delphic recollections

March 19, 2007

We arrived three days ago - just the three of us, holed up in a tiny cottage in Cumbria. Not long ago, we were in a van hurtling down the M6, heading to what turned out to be our final show with the old band: supporting Kings of Leon in Norwich. We got close with that one, but it never felt quite right. Always felt like we were chasing something, instead of making something new.

This new band is a reset, and we have to get it right. My Dad said I have a year before I have to consider getting a ‘proper’ job. That’s not to say he’s unsupportive, he wants this to happen as much as me, but I’m 23 now and it feels like it’s now or never. 

Anyway, the music is great. Whereas our old band was reacting to whatever was doing well in the charts at that moment, this new one is about reconnecting to the music of my youth. I grew up listening to Orbital, Krafwerk, The Chemical Brothers. We’re trying to merge these ethereal synth scapes with guitars and live drums to create something new. The NME rock revolution is done, we will be the next wave. We just have to get their first. 

We are all on the same page. It feels exciting. We don’t have a name for the band yet, but Matt came to me with an album title ‘Acolyte’ - I love it. We wrote a song around it. Well more of a 6 minute synth odyssey than a song. Feels like the epicentre of what will become our record. And a new one called Submission that echoes early 90s New order. It feels like we are onto something here. But we still need radio singles, I want this to feel bigger than a little side project. I want to play in front of thousands of people and bring this music to the world. Me and matt were playing with a little vocal sample thing the other day - I sampled my voice saying various vowels ‘Ah- EE - Eh - Oh’ and put it into the redrum sequencer in reason. Feels like something significant but we need a chorus - am hoping James can come up with something. 

Nothing else matters right now. I’m not really present in my relationship. I should probably call her. But I just need to lose myself in this, for hours. I’m existing in another world, and I love it here. 

We’re going to go on a walk this morning in the hills and chat lyrics, aesthetic direction. I just need to keep everyone focused and make them believe we can do this, cos I believe it. 

And then we will come back and noodle on synths -  I brought my juno with me (my Dad bought one in the 90s when they were incredibly unfashionable, and cheap) - lucky we never sold it - and my korg ms2000. It’s good to have limitations, so am trying to write as much as I can on these synths. I’ve got a load of the Arturia synths too that I’m playing with for extra stuff, and James seems to have mastered Ableton so he’s sending me cool loops and stuff I can slot in the arrangements. And then for tea, pasta and sauce probably. What do you expect from 3 20-odd year olds? I do miss my Mum’s cooking. 

Rick