clefs and sounds of life...?

Bitching about Singaporean Musicians

2007-03-06T11:13:00.001+08:00

Erm...ok..now what I am going to talk about here has got nothing to do with what you see on TV or hear from the airwaves. Meaning I am not talking about iconized people like Step Sun or Kit Chan. I don't like those, but they deserve the credit. I am more an underground or alternative (term loosely used) kind of guy. I am not even going to touch on the likes of Superbands or Singapore Idols and I do not support these events for good personal reasons.

So that leaves me with pretty much the unsigned bands or musicians that I come to know or heard off. For now, there are a few bands that are slowly getting recognition like Electrico, Ronin etc.

What they have done, I think is a milestone for local musicians. However, there's this other group that sees these emerging bands as over rated, not worthy of musicians, posers and what's not.

Simple fact is this, THEY MADE IT! PERIOD!

We only have the rights to say either we like their style of music or not, to support or not..that's all. We re in no position to say they are good or not as we are first, not at their level, and second, defining what's good is subjective. Till one has proven to be of certain substance then can one be a valid critic. At least, these musicians dare to be who they want to be and not to be living on the fantasy and dreams of someone's else who already accomplished these.

Bitching about Singaporean Musicians

2007-03-06T11:13:00.000+08:00

Been a while...scalloped guitar neck

2007-02-21T17:23:00.000+08:00

Wow.. I can't believe this, the last time i set foot on this little cozy corner of mine was May last year, that is more than half a year ago. Hahaha...

alrite...let's see what has happened and what I would love to share during the past six months or so...

ok...there were these silly hypes, articles concerning bloggers and what they do or did on their blog. Ah nah...those like I said are silly little issues. Bottomline is that the internet is a public domain and whatever that is posted is meant for public viewing, unless secured in some ways. These people post their feelings, pictures and etc. basically to share, get attention or merely just to entertain whoever that comes along. If these people are concern about privacy, then they wouldn't be blogging in the first place. So what's the big deal? Opps...spoke too much already...

Ok...getting down to what usually do here, unload my crap in the hope that you won't wreak with my crap.

I am generally a guitar player, electric, nylon string or steel string folk etc. Of course my favorite will always be a Stratocaster with a scalloped fretboard. The ongoing discussion on the pros and cons of scalloped fretboard versus a normal fretboard has always been around since God knows when. So here're my little one penny worth of opinions in short.

1. Control of vibrato is definitely a plus point as there's no contact between the fretted string and the fretboard. Result of this is greater sustain and wider vibrator.

2. Scalloped frets are indeed harder to play when it comes to speed, because the strings actually cuts into the flesh, and one needs practice in order to get use to the fretboard and gain better control.

3. Chances of notes going off is high if one is not careful and exert too much pressure on the string, causing the string to bend into the scalloped area, hence a change in pitch. However, this flaw can be a plus if one knows how to use it to the fullest. Get the hint?

Ok ... pretty short blog after a long break...

Kiss's Rock The Nation Live!, Whitesnake's Live 2006 DVDs

2006-05-03T13:21:00.000+08:00

Was watching both the DVDs over the past couple of weeks. Wow!...these guys are old, but they still have it. Playing their classics and pounding the music out of their passionate souls.

These are true inspirations as far as I am concern. Why? They Walk the Walk then Talk the Talk.

One thing remains true, audience and fans can tell where they are coming from. These legends knows it and they have to be honest about it. If one is to take note, most of these legends were mere mortals trying to do what they like and enjoy doing so.

Despite the fame, fortune, glamour and status, these people knew where to draw the line at every angle, and where passion and business can mix.

Kiss is one such innovative band. From the start it was clear, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley already had a vision. They wanted to brand themselves as entertainer more than musicians. Eventually, the band grew larger than hell. Merchandise, various franchises and massive marketing made the band Kiss into a major business empire.

But wait a minute...out of all these, what is the core? What is the main drive? It was playing music itself and entertaining people that drove them. They didn't forget people were drawn to them because of their music and their passion to perform.

You will always hear or read that they are always having fun and enjoying what they are doing. That's the bottomline. It was through these that made them form mere mortals to living legends. Oh yes, and not forgetting humble intellectuality.

Whitesnake is another band that has been around since the early 80s. Despite being through constant changes in the entire lineup, Coverdale, the frontman and brainchild, was still able maintain the sound and quality that people can identify as Whitesnake's own. Again, there have been difficulties, especially in this case, where members are changing and you have a job to keep a constant. How is it possible that it maintained and still is one of the best bands of all time? In my opinion, is the drive from your heart that ran on the right passion fuel .

Being an inspiration, is being able to make positive changes in other people's lives, motivate people to take that much bolder step into the unknown, and yet in the end, it is not you who knew of your influence, but it's others. You just do what you knew is true and honest.

The list goes on...but this are the two bands I would like to give tribute to for now.

Check out their DVDs, my rating is " They are still good!"

Improvisation?

2006-03-06T13:38:00.000+08:00

Improvisation is a common term used in music for spotaneous musical reaction. What it means basically is playing a melody on the spot over a given chord progression or situation.

So what does improvisation do to you? Well, one thing, music are written, in my opinion, out of improvisation. It also helps you(or at least to me) to improve musically, or increases your chordal sensitivity. Chords are like the background in a picture and the notes or melody over the chord progression are the garnishes and themes.

However, it's really subjective to individual taste and preferences. Some like fast notes, some like legato feels, some like clssical phrases, some prefer fewer notes, so may I ask, who is right and who is wrong? Answer is no one.

Improvisation enhances two things, one is personal style and character, the other, is composition ability.

Listen to Jazz and live music, most of the time, improvisation saves asses and/or give a new lease of life to a particular piece of music.

Dream Theater Live In Singapore 27 Jan 06 @ Singapore Indoor Stadium

2005-12-12T10:08:00.000+08:00

Well well, it's about time some top class metal act come play in Singapore. These couple of years, many metal/rock icons have come and gone, from Bon Jovi to Def Leppard, Malmsteen to Vai, etc...However, Dream Theater (DT)'s gig was a highly anticiapted one, or so I thought. Perhaps it was a reaction to their cancellation of the gig last year, I don't know, but attendance was really disappointing. It was three quarter filled to my visual judgement.

I am just going to cut the story short, although the band was technically precise, there were a few flaws in their performance here and there. One of course was the sound, during their first number, the guitars and bass were totally overpowered by the drums and the keyboards especially. Interaction with the audience is minimal, as compared to Metallica, Bon Jovi and Deep Purple etc. Even Kitaro and Yanni had more interaction with the audience when they were here.

Vocalist was lost in the midst, I believed he forgotten or was over powered by the drums. There was also a serious lack of energy, this is the first time, I see a metal gig with a top class act that people actually got tired and sat down, I was one of them. I never did that in my life for major metal acts' gig. The set list wasn't very exciting in my opinion. Seems like they just wanted to get it over and done with.

All is not lost though, Portnoy was entertaining enough with his antics, and also, the show case of their slower numbers actually had hints of Pink Floyd's influence. The encore, Pull Me Under was good...that was a saving grace.

Overall, it's an enjoyable gig, but definitely not the best I have seen and also not the most memorable. They are capable of doing better. My ratings based on entertaining value is 6/10. Simple reason is that I didn't had as much fun as I did with Metallica, Bon Jovi, Malmsteen, Vai and also not forgetting Deep Purple and Black Sabbath.

Why I wrote what I wrote.

2005-11-09T13:33:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone, pardon me for my late posting as I was, as usual, caught with many things in life. But now, I am able to squeeze out some moments to address some thoughts.

First of all, I would just want to thank you, friends, who have visited my humble blog from time to time and given me valuable feedbacks and enquiries. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

With that done, I would like to address certain issues with regards to this little blog. I used to have another blog where I just bitched, complained and sweared at every thing that bugged me. I realised that it gets nothing done and I sincerely apologize for not being able to fullfill some of your desires to read about such generics. My objective here is to share, and perhaps put my two-cent worth in certain issues or knowledge relating to music.

Now, back to music.

I was watching Channel News Asia, where they featured the music festival in China. It was the biggest musical instrument exhibition in Asia. Well, the scale was grand when I saw it in the box. However, there were certain pointers that were highlighted during the festival.

One of which is "Commercialism does not necessary mean giving up your soul or style of music." This makes perfect sense and this is what many bands fails to do. They want to do what other bands are doing and that have proven success. However, what these bands failed to realised is that they are successful not because they are the same as others, but they were different. The worst thing a band can do is attempting to walk in the shadow of another band. Take a good look at Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Kiss, Yngwie Malmsteen, Rainbow, Madonna, Joan Jett, The Kat, Dream Theater, Stain, Creed, Limp Biskit, Air Supply, Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton, Frank Sinatra, Teresa Teng, Jackie Cheung, Anita Mui, Faye Wong, Run DMC, Prodigy, etc. You will realised that these musicians or stars are successful because they dare to be different.

It does not matter what generes, crossed generes or sub-generes, but you better be honest be what you want to say or portray. It doesn't matter how many notes you have in a bar, or how fast or odd your meter ticks. It's what you want to do. As long as you have an identity, that's what matters. Commercialization is basically musician's maturity from the underground to the mainstream and so on. Again, for a musician, Rock Stardom, "Sex, Drugs and Rock And Roll", fame and do not really mix well here if you think sensibly.

I guess so, it's really silly to think that by playing less notes, less technicality, simpler lyrics guarantees you the ticket to commercial success. Listen to the commercial radio, you will realised how many songs that are really difficult playing on the radio.
If you are good at what you do, do it right, do it truthfully, and sometimes with a stroke of luck, rewards will come.

Take some time to think about it...

A darkened composer....

2005-08-15T13:40:00.000+08:00

As of late, life and music has taken their fair share of elevations and descents out of my wits. Oh well, you just got to travel the treacherous road instead of the highway sometimes. At least, I am back on my track(almost), still living and that is what counts.

Since my teens, I have always been a fan of orchersteral music, be it classical or modern contemporary pieces. Especially when I am watching a movie, I always pay attention to the soundtrack. Some big names in this line includes John Barry (Dances With Wolf, James Bond), Jerry Goldsmith (Total Recall) and who can forget John Williams (E.T., Jaws, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Superman). These hollywood heavyweights have one common trait- A bright, celebrated sound. Then lurking in a corner, there's one composer that has a different approach to film scoring. This composer is Mr Danny Elfman.

I started to take note of his style when I started watching Tim Burton's films. I started with Bettlejuice and later on, Batman, Nightbreed, Nightmare Before Christmas, Flubber, Mars Attack and the most recent, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory.

What's unique about Mr Elfman's music is that, besides being really conventional, he was able to bring out the contrast between playfulness, happiness, sadness, darkness and a whole series of other feels which what other composer till this date, in my opinion, still fails to do. However, he has a very dark, cynical visions in his music, which I think is perfect for Tim Burton's style in films.

Take for e.g. the recent Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, if you realise, the music and songs in the movie, all have a mischievous nature and yet fun, however then it was mysterious and later bright again. It's with all these elememts that his music is so unique as compared to other contemporary composers.

If you have watch Bateman and Batman Returns, you will realise there is a somehow gothic yet grand style with a sense of excitement, especially in the main theme.

He is truly one genius, a Darkenend Composer.....

http://elfman.filmmusic.com/

Enjoy...

Keyboards and Jean Michel Jarre

2005-07-26T11:59:00.000+08:00

Ok..we have Dream Theater's Kevin Moore, Derek Sherinian and Jordan Rudess. We also have Jens Johansson, Jon Lord, Mat Olausson, Rick Wakeman and Bon Jovi etc. These are just some of the popular names that comes out when we talk about keyboardists. If you realise the trend, we tend to be over narrowing ourselves to a specific genre or group. "So what's wrong with that?" you may ask. There's nothing wrong, only that we are just overly ignorant and most prob over rated some of those above. If you really look into the list above, most are either rock or progressive rock/metal and jazz players. There're so much more talented, more expressive players in the keyboard field.

Let's start with the definition of keyboards in the musical world before discussing further.

" A "keyboard instrument" is a musical instrument played with a musical keyboard. Keyboard instruments can generally be classified as wind instruments, string instruments, percussion instruments, or electronic instruments. The most common ones are probably the piano and the synthesizer." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_instrument

So in the wake of the above definition, we can see that those above should be known as electronic instrumentalist because classifying them as keyboardist will be too general. From the definition, we can see that we are also missing out a lot when talking about keyboardist. We have totally forgotten great legends such as Chopin, Beethoven, Bach, Richard Clayderman, Kitaro, Brad Fidel, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Yanni, Human League, Prodigy, Little Richard, Elton John, Duran Duran, Era, Enigma and Mike Oldfield etc. Did you know that the keyboard solo in Van Halen'd Jump was played by Edward Van Halen himself? What about those people playing the pubs, hotels and sessionist? Did we even bother to take note? Doesn't mean somone who is your favourite is definitely the best. Every musician is great in his or her own rights.

To all those Dream Theater fans out there, I have to say this, "They are great in their genre and their own style, but they also lack what other musicians have."

I would like to bring your attention who is I think by far a living legend and a musician who is actually ahead of his time of at least three decades. That's Jean Michel Jarre, he is a French new age composer. He is one of those who dabbers deeply into electronic keyboards, sampling , frequency modulation, sound effects etc. He is one of the first musicians to play in China back in 1981 and also recently in 2005. His stages included the streets of Paris, where he played to a record breaking 1 million audience. From the 70s till now, some of the music and style he created, are only beginning to be realised by musicians of those in dance, loungue, pop and metal. His shows are great visual spectacular also. During his concert in China, he was able to integrate Chinse style into his music. His efforts today are still unmatched, they don't even come close. The only band, in my opinion, who can match to his showmanship is likely Pink Floyd with Roger Waters.

Check out his albums such as Equinox, Chrolonolgies, Live In China 2005 and also DVDS such as Live in Moscow, Live In L.A. etc.

Check him out at www.jeanmicheljarre.com

He is one of the musicians that we so carelessly miss out when we discuss music and I would like the say this again..."Keep an open mind."

Been a while....NKF saga and music in general...

2005-07-20T23:36:00.000+08:00

Well well...it's been some time since my last entry. Many things has happened since my last entry. One of such is the one about the misuse of charity funds in National Kidney Foundation. However, to me, most of the smoke has been cleared but not all. This is however not of my major concern. In summary, do not forsake or punish the needy patients for the mistakes the management of NKF did. With that said, NKF do need to have a certain degree of transparency that is acceptable to the public. Afterall, it's the money of the public that is been used. Make it clear are you a charitable or a profitable organisation. Period.

Now, back to what this blog is all about...music and its relative.

In recent months, my band has been scouting for a drummer and currently still in progress. During this process, a few age old grey questions had been raised again. The question are as follows:

1. Technicality vs feel, which is more important?
2. Potential result or investment first?
3. What is technicality?
4. Technical band and progressive band, what're the difference?

I shall attemp to answer these questions as best as I could.

1. This is a question that I think has to be seen from two perspectives. One from the point of the musician, one from the point of the listener.

From the point of the musician, it will be challenging to learn or able to do technically challenging pieces. It would be more fun and also a chance to exhibit your playability as far as timing(odd beats and such), speed and in all, skills are concern. That is been technical. Please note that that does not include creativity. Technicality is a tool to enhance creativity and is not creativity itself. It is as if a painter is trained with all the various techniques of painting, but if you only see strokes and slashes but no picture...then what's the point? That brings us to the perspective of the listeners. It depends on what the listeners is listening for. Some of course, would appreciate the skills that the musicians showcase, some would want to listen out for emotions, messages etc. of what the musician is trying to express, i.e. feel. It is similar to genres of music, jazz, rock, classical, new age etc.. There are certain traits that the listeners are looking out for when listening to the different genre. I would also like to stress that a good jazz player may not be a good rock player both in 'feel' and 'technicality'.

2. When I talked about investment, it basically means three things: time, effort and money. As a musician or artist, one has to realize if he wants to do it for the money, or for the passion. Certain musicians had time and again came up to me and told me some of the following:

"I do not want to waste my time and money doing a demo or joining a band if I can't see any money coming in."

"I do not want to play in a gig unless I am been paid."

"We can make money if we start writing and selling."

"We should play what people want to hear then we can get the dough coming in."

One has to be clear, whether you're playing or making music because you love doing it or you play music because it is going to bring you money, fame, fortune and woman?

If you share any of those sentiments quoted above, then I would think that you may belong to a cover band, and there's nothing wrong with it but your objective has got to be clear. Again, you have to be good at what you set out to achieve. The reason is simple, being a musician, I believe you have to be good in the public's eye before you can demand to be paid, cover band or not, dosen't matter. No reward drops on your lap without effort, time, money and uncompromising sacrifices. One more point to add, is it the desire to play music or is it
the glamour and material rewards that drives you? Will you still play if there's no material reward?

3. I wrote something about this a some time back. However, that article was more guitarist oriented. Now, I think I would like to perhaps bring this view to that of a drummer. Recently, some drummer claiming technically inclined came up to me and told me, double peddling on the drums is not being technical. I was at a loss for a while. Isn't it a wonderful if a drummer could be technically good at double bass i.e. good control of rhythm and stamina if required. I gave it a good thought, the world technical, in the drumming world is now too widely used in that of odd time signature and intended inconsistent rhythm. These are mainly jazz influenced. But if you are talking about technically, then in my point of view, other techniques, rhythm pattern such as that of Tribal beat etc. Would have to be good too. Then a drummer is considered technically competent. Again, if you are technically good in jazz, that does not necessary means you are technically good in other form or style as well, especially when your technical expertise cannot bring out the impact of what the music intended.

4. Basically I would like to keep this question short and simple. A progressive band basically composes or plays music that may have different movements or progression which may or may not have a common theme. This has got nothing to do with technicality or odd timing signatures in the music. Earlier bands such as Rush, Pink Floyd and Yes are well known for being the pioneer of progressive music. That is only in the Rock/Metal genre. Don't forget this is quite common in New Age, Classical and dance music too. Of course, in modern days, when we discuss about progressive bands, we can't help but to mention the band Dream Theater. That's only 1/10 right.

Same old song and dance.....

2005-06-06T13:17:00.000+08:00

Well well....was going through some classified ads and forums looking for some stuff to purchase and I notice something really silly and amusing even after all these years. Instead of finding information, I found a whole chunk of immature dissing, bitching and bragging over their heros, musical pursuit and technical proficiency. What a joke?

They talk as if they knew that much about music and the industry when most blokes in these forums are just feeding off what they read or see from books and various media. They even have the cheek to judge who is good or not. Who are they to judge? Simon Cowell's camp or Simon Cowell's wannabe? They have to get this point straight, people whom they critically put down has made their mark and some are still drawing the dough in millions while the low-lives are still struggling with their craft (oh! and let's not forget bitching and dissing) . To a certain degree, I smell jealously... It's sad to see wannabe musicians behaving so childisly.

In my opinon, go perfect your craft, gain the respect of your fellow musicians for a start. Till you make your mark, then you talk the talk and walk the walk. Stop wasting time on the net bitching and dissing. If you believe the revelation of you on the net is your true and most honest self, I can't agree more about that on you.

There are so much more to music and also other things in life more than what we can see and hear or read from the media. Unless you are very well verse and exceptionally knowledgeable about music, don't make a fool of yourself.

I guess it will be the same old song and dance for these folks....God bless....

Back...new IMAC

2005-06-04T13:45:00.000+08:00

IMAC

ok..after taking a damn long break from blogging, I am finally back.

In general, life has been so-so at my front and making a little more progress in my life. Maybe a little wiser.

ok first off, My new baby...a G5 IMAC

Well, what can I say about this fantastic or maybe not so fantastic machine (depending on your perspective). Of course, those mac lovers, or tech-slaves, is going to hate me for these views of mine. However, I do not make any apologies at any offence anyone might feel.

Let's talk about the good stuff first and then the opposite point by point.The overall design cosmetically is good. Space saving, easy to setup (there isn't any to start with, just plug in your power and go). Best of all, it takes the pain out of cleaning as compared to a normal PC's CPU. The white appearance is definitely appealing to my eyes. The thick acrylic definitely helps in protecting the unit from dust. The super-drive is neatly tugged away inside and all you have to do is to slot in the DVD/CD of your choice and eject accordingly.

Ok...here comes the problem, you can't slot in a smaller size CD. People might think this is a small matter, well, it is. But when you spent a couple more hundreds on an additional pheripheral, and they give you a driver installation in a smaller than usual CD-rom. Because of this minor overlooked,you almost end up almost spending extra for nothing. Who's fault is it? Consumer, Apple's Designer, or the pheripherrals manufacturer? I would say all three. Consumer-should checked before purchase, Apple's designer-took the design for granted, or thinking consumers who uses the not so common smaller 3.5 inch disc do not exist. The other foreseeable problem, how is anyone going to upgrade the Superdrive once it is outdated...which I think will be pretty soon..as like in most technology.

Using the IMAC is pretty straight forward in many sense, as compared to a PC. Installation is easy. Just "launch" and "mount". Unistalling it, better still, just move the icon to Trash and you are done. Thumbs up, ease of installation/uninstallation beats PC flat.

The Imac has superb stability comparing to a PC, especially for sound and video works.

Then there's this problem of software availability in the market for mac.

There's also a great misconception that mac machines are immune to computer virus. The bare fact is that not many virus creator has design viruses that attack machines as yet. In my opinion, it's a matter of time.

I could go on much more on the flaws and pros between mac and pc. So in a nutshell, I would say this, it's not a perfect machine and definietely has its flaws. I think it's pretty silly to think that been a slave to a technological creation will make one an elitist or a trend setter of a higher class.

Shredding....

2005-02-14T11:24:00.000+08:00

Shredding (guitar playing technique)...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

"Shredding refers to a guitar playing style where technical proficiency is the major goal. It is a term that is most often connected to the music style of Neoclassical Rock. Tony MacAlpine, Yngwie Malmsteen, Chris Impellitteri and Michael Angelo are considered to be examples of first class shredders in this genre.
This playing style has become popular in other music styles as well. Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, and Jazz rock have adapted the style successfully. Greg Howe and Steve Vai are two examples of shredding jazz rock players. John Petrucci is the foremost Progressive Metal shredder. Ed Van Halen and Jason Becker are two really good examples of shredding blues rock players. Greg Howe is able to use guitar techniques that few others, to this day, have been able to copy. Allan Holdsworth (originally a member of Soft Machine) could be considered as another example of an outstanding shredder.
Occasionally, the term "shredding" is used with a negative connotation; in this context, it refers to playing with blind speed and technicality at the sacrifice of feeling or musicality.
When guitarists such as Holdsworth played technically difficult pieces during the 1970s, the term "shredding" had not been invented. However virtuoso playing from that era is also dubbed "shredding". Therefore, one could say that "shredding" was invented long before the specific term for it arose."

To many electric guitar players out there, the term "shredding" is not of new since the early 80s. Made prominent by a young Swedish then, Yngwie Malmsteen, this sub genre took the electric guitar world by storm before continuing its rampage off the mainstream today.

Shredding, like many other forms of music or art, at the very first glance or hearing, may just sound like a bunch of notes played at an exceptionally fast speed without "feel" and is nothing but techincal proficiency. This is indeed a huge misconception. If you were to pay a bit more attention, you will hear classically inspired phrases and melodies and now with more artistes having influences from other forms of music, you can actually hear jazz and such incorporated into it. One such eg is John Petrucci of Dream Theatre, and let's not forget Marty Friedman who has an exotic taste.

The appreciation all boils down to individual taste and preference which is a huge grey pool. I would just like to point out that no one complained when Bach composed toccata, neither did anyone complained when Mozart had his crazy way of playing and writing and so also for Vanessa Mae who shreds on the Violin. Listen to most classical pieces and jazz composition, and you will realize the similarity among them, as far as technique and speed is concern. So where's the "feel" and "technique"? As far as I am concern, it's up to each individual.

One has to the right to hate or like it, but you cannot deny or ignore it. It is just like boys band, rap and bubble gum pop, you can hate them, but they do, to a very huge extend, influence, touch and appeal to a large crowd.

As a member of the listening audience, I guess, if you say you love music, then you got to at least pick up the pros and cons of various artists' styles, genres they belong to and creativity. That will open your mind even more. Unless, you are an individual who denounces emotions as a weakness for the least, then my advice is that maybe you should refrain from the arts all together as they're all expressions of emotions that every blooded living thing possess. Technicality is just one of the tool to use to express feelings.

Therefore, in summary, shredding is one way in which players choose to use to express and create their art, just like a painter who chooses the different kind of brushes, including his fingers and body parts to paint.

Happy Lunar New Year 2005

2005-02-08T21:20:00.000+08:00

Wishing one and all Happy Lunar New Year 2005.

All the best and more for the years to come.

Gong Xi Fa Choi!

Soundtrack

2005-02-07T11:48:00.000+08:00

I am both an avid music and movie buff and therefore I am going to talk about something relating to movies and that is soundtrack.

I like a good movie, however, I am one of those misfits who simply don't give a fuck about the director, producer or actors/actresses' portfolio. Not even critiques can make me decide where I should put my hard earn monies at. I spent the money, watch the movie and judge for myself. That means I can both hate and like a show according to my terms. Enough said about the crap on my way of watching a movie. So let's come to the musical part of it. Music pretty much plays a background but significant part in a movie. It partially is responsiblr for you to indentify certain character (e.g. James Bond Theme), or makes you feel scared (e.g. Halloween) or a certain sense of climax etc.

Ok...here's a list of composers and music that I actually like:

1. Brad Fidel - Terminator, Terminator 2
2. Danny Elfman - Batman, Bettlejuice
3. John Williams - Jaws, Star Wars
4. Jerry Goldsmith - Total Recall

Some other soundtracks:

1. Krull the Conqueror
2. Lord of the Rings
3. The Living Daylights
4. The Hunt For Red October
5. Transformer

Theme songs:

1. St. Elmo's Fire - John Parr
2. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
3. After All - Cher and Peter Cetera (If i am not wrong)
4. Kumite - John Bush

ok..the above is just some of my preference, pay attention to the music next time you watch a show..have fun.

I was forgetful and that's why I met you, I am forgetful that's why I left you...

2005-02-04T09:17:00.000+08:00

"I was forgetful, That's why I met you.
I was wilful then, I have just fallen out of love.
I was unreasonable, therefore I abused you.

Time flies, I met you again.
I was recovering, before I met you again.

I am lucky, that's why I met you again.
I am contended, I have just fallen in love.
I am fortunate, therefore I marry you.

Time flies, I forget again.
I am sick, therefore I see a doc.

I am happy, for I have married you,
Before my memories fade,
I write to tell you, "I Love You!"

I am sad, for I am forgetting you,
before me, memories fade.

I am fine, for I can't remember you,
before me, who are you?

Who're you?
Why are there tears in your eyes?

Who're you?
Why do all these places, people and situations looks familiar?

Who're you?
Where're we? Is this heaven? Why the enactment?

I was forgetful and that's why I met you, I am forgetful that's why I left you...

I still love you, even if my memories fades in my mind, but never in my heart..."

Words inspired by the Korean film A moment to Remember (2005)

Idols Idols...all that matters is....

2005-02-03T13:54:00.000+08:00

There's this fever and post fever going around the world and Singapore is not spared of this too. That's the Idol fever. American Idol, Singapore Idol, World Idol etc.. Before Sylvester Sim, Taufik, there were other idols. Have we not forgotten some people like Frank Sinatra, Tom jones, Tiffany, Alan Tam, Sakura, Michael Jackson, New kids on The Block, Aaron Kwok etc...they might be had been or still is an Idol to people.

You can choose to criticize, not like them, cast them as a sub-standard life form etc... But all that matter is, they are there at the top and they affected the majority, are in a social class above the rest and are bloody rich to last them a life time and many folds more. The fact they get you to criticise, bitch and trying to avoid listening or seeing them, get pissed with the mere mention of their names, is already a success at the very least. There are those who are better musician, better looking people, more passionate artiste, but the fact is this, till they're there, no one gives a fuck. Idols, be it they have talents or not, does not matter, but they are already there ...and THAT'S THE BOTTOMLINE!!!

What's good music? What's a good song?

2005-02-01T14:13:00.000+08:00

Many a time, when we listen to music, we hear something we like and we go Wow..that's good! And if we listen to a song, we like it, then we go...This is a damn good song!

Many a times, have we actually sit back and think if what we saying or thinking is correct or not. At the very least, in a political sense. Before we go further in depth on this topic, let's take a look on the definition of both the words song and music.

Song:
1.Music.
a.A brief composition written or adapted for singing.
b.The act or art of singing: broke into song.

2.A distinctive or characteristic sound made by an animal, such as a bird or an insect.

3. a.Poetry; verse.
b.A lyric poem or ballad.

Music:

1.The art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre.
2.Vocal or instrumental sounds possessing a degree of melody, harmony, or rhythm.
A musical composition.
The written or printed score for such a composition.
Such scores considered as a group: We keep our music in a stack near the piano.
3.
a.A musical accompaniment.
b.A particular category or kind of music.
c.An aesthetically pleasing or harmonious sound or combination of sounds: the music of the wind in the pines.

Now that we know what is music, and what's a song, I can proceed on to talk a bit more. From the definitions, we can see that song is very much a sub set of music. Music may consists of singing alone, solely instrumental or a combination of both.

In a nutshell, they all conform to a certain standard range or benchmarking of sound, timing and tempo to give you a distinction, an emotional effect or certain kind of atmosphere. Their audio colors are almost infinite as long as it falls along the audible range of the intended audience. Even animals such as birds, make music, as in they sing.

So then what makes music good music? What's a good song? Ever heard of the phrase "music to the ears"? This phrase basically means something appealing. So Music has got to be appealing. Music is something that moves you, touches you and also leaves you a long lasting impression, making you come back for more. It could be the techicality, the feel, the melody, the complexity or a combination that produces the music. This is extremely prominent in movies. Remember the theme of "Superman" from the movie? Imagine watching a movie without music, the desired effect would be much less. It could also have an extremely catch tune that makes you remember. e.g. Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water, Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 etc..

A song, atmany a time, have at least a minimum number of words to form lyrics. It may or may not be sang with musical accompliment. Again, the objective here is to convey a certain message, or expression of a certain emotion or a range of emotions. So songs, like music, can make u cry, stand up and boogie, laugh or simply relax.

However, what makes music or a song a good one? In reality, if we look at them properly, there's really no definite distinction. All of us have choices. Some people prefer Jazz, some people Rock, some Ethnic, while others pop, rhythm and blues etc. So what makes them good is that they leave a lasting impression or given you a clear expression of the intended message, or to tell you a story, or just to relax you. Whatever that is good to your ears and makes you personal to is good. So be it Techno, Heavy Metal, Folk or Ballads it really doesn't matter at all as long as it's appealing to you and suits what you're looking for. We can't detest people for their liking to a certain music etc. but we fail to do that many times. It's ultimately disgustingly and shallow to categorize people to what they like or prefer. A certain kind of music maybe an irritant to you but may be a reliever to others.

However, we should be open to all kinds of music, we may or may not like what we hear, but at the basic level, we should respect (not idolize), appreciate and recongnize the beauty of each music. We can view and voice our dislikes and likes, but should never gun down a certain genre or style, then we can absorb the essence of as many form of good music or songs possible.

My list of guitarist that I considered worth mentioning final part

2005-01-25T09:32:00.000+08:00

I have deicided to give a summary of guitarists instead of given too much details which is taking up too much time and most prob you are bored from reading about the same topic again and again. ..Oh..before I forget, some of this may not be any Rock star or anything like that...they might be sessionist or they may even be the person living next to you.. here's the list..take your time and make an attempt to explore on your own...

1. Chris Degarmo (Queensyche, soloist) - Responsible for hits like Silent Lucidity, Best I Can, Revolution Calling.

2. Steve Vai (soloist) - Need no further mention...his God from the other dimension.

3. Joe Satriani (soloist) - Mastero too...teacher of Vai

4. Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield (Metallica) - perfect partners in crime.

5. Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, Janick Gers (Iron Maiden) - Come on...do I need to tell you?

6. Dave "Snake" Sabo, Scotti Hill (Skid Row) - Check out 18 and Life, Youth Gone Wild 80s classic hair band.

7. Marty Friedman (Megadeth, Cacohpony, Soloist) - exotic with speed, and a funny guitar picking method.

8. Al Di Meola (solist) - Jazz underated Phygrian wizard

9. Kitaro (New Age composer) - yeah go ahead...laugh..but before you do that, go check out the "one note, full fill" kinda of playing in albums such as Kojiki

10. Kane Roberts (Sessionist, Soloist) - erm..he is from the 80s too, had a commercial hit, but was more famous with Alice Cooper in his "Trash" era.

11. Guitarists from the band at pub Insonmia, at Chijmes, Singapore - they play covers but are well as a pair and input their imprivsation into songs likw Sweet Child O' Mine etc..imagine Malmsteen mutated with Slash's genes...kekeek flexible, R n B, Rock , Pop they got it all..no metal shit though...

12. Peter Green (soloist) - Blues' groovy madman...

13. the editorial team at Guitar Techinques, Guitar Player and Total Guitar mags - go check the mags out..then you will see what I mean.

14. Wolf Marshall - one of the better guitar instructional book/video players/instructor

15. Prince (Soloist) - erm..once known also as the Symbol..anyway, plays killer and funky style, multi-instrumentalist

16. Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi) - Not a difficult player, but damn good song writer and he did and still does just enough for the music in Bon Jovi...

17. Richie Blackomre (Deep Purple, Rainbow, Blackmore's Night) - Before Malmsteen, there was...Now he has gone Middle Ages...

18. Jimmy Page (Led Zepplin) - hey..another no need to mention..you already know....

19. Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) - Godfather of Metal.....

20. Jackson 5 - I don't know the name of the guitarist is, but he has got groovy tunes

21. A. Serg0via - Classical legend...

22. Taregga - classical guitarist and composer, he is no longer around, but his pieces are now standards for classical guitar

23. Julian Bream - another classical legend...

24. Heitor Villa-Lobos - u want to perfect your techniques, play his pieces

25. Joe Pass - Jazz great

26. B. B. King - don't tell me you don't know!!!

27. John Lee Hooker - Blues Blues...

28. Jessie Cooke - New age guitarist, this is a new genre that I started exploring a couple of years ago and this is one guy that took me off...

29. Ernest Kwok - one of Singapore's finest classial guitarist, pity he don't play electric/pop, his tone and speed are superb

30. Roland Graprow (Helloween) - neo-classical player

31. Kai Hansen (Helloween, Gamma Ray) - power metal with a fantasy feel....

32. Neil X (Sigue Sigue Sputnik) - no talent? only one word...SPACE....

33. Ace Frehely (Kiss, Frehely's Comet) - simple leads, smoking guitars

34.Jeff Beck - plays with the trend..reinventive

35. Gary Moore (soloist, Thin Lizzy) - still got the blues...

36. Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) - where's metallica? great rhythm and lead player, not forgetting composing.

37. John Petrucci (Dream Theatrer) - his name speaks for himself...

38. Dave Edmund - Neo-classical is not born yet, but he had traces of it...

the list goes on...

That's not all, but for this moment that's all I can share from my immediate memory bank. Keep exploring all over, you will never know what you will find. There're many styles of playing such as Bluegrass, Folk, Indie and even dance music etc...Do not narrow yourself down and you will find tons of good players around and they may not be Stars or Metal heads...I am still learning..... volume and complication in not everything in music...

happy exploring...

My list of guitarist that I considered worth mentioning part 3

2005-01-19T14:16:00.000+08:00

Ok.....here's the evergrowing list of guitarists that made my head spin....

9. Brian May (BM), (Queen, Soloist) - sweet sweet tone...

"Here he is, the man with the curly hair and the curly guitar..." - Joe Elliot (Def Leppard) on BM at the Freddy Mecury's Tribute Concert.

Queen, the once glam rock band that gave you memorable anthems like "We Are The Champions", "Radio Ga Ga", "Too Much Love Will Kill You", "Hammer To Fall" and the evergreen classic "Bohemian Rhapsody". This band is most prominent with their operatic lead vocals and front man, Freddy Mecury. They are truly one of the most innovative and creative bands of our time. However, behind the front man, is the person responsible for most of the success of this band, BM.

BM has a self made red guitar and picks with a coin. Even his guitar amplifier is home made. So much for his gear. Let's get to the musical part. BM is also very much influenced by Ritchie Blackmore. However, unlike Ritchie, he turned Ritchie's dark playing and added many colors and shads of light to it. He has a very sweet and rich lead tone and at the same time, heavy riffs as well. He has got a bluesy feel and his guitar playing and music is somewhere between pop and rock. BM is also a great song writer as we can see and hear in many of Queens classic hits and ballads.

This guy is in a Royal Class of guitar and music as far as I am concern. Recommended listening, Queen's Greatest Hits I, II and III. Do check out his solo albums and instructional video too.

10. Akira Takasaki (AK), (Loudness) - Thunder from the East

AK and boys from Loudness, is one of the jewel shredder that did and still is doing Asia proud. He emerged in the 80s together with those hair bands. Loudness did put most mastero almost to shame, all of which includes YJM and Edward Van Halen. His tapping is far more advance then those of Van Halen and even Steve Vai; His sweeps and neo-classical chord progression and sweeps are fluid enough to give YJM a furthur run on his frets.

In the 90s, he totally changed his style to a heavier feel from the likes of bands like Pantera. This is fused with some Japanese/Oriental flavour. AK andthe boys from Loudness are still one of the most respected and followed bands the the Japanese rock scene.

Check out tracks such as "Ashes in the Sky", "S.D.I.", "Loudness"...erm..the list goes on..go explore...

My list of guitarist that I considered worth mentioning part 2

2005-01-16T13:53:00.000+08:00

ok..to spare the readers some agony of scrolling down to read the updates, I will now post the updates of the above topic as a new post.

and now to continue from where I left off...

7. Slash (Sl), (Guns and Roses, Snakepit, Velvet Revolver) - More Jack Daniels...

This is one true freak gone cool. Erm..where do I start? Ok, I think it's fair for me to say that he rose to stardom in both the pop and rock world at a time where people were paying attention to the thunders of Metallica, the aderalin of Malmsteen, the tappping of Van Halen. Slash (with Guns and Roses) and his infamous Les Paul, plays base hugely pentatonic and blues scale with the occasional Gypsy -Phygrian mode. It's remarkable how he can be so melodic with only the basics in scaling and gears. These did not compromise the standard of music and energy that metal or rock music has. Although he may be a blusey and "few-notes a bar" player, he is capable of very fast licks as well. One word..he Rocks and drunk!..

Well listen to tracks such as "Estranged", "Patience", "Double Talking Jive", "Welcome to the Jungle" and the latest from his band, Velvet Revolver, "Contraband".

8. Frank Gambale (FG), (soloist) - Jazz Shred from Aussieland

Influenced by blues based players such as Jimi Hendrix , John Mayall / Eric Clapton, and Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia, FG picks up the guitar at the tender young age of 7 . In his mid-teens he discovered Steely Dan, The Brecker Brothers and Chick Corea. FG is shred in a Jazz shell. He plays many notes and is with a romantic and jazzy feel. His shred is fluid and unlike many jazz players, he is "poppy" at times. He is also one good video instructor. Check out his instrutional video "Modes - Mystery No More" and some of his instructional books. Albums to start with are : "Thunder from Down Under" and "Brave New Guitar".

My list of guitarist that I considered worth mentioning....

2005-01-12T03:34:00.000+08:00

Since I am a guitarist, I think it's only right for me to share my point of view for some of the guitarist that I consider good. This is not meant to condemn or criticize but to share what I know and learnt through the years. They may or may not be technically proficient, especially when the word "technical" is subjective to many people. The same thing goes for the word "feel". So here it is , not in any order of ranking:

1. Yngwie J. Malmsteen (YJM), (Rising Force, Soloist) - Sultan of Shred

This dude here is my all time favorite guitarist. Reason I would site is that he succeeded in the fusion of classical and heavy metal. He is also at one time considered the fastest guitarist ever. I would say he "almost" single handedly created the genre Neo-classical Metal. He inspires my playing mainly and is who I base very much of my playing on. I have always been a lover of classical music, especially of those of Baroque era, and also being a lover of metal, he is the almost perfect example I am looking for. He also did an orcherstra work solely for the electric guitar and that to me is another breakthrough. Many people feels that he is more indulged in his speed playing than his music and he can't play slow and is with no feel. However, I will think that tracks like "Brothers", "Icarus Dream Suite" and "Crying" spoke otherwise.

Although he is my main inspiration, he is not without flaws like any other musician. He plays melodically well and has a good sense of progression in the classical light. However, technically, if you listen to his playing in "Dreaming" from "Live in Lennigrad" and if you have seen and heard his playing on nylon strings in "Live in Budokan" and "Live in Brazil", the screeches are so awfully heard. This I think is the result of two things: 1. His nails are too long and not well filed for playing nylon strings 2. He alternates between playing a pick and and fingers which is both a talent and a flaw for him. Reason is simple, the hard edge of the plastic pick is never good on plastic string. It gives a flat tone. Hence, despite the accuracy and beauty of the melodies, the tone remains flat.

YJM is indeed as far as I am concern, credited for popularizing shred guitar playing and for the fusion of classical and heavy metal. He was once the fastest and the most innovative player I have ever heard. Others have surpassed him, e.g. John Petrucci, Michael Romeo and Jason Becker etc. This does not matter, as he is indeed a living legend and others that have surpassed him all has a bit of his influences and pushes them to a further limit and this is what matters most. It is just like YJM has a little of Ritchie Blackmore, Bach and Mozart in him.

2. The Edge (TE), (U2) - Anti-guitar Hero's Hero

Before I start talking about The Edge, I would like to define the word technical first.

Technical can be define as one of the following:

1. Of, relating to, or derived from technique.
2. Having special skill or practical knowledge especially in a mechanical or scientific field: a technical adviser.
3. Used in or peculiar to a specific field or profession; specialized: technical terminology.
4. Belonging or relating to a particular subject: technical expertise.
5. Of, relating to, or involving the practical, mechanical, or industrial arts or the applied sciences: a technical school.
6. Abstract or theoretical: a technical analysis.
7. Of, relating to, or employing the methodology of science; scientific.
8. According to principle; formal rather than practical: a technical advantage.
Industrial and mechanical; technological.

So now, since we are a bit more clear (or confused), about the word technical, I can go on to talk about TE.

TE by far, like YJM, is a class of his own and there is no other like him as yet from what I know. He is not a shredder. He is not even a lead guitar player. So what the hell is he? Well, all I can say is he falls into every definition of the word technical above and yet defies definition. For those player who thinks his style of playing is easy, you better think twice. This guy knows his gears well. Although his playing and strumming is fairly simple, it is the use of his gear, delays, chorus, overdrive and wah-wah effects to the maximum effect. Musically and technically, they all fall into the right places, solo or not, the music is there, the playing is there, the harmonizing is there...Everything falls in the right places. U2 has come a long way since the 80s and is now a dominant act in the music scene. However, if you listen to TE's guitar playing, he is still pretty much what he is back in the 80s, no guitar solo, no guitar hero attitude. I guess that's part of what kept them going till now. Check out tracks such as "With or Without You", "Mysterious Ways", the current "Vertigo", "Where the Streets have no name" etc. Listen not to the number of notes or beats the band is trying to play or the octaves they are trying to hit, but their music as a whole. Then can you find the essence of the band's music and the important parts that each musician plays.

3. Guitarist in the song "Together in Electric Dreams" by Giorgio Moroder/Phil Oakey

Ok.. I don't know who the guitarist in the above song is. The above song was a big hit back in the 80s. i don't think anyone ever paid any attention to the guitarist in this song. The reason why i think the guitarist is worth mentioning here is that if you take note of the solo, it was a solo like no other. It was a mix of synth-overdrive-wah wah effect and is used with a great control and feel. Unlike most lead playing, this particular solo is pretty impressive as it has a particular cyber sound beyond its time and it's pretty much danceable. Whoever know who he is, please let me know. It was a great solo...check it out!

4. Roland Orzabal (RO), Tears for Fears - New Wave...

RO is one of the and the only remaining member of the 80s synth-pop (New Wave) band call Tears For Fears. I put his credit into songs like "Everybody Wants to Rule The World" which has a very catchy and unforgettable riff and the solo in the song "Shout". He is a great guitarist as you can hear the emotions in his music and he is a good composer as well. Listen to albums such as "Songs from the Big Chair" and "Sowing the Seeds of Love". Check them out. Two thumbs up for music and guitaring.

Ok ok...I will have more to come...stay tune..this topic will be extended...enjoy...

Update: 14 Jan 2005 1.00p.m.

5. John Williams (JW), Sky, Classical Soloist - Beyond words from Australia...

In the world of classical music, if anyone were to mention classical guitar, one of the names that would pop up will be JW. Please note that this JW is not the composer of movies such as Superman and Jaws. JW is pretty a benchmark for many classical guitarist and is a musical treasure of our modern time. He's a classical player's kind of player. I would like to stress that he is not a composer or an improviser, but simply a player and that's that. What makes him a well respected guitarist is, in my own perception, his control of his guitar's tone and the ability to create many voicing within a guitar, at many times two. I am not saying that other classical players can't do multi-voicing, but almost no one does it as good as he is. Multi-voicing does not mean you use gears, effects etc to achieve. Classical players do not use those. The only gears they have is their guitar and their fingers. The secret is in their fingers picking/plucking techniques and their nails. JW has a sweet tone too and given any piece, he would bring out the different colors in the music well and approving to the ears. Talking about speed, he has got it too. Talking about heavy riffing, he got it too, minus the distortion and overdrive of course. He is the ticket to the the world of Classical Guitar. Tracks worth mentioning are: "Sunburst, Andrew York", "Cavatina, Stanley Meyers", "Koyunbaba,Carlo Domeniconi", "Three Blues for Classic Guitar, Charlie Byrd", "El Colibri, Julio Sagreras". If you are new or not so into classical guitar, you may want to check out "John Williams Plays The Movies" and for the hardcores, "Spirit of The Guitar" and "The Guitarist-John Williams".

6. Steve Stevens (SS), Soloist, Sessionist - What? When? Where? How?

SS is another, or perhaps should I say the almost guitar version of Nikki Sixx physically. Why I say that? This guy, is also pretty proficient in making use of effects. One amazing fact about this guy is that is extremely educated use in his rack and effects. They come out and hit you out of no where and while you are trying to recover from the first hit, he will swing in another to blow you away and knock you out. He is most famous for working with the Billy Idol, however his credits can be seen in works of artists such as Vas, Steve Lukather, Adam Bomb, Robert Palmer, Harold Faltermeyer, Joni Mitchell, The Thompson Twins, Ric Ocasek, Simon F, Peter Criss, Jerusalem Slim, McQueen Street and Michael Jackson. He is pretty versatile and not so long ago, if I am not wrong, he went back to study Flamenco Guitar which is one of his guitar loves. He is also one those guitarist that works on a Macintosh. Check out "Top Gun Anthem" and the live version of "Mony Mony" especially the solo. What? When? Where? How? did he do those??

More to come....

Music in my life

2005-01-10T17:41:00.000+08:00

To start off, and straight to the point.

in my opinion, as far as civilization is concern, music has been with us as far back as we could remember. It's being used as a expression for emotions, to promote an objective and to take us to places we have never been but want to be before.

So why is music there? Well, there's art isn't it? People choose to express or relate themselves to objects or expressions that best describes them. Some choose painting, others may choose martial art and some others choose music etc. The list goes on.

So as far I am concern, I know nuts about drawing, can't draw a single good picture and obviously do not have a dancing bone. Playing to music is just what I deem is the closest to how I express my feelings, ideas and visions. It's an expression from me to others and liberation of my soul...

As for now...Music is definitely a prominent part of my life.

Welcome...

2005-01-09T09:34:00.000+08:00

Hi there everyone.

Welcome to my blog. I hope my octaves here will make you stay just a bit longer than you expected...

Here I will share my views, inspirations and whatever not that has shaped me as a musician.

Enjoy...