Philip Clemo

Diary of an album: Emily Burridge (cello) – 2nd session

Philip Clemo — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:47:51 +0000

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.

Diary of an album: BJ Cole (pedal steel guitar)

Philip Clemo — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:27:55 +0000

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 album in a really intriguing way – there is now a lot of ambiguity of source on the pieces.

BJ was the last session with Phill Brown on this album. After a glass of champagne it all felt rather strange driving home. Some more work in my home studio and then the big task of mixing.

Diary of an album: Byron Wallen (flugelhorn and trumpet)

Philip Clemo — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:27:48 +0000

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. I am really looking forward to working with this material.

Diary of an album: Oren Marshall (tuba)

Philip Clemo — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:16:01 +0000

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 with the warm textures of Thomas Bloch’s Cristal Baschet. Can’t wait to work with this new material.

The image is of a reflection on the tuba bell.

Unreleased tracks on SoundCloud

Philip Clemo — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:32:37 +0000

Three unreleased pieces are now available on SoundCloud. One piece is from the 1980s and the other two come from The Rooms sessions.

Diary of an album: Martin Ditcham (percussion)

Philip Clemo — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 19:39:10 +0000

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 kitchen implements.

This work has pulled together lots of elements on the album. Martin’s timing is phenomenal – very accurate but very human. As Phill said, he’s one of the best shaker players in the world. Now a time of editing, home studio recordings of voice and guitar… and reflection.

Diary of an album: Thomas Bloch

Philip Clemo — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:58:39 +0000

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. It works.

Thomas is an incredible player and I now have some great new material taking the new album to the next stage.

Country life

Philip Clemo — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 14:56:55 +0000

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.

Leaving London after 29 years

Philip Clemo — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:17:38 +0000

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.

Diary of an album: David Fitzgerald (cello)

Philip Clemo — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:37:07 +0000

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 of mics.

His playing complimented Emily’s cello lines really well and sounded great with the bass partnership of Simon and John. He plays standing up which was quite something on a long session. After a few tracks he definitely entered the ‘zone’. Very deep.

Diary of an album: Emily Burridge (cello)

Philip Clemo — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:27:49 +0000

A very special session with cellist Emily Burridge yesterday – focused and with a lot of depth – sometimes fragile and at others intense. She very much inhabited the sonic world being created on this album and developed some fascinating conversations with Kevin, John and Simon.

Diary of an album: Simon Edwards (basses)

Philip Clemo — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:26:04 +0000

Worked again with bassist Simon Edwards on Sunday – always a great pleasure. He brought along a huge array of instruments to the session including a Guitarron (Mexican six stringed bass), Marimbula (a giant thumb piano), Ngoni (from the kora family), bass harmonica and a baritone ukulele, as well as his electric bass. His playing was exquisite.

For this album I am creating sensory environments in the studio for the musicians to play within. This is producing some very focused and inspiring performances.

Image is of Simon’s Ngoni.