Shanty, E.U. Stay

Voting starts at 7am tomorrow - whether UK should leave or stay in the EU!

UK Urban Playlist - June 2016

11 new songs from UK Urban Artists/Producers that I've picked up on Soundcloud this month.

Click on the artist name in the playlist above to go to their Soundcloud page for more songs or follow them on social media on the links below.

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/isaintjames https://twitter.com/PaperKray
https://twitter.com/HeyeRule
https://twitter.com/LostLagoonMusic
https://twitter.com/DuaneCaleb
https://twitter.com/swilliamswhite
https://twitter.com/MarcusDamonE3
https://twitter.com/JoeySeary

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/isaintjames
https://www.facebook.com/sarahwilliamswhite
https://www.facebook.com/Rustaaay

Recording Studio - Internship

So whilst I have some dedicated music time over the Summer, I'm looking for an internship in a recording studio.  If anyone hears of an opportunity or have a contact that might be able to help me, please let me know!

Wedding in Dresden (Photo)

I had the honour of being asked to play the piano at a friend's wedding in Dresden a few weeks ago - this is one of the pictures from the day :)

Playing at a friend's wedding in #dresden a couple of weeks ago! #piano #grandpiano #grandpianos #musician #music #musicians #weddingsinger #websheldon #germany #forster #förster #augustforster

A photo posted by Web Sheldon (@websheldon) on Jun 12, 2016 at 1:34pm PDT

Free Album Download from London electronic act: TMRWS DREAM

I posted a Playlist last week of new songs from electronic acts based in London (go visit it here).

I saw this morning that one of the acts from that list TMRWS DREAM, have just released an album "Copacetic" and it is available for free download from their website - which I have just done and it is spinning its way through my iTunes at the moment!

Visit their website here: http://www.tmrwsdream.com/ to download the zip file!

Have a listen to 'High Horse' one of tracks from the album below:

Artist Feature: Le Foux

So I'm often scouring Soundcloud looking for artists that have either an electronic, alt pop or trip hop kind of theme - something that is related to my own music in some way.  I started following Le Foux a few months ago and I started to notice that new song after new song kept appearing regularly in my Newsfeed.

One problem that I have in making my own music, is making the genre sound consistent.  I'll go from making a Trip Hop track one week to a House track the next and that's not ideal when you're trying to put together an album of coherent material.  Brazilian singer, songwriter & producer, Le Foux does not have that problem though.

He's just published a Playlist of 28 tracks called "Zut Alors" and it's an inspiring collection of 80's influenced Synthpop.  This guy has a good ear for catchy melodies, hooks and synths.  The quality of the songwriting is what stands out for me - there's a lot of ideas, but the songs aren't overcrowded.

It's refreshing to hear an artist making songs that are pure pop and unashamed to embrace the genre.

I asked Le Foux if he'd tell me a little about his musical history and his inspirations...

"I remember getting my friends to organise mini 'music festivals' where we'd all have to come up with original pieces - mind you, no one could play any instruments, so there was a lot of humming going on lol. I was probably 7 then. But I had a very tiny Casio Keyboard I used to perform with, and I still have it somewhere in the flat! I remember I got my first guitar at 12, and had weekly classes until I was 15. I began writing songs then, and probably using the first few chords I learned..(A, E, D).

I grew up listening to my brother's mixtapes in the car - A-ha, Duran Duran, Oingo Boingo, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Bowie, Tina Turner, Erasure, Cyndi were always there for us. For a long time the melodious aspect of that pop music was enough for my ears. It was only when I heard Madonna's Like a Virgin that it became a challenge to me.  I loved the track instantly and straight away, I was told off for that.  I can vaguely remember someone saying to me that if I knew what Madonna was saying in that song I 

wouldn't try to sing along.

Instead of asking for a translation though I decided to learn English myself (I'm Brazilian, so i'm fluent in Portuguese).  Since then, growing up and making music has always been about speaking of things which make me think.  I believe music should make people think as well as dance. Adding to that, I've managed a degree in Psychology, and my readings of freudian authors like Melanie Klein, Addams, Bion, Winnicott, Ferraz and also of Freud (of course), have definitely helped my self-analysis and been a constant part of the process.

So, I write about what excites me both positive and negatively.

I make music I believe for the same reason everyone else needs/makes music - I need to learn of my freedom so as to free my chaos."



To connect with Le Foux, go to the links below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lefouxx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/lefoux
Bandcamp: https://lefouxx.bandcamp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeFouxxx
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lefoux/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/113401830938746462087/+LeFoux?pageId=113401830938746462087

#hell

A photo posted by Le Foux (@lefoux) on Sep 15, 2015 at 6:38pm PDT

Subscribe to my Mailing List

Any music marketing book will tell you the importance of having a mailing list.

I have tried a few different tools to help me set this up in the past but haven't been totally happy with the result.  However, I used wix.com to build and maintain my website and they've just added a new feature to help with managing a mailing list - it looks pretty good so I've set it up!

Join my mailing list by visiting my website: www.websheldon.com

I can't imagine anyone (including me for sure!) likes receiving more emails than they absolutely have to so I won't be utilising the list very often - but more for special announcements like the release of new music!

It can be difficult to get news out there sometimes as with Facebook, they hide certain posts (unless you pay for them to be promoted), with Twitter you have to post things multiple times because they simply get lost in the masses of posts coming through and Instagram is more for pictures (plus you can't add links in a post).

So this is a good way to make sure you know about it when there's something big and new happening with my music!

To join the mailing list, just visit my website www.websheldon.com

What is Summer Storm about?

Summer Storm is the third track on my EP 'Modern Life Is Lies'.


Buy it here: https://websheldon.bandcamp.com/track/summer-storm


This is a song I wrote back in 2012. I had been using Ableton to record my music for a few years but I didn't have a laptop at the time, so in order to play live, I started to use Garageband and I wrote Summer Storm on there. A few years later, I found myself teaming up with an massively talented musician Beth Swain and we made an album under the name 'Bilamie'. We covered Summer Storm and made it pretty rocky! Now, this is the third version of it - sound more like the original, but just as dark, if not darker!

So the song is about love. My only 'love song' on the EP. You know at the start of a relationship, where things are going great but you haven’t had ‘the conversation’. Then a few months pass, feelings intensify, but you’re still not sure where you stand?

Starts of relationships are wonderful times filled with life affirming excitement and passion. But for someone with self esteem issues, there can also be a darker side to this period. Constant doubt, questions of worthiness, anxiety, overthinking - and all the time keeping it all inside because you want to be their ‘rock’ and you want to be strong for them. That’s what this song is about.

Lyrics:
Please don't leave me wondering
Please don't blow so hot and cold
Please don't say that you miss me
Then stare blankly and withold

Touch me like you always do
Let me know you're always there
I'll hold you, I’ll love you,
If you let me, I'll take care of you

If you allow me to
I'll take care of you
If you allow me to

I’ll take care of...
I’ll take care of...
I’ll take, take, take good care
I’ll take, take, take good care of
I’ll take, take, take good care
I’ll take, take, take good care of you

No don't shield your heart from me
No don't close up and resist
Your head might choose a safer route
But only a heart can feel this kiss
Use my shoulders when you're climbing
Sleep on me when you need rest
Rest on me when you're broken
I will try to do my best for you

If allow me to

I’ll take care of...
I’ll take care of...
I’ll take care of...
I’ll take care of...
I’ll take care of...
I’ll take care of...
I’ll take care of...
If you allow me
I’ll take, take, take good care
I’ll take, take, take good care of
I’ll take, take, take good care
I’ll take, take, take good care of you

I know you’re on a different plane
Every day swallowed into a hole
I know you’re living for survival
Everything else on constant hold
I'll still be here when it's all over
And you've weathered the Summer Storm
I'll still be here, I want no other
Ready to take you in my arms

I’ll take care of...
I’ll take care of...
I’ll take care of...
I’ll take care of...
I’ll take care of...
I’ll take care of...
I’ll take care of...
If you allow me
I’ll take, take, take good care
I’ll take, take, take good care of
I’ll take, take, take good care
I’ll take, take, take good care of you


Credits:
from Modern Life Is Lies, released May 20, 2016
Written, performed and produced by Web Sheldon.
Mastered by Nik Burchall of Audio Animals.

What is Purple Steeple about?

Purple Steeple is the second song on my new EP 'Modern Life is Lies'.

Buy it here: https://websheldon.bandcamp.com/track/purple-steeple

Music has always been running through the inner most part of me. It consoles me when I am down, it motivates me, encourages me, and makes the best days even better.  In 2014 though, I decided to take things a little more seriously and I quit my job to attend Point Blank Music School in London and be taught by professionals how to produce music.

It was at the same time that I started meditating. Part of this practice can include taking note of the thoughts running through your head and being aware of what you're thinking, and not just letting your mind run away with itself. I started to find this useful to control my thoughts a bit more.

A few months later I found myself walking through the London underground tube and instead of being caught up in the all the rush and stress of everyone else speeding their way through the walkways, I started to chill, observe what was around me, what was happening. I noticed the smell of the underground, something that I used to love when I came to London as a tourist. I noticed the different decorations on the walls, the old stations, the new ones... It made me realise how powerful the mind is and how much control we have over how we feel and react to something.

I remember a time during the summer of 2006, I was working in Manchester and we were in the middle of an amazing heatwave. During lunches, I used to go out to these dis-used tennis courts and just sit in the sun for 30 minutes, against a wall, and think about... nothing. I was so relaxed, and it came so naturally because I wasn't even trying. I realised this was a time I'd kind of meditated before I even knew what it was.

There's a link between heat and feeling relaxed too... I remember in 2004, I used to be a cleaner in a supermarket from 5am till 8am and then go to a reception job from 9 until 4. By 4:30pm, I would already be home and laid on my bed, in the spot where the sun came through the window every day, and I'd sleep for half an hour. I would wake up feeling super relaxed. When I sing, 'I feel the sun in my sleep', I'm really thinking about that moment.

For the rest of the song though, it's really about my love of the city, how the energy can either drain you or feed you - and it's really up to you how you react to it. It's how you can be surrounded by the craziness, and by hundreds of stressful people, yet you don't have to be sucked in and feel part of that stress, you can just take a step back, and observe, and enjoy that moment in life for what it is. Maybe smile at someone who looks like they're having a bad day. There's often a lot of people who looks like that on the tube.

Lyrics:
I feel the sun in my sleep
I feel the sun, I feel the heat

I’m gon' be alive, when I feel my
Mind free, get free, lost in the people
I’m gon' feel alive when I rake my
Seeds from the flowers of the purple steeple

Every time you say your truth
You grow a little inside

Mmmm slow motion
Bathing in the ocean
Of the people and the laughter
In the streets

Mmmm slow motion
Mmmm calm in the commotion
Drinks, rocks and
Harmonies and feet

While I recharge
Somethings goin' down in the city
I need this time
To cleanse my soul

While I recharge
People are spinning 'round in the city
We need this time
To feel worthwhile

When I wake up
I’m walking down to the city
I feel the waves
Washing over me

When I wake up
I’ll be venturing through the city
I wanna feel the life
It makes me feel alive inside

I’m gon' be alive, when i feel my
Mind free, get free, lost in the people
I’m gon' feel alive when i rake my
Seeds from the flowers of the purple steeple

Every time you say your truth
You grow a little inside


---
Credits:
from Modern Life Is Lies, released May 20, 2016
Written, performed and produced by Web Sheldon.
Mastered by Nick Burchall of Audio Animals.

What is Li(v)es about?

So this is the first track on my EP.

If you like it lots, you can buy it here: https://websheldon.bandcamp.com/track/li-v-es

It's a song about a personal struggle to turn an inherently negative mind into a positive one and how that is further impacted when you start to think about all the corruption, conspiracies and lies that we face in modern life.

Most of us work too hard to even think clearly when we get home at night - and so what happens? We want to zone out and forget about our day and the world outside us and we don't want to have to forced to deal with anything else in additional to what we already have to. So we start to ignore important issues, we get caught up in celebrity gossip, drinking 10 pints on a Friday night and being spoon fed our views by the media.

But we have the Internet now and we have a world of information at our fingertips. We don't have to blindly accept what the television tells us, what our favourite newspaper tells us, or what the corrupted media tell us - we can do a bit research and make up our own minds.


Lyrics:
I found myself
3 years ago
Didn’t need meditation or
Any kind of control

As quick as I rose
Sliding back into despondency yeah
Nothing is permanent
But change

Do you visualise?
Do you believe you’ll make it right?
Do you think you’ll rise in spite of
The great divide
Or will you cower, cover your ears
Detach until you disappear?
This is modern life now

And the stories they tell...

You're in control
Be your best friend
Contentment is inside you
It’s not a place at the end

When I am true
To myself I find
I find
Life is my own design

Our time on Earth is short
They keep you working/drinking
You’re not thinking smart
When you’re only just surviving
Question all; our lives, their lies
They want you dumb and compromised
This is modern life now

And the stories they tell...

Even with our eyes we see different waves of energy, different reality
Everything around us is just interpretation
Are you waiting for a revelation? For the summer? For a holiday?
Or do you need to be told that death is on its way?

And the stories they tell...

We don’t need the might of fear to bless us or forbid
We know in ourselves whats good and whats destructive
We don’t need the threat of guilt to be good people
If we can’t think for ourselves, we can’t live without help
If we can’t think for ourselves, we’ll buy every story they sell


--
Credits:
from Modern Life Is Lies, released May 20, 2016
Written, Performed & Produced by Web Sheldon.
Mastering by Nick Burchall of Audio Animals.

New album from Hipnotic Jazz - "Cognitive Resonance"

Hipnotic Jazz releases his new album today!

It's available on Bandcamp to stream and download for free - although if you pay something, you do get some free stuff too! You can click on the player below to listen and the links on it go to Bandcamp.

I've worked with Hipnotic Jazz on a few tracks in the past - his music is electronic, futuristic, experimental and pretty trippy at times.

I just got to track 3 as I'm listening "Sapien Machine" - the bass is awesome!

What is it about COVERS?

I've been posting a lot about my new EP recently... Already though, I'm halfway through recording the next one.  I said that this year, my music was going to kick off properly and thankfully it has now - a single in January, an EP in June and another EP before the year is out.

The next EP is going to be a bit more upbeat and will have some Hip Hop elements with guest raps from Priveyt, Too Shay and possibly more artists too depending on what happens in the next few weeks...

So far, I've got 3 songs almost finished and another 3 to record.

I'd like to have a cover song for this EP too but haven't decided on one yet.  I do notice a certain reluctance by some artists to avoid playing songs by other people or covering them on albums - and it comes across to me like they feel like there is something to prove by only playing their own music.

I'm not a massively secure person but I've never felt that kind of reluctance to play covers... if i love a song, I have to sing it, or mess with it and change it completely..or maybe not change it at all! I LOVE playing covers. It gives me chance to pay respect to an artist or to a song that I love.  I like hearing covers from other artists as well as if feels you like get a little insight into their listening habits - and it's always interesting to see how they change the song to make it their own.

I don't have an album cover yet for the next EP.  Or a title.  All these cogs are still turning... ;-)

Playlist: New London Electronic / Chill (June 2016)

Heres a few of my new favourite electronic / chill tracks from London based artists (including one of my own for good measure ;-)  )

To visit my website, click below:
http://www.websheldon.com

Buy or Stream "Modern Life Is Lies"

If you'd like to buy my EP, it's available in many different places including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and eMusic. I won't put any links here because they are specific for each country but if you go to your local version of iTunes/Amazon etc and search Web Sheldon, you will find it.

Alternatively, you can pop over to Bandcamp and buy the EP on there.  Ok, you might not be registered there already, but you only have to register once and Bandcamp is a great way to support independent artists like myself as we get a much higher percentage of the money you send.

To buy on Bandcamp, click on the image or link below:

https://websheldon.bandcamp.com/

My song 'Li(v)es' included on the new Club Fungus Playlist

I had a nice surprise today... The song Li(v)es from my new EP has been included on a playlist by Club Fungus / Subwav.  I thought that was pretty cool to be included as many other songs on there have thousands of plays! Big thanks for the support!

Check out the full list and listen below!

Memory Of Footsteps (Video excerpt from Instagram)

Here's an excerpt from the Yoko Ono cover song on my EP, it's called 'Memory Of Footsteps'.

Visit here for the full version: https://soundcloud.com/websheldon/web-sheldon-memory-of-footsteps

"Memory Of Footsteps", the fourth track on my EP "Modern Life Is Lies". This song is originally by Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band and is written by Yoko Ono - contact me privately for licence queries (provided by easysonglicensing.com). Thanks to @yokoonoofficial @chimeramusic #coversong #coversongs #websheldon #modernlifeislies #betweenmyheadandthesky #yoko #yokono #music #newmusic #musician #musicians #musiclife #musicislife #musicianlife #musicproducer #musicproduction #musicproducers #musica #musiclover #musicindie #musicvideo #ukmusic #londonmusic #londonmusicscene ##malevocalist #darkmusic #triphop #triphopmusic

A video posted by Web Sheldon (@websheldon) on Jun 1, 2016 at 3:31am PDT

Playlist: June 2016 - Female Trip Hop / Electronic

Here's a few tracks I'm listening to at the moment!

They're all female vocals and around the Trip Hop or Electronic kind of style.

Wedding in Dresden - Those Were The Days (snippet)

I went to the wedding of an old friend last weekend in Dresden and had a bit of a guitar playing session during the reception... This is the very last bit of Mary Hopkin's 'Those Were The Days' - which seems like an international favourite as people always seem to know it!  The sections of 'laaaa laaaa' went down much better on this occasion though due to the language difference - but it was nice - everyone can join in on laaaa laaaa laaaa! :D

I played in the church too (which was a massive honour for me on their special day!) and I'll post that video up too when it comes through to me...

Awesome wedding reception in Dresden yesterday... Congratulations to Maik and Elisabeth - a wonderful couple and a match made in heaven! #Dresden #guitar #wedding #guitarcover #guitarcovers #thosewerethedays #maryhopkin #websheldon #instadude #musician #music #musicislife #musiclife #musicismylife #musicianlife #musicianlifestyle

A video posted by Web Sheldon (@websheldon) on May 29, 2016 at 2:48pm PDT