![[debut]](http://www.debutsounds.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/debut_logo_wht.png){kind=logo}
[First New Song from the album now available!]
Hi everyone
I am thrilled to announce that the first, new song off “Postcards From Berlin” is now available to preview! I wanted to thank you for your patience and also give you something to get excited about while we finish up the album.
It was really tricky choosing which song to give you as quite frankly they are all sounding amazing however, I eventually chose “Want” as i think it’s a really great introduction to the project. It features long-time [debut] collaborator, Cyd Claire on vocals and is not like anything you will have heard before. It was recorded in 3 different studios. We did vocals, guitars and pre-production in my LA studio and the strings were recorded at the Hansa Meistersaal (Berlin). We then did piano in the main hall and drums and vocal parts in various halls and bunkers at UFO sound studios, again in Berlin. The end result is, well …. unique! Let me know what you think please!
To download the free mp3 simply go this Soundcloud link : https://soundcloud.com/debutsounds/want-album-mix/s-IHmmC
There are only 25 copies left available of the limited edition CD which includes a bonus track and a signed polaroid from Berlin. If you missed out you can pre-order it now at http://debutsounds.com/store
Lastly, the image here is taken from the films I’ve been directing that are part of the live show projections. I’ve been busy :) Gx
[it’s all in the mix]
The last few months have literally flown by. Always something to do for this amazing project that has grown from an idea into …. well, I’m not quite sure what it really is anymore but I do know that it’s much bigger than I ever expected. A stop gap 6 song EP that was supposed to fill a few months is now a 9 track album. A few postcards mailed from Berlin is now not only that but also a gallery collection of polaroids, a “making of” film and 9 live show original projection films. gulp. 
So the actual music is in the final stages. All the audio from Berlin has been integrated to the LA sessions and been fine-tuned to perfection. Everything except 2 final lead vocals is recorded and in the mix suite at this time. It’s been a challenge to keep going at times. You think you’ve finished and then realize that something needs work. it never stops until a deadline is enforced. Deadline is Dec 1. no compromises, no sleep!
The artwork for the postcards and album is looking fantastic and captures the mood of what I am trying to convey perfectly …. dark, insular, isolated. Same goes for the live show projections. They are all original pieces and scripts written and directed by me. I’m literally bursting with excitement as if this all comes together like I hope then its going to be amazing. Expect a new song in mid Dec along with the documentary then a single in January with a new video then the album mid Feb 2015. can’t wait to play it live!!
Speaking of “live”, you may have read that I shave been working with Chris and Janine of IAMX at their shows in Los Angeles. Well, what a glitter fest that has been – we did 4 shows in 3 weeks including one great one with Gary Numan. All super fun, dirty work. Quite what my job title now is I don’t know but I do know that I love it and can’t wait for more.
ok, back to the studio, edit bay, camera department, etc etc – non stop, til you rock :)
Gx
[Open Your Soul, 50% reached and more to come]
Hi Everyone,
Again its been a pretty intense and amazing week in the [debut] camp. First off is the news that the Kickstarter campaign to fund “Postcards from Berlin” has hit 50% today. Thank you for all the support. We’ve got 2 more weeks to go to get to the minimum of $7.5k so if you have not yet pledged please do. There are only 2 signed lyric sheets left as these have proven to be popular. Limited edition CD’s are going fast too from the back catalog. Anyway, here’s the link – go deep :) : http://kck.st/R53tNo
On that note, (no pun intended), I’ve just finished the latest [debut] song, “Open Your Soul”. It’s quite a dark track so I look forward to your comments and analysis of the lyrics! It’s quite a different sound from past [debut] works and will give you a good insight to the palate I’m using on “Postcards”. Big drums, pianos, dark bass synths, big dynamic changes and some surprises. It’s also a first for [debut] in that I, that’s Me, yours truly, has stepped up to the microphone and delivered the lead vocals. A few people had suggested that I step out from behind the keys to give [debut] a more obvious leader (thanks Janine and Chris for the push). In fact, not wishing to blow my own trumpet (another terrible pun, sorry) but I did almost everything on this track from the writing to recording, production and playing all instruments – I’d normally bring in a few more peeps but this time I just got on a roll and couldn’t stop. My trusty and genius engineer buddy, Adam Schiff helped me to perfect the mix and mastering. Adam did try to replace my voice with a Monotron synth (see Facebook video) but alas he knew he was beaten. A new collaborator, the amazing Miss Sammidoll provided backing vocals. You can be certain that there’s more to come from this collaboration. In fact, we did a live acoustic set last year and we just found the video so PERHAPS we will make it public soon. Perhaps.
Backers of the Kickstarter campaign can get a Free “thank you” download of a special “LA version” – check out the teaser at this link : https://soundcloud.com/debutsounds/open-your-soul-teaser : once you pledge you will get access to a backer only update and the download link. I will also do a “Berlin Bunker” version at UFO studios in September where the drum sound will be enormous. plans are also afoot to do a video for the track.
so lots to do – the work is never ending BUT it’s totally worthwhile when I get to share it all with you
Peace, love & mischief
Gx
[Kickstarter Day #6] …… on the way
Well here we are 6 days in to the Kickstarter campaign and wow. Off to a great start with about $3k pledged so far and 40% of the initial goal reached. I have to say that it was sooo much work to even get the campaign ready that I was exhausted before we even launched. The video took about 2 weeks to get right and the actual process of creating the campaign, though logical and straight-forward, still took hours of thought and prep. So it was quite a relief to see the support and $ start to come in on Day 1 and the thoughts went from “OMG, this is never going to work” to “OMFG, I think we are going to do this!!!” 
The online blogs and magazines have also started to step up and help. Spill Magazine in Toronto and DJ Candy on the US East coast wrote about the campaign and are spreading the word. All this leads to a nicely positive feeling, though in reality all the hard work begins in earnest now.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/debutsounds/debut-s-new-ep-postcards-from-berlin-featuring-you
So 25 days left to go and still 60% to raise which is no mean feat but we can do this. Please folks keep spreading the word and the URL posted here. I can’t do it without you. And once you’ve pledged don’t forget to email me your “note” – remember, you don’t need to be a singer to do this!! Send me your note, any note, even if its not in tune and I’ll take care of the rest – you will sound perfect in my “berlin choir” :)
cheerio :)
Gx
[It’s been so long] ….
yes, I know I’ve been quite silent for the most part of the past year or so but I’ve been busy preparing new things for you! First off, I needed to take a little down time after the craziness of early 2013. The whole process of creating EVERYTHING for the “Starting to Love it” and “Sweet Little Girl” releases was so manic and full on that it caught up to me and I basically needed a month off. Renewed I did a private studio live session with Sammidoll for friends, family and management in August to test the waters and start the creative process. We had a blast and there will be more from the two of us together in the future. Next up, I had to focus in on what I wanted to really present to the world and realized that I had to write the script for the “Home” film. One month later after many hours of sitting in cafes “being a writer” I finished it and I’m super excited to get to film it and share it and the music that goes with it with you all …. but not yet!!! one day! Next up, I was songwriting for the RedOne production team which was quite the experience, penning tracks for J-Lo. Not my usual thing but we wrote one track that I think might just be amazing! we’ll see whether or not miss Lo records it won’t we! And now, its time for the new EP or maybe album (depends on budget to be honest). It’s called “Postcards from Berlin” and you’ll be hearing about it VERY soon. ok, I’m off for a jack and coke …..
[Exploration of Layers]
As we continue to work on all things [debut], the idea of “layers” has sprung to the fore. The music is significantly layered in a vertical and horizontal sense. Vertical meaning that we use one hell of a lot of instrumentation on pretty much every song – “Starting to Love it” had our mac pro at 97% – 3 basses, 3 hihats, 4 snares, etc – layer upon layer of music, stacking upwards to create the soundscape. Horizontal referring to the fact that as you move through a song that it will change character from perhaps an entirely electronic start to a live band and then on to something else – check out “Headf$#k” to see what I mean. Then there’s the layered meaning of the lyrics. What at first may seem to be a simple set of words often has hidden meanings – a layer beneath the surface.
This layering concept of course applies to the film and art side of [debut]. We are now planning the video for “Sweet Little Girl” which will be directed by Danny Drysdale (The Killers, IAMX, etc) and we are very excited to share with you what will be a multi-faceted theme to a song that has been controversial since day one. Lastly, we just finished the art for the “Starting to Love it” EP (thanks to James and Sandbox designs) and thank heavens we had the foresight to know that “layers” we key to [debut] as this design took shape. It’s all coming together :)