A possible new logo, based on the Hotline Miami theme
Showing posts with label record. Show all posts
Showing posts with label record. Show all posts
Monday, 25 May 2015
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!
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 ;)
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--->
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!
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!
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
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)
(the EP will also be available on iTunes/Amazon/Spotify/Deezer/Tidal/Beats/Youtube all very soon)
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
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.
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.
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)
Sunday, 21 December 2014
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!
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!
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