Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Bumhug!

Fellow Ex Libran's.

Merry Crimbo to y'all. We've had a cool first year. Cheers to those who made it out to our gigs and given us support thus far. We gonna be pushing things a little harder in the next year - Releasing a couple of EPs, writing some dancefloor bangers and trying to get some nice little gigs out and about different places.

See you in the New Year!



3LX

Sunday, November 02, 2008

words and pictures

I'll be playing a solo show at the Fighting Cocks, Kingston - 17th Dec. I will attempt to play 2 new pieces (and 1 new cover) and mix up my set a little. So if you're free and interested do come down.

Words to the new pieces below -

(1) Trust -- a ballad(y) number. slow movements.
Strapping myself into seat-belts of your spaceship
you're making me sit around and drink hot pots
of black coffee that burn my lips
they're dry from kissing promises
Pushing the button to reset the universe
(yeah) it hurts
Walking on glass and talking out of your arse
who are you fooling
who are you schooling
Excuse me while ignore your advice
step into the fire and start waltzing
Are you too late or did you arrive just in time
to watch me burning
They said you can't fly but that's just a lie
to keep you from running and jumping
What is the shape of a heart about to break...
is that what we'd label as something?
maybe it's nothing but a song

(2) Special Forces -- a short loop-less number. cute.
You act tough
but take away your walls then what have you got? huh
A silly smile
a stupid child that's f***ed up
naked as the day that you were dropped off
come into the dark
i'll ask you...
[me]: How did it go?
then you'll say...
[you]: I wish that i knew, then i'd tell you
[me]: How will you know?
and you say...
[you]: I'll figure it out somehow
The black marks
show me where the punches ricocheted off
your winning smile
but now that's gone so tough luck
depending on your one-size-fits-all packed lunch
to get you off
then i'll ask you...
[me]: How did that go?
and you'll say...
[you]: I think that you know, now tell me how did you know?
and i'll say...
[me]: I figured it out somehow


Hopefully doing some vocals tomorrow. Once thats done... it'll be done*

<3 [A]





*...by 2009!

Monday, October 06, 2008

RamJam thankyous...

Thankyou to ALL of you last night.
It was an evening that went better than we had hoped.
Thanks to Richard @ the Grey Horse for letting us use the RamJam, thanks to Fred for helping us sound better than we are, thanks to Vin (click me) for setting up his stall, and to all the people that turned up - friends, family, lovers & randoms - It was a pleasure having you there.
The vibe was killer
The sexiness of the room was off the charts
The hotdogs were sublime!

ExLib <3

David Llewellyn Griffiths (click me) was taking some random snaps throughout the night.








We played everything we had been working on (and finished) within the last year. For those of you interested, it breaks down as follows:

Suite 2: Sum Numbers / Audio Video Disco / [discharge] / Radar
Suite 1: [issue] / Underachiever / Phat Knickers / 19:04

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Meaning: 'Support your f****** scene, yeah?'

First heard by me from the mouths of one of my fav underground bands - They Died Too Young (click me) - who are now sadly defunct.

Always on the side of D.I.Y, i have found that, ethically and within its intention, the whole D.I.Y movement is good - but as with anything that begins to become popular, it becomes yet another thing to mention/say/write to lend oneself that 'cool' against-the-grain, down-with-the-man, credibility. It is easy to say you're D.I.Y, its a completely different thing to actually BE D.I.Y. There are probably billions of promising young & talented & new acts starting up around the world and without hard work and an incredible amount of luck (being seen in the right place at the right time on the right night), the mainstream industry will pass them by unnoticed - because the higher up you go, the smaller everything seems and the more generic everything sounds.

So what do we do? We, as consumers, DO have choices. The media controlled content that gets delivered to us is far too huge for us , which is why sub-genres such as pop, rock, hardcore, rap, hip-hop, trip-hop, break-beat, two-step, dub-step, post-rock, post-hardcore, happy-hardcore, grime, garage, drum n' bass, drill n' bass, electronica.. etc.. etc.. have been needed. It's a filter which make believes that we, as consumers, can have an easier time trying to find something that we like. But in reality, no-one making original music will ever be ONE genre. So the trouble now becomes that, although we have choice, too much choice can restrict us and we'll end up going with what feels comfortable, sometimes never knowing what lies beyond what we're 'used' to listening to.

SUPPORT YOUR F****** SCENE <--- Well, it connected with me. I came around to thinking that it is the 'people' who make or break you. Your friends, your family, your social circles, that give you help when the rest of the world 'just aint listenin''. So I'll make it a small goal of mine to try and support my friends in whatever they do, if they have an exhibition or gig, i try my hardest to attend, if they need sponsorship i will give whatever i can spare, if they need help, i will help them. Supporting my 'scene' - helping the people around me.

[A] from Ex Lib <3

p.s. This is response to a comment posted against the POST below. please take the time to read what the anonymous poster has written. He/she wrote with much conviction and fluidity, and therefore deserves to have their viewpoint noticed ;)

Sunday, September 07, 2008

05-OCT/08 - Side-Step Left/Radar

2 things...

(1) On our myspace page --> ExLib <-- We've put up a new track 'RADAR' - We hope you like it

(2) SUN '05-OCT/08' is a night called 'Side-Step Left'. Its @ the Ram Jam in Kingston (the venue behind the venue called the Grey Horse).

'E.L' will be providing the music, and there will be a host of other creative folk displaying work, running stalls, drinking tea - and doing other normal things that normal humans are inclined to do. We're hoping to start something in our creative community here in West London. If you need like minded people to bump your head against, come down purely for the conversation... or not, but... support your f***in' scene yeah!?

ExLib <3

Saturday, August 23, 2008

[...///...\\\...]

We're close. Holidays, weddings and injuries all soon aside - maybe September?
Gig on the 5th October. It'll be like audio cheesecake!

...thinking requires more energy than it used to.
...i think.



Happy Birthday to the Caveman!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Recording & gnidroceR

First off, this wouldn't be happening without the help of a guy called Fred. Without batting an eyelid, he's allowed the use of most of his microphones. Without them, we wouldn't have been able to get off the ground. So first kudo's to Fred - À la vôtre!!!

If all goes to plan (see scans) we'll have finished 2cd's worth of music. Both E.P's -

Suite 1 - Underachiever/Phat Knickers/19:04
&
Suite 2 - Sum Numbers/Audio Video Disco/Radar

Today, 12-JUN/08, we finished the basics of 'Suite 2'. Hip hip hourra pour le team Ex Libras!!! (pardon my french)

We're pretty excited by all this, given that this has been done off our own backs with our money and the help of our friends. Working 9-5 can kill the creative bug a bit, but we're trying not to let it slow us down. We will be hitting the stage soon to air these creations and we hope you'll be coming down. From here on out (until this recording is finished) we'll try and post some pics and video snippets as and when we can.





Don't blink.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

...to build a studio (part 3)

The Studio may be done, but our documentary travels back in time and continues where it last left off.

...to build a studio
- Dissipate is a real word -
...one angry pirate...

Always just for fun.
enjoy


Monday, May 19, 2008

02-MAY/08 The Fly - Badge of Friendship vs Southern Records

Cheers to Claire & Paul (a badge of friendship) who sorted me out a slot on their night at the Fly. Seriously cool gig with great bands. I was on 2nd which is a huge step forward for me. I think i held my own. Thanks to the friends that came out and lent their support, it was good to see you and catch up with those i hadn't seen for a while.

setlist:
(1) Cheap Sham Pain
(2) Fuxk
(3) D.M.D (slow-dance version)
(4) 21 Rote (break version)




Band is in the Shed, writing, recording. We'll be up and out soon enough...

http://abadgeoffriendship.blogspot.com <-- nice little review of the night

Saturday, April 12, 2008

11-APR/08 Fighting Cocks & Half Moon

1 Night, 2 Gigs. I was playing a solo show down at the Fighting Cocks in Kingston. Kieran was funking sh*t up at the Half Moon in Putney with his band 'KingMob'. Where were you? Well, clearly you weren't with me. I played to a small handful of polite listeners who enjoyed themselves. Met some lovely people from Badge of Friendship (who put on awesome gigs) and watched 'Geordie La Force', 'Q Tone' & 'They Died Too Young' get down with their respective bad selves.

Amit's setlist:
(1) Pink Maggit/Be Quiet & Drive medley
(2a) Fuxk
(2b) Fuxk choral outro
(3) 21 Rote (break version)


till next time...

http://www.myspace.com/abadgeoffriendship

Thursday, April 10, 2008

02-APR/08 Grey Horse

We played our first show and we enjoyed it. It was nice to let the songs breathe a little Kingston air. Major thankyous to all that came and to all that enjoyed. A few people told me that they quite enjoyed it and that's all we need.

setlist:
(1) Underachiever
(2) Phat Knickers
(3) 07:04

And an extra thanks to Jakub who caught this:




We're going to hole up in the shed for a while to write and record.
See you on the flip side.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Ex Libras live.

First gig. First on. 02-APR/08. Grey Horse. Kingston.



Put on your bluetooth in the venue, yeah?

The runaway room...

Welcome to the 'SHED':





...you aint got to go home, but you got to get the hell outa here.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Cable Street Studio's: 28-FEB/08 (jamboree)

What a cool little place. Thanks to Lewis Henry, Ampersand. It was a line-up that i'd play in again in a heartbeat. The place was really nice, shame it was so far out for people (that i know) to get to. Still, for the people that made the effort, I salute you.

setlist:
(1) The Rev That My Hard-Drive Skipped
(2) Sky care Sky
(3) ... ScS choral outro
(4) 21 Rote



anytime, anywhere, anyhow

Friday, March 07, 2008

...Finished!

Get the Huq outa here?! It's over. It's over. It's over.

We now move our equipment in and start making some music. It's either an uphill struggle, or downhill trouble from here on out. But first...








Are you for scuba 'Luben'?

Monday, February 11, 2008

4 weeks ahead

Being a librarian can be strange sometimes. There are times when you just end up in a situation which allows you to think abstract things for no reason. These are times when there aren't many people around (maybe 11-12 or 2-3), there is nothing immediate to do - these times invite me to entertain myself.

One thing i hear often, occurs when it comes to stamping books for issue. I usually let them know when the books are to be returned (4 weeks from the date of stamping) and they comment on how quick time flies, and in one respect they're right. As we grow up there is a certain sense that time starts increasing in speed. When i was a younger boy, time was limitless, 20 seemed OLD and girls were scary (though some things don't change). but here i am, librarian, watching the world go 4 weeks faster than usual.

...aaaaannnnnddd SHED








JB LIST ADDITIONS:
---------------
Jeff Buckley
Jeff Beck
Julie Benz

Thursday, January 31, 2008

The JB List

O.K. For my sanity's sake [Here Goes] -

James Bond
Jason Bourne
Jack Bauer
James Brown
John Barry
Jon Brion
Jessica Biel
Jeremy Beadle (r.i.p)
Joan Baez
Jolene Blalock
Johann S. Bach
Judy Blume
Jacinda Barrett
Jamie Bell
James M. Barrie (Peter Pan - author)
James G. Ballard (Empire of the Sun - author)
James Belushi
Jack Black
Jason Bateman
Jason Biggs
Jeff Bridges
and of course... Jim Beam

if you know of one that i've missed, then you've come over to a bad place

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Grey Horse: 25-JAN/08

Thanks to those who came. I very much appreciated the support. It was cool to air those bedroom experiments. To the people who gave me comlpimetns after - your words satisfy me more than any drink could. To the people who gave me drinks after - your drinks satisfy more than any words could. heh

setlist:
(1) ???
(2) Champagne
(3) DMD (Dance-Muthafuka-Dance)
(4) 21 Rote




First we take the Horse, then we take the world...

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Physical Graffiti

We're putting up the Plasterboard and we've already come across some horrible echo flutters. But that's probably the standard for a room with that much mess. Its a boxy room now and we keep going for soundchecks - trying to see if we're really not deluding ourselves here. Bass frequencies travel further than higer frequencies -- If only we were smart enough to put knowledge like that to use somehow.

More pictures, new video on the way too. We're getting close... finishing... soon? Only 2 tonnes of plasterboard to put up. FACT.

Below are examples of Floor protection methods, Resilient Bars, Balancing acts, New Logo Ideas, Plasterboard.








WOT?

Monday, January 14, 2008

Morning Shed

The lies we tell as children and the lies we tell to children. I don't know what i'm p(r)aying for - evolution? revolution?
Totally confused about what to say or how to say it. Pre-occupied with putting together a perfect string of words. I miss her and i don't even know her. Can you hear me out there? I'm happy and confused! Come rescue me.

Power in and on. Rockwool in and up. And now we have a frikin' DOOR?! Boo-Yeah.





Plus these - We're everywhere...




Don't hate the player, hate the game.

Monday, January 07, 2008

A 9 hour face-lift

06-JAN/08. Sunday. We've spent 9 hours sanding the floor. You know what Ross said to me in the car on the way back home? He said - "...that was purely for aesthetic's, wasn't it?". He's funny. He's right. And it feel good to be working on the studio again. We're so close to finishing this thing.

Electrics went in last week (we have POWER!), now we can stuff some more insulation and top it all off with plasterboard hung on resilient bars (to make the 'room-inside-a-room', et voila... Studio!








i shouldn't be awake right now.