The Orange Line: Time

I'll update you on the recent (and very seldom) goings-on with me and my music. Of late, I've had so many other things happening in my life, it is incredibly difficult to get any time to record anything for 'The Orange Line'. The art work for the album theme has been easily created. I am very happy with this and I believe it will reflect well on the music.

I am having great difficulty getting both the time, and the quality right, for creating the music. Spare time is difficult to come by; quality is difficult to produce in such a short space of time. For instance, any recent small windows of opportunity are ruined by the fact that I can not find the sound for the guitar that I want. I scan over the effects I have on the pedal. Record small samples to see how they sound, and each time, they sound horrific or miles away from what I want. I'm struggling with this at the moment, but I'm hoping it will fall into place. This was a similar problem with 'Anonymous' in the beginning too. I do see 'The Orange Line' taking a few years to record and produce however, due to restraints on time and because I want this to be perfect.

In terms of song writing, the songs are all there anyway. Most written between the age of 15 and 18, the songs are all from old cassette tapes (see at soundcloud: cassette tapes from 1999 and more cassette tapes). This means I don't need to find the time to write a whole bunch of new songs, which can be difficult too. Some of these old songs are still really good, in my opinion. Simplier songs, at simplier times. I recently worked out 'A Story of a Wall' and 'All the Time'. It was brilliant to work them out again, and here them now. Such a difference. I can actually keep in key when I sing now, so the songs sounds so much better. I am so eager to hear a finished version of any of these songs.

I have no idea what half the songs are even about anymore. There are also so many songs that I never recorded and so cannot remember how they go. One song in particular that I remember writing when I was about 15, was called 'Vigilantes and Anarchy'. I do not remember even how it goes, but remember when I use to play it I thought it was brilliant. I am lucky I have the cassette tapes of the recordings I have. I want to make a great album. To hear these songs the way they were intended.

If any progress is made, I will upate here, but this project will take time.

Watch this space,
Wullae

The Orange Line: Ideas

I have not written on this blog for a long time, and that is because I have had nothing to write. Nothing to write about in terms of my music and any musical projects. I have had little time to write, record and definitely perform any music.

At the end of 2011 I looked back at what music I had written and the numerous projects I had created. I created four projects: 'Anonymous', 'Opus. 1', 'Overzealous Work Ethic', and 'Under the Pyramids'. I was maybe being a little over ambitious trying to create 3 albums in the one year. 'Under the Pyramids' was cut short due to time and inspiration. I did complete these projects and feel this was a very productive year. I was, and still am, particularly happy with 'Anonymous' as an album. I have not successfully written and recorded a 20 track album before.

Moving into 2012, I have focused on developing the artwork for the new project. I tend to write the music and develop the artwork around another. However, I wanted to paint the picture first. The theme. I didn't know what I wanted to do to be honest. I sat one night not long into the new year, and thought about the train journey I had going from Manhattan to Coney Island. I had looked through some photographs I have of me in New York in 2008. The journey I remember well. The ghetto housing, the rocking train; being in a city and place I didn't know. Going to somewhere, I had never been. I wish I could go back. It was a beautiful journey, in a very personal way. And so this, is what has developed the idea behind 'The Orange Line'. The orange line - or 'D' line, is the one that takes you from Manhattan to Coney Island. The project is about a journey. A journey from it's beginning, to it's end. But not a bad journey. A pleasant one. One that changes you. In the subtliest way.

So I looked through the photos I took as I went along The orange line, and I developed these photos in a way that is reminiscent of old artwork myself and my friend Stuart Carroll use to make when we were in the band 'the Heads of State'. This made me think about all the old songs we had made together, and never used. Never finished. Never heard them the way they were suppose to be heard. So I thought the artwork and old song - part of 'Cassette Tapes from 1999', would be perfect. And so I have listened to these old songs, and have picked several I will try and update and add to 'The Orange Line'. These songs are:

- All the Time (Thinking of renaming 'Dwindling in Zenith', which was the original album name we had for these songs way back in 2000)
- Nostalgic
- You Never Said Anything
- A Story of a Wall
- Plasticland
- U.F.O
- Superhero
- Beware: Beckon Angels
- Living on the Edge
- A.W.O.L
- Building a Nest (Written in 2009, and would be a perfect song to finish the album with)
- Fun Acid House
- A Stage with your own Fears
- Dreams are in the Skies
- Stand Alone
- Pay As You Earn

It may not be possible to recreate all these songs as I do not remember how to play even half of them. But I will have to re-learn them, and then try and work out all the lyrics too. I don't want to have to change these songs at all from the originals.

So, that is the start of 'The Orange Line'. This is as far as up-to-date as I can get. I have worked out 'All the Time', and will try and create a new version. I have ideas for it, and wish to start as soon as I can. I'm having difficulty at the moment trying to get drum beats appropriate for starting this album with, but I am sure I will get them in time.

Watch this space,
Wullae