1982. My dad was showing me around his record collection when he yanked out Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefeart. Being that I was very young, I ran away screaming in pure horror. There’s not much else to tell, here, except that my father usually handled that album with care from then on. Only, from time to time, he liked to see if I would still jump.
Its presence in his record collection – and please remember these were the days of big vinyl disks – kept my hands and curiosity at bay. That album cover is burned into my mind like a smoldering scar.
Those who know me can understand why it’s much less frightening to see Fred Kreuger in a nearly perfect mirror image of the same album cover. ”Freddy’s Greatest Hits” recently came to my attention by way of a blog devoted to the foolhardy days of vinyl. Here are the covers, side by side. (more…)
It is said that there are two ways of getting ahead: Destroy the people in your path or raise yourself above them. Protest music generally relies on the ethic of destruction.
I wrote what seems to be the most reviled and disliked review of the Muse album The Uprising. My argument was almost certainly not infallible, yet no one wished to argue points with logic or reason. There were a couple of wisecracks which were honestly fairly funny. Most of the answers were a combination of logical nonsense and angry name calling.
The review and subsequent personal attacks came about because I could not tolerate the hate speech in the album. Suggesting that people need to die and have their cultures destroyed just for being different is the antithesis of tolerance. Yet, the crowd who cries tolerance the loudest is willing to see a large portion of humanity destroyed and dead, just to get themselves ahead. (more…)
Well, I want a place other than Facebook or Twitter to let this summary go. Facebook will eventually pull this post into my Notes on their site, but that really doesn’t phase me right now. I just have to get it off my chest.
What a weekend.
My USB MIDI interface arrived on Friday. By Saturday night, I had drum patterns going from FLStudio to my electronic drums in real time. Thus, the $8 cable allowed my existing equipment to turn into a rather nice sounding if slightly dumb drum machine. So, now I can have drums, Kaossilator, and Monotron all going at the same time to improvise electronic music.
Also, I can still play the drums while the MIDI information is being fed into it. Awesome. Just remember that you can’t say “polyphony” without “fun.”
Arts and crafts in the real world! I stopped by the big-name chain store on Saturday for supplies. Felt, fabric cloth, and (supposedly) clear blank stickers for my printer. I printed up four copies of my Riddle symbol. One for my drums, two for my electronic music toolbox, and one for my laptop. I also made a copy of that symbol on felt to hang during my video / horror show.
The video show was fun for me to do this week. I had the compressor working really nicely, but the software lied about just where my volume levels were. The software said 60%. The truth was more like 120%. Damn it all. But, the story meant a lot to me in a lot of ways, and I took my first step toward bringing conceptual continuity into the project.
Told everyone on Facebook that I was happily re-watching Necromentia. The director commented to say thanks. I now suggest you watch both Necromentia and the Gene Generation.
I also started work on finishing the human figure in a current project to draw the Major Arcana in my own sort of interpretation. There is no overriding theme. Simply trying to draw them as they might apply to my own life and journeys.
Been chatting with Lords of Acid on Twitter about seeing them in March. At the same time, a former co-worker texted me about seeing Lords of Acid in March. I might have to go see Lords of Acid in March. Now the question is: do I dig my “Our Little Secret” tour shirt out of storage?
Anyway.. wow. What a weekend.
iI have decided that it would be possible to tackle two resolutions at the same time by posting my progress publicly. Become a better drummer (again) and lose weight.
On January 3, I did this.
Thanks to my family up north for the Kaossilator, which is providing drums and a bassline for this video.
Alright. I haven’t dear-diaried in a while. Here goes.
I enjoy stage magic a lot more. I still suck at the pass, but I can do one well enough. More importantly, I can pull one off for an audience of just one person. But that’s not what’s important.
I really finally feel like I’m making friends through the magic club. Last year I was able to attend the Austin Magic Auction and purchase a good deal of “bigger” magic. No sawing women in half big, but some good foundations for stage work. I’m edging closer to the things I loved watching as a kid. I’m happier this way, too.
This site used to be a showcase for my music ! Well, here goes!
The above was conceived, composed, and filmed in a 24 hour span. Some of it sucks. I’m strangely proud of the rest.
Every time I finish a story, the market for that genre closes due to an overabundance of submissions. That’s alright. I’ll just stockpile the finished pieces and submit when the chances open up again.
I like tarot cards. I don’t believe in any forces behind them. To me, they are 78 or so beautifully crafted pieces of pasteboard given really vague adjectives. I like to use those adjectives to pick my own brain when writer’s block strikes.
Tarot cards also seem to make some happy balance between my vices. Magic (cards). Fantasy (divination). Creativity (writing tools).
I don’t even remember the last time I tasted a drop of alcohol. The only TV I watch is boxed sets of Friday the 13th: The Series to help me fall asleep. It’s not that I don’t have any vices. Mine just happen to be very productive vices.
When I fell off the face of the planet, I was hard at work on another album: The Riddle of Doom. The artwork has been recolored some, and currently even appears on this very blog.
I just don’t have the time. My little boy is now walking, talking, playing video games and Dungeons & Dragon even. We are teaching him to read. He also now has a baby brother. I am now the second-most long lasting employee at my workplace. I have really taken on a lot, which strangely is the entire theme of the unfinished album.
I did manage to squeeze out a brief video game piece for the Newgrounds Audio Portal. The Last Robot Kingdom of Blip 01. Please listen and enjoy it.
I am also slowly working out some small pieces that are intended to be background music for either magic acts or horror movies. Ideally, every song will be dual-purposed to both ends. I like some of what I’ve cooked up so far, but really want to have some longer pieces by the time it’s all finished.
I can (and have) put together fairly respectable demos given about 2 hours and some time on my analog 4-track. Those have been heard by family and quickly forgotten about. What goes on the site should be up to a higher standard.
One day, when I am ready again, I do very desperately want to finish the Riddle of Doom album.
There is still music. There will always be music.
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