Month: September 2009

Free Download: Theme 4 (instrumental)

This was just an idea for a project I was working on briefly, but there were two of the piano instrumentals that I came up with that I really liked. Much like Bewerunge, this is what it sounds like if I sit at the piano and play sometimes. A lot of my piano music is improvised, and then shaped after I’ve improvised the themes or ideas I want to work with. Sitting and just allowing yourself to play is a challenge initially – I remember some of the awful music I used to come out with when I first started to just let myself play anything at the piano instead of just reading music from a page.

In terms of instrumental music, I guess I’m influenced most by the kind of piano music that I like to play these days. Composers such as Lucovicio Einuadi, Philip Glass and Max Richter are some of my absolute favourites to listen to and to play. So, there’s a strong influence from their styles of music these days when I go to play something.

[audio:http://www.misterebby.com/previewtracks/theme4.mp3]
mister ebby – theme 4

pres primary school piano (used for a show) - 3

Free Download: Take Me Away (demo)

I wrote the lyrics for this song while I was in Dublin, I think some were written on the train to Dublin and the rest in the IFI. I wasn’t fully sure what the lyrics were about at the time, and they were puzzling me a bit. But I had a music idea in my head, but when I went to the piano some time later, the music changed and the song developed a different sound to what I had previously thought in my head.

But even as I had started playing the song live a little, there was something missing in it, and I couldn’t hear what it was. Then an Allelujah I’d written for a amateur musical production inspired by the music of Sister Act (no joke), decided to slip into the song. It fitted, and definitely suited this song more than the choral arrangement of Kylie’s Can’t Get You Out Of My Head that I’d written it for initially. (again, I’m not joking. I still have that arrangement.)

But as soon as the Allelujah slipped into the song, I realised what the song was about, and it all became much clearer to me. The beautiful Meadhbh Sullivan added the vocals for the Allelujah parts for me, and the demo is a good idea of what the song will be.

[audio:http://www.misterebby.com/previewtracks/tmademo.mp3]
mister ebby – Take Me Away (demo) featuring Meadhbh Sullivan

meadhbh and ebby

Lyrics
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Free Download: Themes 1, 2, 3

These were sketches of melody ideas for a project that never really came about. But I quite like the ideas. This piece is just a few little sketches that I came up with while playing the piano in Java’s café in Galway one afternoon. It’s a beautiful piano, and it seems to prefer being used for instrumental music than anything else. There are times when it can be a bit annoying, as the piano is there for anyone to use, but generally people treat it with respect and you can stumble upon some beautiful piano music in there.

But this piece was really shaped by that piano, actually, the sound of the piano is quite distinct, and I really would love to use it for some recording. My digital piano sounds just a little too bright and cheery for the music, in my opinion, but I’m probably just being a bit of a stickler.

[audio:http://www.misterebby.com/previewtracks/themes123.mp3]
mister ebby – themes 1, 2, 3

the old baby grand

Inspiration: Brad Walsh

Brad Walsh is a multi talented creative force. A singer/songwriter, producer and photographer. I remember hearing his music quite a few years back and liking his electro influenced sound. Yet he has developed a really signature sound that is totally identifiably his own. His cover of Stacey Q’s Two Of Hearts created a major buzz online, and his remixes of Britney’s Womanizer and Ashlee Simpson’s Out Of My Head are absolutely fantastic.

Check out his new album on his website, which is hitting shops in October.

And you can listen to more of his music at his MySpace page, including his amazing cover of Two Of Hearts as well as his original songs.

Why is he an inspiration? He’s done it all himself with style and determination.

Brad Walsh - Human Nature
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Free Download: Sleep With You Tonight (demo)

One of my favourite things is going out clubbing, and spending the night on the dancefloor. I started clubbing when I was about 16, and fell in love with the feeling you get when you’re dancing in a club. I wanted to write a throwaway dance-pop song that reminded me of the kind of music I was dancing to when I first started clubbing.

The lyrics aren’t anything special – just relaying an idealised version of a night out on the pull in a club. I’d written a few songs about breakups or being in love, but I’d never written anything about meeting someone for the first time and that energy you feel when you see someone who totally grabs your entire attention. So, this song was an attempt to capture that feeling.

The directness of the lyrics is inspired by a friend of mine from a number of years ago, who would always be very direct with anyone they took a fancy to. Never bothered with any kind of a chat up line or pleasantries, just direct and to the point. And more often than not it worked, much to my surprise. So this song is a nod to that particular friend, who knows who they are I’m sure. :)

I demo’d it at home and it’s my second attempt at trying to program some beats, and incorporate some loops to add to the sound. It’s not finished, and it’s certainly not perfect, but it gives a good idea of where I want it to go.

[audio:http://www.misterebby.com/previewtracks/swyt.mp3]
mister ebby – sleep with you tonight (demo) (right-click and save to download)

Lyrics
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