Here's a quick preview of lensmaster Richard Ecclestones latest snap for Future Music.
4 Mr Hoodee's, oh how we shivered.......
Moog looks nice tho!
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Thursday, 2 October 2008
8 years is a long time in this business
We've been getting a bit nostalgic about the loss of GCHQ, or since the post yesterday, so though you might enjoy this.
Yes that's MR Hoodee with his low tech set up (even for then!) in the bedroom that GCHQ would eventually grow above - nice curtains we thought. The fact he managed to produce quite a few released records from that set-up still tickles us today, especially when someones moaning about a powerful plug-in or the 2 hours of sample time on their soft-sampler !-P
Quite a landmark for the Groove Criminals that interview, as it was the first time we met Eckie (who did the shoots) and Mr Sellers who wrote the piece and ended up getting MR Hoodee into journalism - although we have forgiven him finally.
So there you have it - slightly embarrassing but you gotta start somewhere !-)
P.S funnily enough MR Hoodee also got a tune on the Future Music cover CD a couple of years before we got together and started making samples for them - will see if we can dig it out....
Yes that's MR Hoodee with his low tech set up (even for then!) in the bedroom that GCHQ would eventually grow above - nice curtains we thought. The fact he managed to produce quite a few released records from that set-up still tickles us today, especially when someones moaning about a powerful plug-in or the 2 hours of sample time on their soft-sampler !-P
Quite a landmark for the Groove Criminals that interview, as it was the first time we met Eckie (who did the shoots) and Mr Sellers who wrote the piece and ended up getting MR Hoodee into journalism - although we have forgiven him finally.
So there you have it - slightly embarrassing but you gotta start somewhere !-)
P.S funnily enough MR Hoodee also got a tune on the Future Music cover CD a couple of years before we got together and started making samples for them - will see if we can dig it out....
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
Goodbye GCHQ
Okay we didn't get to post before October (see post below)!
Things have been very busy here over the last month and we're just beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel that runs through sample mountain. Of course such a large amount of concentrated studio time has left us all pretty much ill and grumpy but pleased with the amount of work we've managed to churn out under some pretty impossible deadlines.
Time also to finally say a proper goodbye to GCHQ or as you can see in the pic (from my camera so sorry about the quality) the loft space above Mr Hoodee (and misses) bed room in their now rented out cottage.
We finally had to shift the 2000 or so records that were being stored up there (not fun) and when it was finally clear it looked so cool we just wanted to move it all back in!
That loft, boiling in the summer (you can see the hole we knocked through the roof to blast the hot air from our air con) and freezing in the winter was really the place we turned from doing this stuff as a hobby into doing as a job - notice I didn't use the the word 'professionals' there !-) and as such will always be looked back upon fondly.
Still, upwards and onwards, GCHQ mk 2 (currently under the working title of 'the beat bunker') continues to grow and due to the current financial climate has become a much more permanent dwelling than we were expecting. Next job is to get a new workspace (Thomann have a cracker on their website) in there, new command chair and sort out our rather overflowing rack space. no doubt some pics and frustrated words about having to rewire everything for the 3rd time in a year will appear up here before Xmas.
Before we go we'd also like to extend a welcome to the Groove Criminals extended families' 2 youngest members -
William Nathan Edgoose and Daisy Olive Rose Seelig, both born within the last 2 weeks and doing well, as are their respective proud dads! Well done guys !-)
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
It's art you know...
Wotcha
Just a quick post as we're up to our necks in loops for pretty much the whole of Sept!
Had a great week away and managed to catch 7 days of sunshine - fab! Back to the grind however.
Here's another great pic taken for FM by our mucka Eckie.
Just a quick post as we're up to our necks in loops for pretty much the whole of Sept!
Had a great week away and managed to catch 7 days of sunshine - fab! Back to the grind however.
Here's another great pic taken for FM by our mucka Eckie.
Strap-on action baby - yeah!
Cough - that's enough of that, got some new toys and other bits and bobs to tell you about when we get more time (hopefully before October!).
Til then GCHQ out.
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Chilly Summer Hols
Hi
In other news, thanks to a visit to the DR expo in London's Earls Court by Mr Hoodee and daughter, we have a new addition to GCHQ.
Can it really be a month since we last posted - we do try to keep things up to date, honest.
Well, we're nearing the end few weeks of the summer (already!) and it's still raining! Still work carries on here at GCHQ with the usual monthly commissions plus a new download pack of chilled out beats for Sample magic. We put in a huge chunk of the beats to their successful Sunset Sessions chillout sample cd and these beats are more of the same style loops. You can find the pack here.
In other news, thanks to a visit to the DR expo in London's Earls Court by Mr Hoodee and daughter, we have a new addition to GCHQ.You wouldn't have thought a 4ft inflatable Dalek was essential studio furniture would you?
Anyway, we've a couple more projects to finish off before heading out of the country next week for a few days R&R, and who knows maybe a bit of sun as well.....
GCHQ out
Thursday, 24 July 2008
Summer and stuff
Wotcha.
Been a couple of weeks since we last checked in so time for a quick update.
Summers hols have now begun (even the sun has put in a brief appearance) which leaves us with the annual juggle of looking after our kids and trying to bang beats out all day. This normally leaves us with 6 weeks of guilt for working long hours in the studio and imposing children on Granny, when we feel we should take the whole 6 weeks off and do bike rides, picnics, tree houses and other self-imposed famous five-type activities. On the flip side working from home (well MR Hoodees) does mean we see more of our kids day to day than most full time working parents, but the summer holiday guilt still stings a bit, but gotta earn a dollar I guess.
On the work front we're putting together a chilled out beats download pack for our friends at Sample Magic, and have just finished rincing our (and any available mates) sizable digital drum machine collection for another drum hits pack for DMS.
The monthly work also carrys on, so we've commissions to start on for both FM and CM, which we'll blog about (with vids) if we get time - got to fit a couple of weeks away with the family in Aug as well!
The issue of Future Music containing the circuit bent sample collection should be hitting the stores very soon and features another fab pic by our good mate Eckie, something like the one below...
Kinda sums up the normal audio nuttiness of working around here rather well. With the added bonus of having to gaffer-tape Eckie to the ceiling to take the shot.
He's still up there somewhere...
Been a couple of weeks since we last checked in so time for a quick update.
Summers hols have now begun (even the sun has put in a brief appearance) which leaves us with the annual juggle of looking after our kids and trying to bang beats out all day. This normally leaves us with 6 weeks of guilt for working long hours in the studio and imposing children on Granny, when we feel we should take the whole 6 weeks off and do bike rides, picnics, tree houses and other self-imposed famous five-type activities. On the flip side working from home (well MR Hoodees) does mean we see more of our kids day to day than most full time working parents, but the summer holiday guilt still stings a bit, but gotta earn a dollar I guess.
On the work front we're putting together a chilled out beats download pack for our friends at Sample Magic, and have just finished rincing our (and any available mates) sizable digital drum machine collection for another drum hits pack for DMS.
The monthly work also carrys on, so we've commissions to start on for both FM and CM, which we'll blog about (with vids) if we get time - got to fit a couple of weeks away with the family in Aug as well!
The issue of Future Music containing the circuit bent sample collection should be hitting the stores very soon and features another fab pic by our good mate Eckie, something like the one below...
Kinda sums up the normal audio nuttiness of working around here rather well. With the added bonus of having to gaffer-tape Eckie to the ceiling to take the shot.
He's still up there somewhere...
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Bent Beats
Another month, another set of samples.
This month for Future Music we've been happily abusing drum machines and children's toys all in the name of art. Yep it's circuitbending time again! For anyone not in the know, circuitbending is the term given to modifying electronic toys or machines to basically short circuit the sound chips so they let out streams of glitches, squawks and other strange noises.
Now we're a little parcel to a session of circuit bending here at GCHQ so have a few modded bits and pieces laying about, including our bent TR 505. Anyone not on personal terms with the 505 (and even if you are) might find this description taken from http://www.circuitbenders.co.uk/ amusing.
"The Roland TR-505, a classic piece of kit! This Drum Machine is an essential feature of many studios throughout the whole world. Wherever there is a studio door that needs to be wedged open the 505 finds its true purpose as a door stop and does the job with a simple elegance which we can all admire. Never has a piece of music kit been so vastly overrated".
A bit harsh perhaps, but it is true that the humble 505 isn't exactly the most inspiring drum machine Roland ever built. Anyway we own a couple so sacrificed one upon Mr Hoodees alter of solder and screwdrivers. What we added was a 16 way mini-jack patchbay that mucks with the sound in all sorts of odd ways. And by the magic of the interwebnet here's a little vid!
This month for Future Music we've been happily abusing drum machines and children's toys all in the name of art. Yep it's circuitbending time again! For anyone not in the know, circuitbending is the term given to modifying electronic toys or machines to basically short circuit the sound chips so they let out streams of glitches, squawks and other strange noises.
Now we're a little parcel to a session of circuit bending here at GCHQ so have a few modded bits and pieces laying about, including our bent TR 505. Anyone not on personal terms with the 505 (and even if you are) might find this description taken from http://www.circuitbenders.co.uk/ amusing.
"The Roland TR-505, a classic piece of kit! This Drum Machine is an essential feature of many studios throughout the whole world. Wherever there is a studio door that needs to be wedged open the 505 finds its true purpose as a door stop and does the job with a simple elegance which we can all admire. Never has a piece of music kit been so vastly overrated".
A bit harsh perhaps, but it is true that the humble 505 isn't exactly the most inspiring drum machine Roland ever built. Anyway we own a couple so sacrificed one upon Mr Hoodees alter of solder and screwdrivers. What we added was a 16 way mini-jack patchbay that mucks with the sound in all sorts of odd ways. And by the magic of the interwebnet here's a little vid!
Although enthusiastic dabblers we're also not too proud to call in the experts sometimes, and had our new mate Shane at Minority-Zero add one of his shiny Destruction Matrix patchbay's to our old Yamaha DD6 drum machine. Using RCA leads to patch some crazy burps, squeals and screams out of this down at heel preset drum bank is a joy to behold, with the added bonus of it looking great as well. The whole 'making it look nice' part of bending really passes us by, due to lack of skill and Patience to be honest.
And what a beauty she is, we're well pleased and will hopefully post a video of her in action when we get a min. If you do a search on Ebay for minority-zero you might see some of Shanes other fab creations - highly recommended.
GCHQ out
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