worn down piano

back from the void part III

Going through to The Void sessions, it's fair to conclude that 'The Boyke method' paid off. What does this method conceive of, you may ask... We don't want to make to much fuzz about it. Yes, It is our secret weapon, but that's no reason to be too mysterious about it. Adding a chord or two here and there, is really all it is. But you have to know which chords, and where to place it. Boyke knows.

dub no bass with my head

back from the void part II

Thought another photograph would be nice. Enough pics left to keep this series running for a few days.

lined up

back from the void

Had a great weekend. Really have to thank Pidah for some great recording. It was hard work, we didn't get too much sleep, but who cares if you get to record your fucked-up Rhodes, atmospheric dub guitars, vibraphone, bongo's, shakers and hand-claps. It's all there.
We're not done yet, but the first results are astonishing. Euphoria's taking us over. Yeah right, that's a tricky thing. Let us enjoy the moment. We'll snap back to reality soon enough. Saturday brings a new rehearsal, time for some serious evaluating and the making of new plans. Can hardly wait to get back to work.
Love, SJ

back to mine (4)

the void

Today's show down. We'll be collecting our gear at 6pm tonight. Expected at The Void, Eindhoven, at about 8.30. Time to deliver.
Come to think of it: it's an intruiging name, The Void. Almost scary. Will we return? 'Unknown (some say talented) band from Nijmegen and 's-Hertogenbosch, Spider James, got lost in the void while working on their first album, February 2007. They were never to be seen again.'

european son

pop is art

Andy Warhol died twenty years ago, February 22, 1987. In many ways Warhol refined and expanded the idea of what it means to be an artist. He was a painter, an avant-garde filmmaker, a commercial illustrator, writer and celebrity. He defines Pop Art: a philosophical and practical incorporation of art into popular culture and society, and art offered to us as a product of that society. So Warhol painted dollar bills, brand name products and celebrities. By the end of the sixties he was a celebrity himself.
Warhol adopted The Velvet Underground in 1966, Nico was added on his instigation. Warhol "produced" the first album as well as providing the famous album art: 'The Velvet Underground and Nico' is often referred to as the banana album as it features a Warhol print of a banana on the cover. Early copies of the album invited the owner to Peel slowly and see; peeling back the skin revealed a flesh-colored banana underneath. John Cale later admitted that Warhols actual participation in the album's production consisted of not much more than paying for the studio bill. Money well spent.

alaaf!

making moves

Three days from now we'll be in back in the studio, re-recording 'All in between' (on a breeze), 'Gentle' (Morninghead) and 'Umbrella' (it's gonna rain), for which we've written some new words to replace the old mambo jambo intro. Not exactly new stuff, we know, but you'll understand why we're doing these songs again as soon as you here the results. They truly deserve proper arrangements. And lets be honest: who has listened to EP01 anyway? While at it, we'll try and throw some of of our instrumental miniatures ('Kam', 'Boyke relax') on tape as well. So by Sunday we'll have 10 tracks recorded. Still think we'll never get that album out? Think again. Cheerio.

real mothers for ya

freak out!

"On a personal level, Freaking Out is a process whereby an individual casts off outmoded and restricting standards of thinking, dress and social etiquette in order to express CREATIVELY his relationship to his immediate environment and the social structure as a whole. Less perceptive individuals have referred to us who have chosen this way of thinking and FEELING as "Freaks", hence the term "Freaking Out".
(f. zappa)

witch doctor

my funny valentine

As said before, no rehearsal for Spider James next Saturday. The whole Brabant section of our band is either celebrating Carnaval, visiting friends in Newcastle (UK) or working. Not hard to pick the odd one out of this list. Good luck, Ted...
At this moment I'm trying hard to get off my lazy ass myself and get back to doing some work. Got loads of it laying around. Instead of getting to it, I'm drinking coffee. And more coffee. Looking outside, watching the rain come down and listening to Chet Baker. It feels good, in a somewhat sad way. Valentine's Day or not, any rainy day is a good day for listening to Chet Bakers definite version of 'My Funny Valentine' .

back to mine (3)

time off

All seems to be quiet on the Spider James front. There'll be no rehearsal next Saturday. We're not getting nonchalant already but Patrick is working, so is Rob, Boyke is probably getting ready for his Carnaval festivities. Which leaves Ted, JL and WJP who are probably taking a well deserved weekend off, doing what normal people do on their Saturday afternoons. It's very well possible there won't even be a rehearsal next week... WJP's in England that weekend, Boyke partying somewhere. No worries. We'll be back with you soon.

cowgirl

on a breeze

Working our way through a dozen different versions of 'All in between' finally paid off Yesterday. We've thrown away a lot of superfluous bars, laying the emphasis on what was already good about the song in the first place (the melody) and adding solid drumming, cowbell, ska guitar, catchy playful rhodes and one killer drone. It's simple. It's very psychedelic. It feels great.

analog audio tape

araignée jaques mixtape #1

Time for a confession. We are the kind of nerds who like to make mix tapes. Well, at least some of us are. Here's the first one, compiled by me, Guillaume des Cours du Pré. It is a collection of songs I've been listening to on my way to work, riding the bus from Schijndel to 's-Hertogenbosch, which is sort of the theme of this compilation. Here it is, for your pleasure!

side a
Fennesz - Shisheido
The Books - Bonanza
Benoit Pioulard - Triggering Back
Husky Rescue - Diamonds in the Sky
Gruff Rhys - Painting People Blue
Teenage Fanclub - The Town and the City
The Byrds - Goin' Back
Belle and Sebastian - Asleep on a Sunbeam
Peter, Björn and John - Young Folks
29"49

side b
Panda Bear - Ponytail
Sam Gopal - The Sky is Burning
The United states of America - Love Song For The Dead Ché
Broadcast - Poem of Dead Song
The Free Design - Never Tell the World
Hans Appelqvist - Grammofonnummer
Mum - We Have a Map of the Piano
Max Richter - Iconography
Elton John - Rocket Man
29"41