The ambient sounds of London spill into the suburban streets, cascading together and painting images of the urban metropolis. The dull moan of traffic flood the roadways. Engines sharing the notes of combustion, coughing toxins into the atmosphere, carrying its pungency into the lungs of of its inhabitants. Children wail and squeal from neighbouring schools and the sirens of emergency services brush elements colour into the monochromatic drone of normality.
Inside, a chilled air holds the room silent. The fan delicately pans back and forth casting a shallow winters breeze. The low buzz of speakers hover in the room like a solitary insect, bouncing from wall to wall aimlessly. The composer is dormant, he anticipates the events that are about to unfold with his collaborator. The violinist.
Instruments glaze every available surface, MIDI keyboards, controllers and MPCs balance precariously amongst scattered books and CDs. Vinyl records fill sticker coated shelves. Coils of cabling sprawl the floor, wiring instrumentation to the brain of the operation. A bay of LEDs glow steady their isolated holes in the metallic casing of a worn console loaded with switches, and knobs sit idle, eagerly awaiting input.
The violinist stands measured over his array of equipment. Violins, synthesisers and effects panels. The violinist lifts his stringed instrument, with a draw of the bow, it cuts through the myriad of ambience, abrasive tones flood the small room with piercing accuracy. The composer, behind his desk operates his computer, the subtle nod of the head acts as a measurement for appreciation. The crossover of two genres begins.
Gather.ly's first Crossover has come to life. UK Hip hop producer and composer, The Last Skeptik joined forces for a one off, relaxed studio session with violinist John Garner.
Music these days seems to be all about the final product. That rich mix that hits your ears through your smartphone earbuds. The process seems to be completely forgotten.
We want to change that and focus on the people behind the music, and how they get to that final release. Each track is a project, something that grows from a small idea into something you want the world to listen to. The process is the most exciting part, it is something that should be shared. The process is where everything happens and Gather.ly want to capture that.
When we look at the walls of recording studios, we see photographs of the famous musicians who have brought their projects to life within these now famous buildings, these walls hold a legacy. This is our inspiration. We want to hear the story, relive that moment and appreciate the time and effort that went into that piece of music by sharing the process, showing the relationships and demonstrating the musicality and method of great musicians we aim to inspire, educate and motivate the wider creative community.
A few weeks back, these two musicians came together under a mutual love for music and mini rolls. Chomping away with chocolate fuelled adrenaline, the two brewed ideas over a classic chopped up 'Skeptik beat'. John swiftly jumped onto his violin and laid down some mesmerising layers. In four hours, Skeptik and John had created a completely original track and the results are quite bloody spectacular. You can listen and download the track for free over on our SoundCloud page.
We also shot a short documentary film to let you get even closer to the events of the day. Gather.ly Collective member Craig Smith makes a return as director straight of the back of our recent APN film, this time collaborating with the extremely talented Skewiff aka Callum Whiteley who stepped up as cinematographer. Check it out now...
