taking a break from music making a ciabatta

Some days the studio needs to be the kitchen.

I've been staring at screens and waveforms, so today I switched to flour and water. Two loaves, both far too wet to begin with — the kind of dough you think you've ruined.
One was an experiment: 1 large salad tomato, a dollop of ketchup, and half a jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, with water. The other was milk with cheddar.
The trick with ciabatta isn't kneading; it's leaving it alone. Mix, rest 30 mins, stretch and fold, repeat. Four times. That wet batter turns glossy and strong, almost alive.
Photos below are the real process — from slop to loaf. No mixer, just hands and time.
If you're taking a break from making too, try this one. The house smells better than any plugin.

Initial mix: "Very wet — more like cake batter than bread at this point"

After 30 minutes, ready for the first fold

After 30 mins: "Starting to relax, bubbles forming"

After the first fold, the dough shows as strong

After first fold: "See how smooth and glossy it got after the fold? Added sun-dried here"

Resting on the rack

Resting on rack: "Shaped as a whole loaf — 220C for 28- 32 min"

Bread 2: cheese and milk ciabatta 

initial stage 

30 minutes in, fold in cheese

Tomato ciabatta showing open crumb

Cut into sandwich squares

Milk and cheese ciabatta sliced

The taste test 

Decided to taste dry 

I must say they were very good 

Studio Diary: Em soprano — 4 Sources, 1 Take Native Music

 

I've been wanting to document how I actually recorded this one, because what you hear is not just one microphone — it's four.

For Em soprano I wanted to capture not just the note, but the air around it. The wooden Native American flute in Em soprano has this breathy, vocal quality, and one mic never quite gets it.

The Instruments

The flute itself is a soprano in Em — light wood, red and turquoise bands, leather ties. In the cover photo you can see it lying on the piano keys next to my small hand drum. That's how it lives in the studio — always within reach of the keyboard when I'm sketching pads.

The Setup — How I Recorded It This Time

This time I did it differently. Instead of one mic straight into Logic, I set up four simultaneous sources for the same performance:

1. Dynamic Mic — Close
The black mic on the boom you see in the studio photos. Tight, punchy, catches the breath and finger movement.

2. Condenser Mic — Room
More air, more of the room tone. This is what gives it that sense of space without adding reverb.

3. Video 1 Audio — Close Angle

I filmed the performance close up, playing directly into the mic. The camera audio became source #3.

4. Video 2 Audio — Wide Angle
Second take — same performance, different angle — the wide shot with the monitor and keyboard in frame. That camera's audio was source #4.\

Plus the direct recording in the DAW itself — Logic Pro session "em sop movie.2" which you can see on the monitor.

The Logic session on the monitor is the actual composite. You can see the tracks — em sop movie.2 on top, with Digital Box Hall #02.1, Dance Vocal Reverb #02.1, Shifting Panels and Deluxe Classic underneath.

In Logic — The Amalgamation
All four sources went into Logic and were phase-aligned and gain-staged. No trick — I lined up the waveforms, checked for any phase cancellation between the dynamic and condenser, and blended until it felt like one instrument in one space.
Session view:

4 sources → Logic Pro → Final Amalgamated Mix. Consistent audio across cuts.

The blue tracks are the flute takes and reverbs — Digital Box Hall #02.1 and Dance Vocal Reverb #02.1 — subtle, just enough to sit the flute in a space. The green tracks — Shifting Panels and Deluxe Classic — are the soft pad bed that drifts behind it.
The final bounce is what you hear in the video from start to finish. Even when the picture cuts between close-up and wide, the audio never cuts. It's one continuous composite.

The Final Video Edit
I edited the video to the final mix, not the other way around. So the movie cuts:
Close mic angle → Wide studio angle → DAW screen
...but your ears stay in the same place. That consistency is the whole point.

Listen / Watch
The track is called Em soprano. It's up as the third track from my 5-track album, with the cover made from the studio — flute, drum, keyboard and the tracking shot combined.

Musical Artizan · Em Soprano

If you're recording flute at home and only have one mic, try adding your camera audio as a second source. Even a phone in the room adds dimension when blended quietly underneath.
More studio diaries coming — next up, how I set the two reverbs to avoid washing out the high E.
— David

Tags: #Native American Flute, #Em Soprano, #Logic Pro, #Field Recording, #4 Sources 1 Take, #Studio Diary, #Ambient Folk

Dance Century out on distrokid support original music

 

Composed in Sibelius for piano and electric guitar, mixed in Logic Pro using electronic sounds

Instrumental dance track 

Original music composed by a human, mixed by a human 

Here's a little info if you're interested in mixing 

Preorder on spotify here

rebranded playlist on Youtube a mix of classical orchestra and native flute videos no AI support original artists and composers

 

The first in the list, called The Good Man, is a piece for a small orchestra  

Another feature in the playlist is a piece for solo piano, which explores harmony and discord, written initially as a response to a university composition question while I was at Huddersfield University

The last example from this extensive playlist is a piece called Spirit of the Wind, a relaxing melodic piece played on an Am Native American flute 

Listen to the entire playlist here 

Made a ceramic plate at a workshop now its youtube visualiser for classical music

I created this plate using acrylic paint at a workshop I go to 

I used an app on my phone and iMovie to create the YouTube video below

Also find vinyls and CDs: click here 

 

Listen to the classical brass trio and buy merch here: click here

New store open on distrokid

Click on the item to purchase 

poster

ceramic mug 

Unisex T-shirt.

Unisex Hoodie

Other items available: click here

or scan the QR code

Vinyls and CDs

Welcome to Musical Artizan

I'm David — composer, writer, and pursuer of excellence behind Kingdom Poetry and Musical Artizan.

This shop is different. Nothing here is mass-produced.

Every CD and Vinyl is made to order through ElasticStage. That means your copy is created only when you order it — a first-generation master on eco-friendly material, not a factory repress. No bargain bins, no unsold stock.

Each cover features exclusive, original handmade artwork — no two releases are quite the same.

You'll find two worlds here:

Classical Piano 2025 Album — reflective, cinematic piano pieces

Native Flute White Wolf -- calming, meditative, relaxing 

I wrote, recorded, and created the artwork for all tracks in West Yorkshire, UK.

Thank you for supporting independent music in physical form. It still matters.

Order direct: elasticstage.com/musicalartizan

Click on the picture to visit the store

behind the scenes at the studio/kitchen

The ingredients  

turkey mince 

mushrooms 

leek

red pepper

yellow pepper

courgette 

aubergene 

The spices and herbs 

light soy sauce 

lemon juice

thyme

oregano

parsley 

garlic granules 

salt

All in the pan

Add chicken gravy granules to thicken.

Make pastry 

2:1 flour and butter 

Pinch of salt

Homemade butter 

Whizz up double cream till it separates. 

Strain with cheesecloth

Rinse with water till the water runs clear

Don't forget to clean down

Roll out pastry 

line bottom 

Fill with mix

Roll out cover 

Place over top 

Egg wash to bind and glaze

Bake at 200 celsius for 20 minutes 

or until golden brown 

Leave to cool

Serve 

 JAMES KEITH

Turns Up The Country-Rock On New Album
'I Call It Magic When I'm With You'


Album Out Friday, October 9

Stream 'I Call It Magic When I'm With You' | Download Press Images/ .mp3 / .wav








Big country-rock riffs, bright hooks and an irrepressible feel-good streak run through James Keith's new album ‘I Call It Magic When I'm With You’, out Friday, October 9. Bringing the scale of rock and the immediacy of country-pop together, Keith delivers fourteen tracks of soaring choruses, twangy guitars and husky vocals, capturing the rush, uncertainty and sheer joy of finding a love worth holding onto.


Following the release of his ARIA Country Albums Chart-topping debut single ‘Life Is Good Today’ in 2024, Australian country singer Keith continues to build momentum with ‘I Call It Magic When I’m With You’. This year Keith has continued the good run with a number of singles leading up to this album release, seeing him secure plays on ABC Country, land on the AMRAP Charts (Metro and Country), and see support from the likes of AU Review, Scenestr, AAA Backstage, CMAA, and more.


'I Call It Magic When I’m With You’, details the feelings that come with navigating a relationship and celebrating love for what it is. Keith explores the happiness love brings, the distance it creates and the doubts you can experience, while capturing the real energy of a love that lasts. As the album unfolds, Keith appreciates all the pieces of a love story and celebrates the life you can build with someone, all while embracing the happy spirit of everyday life.


Driven by bright, twangy guitars and big rock riffs, Keith delivers a high-energy and heartfelt country sound. His warm, rootsy and distinctive vocals carry the emotional weight, intertwining with the album’s country-rock drive.


The album opens with ‘Life Is (Still) Good Today’, leading the way with its bouncy country guitars and optimistic, feel-good energy. The power builds through tracks such as ‘Alive’, pushing Keith’s sound bigger and more anthemic through layered instrumentation and synth effects before exploding into high-energy choruses. Focus track ‘Don’t Wanna Stop’ keeps that energy high, celebrating the little things a partner does that make life better and the feeling of finding something too good to let go.


Turning that celebration inward, ‘Man I Wanna Be’ brings a stronger rock influence through electric guitar textures and driving rhythms as he reflects on the person he wants to become. Bringing the album closer to Keith’s own relationship, ‘Sixteen Thousand’ features a duet with his girlfriend, blending their two musical worlds through acoustic country textures and Afrobeat-inspired rhythms to form one of the record’s most intimate and personal moments.


Keith has shaped the album as one seamless story, with romance and emotional moments unfolding across its fourteen tracks. Together, the songs gradually reveal the different stages and layers of a relationship, from its earliest sparks through distance, doubt and lasting love. As Keith shares:


“It’s about love, distance, doubt, people telling you something won’t work, optimism, positivity, good times and finding someone who changes your life. There are songs about meeting her, songs about missing her, songs about fighting for it and songs that simply celebrate how bloody good it feels when you find someone you genuinely love."


Big-hearted, hook-heavy and unashamedly optimistic, ‘I Call It Magic When I'm With You’ sees James Keith turn the story of a relationship into fourteen tracks of contemporary country-rock, arriving Friday, October 9.






Follow James Keith
https://www.jameskeith.au/
Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon Music | YouTube
Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

Just recorded 432 hz flute, lyre and drum a simple ancient melody on the lyre and flute

 

Recorded today - lyre, drum & flute. Am 432Hz. Ancient, simple. Shepherd on the mountain. Album 'King David's Lyre' / 'A Shepherd's Lyre' - coming in 4 weeks. DNS © 2026.

Had to retune my lyre harp to Am 432 Hz. It kept going out of tune, as it was in a centrally heated room.

First of a 5-track album recorded today 

can I honestly use AI tools to describe how bad AI is at creating meaningful tech diagrams

I mean, what a mess 

It looks techie

I uploaded the screenshots and photos into Meta AI 

Gave a basic description 

And Meta AI did the rest

No substitute for a human graphic editor  

 

Short description given to AI

Channels 1 & 2 behringer 

Channels 3&4 m-audio 

XLR on Behringer 2: Condenser mic 

1/4 jack on Behringer 1: keyboard audio input 

XLR on M-Audio 1: dynamic instrument mic 

1/4 Jack on M-Audio drum machine 

MIDI from keyboard to MIDI in on M-Audio

graphic output 

Suffice it to say, garbage in, garbage out

Archie Tulk

 

ARCHIE TULK
Captures The Buzz Of A Love You Can't Shake On Single
'White Bee' Ahead Of Debut Album 'Human Noise'


Single and Music Video Out Friday, October 2 | Album 'Human Noise' Out November 27

Stream 'White Bee'
Watch 'White Bee' Music Video
Download Press Images / mp3 / wav








Sometimes longing can feel like a buzz that you just can’t seem to escape. Eora/Sydney-based artist and composer Archie Tulk captures that feeling on his intimate new single ‘White Bee’, out October 2 alongside an accompanying music video. The single also comes with the announcement of his debut album ‘Human Noise’, arriving November 27.


With his background in composition, Tulk brings an adventurous, genre-fluid approach to songwriting, blurring the boundaries between art-pop, jazz and orchestral music through intricate arrangements and a pop sensibility.


As a composer, his works have been commissioned and performed by Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Residentie Orkest, Luminescence Chamber Singers, Roctet, Sydney Children’s Choir and Muze van Zuid Festival.


His recent international performances include intimate events at The Grey Space in the Middle, Paardcafé and Roode Bioscoop in the Netherlands, while releases ‘August Blue’ and ‘Watercolours’ received support across Australian community radio, including FBi Radio and a feature in RTRFM’s Songs of the Week.


On ‘White Bee’, Tulk folds jazz, art pop and sweeping orchestral arrangements into an intimate alternative song. Piano and drums move through clipped, stop-start patterns, creating a playful groove and rhythmic pulse beneath his velvety baritone vocals. Around them, strings blend with winds and harp to create a lush, enveloping backdrop while retaining an immediate, intimate warmth.


At its core, ‘White Bee’ explores the yearning that comes with long-distance relationships and the strange persistence of someone remaining present in your thoughts despite the physical distance between you. Buzzing sounds threaded throughout the arrangement embody this constant rumination, becoming a recurring motif for thoughts that refuse to disappear. As Tulk shares:


“‘White Bee’ explores the buzz of a lover you can’t get out of your head, and the yearning that comes with long-distance dating. The song unfolds through a vibrantly orchestrated sound world, featuring instruments including violins and saxophone.”


The accompanying music video, directed by Guian Balan and shot and edited by Dylan Burrows, follows Tulk and his violinists and saxophonist through a series of contrasting settings. Moving between the openness of a sprawling field and the intimacy of a dimly lit jazz bar, the performance-led clip mirrors the track’s movement between expansiveness and closeness, bringing the colourful world of ‘White Bee’ to life on screen.


‘White Bee’ and its accompanying music video are out October 2, with his debut album ‘Human Noise’ arriving November 27.

Follow Archie Tulk
http://www.archietulk.com
Spotify | Apple Music | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube