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yes, december

December is, of course, that time of year when we look back at the previous 11 months and decide what was the best 'whatever' of the year, hoping that nothing really special comes along before the New Year that will make our selections look stupid.

So why would we be any different?  We are definitely quite prepared to look stupid.

A full set of Top 10 type things will probably appear on The Cream Room Blog during the month, but in the meantime here's our "Top 10 commercially released 'pop' tracks" that wormed into our hearts from January to November.  Bearing in mind that I actually have a list of over 60, these are just the ones that happened to make the list right now.  And if the X-Factor finalist single turns out to be a classic I'll... no wait that ain't happening!

The 2012 "don't try to be cool" Top 10

  • Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know.  Yes I know it was massive, overplayed and probably you're sick to death of it. But you can't deny this had a splash of original quirkiness that sets it apart. The first time I heard this was the YouTube version by 'Walk Off The Earth'.
    5 people, one guitar, 140 million views. Check it out here
  • Frank Ocean - Super Rich Kids.  Frank Ocean got a bit of media attention for admitting that he'd wasn't a totally committed heterosexual - a statement that sets him quite apart from many contemporaries.  Had to hear this track a couple of times to get it, but once I had I was hooked. 
  • David Guetta - Titanium. He winds some of the hardcore DJs up but he sure knows how to put together a pop tune.  This is the one that's got the drop out synth sound and lyrics that don't quite make sense. Whad'ya mean they're all like that?
  • Madeon - Icarus.  This was the first official single but it was the mash up 'Pop Culture' that initially caught attention, using samples from thirty-nine songs mixed together on-the-fly using a Novation Launchpad.  
  • Saint Etienne - Tonight. Yes, Saint Etienne! Back from who knows where with a very good album,  and this track is quite possibly my favourite one of the year.
  • The Maccabees - Went Away.  Another of my  favourite albums from 2012, this is a stand out track  - the beautiful descending guitar line in the chorus is just gorgeous.
  • Kodaline - All I Want.  I'm a Napster subscriber and it's thanks to their monthly playlist that I discovered this little beauty.  Builds to a huge climax from an understated beginning.
  • Knife Party - Bonfire.  Ska / Reggae morphs into Dubstep.  It was a close call between this and Swedish House Party's 'Antidote' but the coin toss fell this side. 
  • Taylor Swift - We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.  I'd explain, but it would probably still not make sense.  As pop as pop gets - perfect.
  • Foals - Inhaler. Definitely my favourite video of the year - coming along in November this totaly blew me away.  It sounds exactly like Foals and yet is somehow miles removed from their previous work.  Looking forward to the new album 'Holy Fire' next year.

Let us know your favourites from the year and we'll post them up - especially if it's unsigned, unheard and / or extremely brilliant.

Martin

Raining Champion

Congratulations to the very lovely The Folk on securing the runner up spot at the Hertfordshire Songwriter Competition.

The band's first ever professional recording "When it Rains" has attracted lots of attention and plenty of airplay this year - rounded off nicely when it got the nod in the Senior Acoustic category.

The track was produced here at The Cream Room along with the other tracks on the 'Wait Forever' EP,.

Listen to the EP HERE.

Travelling Jack

Jack Samman once worked as a meteorologist for the RAF and this inspired a great love of the Great British countryside and it's huge variety of villages.

Jack's spirit of exploration led to him heading out find out more about the Hertfordshire area, and discover The Cream Room while he was investigating Dane End.

That happy accident led to the 'Hertfordshire Villages' audio book, produced at The Cream Room about the lovely places he has visited.

Listen to the book HERE

Who We Are

The Cream Room Studio is built inside the unused shell of a building formerly used for milking the dairy herd on Home Farm (or birthing the calves depending on who you believe!) The rural surroundings of farms and fields mean we are rarely troubled by external noise distractions – or the temptation of accidentally extended pub lunch breaks.  That’s made The Cream Room the perfect location for VoiceOver Recording, and you will find Cream Room produced voice tracks on a huge variety of projects including Emergency Evacuation Announcements, Telephone Interactive Voice Response systems, Audio Books, Corporate Training Videos and Hypnotherapy CDs.

As a Music Production facility we have provided the soundtrack / background music to a number of corporate video projects and have also worked with larger commercial enterprises such as Thistle Hotels, Nokia and William Hill.

And of course there is always the regular stream of bands, singers and musicians looking for a supportive environment to record and produce their Demo, Single, EP or Album.  Our newest project is to formalise the Coaching and Mentoring service in to a bespoke ‘production’ package that will encourage collaboration and development; creating links with PR, management, design, video and marketing companies to give the best possible chance of success in the music biz.

It’s not all serious and arty though.  If you just fancy belting out your favourite song over a backing track - by yourself or with a few friends – we do that too.

We're always delighted to discuss your requirements with you, so if you have any questions or would like to arrange a visit to the studio before making your booking please do get in touch.

Whether you're a commercial company, an established artist or a first time singer we can help you create some magic.

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01920 438926

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EMAIL: info@creamroom.co.uk

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