POPCAST

I'm getting so slack at posting here, good sign though I suppose as it means I'm working on the album, and indeed I am :-)

'Where to from here' has now got a kind of Hot Chip feel about it, mostly generated by some cool sounds coming off the JP8v. Not really been that impressed with this version. I think they messed around with it too much by adding the modulation and effects matrix. Most of the presets have effects added which puts me off when I'm trying to write parts, YES I generally start with presets because I usually have a sound in my head that I am hoping to achieve so presets always offer the quickest route. But I always tweak the hell of them. I have tended to use the ES1 & ES2 as I can work with those fairly quickly but having purchased the V collection I really want to start using other synths a lot more.

WIth all the Yazoo excitement I have found myself dreaming about owning a Pro-One again, Mooger has one and I'm pretty jealous. I just hope someone produces a virtual software version. Most of Upstairs at Erics was done using a Pro-One. 'Step Back' on 53ºN was all done just using the ES1 synth in Logic.

We are planning a Podcast pretty soon and will play some of the new tracks along with waffling on about what we are up to. Not sure it will be that interesting but if you have any questions let us know.

Matt

BOOM BANG-A-BANG

Right that's quite enough reference to Eurovision....did anyone actually watch that?  I think NK should represent Britain next year.

 

Much more important events yesterday - the recording of another new track for album number2, called 'Where to from Here'.  I've just been chatting to the fabulous Mr Blue over on my myspace page - as follows:

 

I'm soooo excited about the new NK material - it's real quality, progressive pop music. I'm having a lot of fun with the vocals, and encouraging Matt to contribute some lyrics of his own too which is interesting.
I'd say Dirty Youth and Into the Blue are pretty good indicators of what's to come. I would say that our second album is less 'of it's type' (pure electro-pop) and has moved more towards a Madonna / Goldfrapp-y kind of vibe.
The NK style hasn't been diluted in any way though...we're almost a year on from 53 degrees North and have really put our stamp on to the latest material.

About physical copies of Xerotic - there have been some hold-ups in the production line. I agree, you can't beat a 'real' cd and we will do our best to get these out there asap. Thanks for bearing with us.

 

So I'm off out into the rain now, to inspect my mum's new chickens.  Tadar tweacle x

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XEROTIC EP

We have added the EP online as a free download, scroll down to the right of this page to get the high quality DRM free MP3s.

Matt & Sarah x

PADDED CELL

I quite like this, it sounds really old but it's quite cool http://www.myspace.com/paddedcelldc

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

of Yazoo on Jonathon Ross... erm

It's typical of synth music really, I thought it sounded pretty weak. Compared to The Tings Tings last week who did sound great I think they could have made more of the live sound. It really just sounded to me like a live feed from Vince's set-up and Alison going through effects with some audience noise thrown over the top. Obviously the Reel 2 Reel was just for show.

The mix and version of Don't Go was pretty faithful, I just really want to hear it LOUD man.

Still, I will wack it up as video online tomorrow at some point.

Matt

1.1 OCD

Phew!  It's really been annoying me, that all the blog titles are in upper case apart from my thread called 'thank you', which (in a moment of madness) I typed in lower case.

 

Now, it is done.  We have knocked the offending title off the visible list of blog threads.

 

Now let that be an end to it.

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1.0 OCD

I'll explain this in a minute.

 

Sarah x

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FLICKING MY SWITCH

I'm in that "Desperate for inspiration" zone at the minute and searching for music to help me steer the album along. I'm glad to say that most of the stuff that is flicking my switch is new. In particular these three songs are on the top of the list.

The Presets - This Boy's in Love
Ladytron - Runaway
Cut Copy - Out There On the Ice

Also looking forward to the full albums from The Presets, Ladytron & not forgetting Melnyk. His new single "Revolutions" was posted onto myspace today.

This is my take on music that inspires. At certain points during my life my spirits have been lifted and my mood changed for the better by music, I'm not a gloomy sort of person and I would like to think I have a relatively stable mood however when I come across certain tracks and get a definite feeling of elation when hearing them I get a buzz/high or whatever it is, it lifts my spirits and makes me feel much better. I'm not sure that music has the same effect on everyone but for me once I experienced such changes in mood it becomes like a drug and I constantly search for music like this.

These are some of the memorable tracks that have lifted my spirits, I have tried to put them in some kind of chronological order.

The Beach Boys - God only knows
Roxy Music - Dance Away
Abba - On and On and On
The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star
Joy Division - Atmosphere
Depeche Mode - New Life
Kraftwerk - Computer Love
Altered Images - I Could be Happy
Soft Cell -Besitter
Altered Images - See Those Eyes
OMD - Souvenir
Soft Cell -Torch
Thomas Dolby - One of our submarines
Thompson Twins - Doctor Doctor
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
Eurythmics - Here comes the Rain Again
Kajagoogoo - Hang on Now
Blancmange - Don't Tell Me
Pet Shop Boys - Loves come quickly
Pet Shop Boys - I Want to wake up
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - The Power Of Love
Grace Jones - I've Seen that Face Before
Propaganda - The Chase
The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary
ABC - Be Near Me
Hard Corps - Je Suis Passee
Brother Beyond - Be my Twin
Duran Duran - Come Undone
Radiohead - High & Dry (ok this should be Radiohead)
Keane - Sunshine
I AM X - Simple Girl
Coldplay - Square One
The Knife - We share our Mothers Health

OK I have realised I have started something now, because I find these songs so difficult to ignore I have ended up listening to them whilst compiling this list. So for now this is it. It's most definitely going to grow! As you will see, not much DM, Yazoo or Erasure. I guess it's because they are so engrained in me that their songs span more than one concentrate time period, I'm sure I will add them. But for now as it's late this is my list... more to follow.

EY-TASTIC!

Rob, Robert, Chi, Mooger, Wout, Ann, Jonathan, Paul, Ringo, Kirstie, Tom, Julian, Jonathan, Martin, Alan, Cordu, Ben, Sarah Schmoof, Baz, Ruth, Charlie, Noush and EVERYONE who came to the Electronically Yours bash, a big thank you!  We had a lorra-lorra fun.

 

For me, it was especially a treat to sing some of the new stuff and try out the delectable mega-mix.  Love it!  Well done to Orac for a splendid night, and I look forward to the next one!

 

Now we're gonna push on to the next album - oddly enough, I just stumbled across an email from last year, with Matt's album title ideas:

• Made in England
• Surviving the nightlife
• Safe Inside
• Cold light of day
• Sexy Beast!
• Dance Away
• 53 Degrees North
  (Longitude for Sheffield)

Also - it occured to me today, that we have not applied to play at the Summer Sundae musical festival in Leicester, which is madness!  We're going to submit a very late application tomorrow, but if anyone knows anyone who can pull a few strings, lemme know!  Alternatively, we could start a myspace petition to get us on (http://www.myspace.com/summersundaeweekender)

 

Lovelyjubbly! Sarah x

 

*Thanks to Mr Blue for the pic*

WHAT A NIGHT

We were both buzzing after we performed last Friday night and it was great to get so much positive feedback. Thanks to everyone that came and said hello and even better sang along to the songs.

I started to write this post Saturday, finish it on Sunday and now it's Monday - I decided to drive and therefore didn't get home until 4.00am, still feeling pretty tired to I'm off to bed to watch AVP2 :-)

Going to start updating this a little more often as I will be back on the new tracks as from tomorrow.

OK...READY

Less that 48hrs to the EY VOL 1.0 Launch, whilst much has gone in to the preparation for this night I don't think we will be playing live until our new album is finished. I haven't really spent anytime during the past few weeks on anything new as I have been concentrating on getting the older material freshened up. As an older threaded stated I upgraded my system a little after 53 D and during that process patches and some samples were lost. I tend to use synths to generate the kick, snare & percussion sounds but to lessen the load on the CPU I often sample them and create a drum patch within the ESX-24 sampler in Logic.

So when opening up logic files for the old songs many of the sounds were not playing within the ESX, I think Apple had changed the location of the sample files between Logic 7 & 8 and in tidy mode I must have deleted them. Because I wanted to change the arrangements working with the old backing tracks would have been messy so I have used the arrangement files but have created most of the sounds from scratch. A ball ache but nonetheless worthwhile in the end.

For those of you attending the night on Friday I hope you enjoy our set and don't forget to say hello.

Matt

P.S I was checking up on a band I discovered a little while ago called The Presets, I featured one of their songs "The Girl & The Sea" on my music non-suck podcast. Anyway they have posted a track from their new album. It's out in Australia but isn't released until June 23rd, my Birthday :-) in the UK

Check them out, I really like them http://www.myspace.com/thepresets

CHECKING IN

First off, Zurich is in Switzerland not Germany so no sausage to be had, I did have a nice bit of schwienerschnitzel though. Considering Switzerland is the home of classical graphic design I was quite surprised by the lack of noticeable national identity.

Anyway I have been rather busy working on the mixes for the EY gig next Friday, we had a quick rehearsal today and everything sounded OK'ish. It was rather hot in the studio, loft, attic... OK dimly lit, poor ventilated, inadequately insulated hell hole.

I'm not a fan of the name BAD ADDICT either, regardless of the rock connotation it just doesn't roll of the tongue. I chose the last name so the title for the next album is Sarah's choice, as long as I like it :-)

OK so I'm off back to the attic to get cracking with the knacking.

Matt

ATTIC ATTACK

Well, I've had a hectic bank holiday so far - and I'm now limbering up for some hot, dirty, electro attic-action at Matt's house tomorrow.  Nothing untoward - just a nice bit of recording to keep us going!  Going to have a bash at Tranquil Eyes and Where to from Here, very exciting!!  I'm really looking forward to hearing the progress of Goodbye - and the mega mix for our live show on Friday.

Will report back soon.

 

I still like the name BAD ADDICT for our forthcoming album - what does anyone think?

 

BTW - I've uploaded all our lyrics to my myspace page (sarahheeleyuk) if you fancy a read.  I know that some of you are into that sort of thing ;-)

Trying to encourage Matt to step out of his geek comfort zone and write us some lyrics....i just know there's a budding Morrissey in there somewhere.

 

I haven't really heard much from Matt, since his jolly to the German sausage factory (!) 

 

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