Honourable folk of the Intercontinental Music Lab,

Well done one and all!

We only gone done and made it. It was touch and go there for a while as to whether it would be complete on time. However, with one final dogged, unwavering and determined push we did it. No man or woman was left behind. Xmas is now nearly upon us and you, my brave foot soldiers of the IML, are home. I lent back against some soft cushions yesterday and listened in detail to the whole album from start to finish. I have said this before and have no qualms about saying it again; the quality of our albums always surprises and delights me. This, ladies and gentlemen, is one hell of an album! Some of our most heavy music to date coupled with some unbelievably tender music too. It really is a pleasure.

Also a special tip of the hat must go to Aya "Robotoniku" Saito for the wonderful album cover and back cover art work. Splendid! Thank you Aya!

Well done to the first time contributors too for all their fantastic material. Bally marvelous!

We pulled together and we fought tooth and nail and the final result is an album packed full of goodness and joyful nuggets to set us up for Xmas. So it is with a heavy heart that I must now leave the war based puns alone as we now look forward to a new year and new project ahead. Merry Christmas everyone and a happy new year.

May whichever type of god (or equivalent) you admire most, bless you this festive season.

Jules (Retired - Field Marshall)

x

Over and out

AT EASE, soldiers!

The WAR is over! - I've been mastering for a couple of days, and I'm EXTREMELY excited about this album. Every track is an genuine winner - wonderfully detailed and though-provoking lyrics and melodies, and the edgiest music I've heard yet. Somehow, this album is the most consistent to date - it could easily pass as the work of a single artist. Its an album I am VERY proud to be a part of. Well done everybody!

Though I'm getting the hang of this mastering lark, its still an epic challenge - and I don't think I'll ever be able to do it without painstaking critical-listening and a lot of revisions. That said - the standard of IML submissions has risen to a level where I have had NO serious problems or asked anyone to remix. BRAVO/A to the IML massive. You are all HOT!

Well done also to our newbies - you nailed it!

Tim Donderevo
XXX

Nearly there chaps and chapesses!

Fine folk of the IML. We are so nearly there. We can nearly taste the sweet smell of victory at our fingertips. We are going to win! This WILL be out by christmas. Hurrah!
There is one more track to come. Right now that track has burst through the undergrowth into a clearing where the IML transport helicopter awaits. It is crouching, tired but still running with a hail of bullets screaming all around, whizzing across our line of sight but mercifully thudding harmlessly into the trees. The smoke grenades are doing their job and providing a thick blanket of cover as we all hang from the chopper doors screaming encouragement and firing blindly into the jungle...erm...yeah anyway... check out the artwork made by Aya"Robotoniku"Saito. It is brilliant. Thanks Aya! We salute you.
As a perfectionist she is prone to making alterations so here is a link to the online cover which will update automatically should any changes be made.
Well done all, for today we are all heroes!
Jules

War or Peace?

War. What is it good for? I don't know. Anyway, my song about Irish Independence will not be included on the new IML album. The reasons are complex, but primarily I was unable to reach an accord with the writers of the backing track as to the subject matter. This is unfortunate, but I understand. As an alternative I have created new lyrics for a song now titled "Feel No Peace". Simply put, it is a song about depression and how sometimes a person can suddenly lose control of his or her reactions without even realizing what's happening. I suffer from depression of the unipolar kind and for this I receive medication. I've been on anti-depressant medication contintually since August 2005. I seem to be one of these people for whom long term treatment is the prognosis.

Normally the pills help to keep me on a fairly even keel, but every once in a while just occasionally something happens which upsets the balance. Or some things happen simultaneously. And in moments of particular stress a different person is unveiled. This different person looks and sounds just like me, but he doesn't act like me at all. Although he is not violent, he is scarily self righteous in the face of some perceived slight. He is irrational. He is capable of startling his friends and loved ones with sudden bursts of anger. And unfortunately when this is about to happen, he doesn't warn me. It often takes me several hours to come back to my senses and observe the car crash.

And of course when I say "he" I realize that he is me and that I must take responsibility for what happens. Once I forgot to take a pill before bed and the next day because of a stressful event at work I had an episode that resulted in the loss of my job. I'm always sorry when this happens, and fortunately now it very rarely does. But it did happen today. So here's my song (uploaded to the file share for the perusal of the group). I hope you like it better than the last one. ;-)    And I'm sorry, guys. Really.

Holdouts

So me and Julian have finished our vocals for Jim and Brownio's rollickingly great track. We were attracted to the idea of the Japanese holdouts, soldiers living in the jungle on islands long after the war had ended unknowing or disbelieving that Japan had surrended. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_holdout

We put ourselves in the shoes of one particular soldier who spent almost 30 years on a remote Philippine island attacking "enemy" fishermen and destroying the "enemy food supply" (harvested rice), and thought we had quite a poignant little theme going on. Then we stumbled upon a recent newspaper article where our hero gurgitates (Can one just gurgitate?) nationalist militaristic claptrap, so we ended up giving him a gentle ribbing.

As everything that me and Julian have done together with IML, it quickly descended into farce, and I love it.

Can't wait for the album.

Samu

Our Day Will Come (Freedom for Ireland)

UPDATE: Finally uploaded to the file share.

Well I've got my tune finished and it's uploading (very slowly) right now. The title is "Our Day Will Come (Freedom for Ireland)". As I've said before, it's all about Irish Independence. It seems like a strange time to be penning anything to do with Irish Independence, since Ireland is entirely dependant on aid from benefactor countries such as ours at the moment. Well, when I started this project the Irish economy was not headline news. At any rate, I'm quite pleased with it. Here are the lyrics (outro refrain borrows from "Danny Boy" by Frederick Weatherly:

UPDATE AGAIN: The lyrics have been retracted and this song will not appear on the new IML album. I attempt to explain this in a follow up blog post.

Purple Heart

Just had the pleasure of completing the vocals on Matt Flaherty's ace backing track. The track is called Purple Heart, after the American medal awarded to all those killed or injured in service, and is from the point of view of a US soldier questioning his patriotism as he faces the inevitability of death on the battlefield. With a comedy rap middle 8... (just joking Matt)

Its been a tough assignment - with a voice best suited to elevators and weddings, nailing a rock vocal has always eluded me. Rock generally requires a register higher than mine and something of a gritty nature in the vocal tone (which sadly a few teenage years party-smoking Silk Cut has not given me). My previous attempts at a rock voice have sounded like Kermit fronting Aerosmith. And those were the good takes.

Anyway its nearly done and hopefully sounds worthy of the effort Matt had put into his opus. Just a 'cold light of day' listen tomorrow, a few tweaks and mission complete.

Roger and out

Greg