Go Dream (2014)
Pop sounds deconstructed and reassigned to a new place. Full of shifting moods, earworm melodies, restless arrangements and dark humour. Running through its core is a heartfelt take on a theme of ambition, fame, success & failure. “It slowly dawned on me that people are weird. Some of them are totally arrogant and selfish and driven by things which repel me. And in that kinda misanthropic mindset I found a lot to write about.”
Each song reveals more of the story; Week Of Warmth recounts the tale of ill-fated 70s power-pop band Badfinger from their money-grabbing manager's perspective. Ten Dollar Cocktails and Patient Pilot both allude to an air-rage incident of the neo-classical heavy metal guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. Fans of sitcom ‘Seinfeld’ might relate to Summer Of George, and anyone who has found themselves on a night out alone could sympathise with Own Night Out… And, of course, there's the ever present sound of the sea. Available as Vinyl LP and Digital Download. |
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Released 29.09.2014 on Plain Sailing Records
SIDE A 01 Foreign Movies 02 Ten Dollar Cocktails 03 Time Waster 04 Smallest Things 05 Own Night Out 06 Go Fish SIDE B 07 Summer Of George 08 Week Of Warmth 09 Patient Pilot 10 Go Dream 11 Stolen Thunder |
Performed by Lukas Creswell-Rost
with: James Yates - Drums, Percussion, Marimba, Vibraphone, 80s Laura Gladwell - Vocals Carl Schilde - Lead Synth (7 & 9) E.L. Heath - Vocals, Flutes (3 & 8) Oliver Du Toit - Yngwie Lead Guitar (2) Snake Davis - Soprano Saxophone (8) All words and music by Lukas Creswell-Rost. Except: 04 - music by J. Yates & L. C.-Rost, 07 - music by J. Yates, C. Schilde & L.C.-Rost, 09 - arrangement by J. Yates, C. Schilde & L.C.-Rost, 02 & 08 - arrangement by J. Yates & L. C.-Rost ...TPT stretch back. Produced, recorded & mixed by Lukas Creswell-Rost Drums recorded by James Yates Mastered by Arnold Kasar at Eastside Mastering, Berlin Artwork by WitShop Photos by Bruno Derksen |
"Go Dream is a highly crafted triumph, each song a contained but also concatenate melodrama; the hooks and melodies purposeful and giving away more on each listen. Lukas pays homage to the lost art of the LP, every action considered and purposeful, and all linked to a subtle nautical leitmotif. An unassuming masterpiece… One of the sorely under-rated, if undiscovered, majestical albums of the year."
MONOLITH COCKTAIL
"A fascinating album. Crosses all sorts of genres; a bit pastoral-psych, a bit prog, a bit folk, a bit cinematic."
STUART MACONIE, BBC6 MUSIC
"I’m not entirely sure how to describe Go Dream, other than that it’s very good."
SOUND ON SOUND MAGAZINE
"Go Dream is the commandment to seek new unique visions."
IMPOSE MAGAZINE
"The combination of modern psychedelia, dreamy pop, meandering prog workouts and contemporary digi-folk clearly comes from the heart."
TEAM ROCK
"That was Lukas Creswell-Rost and Week of Warmth. He's a musician and producer originaly from Leeds, he's currently working in Berlin."
TOM ROBINSON, BBC6
"A highly polished and very intelligent album"
FOURCULTURE MAGAZINE
"No-one else is really playing music like this these days… and a lot of it's in deeply unfashionable territory"
7/10 - NORMAN RECORDS
"At times pristine, decaying to absolute silence or quivering with gentle pads… the album feels delicately balanced."
SOUNDBLAB
"Shows [him] as a quiet songwriter and sound wizard… through clever arrangements and sound design"
PRETTY IN NOISE
"‘Go Dream’ signifies its creator as a true original; creating oddly-structured songs and turning them into multi-layered, dreamy, wonderful tunes."
LEONARD'S LAIR
MONOLITH COCKTAIL
"A fascinating album. Crosses all sorts of genres; a bit pastoral-psych, a bit prog, a bit folk, a bit cinematic."
STUART MACONIE, BBC6 MUSIC
"I’m not entirely sure how to describe Go Dream, other than that it’s very good."
SOUND ON SOUND MAGAZINE
"Go Dream is the commandment to seek new unique visions."
IMPOSE MAGAZINE
"The combination of modern psychedelia, dreamy pop, meandering prog workouts and contemporary digi-folk clearly comes from the heart."
TEAM ROCK
"That was Lukas Creswell-Rost and Week of Warmth. He's a musician and producer originaly from Leeds, he's currently working in Berlin."
TOM ROBINSON, BBC6
"A highly polished and very intelligent album"
FOURCULTURE MAGAZINE
"No-one else is really playing music like this these days… and a lot of it's in deeply unfashionable territory"
7/10 - NORMAN RECORDS
"At times pristine, decaying to absolute silence or quivering with gentle pads… the album feels delicately balanced."
SOUNDBLAB
"Shows [him] as a quiet songwriter and sound wizard… through clever arrangements and sound design"
PRETTY IN NOISE
"‘Go Dream’ signifies its creator as a true original; creating oddly-structured songs and turning them into multi-layered, dreamy, wonderful tunes."
LEONARD'S LAIR
An interview with Impose Magazine about the album:
With the move from Leeds to Berlin, how do you felt the Go Dream was able to be enriched by songs inspired by the tragic Badfinger story (from the swindling manager’s perspective at that), Seinfeld Costanza-isms like “Summer of George”, Yngwie Malmsteen, etc due to the solace of 2012 to 2013 winter?
Since I moved here about six years ago I think I’ve gently developed a keener eye for using more specific ideas in a song. About things I actually do, like watch Seinfeld. Using a bit of a Seinfeld quote or the Badfinger story were nice ways to crowbar some known references into the mix. I guess both accounts have a feeling of lost potential to them, which also fitted nicely with the idea of the album. And it’s nice to put a face to the words. The Yngwie Malmsteen story of him totally going air-rage, ballistic rock-star at another passenger is half preposterous, and half totally funny. Again, its nice to put a face to the ideas, and if that’s the enraged face of Yngwie Malmsteen, then all the better.
How do you think your own time in The Pattern Theory really informed where you are today with your music?
A hell of a lot! Making music with the guys in The Pattern Theory was really the best musical education I could have wished for, which was slightly ironic since we met at a music college. From messing around with odd time signatures or trying to play four instruments at once, or just trying to zone in on one particular idea. Although we were instrumental, I think I’ve retained a lot of the same approach with textures or sound choices with the songs in my solo project. We had a brief patch where we wanted to add vocals, so some songs on my album go back to things we worked out as The Pattern Theory. For example, ‘Patient Pilot’ was arranged by us three when we used to play it live so it was nice to have Carl play his original part from back then.
I know that you still work with drummer James Yates, but can you describe for us your own methods for drafting these songs and then working them out with Laura Gladwell, Snake Davis, E.L. Heath, Oliver Du Toit, Carl Schilde, etc? What is that creative development work from the solo artist to the full realization with the aid of a full ensemble?
Pretty much all my songs begin from finding a guitar part I like, then from there it’s figuring out other melodies to go with that. I’m quite attached to a melody like that. It has to be the right one before taking it any further. Since I played pretty much all of the instruments on the album it gave me lots of freedom to go nuts with ideas, but it also meant that things took me flipping ages. The main exception to that being the drums of course, which were masterfully played by James. Without his drums it would have been a totally different album. The songs needed that rhythmical backbone in place in order to progress one way or the other. His playing is so characterful and familiar to me that they always seem to fit my ideas. Plus he has Rototoms! Anyway, I think the extra elements from other people were really necessary to stop it being too “me”. With the soprano sax on ‘Week of Warmth’ from Snake Davis, I was a bit worried I was running into the recent-ish saxophone re-appropriation trend, but a solo is a solo, and that certainly is a solo! And the female vocals from Laura are really important to include another perspective on the songs. Add it all together piece by piece and… bang! You’ve got an album on your hands.
Every song has this lonely road quality of melancholia, from the video for “Time Waster” to the album, and feel of much of the album; what is it about those roads between towns, countries, and the solo rider that intrigues you so much?
Well the “voice” of the album is me in quite a misanthropic mood really. It’s nice to have a space like that to use by putting yourself at the bottom position. There’s more to explore there. It comes across as melancholic perhaps, although I don’t think the lyrics are particularly lonesome when taken away from the music. However, come to think of it, the creation of the record did require me to spend huge amounts of time alone so maybe your idea of the ‘solo rider’ makes sense.
With the video I took a trip to Sweden with two filmmaker friends, Bruno Derksen and Henrike Meyer. We went by ferry and car, and filmed our road-trip. The atmosphere there was quite spooky at night at the woods and lakes, and there was certainly a feeling of being isolated when we traveled. That sense of movement really works along with the songs I think… the feeling of going somewhere. They really made some beautiful and videos out of of that trip.
And like the title Go Dream, is the symbolic object of the road sort of the conduit that takes you to the meeting of a goal or dream?
Well yes the title has that double meaning thing of daring to dream, and being shat on for doing so. Ambition, success and failure and all that. I guess some of it does tie in with feelings of being a musician in this here musical game, trying to get yourself heard. The album cover image does give a nod to that same idea of travel and aloneness in the album and videos.
I love how sparse your songs can be, and then all of a sudden roar with a plugged in bravado, met with your own descriptive deliveries.
Thanks! Well as you mentioned earlier about the melancholic quality, I quite like trying to offset that at times with some over the top-ness. I find it a lot of fun to create these kinds of arrangements with big instruments playing distracting parts. An element of unexpectedness. It’s great to try and walk the taste line and not be in one place or the other. A lot of that came from listening to more garish music. Like, I had a phase where I bought all the 80s Genesis albums and just listened to them solidly, thankfully I seem to have gotten away from that for now.
What else are you working on, working with etc?
I just finished a pretty extensive Canadian tour playing with the excellent singer Emaline Delapaix, so now I’m really looking forwards to more recording time. It’s been quite a while since I finished a new song so there’s plenty in me raring to get working on new material. Saying that though, I’m gently working out new elements for my live show, with added people, to steer it more into the feel of the album. Try to keep it developing.
Berlin or Leeds artists that we are totally missing out on that the whole world needs to hear?
Well my connection to the current Leeds music scene is pretty tenuous these days. I enjoyed seeing Juffage and Vessels who are Leeds based, but were on tour here. As for Berlin, I’m ashamedly out of step as well. I really don’t feel part of any scene here, although everybody connected to the album has their own musical projects going on which are all really great — there’s the new album from Friedrich Liechtenstein which which Carl co-produced. Arnold who mastered the album has a top piano based project under the name Kasar, and Laura Gladwell is also here writing top songs. Perhaps it’s time to get to more local gigs now that I’ve finished the album.
Since I moved here about six years ago I think I’ve gently developed a keener eye for using more specific ideas in a song. About things I actually do, like watch Seinfeld. Using a bit of a Seinfeld quote or the Badfinger story were nice ways to crowbar some known references into the mix. I guess both accounts have a feeling of lost potential to them, which also fitted nicely with the idea of the album. And it’s nice to put a face to the words. The Yngwie Malmsteen story of him totally going air-rage, ballistic rock-star at another passenger is half preposterous, and half totally funny. Again, its nice to put a face to the ideas, and if that’s the enraged face of Yngwie Malmsteen, then all the better.
How do you think your own time in The Pattern Theory really informed where you are today with your music?
A hell of a lot! Making music with the guys in The Pattern Theory was really the best musical education I could have wished for, which was slightly ironic since we met at a music college. From messing around with odd time signatures or trying to play four instruments at once, or just trying to zone in on one particular idea. Although we were instrumental, I think I’ve retained a lot of the same approach with textures or sound choices with the songs in my solo project. We had a brief patch where we wanted to add vocals, so some songs on my album go back to things we worked out as The Pattern Theory. For example, ‘Patient Pilot’ was arranged by us three when we used to play it live so it was nice to have Carl play his original part from back then.
I know that you still work with drummer James Yates, but can you describe for us your own methods for drafting these songs and then working them out with Laura Gladwell, Snake Davis, E.L. Heath, Oliver Du Toit, Carl Schilde, etc? What is that creative development work from the solo artist to the full realization with the aid of a full ensemble?
Pretty much all my songs begin from finding a guitar part I like, then from there it’s figuring out other melodies to go with that. I’m quite attached to a melody like that. It has to be the right one before taking it any further. Since I played pretty much all of the instruments on the album it gave me lots of freedom to go nuts with ideas, but it also meant that things took me flipping ages. The main exception to that being the drums of course, which were masterfully played by James. Without his drums it would have been a totally different album. The songs needed that rhythmical backbone in place in order to progress one way or the other. His playing is so characterful and familiar to me that they always seem to fit my ideas. Plus he has Rototoms! Anyway, I think the extra elements from other people were really necessary to stop it being too “me”. With the soprano sax on ‘Week of Warmth’ from Snake Davis, I was a bit worried I was running into the recent-ish saxophone re-appropriation trend, but a solo is a solo, and that certainly is a solo! And the female vocals from Laura are really important to include another perspective on the songs. Add it all together piece by piece and… bang! You’ve got an album on your hands.
Every song has this lonely road quality of melancholia, from the video for “Time Waster” to the album, and feel of much of the album; what is it about those roads between towns, countries, and the solo rider that intrigues you so much?
Well the “voice” of the album is me in quite a misanthropic mood really. It’s nice to have a space like that to use by putting yourself at the bottom position. There’s more to explore there. It comes across as melancholic perhaps, although I don’t think the lyrics are particularly lonesome when taken away from the music. However, come to think of it, the creation of the record did require me to spend huge amounts of time alone so maybe your idea of the ‘solo rider’ makes sense.
With the video I took a trip to Sweden with two filmmaker friends, Bruno Derksen and Henrike Meyer. We went by ferry and car, and filmed our road-trip. The atmosphere there was quite spooky at night at the woods and lakes, and there was certainly a feeling of being isolated when we traveled. That sense of movement really works along with the songs I think… the feeling of going somewhere. They really made some beautiful and videos out of of that trip.
And like the title Go Dream, is the symbolic object of the road sort of the conduit that takes you to the meeting of a goal or dream?
Well yes the title has that double meaning thing of daring to dream, and being shat on for doing so. Ambition, success and failure and all that. I guess some of it does tie in with feelings of being a musician in this here musical game, trying to get yourself heard. The album cover image does give a nod to that same idea of travel and aloneness in the album and videos.
I love how sparse your songs can be, and then all of a sudden roar with a plugged in bravado, met with your own descriptive deliveries.
Thanks! Well as you mentioned earlier about the melancholic quality, I quite like trying to offset that at times with some over the top-ness. I find it a lot of fun to create these kinds of arrangements with big instruments playing distracting parts. An element of unexpectedness. It’s great to try and walk the taste line and not be in one place or the other. A lot of that came from listening to more garish music. Like, I had a phase where I bought all the 80s Genesis albums and just listened to them solidly, thankfully I seem to have gotten away from that for now.
What else are you working on, working with etc?
I just finished a pretty extensive Canadian tour playing with the excellent singer Emaline Delapaix, so now I’m really looking forwards to more recording time. It’s been quite a while since I finished a new song so there’s plenty in me raring to get working on new material. Saying that though, I’m gently working out new elements for my live show, with added people, to steer it more into the feel of the album. Try to keep it developing.
Berlin or Leeds artists that we are totally missing out on that the whole world needs to hear?
Well my connection to the current Leeds music scene is pretty tenuous these days. I enjoyed seeing Juffage and Vessels who are Leeds based, but were on tour here. As for Berlin, I’m ashamedly out of step as well. I really don’t feel part of any scene here, although everybody connected to the album has their own musical projects going on which are all really great — there’s the new album from Friedrich Liechtenstein which which Carl co-produced. Arnold who mastered the album has a top piano based project under the name Kasar, and Laura Gladwell is also here writing top songs. Perhaps it’s time to get to more local gigs now that I’ve finished the album.
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Lyrics
ALL PHOTOS BY BRUNO DERKSEN
01. FOREIGN MOVIES
Don’t hurt yourself scraping out your barrel. ‘Cos you’ll need your hands to wave hi at me when. I’m holding up my silver medal. And you won’t stand a chance in hell. Paint me in good light and use all the skills acquired from when you were at art school. In those days you looked so cool. But you’ve seen too many foreign movies. You don’t stand a chance. And you’ve worked for many of the big time movers, but still you don’t stand a chance. Not one. |
02. TEN DOLLAR COCKTAILS
You’ve been gone for far too long. Where have you been? Waiting for a comeback chance. That you won’t see. I am not your greener grass. Or ungrown seed. To retrospect is not enough. But that's all there is. With ten dollar cocktails in the sun. And photos of when you were young. |
03. TIME WASTER
I saw you driving in your car with the sunroof down. So I shook up my drink. Pulled the lid and threw it in. All the way in. You see it makes much more sense to look over my shoulder with a face to look at. And it is yours. Well, well done. But you’re wasting every minute. You’re wasting every minute… Here, with me. Some people are like a cloud on a sunny day. So please drive at speed. I’d like to be there when you get pulled over. |
05. OWN NIGHT OUT
If it was up to me I wouldn’t stick around. But based on the fact that you work here you say “hi.” It shouldn’t take one genius to figure out one fool. It does. Though its hard staying in when out is near. The weekend starts here. Right now. I’m on my own night out. You’ll get this one if I’ll start eating right from out of the palm of your hand. It’s safe to say that your tattoos didn’t get themselves there on your arm. Oh they sure do their job well. And I just took a second look I’ll tell you what I saw. Moths there on fire somehow you stand that burning smell. It must be like hell to clean all of the flies from your screen. I’m here. I’m now. I’m on my own night out. I’ll get this one if you’ll start eating right from out of the palm of my hand. 04. SMALLEST THINGS
We are going where you’ll never go. Oh it’s fun here. Come back when you know. M.O.R., V.I.P. seeker. Scratch your name off that ringside seat. Always seems to be the smallest things that you miss. Spoiler alert, you know how it will end. Hype is your best and only friend. Don’t look my way to find that higher hill. You see it. Over there its over there its. What more could a mother do? (What more) What more could you hope to prove? (What more) Why stop when your dreams all fall through? It’s not there it was never there. They’re laughing at the thought of it. Stop giving it all away. One hit wonder. Current trend. Fifteen minutes. Always end. |
06. GO FISH
I just can’t help feeling great. I’m never better than when I use my spare time to show you what you could have won. Then take it away. Stop finding new ways to be seen. Go fish, go dream. Go hold your own hand ‘cos I won’t be there for anything ever. You’re doing fine. So leave me here maybe forever. Cos’ I only need one thing. And I can get it by taking your one shot. |
07. SUMMER OF GEORGE
Ever decreasing circles. They are just the best. They keep me hoping my name. My name is on your chest. And when the weather turns you know. No one shows their T-Shirts. ‘Cos this was supposed to be the summer of George. Those ever decreasing circles, they are still the best. There’s no way of knowing, knowing, the designs that they chose. We try to do it right this time, and gather up. This was supposed to be the summer of George. So here I am. Here in Hollywood. Playing the game. I hope I stay the same. Yeah we have made it now. I did the opposite to stay in play. I hope I stay the same. |
08. WEEK OF WARMTH
Do you enjoy the fahrenheit, I’ll take you to the brightest shine. Spotlight. You put on quite a show, so go tear them a new one. My intentions are not clear, but if you just sign here you’ll be hanging silently without a care. There’s one born every minute it’s the Name Of The Game. You’re mine now. You’re in, over your head now entertain. I said I’d take you to Venice Beach In your dreams. Oh I promised you so much, but only with Deceptive Bends. And Blackmail. You can flick me that Badfinger, but it’s not like I can’t live Without You. The Old Wild Men won’t throw you out a Lifeline. Hope you enjoyed the ride from your week of warmth out in the sun. By ‘75, you string your throat. Now Ivey grows on your headstones. All that money. I take it all. So think of me, when… I’m in my week of warmth out in the sun. When I’m in my week of warmth out in the sun… |
09. PATIENT PILOT
You have to feel for Yngwie Malmsteen. It’s only speed.
The patient pilot can’t avoid rain. Or the air rage. He’s better off that way.
There is no doubt that it’s one in, one out.
The boss of everything dies with no will. Just a short riddle.
You count to five and everything’s yours. So I count to four.
No one would count more.
And I talk each evening but the night don’t speak.
Hello it’s me.
There’s a million speeches but who’s listening.
Hello it’s me. Since Clea grinned it’s been one out, one in.
So where’s my pension plan? Where’s my massive house?
‘Cos we all want up. But its one in and one out.
You have to feel for Yngwie Malmsteen. It’s only speed.
The patient pilot can’t avoid rain. Or the air rage. He’s better off that way.
There is no doubt that it’s one in, one out.
The boss of everything dies with no will. Just a short riddle.
You count to five and everything’s yours. So I count to four.
No one would count more.
And I talk each evening but the night don’t speak.
Hello it’s me.
There’s a million speeches but who’s listening.
Hello it’s me. Since Clea grinned it’s been one out, one in.
So where’s my pension plan? Where’s my massive house?
‘Cos we all want up. But its one in and one out.
10. GO DREAM
People say they seem to like you. People say you’re pretty good. Still you wait for more reaction. Get over it, get over it. The reviews have been fantastic. So now success might see you through. Still there’s something there that’s lacking. There’s no content and no where left to hide. I can see it all over your face. The look of pity as you lose your way. Gotta’ be someone these days. Gotta’ be in first place. Don’t be ashamed of the thrill. Go live on Primrose Hill. Why do you always talk of helping yourself when I’m around? I’m first in line. Maybe its time to start again. Beginners luck would be waiting there. Shit’s gonna kick off soon ‘cos we’ve still got it. If what is hot is not available they’ll just move on. But watch your back. If there’s one thing you’ve learned today. It’s not to listen when they say you’re great. Get over it, get over it. To those who’ve never met you. I will tell you nothing more. Than to wipe your expectations. There’s no one there much more than a bore. It’s all over your face. You know you got away with it once again. Wait for that sweet revenge. Go Dream. |
11. STOLEN THUNDER
You were talking to the girl you always meet, when I stole your thunder with an ass slap. So now that all your small talk is complete. All you’re really left with here is me, just me. Saying what I see. And doing what I feel. ‘Cos there’s no line to cross. So why do you take it so personally? I would find it funny if you’d lie down there on the floor so I can pass by. I’m sick and tired of holding in my breath. When you’re standing near me with your brain dead look. I am here for me. I’m looking out for none. Apart from number one. I’ve got a suggestion. Just go down with your ship. And let it go one day. Let got of your ropes or I will cut them. And I’ll provide you with your pinch of salt. If I can rub it in your wounds of old. The timing of your watch is slowing down. I get it though you’re trying to catch me out. |