I like Andy – in a roguish kind of way – he’s not inherently evil – he just assumes that you can take care of yourself and that you make your own decisions.

Download audio file (andy-the-barman.mp3)

Andy was born In East London in the spring and summer of 1999 – having been thrown out of America for absolutely legitimate reasons – my life plan wasn’t exactly going to plan: there’s nothing like sitting in front of a US customs officer as he tells you that you’re going to jail, you’re going to get fined $50,000 and that you’re going to get aids. 

So I came back to London and became Andy the Barman – lived above the pub – drank fruit flavored alcopops for breakfast and waited for the stars to change.  If you need to be lost – a live-in pub gig is great – there’s a big bar separating you from your friends – they can only watch as you leave.

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Life was particularly strange – but brilliant – I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

I eventually found a rehearsal room – a mile or so away from the pub and on my day off, would set out by bus to “keep my hand in." There was a corner shop between the bus stop and the rehearsal room – I would buy a six pack which I would then sheepishly hide as I paid for my rehearsal room – I’d go up – and immediately slam 3 bottles down.

I then sat at the piano and forgot everything for the next hour or two – it was from one of these sessions that this theme appeared.  

Strings, Electric Pianos, Bass lines and more.

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Written in November 2005 – this track has a lot going on: piano, two string tracks, electric piano and bass. I remember learning a lot about my own composition style at the time and being very conflicted.

My natural approach to music2work2 is to just sit and play; Sexercise aside – I always start with the piano track and aim to leave room for any subsequent voices. I have an idea when I’m playing the first track what the other parts could be but I never really know until I’m playing them. This approach is of course anathema to the trained composer so I spent 2005 worrying about form and attempting to define structure and parts in advance.

I began developing themes in the traditional way: 1A, 2A, 1B, 2B etc – and played with various different forms –the end result – to my ears anyway – was lifeless. Oh sure – every part made sense, the music stood as a finite recognizable piece – but – it had no soul. It was a very frustrating time.

This track was the first time that year where I just sat at the keyboard and recorded what came into my head – no structure, no worrying about where I was supposed to go and how every part was going to work – the minute I finished one track I changed voices and immediately recorded the next, right on top. It has a flow that had been missing all year and I was mightily relieved when I went back to listen to it. Coming in at 5:10 is an early development of “Andy the Barman,” it’s a good story and will be told when the theme is ready.

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November is part of The Thinker’s Playlist.