brahms

in 1998, my friend maeve recommended i listen to brahms violin concerto. i bought it on cassette and on the b-side, was mendelssohn's... i fell in love about six times over as i listened to the mendelssohn and the brahms piece kind of fell by the wayside... it's only this evening, 13 years later, listening to a new version that i just got of the brahms on my fancy headphones, that i get it - it is a truly powerful piece of music!

my friend jonathan recently showed me an analytical animation of brahms piano quartet - the animation was interesting, but the music... between this peice of music that i now talk of and the one i'm listening to - i think brahms is about to become my new obsession!!!

mixing rue de charlotte

its the perfect time to be mixing this song... today was the third afternoon this year that i was able to lunch outdoors on our terrace. i love the sun falling on my face as i eat and this afternoon, i could feel that the air has already begun getting warmer, readying itself for the spring breeze.

i spent the rest of the afternoon cycling around the city organising stuff. then, in the evening, i went to see christian's (drummer with wallis) other band, lcmdf play in the centre of town. after the gig, we hung out for a while, i walked them back to their hotel - a mental place: all wierd posh morroccan interior design in a space calling itself austrian - i had to photograph it!!!

they have to fly out in the morning on an early flight, so i left them then and cycled up the big hill home, made myself a cup of tea and a slice of toast, i've just lit some candles and am sitting down to the multi-track to finally (at 2am) mix charlotte.

first wallis, then alyanya, then christine... each voice more lush than the last... until we, all singing together, spin the song round and round - the sweet harmoneous christophe lifting the space higher and higher... losing equilibrium... fabrice breaths a rythem to keep your feet waltzing on the ground... but floating away... valerie comes in to try and sever that rythem but remy insists that your feet remain in the soil. the glockenspeil swims around the stars (i'm sure glad i put a stereo mic on this wee dude) and the rhodes and guitar grab hold of your middle again, as the voices return to shake you back and forth until the cello finally severs that rythem - she introduces you to christophe and fabrice, and you can't help yourself but to submit... you float off...

... six minutes later, it's nearly morning... what a trip!!!

thanks guys :)

cast (in order of appearance):
aidan - guitars / vox / glockenspeil / rhodes
wallis - vox
alyanya - vox
christine - vox
christophe - violins
fabrice - flutes / glockenspeil
valerie - cello
remy - double bass