Maybe the last session on this album – the final cello overdubs. The image is looking through my studio window, showing the back of Emily with her cello. Sun face is an early Max Jacquard work.
Author Archives: Philip Clemo
Diary of an album: BJ Cole (pedal steel guitar)
What an instrument pedal steel guitar is – what a wonderful sound – and there is no better player this side of Nashville (and possibly anywhere) than BJ Cole. The sounds he gets out of his instrument are just incredible. In this session his performance danced around and merged with the other instruments on the [...]
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Diary of an album: Byron Wallen (flugelhorn and trumpet)
Byron had a heavy cold and an horrendous train journey to the studio but his performance was still sublime – a natural and warm tone that worked really well with the material. He played mainly flugelhorn but also trumpet on some pieces including a ‘scream’ that really pushed the limits of the instrument and player. [...]
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Diary of an album: Oren Marshall (tuba)
Just finished an extraordinary session with tuba player Oren Marshall. The sounds he coaxed from his instrument made it hard to believe that this was a tuba at all: snorts, grunts, wolf howls and something that sounded like garbled short wave radio, as well as more traditional tuba territory. Some beautiful moments where Oren merged [...]
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Unreleased tracks on SoundCloud
Three unreleased pieces are now available on SoundCloud. One piece is from the 1980s and the other two come from The Rooms sessions.
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Diary of an album: Martin Ditcham (percussion)
A great day with a lot of depth at Yellow Fish studios yesterday. Worked with drummer and percussionist Martin Ditcham, engineered by Phill Brown. We recorded material for all the current pieces on the new album – some minimal kit work, shakers and all kinds of textures including wads of keys, nuts, children’s toys and [...]
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Diary of an album: Thomas Bloch
Amazing day with Thomas Bloch near Paris recording the Glass Harmonica, ondes Martenot and Cristal Baschet (above). The Glass Harmonica (invented by Benjamin Franklyn) was particularly hypnotic. It had apparently been used by Dr Franz Mesmer, immortalised by Mozart in Cosi fan tutte, to ‘mesmerise’ his patients. [...]
Country life
Dappled light on a local country road, filtered through the trees of the Ashdown Forest. Getting used to a slower pace of life. New studio up and running soon and the next session on the new album coming up – in Paris with glass harmonica player Thomas Bloch.
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Leaving London after 29 years
Will miss this view from my wife’s loft studio as we leave London after 29 years. Moving out to ‘the sticks’. Creative projects largely on hold until September.
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Diary of an album: David Fitzgerald (cello)
A new studio – Brighton Electric – and a new cellist. Brighton Electric is in the old tramway building – quite a location with large imposing rooms – and a vibrant scene. David played some beautifully quiet and delicate cello – almost reed-like at times. That sound also had something to do with Phill’s choice [...]
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