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. 😉
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Crunch Time
Posted on February 12th, 2007
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 6:59 pm
So with about 2 days and change before my next album goes on sale, it’s crunch time. I have the album art, I have the music, but making that into a product is easier said than done. Oh, the lightscribe discs are pretty (but are slow to burn,) and the double sided gloss paper makes for great CD covers (that then need be carefully cut out,) but as I’ve just blatantly insinuated, this process is easier said than done. If I’m lucky, a lot of work tomorrow morning will ensure I have 20 discs available at the show on Wednesday. Online orders will open Wednesday evening or on Thursday morning.
For something that is, at the moment, more of a hobby than a career it sure is very time consuming sometimes. Hopefully though, people enjoy it, and it’ll all be worth while. If not, I’ll probably just keep doing it anyway. After all, not many hobbies give you an excuse to go various nerdy conventions.
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Gratuitous
Posted on January 27th, 2007
Filed under: Music News,Videos — Karl Olson @ 4:38 am
Gratuitous Video – GeekEntertainmentTV on CES Nerdcore, Part 1 – As is the custom as of late, more video of me (and a number of my fellow nerdcore mcs, namely Nursehella, Zealous1, MCeeP.) I think I’m in this video too much, and my dorkitude is more evident than ever. Also, one can see my undawears, as Homestar Runner might say.
Gratuitous and self-indulgent side thought: The chapters of Nana that are currently running in Shojo Beat are hitting home in a downright bizarre way for me, and yet, while it’s almost unsettling to think just how well I can relate to the situations in that manga, it’s very cathartic and almost revealing at the same time. It’s opening up some interesting perspectives on my own current events, and simultaneously it’s like the things I’ve experienced me have allowed me to better enjoy Nana, or at least better understand where certain characters are coming from. I mean, Hachi, as a character, I used to write off as a bit of caricature – her personality and actions didn’t seem believable to me in some ways – where as Nana, with her pride and love of music really resonated with me; I get being a musician, and I get the DIY mentality. However, I think I get Hachi now too – I understand that personality type is not only plausible, it’s perhaps part of how I conduct myself sometimes as well, so it sort of reveals something about me to me, and then that in that turn reveals a whole new perspective of how to view Nana and what it’s trying to communicate. Beyond that, it’s perhaps even given me a better idea about how a lot of my friends might feel about me and my actions, or rather it gives me some sense of their modus operendi which definitely eases my mind a little.
Of course, I’m fully aware that I could just be over-analyzing, but even if I am, it’s nice to flex those muscles. Lately in review work, I haven’t much in the way of really philosophically, psychologically, spiritually or emotionally intriguing animation come across my desk (the best I’ve seen lately is Rumbling Hearts, and it’s only an emotional kick for the most part,) and I’ve not even seen much coming out of Japan that tickles those senses – heck, I’ve probably seen more Western live-action films that engage my philosopher mode (cases in point: Stranger Than Fiction and Children of Men.) As such, to at least have one manga that is forcing me to think, to be introspective from different perspectives, is very welcome. Even if I’m just over-stretching to connect to my own life, the fact it’s getting me to think about my own life is probably a very good thing.
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Radio Interview!
Posted on January 22nd, 2007
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 11:27 am
Which originally aired January 22nd @ 9pm on Evolution 107.9: Download Here.
It also was longer originally too, but I didn’t get Audacity fired up in time to catch quite everything. To those wondering what the first question was, it was “what is nerdcore?” I also edited some of my responses around so I make more sense than I actually did because I was nervous if not incoherent at points, and I nixed the songs of mine included too because it’s a mono recording, so it’s not really a great showcase of the music. However, it was a lot of fun, and I’m glad I recieved the chance to do it.
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It’s like a video blog lately…
Posted on January 21st, 2007
Filed under: Music News,Videos — Karl Olson @ 5:04 pm
But I guess that’s how things go these days when apparently everyone think nerdcore is video-worthy. Anyway, here’s some video of me at Fuel, performing that classic nerdcore track, “Nerdcore Life.” Beware of 200+ bpm rapping after the last pass of the chorus: