# Music for Strangers - album made in lockdown using piano, found sounds etc.- is OUT!



## Richard Wilkinson (Apr 3, 2020)

Since one of my projects has been bumped back a couple of weeks, I decided to use the new free time constructively and make an album using isolation-related sound sources and some remote recording.

Here are the first two videos - I'm starting on track 1 tonight. If anyone is interested in contributing a line or two - as per Christian Henson's inspiring pianobook project - let me know! It would be good to get some people involved remotely in one or two of the tracks.



Vlog 2 - sourcing sounds


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## Michel Simons (Apr 3, 2020)

Interesting approach. Good luck. I hope you will update your progress here.


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## Richard Wilkinson (Apr 3, 2020)

I will! I don't think I'll be doing one video per track - I want to keep things short & snappy - but I'll be documenting the writing and recording process over the next couple of weeks.


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## Michel Simons (Apr 3, 2020)

Looking forward to it. I am always interested in other people's process.


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## MusiquedeReve (Apr 3, 2020)

Richard Wilkinson said:


> Since one of my projects has been bumped back a couple of weeks, I decided to use the new free time constructively and make an album using isolation-related sound sources and some remote recording.
> 
> Here are the first two videos - I'm starting on track 1 tonight. If anyone is interested in contributing a line or two - as per Christian Henson's inspiring pianobook project - let me know! It would be good to get some people involved remotely in one or two of the tracks.
> 
> ...





I had this exact idea (along with plenty of others (great minds think alike))

I will be subscribing and watching this intently


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## Manaberry (Apr 3, 2020)

Good luck with your project!


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## Mar (Apr 5, 2020)

I am curious what you will come up with and noticed that there are some other members in this forum doing somthing similar. Good luck with your album


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## Richard Wilkinson (Apr 14, 2020)

Track 1 underway!

In fact, I've now got four tracks on the go, so lots more music in the video after this one.


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## Sarah De Carlo (Apr 18, 2020)

Richard Wilkinson said:


> Track 1 underway!
> 
> In fact, I've now got four tracks on the go, so lots more music in the video after this one.





Hey Richard, a very interesting approach. Thank you for sharing it, and I wish you good work in producing the entire album.

I will follow with interest


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## Niah2 (Apr 18, 2020)

Thank you for sharing, this is really inspiring.

I loved the seagull sound how much it resembled the alien sound, I almost fell off my chair. The cornet bell type sound sounds turned out great, I could listen to that all day.

I kinda forgot about oblique strategies, I have the app, time to dust it off a bit.


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## Stringtree (Apr 18, 2020)

With a voice like that, I want to hear some Gordon Ramsay expletives and some real personality coming through! Seriously, this is nice and I will be watching and listening. 

"Violas, In! Now listen as they invigorate that static chord. Mmmm. Listen to that sizzling."

"Piccolo, just a touch. This is where a composition can quickly become a nightmare if you add too much."

"Are you hearing this? Do you even care about composing anymore, because if you aren't hearing it, you're not even turned on at the switch."

I'm just playing. This series of videos looks really fun. 

Greg


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## Richard Wilkinson (Apr 18, 2020)

I can assure you, there is _plenty_ of swearing when I'm writing! No food in the studio though...
Probably Tuesday for the next video - trying to balance this album with some full-time videogame work so it's a bit of a squeeze.


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## Richard Wilkinson (Apr 22, 2020)

New video, in which all of my technology breaks but I just about manage to get some ideas down for the next few tracks...


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## Richard Wilkinson (Apr 28, 2020)

Right!

I'm now at the point where I'm ready for people to send in a note or two, a few bars, or whatever they might be happy to contribute. Any instrument, any length. 

I have no expectations with this, and no idea if anyone will actually have the time or inclination to do it, but here goes! Would be wonderful if a couple of people from here wanted to chip in...


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## Richard Wilkinson (Apr 28, 2020)

I already have a contribution! That was quick... Fascinated to see how the stuff people send over will inform the final structure/sound/mix etc.


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## Richard Wilkinson (Apr 29, 2020)

There's a handful of files already done & sent over, which is so cool to see. If anyone here fancies sending something over - even if it's just a single note, as I mentioned - that would be super-cool!


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## Michel Simons (Apr 29, 2020)

Richard Wilkinson said:


> There's a handful of files already done & sent over, which is so cool to see. If anyone here fancies sending something over - even if it's just a single note, as I mentioned - that would be super-cool!



Is there some kind of deadline for sending contributions over?


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## doctoremmet (Apr 29, 2020)

Michel Simons said:


> Is there some kind of deadline for sending contributions over?


Wondered about that myself, to prevent a severe case of FOMO. Thx!


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## Richard Wilkinson (Apr 29, 2020)

The whole vibe of the album - from inception, to recording, to release is basically '_whatever will be, will be'_ - I kind of had the next couple of weeks in mind for any submissions (so ideally mid-May) but there's absolutely no rush. It's very refreshing to have no deadline as well as no brief!


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## Michel Simons (Apr 29, 2020)

Richard Wilkinson said:


> The whole vibe of the album - from inception, to recording, to release is basically '_whatever will be, will be'_ - I kind of had the next couple of weeks in mind for any submissions (so ideally mid-May) but there's absolutely no rush. It's very refreshing to have no deadline as well as no brief!



Good to read. I am a lot of bad things, but most of all pretty slow. (Sloth Man is my super hero monicker.) I am also pretty crap, but I have downloaded those four songs and I like what I am already hearing.


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## Richard Wilkinson (May 1, 2020)

bit of an interlude while I watch the dropbox folder ping with submissions


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## Richard Wilkinson (May 2, 2020)

@michel


Michel Simons said:


> I am also pretty crap



Michel! Just grabbed your contribution and added to track 11. Gorgeous, perfectly fitting, and not in the least bit crap! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this, it's wonderful to have this kind of collaboration for the album & it's super-inspiring too.


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## Michel Simons (May 2, 2020)

Richard Wilkinson said:


> @michel
> 
> 
> Michel! Just grabbed your contribution and added to track 11. Gorgeous, perfectly fitting, and not in the least bit crap! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this, it's wonderful to have this kind of collaboration for the album & it's super-inspiring too.



Thanks. That is good to hear. It's difficult when you don't know what is expected or what is already contributed. Glad that it fits.


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## Zero&One (May 2, 2020)

I've uploaded my big lump of cheese. Feel free to do whatever you want with it


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## Richard Wilkinson (May 2, 2020)

Got it! Thanks for that - I have something for each of those four tracks now, which is awesome. Sounding great


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## Richard Wilkinson (May 4, 2020)

Now I have some recorder, guitar harmonics and whistles!

Would be nice to get a few submissions of:


just one single note
on any instrument
Preferably something physical. - not a VI or softsynth

I can twist and mould that single note into an instrument to add to one of the tracks.
I'd love to hear what @Rctec and @charlieclouser might send over... 😏

Daniel Pemberton sent me a suitably bonkers single note. It's a high bar!


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## Richard Wilkinson (May 7, 2020)

OK! I think I'm going to give this until next Friday (15th) for any contributions (ideally single notes), then I need to crack on with finishing the album. I have lots of brilliant contributions already, but if anyone would like to send over a note in the next week - feel free!


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## Michel Simons (May 7, 2020)

Richard Wilkinson said:


> OK! I think I'm going to give this until next Friday (15th) for any contributions (ideally single notes), then I need to crack on with finishing the album. I have lots of brilliant contributions already, but if anyone would like to send over a note in the next week - feel free!



It's a shame my trumpet playing days are long over (although the rest of humanity might disagree), otherwise I would have given it a go.


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## fretti (May 7, 2020)

Richard Wilkinson said:


> OK! I think I'm going to give this until next Friday (15th) for any contributions (ideally single notes), then I need to crack on with finishing the album. I have lots of brilliant contributions already, but if anyone would like to send over a note in the next week - feel free!


Just sent you another contribution, looking forward to the final album


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## Richard Wilkinson (Jun 18, 2020)

FIVE WEEKS! I can only apologise for the radio silence. Two big videogame projects and then a couple of urgent trailer pitches made everything a bit nuts for a couple of weeks. But the album is finished!



I'll be putting a final youtube vid together for Monday doing a deep dive into the process.


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## Michel Simons (Jun 19, 2020)

Listening to the album right now. It sounds really good.


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## Richard Wilkinson (Jun 25, 2020)

To finish things off - here's a little dive into the logic sessions.
Stupidly filmed on the hottest day of the year, I look at the album in a little more detail. Why/how I did certain things, some info on sampling, mixing etc


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## Richard Wilkinson (Jul 1, 2020)

Now out on Spotify, Apple music etc!

What a wonderful project this turned out to be. Back to the Peaky Blinders game now (it looks AMAZING) but thanks to all who followed and encouraged!








Music for Strangers by Richard Wilkinson


Listen to "Music for Strangers" by Richard Wilkinson on any music platform - Free smart music links by Songwhip




songwhip.com


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## fretti (Jul 2, 2020)

Just added it to my Spotify Playlist, thank's again for making this, it's sounds absolutely wonderful!
Also a huge thanks for featuring my Spieluhr/Music Box in your video


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## jonathanparham (Jul 2, 2020)

wonderful idea. Nice soundscapes and melodies. I like track 10


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