An eBook cover I designed for Travis Mamone

My friend Travis Mamone recently launched an eBook entitled "In Praise of Doubting Thomas - How to doubt without losing your faith" ... and I was honoured to design the cover.

Thanks for the opportunity Travis!

Tx

Presenting "Open Spaces (waag_rel009)" by Gurdonark

The ninth release on my netlabel - weareallghosts - is now live.

"Open Spaces (waag_rel009)" is a short collection of ambient electronic lullabies in the key of now from a dear friend and inspiration Gurdonark.

Go here for more information ... or have a wee listen below.

Tx

Two recent reviews on The Future Elements

"I guess that’s the genius of this album… it contains six tracks that eloquently soundtrack the very best life has to offer. They have an upbeat, almost euphoric quality about them… they serve to lift the mood and feed the soul with their genuine, deep and timeless beauty. There isn’t anything superficial about these tracks… no gimmicks or repeated ’crowd-pleasing’ compromises… they are deeply engrained expressions of the best in this life."

http://www.thefuturelements.com/reviews/even-though-we-sleep/

"From the stunning opening chords of “cold front” it is apparent that Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson have created something truly magical. The ambience they create coupled with their signature post-rock stylings really makes for an euphoric and unashamedly triumphant listening experience. They create the most gracious and elegant beauty with their guitars, strings, keys and synths."

http://www.thefuturelements.com/reviews/departure-songs-hammock-masterpiece/ 

Loving... "Mint and Marigold EP" by Tundra Vole

Tundra Vole is not a household name but I think he should be. He creates wonderfully effervescent electronic music that always seems to lift my spirits.

He recently released an EP entitled “Mint and Marigold” that is an utter delight to listen to. Upbeat and jaunty ... the five tracks only last 20 minutes but in those 20 minutes they convey so much: so much joy for life ... so much alertness and appreciation for now. They are a triumphant soundtrack to being alive ... an euphoric testimony to overcoming the adversity of everyday ... a celebration to the little things that come together to make our day.

I love Tundra Vole’s particular style of guitar-infused electronic music. I have to resist dancing like a loon whenever my iPhone is on shuffle and one of his tracks comes on. His music is so dense and varied ... so many layers come together to make the track ... which I find fascinating. Guitars ... synths ... complex polyrhythms ... all come together to make this EP very special indeed.

I would heartily recommend it ... especially since Tundra Vole has kindly released “Mint and Marigold” for ’pay what you want’ on Bandcamp. I’ve embedded the player below to let you hear it ... if you like what you hear please don't hesitate to support him. We need more music like this and we need more musicians like Tundra Vole.

Recommended.

Tx

Loving... Plum's new single featuring a fab collab by TeKlo

I love Plum's music ... and I was delighted to receive an email telling me about her latest single.

Receiving emails like that always make me smile ... but I was smiling like a loon when I realised that her single was 'smile' ... one of my fave tracks off her album 'the seed' ... which is, by the way, in my top 10 albums of 2012.

'Smile' is such a beautiful track. The backing is so strong ... chunky beats and supersonic synths ... with the addition of Plum's vocals ... it is simply wonderful. It also holds fab memories of seeing her perform it live. It was a real hit with the crowd that night.

The b-side ... 'Rainbow' ... is a collaborative effort between Plum and producer TeKlo ... the result of late nights in a secret countryside hide out.

It's a wonderful dense track ... with a dubstep flavour ... underpinned a noisy Aphex Twin vibe and some seriously bleepy sounds. I love it ... and really welcome it. I will need to look out for TeKlo ... he has talent.

I've embedded the tracks below for your listening pleasure. I hope you enjoy them as much I as do. If you like what you hear, please support Plum.

Tx

Sequence5 from Futuresequence is now live

The fifth instalment of Futuresequence's Sequence series dropped today ... bringing new delights from Olan Mill, Darren Harper, Bengalfuel, and Neil Milton amongst others to listen to.

I don't envy the curator's task ... choosing 42 tracks from 200 submitted.

Unfortunately both Cousin Silas and Apta ... both chaps feature on my netlabel ... did not make the final cut. However, I intend to release my own compilation with their tracks and others in December ... so watch out for that.

I've embedded the Bandcamp player below ... have a wee listen and if you like what you hear download the compilation for free from there ... be warned - its over 500mb in size.

Enjoy.

Tx

Re-covered Books ... The Fox Is Black looks to The Hobbit

The Fox Is Black's latest 'Re-Covered Books' comp has me wishing I had more skills and could compete. I am just a photographer who adds type to his pictures.

That said ... I am really looking forward to what is created. The strength of submissions for previous competitions has been first class ... and Solomon's taste is truly impeccable ... his winners are always something special.

I will watch this competition closely.

http://www.thefoxisblack.com/2012/11/14/re-covered-books-the-hobbit-by-j-r-r-tolkien/

Tx

PS Thanks to Brad over at Free Floating for the heads-up!

The West Scotland Divisional Youth Band and The Glasgow Phoenix Choir at Ibrox Parish Church

I help out with the Salvation Army's West Scotland Divisional Youth Band. I'm not sure what my 'official' role is but I do the slides, take photos and make posters. I'm also chauffeur for Dayna - my eldest daughter - who plays horn in the band.

I was out last night in Glasgow at Ibrox Parish Church. The band were performing along with the Glasgow Phoenix Choir ... and I had the privilege to be able to take some photos.

Above and immediately below are my faves ... to catch Chris in action is always a pleasure ... and I love the photo of the choir because of the lass second in who is looking right at me.



Anyway ... here are a few more that I liked:











All in ... it was a great night. The rest of my photos are available here.

Tx

My Instagram web profile

Instagram has recently launched web profiles ... so even if you are not on Instagram, you can still see my photos uploaded there.

Go here to see them :: instagram.com/headphonaught

Tx

Is it Angry Birds Star Wars ... or ... Star Wars Angry Birds?

Is it Angry Birds Star Wars ... or ... Star Wars Angry Birds?

Now that's a question ... because I recently downloaded the latest instalment of the Angry Birds series ... and I'm not sure which is more prevalent.



The scenes are definitely Star Wars ... but they have an Angry Birds spin to them. The main characters are there but have been recreated in the form of Angry Birds.



The game play is definitely Angry Birds ... with a bit of "Angry Birds Space" thrown in to confound fair-weather gamers like me ... but it has a Star Wars spin to it. Look at the first scene on Tatooine. Instead of Pigs we have Tusken Raiders ... and we have the two suns over the Lars Homestead in the background. I really like their attention to detail.



Gameplay is fab ... with some characters such as R2D2 having powers reminiscent of his powers in the films ...



... and others, like C3PO, having new powers.

You can buy other levels ... like Hoth ... which is an interesting way of getting extra cash from a player. That said ... I can't wait to see the merchandise that will spin-off from this game.

All in ... it's well worth 69p or 99c to buy for the iPhone ... with an iPad version available too.

However, I still can't decide if it is Angry Birds Star Wars ... or ... Star Wars Angry Birds?

i guess it does demonstrate how powerfully iconic the Star Wars legacy is ... when an already established and dare I say classic game can be remade in its image and somehow the output feels like Star Wars.

Tx