Introduction...
I suppose this is as good a time as any to begin my blogging sensation. So where to begin?
With a little introduction, that's where.
My name is Gabriel Ralls and I am the puppet master behind a music project that I have been working on called Angelchrome. I use the phrase 'project' rather than 'band' because like many contemporary artists, I write my own music and do not have a band. That being said, I refer to myself more as a 'composer' rather than a 'musician' as I don't really play any instruments either.
"So how on earth do you make music if you don't have a band and don't play, then?" you're probably asking yourself.
Well to clarify, I seem to find myself programming rather than writing with conventional instruments. My skills lie in synthesizers, drum programming and general production techniques. I also sing on my songs. And before you can say or think anything too quickly, I am not an electronic artist either. In fact, my style is probably more rock n' roll than electronica. Although I do listen to a lot of electro over today's rock.
I rely on session musicians to perform the live elements of my songs, under my dictatorship. I compose the drums, the sounds I want and the general melody / basslines. I give these elements to the relevant musicians and get them to perform live versions on the song sessions, recorded by yours truly.
While I called it a 'dictatorship', I often let the musicians contribute their own ideas into the song, and very frequently they'll perform a new spin on the song that I never even considered, making the track sound 10 times better than I may have even imagined. My compositions simply work as placeholders, but through my direction I consider my songs to have all the elements of a good band without needing to be in a band...
You're probably now thinking "Isn't that cheating?"
Well not in my opinion. I fully credit all the musicians I work with, and if I use anything that was never intended by me, I even share writing credits for that song (although I usually pay the musicians for recording the sessions and for the rights to use it - if they're not friends doing favours). These days, many musicians are only too happy for an excuse to show off their skills and promote themselves (not to mention require it with all the competition) and if I think someone I work with is particually good, I'll recommend them. Better yet, if someone likes their performance on my songs, they may also seek out the musician in question, bringing them more work. Everyone wins.
So why don't I just form a band be done with it?
With regard to not actually wishing to be in a band. I've recorded many bands in the past and sat through many of their creative arguments. On one occasion, I had to step in to stop a band from splitting up half-way through a session to save my own arse, if nothing else. I don't have time to deal with this kind of atmosphere. There is no space in the music industry for this anymore and for a band to survive, it needs to be treated as seriously as any other job.
Furthermore, I have my own ego to deal with and I want all the creative decisions to be mine. These songs are based on my thoughts and my feelings. I know, I know, I'm a paranoid control freak to work with, but at least this way I can get on with music and not have to worry about whether the guitarest actually likes it or not.
Previous work (with a little history and a lot of ego)
I started making music in 2001, which I described at the time as 'dark electronica' - it was basically dance music with distorted sounds. I was too shy to use my voice at the time. In many ways I've never changed from that mould, but as I've already explained, since working with musicians, the music sounds more like 'music'.
Between the years 2002-2005, I wrote many songs which started out when living in Somerset as typical passive-aggressive teenager with angst and convinced the end is nigh. However in 2002 I moved to London to at least try and do something with my life, so I joined a BA in Music Technology with the London College of Music and Media. In many respect, it was just an excuse to get into the studios and refine my skills, but I ended up getting absorbed by the course and actually learning things. The songs I wrote were based on my experiences and emotions that I was still dwelling upon.
In 2005 I finally completed my album 'A Place Called Nowhere', which were based on songs that I had written over the course of the past few years and some new stories to co-inside. It was based on a play I wrote of the same name in 2001 (when I was 17) and follows the story of a couple obsessed with self-mutilation during sex as a way of reaching total oblivion in their minds.
As proud as I am of the album, I never decided to persue it further, or to even form a live band to perform it. It was more of a psychological experience for me to simply grow up and move on. Basically, my heart wasn't in it anymore. However, I did hand it in as my final project for university and it received a lot of priase and I was actually surprised to receive a First class BA overall.
So what now?
Musically, I've been very quiet lately. Over the last 12 months I've only actually finished two songs, one called 'Tangent' and the other 'Almost There' - both of which have been experiments in new production techniques and song-writing approaches. I would have liked to have written more, but I felt I had been with A Place Called Nowhere for so long, it was really hard to try something new. I have also gained employment with SEGA Europe as a video games tester and was nearly tempted away from touching music ever again and simply follow a rat-race career. Well, if you had such a cool job, you'd be tempted too.
With the offer of doing an MA at the university, and Sega offering to allow me to study whilst working there, I had no more excuses. So these two songs were written over the first year.
Another summer passed and until a few weeks ago, I was once again sucked into working and doing nothing else. I found myself in a vicious circle of not having the time to write music because of work, but not wanting to stay at home because I get depressed if I keep myself in solitude for too long (not to mention rent needs paying somehow). So I ran away to Brazil for a few weeks to get as far away from everything as possible and to see if I could really do something big on my own. To cut an epic time short, I returned home aching to write a new album for my final project on the MA and have been writing ideas ever since. I am now working on my second album, which if all goes to plan, I fully intend to release this time.
New album?
Yeah I know, it's a bit of a fickle concept considering I never really did anything with the first once, but my influences and ideas are a lot more focused. I'd be totally pompous and say 'eclectic', but the truth is, I haven't really been listening to much new music lately. Mainly because of a bombardment of new bands due to MySpace (the majority of which I simply don't have the time to check out right now) and the music industry in general termoil right now, forcing them to put out disposable music that slip in with current trends.
My new music is influenced by 90s artists/albums I grew up with, many of which are actually still around now, thus proving their longevity. We're talking artists such as, PJ Harvey, Massive Attack, Nine Inch Nails, Bjork. Okay perhaps a tad cliché to pick these names out of a hat, but they're loved by many for one good reason - because they're fucking good and they have ideas. I'm not saying I want this new album to be a 90s-sounding album, like The Killers are an 80s sounding band. This is pure rock n roll that is meant to be pleasing to the ears with a healthy dose of experimental elements, without going too Radiohead 'Kid A' either.
Well I don't have a title right now, I'll get into that another time. In fact, this is being totally vague and to you I'm probably rambing about nothing. But this is why I started this blog - so you can follow the progression of my new album and see how it develops as I do. So erm, watch this space.
With a little introduction, that's where.
My name is Gabriel Ralls and I am the puppet master behind a music project that I have been working on called Angelchrome. I use the phrase 'project' rather than 'band' because like many contemporary artists, I write my own music and do not have a band. That being said, I refer to myself more as a 'composer' rather than a 'musician' as I don't really play any instruments either.
"So how on earth do you make music if you don't have a band and don't play, then?" you're probably asking yourself.
Well to clarify, I seem to find myself programming rather than writing with conventional instruments. My skills lie in synthesizers, drum programming and general production techniques. I also sing on my songs. And before you can say or think anything too quickly, I am not an electronic artist either. In fact, my style is probably more rock n' roll than electronica. Although I do listen to a lot of electro over today's rock.
I rely on session musicians to perform the live elements of my songs, under my dictatorship. I compose the drums, the sounds I want and the general melody / basslines. I give these elements to the relevant musicians and get them to perform live versions on the song sessions, recorded by yours truly.
While I called it a 'dictatorship', I often let the musicians contribute their own ideas into the song, and very frequently they'll perform a new spin on the song that I never even considered, making the track sound 10 times better than I may have even imagined. My compositions simply work as placeholders, but through my direction I consider my songs to have all the elements of a good band without needing to be in a band...
You're probably now thinking "Isn't that cheating?"
Well not in my opinion. I fully credit all the musicians I work with, and if I use anything that was never intended by me, I even share writing credits for that song (although I usually pay the musicians for recording the sessions and for the rights to use it - if they're not friends doing favours). These days, many musicians are only too happy for an excuse to show off their skills and promote themselves (not to mention require it with all the competition) and if I think someone I work with is particually good, I'll recommend them. Better yet, if someone likes their performance on my songs, they may also seek out the musician in question, bringing them more work. Everyone wins.
So why don't I just form a band be done with it?
With regard to not actually wishing to be in a band. I've recorded many bands in the past and sat through many of their creative arguments. On one occasion, I had to step in to stop a band from splitting up half-way through a session to save my own arse, if nothing else. I don't have time to deal with this kind of atmosphere. There is no space in the music industry for this anymore and for a band to survive, it needs to be treated as seriously as any other job.
Furthermore, I have my own ego to deal with and I want all the creative decisions to be mine. These songs are based on my thoughts and my feelings. I know, I know, I'm a paranoid control freak to work with, but at least this way I can get on with music and not have to worry about whether the guitarest actually likes it or not.
Previous work (with a little history and a lot of ego)
I started making music in 2001, which I described at the time as 'dark electronica' - it was basically dance music with distorted sounds. I was too shy to use my voice at the time. In many ways I've never changed from that mould, but as I've already explained, since working with musicians, the music sounds more like 'music'.
Between the years 2002-2005, I wrote many songs which started out when living in Somerset as typical passive-aggressive teenager with angst and convinced the end is nigh. However in 2002 I moved to London to at least try and do something with my life, so I joined a BA in Music Technology with the London College of Music and Media. In many respect, it was just an excuse to get into the studios and refine my skills, but I ended up getting absorbed by the course and actually learning things. The songs I wrote were based on my experiences and emotions that I was still dwelling upon.
In 2005 I finally completed my album 'A Place Called Nowhere', which were based on songs that I had written over the course of the past few years and some new stories to co-inside. It was based on a play I wrote of the same name in 2001 (when I was 17) and follows the story of a couple obsessed with self-mutilation during sex as a way of reaching total oblivion in their minds.
As proud as I am of the album, I never decided to persue it further, or to even form a live band to perform it. It was more of a psychological experience for me to simply grow up and move on. Basically, my heart wasn't in it anymore. However, I did hand it in as my final project for university and it received a lot of priase and I was actually surprised to receive a First class BA overall.
So what now?
Musically, I've been very quiet lately. Over the last 12 months I've only actually finished two songs, one called 'Tangent' and the other 'Almost There' - both of which have been experiments in new production techniques and song-writing approaches. I would have liked to have written more, but I felt I had been with A Place Called Nowhere for so long, it was really hard to try something new. I have also gained employment with SEGA Europe as a video games tester and was nearly tempted away from touching music ever again and simply follow a rat-race career. Well, if you had such a cool job, you'd be tempted too.
With the offer of doing an MA at the university, and Sega offering to allow me to study whilst working there, I had no more excuses. So these two songs were written over the first year.
Another summer passed and until a few weeks ago, I was once again sucked into working and doing nothing else. I found myself in a vicious circle of not having the time to write music because of work, but not wanting to stay at home because I get depressed if I keep myself in solitude for too long (not to mention rent needs paying somehow). So I ran away to Brazil for a few weeks to get as far away from everything as possible and to see if I could really do something big on my own. To cut an epic time short, I returned home aching to write a new album for my final project on the MA and have been writing ideas ever since. I am now working on my second album, which if all goes to plan, I fully intend to release this time.
New album?
Yeah I know, it's a bit of a fickle concept considering I never really did anything with the first once, but my influences and ideas are a lot more focused. I'd be totally pompous and say 'eclectic', but the truth is, I haven't really been listening to much new music lately. Mainly because of a bombardment of new bands due to MySpace (the majority of which I simply don't have the time to check out right now) and the music industry in general termoil right now, forcing them to put out disposable music that slip in with current trends.
My new music is influenced by 90s artists/albums I grew up with, many of which are actually still around now, thus proving their longevity. We're talking artists such as, PJ Harvey, Massive Attack, Nine Inch Nails, Bjork. Okay perhaps a tad cliché to pick these names out of a hat, but they're loved by many for one good reason - because they're fucking good and they have ideas. I'm not saying I want this new album to be a 90s-sounding album, like The Killers are an 80s sounding band. This is pure rock n roll that is meant to be pleasing to the ears with a healthy dose of experimental elements, without going too Radiohead 'Kid A' either.
Well I don't have a title right now, I'll get into that another time. In fact, this is being totally vague and to you I'm probably rambing about nothing. But this is why I started this blog - so you can follow the progression of my new album and see how it develops as I do. So erm, watch this space.
posted by Angelchrome at 7:35 pm
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