Bureaucracy

The performance rights organisation in Sweden is some of the worst organisations or companies I've ever been forced to deal with. Yesterday I talked to several of their people about writing music for royalty free music libraries. Some of them hardly new there even was a such concept. I tried to remind them of the reality of todays musicians but they seemed less interested in learning about it. Eventually, I got to talk to someone who said she might be able in helping me. So, now I'm hoping I can either cancel my contract with them or that they will come up with a working solution.

I thought they were supposed to help people like me (musicians)... but, no do.

Wonderful Earth

I've been looking around for some pictures of space and I've come around some pretty impressive images. A picture of earth it self, a foreign galaxy - it's impressive what exist in that cold, empty space. Really, it's anthyhing but empty. Nothing is so full of things. Well, that's actually where we all are - in one way or another. We're simply shielded by beautiful, good old earth.

Many of the compositions I write go to music libraries. I do work with film makers, game developers and many other professionals too, but recently I've found that giving tracks to music libraries can be a good source of an additional income. At my perfomers rights organisation there seems to be a conflict with members writing for libraries that are royalty free. I'm still trying to get hold of the right person to answer my question whether I can write for music libraries or not. Bureaucracy... can't stand it.

Space Sounds/Sounds Space

In my search for ideas and inspiration for my Sci-Fi album project I've gotten to the point where I've simply written down any idea word that might give some kind of Sci-Fi feel or vibe. What I've come up with so far: freaky composition, sounds, voicings, odd/spacey harmonies, lush rhythms...  I have a few more ideas that are less easy to put into writing, but what I basically want to do is to picture deep, cold, space in a way that still doesn't seem to be a drained from life - there has got to be that little piece of civilization in it. No complete emptyness that is.

Other Perspectives

I'm not only a musician, I'm also a music teacher. I teach guitar and music production. Basically, my job as a teacher gives me enough money that I can spend more time writing and recording. Another good thing about it is that it gives me new perspectives when thinking about music making. 

I got an email from a music publisher I'd been in touch with a week so earlier. Even though my initial idea on how I am to get paid wasn't accepted in it's entirety they seem to be willing in giving me a fair share of the profits off sales. They don't need exclusive rights either so what this can do is simply to push me in the right direction so I finish off my relaxation album concept.

Getting (Back) Into The Sci-Fi Vibe

I've started writing the music for my sci-fi album project. Three entire songs have I started working on, and things are starting to sound quite good. Naturally, there will be sound examples when I have something to show for (actually I've almost completed on composition, but I haven't bothered uploading it).

Right now I'm getting into some more sci-fi sounds, music and vibes by listening to anything in the genre. My listening list so far? - Vangelis' Blade Runner score, music from The X-Files, various Star Trek scores, the soundtrack from Dune, 2001: A Space Odyessey, Gustav Holst's The Planets... - if you have some sci-fi related music to recommend, please pass me a note!

Reading some also helps... Anything Stephen Baxter has been real good, but now I'm reading an Arthur C. Clarke / Stephen Baxter book, Time's Eye, which is a good book even though it doesn't dwell very deeply into futuristic high-tech and mind boggling space aliens and lifeforms never before imagined.

Maybe I should be focusing on completing my other two album projects, the first being nearly done and the second being half finished, but the sci-fi thing really got me into writing music in another way. Some of the atonal parts I'm doing really bring up a vibe of that empty, yet interesting space.  

First Entry

Ok, so I've created a blog. What will I write here? Well, I guess since I'm filling my life with as much music as possible, music will be a very reoccuring topic.

At the current I'm trying to complete an album I first intended completing a year ago. I'm still writing and recording in my project studio, but very soon I will see the long awaited end of the project. Then it will be time to move on...

I've had several ideas on different album projects to make. For quite some time I've been adding music to my relaxation catalogue and most likely, an album for relaxation and yoga purposes will be my next project.

Another idea... Since about a year back I've been reading sci-fi books. There is something about those books that really make me enjoy reading. Prior to picking up sci-fi literature I was really into reading the autobiographies of musicians that have influenced me - Zappa, Miles, Barry White... Interesting books really.