FOOLS ERRAND by SKULLY

How the song was created

This is one of my favorites..

I am going to take you through the music, and share the reasons why I like it..

My music is recorded on my digital recording studio, Electronic equipment tailor made to suit me. However recording with this type of studio often gives a clinical cold result. I think this track is different?

I play everything you hear on a Korg Trinity (weighted Keyboard) In recording studios in London it is nicknamed the fridge.



The fridge. (centre in Silver)

So the first thing you hear is the piano, Its a lazy 3 note doodle with my left hand, Once it was recorded, I could go in and correct the slight timing error on the computer, but I didn't, I like the way it flows.. An electronic sweep introduces the second piano... another lazy riff that wanders along, I timed the reverb (echo) on the piano to fade out just before the drums enter the track.

The simple lead piano joins in, I played it while holding a cup of coffee in my left hand :-)



Tools of my trade

I am a keyboard player, and here I am playing the drums with my fingers, bass drum in my left hand, opening and closing the Hi Hat (Charleston) cymbal is done with my middle and index finger (a drummer would use a stick and floor pedal) and snare drum right thumb.. I was happy with the pattern but again it was too clean and clinical, so I added the first sample (recorded static from an old record player timed to fade in and out in counter time) and suddenly my drum pattern had a dirty feel to it.
My signature sub-bass (one note) joins the drums, but you will only hear it with headphones or a good sound system.


One of my samplers. Akai S3000xl (second from top)

At this point the piece needs depth, and I got it with the beautiful deep cord that comes in after the silly snare fill.. It is a cord I played, recorded, then slowed down and split left and right, It fills the background in a very seductive way.

So just as we are getting used to the pianos drums and bass, it is time for a detour....

I don't like using the Synthesizer to mimic instruments, but I get away with it here... Cello and double bass playing 3 notes crash the party. And then as if the piano had been thrown out, it fights its way back through the crowd. On headphones you will notice that the cellos and violins are over to the right, I think you can imagine the angry string section sitting over there. The big metal cymbal is a small cymbal crash slowed down.
The high strings give you a feeling of anticipation, but instead the instruments drop off one at a time, finally leaving the lazy piano on its own.

Back comes the big deep chord, this time in a different key..

This is my favorite part of the track, back comes the lonely piano, still plodding along, supported only by the big deep chord and the angry strings, they make way for the little piano solo..



(Foreground) Roland JP8000. (I make all the electronic sounds with this)

The piano solo you hear is played with two fingers, more like a xylophone player would play with two sticks.

And off goes the band, fading into the distance, still playing the same three notes...

Skully.

The SCENT OF A MOMENT for this song is Fresh Coffee, and hot electronic equipment.