They were game.

We’ve been quite productive in the last 3 or 4 weeks, trading tracks and ideas via email. Me mixing the demos and emailing back for comments.

And we’ve a musical collaborator from the other side of the globe (will be revealed in time).

Of course, it’s not as if we’ll be launching the album in the next few weeks. Our day jobs will soon demand more of our time, and it’s also into the more technical and repetitive phase of mixing and mastering. With my limited skills and know-how.

But we have 12 tracks in the works, and that’s not bad.

Not bad at all.

~ Ivan

Actually I had overlooked their email. When I realised my oversight, I quickly replied to them and pointed them to our 2009 digital album, One World One Moment, where the same track could be downloaded.

Here’s how our music was featured. So cool that we have another music video!

I thought this was a very nice business model they got there. Its about creative opportunities, collaboration and reciprocal publicity. I also appreciate how they gave full credits to the collaborators (which is a lot more detailed that many videos where our CC music has been featured).

Thanks Red Maps.

For helping put this little band on your map.

From the YouTube video description:

“Los Angeles” is from Red Maps Independent Filmmakers City Series.http://www.redmaps.com

Our Series asks creative individuals to make a short film that captures the life, style and vibe of a city…using a Red Map.

The Filmmaker: Cristi Silva of ThatSoRad Productions
Santa Barbara, CA
http://www.ThatSoRadProductions.com
We met Cristi via seeing her photography work in California. She captures people and scenes that result in incredibly fresh stories.
So, it was a no-brainer to ask her to make a film, and to see how she might visualize one of our favorite cities. Cristi Silva’s LA makes one feel as though they’ve never seen the city before.

The Music: “Surfing on Solar Winds” by Starfish Stories :: The Band
Singapore http://StarfishStories.wordpress.com
Ivan, Adrian and I-Ling are three Singaporeans who have up and gone pursued their dreams of creating music for the world under the Creative Commons program. Their music is available for all to hear, enjoy and download. We met them via SoundCloud.com under the name ramblinglibrarian. The music was the perfect match to give the film its soulful tour of LA.

Red Maps is a small, NYC-based company, making unique city maps that are smart, beautiful and easy-to-use. But our interest is not only maps, on our blog we highlight design in all its forms, including autos, furniture, architecture and more…we don’t see a reason to limit ourselves. These short films are a way for us to collaborate with some very talented people. And if they help inform everyone about Red Maps…that’s cool too. It’s about having fun.

Filmmakers Wanted
If you’re a filmmaker and would like to work with Red Maps,
please contact us at:
http://www.redmaps.com
jimleniart@redmaps.com

• The vocals are from I-Ling. Her vocal samples for this song are available here (preview) and here (zip samples).
• The piano track is from this Creative Commons BY-NC sample.
• Ivan composed the initial vocal melody to the piano sample, with lyrics adapted from this public domain poem.
• Adrian lent his listening ear (we had to credit him somewhere, LOL!)

0912-1094 Moonlight over the forest
Originally uploaded by Leo-Avalon

Here’s the adapted lyrics:

CHRISTMAS BELLS

There are sounds in the sky when the year grows old,
And the winds of the winter blow—
When night and the moon are clear and cold,
And the stars shine on the snow,
Or wild is the blast and the bitter sleet
That beats on the window-pane;
But blest on the frosty hills are the feet
Of the Christmas time again!
Chiming sweet when the night wind swells,
Christmas Bells!

The owl that sits in the ivy’s shade,
Remote from the tower,
Shall start from his drowsy watch afraid
When the clock shall strike the hour;
And over the fields in their frosty rhyme
The cheery sounds shall go,
And chime shall answer unto chime
Across the moonlit snow!
How sweet the lingering music dwells,—
Christmas Bells.

And the glorified ones from that holy hill
Are reaching their helping hands.
These be the words our music tells
Of solemn joy, O Christmas Bells!

Hope this song brings you cheer at the close of 2011, and the start of 2012.

Best wishes,
Starfish Stories :: The Band
I-Ling, Adrian & Ivan.

p.s. If you enjoyed the music, you can “pay” us by sharing the music. Thanks!

Ivan: i sent you that “vox humana” audio, as an example of a band (i.e. mine) who don’t perform ‘live’ and probably never will. but we roll out albums pretty consistently. but we don’t get on the radar screen of those music review sites i told you about.

Ridzwan: ah i see. but why do you do it?

Ivan: it’s like what you heard/ saw in the video at CC SG day. music is a passion. Got no reason one.

Ridzuan: so it’s the creation process that you enjoy?

Ivan: exactly. plus the collaboration. you add process and collaboration, you have learning. and once produced, it’s like what Kevin said [at CC SG Day meetup]: if i don’t share, my music dies with me.

Ivan: come to think of it, it’s like startup culture. many successful ones tend to start for the coolness of the product, right? there’s hope for monetisation but main aim is to make it cool and useful. then think of how to make money.

Ridzuan: true true

Ivan: i guess same approach with my band. we make music that we find it nice and therapeutic for ourselves. then if something more can happen, that’s a bonus.

Ivan: that way, we can only be delighted rather than disappointed LOL. Damn, i wish i was blogging all this down.

Ridzuan: haha you can copy and paste it heh

~ Ivan

Have a listen:

“A Blasted Life” – link

“Move Alone to New Life” – link

Oh, the three of us finally met up for a long-overdue makan meetup. Among other things that has happened in our lives, I-Ling‘s moved to a different job; Adrian’s preparing for a talk at a Biology Symposium; I’ve got a new dog.

Adrian reminded about The Mangrove Tree album (heh, so rare that he’s chasing me for music LOL). I said we have enough tracks. But missing the vocals (I-Ling, yo!)

~ Ivan

And created a new banner.

Enjoy!

~ Ivan

• Album: 2011 Let the Dolphins Go
• Download at: Archive.org | Bandcamp.com | Jamendo.com
• Remixes are welcome, at ccMixter.org
• Band: Starfish Stories :: The Band – Adrian Loo & I-Ling Chia, Ivan Chew
• Original composition by Adrian Loo; Lyrics and Vocals by I-Ling Chia; Arrangement and Mix by Ivan Chew
• Initial release: 6 July 2011
• Album art can be downloaded at this Flickr page. Cover art adapted from: “2001-12-02 01-03 Neuseeland 305” by Allie_Caulfield, CC-BY 2.0 (last accessed 6 Jul 2011)

This is the title track, “Free”. With I-Ling on vocals.

The other two tracks are a rock guitar instrumental version, and a Minus-One. They can all be downloaded at Archive.org

This project came about after Adrian ran a marathon. It’s a long story and he tells it better. Anyway the gist was that he thought of his family to keep himself going. And it made him think of the dolphins who were torn away from their family and natural habit, to be part of a resort entertainment lineup.

Adrian felt compelled to compose something (apart from contributing to the general call for action). He emailed the raw draft for the song (on 1 Jun). Titled it “Free”.

He added this in his email: “Imagine dolphins porpoising in the water”.

It didn’t take long for I-Ling to come up with the lyrics:

Leap and turn in the air
Like a child at play
Whistle songs, sing your dreams
In the summer rays
Feel the rush of the currents
Find your way in the ocean

Glide along, ride the crest
There’s no turning back
Hold your breath and break the waves
Full speed ahead
Feel the rush of the currents
You’re a child of the ocean

You’re free. So free, oh, so free.
Breathe. You’re free, so free.

She emailed her vocal track to me. I mixed it, emailed a few versions (with subtle arrangement changes) to the two of them. I-Ling agreed to re-record her vocals to get a clearer take. While waiting for I-Ling to do that, I recorded and mixed a guitar instrumental version.

It was done out of fun, but Adrian and I-Ling gave it their thumbs-up, so it was considered to be part of the album.

After receiving I-Ling’s second vocal take (she decided to invest in an audio interface), two more email exchanges… and it was done.

Capturing intelligent creatures, who were roaming free, for the sake of entertainment. And calling the move as part of contribution to research. Doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Please, let the dolphins go.

Credits: 2001-12-02 01-03 Neuseeland 305 by Allie_Caulfield, CC-BY 2.0 (last accessed 6 Jul 2011).

Selected references:

• “ACRES continues pressure on RWS to free dolphins“, ChannelNewsAsia, 2 Jun 2011
• “Animal rights’ group takes RWS to task over dolphins“, TODAYonline, 2 Jun 2011
• “5 dolphins destined for RWS moved to Philippines“, ChannelNewsAsia, 8 Jan 2011

BTW, it’s really good to know we’re not the only musicians adding to this call. Check out Typewriter’s rendition of “Please let the dolphins go”:

~ Ivan

2011 Let the Dolphins Go by Starfish Stories : The Band is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Singapore License. As long as you ATTRIBUTE the music by stating this: “Starfish Stories :: The Band – StarfishStories.wordpress.com”* in your audio, video, website, printed materials etc., you are FREE to USE, COPY, SHARE, MODIFY, or SELL (yes sell!) any of the songs from this album.

In case we weren’t quite clear on the above, try reading this.

None of us from Starfish Stories could attend, unfortunately. But still very, very tickled that we three amateurs could actually produce a song (“Open the Door, Smile Again”) that was deemed good enough to be on a compilation with other more established Singapore bands.

The selected song is the first track, from this SFS album produced for the SoundOut campaign.

Thanks for including us in the project.

~ Ivan

This was a particularly encouraging comment (dated 29 Jan 2010):

wow! heavenly and nice music there..the arrangement and sound is ..err ..really great! definitely an album worth buying..\m/

Buy our album? Really?

Thanks!

~ Ivan

Since my online music acquaintance professed to like our earlier work, I sent along the link to our third album. This was what urmymuse so generously wrote (dated 1 Feb, 2010):

Speaking of Starfish Stories thank you very much for pointing me in the direction of your and Adrian’s new album “Crystal Tears and the Dream Nebula“. I have given it several listens and am very impressed.

The overall feel of the work is optimistic and joyful. The composition is imaginative, each track develops and flows beautifully. The Starfish Stories signature sound is a guitar driven odyssey of wonder. It is almost as though the listener passes through a series of spaces in each track to experience new marvels each time.

The guitar work and production are excellent through out.

Particular highlights for me are

The whole of the title track … I think you have made some good improvements since the earlier version you sent me. Particularly the additions to the intro.
The development of “we wonder” and the big string swell that comes in towards the final third.
The development of “new beginnings” .. very optimistic and uplifting
The slightly heavier feel of “stroke of midnight” (which builds to clock tower sounds which is fun)
The excellent “goodnight not goodbye” My Vanilla World’s vocal is beautiful and the production works very well

You and Adrian should be very proud of what you have achieved here. Am looking forward to your next album.

“Crystal Tears and the Dream Nebula” can be downloaded at bandcamp.com. Voluntary donation is always welcome. A review (good or bad) in lieu of payment will also very much appreciated.

~ Ivan