And Many Have Said It Is Impossible To Leave This City.

Glastonbury

2005-06-30T11:41:00.000Z

DSCF3225
Originally uploaded by themasterplan193.

One of the many images of the mud bath that was glastonbury.

Possibly not selling first EP.

2005-06-30T11:18:00.000Z

After buying CDs, cases and making some artwork, have decided i may not sell the EP. I will possibly decide against it maybe. I'm stuck thinking who would buy it, its not a big deal as its just a little project to keep me entertained. May possibly continue recording and if things continue to get better will post them up. I'm starting to feel like i should start recording with a proper drummer, not brillant for convinence but I really can't play drums and some songs could do with some complex beats.

New Berlin By Boat song half way finished, sounding a bit like minus the bear. Don't know what will happen with it when it gets bass added and another guitar. I think we are recording next week, but really looking forward to it. Be nice to record with whole band and to produce a proper EP. Will help with my portfolio for Music Production Degree.

TryNewUbik

2005-06-30T11:09:00.000Z

TryNewUbik

Todd from Boxer Rebellions blog site, pretty good frequent posts.
Added some photos of there gig at Glastonbury onto my flickr account.

EP finished.

2005-06-19T20:23:00.000Z

The "And many have said it is impossible to leave this city" EP has been recorded, mixed burnt off onto 15 cds thrown away, remixed and burnt onto several more. Should be on sale on wednesday? maybe in Solo Music. Could be after Glastonbury due to focusing on revision/recording more songs.

Going through a crazy stage of writing loads. Already started on potential follow up to this EP. Got two songs that should go on there, this one will be slightly more Guitar based with Minus the Bear kind of like influnces slightly more apparent telling from these two songs starting songs.

Bad news on the laptop front keep getting windows blue-screen of death and unexpected memory problems. Hoping to get it sorted by Dell in next few weeks.

Berlin By Boat Ep recording date is coming more clear and closer. Expecting good things from it. Should be a good experince will definatly be slightly different recording with four other people at one time. Looking forward to it though.

And many have said that it is impossible to leave this city.

2005-06-12T18:45:00.000Z

Havn't posted for a while because there hasn't really been that much to say. Getting ready to do exams and finish. Suddenly starting to get my act together over UCAS. Looking at College of Westminster and Northbrook College to do a Music Production Degree. This is after my gap year which i'm still so uncertain about which pretty much starts in 12 days.

Less on the personal front anyways. Check out Team Sleep. Heard a few tracks and getting the album in the next week. Really good from what i've heard, vocals from Deftones frontman but luckily its nothing like Deftones. Dreamy quite ambient stuff.

Maybe releasing an EP within the next month possibly if I have the time. Nothing an expirement in a way to if it will sell any copies and what people think about the tracks. Personally I think people are going to think im ripping off 65 Days of Static because of the use of the drums and guitar effects but hopefully not because thats not really what i set out to acheive. The tracks are quite ambient electronic/guitar led stuff. With inspirations from a bit of everywhere really but kicked off by my first listen to Mono. Make complex layered sections by using the most simple phrases and patterns.

Come up with a name for the project - "and many have said it is impossible to leave this city." Which is a line taken from Sam Browns "Amazing Rain" illustration book. At the moment looks to be 5 tracks. Going to try and sell a few copies at Solo Music in Exeter. Ordered cases, blank cds and OHP transparencies and have a rough cover so just need to make a few copies, if they sound and look credible then I'll sell them if they look to amateurish going to forget about it and work on new tracks untill its good enough. Would be really good portfolio work for Uni interview though.

All Mp3s down, Brakes, The Departure

2005-06-04T21:41:00.000Z

All the Mp3s have been taken off due to hosting problems if anyone has any free hosting space please leave a comment or email me or something desprate for it. Tried many different free hosting places but all have some kind of catch. Really annoying thing to happen espically on a bit of a recording frenzy. Working on a new song, quite ambient so far just introduced some guitars and bass which has completly transformed the middle section. New bass line gives it a whole different feel and just added an electronic beat, which is I would say my best yet due to discoving a feature on my recording software.

Nearly applyed for Diesel U-Music but missed application date, want a few more solid songs before i enter which are vaguelly from the same kind of place/genre.

Not really had much time to listen to full albums at the moment so havn't heard much for a while. Getting some Departure stuff to distribute for there new album Dirty Words. Really looking forward to hearing it after reading this review. Should be good.

Check out Brakes new video - All Night Disco Party. Unbelivably strange but somehow brillant. All the mp3s on the site aren't promising so was suprised when i liked this, shouldve stuck to the electric soft parade though. Made two really good albums which sold alright. Oh well.

Watched Jools Holland only intrested in The Coral on it though and they played what i think are some of the weakest tracks of the new album.

Picked up Hole EP by 65 Days of Static. Good in places, some of it is so messed up though. Anyone who hasn't listened to the album "The Fall Of Math" buy it here.

Just came across a review of Redjetson on amazon, havn't heard them but judging by the "if you like.... you will like" list which sometimes is right, could be good. Theres a free Mp3 on the Redjetson website.

Added song "The Light Reflected Off The Window Looked Like Stars" and "Hang On".

2005-06-02T19:40:00.000Z

Added Two New Songs.

"The Light Reflected On The Window Looked Like Stars" - shows I've been listening to Mono too much.
and
"Hang On" just a bit of a random I've done in an hour to fill some time.

My FreeWebTown account has been axed, I beg for someone to pay to keep it going $2.00 is all it takes for another GB of stuff. Going to apply for another account but now starting to look to other places for free MP3 storage so the MP3s could be down for a little bit. Please, Please post a comment if you know of anywhere or even if you dont for that matter.

Please give me some feedback on songs as well....

I mentioned Komakino the other day and wam bam an mp3 arrives on NME.com. Check it out here.

Killers turn down the headline slot at glastonbury. No big deal sounds as if Faithless may step in which would be appricated.

Mentioned Mono earlier on. Getting really into them maybe as much as Mogwai?! Mogwai's website has put a small downer on them for me at the moment. The Q and A section fully undermines the fanbase.

Try out the MP3s if they work, righthand click the title to save them to you computer if you feel the sudden urge to.

Added song "We will turn off"

2005-05-31T20:32:00.000Z

Added the new song to my webjay playlist which is played on this site on the righthand side player. Listen to when really sleepy, not the most energetic song. Quite strange structure to it, just a bit of a random really. Hope you like.

2005-05-31T14:53:00.000Z

Investigating a second series of FAQ U by e-mailing Paul Foot from the show. Apparently its looking to get re-commisioned within the next couple of weeks. Hope So.

Live 8 announcement was just on, lineup looking really good looking to apply for tickets. Scetchy system for tickets though its some kind of text message lottery. Gunna keep a close eye on Efestivals for more.

Have got back into Komakino after finding some studio version mp3s. Production is pretty bad though. The files were up on yousendit the links in the forum if you want a zip file of a bundle of there songs. Some stupidlly amazing lyrics on them though - "They flew planes into buildings on my birthday." on Assasin is well good. So powerful after watching a documentry on channel Five last night - "9/11 The true story about the plane that hit the tower" just following the first plane but not with your normal melodramics which documentrys like this carry. Geniunlly scary using some of the actaul recorded phone calls from flight attendants in a non-ott reconstrution. Really intresting to get some reality on it away from the news. A lot of respect for Channel Five for that actually I think it maybe the first sensible thing ive seen listed for the channel.

Last talk of Coldplay for a while

2005-05-30T18:16:00.000Z

This should be the last talk of X+Y. Theres been loads of it recently but I now have heard most of it so calmed down slightly about it. Just as good as I expected, if not slightly better, maybe apart from the reworked version of Talk prefer the old version by quite a bit.

Anyways Battle of the Bands is June 16th apparently so i got it wrong and think Berlin By Boat are playing at 8.30PM.

Have written another new song- its quite nice and dreamy as per usual, quite an ambient synth based song, at the moment adding a little guitar section, undecided whether its gunna break out or not. Possibly not at this stage. Working on a little electronic drum beat as well, no the best beat i've ever heard, looking for a VST plugin with some good Aphex Twin kind of drum sounds on. If anyone knows please comment desprate for some new drums sounds, stuck with quite a limited amount. I think i may make myself a little E.P maybe four/five tracks. Going to start work on that now and over Summer Holidays. I'll mainly be focusing on the Berlin By Boat EP more though, really starting to look forward to recording and producing it with the rest of the guys. Recording now set back untill about 14th July.

Going to fix up my drum kit, I havn't got a proper working Hi-hat stand or a nice enough snare so using some of my savings to do it up, may give it a paint job as well as the colours on it are starting to fade. Maybe black i'll get some pictures up when i do.

Had a comment on one of my posts was quite intrested to see what it was untill I followed the link it left to discover some form of German porn.

Departures new video, Pickup, Stencil Grpahiti and Advertising ideologies

2005-05-28T16:35:00.000Z

Click here for The Departures new video for "All Mapped Out."
Pretty impressed with it. Nothing to complicated but really works.

Saw Coldplays video for "Speed Of Sound" the other day and was quite impressed as well, i'm glad they havn't gone for anything too complicated.

DSCF3012
Originally uploaded by themasterplan193.

Got my other guitar back with pickup fitted, sounding amazing. Got it fitted with Bare Knuckle - Yardbird which is one of the nicest clean sounds ive heard for ages combianed with the Semour Duncan on the bridge it sounds incredible.
With that I've started recording again, got a bit of an epic soug on the go going to work out about 5-7 minutes long so may not be finshed for a while.

Found best site for new bands - Epitonic
contains Mp3s for all artists and suggests other artists to listen to. Got to thank a friend for that link. Check out a band called American Football on there.

Looked at updated glastonbury acts. Looks like theres going to be a Poptones stage on the sunday. Anyway checked out some of the acts to play on that stage and came across Echelon. Amazing band from the three Mp3s on the site check them out. The Mp3s are taken from an XFM session.

They sound a bit like old Radiohead, Elbow, Doves and that kind stuff real good though, slight bit more of a rough edge than the rest really. Anyway its really nice melodic, dreamy kind of stuff. Really excited about seeing this band, and Boxer Rebellion on this stage.

Just finished a stencil, possibly most succesfull one yet. I've added the image above. Its basically about how people are obscured/blinded by the media. I'm starting to question so many more things everyday now, one of them is branding. Its so weird how people buy stuff by branding, things even pyschologicaly taste better if they have been branded successfully or i feel the need to conform to try and make myself like it when trying it. Another thing is that there are so many adverts out on the streets and so many brand logos obscuring the landscape, when it comes to a bit of stencil graphiti on the walls - which for me is art, nice decoration of the landscape it gets labeled as an eye sore. Do people not open there eyes and look at all the eye sores from the adverts? Weve become so accustumed to them being there. Its really bad we need some more public art i think, and more rules to prevent adverts from getting everywhere.

Guitar w/sprayed scratchplate.

2005-05-28T15:00:00.000Z

DSCF3015
Originally uploaded by themasterplan193.

Just a shot of my guitar w/ black sprayed scratch pad - looks far better.

Post Rock that needs to be listened to..

2005-05-26T22:58:00.000Z

Digital Spy Forums - E4 Launch Time

Basically very tierd and sleep devprived, so decided to write a quick blog.

Link at tops just some of the random content ive been looking at recently looking into the freeview launch of E4. How it should be done etc...

Just watched the final episode of the series of FAQ U. Which is one of the best programmes i have seen for such a long time, geniully funny people with really easy sit back and relaxed kind of atmosphere. Just shows how simplicity of having 5 comedians sat round on sofas talking bout current affairs. Really hope they will bring the series back. Justin Lee Collins was brillant on it.

Getting back into post-rock in a big way again. A few new albums resparked my intrest, i thought it only to be fair to share those album details.

Do Make Say Think - & Yet & Yet
- brillant slighly more jazzy stuff
Godspeed You Black Emporer - Slow Riot For a New Zero Kanada
A Silver Mount Zion - He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corners of our Rooms
The Roots Of Orchis - random mp3s off site
Redneck Manifesto - random mp3s off site
Mum - Finally We Are No-one
- stupidlly brillant relaxed electronic dont know whether i could class it as post rock.

Also got a couple of other different genre albums.
Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanisim
The Coral - The Invisable Invasion.

Looks like Berlin By Boat playing The Strand pub in Exmouth on June 14th?! I think. Will confirm. Battle of the bands so will be intresting to see what people think of us. Recording of EP set back to middle of July - will maybe put a track up or samples of the EP.

Want to read - 48 laws of Power saw it on The Contender which is a brillant reality program. Watched it in an ironic sense to start off with but now really hooked, has far more integrity than a UK reality show. The think that seperates it for me is how geniue the Americans seems to be, over here it all tends to be based on a front to get tv coverage and a cheap way to fame.

You can find me on google!

2005-05-21T18:39:00.000Z

Oh yes, now found on google. Just type in "berlin by boat jack williams blog". Nothing too specific though. Second blog of the day because i left the other one slightly unfinished.

Forgot to mention watched The Go! Team on Jools Holland last night....was expecting the world, instead I discovered there singer is terrible live. Great band though, makes me feel better about missing them for Coldplay at Glastonbury. The Go! Team are great and everyone should go out and get the album because the recordings are brillant and they have two drummers! Some of the best original upbeat music out there.

Cave art hoax hits British Museum

2005-05-21T12:59:00.000Z

BBC NEWS Entertainment Arts Cave art hoax hits British Museum

Banksys making headlines again, not one of his best though. Rock with a stick person pushing a trolley placed in a museum which didn't get noticed for a while.

Added a new song onto the web player. Meant to put vocals on it, but can't be bothered at the moment so left it instrumental. Couldn't think of a name for it so its called Untitled #1 as there will probably be more untitled stuff to come.

Going to watch two things on tv today.

The football - Man Utd. Vs Arsenal. Has potential to be huge, last few games between them have been intence and with the Glazer issue above head a pitch invasion and tons of added interruptions should follow. Not sure who I want to win, Man Utd. maybe.

Star Wars Episode I:Phantom Menace - Ok, i've seen it before but cant remeber anything about it at all. Plus the new film looks good so i'm tempted to catch up with the rest.

Decided to compile a list of albums I am looking forward to. Here they are -

The Departure - Dirty Words
Coldplay - X&Y
The Rakes
Arctic Monkeys - Five Minutes with Arctic Monkeys EP
Morning Runner- Drawing Shapes EP
Hope Of The States

Kylie Replacement at glastonbury

2005-05-20T18:23:00.000Z

Don't have a clue who the Kylie replacement will be for glastonbury but have a bad feeling bout it. Efestivals saying its gunna be Stevie Wonder. I really hope not. Sunday looks pretty poor apart from a one brillant band - The Boxer Rebellion, one borderline brillant band - The Futureheads and then average bands like Thirteen Senses, and The Bravery.
Apparently The Dears clash with Kaiser Chiefs. Anyone got any suggestions of which one to choose?? anyone??
Timings of the linup are here. Whoever did it is a genius. Full lineup revealed on the first of June, looking forward to it.

Watched "Stalking Pete Doherty" and was extremly disappointed with the lack of decent footage. Going to do my Media Studies Critical Research based on it. Petes not a god even though he is made to look like one. He writes some brillant stuff and some not so brillant stuff, and is a proper crackhead so why be portrayed as a god.

Coldplays new album soon, expecting it to be amazing. Heard a couple of songs off of the album.

Square One - Fantastic track, kind of synth based with a space oddesy like guitar riff repeated - a bit progressive great opener to the album.

Speed Of Sound - If you havn't heard it you have possibly just woken from a coma.

What If - Bit more of a thinking track, nice contemplative lyrics nice piano. Proably the most likely tear-jerker of the lot. Made my hairs on arm stand up. Just think the writing of the song is genius. Stupidly brillant.

Talk - Brillant, classic Coldplay. Apparently using a kraftwerk sample. Stupidly addictive to listen to.

White Shadows - Could be a potential single. Yet again quite synth based, little ambient quite relaxed in a way. Untill classic epic spine tingling chrous.

A Message - Acoustic yellow like start. Nice melody. Brillant when everything kicks in.

To be honest all these tracks look to point to an absolotly stunning album, yet again pushing the quality of songwriting which is so consitent to Coldplay. Have a feeling critics will bum the album and suddenly turn on them . Aka boring, dull Coldplay. Mark Lamarrs already have a little dig on a never mind the buzzcocks a week back.

Spent some time fixing my freeview today, finally working so really happy. Waiting for E4 now. Starts on 28th im informed.

Found a new way to make colour pictures black and white in photoshop. Take my advice and try it if u have photoshop. Go Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Channel Mixer click the monochrome box and change the three main colours. Get such nice results. Changed some of my images of the Doves so will upload them in seperate post.

Updated Blog

2005-05-17T16:56:00.000Z

Spend hours updating this thing. Spend most of the time figuring how to get the podcast on the bottom of the page so you can hear a few mp3s of rough ideas and song demos and things. I will add loads more to there when i have things I'm desprate to add. Got a few ideas I want to get recorded in the next couple of weeks so should be major updates. Also added a little slideshow which i'm just gunna stick random photos in from actaul photography work to just random things.

Site still looks pretty shabby espically considering that the MSN Space was immaculate, but this one gives me more freedom and my knowledge of HTML codes aren't really brillant.

Applyed to enter Battle of the Bands at The Strand pub today. Top Prize £500- know that there have been quite a few other entrys including "Dark Soverign" which apparently are very friendly with the pub so i think i know who is most likely to win if it is judged by the pub.

Shame Blogger doesnt have some of the better features of MSN Space- missing my music lists already.

Been listening to quite a few new things today.
Arctic Monkeys - Libertineque kind of band, really impressed by them actaully check out there website at Http://www.arcticmonkeys.com/
The Arcade Fire - Most original band i've heard for a while took me a few listens to adjust but really starting to like them. Listening to the album "Funeral" check out track number 10 on it if you can.

Welcome To My New Blog Page

2005-05-17T05:12:00.000Z

New blog page. Changed to this from MSN Space for a few reasons. Anyways, this is going to be a space to put what i've been up to and what i have in store both in terms of for my band - Berlin By Boat and me in terms of ideas for songs and stuff.