feazey - Guitars, Dan Wilson - Bass, Stuart Marshall - Drums
This is a song by a band i was in in the early to mid 2000's called Trinovantes. Lovely people and lots of fun. I'm not sure how this relates to what I do now to be honest. I'm not sure it does.
Powered by Podbean.com
Please let me know what you think of this and if you would like to do a remix or collaborate give me a shout.
More noodles next week
Subscribe to my podcast feed here and get the Sunday Free Noodle every week:
If you like this you get get my albums as a "pay what you want" download here
About The Sunday Free Noodle
The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.
This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.
I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?
Speak soon
Matt
Speak Soon
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com
Piece By Piece - Trinovantes - Lizzi Wood - Vocals, Matt Stevens and Kevin Feazey - Guitars, Dan Wilson - Bass, Stuart Marshall - Drums
This is a song by a band i was in in the early to mid 2000's called Trinovantes. Lovely people and lots of fun. I'm not sure how this relates to what I do now to be honest. I'm not sure it does.
Powered by Podbean.com
More noodles next week
Subscribe to my podcast feed here and get the Sunday Free Noodle every week:
If you like this you get get my albums as a "pay what you want" download here
About The Sunday Free Noodle
The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.
This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.
I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?
Speak soon
Matt
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com
Thursday, 12 August 2010
Lets Make A Movie!!!
Hello Loyal Readers
OK so I've been thinking about the next project, the next "daft idea" - after "Big Calm" and "Twitter Chords" . I wonder what would happen if we tried something non musical?
Lets make a movie!
So the idea is we all grab a track off my album Ghost and make a short movie for it(I will be making one as well) here a wonderful example of a video made by a listener, the legendary 23rdjoker:
It would be amazing if we could make videos for all the songs on the album and maybe edit them into one big movie?
I am constantly blown away by the talent of the readers of this blog.
All the music on Ghost is creative commons licensed for non commercial use and I'd be happy to thank you personally on the new liner notes PDF that I'm going to add the bandcamp version of Ghost.
What do you think?
OK so I've been thinking about the next project, the next "daft idea" - after "Big Calm" and "Twitter Chords" . I wonder what would happen if we tried something non musical?
Lets make a movie!
So the idea is we all grab a track off my album Ghost and make a short movie for it(I will be making one as well) here a wonderful example of a video made by a listener, the legendary 23rdjoker:
It would be amazing if we could make videos for all the songs on the album and maybe edit them into one big movie?
I am constantly blown away by the talent of the readers of this blog.
All the music on Ghost is creative commons licensed for non commercial use and I'd be happy to thank you personally on the new liner notes PDF that I'm going to add the bandcamp version of Ghost.
What do you think?
Sunday, 8 August 2010
Sunday Free Noodle 27
Sunday Free Noodle 27 is:
Song For Dan(excerpt) - Matt Stevens - Live-looped direct to tape using a line 6 DL4 and an acoustic guitar - no sequencers.
This is part of a 18 minute long song for our friend Dan Wilson, who was a lovely,inspirational,kind man,a wonderful filmmaker,friend and musician and missed by us all. Dan was the bass player in a band I was in for many years.
Its a free Download EP available from http://mattstevens.bandcamp.com/album/song-for-dan-ep - along with the soundtrack I did with on of Dan's short films with Kev Feazey.
Dan passed away last Sunday.
Please watch his short films here www.atom.com/funny_videos/daddys_little_helper/ and here www.clicker.com/web/films-on-l/-Section-44-by-Daniel-Wilson-466278/
It was played live and improvised to digital tape 6/8/2010.
Powered by Podbean.com
Please let me know what you think of this and if you would like to do a remix or collaborate give me a shout.
More noodles next week
Subscribe to my podcast feed here and get the Sunday Free Noodle every week:
If you like this you get get my albums as a "pay what you want" download here
About The Sunday Free Noodle
The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.
This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.
I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?
Speak soon
Matt
Speak Soon
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com
Song For Dan(excerpt) - Matt Stevens - Live-looped direct to tape using a line 6 DL4 and an acoustic guitar - no sequencers.
This is part of a 18 minute long song for our friend Dan Wilson, who was a lovely,inspirational,kind man,a wonderful filmmaker,friend and musician and missed by us all. Dan was the bass player in a band I was in for many years.
Its a free Download EP available from http://mattstevens.bandcamp.com/album/song-for-dan-ep - along with the soundtrack I did with on of Dan's short films with Kev Feazey.
Dan passed away last Sunday.
Please watch his short films here www.atom.com/funny_videos/daddys_little_helper/ and here www.clicker.com/web/films-on-l/-Section-44-by-Daniel-Wilson-466278/
It was played live and improvised to digital tape 6/8/2010.
Powered by Podbean.com
More noodles next week
Subscribe to my podcast feed here and get the Sunday Free Noodle every week:
If you like this you get get my albums as a "pay what you want" download here
About The Sunday Free Noodle
The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.
This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.
I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?
Speak soon
Matt
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com
Friday, 6 August 2010
Dan Wilson film maker
This is a song for our friend Dan Wilson, who was a
lovely,inspirational,kind man,a wonderful filmmaker,friend and musician
and missed by us all.
Dan was the bass player in a band I was in for many years.
Its a free Download EP:
He passed away last Sunday.
Please watch his short films here www.atom.com/funny_videos/daddys_little_helper/ and here www.clicker.com/web/films-on-l/-Section-44-by-Daniel-Wilson-466278/
It was played live and improvised to digital tape 6/8/2010.
To be honest we are all still in shock. This is is Dan Directing(hes the fella on the left):
We all really miss him.
This is his short film Daddy's Little Helper
You can see more of Dan's work here.
Thank you - please tell your friends about Dan's films - they are brilliant.
Its a free Download EP:
He passed away last Sunday.
Please watch his short films here www.atom.com/funny_videos/daddys_little_helper/ and here www.clicker.com/web/films-on-l/-Section-44-by-Daniel-Wilson-466278/
It was played live and improvised to digital tape 6/8/2010.
To be honest we are all still in shock. This is is Dan Directing(hes the fella on the left):
We all really miss him.
This is his short film Daddy's Little Helper
You can see more of Dan's work here.
Thank you - please tell your friends about Dan's films - they are brilliant.
Sunday, 1 August 2010
Sunday Free Noodle 26
Sunday Free Noodle 26 is:
Sand Part 3 - Matt Stevens - Live-looped direct to tape using a line 6 DL4 and an acoustic guitar - no sequencers.
This is Sand Part 3, some of you may remember I posted Sand Part 2 and 4 a few weeks back. This is Part 3 of the same thing, I’m not sure I’ll ever finish the project to be honest, its one of my “big projects” all 7 parts of it. I may have to do something with it one day - what do you think?
Powered by Podbean.com
Please let me know what you think of this and if you would like to do a remix or collaborate give me a shout.
More noodles next week
Subscribe to my podcast feed here and get the Sunday Free Noodle every week:
If you like this you get get my albums as a "pay what you want" download here
About The Sunday Free Noodle
The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.
This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.
I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?
Speak soon
Matt
Speak Soon
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com
Sand Part 3 - Matt Stevens - Live-looped direct to tape using a line 6 DL4 and an acoustic guitar - no sequencers.
This is Sand Part 3, some of you may remember I posted Sand Part 2 and 4 a few weeks back. This is Part 3 of the same thing, I’m not sure I’ll ever finish the project to be honest, its one of my “big projects” all 7 parts of it. I may have to do something with it one day - what do you think?
Powered by Podbean.com
More noodles next week
Subscribe to my podcast feed here and get the Sunday Free Noodle every week:
If you like this you get get my albums as a "pay what you want" download here
About The Sunday Free Noodle
The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.
This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.
I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?
Speak soon
Matt
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com
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