Post Pandemic?

A lot can happen in a year and a lot has happened in the last 10 months (since my last post - oops) and a lot has stayed the same - as it should!
The gallery below shows off some of the best moments from the last few months. I’ve included some pics of my artwork and 3 pics of my loft conversion, which kept me busy in lockdown weeks - I never stop being arty! Using bottle caps & resin to make a piece of musical stave was a big job but the end result was ace and of course shopping for 16 bottles with particular colour caps kept it interesting!! Next up is the neon Akai sign - long story to that one!
Holidays have been a bit different this last year as well, but we decided on driving holidays and literally went to Lands End and John O’Groats at some point but more recently visited Montreux and Helsinki for winter fun.
The sousaphone hasn’t really motivated me yet but we still have polishing sessions every now and then - think it will need to be painted and lit tho, rather than played ever again - suggestions welcome!

I’ve changed bands again and am now in 2 different bands - Article 19 which is all original material written by Dave Cooke and The Sirens which is all covers - both great fun so far - bands need to be fun.

So yes keeping Born in a Barn alive has been a challenge but every single person or act I work with gets max attention, be it voiceover work, bands, kids parties, solo singers, actors or video production & filming work, narrations, books & podcasts.

BB Studio is into its 19th year now and we have survived a lot including recession, the beast from the east, a pandemic - what will be next? WW3 perhaps!! Everyone welcome if you wanna escape the city!!

Next in is Zenith Harmony on a return visit for some more small choir work.
Book a session with BB soon and get your music heard.

BB Studio is FULLY OPEN

Yikes n Crikey

Monday May 17th 2021 is reopening day

From the 17th May 2021 we will be able to accept bookings again and begin work on new projects with singers, bands, commercial projects, parties, solo sessions, backing music production and video work - to name but a few of the recording services provided here since 2004.

Call, message, or email your requests and requirements for deliberation!
Cheers

Roger

Torchwood - Rhys and Ianto's Excellent Barbecue

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:

BIG FINISH PRODUCTIONS
or
AMAZON

Dispensable People take over the barn

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.

Experimental Techniques in Recording at BB Studio

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