Video for Balearic Choleric up at youtube

I have completed Digitiphony 5. It's been a long road and has taken me through many life changes, and several times I thought I would never get to finish it. But I did, in spite of stroke and smoking cessation, two potential show-stoppers ;p

I have finally made a start on the Fourth Movement of Digitiphony 5. Being the movement for the character type of the Phlegmatic I may have slipped too far into character and my inertia was overwhelming me ;p Once I have this one finished I will be within sight of finishing the whole Digitiphony, which I find pretty satisfying in the light of what has happened in my life over the last 10 months. I am in fact enjoying adapting myself to the persona of the phlegmatic; phlegmatics are nice people to know (and I have known one in particular) and to be I reckon, so perhaps I'll spin this movement out for a while before I have to slip back into being sullen, restless ole me again :-(

I just did a collaboration with the wonderful Canadian Mezzo Soprano Sophie Keats who sang a moving version of the UK Heights track I wrote in the early 1990's "Light of The World"

The final movement of Digitiphony 5 is finished. That's not the whole Digitiphony completed yet as I have to go back to write the 4th movement but it's a milestone, for me at least. I am now within sight of completing the whole Digitiphony, something I didn't think I would be able to do 7 months ago.

Happy New Year :-) I am 65 bars in to the final movement of Digitiphony 5 (I skipped a movement, I'll go back to that one soon). I am feeling like I am getting my compositional mojo back at last after my stroke, which is now nearly 7 months ago. In fact I think I may be moving into a deeper space musically than the one I used to inhabit.... more sure of myself and my ability to venture into musical realms I was to timid to jump into before. But she's a fickle thing my muse, so I just take each note as it comes ;p

Some tunes just won't lie down - this is a rearrangement/song version of a tune I wrote in 1989 for a tourist video about the UK directed by Peter Sykes - arranged for orchestra by Patrick Jonsson with added lyrics and middle section by Chris Broom recorded at Air Edel studios and sung by the amazing-voiced Natalia Khrishtopets
This may well be my last post before Christmas - I'm still recovering well from my stroke, it's over 6 months now, still working (very slowly) on Digitiphony 5 Second Movement - should finish that in January next year hopefully. In the meantime have a peaceful Holiday and New Year y'all, thanks for your support in all respects this year. :-) Mike x

I'm about halfway through the second movement of Digitiphony 5 now. I'm writing much slower since my stroke but in 10 days or so it'll be 6 months since it happened, I have been told I should have more energy when I'm a year in, so only 6 months to go :-) Here's a stream so far

I have started work on the second movement of Digitiphony 5 "The Five Temperaments" - this is the movement for the Supine Temperament (this is a newly defined temperament - it has been included due to recent psychological research, originally there were only four 'humours' or temperaments). The supine character is outwardly a 'people person' - amenable and keen to be seen to support others and make a contribution. Inwardly though they have a darker side and can be manipulative, weak-minded and harboring of ill will. Which of course makes for interesting thematic interpretation as far as composing music; two very contrasting shades of character to convey within one piece. https://soundcloud.com/m-l-dunn/digitiphony-5-part-2-opening-section

I have a new single up at iTunes today - Deep Garden, my response to the universe after the stroke I am getting closer and closer to recovery from, can be found here

I have just finished the third movement of Digitiphony 5, which I was working on when I had my stroke - I was about quarter of the way through when the stroke happened, here is the finished movement - I have to go back to do the second movement now

I'm making good progress with my recovery. It's hard work but I reckon I am about 90% back with my guitar and about 85% with keys, and I'm still inside 3 months from my stroke. I never thought I would get so much back and am incredibly grateful to the physios and OT's who got me through. And I'm even writing again, which I didn't expect this soon either. I'm not ready to go back to writing Digitiphonies yet, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't write something about what has happened to me over the last few months - here's the first -

Thanks to everyone who has wished me well after my stroke. I have had incredible support from those around me and also professionals from our wonderful NHS. Like many people who have had cause to use the UK health system I cannot praise it enough, especially the dedicated, often overworked people who work for it. Though it is still early days I am making a good recovery and having thought when I was in hospital that I would only have one side of my body available to make music with, I now believe I can eventually go back to working in full stereo :-)
 
I have released the last piece of music I completed before the stroke "Balearic Choleric" which was to be part one of Digitiphony 5. I am not sure this Digitiphony will now be completed, certainly not in the short term (see previous post). It is up at CD Baby, Spotify etc, here is a link to it on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/balearic-choleric-single/id898204368

I am living proof that writing Digitphonies is bad for your health - on 7th June 2014, whilst working on the 3rd Movement of Digitiphony 5, I had a stroke. People have been telling me for years that I am too obsessed and work too hard, I ignored them at my peril.

I t could have been far worse - I am still here, for one, and I can still talk, and sing. My right side however is badly affected and it is going to take commitment, belief, rest and a lot of hard work to get back what I have lost. I am determined to do so however, and to tread this path which has been chosen for me with hope, curiosity and vigour. I have already learnt an incredible amount about myself and the workings of the mind - all useful stuff for both my writing and my work with Musical Access.

So, it's gonna take a while, but believe me, I'll be back ;p

Thanks to all those who have given me such huge support - Physios, Occupational Therapists, the NHS and of course my family.

Mike

Digitiphony 5 part 1 now finished

I am about three-quarters of the way through writing Digitiphony 5 Part 1 -
 

New Scoring Demonstraion video for Digitiphony Volume 1 for Kontakt now up at http://youtu.be/x1ohlklwriE

I have started writing Digitiphony 5. I tried to put it off as long as I could but it finally got me as I knew it would. However I have had a good couple of months off from Digitiphonic writing and done a few other projects (including my new side-project Maub - new release set to go to iTunes in the next few weeks) so my energies and perspective are renewed and I am ready to hunker down. Being my fifth, I am going to present it in 5 movements this time, and it will be drawing from my research on the Five Temperaments for its inspiration. The first movement will be based on the Choleric character type. These are the people who, for better or worse, have used their drive and ambition to move humanity forward (in their view at least) over the last few millennia. They are the Politicians, Generals, Bankers and Heads of State who aspire to lead us - they are decisive and sure of themselves, able to inspire allegiance in others, but at the same time have the capacity to use others for their own ends. A tricky concept to put into music perhaps ;p I felt I had to start it off with an appropriate time signature so it starts in 5/8. I am about 150 bars in so far, you can hear what I have come up with so far here

Instruction video for Digitiphony Vol 1 for Kontakt 5

 

I have been working with Glyn Lloyd at Sampleism again - this time we have come up with a Kontakt scoring version of Digitiphony 3. Entitled 'Digitiphony Volume 1' it utilises the amazing new possibilities in kontakt 5 (seamless pitch shift and timestretch etc) to provide an instant scoring solution in the Digitiphonic style. I was hoping it would be good, but the finished product seems to have life of its own and invites tweaking and exploration... which I am now doing, as I produce a couple of demos for it. Check it out here - http://www.sampleism.com/mikedunn/digitiphony-vol-1

My new project with Paul Belben, Maub, have a second upcoming release - a cheeky little ditty entitled "One Need" - a setting of a poem by Sam McDonnell I first started working on a few years ago (see below)
 
 

 

The single from Digitiphony 4, "Soul Commerce" is now available on iTunes and other internet music stores. I am starting to think about Digitiphony 5 now - just ideas atm, I'm still a way off writing it as I have to recharge my Digi-Batts ;p
 
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/soul-commerce-from-digitiphony/id823541955

Currently taking a break from Digitiphonies to work on a side project with my partners Paul Belben and Claire Dunn, called MAUB
Speak Your Mind by MAUB

The Single from Digitiphony 4 - a Trance Edit (just can't help myself) using elements from the 2nd and 3rd Movements, is now complete and will be released to iTunes etc next month - here is a preview -

Digitiphony 4 is now available at iTunes - follow this link -

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/digitiphony-4-dichotomies/id797071751

Digitiphony 4 is released this week, starting with Bandcamp - CDBaby, iTunes, Amazon etc to follow over the next 14 days or so

<a href="http://mldunn.bandcamp.com/album/digitiphony-4-dichotomies">Digitiphony 4 "Dichotomies" by M L Dunn</a>

Happy New Year :-) For me it's been a new Digitiphony for a new year - Number Four is all finished. Should be up at iTunes by next month.

I finally made a proper start on the second movement of Digitiphony 4 - I am half way through now at least I reckon, but I doubt I will finish it until the New Year - talking of which, Happy Holidays :-) - Have a good one wherever you are.

I have finished writing the final movement of Digitiphony 4 - not the whole Digitiphony yet as I still have to go back to finish the second movement - but with a little help from some friends on the perspective front I managed it. As always it was a musical journey into the unknown.

I am half way through writing and recording the final movement of Digitiphony 4. That doesn't mean I am close to finishing the whole thing as I have not finished Part 2, which I will go back to next year. As always, each Digitiphony leads me to new musical and compositional lands - having written Digitiphony 3 in completely linear fashion, this one has been built up more like a sculpture - moving to different points in the work to work on them when my muse calls me there. Digitiphonies are hard work, both for listener and composer (though they reward in equal measure to what is put in, I hope) but they are never boring :-)

 

I have finished, for now, the third movement of Digitiphony 4

All the media edits from Digitiphony 3 are now complete - parts 3 and 4 here -
 
https://soundcloud.com/m-l-dunn/sets/digitiphony-3-dramatic-2
 
and here -
 
https://soundcloud.com/m-l-dunn/sets/digitiphony-3-dramatic
 
I remixed and remastered 'Culmination' - the trance edit from the final 4 minutes of Digitiphony 3, and it is now available in iTunes here
 
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/culmination-from-digitiphony/id709560760
 
So that's it with the final sortings for Digitiphony 3. I am currently working on the second movement of Digitiphony 4. The first movement went swimmingly and almost wrote itself, this one I am finding harder :-(

The first movement of Digitiphony 4 is finished.

Parts One and Two of the media edits for Digitiphony 3 are now available at CDBaby. Parts Three and Four to come in the Autumn
http://www.cdbaby.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?AlbumID=mldunn4

I have started work on my Fourth Digitiphony. A preview of the first 3 minutes is available here -
 
https://soundcloud.com/m-l-dunn/digitiphony-4-first-3mins

Digitiphony 3, Part 1, media edits now complete and compiled. I have not priced these up yet, so if anyone wants to use any in the near future get in touch with me directly. Part 2 coming soon.
 
http://snd.sc/10ibkbT

Some of my music is now up at Cuesongs - a new production music company co-founded by Peter Gabriel. The site is currently still in beta. If you search for 'm l dunn' in their search box you will find my tracks. http://www.cuesongs .com

I am finished with the media/production music edits from the first movement of Digitiphony 3. I am pleased with how they are sounding and the ease with which I have been able to churn them out with the more powerful setup I have installed since finishing recording the full version. The whole orchestra and all the electro stuff is running live, nothing rendered, which means I can quickly collate and fine tune the edits. Here's the edit of the last few bars of the first movement.

After the 'sturm und drang' that was my Third Digitiphony, I wanted to write something simple and inconsequential, like a light musical sorbet between courses of a heavy meal, before tackling the daunting prospect of starting work on a Fourth Digitiphony, which I know is going to get me sooner or later.
So together with my partner Claire, from our ex-band UK Heights/U. Kay Hytz, I came up with a Summer chillout tune to celebrate the end of a long cold English winter.

Inside The Coolibar by m l dunn

I have started work on the media edits from Digitiphony 3, (short bite size chunks - a bit more easily digested than the whole thing in one go) here's one of the longer ones -
 
https://soundcloud.com/m-l-dunn/lament-from-the-wasteland-edit

I have made a trance remaster of the final 3 minutes of Digitiphony 3 -
 
Track available here -
 
http://mldunn.bandcamp.com/track/culmination-from-digitiphony-3-trance-remaster
 
 
 

Digitiphony 3 now up at iTunes
 
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/digitiphony-3/id606572403

Two early releases of Digitiphony 3 - first, at CDBaby, where you can buy a regular mp3 -

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mldunn3

and second at bandcamp where the Hi Res, 24bit/96K version is available - more than twice the resolution of a CD - make sure you download the FLAC file for full quality and that you have the software/hardware to play it :-)

http://mldunn.bandcamp.com/album/digitiphony-3-hi-def-24-bit-96k

It should be up at iTunes in the next few weeks.

It is slowly starting to dawn on me that I have completed another Digitiphony. I feel pleased with myself but also knackered - completely composed out - tho I guess that is how I should feel. I don't think I will be writing another one in a hurry - this was a massive undertaking for both me and my computers. I now need to go off and play my guitar alone in a wood for a while to recover..
 
Here is a full length stream - it should be up at iTunes etc etc over the next few months. I also have a 24bit/96k Hi Res version which I will also make available.
 

Digitiphony 3 All Parts - Full Length (61 minutes) by m l dunn

I have finished writing and recording the last part of Digitiphony 3. There is still some mastering and tweaking of all the four parts to be done before I release it, but it is essentially finished. The culmination of two years work, in between other things.
Here is the full length fourth movement.

I have started work on the final movement of my Third Digitiphony. I can't quite believe I am within sight of the end, I started writing this digitiphony in June 2011, amongst other work, and it has been a massive challenge to stick to my own brief of four 15 minute movements. Here are the first two or three minutes -
 
 

I have finished the third movement of my third Digitiphony. One movement left to go now

Digitiphony 3 Part 3 "Madresfield" by m l dunn
 

The trailer for Seb Hunter's film "The Elder", for which I wrote the choral music in the first half, has now been released online
 
http://www.elderthemovie.com/

The third movement of my Third Digitiphony is coming on, but very slowly - I am 10 mins in, another 5 mins to go.
I have been busy with other stuff too, including writing music for the trailer of Seb Hunter's film The Elder. This will be released online after the screening on Friday. It gave me the chance to use my symphonic choirs/wordbuilder software again - its still as pernickity to program as ever, but the results are worth it, and still, 7 years on from the original version, no-one has come up with anything better. I will post the link to that later in the week, but in the meantime here is the first 10 mins of Digitiphony 3 part 3
Digitiphony 3 Part 3 bars 1 to 328 (two thirds in) by m l dunn
 

Here's the first third of the third movement of my third digitiphony, hopefully will finish it this year, so looking at April next year to finish the whole thing.


Digitiphony 3 Part 3 bars 1 to 168 (first third) by m l dunn
 

After taking a few months away from it to work on other things, I am back to working on Digitiphony 3. I'm about a third of the way through the third movement now, I'll post some of it when it's more complete.
In the meantime I finished writing a couple of tracks setting music to two more of Sam McDonnell's poems (see entry January 2008 below) to music. They are written but only roughly recorded - I'm stashing them away until I have an album's worth when I may rerecord them all properly. Absolutely love that man's poems.


One Needs 2 by m l dunn

The Leaving 2 by m l dunn


I've also been working on a track with my partner Claire (as in uk heights) who will be singing the lead. It's long overdue :)

My good friend James Stevens died on 4th July 2012. This date is very apt as he was one of most independent spirited people I ever knew. I learnt far more about music from him than any teacher (such as they have been) in my life. I am honured and privileged to have been asked to write an obituary for him for The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, which he himself helped to set up many years ago. He was a monumental musical figure and human spirit, as I'm sure time will tell.
 
http://www.basca.org.uk/news/james-stevens-1923-2012/

I have finished writing Part 2 of my third Digitiphony, which can be streamed here
-

Digitiphony 3 Part 2 "The Temple of the Free Way" Mix 1 by m l dunn Digitiphony website has also been updated - www.digitiphony.com

I have finished, bar a few tweaks, the first part of Digitiphony 3. I'm gonna have a rest now and go out sound-sourcing in the countryside for the second movement which I am starting to think should be uber-ambient.
Digitiphony 3 Part 1 Full length rough mix by m l dunn

I'm another 4 mins into Digitiphony 3, here's an updated audio file

Digitiphony 3 Pt 1 bars 1 to 257 (1st half) by m l dunn

Happy New Year one and all.... Here are the first few minutes of my Third Digitiphony - I started writing it in my head when I was deaf (see below). It's gonna be a long haul but even if all my computers fail at least I've got this to show for my labours so far :)
Digitiphony 3 Opening by m l dunn

So I got my rest, but not quite how I planned it. Shortly after finishing the revised version of my Second Digitiphony, I caught a virus (from singing to a room full of ill people) which left me totally deaf (except my tinnitus) for two weeks. If I had realised it wasn't going to be permanent I would have enjoyed the peace. Instead I made the mistake of doing a search on Google for 'viral related deafness' and completely freaked myself out - apparently it's very common and sometimes permanent... I read heartbreaking stories from people who regretted not going to a specialist immediately as they never fully regained their full hearing. Thankfully that was not the case with me, perhaps due to my talented homeopath Richard Cook (www.arthom.com) or maybe I'm just lucky. Either way, it forced me to relinquish my digitiphonic obsessions for a while, which I almost certainly needed, as I was finding it virtually impossible to let it go. Now that I can hear again, guess what, I have started on my Third Digitiphony. I plan for it to be in four movements again, but want to try and crack the one hour barrier this time, as well as trying to find that elusive balance between Electro and Orchestral - for one and two I veered heavily to either the Electro or Orchestral end of the spectrum (well what's the point of a life without challenges ?!)
The production music edits for Digitiphony 2 are all now finished and instantly downloadable - the price includes a sync license.... go to http://www.mldunn.net/digitiphony/two/digitiphony_2_media_edits.htm to find out more.
Y'all have a good holiday and Peaceful, Prosperous New Year.

My virtual instrument "Tibetan Singing Bowls for Kontakt" is now up at new site sampleism - http://www.sampleism.com/mikedunn/sonics-db

The final revised extended version (below) of my Second Digitiphony is now up at iTunes

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/second-digitiphony-the-integrity/id472746298

I have finally finished the media edits for my Second Digitiphony - 68 in all. They are all up here. I also remixed, and added to, the entire work in the light of the fresh perspective the making of them gave me. Two years hard grind - it's a relief to have finished and I know I owe myself a rest. I'm thinking about it.

Digitiphony 2 - All Four Movements (40 mins) by m l dunn

Work on the Digitiphony edits going well. Working so intently on the sections has given me a whole new perspective on it.... I can't keep the ambient intrusions out now :) - partly because I just updated my Spectrasonics Atmosphere to Omnisphere - it is completely mad. They call it a power synth but for the first time I think I've found a software designer play down the name of their program... Ultra-Synth would be nearer the mark. It will deffo feature heavily in Digitiphony 3 methinks... updated Digi 2 edits are here.

After a couple of months working on the design and construction of a new instrument for one of my clients at www.musicalaccess.com and sourcing laptop music setups, I'm back working on the media edits from Digitiphony 2 -  it's gonna take me ages, so I may have to break off from it now and again to do other things, but they are all coming on nicely. New page for them all up here.

I have started making the media/production edits from Digitiphony 2. I will put them up here as I finish them.

Digitiphony 2 has been released at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mldunn2

My second digitiphony is close to completion. There are a couple more soundclips and more info here

as promised I have put up some Digitiphony 2 stuff - so far just the first movement which is now finished. Go here to listen.

Progress on my Digitiphony 2 is pretty good. There will be 4 movements or parts - I have finished writing the first, fourth and first 3 minutes of the second. The entire work should be about 40 minutes long. I think it may be finished by the end of 2011, with luck and muse. I am marking out sections as I write, to make 40 or so edits for production music use - ranging from 5 seconds to 2 minutes. Watch this space and I may put some examples up in the next few weeks.

I have been working with Shane at Sound Magic, helping beta test piano VST instruments he is designing using Physical Remodelling. Because the sound of the instrument is not made up of samples, but of remodelled sounds hung upon a framework or skeleton based on that of the real instrument, both the ROM/RAM usage and CPU load are much smaller than conventional VST pianos. The volume dynamics are of a more infinite character than those of sample based instruments which, to my ears and fingers at least, makes for a whole new playing experience which is far more emotional and engaging. In feel, it is the nearest VST piano I have found to my own acoustic Yamaha piano and other acoustics, and over the last twenty-something years I have played many VST, and earlier, analogue, attempts to recapture the impossible – ie a real piano.
The first of these pianos I played was Red Wings, and it knocked me sideways. Here is an early demo of me improvising and checking out the dynamics. It demanded to be played a certain way and was not easy to integrate with other instruments, perhaps because of the rich harmonics, especially in the bass. But the later pianos he has made are sounding more flexible. On this page you can hear me, and others, playing on Blue Grand, one of the newer ones. I have just been testing Red Grand, which is based on Red Wings, and it seems to have all the vibe but is less idiosyncratic, so is potentially even more flexible. That one will be finished soon. I have long been interested in Remodelling – in a musical world which has seen no progressive step up in consumer audio quality since the invention of the CD, I think it may be part of the future. That and audio brain implants…. coming soon, to a store near you...

I have just finished recording and mixing my band uk heights' fifth album 'reap'. More info at this link
One of my tracks 'Omnious Dei' has just been released at Production Music House Plan 8 Music on their album Dark Beats (PN8CD1013)
Currently writing tracks for Focus Music, releases expected 2011.
Now the uk heights album is finished I plan to start working on my first solo Digitiphony - this may or may not happen

It looks like the rest of this year and maybe next are going to be taken up with band (uk heights) affairs - currently working on a Double A sided single with Sally Strawberry then we start work on our fifth album.

I have been active performing in Second Life again with UK Heights (Mic Mahoney and Lydia Ludwig). We have new premises at Pudding Hill (The Pudding Club) and are planning to perform there again soon.
 
There are some new additions up at my online library

I recently finished a new EP with my band U. Kay Hytz called "Digitiphony" - it's a 22min, 4 part piece, and the idea and theme for it have been nagging at my brain for sometime... see here for more musings on it. It will be released on iTunes etc by the end of the year.

The full version of my Tibetan Singing Bowls album entitled "Spirit of the Bowls" is now up at iTunes go here to preview it there if you have iTunes.

Sorry, have not added anything to my online library.. been too busy, but plenty more will go up there eventually.

Current projects include sourcing and programming some much needed musical gear for one of my musical access clients, Chris  (www.musicalaccess.com) - I am very excited, and so is he, about having lots more access to musical techno-toys, using only his feet ! Also currently writing for Barry Blue's new company, plan8music (www.plan8music.com), working on an upcoming U. Kay Hytz release, working with uber-talented beatsmith Sam Green (www.drumzen.com) and possibly about to see my muse go in a whole new direction with a new form (or new description of a form at least) that has been bugging me for years.

the new mldunn.net online instant, license included music library is up and running. It will include, eventually, all the music of mine that I still own copyrights to - about half my catalogue. It will take many many months to prepare it into broadcast quality files and get it up there, but the tracks, loops and instruments will be available as they arrive. Over time they will be split into categories... but in the meantime the first few files are all up on one page at http://www.mldunn.net/mldonlinelibrary.htm - prices are very reasonable as I get to keep more of my hard-earned cash, so can charge less. Worldwide sync license included.

The full length (37 min) version of my Tibetan Singing Bowls recordings are also finished.... entitled "Sprit of the Bowls" it should be up at iTunes etc in a month or two.

Emma Biggins and Jon Shepley's beautiful and moving short film "Your Hand", about Domestic Violence, and to which I wrote music for Sam McDonnell's poem of the same name (see below), is now up at youtube - well worth a watch -

Or to watch at youtube (fullscreen available) go here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdsEInm_biA

Emma and Jon can be contacted at http://www.multistoryfilms.co.uk

Just noticed I have not updated this page for a while - so here is a rushed year's worth of what I have been up to -
Early 08 saw me still writing for people in Second Life, including DC Spensley's Skywalkers, who put on several spectacular shows using both a new piece written by me and some material from my band, uk heights.
BMG has now been bought by Universal, according to my royalty statements, so I guess go there instead to find the tracks I have with them... have not had a chance to go looking for myself (so to speak) there yet though.
My year was full of singing bowls - I finished the piece for Focus Music... it should be released by them sometime early 2008. In doing the short piece for them I realised I really should make a full CD's worth - they sound awesome and are very powerful, spiritually speaking... I now have a 37 min version all finished and waiting to go up to iTunes etc... yes, when I have time :)
I have also been designing instruments with the bowls... one collection in Second life has been selling well and I just finished a version for Kontakt in December 07... available for sale at www.looplibrary.com . Talking of Looplibrary, I have hooked up with them to provide many of my tracks that I still own the copyrights to, as well as purpose-written pieces and loops. Just go to Looplibrary and do a search for " m l dunn " to find out more. In time I hope to provide direct links to all my products there from this site.
I have also been busy with the band this year - we have been performing both in Second Life and in real life, as well as making a video - for more details please go to the band site at www.ukheights.com. In doing the video we were lucky enough to meet uber-talented young director Emma Biggins and her poet-partner Sam.. I can not see 2008 going by without doing more shared projects, the vid was a complete success, largely due to Emma's talent and expertise. They are currently making a Video for a song that Sam and I wrote... more info at her website www.multistoryfilms.co.uk.
I have also been having drumming lessons ! At my age, glory be... however my tutor Sam Green is so startlingly amazing (www.drumzen.com - but please don't go there and ask for lessons, he is inundated, not surprisingly..) that we seem to be coming to the conclusion that it might just be easier to work together... once again, 2008 will be the judge of that.
One of my pupils at www.musicalaccess.com released his first CD in November to much local acclaim - nice one Chris !!
More of my tracks are now with AKM music where they should appear sometime in 2008.
I am supposed to be finishing an EP of ambient/trance tracks for UKH, as well as possibly starting work on a new album this year - a daunting task that will take much commitment if I decide to do it, so have not reached a decision on that yet...
Have a great '08 y'all...

just when I thought I was going to get a rest I was sent a brief for more tracks for Focus Music - this time wanting ethnic material... it seemed like a good opportunity to wheel out my Tibetan Singing Bowls, so I borrowed more from a friend, to give a total of 11 of the beautiful things.... very difficult recording such ephemeral instruments, but by recording late at night and staying away from noisy computers I managed it, and have more than several minutes-worth safely filed away, some of which has been sent to Focus, and some of which I may use for a longer piece later in the year... seems a shame to waste such a beautiful noise on 60 or 30 second edits... especially as I played them the traditional way (ie running a wooden beater around the edge - a bit like getting notes out of wine glasses by running a finger around the rim) and it takes a couple of minutes for them to attain full momentum... my head is still ringing... pleasantly...

a UKH supporter suggested we submit a track for the forthcoming Cafe Del Mar compilation (catorce) - never one to resist a challenge, and knowing it would have been our departed drummer's dream to have a track on there, we obliged... the track is now complete, but is under wraps until we hear if they want to use it...

my band UKH, or what's left of it (just two of us now) have discovered Second life - where we set up our own little studio/club, and in the last few weeks we have been playing live in there - streaming straight out of the studio. So far we have played to people in NZ, Oz, Singapore, Russia, US, japan and good old blighty, to name just a few... it is gob-smackingly awesome. still seems like magic when it all works.. which is not 100% of the time, but that's living on technology's edge for you... more info at www.ukheights.com or www.secondlife.com (we are called SL Heights 'in-world', as they say..)

more Production/media music in the pipeline, this time for Focus Music - I only meant to do them a couple of tracks by way of a diversion from other stuff I've done this year... but each time I finish they send me a brief for more projects... so far I've done tracks for Kids/Teens, pop-rock backing tracks, war/conflict and 'corporate enthusiasm'. the CD's are due out next year - more info from www.focusmusic.com

I was asked to write some music in a hurry for the Toby Roberts/Poulsen Selleck production "Your Big Chance" - a short film to be shown to 16 year old school leavers to convince them of the benefits of staying in further education.... I ended up with 3 days to write, arrange and record the music for this quiz-show spoof. I'm not actually within my comfort zone working at that speed, but everyone seemed happy with the music... and sometimes things just need doing... in this case I was asked to do it by a mutual friend who I could not say no to.... the performances in the film are (intentionally) hilarious and i have to admit I laughed more than I have done for ages... more info at www.poulsenselleck.com

have just completed the fourth UKH album (or second ambient one), entitled "An acute sense of the Absurd" it will be fully released in the next few months, and should be available at iTunes by the end of the year. Further info at www.ukheights.com

I have been asked to supply music for the upcoming feature film "Lycanthropy" (Director Kevin McDonagh) - in particular for the club scenes (it is a grisly tale of werewolves in modern day Birmingham) - I used existing tracks, re-edited, from my band U. Kay Hytz as well as a couple of new pieces... expect it to be released sometime in 2007. More info at www.rotundafilms.com

Claire from UKH and myself have juts completed a series of idents for Pulse (internet and satellite radio) - in particular for Rob Bailey's show "Pulse Lounge" - by way of a thank you for playing all those UKH tracks last year. Glad to see they are being put to good use already...

I have finished a selection of Ambient tracks and associated edits for AKM Music which will be released soon - entitled "Ambient World" (AK057) - AKM have a growing collection of instantly licensable music... more info at www.akmmusic.co.uk