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Sade: Exemplar of Authenticity
Jan 4, ’11
7:12 PM
Earlier this year, Sade announced the launch of her Soldier of Love tour, which is her first world tour in over ten years. Fortunately for me, I was able to secure a ticket to one of her U.S. shows! There has always been something about Sade’s music that has always inspired me and I knew that this was a unique opportunity that I didn’t want to pass up.
When reading Sade’s “Bio” page on her web site, it appears that this interest is perhaps more relevant to me than I originally thought. Here are a few excerpts to illustrate why.
Integrity
Soldier of Love is only the sixth studio album the band Sade have released during their 25 year career, and the first since Lovers Rock in 2000. For Sade herself, as the lynchpin of the group’s songwriting effort, it’s a simple matter of integrity and authenticity. “I only make records when I feel I have something to say. I’m not interested in releasing music just for the sake of selling something. Sade is not a brand.”
Reinvention
“I never want to repeat myself,” Sade herself says. “And that becomes a more interesting challenge for us the longer we carry on together.”
Persistence
Somewhat to her surprise, she found that while the singing made her nervous, she enjoyed writing songs. Two years later she had overcome her stage fright and was regularly singing back up with a North London Latin funk band called Pride. “I used to get on stage with Pride, like, shaking. I was terrified. But I was determined to try my best, and I decided that if I was going to sing, I would sing the way I speak, because it’s important to be yourself.“
Priorities and Timing
For most of the past 20 years, Sade has prioritised her personal life over her professional career, releasing only three studio albums of new material during that period. Her marriage to the Spanish film director Carlos Scola Pliego in 1989; the birth of her daughter in 1996 and her early 21st century move from North London to rural Gloucestershire, where she now lives with a new partner, have consumed much of her time and attention. And quite rightly so. “You can only grow as an artist as long as you allow yourself the time to grow as a person,” Sade says. “We’re all parents, our lives have all moved on. I couldn’t have made Soldier of Love any time before now, and though it’s been a long wait for the fans – and I am sorry about that – I’m incredibly proud of it.“
Electronica Genius.
Sep 24, ’10
7:49 PM
I recently acquired Joris Voorn’s 2008 mix – “Balance” – on double CD. In short, the compilation is simply a masterpiece of electronica and well-crafted mixes.
Joris’ introduction pretty much says it all:
“The process of making these mixes has been more like painting with sound rather than performing a traditional DJ-mix.
“As you can see, I have used a lot of tracks. My intention while working on these mixes, however, has not been a simple case of ‘more is more’ – some of the tracks have been reduced to portions as small as a 2-bar loop, or are just a break or an intro.
“The process was inspired and inspiring, and although this Balance project is over, it has created many new leads and ideas for future works.
“I hope that people will enjoy the results. Some listeners will be surprised by what they hear, but I believe I’ve pushed my boundaries in not only a technical way but – even more so – in a musical and artistic way as well.”
Construct to Create
Jul 17, ’10
12:01 PM
Game development can be divided into two main activities – logistics and mechanics. Logistics is about the “look and feel” and the pieces / parts that are used within the experience. Mechanics is all about how the game works.
When I was younger, I was completely intrigued with a game by Electronic Arts called “Adventure Construction Set” for the Apple IIe. The game must have had an effect on me because I recall it vividly to this day – I even remember the store where I purchased it!
The Adventure Construction Set facilitates one’s ability to drive the logistics of the game, and provides a suitable platform in which to layer in the mechanics.
This “construction set” concept has value outside of the computer gaming realm.
A simple, but useful construction set is one that focuses on the “logistics” of iPhone and iPad development. This product is called UI Stencils. It’s a unique collection of stencils and related materials designed to help designers and developers formulate an effective user experience without the need for a computer.
A more advanced construction set is a hardware and software product suite called Maschine made by a company called Native Instruments. Maschine is essentially a construction set for creating music.
The hardware controller allows one to enter beats using natural motions and also allows for hands-on adjustments of sound, tempo and effects. While the hardware relies upon the software to run, the hardware can be used almost independently of the former. This is a unique aspect of this construction set in that it’s design goes beyond the “construction set” concept and introduces powerful “user experience” layers which further accelerates music creation.
Not surprisingly, the key to developing a successful construction set is to first identify what the set needs to create! With the objective in mind, see if you can divide the task into discrete categories of work. Each of these categories may become its own “micro” construction set. When combined, this holistic construction set becomes a powerful tool that enables you to focus on the end objective and less on the mechanics of getting you there. This is the key to true creativity.
Can you think of opportunities where a “construction set” would be beneficial? If so, take the time to build one! You may find that your ability to “create” becomes that much easier and enjoyable.