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You are here: Home / Music / FAWM 2018: a good excuse to write new music

4th February 2018 by Ben Barden

FAWM 2018: a good excuse to write new music

Last year, I wrote 16 tracks as part of FAWM, an annual songwriting challenge where the goal is to write 14 tracks in 28 days.

This year, I’m a couple of days late posting my first tracks (compared to last year, anyway), but I’ve made a start. Here’s my FAWM profile with links to the new tracks.

I was really pleased with the tracks I wrote last year, which I used for a new album – “Ten“. That album is exactly as it was once FAWM 2017 ended. I didn’t add or remove any tracks, reorder the sequence, or edit any of the music.

When I got started this year, I was a bit rusty. It took a few tries to come up with the first track (Synthrock), which I wasn’t completely happy with – but with a time-based challenge, there isn’t a lot of time to procrastinate. So I thought it best to finish the first track, and get on with the show. I’m happier with the second track (Psionetrics) and this should help keep my motivation up.

I find that FAWM is a great way to write new music – I only wish I hadn’t had ten years away (between 2007-2017).

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About the author

Web dev, bug finder, writer of niche music
Founder/coder at switchscores.com
Product Manager at Octopus Energy / Kraken Technologies Read More…

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Lots of snow! #uksnow Lots of snow! #uksnow
This was good! Nothing clever but 😁👍 This was good! Nothing clever but 😁👍
Watching Sophie Ellis Bextor on Graham Norton with Watching Sophie Ellis Bextor on Graham Norton with a band wearing animal masks/heads. A very 2020 way to round out a very surreal year. Great music, too! #HappyNewYear2021
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Guildford Castle, 25th Dec 2020. Merry Christmas. Guildford Castle, 25th Dec 2020. Merry Christmas. 

#loveguildford #guildford #guildfordcastle #christmas
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Sunday afternoon walk. Sunday afternoon walk.
This year's #topnine ... This year's #topnine ...
#glutenfree beers 😁🕺 Oh hey, my latest musi #glutenfree beers 😁🕺

Oh hey, my latest music is now up on Spotify! Link in my profile!
New music coming soon to #spotify and most other o New music coming soon to #spotify and most other online stores. Release date tbc.

This is my 3rd release, containing 2 tracks: November Dawn, and Legacy Layers.

The tracks originally featured as part of my self-produced albums, Symmetry 1 and 2. Each track on Symmetry 1 has a companion track on Symmetry 2. These two are cut from the same cloth and are a kind of "trance guitar" style.

Newly-mastered for 2020, I think the music sounds nice and fresh. Maybe you'll like them!

Slowly building up my discography... you can find me under the name "GFD".
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The #glutenfree way to have beer and Pringles. 🕺
Just arrive: Thirty years of #thedivinecomedy boxs Just arrive: Thirty years of #thedivinecomedy boxset 😁 this should be good. I've been a fan since 1996, and know the albums well. But I've missed loads of B-sides - and I know there are plenty. This set is a huge collection of music and will take some time to get through fully!!
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Anyone fancy a #glutenfree mince pie? And iced, no Anyone fancy a #glutenfree mince pie? And iced, no less! They're great!
My next music release is coming soon! My next music release is coming soon!
A 25 year epic journey: Way, way back in Septemb A 25 year epic journey:
 
Way, way back in September 1995… I wrote my first proper song, called “Waiting for the Sun”. It’s a bit basic.

Fast-forward to 2005. I had a pile of about 100 unfinished tracks. Tired of never finishing anything, I wanted enough tracks for an album. Over the next few years, I put together five albums, before taking a break in 2009.

In 2016, I decided to start music again under a new artist name – “GFD”. I did three more albums, a remix album, before writing two more albums under my own name. Eleven in total. (Album 10 was called “Ten”, in case anyone lost count.)

So, what now? Well, I’ve had a go at mastering one of my tracks, added some basic artwork, and uploaded it to stores.
The track has been approved, and will hit streaming services in a couple of weeks. It only took 25 years!

A truly epic journey… and the track is quite aptly titled Epic Journey.

Epic Journey by GFD hits Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Google Play, Tidal, Shazam, and Deezer on September 18th, 2020.

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