Earthlings,
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