January Steam Cleaner

2010-11-10T04:14:00.001-08:00

A Transitional Tale

2010-09-23T02:37:00.001-07:00

Another piece of weird.

I made this.

Viregalia

2010-07-14T16:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a short film for which I did the music. Hope you enjoy...

Viregalia was made by Di Mainstone and Leanna Palmer during a residency at Eyebeam Centre for Art and Technology in NYC.

Directed by Di Mainstone and Leanna Palmer
Photography by Leanna Palmer and John Grimshire
Costume by Di Mainstone
Edited by Judy Jacobs
Music by Ed Dowie
Starring Nathalie
With Special thanks to:
Jason Lim, Rachel Lamb, Jen Park, Brian Nussbaum and Kindall Almond

Eyebeam Centre for Art and Technology

Viregalia2 from Di Mainstone on Vimeo.

Lost at Sea

2010-06-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd just post up an old song (from about 2000) which I still like. I thought I'd just put something up for once that wasn't absolutely f***ing mental! Just a demo really, but I think it still sounds OK. This was featured in 'Lost at Sea', a film directed by Tom Haines (http://www.tom-haines.com/) who I had the honour of working with whilst he made this really lovely film (although pretty awkward for me personally to watch) which is kinda about...well... me.

Anyway, enjoy the track and have a look at Tom's excellent video and film work on his site. I feel honoured to call him my friend.

Is this too sucky? Am I a twat? I think I probably am. Arghhhh. Anyway, here's the track:

Lost at Sea by eddowie

Manifesto

2010-06-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

Put this date in your diary peeps. The Paper Cinema (with live music from me and Quinta - www.myspace.com/iquinta) are playing at Manifesto (The Nave, 1 St Paul's Road, N1) on the 17th July. If you're in London, do come along as it really should be a cool event.

Space Shipman

2010-06-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a film made by Paul Ralph (award-winning director of 'Aardvark', and all-round super chappie). He asked me for a sort of stream-of-consciousness thing about space, and then he's gone ahead and made a lovely short film. Here is the blurb from the Vimeo page:

"A stream of consciousness experiment using words and music by Ed Dowie and basically putting visuals to them. Visuals have been manipulated and (badly) animated in Photoshop and After Effects. The idea was to do this as quickly as possible and not go back and tweak or alter anything, much like Ed's stream of consciousness ramblings about outer space."

The music is demo I made recently. The finished piece will most likely end up on my (as-yet-unnamed) EP/DVD, which should be released at the end of the year, so wash my face.

Space Shipman from Small Wolf on Vimeo.

WORLD CUP REPORT SOUTHAMPTON 2010

2010-06-23T03:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a report on the football.

WORLD CUP REPORT SOUTHAMPTON 2010 from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

AFTER the FACKT

2010-06-09T17:27:00.001-07:00

More SANDWICH madness.

SANDWICH - After the fackt by MAGNIFICENT EYE

boobiesonmybrain

2010-06-09T17:26:00.001-07:00

Another SANDWICH track...

SANDWICH - boobiesonmybrain by MAGNIFICENT EYE

A Serious Man

2010-06-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

OK, it appears that stupid-Eddie-video-time can happen 2 days in a row. Here's another...thing. Oh yeah, and it's a bit green.

A Very Serious Message from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

Sofa Interview

2010-06-07T15:05:00.001-07:00

Not feeling too good this week, so obviously the only thing to do is to record a stupid video of me lying on the sofa. Enjoy it. That seems unlikely.

sofa interview from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

EP DVD

2010-06-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

OK. I've made a decision. Anyone who's spent any time in my company, knows this to be quite a rarity. I'm that annoying person who can't make up their mind about ANYTHING.

Anyway, after YEARS of procrastination and hiding and excuses and learning and not knowing where I'm heading etc etc etc, I am finally going to make a finished product!

I have made the decision to make an EP, but release it as a DVD, so it will include:
a number of tracks (to be decided)
A video for each track
Perhaps a few extra little videos
possibly.... a max/msp stand-alone application
OTHER STUFF
The idea of doing it as a DVD is to try and find a way to link the silly and random videos I've been making with the silly and random music I've been making. The finished product I will aim to sell is going to be, let's face it, a bit weird. But I really want to make a go of this project, and experiment with the way I approach making music/videos/art/whatever it is. I've started planning deadlines, allotting times for different processes, brainstorming, and generally trying to break this project down into manageable chunks (basically trying to remember everything that Andy Hunt taught me at York!).

One of the questions that I need to work out, and I would be very interested to hear people's opinions on, is:

"How much content do I give out (put on the internet for free) during this process?"

Do I keep it all hidden until I release it?
Do I make stuff available as I create it?
Do I try and stick extra stuff online aside the project?
Do I give teasers?
Do I document the process?

I would be very interested, and grateful, if anyone had any advice/opinions/thoughts about this aspect of creating stuff in 2010. I personally feel that the way that both industry and culture have changed in the last few years is a tremendous opportunity to reconsider how we approach music/art/performance/whatever. Things have changed. Music is ubiquitous. And it is free.

I see this as a great opportunity to rethink what I can offer as a musician.

I'm tired now, but going to bed with a sense of purpose, with ideas bubbling up, and a determination to harness and manage these ideas, and actually bloody finish something!

Ed

Another SANDWICH track..

2010-05-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

This one is called Elbow Witch...

Again, this is the collaboration between myself and Robin Foster, whereby one person records a part, then sends the track to the other person, who (in one take, and without listening to it first) records their part. A little experiment in non-isochronous (is that a word?) improvisation. Nice.

SANDWICH - Elbow Witch by MAGNIFICENT EYE

Another SANDWICH track

2010-05-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

Here's another track me 'n' Robin did...

SANDWICH - Cronestown by MAGNIFICENT EYE

You've Got To Understand That, Ian*

2010-05-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

Here's another video.

Apologies for the crude visual effects. I'm just trying stuff out in Motion.

*Credit must go to Paul Hanford as a co-creator of this stunning example of the English Language.

Check out his excellent blog:

bringmecoffeeortea.com/

Now watch this video:

You've Got To Understand That, Ian* from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

SANDWICH

2010-05-04T02:13:00.000-07:00

Myself and Robin Foster have sporadically recorded music together over the past few years (calling ourselves SANDWICH), but we have recently started an experiment that Robin devised quite a while ago, and that we have finally started putting into practice. Essentially, it is improvisation that is carried out asynchronously, whereby one or other of us (we are alternating roles at the moment) will send the other a piece of music. The recipient of the music then decides on an instrument/technique/max patch/whatever to use, and without listening to it first, simply presses record, and improvises along. It is early days, but it's a really interesting idea, and I'm quite pleased with the results so far.

Here are a couple of examples:

LANDELOTTIE by SANDWICH by robinfoster

Moon woman by SANDWICH by robinfoster

Do Check out the rest of Robin's stuff on his Soundcloud site:

http://soundcloud.com/robinfoster

as well as his personal site:

http://www.robinfoster.net

Give me Coffee or Tea

2010-04-30T05:33:00.000-07:00

Check out this website, cos it's well sick innit:

www.bringmecoffeeortea.com/

Really interesting stuff - FOLLOW THEM

It includes a video I did for their Krautrock section.

The Krautrock Party by Ed Dowie from Paul Hanford on Vimeo.

Introducing CRAZY GEORGE

2010-04-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

CRAZY GEORGE give culinary advice...

Introducing CRAZY GEORGE from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

TRiP TO THE ORGANIC CAFE

2010-04-24T17:13:00.001-07:00

Another video of an explorer discussing his view of the world...

Trip to the organic cafe from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

Speaking Ill

2010-04-18T01:29:00.000-07:00

Have I done anything recently? An update of things.

Speaking Ill from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

Another Tune...

2010-03-30T02:21:00.001-07:00

This is a random little tune I did a while ago...

Africa by eddowie

A piece of music

2010-03-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

Another track from an IMM session (Immersion Music Method, whereby 12 hours are set aside, and you attempt to compose 20 pieces of music). I doesn't matter if this is not reached, but it's essentially about forcing yourself to work. I've found it's a really good way of generating ideas. I've uploaded this one, cos I just like it. It hasn't been edited yet, so it's essentially the result of about 1 hours work. Anyway, hope you enjoy... (whoever *you* are)

IMM4.7 by eddowie

My First Book Review

2010-02-27T03:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a book review. It's very serious (like a Peak Freen).

MY FIRST BOOK REVIEW from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

One of my IMM tracks.

2010-02-19T17:33:00.001-08:00

This one might be my favourite. Really simple, but strangely atmospheric? (perhaps)

IMM5.6 by eddowie

News of things to come...

2010-02-19T17:27:00.000-08:00

Here is an important announcement of what's coming up soon.

News of things to come... from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

My Latest IMM Session

2010-02-18T11:37:00.000-08:00

For those interested in hearing the results of my latest IMM session, I have put all 9 tracks on Soundcloud:

http://soundcloud.com/eddowie/sets/imm-session-5

These tracks were entirely composed, recorded and mixed during a 12 hour period on the 16th February 2010. Consequently, they are a little rough, but I hope you enjoy.

Mid-Afternoon Miriam

2010-02-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

I don't know what I'm doing.

Mid-Afternoon Malaise from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

The (Real) American Dream

2010-02-15T00:57:00.000-08:00

This is a proper American man out of America.

The(real)AmericanDream from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

Me 'n' Fred Dineage

2010-02-06T02:58:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd post this up as it just got mentioned on the Collins & Herring show on BBC 6Music! I'm big fan of their podcast (The Collings and Herrin Podcast), and so i am a happy nerd. This picture was taken at Reading Festival in about 1998 or so and is probably my prize possession (it's not).

Who Watches the Watch Man?

2010-02-04T08:56:00.000-08:00

This is a video of me filming @Bennycrime filming #Tuttle at 1000Heads. I seem to be obsessed with using windows and squares in videos at the moment. I'm trying to teach myself different stuff in Jitter. This video took a surprising amount of time. Wow, I . am. Interesting.

Who Watches the Watchman? from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

Immersion Music Method

2010-01-31T14:06:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, a friend of mine lent me a book with an uninteresting, if not annoying title: Frustrated Songwriter's Handbook: A Radical Guide to Cutting Loose, Overcoming Blocks, and Writing the Best Songs of Your Life It is actually a really good book to read if, like me, procrastination and self-doubt are your biggest problems (and you're able to ignore some of the more, shall we say 'Californian' elements to the book.

In essence it describes an approach to making music that involves setting aside a 12 hour period, during which you try to write and record 20 pieces of music! It does not matter if you reach this amount, but you must aim to produce as many as you can. Although the book is aimed at 'songwriters', the theory can be used for any type of music (I dare say, it would stretch to anything creative), and is a kind of sledgehammer approach to breaking creative block.

The reason for describing this book is that I did one of these IMM (Immersion Music Method - I know! Wanky title) sessions yesterday. I managed to write 9 pieces (which is about usual for me). I feel that this approach is such an excellent way of getting ideas. You have to almost switch off the analytical side of your brain, and just record stuff, but as a result you try things that perhaps under normal circumstances, would not arise. It is also important to forget any notion of whether what you're doing is any good (at least for those 12 hours): an action which counter-intuitively often means you produce good work. It is such an emotional journey that you experience during those 12 hours, and at the end of it, you have a large number of pieces to work with.

So far, I have only done this IMM thing about once a year, but I really want to find a way of upping the ante for myself, in a way that will not set me up to fall (it is all very well to say that I will do 1 a week, or whatever, but how do I stick to it?). I also want to decide a method of putting these things online (do I make a video for each one? Do I set aside a different 12 hours in which I must record these videos? Do I just put them on Myspace? etc.).

In theory, I am thinking that I will try to do an IMM about once a fortnight-ish, and have provisionally pencilled in dates in my calendar, but I guess writing this, and in theory having it read by anything up to 2 people, is an opportunity to make it more official in my head.

If you have any thoughts about this, or suggestions, or...anything to do with creative block, that'd be really cool. I really didn't plan to write on this blog (as I am not a writer), but... hey ho. I will endeavour to put some stuff up here from these sessions, but they obviously have a certain quality to them, as they are created in such a short space of time, so I need to present them in such a way that this is taken into consideration.

Anyway.... To Be Continued...

Ed

I made an iMovie (I made a pun)

2010-01-25T16:41:00.000-08:00

Here's a little experiment I did tonight. I used a piece that was originally composed for a production of Pool/No Water by Mark Ravenhill directed by Mark Smith (in case you were wondering).

Another iMovie (pardon the pun) from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

$colourdev$

2010-01-25T00:25:00.000-08:00

Just a little experiment using Jitter. Random images found on the internet, were then manipulated to reveal washes of colour. The soundtrack is equally monotonous.

$colourdev$ from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

Dating Video No. 48

2010-01-21T17:02:00.000-08:00

Ian Blair is a 30 year old driver who lives in the area. His likes are fishing, splashing, crushing and conkers. He wants a woman.

Dating Video No 48. from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

Jesus Had Robin

2010-01-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

Here is a silly video I made today for my friend Robin.

I should add that this includes a recording of the VoiCE Trio, performing at King's Place, London 16th January 2010.

http://voicetrio.co.uk/

Jesus had Robin from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

Celebrity Squares

2010-01-16T18:09:00.001-08:00

A little experiment with squares and eyes...

Celebrity Squares from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

I haven't spent any money on this

2010-01-08T02:06:00.000-08:00

This cost me nuffink from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

My New Hat

2010-01-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

ooh. get me with my new hat. ooh.

My New Hat from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

The Way Home From Christmas

2009-12-29T01:05:00.000-08:00

Full of food, drink and tales of serial killers, I followed the road home...

The Way Home From Christmas from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

Tubelabeige

2009-12-13T09:06:00.000-08:00

TubellaBElge from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

Conversations with Robin (1.2)

Mustave Moon

2009-12-11T16:35:00.000-08:00

This is a video message. A very important video message.

Monsoon Wedding from Ed Dowie on Vimeo.

Another Toon

2009-10-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

Spent ages getting iMovie HD back as iMovie 8 is rubbish.

Here's another tune.

2009-10-08T15:14:00.000-07:00

What have I got to write about?

I don't know.

Who would want to read it?

I don't know.

Why am I doing it then?

I don't know.

A good a place as any to start I guess. By not knowing. A repository for my own self-obsession I guess. Might as well post a piece of music:

new

2009-10-08T15:11:00.000-07:00

This is a blog.

W.

6.

Boombüm