You might not be aware of this but some people get paid to listen to music.

Now we’re not talking feet up and humming along. We’re talking people who intently study every note and judge how it sounds.

Their level of commitment is intense. Not only does the room they use have to be ‘tuned’ so that the walls and ceiling don’t cause interference but, according to Peter J Croissant, “We’re supposed to know our speakers inside out.”

Grand Master Audio

Peter’s job is mastering music: in effect putting the final bit of polish to the artist’s recordings so that the songs will sound great wherever they are played: on the radio, as mp3s or even off vinyl.

“We present music to the listener in the best possible way. Some mastering involves just the ordering the tracks so the album has a flow. Other times we’ll be adjusting the songs so that the album’s sound has continuity.”

Much of Peter’s work is constructive criticism of the initial mixes, giving free advice and ideas so that the musicians can return to their studio and make improvements.

Interestingly enough, Peter does have a ‘master’ plan for this region: “I’m trying to help the South’s acts get the best sound so that the area gets an even better reputation.”

You can judge Peter’s work by listening to his own band Sine Star Project or the latest recordings from: Wise Children (Southampton), Owen Tromans (Winchester), Big Num (Bournemouth).

Visit www.grandmasteraudio.com (pictured) for more info

In a recent conversation we had with Sine Star Project’s drummer, Matthew Shmigelsky, he joked that because they build their own studio equipment and guitar amps they could easily be placed in a “Geek Rock” genre.

They are an excellent example of musicians who not only know their music and instruments but also put the similar level of thought and dedication into writing their songs that Queen achieved.

www.sinestarproject.com

Two Southampton bands that move the grey matter as well as the body are Birdpen and Sine Star Project.

And both have an excellent November ahead which will reward years of hard graft.

Birdpen (left) digitally release their debut album On/Off/Safety/Danger on 3rd November and have been confirmed as the support for Ida Maria’s 15 date tour of the UK.

As a warm-up they’ll be playing the Joiners this Monday (27th Oct) and I’ll review the album next week.

Meanwhile November sees Sine Star Project supporting Marillion: three gigs in the UK and four in Holland.

I recently spoke with their drummer Matthew Shmigelsky and he joked that because they build their own studio equipment and guitar amps they could easily be placed in a “Geek Rock” genre.

However true I see this ability as a reflection of the band’s dedication to their art and they also approach their song writing with a similar level of thought and skill.

Sine Star Project’s web video presence has recently improved thanks to filmmaker Philip Bloom.

He used the track “little Bird” from their second album “Building Humans” for an art installation and in doing so produced an impressive promotional tool for the band.

This means they have been able to ditch the old promos which were acceptable to die-hard fans but unlikely to attract new ones.

Birdpen and Sine Star Project deserve our support as they are talented and both have the drive and perseverance to take them into Europe and beyond.

Their videos are on www.showcaseuk.tv

See also: Marillion “Peer” Into The Future

Marillion release they 15th album “Happiness Is the Road” on October 20th however the music has been available, legally free, on the internet since September.

The band has been using the peer-to-peer network (P2P) to beat the pirates and also introduce themselves to potentially millions of music lovers.

Marillion are no strangers to the online community, as they point out in their press release they are: “Widely recognised as the first band to truly embrace the Internet’s potential to interact with fans since circa 1996.”

Working with Internet technology company, Music Glue they have added a video message to the downloaded music file which brings to the listeners attention what the band are about and how they can get a DRM free version of the music by signing up to the mailing list.

There are two reasons behind this.

The first was to stop the usual leak when the album was officially released and by doing so engage with the people who prefer their music for free and nudge them in the direction of the tour, t-shirts and other ways the downloader can pay for Marillion to continue existing.

Secondly it continues their successful online relationship with their large and loyal fan base whose pre-orders had paid for the album’s recording and extensive artwork – two separate 96-page full-colour hard-bound books, both stored in a single outer case.

The exclusive deluxe addition which was available to early buyers would also get their name in the credits.

The personal touch has to be the way forward for established bands. Most of them know how many true fans they have and roughly how many albums they will sell on release so all they have to do is provide some credible extras and they’ll be getting the money upfront.

One band Showcase UK has been following recently is Sine Star Project. They don’t yet have a video but they have announced they will be supporting Marillion on part their November tour!

Dates announced so far

14th November @ the Manchester Academy
15th November @ the Bournemouth Opera House
19th November @ the Forum LONDON

Tickets from www.marillion.com (of course)