Shuffling Deckchairs by Steve BLaque
SHuffling Deckchairs was recorded originally not as a project but as ongoing tracks Steve Blaque was writing from the various places he lived between 2008-2011. Overall there were 3 different studio locations in Beijing while one was used in Sydney Australia.
The Album reflects a transition in Blaque who during this time was trying to build a solo performance show and move out of a studio environment and a departure here from other albums, particularly last year's release of Twobitsville is that there was no drummer for the project giving a slightly less band sound, but more studio production. Blaque himself opines "it was a trade off bought from necessity and that I hope the other live elements of guitars and keyboards might make up for those differences in nuance that one gets when having a live drummer, but that hours and hours were spent programming to get an authentic feel..which was what I was after".
Shuffling Deckchairs brings to the plate a variety of issues and concerns that feed into BLaque's mindset. Ranging from isolation and contemplation in Fkt Like Icarus to a bizarre take on futurism and culture shock in It ain't very Svelt. Track comments will be placed within time in each song's portal here on this site.
Tracklist
| 1. | It Doesn't Make Sense to Me | 3:45 |
| 2. | Something's RoTten in the State o' Denmark | 4:37 |
| 3. | Fkt Like Icarus | 4:18 |
| 4. | Crave yur Love | 5:23 |
| 5. | Intimate Relations | 4:18 |
| 6. | To be is the Game | 4:58 |
| 7. | It Comes Down to This | 4:15 |
| 8. | Old Man | 3:50 |
| 9. | To Mend (a broken heart) | 3:26 |
| 10. | Only so much this Cat can Take | 3:47 |
| 11. | Grass is Greener | 3:47 |
| 12. | Smokin' Pkts o' Cigarettz | 4:30 |
| 13. | It Ain't Very Svelt | 4:08 |
Credits
Steve Blaque has tended to work on his studio projects in isolation and so after many years of working in this way Shuffling Deckchairs became a noticeable departure from the isolate struggling musician. New voices were added and these were from China, where the main studio operations took place Maggie Gao and April Yang, both of whom not only sang but also wrote their Chinese parts to fit the mood of the songs as well as in Australia Catherine Webb.
Alongside these singers Deckchairs also included saxophonist John Costelloe out of Manila, who in the Sydney sessions was in Sydney in his own Iceflow Studios. The final collaborator was a tip top guitarist also from Sydney named Todd Ellis. I should mention that former Repromaster Guitarist Mike Crystal appears on To Be is the Game
Darktrunk and 52 North Records would love to convey absolute appreciation to the work these performers brought to Steve's volume.
License
All rights reserved.
Steve Blaque singer, songwriter, Producer and engineer and owner of Darktrunk Recording (formerly Forbidden City Studio Beijing) also performs in an unplugged environment with his favorite flavors of Indie and Grunge. Blaque has always said ''you don't need distortion to be grunge and you don't need twang to be Indie''.