Library Man

Good News First, Bad News...then some more Good News

2012-02-08T12:40:00.000Z

I am attaching the final promo video here for your enjoyment. Thanks for the positive feedback, so far - much appreciated!

The album will now be available in digital format only. Boo! As previously advised, the bandcamp download will also include the artwork, so you can make your own :)

Therefore, 'Unauthorised Soundtrack' will be available slightly earlier than scheduled. Get back to you next week with the relevant notice.

Until Later, here's a snippet of 'Conquest for Planet X':

Unauthorised Soundtrack Release

2012-01-28T16:08:00.000Z

So...I have set the promo wheels in motion, and hope some of you have seen the videos and / or heard the sounds emanating from The Room of Rock in Wicklow.

I am planning a release date of Saturday 18th February, as this will be exactly one year on from 'Set Fire to the Snow'. I hope there will be sufficient interest to make physical CDs for this one, too. Either way, I will be making all the artwork available as part of the digital release.

Here's the latest promo video, featuring portrait shots taken by Aoife Brennan. From the final part of the 'Das Experiment' suite, this is a sample from 'Repatriation':

Free Audio Samples here

Until Later

Shane

Drum roll, please...

2012-01-18T01:52:00.000Z

Having spun a number of variations on the movie imagery that has so inspired the music this time around, my next album will be titled 'Unauthorised Soundtrack'. Here's a peek at the front cover artwork:

On the musical side, all tracks are mastered (1st pass), and I plan to release some audio / video promo clips in the coming weeks. Release details to follow.

Until Later

Shane

Jigsaw Pieces

2011-12-18T13:46:00.000Z

Just finished putting the arrangement together for 'Battle for Planet X', and sketched the main parts. Looking forward to the recording of this one, as it be the final piece for the new album. Hoping that recording will be complete by the end of the week, with mixing / mastering to commence in the New Year.

Yet to come up with a title for the overall work, but thinking along the lines of 'Music inspired by the Motion Picture' given the starting points for each 'story'. Suggestions welcome, though!

Very excited about putting the whole thing together, as it is quite a ride. I've really drawn on the spirit of the classic PROG stories of yore, but added cinematic, world and electronic elements to further expand the progressive nature of my compositions.

Greetings from PROG Mountain

2011-12-12T15:43:00.000Z

Wow, it has been a while since I spoke to my legions of adoring followers!

New album is coming along nicely, with a release expected early in 2012. I'm very pleased with the cinematic elements that feature heavily throughout the 2 multi-part suites, Das Experiment and Planet X.

Side One - Das Experiment:
1. To the Interior
2. Awakenings
3. Solitary Confinement
4. Uprising
5. Battle Lines & Skirmishes
6. Repatriation

Side Two - Planet X
1. Planet X
2. Beneath Planet X
3. Escape from Planet X
4. Conquest of Planet X
5. Battle for Planet X

Until Later

Under The Shadow

2011-03-15T10:09:00.000Z

I watched Oliver Stone's take on the Jim Morrison story last night, for the first time - I can be a bit slow like that! I also watched Tim Minchin do his stuff at the Hammy O via the magic of DVD (yes, I do believe that DVDs are magic, as are CDs!). In different ways, both sets of images and sounds acted as the catalyst for what I've been considering for some time - in spite of my recent release of Cellardoor material.

As a solo artist, and producer of instrumental music, why do I need to have pigeon holes? I'd always hoped for a musical set-up that would allow me to explore sound to the limits of my talent and imagination. Not that either of those qualities are massively in abundance, but I always like to break out of the mold every now and again, and oftentimes the very nature of a band democracy doesn't allow for that. That's why you have solo albums, side projects and so on. Don't get me wrong, bands give you so much more in terms of creative objectivity, specialist skill, collaboration, diversity, team-working and in the social arena, too.

I think it's about time I 'fessed up, and went out on my own, though...time to step out from under the shadow of Cellardoor. What's that all about? All of my output is written and produced by me alone, so I've decided to bring an end the distinction that I make between my so-called PROG and my 'other music'. It's all going to be 'by Shane' from now on: the various types of Rock that I deal in, the Soundscapes, the Electronica, the Folk, the Jazz, the Musak, the Pop, the Dance...and, of course the music that doesn't fit squarely in a square peg.

Oh, and what do Jim & Tim have to do with it? I just felt connected to the versatility displayed by both artists in totally different fields, at different times, with different ambitions, different influences. Purely in terms of the music and the performance.

Set Fire to the Snow Liner Notes: Side Two

2011-02-28T16:58:00.000Z

My Serious Side
Completed - 23rd March, 2010
Guitars, Bass, Synth - Shane
Tuning - Standard

This piece is very much centred on creating a mood - it's not really a song, as much as it is a soundscape, and a curious way to set-up the second side of the album. It does have fairly typical verse and chorus sections, but it was primarily an experiment using a simple guitar line (and varying degrees of echo) that gradually becomes enveloped in something more complex, something slightly sinister, before the happy release. There is a musical motif here that I may revisit some day, but for now it serves as the perfect segway to the main songs on side two.

The Farmer & The Fisherman's Daughter
Completed - 23rd December, 2010
Guitars, Bass, Synth - Shane
Tuning - Standard (with capo at 2nd fret)
Drums* - Michael Shreve, Matt Cameron

I would say I have never put as much into one song as on this piece. Starting life as a 25 second clip - 3 half ideas for chord progressions on an acoustic guitar - it became the most challenging piece to write, record, and mix (3 rewrites and at least 4 remixes). This is a pretty all emcompassing piece, and says quite a lot about me and the way I think about the craft of music making.

I had been inspired by working with Bat Kinane, and started noodling on the acoustic guitar during July, 2010. Initially, it might have been something for us to collaborate on - see if we could pull a song from this innocuous little demo. Anyway, that wasn't meant to be, so it was lying idle as an idea, but nagging me at the same time. Is it destined to be a lost gem? Can I convert it into a production track? Would I like an acoustic number for my Cellardoor catalogue? There was no album at this point, remember.

Only when the snow hit us for the second time in the year did I get the impetus and drive to see it through. I believed in the quality of the ideas, and I knew I needed something like this to give me a more rounded album. It became the missing link.

There are all manner of textures, rhythms and sounds on offer here: African beats, tempo changes, shifting time signatures, 12-string acoustic, 6-string acoustic, sitar, orchestral string sections, mandolin, accordian, electric guitars (of course!), 3 guitar solos (minimum, depending on your interpretation). Somehow, it all works in the sense that you really are on a journey with the 2 protagonists.

The title came to me when walking in the fields near my childhood home (an AONB that I think is unmatched anywhere in the world), and there really is a Farmer and a Fisherman's Daughter.

The Condition of My Condition
Completed - 1st August, 2010
Guitars, Bass, Synth - Shane
Tuning - Standard
Drums* - Stephen Perkins

This tune first started coming together at the end of 2009, when I was looking at fresh ideas for the second phase of writing for One More Outnumbered. With a decidedly twisted funk groove, and challenging arrangement it was definitely going to take the band into new territory. Even though it made it to the room for inspection, and some demo work was completed, it got lost amid the mixing sessions for the OMO album - and, in truth, was never really going to work in the band context.

It was another piece that I believed in very strongly - I didn't want to lose it altogether, but didn't hear it as a viable production number for library pitches and so forth. Therefore, a band song but not fot that band. Naturally, I took it into the Cellardoor fold.

The resultant song demonstrates my love of mixing styles and sounds, with exploration of both the percussive rhythms and the synth tones. I played around with some classic Moog and Mellotron noises to add some retro flavour to the distinctly modern drum and guitar sounds. There is a nifty breakdown section after the first chorus that I am particularly pleased with, especially as it lifts to a very expansive and open middle section, and subsequent key change. I extracted as much as possible from just a few core parts - this song mostly being propelled by subtle key changes and myriad rhythm / arrangement shifts. The 3 part chorus is a favourite of mine - equally challenging and musically pleasing.

I think I got lucky (with an appropriate amount of perseverance, too) and created a piece that is easy on the ear and musically muscular. It's something that I have admired greatly in the songs of Rush, U2, Tears for Fears and The Police. Though, as my good friend Chris Stynes said about the early demos: 'Primus called, and they want their tone back'

The Sound of Muse (sic)
Completed - 28th April, 2010
Guitars, Bass - Shane
Tuning - Drop D
Drums* - John Tempesta

The partner in crime to Don't Eat the Yellow Snow, and the song that really set the ball rolling. The initial ideas came together in mid February, but I had a difficult time finalising the arrangement, and could not decide on the tones for the best part of a couple of months. In the end, it was simpler to complete once I accepted that the guide guitar tracks already had the tone I wanted - a trashy, lively, over distorted, almost uncontrollable wash of a sound - so they are still on there, mixed with various overdubs.

Inspired by the guitar playing of Matt Bellamy, there is a loosely Devonshire twang to some of the parts. Notably in the chorus, where I tried for a big, open wash of chords and used a simple lead line to thread them together. Ok, and then in the immediate sections that follow the first chorus - deranged sense of melody, quirky effects, gradually ascending runs overlaid with roving octaves. Overall, it's a little more metal than Muse, but it's similar to the vibe you get from the live experience with the band - where Bellamy really lets the dogs out.

Invitation to the Meltdown Fiasco
Completed - 1st December, 2010
Guitars, Bass, Synth - Shane
Tuning - Custom
Drums* - Stephen Perkins

The letters I, M and F were pretty prominent in the news headlines around this time, so I enjoyed playing with words to get the title for this one. I'm not overtly political by any stretch, but it seemed pertinent, and I also created a couple of electonica pieces that week using the same point of reference - Invest My Future and Instigate More Fear...you get the drift.

Written and recorded over the course of a weekend, I went back to my custom tuning (B, G#, D#, F#, A#, D#), but decided to use mostly clean guitars to create the light and shade appropriate for the title. This one is a little schizophrenic - using pianos and synths to create a sneaky kind of drama over the ominous dirge of the verses. Then the chorus parts are much more genteel - pretty naive, really.

Naturally, there has to be some low end chug when using this tuning, so there is a noticeable shift in gears at 2:49 - stylistically somewhere between Faith No More, Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater and Opeth.

*courtesy of submersible music

Set Fire to the Snow Liner Notes: Side One

2011-02-17T16:08:00.000Z

Battle Royale with Cheese
Completed - 3rd November, 2010
Guitars, Bass - Shane
Tuning - Standard
Drums* - Alan White, John Tempesta, Stephen Perkins and Jeff Anthony

The album opener was put together very quickly, and as with many artists before me, I felt energised by that spontaneity - so it just had to go up front. With the completion of this tune, I really felt like I was working towards the next Cellardoor album, and not just a collection of Cellardoor type songs. My initial goal was to create a short, stomping classic rock track referencing Aerosmith, AC/DC and Zeppelin. Some of that remains, but by the time I'd finished the production it had taken on more of the typical Cellardoor vibes, reaching out to Vernon Reid (the main riff that nods to Jimmy Page), Alex Lifeson (the sonically uplifting and musical chorus) and Tom Morello (the special FX department) for a more progressive edge.

The song was written in about an hour and a half on the Monday evening; structured, demoed, recorded and mixed throughout Tuesday, with the original (non-album) master completed on Wednesday morning. Very much a production line approach, in stark contrast to some of the other pieces.

The beauty of instrumentals is that you can go a bit further with the titles, and so with this one I compounded a movie title with a movie quote. Multi instrumentalist extraordinaire, Cu Walsh (Argento, Bukkake Picnic, Zombie School, Mike Got Spiked) says he can imagine some mega robots clashing to these sounds, and that's all right by me.

Don't Eat the Yellow Snow
Completed - 15th April, 2010
Guitars, Bass, Synth - Shane
Tuning - Standard
Drums* - Stephen Perkins

One of the very first pieces to be written, with a title inspired by the preceding heavy weather (in January 2010). Along with The Sound of Muse (sic), this was a song with no home at the time - but it was clear to me that I was moving in a certain creative direction. Shorter songs with a definite Cellardoor flavour: the natural blending of the instinctive Progger and the Library Man I had started to become.

Guitar wise, I was very inspired by the twin approach used by Andrew Goddard and Mark Hosking (Karnivool) for the heavy punctuated sections, and the work of Matt Bellamy (trem picking riffs) and Dave Grohl is also very prevalent.

[This song bears no relation to the Zappa track of the same name]

Hang 'em B-Low
Completed - 12th September, 2010
Guitars, Bass, Synth - Shane
Tuning - Custom
Drums* - John Tempesta, Matt Sorum, Stephen Perkins, Matt Cameron

I didn't put too many brakes on this one - all the guitar parts are played on my PRS using a custom tuning: B, G#, D#, F#, A#, D#. It's essentially a half step detune, but with variations on the 4th and 6th strings. That characteristic flabbiness can be felt on the opening guitar lines as it progessively thickens all the way up to the first 'verse'. Also featured a lot of keyboards on this one, leaning more towards heavy Porcupine Tree and Opeth territory in places. All in all, I think I checked a number of my favourite artists on this mini epic, without getting too familiar.

Drum wise, this one is a bit of a tour de force, evidenced by the guys I roped in: all from the heavy alt rock / metal school. Hold on tight, it's a bit of a ride!

Isolation Freakazoid
Completed - 19th July, 2010
Guitars, Bass, Synth - Shane
Tuning - Standard (with capo at 2nd Fret)
Drums* - Stephen Perkins, John Tempesta, Matt Sorum

I guess I got pretty busy during the late Spring months, because I didn't pick up on new Cellardoor material again until July - and even then, by accident. 'Isolation' is one of those pieces that started out as an attempt at something in the Muse versus Bloc Party vein (Modern Alt Indie Pop Prog if there is such a thing). Ultimately it didn't end up there at all, so became part of the Cellardoor canon.

I was trying not to get too adventurous with the rhythms, so there are a number of very subtle groove shifts that really play on the simplest Pop / Rock patterns for all the main parts - you can rely on Stephen Perkins to give you that balance of groove and honest simplicity. I wanted the guitar and synth lines to be very vocal sounding, so called on a combination of theremins, moogs, and deliberately sleazy riffs...in that Zeppelin way, you know: 'tight but loose'.

This song contains two of my favourite moments on the album - at 1:40 where the 3rd verse tenses up to emphasise the call and response riffing, and then at 2:06 where the swaggering chorus riff is let rip, providing a sense of release.

Knights of East Devonshire
Completed - 25th October, 2010
Guitars, Bass, Synth - Shane
Tuning - Standard (detuned half step)
Drums* - Alan White, Matt Sorum, John Tempesta, Stephen Perkins

Bringing side one to a close is one of the real heavyweights of the album. Incepted just over a year earlier, with some riffs intended for future One More Outnumbered projects, this one was pulled 'from the vaults'.

It's only fitting that Alan White was responsible for the majority of the drums on this epic - it's got nifty odd time sections, bass pedals, oodles of classic synth sounds and wanders almost aimlessly at times. Of course, when I needed double bass drumming I went to one of the very best, and so John Tempesta's signature is all over this, too.

Guitar wise, I was inspired by Jerry Cantrell initially, so I took up my Strat and detuned it. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it handled the riffage on offer here. When matched with the right amps it has that lovely soaring, almost hollow, tone. Sure enough, it's great for soloing, so there is a bit of an extended workout thrown in - equal parts Bellamy, Lifeson, Wilson, Murray & Smith.

*courtesy of submersible music

Knights of East Devonshire Promo

2011-02-17T11:37:00.000Z

Here is the last promo clip, folks. Some relevant homely images, and a little nod to one of the influential musicians for the piece. 'Knights' is one of the featured tracks on the Cellardoor album, Set Fire to the Snow, and will close side one.

Set Fire to the Snow will be released through Blue Halo Productions, tomorrow, Friday 18th February.

Until Later

Shane

Hang 'em B-Low Promo

2011-02-14T14:22:00.000Z

Hi Folks,

Getting ever closer to release day, and so here is the penultimate video clip. Hang 'em B-Low is one of the cornerstones of the album, and ever so slightly epic in nature. Here's a taste:

Until Later

Shane

Extreme Catwalk Strut

2011-02-09T17:45:00.000Z

As a little respite from all the serious Cellardoor business...

I guess it's what you'd call an occupational hazard: if there is music on the TV / on a DVD / in the supermarket I hear it and wonder 'what if?'. Sometimes, I wonder WTF, of course. So there I am watching some vaguely entertaining reality TV (it's got Heidi Klum presenting, so you know what I mean), and I can't help hearing the background noise - there is a lot of guitar based industry on these shows, and the production elements have my curiosity aroused.

Anyway, I've taken that point of reference and created my own mini anthem for the next generation of strutting super skinny models. Use the perfectly bouncy 120bpm, add excessive dance tinged synth motifs, and I give you Extreme Catwalk Strut. Naturally, there are also slabs of detuned guitar for those of you into chunkier sounds.

Explosive new developments in episode 6

2011-02-03T09:23:00.000Z

Here are the latest images and sounds from the upcoming Cellardoor series:

Until Later

Shane

Invitation to the Meltdown Fiasco

2011-01-27T18:07:00.001Z

The new Cellardoor album, Set Fire to the Snow, will be released on Friday 18th February through bandcamp.com. All 10 tracks will be available individually as 320k mp3 files (or assorted other digital files), at a minimum price of €1.00 each. The whole album will sell for €5.00 - again this is a minimum fee - you can 'pay what you want' above that. Artwork included. Full details to be announced nearer the date.

In the meantime, here is another promo film for your enjoyment - inspired by recent news chronicles.

Until Later

Shane

Shane in Euro Metal shocker

2011-01-19T10:56:00.002Z

New tune, Ugly Disaster, available for your listening pleasure. Not from the Cellardoor stable - this one will be shopped around in the various licensing markets, but you can also buy it for your own enjoyment using the relevant link below. Inspired by Rammstein, Lacuna Coil et al...and the monstrous detuning! This one has my PRS tuned way low: A, F#, C#, B, G#, C#. Flabby, indeed.

Now, if Christina Scabbia would do some vocals for this, I'd be all set.

Until Later

Shane

Set Fire to the Snow Promo 2

2011-01-18T10:38:00.000Z

Here's another blast from my forthcoming album release. Images set to the sound of Cellardoor, with the track Don't Eat the Yellow Snow.

Until Later

Shane

2 tracks signed to UK publisher

2011-01-14T08:33:00.000Z

With a heavy heart, I regret to inform you that 'Kar Knot get you out of My System' will no longer feature on the upcoming Cellardoor release, 'Set Fire to the Snow'.

The positive flip is that the tune has been picked up by a UK publisher (I knew it deserved a good home). They have also taken my latest Tom Morello inspired track, 'Kill the Switch'.

Seems that 'covers' do well in the commercial world of TV / Film / Gaming.

Until Later

Shane

Set Fire to the Snow Promo 1

2011-01-13T08:54:00.000Z

In the final stages of packaging and presentation for the upcoming release. In the meantime, here's a taste of what's coming your way.

Until Later

Shane

Set Fire to the Snow

2011-01-05T13:24:00.001Z

The new Cellardoor album will be titled Set Fire to the Snow, tracklisting as follows:

Side One:
Battle Royale with Cheese
Don't Eat the Yellow Snow
Hang 'em B-Low
Isolation Freakazoid
Knights of East Devonshire

Side Two:
My Serious Side
The Farmer & The Fisherman's Daughter
The Condition of My Condition
The Sound of Muse (sic)
Invitation to the Meltdown Fiasco

Clocking in at approx 36 minutes, the album will be available in digital and physical CD formats. Release date TBC, though expected by end of February.

Until Later

Shane

Time is now again

2010-12-20T11:05:00.000Z

The snow has turned to pack ice, and the temperature keeps falling. Time is now again for more port and stilton than you can possibly consume...but you'll give it a go, anyway.

I am guessing most folk get to this point of the year, and wonder if it has lived up to the promises made at the start, and what you will do differently next year. I'm not talking about New Year resolutions, but more about action plans and if you dare, dreams. By that definition I am part of the 'most folk' clan, and I tend to take stock, set out my stall for the coming year, and generally kick back for a couple of weeks.

No doubt, the cool weather will assist my creative plans, though, and I sit here with nearly enough music for the next Cellardoor album (as yet untitled). 'Invitation to the Meltdown Fiasco' and 'The Farmer & The Fisherman's Daughter' are the most recent additions, with finishing touches being put to the latter this week.

2010 has been varied, with some undoubted successes, and a small dose of disillusionment. On the plus side, I have enjoyed creating some distinctly commercial tunes and gaining recognition for their viability - many thanks must go to The Edge (Atomic Yoo Too), Angus Young (Easy DC), Matt Bellamy (The Sound of Muse), Tom Morello (RAT Machine Gun) and Dave Grohl (Mother of Foo) for inspiration on the appropriate pieces.

On the downside, OMO saw it's last days, with an album's worth of material still out there to be saved for another time - maybe.

I have continued to experiment with electronic sounds, and duly delivered some quirky soundtrack / game type numbers (too much Peggle or too much Bladerunner?) I feel sure I will continue to indulge in this field, especially as I don't have the expertise to deliver authenticity. Instead, it allows for more purity (some people call this naivety) than I can get in my comfort zones.

Getting to work with Bat Kinane again has provided a number of highlights: co-writing 'No Turning Back' for his solo abum, playing alongside him at an acoustic gig in Ballyknockan (something of a debut for us both in a number of ways), and of course having the opportunity to play on a few numbers at the album launch in October.

I suppose the surprising thing for me is the recent realisation that I have been working towards a new solo album myself. Though it has been a while since 'The Random Event Factory Demos', those songs were deliberately written, constructed and produced as self expression to go alongside my work in One More Outnumbered. The newest material is a lucky combination of (a) songs that started as library pieces, (b) some unused ideas from the band days, (c) a couple of deliberately elaborate prog rock workouts. The library pieces just got more and more developed, and maybe didn't have the commercial viability I hoped for. The unused band ideas were too good not to be placed, and the proggy stuff? Well, I don't really need to justify that, do I?

All in all, a busy and productive year, covering Classic-, Pop-, Alt- and Prog Rock, as well as Electronica and Americana.

Until Later....Merry Christmas

Songs in the collaborative key

2010-12-10T13:49:00.000Z

Been reaching out in recent months, spreading my musical wings so to speak. After an enjoyable and successful co-write with Bat Kinane on his debut solo album, A Lifetime To Kill, I have reconnected with longtime pal, John Waldron to work on some funk inspired grooves. Also, testing out the Atlantic waters on some classic rock numbers with Vince Constantino (Ideascapes Music).

John played bass in Chuzzle all those years ago, and has a natural instinct for musical, roving basslines - two of which he sent me. Suitably inspired, I've been working on some arrangements, adding guitars and drums. We're set to record the rhythm section before Christmas.

Vince is an established Library Man, Berklee schooled, with major experience in production music. He has taken a couple of my instrumental cues, and is currently working on lyrical and melodic elements to turn them into fully fledged songs.

Results to be shared in 2011 - already shaping up to be busy and productive year.

Cellardoor - Battle Royale With Cheese

2010-12-03T19:10:00.008Z

Latest Cellardoor tune available for small change, using the button below - this will take you to my online store.

What started out as a classic rocker a la Aerosmith, Van Halen and AC/DC, turned up as something a little bit more modern. Usual Cellardoor elements with nods to Tom Morello, Vernon Reid & Alex Lifeson.

New Cellardoor Album in 2011

2010-11-26T11:48:00.002Z

Seems like I've been writing a new Cellardoor album this year, but wasn't really aware of it. Sifting through some of the more challenging pieces, I have approximately 28 minutes worth of music ready, with another new piece on the way in the next 2 weeks.

Aiming for usual 35-45 minutes worth, probably 11 or 12 pieces. Pretty pleased with the production values on my recent works, and confident that this will represent my most accomplished work to date.

Keep ya posted as release gets nearer.

Until Later

Shane