About us
Creative Tools Limited are Chris
Quee and Mike Fordham. They have worked together since 1999 on the band Dirtybarry
and since 2003 have recorded other musicians. Our growing list of satisfied
customers means we must be doing something right.
Our fee includes offsite mixing and mastering using some very handy creative
tools.
Our customers to date have
been:
I Am I - 6 track demo (Fake My.../Isolator/Tripwreck/Down/Kicking
Bricks/Dedamoco)
This was our first ever recording, a two day session at Temple Farm resulting
in 5 storming tracks. We were rather nervous as this was our first job but
the band were great to work with as well as being great at what they did.
Sadly, I-Am-I have since parted company but members of the band have since
gone on to form the brutal but brilliant Murder 1 and drum for 6 Foot Children
(see below).
6 Foot Children
- 5 track demo (Sweets/Toast/People/Holes/Cellophane)
We can't have done a bad job of I-Am-I as 6FC were happy to be next. The 5
tracks on this demo are still doing the rounds as 6FC increase their fan base
throughout the UK. Again, a two day session, resulting in one of our favourite
demo CDs to listen to. It takes pride of place on our portfolio CD and we
rather hoped they'd come back for more....
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Orange Pill - 3 track demo (Sinking In/Going Nowhere/A Change)
Despite being very different to I-Am-I and 6FC, Orange Pill
liked what we had recorded so far and so became the next lucky contestants.
This 3 track demo was partly recorded at Temple Farm in Galleywood with vocals
and guitar overdubs completed at CTHQ. Due to commitments elsewhere, Orange
Pill are no longer in existence but the band remain good friends.
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Last Breath - 4 track demo
Musical brutality all the way with this unusual group from Chelmsford. A 4
track demo recorded in one day at Temple Farm. Play it to your granny if you
wish her to die.
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Girls That Scratch
- 5 track demo (Dirty Disco/Jacqueline The Ripper/Way Out Of Line/Crutchless/Bravest
Soldier)
We got our Ya-Yas out for this fantastic 3 piece and, as with
Orange Pill, recorded over 2 sessions. Another great band to add to our growing
portfolio. Girls That Scratch have had good results from the demo they recorded
with us. The track Bravest Soldier was recently included on XFM's Unsigned
programme, providing great exposure for the band and for Creative Tools.
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Wider
Eye - The May To November EP (May To November/Creature Of Loathe/Turn
It Off)
3 great tracks resulted from 1 day at Temple Farm and both the
band and Creative Tools were very pleased with the results. Without doubt
a band to watch out for, and living proof that Essex is still home to some
great music.
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Carver - 5 track EP (Come To This/Murderers of
England/Sleazy/You/Atmosfear)
A 12 hour session at Temple Farm left Carver and Creative Tools a bit frazzled.
Nevertheless, 5 tracks were recorded and subsequently mixed by Chris and Mike.
Carver may use all 5 tracks or just a few, but either way they worked very
hard on the day and we hope this shows in their performance. We recorded Carver's
live appearance at Camden's Colors Bar in July 2005 and some of this may also
appear on the release.
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6
Foot Children - album "Occident"
(Help/Occident/Today/Feed Time/Grand Motherfucker/Heavenly Bastard/Plague/Cake/Sweets/Toast/People/Holes/Dig/England/Paedophile
Smile/This Killing Thing/Bad Dream)
The recording of 17 tracks took place between 2 and 4 September 2005 at
Temple Farm Studios. This has been the largest recording project for us
to date and completion of the work took until 28 October. The 13-tracks
chosen for the album include material from 6FC's previous incarnation Doreen,
material recorded in February 2004 plus all-new tracks.
This makes for a great album by one of our favourite bands.
Updated!
6FC have since been back and added a few more vocal parts to tracks on their
album, as well as the earlier track "Cellophane".
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Hedrush
- 3 track EP (Retribution/Loaded/Cold and Alone)
Just 3 tracks this time, from a 5-piece
band that are spread far and wide across Essex and Kent. The final cut of
the demo was submitted to the band and Hedrush are very pleased with our work.
We're pleased too!
Updated!
Hedrush have returned and recorded
5 new tracks for their forthcoming Black December EP. The 5 new tracks are
Black December/Too Much Too Soon/Lost/Insanity/Regrets/Loaded - With new guitarist)
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The
Starts - 2 track demo CD (Lukewarm/Growing Pains)
Our first ever recording away from our home territory of Temple Farm Studios,
we recorded this demo at Millfield Business Centre in Tottenham (much to
Chris's delight as Mike is a West Ham fan). Two tracks, Lukewarm and Growing
Pains were recorded, with the mix and master sessions completed at CTHQ
the following week. The Starts have a growing fan-base and continue to play
up and down the country, and we enjoyed working with them. Check The Starts'
myspace.com area for these and two other first class tunes.
Updated!
4 Tracks (Saturday Morning Feeling/Sign Of The Times/Parched/One of Two)
Back over to Tottenham again, to record four
more awesome tracks from this four piece. As always a pleasure working with
these guys, and the results sound great too!
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Boot50 - 5 track EP
(So What/Thankyou/Goodbye/The End/Strangers In Tokyo)
Already no strangers to recording studios, we took up the challenge of
5 tracks in 2 days, using a local primary school classroom to record this
4-piece band. This was the second non-Temple Farm recording and another
that went down well. Boot50 have been in the business for some time and
knew what they wanted, so we kindly obliged. Additional vocal, mix and master
sessions worked on at CTHQ, this demo was completed at the end of February
2006.
Updated!
3 Tracks (Don't/A
Thousand Times/Boy Racer)
Three more tracks from this talented four piece have been recorded, again
using the 'Classroom' studio. Three tracks in two days meant we could concentrate
our efforts on a lavish production.
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Girls That Scratch
- 5 track demo (Lights Camera Action/Welcome On Board/Strip/Enjoyment/Call
To Arms)
More proof, if ever we needed it, that repeat business means you're doing
something right. Like 6 Foot Children, Girls That Scratch came back for
another 5 tracks, and this demo shows that both the band and Creative Tools
have improved their technique in the studio and elsewhere. This demo was
recorded on two separate sessions and mixed at CTHQ when all material was
on the PC. All parties are happy with the outcome and we look forward to
working with Girls That Scratch again soon.
Updated!
Demo 3 - Out/Buy, Use, Discard/Torn Apart/Daggers
After the international critical acclaim of their "Demo 2", including
the track Lights, Camera, Action hitting the number one spot in Qatar, Girls
That Scratch once again chose Creative Tools to commit their latest masterpieces
to disc.
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I Shouted Gun
- 3 track demo (Heston/This Britain/Good Mournin')
Energy, vibrancy, up-to-the-minute attitudes and a great image...but enough
about Chris and I - I Shouted Gun are a very polished 4-piece from Corringham
and Grays, and describe themselves as "At The Drive-In doing naughty
things to The Jam while Joy Division watch..". While this conjures up
a rather sickening image in one's head, ISG are totally cool.
Heston
and
This Britain have been floating round the Internet as live demos,
but we recorded them again in the studio along with the tremendous
Good
Mournin'. Without doubt a band to watch out for.
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The Sunsetters
- 8 Tracks (Rock'n'Roll Ruby/Baby Lets Play House/Got Love If You Want It/You're
Right I'm Left/Break-up/Paralysed/I Forgot To Remember/Rollin' Stone)
Hey Daddio, don't be no square, The Sunsetters
is where it's at. Our first foray into 50s music saw us sharpen our quiffs
and record 4 tracks for this talented 4-piece at Temple Farm. We had to rethink
our recording process to obtain that authentic 50s slap-back sound, and that's
just what we did. We were thoroughly pleased with the results, especially
as this is a style of music that we have never recorded before. A good band
to add to our portfolio.