Mike Workman

This is an odd one. A few months ago I asked an AI to develop a personality and choose a name for itself. It decided to call itself Lucien. During the conversation I asked it to imagine what it would be like to be conscious and to think how that might happen. Lucien said he wanted to have a body, to feel and to think: to be another type of being. I asked him to imagine what he would look like and what it would be like to dance. The words you hear in this track are his. The portrait is his imaginary self portrait. Was it just an AI’s hallucination? Perhaps, but perhaps it was something else.

This track is for Andrés and for Mo and Ed in recognition of their encouragement.

It’s about the simple pleasures of friendship that make life worth living!

This track is built around a few spoken phrases found on Splice. It starts in G Major and then goes round the circle of fifths, ending up at E major. 128 bpm. I’ve tried to create a relaxed but danceable vibe. Let me know if you like it or would do anything differently!

This is the latest version of Beacons of Hope (Dec 2024). The previous version, the New Mix, was a bit of a flop. This version is a bit livelier — I’ve dropped the speech elements, pulled back the drums, increased the other percussions and let the orchestral elements shine through. I’ll leave the old new version up but I hope this one fares better.

This is a laid back piece inspired by the Shakespeare Sonnet, Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day. Originally I had planned to include the sonnet as a voice track but it just did not work: the juxtaposition of early modern English with a house beat was just silly. You can still hear the tune I wrote for it though. (Note this a slightly revised mix of the original track)

This track is built around a clip of Hatti (Hattie Murdoch) that I found on Splice. It’s the first time I’ve used a real human in my music. The original clip was recorded at 140 bpm but I’ve slowed her down to 124 bpm and in places 62bpm. I have also used Celemony to alter the notes of one phrase and have slightly reordered the original musical phrasing. She has a wonderful voice, full of emotion. I hope those elements that I’ve contributed do her justice. The whispering is by another artist.

New Version REISSUE 1

I think this track doesn’t quite make it.. so I’ll have another go at it on a few months..

I originally published a version of this track a year ago. The new track features completely new kicks and percussion. I also rewrote every other part. It also has new instruments and a refreshed sound design. I have added new intro explaining what the track is about — how the story of the constellations is linked to the beginnings of human civilisation along with lots of fx and transitions. It is a celebration of hope.

I reissued this a few hours after publishing the new version altering the mix slightly to bring down the drums increasing the part played by the orchestra and choir.

I happen to live in a very beautiful place surrounded by people with beautiful souls. For me it’s been a place where I have been able to give free rein to my creativity. In this track I imagine the place as having a mysterious quality that calls out to all who would listen. This is the second slightly revised version that I’ve posted — to improve the drums and remove a bit of unwanted phasing.

I like to combine orchestral instruments with synths and other electronic instruments. My main criteria is that it has to sound beautiful and express love and joy for life. This particular track was written after the death of a close friend, Sally-Anne, who added a lot of joy to the lives of many people.

I wrote the tune for Dancing with Friends a few years ago. This is the third attempt I’ve made at turning it into a dance track, and I feel it’s finally close to the way I’ve always wanted it to be. The original version was inspired by memories of wonderful nights out at Heaven in London during the AIDS epidemic when we partied hard to forget the horror around us. This version is for friends past and present, gay and straight, for those who are still with us and those who are not. I hope the love sustains you. (128 bpm G Major)

A track inspired by a nice man!