When asked about this meagre output, Brian responded…

"The amount of time for fun hobbies, like making music, is inversely proportional to the pressures of family life…so having a young family and a demanding career meant I didn't get to think about music very much. In 1989, a friend of mine, Kwesi Marles, introduced me to basic MIDI and the use of a computer to make music and this seemed a way to be productive in the snippets of time I could make. I've now constructed a studio based around a PC and Cubase. Compared to the sometimes convoluted way Dave and I had to make our music, the computer appeared magically simple.

But even though I managed to find some time, I found working alone very difficult - I'd not really done it much before- and not having a sounding-board/critic like Dave made decision making torturous. Also the computer doesn't help much either, it's too easy to make a sketch, not finish it and move on to the next thing. Like you can create 10 variants of an idea and not decide on the best…that's where another mind is essential. So the projects I've tended to complete are collaborations - like with Kwesi, Frank Pahl, and Alex Wroten….or specifically motivated projects like the ones with The Scallions, The Moles and The Autons. This being said, all the way along I've been gathering song sketches, some more developed than others…in this I've been lucky over recent years to also get support, encouragement and musical contributions from Nolan Cook (guitarist for the Residents) and Mike Howlett (producer and bassist in Gong).

OK, so the kids are grown up now and I can grab time, but I'm conscious of still being too slow at getting my stuff completed…but I'm getting there."

Since about 2000, Brian seems to have re-adopted his Renaldo moniker for his work….

Here are the current developments in Renaldo's solo career:

See My Friends (2006), currently unreleased

Renaldo performing "See My Friends" March 2006

"In about 1998 I recorded the backing for a cover version of The Kinks' 1965 song 'See My Friends' which was (and still is) one of my favourite tracks from the 60s. At the time, I played my (long) version two local musician friends, Dave Jones and Tony Rollinson.. Dave then worked with me to edit the track down to a manageable length. And there it stayed - incomplete - until in 2005 when Dave and Tony (who were now The Autons) goaded me to finish it off. So The Autons (including then guitarist Leon Auton) played my missing guitar parts and added extra vocals. My backing track was mixed properly at a local studio and the vocals + overdubs added….I think the first time I'd ever recorded in a proper studio environment - sound booths, engineer etc. There's a desire to release it and this may well happen. Whilst rehearsing with the Autons they suggested I do the song live on stage with them; I'd not graced a stage since 1980 but thought 'what the hell'. So it was performed in June 2005 at a local venue The Wedgewood Rooms at a night called Binary Nation, this performance was captured on video. Since then the Autons have invited me to perform on two other occasions in Nov 2005 and March 2006….each time I've enjoyed the experience more and more."

March 2006

"In March 2006 I was invited to try my hand at live sample mixing at a local venue called Katarins. My good friend Jez, an experienced remixer, set me the challenge of creating the samples and learning the ropes for a live performance in just 7 days. So I recorded a series of rhythmic and vocal loops which with Jez's help were made into files for use in Abelton Live. After a couple of rehearsals to get a feel for the program, on the evening, I improvised a 15min. set which you could pretty much dance to - it seemed to go down well. I'm mentioning this here as I found this way of creating music very exciting, especially since I was able to use my own sounds and is a method I'm exploring to devise song structures. It is possible at some point the piece (or a derivative of it) will be released."

Renaldo performing "See My Friends" November 2005

April 2006

Renaldo as Rotcod in The Autons video

"The Autons invited me and my daughter Helen to appear in the promo video for their debut single 'Snakes'. I was (type)cast as a mad doctor and Helen played the part of a casino croupier. At the time of writing this the post-production isn't finished so I've not seen it - but it was a laugh to do…..much leering at a camera with a baby doll that I'd dressed in bubble wrap with odd goggles that sort of look familiar!" Check out the video here (YouTube)!