http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/Ramon reveals all about the music of Ramonia's State Band, Mutt Ramon and stuff...en-UKMokoFeed10http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/http://data5.blog.de/design/preview/a3/35446fead1ebea82369f05cec7b94f_160x200.jpghttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2007/03/11/ciao_italy_part~1888132/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2007-03-11:/2007/03/11/ciao_italy_part~1888132/Sun, 11 Mar 2007 23:11:30 +0100 <p>Here are a few snippets of randomness about our Italian tour, which, even now we have completed it, still feels a bit unreal. You can read Mutt's excellent and intensive diary <a href="http://www.myspace.com/muttramon"> here </a>, but I thought I would fill in the gaps, or add some bits that I observed along the way. There are also some quite pictures available on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7271810@N05/sets/72157594582212253/detail/"> flickr </a>, if you want the full slideshow! Some of them are quite funny though. Anyway, before I begin I would just like to thank Paulo (Mr My Honey Records) himself for inviting us, along with Fabio (and his family) for putting us up in splendid style on the first night and everyone else who worked on our EP, promotion, accomodation, food or who just turned up to here what we sounded like!<br> So, day one... It was a very early start (the flight was 7.15 actually Mutt, but at that time 15 minutes either way makes no difference), but we arrived in good time to be met by Paulo and his Methane powered Fiat! That sounds sarcastic, but I think it's a great idea, that is good for the environment and wish that there were more alternatives in the UK. It did make squeezing my specially bought for the trip hard case into a boot mostly filled by a gas tank quite tricky though, so Mutt and I spent many a fine trip huddled up to it, along with Mutt's guitar case. We spent a nice afternoon wandering round Paulo's home city of Brescia where I believe Paulo himself examines every drop of milk personally. Our apologies to the people of Brescia that their milk was not so intensively studied for the week we were dragging him around Northern Italy. We had been told about the radio interview, but were living in denial until we were actually on the air and talking rubbish. We had an interesting chat with Jean-Luc on <a href="http://www.radiondadurto.org/"> Radio Onda d'Urto </a> for about 45 minutes in which he played quite a few of our tracks and we butchered 2 of them live. We worked out later (at the gig in discussion with Alessandro from "Le Man Avec Les Lunettes" who mastered it), that the EP tracks turned up in Alphabetical order, as that is how Windows lists things on a data disk. Still, I think the order works quite well, despite this. Also (getting very technical here), the start of our gig was a bit fraught as after the soundcheck we went to eat large quantities of pasta and veal (or cheese in Mutt's case) and Ramon Jr (our trusty laptop) went to sleep and shut down his harddrive. Then when we turned up (a bottle of good local red wine later), and I pressed "Go", he was still asleep and didn't rouse quite so easily. The glitches in the Dog Song weren't as bad as the 2 minutes it took to load Unwind, in which everyone including Mutt thought I'd gone mad as I spouted total bollocks continuously interspersed with "It's still not loaded" as a clue to Mutt that something was up (that he singularly failed to pick up on) to an almost totally non-English speaking audience. They looked ever so slightly confused and thought they'd come to see some avant-garde English stand-up routine I think. I set Ramon up to stay awake at all times after that by pouring double espresso's into his PCMCIA slot. The rest of the gig went mercifully very well,and we played our first encore (albeit after a request to play "Just 1 more" - mostly politeness maybe, and I don't know what would have happened if we'd tried to play 2 more!). We drove back to Fabio's afterwards listening to the "Let it Bee" compilation (out now on <a href="http://www.myhoney.it/"> My Honey Records </a> - as is our EP!).</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2007/03/11/ciao_italy_part~1888132/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2007/03/11/ciao_italy_part~1888132/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2007/03/07/ramonian_embassy_in_italy~1862303/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2007-03-07:/2007/03/07/ramonian_embassy_in_italy~1862303/Wed, 07 Mar 2007 13:51:06 +0100 <p>The Peepls Repooblk vo Ramonia with great honour announces the opening of it's new Official Ramonian Embassy rov the benefit of all Ramonian people in Italia. It is located at <a href="http://www.zuni.it/"> Zuni </a> in the city of Ferrara, and should be the first port of call rov all Ramonians visiting the fine country of Italia. It will be providing all the usual facilities expected ov the Ramonian People, including Free Fresh Ramonian Air, the compulsory singing of our glorious National Anthem ("Oh Great Minnow!") on the first Monday vo each week, and interactive water enhanced waste disposal, freshening and cleansing compartment. The embassy was established after long and intensive negotiations between the Ramonian Minister vo Culture, the Secretary ov State vo Ramonia's Mental Health and Welfare and representatives of Zuni who now carry the esteemed titles of "Ramonian Ambassador & Manipulator vo Sound" and "Ramonian Chief High Commissioner & Dispenser vo Grappa".<br> <a href="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/media/media_item.php?item_ID=1226599" title="Ramonian Embassy"><img src="http://data2.blog.de/media/599/1226599_a9ff9fbc19_m.gif" width="500" height="339" alt="Ramonian Embassy"></a><br> For the Glory vo Ramonia and the Workings ov the Great Minnow! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2007/03/07/ramonian_embassy_in_italy~1862303/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>ramonian-embassy-ferrara-zuni-italyhttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2007/03/07/ramonian_embassy_in_italy~1862303/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/11/14/still_live~1331029/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-11-14:/2006/11/14/still_live~1331029/Tue, 14 Nov 2006 23:29:22 +0100 <p>So, it's been a while, right? And the last entry to this blog was particularly despairing and it looked like Mutt Ramon was finished with that oft quoted "Musical Differences" being cited as grounds in court, right? We hated each other and would soon be fighting over access to the songs, right?<br> Do you read this blog much? Really? Of course it's not over, far from it! You should know that I only write when I have something that really irks me to write about, otherwise I just plod along and don't get round to doing anything. Or, as in this case, I have just been too busy with one thing or another. (A holiday, for one thing, to Euro-Unrealmouseworld in the middle of France - that deserves a whole entry in itself, but suffice to say that some of it was fantastic and some of it confirmed my deepest most cynical preconceptions).<br> So what has happened to make everything so rosy then? Well, out of the blue we got invited to play a set of gigs. In Italy. How could we refuse? Ok, so it's at the end of February, early March, but still... Italy! Worth it for the food and wine if nothing else! So that had a certain impetus for us. It's actually an invitation from our Italian Label - well that's what I like to say. Our CD is available via <a href="http://www.myhoney.it/shop_mailorder.htm"> My Honey Records </a> in Italy, and we have a track on a forthcoming compilation CD of Honey and Bee related songs on the same label (more details when it is out).<br> Then, Mr Mutt as "Truant Mom" played a "bad gig" as he puts it on his <a href="http://www.myspace.com/truantmom "> own blog </a> and we had a get together soon after, which degenerated into an argument about bongo's (you had to be there), and after a lot of discussion and Mrs Mutt and Mrs Ramon banging our heads together we kissed and made up (no tongues involved though).<br> Since then, Mr Mutt has arranged us an acoustic gig at Cafe Moca in Sheffield next Thursday (the 23rd if you're in town - it's free!), which we have been practicing for at lunchtimes. The venue has an acoustic night, so it seemed best to perform acoustically. This does involve me playing a nasty red Melodica the Mutt has bought, along with some percussion stuff (straight outta Early Learning Centre) and singing mostly. Don't worry though, the Italian gigs will involve electronics. I promise - as does Mutt, as he will really know about it if they don't! You see, we do still have "Musical Differences", but I think that's half the point, if there were no conflict, we'd be a much more boring proposition.<br> Right, I'm off to practice me Melodica and look up flights to Italy. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/11/14/still_live~1331029/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>sheffieldliveitalymusicacoustictourmelodicahttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/11/14/still_live~1331029/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/10/04/i_dunno~1188872/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-10-04:/2006/10/04/i_dunno~1188872/Wed, 04 Oct 2006 22:26:33 +0200 <p>So, People of Ramonia, what has been happening in the world of the Republic's Official Band the mighty Mutt Ramon? Well, therein lies a story a or two (thankfully, or this would be a very dull entry). Mutt has completed a move (for weekends at least) to deepest darkest "Baköv-Bêyon" and spends his weeks holed up on the top floor of one of the many stately towers of Steêlskí (inevitably the steel making capital of Ramonia) where the Mutt and I work in one of the many silicon forges. As he moved into his penthouse squat (although his flatmate has finally extracted some rent from him so I suppose he is no longer squatting - although the chairs are a bit lacking), he requested that I bring one of his guitars which I was borrowing on the train with me from Ramonia's State Capital Cheêdol Hölm. He stated that he would be "Bored in the evenings and needed something to do". Given that he was away from his family, I thought this sounded reasonable enough, although slightly insulting to his new flatmate (let's call him Mr Gray shall we). I carted the great stringy thing with me on the train, with various work colleagues asking me if was going busking etc. and handed it over. Towards the end of the week I was chatting to Mr Gray (something which Mutt seems to have forgotten that I am capable of doing) and discovered that Mutt has been rehearsing all week so he can go to the End of the Road festival in Baköv-Bêyon and perform at an open mike spot without me. Mr Mutt had returned back south at this point so I wasn't able to confront him then.<br> Sure enough on the following day I get a phone message from an excited Mutt who had gone on stage and sung a couple of songs and got a good reaction to his unplugged session. Now, don't get me wrong, this is all generally a good thing, and I don't mind in the slightest that he played without me (I'm not that much of a diva honestly). What annoyed me was that he lied to me about why he wanted the guitar and what he was planning (you may take a guitar with you to a festival I suppose, but you don't practice first unless you intend to play it!).<br> Anyway we chatted (fairly) good naturedly on his return, and even planned a rehearsal last Thursday in his Steêlskí Garret. I was slightly dismayed when he wanted me to bring a tambourine/shaker or some other such ELC (Early Learning Centre) Instrumentation with me. I said I would be fairly loaded down with my laptop (the trusty Ramon junior) and USB keyboard, and directed him to the nearest ELC if he wanted to shake something. So we went through some songs and played in the plugged and unplugged methods which each of us favour and it went generally pretty well. I played him a new backing track I was working on for a song he gave me as a demo a while back called Vouchsafe for which I had also written some slightly biting lyrics (it starts "If I gave you a vouchsafe, to keep you amused in the evenings, would you use it go to the end of the road?"). He didn't seem very impressed and said it sounded like a good New Order song which he thought was a problem but I didn't. He did say it was catchy and we could do something more with it.<br> So I went away and played with it some more at the weekend, reducing the bassline a bit and changing the drums to be less drum machiney and using samples of real drums and then put some vocals on last night and stayed up late transferring it to mp3 so he could listen to it (whilst he went to the pub). This morning I sent him an email letting him know it was ready to listen to, and got a reply saying how he had heard it and "liked it but I Dunno - is this how we want to sound? We'll talk at lunch...". At lunchtime I ascended from my test dungeon and tried to discuss it with him. During the course of the conversation he expressed various opinions:<br> 1) He doesn't like the treatment of the song, but when pressed on how he would like it to sound says that he no longer likes the song anyway.<br> 2) He doesn't know what he would play on it live - I suggested he could play the guitar chords (that was too boring), he could add another guitar tune (that was too difficult), he could sing the bridge part which is too high for me (no reaction). I couldn't work out what he would play on any of the songs if playing guitar chords or tunes was not possible.<br> 3) He doesn't like half the songs from the last album anymore. They are "too serious". Hey! Let's do comedy folk music instead!<br> 4) He doesn't want to do electronic stuff (no laptops/backing sequences except maybe drums) live.<br> 5) He doesn't want a conventional indie band setup.<br> 6) He doesn't want a line up of people playing keyboards live either (that wouldn't be us!).<br> 7) He doesn't want to do it all alone (although he does seem to think that went down well when he did it).<br> 8) He doesn't really like electronic music (I knew that, but really, he doesn't even <em>get</em> "Blue Monday" which he gets bored with and it isn't at the exact BPM which he dances at - along with the majority of music which isn't 131 and a half BPM either).<br> 9) Maybe we could release the electronic stuff as another band, and then sound more like how he perceives Mutt Ramon should sound - Swedish I think, but as I don't come from Sweden I find that difficult.<br> 10) He doesn't know.<br> 11) Erm<br> 12) Dunno<br> 13) ...</p> <p>I Dunno either. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/10/04/i_dunno~1188872/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>musicmuttvouchsafedunnohttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/10/04/i_dunno~1188872/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/10/04/i_don_t_want_to_start_any_blasphemous_ru~1188539/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-10-04:/2006/10/04/i_don_t_want_to_start_any_blasphemous_ru~1188539/Wed, 04 Oct 2006 20:45:33 +0200 <p>I am currently reading an excellent biography about Depeche Mode, and you know I think they have a point. If God exists - which is something I am deeply sceptical about - I was yelling at the radio this very morning when "Thought for the day" came on and the Bishop of Liverpool was trying to solve the worlds environmental problems by pretending that Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden and all that was actually true and not just some slightly bizarre story, but anyway, if God really does exist he does have a sick sense of humour. There was a passage about the Modes concert in Pasadena in 1987 (recorded for the 101 live album) where it said that there was a freak rainstorm during "Blasphemous Rumours" which promptly finished when the song ended. The song, as well as summising about the deities dark amusement at suffering also contains the lines "And then the rain, and once again, a tear fell from a mothers eye". After this point, the band gradually descended into a chaos of drugs, alcohol and nervous breakdowns. Then this morning I read about a Primary School in Dorset (where's that? Back of beyond?) which had just completed a display on Noahs Ark and was promptly flooded. It is almost making me believe in God, or at least one of the many Rain Gods - Tlaloc, Tefnut, Chaac, Anitun Tabu (who handles wind too), Kura-Okami, Taka-Okami or Haddu. Enough at least to not tempt fate by actually accusing whichever one is responsible (I don't think it's Anitun Tabu as no wind was involved) of having a sick sense of humour. You're all very nice Gods and Godesses, and I wouldn't dream of dissing any of you (in case you're reading - which being omnipotent I guess you are...). There, I think I'm safe... </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/10/04/i_don_t_want_to_start_any_blasphemous_ru~1188539/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>godrain-depeche-mode-philosophyhttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/10/04/i_don_t_want_to_start_any_blasphemous_ru~1188539/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/09/05/greetings_from_north_east_gothland~1100254/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-09-05:/2006/09/05/greetings_from_north_east_gothland~1100254/Tue, 05 Sep 2006 21:03:26 +0200 <p>We survived our camping trip to North East Gothland. The weather was suitably goth (dismal grey and a little wet, with some fairly epic thunderstorms), but the tent managned to turn water ok, and we even all ended up with a bit of a tan. We got onto a few beaches and visited the legendary John Bull Rock factory in "Brid", where we saw where all those boxes of fudge you get with a postcard saying "A gift from Paignton/Dundee/Ulaanbaatar" are packed (no sniggering at the back there please!). They should basically all say "A gift from Bridlington bought in Torquay/Solihull/Jakarta". We also bought a few bags of broken rock of various flavours and sizes, with some quite obvious rejects with "Whatby" or "Crapton on Sea" running right through the middle. On the Friday we visited Goth Central (the oforementioned Whatby) and hung around the Abbey, before decending the steps to eat lots of very large fish and mooch around the strange hippy and goth shops. The one with the photo's of the owner posing with various C-list celebrities - mostly from Emmerdale - was my favourite. Where else could you buy a postcard with Lisa Riley or the barmaid from Heartbeat on it? I was also asked by a nice old lady what a long hollow stick thing was, as she was having an argument with her daughter. I identified it correctly as a digeridoo, and was pleased that, in the crowded shop, I looked like the most hippy person who would know what a digeridoo was. I also proudly declared that I had one at home, but didn't go as far as giving a demonstration. Anyway, we like Whatby!</p> <p>We also very much enjoyed camping, even with a 10 minute trek to the toilets. This includes the young Ramonians, who after a few initial tears and declaring "I want to go home" when we first got there and had to sit in the hastily put-up tent and shelter from the first thunderstorm, really enjoyed themselves. They soon made friends with some kids from the next door "ring of tents", who told me (in that cheeky forthright 6 year old way) that I looked and sounded like a teenager. I think it was meant to be an insult, but considering the eldest of the young Ramonians thinks that I'm 54, I took it as a compliment. I assume it was because we played games with them, whilst their parents spent time hiding in the car to read the paper and get a bit of "Peace and Quiet" from the kids.</p> <p>We also discovered, that there was a chip factory quite near, where they may need some help with testing. However, in a bizarre twist of fate relating to an <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/08/17/testing_times~1047199"> earlier post </a>, it was actually a McCains factory making the more traditional type of chip. Doh! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/09/05/greetings_from_north_east_gothland~1100254/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>chipscampingholidayhttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/09/05/greetings_from_north_east_gothland~1100254/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/08/17/the_sambora_structural_integrity_test~1047892/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-08-17:/2006/08/17/the_sambora_structural_integrity_test~1047892/Thu, 17 Aug 2006 20:55:05 +0200 <p>We (fellow test engineer "Bishopman the Undulator" and I) were looking out of the window at the builders from the spankly new almost complete apartment block opposite our office. They all seemed to be sitting around on the pavement doing nothing in particular. They do this quite a bit. I'm not saying they don't work, as the building is obviously progressing, but they do spend quite a while sitting on the pavement. The funniest bit is when any moderately attractive girl walks past and you see all their heads follow her rear end in unison. Anyway, we were contemplating that they spend quite a lot of time just sitting on the pavement and thinking that they probably think that we spend a lot of time just sitting at our desks and looking out of the window, when I realised what they were doing. They were waiting for Bon Jovi.</p> <p>Bon Jovi is an important part of all building work around the world, and recent international legislation has declared that no building is structurally sound unless it has been declared so by Jon Bon Jovi himself. Sure enough, 5 minutes later, a cowboy (on a steel horse he rode) arrived, with a long haired axe wielding assistant riding pillion, and they proceeded to climb up the exterior scafolding of the building. When at the highest point, they struck a pose and launched into some simpering soft rock with an extended overblown soaring solo part. The building held firm, and then Jon and Richie (for it was they) abseiled down the building using specially tensioned guitar strings. As they rode off into the sunset, Jon sang out "It's alreet lads!" (New Jersey has a very similar accent to Darlington), and the workers got up and went back to work, no longer living on a prayer.</p> <p>Of course, this job used to be carried out by Slash and Axocotl Rose of Guns and Roses, but they don't get on anymore. Naturally too, Bon Jovi can't be everywhere, and we have noticed that local Sheffield boys Def Leppard take care of some of the less prodigious buildings, as it takes a bit longer for their one armed drummer to climb the scaffolding. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/08/17/the_sambora_structural_integrity_test~1047892/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>building-inspectorsdef-leppardstructural-integritybon-jovihttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/08/17/the_sambora_structural_integrity_test~1047892/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/08/17/testing_times~1047199/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-08-17:/2006/08/17/testing_times~1047199/Thu, 17 Aug 2006 17:10:27 +0200 <p>I didn't mention the other major change in the land of Ramonia and that is that I have become a test engineer (for 6 months at least). This mostly involves hanging around in a large white room with big machines in it and working my way through a pile of 20 gazillion chips, putting each one into part of the big machine and pressing go. Then, a few minutes later I put another one in and press go again. I don't think it will all be quite as exciting as this though, and I may be forced to create some tests of my own at some point. It's ok as a summer job though and gives me time to thank about various musical ideas (amongst other things) in between chips. I should point out at this point, that these are computer/silicon chips not McCain homestyle fries or something, which I don't believe require putting into big machines 1 at a time, then baking for a week and then being put back into big machines 1 at a time again. If the people at McCain did that, then I don't think they would really make enough chips to feed everyone and they would also taste fairly foul. Anyway, I don't work for McCain ok? </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/08/17/testing_times~1047199/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>chipshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/08/17/testing_times~1047199/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/08/15/in_tents_conversation~1042416/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-08-15:/2006/08/15/in_tents_conversation~1042416/Tue, 15 Aug 2006 21:16:26 +0200 <p>I will never say that I will write more often in a blog again. Not quite sure what happened to July! The highlights were a trip to York races care of my gracious employers where I managed to win a whole English pound, drink quite a large amount of Pimms and feel quite smug and almost posh for an afternoon. This was quickly followed by a lurch back down to earth as my girls insisted on going to McDonalds for tea, where a delightful family had an argument before one of them threw his burger at the rest of them and stomped out swearing. You wouldn't get that sort of behaviour in the "Tented Village" enclosure at the races! We then spent a good Sunday in York at the Jorvik Viking Centre and Castle Museum. Mutt didn't go on this jolly (which was almost free - only the cost of a B&B as we decided to make it a weekend, which he wouldn't have to do) as he is miserable.</p> <p>We had quite a few barbeques (including a good weekend with our friend <a href="http://silverlining.blogs.com/silver_lining/"> Silver Lining </a>) and spent many an evening in the garden until late soaking up the last rays of sunshine. Mutt was mostly grumbling that nobody wants his house and painting everything in it white. He has managed to buy his "Country Retreat" though which cheered him up for a minute or two.<br> This month up to now, we have been mostly buying camping gear for our forthcoming probably waterlogged forthcoming trip to sunny Scarborough. We had a practice weekend in Staffordshire where we only got a bit wet and did see lots of monkeys in Trentham Chav Monkey Forest (they were Burberry Macaques) and it only cost £6 a night for the campsite.</p> <p>And music? Well, not that much except for me establishing my Utterly remixed area as <a href="http://www.myspace.com/muutramonia">muutramonia on myspace</a>. Mutt has been getting more and more lo-fi and indie and I needed to get some electronic sounds out to the world. I have had some good feedback already, and if you like it and have a myspace area of your own (and who doesn't these days?) then feel free to come and be my friend and leave lovely comments as it makes Mutt jealous. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/08/15/in_tents_conversation~1042416/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>campingyork-racesmuut-ramoniasunhttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/08/15/in_tents_conversation~1042416/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/06/14/there_s_nowt_so_queer_as_folk~880958/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-06-14:/2006/06/14/there_s_nowt_so_queer_as_folk~880958/Wed, 14 Jun 2006 20:55:24 +0200 <p>I am starting to come to the conclusion that we might just be a sort of a folk band. Not your usual finger in the ear, sandles and beards and all acoustic folk band. More of a folk band for thr 21st century, making use of all the latest technology to spread our folky type tales. This is a bit of a revelation to me, as folk has generally been in my list of "music without merit to my ears", alongside Country, Heavy Rock (actually anything calling itself rock really - I spent a good few evenings removing the words punk and rock from my itunes genres and calling them all "indie" instead - all except The Darkness, who are quite obviously rock and are only on my hard drive so I can remix them when I get round to it as a favour for a friend), and warbly "I've forgotten the tune, but I'll fill all the gaps with squaking noises and I hope no-one notices" R&B singers.<br> I suppose I do have a bit of folk here and their, including a brief daliance with Suzanne Vega (if she counts), and a penchant for medieval and tudor lute type stuff. I have also found myself quite enjoying some Morris Dancers, but mostly because they were from Bacup and wore clogs and called themselves "The Nutters".<br> Anyway, I think we are folk in that we tell stories in our music, and can create it anywhere, travelling light - have laptop will play. I think that if laptops had been around in days of yore, then folk music would sound more like Soft Cell or the Pet Shop Boys now. Both of them tell stories, or address issues. The Pet Shop Boys latest targets a number of things including slavish devotion to the US of our great and mighty leader, and ID cards ("If you've done nothing wrong you've got nothing to fear..."). In reality I think the Pet Shop Boys are closer to the spirit of folk than any of the token folk entries to the Mercury Music Prize, albeit with a full backing band, Orchestra and Trevor Horn and chums to prop them up.<br> Which leads me (slightly tangentially) to my realisation after many years that not only my musical tastes, but also my televisual tastes are quite gay. I really should have realised that something as camp as Doctor Who would attract a large gay following, but I hadn't realised it was quite that big! I'm starting to wonder if the amount of hatred for poor old Rose on the many fan forums, is more down to the fans being jealous that she gets to travel and sometimes canoodle with The Doctor/David Tennant. Or maybe they just find her a bit annoying. I sometimes do (but then not not being gay, I do have a certain fondness for her ("Excellent Bottom" as Captain Jack once remarked)), and I don't mind searching for a Rose action figure for my youngest daughter, who doesn't really get on with my Slitheen, Moxx of Balhoon or Sycorax Leader. They are darned hard to get hold of though, so maybe not all the fanbase is gay. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/06/14/there_s_nowt_so_queer_as_folk~880958/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>doctor-whofolknuttershttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/06/14/there_s_nowt_so_queer_as_folk~880958/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/06/08/tiny_thoughts_from_devils_day~864326/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-06-08:/2006/06/08/tiny_thoughts_from_devils_day~864326/Thu, 08 Jun 2006 23:22:23 +0200 <p>Ok, so I said I would write more often, and proceeded to write only 1 entry in May, but hey, maybe I'll write 2 in June! It is my favourite month after all - only slightly influenced by my birthday on Devils Day (6/6/6 - it works worldwide no matter what bizarre order you want to put it in). </p> <p>I had quite the finest birthday ever. I took a few days off work and so had a leisurely morning playing with all the lovely Dr Who figures my lovely family had bought me - including a remote control Dalek and remote control K9 which battled each other despite the Skaro representative being 20 times bigger than the plucky hound. Then, we went to <a href="http://www.blazefarm.com"> Blaze Farm </a> to pick up some pots the girls had painted last week which had been nicely glazed, and also to sample some more of their fine ice cream. I had Licorice, which was a brave attempt, but I'm not sure altogether worked, as it was quite bitter and looked quite a lot like it had come from the wrong bit of the cow. The other flavours we had were all fantastic though! Then we went to <a href="http://www.poolescavern.co.uk/"> Poole's Cavern </a> in Buxton, and explored the weird underground world, before wandering around in the woods above - slightly further than we had anticipated, so then we had a swift journey home for my birthday tea complete with a custom Mrs Ramon created Tardis Cake.<br> <a href="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/media/media_item.php?item_ID=605465"><img src="http://data2.blog.de/media/465/605465_72b107e8e4_s.jpeg" align="" alt="Tardis Cake small" vspace="5" hspace="5"></a></p> <p>Then I picked up Mr and Mrs Mutt and we went to see <a href="http://www.thetiny.net/"> The Tiny </a> live supporting <a href="http://www.edharcourt.com/">Ed Harcourt</a> (who was also supported by "Hush the Many" who were quite spiffing too). The Tiny are an amazing trio of Voice/Piano, Cello (and sometime Musical Saw) and Double Bass from Sweden, who should by rights be huge, and hopefully soon will be. We were also lucky enough to meet Ellekari and Leo from The Tiny for a chat, and for Mutt to blag another poster from them. Ed Harcourt, of whom none of us knew that much beforehand, was brilliant too, starting the gig at the back of the room playing Banjo with his guitarist and Trumpet player, and then working his way around the room.</p> <p>So anyway, a top day all round. Then today I received my letter from the local health authority inviting me to come in for a Heart Attack prevention health check, now that I am officially middle aged. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/06/08/tiny_thoughts_from_devils_day~864326/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>doctor-whothe-tinypoole-s-cavernbirthdayblaze-farmed-harcourthttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/06/08/tiny_thoughts_from_devils_day~864326/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/05/10/guitars_bottoms_and_batteries~789017/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-05-10:/2006/05/10/guitars_bottoms_and_batteries~789017/Wed, 10 May 2006 12:42:19 +0200 <p>I just realised I only wrote one entry in April, and have written nothing so far this month. That is not because we have been doing nothing, but simply that I have been too lazy to write anything. Still, I don't want to fall into the all too familiar blog habit of gradually tailing off and then not writing anything ever again.</p> <p>We have been busy trying to shift our album (buy it now, we have 1 or 2 left!) and also recording new bits and bobs for various projects in the future (more about them when/if they appear). Mutt still mutters about live stuff, although his suggestion last week that we should get a "Pretty Girlie Singer" and go all acoustic was not meant with total enthusiasm by myself. Given that I sing and provide electronic noises, it was never really going to be a vote winner with me, although some cruel and misguided people may describe me as pretty and girlie, I don't really fit the bill. I also object to sounding largely different live than on record, as that is just wrong to my mind. I don't see many live bands, but the ones who ditch all the electronics and get loads of session musicians in really annoy me. Us turning into a female fronted folk band live would be quite ridiculous.</p> <p>We continue to get some good press (online at least), with Mike Smith at <a href="http://takeyourmedicinemp3.blogspot.com/"> Take Your Medicine </a> continuing to support us steadfastly. We also have an interview (in Italian) on <a href="http://www.indiepop.it/articoli/muttramon_int.htm"> IndiePop.it </a> which made sense in the original English, and probably does in Italian but comes out suitably mangled once Babel Fish has finished with it. A case in point:</p> <p>"<strong>Your approach to music does not reveal your age: if she had not been for some passage that reveals one great acquaintance of the matter Indian, sembereste one band of teenagers. How succeeded to conserve this freschezza in yours sound?</strong></p> <p>N: Thanks. We maintain to young people thanks to music. In every other aspect of our screw we behave ourselves like ultrasessantenni.<br> S: Not to have a traditional strutura (that is guitar, bottom, battery) help very."</p> <p>So basically we screw like we're over 60 (but stick with "young people") and don't use traditional structures involving Guitars, Bottoms and Batteries. I thought this was meant to be a musical interview.</p> <p>Fortunately, there is a proper English version available <a href="http://www.indiepop.it/articoli/muttramon_int_eng.htm"> here </a>, which proves that we're not really (that) depraved. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/05/10/guitars_bottoms_and_batteries~789017/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>batteriesbottomsguitarshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/05/10/guitars_bottoms_and_batteries~789017/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/04/11/publicity_machine~719250/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-04-11:/2006/04/11/publicity_machine~719250/Tue, 11 Apr 2006 12:34:03 +0200 <p>We're all over the place! The CD is back from Magic CD Pixie Land and even works in Mutts "Lo-Fi" (like a Hi-Fi but worse). You could go and buy one if you want by going somewhere like <a href="http://www.muttramon.com/mutt_sound.htm">here</a>. It's very good, though I say so myself and worth every penny. If you're very lucky we may even sign it for you, or attach a post-it note with a crude drawing of a dog on it. </p> <p>We have had our first <a href="http://www.indiepop.it/bands/muttramon.htm">CD review</a> too, from our good friend Salvatore in Italy. He will insist on writing in Italian though, but from what we can make out of the garbled Babel Fish translation he likes it a lot. You will too if you go and <a href="http://www.muttramon.com/mutt_sound.htm">buy it! </a></p> <p>But, by far the best publicity I have seen which doesn't mention Mutt Ramon at all, is the fulfilment of a lifetimes ambition to make it on to the <a href="http://www.b3ta.com/newsletter/issue223/"> B3TA newletter</a>. It is under one of my other aliasesesesi (that <strong>is</strong> the correct plural), as Bedford Van and was my entry into the "Best School Sports Day" stories. The story, in case you were wondering is quite true and haunted me for some years, until I looked back once and thought it was quite hilarious. I never did win that race at Primary School (and was never entered in any races at Secondary school). The one occasion I was close to winning I found a pot-hole a couple of metres from the finish line and managed to fall over. </p> <p><a href="http://www.muttramon.com/mutt_sound.htm"> Now go and follow my subliminal link! </a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/04/11/publicity_machine~719250/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>buy-buy-buypublicitycdhttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/04/11/publicity_machine~719250/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/03/28/short_attention_span~680382/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-03-28:/2006/03/28/short_attention_span~680382/Tue, 28 Mar 2006 14:20:48 +0200 <p>Now that Utterly Mutterly is complete, and being made by the magic CD pixies with their magic pixie hammers, I have been busily enhancing, lengthening and reconstructing it for "Utterly Remixed" the companion limited edition (it will probably remain on my harddrive - how exclusive is that!). On informing Mutt that I have stretched some of the songs to 6 or 7 minutes, he declared that was far too long as he has a very short attention span (which is why very few of the originals break the 3 minute 30 barrier). I on the other hand have a longer attention span for a particular track at a given time, but quite a short one for doing the same thing, which is why I keep going off and remixing things. I won't write any more on the subject as you've probably drifted off now. I know I have. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/03/28/short_attention_span~680382/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>attention-spanremixescd-pixieshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/03/28/short_attention_span~680382/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/03/21/the_annoying_thing~665265/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-03-21:/2006/03/21/the_annoying_thing~665265/Tue, 21 Mar 2006 23:45:35 +0100 <p>I may have got a bit carried away in my last post, although to be fair I was having a bit of a week. My apologies to Mutt as he got the brunt of my bile (again). I think we have a working CDR now, which isn't completely shit (whatever <a href="http://www.myspace.com/muttramon"> Mutt may say about them</a>). Making actual real proper Mutt-proof CD's is turning out to be quite complicated, with all kinds of extra expenses and forms to fill in and Mutt wanting fancy silver writing and stuff doing in skanky Photoshop whilst I'm trying to watch Jimmy's farm. Not that I'm complaining of course. I am chilled.</p> <p>So, we went to our progenies school to see their teachers this afternoon. They are both doing really well, and the teachers told us we should be proud of them. Read my youngest's weekly diary, which would make an interesting blog. Maybe I'll ask her to write a weekly column - "What I did this weekend - by a 5 year old". The highlight of Christmas for her was receiving a crazy frog t-shirt - mostly because her proud parents were so horrified by the idea. No mention of the huge dolls house or any of the other fantastic, tasteful and quite expensive other presents. Then another weekend was sumarised with "This weekend I went to Toys R Us and bought a crazy frog egg". I'm sure we did other things that weekend, but if you declare that the most hated things in the world are Toys R Us and Crazy Frog (I don't have a problem with eggs - although I don't think it was an egg - from what I remember it was a key-ring), then your daughter is bound to love them both. I can sort of see why kids like Toys Arse, but it really could be so much better. I remember visiting Hamleys when I was about 8 and it was incredible. I'm not saying that all toy shops could be as magical as Hamleys, but they don't have to be as shit as Toys Arse. I don't blame the 12 year old staff, it's the 14 year old management team I blame. Anyway, look forward to the next thrilling installment of "This weekend I..."</p> <p>BTW - "The Annoying Thing" is the Frog - not Mutt. Really! I am chilled. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/03/21/the_annoying_thing~665265/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>toys-frog-mutt-cdhttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/03/21/the_annoying_thing~665265/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/03/16/burns_night~650112/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-03-16:/2006/03/16/burns_night~650112/Thu, 16 Mar 2006 22:50:34 +0100 <p>It's been a while, but Mutt has been working overtime to wind me up enough to write another entry, you lucky people! I will now rant in a seemingly random manner, but it will all make some sort of sense (to me at least).<br> Let's just deal with this week shall we. On Monday, it was Mutts 30-ahem-splutter-th birthday (next year should see a big party if you catch my drift), so I went to the trouble (and it behoves me to say, expense), of designing and having made an exclusive Mutt t-shirt.<br> On the front, with the picture of our spaghetti armed dog it said "I am Mutt" in 5 differemt languages (but alas not Finnish - as online translators struggle a bit with that - so there was bound to be problems of course). On the back, the dog, still with trumpet and pasta appendages, and "Mutt I am". Fantastic! I sent off the order, and it arrived well in time for his birthday. I bought a dog card with proceeds going to the RSPCA (not the "International Tapir Defence League" though - so more problems of course), and wrapped the t-shirt in dog and cat themed paper from Pheonix's fine collection. So, come Monday, I proudly hand over my offerings (perhaps mentioning the date of my birthday in passing, although albeit in an ironic way), and at first he seemed quite pleased. He even changed into it (in the middle of the office and everything - it was early and there weren't many people about). He went off to show it around, and I sloped back to my desk, starting to feel slightly wobbly. At first, I thought this was due to Mutts reaction, but it turned out to be the start of a severe head cold. Anyway, 10 minutes later, he was no longer wearing it. Maybe he's keeping it clean I thought. I headed off to my special room with a clever but noisy oven which goes down to -75 degrees (really, don't ask) for the rest of the morning. Sloping out for some lunch, and now starting to feel distinctly hot and achy, I decided to peruse the Mutt Ramon Myspace area, which Mutt looks after and discover this:</p> <p>"Jeg er Mutt. Ik ben Mutt. Sono Mutt...</p> <p>Well that's what its says on my T-shirt. Ramon had it made for my birthday, complete with our spaghetti-armed dog tooting away. It's a one-off and will probably remain that way. It's also off (I wore it for 10 mins and then felt like an idiot. And anyway I'm at work)."</p> <p>Now, maybe it's my fevered imagination on the day (although I am no longer fevered and it is still working the same), but that says to me "Got t-shirt - a one off, it's bloody well staying that way - I am embarrased to be seen in it". I certainly didn't see any "Thanks for the t-shirt Ramon!". Oh yeah, and he refuses to call me Ramon as well. He keeps using our "real" names. "Real" names in pop, are like going on about "Real" instruments and going on Jools Holland and doing a "Real" acoustic set. He wrote a later addition which I won't go into, where he muttered on about the dog in the picture being a Mutt called Ramon, and how I insist on calling him Mutt, and myself Ramon. That, my dear Mutt (for Mutt you are), is because that is who we are! At least, in this band. I have many different aliaseses, but for the purposes of Mutt Ramon, I am Ramon, Mutt is Mutt. If he prefers we can change the band to Ramon Mutt, but that sounds worse than Mutt Ramon. He picked the name, so he is Mutt. I am clearly Ramon, as I don't mutter and can roll my R's properly. Enough of this "Real" business. As the great Alexander Bard (I do hope that isn't his real name - or this will not make any sense) of the Army of Lovers (they're Swedish Mutt - you'd like them) recently <a href="http://www.popjustice.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=263&Itemid=203">pointed out</a>, Bowie was not properly pop and thus great until he stopped being called Jones.</p> <p>Mutt's just rung up again, to wind me up some more soooo....</p> <p>Tuesday, Wednesday I was in bed mostly. Then Wednesday afternoon I got up and checked my email, and Mutt is wanting to come round with some more blank CD's. I ran 2 copies of the album up for him for last weekend, and whilst 99.99% of CD players in the world seem to have no problem playing these fancy CDR things, Mutts special wind-up "compat-dick" player keeps skipping. I ignore the email (feeling a bit wobbly still), and then he rang and invited himself round to try burning them again (at 1/16th of normal speed or something). We ran off 4 copies. 1 at 4x speed on Ramon Junior (our trusty lapdog), and a couple at 1x and 2x on the mothership what I is using now. The 1x and 2x will make lovely bird scarers (you can even try playing the resultant distored mess to them - not on Mutts CD player of course - it needs a new stylus now, and the ink ribbon is wearing a bit thin as well), but the 4x one played fine on my £15 portable CD player, and all computers we tried, and my daughters boom-box type thing (once I'd removed Girls Aloud from it - their CD, not the band themselves), but not the Muttaphone 2.7.</p> <p>So today, he was looking round at CD manufacturers again. Amusingly, the CDR ones guaranteed the CD's to work in 85% of players (not his, or that one they used on Tomorrows World in 1982 basically), so my attempts don't look quite so bad now. </p> <p>Then, he just rang to say how he'd found somewhere really cheap for CDs, but that they were the people who had sent him a loud of crap seconds as an advert of how good they were. I said maybe not then. Oh, and could I just turn the bass down in "physically corrupted" as it makes his "tummy feel a bit funny"! And can I just change the order again, so we sound less electronic, so it's in the order he has decided is ideal this week (I don't really get a say in the order as such - although I'm not that bothered to be honest - not any more anyway). And can you just...</p> <p>I said I might think about it. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/03/16/burns_night~650112/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/03/16/burns_night~650112/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/02/24/some_day_soon~588298/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-02-24:/2006/02/24/some_day_soon~588298/Fri, 24 Feb 2006 01:06:42 +0100 <p>We only wrote a song called "Some Day Soon" so we could use it to tease people with. It has had another major overhaul today. It has been knocking around for a while, in fact, we recorded a version of it with the assistance of our good friend Chris Smith for a poxy Radio 2 contest organised supposedly by Janice Long (the Janis Schlong Contest we called it) which we lost (well, we weren't in the top 10 anyway). They claimed they had so many entries that they had to farm them out to various Radio 2 producers and presenters. We reckon we were probably rejected by Jimmy Young or Terry Wogan or someone for not sounding enough like Katie Bleedin' Melua. Anyway, we aren't quite ready for Radio 2 yet (hopefully) so no great loss really. </p> <p>Talking of crap pop... I don't know if anyone else gets this, but this silly blog service seems to have picked up on my listing Blunt as being bad music and has put adverts at the top of the page trying to sell you his whining albums. <strong>Do not follow these links!</strong> He is really awfully poor (musically) and far too rich (financially) already, and if you really do feel the need to have anything more to do with him then hop along to <a href="http://eclectech.co.uk/gullible.php"> here </a> instead.</p> <p>So, I have changed some of the lyrics to "Some Day Soon" and sung them a bit more quietly and with a stack more effects now. We have also removed the last chorus (which even we thought went on a bit), and replaced it with an extended instrumental section (it still clocks in at under the magic 3.30 perfect pop song length though). It hasn't yet met the approval of Mutt yet, but seeing as he suggested most of the changes in the first place, it should do.</p> <p>Still, you'll be able to hear it (and the rest of the album) some day soon...</p> <p>(well, actually you can hear a couple of new tracks right now on <a href="http://www.myspace.com/muttramon"> Mr Mutts Personal Space </a>). </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/02/24/some_day_soon~588298/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/02/24/some_day_soon~588298/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/02/17/luxembourg~568687/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-02-16:/2006/02/17/luxembourg~568687/Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:15:01 +0100 <p>Well, I don't know how much longer the vote has got, but we have now struggled up to 9 votes, which must make us Luxembourg or something. I was glad to read that <a href="http://www.victorscott.ca/"> Victor Scott </a> (the current runaway leader on the poll, congratulations that man!) voted for us to prevent us from being Norway. Thanks for that if you're reading. I didn't vote for Victor myself, but may have accidentally spoilt my ballot paper by mistakenly hitting the Mutt Ramon button (it can happen apparently, although unfortunately not as often as we'd hoped), but I did buy his latest album(s) on magic download format from <a href="http://www.svcrecords.co.uk/artist_victorscott.html"> SVC Records </a>. They are the most eclectic and interesting albums I've heard in a while. you genuinely don't know what you're going to get next. I like the chopped up dialogue, instrumental things myself, along with "Gotta Go", and I also have a soft spot for "Underpants" which I sang to Mrs Ramon till she told me to shut up. I feel the need to change "Just as big as Montreal" to "Just as big as the Albert Hall" being of a stout patriotic nature. That does make my Underpants smaller, but having spent my only visit to Montreal circling it looking for the (right) airport, I thought it seemed rather big, and seemed to be surrounded by water, whcih Underpants shouldn't really be. Having said that, they shouldn't really have the London Philharmonic Orchestra in them either.</p> <p>Mutt meanwhile is busy designing CD covers containing special secret images which will be revealed in good time.He has been telling people the CD will be ready on April the 1st. I don't think anyone (including me) believes him. He was round again last Sunday adding a few bits and pieces to make my job of mixing everything down that little bit harder, but I'm sure it will all be worth it when we're at next years Brit awards losing out to some dreary Beige Record Industry Moguls Wet Dream of a Mindless Whining Dirge (although Coldplay are threatening to give up as they are sick of everyone else being sick of them). If next years Brit awards are as Blunt as they were this year then heaven help us all (I didn't watch by the way, I just sit and criticise based on the miserly coverage in todays Metro Free newspaper, which was mostly taken up with Kanye West's bevy of golden arsed models - no bad thing really). </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/02/17/luxembourg~568687/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>luxembourg-victor-tango-charlie-blunthttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/02/17/luxembourg~568687/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/02/06/do_you_want_us_to_be_norway~541058/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-02-06:/2006/02/06/do_you_want_us_to_be_norway~541058/Mon, 06 Feb 2006 23:44:48 +0100 <p>Exciting news this morning, as we discovered that our lovely Dog Song was featured on another podcast thingumy (another modern invention to completely confuse and confound Mutt - you can't get podcasts in Digipaks you see). This fact was marred slightly when we discovered that in the online vote on the same website, where you can vote for your favourite song on the podcast, that we were last with no votes at all. We are the Norway of elctro-indie tinged MP3 blogs. Doh! So anyway, in a bid to make us less Norwegian - musically that is, although I have nothing against Norwegian music myself; Aha and Biosphere and erm, that other lot are fine bands; and I nothing against Norwegians either - I once shared a student house with a Norwegian (and a Ugandan interestingly), and he was a very fine chap (as was the Ugandan before he gets upset). What? Oh yes, so, to save our embarrasment to hear the podcast, and read the blog and most importantly vote for your favourite song, skip along to:</p> <p><a href="http://takeyourmedicinemp3.blogspot.com/"> Take Your Medicine </a>.</p> <p>Whilst I was there I discovered "Robots in Disguise" and "Morton Valence" who I thought were both rather spiffing. I also liked "Victor Scott", although his song is up against ours in the vote, so he's not that good obviously (before you lot get any ideas!). So, erm, yeah - do it now, before you forget. Go on! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/02/06/do_you_want_us_to_be_norway~541058/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/02/06/do_you_want_us_to_be_norway~541058/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/02/03/i_can_t_believe_it_s_not_mutter~532410/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-02-03:/2006/02/03/i_can_t_believe_it_s_not_mutter~532410/Fri, 03 Feb 2006 22:33:15 +0100 <p>Mutt trying my patience, so I must vent spleen before burstage happens. Lost power of rational words sentence construction (pie in oven slowly burning). </p> <p>"Deep Breath"</p> <p>On Monday, I spent the day with a headache, at work, trying to use a computer without looking at the screen too much to stop my head getting worse. I didn't go home because sitting at my desk was somehow better than trying to sit on a train with a niggling head, and I was hoping my head would get better. At lunchtime, just before a little shut-eye, I found out that the blessed "Digi-packs" that Mutt has been muttering about for weeks aer twice as expensive as ordinary jewel cases, if you want a modest number making. Mutt thinks they look so much better, and we want to offer our "fans" something more collectable apparently. Hey, the first "limited edition" CDR EP is quite collectible, but I don't see huge numbers of people hammering on our virtual door to snap it up. Clearly they are waiting for the expensive digi-pack album to be made available instead. Now, I don't mind Digi-packs that much (as long as they fit in my CD rack, and hold the CD in properly, which they don't always do), but I certainly wouldn't walk into HMV and opt for the "Limited Edition Carboard Sleeve with no extra music whatsoever on" if it was a quid pricier, never mind twice the price. Also, as we don't know how many of these things we can readily shift, better to reduce the costs at the start if you ask me. Mutt has other more "artistic" thoughts on the matter, but what with my head and his drivel I may have lost my temper slightly with him (which I did feel slightly sorry for afterwards incidentally, and if he hadn't kept going on about them for half the rest of the week, he may have received an apology). I did point out that most people these days would just stick the CD in their PC, rip it and then transfer it to I-pod or equivalent device, but he just looked completely blank at that (he's only just stopped buying vinyl). Still, if I hear anymore about bloody "Digi-packs" I will not be responsible for my actions.</p> <p>"Shallower breath"</p> <p>Then, after a lovely day off tiling half the bit of the bathroom we want tiling (we are getting there ever so slowly, it will be lovely this time next year), he asked me on Thursday if I was "doing any music" that night whilst he watched Celebrity dog grooming or went surfing for more arcane recording medium holding devices. I said I may do some stuff (and not even my own largely derided "dance shit"), and when I got to work this morning and explained that I had been tweaking up the top end and bringing out the drum sounds and generally tarting up "Strangers" (one of our more electronic songs) he looked bemused and seemed to wonder why I was doing that, rather than replacing all the synths with kazoo's and rusty bent spoons and singing in a strangulated whimper through a drainpipe, so thart it sounded properly lo-fi (like the stuff he claims to like so much).</p> <p>"Middling breath"</p> <p>Then, at the end of the day, whilst discussing the fact that I wouldn't be doing any music this weekend, he muttered the immortal phrase "You're probably going to hate me for this but..." and proceeded to say how he didn't like my favourite pop-tastic synthey bit from "The Commuter", and explained that maybe this sound was the reason that nobody downloaded that song from our website... Words fail me. How have they heard this offensive sound without downloading the song? I am going to go and turn up the sound, and also put it on every song we do. I told him I would as he went home. He didn't believe me! Ha! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/02/03/i_can_t_believe_it_s_not_mutter~532410/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/02/03/i_can_t_believe_it_s_not_mutter~532410/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/01/19/glassful_of_empty~487425/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-01-19:/2006/01/19/glassful_of_empty~487425/Thu, 19 Jan 2006 22:07:49 +0100 <p>Mutt has succumbed to modern technology and set up a <a href="http://www.myspace.com/muttramon">Myspace account</a>. Primarily it is to make us more well known, and to release our songs into a wider realm of cyberspace. It also states that it is a space for him to blog in response to this "blog whose sole purpose seems to be to slag me off"! Well! I don't know where he gets his ideas from I really don't! I may have stated that i use this blog to whinge about him (which is true), but that isn't it's sole purpose. It is meant as a record of what we have been up to as a band, and serves as an alternative to me writing a diary. I actually managed to keep a paper diary for 2004, but reading it back it is quite astoundingly dull, as I felt I had to fill up the space in each day, regardless what did or didn't happen. On the more interesting days, I tried to cram so much into the tiny space, that is almost completely illegible now. This electronic medium is a much more convenient (if slightly public) variation, but I have chosen to concentrate mostly on band stuff, as it is much more interesting than talking about work, or what I am having for tea (homemade tuna and veg burgers and waffles which are nicely burning away as we speak). I also don't want to write too much about my home life in this medium, as whilst I find it fascinating, I don't think many other people will, and if there was something that others would find fascinating in my personal life then I certainly wouldn't be telling all and sundry anyway! So anyway Mutt, I don't write this to solely slag you off. Don't get such ideas of grandeur! (For those interested, I have just rescued the waffles, but I think the burgers need a bit longer to cook).<br> Mutt, as well as setting up his own personal Ramon-baiting forum was in excited puppy dog mode again today, for reasons which I am not at liberty to discuss right now. We discussed his mood this afternoon, and decided that his neither a pessimist or an optimist in general, but extreme versions of both on alternating days/hours/minutes. Today the glass was not just half full, it was magically growing larger so that it was halfway up a really huge glass instead. Yesterday, the glass had a hole in the bottom, and was filled with poisonous donkey bile. That is the way of Mutt. Expect his blog to read like that from day to day. I would say that I am slightly optimistic (Mrs Phoenix Ramon would say slightly pessimistic, but she'd just more slightly optimistic than me), and possibly slightly realistic and "acting in a General Northern way". However, without Mutts wild mood swings, I don't think we would get anything done really. When he is up, he pushes along on his tide of joy, and when he is down he bounces back up to achieve more to alleviate the cause of all his gloom. I am probably too content and neutral to push, pull, bounce or email us anywhere.<br> Blimey! That ended up being quite Pro-Mutt didn't it! You see what he pushes me to? The git! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/01/19/glassful_of_empty~487425/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>mutt-myspace-glasseshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/01/19/glassful_of_empty~487425/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/01/17/hyper_bork~479507/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-01-17:/2006/01/17/hyper_bork~479507/Tue, 17 Jan 2006 14:08:13 +0100 <p>So, we continue to get good press (Thankyou Mr Medicine!), which has linked us nicely onto the <a href="http://hype.non-standard.net/"> Hype Machine </a> thingummy, which is an excellent way of finding obscure MP3's from blogs, and has caused me to spend large amounts of times listening to Bloc Party remixes (I've not heard many of the original tracks, but being the Electronic Oddball that I am, I reckon I'll probably prefer the remixes anyway). Unfortunately, when you click on the "listen" button for the 2 listed Mutt Ramon tracks, the flash player seems to play at the wrong speed, so we sound a bit "Pinky & Perky/Chipmunks". I think this is down to the crunched up sample rate we use, and the tracks play fine if you use WinAmp. We will have to encode higher in future! Still, the fact that they are edited down versions played too quickly may appeal to the short attention span of todays... erm, sorry forgot what I was saying there.<br> I have been busy tweaking up the last few tracks for the eagerly threatening album, whilst watching telly at the same time (ah! the wonder of laptops!). I worked on "She couldn't end my dreams" and "Strangers" this weekend whilst Mutt was off galivanting. Mutt, obviously with time to kill on his long journey back from "Sarf Ramonia" has come up with another of what I could call his hair brained schemes, if he had any hair, to make us famous in Sweden. You will no doubt hear more if anything comes of it. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/01/17/hyper_bork~479507/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>music-hype-mp3http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/01/17/hyper_bork~479507/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/01/09/snowballing_in_red_tape~456502/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-01-09:/2006/01/09/snowballing_in_red_tape~456502/Mon, 09 Jan 2006 23:37:10 +0100 <p>No, it's not snowing! Mrs Ramon went out and bought a sledge at the weekend, so it won't snow this year now. Mutt got a bit excited and rang me up to say that it was "all snowballing out of control". Well, we've sold a CD (WooHoo!) and got some more good mentions on some online MP3 blogs (More WooHoo!). An Italian blog (<a href="http://www.indiefordummies.blogspot.com/">Indie for dummies</a>), which we are still working on a translation of (Babelfish almost made sense, but is still a bit idiosyncratic), and another UK MP3 blog (<a href="http://takeyourmedicinemp3.blogspot.com"> Take your medicine </a>). We also made "Demo of the week" on <a href="http://www.indiepages.com"> IndiePages.com</a>. So pretty good all round. Not quite "snowballing out of control", but we do really feel like we're getting somewhere. We are building up a decent web presence, and finding more people who like us. It's good to hear that the "Dog Song" cheers people up when they are walking in the rain. I don't suppose people realise it is about collapsing in Poundland and ending up in A&E with a very sore tongue after biting it the day after your work's Christmas Party. In the snow. That's right! It's a Christmas song! It's also based on a true story. Note that it is Mutt who sings the barking bit.</p> <p>Mutt was round on Sunday to record some more bits and bobs for our forthcoming album. I was having a few technical difficulties, and he had to have a few goes before we actually managed to record it. He did look more professional with proper headphones on at last (thanks Mrs Ramon!), and we even recorded a new song in "Mutt Demo format", with 2 mikes on my hi-tech mike stand! Well, I used some red tape (like black tape, except red) to fix the guitar mike halfway up the stand. Rock and Roll! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/01/09/snowballing_in_red_tape~456502/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>music-snow-red-tapehttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/01/09/snowballing_in_red_tape~456502/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/01/04/mutt_ramon_live_in~438465/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2006-01-04:/2006/01/04/mutt_ramon_live_in~438465/Wed, 04 Jan 2006 01:02:18 +0100 <p>Ok, so we are a year late, but "Mutt Ramon kicks in 2006" doesn't really make sense. Anyway, before anyone starts trying to book tickets to see us (like <em>that's</em> going to happen), we only play secluded intimate gigs to ourselves. However, (and that's a big HOWEVER), Mutt is definately warming to the idea.<br> His Muttness and Lady Mutt came around yesterday to just play through our reportoire, which is something we don't really do very often. We tend to just write songs and then play all the bits in and then I spend 2 years mixing them, while Mutt offers suggestions and complains that they aren't finished yet. Incidently, I did manage to complete "Worlds" and send it to him before the end of last year, and he said that it was "almost there". We are perfectionists (you wouldn't know to hear us of course), so the whole "live thing" hasn't always appealed. I got a new keyboard/sound interface with knobs on (literally) that plugs into my laptop for Christmas from Mrs Phoenix Ramon, and once I've convinced Windows XP so stop saying "You've got new hardware" and crashing everytime I plug in the USB cable, I will have my live setup sorted. Mutt has a new guitar which you can't plug in (what's that about?), but he can play it betterer than the old one, so that helps, and he can happily strum along (and unless he's properly miked up noone will hear him, so that's got to be a plus). Mrs Mutt has a new trumpet, which when coupled with the mouthpiece from the cornet (and a bit of paper to pad it out) plays in tune and louder and less "Brass Band" than the cornet. And Mrs Phoenix Ramon has a new Violin case in popstar purple with "Gig bag" on it, so she looks all rock and roll too. We're set up!<br> Mutt and I played a couple of songs as a duo (the ladies just chatted and ignored us in the other room, so we got used to indifference - actually, we are quite used to it already), and then we got them involved in making a noise with us. It was fun and sounded pretty good (when we were in time), and the point where the box of kids toy instruments came out and the barking kicked off in the "Dog Song" could prove a surprise hit if recreated live, although I will not be letting my hair down and wearing a loin cloth as Mrs Mutt suggested.<br> The sign that Mutt was getting a bit more keen was when he started correcting us and making us do the same song 2 or 3 times till we got it right. This was turning into more of an actual rehearsal for <em>something</em>.<br> He was being very keen in general yesterday to be fair, after already declaring he now wants to live in Hebden Bridge because there are no chain stores, but lots of hippy shops selling wooden childrens toys and organic veg and Weissbier! Now Mrs Phoenix Ramon is looking at estate agents in the West Yorkshire area too. It has to be pointed out Mutt and I actually work in South Yorkshire, which is probably easier to get to from South Manchester than the back end of West Yorkshire, but the shops round here sell lots of nasty plastic toys and all begin with T and end in O with 3 letters in between, so that will never do. We might as well just move to... I don't know... Warwickshire say!<br> Still, you never know, look out for a Mutt Ramon gig near you. Especially if you live in East Lancs/West Yorks area, or indeed the Poyal Leamington Spa (as the Xmas lights there called it) environs. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/01/04/mutt_ramon_live_in~438465/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>music-live-west-yorkshire-http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2006/01/04/mutt_ramon_live_in~438465/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/12/20/christmas_is_really_fantastic~403450/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2005-12-20:/2005/12/20/christmas_is_really_fantastic~403450/Tue, 20 Dec 2005 23:16:06 +0100 <p>Ramon is on holiday! Well, from the "day job" anyway. Mutt has a list of things for me to do for the album he has decided will be out in January, and the website, and the Mutt Ramon matching duvet and curtains set.<br> We have had some really good reviews, but not many sales have materialised. We think this is mainly because not many people have followed the links from these fantastic reviews (mostly just Mutt in one of his trawls round the net). It's probably the name of the record label putting people off. We did find a brief review in Portugeese on a blog, which said it was based in Mexico, but that doesn't quite add up, so we are a bit confused... as was Babelfish. Although maybe it really did say "At first it is familiar (like Dandy Warhols), then original, and then nauseating etc.". They still seem to recommend us, so that's all that matters. Mutt has fallen in love with the lady what has written it (we think), but don't tell Mrs Mutt!<br> Our Italian friends have written us another glowing review (alas no Masturbare of keyboards this time), saying it is better than the first EP, but I am mildly miffed that my keyboard sounds are described as Casio (another review on SoundsXP claims we use Casio Beats). The thing is, I started out on a Casio keyboard (currently "on loan" to Mutt), and produced loads of stuff with it, but have spent the intervening years trying to improve my sounds and sound less Casio. I though the drums on the Dog Song sounded quite authentic and not a bit Casiotone. Maybe my original roots are showing through. Nobody has accused "Silver Moon Boots" of sounding Casio though (and I should bloody well hope not!), so maybe I'll let it slide, as the reviews are very favourable. Did I mention that? You can read them on the <a href="http://www.muttramon.com/mutt_press.htm"> Mutt Ramon Press Page </a>. Then you can go and buy a copy of the EP, and make Mutts day. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/12/20/christmas_is_really_fantastic~403450/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>musichttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/12/20/christmas_is_really_fantastic~403450/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/12/09/kennel_records~371963/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2005-12-08:/2005/12/09/kennel_records~371963/Fri, 09 Dec 2005 00:48:42 +0100 <p>Mutt rang last night half way through what that distinguished tome "Metro News" described as "The best episode of Lost yet!". He rang me to tell me he had rung earlier and left a message. I hadn't noticed, as the phone hadn't bleeped at me or anything. Anyway, then he wittered on about minor web page changes, and that we had a further mention on the blog of <a href="http://www.indie-mp3.co.uk/blog/blog.htm"> Old Indie Kid </a> ("He's younger than me!", grumbled Mutt. "He's older than me though!", crowed Ramon.), after a review by same chap on <a href="http://www.soundsxp.com/"> Sounds XP </a>. I said I knew, and that I was watching Lost. "Oh!", replies Mutt, "I'm taping it!". Well, lucky old Mutt eh? I did my best to ruin it for him today, but anything I tried to invent as a plot was no less bizarre than the show itself. </p> <p>Anyway, to cut a long and slightly unhinged story in to something vaguely resembling rational communication...</p> <p>We decided to set up a PayPal account so we could sell copies of the Colin Backwards EP that the reviews we seem to have got said existed and was for sale. So we sat down together at Lunchtime and after a complicated session where I tried to explain the complexities of Tabbed Browsing in Firefox to a confused Mutt, helped by Phoenix ringing up halfway through to laugh at him too, we got to the first question:<br> "Name of Account"<br> I thought that "Mutt Ramon" would do. So did Phoenix (still on the line), but Media Mogul in training Mutt had grander ideas and wanted to start a record label. Now, we've all started records labels in our time at one time or another haven't we? The myriad output of "Asphyxia Records" (named after a safety poster on methods of "Resuscitation following Asphyxiation", that my Dad kindly brought home from work for me as they were throwing it out and nothing to do with the weekend hobbies of minor Tory MPs) was matched only by the sheer limited nature of each of it's releases, which I'm sure Mutt would appreciate for maximum "Indie-cred". Namely 1 copy of each tape by each band including "The Insomniacs", "The Cardboard Elephant Heads - Oh No! It's the Cardboard Elephant Heads", "Polyeurythane Hypnosis", "The Adjustable Spanners", and the near legendary "Shaz EP" (mostly a means to lure Phoenix into my "studio"). Most of these bands were me and whoever else I could persuade to participate with me. So Mutt wants one too. He doesn't want Mutt Ramon to be added the rosta of Asphyxia bands (as he thinks the name is a bit unpleasant!?!). He wants his own label. He has come up with various names, but most of them were already in use. I suggested "Ramonia Records", but apparently that had gone too, and anyway, it was much too Ramon specific - this is Mutts label remember. No, after careful consideration and various searches on the net, he comes up with:<br> "Dogs' Home Records"<br> (with the apostrophe and everything - Mutt went to a Grammar School and insisted - I thought it would look better without it but was overuled).<br> It sort of makes sense, as it is the home of Mutt, but I'm not yet convinced. I tried "Dogzone", but that sounded like a group of Irish Wolfhounds singing Bee Gees covers sat on stools, and really was worse than "Dogs' Home". So I humoured him. I do that a lot. He wouldn't agree, and would say I complain all the time, but if he didn't ring up in the middle of lost then I'd have nothing to complain about would I? And, I probably wouldn't get round to writing any blog entries (I write best when the bile is high!).<br> So, anyway, if you want to buy Dogs' Home Records's's' first release (DH01 - oh yes! Mutt has given it a code and everything), then pop along to <a href="http://www.muttramon.com/mutt_sound.htm"> Mutt Ramons Music Shop </a>.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/12/09/kennel_records~371963/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>record-label-musichttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/12/09/kennel_records~371963/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/11/30/too_smooooooth~350806/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2005-11-30:/2005/11/30/too_smooooooth~350806/Wed, 30 Nov 2005 22:24:19 +0100 <p>Mutt invited himself and Mrs Mutt round on Sunday night to record a trumpet part for "Worlds". The trumpet is a Christmas present for Mrs Mutt, but Mutt had obligingly let her use it before Christmas as the cornet that had been festering under Mrs Ramon and I's bed for 10 years was a bit past it. This was on the understanding that she recorded exactly what he dictated. We did various takes, some loud and stacato (for Mutt), and some smoother (for the rest of us).<br> He seems to have a bit of a problem with this song as it is. It's just not "Indie" enough for him I think. I recorded 2 vocal lines, one high, one low. He thinks that the high bit makes it sound a bit "too good" and not DIY enough. Hmmm! Heaven forbid that we sound too professional. People might like us then or something. We may offend the 2 people for whom "indie-cred" is much more important than making something listenable! As you can gather, we are slightly divided on this issue! As it is up to me to do the final mix though, we'll see who wins shall we?<br> Anyway, in order to come round, the Mutts bundled up and dragged out the Muttlets, and then found their car wouldn't start. They got a jump start, and then weren't sure if they could get back again. At the end of the evening, Mutt went to see if the car would start. It did, then he didn't want to stop the engine, but was scared that someone would steal it, whilst he went in for the Muttlets. He was a bit panicky, so I went and stood by it to guard it. Mutt seems to think I live in a dodgy area (further out of the city than him, in what is (according to the Insurance Companies), one of the safest postcodes in the area). It's lucky I was out there, as when he had gone, the formerly empty late night suburban lane was suddenly filled with a huge gang of specialist Italian Car thiefs hunting for a Fiat (of a certain maturity) with it's engine running that they could drive back to Milan in and then set fire to (like what the French do). Luckily there was a Cinquecento with it's motor running across the road and I was guarding the Muttmobile, so they took the other Fiat instead. By the time Mutt emerged again, it was all over. He still doesn't believe me.<br> Right, I'm off to turn up the "Smoothness" setting on all my vocal lines. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/11/30/too_smooooooth~350806/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/11/30/too_smooooooth~350806/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/11/16/what_s_in_a_name~313843/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2005-11-16:/2005/11/16/what_s_in_a_name~313843/Wed, 16 Nov 2005 23:05:04 +0100 <p>We have prereleased our EP via the website, and have some good positive feedback from our network of indie web friends (that sounds incredibly arsey sorry!). We'll have to see how it all pans out, but things are looking promising. However, whilst they like the music, not everyone is keen on the name "Mutt Ramon". In fact, someone even gave some other suggestions, including:<br> "The Parsnips" (Nice if roasted, but not very musical)<br> "The Orkneys" (Ok if we were Scottish maybe)<br> or "Throw a dart at a dictionary and it will be better than Mutt Ramon"<br> (bit long that one, maybe we could abbreviate it to just Mutt Ramon).<br> Now I must admit, when Mutt first came up with the name, saying that he thought it was an anagram of Matt Munro, I wasn't completely convinced. For one thing, Matt Munro spelt his name Matt Monro. Also, what does he have to do with anything anyway? We could equally have been called "Poor Mercy" (Perry Como) or "Jet Moons" (Tom Jones) or even "Germlike, prudent bench" (Englebert Humperdinck). Somehow Mutt Ramon sounds better now doesn't it?<br> Anyway, it's grown on me. It's our name now. It's pretty unique, and whilst not quite a Googlewhack, it doesn't come up with many hits, and the top ones are ours. You can't say that for "The Parsnips", and we shouldn't suffer the same fate as "The The", who no longer exist on the net, as it's impossible to search for them (search engines filter out "The"). We've also put quite a bit of time effort and even investment into the name (.coms don't come for free and "www.parsnips.com" seems to have already been snapped up). Also, Mutt is now Mutt and I am Ramon, and that's the way it is. So I'm afraid the name stays. Until we change it to "Sobbing cry*" for the US market that is...<br> *Bing Crosby </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/11/16/what_s_in_a_name~313843/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>musichttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/11/16/what_s_in_a_name~313843/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/11/15/errrrrrrrr~308476/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2005-11-14:/2005/11/15/errrrrrrrr~308476/Tue, 15 Nov 2005 00:15:29 +0100 <p>I swear he does it just so I'll write another blog entry. So we can get more publicity (hi there btw if it's worked and you're now reading this - why not pop over to muttramon.com and listen to some tunes - leave a comment on the guestbook - only make sure it ain't spam). I made a test pressing CD for Mutt last week, so he could go away and listen. Then last night, about 9.15 (usual Mutt phone time) he rings me to ask how to do something embarassingly basic with Paint Shop Pro, then the Mutt Mutter begins. "Errrrrr, errrmmm, welllll, Mrs Mutt thought the bass was a bit low, and errrrmm that she couldn't hear what you were singing.", he eventually manages to get out. Note how all this criticism is attributed to Mrs Mutt. "So, you couldn't just...". I sigh and agree, as I was tinkering with the particular tune (Silver Moon Boots for the record) anyway. "Good, right I'm off to watch telly, there's a drama on by a friend of a friend of a work colleague of Mrs Mutts!". And off he pops.<br> So, I tinker with the bass. I rerecord the vocal, I master it all up, make it into an MP3, tuck it in the special hidden place (behind the radiator on our website - shhhhh, don't tell anyone), and then crawl off to bed.<br> Bright and early he's listening, and as the day progresses, I get more dribbles of "advice" and muttering. He likes the new verse (it's clearer now, you can tell what I'm saying, but it's a bit rubbish apparently - he was joking about it being rubbish I think). The bass isn't any louder either he reckons (it very rarely is with the earphones you get free with an MP3 player or 4 Cornflake Box lids). The chorus is a bit ropey and all the levels are wrong now. In fact, it was better before. Yes, before he rang me to just offer a few bits of advice.<br> Fortunately, I had a back-up of the old version on Ramon Junior (our trusty laptop), and once I'd convinced it that it had a battery, and a wireless connection, and a network it could log onto, I managed to retrieve the old version. I put the new verse on, and kept the old chorus, and tried to tweak the bass a bit. I also beefed up the drums a bit and added a bit of squelch to them. I can hear him now of course, "It's better, but there's something weird going on with the drums I think - I've learned to ignore it, but...". Ok, so I do it partly for artistic reasons, and partly so I'll have something else to moan about here.</p> <p>Oh yes, and strangely, we keep getting requests from friends and family for a CD. The first demo CD that is. The one Mutt wants to hold back for later, when we're completely unheard of. I am saying no more. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/11/15/errrrrrrrr~308476/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>musichttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/11/15/errrrrrrrr~308476/#commentshttp://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/11/09/colin_backwards~296172/tag:ramonia.blog.co.uk,2005-11-09:/2005/11/09/colin_backwards~296172/Wed, 09 Nov 2005 22:40:59 +0100 <p>Mutt wouldn't be swayed. He wanted three different songs from the original EP, for the new "Colin Backwards EP" so that's what he's got.<br> The track listing is now "Silver Moon Boots", "Dog Song" and "I didn't realise you were there". It does sound pretty good though, so let's hope his business plan is up to scratch. I just sing and produce and burn CDs, and last week I was just too gloomy and busy to argue any longer. I convinced Mutt to put some more guitar on the one track that was all synth which is a bit strange really, I really must have been ill.<br> Phoenix has written some lyrics dedicated to Mutt, and I was noodling with the piano at the same time, so we ended up with a song. The first to be about Mutt, but not by him. He won't like it of course.<br> We have also been fighting a major spam overload on our guestbook. We've tried a few things to try and stop it, but we may end up having to remove it. It's probably been said a million times by a million people, but really, what do these people hope to achieve by deluging the interweb with this crap? </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/11/09/colin_backwards~296172/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://ramonia.blog.co.uk/2005/11/09/colin_backwards~296172/#comments