New video! Check out the performance I did of “Merry Sheep” at an open mic at the Winthrop Playhouse:
Lots of new music in the works. I’ll be performing again real soon, as well. Keep checking back for more updates.
Abstrakt
New “Merry Sheep” Performance May 2010
May 29th, 20102010
January 18th, 2010I apologize for my lack of blog posts. These past few months have been busy but extremely good. On a personal note, I got engaged and moved with my fiance into a great apartment in Mass. I know the nomad in me will be inspired by this relocation, and thus much more Abstrakt art will be produced. I have not taken a break from making music. Tons of new material is in the works, including a finished product of “Merry Sheep,” complete with a unique orchestral beat; my talented fiance sings beautifully on a number of new pieces, including “Nomad,” my tribute to the wandering/wondering soul; i continue to delve into mankind’s search for enlightenment and how it inevitably intertwines with politics and science: …We grapple for autumn just to watch the fall of the other seasons, but no oak foliage is more holy than maple leaf collages, when beginning the frigid winterizing process.; i’m also channeling the revolutionary spirit in a song about finding inspiration and challenging the known: Plenty of cynical viewers miss significant visuals critical to the picture by thinking the image is literal, when deep within the obvious individual pixel is the consciousness to drop a rock and cause the pond to ripple.
Words are being written, many of which rhyme with other words. Beats are being made. Songs are being sung. Questions are being answered. Answers are being questioned. Food is being eaten. Stay tuned for new updates and local performances!
–Abstrakt
Mad Hatter!
July 15th, 2009People, I have a brand new song up on the music page called Mad Hatter. It’s a song that is very much inspired by Alice in Wonderland and uses many of the metaphors, images, and characters. Beat and lyrics by myself. Special thanks to Janos Fulop (The Arcitype) for engineering and mastering the track at The Bridge. I’m very proud of this song. Give it a listen. Or 5. Keep an ear out for more new tracks coming soon. 
–Abstrakt
Lemmings
June 27th, 2009Lemming, lemming, lemming, that’s all that you are.
I watch you plummet from the tops of the cliffs, to the piles of others like you below.
To not even know, where the predecessor is leading you, rain, sleet, or snow,
throughout the heat, throughout the cold. The chill in your bones,
won’t matter much longer, because I know your prone to what others have fostered.
A mind of your own is the necessary tool you lack,
why else would you follow footprint after footprint until you’re flat on your back.
And what’s even more whack than that, is there’s more behind you, and that’s a fact.
So allow myself to step aside, set up a temporary reside,
and study your features, how these mundane creatures,
could delve to the depths onto other lemmings filling the bleachers.
If I could intervene for just a moment, and be a teacher to these students,
but what’s the sense when you and the others are fixated on prudence?
I suppose if I could run ahead to the front of the line,
maybe move the first lemming to the left, instead of over the ledge.
That could be my pledge, cross my heart, to embark on a revolution;
yes, this is the start. It’s exactly the spark,
that this dim-witted, dim-litted existence needs to illimunate the dark.
If I could make a difference to just the front of the drum-line major,
it might just be enough to set a course of difference actions.
I’d call that a job well done, and pat myself on the back,
and sit atop my own throne, knowing I gave everything I had,
despite acknowledging there’s a few things I lacked.
But for now I observe, and await my time to impose,
my dish is not ready to be served, I’ve only begun my prose.
Squiggs
Obama’s got jokes!
May 25th, 2009If you didn’t catch any of Obama’s Correspondents Dinner, i’m posting a video here. The President’s a funny dude, no doubt about it.
Diggin’ through my scrolls…
May 25th, 2009There’s a skeleton in the closet, a monster beneath the mattress, and I stand a scarecrow unafraid of a box of matches, a little bit off my axis, crooked like every spinal column, my brain wears a skull and I’m still trying to find the problem. I’m autumn this season ‘cause I’m changing my mind too often and the reason is the ladder looks much taller from the bottom region. Always seeing demons in a place that reeks of God, because the author of your dreams is often sleeping on the job. It’s like the carpenter’s hands no longer recognize the hammer grip, and Jack-Be-Nimble wasn’t quick enough to dodge the candle stick, a metaphor for life’s abandonment of perfect balance, but I stand a scarecrow unafraid of a little challenge, like questioning an answer, ‘cause everyone has a Goliath, and David wouldn’t have made it if he waited and never tried it. Autopilot removal is crucial for every pigeon that dreamith of someday leaving the ashes to be a phoenix. But what if the zenith isn’t as scenic as you imagined it? And what if Alice’s rabbit was only a bad acid trip, with Mad Hatter laughter and caterpillar collaborative drudgery, all for just a mediocre cup of tea? That’s life ain’t it? Like you painted a self-portrait and then framed it, only to realize you hate the artist that made it.
Video from March Mayhem and Battle My Crew III
May 4th, 2009The New Hampshire based event/film company 382 hosted their annual gathering up at LOON Mountain last month. Check out what went down…
2 New Tracks
April 16th, 2009Hey all,
I uploaded 2 new tracks to the music section. The first is a song called The Garden…..it is actually not a new one, it was the first song I recorded with Will Knox a couple years ago. He made the beat, plays the guitar, and sings the chorus. We were so happy with how it sounded, we decided to collaborate again, and this led to Beetle Without a Rock and Mankind.
The second track is called Rain Falls on Lotus. I made this recently and wanted to put it up on the site because it is a little different. It’s not a hip hop beat, and I probably wouldn’t rap over it….it is more of a piece or musical scene; a moment, if you will. It hopefully will provoke some images. Anyway, enjoy these tracks, and remember to check back often for more updates. Peace.
Abstrakt
Abstrakt News (and olds)
March 29th, 2009Earthlings,
I apologize for the delay in posts. I recently got a new job working at a high school and my focus this week has been on settling in with that. So far so good–I’m liking the job and learning a lot. In this economy, I am grateful to be working. Let’s hope Obama’s plans really turn the tides–this depression is depressing.
I want you all to know that music is being made–lots of music. I’ve been writing more than ever. The majority of the words I am writing rhyme with other words, but the idea is that I am writing things that have never been written–playing with words, twisting ideas and concepts into beautifully obscure shapes. I’m drawing inspiration from a number of new places, most notably Alice in Wonderland. I finished a song that uses a number of characters, images, and ideas from Alice as metaphors. It’s amazing how socially, politically, and religiously relevant children’s stories are; powerful morals hidden within playful oddities. The hook sort of encompasses the main theme:
Everyone’s an Alice who wonders where they’ll land, when they catch up with the time but have grown too tall to
understand.
The beat is pretty much all finished as well. It is sounding good. Logic Pro is a quality music program. My love of travel and fear of monotony inspired the song “Nomad,” which is also completely done, beat and all. My girlfriend is an amazing singer and is going to sing the chorus. Her voice really sounds good with the guitar and flute loops I have in the beat. After almost 6 years, I finally have a beat for my song “Merry Sheep,” which I have performed many times (check the video section for my “Merry Sheep” performance from the Netherlands). Until now, I had always performed it a cappella, which is perfectly fine considering I love spoken word. I was very picky about what beat would work best with the words, which have their own natural rhythm. The beat I came up with is unique, particularly for a hip hop song, and you’ll hear why very soon. I have a song called “The Dance” that was inspired by Tim Burton’s imagery. I tackle the war head-on in another song: “Take a deep breath for veterans in the desert growing faceless, and hold it ’til we discover an oasis” (the first verse of this song can also be seen in my video section under the title Political Message). In all I probably have 8-10 tracks ready for the studio (anybody have a studio?!?). I’m really working hard to make good music, meaning not just lyrics with a beat, but rather sounds and ideas that complement each other, blend, and combine to create an overall unique aural experience. I am passionate about music and a perfectionist when I write, and because of that, this process of recording a full album has been somewhat slow (some might say extremely slow). However, I get so much pleasure out of actually creating it, that the experience hasn’t been overly frustrating or drawn-out (”the pleasure is in the journey…”). Seriously, though. Studio? Anyone? Bueller?
I’ll keep you all updated on how the album is coming–definitely keep checking back for new beats and lyrics. I’ll have a new video up sometime this week. I truly appreciate the support, and like any artist, feed off of your encouragement. I love to be inspired. Peace.
Abstrakt
Question of the day.
March 27th, 2009Important one. What is your favorite cereal?