ironbarkextract.mp3 Listen on Posterous

 

I started recording album number 2 ‘Ironbark’ at the end of February.

I’m making progress but there’s a long way to go.

The tracklist will be as follows:

1. The Beast of the Air
2. The Miser’s Will
The Cartographer’s Tale
3. What The Orderly Saw
4. Watermen’s Square
5. Pieces
6. The Reading of the Will
7. Steamlife
8. Ironbark

At present I’m about 70% through recording the backing. I’ve also done a little bit of lead guitar.

I’ve recorded only guide vocals – I won’t get on to final vocal tracks for a couple of weeks yet.

(Hopefully. I literally lost my voice this week and am only just recovering.)

After that comes the mixing process. I’m quitely confident that this album will sound better than the last. I’ve learned a lot about mixing since then, and will Spinning the Compass didn’t sound bad there are a lot of improvements that could be made to it (And some day will be!)

Anyway, the mp3 attached to this post is an extract from the twiddly complicated bit in the middle of the title track. It’s a rough version of course, and as the middle section of an 18 minute song, it won’t make any sense at all in isolation 🙂 Hope you enjoy.

(In other news, if my voice holds up I’ll be performing a ustream set tomorrow. Tune in at 7.pm for the first act at http://cafenoodle.ning.com )

http://clockworker.de/cw/2011/02/08/spinning-the-compass-the-dark-power/

Download now or watch on posterous

Album_diary_01.wmv (7575 KB)

A little video diary about starting the new album.

http://daily-steampunk.com/steampunk-blog/

http://www.steampunktribune.com/2011/02/spinning-compass-by-dark-power.html

Quite fortunate to receive a lead to a new video from Mr. T. Slatter about a new release by The Dark Power, titled "Spinning the Compass"!  Rich with Steampunk visuals and allegory and filed at London's Crystal Palace Park, one can also see memorable works of art by Mr. J. Slatter (yes, it is his brother)!  Please do enjoy… then do pay a visit to his amazingly beauitful website, which provides insights, images and more from this cavalcade of Steampunk imagination, at: http://www.thedarkpower.com/…. then visit Mr. T. Slatter's locale for more information regarding his musical endeavor, at: https://www.tomslatter.co.uk/!

  
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beastoftheairunmix.mp3 (5181 KB)

Here's an 'unmix' of a new song – The Beast of the Air.

The best songs are about universal themes that all people can relate to. This one is about hunting Sky-Kraken from an airship.

It's an 'unmix' – ie. a rough draft that hasn't been mixed properly with a rough vocal track – finished version to follow. What thinks?

This means I finally have an internet connection again – Huzzah!

New goodies to be made public shortly for mailing list members, so if you want some extra free music and stuff go to this link: http://www.reverbnation.com/tomslatter and enter your email where it says 'Join the mailing list' – no spam, just an email about once a month and access to my fans only page at www.tomslatter.co.uk.

Thanks for listening

Tom

  
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sidings.mp3 (3026 KB)

We all like a murder ballad, right?

A Master of the Sidings

Jack Rage is a master of the Sidings
A wreck in the thick of things
A railway man

Jack Rage is aware of the tidings
But love is afflicting
This railway man

Tonight, Tonight the meat tastes bad
Tonight, tonight in this vulgar town

The Railway man  haunting the streets.
Beam of grey light and Jack Rage Attacks.
The Railway man lives for his engines,
A sparkle of light, grey tattered squares,
Tonight, Tonight,
And the railway man conquers his heart

Jack Rage is a master of the sidings
He skips through the carriage
One by one

Jack Rage isn't master of his own heart
A new blood flows through this Railway man

Tonight, Tonight in this vulgar town
Tonight, Tonight you shouldn't look down

The Railway man is haunting the back streets,
Object of affection and Jack Rage attacks,
The Railway man lives for his engines,
The weak points are obvious, clutch at her throat
Tonight, Tonight,
And the railway man conquers his heart

A christmas present from The Dark Joseph – a canvas print of one of the shots from the steampunk photo shoot from a few months ago.