Like many other people, I’m feeling perfectly happy/excited/euphoric because of the “extreme” winter we’re having here in Belgium. Waking up in a snow covered landscape for i-lost-the-count-?? days is just such a lovely humbling experience. I know many people freeze to dead, others may have a very difficult job at the moment because of the coldness.. so it’s not all good. But, still, I love it.
Compared to many other countries, it’s still next to nothing though. 10 cm (4 inches) is not exactly deep. And more often than not, it’s less. But anyways…
It reminds me of the record I made during January 2009. Almost 2 years ago now, it’s insane how fast time flies by. The record was called ‘Winter’ and seems like a perfect companion to some winterwandering. Music + wintry landscapes = winner.
Wherever it’s cold, I hope you’re having warm. Wherever there is snow, I hope your spending time outside.
I’m looking heaps forward to tomorrow’s show at urban explorers sleeping room.
Finally i get my chance to play to sleeping people! Like, actual sleeping people who are tired of a filled festival day. I also look forward to meeting declining winter / sedan vault again. Nice people in nice bands! And discovering others of course..
After long and careful deliberation (and after receiving some e-mails with various suggestions), it’s been decided to NOT release a vinyl compilation of the 2009 project.
There are various reasons for this but I suppose the most important one is this one: It’s really hard to make a good compilation out of all those songs, let alone a vinyl compilation. I can’t figure out any order of songs crammed onto 4 sides of 20 minutes that I like. Simple as that.. I don’t want to release something that doesn’t feel right.
Furthermore: I think the project should be seen as a whole. There are many compilations possible, and I guess they’re all relevant previews, but to make “a definitive compilation” is simply impossible to me. Also, some monthly albums I just like the way they are. Taking a song from “Clouds”, two from “Blood Red Bird”, another one from “Unwind” would just kill it for me.. I prefer working on all new material for a proper vinyl release then…
So… I guess it’s no big deal, but thought I’d let you know anyways. If you want to have a good introduction compilation anyway, you can always listen to the playlist at the 2009 page.
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It feels great not creating music this month! (Though I don’t like to sit too still… )
So… During the past months I received quite some comments on the project, also on the subject of what to do with the music when it’s finished. Some people suggested doing a “best of” cd or 2LP, others thought it was good to release them all on vinyl (not going to happen :)), a best of 45s box was even suggested, but I think that is a bit over the top.. besides I’m the first to admit that there’s a whole lot of awful songs hiding in those 365 minutes.
However, I do think it might be fun to try and make one lovely double LP (80 minutes - 4 sides of 20 minutes) out of the 81 songs I wrote this year. If I look at them as demos for songs, it makes sense to me. I also will be able to have some nice neat new BIG artwork which is something I always like. A lovely 80 minute collection on wax in a well designed box to serve as a souvenir to this awesome stupid project.
Why am I explaining all this you ask? Well, I think it might be more fun if people who took the time to follow the project have their say in it. I’d like you to take the little DIY survey at the end of this post, e-mail me your answers, and once I get some opinions, I’ll compile them in a human way to make the best possible 2LP i can get out of the 365 minutes I made this year.
So: use this questions as guidelines for your thoughts and do e-mail them if you like. Or just one. Or none. If a 2LP happens, it will surely be thanks to your answers.
2009 SURVEY FOR A POSSIBLE BEST OF RELEASE:
1) Which songs did you like best? 2) Which is your preferred monthly record? (You can name more than one if you like that better) 3) What song(s) was/were so terrible you hope you’ll never ever have to hear it again? (or which monthly records should be avoided when selecting songs?) 4) Do you have an ideal setlist? If so: what would it look like? 5) Any other remark you think would make a better compilation? 6) Cd or vinyl?
Just to set an example, I’ll fill in my own opinion.. During my skiing holidays I spent a few hours - 6 hours and 5 minutes to be exact - listening to the complete project, just the figure out if I could make one record out of it.. it’s an interesting exercise.
1) we’ll never get out of this bed / skatebeats / january the 4th / glittertind / into the forever we hum 2) winter / blood red bird / an empty canvas 3) too many to mention. :) 4) not yet. or see 5. 5) a theme per side! side A acoustic & folky songs (winter/bloodredbird/swaywithme) side B ambient (clouds/norway) side C electronic (twooldsongs/anemptycanvas) side D sleepy songs (slaapliedjes/unwind/the end) 6) vinylllllll!
Something like that… so: do mail your thoughts! The sooner the better, if you don’t like the mail.. that’s fine too.
It’s probably a good idea to have all the songs in one place, ordered chronologically because randomly just sounds terrible. Here ya go:
I’m rather happy the end is finally where it is supposed to be; here and now. Creating a record every month has been challenging. Sometimes I would go crazy (sorry friends) over not having music ready with only a few days to go, sometimes I would ignore friends & family, just to make music for this awesome stupid project. Fortunately, there’s always an “awesome” part in awesome stupid projects. The fun bits that happen while making music, the wonderful new people you get to know, the impulsive contributions of wonderful friends like Laure (voice on the new one), and a lot of ideas you get while doing something that on the outside seems rather pointless.
This project started out as a joke on new year’s eve, and right now, we’re on the day before the next new year’s eve - new year’s eve eve?. I’ve already made promises to myself for the year 2010 like spending more time with friends, not bugging you each month with a new release and probably doing more sports. (ok, that last one might be not true). There’ll be one more e-mail about this project, the idea has been dropped of doing a best of or a 2LP compilation - and if that happens, I’d really appreciate that people who care about it can have their say and participate in something like this. But we’ll see about that. First thing I’ll be doing in 2010 is going up to the mountains, putting on some ski’s and bury myself in snow.
Getting a copy?
No one can buy a copy this time. I figured it would be appropriate to thank those who supported this project the most, by sending them a copy as a gift. So, the 31 people who bought the most monthly records will receive the limited physical edition of “The End” by +- the 20th of january. The music of the dramatically titled “The End” is more or less a composed extension of the Slaapliedjes releases. Kind of boring. Like previous months, everyone can download and listen to it freely at http://2009.bandcamp.com. I would appreciate it if no one mails to find out if he/she’ll be getting a copy, let it be a surprise. I like it better that way :-)
Some random numbers
2009 consists of 12 records 5 guests (kristof, ellen, ulrike, nil & laure) 81 songs 365 minutes of music (correct to the second!) 45.453 (I just like this one)
Thanks
… for reading and thanks for downloading/listening/talking/whatever. Life is nothing but an awesome playground I am glad to be in.
About a year ago I released “Somewhere Between The Sun & The Moon” - a record I’m still proud of. I hadn’t listened to it in ages (musicians seldom like to hear their own songs unless they can still go back and change things) but when I did listen in order to make this November record, I didn’t felt the need to change bits. It’s the kind of record I’d still like to make. I don’t have that feeling with any other thing I did. I’m not saying it’s the best record ever, just that I think it’s fine the way it is. So….
For this month I wanted to go back to that period of my life, find the songs that didn’t make the cut, find alternate recordings, destroy and mix up different versions. If I was on Universal Records and they would release a Deluxe Edition of Sun/Moon, this would be the extra cd. It includes my stofstuk remix of Machinefabriek - which is less of a remix than a new song. It also includes the moment when I stumbled upon the “Outside Your Locked Heart” theme. You can literally hear that melody being born which is why I like it. I also remember that particular moment quite vividly. And then I remixed some songs that did and didn’t make the cut.
The songs on this record are nowhere as “good” as the Sun/Moon music - there’s a reason they didn’t make the cut! But still, to those few who’d like to see Sun/Moon expanded, here are some other songs that belong to the same soundworld and the same mindset. “Moon/Gone” for example only got cut off the record in the last definitive listening session of the record.
There are 30 copies available this time, send me an e-mail (wimmaesschalck@gmail.com) and I’ll hook you up with a copy. It’s 12 euro, shipping included.
Finally i get my chance to play to sleeping people! Like, actual sleeping people who are tired of a filled festival day. I also look forward to meeting declining winter / sedan vault again. Nice people in nice bands! And discovering others of course..
