BUG 'UTCH #8: "I Don't Want To Be In Love: Claas Reimer D&B RMX"

Listen: I Don't Want To Be In Love: Claas Reimer D&B RMX
or here: http://soundcloud.com/claas-reimer

Back in 2001, I released a trance-y pop single in collaboration with Synthetica aka Bernie Tavis aka Skyko: I Don't Want To Be In Love. Now, it's 2012, and on The Bug 'Utch cd, I've been collaborating with Claas Reimer (see earlier in this blog) and I'm very happy to be involved, once again, with someone who is respected in the dance world. (Please check out Claas's profile Claas Reimer)

A few months ago, MisterCee/The Dark Beat Meister became aware of  I Don't Want To Be In Love: Radio Edit and asked me for the stems to do a remix. Unfortunately, the original multi track recording is long since "digitally dead & buried," so, I set about re recording my vocals for his use, and what else he needed he lifted from the original mix down track. (Though it sounds like very little was used.) Anyway, I am very happy with Claas's Drum n Bass RMX, so much so, that I am featuring it as a bonus track on the Bug 'Utch cd. Instead of the 'song' format which is featured on the cd, here is a track that is more Claas in his element.

Thanks, Claas. Nice One, deude! :)

BUG 'UTCH #7: Love Now, Love Then, Love Yesterday #II w DaVinci

Listen: Love Now, Love Then, Love Yesterday



My first meeting with DaVinci was almost comical. The occasion was in the West Hollywood Whole Foods supermarket parking lot. I stand 5'8," but the rock n roll gunslinger who'd pulled in next to my motorcycle must have been almost a whole foot (not whole food) taller! To make things even more absurd, I was riding virtually the same "hog," only mine was the bigger brother model to his. Hmh—:) He was dressed to the nines and looked every part the rock 'n roll dude. Tall, super skinny, spiky blond locks, head to foot in black leather with the requisite r 'n r shades. Me; well, imagine a shaven headed techno dude from the UK with requisite hoody, and there ya haves it: Chalk vs Cheese! :)
DaVinci was the complete opposite of his image: a really mellow buddhist. Very gentle & precise in his diction. To cut a long story short, we found a mutual interest: He was a guitarist producer/I was a singer & music producer. We seemed to make a connection and so decided to try out a collaboration together.
In Hollywood there is much schmoozing and often, things do not materialize, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a Reason (music software) track in my email inbox. After a couple of false starts we hit a neat run in pretty catchy pop rock songs. This song was recorded on my second Artie Q cd, but I was never really happy with the beats. So, I recently returned to it to give it a lil bottom end oomph.
Since arriving in LA, I became introduced to Primal Therapy, by a good friend, and fairly much believe if I was to try therapy, this is the road I'd go down. Anyway, I have become much interested in PT, and think that it's founder Dr. Arthur Janov has shared a rocky road with conventional therapy, but resolutely stuck to his guns. Anyway, the subject matter seemed to fit nicely in my collab tune with DaVinci:
Love Now, Love Then, Love Yesterday NICE!

All tracks ©2011/12 primal mood music

BUG 'UTCH #6: Christmas On The Moon/AWOL

Christmas On The Moon Listen


Well, the development of this track was a bit messy, and definitely convoluted ... Coming out of the Bug 'Utch every night and looking up at a sparkling night time sky just made me want to write a song about the cosmos from the wonderment of being a child. The black as ink sky with vibrant stars is just awesome and never failed to stop me dead in my tracks as the biting chill air took my breath way; I'd stay there bedazzled under a cosmic overhead blanket of black and bright. "How neat would it be to be a child wanting to hitch a ride with an astronaut on his way to the moon?" I thought. That's it; that's my song. Right there! So, I started to build the track with help from the terrif LRW and Ronnie Paris on piano ... and, hey presto: Christmas On The Moon




In 1997 I was in an acoustic pop flamenco thrash trio called Rage & Silence. We played the LA circuit and recorded a couple of demos. One song has always endured for me, (AWOL) and as it kind of suits the mood of this cd, I decided to include it as a bonus track. Most people only know me as a recording artist, but I have done many things/worn many creative artistic hats, and this is just another side of me: a live acoustic guitarist & vocalist. With Scott Richards & Kim Dumbec. Plus, I Lurves This Song. I've Gone AWOL NICE!


Ps. Wanna read all about Rage & Silence? Go here: Download Chapter 3: Rage & Silence NICE!


All tracks ©2011/12 primal mood music

BUG 'UTCH #5: Ber Dat Dat Dat!/Is It Our Last Xmas, Together?

Listen  Ber Dat Dat Dat! 

Originally, this track was going to a sprawling musical mass, with 2 guitars, classical, & boogie woogie pianists (separate dudes) all getting a shot at the title; a little like in a  blues jam, handing off to one another. However, I just couldn't wait for the piano performances, so I edited this shorter version with just guitars & vocals. I used my go to guitar guys: LRW & Mindmovie, who both did a fabulous job. Mindmovie with his blistering solos and LRW with his subtle geetar interplay with the voice: Ah lurves them both! Must admit, I like the track at this length, but maybe, who knows, if those piano dudes ever get back to me ...?

Listen  Is It Our Last Christmas, Together?

I've written so many songs about her, I'm beginning to feel a lil like Oedipus. Anyway, I suddenly had a feeling, last christmas, that it well might be our last. However, I am enjoying the moments she is still with us. Again with great performances by my two guitar dudes, above. Thanks, boys. rtq :)

BUG 'UTCH #4: BOY MEETS GIRL/HUSBAND

SONG: BOY MEETS GIRL - Listen

Originally titled Did You Really Think We'd Make It, Girl? but it felt a little clumsy, and this shorter, more to the point phrase came to mind, even though the lyrics don't reside in the song. This is a question I have always wanted to ask any party involved in a relationship when it becomes clear there is no future left.  And more: Did we always really know that it was never gonna work; and did we think that "really working at it" would somehow pull us through? 

But of course, how could any of us answer so dispassionately? And besides, we're all on our best behavior, initially. It is only later when our guard slips that we start to show the demons that lurk. Hmm ...


Anyway, I had the melody & lyric floating around in my head for quite awhile, and I must admit I wasn't sure if there was something a little familiar about it. (Was it something I'd heard in another's song long ago?) After months of racking my brains, Fuck it, I thought, let's do this.


When I started to build the recorded track, the verse came quickly. I put all the music together, and would have liked some real instruments in there, but somehow electronics painted a pretty enough picture. The second half of the midd section, though, gave me concern. I thought a neat lil guitar solo would be nice ... so, I waited and waited. While I was waiting, I thought about approaching a real rapper to sell his pitch regarding the above (main) question as an alternative to the solo. And then I decided, why don't I do the rap about waiting for the guitar solo that never came. Et voila—Done & dusted!

SONG: (I'm) Looking For My Husband Listen

This was a message left on my answering machine one day by Mrs Q, and as many song ideas originated from quirky exchanges between us, this struck me creatively quite keenly. Though initially, it was in jest—we kicked around the idea between us. What about a song where the wife is running around all over town looking for her mate, and every time she enters the husbands place of whereabouts, he is leaving (unbeknownst of her arrival) by another other exit? we thought. Well, as it happens, as the song started developing, it took on a melancholy twist, where the husband has actually left the relationship and the wife is finding it difficult to let go. So.

I had wanted some orchestration in the song, but alas it was not to be. Again, the very wonderful Laurence Whiteley on guitar. Thank you, LRW. Nice!

RTQ

BUG 'UTCH #3: COLLABORATIONS with MINDMOVIE

LOVE WILL NEVER KNOW THAT I LIVE HERE - Listen. Well, it's no secret that I'm a big fan and collaborator with the man, the myth, the Flaming Bess legend; He, who shall be known as MINDMOVIE! Anyway, it's Bug 'Utch time, again, and I'm mapping out more tracks for the Bug 'Utch cd. As I'm more interested in writing about issues that concern me "in the now," it's a little surprising that I should turn to an old song o' mine. It's something I wrote many years ago, but always had a hankering to give it a decent presentation. As I considered it further, I realized that it is strangely appropriate for my now situation as carer to my mother & father.  Even tho' the original set of lyrics/chorus wise were "late teenage/early twenties neurotic," with a slight "nip n tuck" here & there, verse wise, they are remarkably consistent with my current situation. (It is a really bizarre sensation to stand in the bedroom of your childhood only now looking at life through eyes of a mature adult—there is almost a feeling of life passing you by and nothing has changed or will ever change, and a further thought on from this: Love will never know that I live here.) So ... I sent the requisite chord changes and vocals to Mister M and he sent me back a fab backing track. I then decided to re write most of the verse vocals melodically and hey presto. Done & Dusted!

MR. Q: SUPERBAD CYBORG - Listen
A few days after I'd watched the movie, Universal Soldier, an old Jean Claude Van Damme flic, TheFutureDude sends me a track called Escape with the sample files from it. The atmosphere of his track took my imagination to the same place it had been whilst watching the movie. I thought that it would be a neat idea to combine the atmosphere of Mindmovie's track with the theme of the movie plus a few Q melodies & lyrics with me as the superbad killing cyborg who starts having flashbacks from his human past! Sent the track back to Mindmovie and he added some extra guitar ... and this is what we came up with. This is my mix, and in time, Mister M will be doing his own version. Hope you like it! -RTQ

BUG 'UTCH #2: I'M JUST FLOATING

Listen to FLOATING with Claas Reimer & Rainer Struck

So ... I'm still in the "Bug 'Utch" with track ideas (beats & sound samples) from The Dark Beat Meister. Do what you will with these, Artie, says MisterCee. 

Well, I've already written of CHAIN & CLOSER, now there's one other track that gets me going: a deep techhouse mix called JAZZ. Hmmm ... so, I lift piano samples & ambient noises and put them together with a chord change I've used before, and somehow a completely different melody, bpm and feel of lyric is developing from this new atmosphere. I wrote a song called BELIEF, a while ago, and this new track could quite easily be called BELIEF II. (Lyrically speaking, that is.)

A few months back, I heard a piece of music accompanying a video that I just loved by Rainer Struck called TWILIGHT, and realized what I needed to cohese all the piano samples was Mr. Struck's delicate flowing touch. Sure enough, Mr. Twilight came through with a solo that whenever I listen, makes me feel like I'm floating. Bravo, Rainer! I also dropped in selected parts towards the end.

I started collaborating with musicians about four years ago from all over the world through a now defunct web site, mi7. It was an amazing awakening for me. The ability to create with folk living half a world away was completely unheard of a few years earlier. I am still in awe of this opportunity, and when a song comes together like this, I remain gobsmacked! Thank you, boys. 

Yours in Gratitude, RTQ.

Ah, Gratitude: As near to spirituality as I get. :)

BUG 'UTCH #1: CLOSER & CHAIN with CLAAS REIMER

Check out the tracks

 CLOSER    &   CHAIN

        

 

So there I am in the Bug 'Utch (my father's pet name for my recording space), when over the wires comes some track ideas with beat & sound samples from TheCeeMan (CLAAS REIMER, The Dark Beat Meister who resides here: http://soundcloud.com/claas-reimer ). Do what you will with these, Artie, says MisterCee

Hmm, thinks I, his "Gimmethebeat & Slower" are two tracks that tickle my creative gland. So here are the first two incarnations of those tracks. No doubt, TheCeeMan will produce his own inimitable takes on my takes of his tracks. (As I shall probably be inspired by some of his re-mixes and remix my mixes-Hah! Lookie Me—A friggin' DJ, now.)  I look forward to them, MisterCee. Nice!

Now, I don't know about about other songwriters, but I write about things in my life, life, if you will, very much from my perspective. (What is it you covet, Clerisse ...? You covet what you see—Right on, Hannibal.) Many things can change (and frequently do on my creative journey) in the organic development of a song (melody/chord structures/bass lines/beats), but usually the lyrical idea, if it is strong enough, will not.

So, what to write TheCeeMan's Slower about? ... hmm ... I look around the studio ... From time to time "friends from the arachnid origin" hang out way up in the 4 corners of the room. I don't really know why, as I keep a clean ship and there are rarely any tasty morsels passing through. So why are they hanging with The Q ...? Digging the sounds? Tired of the wild & wool-y outside? Who knows? ... Or, more nefarious reasons, perhaps??? Often they're there for quite some time and don't appear to have moved. A closer inspection reveals they're either dead or have shed their skin.

However this one is quite alive ... possibly he has taken a fancy to "something a lil larger" as it appears  to have gotten ... Closer ...? ... and if conquests are made here, maybe IT is looking to move into The Big House. YIKES! ;)

And Claas's GimmeTheBeat ...? It manifested itself in Chain, though I have to say that there is no depth or meaning on my part behind this rock n roll cliched jumble o' words other than I merely threw together a collection of lyrical images that appealed at the time. So, without further Ta-Da's, check out the sounds.

CLOSER         CHAIN

Nb. The tracks above are the first draft mixes, so they could possibly ahem, "evolve" some more by the time of the cd pressing.

I'm down on my hands and knees, I'm begging you,  yes please ... I'm waiting for the
CHAIN OF LOVE to arrive

All tracks ©2011 primal mood music