Took a welcome break from the relentless work on the 'Auditoria' album packaging to spend a few hours with friends of ours at the very excellent 'foodie' pub in the nearby village. Colin and Caroline are long time fans of my music who we have come to know over the years. I'm quite guarded about my privacy and don't like to mix my private life up too much with my professional life, but this lovely couple have become firm friends of ours and it's always a pleasure to spend time with them.
Paul Gilby contacted me today to inform me that the 'Auditoria' artwork needs to be completed and sent to the pressing plant by the end of this month if it is to be manufactured in time for the December release. Consequently I've spent most of the day trying out different graphic design possibilities to complete what is required for Martin Bostock to lay out and place the typography on top of. It's always hard to judge the final result until it's all put in place and seen in context. But creating and manipulating the images is time consuming, despite the enjoyment I get from immersing myself in it all.
Martin has sent me a rough draft but I felt that it needed some image changes here and there and so the process continues. It's a constant back and forth until I feel it looks more or less right. Being a triple album, this project is rather more involved and complex than usual, (though my idea with the design is to make something simple and direct.) This can open up an infinite range of solutions though. Time is needed to try different things out to see what rings my bell the most harmoniously. We'll get there in the end...
I'm hyper aware of time passing, a regular concern these days. Still so much work to prepare for the 'Plectronica' event. Sometimes it seems like a mountain looming in front of me, a mountain that I'm finding it increasingly hard to climb. Whether the struggle is down to time, or age or infirmity, I can't say. Probably a combination of all three factors. So what? Just do whatever you can, (though it's never really enough.)
Can't remember when was the last time I took a holiday. Emiko mentions it now and again, (with a certain amount of frustration,) but I just keep on working regardless, simply because working with music feels like playing.
I'm in love with the process of making music, the tangible, hands on experience of creating something from nothing. It's a pure joy and I'm so very fortunate to have been able to do this for the biggest part of my life.
For how much longer though? My hands are becoming more blighted by arthritis, my left hand suffering from pain and stiffness for a while but now my right hand becoming even more problematic.
My late father had to give up playing the saxophone because of athritic fingers, and at a younger age than myself too...but it seems I'm headed for the same fate. Don't want to contemplate that, but have to accept the seemingly inevitable. It's a bugger and no mistake...
I know that some people will say that I've managed to create more than enough music to last several lifetimes, but, truth is, I don't feel I've really got to grips with any of it yet. I'm still in the apprentice stage, still feeling my way forward, a man in the dark with no torch. But perhaps with a vague hope of reaching the light. Damn rum stuff this music making business....
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