lukeh.de

Back in Berlin. Cupertino was a blast, Apple is full of a lot of fun and interesting people! I could have easily stayed for another week just for social reasons. Just before I left I sat in my friend Marc’s office discussing the practicality of flying to Europe in his Cessna: nothing too interesting, perhaps, but I’ve known Marc since I was in year twelve… and we seem to still pretty much be doing the same thing!

Apple aside, caught up with Joe, Michiko, Robert Read and Gigi, and Tony Wirth (who was “in the area”).

Next travel plans are: Vienna to catch up with Mats and Phil Dearing, and then Amsterdam for some gigs with Maddy. I’d like to see a bit more of Europe whilst I’m still here though. Particularly: Madrid and maybe some bits of Ireland or Scotland.

Well, I know I don’t update this very often these days, but it is 2010, so possibly an entry is in order. Christmas and New Year was not spent particularly eventfully although certainly with great friends. Berliners are very fond of their fireworks, quite scary to the newcomer. But fortunately my hands and eardrums are intact.

There have been a bunch of Australians in Berlin the last few days: six people I went through VCA with (more or less). They all very kindly came to this little concert another friend of mine and I gave yesterday (see previous post). So that was nice. Always a bit scary playing repertoire in front of people one respects (or should I say, just in front of people), and of course I made a bunch of mistakes, but it was a good experience. Also played a few new solo tunes, nothing super-exciting but certainly there’s nothing like performing them to sort out the good from the bad. Many a jazz face was made.

Tonight I’m catching up with Wandering Stan for dinner and a drink, which will be lovely, haven’t really caught up with him for a while (mostly owing to this blasted ‘flu that consumed most of December). As for this week, I’m not sure: supposed to be starting a new contract for the month but the actual contract hasn’t been finalised yet. Not particularly inclined to practice, in that usual post-gig sense of being musically exhausted. But hopefully we will be getting the trio and Magnolia artwork and records finished soon. I’d love to have some in my hands right now (although that’s a bit hard in the case of Magnolia given there’s no artwork yet nor a final mix).

Last night my Hague-living Irish friend Matthew stayed, which was nice to have some company; we met at Banff in 2007. Saw Avatar today which was really, really amazing; lived up to the hype. Expect to be in Holland again in March with Maddy, and I think perhaps some travelling will be in order in February, to find some sunshine. (That said today was exquisite, not a cloud – at least for an hour or two.) GMC office-bearer Anthony may be visiting in February too, which will be quite nice. (GMC is the Grumpy Musicians’ Collective: Anthony, Donna, Myles and myself.) Was planning to record some solo stuff with Len’s help in February but it might be getting a bit late in the day for that, as the studio we wanted to go to revoked the dates.

Courtesy Wandering Stan.

Went to the amusingly titled Jesus Club tonight. Playing there was a pianist, Nils Frahm. One of the more interesting solo pianists I’ve heard, a bit of Keith, but a lot of Reich and Glass too. Very beautiful. Perhaps I expected something a bit intimidating about the Jesus Club (they do have an impressive looking website), but actually it was a really lovely little place. Reminded me a bit of Horse Bazaar. I like the music, video, food concept; the food was a particularly yummy vegetable soup. The film was a little odd (about Lenin and the magic bread, and the aesthetic parachutist or something, I can’t remember!).

6×6 is progressing well, I’m not sure whether any of it is any good but having a project is a useful thing. And moreover, it’s a quick way to learn what you do and don’t like, and develop some skills. As we know from Napoleon Dynamite, skills are very important. Been reading a lot about Daniel Lanois lately. Very interesting chap. Again cements my desire to just make records.

Tomorrow I have a rehearsal for a gig (my first and possibly only paid gig in Berlin!). Then going to Ray and Ada’s for dinner (friends from my German class I haven’t seen in a little while). Rest of the week is already pretty full (well, not the days, they’re for practising and sleeping). Bought The Limits of Composition yesterday, a good read and introduction to some more music. (Of course, my damn MacBook CD drive doesn’t work, so I can’t listen to the included CD. What to do: external CD drive or new laptop? Hmm.)

I’m about halfway through reading Jordan Mechner’s old journals, at Stan’s recommendation. Reading of his struggle between programming (in this case, game development) and screen-writing is all so familiar. And his fear of not doing things in his youth. Really, fascinating, heart-warming, nostalgic. A timely reminder that no software project is ever finished, and if you want to get out, now is the time (although, let’s be honest, the income doesn’t hurt, particularly if you want to finance creative projects on your own terms).

Trying to juggle a few musical projects at the moment none of which, Magnolia excepted, are very far along. Hadyn is mixing Magnolia now which is really exciting, I haven’t heard anything yet, but I know it will be magical. He has this ability to create space in a mix which no one else I know can. Certainly, not me, with my rookie Pro Tools diddling. (I will of course always want more reverb.) We’d intended to have interludes between some of the tracks, I’m not sure what will happen with that. I’m fairly confident to leave it in Hadyn’s hands, he errs more frequently on the side of good taste than I, although I might be able to contribute something there (see below). Maybe still a few overdubs to do but possibly will be left to Len and Hadyn as everyone else is overseas right now. Somehow the idea of Magnolia – a project we didn’t really spend a lot of time writing and recording – being finished feels like I’m actually doing something, even though I’m not really.

I need to get Magnolia a gig next year. Perhaps at the Toff, that would be a good venue. A bit tricky I guess if we don’t have anything to play them yet, but hopefully it can wait a month or two (how soon do they book up?). We have a good collective resume at least.

I started editing a solo piano recording I did in 2005. It was just after we recorded Stationary and it’s most incessant noodling which is completely unlistenable. Maybe there’s a good few minutes of music in there. But, fortunately, it was well recorded (at Iwaki, I wish I could remember the engineer so I can credit him). Cutting it up unrecognisably, my plan is to do a “6×6″, six tracks each with no more than six tracks. No effects beyond reverb, just cut up piano and maybe some pads, of course completely aping Reich and Eno I don’t expect to break any new ground. Experimental Jetset said something in Helvetica about the more limitations, the happier we are: I couldn’t agree more. Still waiting for an opportunity to whip out my Oblique Strategies iPhone app.

That all said, I should know better than to talk about unfinished projects here. Let’s just say, I dare not mention things I haven’t started and really care about! Anyway, this is a learning exercise only, although perhaps something will be usable for a Magnolia interlude. I think I’m starting to think less of recordings as a collection of tunes, everything turns out sounding the same otherwise. I think making records is the most instructive and fun thing to do. Paul Bley was right when he suggested you make your first records young, because you won’t like them. Anyway, coming up with a story (even if it is retrospective or implicit) is super important. For 6×6 I’m thinking of something simple like, 6 continents (sorry Antarctica). Of course the listener won’t know this unless they read this blog (which is probably a given).

The actual “proper” solo piano project hasn’t progressed very far. Lots of unfinished ideas. Whether they have the genesis of tunes I don’t know. I think I need to do some solo performing to see whether I’m really cut out for it. Performance is always different. Maybe just playing at Johann Rose is a start, even if the piano isn’t sehr ECM.

Went to my landlady’s birthday last night. Lots of fun, in a really beautiful restaurant called Cafe Nest, where incidentally Stan’s housemate works (it is around the corner from their place). Great people. Nice people have nice friends, that is almost always true. Kind of felt a bit of a doofus for not speaking or understanding more German. I need to correct that with some revision and further study, which realistically will probably have to wait until next year. I think I may be away in January in that California sunshine but I’ll wait until the ink dries.

Today I caught up with Kate Green, who I went to VCA with. She has been here (in Bremen) for six years now. Wow. That was lots of fun. She’s here whilst a case is made for her baroque cello.

Apart from that, MIT work progresses, not much to do for the rest of the year, so can focus on practice. Over and out, back to the journals.

It’s starting to get darker here in the afternoons. It’s a funny feeling: doesn’t necessarily make me want to stop working (work, what’s that?) as I’m used to working at all hours, but it does make one feel a little unproductive if you haven’t risen early. The long dusk is pretty nice though, with the shops open, etc, seems very Christmas-y.

Well, what has happened since I last wrote here. Not much, and much. Len was here for a week and a bit which was great, good opportunity to explore the neighbourhood and the variety of eateries and drinkeries it has to offer. Saw some good gigs: Susanna and her Magical Orchestra probably took the cake in that respect.

I did a little gig last night with this French chap I met at Johann Rose. So at least French can come in handy even if my German is progressing very very slowly. Anyway, the gig wasn’t anything special but it did feel good to be “going to work”, like back home. That’s the first real sense of “home” I’ve had here since I moved in and bought some pesto sauce. I’m in no hurry to do any gigs, of course, but I think it’s important to play out a little bit, you can get a distorted sense of performance holed up in the practice room.

Apart from that, have been trying to finish some work for MIT (well, ostensibly the next six month’s work). Some interesting stuff, but I won’t bore you with the details. But it did involve one 34 hour “week” crammed into the first few days of this week. Then, back to the practice room, trying to learn this Berg Sonata (and then getting distracted and improvising). And the last Beethoven Cello Sonata (the piano part, of course, by the time I’m through no doubt I’ll know the whole book!). Writing hasn’t progressing too far but there are plenty of ideas, just need to flesh them out into tunes, and get a bit of a plan for this solo project together.

Anyway, enough self-indulgent ramblings. That should be enough to let my parents know what I’m up to. A few gigs back home in March/April (although unfortunately we missed out on the Apollo Bay gig for FGHR). Today I’m planning to get a cup of coffee, go for a walk around Kollwitzplatz (where the gig was last night, a very SWPL-ish area that I seem to have forgotten existed), and keep reading the Eno bio.

Next week: a few dinners (Thanksgiving, too, I think Stan is planning on doing something for that… Stan?). More of the same. Actually Stan came around to work this week which was great, having some company (yet still being able to work). Bought an interesting issue of Volume about mass housing from do you read me, my favourite bookshop.

Len and I participated in Mauer Mob, an art project to “recreate” the Wall with a chain of people. Apparently about 5,000 showed up. A night to remember.