When I started this blog, I posted pretty regularly …was a working concern. Now, it’s a post a year! Not through want of trying..just no time..or rather, am prioritising other things. Blogging used to be much more of a thing…it’s just a bit of a memory book now.
News this year? 2nd year into running Music at Confetti , 2nd Industry Week with a third already shaping up to be great in March 2020. A definite highlight for me.
Met Jools Holland as part of the 25th anniversary in November at work
Went to the Great Escape in Brighton for work back in May….Bristol, Tileyard in London and Norwich too over the year.
We did a single with Gareth Jones on production for a Confetti artist (Bria) in our new SSL studio. Definite highlight for me as was working at Splendour festival with a bunch of students.
Finished and passed my Masters earlier this month…got a distinction! All that time I now have is being devoted to a few albums I have on the go designed for media use. Pretty much my sole out-of-the-day-job hours focus for the next year or two.
Still doing some moderation and marking for RSL Awards…seasonal, but I still learn lots from seeing how schools and colleges deliver and assess music and music tech subjects.
I reached the 25th release on my music for media imprint : a super slow start to the year due to the Masters eating all my time, but a few releases in quick succession at the end meant I finished strong! I have 2020’s releases planned with a few more ideas to nail.
Mixing and mastering was pretty thrifty this year in terms of other people’s projects, but busy on my own material. I did do some mix work on a track that was played on Everest for the highest DJ set world record a few months back called ‘Count The Stars’ by Genix and the always awesome Hannah Brine though, so if you’re gonna mix something, it may as well be something that helps break a world record 😉
Should I do a ‘favourite plug ins’ type bit? Go on then…
In terms of new ones, I bought all 12 of the Arturia plug ins: as with most plug ins sets, I don’t use them all, but the Neve Pre Amp emulation is brilliant
: I love it. The Memory Man emulation is also great.
The compressors are fine… but I find myself going back to the WAVES ones for the 1176 clone. The DBX 160 Clone is good though.
Favourite plug in of the year is the Abbey Road Plates reverb..really great. Speaking of WAVES, I still mix into the SSL bus compressor
and use H Delay, the L2 and the CLA Compressors on most mixes. We’re all really spoilt for choice aren’t we?
I still use the Soundtoys suite on most things… especially the Decapacitator, Primal Tap, Echo Boy and Radiator, but all of them are pretty ace.
Albums of the year for me…..yes questionable politics aside, Morrissey’s covers album didn’t disappoint. In fine voice.
Matt Maltese’s album is brilliant….last year’s debut was ace..and this new one (‘Krystal’) is self produced, more lo-fi but goes straight for the heart via the funny bones
Marika Hackman’s 2019 effort was also on repeat for me this year….
I’m a massive Lilac Time and Stephen Duffy fan, so was a treat to get 2 new albums this year…well one reissue and one new one. Both brill.
Other good albums I can remember….Nick Cave (not as good as the reviews say, but still great), Elbow, Cate Le Bon, Hot Chip, William Doyle…..
Loads of other music stuck in my ears this year….I’ve done a playlist a month for the last 5 years if you fancy listening in…..
Podcasts! Mostly the same as last years…RHLSTP and Adam Buxton are always my top 2…….new ones I love include Tape Notes and Broken Record.
Happy New Year everyone: let’s hope the new decade is full of positive things.
Keep going, be nice to people, do good work and look after your loved ones.
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