 Originally a drummer, Chris Blackwell was given his first drum kit for his eleventh birthday. Being left handed his Father set it up backwards, and to this day Chris plays left handed although, in fact he’s right handed! Chris went on to drum on two world tours with ex Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant with whom he recorded six albums. From these Platinum selling albums came many worldwide hits co-written by Chris, including Tie Dye On The Highway, Watching you, and a Grammy-nomination for Calling To You.
Chris then expanded his musical career into the world of Film and Media composition where he has become a very prolific writer with his own West London studio. His advertising credits include multi award-winning campaigns for Reebok, Levi’s and major compositions for the Sony PSP and Land Rover 'Freelander'.
Chris also works extensively for TV and has broadened his attention to orchestral composition. Recent film scores include Veronique, (winner of the Orange/Film4 prize) and 'Exit', a 20min film for Nissan, and various film trailer music. In addition Chris has also written several albums for the Cavendish Music Library (Boosey & Hawkes), De Wolfe, and Focus music libraries, as well as being a shareholder and musical contributor in the new online music service Audio Network. Above all, he continues to have a great time! FXpansion catch up with Chris to discuss his latest projects and gain some insights into his views on music software.
FX - What projects are you currently working on?
CB - I am currently involved in composing an album of Hollywood Film Trailer music; big drummy stuff that is great fun to do and enables me to be as over the top as I like! I’m also doing a few TV commercials and basically I’m being kept very busy, which is just as well as I have just become a father again!
FX - What led you to make the transition from being a drummer to incorporating film, media and orchestral composition into your range of skills?
CB - I had been touring for about ten years on and off with various bands, most notably 6 years with Robert Plant (ex Led Zeppelin) and I had slowly been putting together a studio from which I was composing stuff, mainly for Robert. A friend of mine who worked as a copywriter in an ad agency called me one day when I was back from tour and told me that his agency was having trouble finding the right music for a commercial (Reebok) and would I like to have a go? I told him that I had never done anything like that before but he said give it a go anyway. So I did and guess what? The bloody ad went on to win 9 awards and my phone didn’t stop ringing! As I had just come off of a major and grueling tour it wasn’t a very hard decision for me to stop the touring and stay at home instead to have fun in my studio, so that’s what I did!
FX - What was your most memorable concert?
CB - Blimey, so many … Knebworth was a blast, 125,000 people in a field. Madison Square Gardens because it had always been my dream to play there. I suppose my most memorable was the first show I ever played with Robert in Canada. The sheer size of the audience and the incredible reaction we got will stay with me forever I think. Magic days.
FX - Tell us a bit about your work on the Sony PSP ‘A Day in the Life’ commercial directed by Chris Cunningham?
 CB - That ad was great fun! I remember that I was trying to be on holiday at the time and had to keep popping back home to make the odd changes here and there. I rented a lovely old Ludwig silver sparkle kit and a couple of vintage valve mics and recorded the music in sections, using only the two mics. I wanted to keep the sound as live as possible, although obviously there are quite a few overdubs, and I also wanted to keep the entire thing just drums. I never actually got to meet Chris Cunningham, but I have always been a fan of his ever since I saw the Aphex Twin ‘Come to Daddy’ video he directed, which is mad. I’m very pleased with the
way the ad turned out and with the sound of the kit.
FX - What FXpansion products do you own and how do you use them, can you share a few of your tips with us?
CB - I have recently loaded BFD2 onto my Mac and it has completely blown me away. I play a Hart Pro kit through a Roland TD20 brain and the response and level of articulation in BFD2 is simply amazing. If I’m feeling lazy I also have a Korg PadKontrol to hand that I can play BFD2 with but either of these methods works great and has really sped up my workflow. The BFD2 interface is fantastic and I love the way you can mix and match drums with complete control over the sound of the kit. The mixer page is a godsend and the ability to save an entire kit with individual EQ, compression and reverb is quite stunning. After a bit of programming I am looking forward to having a customised bank of kits ready to go at the click of a mouse!
FX - As an experienced and professional drummer how do you find BFD compares to the ‘real’ thing?
CB - I have to say that in all honesty you would be very hard pressed to tell the difference between BFD2 and the real thing, seriously. I’ve got the Deluxe expansion pack as well and the big Ludwigs sound just like a big Ludwig ought to sound. Great stuff!
FX - What made you choose BFD over other drum modules on the market?
CB - I found that with BFD2 I was experimenting and putting kits together right from the word go without even having to read the manual! BFD2 actually encourages you to tweak and twiddle and to make it your own, something I didn’t find with the competition at all.
FX -What musical ambitions have you yet to achieve and who would you love to work with that you haven't already?
CB - I really would love to move into big movie scores. I think it’s a natural progression for me at the moment given where I am musically and creatively. I’ve been working a fair bit with orchestras of late and I find it immensely challenging and emotionally very rewarding. As for drumming, well I’d love to work with Peter Gabriel or David Bowie!
FX - Thanks very much Chris for your time and insights.
|
