Unboxed, by Sir Real

Unboxed

by Sir Real

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A box, in a box, in a box, in a box - 12 times. Yup, 12 individual cardboard boxes that stack inside each other (one for each track), each printed with unique artwork created by my late father John Spragg. I commissioned my dad to come up with some pieces for this release late in 2019, unfortunately he wasn't to live long enough to complete them all - but this limited edition box set will be testament to his unique and inventive mind, and will use all the artwork he did create, along with other pieces from his last months.

This edition will be limited to 20 sets only, and each set will be personalised to include your name and will have the limited edition number included on it, making each set completely unique.

The boxes will come in 'flat-pack' DIY form, to be cut out and put together ideally whilst listening to the album - each activity drawing energy from, and enhancing, the other.

Accompanying the box-set will be a USB drive containing all the music and artwork from 'Unboxed' in digital form, along with some other relevant curios, including music from 'Unboxed (outside the box)'*.

* As these unique sets will be printed to order, there may be some delay between you placing your order and us being able to complete and dispatch it, we appreciate your patience!

Includes unlimited streaming of Unboxed via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. ... more

ships out within 28 days

edition of 20

£29.99 GBP or more
Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

£6.99 GBP or more
Full Digital Discography

49

releases

Get all 49 Sir Real releases available on Bandcamp and save 50%.

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Ebentahl, Battered EP, Gmbl, Sprk, Dun Homo, DAT archives 1991 - 1999, Unboxed, Merry Brexit Everybody, and 41 more. , and , .

Purchasable with gift card

£23.27 GBP or more (50% OFF)

1.	Peach 04:29	buy track
2.	Up from behind 03:11	buy track
3.	Unboxed 03:57	buy track
4.	Cusp 05:12	buy track
5.	Resigned 05:40	buy track
6.	Spooked 03:06	buy track
7.	Under 05:30	buy track
8.	Undone 04:52	buy track
9.	Cold war 04:53	buy track
10.	Prone 05:09	buy track
11.	WTF 05:00	buy track
12.	Stuck 03:56	buy track

about

As it turns out, this will be the second in a series of three albums, although I didn't realise that when I wrote the first one, 'In a box on the lawn, on an Autumn day', back in 2012. It was only when I got some way into writing 'Unboxed' that I saw a clear arc from what had preceded to what will follow.

'In a box' was very much an ambient album. The moods it was intended to evoke required that there be no obvious dominating rhythm, and certainly no drums. With 'Unboxed', there was a definite idea for it to move beyond ambient...while it is still intended to be, in a sense, 'background music', the energy it hopes to create is very different. This is music to accompany activity - whether it be physical or mental. Ideally, engaging enough to gently drive & motivate, without being at any point too distracting or dynamic, and simultaneously avoiding being wishy-washy or bland.

This was a very fine line to walk compositionally, and I knew from early on that I would not have the necessary skills to provide the live rhythm section. The first compositions and musical sketches for this album included rhythmic parts all created from 'prepared piano'. The piano in question is our old upright that has been stood in the garden exposed to and degraded by the elements for a number of years - 'prepared' by nature. I built a sample bank from recording each key (whether 'functional' or not), and these recordings feature in every track on the album in a variety of ways. Initial demos used programmed drums and loops to accompany these rhythmic elements, and sounded fine, but lacked some kind of spark and finesse that a truly fine player would provide. Live drums had always been the plan, and luckily, I knew just the man for the job, and Laurence Hunt was that man. An accomplished player, his subtle interpretations of my original sketches lifted the tracks when they needed lifting, and sunk them into the depths when that was required...all of them came to life, sometimes in very unexpected ways.

I don't know when the third album of the series will spring forth, but I do know that as the progression to this one from the first involved introducing rhythm & drums, so the next one will introduce vocals, and move the whole mood of the music from background to 'just there' to foreground. I have no idea yet exactly how that will sound, but I'm very much looking forward to finding out.

I hope you enjoy this album for what it is - music to accompany action - whatever that action may be.

credits

released August 1, 2021

Concept, composition & production - Neil Spragg
Live drums & percussion - Laurence Hunt

license

about

Sir Real Herefordshire, UK

Neil Spragg (aka Sir Real) has been a musician for more than 30 years - as a drummer (for 7shades, Omnia Opera, Sendelica, Blim, Sand and Mocca amongst many others), and DJ at notorious Brummy clubs House of God, Third Eye, Contact and Spunky Town. As Sir Real he is a prolific producer, releasing several well-received EPs on his own labels [k]racktroni[k], Snafu, Tronika and Round Records. ... more

sirreal.biz

discography

Ebentahl

Jan 2024
Battered EP

Jun 2023
Gmbl

Mar 2022
Sprk

Mar 2022

more releases...

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