Sunday, July 30, 2006

Ajuda gig


Yesterday the band performed at Ajuda (Largo da Memória). It was a good performance but a very difficult one due to the strong & cold wind blasting away; anyway, we managed it all with great spirit and enthusiam:)

Linx arrived from Aveiro just on time to the sound check, he was very happy because he
met and played with Steve Hogarth(marillion) on the previous night. He was still thrilled...a dream come true for our singer!:)

We're back to studio on Monday with our sound engineer 'Joaxe', we will make some overdubs then starting to edit and mix Flashback, Pinpoints and Outside In(side).

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Guitar solo

Yesterday I've recorded the guitar solo for 'Outside In(side) track with the help on Nuno 'Strap'.
It was a precious help, he actually was changing the pickup with his finger...I have to practice to make it live:)Thanx bro!
Here's a go on that moment:

Friday, July 28, 2006

Merlin

Mike recorded his parts for Pinpoints and did a great work; just before he started he did a quick warm-up which I've captured on film...have a look!

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Happy Birthdays & more recordings


Joaxe(21st July) and Mike(25th July) have celebrated their birthdays recently, I couldn't leave these special moments pass by without a post on our blog. They are true friends and great pros.
Happy birthday guys!

We will be in studio recording the last keyboards and overdubing other instruments until Tuesday(1st August) and then we will be mixing the 3 themes we have has a pre-production/demo of this album until 11th August.
We will have 15 days vacation and return in September to continue our album and prepare more concerts - more news soon!

Monday, July 24, 2006

Keyboards

Today Mike recorded the final keyboards for 'Flashback' and will continue tomorrow on 'Pinpoints'. Everything is sounding good and we're almost finishing the 1st pre-production stage.

more news tomorrow

Friday, July 21, 2006

More vocals, more lyrics, more ideas

Hi, just a short note to tell you that today Linx recorded all vocals parts of Outside In(side) track delivering a nice performance all the way. I had an idea of a short dialogue between me(patient)and Mike(doctor) just before the "at last you meet your virus" section ,which, of course you don't make a single idea of where it is:)
but it works in perfection!

Linx and I did the vocal line for the end of the track on a 7/4, and I've wrote a lyric on the spot...it was written without a definitive purpose but it worked out perfect. It's done!

Have a nice weekend folks

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Recording Vocals Video

Today Mike, Linx and I went to the studio in the afternoon to record the last parts of 'Pinpoints' and to start the vocals on 'Flashback'.
Linx did some great takes and we felt really thrilled with the overall quality of our pre-production. Mike registered some news ideas on his briefcase(cpu) and we talked about some cool concepts for the following compositions.

I've made a small video to capture the atmosphere on studio, we laughed to our tears!
Enjoy it!:)

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Recordings


Another day at the studio recording Linx' voice and also some of mine on 'Pinpoints' chorus.
This track has the need of many vocal layering specially at the chorus section, which is sounding great by the way!

We will record the final vocals of 'Pinpoints' tomorrow and will start with 'Flashback'.

Tracks are sounding great and Linx is delivering the goods, we're on the right path..."our new path"

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Schedule


We have plans to record more vocals, keyboards and overdub guitars until the
Ajuda concert (29th July). Then we will mix
the tracks we were pre-producing and will
return to write more songs with the whole band.

Right now we have 3 themes fully done, 2 themes that have a basic structure (intros, verses, chorus, and solo sections) but not
yet finished; and we have many musical and interesting stories/concepts on our pockets.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Vocals & first studio video



Busy day at Forgotten Suns camp!

Linx and I arrived to the studio first and we got the time to review all vocals details for Pinpoints; we also made some improvements on the lyrics and, in fact, it's a mighty track - we call it our single - but we never know how would people react to it...

It was hot as Hell at the studio this afternoon, even though Linx was extremely professional by managing his stamina and delivered some nice lead and back vocals for 'Pinpoints'.
These songs are a big challenge to everyone of us, it's great to see how James(Linx) delivered
such emotion (for 'Pinpoints' in particular) and how he went out the recording room: sweating!

Leave you with a video surprise - a solo section at 'Outside In(side)' track -double click on the video at your right!

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Speed Devil - the Jackpot



Post Scriptum:
During last Friday's recordings we were betting how many times Nuno would miss the right notes or would he give a bad expression to his own riffs...(let me defend him and tell you that I've picked is Yamaha red bass and I've tried to play some parts of it and it's f***ing hard to play them right and at his speed).
We were winning at the beginning but has soon he got his fingers working on, we regret all our idea of bets...bloody Jackpot!

Bass Excellency





15th July 2005...Nuno, Linx, Joaxe and I went to the studio to record the last bass parts for the pre-production we're working on and it all went pretty well. Nuno is a great bass player and his skills are increasing the songs' potential. The band has a strong rithym section and because the guitars for this album have a tight and focused metal/rithmycal approach (instead the neo-prog melodical one), it all looks like an unstopabble big machine rolling over in your direction!

The way Nuno recorded and the way we all guided each ones throughout the recording process really makes me happy; after so many 'personality problems' we had in the past it's very rewarding to have such positive vibes and interactivity between us as musicians and has friends.

More recordings next Monday,

cheers

Friday, July 14, 2006

Pinponts - the lyrics


Yesterday Linx and I managed to create new vocal lines for 'Pinpoints', so now we have a new bridge and other 'minor' details that make a huge difference ( I'm absolutely confident about this song pontential- it rocks!). Mike went for the keys after that and recorded more parts for other songs until 21:00.

Today we will have bass master Nuno Correia on studio to record his parts on 'Outside In(side)'.
I'll post some picture of it tonight!

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Vocals & Lyrics


Hot weather in Lisboa, the meteo previews 39º at the peek and we're on our way to the studio.
Today Jo, Mike, Linx and myself will be working on the vocal lines and making the pre-production of it.
Pinpoints' keyboards will also be arranged and recorded.

The band will perform next 29th July at Ajuda (Largo da Memória), it will be our second time there (previous was 17 July 2004) and the setlist was:

Dreaming Of Reality
Senses
Strange Affair With The Night
Dream Killer
Angels' Embrace
Pay The Price
Struggle
Betrayed

Much more fun expected for this time:)

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Heavy Fuel

A late night post to tell you that while Mike was recording his parts for the pre-production for the new album we both managed two great intros for two future themes. It reminds me that before we had 'Flashback' written it all started by a fantastic keyboard riff...the concept/subject for the lyrics are great and i'm sure the seeds for two new amazing themes were spread today!

About the keyboard recordings...a Korg Oasys, Kurzweil 2661 and a Novation Supernova plus Mike's fingers are a hell of a machine to work with. Today I've made my first Forgotten Suns' recordings ever as sound engineer:)

Cheers

No Comments

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Recordings, Riffs & Concepts

This week there are more recordings scheduled: Nuno and Mike are ready for it tomorrow and Sam will make some overdubs until the weekend. Linx, our voice, will start recordings his lines on Friday. There are great lyrics and melodies been written at our studio, Linx feels deeply inspired and so do we.
During the weekend i've found a great concept for another song by reading Linx's National Geographic magazine, I just reveal it deals with Engineering, Science, Technologies and it will be a great challenge to make such concept on a rock lyric/music.

Right now we're focused on pre-producing what we have so far and soon we will start to write new themes again.

Cheers

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Magic Keys


If you're one of those who follow the band since the first Fiction Edge concerts (Moita, Guimarães) and those who attended the Santiago Alquimista show last 29th June you probably noticed the band chemistry with Miguel 'Merlin' Valadares on keyboards.

Mike is one of those gifted players and a cientist of sound, he has a deep knowledge about how to make his original sounds and that is extremely important for Forgotten Suns' keyboard signatures. That is being very important for the musical direction of the new album we're writing and he also brings again a lot of technique to the band's keyboards (which was something missing on Snooze).

During this week the keyboards for 'Flashback', 'Pinpoints' and 'Outside In(side)' are being recorded as pre-production and from Mike we can just expect the best!

Thursday, July 06, 2006

New theme


Hello again, 2nd post of the day to tell you that Sam and I spent the day at the studio working on the pre-production and composition for the album.
In the morning we listened carefully to all the songs (all tracks are on 'unfinished' status until the final recordings for the album) and we took note of all details that we need to overdub on our specific instruments but also on the overall music. So far it sounds really good and we're very proud of what we achieved so far.
Since the very beggining we decided to make some changes on our musical direction and we're on the right path to make it for the new album.

We made a break for lunch, at the restaurant it was evident that the last night result (0-1 against France) leaved the population very proud but also was the waking up of a good dream...

Back to the studio we picked our 'guns' and we jammed around one of the best riffs I've pulled out on a back session; we had some ideas and builded a small section with an intro and first verses but it was not one of the most inspired days for us. It can't always be a great time so we felt a little tired at the end of the day. Though the seed for a new theme is there and I believe the best songs are yet to come!

Regards

Bass recordings


Yesterday Nuno, Linx and Jo were in studio recording the bass parts for 'Pinpoints'.
Nuno is an experienced bassist and recorded with many artists during the years, yet later, he told me "today it was my best recording ever, Pinpoints was excellent". Nuno is a person who gives much attention to details, so I guess that it sounds
really well.
9:30.I'm on my way to the studio right now, to listen all the stuff and we expect to make some composition and to record the guitar solo for 'Outside In(side)'.

More posts tonight

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Video from S.Alquimista online

While the band is on studio recording and arranging the new material you can have a glimpse of Forgotten Suns live power - 'Senses'

Double click the image for a larger size

Enjoy!

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Back to studio



Many nerves and euphoria in Portugal because of the World Cup, it' s a great ambient among the population...
The S.Alquimista show went pretty well and we used it to experiment a new theme live; 'Flashback' is a good picture of what we want for the next album...those who were there enjoyed the heavier sound and splendid multimedia by our VJ:Marta Machado.

Now it's time to get back to our studio and continue to work on our pre-production and composition,

more news soon

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Review of the S.Alquimista

Taken from the 'Burning Suns' mailing list:

"It was a triumphant return to the stage after almost one year.
Forgotten Suns debuted their new line-up (Linx, Ricardo Falcão and Sammy are now joined by bassist Nuno Correia and the original FS keyboardist Miguel Valadares). The band was very loosen and seemingly having fun, as if they had never stopped playing live. They had also the advantage of playing in a great venue, with a crystal clear sound, to an audience that seemed conquered from the first notes.

The concert was marked by this complicity, and by the several surprises Forgotten Suns had up their sleeves. Most noticed was the new song "Flashback". A short (unfinished?) song making us foresee a heavier sound on the next album. It seemed to definitely please the audience, from what I heard after the show. Linx sang reading, the lyrics, and they speak of awakening our consciousnesses to the world we live in, to ourselves, to our mistakes, to what we are or wished we have been...“As time is slipping I clearly see / That things we don't care for / Are all that really matters”Another surprise was the video projection during the concert. A work by Marta Machado, evoking visually some Forgotten Suns' themes. It was like a kaleidoscope where we could see X (the Snooze character) played by a man with a white mask, walking through decadent and desolated landscapes. There were CGI images, some abstract, some simulating a kind of voyage through the human nervous system. And many short films like those illustrating "Strange Affair with the Night", where the day/night dichotomy was again explored as in the promo video, but now with different images. "Flashback" was dominated by the portrait of an elder couple, over images of war. "Betrayed" (the only song from "Fiction Edge" being played in Santiago Alquimista) was illustrated by images of innocence, like merry-go-rounds and musical boxes, all shown within an old fashioned golden frame.It's an idea being developed, giving Forgotten Suns a stronger multimedia side. Linx told me it's still being tested, and this film will be more elaborated in the future, linking even better with the songs. For now I can only congratulate Marta Machado for making the concert become a more complete experience.

Last words to the band's new sound.
The songs have many new details. I remember especially the drums, where Sammy keeps offering a lot for those who crave for detail (For instance his solo in "Struggle" just before what I call the Arabic section, not present in the CD).
Nuno Correia brought to the band a more melodic bass that seemed to dialogue much more with the guitar. Ricardo Falcão was the perfect lead man, as always, while Linx showed an incredible energy, and a voice that seems to be getting better and better. Finally about Miguel Valadares I say this: if music was measured in dimensions, Forgotten Suns have just added another one.We're waiting for more concerts.

The future seems bright.

As for the set list, it was:
Pay The Price
Senses
Strange Affair With The Night
Struggle
Flashback
Betrayed

Please notice (and this was the night's third surprise), "Betrayed" was played live for the first time in its longer version, that including the "famous" missing section no one had ever heard live before. It felt nice to hear something new... but that at the same time seemed to be already part of us."