Tomorrow (Friday, July 16) the remix contest for Zero Tolerance will commence. The stems and all the info can be found at FiXT Remix.
I will handpick the winners who will have their remixes released in the FiXT store on a (mini)album. There’s no other prize from FiXT Remix, but I’ll throw in a download of my live album ‘Live at the Watertower’ that will be released on September 3. You can find more info on it here.
The Minutia Remix Project has been pretty quiet lately. Things have taken longer again on my part so the deadline I’ve set for Mingle is void.
The new one is now: September 9… 8 more weeks from today!
I’m still awaiting some back. So if you’re one the people who wanted to do a remix could you please get in touch with me to let me know if you’re still gonna do it? Or if you’d like to give it try, but hadn’t chosen a song yet read the Mingle post and get in touch with me. The more the merrier.
I’m sitting here outside an old mansion outside of Berlin (actually right now I’m at the hospital cafeteria for the free wifi). It’s quiet but for the wind, birds, crickets and the occassional car sound from far away. It’s sunny/cloudy and windy. The perfect summer residence. I still can’t believe my luck. One day I’m melting in the heat in my flat unable to do any work because my brain hot way too slow, the next I’m in a stranger’s huge house at my free disposal. It’s got everything but hot water and who needs that in summer. Guess I’ll stay here for a week and except for the occassional city guest I’ll be on my own writing new songs. Got a mobile recording studio here with me (Hurray for technology!) and a video camera. I’m only here since last night and I’m already feeling inspired.
You might have read my tweets when I prepared for my gig at the watertower in Bernau and wondered why on earth I would spend so much time sorting out the live setup, troubleshooting and rehearsing for one single concert. No one can have sooo much stage fright! Nope, but it wasn’t just another performance. It was my longest one so far. 14 songs so over 90 minutes. My parents saw me perform solo for the first time. And last, but definitely not least, it was to be recorded and filmed with 4 cameras. I also set up everything so I could record the songs internally for better sound quality. Unfortunately I forgot to hit record on the last 3 songs so I’ve made a live recording of them in my living room/studio, dubbed The Ivory Tower Sessions (which I may continue in the future in some way or another).
I didn’t want to announce the plans beforehand because surprises are nice, I was afraid if I did I would jinx it and things would go wrong and the pressure was on enough. Now that things went well – very dramatic drum roll -:
The audio download of the gig will be released soon (mid July, TBC) including 4 videos (In Unison, Zero Tolerance, The Tide & A Little) and a booklet. 50% of the proceeds will go directly to the charity Father’s House that helps underprivileged children in Berlin.
When Ruben, a friend, who works for this charity heard about the upcoming concert in this unusual location (a watertower) he suggested the live recording in cooperation with Father’s House. The gig was on May 27 – exactly half a year after the release of Minutia. Everything seemed so neat and fell into place so easily… who could say no?!
I’m currently in the process of mixing and mastering the live concert. Just now I got back from going through the videos of the 4 songs with Tom who did not only do the shoot at the watertower he is the one who made the fantastic dumentary “Letztes Jahr im Sommer” (Last Year in Summer) of OMP, the band I’m part of as well. The videos are gonna look great. One camera angle is a slanted view from above showing an overview of my gadgets.
Photo by Oliver Köhler
The set list on May, 27 at the watertower Bernau:
In Unison
Unspoken
Zero Tolerance
Paperheart
Euphoria
The Tide
Stealthy
Hearts First
A Little
Breathing Underwater
Moody
Scaredy Cat’s Lullaby
Unknown Territory
Webs
I started the Minutia Remix Project already in October, that’s over half a year ago (where did the time go?) So I decided it might be time to set a deadline for it. Don’t fret… it’s not tomorrow.
Deadline: July 31, 2010.
That’s 12 weeks from now. It should give you plenty of time to work on the remixes and/or the artwork, methinks. Of course the project is still open until then. So if you’d like to contribute to it with a remix or artwork, you can read up on it and get in touch with me.
I want to give a big shoutout to all the contributors. You’ve done an amazing job. Thank you so so much! You have no idea how often you’ve saved my day when I was feeling down.
The remixes that are finished at this point can be downloaded at bandcamp. The artwork contributions are up on flickr.
Those of you who follow this blog already know about Mingle – the Minutia Remix Project. The first 6 remixes are fantastic and waiting to be downloaded for free at bandcamp. About as many are still in the making and I can’t wait to hear them. I’m well chuffed how an @reply from Twitter sparked such a wonderful virtual collaboration.
The whole thing didn’t go unnoticed and I was asked today if an online store could carry Mingle – meaning – sell it. For you who follow my doings Mingle would stay available for free at bandcamp where so far I’ve only set it up that donations can be made. In addition Mingle could be sold at this online store for those who just happen to stumble upon it there.
Now, the remixers gave me their contributions for free so the thought of monetising their work makes me queasy. Then again, I’ve barely recouped the production expenses for Minutia not counting any equipment bought.
I meant to write this post months ago, but then so many things happened and needed to be done, I felt the urge to work on new songs etc. Alas, here it comes at last.
(Step 0: Make a prototype and figure out what works and what doesn’t. Make changes in the design.)
Tools of the Trade
Step 1: Make DIY screens for all motifs.
For each of the three yo u need an embroidery hoop, a pair of tights and the motifs printed out in black. Stretch out the tights and secure them in the hoops, then trace the motifs with a pencil on the screen with the fabric facing down. Next all the negative spaces have to be covered in waterproof glue. A great tutorial can be found at Instructables.
Step 2: Cut out cardboard into squares of the right size. 2 for each.
Step 3: Cut out paper into squares a bit bigger than the cardboard squares and glue them on the latter.
Step 4: Print out the CD sleeves, the inside pockets and the pages for the booklet until the printer runs hot. Then cut all out along the crop marks with a cutter knife and a ruler and fold them appropriately.
Step 5: Get needle and thread and bind the booklet pages with the easiest bookbinding technique. Cut off the overlaying bits of the booklet pages with cutter knife and ruler.
Step 6: Glue a piece of paper on the back of each of the covered cardboard squares and then carefully glue on the folded pockets.
Step 7: Get out the sewing machine and do a zigzag stitch along the separate open sides on top first, then around the other sides of the CD sleeves.
Step 8: Mix the acrylic colours with the screen printing solution, then print. The artwork for the cover of the special edition was designed by the talented elwoood.
Step 9: After putting the sleeve including the CD and the booklet into the pockets cut the right length of self-adhesive bookbinder linen and join both halves together.
Voilà! That’s it.
Making each special edition takes at least one hour. That’s not counting the design process, making the prototype, the screens or drying time. There’s a lot of love in every detail.
Want one now? You can order them at bandcamp. Until all 100 are sold, that is.
