scotland

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This is an exciting moment, as we get to release the first track from the tentatively titled ‘unexpected bowtie and friends’ collaborative album.

So this is how it’s going to work: to make the most of each track, every so often one will be put online for streaming with a bit of explanation of who’s involved, with the final collection being brought together as a full release later on in the year.

Pictured is Steven Marino, aka Moor Hound. He comes from sunny Orlando, Florida, and plays music after our heart. You can see the banjo, so need I say more?

Moor Hound contributed some wonderfully laid-back guitar parts, and one of them is used on this track. You can read more about him in an interview on Artrocker, find his blog here, Bandcamp here, and Soundcloud tracks here.

Keith needs no introduction really. He’s been making music alongside me almost since I started, and he lent me his percussive hands for a few hours to give this track the structure it badly needed and that I just couldn’t provide. The Keith Appreciation Society page is on Facebook here, and Closet Organ (in which I also sing and play guitar) can be found on Tumblr.

The track is called let’s crash planes when we’re leaving, and is below.

let’s crash planes when we’re leaving by unexpectedbowtie

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As weird as it seems to be announcing the release of one record whilst having worked on a totally different one for the past few weeks, that’s the way it goes in the life-cycle of things.

This is an awesome split EP of the 8-bit inspired chiptune electronic variety, with The Wet Dreams taking the first half of the record; myself the second. We took a basic melody for one of the tracks, and wrote our own versions (tracks 3 and 4) which made it all the more interesting.

Click through to the music page for the relevant links and all that.

For those of you not so enamoured with the chiptune side of things, watch this space – there’s other creations in the works.

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It’s funny how you can release music all day every day, but have people only listen when you make a video and stick it on Youtube. As a result of the ‘be suspicious…’ video a pile of people have commented on it in real life. I’ve gotten used to only those directly involved in the whole musical world knowing about the whole bowtie project and interacting with it, so it’s strange to have it bleed out into other areas. It’s something I’m not sure I’m entirely comfortable with, as as soon as that happens, inherently all of the criticisms and harsh scrutiny come along for the ride as well. I’m not entirely sure that it’s what any of this was designed for, so who knows how it’ll unfold or what it’ll withstand. It seems a stupid thing to say when writing on a public blog about songs posted on public sharing sites, but I’m sure there are those of you out there that will understand and see through the seeming duplicity.

Contemplations aside, the collaborative idea is beginning to take some sort of semi-tangible shape in the form of actual, proper recorded songs from all the bits and pieces that I’ve been sent so far. The first full track is almost finished, and has some awesome drums from Ally Craig of Bug Prentice, and nice synthy electronic blips from the legendary Does It Offend You Yeah?

I’ve realised that the whole thing is going to be a big mish-mash of different genres and feels, with each track totally different to the others… I hope that the bowtie can bring some sort of common thread to the whole thing. That’ll be the challenge.

Introducing Pulco

Sticking to the same subject, I’m really chuffed to announce that the wonderful Pulco is sending stuff over for inclusion. Since coming up with the whole thing, I’ve wanted to get him on board. He’s a perfect fit – recording things DIY on a whole host of strange and wonderful everyday household items and keyboards.

His own latest album is out this very month of June, so check out the link above, and get a flavour of what’s possibly to come by watching the awesome video below.

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Those times where you desperately don’t want to sleep even though your body’s crying out for it, and you simply want to create… to write or sing, or strum, or pluck, or do something… but you can’t cos everyone’s asleep. One of those times where you feel like you could just speak to a long lost friend and have all and every issue fixed without actually saying a word. One of those times where time and work and money and the past and present all seem to collide into one big nothingness. That’s just now.

I had a big interview a few weeks ago. They saw the music and photos and other stuff I do and after saying how it was a good thing, went on to ask what I saw my career as… when really it seems like the question was actually about dedication and commitment to a single purpose; to check you aren’t going to run away halfway through a lifetime deal for some other ‘fleeting’ dream. There seems to be no middle ground because nobody lets there be one.

More importantly, it’s amazing how a musical saw can sound so wonderful one minute, and so awful and out of tune when played with headphones on. Clearly there’s a dark art to be mastered.

Or maybe I just need to turn the volume up.

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The best kind of songs are the ones that you can still play with friends in the pitch black on a beach after too much alcohol.

One set of commitments has finished for the next few months, and another set have taken its place. There never seems to be the balance that lets you survive to a reasonable degree whilst leaving space and time for music, or other… stuff that’s done purely for the love of it.

Once things settle down, hopefully there’ll be some tangible progress on the whole collaborative-sample-thing. The wonderful FOE have agreed to send some bits and pieces over, which is incredibly brilliant. You should have a follow of them over on their site.

Infact, they’re so good that you should watch the video below. Hannah plays all of the instruments on the record herself…. parallels to the bowtie, although I can’t claim to be quite as good looking as she is.

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It is with great excitement that I can divulge a new unexpected project on the horizon. We have assembled a gaggle of talented musicians who are going to record, scrimp and gather up loose riffs, vocals and other noises to put them towards a rather unique collaboration.

You’ll almost certainly have heard of some of those involved, and the ones you haven’t are just as wonderful, having been hand-picked from the alternative music world by yours truly. We’re not going to name names yet, but all shall be revealed in due course. It’s all rather delightful.

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Instead of writing much at the moment, I’ve had other things take over the musical side of life.

One of these is to get (much) better at the old accordion playing.

This is what I’m listening to for inspiration.

One day I hope to reach the dizzying heights of this man and his moustache.