Stormcellar Band Home Page

Saturday in Coogee may be our last Sydney City area show for 2017. I hope we can get another one, however, a stormcellar in a bunker is worth two in the bush, and you may have to drive to the Bush to see us cos we're playing in Dubbo next.

I've been stoked to find new music that really moves me. Dinesh Moylan's Manifesto was one, this is another, hipped to me by Brother Bill.

What a great song, great voice, great sound. Frickin' bravo.

The 5D Project - DUST DUSK DARKNESS DREAMS DAWN

Get your headphones

dim the lights

Maximise your screen size

relax.

If ‘Defiance’ was the sound of the US when we left in 2016, ahead of the unexpected election of The great and Powerful Oz, then The 5D Project was the musical reaction of the guys upon their return to Australia.

We’d been exposed to a maelstrom over 4 years of US touring, it took its toll. Returning to the safer harbours of Old Sydney Town, the guys began writing deeply introspective pieces.

The last three albums had been our exploration of the sounds we’d been pursuing across the Mid West, chasing the ghosts of the blues, the shadows of the once powerful sounds that had colonised our playing.

Our ten years underground had shown us that we absorb and re-radiated what we were exposed to.

In the 5D Project, we consciously focused on the sounds of where we are, and made them part of each song.

We realised that video is the new audio, and that it was possible now to see and hear the original underlying take of songs, in the same way as early audio allowed the previously impossible capture of a sonic moment, 5D would capture the song as it was made.

Part historical record, part musical affectation and part multimedia.

Each of the songs was drawn up around the category of one of the D’s from the project.

As a single piece, 5D represents a meditation, taking the participant on a journey, contemplating and understanding where we are right now, as expressed musically and visually.

In parts dramatic, sad, melancholy and yet optimistic, 5D is a meditation towards calm.

Each of the moments captured in this project are calm, beautiful and tranquil, to participate in them is to enter that moment and be there.

5D at rough cut

Are we there yet? 

Might be there. Depends on where 'there' is. In this case, it may be where-ever we stop.

We're in the position of being able to declare any outcome 'Victory'. I highly recommend said thought structure.

There were two more sequences I was hoping to film this weekend, both of which disintegrated on contact with practicality.

I'm cool with that. Since I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb, I just keep on going.

I looked at the existing completed work and decided on a rough cut, and it works.

Judging how much more effort to make and or when to declare victory is a skill I am practising.

There were 4 different approaches to one idea, as 5D has been about layering. I'm not done testing. Right now I have been working with CODEC problems, changing ideas on the filtering and the normal post production of checking sound levels, edits and overall vibe.

I'm both close to finishing and open to additions, or maybe part 2.

I've looked at some multimedia options, layering options, hoo boy, I'm in little button pushing video heaven.

Pirouette

Back from mastering. Here. Listen. Buy it. Yeah you read me right. Buy 'Defiance' whilst you're at it. I wanna go hire more camera gear.  Papa needs some more low light filming action.

 Thoughtfulness of the setlist

 We spent aaaaaages doing set lists this week. Ok, at least 4 hours. 

Totally worth it.

Mr Wizard had a good night, Rosie had a very good night and Brother Bill did some outrageous stuff. I sent them an email noting my appreciation and Theo complained that I didn't include him.

Thanks Theo. You were great too mate. Theo is so right so often we take perfection for granted.

I read Rick's last poem out at the start of the night and I note with some satisfaction that the crowd applauded.

You'll be missed Rick, and everytime I read your work, I marvel at how you saw so much.

I started the night with a little sadness and ended it feeling some strong mojo. Thanks to everyone who came out to join us.

We have two shows in this coming week and I will be buggering around with this video for the next few days, and coming here to ruminate as I work my way through it.

Thanks to Mr lynch for a fast master, I loaded Pirouette (electric version) up the The web. It'll be available online soon.

5D video work continues and tonight we spent 3 hours crafting set lists.

Set lists may take so long that a sandiwch and/or pickles may be involved.

There's a lot of thoughfulness to accomodate so many songs, the gig, time, current vibe, current favourites, guitar changes...

Hmm.

Did someone say pickles?