OUTSIDE - the blog 1
(8 April 2010)

Ideas to do an album with the Title "Outside" are as old as the "Inside" album. Whereas "Inside" deals mainly with the things that are going on inside the head and not facing the outside world (read details here:) we hope to achieve the opposite with this album.
Musically as well - we're trying to keep it upbeat and avoid slow songs, whether we'll succeed is another question.

The "Outside" album will contain a few songs that where written some time ago and where featured on the demo CD "About Time".

More than 15 new songs have been written for the album during the last few months and Sue came into the studio over the Easter weekend and we've recorded vocals for three songs.

Today I've started looking at a song which might be called "Binary emotion". It's about how these days we store everything on computer Hard-drives, which if not regularly backed-up will subsequently fail at some point. Inspired by some pictures and letters my grand-dad wrote to my grand-ma and mother from Normandy in World-War 2. I don't believe that any digital pictures, e-mails or txt messages can still be found by someone in 70 years time from now...
The music needs a lot of work though, will probably need all weekend to get it into a rough mix state...
More soon
Sönke

 OUTSIDE - the blog 2
(10 April 2010)

Still on the same song, but made good progress yesterday (adding Vocooder and some voices, playing some e-Guitar and most important, changed the whole arrangement from about 7 to 5 min - works much better now).

Plan for today: Borrow neighbours Marshall Stack and crank it up fully to record some dirty guitar for the track. If neighbour decided to be an ass hole I'll try my little acoustic amp. If that doesn't work I might have to fall back onto Rogers VOX amp (love the VOX amps... great sounding things) - oh and of course I play all the rock guitar stuff with Paul's Aria Guitar, kinda a tribute for the lost ones in Aussie land...

Sö

 OUTSIDE - the blog 3
(13 April 2010)

Got first rough-mix for the BINARY song and will leave it at that for now. Off to see "The fancy toys" live tonight (where Sue is doing the "boom Mic" ) and then for the rest of the week I'll be at "THE FRAM" down in Somerset (for some music sessions and jams) until returning to London for the acoustic rehearsals (OK and some parties) at the weekend.
Wishing you a great week.
Sö

OUTSIDE - the blog 4
(20 April 2010)

Been to Somerset and back - luckily I didn't fly as otherwise I'd probably still be there. Had a great time. Now back to work. The BINARY song is almost done, only needs a few tweaks and edits. While in Somerset I've managed to record some stuff of one of the other new songs (hasn't got a name yet) and I'll get straightonto that as soon BINARY is done.

Furthermore VIDEOS: Have contacted film makers for video ideas for the songs. CCTV is all planned and there are ideas for the visuals, other songs will follow. If you're a film-maker and would love to get involved, please get in touch.

Sö

OUTSIDE - the blog 5
(24 April 2010)

I've absolutely no idea where this past week has gone - any answers? Suddenly it's Saturday again.
The Binary Song is ready for the final mix, which will be done together with all the other songs for the new album.
Today I'll start working (mixing/arranging etc...) on another new song, which talks about fears, dreams and hopes.

Wishing you all a great, sunny Weekend.

Sö

OUTSIDE - the blog 6
(30 April 2010)

Just a quick update - again the weeks just seem to fly by at the moment...

Finished two songs for the album one with the working title "the door" and then I wrote and mixed an instrumental one evening.. I just seemed to flow and was done within no time. Not sure whether the instrumental will make it onto the album, but it's always good to have some tracks to choose from.

This bank holiday weekend I'll record vocals and Saxophone with Roger and then start mixing the "counter culture" song. Which is my favorite so far and I hope the song will bring the feeling of freedom, which I think those hippies must have had when driving across the globe on stylish VW camper vans, to you when you hear it.

Sö

OUTSIDE - the blog 7
(02/03 May 2010)

Roger just left the studio from a very productive day of work on a song called TAKE TIME, for which Shirley (with whom I wrote the 2004 anti Bush US - election song = which actually didn't work because Bush was elected again... I blame our song!) wrote the words. The song received a total overhaul and Rogers (guide) vocal works really well with the music. We've also changed the original Middle-8 from a rather chaotic 8 Bars to some very lovely saxophone playing.

I haven't managed to do much more work on the other song I have to mix, but did some drum programming for a song for the CURFEW meets ISGAARD project and edited the guitars for the BINARY song some more (after doing an instrumental guitar mix on Friday I noticed many 'wrong' things about my guitar playing).

Bank-Holiday Monday "tomorrow" and although it's late I'll probably get up quite early and finally start working on the "Counter Culture" song, as that was my plan for this weekend anyway.

Sö

OUTSIDE - the blog 8
(22 May 2010)

OMG
I saw that the last entry was three weeks ago.... That means I haven't worked on the tracks for almost three weeks (well not quite, have done a rough mix of the counter culture song and Hey Girl).

On the positive side however: I've worked with one of the best music-video teams for the CMI (Curfew meets Isgaard) project and the shoot for the song "Snowflakes in June" last weekend in Berlin. At last, we have summer temperatures today. Last weekend was rather like snowflakes, which left me ill with total fatigue this past week. BUT the team was great, we looked great and no doubt, the video will be fantastic.
Talking videos: I have meet with some film-makers in London who are going to shoot videos for the songs for the OUTSIDE album. So far we are working on three videos with three directors simultaneously.
BUT I am getting very fidgety and would love to spend the next three or four weeks in solitary confinement to finish mixing the songs...

Ah well - do YOU really care whether the album gets released in July or August or perhaps September?? I mean REALLY ??
I think you have no choice, hahaha... It won't get released until I'm happy with the mixes and I feel that I have met or excelled my standards.
And here he gets up to start mixing the song TIME (demo version on MySpace), incl. a short version for the video.

C ya
Sonke

OUTSIDE - the blog 9
(31 May 2010)

Last blog for May 2010. The past week has been again a very strange time. Somehow all the TIME is strange at the moment and I don't really know what happens to it (Time).
What I do know is that I've completed the final mix for the song TIME, which you might know from the ABOUT TIME demo CD, or the MySpace player. We are also making a video for this song and for the film I'll have to make a shorter version of the song, too (hopefully tonight).
Another video will be done for the 'tune' CCTV, which you might also know from the Myspace player - again a shorter version of the track will be used for the video.
And finally a few more videos for the songs HEY GIRL and THE DOOR (song name might still change) are in the making. The mix for the song THE DOOR got an overhaul last week, too
And so, we are slowly coming closer to get some stuff finished. Still no IMaGE for the CD cover.
But as we have an offer to play the 100-Club (August 27th) we are aiming to get the album finished before then...

Next week we'll be at SUNRISE CELEBRATION festival and don't expect to get anything done - well at least not for the OUTSIDE album - coz we'll be OUTSIDE, innit. (Sunshie please...)

OUTSIDE - the blog 10
(10 June 10)

Back on track. First days of June were a complete RUSH!!
Running around getting things organised, doing the sound at Sunrise Celebration festival, squeezing in two acoustic rehearsals (one with Lucas the guitar player - which went well, which means we can do TRESCO FLOWER live - yeah), working and partly completing shorter versions for CCTV and TIME for the videos etc etc...
Now - before I'm going to Glastonbury at the end of the month, there are quite a few things to get done. I'm aiming to get THE DOOR and PLAIN SAILING (complete with new vocals) mixed and have the acoustic demo finished...
Therefore I shouldn't be sitting here writing, but in the studio, mixing...

C ya L8er
Sönky

OUTSIDE - the blog 11
(4 July 2010)

Unfortunately there's nothing to report at the moment. Work has stalled, due to other commitments and projects that have / had priority at the moment.

But, we have had some excellent feedback on some of the new tracks and have decided to look for a record-label (other than our own Rotary Head Records) to release the new album.

Hoping to get back to mixing the new songs by Mid-July. Until then: N-joy the sunshine.

Sönke

OUTSIDE - the blog 12
(17 July 2010)

I've just noticed that the first of these blogs is from April 8th... AND I feel not much has been achieved towards completion of the album since then. BUT on the other hand: we have produced a new demo for the acoustic sessions, filmed a video for CMI in Berlin, have been shooting the video to CCTV and dealt with life. Things are looking up and now that most of the "disturbances" are coming to an end it's time to get the songs finished.

Roger came over yesterday and we worked on the TAKE TIME song, but then the whole recording session turned into a jam session when we both started playing guitar along to some classic AC/DC tracks... ah well FUN RULES !!!! (see below)

Sonke

OUTSIDE - the blog 13
(25 July 10)

Full steam ahead with both projects: the CmI and the OUTSIDE album. Those of you who know me know that the past 13 weeks were a bit of an 'un-planned nightmare'. That's behind me now and I'm happy to devote my time to the albums and music again.
Have finished mixing "Plain Sailing" with Joseph's vocal and Sue and Roger both have added more vocals to some songs, which are "in the mix" at present. All looking very good.

Sonke

OUTSIDE - the blog 14
(31 August 10)

Right then - that busy month August is over now and I hope September will be somewhat quieter. One more festival to go to (Bestival) and two more acoustic gigs, but inbetween all that I hope to finally get enough time to work and finish the few remaining songs for the OUTSIDE album.
August had other priorities - like mixing the CmI album "The Trip" and the LED- and Beautiful Days festivals. All was really exiting and left me in high spirits.

On the OUTSIDE: Stacy has finished the CCTV music video and -trust me- it's awesome!! Am looking for more people who can do a video for a song for the new album, please get in touch!

Hope to be able to report some progress next time round....

Sonke

OUTSIDE - the blog 15
(04 September 10)

Have been working on a song called "THE DOOR". It's almost finished now - defo by the end of the weekend.

It's a very optimistic and encouraging song. It captures a certain moment in 5 peoples life - as they tell their biggest fears and their greatest dreams in the song. Come to think of it - I recorded the statements during May and June and I wonder whether their accounts of fear and dreams was momentarily or whether those statements are still valid today. I give my own statement, too and mine still stands! My biggest fear is: Having my free-will taken away from me AND My greatest dream is: Freedom! The fear bit has actually almost come true since we had the Labour government in the UK for most of the time I was living here. They've managed to take away a lot of personal freedom from citizens. I'm not sure how it is in other states but the UK has become a "You are not allowed to do that..." state. I hope it will change again! - which goes conform with my statement in the song.

Other people who made a statement are Cecilia Santangeli with the greatest dream anyone can have, Pete Francomb with a very 'final' fear and dream, Jo (Pete's gf) with something more personal and then Ben Madge with his take on things. All these fears and dreams are well imbedded into Sue's great lyrics of hope and positive ness.

With a bit of luck we'll have a video produced for this song.

Sönke