released May 24, 2023

Andy Atyeo: keyboard with laptop
Chris Conway: theremin, Irish whistles, bombarde, bells, shaker, kalimba, voice, effects
Jez Creek: Erica Synths Syntrx, Teenage Engineering OP-1, effects
Alan Freeman: special effects guitar, Roland SH-32 synthesizer, voice, effects
Steve Freeman: Korg MS-20 synthesizer, acoustic CD, voice, effects

Escape Route = Chris Conway, Alan Freeman and Steve Freeman

Recorded in Rehearsal room 5, at Quad Studios, Friday Street, Leicester, on Tuesday 23rd May 2023.
Recorded and edited by Alan Freeman.
All titles selected from "Starmaster's Gambit" by Gerard Klein.

Download also includes: photos and videos

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It happens sometimes, QE150 was dogged by all sorts of hassles/problems.
(if you have no idea about recording logistics the following may mean nothing to you)
First, I realised I forgot the power pack for the digital recorder (luckily the batteries are quite new, so not a problem really), and Jez forgot his portable table (making do with a small table taken from the lobby). But those things were nothing compared to the recording problems.

About tracks 1 to 3 here.
We remembered, from the last time we used this mixing desk, that the headphone-out seemed to be the only simple solution. So, that was the route first taken. I thought the recorder was getting adequate signal, until I noticed something was wrong. I was actually checking during a loud section of set 1 that the recorder wasn't overloading and found that the signal was in fact quite low. Listening back, it seemed like all I'd recorded was a load of hiss and buzz. So, with three of us trying to work out what was happening, Jez seemed to find a solution which suggested that I had a dodgy lead (however this proved not to be the case). Thinking all was now okay, set 2 from Andy Atyeo & Jez Creek went ahead. Then, during set 3 from Escape Route, a quick look at the recording level revealed almost no signal again. Damn!
After this, giving the mixer a good look-over again, and realising the only reason we got a good test signal from Jez was due to "pre-fade listen" buttons being pressed, none of us could work out how to get the signal routed through the headphones properly, so Chris thought of a new idea, using the "grouped outputs" which fortunately worked!

1. everyone - A Strange Story, take 1
Despite the actual recording being low and about 95% buzz and hiss, remarkably - with a mixture of noise reduction/hiss removal in Cool Edit Pro and re-EQ-ing/balancing in Sound Forge - I managed to restore much of the audio and achieved something that's quite reasonable, if somewhat more minimal and restrained than the actual performance.
2. Jez Creek - Reality Was So Depressing
After changing the recorder input lead, it turned out that Jez's performance was only coming through due to the "pre-fade listen" buttons on his inputs being engaged. The performance was actually by Andy Atyeo & Jez Creek, yet if Andy is there at all he's at about a thousandth of Jez's level. Remarkably though, Jez's performance stands up well alone.
3. Escape Route - Let Me Out Of Here
Like set 1, this recording was also about 95% buzz and hiss but, again using a mixture of noise reduction/hiss removal in Cool Edit Pro and re-EQ-ing/balancing in Sound Forge, I remarkably managed to get something out of it. Maybe it doesn't quite sound like what was performed, but the results are most strange and spooky.

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FYI "Geodesics"
a. designating the shortest surface line between two points on a surface, esp. a curved surface.
b. of or pertaining to the geometry of such lines.
c. In general relativity, a geodesic generalizes the notion of a "straight line" to curved spacetime. Importantly, the world line of a particle free from all external, non-gravitational forces is a particular type of geodesic. In other words, a freely moving or falling particle always moves along a geodesic.