The Glamorous EP

The Glamorous EP
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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.
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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 -

https://occamslaser.bandcamp.com/album/the-road-to-fury

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;

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!

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!

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

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 -

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!

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 ;)

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!

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

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!

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.

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.

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

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)

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)

General update; similar to Liutenant review :)

Its been a busy year!
Since the conception of 'Occams Laser' only 9 months ago i feel that things are finally taking off!

Recently Hifi Brown released his EP 'Do They Know It's Last Christmas?' which included my remix of his track Lucky Glitter. This was a great project which i completed for him a while back, so my style has changed a little bit since then.

Before that i made a remix for Preqwal which featured on the 'Gold EP'. His original was already fantastic, and it was a nice change to get to work using some vocals.

There is also another remix waiting to be released with Doreen & Emerald called 'Last Dream' by The Sweeps; which is due for release very soon.

But the biggest news for me is that my first album is nearly finished! And i am very happy that both Renz Wilde and Citizen Kannot have made such awesome remixes which will feature on the album.

Due to a distinct lack of faith in using a record label; i have decided to release & promote the album myself. It will primarily be distributed solely through bandcamp but will later be on spotify ad itunes. It has turned into one hell of a dark ominous beast! A mildly 80s horror vibe combined with a flutter of Miami Vice and just a smidgen of Moroder!.Currently the track list consists of 10 tracks, but i might accidentally create an extra track in the remaining time. There may even be a guest appearance of my good friend and tv presenter Tina Edwards. Watch this space!

Also...
Thanks, to the readers, listeners, fans, collaborators, friends, and synthwave community!

The EP evolved into the album...MIDNIGHT ESCAPE

The EP which i was going to release, will now be an album...MIDNIGHT ESCAPE! Iv'e had a mad four days and created 4 new tracks, which i cant leave out, so the track total is now 9! And of those 9 tracks; i am happy to say Renz Wilde - Muzik has created an awesome remix!
The fun isn't over quite yet though as there will be other names adding to the list very soon!

Of course im still trying to sort out mastering and who to distribute through so labels/people/fans/animals - get in touch if you have any insider intel!
Here is a little concept art i whipped up to wet your whistle;