So my new album “til you’re no longer blinkered” was going to be credited by ‘caro snatch and a dozen good eggs’ but looking at the list of contributors this will have to be amended. I think i’m gonna go for ‘caro snatch and a score of good eggs’. Any objections/responses would be welcome though not necessarily heeded.

The journey of making this album was launched with Mammoth Mountain, a 7 minute Arvo Paert-esque epic. The lyrics came to me during an acupuncture appointment with the wonderful Lisa B who acted as midwife to transcribe them. So that part was fairly easy. Then I knew it wanted some siren-like ethereal aspect so invited mezzo-soprano Jenny Kosmowsky to unleash some of her lung power and intuitive non-verbal accompaniment.

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Can’t remember at what stage the piece asked for strings but luckily Steve Boyce-Buckley happened to be a great string arranger as well as a seasoned and sensitive engineer that appreciated my maverick musical (mis)demeanour. And on his birthday, instead of flying off first-class to somewhere tropical (no, not sarcasm) he played the emotive score to me on my cheap keyboard. And I trusted him totally and went forth and recorded his magic contribution at Gracieland as Steve brought in Stephen Cordiner and his Mancky Strings quartet.

Next track up is Mary Rose, the story of a shipwreck’s salvage/salvation. Many of the beats/sounds come from sounds collected at Contact Theatre during my Air residency. I knew I wanted a junk drumkit and was plotting how this could be realised. And then I received a friend request on Myspace from a fellow called Bagbeater – he makes funky beat loops using junk drumkit inventions. Perfekt. And he was obliging with suitcase kick and lampshade hats on this track and another.

Then came the idea of encouraging the musical and intuitive maestro Daniel Weaver to master playing the saw. And he rose to the challenge by playing 3 of them for the oceanic wails.

Lastly, I enlisted talented young percussionist Emma Welsby to knock out some dulcit tones on her massive marimba. Emma also makes monster Drum n bass tunes under the moniker Strict Status and rocks it somewhat with The Broken Door.

Photo by Peter Zentjens