Buddhist Funerals for Robot Dogs

 

Out now! (..or then)

Just realised that I’ve been so busy over this Autumn that I’d somehow forgotten to promote the solo album now it’s actually released!!!

Cover design by Ryan Kay-Derricutt 

The Bandcamp download-only version includes additional hidden demo tracks.

On Bandcamp at: https://happyjuicerecords.bandcamp.com/album/buddhist-funerals-for-robot-dogs

On Spotify at: https://open.spotify.com/album/47ibJda4JTMt8UKoZStH6Y?dl_branch=1&si=Qu97kMdjTWKPLp6a-i1Log

Release Booked!

 Seeing as my local library has much faster internet than I can dream of at home (!), I went there today to sort out the distribution of my next solo album.

More soon!

Get the Blue Yellows single 'Toast the Night' and pre-order the album 'Kitchen Sessions' now!

We name this ship...

It's getting closer (March 1st, to be precise), the new album I'm making with The Blue Yellows has been recorded, was mastered this very week (see insta' post below), CD distributors and printers have been contacted with issues discussed, as as I write, artwork is being tweaked to fit the necessary criteria. The plan is to get a batch of CDs ready by January to send to out reviewers, magazines, bloggers and so on as the serious players are mostly focused on reviewing material 6 weeks or so before release. The pressure's on.

We are also planning on doing a facebook-live broadcast in the near future, answering any of your questions on the album, or anything surrounding it. So feel free to let me know ANY of your questions on this, don't worry about it being too daft or not knowing enough about recording or music, anything at all - fire away here or on social media! 

Questions so far include; "Will The Lorax be on it?" and "Is the album a girl or a boy?"...

What's your Question?

View this post on Instagram

Tonight, I picked up the final version of all the tracks for the forthcoming album with my gang #TheBlueYellows mastered by production maestro at #ColossusProductions, #GlynSutton! 4 tracks on here are produced by @timleesongs and this marks the final process on the musical side of things other than uploading/sending to the CD people and our music distributers for online and streaming services. Tweaking of artwork is now well underway. Pic 2 is lil', tiny portion of the front cover art! All excitement here at BYs Towers! 😉 #newalbum #newmusic #production #mastering #mastertracks #CD #CDMaster #streaming #downloads #musicdistribution #band #musicians #newrelease #coverart #albumcover #musicart #difficult2ndalbum

A post shared by Jonathan Tarplee (@jonniegitahhr) on Nov 22, 2018 at 11:08am PST

Some different moments in the recording of this album.. 

A place where things happen...

20th September 2018

That place being Airtight Studios, Manchester, having recorded some special moments by the likes of Soiuxie and The Banshees, Peter Hook, Paul Weller, Thea Gilmore, Robert Plant, Jah Wobble, Badly Drawn Boy and... so many others.

Well today it was my turn, along with other Words and Music Festival homies, doing some 'crowd' backing vocals for a yet to be released track by Nigel Stonier!

Great fun and yummy pizzas!

View this post on Instagram

Last night was great fun at @airtightstudios laying down some backing vocals for #NigelStonier for a song on his forthcoming album! Most of the @wordsandmusicfestival team will be on this! Plus yummy pizzas, what's not to love!? #musician #studio #production #whatcouldpossiblygoworong #newalbum #newmusic #radio2 #Airtight #backingvocals #vocals #backingvox) #singersongwriter #singersongwriterproducer #newrelease #track #musicstudio #recordingstudio #studio #recording #Ampex #analogue #tape

A post shared by Jonathan Tarplee (@jonniegitahhr) on Sep 21, 2018 at 9:25am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Now that’s a proper session! @cromapizza

A post shared by Airtight Studios (@airtightstudios) on Sep 20, 2018 at 12:09pm PDT

Mixin in the Kitchen.

29/06/2018

Last night our producer for current recording project with The Blue Yellows,  Mr Tim Lee, was back with us to do some sterling work getting some tracks fixed up and mixed down.

Garage Band - Blue Yellows mini-album project, Recording Session 3

Very close followers of this blog may know that my band The Blue Yellows have been intermittently recording over quite a few months, three days in all. If you are in need a of a quick catch-up (and WHY wouldn't you be, huh?!), you can do, via these links;

Blue Yellows mini-album project, Recording Day One

Blue Yellows mini-album project, Recording Day Two

and now...

24th February 2018

Blue Yellows mini-album project, Recording Day Three!

OK, fast-forward to the freezing but sunny February day that was yesterday (at the time of writing), with the burgeoning 'Best From the East' tapping on the garage door, the garage being that converted into a rehearsal studio by the amazing Sheena Bratt for her fab band Venus Rising. Many thanks for Sheena and family for letting us invade the place for the day!

Once again, we were in the capable hands of Tim Lee who was actually doing all the hard work of concentrating and focusing all day, while the rest of us could mainly wait around for our turn, although in my case, I needed to learn the lyrics of the newest song going in too. Today was the most rock of the days, style-wise and Tim shot some snippets of the day for youtube;


Of the three days all together, very spread-out through they've been, I think this has been the most smoothly productive, with some of the best ideas brought into the project from my fellow bandees in the BYs and especially from Tim, with the ideas he came up with during the day. It has been especially satisfying for us to get a brand new song in, that we barely know yet ourselves, and which I was still making a few lyrical adjustments to on the day!

Thanks to Em for this pic of me at the mic.

So, a great experience for us, and as if you have not had enough blog links to read yet, Tim has already made his own pretty comprehensive account of the day from his perspective on his recording blog post at https://timleesongs.wordpress.com/2018/02/25/producing-songs-for-the-blueyellows-24-02-18/

Read more about the day on
Tim Lee's blog post HERE

Em, from Tim's Instagram

Simon, laying down the bass
Photo by Em

The brilliant Dave 'The Groove' Coomer, who else!?
Photo by Em

Rafflesia Streams.

(Updated 22/09/2017)

Rafflesia Dreams is OUT TODAY on ALL digital outlets and services! 

Many people of you will have your own preferred favourite for streaming &/or downloading service. If you are not sure which one to use however, please help support my music by using bandcamp as they send much more of the money you pay directly to the artist (me!).. AND they're cheaper too so, well it's here: https://jonathantarplee.bandcamp.com/album/rafflesia-dreams

It was awesome to get this comment from sunny California within hours of release all those interweb outlets!

To celebrate the album and preempt it's release on all well known digital outlets, the night before I was delighted to appear on Tim Lee's burgeoning radio show on Redshift, The Doorstep Mixtape. I was the 'B-Side Artist' in the second hour, but the whole show is a great listen!



Or... just the shortened 'funny bits';

Home made.

Updated June 4th 2017

I'm going to be doing some home made films about 'The making of'... my new experimental album Rafflesia Dreams as I roll it out hopefully over further formats. Here they are so far:

You will only ever be able to get all 14 tracks, including bonus tracks, via the bandcamp link here. So have a listen and get downloading if you like it!

Rafflesia Dreams is OUT NOW!

LisUpdate ten & donwload here:
Listen & download at https://jonathantarplee.bandcamp.com/album/rafflesia-dreams

@JonnieGitAhhr Hidden Shallows hit the ipod mix today - between Kula Shaker & The Beatles! It's a stand out track from #RaffelsiaDreams x

— The Inept Rebel (@TheIneptRebel) March 26, 2017

Music Review: Rafflesia Dreams by Jonathan Tarplee https://t.co/SIrQqk67s9 pic.twitter.com/c3jHSfrNVF

— Tim Lee - Songwriter (@timleesongs) March 20, 2017

@TheIneptRebel Did you notice the sound of my kettle boiling towards the end of the track? #worldexclusive 😜

— Jonathan Tarplee (@JonnieGitAhhr) March 28, 2017

Looking back. Looking Forward, and Thank you, yes YOU! xxx

Pre-order at https://jonathantarplee.bandcamp.com/album/rafflesia-dreams

Thank you, yes YOU! xxx

Rafflesia Dreams

Sample tracks and Pre-Order the new 14 track album Rafflesia Dreams, NOW!

Releases: First day of Spring, 2017.

The Making of Attachment Theories.

Some lo-fi, home-made, rubishy short videos made about a professionally made, album.

In the Arts Lab!

Yesterday I appeared on Mark Sheeky's ArtsLab show on Redshift with his brand new concept in radio, where the entire show content (including music, poetry and more) is a world premier.
I was inspired by this thought to send him a track from my next album (Rafflesia Dreams), 'Where the Golden Cornfield Light is Grown', my very first attempt in a home recorded track.

Mark is a mutli-disciplinary artist and in just a few hours, remixed this before the show to come up with his own version, 'Dreams of Golden Cornfield Light'. I'm very much the beginner here, and don't know how he does it!

Studio 1, Artslab 2, Episode Zero
New song, 1. Versions, 2!

I chatted about how my lack of ability in recording technology may have, in other ways, forced me to focus on creative aspects of the recording process. 

By the way, Mark is looking for new content of all types, poetry, sounds and more for his show. It has to have never have been published before, not even on facebook or youtube, so all you musos and poets out there, even rough demos and draft work, get it in to him!

Me and Mark pre-air.
Thanks to Redshift Radio for the pic.

Listen Again!

RAFFLESIA DREAMS

* Updated 27th October, 2016

My next album, "RAFFLESIA DREAMS" will have it's digital release on the 1st day of Spring, 2017. It is a lo-fi, experimental, home made album made with free software and recorded on my narrowboat via a single mic, plus some live and 'session' tracks.

Track Listing:
1. Where the Golden Cornfield Light is Grown
2. Watch Out! (or I'll stick you in my Poem)
3. Spring Will Come (when this flower opens) - Session track co-written with Jason Louth.
4. The Animals are Revolting
5. The Day I Die (live)
6. Where the Sky Meets the Sea - The BlueYellows session recorded/mixed by Tim Lee 
7. Venus Vesuvius
8. Hidden Shallows
9. Just Us Chickens (includes samples of Helen Kay's chickens)
10. Outcasts Have X-Ray Eyes

11. New Bonus Track (download only)
12. Live Bonus Track (download only)
13. Live Bonus Track (download only)
14. Dream of Golden Cornfield Light (Mark Sheeky Remix of track 1).

I will be appearing on Mark Sheeky's show on RedShift Radio this Wednesday at around 4pm to talk about it further.

If only making music were the majority of what a musician has to do to survive....

A lot of the time it's promotional stuff, so tonight for example, this included several hours on an extremely lo-fi (but hey, 'professional' is so last year) video to hopefully generate some interest in what I'm up to.

Attachement Theories - Preview tracks and pre-order the download and/or CD!

Solo Album-title announcement! "Attachment Theories".