Charlie North

THE TOP 10 MOST PLAYED TUNES ON MY IPOD IN FEBRUARY… (according to my iPod!) 1) The Queen Of...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:20:00 +0000

THE TOP 10 MOST PLAYED TUNES ON MY IPOD IN FEBRUARY
… (according to my iPod!)

1) The Queen Of All Everything - Ott
2) Infection 268-7 - Solar Fields
3) Canvas - Imogen Heap
4) Love Cry - 4 Tet (Joy Orbison Remix)
5) Opalescent - Jon Hopkins
6) Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix) - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
7) Remember The Good Things - Milosh
8) Different - MRSA
9) Shinkansen (The Odyssey) - Tom Middleton
10) I Have Seen Trouble - 1 Giant Leap

SOMETIMES LOUD IS TOO LOUD There is currently a lot of debate and concern over the...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:20:00 +0000

SOMETIMES LOUD IS TOO LOUD

There is currently a lot of debate and concern over the ‘loudness’ of recordings. This mainly involves audio compression at the mastering (final) stage of a track’s production.
Over the last few years engineers (under pressure from labels and artists) have been making recording incredibly ‘loud’. This is an issue exacerbated by the fact that most radio stations add additional audio compression before broadcast.

The fall out from this is ‘audio/listener fatigue’ and ultimately, bad sounding records. It is a relatively new problem as it has only really been in the last decade that everyone could afford to use these tools. As a general rule I don’t use much compression at the mastering stage because of the nature of my music. However when producing ‘club and dance’ tracks I do compress the music very hard. This I feel is in keeping with the sound I wish to achieve. That said, things have gone too far. Sometimes less is more!

Below is a YouTube link that is easy to watch and will help you understand why some of your favourite music today is not all it could be!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gmex_4hreQ

Apple features chillout music podcast. A few months ago Apple...

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:15:00 +0000

Apple features chillout music podcast.

A few months ago Apple featured my podcast Charlie and the Chillout Factory in their ‘New and Notable’ section on iTunes. The podcast entered the top ten of their music chart, and the series ran for 3 months. You can still hear the first series via iTunes, or you can subscribe using the RSS feed. Additional information (and the show notes) can be found at the podcast’s website.

http://www.charlieandthechilloutfactory.com
Subscribe via iTunes
RSS Feed

Charlie North AV Performance Showreel.

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:07:00 +0000

Charlie North AV Performance Showreel.

Radio Interview.Last Saturday I was interviewed by local radio...

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:21:00 +0000

Radio Interview.
Last Saturday I was interviewed by local radio about my video work in the local community. You can hear this interview by following the link above.

Does Your Computer Hate You? For more like this follow me on 12...

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:01:00 +0000

Does Your Computer Hate You?

For more like this follow me on 12 Seconds.
http://12seconds.tv/channel/charlienorth

FINISHING IS EVERYTHING I have recently finished a very enjoyable and creative project with Michael...

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:04:00 +0000

FINISHING IS EVERYTHING

I have recently finished a very enjoyable and creative project with Michael e. Michael is one of most prolific musicians I know, creating albums of excellent material each year. However many artists and producers I meet seem to have great difficulty creating anything! Having just finished 7 tracks with Michael I’m reminded of a few universal truths that are worth sharing.

Finishing is everything. If you don’t finish then you have nothing to show. You don’t know where you are (in terms of your development) and you can’t move forward because people can’t experience your work. Finishing improves your confidence. It helps you understand yourself and it shows others what you do, and how they can get involved.

In creative terms finishing can be very hard. As a producer I often see people fall into these traps.

NEVER LETTING GO
There are many reasons people don’t let go, but mostly it’s because as soon as they finish they will have to face up to the reality of their talent. Many people are blinded by thinking that they are better than they currently are. If something isn’t finished then they can hide in this delusion. As soon as you finish, you have a benchmark by which you can be rated. This is tough, but it’s also good. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses puts you onto the path of improvement. Also if we finish something we often look to others for their input. This allows them to get involved, to help us, and ultimately move us forward even faster.

CHASING THE 20 PERCENT
I see this everywhere! People chasing the last 20 percent of a project. This refers to the “it’ll be finished when I think it’s perfect” syndrome. I’ll let you into a secret! …it’ll never be YOUR perfect! That 20 percent is an illusion, and the more you try to chase it, the more you start to unravel the great work you’ve done. Let it go! Learn to understand when something is finished, and accept that your most inspired work will often feel like it’s been abandoned. If you’re unsure, show your work to someone you trust. Not everyone can see the errors you see, and sometimes a little grit can really make a piece of work shine.

DON’T PROCRASTINATE
Daniel Lanois said that all projects have a particular ‘curve’ or ‘shape’. This ‘curve’ refers to the motivation and energy of the people involved. You mustn’t dither or loose focus. Turn up, focus, get on with it, finish. Be aware of how things are progressing, and if necessary move people on, gently move things forward. Remember, you can play people a finished track, but the perfect recording of a single bass drum is of little use to anyone.

Finally, I was once asked by a friend if he was paying too much to record 3 songs in a local studio. I replied by saying that what he needed from the deal was not 4 days in a studio, but 3 finished tracks. If he was guaranteed that result, then it was a good deal. However if that money didn’t buy him finished tracks then it was just time spent in the studio! Finishing is everything.

To hear music from my latest musical project with Michael please follow this link:
http://www.myspace.com/charlienorthmichaele

Second Chorus (Charlie North Remix).

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:45:00 +0000

Second Chorus (Charlie North Remix).

Editing in the Bar!Yesterday I was editing with Classlane in...

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:18:00 +0000

Editing in the Bar!
Yesterday I was editing with Classlane in Liverpool. We were shooting a video to be shown in the evening. Logistics meant that I spent the last hour editing in one of the venue’s bars! Drinks were available, but (with a tight deadline) mine was strictly coffee.

Can’t Stop - The Charlie North Michael e Project.Above is...

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:31:00 +0000

Can’t Stop - The Charlie North Michael e Project.
Above is the link to another track from my collaboration with Michael e. You can hear more tracks and keep up to date with the project at the Myspace page.
http://www.myspace.com/charlienorthmichaele

Club Night Visuals.A small selection of the visuals I was...

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:15:00 +0000

Club Night Visuals.
A small selection of the visuals I was commissioned to make for the club nights ‘Relapse’ and ‘Rehab’.

Remixing the Radio.Remixing the radio in realtime using Ableton...

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:42:00 +0000

Remixing the Radio.
Remixing the radio in realtime using Ableton and a Roberts radio. All the sounds used are from the radio except for a bass and drum loop.

Diftwood - The Charlie North Michael e Project.Above is the link...

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:20:00 +0000

Diftwood - The Charlie North Michael e Project.
Above is the link to a new track called Driftwood that I wrote and recorded with the musician and producer Michael e. It is part of a new chillout/downtempo musical collaboration that we have been developing over that past few months. We will be releasing some of these tracks on a selection of compilation albums in the new year.

Driving in the snow.This is a short film I made with my brother...

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 11:43:00 +0000

Driving in the snow.
This is a short film I made with my brother in law on Christmas Eve. It’s also a little experiment to see what can be done with mobile editing. The film was shot, edited and uploaded from my mobile phone.

Another day at the office.

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:56:00 +0000

Another day at the office.

FORGET YOURSELFI’ve been working with more generative...

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:43:00 +0000

FORGET YOURSELF
I’ve been working with more generative music ideas. Above is a link to a new piece that is very different to anything I’ve done before. Firstly it was not played but created through code and programming. I gave the computer a series of rules and ideas that it could explore and then let it ‘perform’ the music. I’ve used some of these principles before. ‘If:When:Then’ and ‘Wait & See’ make extensive use of this technique. However this track is completely generative. I’ve not edited or changed the music in any way.

Creating generative music has been likened to growing a plant. You set up the environment and then you let the track grow. You never really know what will happen, you have to flow with the principle. Some interesting ‘natural’ examples of generative music (and sound) would be raindrops and wind chimes.

I personally find it an interesting area to explore because it forces you to stop controlling the music and see where things take you. For me this is a very appealing idea, both in my life and my creativity. However this piece is mainly a curiosity, and I don’t think it warrants being on any media player. It’s mainly for anyone who is interested in the process of my work, as much as the results. That said I would be interested to hear your thoughts and get your feedback. Do you like it? Is it too minimal? Does it make sense? Should it make sense??

I should also probably mention a couple of other things…

You shouldn’t really listen to ambient music. This genre requires you experience music in a slightly different way. It should in fact become part of the natural ambience of your surroundings. The best way to achieve this is too turn the music down so that it’s just slightly louder than the other sounds around you (e.g. the fridge humming, the rain, the traffic etc.). Then just go about your life. It should alter the ambience of the room, nothing more. If you don’t do this, it won’t really work!!

REMASTERED MATERIAL & DOWNLOADSMy 2 albums and 1 EP have been given a complete audio overhaul....

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:29:00 +0000

REMASTERED MATERIAL & DOWNLOADS
My 2 albums and 1 EP have been given a complete audio overhaul. All this material has been remastered to the highest level, allowing for an audio quality previously unavailable to download. If you demand audio fidelity then these new mixes are for you. As well as remastering this material a new download service has been created that offers a variety of different formats. Bottom line, if you’re interested in buying any of my music then I urge you to check out the Digital Download Store.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:45:00 +0000

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

Nike/Footlocker (Charlie North Remix).

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:32:00 +0100

Nike/Footlocker (Charlie North Remix).

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Charlie North Remix).

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:25:00 +0100

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Charlie North Remix).