Unrealfish Music

Bright and uplifting sustained guitar with a simple repeating sequence created on a Korg Minilogue with filtering.

This track was originally over 10 minutes long but because of flawed recordings the track length shorted. A solo guitar piece near the start was consigned to the cutting room floor. It was down to poor quality headphones during the initial recording. Beware of inappropriate or low quality equipment, it could bite you in the proverbial later!

Written using chords constructed from the diatonic notes built of G Lydian scale. An exercise from my guitar teacher. I picked out the notes of the chords as arpeggios and used some lofi delay moving from right to left as the track progressed.

This is of special note as its the very first ambient track completed and conceived as a structure composition. The underlying guitar chords sequence was recorded in reverse and played forward the effects where added. This emphasised the swelling-in sound desirable in this style of music. The guitar solo was played on a Roland guitar synth using the Dripstone Cave parch.

One of my favourite tracks, simple with some nice piano.

This one nearly did not get released as part of Embracing Serendipity, I felt to it fell below the my artistic ambient values and on the cusp of being too pop! The track name pays homage to Blade Runner, the famous 'Roy' speech at the end.

Started out as an experiment to see if I could build up a song on the piano that followed the guitar. The piano keeps the track pulse going throughout with the chords becoming more complex (extended) as it progresses. Some of the timing between the guitar and piano is a bit to relaxed, but hey, its done!

The track starts off with footsteps through a local wood on a crisp Winters day, underpinned by a drone. A synth sequence gradually builds, starting delicately and becoming more complex. This is the first track which features a Moog Subharmonicon.

Starts with an unsettling air of uncertainty, which develops into an almost classical music composition. I used guitar elements to create most of the sounds (no oboe, flute etc) with a piano sampled instrument coming in near the end.

This track pays homage to 'Boards of Canada'. Its deliciously icy and cold. Listen to the synth solo, its wonderfully detuned. This track employs many hardware synths to create the layers of sound. Elektron Digitone, Korg Minilogue, Waldorf Blofeld and Moog Mother 32.

Makes heavy use of the Moog Subharmonicon, great for creating euclidean patterns, shame the bloody thing sounds like a church organ! Its down to the fact that each set of three oscillators shares a single envelope and filter section. Overall the track has classical vibe which was not intentional, it just developed that way, it seemed right.

Underpinned by lo-fi and dirty ambient guitar, qualities.

Starts with D minor played using harmonics, dark and moody with two sequenced synth track playing against each other. Overall there is a low-fi quality slightly detuned quality to the sound.

This is the title track. Makes use of an industrial inspired drone that gives way to granular and distorted guitar tones that supplies the backdrop for a percussive Moog Subharmonicon sequence. Very dystopian!

This track was born out a late nigh guitar noodling session while experimenting with two Chase Bliss effects pedals, Blooper and Mood (Mk 1), in that order.  I was playing my Ed O'Brien signature Strat. Ambient guitarists - if you don't know about these pedals, you are so missing out! The sequence uses a D pedal note, I have an unhealthy obsession with D minor!

Standard ambient fair with some reversed guitar then a section with the Moog Subharmonicon.

Atmospheric and uses three NASA sample, two are easy to spot the third one, not so obvious. It’s a recording of the Mars Rover slowly rolling over the planet’s surface. I am pleased the way this track evolved. Features my Ed O'Brien Fender Strat with a sustainer pickup.

The track features 2 seaside recordings, one of the sea in Cornwall and people having fun on the beach at Lyme Regis. I used my iPhone at the time, the quality is not as good as my recently acquired Zoom Hn4Pro. The Moog Harmonicon features again.

I like the dark nature of this track and the interplay of the arpeggios. I think i used a Moog Mother 32 and a Korg Minilogue for the tack. Percussion, courtesy of Korg Sample and Arturia Drum Brute Impact with lots of processing.

Starts with a swirling sound with a sound reminiscent of a  clanging bell and then a clattering sound which sounds like rigging slapping in the wind.

Low key with a dripping type percussion leading into a crisp section featuring the Moog Subharmonicon.

Dark and atmospheric with a swirling ambient guitar, with a crisp delay soaked guitar lead near the end.

Mechanical vibe created on the Subharmonicon with a swirling detuned synth patch that sets an air of unease. Not sure if I like this track or not, I am not even sure why I included as part of the album. But it’s done now.

Improvised guitar with loads of effects, recorded in one go. Shows of my Fernandes Sustainer equipped Ed O’Brien Signature Strat to good effect.