Tag Archives: Cardiff

27th Nov 2011 – LoveStruck, Film Festivals, Guillemots,

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Photograph Copyright of Mei Lewis @ Mission Photographic

On Tuesday LoveStruck was broadcast on BBC2 Wales and is now available on BBC iplayer here. We also have a website for LoveSturck up now, which has lots more info about the film, lovestruckfilm.co.uk.


(extract from the score to LoveStruck, hear on soundcould)

I recently I went to the Newport International Film Festival too. I was there on behalf of Queensbury Rules, a film I’d worked on which was being screened. It was a nice event and I saw some great other films there, the feature film Mother’s Milk stands out, and there was a great musical comedy short called Sudden Death, which felt like its destined for great viral video success, once its finished the festival circuit.

I also managed to get round to seeing a few events in the Cardiff Soundtrack Festival last week. One highlight was a screening of Murnau’s Faust with a live semi-improvised score by the Guillemots. The music felt like an indie-rock interpretation of free improvisation, using a lot of static textures, lightly varying soundscapes to help create a continuous accompaniment for the full 2 hours. Faust is such a great film anyway, with special effects that look more impressive than the homogeny of CGI you get these days, but this live accompaniment really kept it feeling engaging all the way through.

Recording at Machine Rooms

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I recently spent a few days at the Machine Rooms, a very nice music production facility at the ITV Wales Studios. We were making some of the very first recordings for a film I’m working on, currently in pre-production, called Banned Girls (check out the website for lots more info).

I’ve been involved with this project for ages, and it’s still going to be many months before I’m likely to be able to show any music on line here, but Rachel (the writer/director) did manage to snap a few pictures along the way.

Laura Jayne Newman, one of the lead actresses in Banned Girls.

Laura Jayne Newman, one of our great singers who’ll be playing one of the lead roles in the film.

Norway and Sweden

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So I recently went to Norway and Sweden. I was playing a show in Östersund for an old solo music project called peeved. I decided to eke out my time there by letting the cheapest possible flights dictate my travel dates. I managed to find some flights that were so stupidly cheap that even with the necessary cost of an extra night at a hotel here or there, it was still worth it.

Train ride along along Trondheimsfjorden

Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, Norway

A few hours to spare in Trondheim and I stumbled upon Nidaros Cathedral. I only had my phone with me at the time so this picture doesn’t really show how amazing the carvings on this wall are. Their website is in Norwegian, but worth checking out for the pictures: www.nidarosdomen.no

View from the train ride through central Norway and Sweden

Brightly Coloured Jungle Animal Sweets

Even my Swedish friends were surprised at the vibrancy of these colours, explaining that they seldom find sweets this bright since EU regulations over food colouring swept in.

The rather delightful window display of a shop in Gamla Stan, the old town area of central Stockholm.

Woman by the Mirror, Fernand Leger

I managed to pop along to the Moderna Museet, Stockholm’s Modern Art Museum, which had a range of impressive works, even if it was quite small (although maybe I’ve been spoiled with years of trips to the Tate Modern). I’ve had a bit of a soft spot for old Fernand Leger since studying him a little for my MA, so it was nice to find one or two of his works there.

Colourful buildings in Gamla Stan, the old town area of Stockholm.

It was a great trip, if somewhat short. And whilst I did feel like I spent a lot of time travelling, once I was back, heading from Heathrow to Cardiff, I couldn’t help but feel how comparatively boring trains in the UK can be.

Lots more pictures on my flickr feed here.

Eccentricities & Obsessions

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The other day I was walking through the Cardiff arcades and I happened to find this little student art show in an empty shop. I’ve heard talk here and there about cultural or community projects putting empty retail spaces to good use, but this is the first one I’ve seen for myself.

I must compliment the university for arranging this show. I studied a humanities subject at uni, and at times felt a huge gulf between the arts, and the society they were supposed to reflect. So giving the students and the public a chance to interact in this way, seems just great to me.

I also chatted to two of the artists whilst there, Ed and Naomi (do check out their blogs to see some of their work); and more info to be found on the course homepage here.

The show’s been extended to run until Saturday 12th of February, so if you’re in the area (map), do check it out.

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P.S. Also, my friend Will Scothern will be showing his film Queensbury Rules at Chapter Movie Maker on Monday 7th Feb (fb). Its a ten minute short I wrote the score for (lots of piano music), shot on Cannon 5D, and is described as ‘a boxing movie without any boxing’. If you’re about, then I’ll see you there.

second hand books

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I wondered into a second hand bookshop the other day and found a nice little book on Stravinsky. Its from 1947, cost just £2 and like all good books has lots of pictures. This one is probably my favourite:

ragtime doodling

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I’ve recently been doing some temp work in an office down in Cardiff Bay. The freelance film composer lifestyle is great an’ all, but it’s not necessarily the best way to keep the money coming in.

Anyway, I’d have to share the boring task of covering reception for an hour or so each day. In the quieter moments, some people would pass this time clearing their emails or reading a book. One afternoon last week, for no real reason, I decided to use some of this free time to write a little ragtime piano piece:

Then today, as a break from the emotional drama film I’m working on, I quickly put it in Logic and tidied it up.

(hear on soundcloud)

Right now it’s just a quick doodle really, and I know I’ve got nothing on the honky-tonk pros like this guy. But who knows, maybe it’ll come in handy for something someday.

Stats on leaving my phone on public transport

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Date: Easter 2007
Location: London Victoria Railway Station
Duration of phone unattended: 1minute 30seconds (approx.)
Phone reclaimed?: No

Date: Last week
Location: Cardiff Bus Station
Duration of phone unattended: 8 hours (approx.)
Phone reclaimed?: Yes

So last week I lost my phone. It wasn’t until the end of the working day that I was able to try my luck at the lost property, and when I did, I was completely amazed to find it had actually been handed in. I quite like living in Cardiff, and people say (in a very general and unsubstantiated way) that it’s a ‘friendly place’. Well now I would seem to have some quantifiable facts to back up that statement.