Sweden – Hugh Carson Music

February 2021

This Month’s Audio Uploads:

Reminiscence – 2009:

A sweet and gentle theme that I wrote back in 2009 whilst living in Sweden, notable primarily for me actually playing acoustic guitar and some strange wooden flute instrument that I had in my possession. I think it may have been a gift from my sister that she had picked up whilst on her travels around South East Asia? I could be wrong.

Bubble Head (Anlg) – SKETCH – 1996:

Don’t remember much about this one. Just another idea for a track, ready to be fleshed out and completed should the right project ever have arisen.

Hello Happiness – SECTION – 2010:

Can’t remember the exact commission that this re-working of the old Drifters classic was recorded for, but I don’t think it ever came to much. I believe the brief required us to do something with a hint of ‘Noah & The Whale’ about it.

Foster Imposter (Anlg) – SKETCH – 1995:

As with a number of my noodlings from around this time, this little sketch has shades of David Foster about it. It’s just a sketch though, probably thrown together in an hour or so. One I’d be quite happy to finish at some point.

Wayward Wolf Theme (Alternative Version) – SECTION – 2010:

Another version of the Wayward Wolf Theme for you. The differences between each version are quite subtle.

We Changed – SECTION – 2004:

It’s a shame that the arrangement for this song was so cluttered and messy because it has a chorus that I’m still quite a fan of to this day. Nick Rundall provided the guitar parts on this one, whilst all vocals are courtesy of yours truly.

Upbeat Country Theme – SECTION – SKETCH – 2012:

Apple loops a plenty in this energetic little number.

Marbella (After Hours) – SECTION – 2005:

A little idea I had for a track to accompany a little travelogue video I was working on, whilst on one of a very large number of trips I’ve made to Marbella over the years. Very much my spiritual home from home.

Call Of The Wild (Anlg) – 1992:

Although the backing to this song is a little warped and very dry and crusty (technology limitations of mine at the time), there’s still something I like about this little ode to the classic Jack London novel of the same name – more specifically, an ode to Ken Annakin’s 1972 film adaptation starring Charlton Heston. The idea was based upon a theme taken from Carlo Rustichelli’s haunting score.

Daytime TV Theme – SKETCH – 1993:

I remember going through a phase of trying my hand at writing themes for TV in any number of styles I could think of, and this was my tongue-in-cheek attempt at a daytime TV theme. Think Pebble Mill At One without the budget.

October 2020

This Month’s Audio Uploads:

Spring Town – Full Version – 2010:

Spring Town, despite never being used for any particularly major project, remains the song from my CGN Songs days that has proven to be most popular with most people over time.

Itchin’ Powder – DEMO – 2012:

An upbeat library track that has been used, in parts, by a number of different creators, a number of times over the years.

Elegy – Section – 2005:

It would be nice to return to this piece and re-do the unconvincing synthetic, delay-heavy acoustic guitar part with actual acoustic guitar. As it stands, as much as I like aspects of this orchestral and light-synth piece, the synthetic acoustic parts can be a little grating and distracting. Sadly, the original working files for this piece have yet to be found and even if they were, I no longer possess the software that I’d need to make the necessary edits. Bummer.

Faroes ’08 Theme (Heading East) – Full Version – 2009:

Following a brilliant second holiday in the wonderful Faroe Islands, in 2008, I set about the gargantuan task of editing the hours and hours of footage that had been recorded, into one approximately half-hour video. Having done so, the project was in need of a theme tune and incidental music, and thus was born this simple theme. In 2009, I packed a van, drove it onto a freight ship at Tilbury port in Essex, and we set sail across the North Sea to Gothenburg, Sweden, where I would then spend the best part of the next two years of my life. It was aboard this vessel – one of the most memorable experiences of my life – that I set about writing this theme tune. It conjures up such fond memories for me of the Faroes trip and of the future adventures that lay ahead of me (in Sweden), and though it may be a rather unspectacular low-key track, it remains one of my favourite pieces of work to this day.

Hide Away – Song Sample – DEMO – 2007:

Hide Away – excuse the slightly out-of-tune vocals in the verse – started its life as an attempt at a ‘thoughtful’ Christmas song. Whilst never having been an atheist, myself, I’ve always been mightily sceptical of those who unwaveringly live and die by the words of ancient religious manuscripts. That said, ‘The West’s’ seemingly hell-bent insistance upon killing off God and Christianity, in recent years – and the wholesome code of morality that it has traditionally offered healthy societies – seems to be having a hugely negative impact upon the rudderless, ‘progressive’ society that has grown in its increasing absence.

Sports Theme – SKETCH – 1991:

I’ve always been fascinated by Sports Themes – a lost art and thing of the past in today’s superficial throw-away media – and almost certainly inspired by the magnificent ITV World Cup theme of 1986 – Aztec Gold – I cobbled together this little ditty, using only the onboard sounds and features of my Yamaha SY85 Workstation. Excuse the awful synth sax sound which takes on the main melody in the second half of the track. Where was David Sanborn when I needed him? That said, there’s a pretty ropey synth guitar solo during the full length version of the aforementioned, Aztec Gold. Just saying…

Around the World – Sections – SKETCH – 2012:

Another library track, with hints of ‘world music’ about it.

Realisation – SKETCH – 1991:

An orchestral sketch of an idea from way back when, using only my Yamaha SY85 Workstation. A project to be developed and ‘fleshed out’ another day.

Happy 70s TV Theme – Section – 2005:

A real laid-back easy listening track perhaps suitable for all of those hugely unfunny, yet strangely nostalgia-inducing sitcoms of the 1970s and early 1980s.

On the Jersey Circular – Section – SKETCH – 2010:

This unfinished provisional sketch was written to be used as occasional incidental music to accompany video footage I’d taken of a memorable holiday we’d had as a family, celebrating my Mum’s 70th birthday. Sadly, this trip was soon followed by big personal upheaval in my life which completely de-railed the project.

August 2020:

THIS MONTH’S AUDIO UPLOADS:

DANCING TO THE TUNE – FULL VERSION – 2012:

©CGNSongs

Dancing To The Tune began life as an obscure demo sent to my CGN Songs partner, Peter Godfrey, by Nat Nollid. Peter extracted what he could from Nat’s fusion of free-style spoken lyrics and steam locomotive whistles (among other things), and brought the backing track firmly into the mainstream turning it into a pop-style dance track. I then fleshed out the lyrics, and set to work on the melodies and harmonies, bringing in Rebecca Saxton to join me on vocals. Tony As added an excellent rap – recorded remotely – and after much wrestling with the mix-down process, we finally got it where we wanted it. Cheesy dance music. A bit of fun.

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NOW I KNOW MY ABB – FULL VERSION – 2010:

©HughCarsonMusic

This was a fast turn-around commission whilst I was based out in Sweden, to write a piece to be used in conjunction with an ABB promotional video for a compact indoor substation with disconnecting circuit breakers! The video version was, through necessity, far more sparse in its arrangement than the final stand-alone audio version, below.

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HYPNOTIC – SKETCH – 2011:

A brief snippet from an idea that I had for a track depicting the fuzzy dream-like state of consciousness of a man, spaced-out on narcotics of some description.

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RAIN DANCE – SECTIONS – 1995:

Whilst going through a ‘long and epic instrumentals’ phase during the mid-90s, I conjured up Rain Dance, a sort of plea to the Gods above to bring rains to the failing crops of some Native people in some fictional land. Or something. In fairness, I’ve just significantly embellished the track’s back story there for the benefit of this little write-up. Rain Dance is a bit of high-energy fun, and full of unashamed wildly inaccurate sonic Native American cultural appropriation – so stick that up your pipes, Progressives!

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WAYWARD WOLF THEME (THIRD VERSION) – FULL VERSION – 2014:

A shorter, alternative podcast version of this track was devised for my Wayward Wolf Film Review project, but this is the extended third version which ultimately came to be the principal version. A reggae-infused track intended for use as a stand alone theme, or to be used in parts for library music purposes.

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BLIZZARD – SECTION – DEMO – 2010:

Written whilst walking in the snow during a Dalarna Swedish winter, this track is intended to conjure up images of great icy hardship as intrepid Arctic explorers battle their way through a Blizzard on the frozen tundra. My own journey was more about walking a poodle through a pine forest in January, so you’ll probably want to allow for a little artistic licence there.

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NOW THE SUMMER’S GONE – SECTION – ROUGH DEMO – 2013:

2011 and 2012 were pretty rough years for me on a personal level, and partially inspired by the events of those years I wrote this song as a part of the cathartic process of coming to terms with things. It wasn’t until a couple of years later that I finally had the chance to record it (albeit only in a rough demo form), at Specific Media‘s swanky studios in central London, where Rebecca Saxton once again joined me on vocals. I plan to flesh this demo out some day into something a bit more polished and complete, if the opportunity ever arises.

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FLEXIBLE FILMS PROJECT 4 – SAMPLE – 2010:

A slow, atmospheric theme intended primarily for library use.

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SY85 THEME (THEN & NOW) – SECTIONS – 1990/2011:

A little number from way back “when I were just a lad,” fused together with a more recent take on the same theme. A minute or so of the former and the entirety of the latter. Nothing spectacular but just one of those little tunes that has somehow stayed with me over time.

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PAINCOTT – SECTIONS – 2004:

One of the first tracks that I wrote using an Apple Mac G4 + Logic Pro Silver combination. It’s incredible to think that you get change out of £200.00 these days for the latest top-of the-range incarnation of Apple’s Logic production software, whereas the crusty bug-ridden lowly ‘Silver’ version that I bought, back in 2004, set me back something eye-watering in the region of £800.00!

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