Testing out Bandcamp embed

Singaporean Trio – D’fusion

I don’t personally know many Singaporean bands. The few I know are REALLY good, imho.

Like this trio who call themselves D’fusion.

Here’s one of their recent public performance (thanks to Jerron for sharing the video; btw Jerron is not part of D’fusion… I guess he’s a fan like me, heh):

I enjoyed that particular performance. For some reason, their sound reminds me of Tesla’s live performance Five Man Acoustical Jam.

Not surprising though, considering that their musical influences (mentioned at their MySpace page) include bands whom I count as my favourite too.

Check out their MySpace page, their YouTube channel, and their Facebook group.

Azrin, Kayla, Rudy — Rock On!!!

~ Ivan

SeaStars 2007 reviewed at Jamendo.com

Woot!

A Jamendo.com member left this review for our first album, SeaStars 2007, at Jamendo.com:

Lovely, ambient, soft, smooth, kind, music. Feel it lift your heart and soul, let alone touch your spirit deep within. I loved the sound effect as well, they where brilliant and gave the album more depth and feeling to it as well.

Thanks for leaving a comment, musictomyears!

I just had to take a screenshot (it’s obvious that reviews for our songs are so rare, isn’t it? LOL)

~ Ivan

ccMixter Snowflake’s Call for Earth Day Remixes

This is my contribution to ccMixterist Snowflake’s Call for Earth Day Remixes.

APOLOGIZE (MYRIGHTBRAIN REMIX)

APOLOGIZE (MYRIGHTBRAIN REMIX) by Ivan Chew is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Singapore License.Based on a work at ccmixter.org.

LINK

Only had 2 nights to work on this, ‘cos I discovered Snowflake’s call for remix rather late (3 days before the submission deadline). Her vocals reminded me of Sarah McLachlan. So I tried to piece together something that reminded me of my favourite singer.

This is a rather conventional mix (I, um, apologise for my lack of right-brain-ess. I had fun though, heh).

Her source files are here.

[UPDATE: Ooooh, Snowflake featured my remix on her page! I guess I didn’t do too badly!]

More about Snowflake

~ Ivan

Finding Love (2009)

Finally found time to add a bass riff to Version 1.

Will probably release this for the 2009/ 2010 album.

FINDING LOVE (2009)

Listen/ download at ARCHIVE.ORG | Rhythm/ distortion guitar track can be downloaded from ccMixter.

Composed, arranged, performed, mixed by: Ivan Chew
Finding Love (2009) by Ivan Chew is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Singapore License. Based on a work at starfishstories.wordpress.com. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://StarfishStories.wordpress.com.

Sound engineering wise, I think some parts can be improved. Maybe raise the bass volume? Lower the lead guitar? Some parts of the lead guitar sounds edgy and raw still… or maybe that’s called “character”? LOL.

What do you think, Adrian?

~ Ivan

Steffen Schackinger – ElectriGuitartistry

Yes, yes. Been featuring lots of Youtube videos.

But they are good, aren’t they?

This one blew me away!

LINK

~ Ivan

Antoine Dufour – Catching the Light

Feels like catching the rays of light streaming from tree tops.

Link

ccMixter mashup: Ballad Of Jane (narva9 mix)

This is Jane.

Who tells, to no one in particular, that the sky is blue.

That she’s cold.

She has no one — but herself — to assure herself that she’s fine.

This is her story.

Ballad of Jane (narva9 mix)
Ballad Of Jane (narva9 mix) by Ivan Chew is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Singapore License. Based on a work at ccmixter.org. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://myrightbrain.wordpress.com.

Link

The instrumental track (i.e. guitars, drums, bass — even the title) was completed before I’d known narva9’s pell existed.

After I’d completed my instrumental track, I felt it lacked something. So I searched ccMixter for female vocals. Hard to find suitable pells that matched my key and tempo.

Then WHAM, I found narva9’s “I’m Fine”!

Her pell had about 10 over remixes by then. I didn’t care. It was a jaw-dropping moment for me. To have found a pell — whose key and tempo and lyrics — so snugly fitted this idea I had in mind. I’d titled my instrumental track “Ballad of Jane”. I chose the name Jane, as it sounded like an anonymous person (I apologise to all Janes!)

My loose idea was that Jane is telling the world her story. But I didn’t really know what was her story yet. narva9’s lyrics completed my original idea.

I love ccMixter.

~ Ivan