r u l y

Andrew Huang - Website: http://www.songstowearpantsto.com/, Twitter: @andrewismusic

It’s the day after the most romantic day of the year and I thought we could all use a little reminder to cherish our loved ones every day of the year.  This month’s Ruly Mix artist, Andrew Huang, has provided a great song inspired by the day he married his wife.  It is also a great, sunny upbeat track that reminds those of us in winter climates right now that warmer days are coming soon.

Read on for more about Andrew and his music.

What is your musical background? When did you begin playing/writing music? What instruments do you play?

From almost as early as I can remember, I was playing and listening to classical music. Radio pop started to creep in as I approached the age of 10, and soon after discovering the bass guitar at 12 my mind was opened to the worlds of rock, jazz and hip-hop.

I have a bit of formal training in piano, guitar, bass and theory, but am completely self-taught in terms of writing and recording and all of the other instruments I play. “What instruments do you play” is a difficult question for me to answer because while I’m comfortable in my own way on many instruments – for instance, banjo, ukulele, mandolin, drums, glockenspiel, melodica – for all I know I could be doing everything all wrong!

At 15 I decided that writing and recording songs was going to be the most important thing in my life, and since then have dedicated most of my free time to honing those crafts.

What inspires you generally when you are writing music?

Inspiration can come from anywhere. A major theme in my songs is love, but many also touch on political, religious or societal issues that I’ve heard about through the news or that have affected my life in some way. I like to write songs about both the real people in my life and fictional characters and stories I dream up; about large and loft ideas as well as the mundane things we all experience.

An extra tap into inspiration that is uniquely mine is a hilarious website I’ve been running for several years, where visitors are daily suggesting song ideas to me. The majority of them are not that inspiring, but some have induced me to write songs – that I end up liking a fair bit – about the strangest things, from robots in love to energy drinks to sea anemones to brushing your teeth. It’s worth a visit: http://songstowearpantsto.com

Tell us about September 6th. What were you thinking about when you composed this?

September 6th is my anniversary. I started writing the song a few months before getting married and finished it a few months after. It’s the sappiest thing ever, but simply put the song is a celebration of the life and love I have with my wife. I actually wrote the whole song just about our wedding day, but realized later that it will apply to every September 6th that ever comes around for us – particularly the line “I always knew we’d make it this far.” The first half of the song is kind of cute and talks about how much we enjoy being together, and the second half is a rejoicing explosion of singing, latin percussion, bouncy guitar and two drum kits.

This month’s theme is about obsessive compulsive disorder and its relationship to excessive tidiness. Do you classify yourself as a neat-freak? How much chaos and disorder can you/do you tolerate in your own life?

I’m pretty on top of keeping things in my environment clean and neat, though I don’t think anyone would call it excessive. When I get immersed in my work, my studio degrades into more and more disarray, but I always get everything tidied and organized again before beginning another project. I might be a compulsive hand-washer though…

Click the picture below to play or right-click to download Andrew’s track, “September 6.” (If the picture is not working for you, you can also download by clicking here.)

To respect the rights of the musician, please comply with the simple Ruly License terms below.

Ruly License: You may download and play any Ruly Mix song for your own personal use so long as you keep the voiceover tags intact indicating the name of the artist and that the song came from beruly.com. Businesses may also download this song to play as background music in their establishments so long as the voiceover tags remain intact. Any other uses of the song (such as in videos, etc.) must be pre-approved by the musician. Questions about license permissions can be addressed to info@beruly.com.

If you enjoy this mix, please comment, give a “like” on Facebook and share this link with others!

Previous Ruly Mix artists: Ben Harris, George Vlad, Samuel Pushpak, Danny Stewart-Smith (“Maintain Focus”), Danny Stewart-Smith (“The Flow”), Danny Stewart-Smith (“Insights”), Danny Stewart-Smith feat. Evin Gibson, Joe Hanley, Jamie Smith, Rajiv Agarwal

. . . . Ben Harris . . . . . http://www.fsrecording.com

‘Tis the season! Whether you are joyfully shopping and putting up decorations or feeling a little tired and overwhelmed, you will get a great boost from today’s Ruly Mix track from composer Ben Harris! I asked Ben for some modern holiday music and he came through with a wonderful tune called “Pushing Forward” that is inspirational and motivating but not necessarily aligned with any particularly “holiday.” It also makes a great New Year’s soundtrack with its positive vibe.

Read on for more about Ben and his music.

1) What is your musical background? When did you begin playing/writing music? What instruments do you play?

My musical training began as a child singing with the radio. I continued to learn music at home and in school. I started piano lessons at age 12 and taught myself guitar and bass at 15. I began writing music while in high school with aspirations of becoming a rock star. I sang in the choir, played bass in the jazz band, and played in multiple garage bands. In college I studied music, played in more bands, and realized that I didn’t want to be a rock star anymore. I wanted to do the less visible side of music such as composing, engineering, arranging, and producing. I have made a career in that less visible side and I still sing, play piano, keyboards, guitar, bass, percussion, and of course I play pretty mean MIDI drums on the keyboard.

2) What inspires you when you are writing music?

The groove inspires me most of the time, just finding that hypnotizing rhythm or melody that you want to play over and over. But what inspires me the most are the rare magical musical moments. The times when a passage of music pierces you and reminds you of a buried memory or makes you close your eyes to take it in. The times when repeating the part too many times seems to cheapen it, as if it where a sacred gift. That is what inspires me.

3) Tell us about “Pushing Forward.” What were you thinking about when you composed this?

I composed the original riff for Pushing Forward while in high school and then recorded it in college, so I was probably thinking about girls. Pushing Forward has one of those hypnotizing grooves and I remember just playing it over and over losing track of time while writing and recording it.

4) What “holidays” are you celebrating this December, if any? Do you have a favorite holiday tradition?

I am celebrating Christmas and New Years with my family. One of my favorite traditions is singing Christmas music. I purchased a Christmas fake book a few years ago that has made me the life of every Christmas party since. Everybody looks through the book for his or her favorite Christmas songs and then I accompany the singing on a piano or guitar. I just wish I had ten copies of the book so everyone could sing the same words.

Click the picture below to play or right-click to download Ben’s track, “Pushing Forward.” (If the picture is not working for you, you can also download by clicking here.)

To respect the rights of the musician, please comply with the simple Ruly License terms below.

Ruly License: You may download and play any Ruly Mix song for your own personal use so long as you keep the voiceover tags intact indicating the name of the artist and that the song came from beruly.com. Businesses may also download this song to play as background music in their establishments so long as the voiceover tags remain intact. Any other uses of the song (such as in videos, etc.) must be pre-approved by the musician. Questions about license permissions can be addressed to info@beruly.com.

If you enjoy this mix, please comment, give a “like” on Facebook and share this link with others!

Have a great weekend!

Previous Ruly Mix artists: George Vlad, Samuel Pushpak, Danny Stewart-Smith (“Maintain Focus”), Danny Stewart-Smith (“The Flow”), Danny Stewart-Smith (“Insights”), Danny Stewart-Smith feat. Evin Gibson, Joe Hanley, Jamie Smith, Rajiv Agarwal

. . . . . George Vlad . . . . . http://myspace.com/aexzm

Overwhelmed? Need a lift? How about something to challenge your thinking and creativity? I have just the treat for you today . . . another great Ruly Mix!

Today’s mix comes from Romanian composer George Vlad. When I first contacted George to discuss doing a mix for me, he wrote back . . .

“[U]pbeat is not quite my genre. For the last few years I have been concentrating on game music and sound effects, mainly from the horror, suspense or action categories. This lead me to experiment on how to convey intense feelings of fear, shock or whatever comes with a game of those types.” [emphasis added]

Could “intense feelings of fear” work for the Ruly Mix? Hmmm….it got me thinking about how much fear is a motivator for all kinds of behaviors. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of imperfection, fear of embarrassment, fear of change, fear of pain . . .sound familiar? The demons in our lives so often come internally rather than externally. So, in contemplation of Halloween, I thought George’s music would have a lot to say to all of us and it also makes an excellent soundtrack for a spooky weekend.

Read on for more about George and his music.

1) What is your musical background? When did you begin playing/writing music? What instruments do you play?

I studied music theory in elementary school, where I also played my first instrument, the recorder. My then- music teacher really helped widen my musical horizons, and guided me through my first steps in exploring Baroque and Classical music. Until I graduated from high school, I did quite a lot of listening. I was attending classical music concerts, but I also went to jazz and electronic music events.

I think it was around the age of 18 when I really became interested in composing music. I had been DJing for a while, and I suddenly felt that I had so much to express and couldn’t do it just as a DJ. Therefore, I got my hands on various Digital Audio Workstations and a keyboard and I started learning how to use them. Then I began composing electronic music, mostly drum&bass and breakbeat. Over time, I widened my production horizons, composing ambient, trip hop, IDM, and even breakcore. It was during last year that I started to get involved in videogame music, and since then I have been honing my orchestral arranging skills.

As for instruments, I play the MIDI keyboard, which, in turn, is able to control a wide variety of instruments, from percussion to brass or strings.

2) What inspires you when you are writing music?

I find that I am inspired by anything aesthetically pleasing, such as taking a walk through the woods, admiring a complex painting or reading an interesting book. Moreover, it is not always a conscious process. It is rather an urge that grows inside me when performing these activities, to the point where I find myself playing something in my head until I can express it through music.

3) Tell us about “Cat’s Eyes.” What were you thinking about when you composed this?

I composed the first version of this song in the summer of 2006. All I wanted was to compose something of a happy careless nature, but as I was working on it, I noticed that my cat was watching me from under the bed. I could only see its eyes, hence the name. The whole picture looked slightly evil, and I tried to capture that with my music: a happy careless creature that sometimes can look a little scary.
Doing this remix for the Ruly blog was really exciting. If composing the first version took me only one night, remixing it took me more than two weeks. I had never tried to remix my older songs, and I had the opportunity to compare my present knowledge and technique with what I knew back then. I have to say I learnt quite a lot in the mean time.

Click the picture below to play or right-click to download George’s track, “Cat’s Eyes.” (If the picture is not working for you, you can also download by clicking here.)

To respect the rights of the musician, please comply with the simple Ruly License terms below.

Ruly License: You may download and play any Ruly Mix song for your own personal use so long as you keep the voiceover tags intact indicating the name of the artist and that the song came from beruly.com. Businesses may also download this song to play as background music in their establishments so long as the voiceover tags remain intact. Any other uses of the song (such as in videos, etc.) must be pre-approved by the musician. Questions about license permissions can be addressed to info@beruly.com.

If you enjoy this mix, please comment, give a “like” on Facebook and share this link with others!

Have a great weekend!

Previous Ruly Mix artists: Samuel Pushpak, Danny Stewart-Smith (“Maintain Focus”), Danny Stewart-Smith (“The Flow”), Danny Stewart-Smith (“Insights”), Danny Stewart-Smith feat. Evin Gibson, Joe Hanley, Jamie Smith, Rajiv Agarwal

. . . . . Samuel Pushpak . . . . . . myspace.com/samuelpushpak

Just in time for your weekend, the Ruly Mix is back! After a brief hiatus, yet again, you can download for free a great, upbeat track to energize, uplift and motivate you to achieve your organizational goals.

A recent New York Times blog post attempts to explain the reasons why music is such a powerful motivator, particularly for exercise.

‘Humans and songbirds’ are the only creatures ‘that automatically feel the beat’ of a song, . . .It’s not simply that music motivates you and you run faster. It may be that, instead, your body first responds to the beat, even before your mind joins in; your heart rate and breathing increase and the resulting biochemical reactions join with the music to exhilarate and motivate you to move even faster.

–Gretchen Reynolds, “Phys Ed: Does Music Make You Exercise Harder?” The New York Times Well Blog, August 25, 2010

This month’s track comes from composer Samuel Pushpak and is a great soundtrack for our discussion of communication. Read on for more about Samuel and his music.

What is your musical background? When did you begin playing/writing music? What instruments do you play?

My music sounds a bit ambient and ethnic. I started learning piano 6 years ago and I have been writing and recording new music for the past 3 years. I play keyboards and acoustic guitar.  I was influenced a lot by the modern day Digital Audio Workstations and I got obsessed with them and I used to spend a lot of time experimenting and it eventually lead me to write some original stuff. But there are still lots of areas in which my compositions have to be polished. I’ll have to work in those areas.

What inspires you when you are writing music generally?

Nature, Human Feelings and the music of A.R.Rahman.

What were you thinking about when you composed this mix for beruly.com?

“Hello Love” is about those few minutes you wait even after waiting for a whole night. It’s about the struggle to overcome the mind with heart, to just wish that this day would be as bright as the morning star.  A picture is worth a thousand words. Here is a wonderful photograph by Michael Costa that inspired me to write and record this song.

What languages do you speak? Do you always write your music in English?

I speak Telugu, English and Hindi. I’ve written music in all the three languages. Currently I’m working on a contemporary Christian album in Telugu.

What does music communicate that you can’t get from just written or spoken words and pictures?

Feelings! Music conveys those pure, natural feelings. Nothing influences and inspires more than music.

Click the picture below to play or right-click to download Samuel’s track, “Hello Love.” (If the picture is not working for you, you can also download by clicking here.)

To respect the rights of the musician, please comply with the simple Ruly License terms below.

Ruly License: You may download and play any Ruly Mix song for your own personal use so long as you keep the voiceover tags intact indicating the name of the artist and that the song came from beruly.com. Businesses may also download this song to play as background music in their establishments so long as the voiceover tags remain intact. Any other uses of the song (such as in videos, etc.) must be pre-approved by the musician. Questions about license permissions can be addressed to info@beruly.com.

I love the romance and positive energy in Samuel’s song!  It reminds me of all the good things in my life.  I hope it similarly inspires you.

If you enjoy this mix, please comment, give a “like” on Facebook or share this link with others!

Have a great weekend!

Previous Ruly Mix artists: Danny Stewart-Smith (“Maintain Focus”), Danny Stewart-Smith (“The Flow”), Danny Stewart-Smith (“Insights”), Danny Stewart-Smith feat. Evin Gibson, Joe Hanley, Jamie Smith, Rajiv Agarwal

Dan Stewart-Smith http://www.ddeprod.com

It’s Friday!! Time to pick up some energy for the weekend and motivate yourself to have some fun! Dan Stewart-Smith comes to our rescue again with another great motivational mix.

First, I had some questions for Dan about the role music plays in motivation. He had some great insight to share.

Why does music motivate so many of us?  Is it music in general or are there specific things you are doing as a composer to tap into a motivational vibe?

Well, as you know and have already experienced, music taps emotion in people and emotion is a strong motivator (imagine a movie with no score), so perhaps that is the main thing. Pop music appeals to common emotions and feelings in humans such as love, sorrow and pain, and lustful desire…those are just three common themes that we all relate to, and they sell records! Another largely motivating or moving element is tension and release where by the music climaxes and then relaxes again; much like holding your breath till you’re about to burst and then exhaling, resuming normal breathing once again.

I don’t know if there is any correct code of practice for creating “motivating” music. However from my experience, again it is down to the purpose of the music as to what dictates style and mood. For example if you need to create music for say aerobic exercise, the most fundamental point is that the beat must be strong and clear. After that you need to consider that people first warm up then build their aerobics routine to a peak and either stop after that or cool down, so the music needs to reflect that. Usually, catchy but angular phrases work well for exercise that requires vigorous movement, therefore pop remixes and Latin and funk based tunes work nicely for that. Rock is also popular for dance remixes; take Eddie Van Halens “Jump” as a classic example. It is driving and compelling as it is, but with a heavy dance beat mixed under it, it takes on a new edge and becomes even easier to digest. You may have noticed, Rock is actually a popular genre with weight trainers and sprinters for its “driving” pace.

On the other hand you may need to create music that is intended for mental focus, therefore it needs to bubble along unobtrusively, yet be compelling enough to imbue focus….classic examples include count down music in general knowledge game shows where the contestants only have 30 seconds or so to deduce their answer, or music for Yoga and spiritual focus which is another kind of concentration that demands calmness (see last month’s mix).

Do you ever lose motivation to create music?

I wanted to become a professional musician since I was about 19, and I envisioned myself performing and being able to play many styles of music. I had a vision, and therefore I could take steps to fuel the fire to become that vision by listening and watching my heroes play. 6 years later I was touring around parts of the world playing to thousands of people in a handful of prestigious venues. I had become that vision….trouble was, it still didn’t pay the bills!

Being just a bass player was by no means enough, so I decided to branch out into teaching, production and composition….again I envisioned myself behind the mixing desk, creating music for media, playing keyboards, singing, arranging etc and listened to many different genres of music, watched documentaries on Motown, on Stevie Wonder, on Metallica and more… so I practiced and studied toward that goal and 4 years on I landed my first composition gig for Nickelodeon. After that I just kept plugging for work, and what I put in came back to me and I have been able to build a relatively expansive portfolio from there.

Something I realized recently, is that if you do start making a profession out of your passion, you may come to actually get bored of it!!!

Last year, I had a heavy commission for 30 pieces of music for iPhone games and spent about a month solid every night, composing and producing music for it. After a week of that I started hating what I was coming up with and felt lethargic and uninspired to work. Strange! Considering this was supposed to be my dream job!!!!! Funnily enough watching a few movies and absorbing sound tracks by Danny Elfman and John Williams soon cured me and I felt refreshed and inspired again, outputting two pieces a night.

Similarly, when I played in London as part of the band backing Kate Dimbleby’s performance as the late Jazz vocalist Peggy Lee in a production slated to tour Europe. I was really enjoying it to begin with and we were getting good reviews music wise….however the band leader told me to “play it very simple” and to “tone down”  after a Time Out review complimented the band and in particular my playing, saying “Dan Stewart’s upright bass complemented Dimbleby’s silky, sultry voice beautifully” and criticized the actual script and production of the play itself calling it “a languid attempt”. So I toned it down playing carefully scored bass lines instead of improvising off chord charts and kicks making it even more “languid” than it already apparently was. I lost my enthusiasm and motivation to play in that situation and decided to quit the gig.

I have felt similar when playing regular gigs, same old tunes, same place, same musicians for four hours every night….for 40 quid and a meal. It gets old after a while and you want something new and fresh…even though this was supposed to be your “dream”.

What do you do to motivate yourself?

For me it’s about vision and supporting that vision by nurturing it with relevant fodder, and you can apply that to anything. A way that I find helps motivation is to actually go and see something similar to what you wish to achieve or obtain. Take for example a car…I might go to a sales yard and sit inside the car, take photos of it, even test drive it. That subconsciously sets my mind to make steps toward saving to attain my goal of buying it.

Another common trick I use to motivate my lazy ass is to say to myself…”well if you do not try, you will never know, and you may kick yourself to hell and back for that in the future.” That usually makes me take further steps toward a goal. At the end of the day, I believe whatever you visualize can be achieved, but you need to be realistic about it, and realize there will be obstacles along the way and it will take a lot of hard work and time!!!!  One major issue I have is that I have too many ambitions and ideas I wish to fulfill, and I have trouble prioritizing them and just focusing on one at a time. So, some advice on what to do about that would be greatly appreciated!

The most happy, well balanced people I know, are those who regularly do something they love, and conversely, I have seen people wilt when they have had no time for themselves. We all need that creative or adventurous outlet to function as a healthy human beings, and if we can make a little money out of it along the way, then that’s all the better! There would be nothing worse than going to your grave feeling like you didn’t complete, or at least whole-heartedly attempt, to complete your ambitions in life.

Ambition and desire grows. This is human nature I suppose and is the same mentality that drives some of the rich to want to gain more money although they already have more than enough…(which reminds me, that was the topic of March’s post). Perhaps it is the psychological need to measure achievement as self worth in some way, and that is perhaps more evident in men than in women. It certainly is prevalent in my life.

Tell us about “Maintain Focus”

This track was originally written for exercising/training, hence the constant beat and the moderate tempo. I wanted it to be fun and motivating but not too distracting, hence the lyrics are just chant lines along the lines of “maintain focus” instead of full blown narratives. I also wanted it to reflect some of my favorite influences, namely P-funk AKA Parliament / Funkadelic who created such a kick ass sound back in the 70′s and early 80′s that you just had to dance, but also contain more current dance music elements such as House, Techno and Electronica elements. Michael Hampton and Bootsy Collins of the aforementioned Funkadelic, have been big inspirations to me and I thank them for their creativity and amazing groove. Anyway I hope you find it fun to groove along to. Happy listening!

I hope you enjoy “Maintain Focus” as much as I do!  I especially love the voices and guitar solos toward the end.

Click the picture below to play or right-click to download. (If the picture is not working for you, you can also download by clicking here.)

To respect the rights of the musician, please comply with the simple Ruly License terms below.

Ruly License: You may download and play any Ruly Mix song for your own personal use so long as you keep the voiceover tags intact indicating the name of the artist and that the song came from beruly.com. Businesses may also download this song to play as background music in their establishments so long as the voiceover tags remain intact. Any other uses of the song (such as in videos, etc.) must be pre-approved by the musician. Questions about license permissions can be addressed to info@beruly.com.

If you enjoy this mix, please comment, give a “like” on Facebook or share this link with others!

Have a great weekend!

Previous Ruly Mix artists: Danny Stewart-Smith (“The Flow”), Danny Stewart-Smith (“Insights”), Danny Stewart-Smith feat. Evin Gibson, Joe Hanley, Jamie Smith, Rajiv Agarwal

Danny Stewart-Smith. http://www.ddeprod.com

Danny Stewart-Smith is back this month with another great Ruly Mix! This month’s free download, “The Flow,” is designed to help you relax in your outdoor oasis.

Tell us about the sound in “The Flow.”

The Flow was composed with relaxation and spiritual healing in mind. My mother is an alternative therapist and practices Whole Body Focusing, a method of de-stressing and attuning with oneself for physical, mental, and spiritual well being. I wrote the music to kind of reflect the inner journey one might experience when focusing, and also to reflect the fact that as human beings we are all deeply rooted in nature and the cycles of the planet and that these are things we should not forget, hence the natural sounds featured in it. One part features Shinto Monks chanting and also a Japanese singing bowl which is a large metal bowl that is gently banged during Shinto prayer to resonate with all natural entities and call the attention of all the gods. It is very beautiful, and when I experienced it I just had to get a recording of it! That part of the music to me symbolizes breathing, an unconscious act that all living entities do, a prerequisite and innate function of life. The piano part is kind of just improvised, hence it is organic, and the timing of the chord changes and the percussion and beat is not uniform, again like many things in nature. It changes as it bubbles along and evolves with each twist or turn much like a stream…at least that is what I was aiming at! But whether it means all that to you or not does not matter so much, most importantly the music is there for you to enjoy, to relax and think deeper thoughts to, away from the daily grind and beyond the confines of modern working life.

I also asked Danny if he could give us any insight into unique Japanese garden features, like rock gardens or bonsai. His honest answer was “No.” but he did have these wonderful pictures of a beautiful public park in Tokyo to share with us.

This park is located about 15 minutes from central Tokyo and is only a 20 minute walk from my house. It’s centered around a dual level pond of median size which features a single step fall the spans the breadth of the pond. It boasts many Koi, and is overlooked by a traditional Kominkan style building. The building itself which was built only a couple of decades back, is open to public, and may be reserved for private parties. On occasion traditional tea ceremonies can be attended there.

To one side of the pond is a small water fall that feeds it, as far as I understand a network of pumps cycle the water around the pond and back through the fall. The pond as the centerpiece, is flanked with white and pink azalea, maple and crocus studded paths that create a rich array of colors in spring and summer, and rich shocks of red and orange (from the maples) in autumn.

I don’t know the name of this style of landscaping, but as far as I understand it, the ponds are meant to represent ocean and the stones, rolling hills and mountains. There is also another style of Japanese garden which instead employs white gravel to represent the ocean.

It is an excellent place to relax and what’s more it is free to enter. As you can see from the photos hardly a building can be seen from within the park. There are many other parks like this in suburban Tokyo, and I really appreciate having such parks within walking distance of my home.

As an example of the rock garden landscaping Danny mentions, I will share these photos of the rock garden at the Japanese embassy here in Washington.

Rock garden at the Japanese embassy in Washington.

A rock pathway at the Japanese embassy garden.

Whether your garden is as lovely as the Japanese gardens above or is little more than a patch of weeds, Danny’s music is sure to help you enjoy your greenspace.  Click the picture below to play or right-click to download. (If the picture is not working for you, you can also download by clicking here.)

To respect the rights of the musician, please comply with the simple Ruly License terms below.

Ruly License: You may download and play any Ruly Mix song for your own personal use so long as you keep the voiceover tags intact indicating the name of the artist and that the song came from beruly.com. Businesses may also download this song to play as background music in their establishments so long as the voiceover tags remain intact. Any other uses of the song (such as in videos, etc.) must be pre-approved by the musician. Questions about license permissions can be addressed to info@beruly.com.

If you enjoy this mix, please comment, give a “like” on Facebook or share this link with others!

Have a great weekend!

Previous Ruly Mix artists: Danny Stewart-Smith (“Insights”), Danny Stewart-Smith feat. Evin Gibson, Joe Hanley, Jamie Smith, Rajiv Agarwal

Danny Stewart-Smith http://www.ddeprod.com

Danny Stewart-Smith is back this month with another great Ruly Mix! Download a great free track to keep you motivated in your organizing efforts. In line with this month’s focus on design, Danny’s mix this month is an Asian-inspired piece called “Insights” that is great for adding a little zen atmosphere to any situation.

Last month, Danny provided an introduction to his influences and musical training. This month, he gives us a little background on modern Japanese interior design and even lets us peek inside his gorgeous Tokyo apartment!

Tell us a little about the sound in “Insights.”

Koto

Insights features samples of Koto recorded at my old studio back in London. Koto is a wooden, Japanese harp that is played horizontally or flat on the floor. It is about 5 feet long and has a central sound hole in it much like a guitar does. The strings were traditionally made from gut, but nowadays are nylon, much like classical guitar strings.

There are also samples of Shakuhachi (a Bamboo flute) featured in there for atmospherics. The track was inspired by the juxtaposition of tradition, nature and modern urban design in Tokyo. Hence, the tranquil parks with their serene ponds, flora and fauna is represented by the quiet parts vs. the bustling central city, like Shibuya or Shinjuku, where you see some old temples and houses surrounded by modern high-rises, gaudy animated shop signage, and buzzing traffic represented by the busy beat. It all kind of blends together in Tokyo!

What are common features in a typical Japanese home?

The Japanese urban home is considerably small in comparison to western counterparts covering an average of about 80 square meters (~861 square feet) and containing 3 rooms and an LDK (living dining and kitchen in one larger room). Most urban buildings tend to be relatively new, usually 25 or 30 years old at most.

A typical Japanese genkan (entrance to the home).

The entrance to a Japanese home, known as the genkan (lobby), is by and large the most important part of the home as it receives visitors and is the point of departure and return, therefore it should be pleasantly decorated and arranged in a way that makes it seem as spacious as possible.

The genkan must contain a shoe cabinet in which all the family’s shoes are usually stored out of sight, (except for the guests). There is usually a linoleum or tile part for removing and leaving guests shoes, while the rest of the apartment / houses floor boards are raised at about 3 inches higher. So, in effect you step from the genkan up onto the main floor, usually lacquered wooden floor boards that are uniform throughout the whole apartment.

Japanese bathroom with soaking tub.

Another unique feature in Japanese homes is the unit bath/shower room, in which a very small but very deep bath is located (the Japanese sit in the bath rather than recline). The floor is all molded plastic or is tiled and there is a sealed door so that the whole room is water tight.

The third distinguishing feature is the Nihon Jooma or Japanese room, which is a traditional old style room that even most modern apartments have. The floor of this room is covered with Tatami mats which are made from special grass that is painstakingly woven into tight warp and weft resulting in a mat that is about an inch thick. Each mat is about 100cm x 50cm in size and a standard Nihon Jooma has about 6 or 7 of these mats. These mats start out as green but gradually fade to the color of straw over time. The walls in this room are usually covered with rough wallpaper

Nihon Jooma

that mimics plaster in a kind of olive green or beige. The ceiling is usually beech wood and the doors to the room are usually Shoji doors, constructed from a lattice of wood and paper. It is common for the family to sleep in the Nihon Jooma, on futons that during the day, are stored in a fitted Japanese cupboard, which is also adorned with Shoji doors.

Many Japanese enjoy western style furnishings, often favoring leather couches over the traditional wooden and cotton ones. Ikea is popular with Tokyoites and many Japanese furniture manufacturers mimic western design. Companies like Nissen provide functional space saving, stylish modern furniture at affordable prices, but the quality

Traditional Japanese dolls

is not so high. Many people keep at least one piece of traditional furniture. Usually there is a display cabinet kept in the Nihon Jooma which is used to display many festive ornaments throughout the year on the various festival dates. One of the most famous festivals is probably Hina Matsuri, or Dolls Day, which is to pray for the stable and healthy growth of all girls in the family. Small effigies of a Japanese girl in a Kimono and a boy in a Yukata are displayed on a special plinth atop the cabinet.

As there is little space for gardens, the Japanese usually take pride in adorning their balconies with plants and flowers. One can see a whole array of wonderful balconies in the residential enclaves of Tokyo. Fortunately for Tokyo residents, the city boasts many wonderful parks and gardens, so if you need some peace and quiet in natural surroundings you can escape to a Japanese garden cross its various ornate foot bridges and sit amidst the azaleas, chrysanthemums, wisteria and carp-filled, lotus-adorned ponds and enjoy the bubbling of landscaped streams, the gentle chirrups and humming of insects and the mysterious pose of twisted, gnarled pines and strategically placed granite outcrops. Such gardens and parks are so well planned that you soon forget you are in Tokyo and somehow they even manage to block most buildings from sight by strategic placement of camphor, cherry and pine trees.

Now that Danny has set the zen-like scene for us, download “Insights” to complete your Japanese escape. Click the picture below to play or right-click to download. (If the picture is not working for you, you can also download by clicking here.)

To respect the rights of the musician, please comply with the simple Ruly License terms below.

Ruly License: You may download and play any Ruly Mix song for your own personal use so long as you keep the voiceover tags intact indicating the name of the artist and that the song came from beruly.com. Businesses may also download this song to play as background music in their establishments so long as the voiceover tags remain intact. Any other uses of the song (such as in videos, etc.) must be pre-approved by the musician. Questions about license permissions can be addressed to info@beruly.com.

If you enjoy this mix, please comment, give a “like” on Facebook or share this link with others!

Have a great weekend!

Previous Ruly Mix artists: Danny Stewart-Smith feat. Evin Gibson, Joe Hanley, Jamie Smith, Rajiv Agarwal

All this month at Ruly, we have been discussing money so it is fitting that the Ruly Mix this month is also about money. There have been a lot of classic money anthems, including Money (That’s What I Want) by Barrett Strong, For the Love of Money by the O’Jays, and Money by Pink Floyd.

This month’s Ruly Mix, See So Clearly, is a fitting recession anthem and comes from Tokyo-based musician, composer and producer, Danny Stewart-Smith and features vocals by North Carolina native, Evin Gibson.

Read on for more about Danny and his music.

Danny Stewart-Smith http://www.ddeprod.com

What is your musical background?

I began my musical journey at the age of 6 learning piano under Scottish composer of note, Ronald Stevenson. Stevenson was a fantastic teacher inspiring creation and internal understanding of notes and scales not just pontificating on the mechanics of playing as subsequent teachers seemed to do. Anyway, I gave piano up after moving from Scotland to Devon. It was not until I was 16 that I picked up the guitar and listened to Hendrix, Santana, Zappa, Satriani, Vai, and Pass among many more. Everyone seemed to play guitar and when we wanted to form a school band we had no bassist, so I volunteered. After a couple of years playing cover tunes I got offered a job with a local pianist playing Jazz gigs. He taught me all about walking bass lines and I took his left hand patterns onto the bass guitar, then onto upright bass. I spent a couple of years playing Jazz and Funk around the UK with him and another funk band with some of my school friends. We did the pub and club circuit all over England. I then decided to move to London to pursue music seriously and was fortunate enough to get picked up for a touring position with Real World Records and also accompanying acclaimed vocalist/actress Kate Dimbleby for a theatrical production. While in London I worked and lived in a project studio where I met my future wife. She visited the studio on an assignment and we became friends and worked together on a few projects including a Japanese Embassy subsidized event named Tokyo Mania. We grew closer through our work and became romantically involved. We came to her home country of Japan seven years ago, to have our first child. I liked it here, so we decided to stay. Since then I have been involved in radio, composition and arranging more so than performance.

What inspires you when you are writing/producing music?

The actual subject matter I am writing for; for example, if a client asks me for music for a fighter jet flying scene, I then immediately start visualizing the scene and the music just comes. Of course the frame work of existing music for similar scenes has already been ingested through viewing films in the past. So typically composers like John Williams or Hans Zimmer have influenced me. The thing is, I can hear the workings of all kinds of music on a first listen so I constantly digest music in any situation, be it in the supermarket, watching TV or movies and I expect much of what I digest plays out through my compositions too.

If I get stuck for ideas I look to existing music in similar genres to get inspiration. For dance music I get inspiration from all over the place, I compose for many different purposes and sometimes I find a commission work inspires a new dance track, or I start hearing the possibilities of the work in different genres or hear a great track on the radio and feel inspired to do something in a similar vein. In most cases however, a tune just pops into my head and no matter where I am I just have to hum it into my mp3 recorder. After that the rest just flows, beats, bass lines, chords etc. all just materialize from the initial groove or melody.

What were you thinking about when you composed this mix for beruly.com?

How obsessive we can be about money and possessions. See So Clearly is really about how comparison to others and living in excess or beyond your means is not of great importance/or is actually dangerous, and that success and happiness is really down to how you feel about your life.

If you are happy in what you do, you are successful, never mind the Jones’s.

How important is money in the music world?

Since artists can now run their own digital record labels for next to nothing, money is of far less significance to independents as far as I can observe. Distribution and promotion on the web is also very cheap, you have virtually nothing to lose and you can “test drive” your releases on sites like Jango, Reverbnation and many others for free.

Money is of course important to the majors, and they need to offset the loss in CD sales to illegal downloads by selling merchandise and affiliate advertising. Bizarre as it may seem, these days it is possible to become “popular” without even performing live. Many independent artists have seen sales of their own material create a second income for them, but it does take hard dedicated, web promotion….you have to reach your target audience and to do that requires work…if you like, a virtual tour of many websites, forums and music distribution rings.

This of course, has sparked a torrent of bogus “opportunity” sites that prey on the independent musician’s penchant for success and I suspect they make a lot of money!

How has the recession affected Japan?

Japan’s ties with America and its subsequent Americanization has of course seen a slight rise in unemployment and a wider range of salaries due to the linear structuring of American companies trading and operating in Japan. However, it still seems that there is less of a class gap in Japan and this helps it feel as though nothing much has changed, at least on the surface.

Some Foreign companies such as HP, have had to reduce salaries or employ a work share strategy in order to battle the recession without axing employees. However, in Japanese companies, employees are well protected by the law, it is not easy to be sacked from a Japanese company, but many are reporting salary or bonus cuts (including management) to get through this downturn. Most Japanese see this as an amicable option versus losing their job. Another side effect is that low interest rates in Japan have caused many banks to branch off into the loan market, where they can earn much more interest, and this in turn is beginning to feed a small but growing culture of debt.

As far as I understand it the government and the FSA have plans in place to try and curb this activity, but the younger generations are not so wise when it comes to money, which is a shame as in the past the Japanese have been notoriously good at saving money. Catastrophes like the Leamann collapse also affected Japanese banking systems negatively too due to the quantity of shares held and integrated banking laws, and play a large part in this outbreak of loan companies. It seems like Japan, a nation that appeared to think long-term about its citizens future, has thrown down the gauntlet of job security to compete in today’s volatile market, through fear of losing its place, and as a result company cultures are restructuring to match the market. This, in my opinion, is a long-term mistake leading to long-term financial difficulties.

http://www.evingibson.com

How did you connect with Evin Gibson?

Evin contacted me over the web before he visited Japan to tour. He was wanting to hook up with some musicians during his visit so I obliged and prepared a song for him to perform on. Evin not only provided excellent lead vocals, he also helped to rephrase some of the lyrics and added some lines based on the topic of the song. What he brought to this tune is excellent, his vision seemed to complement mine nicely. I hope to work with Evin again, he is a true talent.

Ready to listen?  Click the picture below to play or right-click to download. (If the picture is not working for you, you can also download by clicking here.)

See So Clearly

Lead Vocals / lyrics; Evin Gibson
Lyrics and music; Danny Stewart-Smith
All instruments, backing vocals and production, Danny Stewart-Smith

I gotta tell you,

Verse 1

You wanna flashy car Mercedes Benz or Jaguar baby,
Rolex watch diamond ring and all these things now

you want fine cigars, warm champagne, and caviar,
you want designer jeans, Gucci, Prada, latest styles

What do you do with 1000 shoes and can only wear one pair at a time?

Wonderin’ which watch to choose and they’re all sayin’ the same time.

Chorus

I can see there’s more to life, I can see, see so clearly
Pushin’ back the sands of time it’s all fine, life flows on by.

Fortune shines when we’re satisfied in our hearts and in our minds.
Pushing through and we can find and redefine what makes us all so blind.

I gotta tell you…..

Verse 2

You’ve got those credit cards and plastic dreams manicures and facial creams,
What does it really mean, to have almost everything and still want more?

What do you do with 1000 shoes and can only wear one pair at a time?
Wonderin’ which watch to choose and they’re all sayin’ the same time.

(repeat)

You’ve got those credit cards and plastic dreams manicures and facial creams,
What does it really mean, to have almost everything and still want more?

Bridge

There is so many things to think about
There is so much that we can live without
There is so many things to think about
There is so much that we can live without..

So many things oh yeah…

(Bass solos over chorus and refrain…)

Refrain

I don’t need it, you don’t need it, we don’t need it o-oh no (etc…)

Don’t need no diamond rings, don’t need no fancy cars

Ruly License: You may download and play any Ruly Mix song for your own personal use so long as you keep the voiceover tags intact indicating the name of the artist and that the song came from beruly.com. Businesses may also download this song to play as background music in their establishments so long as the voiceover tags remain intact. Any other uses of the song (such as in videos, etc.) must be pre-approved by the musician. Questions about license permissions can be addressed to info@beruly.com.

Kick your energy level for the weekend into high gear with this month’s awesome mix from New York City-based composer Joe Hanley! Joe’s mix is called “High Score” which times perfectly with the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver this weekend.

When I listen to Joe’s mix, I am transported back to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. It is the only Olympics I have ever attended in person and it was an amazing experience. At that Olympics, I attended several events including the men’s ski jump event where Harry Potter (actually doppelganger Simon Ammann from Switzerland) won the gold!

I also can proudly say I was there when the American men (Ross Powers, Danny Kass and JJ Thomas) swept the medals in men’s snowboarding half-pipe. Snowboarding is a great event where everyone, including a mere geeky spectator like myself, gets to feel “cool” for a moment. They play incredible music as the athletes come down the pipe doing impossible moves that have great names like, “air,” “grab,” and “McTwist.” Everyone should have a moment in their lives like that to feel genuinely cool.

Joe’s music captures that feeling of “cool” and it sounds like an Olympic snowboarding song to me. I hope it gives you the same lift! Here’s a little more about Joe and his music.

Joe Hanley joehanleymusic.com

What is your musical background?

I’ve been playing and composing for 20 years. My primary instruments are keyboards and vocals, and I have a basic background in guitar as well.

What inspires you when you are writing music?

My initial inspiration for any song differs depending on the context that I’m writing in. If the music I’m composing is for a specific client, they usually have style and mood requests that will inspire my first ideas. Most of the time ideas come when I’m doing something else like walking, driving or in the shower. Those slight distractions really seem to take my thoughts out of the process and allow my intuition to take over.

What were you thinking about when you composed this mix for beruly.com?

For this mix I was inspired by dance music and wanted to combine a hard hitting dance floor aesthetic with my somewhat quirky and peculiar tastes.

Is there such a thing as perfection in music? What compositions or musicians do you consider “perfect”?

Music is such a subjective art form, so no matter how perfect you may think a song is, there will always be someone else who doesn’t. I don’t believe perfection exists in any aspect of life, but I do believe it’s smart to always strive for your “best” in anything you do.

With that said, I do have a few musicians and compositions that I personally believe couldn’t get any better:

1. George Gershwin – His 3 Preludes.

2. Debussy – “The Girl with the Flaxen Hair” – wrote this for his wife before he went off to war. If there ever was a situation that could bring out the best in a composer, this would be it.

3. Radiohead – Every song off of “OK Computer”

Ready to listen to Joe’s mix?  Click the picture below to play or right-click to download. (If the picture is not working for you, you can also download by clicking here.) 

If you like what you hear, please comment and feel free to share the song with others. To respect the rights of the musician, please comply with the simple Ruly License terms below.

Ruly License: You may download and play any Ruly Mix song for your own personal use so long as you keep the voiceover tags intact indicating the name of the artist and that the song came from beruly.com. Businesses may also download this song to play as background music in their establishments so long as the voiceover tags remain intact. Any other uses of the song (such as in videos, etc.) must be pre-approved by the musician. Questions about license permissions can be addressed to info@beruly.com.

Wishing you a perfect weekend!

Previous Ruly Mix artists:  Jamie Smith, Rajiv Agarwal

Just in time to jazz up your weekend . . . the Ruly Mix!   Download for free a great track to give you the boost of energy you need to accomplish something difficult or keep you in a positive mood! This month’s featured artist is Jamie Smith from Edinburgh, Scotland.

When I was choosing the song for this month, Jamie’s sample came on and my little ones instantly started dancing all over the place. When the sample was over, I heard the sweetest little chorus, “Play it again! Play it again!” That was the only test I needed to know that Jamie belonged in the Ruly Mix.

The other thing that is simply delightful to me about Jamie’s music is that it is completely unexpected. While you might be thinking we are going to be treated to a bagpipe solo or something akin to Celtic music, you are going to be a bit surprised to hear some totally groovy jazz! Yes, Scottish jazz! Who knew?

Here’s a little more about Jamie and his music:

Jamie Smith http://donbrae.co.uk

How long have you been playing/composing music and how did you get into jazz?

I’ve been playing and writing music since I was about 6 or 7. Like last month’s composer Rajiv, I started out on a Casio keyboard and shortly thereafter graduated to a battered old upright piano, much to the annoyance of neighbors. I studied classical music for a good few years before switching to jazz. I’d always been familiar with the Great American Songbook, and that material was my introduction to jazz and improvisation. Various family members play and sing, and there were lead sheets and songbooks around the house that I would play through and improvise on. I eventually got around to really studying how jazz harmony worked and how to go about improvising properly (I’m still working on it!). There’s actually quite a vibrant jazz scene here in Scotland, with annual festivals in all the major cities. Jam sessions are well attended and one of the music colleges has recently began running the country’s first full-time jazz degree.

What instruments do you play?

I play jazz and funk keyboards, ranging from acoustic and electric piano to Clavinet and organ. I did used to play flugelhorn, which is a brass instrument, but sadly don’t have the time to dedicate to that anymore.

What inspires you when you are writing music?

On one level it’s the creative challenge that inspires me. I always like to try out new things, whether it’s expanding my harmonic knowledge or writing in a new style. Inspiration also comes from the hope that people might enjoy listening to what you’ve created. If someone, after a hard day, listens to a bit of your music to relax and feel better, then you’ve done your job.

What were you thinking about when you composed this mix for beruly.com?

I really just tried to write something that Ruly readers would find catchy, lively and entertaining. I hope they enjoy it (my fingers are crossed)! It also amused me to think what my fellow jazzers would make of the bass and drum solos.

What goals have you set for yourself for 2010?

My main goal for 2010 is to work hard and continue making music – all the while trying to be more sociable and get out from in front of the piano now and again. The year’s got off to a great start with the chance to create something for Ruly. It’s been fun – thanks for the opportunity!

Intrigued?  Can’t wait to hear the song?  Wait no longer!  Click the picture below to play or right-click to download. (If the picture is not working for you, you can also download by clicking here.)

If you like what you hear, please feel free to share the song with others. To respect the rights of the musician, please comply with the simple Ruly License terms below.

Ruly License: You may download and play any Ruly Mix song for your own personal use so long as you keep the voiceover tags intact indicating the name of the artist and that the song came from beruly.com. Businesses may also download this song to play as background music in their establishments so long as the voiceover tags remain intact. Any other uses of the song (such as in videos, etc.) must be pre-approved by the musician. Questions about license permissions can be addressed to info@beruly.com.

If you love Jamie’s music, please post a comment and share this link with others!  Please know that all the Ruly Mix musicians love to get feedback on the songs.  Even a quick comment like “Cool!” or “Love it!” is tremendously appreciated.  Plus, this month anyone posting a comment can get a Ruly thank you note if you email your address to me at info@beruly.com.

Wishing you a hip weekend!

Previous Ruly Mix artists:  Rajiv Agarwal