What really is MUSIC? Neither technology, technique, nor a narcissistic, drug-fueled cocktail of combustible ego's are the true essence of the creative journey.
MUSIC is the ultimate art of catalyzing real human emotions thru sonic adventure, spontaneously flash-freezing them all in a fragment of sound and time. It percolates the ears, provokes the mind, resonates the body, and rocks our chemical consciousness.
MUSIC electrifies existence, tattooing hearts with eternal art; truths made of melody, harmony, rhythm and lyrical narrative. To "tune in" is to touch our innermost core; unravelling the DNA of spirituality, sexuality, senses and soul.
MUSIC indelibly marks and forever signs the way to and from the milestones of every life journey, synthesizing for each of us, our own unique soundtrack from infinite acoustic possibilities. These sound waves carry our very humanity, hopes, beliefs and dreams.
Only MUSIC makes magic from the melancholy, majesty, mayhem and mystery of life.
Latest News
April 2010_
Am falling in love with Russian electronica band Vintage...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0clEqH8Kkw8
December- Just got the Yamaha C7 Grand installed and tuned for some serious Holiday vacation songwriting! Lookout for those piano ballads...first version cut of "Tried To Tell Me Why" co-written with Rebecca Benham.
Used new 3-mic technique for piano: Cascade Figure-Ribbon (mid & ambience), Scheops CMC5 Omni (bass) & Cascade M39 Cardiod (high&pedal).
Press Info
mblaze@mac.com
Projects/Bands
Kristen Carlson ( Urban, R&B, Pop) - www.myspace.com/kristincarlsonmusic
Naje (Chillout, Trip-Hop) - www.najemusic.com, www.cdbaby.com/naje
Illixia (Rocktronica) - www.illixia.com, www.garageband.com/illixia
Machines Of Joy ( Dance, Trance, Progressive) - www.machinesofjoy.com, www.garageband.com/moj
F451 (Industrial) - www.f451.us, www.garageband.com/f451
Biography
British-born Songwriter/Programmer/Producer mBlaze (a.ka.a Mike Barnes ) studied Guitar at London G.I.T & London University and holds a Masters Degree (MSc.) in Music & Information Technology from City University, London. Before immersing in full-time production, he also taught MIDI and Synthesizer Programming/Sound Design at postgrad level at City University and Morley College, London.
Mike got his start in the music world working on Synthesizer development for Yamaha Research & Development in London, England. Mike honed his synth programming / keyboard parts and learned production ropes for albums recorded at the Yamaha R&D 32-track digital studio in that era including tracks by Mike Gibbs-Big Music, Stock-Aitken-Waterman, Keith Emerson, Geoff Downes and Enya sessions produced by Brian Eno.
Via engineering friends at Townhouse, Olympic and Advision studios in London -Mike scavenged any down-time he could grab to work on up-and-coming London band projects using their SSL consoles and classic outboard gear. After working on all the key Yamaha SY, RY & QY instrument projects of the 1990's and spending considerable time in Japan, Mike left to pursue his own consulting business "Signal To Noise" doing sound-design, synthesizer programming and music projects full-time.
Mike worked on a diverse range of music and film sound-design projects working with Bond composer David Arnold on the movie soundtracks for Stargate and Last Of The Dogmen and with various pro rock bands even includingIron Maiden creating richly layered keyboard/sample sounds for new tracks. In the Summer of 1996, Mike relocated permanently to the USA and established a studio "Man In The Maze" in northern california as a base for full songwritiing/production and remixes and working on sampler development and web-based sound business ESC for E-mu Systems Inc.
In 1999 he also co-founded www.lava.com, the 3D Music Video (MTV meets gaming!) company with M.I.T. graduates Alan Seefeldt and Alan Peevers pioneering 3D visualizations that were projected at Woodstock '99 behind George Clinton, Moby, Fatboy Slim, and Sandra Collins. Mike was interviewed extensively in the tech press including live features for CNN Financial News in New York and CNN Entertainment in Los Angeles. Richard Branson and Virgin ventures was all set to invest $10 million but thats a whole other story ...
In 2001 Mike played/engineered/co-wrote and produced the 'Cinephoniq" album by San Francisco sexy chanteuse Naje. (www.najemusic.com) and worked on dance remixes for all-girl Boston group Jada (www.jadamusic.com). Currently Mike has a remix project in the pipeline with Steve Sidelnyk (Madonna) for Jes Brieden (www.planetjes.com). His current songwriting/production project is a crossover trance/dance/electronica EP for Machines Of Joy featuring California supermodel "Jazzy-J".
Mike is both a writer/publisher member of ASCAP (www.ascap.com) and an active member of NARAS/the Recording Academy (www.grammy.com), San Francisco chapter. He has written numerous audio & Macintosh articles for UK magazines Sound On Sound and Future Music and co-authored a book through Yamaha on programming.
Mike also rides a BMW R1200C when not in the studio!
Equipment
DAW: Apple Macintosh G4 Dual 1Gig, Emagic Logic Pro, RME Fireface 800, MOTU 828, UAD-1 DSP*2, TC Powercore DSP, Mackie Control, SATA Recording Drives, Magma PCI Expansion Chassis
Plug Instruments- Native Instruments Komplete, G-Media Oddity, Mellotron, impOSCAR, Arturia MiniMoog, CS-80V, IK Multimedia Sample Tank, Steinberg HALion,
Plug FX - Waves Platinum, UAD-1 Ultra, TC Powercore, Antares Auto-Tune, Cycling 74-Pluggo, NI Komplete II, Destroy FX
Applications: Melodyne Celemony, Ableton Live, Propellorheads Reason, Recycle, BIAS Peak, Alchemy, TC Spark, Roxio Toast Titanium, Masterwriter, Lacie Lightscribe, DiscLabel, Print Shop, Discus
Analog Keys/Synths : Fender Rhodes 54, Future-Retro 777, Moog Theremin
Digital Keys/Synths : E-mu Emulator E4K, Waldorf Micro Q, Access Virus Indigo, Dave Smith Evolver, Roland VS
Drum Machines : Vermona DRM1 MkII, Elektron Machine Drum, (and hopefully soon the JoMox Xbase 999)
Mic-Pre's/Compressors: Universal Audio 6176, Universal Audio LA-610, HHB Fatman, Rode NTK, Studio Projects C3, Groove Tubes GT, Schoeps, Shure Bullet
FX: Korg A2, Digitech GSP 2101, Line 6 POD, Roger Linn Adrenalinn, Frostwave MS10 clone Analog Filter, effector 13-Truly Beautiful Disaster, Jeckyl & Hyde, stomp-box obscura - Pearl distortion, MXR Phase 90,
DJ Rig : Numark TT, Amercan Audio Pro-Scratch 2, Numark DXM-06, Roland EF-303, Sennheiser HD280 Pro
Guitar Amps : Mesa Boogie Tremoverb, Seymour Duncan Convertible
Instruments: G&L ASAT Deluxe, Rick Turner Renaissance Baritone, Rick Turner Renaiisance 12 String, Schecter 5-String Bass, D'Armond Semi's
Influences
Breaks - Plump DJ's, DJ Baby Anne
House/Electroclash - Benny Benassi/Benassi Bros.
Chillout -Goldfrapp, Koop, Husky Rescue, Mandalay, Frou Frou
Trip-Hop - Portishead, Alpha, Lamb, Massive Attack
Industrial - Haujobb, Covenant, NIN, Stabbing Westward, Filter
Trance - Armin Van Buuren, ATB, Andain, 4 Strings,
Drum'N'Bass - Adam F, LTJ Bukem, Squarepusher, Silverbeam
Modern Electronica - Hybrid, Underworld, Leftfield, BT, Bjork
Songwriting : The Divine Comedy, Radiohead, Keane
Soundtracks : John Barry, Bernard Herrmann, Michel Legrand, Lalo Schifrin, Burt Bacharach
Guitar : Michael Hedges, Bill Frisell, Ralph Towner, David Torn, Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, Johnny Marr, Gary Moore
Bass: Mark King, Jaco, Charlie Haden, Marcus Miller, Mick Khan
Piano : Bill Evans, Lyle Mays, Egberto Gismonti, Gonzalo Rubalcaba,
Keys : Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock,
Drums : Steve Smith, Bill Bruford, Jack dejohnette, Peter Erskine, Roy Haynes,
Sax : Wayne Shorter, Jan Garbarek, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Joshua Redman
Female Vocals (Classic) : Sarah Vaughan, Ella, Chaka Khan, Joni Mitchell
Female Vocals (Modern) : Louise Rhodes, Beth Gibbons, Imogen Heap, Bjork, Nicola Hithcock, Mavie Marcos,
DJ's: Plump DJ's, Benny Benassi, Armin Van Buuren, Sasha, Tiesto, DJ Baby Anne
Vintage Electronica - Kraftwerk, orig. Ultravox, Gary Numan, John Foxx, Visage, Thomas Dolby, Landscape, Human League, Heaven 17, YMO, Japan
Producers/Programmers - Trevor Horn, Zeus B.Held, Giorgio Moroder, Conny Planck, Roy Thomas Baker, Brian Eno, Richard Burgess, Guy Sigworth
Labels : Positiva, Radikal, ESL, Naked, Om, Six Degrees, L7, System, Fabric, Global Underground, Ninja Tune, Ultra, Robbins.
Current Playlist ...
Whats currently lurking in the CD changer/MP3 player :
[1] Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself
[2] Shrift - Lost In A Moment
[3] Husky Rescue - Country Falls
[4] Goldfrapp-Oh La La
[5] Lucia - From The Land Of Volcanoes
[6] Armin Van Buuren - State of Trance 2005
[7] Benny Benassi & The Biz - Hypnotica
[8] Solarstone-Destinations/V1
[9] Plump DJ's-Eargasm
[10] FABRIC 08 - Plump DJ's