caro snatch artist engineer in sound blog
NEW HOME
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hello there. i thank for popping by my first wordpress blog. i now have fully-fledged site using wordpress at carosnatch.com with more aspects and facilities. so just one more click away…
ReCorDing the BeLLs for ElBow/Halle
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o the life throws nice random opportunities at me. Was asked by Tube UK who are doing most of the sound for Manchester International Festival if I could step in as recordist with fellow engineer Anita McCarthy to clamber up the Town Hall on a Sunday to capture the bell ringers thrashing out the main melodic motif to It’s a beautiful day off Seldom Seen Kid.
I resisted confessing to Craig, the band’s chief engineer that i am actually rather inspired by his sensitive approach on this album. And kept focus on my task at hand – getting on all fours in the dust near the top of the belltower hanging a Shure SM81 down a small hole (carefully selected from a few small holes) to get the closest ring. I love bells anyway but being in there and getting a nice rounded sound was i must admit more than marginally thrilling. And no pressure that it was the only opportunity to capture the sounds for the gig with the Halle. Bit tricky with wind noise and jangling mechanisms but I think we got a fair take.
Wonder if I will get to hear it…Would love to stick on here for you but not best prudent action…will go down to the free Castlefield live relay at least and perhaps even Open rehearsal on Tues 6. O what fun. Well done Anita for top helm lady management.
ThE loudNess isSUe
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i am so fussy about mastering and getting masters right and the more i focus on sound and develop my sensibilities, the more i find my ears/brain gets tired out by harsh, thrashed out music. not to say i have developed enough to avoid this or sculpt sonic offerings that are always pleasing to the ear/brain. Sometimes music needs to challenge/tire. But intention is the key. O, it’s a frequency thing. I really like how the last Elbow album was mixed and mastered – plenty of space and dynamic swells. Hence more musical? This little
Turn me up.org video is nice..
UNconVentioN
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i was invited to sit on the panel for this year’s, the second Unconvention music convention here in Salford and wasn’t sure i’d have much to offer. But it was in fact very engaging and self affirming as I was one of 6 artists/label maker who were all operating quite happily while not being mainstream nor looking for mainstream success.
One dynamic chap Steve Lawson (who of course i happen to randomly know as someone had told me about his well-bodied blog), said he would hate to have a hit record and spend 2 weeks on a tour bus, hence celebrating the possibility that there are alternative ways of thriving with your music. The importance of risk was mentioned by Stef Lewendowski at Type Records and he also highlighted the need of trust and filtering.
Was great to be part of it all and my input included don’t limit yourself – there is a wealth of opportunity out there beyond the i need everyone to love me, once i get signed my life will be great myth. List your skills, it’s a rich adventure. Be authentic. Other nuggets we came out with include the Internet rewards the industrious, curious and may not be relevant at all to your audience as in case of wonderfully intriguing Lady Georgina’s 18th century pop band, keep an eye on your goals and plans, google doc your business plans so can be fluid/update-able. Remember what you really want and check what it involves.
Well done un-convention, keep up the sterling work!
Responses to UNtappED FREQuencies first airing
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Some wonderful responses to the piece linked below – the outcome of my Contact Theatre residency. Some were not what I was intending – the horror, monster, intimidating, bomb and thunder references for example – so will help even more when i come to tweak further:
Film, cinema, heart pounding, titanic, museum, train (ride), someone falling, fan, motor, trapped, interesting, keys in pocket, the building knows we are listening to it and it’s never heard itself before, industrial monster, mining (coal and diamond), volcanic eruption, climbing african mountain, snakes and buffalos, confused, leaving the womb, gamelan, school monkey bars, broken, harry potter, harsh noise mixed with harmony, freedom and entrapment, epic, tribal, feral, haunting, lost, shiver, tune in, iron lungs, banging breath, fire breath, chanting woman, subterraenean, hypnosis, restlessness, scary, isolating, intimidating, industrial, dark, spiky, metallic, being chased, flashes of light, crinkly, moving, rainfall slow motion, comforting, fire, factory, bell, sea, wave, hologram, pulsing, mechanism.
Might be interesting to add these words to piece – whispered?
Here is link again for the piece – what do u see/feel?
UNTAPPED FREQUENCIES PIECE so far..
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This is the piece i played at AIRTIME 2 on June 1 as my artist residency at Contact Theatre came to fruition for now. Hoping it is just the beginning of the life of the sounds and vision i have for it – a piece for dance with some technically visual action also.
Comments and feedback very welcome. I played the piece in penumbral semi-lights and audience members were invited to note any words relating to the piece, both visually and emotionally. What a wonderful collection of responses: from many trains to films via sounds like you’re leaving the womb & freedom and entrapment in perfect disharmony. great stuff. Probably best absorbed ona decent pair of headphones..
YOU CAN LISTEN HERE untapped airtime2 mix
big bulb on sky
youtube links
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thanks to lovely mad scientists at Chorlton Radiophonic Workshop there is some raw and raucous caro snatch live footage on the ole You tube: caro snatch live on you tube
UNtapped Frequencies AIRING JUNE 1
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The up to now outcome of untapped frequencies Contact Theatre residency shall be aired and open to feedback and constructive reactions as i plan to play it in Space 2 in penumbral almost darkness. The idea to deprive the listener of visual stimuli so the audio can submerge more readily. I am then interested to hear if any visual images emerge as a response to the sounds that bombard you. It is an unfinished piece and intended as a template from which i can sculpt a piece with a dance company in the future. It’s a free event and my findings will be showcased alongside some other awesome projects and artists.
Twisted by cpc
Tap Contact website for more vital statistics. June 1, 7.30pm at Contact Theatre, Oxford Rd, Manchester
RaGD @ Chorlton Arts Festival
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Well, another Rare as a Green Dog event successfully executed. All acts did great in a rather random and sometimes challenging space (next doors’ party hits interjecting the sensitive output at times). Chorlton Radiophonic Workshop delivered a sensual soundscape that gradually built up to some minimal 4 on the floor with admirably controlled theremin playing by the young Alexx; Mz Milly enchanted with her gracefully considered words; Cheyenne suitably zoned us in and out with her ambient archaeological finds; doodlebug softened the tone with the retro solar action and the bottomfeeders rocked the hall with some well honed primal screams. Abundance of thanks to all for input, support and appreciating. Special thanks to Kathy McGinty for top engineering job.
some youtube links to follow shortly
