Delighted to announce Shock Sorrow’s fourth release from The Heart Bleeds: Odin.
For Odin, we felt a lyric video would be a great way to immerse you in the song. Enter Martin Wrigsjö Staflin from Sweden (yup, what’s the chances?!). We adore his video work. Check it out here:
Producing Odin was a lot of fun. Like the entire EP, we recorded, produced, and mixed it right here in my production suite. It was a tonne of fun to programme the drums that come in toward the end: we really wanted that section to rock out. The kick and snare came from Beach Road Studios in Canada, courtesy of producer legend Siegfried Meier.
Another inspiration for that section was Jorn, particularly the singer Jørn Lande from Norway. We really adore his range and power and of course, his ability to make a rock vocal performance melodic. We wanted to nod our heads to Jørn here: have a really big, anthemic rock section with a soaring vocal.
And of course, it needed big feckin bells too. Enter the good old Yamaha DX7 for the classic Enya tubular bells. We are Viking rockstars sailing the sea on a big boat, right?!
Finally, the sea sounds you hear in the introduction and link passage were recorded by myself at Dunany Beach, Co. Louth. I probably recorded that maybe 10 years ago and it’s been sitting in my archive since!
On Valentine’s Day, Shock Sorrow released our 3rd single “Forever” on digital platforms.
We are delighted to have worked with fellow DkIT graduate Andrew McGuinness once again for the music video which we shot on location in the Louth region.
“Forever” was written by Keith Caffrey and myself and we recorded it in my home studio over the lockdown. It is a love song to the loving memory of Keith’s soul mate Aoife, to who the entire The Heart Bleeds EP is attributed. I produced and mixed the track and it was mastered by Siegfried Meier in Beach Road Studios, Canada.
Have you heard the news?! Fallon Bowman has dropped her latest record Simulacrima TODAY under her recently resurrected Amphibious Assault project. Are you EXCITE?! Hell yeah, you are!
Some background: Fallon Bowman is a singer, songwriter, music producer, guitarist, synth-gal, actor, self-confessed nerd, RPG/FPS gamer, 80’s synth pop lover, metalhead, cat lady and academic. And more. She is a highly recognisable figure of 00’s nu-metal when she toured the planet with Kittie https://www.instagram.com/officialkittie/ sharing the stage with metals finest icons. A woman with many musical interests, Fallon created her Amphibious Assault project shortly after Kittie yet the sound would be a world away. Her debut District Six (2003) is a kick drum driven, synthscape with raw vocals. My synopsis here completely underplays that record however the effect it had on me when it reached my then 19-year old hands was of profound admiration. Here was a woman my age with a concept, talent and ability, and she just put out a record. And as important to me then as it is now : she produced it herself. Amphibious Assault’s next release On Better Days And Sin-Eating (2006) followed a similar sound, in that being, a signature sound was established from word go, but with a slightly different production sound: a composite sound of snarling, gritty guitar and dirty bass synth underpinned soaring pads and Fallon’s double-tracked power-driven lead vocal. OBDASE is massively singalongable yet deftly reared savagely aggressive guitar tones (you can hear her plectrum dig into those bottom strings) and powerful lyrics destroy and we hate… often throughout. It certainly sounds like the more mature sister of District Six and just when we thought Fallon was in her full majesty as Amphibious Assault, there was a pause. Fallon carved a new musical identity in 2011 with her Human, Conditional album, released under her own name. The production now substantially different from her previous records: more of a band feel, less emphasis on synths and kicks, beautiful and often intimate vocals combined made for an overall sweeter sound and glossy production. The leading track Tales From The Fourth Floor showcased hints of AA, the club element was still there, albeit subtle and of course, Fallon’s gritty rhythm guitars were ever present.
So roll forward 10 years later and Fallon delights her fans with a brand new record, her third Amphibious Assault instalment: Simulacrima. Fallon revealed on her YouTube channel that even though she said in 2009 AA was over, 2020 changed that. Fallon felt 2020 was the perfect opportunity to revive her very relevant project. The creativity funding platform Patreon was instrumental because it enabled Fallon’s fans to directly fund the new record. Fallon also received a prestigious bursary which gave her direct access to new professional networks where she was able to work with artists across many disciplines. The bursary covered Fallon’s studio time and all the songs were recorded between October and December 2020.
The release of Simulacrima coincides with many music industries and wider society flagging gender inequalities. Since about 2012, the questions why are female music producers so rare? and why are there not more women working in technical roles in music production? has been gaining more and more traction in public discourse and academia. The figures are daunting (see https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2019/jun/24/you-lift-with-your-mind-not-with-your-muscles-female-sound-engineers-on-working-in-audio). Actively seeking to surround herself with and work with like-minded professional women, Fallon created a team entirely composed of women for AA’s new record. When speaking with Fallon earlier, she told me that “it was very important to me to have female involvement across the board. Every aspect from mixing to graphic design is all female. Even the photographer that took the photos – female” (Caffrey 2021). Mariana Hutten (https://www.mchcmusic.com/) a music producer, sound designer and audio engineer recorded, mixed and mastered Fallon’s production in Artscape Daniels Launchpad studio (https://www.artscapedanielslaunchpad.com/). Ema Suvajac internationally published photographer, created the beautiful and striking fushia and indigo image of Fallon on the album cover. Fallon herself produced this work. She is an artist producer, an ever-growing class of music producer thanks to post millennial technological advancements in audio recording (digital and online), reasonably-priced equipment (thanks to healthy competition) and its ease of availability (thanks Internet). Fallon has a bilateral approach to her music: create the content/write the songs/perform the songs and critically evaluate afore-said content and performances. That is a skillset which can be extremely difficult to navigate (the dreaded self critic versus the ego) but Fallon does this with ease and creative flair.
[SPOILER ALERT!] If you haven’t heard Simulacrima yet, look away now:
Track one: Gridlocked Heart. Right from the start we get what is number one on this record: Fallon’s unique and easily recognisable vocal. Joined by a catchy synth-line that is definitely reminiscent of District Six, Fallon cleverly gives her fans something familiar sounding instantly. We are surrounded immediately in 2003 nostalgia when we remember the days we spent on Fallon’s old vivid neon green and black AA board. The rounded bass underpins the synth and we are already wishing we were in a cool, goth-rock-techno dark nightclub enjoying a tasty tipple, moody lighting and this tune nice and LOUD. Then BOOM! That anthemic four on the floor kick drum literally kicks you in the chest and you’re taken away altogether to the best post-2020 nightclub you can imagine. That shuddering sub bass. You can’t help yourself. Anthemic is the key word here, Fallon’s call and response vocals has that massive crowd/gig appeal. But wait, it doesn’t stop there. Fallon’s songwriting skills are about to take a new level. Enter her gritty guitar in a whole new and unexpected key change, trust me the hairs on your arm will stand on end. Her guitar sound has matured: less fizz and more chonk. Day-um gurl, we can just see you onstage, guitar in hand belting this number out. That heavy in-your-face kick is a clever use of production mirroring the lyric: “That was exactly what I was looking for!! Something that beats your heart for you haha… maybe even…causes it to gridlock” (Caffrey 2021) Fallon told me excitedly earlier. This is heart-stopping 90’s techno darkscape for the new roaring 20’s. This is also 100% authentically Fallon Bowman. We are treated to new sounds: Fallon’s vocal affected with tonnes of compression and a nice amount of overdrive. A nice nod to current pop vocal production, think of icons Lady Gaga, Madonna etc. All amid a wash of sweeping 90’s synths. Don’t forget those glorious stereo panned vocal harmonies at the track’s end. They’re superb.
Track two: Electropunk. This will take all AA fans by surprise. An anarchic and nicely smashed kick and snare underpin Fallon’s raging spitting overdriven vocal. We haven’t heard this vocal style from her since Kittie! She screams energy. She screams punk unruliness. She screams neon colours. I can only imagine the absolute fun she had with Mariana recording that, oh to be a fly on the studio wall that day! Well done Fallon, this rawks.
Track three: Truthbomb. Bookended with a marvellous District Six style atmospheric synth swells and vocal chopping (we’re back in the goth nightclub) Fallon’s vocal is the centre-piece here. Her signature alto vocal is demonstrated by her perfect execution of the bottom of her range with breathy and perfectly pitched notes. Think back to when she showed us her version of Depeche Mode’s In Your Room. But also add tasty vibrato and sweet, delicate nuances. The crisp gated snare and sparkly high hat are bright elements in this luscious darkscape. The track comes to a chilling end with Fallon’s whispered stop. Where did she pull this bomb track from? It’s SO truthfully Fallon.
Track four: Simulacrima. A gorgeous tinkling computerised step synth gives a backdrop for a classic Fallon alto-line. Soon to be replaced by a synthy/guitar composite that chugs with a warble that harkens to On Better Days And Sin-Eating we are led to a very dark and very sexy chorus, think of 00’s Timabaland realised through an entirely feminine flair. Images of Fallon’s heavily-lined dark eyes and trademark black lipstick imploring her heart to us while wearing that epic hooded black coat spring to mind. Gurl, release a video for this, please! Fallon has created a beautiful sound here, this darkscape world suits her entirely. This is a track to feel empowered, beautiful and strong to. Hold up, I haven’t mentioned that bridge which features that angelic choir. A wonderful Benedictine reference with a difference.
Track five: By Any Other Name. Ah, the synth riff Fallon has been teasing us with for weeks in her promo campaign. The verse that follows is deeply dark. Dark synths that twirl and whirl in the soundscape while connected to that stompin’ kick. Another anthemic chorus follows that could easily fit in pop contexts in terms of catchiness, just say it again, just say it again, just say it again-nn is a hook that’s guaranteed stay in our heads for days. I know I just dropped the “p” word there but the bridge (an art form noticeably slipping from pop music these days) is anything but. Wow. Do I have words? You just gotta hear it for yourself. That clever change of texture is well, clever. To break free from your own metronome and rip a new tempo and atmosphere so suddenly is nothing short of brave and excellent. There’s a synth monster warbling behind Fallon who dares to experiment with more intricate vocal layering. Now that’s production.
Track six: Eternal Sadness. GRRRRrrrr! There’s an angry guitar if ever I heard one, growling from atop a pillar. The stompin’ kick drum is back albeit more subtle in the mix while jagged synths dance and flutter around the stereo field, like futuristic butterflies. Fallon’s vocal here brings back those goosebumps. Maybe next year, maybe decades after that, she hopes she’ll see you, until then she says… That vocal take would break your heart, rich in sorrow yet strong in its resolve. A soaring chorus with fabulous backing vocals leads towards another warbling futuristic bridge. This could have been on OBDASE but I’m glad it waited to be born now.
Track seven: City Lights Are Here. This is an upbeat number with another hooky chorus with interesting vocal layering, especially that affected low octave. Fallon’s vocal is shining again in the bridge. Simulacrima is showing us her most intricate, intimate, daring and finest vocal performance yet. What a treat!
Track eight: Lifeline. A dreamwash of synths opens a stompin’ feel good four on the floor beat as per Fallon’s style. The bouncing bassline in the chorus in absolute 90’s retro nostalgia. Where’s my skinny neon plastic bracelets and tattoo choker? A lush FM bell-like vibraphone in the mix serves as a crystalline counterpoint.
Track nine: Three Storms. The album’s closing track. Whoah that intro! Immediately chock-full of tension with earth shuddering sub bass offset with a crisp syncopated high hat. Release is granted after a full minute fifteen by a deeply dark bass pad which makes my head swim (a pleasant feeling). Fallon expertly and systematically crafts the instrumental back up with various synthesised textures. This is another area Fallon reigns supreme in: electro instrumentals. District Six was chock full of them and this sounds like Fallon was let loose in the studio to devise her own world. This could have gone on for another five minutes easily and I wouldn’t have felt the time pass. Cue rowdy chants of we want more! we want more! to encourage Fallon back onto her goth club rock stage to indulge us for at least three more songs.
What can I say? I love Fallon’s self-professed “homage to a 90s disco” (Caffrey 2021). But don’t be fooled into thinking this is just nostalgia. This is AA in the new decade. This is modern AA with lots of shine, pristine, dark monsters and a voice with many facets and emotions. This is the professional work of women, masterminded by Fallon Bowman. And this was well worth the almost 15-year AA recording hiatus. Go forth and purchase Simulacrima on her Bandcamp and support this wonderful Canadian independent artist and legend of a lady.
I am thrilled to introduce The Oriel March performed by the Oriel Traditional Orchestra, a production I recently edited and mixed.
The full Oriel March set to photos / videos of Heritage sites of the Oriel Region. We invite you to even throw this on a bigger screen and get a bigger sound – this is extra special. Enjoy!
The opening sequences take in panoramic views of Sliabh Gullion, Narrow Water, Ravensdale and the Cooley Peninsula and the historic Hill of Faughart. From here, in all directions, we can see places that are central to the mythology and heritage of the region: the Magh Muirthemhne to the Moyry Pass; the Boyne to Brigid’s well. Where Cian, father of Lugh Lámhfhada, met the three sons of Tuireann; where Conchobar Mac Nessa sent Cúchulainn to catch wild horses; where Meabh sought the Brown Bull of Cooley; where Fionn mac Cumhaill swam in the enchanted lake. Christian and pre-Christian monuments, graves and sites are interspersed throughout the landscape.
The second sequence features some of the standing stones and ancient sites of the region. Kilnasaggart Pillar Stone, Jonesborough; Cú Chulainn’s Stone, Clochafarmore; Proleek Dolmen, Ballymacscanlon; Long Woman’s Grave, Corrakit; Clontygora Court Cairn, Cloughoge; Ballymacdermott Court Tomb, Bernish.
The third sequence features some of the architectural heritage of modern Ireland including Craigmore Viaduct, Newry; Carrickmacross Workhouse and Tassagh Viaduct, Keady. St Laurence’s Gate, Drogheda signifies the urbanisation of Ireland.
There is a legend that Conchobar Mac Nessa, who ruled from Navan Fort, died on the same day as the crucifixion of Christ. Christian heritage is very visible throughout the region and the fourth sequence features the Monasterboice High Cross and Round Tower; the High Cross at Termonfeckin; Dromiskin Round Tower; The Jumping Church, Millockstown; Round Tower, Inniskeen; and Old Mellifont Abbey, Tullyallen. It is reputed that the body of Brian Ború was carried from the Battle of Clontarf through the region, stopping at Louth Village (Mochta’s Abbey) and Inniskeen on its way to burial in Armagh.
The region has associations with two of Ireland’s patron saints and the video features St Brigid’s Shrine, Faughart and St Mochta’s Abbey, Louth near Ardpatrick. Later places of worship include Seatown Friary, Dundalk; Carlingford Priory; and St Peter’s ‘Tin Church’, Laragh.
The Oriel region sat at the edge of the Pale and castles are an impressive site throughout the region, each representing different periods of history. Those featured include Roodstown Castle, Stabannan; St Ledger’s Castle, Ardee; Termonfeckin Castle; Moyry Castle; Castleroche Castle, Ballinfuil; King John’s Castle, Carlingford; and Castletown Motte – Cúchulainn’s Castle, Dundalk. Famous battles include at Clontibret in County Monaghan (May 1595), during the Nine Years’ War when English troops were ambushed by a Gaelic Irish army led by Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone. Notable graves include that of Edward Bruce on the Hill of Faughart. Bruce declared himself King of Ireland in Dundalk
The video concludes with a quick recap of many of the sites featured, highlighting the wonderful diversity of built heritage in the region.
Performing Oriel’s Heritage was a project by the Heritage Office of Louth County Council in collaboration with the Oriel Traditional Orchestra.
Funded by The Creative Ireland Programme (Louth) The OTO acknowledge the support of the DFC (NI) and OPW (ROI) for their co-operation and contribution towards the production of the video. Music: The Oriel March composed by Daithí Kearney performed by the Oriel Traditional Orchestra Video Editing: Paul Hughes Video Audio Editing: Stephanie Caffrey
Comhghairdeas le gach duine! I am delighted to have been a part of this fantastic project!
I logged into my SoundCloud account this evening to find my stream plastered in “Here’s the Drop” graphics on waveforms [insert mega-surprised vinyl rip here!]. Like every other SoundCloud user right now, I’m totally baffled!
Here’s the WHAT?! My SoundCloud stream a moment ago.
And it’s not just on other users waveforms, there’s plenty of these ugly graphics on my own tracks!
My own tracks have also been hit….
A quick scan through forums and Twitter, users are noticing and there’s mixed feelings. Some believe it’s an early April Fool’s joke SoundCloud is playing on their users and find it funny… some feel like their creative work has been defiled and are furious… there’s plenty of talk about a possible hack and of course, there’s uproar that a term normally associated with Dubstep music is getting plastered on metal, rock, live recordings, video game music, etc!
The Drop meaning in terms of music…Urbandictionary.com
My favourite “drop” meme…young master Skrillex 🙂
At first glance I thought it was a clever new gimmick SoundCloud were testing, the arrows seemingly did point to spikes in waveforms but after closer inspection I did realise it was all completely random.
Personally I believe SoundCloud has been hacked this weekend. Did anyone else notice on Facebook that their newsfeed activity was completely random? My newsfeed was chocablock with bizarre memes and what not. Of course, this has all disappeared from their App page now.
I tend to take SoundCloud a bit seriously, I use it every day and I prefer it to other social media music platforms (MySpace is dead! Reverbnation never appealed to me as much as I tried! Twitmusic doesn’t cut it either) and I take pride in my profile. For me SoundCloud is the cleanest, easiest and most efficient means of putting my music out there and keeping track of my stats!
Maybe it’s all one big marketing move to get us talking about SoundCloud? 😉
I hope it’s not an early April Fool’s joke, would SoundCloud really do that to us? 😉 (but maybe the fact it’s premature is part of the joke?!)
UPDATE: It’s called the Dropometer and it SEEMS to be a gimmick! read about it here (I just hope we can remove it from our tunes cos not everyone uploads Dubstep to Soundcloud… though I still think it’s an April Fool’s joke, haha!) : SoundCloud » Debuting Today: The Dropometer.
I have been feeling creative lately! I’m announcing the follow up track to “Ashes Forever” which I posted online a couple of weeks ago… “The Key”. 🙂
Composition for this piece started about two weeks ago in my bedroom studio. I wished to complete it before my trip to Oxford so I could mix it over there, but feeling this song was coming from somewhere very deep inside me, I didn’t want to rush the creative process.
I had composed all the music by the time I got to Oxford and there I mixed what I had and structured half the song.
I returned home to Ireland in a whirlwind of emotions and penned the lyrics and vocal melodies shortly afterwards. This song is a deep one to me and I hope the listener enjoys my creation.
It’s the first time I’m publicly showcasing my violin skills on a recording and also my lovely B flat tin whistle, I was really surprised how nice it recorded, adding just a touch of reverb! It’s probably also the first song I’m actually not playing guitar! Written, composed, recorded, produced, mixed and mastered entirely by myself with the exception of giving my friend Lee Fitzpatrick some deserved credit for advising me on my equalisation curves at the early stage of mixing!
Me and my violin! (This picture is back to front, I’m not left handed!)
So put on your headphones, sit back, relax and breathe and enjoy “The Key” 🙂
I’m so excited to share this with you! This is a project that I have been working on for a couple of months and I’m delighted to introduce you to one very talented young lady- Monica Heldal.
Monica is a singer-songwriter from Bergen, Norway and at 21 years old, she has already taken the international music scene by storm and is one very busy lady! Her love for American country-blues and the music of Irish legend Rory Gallagher has brought her on a very busy musical journey so far. After playing the Rory Gallagher Festival in Ireland last year, Monica has been invited back to play again this summer during her busy Norway-Netherlands-France tour.
I have produced this song “Silly Willy”, a personal favourite from Monica’s original set. A delightful, bluesy, shuffling song which brings a smile to everyone’s face who’s heard it already! Monica exhibits raw, natural talent in her advanced acoustic guitar fingerstyle performance and in her alluring vocal on this recording and I think you’ll agree with me when I say that this lady is blessed with a gift!
Drums were performed by Daire Stanley, bass was performed by Sean Moher, electric guitar was performed by Darren Mc Eneaney and my recording assistant was Shauna Kearney. I recorded, produced and mixed the song and threw in some additional keyboard and electric guitars.
I really enjoyed this creative process and I’m pleased with the mix-down. This was my first full-band mix on Pro Tools (Logic Pro user!) and I hope you enjoy the song as much as we do 🙂
You can find lots more Monica material on her Facebook artist page: Monica Heldal.
Monica Heldal
See Monica perform at the Rory Gallagher festival this month
After spending 7 years in the dark depths of the music industry, Ballyfermot College of Further Education has taught me valuable lessons and renewed my passion for music by shining a big, bright, warm light on the joys of audio and sound. I’m sure any graduate or current student of BCFE will tell you that their experience at the college was the most rewarding, fun, creative and interesting time of their academic lives. Last night I graduated from Music Production, earning a Higher National Diploma, in the Concert Hall of the R.D.S, with mixed emotions; the joy of receiving my qualification and some sorrow, to say goodbye to the best 2 years of my life and the people I’ve met during that time.
My time in Ballyfermot CFE was certainly the most challenging, creative, interesting and inspiring time of my life so far, words cannot express how honored I am to have studied under the amazingly gifted teachers, Larry O Toole, Franziska Prendergast, Pete Holidai, Liam Caffrey, Patrick Daly and Oliver Sweeney. They really are an excellent team of teachers who inspire their students to better themselves and open their minds to new ideas and paths.
Ballyfermot CFE is an excellent college and I would highly recommend anyone to study there, speaking from the creative arts side of life, their courses, facilities, lecturers and staff are second to none! I am very proud to be a graduate of this wonderful college. BCFE opens doors one never ever seen was there!
My academic path continues to Dundalk Institute of Technology where I am studying Music and Audio Production (can’t get enough of it, can I?!), it is a brand new course and the first B.A in Ireland that’s 100% music production based. I am very excited to be studying and I hope to grow even further musically there and enhance the skills Ballyfermot CFE has given to me.
Thanks to all the excellent staff at BCFE, thanks to my partner and family for your support, thanks to my friends I’ve made there. Stay in touch. x
Myself and my dear friend Andy, proud graduates
Myself, Mr. Geoffery Harvey presenting my award and my programme leader Larry O Toole
Stephanie Caffrey 