Le blog du Baron

24/06/2009: DOWNLOAD BARON ZERO NEW SONG "NEVERAFTER"

Well technically speaking not a new song but a new edit of the "song-which-started-it-all", BARON ZERO's very first song NEVERAFTER. Having collected quite a lot of feedback on various songs through MUSIC XRAY, I have decided to build on these and review some of Baron Zero earlier material.

Which in the case of NEVERAFTER led me to get rid of half of the guitar intro, shortern the first 16 bars to move more quickly to the first verse and simplify the solo. I think the track has more punch and more urgency as a result although I'm still pondering whether I should ditch the intro alltogether.

Here is the revised version, all feedback and comments welcome !

BARON ZERO Neverafter (2009 re-edit) download

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02/06/2009: INSPIRATION TAKES STRANGE TURNS "THE RETURN OF THE MONCHICHI"

Some songs can litterally take years in the making. Here is a song which has now taken almost 7 years (!) to move from an idea to a bassline ... I remember when I first listened to LENNY KRAVITZ's album 5 (I think I was still living in London at the time); besides FLY AWAY, one of the tracks which really got me kicking was STRAIGHT COLD PLAYER. A simple riff, a hell of a groove and Lenny's voice singing one line over and over (you guessed right, "I'm a straight cold player").

So I decided to do a song with the same kind of spirit. Strangely enough, the first thing to come to me was the title "THE RETURN OF THE MONCHICHI" (see photo to the right - don't ask, it's a long story). But for a long time all I had in my head was a bassline which did not convince me completly.

And then last week-end, the breakthrough ! As I walked into the kitchen to fetch myself a glass of water, here it was: the perfect bassline. I kept humming to myself, hearing in my head the different instruments joining in one after the others. And then I forgot it ! But since I'm of the opinion that good ideas always come back in the end, I did not panic (well, maybe a bit) and surely enough it did after a few days. It will still take a few weeks to put things together, but I guess after such a long time we can all wait a bit ... Stay tune for more to come

technorati tags: Baron Zero the return of the Monchichi new song Lenny Kravitz
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08/05/2009: HELP YOURSELF, DOWNLOAD ALL BARON ZERO FOR FREE

Welcome to the music vault where you can download every single track from BARON ZERO free ! If you like what you hear, buy the tracks, leave a tip, spread the word, share the music (every song is under Creative Common license), write a comment, etc ... and don't forget to come back as I will be adding more songs regularly. LE BARON    

SIGNATURE TRACKS: you have only 8:43 to spare ? Not to worry ! All you need do is download the zip file hereafter to discover BARON ZERO signature tracks - No easy way, Neverafter and Eiffel Power - and get a flavour of what this is all about download

THE POSITIVE REMIXES (2008): courtesy of the gang at RemixFight here are a few remixes of AIDS anthem POSITIVE.

• BARON ZERO Positive (Rinkydink Positive in Cambodia remix) download
• BARON ZERO Positive (Fix-a-lot Magnetic Resonance mix) download
• BARON ZERO Positive (UnDesirable Good Times remix) download
• BARON ZERO Positive (Rewind Personal Armaggedon mix) download
• BARON ZERO Positive (DFF Sound System remix) download
• BARON ZERO Positive (Artemis Strong Waiting Room blues) download
• BARON ZERO Positive (Artemis Strong Negative Discharge) download

FOLLOW THE EYE (2007):

• BARON ZERO Is everything in place: the opening track for the brand new album. In short ? A punchy start ... download buy
• BARON ZERO No easy way: a mean bassline which takes off like a rocket, sends you spinning like a sattellite to remind you that "without the bitter babe, the sweet ain't so sweet" download buy
• BARON ZERO Eiffel Power (part 1): the soundtrack for a party right at the top of the Eiffel tower ... A funk/rock track with bags of groove and bags of attitude: just bag it ! download buy
• BARON ZERO New day rising: an uplifting ballad about love and miracles. "She's got eyes like a new day rising, a smile like the sun floating through the sky" download buy
• BARON ZERO Positive: a rock song about AIDS. Because every 10 seconds someone somewhere in the world dies from it. This track lasts 3:43 ... I let you do the maths download buy
• BARON ZERO Neverafter: where it all began. The end of a love affair and le Baron's very first song download buy
• BARON ZERO She shines: accoustic guitars and African drums for a story about magic, the moon and fairies: a tribal summernight's dream download buy
• BARON ZERO New day rising (slight return): like a distant echo: when the words have dried and the paper has yellowed, only remain the faded colours and the melancholy download buy

REMIXES (2005-2008):

• BARON ZERO Leave them all behind (London dance remix) download
• BARON ZERO Leave them all behind (Vienna mellow mix) download

DEMOS (2005-2008):

• BARON ZERO Firebird (original demo) download
• BARON ZERO Black flies (original demo) download
• BARON ZERO New day rising (original demo) download
• BARON ZERO New day rising (reworked demo) download
• BARON ZERO Silver Surfer (original demo) download
• BARON ZERO Ashes (original demo) download
• BARON ZERO Positive (original demo) download
• BARON ZERO Leave them all behind (original demo) download
• BARON ZERO Eiffel Power part 1 (original demo) download
• BARON ZERO She shines (original demo) download
• BARON ZERO She shines (reworked demo) download
• BARON ZERO Neverafter (original demo) download
• BARON ZERO New day rising slight return (original demo) download

  This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.

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29/04/2009: DOWNLOAD BARON ZERO "POSITIVE REMIXES" FOR FREE

Here are finally the different remixes of BARON ZERO "POSITIVE" which were put together by the gang at  RemixFight, along with the original version:

BARON ZERO Positive (original version)
BARON ZERO Positive (Rinkydink Positive in Cambodia remix)
BARON ZERO Positive (Fix-a-lot Magnetic Resonance mix)
BARON ZERO Positive (UnDesirable Good Times remix)
BARON ZERO Positive (Rewind Personal Armaggedon mix)
BARON ZERO Positive (DFF Sound System remix)
BARON ZERO Positive (Artemis Strong Waiting Room blues)
BARON ZERO Positive (Artemis Strong Negative discharge)

If you like what you hear, don't forget to check the rest of BARON ZERO tracks here. And feel free to leave comments on the orginal or the remixes.

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24/04/2009: NO TIME FOR THE TAJ MAHAL BUT A WALK ON THE BEACH

Unfortunately I have just finished with all my meetings and it doesn't look like I will be able to pay a visit to the TAJ MAHAL this time. I'm staying up north near JUHU BEACH and knowing the usual traffic in Mumbai it will take me a good hour to reach the center of town and probably more to get to the airport. A shame since the staff at the Taj Mahal were expeting me but it will have to be for another time.

But I got to take a long walk down the famous Juhu Beach yesterday evening (I'm still looking down over it right now). And relaxed for a while in the magnificent swimming-pool of the Marriot hotel. Hope the picture below will give you a feel for what's it like to be at Juhu along with a few thousands Bombaites on a busy Thursday evening.

   

   

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22/04/2009: FINALLY BACK TO THE TAJ MAHAL IN MUMBAI

I'm flying back to India tonight, for the first time since I got caught in the Mumbai terror attack. Mixed feelings ... Overall I'm very happy and excited to go back to one of my favourite cities but also quite unsure how I will react once I'm there.

All the more that I have been invited a few months ago by the General Manager of the TAJ MAHAL and I intend to pay a visit to the hotel. This will be strange sitting again by the swimming pool (if this part of the hotel has been reopened which I'm not entirely sure of).

Maybe I will finally get to finish this beer I left on the table last November !

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12/01/2009: SOME THOUGHTS ON THE TAJ MAHAL ATTACKS AND MILAREPA 'S TEACHINGS

I finally finished the book I started on the night of the TAJ MAHAL terror attack, about the life of Tibet's great XIIth Century yogi master MILAREPA (details available on request for those of you interested). Strange feeling to close the book, since it has been with me all through these days in Mumbai and after back in Singapore. After close to 6 weeks and well into the new year, it might be time to cover the impact the events had on me in more details.

Has it changed the way I look at life ? Not really. I always thought that life is neither good nor bad, it just IS and we decide which side we want to see. And I don't believe there is any meaning in what happened, or in the fact I survived. Actually if there was a meaning in my escape, wouldn't it mean there is also a meaning in the fact so many people died ? That is not something I'm ready to accept.

In the end these events - like everything else which happens in our existence - will be given meaning by the way I carry on with my life from now on. But one thing which has changed is the fact I have become more conscious of my own frailty, the limited time I have at my disposal. Making me feel more present and focused on the moment at hand.

Buddhists masters such as MILAREPA teach that the first path towards enlightment is the realization of the impermanence of life. Maybe this is what happened, giving me a chance to build on this experience and learn how to become a better person. Let me wish you exactly the same for 2009 !

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19/12/2008: AN UNEXPECTED (AND WELCOME) SILVER LINING

I did not really think about people's reaction when I decided to share what happened to me in Mumbai. So I was surprised and moved to read the following comment left by Leith Burke, a regular reader of LBDB:

hey man. i don't know you, but i do check your blog regularly. first i would like to thank you for providing me (and the bar i work at) with some great music. more importantly i would like to let you know that your experience in india has served to bring the impact of these attacks to my fingertips. as i said, i don't know you, but we have shared something through these machines, and like it or not they are a part of us now. like a prosthetic: man made, but integrated to the body. metaphors aside, i feel as if a friend has been attacked by senseless violence and hatred, and that makes me want to do something about it. not in a u.s. marine sort of way, but in an effective way of communication, education, and understanding. "what will i do?" i'll tell you after i finish this spliff...but your experience has affected me, and i thank you for sharing it. i don't write comments on blogs. your life is the best song. enjoy the snow. LB

Leith, I'm glad to get to "meet" a regular reader of the Blog and even happier that the music I've posted untill now could make your day. But it's up to me to thank you: the fact that somebody I have never met can show me such support and compassion goes a long way to erase the memory that somebody else I had never met was intent on killing me as well as a few other hundred persons ...

Thanks again for taking the time to leave your comment: the world is a cold and scary place at times and human warmth is the only thing which gives it more sense.

Keep rocking

Le Baron

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17/12/2008: STITCHING THINGS BACK TOGETHER AGAIN

As it turned out, the injury I sustained during the terrorrist attack at the TAJ MAHAL in Mumbai was not so minor after all. I initially believed I only had a badly sprained ankle since the x-rays done in India showed no sign of any fracture. But as the pain was only growing stronger on my return to Singapore, I decided to get my leg checked properly. The doctor was quick to diagnose that my left Achilles tendon had snapped during by aborted flight. Following on from the surgery which took place 2 weeks ago, I will now get a cast for the next 2 months and then reeducation.

All in all, I still think it is fair deal and I would have gladly signed for it when things started to heat up. I will only have to find a way to snowboard on one leg this Christmas.

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26/11/2008: FIRE AT THE TAJ MAHAL ...

I was sitting by the the swimming pool of the TAJ MAHAL hotel in Mumbai a bit  more than 2 weeks ago when the terrorrist attacks began. I remember  asking myself earlier that night if I shouldn't just relax in my room and laughing  at myself for being so boring.

Right ...

All I had with me when I went down was my room card and a book on the Tibetan XIth century yoga master MILAREPA. Maybe Milarepa inspired me on that fateful night or maybe I simply got lucky, but it came very close. When I heard gunshots from inside the hotel and saw some panicked guests running around, I reacted instinctively before even fully realizing what was going on. I jumped on my feet (somehow picking up the book which was my only companion for the remainder of the night) and ran towards the inside of the Heritage building. As I ran I felt a strong pain in my lower left leg and I had to stop behind a corner, hardly able to walk anylonger. I manage to hide before the terrorrists could catch up and ended up spending the entire night hidden in a smaller boiler room (probably the least comfortable room in the entire hotel) with gunshots and explosions echoing all through the darkness.

Once things seemed to have calmed down on Thursday morning, I got out of the hotel on one leg without ever coming face to face with a terrorrist. Between the hospital, the police, the French embassy and the office it took me another 2 long days before I could finally be home with my family.

Was I scared ? I actually didn't have time to think about it at the beginning, everything happened so fast. The worst moment was afterwards when I kept thinking about the many ways in which things could have happened differently.

Was I lucky ? Definitely when you consider how many people lost their lives or the lives of close relatives. I read that a taxi driver dropped off his family at the Victoria Terminal and by the time he came back from parking his car, he saw 6 members of his family dying in front of his eyes. I feel like I got a very good deal, especially when I watched on TV the bodies being retrieved from the lobby, thinking I heard the shots which ended these lives.

There will definitely be a before and an after Mumbai. I'm already planning to go back to India which is one of my favourite countries in the world and no terror attack will change that. I'm also keen to finish this song I started so long ago, about empty violence and the hopes for better tomorrow, in memory of a long long night in the heart of the Taj Mahal.

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