Play – Island in the Sun

Island in the Sun
©2010 Mike de Velta

I am a soldier in a modern war
but have no guns or bombs before me
Just the lies of greedy men
who snare with their words
they try to bend me
try to bend me

Shuffling feet and a vacant stare
The lines getting longer, but headin nowhere
I want Tahiti girls, coconut wine,
singing and dancing til the middle of the night
I wanna jump in the ocean, dive in the sea
Lie on the sand by the shade of a tree
I wanna a simple life, won’t you come with me
Take me to my island in the sun
my island in the sun
oh my island in the sun

Wash me over
bathe me in light
sea shells on sunset
take me from this ordinary life

and lying on my bed I dream of big blue skies
woken by the screams I start to tremble
where crime is just an ordinary part of life
Dulls my mind to world I not a part of.

Shuffling feet and a vacant stare
The lines getting longer, but headin nowhere
I want Tahiti girls, coconut wine,
singing and dancing til the middle of the night
I wanna jump in the ocean, dive in the sea
Lie on the sand by the shade of a tree
I wanna a simple life, won’t you come with me
Take me to my island in the sun
my island in the sun
oh my island in the sun

Solo

Oh my island in the sun
Oh my island

I want Tahiti girls, coconut wine,
singing and dancing til the middle of the night
I wanna jump in the ocean, dive in the sea
Lie on the sand by the shade of a tree ….. to out..

With this one I think I’ve officially hit my record for the amount of time spent on one song, definately talking months! Crazy heh? Squeezing months into minutes. Oh well, I can breathe a sigh of relief now until the next song that’s lurking in the back of my mind somewhere vying for my attention.

Anyway, I started this track with a loop of an Indian percussion instrument rather like a tabla but bigger, and loved the way it felt, a real, doop da doop sound that had me boppin. Applying that to a driving ukulele and the shufflin skills of Dean Wuksta on drums I think something has emerged that I feel happy in saying is original in sound and flavour.

I hope you enjoy it and please share it with your friends to get this lil black duck of the ground

Episode 7 – Strange Land

Slide  on an Rickenbacker Lap guitar, rich harmonies, powerful and atmospheric. A song of a man who has to leave he lover only to reassure her that he will again return one day.

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RAW FILE

Strange Land.mp3

It’s been about 3 years now since I bit the bullet, researched like hell and buried my head in every article, book or magazine I could find to go about my vision of creating a home studio. The outcome?
Complete autonomy and creative freedom! Every song snippet, idea, guitar rift, or some weird flurry of ad lib vocals at 2am in the morning is all captured here through these microphones. They are in a sense my “dream catchers”.
I now possess hundreds of burgeoning songs in various degrees of completion all residing on my hard drives just waiting for me to recall them in exactly the same fashion that I’d left them say eighteen months prior. Oh what joy! What a revelation! This is the degree of immediacy and recall that every artist deserves. Autonomy and freedom!

For me personally the idea of booking a studio now in the hope of pulling that EP off in say 3 or 4 days is absurd. My belief is a professional recording studio will only benefit you if you can really afford the the time. For example ,I am happy to spend several hours just mixing the drum kit, or meticulously editing vocal lines to the n’th degree, at $800 a day you are unlikely to pursue that path unless you are a very wealthy or supported by a large record label.

Sure, while I admit I was fraught with fear on this initial expedition into the unknown land of music production it is now paying dividends. Write, record, mix-master, upload, distribute, done! Next! The work flow is established.

My last album “Frontline” took me about 12 months to write and record and boy was that difficult, my first self produced project. Yes I admit at times it was stressful not achieving the results I wanted with L plates on my back but persistence paid off I do believe I am achieving some great results.
Do I have lots to learn? Yeh sure! But man, what a trip! This is the real deal.

Yes home recording is definitely a viable and worthwhile option.

To him who has ears let them hear.

Mike de Velta

Nice little residency for the next few weeks, nice laid back venue, come along would love to see you there.

Here is their blurb!

Sick of searching Leederville for that great meeting spot with that perfect cuppa? Look no further! Cranked is the trendy new venue, with leather banquets and comfy lounges you can get lost in, or the stylish alfresco seating so you can watch the world roll by, you’re garanteed to fall in love with our quality coffee and teas.

Wasting a morning will only get easier with a quick glance past our selection of local offerings from fresh baked friands, muffins and crossiants through to boutique baguettes and pannini’s.

Sounds tempting doesn’t it … So come on by, we’ll be sure to get your coffee started!

Address: 5/106 Oxford St, Leederville

Phone: 08 6161 0730

SMS Order Line: 0422 722 712

Sounds nice heh! See you there,

Mike

The W.A Folk Federation is proud to be working with City of Swan on the third Seasons Concert Series to welcome in Summer on Saturday 19th December 2009 from 12.00 noon to 6.00pm at the Woodlake Amphitheatre, Corner of Woodlake and Highpoint Boulevards, Ellenbrook.

This third event will feature WA folk musicians along with music workshops and also Ellenbrook musicians Charlie and Shona Scuro.

‘The WA Folk Federation and City of Swan are working together to engage local communities and we have been lucky to get in touch with Shona Scuro of Ellenbrook who let us know that her brother Charlie, a Scottish musician, would be in town and would perform with her for the Season Concert in Ellenbrook’, said John Mc Nair, Chair of the WA Folk Federation.

Charlie Scuro is a guitarist, songwriter and recording artist from Scotland and Shona Scuro is a performer who has worked with the Ellenbrook Cultural Centre.

Also featuring are two workshops with Mike de Velta on songwriting and Keith Anthonisz presenting on busking.  Mike de Velta is a singer songwriter, multi instrumentalist and producer who will introduce audiences to his own unique perspective on songwriting, arrangements and production.  Keith Anthonisz is a much travelled singer songwriter who will give tips on solo performances on the street that he has performed at festivals including the Nannup Festival.

‘The WA Folk Federation is committed to educating people and getting them involved in music and the songwriting and busking workshops at Ellenbrook are a great opportunity for people to come along, listen and learn with real live musicians’ , said John Mc Nair.

Musicians also playing on the day are the Miles to Go Band, Noel McClumpha and French Connection.

The Mile to Go Band features David Hyams, a composer, producer, and instrumentalist from Fremantle in Western Australia.  He plays acoustic, electric and steel guitars as well as mandolin and bouzouki in various musical styles. The band has also featured some of WA’s finest musicians from diverse musical backgrounds in a surprising and innovative combination; a rhythm section consisting of percussionist Caryn Sullivan alongside Waifs bassist Ben Franz, classical cellist Jennifer Tingley; vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Andy Copeman on cittern, didgeridoo, guitar, vocals and bodhran.

‘The Miles to Go Band have been acclaimed as some of the finest players of traditional Celtic music in the country and we are happy to bring them to Ellenbrook’, said John McNair

Other acts on the day include Noel McClumpha, a musician, guitarist and WA Folk Federation member who is a leading Australian folk/roots singer-songwriter, active on the folk circuit with lyrics of substance that are both soothing as well as challenging.  French Connexion is a duet that will bring a European flavour to this summer Seasons Concert.

Future performances as part of the Seasons Concert Series will continue to feature local artists and the WA Folk Federation is seeking local interest.

Further information on artists and the WA Folk Federation is available via email on:
mcnairfolk(at)iinet.net.au
or on telephone 0438 429 232
For more information on the WA Folk Federation:

http://www.wafolk.org.au/

Recording Specs

Vox
Rode K2 microphone
Great River ME-1NV Preamp
Daking Fet Compressor ii
Sonnox EQ

Reverb
Lexicon MPX550

Guitar
Neumann KM184
Great River ME-1NV Preamp
UA LA-610 Preamp
SV-315 Mk2 Compressor

Stomp Board
AKG D112

Master Bus

PSP Vintage Warmer
Sonalksis Stereo Imaging Processor
Sonnox EQ
Massey L2007 (Limiter)

For directions on how to get there please contact me via email  and I will send you the details as this event has a limited capacity.

See ya there.

Date    Time Slot         Band
Saturday Oct. 31st    3.00 – 5.00pm    (Pre-recorded)
5.00 – 5.45pm    Empire Blues
6.00 – 6.30pm    Empire Blues
7.00 – 7.45pm    Mike de Velta
8.30 – 9.15pm    TOBY
9.45 – 10.30pm    TOBY
11.30 – 12.45pm    Gators
1:15 – 2.00am    Gators

Sunday Nov. 1st    9.00 – 9.45am    Mike De Velta
10.00 – 10.45am    The Vibrolators
11.00 – 11.45am    The Vibrolators
12.15 – 1:00pm    Home Brew
1.15 – 2.00pm    Home Brew
Production by X-DC Pro Audio:
Stand-by band in case of any cancellations = “Delayed Reaction”

Recording notes

Recorded in a small bedroom with acoustic treatment.

Vox
sm 57 microphone
UA LA-610 Preamp
SV-315 Mk2 Compressor
Sonnox EQ

Reverb
Lexicon MPX550

Guitar
Neumann KM184
Great River ME-1NV Preamp
SV-315 Mk2 Compressor

Master Bus

PSP Vintage Warmer
Sonalksis Stereo Imaging Processor
Sonnox EQ
Massey L2007 (Limiter)

Recorded in Pro tools 8

Reverb Lexicon mpx 550
RME DA converters

Guitar
Neumann KM184
Daking FET Compressor II
Great River ME-1NV Preamp
SV-315 Mk2 Compressor

Master Bus

PSP Vintage Warmer
Sonalksis Stereo Imaging Processor
Sonnox EQ
Massey L2007 (Limiter)