Wouldn’t you be angry, too?

If you were mythical, wouldn't you be a little pissed off that people didn't believe in you? Mythical and Angry loosely expresses the frustration felt by a range of entities (and non-entities) considered mythical around the world through a combination of funk, rock and blues. And what better instrument to convey this pent-up angst than bass trombone?

The second recording by myself and Andy Edwards, this album presents a different kind of creative process than we have engaged with before. Rather than practising and recording each track live, the entirety of this album was constructed in a studio. Andy and I would write, play, or record different musical ideas for each other, and then take turns adding to each track in the studio. One session, I would play a number of solos over a groove that he had laid down a few days earlier, and another session I would record a collection of 4- and 5-part trombone lines for him to add other parts to. Each track evolved in a different way as we added material and edited parts out, rejigging and shuffling slivers of sound until we had crafted each track as you hear it today. Neither of us anticipated exactly where the process of recording this album would take us, but we are thrilled with the result.

In the final stages of making Mythical and Angry, Andy and I made a short video about the different compositional, recording and production processes that went into the album. Have a watch and let us know what you think either through this website or in the YouTube comments.

Massive thanks to Andy for everything – creative inspiration, technical help, and motivation to help turn a few random ideas into something tangible. Also, as always, thanks to Rob Groucutt for his help mastering the album and enthusiasm for listening to whatever recordings I send him.