I used to be Pilchard…
My real name as given at birth or thereabouts is Lee Alexander Stacey. I was born about a month later than I should have been in August 1976, One of the hottest British summers on record. My poor old Mum!
In June 2008 I married my wife, Donna. She is a self employed hairdresser and author of a blog named Geek Wives.
I do many things, this website shall be an outlet for some of them… At least it will be an outlet for the more creative stuff that flows from my mindbox to the world in many different forms whether it be music, words, art, software or whatever.
About the music
I used to procuce under the name Pilchard but I think that has now run its course so I’m just me these days. I have been writing and producing music in one form or another since I was about 11 or 12. Can’t remember exactly when it started but I vaguely remember some of the methods I used to use like making loopers out of cannibalised tape decks, turning old record players into electronic pickups and doing weird stuff with a ZX Spectrum. Hitting pots and pans with drumsticks was also always a favourite creative outlet… I still do these kinds of things to this very day but the recordings are slightly better quality.
Alongside these activities I’ve been involved in a traditional marching band since I was about 10 and still play bugle and march for Burgess Hill Marching Youth, the same band I joined all those years ago. Actually, I’m assistant bandmaster these days too!
Musically I specialise is slightly left of centre electronic music that some might call IDM. Occasionally I do bits and bobs for things like DVD presentations, radio and TV commercials etc. Yes I am for hire if the price is right!
About the software
As a producer I have always had an active interest in signal processing and being a bit of a geek simply had to have a go at making my own plugins. A side effect of this is that I have since released some of them into the wild with many more to follow. Most of my plugins are built on the Synthedit DSP design platform.
I was also involved in and now own the rights to a rather popular piece of audio manipulation software called BeatBurner. After some years commercial success I re-released BeatBurner in April 2008 as freeware. Obviously a good move because it amassed over 20,000 downloads within its first week and also recieved a nice two page spread in Computer Music Magazine.
As an IT Professional
These days most of my time is taken up by a very sensible career as an IT professional. I am currently an IT Manager, supporting around 140 users for O&H Properties, a property development and investment firm based in Mayfair, London. Prior to this I was in a similar position at Time 24, a systems integration specialist based in my home town of Burgess Hill.
I also work privately from time to time as a web and digital marketing consultant specialising in using web 2.0 technologies and social networking tools for business and personal/professional branding.
Lean Business
Lean business is a professional hobby of mine. Whatever job I am doing or whichever project I am working on I use Lean tools and techniques to ensure maximum productivity with minimum waste. I am a trained business improvement specialist and am often called upon to help apply improvement techniques and grow new thinking within businesses that recognise a need for improvement.
