Andy the Barman - 7.23.2010

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.

[audio:andy-the-barman.mp3| titles= Andy the Barman - July 23, 2010 Development|artists=music2work2 ]

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.  

Heath - 27 Minutes 59 Seconds

Classic music2work2 - pianos, strings, alternating time signatures and themes - oh, and it's long.

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2007 was the year that music2work2 really started to take shape. I was working with a Korg Triton and my recording and mixing chops were getting better. New gear is funny - there is just something about sitting down at a new toy and playing with it - experimenting with what sounds good and what doesn't. As usual the piano track was played first and then subsequent voices recorded on top - you can hear strings, electric pianos and even some funky frequencies as I got deeper into wave forms - Ooooh!

There are a number of different themes going on in this piece - Heath was a guy I met through the Kelli gig - he was a freelance template developer who also happened to be a musician. We collaborated on a couple of things musically but the tech work would get in the way. I learned a lot from Heath including how to manipulate photoshop and how to freestyle on beat tracks - it was fun while it lasted but we eventually went our separate ways.

There's a theme that comes in around 17 minutes - it's called "Andy The Barman" and is a theme that I have promised myself I will develop further. It reflects a particularly bizarre time of my life when I was indeed working a bar in London - strange times but all good grist for the creative mill.

If you like the track you can share it across your Networks – just click share on the right of the player.

Heath is part of The Reader’s Playlist.