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█▓█ General Info :
█▓█ Title .........: Goodbye Swingtime
█▓█ Artist ........: The Matthew Herbert Big Band
█▓█ Music Style ...: Lo-Fi
█▓█ Type ..........: Album
█▓█ Release Date ..: Apr-10-2003
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█▓█ Used Tools :
█▓█ Grabber .......: Dbpoweramp
█▓█ Encoder .......: Lame 3.93
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█▓█ Additional Info:
█▓█ Source ........: CDDA
█▓█ No. Of Songs ..: 10
█▓█ Size ..........: 80,3 MB
█▓█ Playtime ......: 58:26 min
█▓█ Label .........: Accidental
█▓█ Quality .......: 192kbps / 44,1kHz / HQ / Full Stereo
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█▓█ 01 ::: Turning Pages ::: 07:45
█▓█ 02 ::: Everything's Changed ::: 04:44
█▓█ 03 ::: Fiction ::: 04:14
█▓█ 04 ::: The Three W's ::: 05:54
█▓█ 05 ::: Chromoshop ::: 05:49
█▓█ 06 ::: The Battle ::: 04:58
█▓█ 07 ::: Misprints ::: 06:12
█▓█ 08 ::: The Many and the Few ::: 05:01
█▓█ 09 ::: Simple Mind ::: 05:20
█▓█ 10 ::: Stationary ::: 08:29
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█▓█ Since my first band experience was as a piano player in a big band at
█▓█ the age of 14, it would be nice to say that to achieve the heady
█▓█ heights of a big band of my own was a life long dream. The truth is
█▓█ however, it was all a big accident.
█▓█ Whilst scoring a French Breakdance musical called 'le defi', directed
█▓█ by one of Europe's premier choreographers Blanca Li (pop culture
█▓█ fiends know her for her work in Daft Punk's influential 'Around the
█▓█ World' video) Blanca asked me to write three big band pieces to move
█▓█ the picture away from being a hip hop docu-soap . In August of 2001,
█▓█ after two weeks of manic writing and arrangement, we recorded them at
█▓█ Air Studios. One of these pieces, 'Singing in the Rain' attempted to
█▓█ go a step further by incorporating samples of the band, chopping up
█▓█ the existing recordings, looping, splicing and generally messing with
█▓█ the raw material to create a totally distinct new version. Being a
█▓█ film, the whole process from start to finish had to be completed
█▓█ within about three weeks.
█▓█ I had vaguely assumed that when I was 40, and having signed a five
█▓█ album deal with EMI, someone might call me up and ask me to write a
█▓█ whole album of music for big band, but the realisation that if managed
█▓█ carefully and efficiently, the cost of such a project wasn't
█▓█ necessarily enormous, allowed the idea to exist in a more immediate
█▓█ and creative way. This coupled with the fact that the rest of my work
█▓█ had deliberately existed outside of the clumsy failures of
█▓█ increasingly corporate record labels, meant that an album of original
█▓█ and experimental recordings was a real possibility.
█▓█ When I talked to Gilles Peterson about this at the start of 2002, he
█▓█ offered the yet to be formed 'Matthew Herbert Big Band' the chance to
█▓█ perform as part of the worldwide event at Montreux Jazz Festival.
█▓█ There was an incontrovertible deadline now and no turning back. As a
█▓█ kind of rehearsal and to add to the pressure, we booked four days at
█▓█ Abbey Road Studio 2 the week before and started writing.
█▓█ For every piece, I have worked with the arranger Pete Wraight. His
█▓█ importance in the project cannot be overstated. Whilst it is
█▓█ relatively simple to sit at a keyboard and computer and write
█▓█ elaborate angular melodies and double speed time changes, the majority
█▓█ of the hard graft is done by the arranger, extracting the tonal basis
█▓█ of the chords and not only harmonising key lines but also doing so in
█▓█ ways sympathetic to each instrument's range and characteristics.
█▓█ Additional to this is also retaining a unique awareness of player's
█▓█ abilities and styles. With such a special player as Dave Green on bass
█▓█ for example, the scoring of every note is not only unnecessary, but
█▓█ also missing the point of employing him in the first place.
█▓█ Between us though, we have strived to be original. Sometimes we fail
█▓█ of course, but our intention with this project was never to create a
█▓█ genre piece. The big band set up of 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 4
█▓█ saxophones, piano, bass and drums was always considered as a set of
█▓█ parameters to work with, rather than a staple of convention.
█▓█ Consequently, much of what has been written has ended up more as a
█▓█ jazz orchestral work rather than a big band. Being called 'the Matthew
█▓█ Herbert Jazz Orchestra' however sounds disastrous.
█▓█ With the pieces now recorded, I am currently in the process of
█▓█ deconstructing and reconstructing them in an electronic environment.
█▓█ Whilst their original integrity should remain intact, recordings in
█▓█ 2002 should not be treated with absolute reverence. Conversely, sounds
█▓█ should not be added that have no relationship with the original. As
█▓█ such, all pieces will be written according to the rules of PCCOM, a
█▓█ series of constraints I have imposed on myself to prevent me from
█▓█ re-treading the path of the familiar. Sounds that will be added will
█▓█ be either those taken and recorded at Abbey Road during the session,
█▓█ including forty people banging anything they could find in Studio 2,
█▓█ or noises relating to reading. As such, specific political texts have
█▓█ been used to generate additional percussion noises. I have also used
█▓█ clippings sent to us from around the world about a possible imminent
█▓█ invasion of Iraq, and people dropping their local phone book from
█▓█ various heights.
█▓█ Entitled 'Goodbye Swingtime' the album is attempting to move away from
█▓█ the modern association of big bands with decadence and opulence and
█▓█ address it as a musical form worthy both of respect and indifference,
█▓█ whose merit should be judged on a piece by piece basis. It also is an
█▓█ attempt not to distance itself from the political environment in which
█▓█ it was created. Whilst the production of such a large-scale album on
█▓█ an independent, self-financed basis is in itself a political
█▓█ statement, I didn't wish to create a musical work happy to exist
█▓█ entirely in its own universe.
█▓█ We have, rather ambitiously started touring the live aspect of the
█▓█ music already. We have performed in Switzerland and Japan, with dates
█▓█ in Paris, Barcelona, Sydney and London planned. As a live experience,
█▓█ it is hard to reproduce the detailed computer trickery that will
█▓█ characterise certain pieces on the record, however I am attempting to
█▓█ make the electronic component an essential part of the show. To this
█▓█ effect, I take a live feed from the band and process it through my
█▓█ equipment, adding live samples taken from the band as they are playing
█▓█ and trying to fuse the two together. It's an exciting and scary
█▓█ process and one that can only improve as the gigs continue.
█▓█ Other artists contributing to the album include Arto Lindsay, Dani
█▓█ Sicliano, Jamie Lidell, Mara Carlyle, Shingai Shoniwa and Mouse on
█▓█ Mars.
█▓█ The record is scheduled for release May 2003 on Accidental Records.
█▓█
█▓█ -M. Herbert
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[ best viewed in jane with lucida console ansi (size 8) ]