I’m now back on the freelance path and as my design and musical passions have always been entwined, I’ll be reworking taoyoyo.com from the ground up to reflect this in the near future.

I also want to start writing multiple blogs, which the current set-up doesn’t handle too well.

One exciting event has been the purchase of an iPad… I’m starting to develop and design magazines specifically for this beast. From a musical perspective, there are a lot of interesting music apps being released (one of the subjects I’ll be writing about on the new site).

I do have a couple of cool music projects lined up, will spill any beans another time.

See you on the other side!

Much love, taoyoyo

A second opportunity to remix OMD for a competition presented itself very late last year, this time for their single ‘Sister Marie Says’.

This one really only came together when time was running out at the end of January… I mixed and arranged it whilst learning a new DAW (Presonus Studio One) the weekend before it was due.

Again, minimal vocals (otherwise it ends up sounding like dodgy Eurotrance)… took more parts from the original than I’d intended (not that one would notice as further mangling ensued) and added a quite a few of my own.

Many thanks to Gregg Hermetech, who mastered it at very short notice.

The winner was announced last week (oddly enough it’s of the Eurotrance variety) so I think I’m free to post my mix now.

An mp3 version can be downloaded here.

[ It's the first time I've really noticed audible artifacts when uploading tracks to online players... best to download for full quality ]

I think my remix competition fervor is worn out for now… time to get back to taoyoyo projects.

‘Two Minds’ can be grabbed here

My original intention was to add these two tracks quietly to ‘Doggybag’ but Andy persuaded me that they were worthy of their own retroyoyo release.

‘Mind’ is the shrub that grew so many branches we had to take cuttings. These are two of the offshoots:

I’ve always been fond of this particular version of ‘MindDeep’. (Andy reworked the track for ‘Music For Imaginary Movies’… a different take with slinkier, more progressive beats).

‘MindClank’ is an exclusive, has more of a tribal housey vibe. It’s the older brother to ‘MindDeep’ and is probably miffed that it’s taken this long to get some attention.

It’s been a great year, thanks to everyone who visited, listened or downloaded the retroyoyo stuff, it’s been nice to get it out there.

Enjoy and here’s to a great 2011!

Much love, taoyoyo

The ‘Jam EP’ is now available as a free download here

This is the third and final EP in the current retroyoyo series… Features four live studio jams from 2003 by myself and Andy. Exploring different vibes… drum and bass, stompy techno, mininal techno and then, gasp, trance (in the spirit of Oliver Lieb not Tiesto). A bit rough around the edges in places perhaps but the spirit is good.

We never got around to finishing these tracks before I hopped the pond but in 2005 Andy revisited ‘Ummo’ and ‘Bigger Than One’ and did a commendable job of tweaking and arranging them. We’ve added these mixes as a seasonal bonus.

Many, many thanks go to Gregg at Hermetech for mastering the retroyoyo series and for all his encouragement this year. And not forgetting Andy, who without… etc.

May all your Christmases be strawberry-flavored rather than plum-filled.

Much love, taoyoyo

A sixth track, ‘Glitter’, is now on the ‘Doggybag’ compilation.

It’s a bit of an eclectic track, even by our standards. Early versions used sampled beats from a Gary Glitter song and a sequence that sounded like the theme tune from ‘Airwolf’!

As the track progressed we dropped both, favoring a line that reminded us of ‘The X-Files’ and Andy’s tongue-in-cheek guitar licks, which I then mangled in the sampler.

Andy reworked the track to close the ‘Music For Imaginary Movies’ album though this is the original mix we recorded in 2003. A slightly different flavor… more bombastic and rockier than the ‘MFIM’ version.

Denim jacket and Quo patches are optional.

As a footnote, the final retroyoyo release, ‘The Jam EP’ should be ready in the next month. It’s a 6-tracker, featuring 4 live jams of unreleased tracks with the bonus of 2 great Dialog> mixes.

Keep ‘em peeled,

taoyoyo