Soundcloud

Wednesday 11 November 2015

New Album!

Finally, its time to POWER UP!
My new 11 track album has just launched!
Full of uncomprisingly high energy, gritty, powerful and fast paced retro-futuristic sounds!
Please have a listen, maybe a purchase and even a good old re-share :)
https://occamslaser.bandcamp.com/album/power-up

Monday 5 October 2015

The Glamorous EP

The Glamorous EP
-------------------------
Three remixes of the Fergalicious track by the token woman from the Black Eyed Peas; Fergie!
The original track is from Fergie’s first album ‘The Duchess’. Featuring additional vocals by Ludacris (Luda to his mum).

Un-satisfied with the lack of synthesizers, side-chaining and general 80s’ness of the original; three men ventured into the creative wilds to form three new angles of sound.
-----------------------------------------
Support the artists on this EP by using the links below;

Absinth3
soundcloud.com/absinth3official
twitter.com/Absinth3Music
absinth3.bandcamp.com

Occams Laser
soundcloud.com/occams-laser
twitter.com/occams_laser_
occamslaser.bandcamp.com

The Encounter
soundcloud.com/theencounter
twitter.com/nigelxd
theencounter.bandcamp.com

credits

released 05 October 2015





Today Mad Max: Fury Road comes out on Blu-Ray/DVD etc...
So as a gesture of good will for all those scavenging the wastelands for 'guzzoline'; there is 50% off my Mad Max themed album with the code 'fury' at the checkout -

Sunday 4 October 2015

Why Music Is Important

Cliche topic?
Of course it is!
But none the less it is still a worthy topic to talk about.

Music nowadays has become a commercialized product; where for most artists the be all and end all is the sales figures at the end of the month. Now of course music is a product, and the effort which (most) musicians and producers put into each of their creations is more than worth the price.
But at the heart of all the great and revolutionary music makers you will find one common attribute.....none of them chased the cash flow.

The slow burning, creative thinking, barrier breaking artists who create new genres, try new techniques and break the mold of 'modern' music are the ones who will continue being the ones to focus on.

Music is a form of art (obviously) and to many the art of a civilization can tell you much more than the written word. Paintings, operas, orchestral pieces of work, statues, monuments; all of these have out-lasted the people who wrote them/created them/worked on them.

If there is a meaning to life, surely an obvious one would be to leave your mark on the world, proving your existence long after you're gone.

I can only hope that i can follow this path and make something worth remembering one day. Till then i'd better get back to creating!



Tom / Occams Laser

Better Late Than Never!

Iv'e finally got round to posting my back-catalog of music onto Youtube.
Starting with my first ever EP - 1989

So here are the 4 tracks;







Friday 2 October 2015

The forgotten comercial

A while back i made an advert for my Mad Max inspired album, and i forgot to really tell anyone about it :D such is life;
check it out now

Sunday 27 September 2015

So today i have just reached 100,000 Soundcloud song plays! 
A massive thanks to everyone who has helped me reach this Milestone.
Its not much but theres 50% off any of my music on bandcamp with the code 'Milestone' at the checkout; http://occamslaser.bandcamp.com/
Stay tuned today also for some remix related tom-foolery!



Thursday 24 September 2015

The Power of Love

Recently i was part of the Outrun Bundle on 'Groupees' and one of the incentives which i offered and subsequently got met; was to cover a song chosen by the donators. and with 213 votes 'The Power of Love' was chosen.
So here i present my cover version of this classic 80s track! With a fresh completely redesigned sound, and vocals provided by yours truly!
enjoy!

Tuesday 22 September 2015

French House Tutorial

A tonne of people have asked me if i could make a tutorial on how to make 'French House'. So i felt compelled to get this finished!

Enjoy!

Monday 21 September 2015

Attack the (writers) Block

I'm not the first and i will surely not be the last to experience it; writers block is the bane of many creatives in the search for creating new exciting things.

For me this all feels really strange. For the last year i have been rather prolific in creating new songs, EP's, and Albums! Maybe i've been burning the candles at both ends and in the words of Blade Runner; 'The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long.'

A few things that i know effect the way i work is the pressure of social media, and also the need for the 'perfect scenario' for working. When i say perfect scenario, i mean the right conditions such as being in the right mood, not being tired etc.
Back to social media; i feel a lot of pressure to respond to people on Facebook and read all my tweets on Twitter etc, and this although sounding trivial can still add a lot of unnecessary pressure. Perhaps i may just have to start being a bit ruthless and ignoring people.

Why is it that the people you have never met, and only talk to via computers; can actually stress you out! Its mad how affected we've become by modern technology, perhaps i need to do a tech cleanse :P


ramblings over

OL out

Saturday 19 September 2015

One of my favorite tracks i've written in the last 6 months; THE ROAD WARRIOR

When i first set out on making my Mad Max themed album 'The Road to Fury'; i had no idea how well it would be received! It was purely just a project that i personally wanted to see if i could complete.

I started and finished the album within 8 days, and that included getting it sent off and published on iTunes and a few other digital distribution sites.

One of the first tracks to be completed and also one which helped guide the whole sound and style of the album was the track 'The Road Warrior'. The track is of course a direct homage to the classic Mad Max films of the 80s.

A funny thing about my album is that i didn't get to properly listen to the album on monitor speakers until a few weeks after it was published, and the final adjustments i had to make using my bog standard iPhone headphones; so hearing it back now i am so glad it sounds as it does!

So although the album was launched back on the 1st of May, it could possibly be my favorite album ive created so far!

You can grab the album here; BANDCAMP

and please have a listen to my favorite track; The Road Warrior

Friday 18 September 2015

Anger and music writing

The people who know me best know that i'm a rather happy chappy! It's hard for anything to negatively affect my mood in a negative way.

However...

There will always be one thing (one girl) that can instantly transport me to a place where my entire body slowly fills back with uncontrollable hate. Even a slight glimpse of a picture or even the mention of their name can take me back to one specific hate filled moment.

Funnily enough though this is something i have been known to activate on purpose. And that purpose is when i need some music writing inspiration!

I found a long time ago that i can truly funnel these pure emotive feelings and turn them into powerful and emotive tracks. Writing music is usually meant to be a fun and happy thing to do, but if in doubt GET MAD :)

Proof of Trends being rather an evil tool!

As im sure most of you know; 'trends' nowadays decide on what news is actually seen and heard.
if something doesnt 'trend' then it slips into obscurity.

The fact that if i mention the trending topics of the day such as; the Denver Bronco's, The Baltimore Ravens, President Obama and his Nobel peace prize rumors, LEGO, Taylor Swift and Ryan Adams, Caitlyn Jenner, Pamela Anderson, Baywatch, The Gold Federal Reserve system, and even goddamn spider bites.... Now this blog post is something stupid like 10000% more likely to be found and read.

Isn't is slightly sad that the attention of the every day internet consumers of this world (me included) have their content from the internet completely swayed by a few buzz words.
The slightly more worrying fact is that there are hugely more important things that should be the most discussed words and phrases, such as War, Famine, World Hunger, but these dont generate such tasty profits for the wealthy sadly...



Anyway! Rant over, i just hate when the internet makes tools of us all.

Saturday 12 September 2015

Oh yes, that's right; NEW ALBUM PLANS

As I've mentioned before in the past; my plan for this year was to try and release an album or EP every month for the entire year. Its the 9th month of the year and I've released 3 albums and 4 EP's, so although i haven't quite hit that target, i still think that I've been prolific enough :)

A few other side projects and smaller ventures have accidentally taken priority recently which meant i have had to step back from my usual music making. HOWEVER, i am happy to be back fully into music mode and i'm aiming to release another full album very soon.

I've decided to fully listen to fan response from all of my previous releases which has led to the decision to make a new full power Outrun album, with heavy dark tones, tonnes of energy and a more EDM feel to some of the tracks. The 80s flavor is still the main focus of course but i know that what people react to best is meatier songs with some real balls!

The album title as of right now is going to be.....WITNESS ME.
Some of the tracks that i can release the names of include;
-Rise
-Witness Me
-Valhalla

More will be added to this list very soon and i would hope for a minimum 10 tracks before i let it loose into the wild.

Thanks again for all of your continued support.

Tom / Occams Laser

Thursday 10 September 2015

More new stuff!!!


I haven't released a music video in a while, so to rectify this; here is a nice 80s-style-lyric-based -music-video that i knocked together this afternoon for my track 'Look Into Your Eyes' from the 'Take Your Time' LP which you can purchase here; BANDCAMP

Tuesday 1 September 2015

Tips N Tricks with Occams Laser - Episode 3 (Music Distribution)

Its that time again!
The third in my Tips 'N' Tricks tutorials series; this episode delves into the depths of getting your music distributed without the need for using a label.
Let me know what you think, and what you'd like in the next video.
And of course it would be awesome if you re-shared this and subscribed to my Youtube channel :)

Wednesday 26 August 2015

The 'Tips N Tricks' tutorials!

I decided a long time ago that when i got to a comfortable position in my music that i would then share all the secrets and techniques I've used to get where i am.

There are of course many better tutorials on how to make the actual music side of things, and so the whole point of my tutorials is to examine the background side such as self-promotion, distribution and fan-growth.

So far i have made 2 episodes of 'Tips N Tricks' and the aim is to have this as a weekly episodic series.

All i really want is for people to understand that they can do most of the leg work themselves and not have to rely on record labels and big companies to gain a good footing in the music industry.
The Music industry itself is a very odd place and for new musicians and artists its very easy to get lost.
Hopefully with some of my tips it might just make things a little easier.

So here are episode 1 and 2;


Sunday 9 August 2015

Straight outta somewhere!

My new album has been out for a few days now, four out of the eleven tracks are available to check out on Soundcloud right now;









and of course the album itself is available here; BANDCAMP

Thursday 6 August 2015

Th new album has been released into the wild!! Hopefully it wont be shot by a Dentist :P




Take Your Time is a 13 track future-funk album, with a vocal-heavy style combined with a tonne of signature synthesizers, designed to get your foot tapping and your juices flowing! 


Many of the tracks revolve around the themes of love, relationships and break-ups. These started as accidental themes that mirrored my feelings at the time of writing the album. 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

In the addition to the 8 original tracks there are three remixes by Volt Age, EAR and STEREOSPREAD who all made amazing tracks that i am proud to have feature on the album. 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 

A huge thanks to Drive Radio who got the original single of 'Take Your Time' noticed, which then inspired me to push that concept further and create a full album of funkier tracks. 

Vocals by Tom ‘Occams Laser’ Stuart, with the addition of Jona Raischi (Volt Age) and Sara Snyder (STEREOSPREAD) on their versions of my track ‘Take Your Time’. 

Check out Volt Age here; 
soundcloud.com/ageofvolt 

Check out EAR here; 
soundcloud.com/ear-music 

Check out STEREOSPREAD here; 
soundcloud.com/stereospread 

A big thanks to Synthetix Sunday and the whole RPG Crew who continue to make the best radio shows our synth addled brains can handle, as well as Nigel Silva, Matt Canon, Mike Mendoza, Renz Wilde and to everyone who has been supportive of my music, and everyone that I have had the pleasure of working with recently! You all continue to make this the best job I could ever ask for.

Wednesday 5 August 2015

New album out tomorrow!



As you may remember, i released a single called 'Take Your Time' around 4 months ago. The track was a funky new approach style wise for me, and due to the response i got from it i decided to push the idea a bit further and create a whole future funk album!

Alongside the 8 new tracks there will be 3 remixes by Volt Age, Stereospread and EAR.

Keep an eye out for more details tomorrow!

Here is the finalized album artwork that i created;




Tuesday 28 July 2015

The flattery of piracy!

Today i found that my album 'The Road to Fury' is available on multiple torrent sites, uploaded by a few different people. Now you would assume that this would annoy me; however, i could not think of a better compliment!
The fact that i have made something that people deem worth pirating means that i must be doing something right.
There have always been milestones that i wanted to breach with my music, the first was to be listed on iTunes, the second was to make a noticeable profit, and finally to be pirated!
Now it seems i need to set a few more and carry on enjoying the ride!


-Just in case you might wonder why i am fine with my album being pirated, i shall elaborate;

Piracy has become a strange thing for the music and film industry, many big companies use the stats from torrent sites to gauge popularity of products/films/music/etc.
For instance; Netflix uses the stats from sites such as the Pirate Bay to gauge which films and tv shows they should host through their service. The amount of seeders and leechers of a pirate file acts as a very realistic measure of how popular something is. No more surveys, or focus groups.

One of my favorite artists and musicians; Trent Reznor, openly suggested pirating his albums due to the high cost of them in certain countries. These high costs were set by his record label.
Other artists in the past have even sent out blank cd's to fans so they could burn their albums.
Metallica famously released an album with some of the songs being lower quality than the copies ripped from the sound libraries of Guitar Hero!

Nature finds a way, but piracy finds it faster!

rant over :)

Occams Laser over and out!


Tuesday 14 July 2015

So earlier todayi hit 80,000 plays on Soundcloud, and as well as that  i also just hit 30,000 followers on Twitter! 
So HOLY SHIT! 
i have no words...
As a small token of my appreciation; my latest EP is now 'Name your price' on bandcamp so please go help yourself to a free slice of love!

OCCAMS LASER BANDCAMP

Saturday 4 July 2015

Happy Independence Day America!

Happy Independence Day to all you Yanks and Yankettes!
As a gesture of good will from Britain, all of my music till 7/7 will be 50% off with the code 'independence' at the checkout smile emoticon Obviously this gesture is open for anyone and not just the U.S. 
Now go any enjoy yourselves, you filthy animals! 


BANDCAMP!

Monday 29 June 2015

New Occams Laser EP - Judgment Day!



Judgement Day is a collection of 6 no holds barred synthesized electronic monsters!!
The EP has an overall dark powerful vibe with of a twist of fun in the mix. All instruments, effects and vst’s used to create the tracks were designed to have an 80s feel to them but with a modern edge.

The lyrics for ‘Judgment Day’ are heavily influenced by the story of the first two classic Terminator movies. This track was a fun concept idea that became too good not to complete. If you thought a power ballad about the Terminator was impossible then prepare for mind to be blown!

-------------------------------------------------
All music was written, produced, performed and released by Tom from Occams Laser.
Artwork created by Occams Laser.
------------------------------------------------

A big thanks to everyone who has shown support for my Occams Laser project recently.

A few specific shout outs go to; Renz Wilde, Mike George from 30th Floor Records, Drive Radio, Marko Maric from Synthetix Sunday as well as the whole Synthetix crew, Stereospread, Daniel Kibadachi –Karate King, Volt Age, Lapses, Luigi Donatello, Maniac Synth as well as so many other amazing people and artists in the Synthwave/Retrowave scene!

credits


Thursday 25 June 2015

Poster design and new logo

Today marks a whole year of my Occams Laser logo's creation!
So to honor how well it has served me i am upgrading it and also have made a movie poster to accompany a new era of Occams Laser!

The design was made purely on my iPad using the brushes3 app. No fancy filters, no magical template, just good old fashioned paint skills and a bit of time.

The tagline 'Dubstep is a disease. Meet the cure.' is a homage to the similar tagline from the film 'Cobra'.

This may also be used as a promo for my next EP/Album.

Tuesday 16 June 2015

June - update!!

Damn its been a busy month!

- hitting 70,000 plays on Soundcloud
- 28,000 followers on twitter
- Appearing on two themed compilation albums.
- Being interviewed on Synthetix Sundays by Marko Maric.
and now im just finishing off another album!

But until my next album is ready; howabout some true retrospective music :)
i present the awesome new Street fighter themed album by 30th Floor records called....
SYNTH FIGHTERS!

And guess who got the chance to be on the album and cover one of my favorite tracks?
ME :D i got my hands on the M. Bison theme, and hopefully it does the trick.

So go listen to the full album and also you can get it for FREE!
(also it would be swell if you supported the other artists on here too, they all did a great job!)


Wednesday 10 June 2015

New Tron themed compilation album!

Check out the new Tron themed compilation album by Retro Promenade, with not one but two tracks by Occams Laser!!!
Oh, and its name your price, so grab it for the always amazing price of FREE

Saturday 30 May 2015

Its been a few weeks since i launched my album 'The Road o Fury' and i thought it was about time to hack back to the past and create an 80s style commercial for it!!




Album available at these digital stores;
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the...
https://occamslaser.bandcamp.com/albu...
https://soundcloud.com/occams-laser

Also come and follow me
https://twitter.com/occams_laser_
https://www.facebook.com/occamslaserband

"Law and order has begun to break down following the major energy crisis. Motorcycle gangs scavenge the lands and terrorize the population. As such, Main Force Patrol, an out-run police force, has been created to patrol the lands and uphold the remains of law and justice. 

Soon only one driver remains, Max Rockatansky. This man, through vengeance and circumstance is destined to become…The Road Warrior" 

========================================­====== 

The Road to Fury is my tribute album to Mad Max! 
All tracks written, produced, performed and mastered by Tom Stuart (Occams laser). 

After getting hyped up about the upcoming new Mad Max film 'Fury Road' i decided to make a dedicated tribute album. This project has taken two weeks to complete all 13 tracks. 
There are three dedicated vocal tracks, a couple of narrative style tracks and a whole bunch of synthesized goodness!
credits
released 01 May 2015 

All tracks are named after people, places, quotes and phrases from George Miller's dystopian world of Mad Max. 

A special thanks of course to George Miller as well as DRIVE Radio, Neon Droid, Straktobeam, Renz Wilde, EAR, Stereospread, Lapses, Karate King records, Distrokid, Retro Promenade, and everyone else who has been supportive of my work so far!

Sunday 17 May 2015

Some of you may have heard my 80s ballad 'Take your Time'; however it has just been stepped up to a whole new level by the amazing Volt Age.
His rework injects so much funk, love and fun into the track! So go check it out -

Saturday 9 May 2015

The Road to Fury!

"Law and order has begun to break down following the major energy crisis. Motorcycle gangs scavenge the lands and terrorize the population. As such, Main Force Patrol, an out-run police force, has been created to patrol the lands and uphold the remains of law and justice.

Soon only one driver remains, Max Rockatansky. This man, through vengeance and circumstance is destined to become…The Road Warrior"

==============================================

The Road to Fury is my tribute album to Mad Max!
All tracks written, produced, performed and mastered by Tom Stuart (Occams laser).

After getting hyped up about the upcoming new Mad Max film 'Fury Road' i decided to make a dedicated tribute album. This project has taken two weeks to complete all 13 tracks.
There are three dedicated vocal tracks, a couple of narrative style tracks and a whole bunch of synthesized goodness!

Released 01 May 2015

The album is out now on Spotify/iTunes/Rdio/Deezer/Amazon/Bandcamp and even Tidal :P 9there is a link to bancamp below)
All tracks are named after people, places, quotes and phrases from George Miller's dystopian world of Mad Max.

A special thanks of course to George Miller as well as DRIVE Radio, Neon Droid, Straktobeam, Renz Wilde, EAR, Stereospread, Lapses, Karate King records, Distrokid, Retro Promenade, and everyone else who has been supportive of my work so far!

Saturday 25 April 2015

Big reveal!

Okay screw it i cant hold back any more! Here is the reveal;
My album due for release next Friday (1st of May) is a MAD MAX inspired concept album! This is in celebration of the upcoming film 'Mad Max; Fury Road'.
Although i like the original scores of the first three films they needed a bit more oomph! So consider it an alternative, with more outrun flavor, more synthesizers, and maybe a few vocals chucked in for good measure wink emoticon 
At this current moment there are 12 tracks all with titles inspired by the world of Mad Max with a run-time of roughly 45 minutes. Here is the title and album artwork i cooked up to start your juices flowing -

Friday 17 April 2015

April update!

This month so far has been the most full and also fun since i started Occams Laser.

Not only have i released my third EP, but i have made a remix for Straktobeam, a remix/cover for Stereospread, and finished three songs for various Retro Promenade compilations.

Today i have the big news of making DRIVE Radio's top 10 with my track 'Take Your Time'. which you can find here;
DRIVE Radio Top 10
They put me at number 3, which means a huge amount to me as i generally regard these guys as the official charts of the retro/synth community!

Also my remix which i made for Doreen & Emerald Records back at the end of last year is now ready and waiting to be heard as well as a host of other remixers such as StatickmanIrregular Disco WorkersCopycatDavid Garcet & Mjane and of course myself!
The tracks will be exclusively on Juno, Beatport and Spotify as well as iTunes in the near future.
You can listen here;
 The Last Dream - Remixes!

E&D Records also wrote a pretty nice review of my tracl; 
 '...the deep and driving Occams Laser mix is perfect for your local disco club laser show at midnight and your drive back home just before the sun comes up. Hard to make a better Italo track...' 


There is also a bit more which i have been keeping as secret as possible...
Only one person other than myself knows what i have in the makings right now. All i can say is that i have made some of my best tracks so far and they may well be part of a new album. The only hint i will give is that the music is based around the theme of a film/film series from the 80s! I have a feeling you might be happy with the result ;)

Friday 10 April 2015

EAR remix of Take Your Time

Just after i published my newest single 'Take Your Time', i was contacted by an amazing new artist on the synthwave scene! Alessio also known as 'EAR'. He asked about remixing my track and of course i said yes! Given a small space of time and free rain on the remix he thas now produced one of my favorite tracks of the year so far! Not only is the remix amazing but in my opinion it surpasses the original track.
Please have a listen to the remix and follow this amazing Synthwave up-and-comer!

Tuesday 7 April 2015

Straktobeam

Some of you may remember around a year ago (back when i had just started making music under Occams Laser) i made a remix for a band called Straktobeam! The track was called 'Midnight Run' and to date this was by far the most fun track i have had the pleasure of creating. The combination of an already amazing track as well as an equally awesome group of people; made this a bit of a landmark for me.
It is safe to say that if i had not have attempted that remix, i would probably not be in the position i am now!

A year on, and i am proud to present another remix that i have made for Straktobeam, this time it is their new track 'Melange'. I wanted this remix to be a surprise for the band, so i made the remix from scratch, working out the notes and trying to capture the essence of the original but with my own 80s spin.
Who knows, in another year i may create another remix for them! Until then, enjoy my remix of Melange by Straktobeam;

Saturday 4 April 2015

A-Sides

Occams Laser proudly presents... A-SIDES 
Although traditionally a-sides relates to a side of a vinyl, but i hate conformity so instead all the tracks begin with the letter A. 

The EP was created in my Electronic log cabin, utilizing all the power of the 80s and all the enhancements of the now! 
The sound of this EP is that of darkness and hope in equal measures. All made using FL Studios 11 combined with a Alesis V49 midi keyboard ....and of course a handful of hefty vst's! 

The EP is also available on iTunes/Spotify/Amazon/Google/Tidal and many more digital outlets! 


A huge thanks to everyone in the Synthwave/retro-electro community.
Specifically; Renz Wilde, Citizen Kannot, Kenshi, VHS Dreams, Vincent Nuit, Dallas Dredske, Karate King, Maniac Synth, Luigi Donatello, Rick thorpe, Marko Maric, Straktobeam, Preqwal and so many more amazing people!

Sunday 22 March 2015

The Happiness Approach!

There is something which i have always adamantly tried to adhere to when making music; Having fun!
At times making music can be very high pressure due to time constraints and even genre constraints. But if the stress is the motivation behind the creation of a song then it will never sound as good as one created whilst powered by the enjoyment of creating!

Considering that most music producers and artists will have to listen to their tracks hundreds if not thousands of times in small snippets and in its entirety; you have to have a full on enjoyment of the song, otherwise it can quickly become just a pest that you cant wait to see the back of.

I live to make music, and it will never be the case that i make music to live. Money can play some part in music, but it should never be the driving force. Finishing a song quickly because you need the money from a song is the quickest way to make no sales whatsoever :D

Even when iv'e released a track and the track doesn't magically get a massive hype around it, im still happy! Im only trying to spread the music i make and enjoy and not trying to get others to follow me like a cult of mindless troglodytes.

Musical taste is personal, but that shouldnt be taken personally ;)

Friday 20 March 2015

New Single out NOW!

'Take Your Time' is a smooth sensual 80s style super ballad about not rushing relationships and waiting for the right moment....Cliche?? Never!!
Written, produced, performed and publicized all from my log-cabin!

You can buy the track from iTunes

or you can watch the official music video here--->

Wednesday 18 March 2015

Better late than never

I forgot to say a few weeks back about the locations you can now buy and listen to my latest EP...MNEMONIC POSSESSION

Amazon

Google Play

Youtube

Bandcamp

The EP is also available on iTunes, Deezer, Rdio and a few other digital music vendors!
Thank you so far for all the amazing support! This EP has been the most fun so far to make!


Sunday 15 March 2015

The Privilege of thinking differently

Now of course most people who will stumble upon this blog will be here because this blog is linked to the music making side of my life. And whilst it is of course true that making music is one of my biggest passions in life, i don't make music because i want to, i do it because i have to!

Let me explain;

For the last 4 or 5 years i have become increasingly aware that my brain struggles to shut off, and even though it might sound egotistical in some ways; i know that throughout my life i have never met anyone who truly can understand how i think.
Im an only child, something i am very glad of, although i am of course biased to this opinion i feel that being extremely comfortable existing as a singular person and not someones brother or sister grants an extra boost in mental stability. I also think that it lends very well to the idea that only children are much happier when left to their own devices and can make use of alone time to a higher level.
For instance; if you leave me on my own for a few hours with my keyboard and laptop, i will start, write and finish a composition. But if you have someone else in the room at the same time, it is likely that this will slow down my progress. This isn't saying that i cant work well with others, but rather that i am happier solving problems on my own for the reason that there is much more reward when the success isn't shared :)

Its very true that i have never tried to be the best academically in my life, i scrapped through my a-levels and only applied to one university which i got into and then scrapped a 2:2. But this is based mostly on the fact that i have always enjoyed absorbing information in a more natural sense. If you have a tutor or teacher that are telling you what to learn and how to learn it; then there is much less incentive to accept and retain that knowledge. However finding a passion and then improving that passion through your own methods of information gathering and self teaching - can provide something much more worthwhile.

All of this is linked to having a brain that wont shut off. My coping mechanism is to channel my over active synaptic's into something i have chosen to be my passion, and as it was chosen it also means that the outcomes and successes give much bigger rewards. Meaning that the more i create the more rewarding it becomes!

This is why i quit my job to make music.

Tom / Occams Laser

Thursday 12 March 2015

How to start in the music industry

Hi, i thought it would be good to share my trade secrets on how to start out in the music industry!

With all kinds of Electronic music the key is social media. Most of the target audience for the genre will not find your music naturally due to the amount of electronic music produced. So to get around this problem (at least at the start) you need to find people who would likely appreciate your music. 

For example; if you search the word 'electronic' or 'electro' on Twitter, you will find all the people who have used the word in any tweets, this is where you can pick and choose accounts to follow with the hope that firstly they follow you back and secondly that they might listen/share your music.
(As a side note; i advise that you make a twitter persona specifically for your music, and never tweet about anything but music and your own musical projects. Hopefully you can get an account with your name that you produce under.)
You need to build a healthy enough twitter account that people will discuss your music on a semi-regular basis.

A similar approach also needs to be taken with any and all other social media outlets; google+, facebook, instagram, tumblr, blogspot, and of course Soundcloud & Bandcamp.

Social media is key to the process just because you need a loose following who are likely to publicize your work which ultimately makes the job of promoting any new songs/EP's?Albums much easier and also gaining more chance of captivating new audiences.


The second biggest part of releasing music is the 'how and when' aspect. Over the last year i have worked out that the best approach to keep your followers interested is to release music regularly, by that i mean an average of 1 track a week. In the case of any album or EP you should never post all the songs on the same day as they will instantly lose the extra exposure which you gain from posting them with at least a day in-between. 
Also the day and time you release music can be key; if your primary audience is in America then you need to release music according to peak times in america, the peak times for most countries is 5pm. So if your primary audience is in the UK then no time-zones have to be taken into account and 5pm would be the best time.
The day which you post a new song/album is also key to if it will be noticed, Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays are regarded as the best days in the UK. 

Of course the actual music that you release also has a huge part to do with the success of your music career, and related to this you need to pick a genre and stick to it. Of course you can mildly blend styles but it is KEY that you keep to a certain style or sound so that you are recognizable and distinguishable from others who produce similar music.

Once you have a good following and a strong catalog of music the next step would be to get your music distributed onto sites such as iTunes/Deezer/Rdio/Amazon/Youtube/Spotify/Beats. There are two ways to get your music distributed to these sites and they are signing to a record label or going it alone and using an aggregate site.
With the record label route, you need to contact the record labels that you like personally, and those attached to similar artists within your genre. This can sometimes take a lot of work and time as most record labels will usually be managing multiple artists. Persistence is key.

The other option (using an aggregate) is the choice that i myself have taken. I use a site called 'Distrokid' who distribute to most of the biggest digital distribution sites, of course there is a fee attached to this option however Distrokid is extremely cheap compared to others such as Tunecore, CDBaby and Reverbnation. These other sites do offer similar deals with a few extra sites added onto the list but Distrokid allows you to upload as many Singles/Albums etc as you like for a whole year whereas the other sites charge you for each EP/Single/Album that you upload. 

The choice for how you want to get distributed onto major digital music sites is of course personal preference. But whenever you publish new music it is vital to use the social media networks that you have established to drive more people towards what you have created.
Also asking your audience for feedback and engaging actively within the music community will be a sure-fire way to also gain the respect of other music producers within the community.

No matter what, make the music that you want to hear yourself! Passion is obvious and if it shows in your music then you're on the right track.

Tom / Occams Laser
https://soundcloud.com/occams-laser

Monday 2 March 2015

New EP is released into the wild!

Hi there guys and gals! My new EP has just launched! Its going to be name your price for the first week on Bandcamp so please go check it out and by all means download it for the extremely good value price of...FREE! (or be a sport and part with your sweet sweet money)
WARNING - ears may become pregnant with 80s nostalgia.

(the EP will also be available on iTunes/Amazon/Spotify/Deezer/Tidal/Beats/Youtube all very soon)

Sunday 1 March 2015

Mnemonic Possession!!

I can officially announce that there will be a new 4 track Occams Laser EP launching in the next few days! The title of this instrumental marvel is....MNEMONIC POSSESSION

The EP will be name your price on Bandcamp for the first week and will also be available on iTunes/Amazon/Beats/Spotify as well as many other digital outlets.

There is also another EP planned for release which will be much more vocal-centric which i aim to have out very soon, however its not quite ready for your ears just yet :)

Here is some topical concept art to whet your whistle;

Monday 23 February 2015

Semi rant; Quasi-Roflcopter :)

Let me just say; I LOVE MAKING MUSIC!
and over the past year i have had more fun learning new techniques and using new methods as well as meeting, collaborating and working with a whole host of amazing people.

HOWEVER...
The list of people who i actually now know i can rely on and who have helped me in this last year is an extremely short list.
The slightly more ironic side to this is that some of the more reliable people are ones who i have known for a very short space of time and live hundreds if not thousands of miles away.

Its a well known fact that making any sort of headway in the music industry is a hellishly long road with more twists and turns than a bowl of spaghetti. And as i have chosen to not get involved with any labels and instead do all the publishing, advertising and paperwork; this task is even more fraught with complications.

So as i'm publishing my music through my own channels of social media, you would think that friends and family would be the go-to when it comes to getting the hype train started and first few listeners gained...No...In fact i would say the complete opposite.
I try not to post too much on my personal Facebook page just to cut down on irritating people with 'spam'. But i have posted a few bigger things such as album launches and even the creation of my Occams Laser Facebook page. Generally these posts have had little to no interaction and disappear relatively unnoticed. This is in stark opposition to when i post a similar post on my Twitter feed, where i know hardly any of my followers yet i get a quicker and more vibrant response!

Let me also just state that not every one of my friends is useless :D some of them are more than helpful! But its just sad how many people who i have known for years (most of them owing many favors) cant even show the slightest glimmer of support.

I started the Occams Laser music persona nearly a year ago now, and over this time i have found my sound and style, launched an EP and Album, and in total created 80 tracks (45 that have been published). Other than a few small chunks of help from a few people and places i have accomplished all of this myself.

My final point (which i think by far is the funniest) is my love of modern technology :)
Unbeknownst to many when you hand out free album codes from bandcamp; you can find out which ones have been redeemed, and not only that but if you're as meticulous as i am and write down who you gave each code to, then you also know who hasn't even redeemed them.
I mean come on!! I poured blood sweat and tears into making an album and made the effort to specifically give out free codes to an album which i am trying to ultimately make money on... and you cant even show enough support to click...a...button.

I pride myself in trying to help my friends as much as i can, whether you've known me for days or years; i will help as much as i can. And yet that support is rarely re-paid.

To those reading this; you are the support :) and you are the ones who i make music for, so even though this is a massive rant, its purpose is to distinguish the loyal from the fake and the sacks of shit from the gems!

TIME FOR A BEER!!!

Occams Laser over and out!

Tuesday 17 February 2015

Lips are Moving!

So in case you missed it; i released my own version of the track 'Lips are Moving' by Meghan Trainor. This originally started out as a bit of fun and a test of my own vocals. However since it was posted it has had 1,500 song plays and reached its free download limit within an hour!

So here it is in all of its glory


Tuesday 27 January 2015

The next chapter!

Its been nearly a month since i launched my first album! And so far the experience has been amazing, all the feedback has been great and everyone involved has been extremely helpful in spreading the word of its magical synthesized beauty!

Now...

What next??

Well i already have a plan for my next EP (possibly an album) which is all based around the theme of robots (specifically an Android).
There is one track that i made which originally was going to appear on my first album, however right in the week before the release i started putting lyrics to it and it turned into something way beyond what i was expecting. This has led me to a slightly new direction and so you can expect to hear vocals on at least one or two tracks in the next release. Vocals sung by myself of course :)

A few years back i used to sing in a band, so its kind of nice to re-visit this side of music making again.

Stay tuned for more updates on my next project very very soon!

Tom / Occams Laser
bleep, bleep, bloop.

Sunday 18 January 2015

You're the best....AROUND!!

Hi loyal fans of the synthwave scene!

My album has been out a whole week now, and i couldn't be happier! The response has been fantastic, the support has been tremendous and this is all down to the amazing people who play, listen, re-tweet, re-post, blog, vlog, dj, vj, eat, breath, sleep etc etc.... You get the point.

Releasing an album without using a label made everything so much easier to control. The amazing site Distrokid is the aggregate that i chose to go through in the end, they had the best options for what i really needed. And luckily i only found out about the site on the morning of the official release day :P also showing how fast their services work!

The album is now available on itunes/amazon/bandcamp/soundcloud/google-play/deezer/beats-music/spotify.
So there are many options to chose for your downloading pleasure! Go pick up a copy if you havent already, i know im completely biased but a lot of love went into this album, and i am truly proud of the whole thing :)

Thanks again for the support

Occams Laser over and out
bleep. bleep. bloop.

Monday 12 January 2015

Midnight Escape - Out Now!


My first album is now available in a variety of stores :) and for a limited time it is 20% cheaper on Bandcamp. So go and grab a copy!

Bandcamp

iTunes

Amazon

Google Play

Saturday 10 January 2015

My first album is OUT NOW!


I present to you...MIDNIGHT ESCAPE!
The album is based around the feeling you get when you finish a hard days work and lose yourself in music until the early hours.

Many of the tracks are dark and mysterious but with a fun side :)
The album itself has heavy influence from 80s b-movie horror and the iconic synthesized sounds of such tv shows as Miami Vice.

The first 8 tracks on the album are all original pieces written and produced by myself 'Occams Laser'.
The last 3 tracks are remixes created by some amazing electronic artists, all of which I would like to personally thank for all creating such great remixes and i cant wait to hear what they produce next!
The remixes are in order of submission.

Go check them out and support these guys!!
https://soundcloud.com/renz-wilde
https://soundcloud.com/citizen-kannot
https://soundcloud.com/kenshimusic

The money raised from this album is going to be pumped straight into improving my musical setup and paving the way for my next album!

Pick your choice of place to purchase the album;

Bandcamp

Amazon

(iTunes/google-play/Rdio/Deezer - will also be options in the next few days)

Friday 9 January 2015

Teaser :)

Just to start you lovely passengers of the hype train! Here is the teaser track of my upcoming album 'Midnight Escape' which will be released this SUNDAY! (11th Jan)

Monday 5 January 2015

BIGGG update :)

Well its now 2015! So if you're reading this (of course you are!) Happy New year!
So as this is my first post this year i need to post a huge update of things that have happened/are happening/will be happening!

First off;
Midnight Escape... My album is so close to being released its unreal! The unofficial but probably soon to be confirmed official launch date will be this coming Sunday 11th January.
And on this fine specimen of musical salivation noise you will find 8 original tracks written by yours truly - Occams Laser. There are also 2 confirmed remixes by the amazing Renz Wilde & Citizen Kannot, with a possible extra remix by a mystery guest!
-This album will be released solely through my own bandcamp page for the beginning of the year with high hopes of it becoming available on iTunes, Spotify and many other musical vending locations in the not to distant future!

When the album is released into the wild i will be starting a new EP which has already got a loose concept behind it. But for that you shall have to wait :)

Also a big thank you to everyone who bought my first EP 1989. It did hugely better than i thought, and since then my music making powers have increased, so fingers crossed nobody will be dissapointed about the style of my album! And if you are...then....HATERS GUNNA HATE!!