Alien Skin

'The Secret Garden' album has been released today! Read the details of the 4th Alien Skin CD album release in this blog.

Prior the release of THE SECRET GARDEN new album, the entire current Alien Skin discography is being given away to 3 people. That's 14 official titles & 58 songs. Find out how to seize this opportunity within the blog!

David Sylvian, to me, is one the few masterful music artists that I consider important. Important enough to have profoundly affected my understanding and appreciation of music as art. As such I present his full live concert from Tokyo 2004 with Steve Jansen & visual artist Masakatsu Takagi. A stunning atmospheric & fluid electronic experience.

A sensuous, new video for the Alien Skin song 'Belong' by Daniel Paquin. Shimmering fluid glass adorned by porcelain faced women.

A close friend discusses the impact the Alien Skin album, The Unquiet Grave, has had on him.

Animated GIF presenting the way music delivery has dramatically changed over the past 30 years. Scanning yearly from 1980 to 2010, includes percentage proportions of such media & systems as vinyl, CDs, cassettes, downloads, streaming and others.

I was recently interviewed by Lili for her website Lili's Lair. Read the full interview on her page. I discuss my time in Real Life & of course my past & future music in Alien Skin.

Scans of my hand written lyrics for a selection of songs from the album 'Ghost In The Rain' and others.

2012 is rolling fast to a close, the older one gets it seems the faster the world spins. A few blinks, a few sleeps, some good times, some bad times and we're back where we started from...another year over. This blog discusses where I'm at presently with Alien Skin.

The ever articulate David Sylvian being interviewed in 2012 "a beauty I cannot deny - David Sylvian Looks Back."

This blog is a response to frequent requests by musicians for me to review their music. "I am often contacted by people to listen to their music and offer my thoughts. I personally don't enjoy judging the work of others & as a musician myself, with my own very specific tastes, within this blog are my thoughts & tips on the subject."

COLD is the new Alien Skin EP release, available exclusively from BANDCAMP. In this blog are the liner notes & artwork. 'Cold' has become a fan favourite since the release of the album 'The Unquiet Grave' in 2010. This extended-play release features the official album recording, an additional 3 versions and the brand new track, 'Be My Angel'.

Released through Bandcamp for the first time, are three hard to find Real Life album and single releases from the mid 90's onwards. They are available in high fidelity CD quality digital download formats.

Occasionally people ask me about the origins of my songs and how the germ of an idea begins. Sources of inspiration may be endless, as it is for most writers, but the mechanics of recording an idea are usually quite crude & quick in order to capture it immediately from its birth. In this blog I present a 'rough as sawdust' audio demonstration.

I recently read this article on Digital Music News, finding it not surprising as my previous band Real Life had parallel issues with record companies and management, but illuminating nonetheless. I therefore post it here for others to read. Another good reason for new artists to be less in a hurry to be 'signed' by major labels of any stripe or colour.

VOLUME ONE is a new album release of Alien Skin song demos, going back to the 1990s and includes my time in Real Life. This musical body of work, when DNA tested, reveals traces of Kraftwerk, Beck, Moby, Prodigy, Fat Boy Slim, Underworld & a smattering of 1960s psychedelic pop.

Summer of Love is the new Alien Skin single release in collaboration with Steve Kilbey (The Church band/'Under the Milky Way'). This is its story. Song available at Bandcamp.

Video Interview: Legendary Smashing Pumpkins singer/guitarist Billy Corgan passionately discusses the state of the music industry and why today's musicians are treated like sex workers.

2012 has seen the passing of a number of notable music artists, people who were ever present in my youth and loomed larger than life in those early formative years. The Beatles' song In My Life expresses my sentiments quite well. Here then is 'In My Life'.

An update on new Alien Skin music being prepared for release: (1) a follow up album to 'Ghost In The Rain' (2) an 80s EP project (3) a collaboration with divine french artist 'RoBERT' and (4) a new collaboration with Steve Kilbey (Under the Milkyway) of iconic Australian band 'The Church'. Read it all in this latest blog.

Emily White, an intern at NPR 'All Songs Considered' and GM of what appears to be her college radio station, wrote a post on the NPR blog in which she acknowledged that while she had 11,000 songs in her music library, she’s only paid for 15 CDs in her life. Dave Lowery from 'The Trichordist' responds point by point to the philosophy of illegal downloads that impact so negatively on independent artists.

'Monster Mash with Alien Skin' is a special article by Dan Shaurette which includes my interview responses for HorrorAddicts.net. His article is part of a HorrorAddicts radio episode promoting women writers in the horror genre that also features the Alien Skin song 'The Unquiet Grave' as its theme. Read the article in today's blog post.

Presenting the unique French artist: RoBERT, who has been creating stunningly beautiful music since the early 1990s. From electro to baroque, delicate & charming; stuff dreams are woven out of. Recently I have been working with her her across continents and our collaboration is soon to be realized. In this blog I also feature some of her sensuous videos.

A couple of years ago I teamed up with Mila Dream (Mi*la) to produce a gorgeously delicate song of hers, My Flower On The Hill. Mila is a well versed artist from Russia that I met in 2008 via MySpace and we have been in touch ever since. She also contributed vocals to my Alien Skin song Belong, in 2010

Now you can send me a voice message, easily, quickly & for free - straight from your computer. And I can just as easily reply to you. Check this blog to try it out.

Spread over 3 parts and 3 blog posts, I trace my musical development from initially being disinterested in music as a child, to my obsession with bands and the passionate addiction to writing & creating music myself a few years later, through to Real Life and Alien Skin today. Today is the concluding Part 3.

Within is the promotional YouTube video I produced for Ghost In The Rain, the title song from my new Alien Skin album. Partly filmed in the mountain ranges, east of Melbourne/Australia, on a cold & misty day in April, shortly after my birthday.

Chain D.L.K. the Italian webzine, recently reviewed 'Ghost in The Rain'. Within is an excerpt, you may read the full review on the Chain D.L.K. website - link provided.

Author Kage Alan has already reviewed my previous two Alien Skin albums, as well as Real Life's 'Imperfection' (2004), today he adds his thoughts about 'Ghost In The Rain'.

If you know the international hit 'UNDER THE MILKY WAY' by legendary Australian band, The Church, then you'll know the voice of Steve Kilbey. I was requested to remix 'Hear In Noiseville' a song by Steve Kilbey with producer Pocket. Watch the video of the track, within.

Bursting with enthusiasm, the stylish Modern Synthpop blog, has just published a new review of Ghost In The Rain, the 2012 Alien Skin album.

Spread over 3 parts and 3 blog posts, I trace my musical development from initially being disinterested in music as a child, to my obsession with bands and the passionate addiction to writing & creating music myself a few years later, through to Real Life and Alien Skin today. This is Part 2.

'Ghost In The Rain' the new Alien Skin album: a review in the words of a fan. All the way from Istanbul, Turkey, comes this appraisal of my latest work. Thank you Saliha!

Before Alien Skin, before I joined Real Life, I recorded an album entitled 'Beneath The Surface Tension' under the artist name of MooG. The album has been added to my growing list of free downloads to Alien Skin private guest list members. Have a listen to the promo, within.

Spread over 3 parts and 3 blog posts, I trace my musical development from initially being disinterested in music as a child, to my obsession with bands and the passionate addiction to writing & creating music myself a few years later, through to Real Life and Alien Skin today.

Saliha posted me a series of questions from Turkey. Today I answer these; my musical inspiration, synthesizers, film noir, Depeche Mode and more.

I enjoy reading any new information and news I can find on Martin Gore, especially when discussing his influences and how they continue to shape his current line of creative thinking. Anecdotes from his early years in Depeche Mode are always priceless as well!

'Ghost In The Rain' was released February 22, 2012 and I must admit I was surprised by the enthusiasm demonstrated by people in ordering it. This is a thank you blog-post to all of you.

Excellent audio interview with CdBaby President Brian Felsen. Especially very useful for all of us independent artists. CdBaby is my Alien Skin music distributor.

Ghost In The Rain, my 3rd Alien Skin album, was released February 22nd, 2012. So far the support it's received has been marvelous, so I thought I'd film a little 'thank you' to all the people who have made this possible.

Ghost In The Rain, my new and 3rd Alien Skin album was released today. I have dedicated a special webpage on my site for it. You can preview it, watch it, and hear me discussing every song, right on the page.

I recently recorded an audio interview with Jo from Velvetstorm Media, Switzerland. Listen to it online!

A Youtube Video Special ... in the studio with Tony Mantz, mastering the new 2012, Alien Skin album, 'Ghost In The Rain'.

BBC Synth Britannia is a documentary I've watched a number of times already. If you are interested in the development of the electronic music scene in Britain, from the early 1970s to mid 1980s, then I know you'll salivate watching this Youtube video documentary!

In today's blog I publish a post submitted to me by Saliha, an Alien Skin fan from far away Istanbul, Turkey. Saliha expands on why SHE enjoys Alien Skin music. I wish to thank her for the sentiments expressed and the time expended writing this blog.

'The Secret Garden' is a 4 song CD recorded simultaneously with my new album 'Ghost In The Rain'. Hear it on video and find out how to get a free, signed CD copy for yourself directly from me.

Nick Drake was a young English singer-songwriter, brilliant, sensitive and troubled with depression which eventually forced his death in 1974. His sensitive, melancholic work is an influence on my songwriting for Alien Skin.

Ghost In The Rain, my new Alien Skin CD album, is scheduled for worldwide release on February 22, 2012. Watch a 3D video of its artwork being presented & learn how to receive a FREE, limited edition, signed CD: The Secret Garden, as a complimentary gift when you purchase the album.

Christmas Eve 2011 was spent mastering my third Alien Skin CD album 'Ghost In The Rain'. Let me take you on a trip inside the mastering studio, in a rather hot Australian summer festive season. No snow-white one here, if only! Documentary video to follow soon.

Real Life toured Germany in October 1998, and it's a European memory I cherish. Recently I posted the blog 'Touring America with Real Life', today I continue my recollection of 18 days in Germany, autobahns & cinematic beauty.

This is the first in my series of favourite musical works that continue to inspire my work as Alien Skin.

Goldfrapp Felt Mountain, is the stunning work of British electronic music duo, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory. The pair is responsible for producing one of the finest, most elegant, charming and gracious debut albums I have heard.

As keyboardist in Real Life, I toured the US a number of times, but the tour I remember most fondly was the one in August/September 1998 in support of our current album at the time 'Happy'. It began rather disorganized, and with some panic I must add, but it developed into something I still recall with great regard!

It seems I record my albums in southern winter and release them in northern winter. It's not intentional, it just worked out that way, but I think this is quite apt. To me, anyway, both 'Don't Open Till Doomsday' & 'The Unquiet Grave' have been just that...music conceived in a dark, cold wintry hideaway, where shadows play tricks on the eyes. Ghost In The Rain is born of the same shadowy substance.

Welcome to the NEW official Alien Skin website. You are currently viewing a BLOG post/page. Click on HOME to begin your exploration. If you're reading this on Facebook or Twitter, then check it out by clicking here.

An interesting & instructive article I discovered, & it pertains to all small self financed artists & people who listen to music & perhaps forget all about the trickle down affect of not actually buying and supporting the artist in order to have the music continue to be produced.

Producing the song 'With Your Sad Eyes' with Phil Kearney. Including the music video. It's one of my favourite Alien Skin releases!

Just prior Christmas, 2010, I posted an open offer for a collaborative effort based on a piece of unfinished and untitled music I had. 'She Sells Seashells' is the result of this collaboration between myself and singer, musician Phil Kearney from Nebraska, US. Includes the music video.

In the following video I go through the recording of For Always 'Morgue of Silence' mix and isolate the various tracks so you better hear each component part that makes up the song.