Oliver Wood Photography

Not a huge amount to write about tonight but I thought I should make an effort to at least get one more entry in before the end of January, it is going to be a bit patchy.

I’m right in the middle of redecorating the kitchen at the moment and planning some very colourful experiments with traditional paint finishes and a fairly big dose of artistry. I have a crazy idea to combine a period specific Georgian artisan look with Matisse-like colour effects.

Also been experimenting with the SoundCloud audio file-sharing site, which has now gone public, previously this site was a closed professional network for invited individuals only. I have just uploaded a simple speech recording, more as a test really and originally intended for my Face Book profile. I also have an idea to use the SoundCloud facility to host some additional sound recordings for my own site, if that is permissible? Well I did say it would be ‘patchy’

I’m looking forward to a cycle over to Timperley to see my brother and SIL soon. It will be my first proper long ride of the year. Round trip is about 36 miles and I really do need to get out with my camera again. I seem to missing so much of the day now that I have gone into nocturnal mode!

Music Of The Moment(s)

Milton Nascimento Clube da Esquina DJ Cam Lost and Found comp, Rasmus Faber Where we Belong

This time we have an odd but rather satisfying collection of albums (and tunes from albums) which range from the rare and characterful to the more lightweight and pleasantly intriguing.

I was quite excited to find Milton Nascimento’s rare 1972 Clube da Esquina album on Itunes the other week. Recent activity on GP has reinvigorated an interest in Latin Jazz with a difference. The 1972 Clube da Esquina album was the first to represent a certain transition in Brazilian music to the western cannon and it embraces a whole range of interesting modes including a very odd take on the psychedelic style.

DJ Cam from Paris is a bit more predictable but never the less I find a lot of his more ‘chilled’ and ambient stuff to be rather appealing, potential sound track material. He is quite well known thanks to Chris Morris’ extensive use of his music in the groundbreaking Jam TV series and Blue Jam radio series of the 90s

Lastly we have a very much more strait-laced artist in the form of Rasmus Faber from Sweden. I’m not hugely keen on most of his MOR dance stuff but do rather like some of the more Latin style tracks on this album which feature the vocals of Clara Mendes.

So that’s it for now, still feeling a bit down, odd and under motivated at the moment. Roll on springtime!

It’s 11:36 pm and I’m at home, alone again, and not feeling the least bit arsed about the New Year shenanigans. In fact, I’m in a strangely demotivated mood, which is unusual for me. All normal rituals have been temporarily suspended, I don’t even have the fire lit and it is exceptionally cold outside. I do however, have bottles of cheap port on standby to provide the self-celebratory midnight toast of sorts.

I really need some inspiration and hope that 2009 will be a year of revelations though I have an awful sneaking suspicion that I will just continue to go round in the same old circles. I have had it all in the past, success, contentment, adoration and relative wealth and now again I’m back to square one and facing the prospect of yet another bash at the climb up the greasy pole of life. I think It’s as good a time as any to put my more radical life changing ideas into action.

Fireworks have started going off round the back and yet the clock on my computer says 23:57 —

Midnight — so happy New Year it is — and fireworks have now stopped.

Once again I need to simplify things in a way but also make amends and start to re-socialise with my kind of people, not as easy as it sounds as ‘my kind of people’ appear to be extremely rare. Though good old Mr P is planning to come up and see me very soon so at least that will be something to look forward too. I always find my long term friends to be the most inspiring and heartwarming company. I need to assemble a creative force.

OK, time to get mashed!