The Complete Back-Catalog
Posted on September 22nd, 2008
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 11:06 pm
You can have it now for 25 bucks, on one delicious USB flash drive. Well, except the stuff I can’t legally sell. Hopefully one day I’ll get hosting straight again so I can put the the old stuff up free, but for now, think of it as saving yourself downloading 2.71 GB of data.
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“They say the never really miss you til you’re dead and you’re gone…
Posted on September 20th, 2008
Filed under: Videos — Karl Olson @ 10:48 pm
…So on that note I’m leavin after this song” – Jay Z, “December 4th”
I said earlier, and I’ll say it again, RIP TOONAMI 1997-2008.
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A Change Of Plans
Posted on September 20th, 2008
Filed under: General,Music News — Karl Olson @ 3:43 pm
So, there were a few things I wasn’t planning to do. I was not planning on releasing anything off The Fourth Estate before well, releasing the album, assuming I ever released it. At the very least, I wasn’t going to put up anything via my website. Via compilations? Maybe. Via other peoples’ podcasts? Definitely, if the podcast producers were game. However, I didn’t want to publicly solicit anything off the disc via any channel until it was very close to release as well. No leaving a coming-soon page for 2 or 3 years before releasing anything, like I did with Opensource. However, I do already have some songs in the can, and I have reason to leak one very specific song today.
You see, Toonami’s last night on television is tonight, and I have a song about that animation block completed for the new CD. Toonami means a lot to me because it is one of the key reasons I am the person I am. In fact, without watching the various Tenchi Series and then a bunch of other good anime on Toonami which itself built into full blown otakuism, there is an exceedingly high probablity I would have never pushed into Nerdcore, as I would have likely felt that I just didn’t have material to rap about nerdy stuff (or rather it’d all have been about computers and being into chemistry at 7. Even outside of Nerdcore, the music and stories of anime had a serious effect on my last 4 or 5 Electronica releases. Toonami, and the otakuism it inspired in me is also a key factor to meeting the love of my life, Danielle (aka Nursehella.) You see, I spotted her in line for PAX2005 because she was wearing what I thought was cosplay (turns out it was her Catholic School girl uniform from High School,) and I talked to her as such. No otaku-ism, and even if I had developed an interest in Nerdcore, she probably would have been another face in the line. Just the thought of that alternate ending freaks me out.
As such, I owe that block I surprising amount – I only hope one day I can tell Sean Akins (the head of the soon-to-be-deceased block,) that he, through a convoluted series of events, helped me meet the woman of my dreams, and also dramatically altered the subject matter of my music.
Or, at the very least, I hope he hears this song: Ultraklystron – Absolution
Lyrics after the break.
RIP TOONAMI 1997-2008.
(more…)
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Temporary Stress Relief
Posted on September 18th, 2008
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 6:08 pm
Been doing loads of college applications in what I hope is a successful attempt at using my transfer associates degree to transfer to 4-year school. However, after doing my 8th application I felt like just destressing a bit, so I cut a silly little mixtape goof track. For you listening pleasure, I present, Ultraklystron – Row Row Get A Millie. Lyrics after the break as usual, though those looking for depth probably should skip this – it’s just braggadocio, as one might expect for rap over a beat mashed together from Lil Wayne and Gurren Lagann.
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More Nerdcore 64?
Posted on September 18th, 2008
Filed under: Music News,Videos — Karl Olson @ 12:12 am
You better believe it!
Check at 44 minutes and 6 seconds, they talk about meeting me, Nursehella, Beefy and yt cracker, and about the seeing Nerdcore For Life doc.
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Nerdcore 64
Posted on September 13th, 2008
Filed under: Music News,Videos — Karl Olson @ 1:44 pm
Link to video in case the above embed doesn’t crosspost to LJ.
Look for me leaving The Mega64 Panel at PAX2008 at about 44 minute and 54 seconds in. You’ll also see my friend Derek and Nerdcore rapper MC Gigahertz also leaving, as we were on our way to catch the West Coast premiere of Nerdcore Rising.
So, what can this post yield more than goofy video of me saying “NERDCORE RISING, BABY, WHAT!?!” Well, Nerdcore Rising is a good documentary, and it compliments Nerdcore For Life well – one gives you the godfather of the genre and the realities of his first tour, and one gives you an overview of the genre he helped to create, and in retrospect, it only it makes sense to document these things separately. Additionally, the Mega64 guys turned out to the PAX premiere of Nerdcore For Life, and they really dug the movie and the people in it.
Everything comes full circle I suppose.
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Rolling Doubles for Double Damage
Posted on August 22nd, 2008
Filed under: Reviews — Karl Olson @ 3:38 am
So, Beefy finally pushed Rolling Doubles out the door. Many people on the internet (read: other nerdcore rappers) seem displeased with his showing. So, as someone who has written a hundredish reviews on the interwebs, and who has been writing reviews since 8th grade for the school newspapers, I figured I’d give it a spin my critical ears, and after purchasing it off amazon and then fixing the flash mounting on my eee, I listened and wrote the following.
Beefy leads off with some guitar heavy stuff – a break with most of his prior work, and with a lot of nerdcore in general. However, “Olly Olly Oxen Free” and “You Can Call Me Beef” certainly have the swagger that I’ve come to expect from Mr. Moore. “Tilt” is a beautiful example of the progression Beefy’s shown as an artist – the lyrics are coded with all sorts of smart alek plays on words and references, but the flows show both greater tightness and some nice nods to his influences and favs as well. His penchant for smart alek breakdowns mid song works to wonderful effect in “Table Top,” while the new mix of “Play With Me” could get college radio traction with a little promotion. Also on the college radio tip, “Ball Pit” manages to bring the sentimentality and instrumentation of acts like The Postal Service into Nerdcore, and the result’s great and almost moving with it’s nostalgic flavor.
Beefy speeds things back up with “Disconnect” where he’s arguably outshined by the guest MCs, but it’s still a catchy track, and he easily delivers some of the biggest laughs of the album on this track. Besides, everyone can relate to such a situation. Speaking of relatable content, it really takes a musician to fully appreciate “Last Minute Gig” but as someone who has basically lived it, it’s funny if not a bit of a bittersweet reminder of why I wanted to get out of music. “Clueless” manages to take another dig at his detractors while managing to serve as a comedy skit and rap interlude. Demonstrating some of his rarely displayed double speed flow and coming with some truly caustic albeit not particular controversial slams on mainstream rap, “Turn Your Radio Off” is some of the rawest Beef since “Diss Missed.”
Back on the accessibility point, “Minimum Wage Slave,” is definitely something the average joe can get, but it’s also the most repetitive track on the disc, though the hook ends up with a surprisingly Stone Temple Pilots-flavor thanks to Shael Riley. “Dork Date” is fun, and an almost too accurate when it comes to the world of dork dating. Beefy closes out the main disc with his last moment of braggadocio with “1337ology” and “Story Time,” where Beefy manages to deliver, well, straight-up rap. It’s rap with the same personal flavor that put Eminem on the top of Billboard, and it’s something almost entirely absent in Nerdcore. If anything, it’s almost a taunt to have this at the end of the album, because almost suggests that the next album could be darker and heavier if he chose to go there, and I personally think that’d be interesting to see.
The CD is filled out with a couple remixes – a pretty cool rock version of “Table Top” by tanner4105, and radio ready and outright sick awesome remix of “Play With Me” by DJ John. Good stuff, and certainly welcome.
In conclusion, it’s not the best showing in the genre (MC Frontalot will have that secured with his upcoming album Final Boss – just heads up on that,) but it’s much better than people want to give him credit for. It brings the flavor that people expect from Beefy – comedy, ego and modesty, while uncovering a much more personal and human side as well. It certainly puts him at the head of the class when it comes to second-gen nerdcore artists, and really, it puts him in the same league as the first gen artists. The disc reaffirms why he gigs with people like Optimus, Front and YT and why producers like Tanner, DJ John and Baddd Spellah work with him: he delivers at that level, and he puts in the work to make sure that shows on the album, regardless of the time it takes and regardless of what his detractors would like to claim.
tl;dr: Beefy’s new CD is 8.5/10 minimum, this is a fact.
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Blog Check / Mic Check
Posted on July 20th, 2008
Filed under: General,Music News — Karl Olson @ 3:57 am
So, after a runaround that included visiting a music store that apparently has no affiliation but the exact same as the music store for which I had a gift certificate for, visiting a mall during a power outage, cashing in said gift certificate for a nice new condenser mic, and finally going to another music store and buying a new mixer with phantom power for said condenser, I made some dramatic changes to my studio setup today. Not really the changes I was planning on making (I was hoping to get a USB condenser, but oh well,) but changes that are very favorable nonetheless (wow, for a mic that effectively only cost me 50 bucks, it’s night and day.) Expect the next album I make to sound another level better than OpenSource Lyricist. Seriously, it will be pro-grade sound with pro-grade content. What I recorded just today sounds awesome, and I think if I’m smart about things, I should be able to get a whole CD done before going back to school (finally.)
Meanwhile, I’ve also upgraded my blog software to the latest WordPress, so hopefully crossposting between it and my livejournal still works.
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The cake apparently is not a lie
Posted on July 15th, 2008
Filed under: General — Karl Olson @ 3:06 pm
So it’s my last day working at Computer Stop (I figure that since I’ll no longer be employed here, it’s cool to mention the place by name,) and what should I find but a giant cheesecake (one of those ones with 8 different flavors of cheesecake,) and a gift that’ll help me snag some new studio gear (watch out for a blog post on that.) Very awesome of them.
I mean, can’t say I’m terribly broken up about having to leave, but for a retail job, it’s probably the best one could ever hope for, atleast if you’re a nerd like me, and it definitely honed my computer tech skills. The employee discount was sweet too.
Still, time for the Computer Stop arc of my life to end, and the College arc to start.
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Better Video / Inadvertant Comedy
Posted on July 12th, 2008
Filed under: General,Music News,Videos — Karl Olson @ 6:23 pm
So, the video quality on my STIFF after party performance was a shade mediocre (thanks to my cheap refurb digital camera;) however Betheny Lee (aka Bethzilla, friend of Beefy,) actually had a decent camcorder and shot the same performance, which is viewable here. There are also performances from Beefy, Beefy featuring Bethzilla and YT Cracker from the same evening, as well other cool business like Q&A’s and other nerdcore antics viewable here, though you’ll have to scroll down a bit.
On the comedy side of the headline, turns out my local anime store of choice, Anime Raku (formerly Anime Kingdom,) has been buying google ads. I know this because they’ve run on my page. If you see there ad on the sidebar, click though so I get some money back 😉