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Full marks to the Gentlemen for Road Warrior tasking this weekend.

(sigh) Look at me.  I slip comfortably into the argot of a life lived during war time. Our trips are 'missions'. 

I've been corresponding with Friend of the Band 'Roscoe' who is in parts unsurveilled, doing things. Things that we continue asking of him and others.

So long at war. In a gig economy, in a war at world with itself.

The Stormcellar is a place of safety. We know you're out there, surviving. 

Because we know that, we focus, here, on the mundane items that make up a musical endeavour.

So we continue our mission.

There's a simple joy in the task well completed.

Bill's work with Mr Wizard has paid off. Mr Wizard has adjusted his chain.

Happy Birthday to Cookie and Cheers the folks at the Stag in Newcastle. 

Miss Jo joined us this weekend. With her foot still in a boot after her ankle injury!

 I love this sticker. Yeti Calzone. Brilliant.

Thanks to our friends out in Windsor, another good afternoon. 

The Meat Raffle Gods Smiled upon the band.

We adjusted the setlist a while ago and favoured Mr Wizards preference for fast and loud for the first set, it's pushing my vocal chords so on Sunday we started differently which threw out a carefully worked out structure, I am grateful to the guys for adjusting on the fly. 

As new songs come in and out of the set it mutates anyway, time for another adjustment.

One of the new songs, "I wanna Be Your Girl is an unexpected fun moment which I may have described as Blue Cheese. For Ranch Dressing fans you know what I mean. I think.

I was also very pleased to acknowledge D. who visited.

As someone who has benefited from help to manage Panic Attacks and other fun things, as someone who is intimately aware of PTSD and Mental Health, I say:

Never be afraid to ask for help.

It helps.

Anyway.

In addition to the shows, we did some recording this week as I make a last push to get bits for Safe Harbour.

I headed into Marina's CBD studio for some Spanish hand Claps

Our revered sensei tested some ideas out for Harp.

and lastly, but not least., I want to say Thank you to my beloved Plantronics Dolby Surround Headphones.

Despite being made from brittle plastic they made a great noise.

May have loved these to death.

So...I was feeling a little Fail during the week, now I am walking up 5 flights of stairs carrying recording equipment.

Whose bright idea was this again?

1 of my potential-last-tracking-on-again-off-again things is now on again.

Plus a New Thing popped up.

The mixes are being circulated, notes made. Final tweak session is scheduled for next week.

The push is on.

Sample Art

I'm doing all the really exciting parts of the job now. 

Getting peoples names right.

Artwork.

Yeah.

As usual, here are some of the concepts. Warhol away.

As we work on our latest thing, we're grateful for the help and input from our cellar dwellers and mentors. Thank you to Michael L, Pete D, Monte C, Jim C and Mick C and Peter JL for being our influences.

I spent the afternoon taking notes from Jim as we finalise the mix.

This is the best bit. You're at the point where the right tweak, the right change, the right texture, can make it 'just so'.

It's also the bit where you can over salt it or have Souffloppe, to borrow another kitchen metaphor.

In the instrumental element of SC10 - Safe Habour (gotta start using the name) there's nowhere to hide.

I got a bit conservative on the Bowed Bass. It's a fine line.

Boy are we fussy. By we I mean me. and us. also the everyone. Everyone here is fussy. 

So close.

Yay. Big ups to Ben.

13 Tracks and an Order.

Listening to how the songs come together is wonderful fun.

Sometimes the difference between unmixed and mixed is the difference between Batter and Cake.

mmm...batter.

I can hear Theo telling me now 'This is not an album, you are doing 5 versions of one song again! '

Hmm...maybe he's right. Maybe it's not art.

Yes it bloody is, Theo.

LOL.

SC10 will be out as a digital collection as a stand alone album, but will only be pressed as part of the Rogue State/Safe Harbour package.

Yeah that's right. So if you want it on CD you're gonna have to wait until we finish SC11.

Well...you're gonna have to wait a bit anyway. SC 10 (Safe Harbour) has to pass final mixing, then we have to schedule mastering.

Nice one Ben.

Some choice sounds on this.

Them what likes this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like.

Them what wants another raucous album's gonna have ta wait a month or two for Rogue State.

I'm listening for review purposes.

Crikey this stuff sounds good from an audiophile perspective, all the atmosphere recordings are wow, and Lynchy's sonic clarity on his field recording is a knock out. All the birds and so forth.

Remember, we try to do an experimental concept between each 'studio' album. Well, this experiment is almost complete.

ME GUSTA MUCHO.

No, you can't hear it yet. You have to wait. It's all MINE MINE MINE!!!

Mr Lynch said to me today: No failures = No Trying.

He knows where it's at.

Once again, I find myself among people who I admire. Big Brains out there thinking Well Reasoned Thoughts.

First Listening Mixes for SC10

They're in, they're well crafted.

The process is to share, review and tweak.

I'm jumping the queue to get a few Producers Choices made before we do a formal listen.

Two potential elements remain as yet uncaptured. I'm not sure what the chances are of getting them done.

I'll be heading into the studio on Tuesday to make some initial tweaks, then we collectively listen again, make notes and then finalise the mix. Then Mastering. Then...well...

I guess that depends on...

Production on SC11 continues

I'm stuck on two production items at present.

Ok make that three.

Maybe four.

Except for that other one, that may have worked itself out.

I'm not sure.

There is a certain temptation to Nuke The Gordian Knot From Orbit

I looked for the button that does that but I don't seem to have one on my console.

Tide comes in, tide goes out.

I think of the wise things said to me by wiser minds than mine:

no fail = no try.