A short collection of songs exploring ideas of Social Contract Theory. From pop through to ambient and industrial tracks.
Work started on this album after I completed a degree in law. Hence where the title came from. Only about half the songs feature words. The process of taking things apart had started by looking at the social contract theory while studying. This set of recordings tries to understand the whole of society and what drives it. From going to the bottom of the sea to fcuk cool. What feeds people. I sometimes think we do not want to change. Yet this recording as life is full of change. I wondered long and hard about the ‘Age of the credit card’ track. If I could really get away with a song like this. Of course, there are songs which are multi-layered and driving to destinations such as Get up/step into the light. How many ways can one look at things, as my law professor pointed out if you can not destroy it then you can not see it. There is truth in that when we can see all the angles we can see.
‘Time is Short’ no doubt, can we listen to things ultimately we dislike what it is about. Where do they take us? I must ‘Trust the Future’ for my ideas are free. In a world where we are trying to own ideas. what does it matter, and does it serve the contract we have with each other. The music makes it easier, it takes me away, there are possibilities.
1. The Coming
This started life as ‘Wild Wild’ it was among a selection of the first recordings that were recorded for ‘Social Contract Me Baby’ I think this is the only one that survived from that session. The title is self-explanatory.
2 Upbeat (extended Including Sock It To Me Baby)
There are currently three different versions of this song. All very different and unique. This was one was a demo version but seem to have a unique quality. The final mix is two songs put together the first was called upbeat, but the words are for ‘sock it to me baby’ where its two previous versions did not allow the words to exist. As the song says it is ‘Upbeat’.
3 Sock It To Me Baby (Crying Version)
This is the second versions of this song. This is probably a slightly controversial piece, I thought long and hard about putting it on the album. You have the feeling of heartbeat fighting for what must be done. All the rhythm is switched here. Recorded at my home studio using Cubase.
4 Sock It To Me Baby (Demur Version)
The last version of ‘Sock it to me Baby’ where the feeling is stronger and there is an Indian spirit with rolling drums.
5 Fat and Tear #
Is the sound of industry in progress not of factories as they have all gone from England (probably good), but of Saturday night TV (probably bad).
6 Going to the Bottom of the Sea
Recorded this Track in 2013. As the title says it about going to the bottom of the sea and trying to find something. Of course, the language is mythical and sea represents the large space that takes up our life. It is recorded just with piano and Vocals, mixed with Cubase at my home studio.
7 fcuking cool
I felt it should have a better name but this is all that came to mind. It was originally called super cool. Sit back….
8 Get on up / step into the light (Featuring Pinky B)
This song was recorded in Augusts in September 2013 in Gypo’s studio. The song idea dates back about 15 years ago when I was playing in a grunge band in the Netherlands. We used it as an intro to a song called fake. I think the idea behind that song is exploring ideas and becoming engaged in events that surround you. Of course, it is a perspective. However, when one is younger it is possible to feel very uninspired and that change for the better is a hopeless goal. This is not so.
Pre-recording we did a number of sessions with Gypo where ideas were thrown against a wall to see what would stick. I had an acoustic demo but substantially rewrote the song and recorded the drum that you hear on the finished version. Gypo took that demo and really reworked it using Pro tools, not only adding trumpets unbeknown to me that he could play himself but also really applying years of knowledge and understanding. He was a stickler for the rhythm where I have a tendency to let things be very loose, he made it tight which is what any dance track needs and took the track to a whole new level. While the track is politically motivated it was also the point to make something that was danceable uplifting and seductive. We start off at a dark place and move to the light. One can hear that each chorus is progressing somewhere. Pinky B provided the Vocals for this track. In her first studio performance and after much persuasion she put a vocal that required little or no effects and was pretty much spot on.
9 Age of the Plastic Credit Card
This song came from Day 4 of the listening project ‘something has changed’ recorded in Feb 2015. Here is the completed version of this song. Released here for the third time.
10. Bubbling Under
As it sounds.
11. Concentrate
How we concentrate or the strength of things
12 Shake the Tree (Trust the Future)
Acceptance of how much of our lives is beyond our control, whatever we may think about it.
13 Time is Short
A reminder that it does not last forever.
Buy in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/social-contract-me-baby/id1115157219
Discuss at https://twitter.com/LeoC
https://soundcloud.com/cousinlee/sets/social-contract-me-baby
