“Melbourne Beauty” – the second album from The Vorstand Circus

Welcome to the Melbourne Beauty project.  Over the entire creation of this album, I’ll be blogging as I go; documenting every step of the creative,technical and logistical challenges that I’m facing in writing, recording, mixing, mastering, releasing and performing this new album live while working a 9-to-5job.  Last time I had the luxury of working on “Sworn In…..” full-time in Bern, Switzerland, but now I’m back in Melbourne, Australia earning a real wage, with a fresh mortgage to service.

The last album was written for a real line-up to perform; me on guitar and vocals, plus keys, bass, drums and accordion.  I tried to get the line-up off the ground, but it didn’t work for various reasons.  This album is being written to be performed solo; me on keys and/or guitar with real-time processing and a little minimal backing from a laptop.  It’s beginning to come out a little like Xiu Xiu, The Knife and Kevin Shields in a blender.  Yes, a bit different to the Arcade Fire/Neutral Milk Hotel/early REM vibe of “Sworn In…..”.

The blog will be posted here and on MySpace, so you can subscribe there if you’re a member or check in regularly here at the main site.   I’ll be posting mp3s of work in progress, as well as unreleased songs from “Sworn In…..” and my self-titled solo album.

This is an opportunity to see what every decision looks like when an album is written; I won’t be leaving anything out.  I’ll explain the decision behind every lyric, every sound, every re-write and re-arrangement.  I will disclose where my ideas come from, no matter how personal or banal.  I’ll hang my musical dirty laundry out to dry.

So, subscribe to the blog and let’s see how long this takes.  My last album took 6 months from inception to release, and this time I’m basically working in my lunch hour.  Enjoy.

Jason Allen

What the critics said about “Sworn In On a Stack Of Dictionaries”
  
“The Vorstand Circus deserve attention…lots of attention, and fans, and critical praise.”
“That this is all the work of one guy is something to be recognized as genius.”
“Sworn In On A Stack Of Dictionaries strikes that most perfect balance of clever production and songwriting coupled with
smart melodies and blissful harmonies that guide you through personal lyrics.” – EarFarm

“Sworn in on a Stack of Dictionaries is strong— really strong— from beginning to end. It rocks at times, it sounds like a sea
shanty at others, and frequently— very frequently— its twin spiraling narratives will remind you of someone you know, or
something you did… for better or worse.”
“is it the sound of several of your favorite moody guitar bands blended; the sound of one lonely guy in the wrong country
with a PC and a lot of time to kill; the sound of confession and optimism crashing together; the sound of grey turning into
sunrise? No— none of these descriptions fit. And they certainly fail to do the music justice.”
“4 1/2 stars” – Harmonium

The Vorstand Circus’s first album, “Sworn In On A Stack Of Dictionaries” was written, performed, recorded, mixed and mastered entirely by Jason Allen on a PC in the second bedroom of a small apartment in Bern, Switzerland.  On returning to Australia in October 2005, Jason entered the album in the inaugural Australian Music Prize 2005.  “Sworn In On A Stack Of Dictionaries” made the “longlist”: the final 20 albums in consideration for the award.