I make music because of the place that it comes from. The state I am in when I am making it. That place where time disappears and everything else dissolves. The place where fierce joy rises up, unbidden, like golden light filling a well.
That is why I make music.
I believe that this state is communicable thru music. And that the communication of this state is something as vital and important to us as food, or air, or love.
For me, that is the value of great art.
I am still recording every night; from around midnight till maybe 5 in the morning.
This is my favourite part of the day. It doesn’t feel like I have a deadline; it feels almost indecently pleasurable, like rolling in ice cream. The music is a distillation of all the greatest moments from this practice. It is concentrated joy in a bottle. It is captured lightning. It is my love. By the end of this week I should have a useable draft of the album in all it’s crazy, light filled, lo-fi glory.
I did some math and worked out that I have spent well over 1000 hours this year solely working on the record. It will be the distillation of over 1000 hours, into 1 hour of sound. My most truthful sketches, the most inspired moments captured with a butterfly net and poured over a hard drive, like honey on your tongue.
There is still work to be done; I know this because I still have time. I will work on this record up until the day I release it. I don’t have any days off scheduled in the next 6 weeks. It is going to be the very best it can be. I can’t wait to give it to you.
It isn’t going to sound like a super produced pop record. It is going to sound real; like somebody playing and singing their heart out sometime after midnight. It is going to sound bare bones, lo fi and gorgeous. A record made in my home studio, using equipment held together with love and duct tape. Beautiful, honest and vulnerable.
It is as close to the truth as I can get. Soon, soon, soon. ;-)
Did you like this?
If you enjoyed this you may also like: my post about how my blog gained more than 15’000 followers in less than 3 years, my essay concerning the greatest book of advice ever written, or the post which reveals the real (and Taboo) secret behind my success.
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Hi James, I listened to a few tracks and immediately became excited. My son just started publishing some of his music. Some of it is very “interesting”, lol. I enjoy it, but some just don’t get it. He just started on Bandcamp as well. His name is Anthony Bannach. ( Anthonybannach.com ) I am going to refer him to your music as well.
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That’s really great to hear. Thanks a lot.
Wish your son good luck from me, and have a great night,
– J
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Hi James
I appreciate your interest in my blog..many thanks for your visit. Your music is beautiful and rich….my son, Finn Le Marinel (also a musician working in Scotland) introduced it to me some time ago. it is good then to ‘meet’ you.
Jac
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Hey there,
You are most welcome, really good work.
Thanks for your kind words about the music, really glad you like it – stay tuned, there is more coming very soon and it surpasses all I have done before.
It is very good to ‘meet’ you too ;-)
Have a good one, and thanks again,
– J
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Hi James,
Thank you, for reading my post. I adore your passion, not just for the music, but for everything you are about in life. Keep up the great works bro!
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Hey there,
Thankyou so much – this means the world to me.
Have a great day!
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Good read!
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Thankyou! ;-)
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Thanks for linking to my articles – really glad you liked them.
Have a good one,
– J
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Finally, someone who understands. I try to convey this as well to my students as something to strive for. Most piano teachers teach their students how to read the notes exactly as they are written exactly how it was taught to them but they never learned how to play the music inside them. They end up teaching the creativity right out of them with the fear of hitting a “wrong” note. Many years of piano lessons as a child turns them into an adult who never plays anymore because they can only play the written notes.
When I play – and I record when I play, because I have no idea what I’m going to play and I couldn’t repeat it. I don’t even listen back, often for days, and I have no remembrance. It’s a great feeling to let go and just let my fingers play how I feel, crawling inside my piano. I recently played one back for an older student ( 71 ). She said “That sounds like leaves falling.” She didn’t know the title was ” The Fallen”
Now that I have a better understanding of your relationship to your music I’m ready to go listen.
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That is really beautiful, thankyou.
Having read your comment, I would recommend beginning with ‘Invocation’. It is a piece that I recorded, pretty much as you describe, using only acoustic cello, voice, and a loop pedal.
Have a great day,
– J
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I listened to all three of your pieces. I hope to hear more. It is easy to see the time you have put into it. It feels so good to make music. Sometimes I don’t play something back for days and listen to it as a listener would. I played one back to day and I didn’t remember playing it. That was strange.
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…but beautiful too tho, no? ;-)
Thankyou for listening, glad you liked it.
Big love,
– J
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Yes, beautiful. And so much more where that came from, yes? That’s the great thing about music. There’s always more waiting to come out..And the older you get, the better it gets!
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Yes. Yes. And yes. ;-)
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“With out music, life would be a mistake” -Neitzsche
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“Damn right.” – J Radcliffe ;-)
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So very inspirational! You gave me back my very soul! I used to feel the exact same way about my writing. I now go off in search of the same wonder! I hope to be the very same kind of independent artist as you. Real and vulnerable, with an oozy rawness that comes from direct sense experience. Thank you! Thank you! So many times, thank you! :)
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You are more than welcome. And Thank You too – what a beautiful thing to say! Your kind words are very much appreciated.
Keep in touch, have a great day and good luck with your search, ;-)
– J
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Thank you! Merry music making! :)
Cheers,
Radhika
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You’re most welcome ;-)
Thanks again.
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Beautiful music.Thank you very much for sharing it.
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You are most welcome.
Thankyou very much. Have a great day,
– J
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