BB News
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Change happens slowly.
When I arrived at the studio yesterday for a routine visit I was pleasantly surprised to have a jiffy bag in the mailbox with this complimentary CD from Big Finish Productions of the new Torchwood Audio Drama.
Back in July I was contacted by James Goss and Scott Handcock (Producers) and had the pleasure of working with Kai Owen on this really funny drama, which we recorded just after lockdown restrictions got lifted.
Christmas is coming - you can get a copy here:
So after the Summer of weirdness presented to us by Captain Corona Virus and all that went with that, there’s been some changes to the band situation at BB.
Things with Danny weren’t going in the right direction so that’s comes to an end.
Theres never been a more appropriate time to make changes - if Covid-19 has taught me anything it is simply that theres no point doing something you don’t enjoy.
I’ve known Baz (front man, singer/song writer) for many years now, first meeting him in about 2007 when he did a 6 track EP at BB. One of those tracks was a song called Dispensable People. This later got used as the band name for a 3-piece but no drummer. The band had 3 guitarists including the bass and parts would interchange a bit. Olly is the bass player in this line up and is also a songwriter in his own right. In 2012 Baz did a fully produced version of Dispensable People with RantProd Music Production again at BB with the aim of making it a more commercial sound. In 2019 we again met several times at local festivals and somehow always found time for each other.
Sometimes I guess life gets in the way but here we are in 2020 and the band is again heading in a new direction with me as drummer and a bunch of new material to learn, rehearse, record and ultimately perform - though the way things are globally, there’s no certainty to quite how and when, but we will.
One of the best things about recording with creative musicians is when they get experimental in their techniques and want to do things in different ways. It’s nothing so new in many ways and people have been doing this since time began, like using tubes in front of mics to record sound or putting mics in weird and wonderful positions to capture the sound they are playing.
Recently I was working with a small group of lads recording an old classic folk tune called ‘She Moved through the Fair’ sung by Dean Sheridan, which we were having played on acoustic guitar, used the studio bass for a bit of depth and added vocals on top, but when guitarist Rob Cannon asked if I had a bow in the studio I was intrigued. He wanted to add some string vibes by using the guitar, but bowing it instead of the usual plucking or strumming.
So the hunt was one for a bow and whilst I did have an old violin bow, it was deemed not quite right for what he wanted and eventually he spotted a paint brush I had been using to paint part of the outside area with - a blue stained long bristle brush!! “Give it a go” the lads all encouraged, so we did. After a bit of experimentation to find a comfy way to use it Rob played a couple of sections with the brush and we mixed the resulting sound into the track. Removing the dry sound and adding a bit of delay and reverb to it, then actually double tracking the part under the solo was all that was needed. Top job by the Rob!!
Needless to say the studio is open for most recording work in small groups, we are following government guidelines for safety and have tons of sanitising gels for you use. Give us a call to talk about your project.
Call Roger on 07956 624376
Since lockdown there’s been a slow trickle of singers enjoying their sessions on the mic at BB Studio.
Sometimes singers book in to make a perfect recording for a particular purpose and sometimes it’s for just the experience. Whatever reason we always try to use all the skills and tools we have to get the best sounding recording, but also for the singing artist to have fun and enjoy the process.
Recently the Barnes family brought their daughter Sophie to the Barn - a perfect match! - and also her vocal coach Olivia Mason from Atherstone who was a great help to Sophie. You can check her business out here:
Olivia Mason Music
Sophie had quite a long time in the live room singing her version of WH’s ‘I Have Nothing’ making a great recording as a birthday present which Im sure will be repeat played for a long time. At only 11 it was ambitious to tackle a Whitney track but Sophie is a great singer - and clearly the coaching works. Well done both.
To book a singing session for someone you know, please call me direct on 07956 624376 or ring the studio landline and leave a message, or message me through the studio Contact Page form. I do vouchers if you are after that sort of present or you can just book a session after we discuss the date.
BB Studio is open.
But what am I open for?
Soloists and Duo’s are really no problem & band rehearsals for up to 3 members are fine so far.
I have had the pleasure of working with an old time favourite rapper Tunisian Karim recently (aka the K2nsi) working on a couple of new songs plus we got out into Birmingham to shoot tons of footage for his new video release. So the video will keep me out of trouble for a couple of days next week.
Also through the doors I had Ramils who is originally from Latvia but has lived in Blighty for the last 14 years. I’m getting very used to working with rappers using foreign languages and thinking about it I have worked generally with lots of languages over the years - even Swedish meditation once.
Joe, a young rapper from Coventry who simply loves gold stuff has been in to record his first song and get the music composed with me too - Joe is mildly autistic with dyspraxia & dyslexia but whilst in the studio was great. I’ve worked with plenty of people with these things and fully believe music helps a lot. Brad O’Neill is a brilliant example of this who started his career at BB Studio but and flying these days regularly putting out singles.
So the whole singing/rapping/using a microphone for vocal recordings generally, is all working out nicely and proving easy enough to clean the mic, wash the pop shield & sanitise the headphones afterwards.
There isn’t too much general activity in the farmyard either as everyone is either busy inside their unit or not there, meaning that social distancing isn’t a worry whilst at the farm.
Larger bands/groups and parties are still a bit of a grey area for now, but hopefully not for long and with any luck details for my new Post Pandemic Experience Pop Star Party (PPE Parties!) will be published soon too.
So please, if you’re reading this and know any singers or rappers, let them know where to find BB Studio:
BB Studio - Coventry
