18 posts tagged “birmingham”
Hi y'all.
About time we updated our whereabouts and what we've all been up to..
Another busy time as Musoplex sees another rise in workload and fun. Pete has been off with Dufus on the UK leg of their European tour capturing the gigs and something more personal from the Dufamily. I had the pleasure of watching them and recording the audio from the Cheltenham gig on Thursday - at the Frog and Fiddle - a most excellent venue with friendly staff, a great live room and much thanks to a really very good sound man in Mike. Videos will take about 3 weeks to start surfacing......watch this space.
Personally I have been busy trying to work on signing a new band to the Raven: label - which should be concluded in early Dec.
We have become a working partner with a fantastic charity - Sound It Out - who promote free access to music for youth in 'less affluent' areas. We start work with our group on Dec 8th.
Katie has done a few photo shoots with Sam and with The Ganders and these are under process. Another shoot with Butterfly Fan the Inferno coming right up...
We are about to go and see the local constabulary to also see how we can help with the local community.
Si has recorded great sets from Police B***ard (featuring both 'Pid and Johnny Doom on vocals) for an EP off for pressing next month. Also through the studio were the excellent Butterfly Fan the Inferno, A Shot In The Dark and HINGe, with Lee Phillips also running a session for a comedy band in between). Next up.....We All Need Heroes and the Ganders.
Busy busy busy.....a Christmas round up next month.....
Andy
Musoplex remains at the heart and focus of all music in the West Midlands, Birmingham and the Black Country and 2010 sees some ambitious expansion plans. Looking forward to it :o)
We don't post as much as we should cos we are too busy.....but enough excuses.....here's several reasons why we are the best studio in Brum :o)))
A
framework Studios at Musoplex have taken on a new freelance producer in the form of Lee Phillips (www.cornerstudios.co.uk) and he starts his full-on time solo work at the end of the month.
Meaning......when Lee has our weekends we can do some cheaper daytime rates as it frees up the legendary Si Reeves (worked on Napalm Death, Bjork/Carcass / PJ Harvey at Framework).
From £150 a day (Mon - Thurs) he represents incredible value for money. You can always still book Framework and Si Fri - Sun starting at £250 a day for longer runs.
More to follow as we have also created our own promotional gig arm with Matt from Nuventure...
Loads of it.....we haven't been on for a while cos we are too busy....but let's just rectify that shall we :o)
We are really proud to be sponsors of 'Freshly Picked' - a new unsigned show on WCR FM (101.8FM or live internet streaming). Hosted by the sensationally wonderful Katy Jay (if I call her a veteran of radio I will be killed :O)) on Sundays 8-10 and repeated Thurs into Friday between 12 and 2 in the am. The show will feature the best in all forms of music from across the west of the Midlands and beyond as well as gig guides, interviews, weekly round up of music in Wolverhampton and much, much more.
Here she is.....listen in and make the most of music in your area...etc :o)
I am never sure if these things are going to work....I am a Luddite.....so let's go!!! If it does - join us on Twitter XX
We have succumbed to the first mass frenzy of the 21st century and joined twitter (http://twitter.com/musoplex). Follow us as we post really banal stuff interspersed with more interesting and relevant stuff about our studio, photography, live recording, video making, gig promotion, record label and more.
Go on....follow us....and join up.
Andy
Here's what you missed...
A packed Little Civic on a cold Sunday in January (thanks to all the bands and Matt at Nuventure) and a party atmosphere topped by the fabulous Eureka Machines....ACE!!
I officially love Elle Diablo, Sarcastic Comment were excellent and played a blinder and Discotheque Wreck partied hard - but still none came close to the bouncing, vibrant, technically wonderful, crafted Eureka Machines.
2008 is finally over and as I start to settle into 2009 I thought I would spend a while reflecting on last year and moving on into the new year....
So - first and absolutely foremost - a HUGE thanks to everyone we have worked with or met in the last year. Way too numerous to name them all and rude to single out a few so just a big cheers to you all - it remains a pleasure.
In what was our first full year since the studio relocation we have seen rehearsing bands that we have heard from day 1 as a shamling wall of dischordant noise that now sound like working and coherent units with some budding, developing and downright excellent songwriters and players.
Pete has made some great and diverse videos - from a live tour of Germany with anti-fascist punk band Police Bast*rd to bang up to date current work of DVD filming, editing and authoring for Barry Steele - the UKs Number One Roy Orbison Tribute (is that okay Barry?? :o)).
We registered our label (unless you are deadly serious don't go there!!), released our 1st label material for The Cubans and Skull Fox and in 2009 will look for more as we get better at it.
2009 will also see Replicant (the live recording arm of the business) move into more frequent gig promotion - in Jan-Mar we will be looking for venues and acts. We will also be introducing a rewards system for bands - getting free photo shoots, days in the studio etc.
We also start a regular last Wed of every month local radio slot at the end of this month - fielding ourselves, our own guests, our own recordings etc..
And - speaking of our own recordings - Si and Mike are both pretty solid and all weekends are now booked until March - and even they are under negotiation and likely to go pretty soon - but this does leave weekdays etc easily enough - sometimes.
So - a great year - for which we are hugely grateful - and a very promising 2009 beckons.
A
First of all - sorry - I don't get much of a chance to do this at the moment and really it takes minutes rather than hours but we can still hardly get the time in.
We hit 10, 000 hits on our website (www.musoplex.com) and for a year in wayyyy exceeded out plans and hopes. We are rapidly approaching 1000 myspace friends too so a big tanks again.
We had a fun week and weekend with 3 recordings booked in - one of which we had to put off till next week so a big big sorry Steve - see you Wednesday :o)
On Thursday we live recorded Laika Dog (the new band of Terrorvision's Tony Wright), Eureka Machines (if you see a poster - go and see them), Red Already and Discotheque Wreck - both under construction but had a massive turnout and justifiably warm reception.
On Saturday we did a PA hire and engineering of a 2.5kW rig for Millenium of Blood (very metal night) and within 5 minutes one of our brand new set of midrange speaker stacks had blown and had to be replaced. Skullfox were show stealers, the PA worked in the end, Martyr de Mona were stylish and Adrenaline did exactly what they said on the tin. Not everything will always run smoothly and Si got us through it all.......cos I forgot I was playing myself in Dudley that night. We set up, soundchecked, changed speakers, crossed our fingers and hey presto. I had to leave at 9.30, play a 40 minute set 15 miles away then come back to strip down. An interesting day that saw me start at 1pm a finish at 3am.......
This week we mix the live stuff from last week, record Steve Hadley, Police Ba****d are in writing material for a new album, the rehearsal rooms are all buzzing, we hire out the PA again on Sat, Pete photoshops pics from Thurs night and on Sunday I see my lovely wife and see if we recognise each other. Guess what we are doing.....go on.....that's right - going to see some bands in Cannock hahahahaha....
I'll post the pics and live recs from Thurs when we get them finished....
Between now and the end of the year we already have to start 3 studio albums and record 4 EPS and are expecting a 5th or 6th too....but have no fear - we're here to help and can always do more as long as we don't compromise either your material or the studios name. We don't allow jobbing producers - everything that goes out the studio bears our name and we value it so you can always be assured of the best possible service and sound.
CHEERS
Andy
Courtesy of reverbnation.com......12 months in the making - some of the bands that have come through our doors in the last 12 months.....from acoustic to grindcore....watch out!!!
SORRY - I HAVE TAKEN THIS OFF TO REMOVE THE AUTOPLAY - THIS WILL BE RECTIFIED!!! SOON
