Schrage Musik - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Things happening:-

Just started reworking 'The Terrorist'. A visitor to the house, who heard the initial mix descibed it as sounding like 'the Grimethorpe Colliery Band doing heavy metal'. I'm not sure where the 'heavy metal' desription comes from but.....

'Little Boog' is also under re-construction at the moment. I also intend to properly record the original version of 'Little Boog' (as per the dreadfully recorded cassette single) - this was only about 5 minutes long (as opposed to the 12 minute later version) so now we'll have 'Little Boog' and 'Big Little Boog'. I have also found the original tapes that were the basis for the orchestral piece that gave birth to 'Little Boog' - this was called 'The Boog' and was never finished. Maybe later.

The next piece to be worked on will be 'High Antic'. This has never been recorded.

Next will be 'Lost Again Again' - there was a very poorly recorded version some years ago. I think I put it somewhere safe.

Francis Lickerish. I am also extremely proud and happy to be working with a guitarist who I have known and admired for over 30 years. If you're looking for some WONDERFUL new music, go to his site and/or the 'Secret Green' site (see my 'Friends' list for both). Their music is STUNNING. They have an album coming out and I heartily recommend it to everyone.

I have had the honour of being asked to contribute some keyboards and vocals to a piece by the wonderful 'Altogether Morris'. You can hear my effort (entitled 'Jennifer Rough') together with a number of itchy originals by clicking the Altogether Morris button on my friends list or navigate to:-

http://www.myspace.com/altogethermorris1

If you like strong, melodic, guitar-based music, scamper over to Bobby Strat's place (he's a friend of mine) - his stuff is superb.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 9/5/2006
Band Members:

Chris Marsh: Keyboards, limited guitar, occasional woodwinds and vocals.

Special Guest - Francis Lickerish: Guitar - unlimited and glorious.

Influences: The Enid, Kraftwerk, Robin Williamson, Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, Yello, Faust, Tom Waits, Van Der Graaf Generator and Garry Thomas (one of the best voices in the universe!!!).
Sounds Like: I've never known how to describe what I do. It's sort of electro-progressive-folk-rock. Some other descriptions are:-One local reviewer described it as "24th Century Folk Music".Another stated that "only Marsh could make a noise like that."Francis Lickerish (ex of The Enid) described it as "very hi-tech" (that was band music of about 30 years ago - I think he was trying to be nice because, in those days, I didn't write music, just long series of notes - just a row, to be more honest. Francis was the first person to actually point me in a more sensible direction).
Robert Godfrey (of The Enid) said it was "eccentric" (that was also 30 years ago (when I was naively and childishly trying to worm my way into The Enid as an apprentice) but referred to a solo set of almost quaint synth-songs (long before John Foxx and Gary Numan and the like) which went under the name of 'The Mice Who Think Like Rabbits' ).
Robin Williamson (ex Incredible String Band (I think he WAS the Incredible String Band - all the good bits anyway) says that it's "very varied but instantly recognisable as being.....[me]". I'm thrilled that one of my all-time music heroes actually likes what I do. And this is NOW - not 30 years ago. (Though I hope the others would approve too.)A (then) recently sacked guitarist once described it as being 'a cross between The Incredible String Band and Kraftwerk'. This was intended as an insult but I think there's a germ of truth there. Most of my stuff is very melody based (with some of those melodies being folky in origin) but I've been using rigid machine rhythms (which I quantise to buggery and back) for over 30 years so.... You'll soon be able to judge for yourself.
Type of Label: Major

My Blog

Unashamedly Up

When, back in the late 70s I flounced out of my last serious band (which played a peculiar blend of prog rock and jazz - I did flute, sax, synth & tapes), I soon found myself being approached to write...
Posted by on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:04:00 GMT

Hard

This piece began life as an idea for a trombone melody (which can still be heard in the intro). It came to me as I was driving home from doing a radio interview in 1984. By the time I arrived home mos...
Posted by on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 02:18:00 GMT

This Boy's Toys

Much to my amazement, a few people appear to be interested in the gear I use to create my music. This question actually got me thinking about HOW I construct a piece and landed me with answer "I don't...
Posted by on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:10:00 GMT

Little Boog

In the early 80s, still using monophonic instruments (see 'Methods' blog) I started work on a large 'orchestral' piece. This became 'The Boog'. It was never finished. At approx seven minutes (and betw...
Posted by on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 02:31:00 GMT

Dark Across the World

My apologies to everyone waiting for the completed version of 'Dark Across the World'.I'm sorry to say, I have stopped work on this piece and, in all honesty, I am unlikely to go back to it. The reaso...
Posted by on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:13:00 GMT

Schrage Musik Methods - A Short History

As a child, living with my parents (in the late 60s), I was not allowed access to musical instruments. Added to this, the Grammar School I attended had a 'music department' which comprised of three n...
Posted by on Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:55:00 GMT

All At Once

Original song was written in 1988. It was a simple song with the middle section being mostly instrumental. The 'big ship' motiv came towards the end of 1989. In the mid 90s the chorus backing vocals w...
Posted by on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:50:00 GMT

Its a Mystery

Right. I've been listening to that which I regard as 'good' music for as long as I can remember. I think I know what should 'catch on' and what deserves to die. The first band I went ape-shit about wa...
Posted by on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:51:00 GMT

THE MUSIC

Many thanks for the kind comments and the requests. Rather than put back those older song, I've uploaded a couple of other 'Works in Progress'. I've removed 'Will I Dream' mainly because I'm re-progra...
Posted by on Thu, 27 Sep 2007 17:00:00 GMT

Practise

I remember when learning how to fall off a bike (learning to stay on took FAR longer), my Grandfather informed me that 'Practise Makes Perfect'. How wrong he was. I have never aimed to be a great musi...
Posted by on Sun, 05 Nov 2006 07:05:00 GMT