Le blog du Baron

18/10/2011: PREVIEW WHAT THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL MUSIC WILL LOOK LIKE

I'm generally wary of anyone with a crystal ball who pretends to know what the future of music will be like. But I will make an exception in this case since the report THINGS TO WATCH: MUSIC EDITION has been put together by J. WALTER THOMPSON (with whom I worked several times over the years). In a new study, they concluded that in 2011 "we got a clearer glimpse of what the second decade of digital music will look like - and it’s quite different from the first in many ways."

Things to Watch: Music Edition (October 2011)

View more presentations from JWTIntelligence

Probably the most insightful and comprehensive review I have seen of changes to come (many of them already visible as of today). Very, very strongly recommended reading (scrap that, make it "mandatory reading") for every musician.

  Personalised children music at MUSIC FOR MY KID 

04/10/2011: BARON ZERO COMING TO A WEDDING NEAR YOU (3)

"How did the whole Grillapalooza thing go in the end ?" you might be asking yourself (or "what should I eat tonight?" which is probably more likely but not really the point of this post). Well, I guess it would be a question of perspective. On the one hand I got a lot of praise after the set, but I'm at least realistic enough to know that the feedback of friends and relatives is not always the most objective. Although the father of the groom, a musician himself, warmly encouraged me to continue making music and complimented me on my voice.

On the other hand I was again left with too much frustration; the sound was crap (and I'm being polite), I made too many mistakes to count and for some reason I had the feeling my guitar was out of tune for a good part of the gig (even though I kept checking and it was not). But of course I'm also realistic enough to know that I'm often too hard on myself; STREET SPIRIT was intense and emotional as it should be and my rendition of PAPARAZZI got great reactions.

But in the end, what really matters is what I learned in the process and how I can use this to get one step closer to putting together the performance I can hear in my head. So here are a few (painstakingly) lessons for the future:

1. GET READY IN ADVANCE. Unfortunately I was out of power for a while (the only electrical plug available was taken up by the beer dispenser - trust me, you don't want to argue on this kind of topics with Germans) so there was little time to get the settings right. As a result my voice was not very clear and audible on the first 2 songs. Not the best way to start.
2. INVEST IN THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT. I spent some time finding the right sound in the weeks before the gig but it did not seem to help on the  night itself. After thinking it through, it probably has to do with the fact I'm using an acoustic amp for my Gibson and a pretty old ZOOM FX box. I have already invested in a new POD PRO HD floor board, I'm seriously eyeing on a BOSS VE-20 for the voice (any feedback welcome) and I will have to break the bank for a new amp soon.
3. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Making mistakes does not bother me as long as there are plenty of vibes. But having to furiously concentrate on the playing tends to get in the way. So I have now a new benchmark: playing with my eyes closed. Which in any case is a good idea when you play by the fire: you either can see f... all or you get blinded by the smoke (talk about stage effects).
4. PICK THE RIGHT SONGS:  I was unsure about a few songs before the gig (USE SOMEBODY is a great song but I'm no Paramore obviously) so I will make some changes to the setlist. Amongst others I'm thinking about covering "Moves like Jagger" if I can nail its nasty little funky riff.

Finally one positive point is that my (future ex ) manager did not quit after hearing me play (does it make him my ex future ex manager ?) and we are already talking about another gig in December.

J-J-J-J-J-J-Jingle all the way !

  Personalised children music at MUSIC FOR MY KID

30/09/2011: ZEROCAST #32

I'm recently back from a family holiday in the South of France. Beautiful countryside, great food (too much of it to resist obviously), fantastic wines. But the music ... how should I put it ? Well, it looks like Daft Punk could not pack the luminous Pyramid on the neighbour's tractor and never made their way down here. Fortunately I was armed with the latest issue of ZEROCAST and ready to face the worst musical drought: with killer remixes of Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes, Adele and the Beastie Boys it would get even the most placid of French cows to tap along.

  
You can grab the whole issue as a single zip file for the small price of a little tweet by clicking on the icon ...

 ... or download each track separately. Here is the detailed track listing (and if you like what you see, check this out):

• ARCADE FIRE Ready To Start (Damian Taylor remix) download buy
• NOAH AND THE WHALE Blue Skies (The Twelves Remix) download buy
• ADELE Someone Like You (Buffetlibre Remix) download buy
• FOSTER THE PEOPLE Pumped Up Kicks (Acid Invaders Remix) download buy
• CHROMEO When The Night Falls (Hercules And Love Affair Remix) download buy
• TIGA What You Need (Solardip remix) download buy
• GRACE JONES Williams Blood (Aeroplane Remix Radio Edit) download buy
• FLEET FOXES The Shrine (Hannes Fischer Remix) download buy
• JAMES BLAKE Limit To Your Love (Craig Williams Remix) download buy
• AMY WINEHOUSE Tears Dry on Their Own (Organized Noize Remix) download buy
• CHK CHK CHK The Hammer (Canyons Remix) download buy
• JAMIE LIDELL Gypsy Blood (Pat Sansone Remix) download buy
• BEASTIE BOYS Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (feat. Santigold) (Major Lazer Remix) download buy

All the tracks featured in this blog are the sole property of their owner(s). If you like what you hear, please support the artists by buying their original work or going to see their concert. If you would like your songs removed from this site, email me directly and I will take them off as soon as possible 

  Personalised children music at MUSIC FOR MY KID

 

22/09/2011: BARON ZERO COMING TO A WEDDING NEAR YOU (2)

We are now less than 24 hours away from the "acoustic cover/grilled saussage" sessions (maybe I should rename this whole thing "Grillapalooza" ?) tomorrow evening.

Would anyone be surprised anyone if I said that I'm ready ? Yeah, right, me too. Well, as usual I always tend to focus on the areas which would still be more work, but let's face it I think we should be able to avoid a complete nuclear meltdown (although I don't make any promises on the saussage front).

I have worked out what the live set should be, chosen the right voice/guitar FX (only one word: chorus is the way to go) and decided on which short to clean. And most importantly I have also settled on the final setlist of covers, as follows:

1. One (U2)
2. Umbrella (Rihanna)
3. Let me entertain you/Sympathy for the Devil (R.Williams/Stones)
4. Paparazzi (Lady Gaga)
5. Haven't met you yet (M.Buble)
6. Enjoy the Silence (Depeche Mode)
7. Street spirit (Radiohead)
8. Yellow (Coldplay)
9. I will survive (G.Gaynor/Cake)
10. Ne me quittes pas (J.Brel)
11. Wonderwall (Oasis)
12. Use Somebody (Kings of Leon)
13. It ain't over till it's over (L.Kravitz)
14. Long Train Running/Un peu de ton Amour (Doobie Brothers/Telephone)

I will attempt (first time lucky ?) to record the whole proceedings for immortality and future posting. And we have also been working on something else for the wedding night so there might be some bonus.

As always, keep rocking, I sure will do my best not to drop the SG into the BBQ 

  Personalised children music at MUSIC FOR MY KID

21/09/2011: DOWNLOAD EARMILK'S "ULTIMATE BEATLES REMIX COMPILATION"

Here is the first "Ultimate Remix Compilation" which is not a ZEROCAST issue; it is coming for the always very inspired EARMILK and features none other than ... the Beatles ! Dranoel aknowledges himself that the Beatles are maybe not the most obvious choice for a remix compilation:

"Before I get started I want all the die hard Beatles fans that are going to troll this post saying ‘Beatles can’t be remixed” “you ruined all of their songs for me” “Beatles are the best! These remixes suck!” Just simply enjoy the remixes for the remixes and how the song you know how been changed not necessarily for the better but for a new interesting perspective on the original".

Well said. And with no less than 27 killer remixes in every style from electro, house, chill and (hem) screwed up, it truly deserves the Zerocast seal of quality.

Check out the Beatles Remixed at EARMILK here.

  Personalised children music at MUSIC FOR MY KID

12/09/2011: ZEROCAST SPECIAL "THE ULTIMATE BLOC PARTY REMIX COMPILATION'

NB: this is a re-issue of my April 2009 post, updated and augmented with a few remixes !

There are arguably very few bands which get remixed as often as BLOC PARTY (maybe with the exception of JUSTICE ?). And since they eventually managed to edge out Hot CHip in our online voting last month, here is the ZEROCAST SPECIAL who have all been waiting for: the "Ultimate Bloc Party remix compilation".

You can get a whopping 37 (!) killer Bloc Party remixes for the small price of a little tweet or a FB post by clicking on the icon ...

... or download each track separately. Here is the detailed track listing (and if you like what you see, check this out): 

SILENT ALARM (2005):

• BLOC PARTY Like Eating Glass (Black Strobe remix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Banquet (Phones disco edit) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Banquet (Boys Noize vox mix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Helicopter (Allen Breakneck mix) download buy  
• BLOC PARTY Helicopter (Allen Santa Monica mix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY This Modern Love (Dave P. & Adam Making Time remix) download buy 
• BLOC PARTY The Pioneers (M83 remix) download buy 
• BLOC PARTY So Here We Are (Four Tet Remix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY She's Hearing Voices (Erol Alkan's Calling Your Dub) download buy  
• BLOC PARTY Two more Years (MSTRKRFT remix) download buy  

A WEEK END IN THE CITY (2007): 

• BLOC PARTY Hunting For Witches (RAC Mix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Hunting For Witches (Crystal Castles Remix) download buy  
• BLOC PARTY The Prayer (Does It Offend You, Yeah remix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY The Prayer (LA Modes Sunday School remix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY The Prayer (Phones Full Metal Jackin’ Mix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY The Prayer (Rene Goulet's Pantyline Shuffle) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Where Is Home (Burial Remix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY I Still Remember (Sebastian remix) download buy  
• BLOC PARTY I Still Remember (Lull's Music Box & Tears Mix) download buy 

INTIMACY (2008):

• BLOC PARTY Ares (Pin me down remix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Ares (Lost Prof Mix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Mercury (Telemitry remix) download buy 
• BLOC PARTY Mercury (CSS remix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Mercury (Lapse remix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Mercury (Flosstradamus Remix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Mercury (Herve in Disarray Remix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Signs (Plimsouls Remix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Signs (MMMatthias Remix) download buy 
• BLOC PARTY Signs (Armand van Helden Remix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Talons (Phones R.I.P Mix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Talons (Oh Not so acoustic remix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Flux (Clockwork remix) download buy
• BLOC PARTY Flux (MSTRKRFT JFK Remix) download buy 
• BLOC PARTY Flux (The Knife Machine Remix) download buy

All the tracks featured in this blog are the sole property of their owner(s). If you like what you hear, please support  the artists by buying their original work or going to see their concert. If you would like your songs removed  from this site, email me directly and I will take them off as soon as possible

  Personalised children music at MUSIC FOR MY KID

28/08/2011: SONGWRITING IS JUST ANOTHER FORM OF ANCIENT ALCHEMY

I have always seen songwriting as a mysterious craft, a kind of "dark art", a mix of alchemy and the Rocky Horror Picture Show. And let's face it, there is about as much chance of writing a hit song than a XIIth charlatan had to turn led into gold. In the words of the DIY MUSICIAN (the CD Baby blog): "If you think you can teach someone to write a hit song, why not show them how to conjure elephants from Hershey bars while you’re at it? Hit songs are voodoo spells dressed up as songcraft".

Still, they are nice enough to post some advice about the creative process taken from a number of famous songwriters including the likes of BJORK, JAMES HETFIELD or RAY DAVIS.

I feel very close to the words of Bjork: "Songwriting is like a thunderstorm building up inside me. If I don’t write songs, I get all bottled up". I often have this feeling that there is a song in me that has to get out or else it will end up rotting in there leaving inside of me the poison of what could have been.

  Personalised children music at MUSIC FOR MY KID

26/08/2011: LOOKING BACK AT ASIA OVER MY SHOULDER

Happy birthday Singapore ! It is exactly 3 years today that we arrived on the very first day of our Asian adventures. And it would have been the last day of my contract there if I hadn't resigned at the end of last year.

I remember the first days in Singapore as if they took place last week. We had missed our connecting flight in Francfort and ended up taking a daytime flight to Singapore rather than flying overnight. Which does not sound like much unless you have to spend 12 hours running after a 2 year old boy who thinks going up and down a Boing 747 is a great way to spend the day !

Maybe we should have seen this as a foresign of the tumultuous times to come: a new job, the endless trips to Shanghai and Mumbai, the "fire at the Taj", the weekends in Bangkok and Saigon, several Lion dances, some holidays on Koh-Samui and Bali, my first solo gigs and of course the arrival of the little Indian princess. 

All in all a time full of great times with great people. This is probably what I still miss the most from Asia. The food is fab and so many places are mesmerising. But the real treasure of Asia are its people. This is what I found out during the little time I spent on the little island and it made a big change in my life.

Ela, ela, eh, eh

• BARON ZERO Umbrella (rehearsal) download
• BARON ZERO Yellow (rehearsal) download

  Personalised children music at MUSIC FOR MY KID

25/08/2011: BLACKBERRY RE-INVENTS MIXTAPES WITH ITS MUSIC SERVICE

NB: this is a "remix" of my Facebook post ...

Many people know I'm not a big fan of BLACKBERRY, I have tried a few times to get rid of mine but for some reasons most companies (including my current employer) seems convinced that it is the only decent way to read emails away from the office.

And considering how RIM have consistently made a mess of the BB marketing strategy over the last few years (leading to the situation they are in now), I must admit I'm quite impressed with the way they have approached their new Music Service. First they have decided to build it on the back on BB Messenger and its 45 million users. And second they actually limit the number of songs people can stream to 50, making it the equivalet of a digital mixtape.

Here are some more details from BILLBOARD.BIZZ:

This is not a typical streaming or music download service. Those who download the app will be able to select 50 songs that represent their "music profile." They can then stream those 50 songs as many times as they like, and also connect with other users to view and stream their 50 songs, and so on. There's no limit to the number of friends users can have, or the number of streams that can be made between them. "It recreates the experience of making mixtapes for friends," says Nick Patsiopoulos, a product manager on the service. "It evolves the mixtape. It makes it easier and faster."

Rather than being a negative, I think the "mixtape approach" will actually force people to really identify their iconic songs and define their "music profile". It will probably evolve into a music matching score similar to Last.fm and maybe allow users to make new connections based on their mixtape. Since music has always been a key factor in defining yourself and the tribe you belong to, this is very simple but very clever.

As NEW ROCKSTAR PHILOSOPHY puts it " RIM Creates Social Streaming".

  Personalised children music at MUSIC FOR MY KID

19/08/2011: BARON ZERO COMING SOON TO A WEDDING NEAR YOU

It's now official, I have my first engagement as a wedding singer and will be playing for my lovely sister in law's wedding (well,  actually more like the pre-wedding barbecue but BBQ singer did not quite have the same ring to it) at the end of September. Which means one month of furious reherseal left before and many, many questions about what will be the best songs to play. I have given it quite a lot of thoughts and I actually plan to share some of these in a future post.

But in the meantime, here is the setlist I have been working on; as you will see it includes a few new songs:

1. One (U2 cover)
2. Umbrella (Rihanna cover)
3. Let me entertain you/Sympathy for the Devil (Robbie Williams/Stones cover)
4. Papparazzi (Lady Gaga cover)
5. Enjoy the Silence (Depeche Mode cover)
6. Haven't met you yet (Michael Buble cover)
7. Street spirit (Radiohead cover)
8. I will survive (Gloria Gaynor/Cake cover)
9. Long Train Running/Unpeu de ton Amour (Doobie Brothers/Telephone cover)
10. Ne me quitte pas (Jacques Brel cover)
11. Yellow (Coldplay cover)
12. Wonderwall (Oasis cover)
13. It ain't over till it's over (Lenny Kravitz cover)
14. I love rock'n'roll/We will rock you (Joan Jett/Queen cover)

I'm sure there will be more hesitations and probably some last minutes changes. Did I forget anything ? I'm still wondering if I should add granny's rap from the Wedding Singer movie (now what you hear is not a test I'm rapping to te beat ...).

  Personalised children music at MUSIC FOR MY KID