After The Fire - Starflight (KN6000) [Multi-Angle Version]

"Starflight" by "After The Fire" played on a Technics KN6000 keyboard by Stephen Macdonald.

Yes, another ATF song, but it's another wonderful song to play on the keyboard. This is based on the best live version of Starflight I've heard, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 1 just before Christmas 1980. I first tried playing this around 1981 as a teenager but I never finished it off until now since this is the first keyboard I've used that is anywhere near up to the job of playing this properly. 27 years late, but got there in the end. Having said that, if anyone wants to sell me a second-hand Moog... ;-)

I decided to slightly simplify the overlapping of the main and background vocals so the whole thing could be played live rather than resorting to using the sequencer. Like "Joy", this is just such a great song to play completely live.

The top keyboard is a Technics KN6000. The bottom keyboard, used to play the vocal parts, is a Yamaha PSR220 acting as a controller to the KN - so all the sounds are coming from the KN. There's also a footswitch controlling both the sustain of the synth voice and the holding of the lower-pitched phaser-effect strings during the intro. I managed to break the modulation wheel during filming of this so had to open up the KN and solder it back in place!

This version is the multi-angle edit created by filming several performances at different angles with a single camcorder and using AviSynth & VirtualDub on the PC to create a single video with transitions and graphics etc. There's also two other versions of this on my profile which show the full performance at two of the individual camera angles.

Artist's official site: http://www.afterthefire.co.uk/

Category:

Music

Tags:

• starflight
• sternenflug
• after
• the
• fire
• atf
• afterthefire
• technics
• kn6000
• keyboard
• music
• stephen
• macdonald

[PyroFenix69]

Starflight, Frozen Rivers, Sailing Ship, all those treasures from the CBS recordings are classics. I'd have to say that this song goes side by side with ELO's 2095 & Twilight as great music of the theme of space travel. Great keyboarding!!!

[smacdonald1971]

Ahh...Twilight... now there's a sound I'd love to be able to recreate...

[smacdonald1971]

Thanks for all the recent comments. Was beginning to think people didn't like Starflight as much as 1980-f.

[Pauleyh2]

i wanna hear u do the final countdown by europe can you do that by request. cause alot of people on youtube who do it arent that good . but ur beyond them

[smacdonald1971]

I'm okay. I would have said average, but it's a relative thing. There's plenty of far better keyboard/piano players out there. I think the problem with a lot of the stuff on YouTube is that people either don't have the technical computer/camera skills, or just don't make enough effort to record a decent version without mistakes, settling for 1st version they record, whereas I don't really see the point uploading a version with hugely obvious mistakes in it when I can hit rewind and try again.

[smacdonald1971]

As for Europe... too many guitars :) I'll consider it next time I'm doing something, but to do it justice I'd need to do a completely custom backing track and keyboards usually aren't so good at driving guitar rock backings... not to mention the excellent guitar solo in the middle.

It's when you try recording your own stuff that you begin to appreciate the professional sound engineers in the recording studio. I'm never happy with any of my stuff because it always sounds amateur by comparison.

[kimmry]

Holy Shit! That gave me goosebumps all over! Amazing! Extremly good job here! Kepp up the good work!!!!

[centrifugal123]

That's a really brilliant effort, well done! Possibly one of ATF's best tracks when played live....I well remember po-going around to it several times a few years ago. Ok, well perhaps it was a bit more than a few years......

[epdm2be]

This is arguebly the best track from the only album I have from this band (1980F). This is amazing! Well done!

[pianoman74]

Great performance...with one downer: the ever-straight drum beat! I'd rather have some drum FILLS in-between now and then, because otherwise it gets a bit repetitive.

[pianoman74]

@smacdonald1971 Nooope! How could you! Some are probably just sick and tired of 1980-F and wanted to discover more tracks from this group, so you can bet they might even prefer this one to their "signature tune".

[Jhon100x100]

Fantastic video!

[tarananger]

good job i like it

[dankedoab]

That was great!

[BoldNewTradition]

LOL!!

Outstanding!!!

[garydupuis]

This is amazing!! Do you do any of your own songs?? If so, I would really love to hear it! Peace and many, many kudos!!

[arl2839]

This is really good - inspires me to try to do my own version!