New Gear / Everything Old is New Again
Posted on May 18th, 2007
Filed under: Music News,Reviews — Karl Olson @ 12:55 am
So, my old MidiStudio midi controller has been giving me grief lately, which is a bit of an accomplishment considering it has never worked perfectly – the pitch bend had an issue with returning to 0 from the first time I bought it. I tolerated that problem because I rarely had cause to use the pitch bend, and when I did, I’d just program it in the sequence itself because it was typically sounded better anyway. However, as it’s midi connection began to fail, I realized that the controller was going to need to be replaced (well, I suppose it could be fixed, but that’s easier said than done.)
Now, I was really aiming for just getting an MAudio Keystation 49 – very much like my old keyboard, if not even a bit more minimal barring the convient USB interface. Alas, the only one Guitar Center had in stock was a lemon, something I didn’t discover until after buying it. So I went back, and sucked up the fact I was just going to have to get an MAudio Oxygen 49 – a keyboard that is a lot more feature rich than I was really aiming for (I would have picked up the Korg controller instead if its keys were hinged right, but they aren’t – molded plastic hinges are trouble waiting to happen.) However, it plays really nicely – the action is way better than on the old controller – and the extra features are a bit handy, or at least fun to goof around with.
While I was at it, I picked up a new mic stand that fits my studio a lot better (the old one goes to a certain Canadian Nerdcore Diva.) No more knocking the mic stand over and taking out half my books and figures with it.
Meanwhile, during my journeys today, I also happened upon a new beverage… or did I?
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Sold Out.
Posted on May 17th, 2007
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 3:59 am
Not the kind where I have sold out to get a record deal (if only I were so lucky,) but rather the kind where I’m out of copies of Romance Language.
Theoretically, I’ll have it back in print later today (after some sleep and a trip to Fry’s,) but you never know. I owe 10 copies to a certain unnamed website, but I might just do those copies. Romance Language is such a special CD that I almost only want a handful of hard copies floating around.
Of course, then I remember how I’d rather perform new songs than old at shows, and how as such, that means having CDs with those songs on it. Oh well. Expect fresh copies available by this time next week at the latest.
Also, apparently I have a gig on 26th at Waldo’s in Kirkland, WA. It is 21+, but I have plenty of friends who fit that bill. Also, it’s 6 bucks at the door. Less than my sold out CD even.
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Throw Up Ya Hands…
Posted on May 13th, 2007
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 3:12 pm
…If you like this music: Ultraklystron – Nerdcore For Life (feat. Beefy)
Yep, I covered Beefy’s theme for the Nerdcore For Life documentary, and thankfully, Beefy, being a man with a good sense of humor, did some guest vocals on it – he takes issue with some of the factual errata that crop up when someone like me covers his song. Younger listeners should be aware that there is some strong language, but other than that, I’m pretty happy with it, so you should check it out. Not even a day’s worth of work, but I think it came out pretty snazzy.
PS: I’m not actually the new Beefy. I will however steal his spot the next time a Nerdcore popularity contest is held. ^_~
PSS: Expect even more cover action in the near future.
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Apparently Last Place Isn’t All Bad
Posted on May 2nd, 2007
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 4:01 am
Thanks to my last position and what I can only assume is a time-pressed editor at Double Viking, a site that mixes Maxim, 2600 and 1up, I managed to get the icon position in their link to Hipster Please’s Nerdcore Artist Top 10. Take that more successful and popular Nerdcore artists who I’ve all met and who I think are cool (except for MC Hawking, who I have not met, but still think is cool.)
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Looks like I got this blog back up barely in time…
Posted on April 30th, 2007
Filed under: Music News,Videos — Karl Olson @ 2:02 pm
…to shamelessly brag about being in 10th place on a list of The Top 10 Nerdcore Artists of All Time. Actually, really surprised that I managed to barely sneak on the list. There are certainly other artists in this genre who manage to lay down a more accessible and traditionally hiphop sound, and there are certainly mc’s who have recieved a lot more real world press attention, so I’m kind of surprised that some one as flagrantly experimental and niche as me managed to make it.
Of course, a lot more than that has happened while the site was down…
(more…)
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Collaboratificationed
Posted on March 8th, 2007
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 1:36 pm
To those of you out there who think I don’t sound hiphop enough, I recommend checking out ZeaLouS1’s Collabocide, as it’s a nerdcore hiphop album that really gets the hiphop part right without sacrificing the nerdcore part at all. I mean, yeah, I also do a collab with ZeaLouS1 on this CD where I rap about my love of shoujo anime and manga while ZeaLouS1 raps about the Gar/seinen side of anime and manga (track 17, “Animezing”,) so maybe I’m little biased when it comes to recommending it. However, I assure the rest of the collabs are even better, so I recommend it if you enjoy nerdcore, but love rap.
PS: Watch out for YTCracker name dropping me in his collab with ZeaLouS1 (track 18: “nerdstyle.”)
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Romance Language Reviews
Posted on March 7th, 2007
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 7:04 pm
So, since Nekodashi is still down (BTW, Misu, get back to me on that.) Anyways, in lieu of actual music downloads (though I guess I should put a zip sooner rather than later.) However, a few managed to download it before Nekodashi died, a few others even bought the album for some bizarre reason, and members of both parties have decided for some weird reason to review my album. There’s a review from Z of Hipster, Please and a whole thread about the album at Rhyme Torrents. If those reviews don’t convince you to buy my album without listening to it, you’re patient. Good for you 😉
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Nekodashi Back Up Soon
Posted on March 3rd, 2007
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 4:01 pm
Once the DNS repopulates, nekodashi.com and all the music on it should be back up. Finally.
In other news, my copy of Vista Ultimate came in. Now to wait a year for a service packs and drivers to come out so it’s actually, maybe worth installing.
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So, It’s Released in Full.
Posted on February 17th, 2007
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 5:05 pm
mp3s, lyrics and everything. Thank you to all of you who boldly ordered this without hearing the CD first, and thanks in advance to everyone will hopefully order the CD now that you can get an idea of what you’re getting into.
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Half-Way Done In The Wrong Order…
Posted on February 16th, 2007
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 5:39 pm
The proper way to handle a CD release given the situation of being an online-oriented artist:
1. Release Promotional mp3s to entice fans.
2. Release CD via nice new online store.
3. Profit.
How I’ve handled it:
1. Release CD via mediocre new online store.
2. Release Promotional mp3s to entice fans.
3. Realize that no one’s going to buy this without mp3s up first, but I promise they’ll be up tomorrow.
To anyone bold/fanboyish/fangirlish enough to buy this on the single and the preview medley mp3 alone (IE: before I get the rest of the preview mp3s up,) I’ll autograph the CD with a silly internet meme or two, and I’ll put a nerdy anime sticker or two in with the CD. Oh, and the first print run has an unintentional grammatical error in the liner notes, which is sure to make the value skyrocket*.
*=Karl Olson, karlrolson.com and any related individuals or subsidiaries can not be held responsible for the fact that the odds of it ever being value are 963 quadrillion to 1. 😉