(above: Studio 1, Novars Research Center for Electroacoustic Music, Manchester)
It's been a while since my last update, mainly due to my undertaking of a workload which has taken priority over pretty much everything for me since last October. The work in question is a return to study, specifically electroacoustic composition. Throughout 2011 I found my own music being somewhat stifled by other commitments, leaving me frustrated, with a number of unfinished ideas, some of which I may return to in the future, and others I'm happy to discard. I found myself in need of a fresh musical challenge, as the music I was making was no longer testing or satisfying me. This new direction has provided me with a new found motivation, specifically to learn new skills and approach music in ways I haven't done before.
As such, my solo output is currently on hold, as the pieces I'm creating at this stage are first steps in a new world, where my interest is in developing concepts and skills. I'm sure the work will eventually lead to further solo releases, but at this stage, I see the process of making this music as early technical developments (etudes so to speak), in order to apply technique to more personal compositions at a later stage...hopefully anyway.
All that said, I have a shitload of other music projects which have finally come to fruition. Read on for more...
WODE (Self-titled 3 track cassette release, limited to 100 copies only)
3 tracks of pure black metal; I play guitar and mastered. Go here to download all three tracks for free and please visit the Wode site for updates on live shows. Here's the track Earth Wrath for your streaming pleasure:
Wode - 'Earthwrath' by Queens Ark Audio
EASTER - INNOCENCE MAN (CD album, release date tbc. March 2012)
We finally completed the Easter album, and I don't mind saying it's pure dynamite. I play guitar and also produced. The album will be released on my White Box label during Spring 2012. Here's a link to a free download of the track Damp Patch, and here's (ooh!) an earlier mix of the track Somethin' American for your streaming pleasure:
Somethin' American (Early Mix) by Easterband
I was also asked to do a remix for From the Mouth of the Sun (a new collaboration between Dag Rosenqvist aka Jasper TX, and Aaron Martin). Their magnificent album Woven Tide is available to pre-order or purchase from these nice people here, and for your streaming and / or download pleasure, here's my remix of Pools of Rust, entirely for free!
From The Mouth of The Sun - Pools of Rust (Danny Saul Remix - dannysaul.blogspot.com) by experimedia
Finally, I'd like to add an additional link to a fantastic CD and 12" released on White Box at the end of last year by Stranger Son. Visit or send an email to info at whiteboxrecordings dot co dot uk to buy the limited edition Inside Many Summers 12" EP, or the full length Luna Marseille CD album. Both releases feature once again, my mastering work, and the 12" b-side is an extended alternate mix I made of the album track Iceman Part II (album edit featured below)
Google translate created this rather interesting take on an Italian review of the Wode cassette at Darkthrone85.org :
First release record for this interesting combo English. Demo, self-produced by the group of Manchester Wode, the same group decided to make it download in the download section of this page. There is, however, also a physical version, limited to one hundred copies in the tape.
The combo offers a classic and powerful black metal supported by a full production, not particularly clean, but he can give every single instrument the right depth, thanks to the skill of the producer Karl Sveinnson.
This line-up of Wode E.T. bass T.H. drums voice, D.S. guitar, M.C. guitar, vocals.
The mastering was done and the work of DS, while the design and layout of the artwork was done by MC
Trails of Smoke The first track demo soon brought him into prominence the quality of English combo. An overwhelming violence, well dosed with great technical ability by the de-composition manchester.
Excellent instrumental work with an expert musical construction, good lyrics and also the excellent screaming vocals. Another positive note, large space is given to the bass, the instrument too often overshadowed the stage of production. In this track, however, that glue and strengthens even more the sound with amazing speed and precise dry. During the advance of minutes variations are numerous stylistic and compositional space that enrich the composition without distorting it too much from her journey barbarically violent.Certainly one of the best episodes of the disc.
Earthwrath composition, completed the initial seconds of inactivity, it seems a natural continuation of the previous track but fury and power. Good composition in just over three minutes of the listener to understand is that the combo made pasta and English. Pure violence with a performance by the rhythm section (bass-drums) nothing short of exceptional.
Last Days the song that closes the demo it seems, in the first second, diametrically opposite to the previous one. Actually exceeded the initial stasis it reveals a cavalcade black metal in your face, as the British group has extensively used the demo durations. Excellent proof of T.H. on drums. A veritable war machine, a performance that calls into question many of the current gender drummers, especially with regard to speed and power.
Excellent production, as mentioned at the beginning of the review, and the happy medium between the raw and the total cleaning, moreover considering she is a self-produced demo.
A good job for the British combo with three compositions in the demo lets hope the future
7.5 / 10
