Metamatic Forums Socialising Introduce Yourself Hello Everyone

My name is Paul, and I'm kind of here because I've spent 29 years trying to escape 'Metamatic' and have ended up trying work with it as a genre and a guiding light, and I cannot play a note.

I've met John twice, 1984 after his Liverpool gig and 2007 after the Ica. Saw him in 2003 at the Woolsack in Bristol. I even spotted the man one summer at a service station walking back to a car someone else was driving for him, and no, it was not on fire.

I had Metamatic as a tape, as a reissued disk in 1993 and finally as the double cd reissue. I feel like a fanatic! I swear its only now I've realized how much of a fan I am, its kind of sneaked up on me.

My attempts to make music are on Myspace. I didn't mean to emulate The Quiet Man book, I only wanted to write stories and combine them with visuals on the specific theme of the songs. Its all 'concept' album stuff, but John did it first. Everything centered around Autism.

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Anyhow, I'm in me forties, married and live in London town, and I've probibly seen a few of you around at the Ica.

"He built the ship in the garden shed..."What a line! Cheers.

Hello Paul and welcome to the Forums.

Welcome to the forum, Paul!

Thanks everyone. Would I be okay to post a really long 'my history of Foxy Music' kind of document? Might encourage everyone to write one too, on how I've spent so long a fan.

In 2007 when I told John I'd last seen him in 1984, the poor man's head went down and he was so embarrassed. I think he didn't know what to say that someone would put it like that. It was a sweet moment, or as much as us 'cold synthesizer' types can relate to such things.

Or is that too much about my life with J.F.?

I could just chat...

Hi Paul,

Welcome to the forum

There was a thread somewhere where everyone could explain how they got into JF.

This thread is as good as any though.

Brian

Hi Paul

Nice anecdote.
We'd love to hear how you go "into" John and what it means to you - and when someone finds the thread you can read our stories too.

Makes me wonder if there's some milage in doing a kind of "fan profile/interview" type thingie.

Anyway, welcome aboard

Hi Paul, welcome to the forum.

Like your music, by the way.

Hi HoxtonPaul





welcome to the club!

Shucks. Ta for the warm welcome & the music comments. It's all down to John's rules for making Metamatic. As few tracks as possible, strip down and simple. I think he used a Arp Odyssey and a Polymoog and imported the first Linn drum machine to the UK.

Anyone remember what he's said about how he made the beast?

In 1998 I got a Council flat in Old Street and within a year i'd looked up where the Garden was and found it was down the road. In those days you could still go past it on the bus and see a mysterious dusty old keyboard on top of a booth like structure, through a ground floor upper window. Its a cafe now. I have not actually been inside.

There was this ornate black door on the side of the building with gold knobs, knockers etc. The Garden was written on the bell. Man, I am a stalker! This kind of knowledge is disturbing to be in possession of.

I was part of a gang of us from the early 80's who were seriously into machine music, and owned Wasp synthesizers. One man had a Wasp, two Korgs and a Doctor Boss. He ended up engineering Coldplay. Oh, how people stray from the path in life...

Here is the "Your first encounter with John thread.."

http://www.metamatic.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=11;t=000302#000001

Brian