The Artful Composer

Starting work on new C5 show

2008-04-20T11:12:00.000+01:00

Just starting work on a mountain rescue show for Channel 5. It's a 30x30 minute show and is being made by LWT factual for C5.

Just testing Blog It!!!

2008-04-16T17:04:00.001+01:00

Yes, just testing this Facebook app.

New series of Trinny and Susannah Undress coming soon

2008-03-31T09:01:00.005+01:00

Click for more details

Music by me!!! :-)

The Lost Tribe Of Palau

2008-03-31T08:51:00.004+01:00

...is now showing on National Geographic in the UK...

Click for more details.

Tommy The Tungsten Robot

2008-03-10T09:02:00.003Z

...can now be seen online...Music by moi!!!

Tommy The Tungsten Robot

A short film by Eddie Green for Jasmine Allen Productions - Tommy is an abandoned robot living as an outcast in modern society. This short film by acclaimed director Eddie Green BA(hons) explores how Tommy's actions affect those around him.

Guy Pratt and other news

2008-02-27T09:56:00.004Z

Guy Pratt came up for a bass session for a track called Côte d’Azur which is for my new commercial project, International Playboy.

Guy is one of the UKs top session bassists and his discography is incredible. Guy's website.

Needless to say, the playing was fantastic and has added an extra dimension to the track which I hope I'll be able to finish soon. Guy brought “Betsy,” a ’64 Fender Jazz with EMG pickups which used to be owned by John Entwhistle. What a great sound!!!

In other news...I've finished Hell On Earth for BBC1 and have just started on a documentary in HD and 5.1 about a couple's incredible journey from Australia to England by road and sea in the 1950s with original cine film footage.

MIDEM 2008!!!

2008-01-22T15:16:00.000Z

Looking forward to seeing old friends and making new!!!

Skype

2008-01-03T06:29:00.001Z

New tricks

2007-12-21T08:02:00.000Z

I am currently learning Sibelius 5. I really wanted to get to grips with some notation software because it was getting very inconvenient writing parts and as I am planning some orchestral recordings next year, I really wanted to concentrate on writing the music iself, rather than copying parts or waiting for copyists.

Sibelius is a really nice program and even plays back the music interpreting the text and musical marks as it plays through. Seems a bit like cheating to me :-) and I'm going to miss taking a break to sharpen my pencil, but it produces very readable music in very quick time.

Trinny And Susannah Undress The Nation

2007-11-26T23:21:00.000Z

Trinny & Susannah Undress The Nation is currently showing on ITV1 at 8pm. I wrote the big orchestral and choral theme.

HERE is a nice page about Octopus Volcano which is airing around the world now.

Xmas comes early

2007-11-26T23:12:00.000Z

I was asked by CRo (Ceský Rozhlas, Czech Radio) to produce an Xmas jingle for their station in Pardubice. So, the studio was filled with sleigh bells for the day...Very nice!!! Must do my Xmas shopping though!!!

Here are new updated links to the Czech radio stations which I wrote music for...

Latest news!!!

2007-11-13T09:38:00.000Z

I've just finished 5.1 tracklaying for The Lost People Of Palau, a Parthenon Entertainments production for National Geographic.

I'm now getting into Ethiopian music for the BBC1 programme I mentioned in the last post and I'm also working on a short film about an annoying robot!!!

A couple of weeks ago, I met Artful's sub-publishers and some composers in Copenhagen and Prague. It was a very enjoyable but short round trip.

We'll be travelling to Cannes next January for MIDEM...Looking forward to it very much!!!

Signs Of Life and other stuff!!!

2007-10-23T09:35:00.000+01:00

Click here to play

Signs Of Life is now online and live...All music by...Me!!!

Also just finished Engineering Egypt and begun work on Hell On Earth for BBC1...More news soon.

I'll shortly be leaving for a quick tour of Copenhagen and Prague to visit sub-publishers and meet composers.

New The Essence CD

2007-07-27T11:33:00.000+01:00

Chillville have just released an EP of 5 new The Essence tracks. Some of these tracks have been included in chillout CD compilations, but this is their first proper release.

Available from www.chillvillemusic.com.

New guitar!!!

2007-06-10T21:08:00.000+01:00

A dark cherry sunburst Paul Reed Smith Custom 22...

Tantra Lounge Vol. 5

2007-06-04T20:41:00.001+01:00

Tantra Lounge Volume 5 contains Kasbah by Gaia, which was written by...Me!!!

On sale now!!!

Trinny & Susannah Undress

2007-05-30T10:16:00.000+01:00

Trinny & Susannah Undress returns on ITV1 for a second series using my original theme music. The first show is on Tuesday 5th June at 8pm.

Robbie Coltrane's Incredible Britain

2007-05-29T15:43:00.000+01:00

I've just been signed up to write the incidental music to Robbie Coltrane's Incredible Britain. The great man navigates around the UK using only the 'B' (minor) roads and discovers some of the most eccentric and interesting people and events on his way.

Screen caps

2007-05-29T13:43:00.000+01:00

Here are a few screen caps of programmes I've worked on in the past...

...Back to work!!!

2007-04-12T09:29:00.000+01:00

Just started on another 100 minute documentary in 5.1 for National Geographic...The subject is Egypt.

I've also just finished music for the Czech radio network (CRo) Night time news, Nightline and Night Concert.

...And relax!!!

2007-04-02T10:35:00.000+01:00

Finally at the end of another busy period!!!

I've finished music for a supernatural/horror feature film called Is There Anyone There for Short Features. It's directed by John Evans and is currently in post production.

I also wrote opening music for Eddie Green's short film, Second Class Male which you can see HERE.

...is now showing on National Geographic throughout the world. The music was recorded in 5.1 surround sound and is 100% to picture.

I've also completed music for Octopus Volcano for Parthenon Entertainment. On the edge of the planet's most active volcano rages an ancient battle for survival. The waters surrounding the island of Stromboli teem with a singularly extraordinary animal: the octopus. With an army of remote and underwater cameras exploring the deep seas of the Mediterranean, filmmaker and biologist Natali Tesche uncovers the secrets of how the octopus manage to thrive here.
This is another 5.1 production.

I've been really getting into surround recording. Not only is it great to place sounds behind the viewre and do big circular pans, the quality and power of the bass speaker is fantastic!!!

I've also completed music for First Dance for Isis Productions and there are several compilation CDs featuring music by The Essence and Gaia coming up soon.

I'm currently working on Signs Of Life which is an online interactive drama for the BBC and have a couple of wildlife films and a short film bubbling under over the next few months.

TX dates

2007-01-09T23:52:00.000Z

There is a regularly updated list of TV programmes which feature music which I have written HERE.

Surrounded

2006-12-17T10:52:00.000Z

It's been a while again. I didn't think that it'd be possible to be more busy than I was over the summer, but it has been. Aaron (My brother and agent) got me a 100 minute documentary in 5.1 surround sound!!!

This meant that I had to get some more monitors. I got Tannoy Reveals for rear and centre and a sub-woofer which matches my existing Tannoy System 8s. I also had to get a sound level meter to calibrate the sustem and I have to say that it sounds terrific. I get all the outs I need from the Yamaha 01x (with a bit of fiddling about) and Cubase SX3 is surround enabled...Brilliant!!!

I'm also working on a short film and a feature...Should keep me busy for a while.

Another job which is now finished is the Czech radio job. You can now hear my idents/news/weather etc... on these stations...Click to listen...

I've been to the guitar shop again...I decided to get a fretted Warwick Streamer Jazzman LX fretted to pair with my fretless...

The fretless has such a lovely sound and feel, I thought that this would be a great partner for it!!!

Catch up 2

2006-10-12T10:13:00.000+01:00

Prague.

A lovely city. We went to visit our sub-publishers who we have met a couple of times in London. They a re a really lovely bunch...A family company, who are really great to deal with.. We also met up with our friend Pavel who works for them and he was kind enough to drive us back to the airport after a fantastic lunch in LEHKÁ HLAVA (Clear Head) (Boršov 2/280, Praha 1 - Staré Město, Otevřeno: Po-Ne 11:30-24:00 Tel. rezervace: 222 220 665), a wonderfully strange vegetarian restaurant hidden away in a lovely backstreet. The food was terrific and the atmosphere wonderful (check out the gallery on the website!!! I'm currently writing the music for CRo (Czech broadcasting) regional radio network, so hopefully we'll be back soon. I got the job through our sub-publishers!!!

Paris 2.

A flying visit to check out MusicForProd, a new online system for production music online downloads which was developed by our French sub-publishers. We decided to buy the sustem...You can see it in action at www.artfulproductionmusic.co.uk. I popped up to Montmartre to look at the fantastic view over the city and on my way back to the airport, I managed to fall down the gap between the metro train and the platform!!! Luckily all I damaged was my pride (badly) and my shin (a nasty bump). I am now considerably more careful when getting on and off the tube!!!

John Etheridge

2006-08-11T16:22:00.000+01:00

Tuesday 8th of August was a particularly exciting day...John Etheridge ( Website ) came up for a session for a couple of chillout tracks I'm working on. I've admired John's playing for many years, having seen him with Soft Machine on the first ever simultaneous TV and stereo radio broadcast (Long before the days of NICAM).

The session was fantastic and I hope to record vocals on the two tracks (Archer Street and Côte d'Azur) very soon.