til you’re no longer blinkered teaser #1:

Track extract is Icarus intuitology featuring Jacob H James and Bunty.

teaser #2:

Track extract is album opener Mammoth Mountain featuring operatic voice of Jenny Kosmowsky, strings arranged by Steve Boyce-Buckley and played by Mancky Strings. Me on lead vox and clunky piano.

These stings were captured at the back garden at Nexus arts cafe in Northern Quarter of Manchester and a derelict overgrown house in Whalley Range, Manchester, UK by Senyor Doodlebug.

Make up by Madame Tukatz aka Nikki Armstrong.

Photography by Marta Julve

Album contributors role-call almost complete. To conclude the coming to you at some stage sooner “til you’re no longer blinkered” is two remixes that I felt nestled nice and cosy with the album’s self-nurturing theme and lullaby-esque musical mood.

First of the remixes is Newcastle’s ever so graceful and melodic songstress Beccy Owen. Beccy ever so kindly sent me a copy of her “Down with Gravity” album 1) just ‘cos it’s a nice thing to do and 2) in case I fancied doing a remix. Canny.

Melancholic and minimal track “The Deeps” shone out for me. The pristine voice and sensual piano captivated me straight away, as did the prospect of toying with the her sustained high notes and delicious words therein. And so I did, and thereupon I visited another Toon connection (who has featured on Beccy’s creations) recently landed in Leeds: viola-ist Gayle Hutchinson of Aurora Strings added warm strings to add to my suitably rare but actually quite accessible rendition.

Beccy’s original “The Deeps” can be heard on her Beccy Owen Myspace.

Then comes one of my favourite caro snatch works: “She is her Kink” remix of “She is her King” by Frau Aike. Not sure i can say why, justify such self-examination, but i didn’t half enjoy the textures. Actually I think really liking the minimal, sexy original certainly helped nourish my toying with it.

And there is a feral element injected with the help of a let’s play and experiment recording session whilst at engineering school. With clarinetist and tribal gothic belly dancer Dark Lyza who provides the giggles, growls and polyphonic clarinet tones. And here’s what she did with the track choreography wise (fully fledged filming edit coming soon)..

Album contributors Part 1- A mammoth mountain and a shipwreck

Album contributors Part 2- The Revamps

Album contributors Part 3- A choir in an hour and intuitology

Album teaser # 1:

And here we have a candid lil documentary of photo shoot #2 courtesy of Senyor Doodlebug.

Featuring make-up meistress Madame Tukatz aka Nikki Armstrong. And wow what a palette she has and an intuitive feel for what was exactly was right for me to transform me into the smokey eyed 60’s pixie i desired.

And photos captured and encouraged by young Marta Julve, with her mature, slightly surreal sexy eye for a picture that tells a story.

This action took place at a delightfully overgrown derelict house on Demesne Road, in Whalley Range, South Manchester (UK). Took me a little time to get into it, especially as upon arrival a pro-active resident informed us that she had invited the police along to see us. Despite my ridiculous done-up ness and diplomacy, she was determined to believe we had landed on her doorstep to do damage.

Then, once i realised the police force did have more pressing concerns and weren’t gonna show up, i started to really enjoy it, communicating to/with the camera and by the end getting a bit too model-esque (check dodgy poses around 2min in!). Oopseedaisy. Lucky me.

Track extract hails from the album’s opening track “mammoth mountain” featuring Steve Boyce-Buckley’s wonderful string arrangement executed by Mancky Strings.

Delias darlings by carosnatch

I thoroughly compiling this little project after coming up with the idea via the female:pressure email network mailing actions.

Women who make electronic music and are part of this electronic arts network, submitted a short piece about their music and music-making process. An amazing variety of approaches, styles and music. Explore!

It is being aired at the RadialX 2010 radio festival on 1 July at 14:00 Euro time (same as GMT I think).

PROGRAMME INFO

Title: Female Pressure presents Delia’s Darlings

Format: Mp3 – 192kbps

Duration: 57 minutes

Summary of project: Delia’s Darlings has been specially produced for RadialX 2010. It is a collection of female electronic musicians sharing their music and compositional process. A wide spectrum of genres with ladies from across the world are covered, all members of international network female:pressure. The programme is a tribute to Delia Derbyshire, an electronic pioneer who has been described as an unsung heroine of electronic music.

Delia’s Darlings presents a spectrum of women composers in the vast world of electronic music. Each lady produced a short piece, sharing her music and music making process. We were particularly interested to discuss the tools we like to employ for our compositions. These can range from drum machines to software synths via found sounds. Genres covered include dancefloor music – techno, house, drum n bass – through to avant-garde pop and abstract experimental ambient genres. Ladies presented are based in UK, Austria, Sweden, Germany and US.

The title of this programme refers to Delia Derbyshire (1937-2001). Delia was a pioneer and one of the few women who worked in the field of electronic music at this time. She is most known for working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (1963-1973) and composing the original Dr. Who TV theme tune that still lives on today. She had a wonderful grasp of the technology available to her and the many possibilities it offered – for eg. Tape splicing, using a dozen oscillators and experimenting with tape effects. She also worked with a number of experimental electronic composers such as Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Luciano Berio and Peter Zinovieff.

Artists’ info at female:pressure

Bio: Via the female:pressure online email network a selection of electronic composers submitted a short piece describing their music and tools/technology they like to use. female:pressure acts as an international database, support and information network for female electronic composers, DJs, VJs and writers, raising the profile and increasing opportunities for women in electronic music/arts spheres.

Delia’s voice comes from extracts of an interview on Radio Scotland (1997). Also featured is extract from Delia’s Psychedelian waltz.

Artists presented in this programme in order of appearance:

* Manami N – Berlin – avantgarde-experimental-electronic

* Xyramat – Hamburg – electronica

* Donna Maya – Berlin – DnB, Electro-Dub

* Electric Indigo – Vienna – techno, electronics

* Gavana – Stockholm – techno, tech-house, dub, dubstep

* Strict Status – Manchester UK – drum n bass

* Sci-fi sol – Oregon USA – experimental dark noise, atmospheres and dreams

* caro snatch – Manchester UK – intuitive avant-garde experimentalism

* Manou – Berlin – Electronic Chansons – and Chra – Vienna – electronic music

Jingles by SCi fi Sol and Delia extracts played with by caro snatch. Mastered by Clare Large at Intelligent Audio

Cinders gans to the ball – and enjoyed it. I approached the photoshoot challenge – of course set by myself – with an irrational amount of trepidation. Hitherto, all caro snatch photos have been me doing my experimental electronic music thing. For that is why i advertise myself as caro snatch – for what i do, not what i look like…

Anyway i wanted to try and play with other angles of my snatch-dom and want(ed) to explore the possibility of expressing my new album “til you’re no longer blinkered”’s generous and human intentions with just me, a frock, a scene and a load of visual creativity. And so a few more talented and generous angels have been presented to me as this album accumulates even more wonderful paw prints than before.

And the first of these scenes was the easily missed and just as easily remembered Nexus arts cafe in Northern Quarter of Manchester. Nexus is an art gallery and exhibition space alongside fair trade and organic cafe and plenty of tender loving care for comfort and style. The new garden with it’s ceramic, greyed brick appealed to me especially given the ivy and other unrestrainable growth.

On make-up we have Madame Tukatz aka Nikki Armstrong. And wow what a palette she has and an intuitive feel for what was exactly was right for me to transform me into the butterfly pixie i desired.

And photos snapped and encouraged by young Marta Julve, currently active in Manchester with her mature, slightly surreal sexy eye for a picture that tells a story.

Took me a little to get into it, remember to breathe and open up posturally. and then i started to really enjoy it, communicating to/with the camera. Oopseedaisy. Lucky me.

Documented by Senyor Doodlebug, up top there be the first album sting he has fried up overnight.

Track extract is the freshly mastered “icarus intuitology” featuring Jacob H Jamesand Bunty.

I feel like sharing a few tips and tricks regarding getting that superstar, it sounds like a record, vocal production.

A recent conversation with Chris at Blacklisted Mastering – who is currently doing a very pleasing mid-side job on my new album – resulted in a resolution to try mono reverb on a lead vocal. To keep the focus and poignancy of the focal fulcrum of the track/song. Interesting idea I will try on a current track I am preparing for a Mexican compilation…

And then there’s the trick that I came across after investing in Stav’s rather indulgent tutorial book Mixing with your Mind. He dedicates a chapter to capturing and sculpting that magic vocal track with his perhaps unorthodox but always intuitive approach to recording and mixing. Bit I liked most and use quite often is to have a stereo pair (say AKG c451’s or budget equivalent) equilaterally triangled behind your main vocal mic and don’t compress this signal. This leads to a “bigger” sound when singer volume is increased making the vocal more epic in my opinion.

Oh, and I like to play with what was apparently a Police/Sting Trevor Horn trick shared to me by guest producer on my album and SSR studio engineering tutor Steve-Boyce Buckley: a short stereo delay (approx. 8 secs on one side, 12 on the other) on the vocal perhaps even instead of reverb gives it more body and weight…

well, I’ve shown you mine as an experimental music maker and intuitive sound engineer, are you confident enough to divulge yours?
What’s your favourite tricks and blasted myths?

My revolutionary new album “til you’re no longer blinkered” was going to be credited by ‘caro snatch and a score of good eggs’ but wise advice from one of them good eggs has swayed me to return to the clearer caro snatch moniker..

So, almost completing the compendium of them said good eggs, tracks 6 & 7 feature many that have already graced the album with their sonic presence and a few new superstar souls.

Track 6 – entitled Heart Knock Schule – is a suitably wonky gospel inspired choral rolling drum loop affair. Hence funky toms-a-blazing drums courtesy of Andy Hodson. And equally funked up bassline by Janet Wolstenholme.

And then, thanks to Jacob H James booking out SSR on the night-shift again – I endeavoured to create a choir in an hour from Manchester based friends (plus my little sister). I couldn’t stop myself from going into workshop mode with the warm-ups and then we launched into the choral chant of “in the heart, in the heart knock schule” and even included some harmonising humming. And so by the time we had snatched enough, this generous and feeling it group of individuals had named themselves the Humming Birds.

And the Humming Birds from Left to Right are Paul Green, Gemma Weightman, me with eyes closed, Maria Connectionist, Mark Shirokuma, Danielle Churchill and Kathleen McGinty. Taking the photo is eighth member Jacob H James.

Final track before the remix coda is Icarus. And for this one I let my intuitology take the helm (as Gil Scott Heron, we have to have an ology nowadays). And to beef up the fluid flows I enlisted Jacob H James to strum and squeak his guitar and lend his dulcit vocal tones. And then my highly estimed and inspiring Brighton Beatabet companyera Bunty interweaved some suitably feral vocal excursions and good ole juicy gob beats.

Thanks to Women in Electronic Music facebook group I came across this opportunity to get my mitts on one of my hero’s superlative pieces. Her 7 minute epic deals with heavy universal issues with humour and grace.

As you may already be aware, have been likened to the beacon lady Laurie on a few occasions with my own wayward experimentations. “Laurie Anderson on acid” is one of my favourite caro snatch reference quotes in fact. So could not pass up this opportunity to play with her elements and get my mitts on her rich voice and superlative poetry. As every good remix in my opinion, I have made my own story/take on Laurie’s original intentions and really enjoyed the textures and percussion elements. I supplemented a little bit of my own vocal response as I tend to explore the inner landscapes in my lyrical waxing. Also felt inspired to add some slightly feral backing vocal sirens, whines and mutterings to reinforce the pending apocalyptic mood of the piece. Thoroughly enjoyed, grateful to have found this opportunity and hope Laurie & Lou dig it. This is the beginning…

So, next up, track 3 & 4 of “til you’re no longer blinkered” (and you may have had every right to be) by ‘caro snatch and a score of good eggs’ are tracks that have been previously released on EPs but whose themes fitted into this album’s. They have been accordingly pampered with a few more years of audio/creative experience and new improved instrumentations.

Track 3 is entitled Sense ability. This track was written when I was first adjusting to my solo adventure in Berlin. The synthetic strings in the original version have been gracefully superseded by Steve Boyce-Buckley’s wonderful arrangement based on my pentatonic midi renditions. And executed by the Mancky Strings quartet who had an easier job of this one, what with there being a beat adhering to a click and all.

I then felt a yang/animus counterpart to my vocals would be endearing. And Jacob H James – with the charming grain of Thom Yorke/Guy Garvey hybrid in my ears – was the perfect sample of the male species for the job. His one-man choir capacity spans a few octaves and the efficiency with which he builds them up is quite simply a bit magic. So we had a most pleasant time getting these down at SSR.
Finally Bagbeater sent me a few more loops to add to the juxtaposing more harsh textures that I hope balance out the intended sentiments of this soothing piece.

Almost title track to my latest EP “Plan in it” is the other revamp for this occasion. Still called Plan it, Hypnotique’s soaring theremin is preserved while real fresh drums have been inserted courtesy of fellow newcastle ex-pat Andy Hodson. His self-suggested freeform rumblings and clatterings really enrich the beginning of the track and gave all of us in the control room the shivers of something exciting going on in the first take.

This version of Plan it even has a bassline too, played by Janet Wolstenholme which has added an actually quite welcome pop element. And finally the Ruby Electric ladies enhanced the track with colourful and triumphant vocal harmonies.

Hence the score of good eggs count is totting up and I hope you can imagine how much fun I have had playing and working with all these talented and generous musical folk, all dedicated to their craft with intuition and play intact. Remains to acknowledge myself and Steve B-B also had lots of fun with the Gracieland smorgasbord of quality tools while doing the final mixdowns too.

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.

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