mistrustmusic's posterous

I'm on iTunes at last

The remix I did for New Zealand dub/dance band Pitch Black is out today on iTunes and all the usual download sites (Amazon.com, Beatport etc). It's one of the tunes on the band's 6-track EP "Rude Mechanicals" and is my very first release on iTunes - in fact my very first "official" remix - so I'm feeling quite chuffed! The track has been on my music player for a while, so hopefully someone might like it on here! Rude Mechanicals (mistrust remix) on iTunes Rude Mechanicals (mistrust remix) on Amazon.com

Filed under  //   amazon   beatport   ipod   itunes   mistrust   mp3   music   news   pitch black   release   rude mechanicals  

Barack Obama didn't review my Rude Mechanicals remix

As you've probably seen, Barack Obama has been doing pretty much anything these days to get the word around and get himself elected. Good luck to him. However, he's obviously been too busy to have a listen to my remix of Pitch Black's Rude Mechanicals, which is out on October 27th. It's even on Amazon.com's and Dancerecord's download sites, so don't tell me he doesn't go on there? Well, Mr Obama, a few people have listened to it on Myspace and Last.Fm to name some of the places the previews can be found, and so far, the reaction has been good, to say the least. It's had over 1100 plays on my own myspace (myspace.com/mistrust) and over 200 on Pitch Black's.  The reviews and heads-up have started to come in - and so far, they're really positive. Here are some of them (with links to the original comments): Dubmaster PHD featured the track on his blog - he gave the track a massive plug, so a big thanks to him -  and there are some comments from his subscribers - "I love it, you have done Micheal and Paddy proud" (AOTEAROAnz) "awesome" (kyosuke316) "Electro-Techno goodie" (Panzerplatte) "Cool!!" (Babyjay99) Read more here on Dubmaster's site.... Some more: "really good, good quality, liked the beat" (Helix, on Di.FM forums) "Great Tracks, Especially the Rude Mechanicals remix!" (Mahabashi, on Myspace) If anyone comes across a review of the track anywhere, please let me know. If you listen to it yourself on myspace, last fm, or anywhere else and want to tell me what you think of it, then please leave a comment on here. ------------------------------------- This is my first post for a while - been laid up with an ear infection. Seems like very few people get ear infections these days. Typical isn't it. A musician almost deaf in one ear. I've had it for over 2 weeks, and antibiotics just won't shift it. Back to see the GP, I think!

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Filed under  //   USA   barack obama   mistrust   music   obama   pitch black   politics   president   remix   rude mechanicals  

Rude Mechanicals remix on Myspace

Following on from my last post about my Rude Mechanicals remix being released on October 27th, I've just got a couple of updates about the track. It's now on the music player on Pitch Black's Myspace profile - in fact there are two different remixes up there: the first one is an instrumental version by Mike Hodgson (one member of Pitch Black), and the other one is the remix that I've done. So, you've got 2 Myspace profiles places you can hear the track before it's released - mine and Pitch Black's. I've had quite a bit of interest in the "mistrust remix" so far.  The Only Michael played it in his DJ set at the BFI 75th birthday Big Weekend celebrations last weekend, and it looks like a DJ in Lithuania will play it on his alternative music radio show. Also, the track is getting quite a few plays on Myspace and some great comments around and about on the web. I've also put the track on my Unsigned Band Web page, where you can get a widget for my music player, plus a load of links to add to social bookmarking sites. There's also a banner to promote the release of the Rude Mechanical remix. If you'd like to help out promoting the song, please copy the following code and paste it into your blog or website: http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/4140/20081002141951ff4.gif

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Filed under  //   mistrust   music   myspace   pitch black   remix   rude mechanicals  

Rude Mechanicals official release date

My remix of Pitch Black's Rude Mechanicals gets its official release worldwide on 27th October 2008. The band's latest newsletter says: The second single from Rude Mechanicals - the title track itself - featuring Queenstown's KP, is due out digitally on October 27th with remixes from PZ, Sound Guise, Mistrust, and our very own Mike Hodgson in his nefarious Misled Convoy alter-ego. We'll be posting the tracks up here for your musical delectation. Don't forget, you can listen to the track on my myspace music player right now and (hopefully!) download it on iTunes etc when it's released. If you're a DJ and want to play the track in your set, let me know and I'll send you download link for a CD quality file. So, it's official - my first proper release!!! I know it's only a remix, but I'm very proud to be part of this project, and thanks go to Mike and Paddy, and of course Jasper at Crazy BaldHead.

Filed under  //   beatport   cd   itunes   mistrust   mp3   music   october   pitch black   release   remix   rude mechanicals   single  

Pitch Black Rude Mechanicals mistrust remix

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I'm now officially a "Remixer for Hire"! The official remix I did for New Zealand band Pitch Black is back from the mastering house and going to be released on all the major download sites at the end of October. I've done a couple of remixes before, just for fun, but never an official one with all the stuff that goes with that sort of thing (royalties, writing credit, legal stuff etc.). Doesn't seem like much compared to what a lot of bands and musicians have been upto,  but I'm 40-something and doing it as a hobby when my kids are in bed and it's my first "official" release, so I'm chuffed to bits! The track is now up on my Myspace music player, but if you like it, please buy the hi-res version when it comes out on iTunes, Beatport, etc. Rude Mechanicals (mistrust remix) on Myspace here... Pitch Black on Myspace here.... For the techies out there, here's the blurb about the gear I used: Acid Pro 6, Izotope iDrum, TAL-Dub 2, and LiveCut VST plugins, on Windows XP laptop, Behringer USB soundcard, using some of individual Wavs (24 tracks) from original version of Rude Mechanicals (supplied by the label). Mixed down using cheap headphones from Tesco!

Filed under  //   big chill   mp3   music   pitch black   remix   rude mechanicals  

Writing from my iPod Touch

I'm finally blogging on my iPod Touch. When I say MY IPod Touch, I mean it's sort of on permanent loan from work. I've had a bit of time to play with it and see what it can do now I've finished the Pitch Black remix. So far, I'm fairly impressed with a couple of things, but overall it looks like Apple are tying people's hands when they should be making things easy to access. Pros: the Apps - some great little progs, especially iDrum and MooCow Band. There's also stuff like this Wordpress app I'm using now and the mobile twitted one. Very handy. It's also good for auditioning different mixes of my own tracks, as a good mp3 player should. Cons: a couple of things- iTunes and Flash. iTunes, because you pretty much have to do everything through it, and officially can't use anything else to manage your files on the player. Flash - because the Safari browser doesn't play Flash movies, which covers a lot of web content. All in all, it's ok, but if I was spending the cash myself, I'd look around a bit more before deciding what to buy. There's an interesting discussion about the iPod Touch at createdigitalmusic.com, so hop on over and have a look.

Filed under  //   Apple   ipod   music   touch  

Jog the web and e-learning for bands

[caption id="attachment_144" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="mistrust jogtheweb"]

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[/caption] I was at an e-learning workshop yesterday as part of my day job (e-learning developer). I wasn't originally supposed to be going, but my boss couldn't make it and asked me instead. The workshop was about using new and emerging  technologies for work-based learning.  Whilst looking at all the weird and wonderful gadgets and websites that were meant to be making life easier and more efficient for assessing and gathering evidence from work-based learners, I realised that a lot of this stuff could benefit a solo artist like me or a band trying to spread the word about themselves and get their music out there..... There are quite a few bits and pieces that I could mention - I'll do a list and review another time - but the one that could help someone like me who has profiles, songs, and videos on loads of different sites, is Jog the Web. It's basically a track of whichever websites you want to feature - all viewable inside a player. Your viewers can follow the trail from 1 to - wherever, or click whichever page they want. You can make a slideshow too. This could be great for a musician who wants to point people to their music sites, without having to rely on visitors deciding on with link to click. Have a look at my "Jog the web" track for some "mistrust music" sites.....

Filed under  //   music  

A "proper" release at last

It's taken me long enough (how long have I been making music?), but I'm finally getting an "official" release - as in, on a proper label, legit, and I'll getting a % of sales, licensing, etc. I've done a remix of a track called "Rude Mechanicals" by a New Zealand band called Pitch Black (dub/electronica/IDM stuff), which is being released on their label at the end of October on all the main music download sites round the world (iTunes, Beatport, Amazon.com, etc.) It's part of a remix singles release along with versions by some well-know remixers and DJs from Australia and NZ. I know people do remixes all the time, but this is an official one - I got all the parts from the band's management, they and the band approved it, and it's being properly mastered this week. Took me a long time to get it sorted into something that sounded ok and did loads of different takes on it, but finally finished it last week, 2 days before the deadline! I know it's not quite all my own work, but I'm chuffed to bits. Not really bothered about the money (what's 50% of 99p per sale?), but it means a lot of exposure and maybe some more work as a remixer! I've mentioned the Pitch Black remix earlier in my blog.....

Filed under  //   mp3   music   news   pitch black   remix   remixer   unsigned  

9-11 7th Anniversary

As you all (well, maybe all) know, today's the 7th anniversary of the 9/11 September 2001 air attacks in the USA. I wrote 2 tracks a couple of years ago, using speeches made by George W Bush and Billy Graham just after the event. I'd always wanted to put music over the spoken word and decided to have a go, using something related to a tragic event. I didn't want to chop up the words and come up with some new meaning like they do on "Remix America". Just the original words and meaning, along with some suitable music. Well, the tracks are up on my myspace music player now - they're a bit rough and ready, not mastered properly and probably needs some tweaking, but have a listen and see what you think.... mistrust: 9/11 Farewell mistrust: Billy G says hello

Filed under  //   music  

Talacre Sands and other tales

[caption id="attachment_133" align="alignleft" width="246" caption="Talacre Beach at Sunset by Tim Blackburn"]

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[/caption] Should have posted this a few weeks ago, but seem to have had very little time these days. Anyway, the "mistrust" clan went away on holiday (vacation) at the end of July for some much needed rest and recuperation. Nowhere really special - just a Haven Holidays caravan park near Prestatyn, in North Wales. The best thing about it was the scenery, including the wonderful Talacre Sands and rabbit warren. Very inspirational for some ideas for new tunes (yes, I DO actually make music!), very calming. The kids loved it apart from the first night when no-one could settle (well, Paul couldn't settle and disturbed the rest of us. We managed to get some great footage on video and some great still photos of the surrounding area. I'll put them up on Youtube and Flickr when I get time. I took one of those small handheld video cameras that uses a memory card - an Aiptek. I was a bit doubtful about what the quality would be like, but in the end I got some great results. Have a look at the header image of my blog site (the one you're on now!) to see what I mean. That was taken on the 3MP setting at sunset on Talacre Beach. I actually submitted the full size version of that photo to BBC North Wales' "Your Pictures" feature a few weeks ago, and it's been added to the "Sunrise/Sunset" section. You can see the picture in full-size on the BBC North Wales site here. In contrast, I nearly ended up in hospital at the end of the holiday.....but that's another story that will appear in a couple of days' time.....

Filed under  //   blogging   family   holiday   mistrust   music   photographs   photography   sunrise   sunset   talacre   vacation   wales