We’ve reached that time…. The time of the great Reopening! And while I am almost uncontainably excited about getting out, playing some gigs and seeing real people in the flesh, I must confess that it’s like being at the centre of a vortex. A trip to the local supermarket still feels like attending a rave!
Inevitably a deluge of work and the resulting stress means a certain amount of time must be spent in Procrastination Valley. Despite this, I have made several useful discoveries this week which I wanted to share with you.
1) A Mixing discovery!
I usually mix on Yahama HS5s/Auratone Mixcube. Now I’ve been able to afford to get an amp to power my friend Adie’s mighty NS10s while he is sunning himself in Brazil I decided to try using these for the first mix instead of to cross check. Hell, was it frustrating! I left late last night thinking it sounded bloody awful. Frankly, I only bounced something out to feel as if I’d achieved something.
Listening back this morning on another system, it sounds a whole lot better than my previous first mixes! How crazy is that?
I’m beginning to understand why people like these things….
2) A gaming discovery!
In the interest of improving my skills (aka procrastinating with a purpose) I have become a member of Soundgym. I can confirm that it is super fun and somewhat addictive! I already have more Soundcoins in my virtual account on there than I do in my actual real bank account. Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing…. But there you are!
My favourite is Compressionist, which is pretty funny given that I am the most anti over compression person in the known universe.
Check it out if you’d like something educational to distract you from what you’re meant to be actually doing!
3) A reading discovery!
My pure procrastinactivity of choice this week has been reading the delightful Homesick by Catrina Davies. She tells the inspiring story of how she moved into an uninsulated shed to escape the housing crisis and reclaim her time and energy for her creative work.
This really resonated with me as I’m sure it will with every creative person in the UK right now. I made a flying leap onto the fast-receding housing ladder nearly a decade ago with the aid of a few clandestine zero per cent credit cards topping up my ‘deposit’.
Much like living in a shed, this sort of thing is also against the Rules. Presumably these rules were created by rich people solely to keep poor people paying rent to their betters where they belong.
As a result of this subterfuge I even have my own garden music studio which makes me unimaginably privileged. Sadly the bank owns most of it, so I’m still indentured! I can only imagine how much I would get done if I had the freedom to spend all of my time writing without worrying about money. Maybe one day we will live in that world. Until then it’s worth opening Homesick and daring to dream.
PS Check here if you’d like to see one of the things I’ve been procrastinating over!
