Progress And Regress Towards Success
Posted on May 18th, 2006
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 3:10 am
Boy, I’ve been music-centric lately! I’m sure this might be annoying to people who’d rather hear about other minutiae about from my day to day life, but I’m pretty sure “Statistical Analysis is Boring” would get to be pretty old very quick, so really I assure you, this is more interesting (ok, I’ll put in some “General” stuff in here too.) Anyway, Rai came over (rather, I picked her up at her place on the way to me dropping some old stuff of my little bro’s at Value Village where Rai picked up a couple pair of inline-skates for cosplay, and we picked up my little bro from school after that, and oh yeah, at Value Village I received a call from my friend Ben in Korea about AX stuff — there you go, some general boring blog stuff) to work on the first what will hopefully eventually maybe be an EP or an album’s worth of collaboration, and we got a lot of work done, and really, it’s wonderful stuff so far. In fact, she’s probably a more natural vocalist than myself in someways, or atleast I get that vibe listening to some of my work after listening to the preliminary stuff she’s layed down.
Which brings me to a side point, which is I think I may radically overhaul parts of OpenSource Lyricist. It’ll be slow going because I’m not necessarily a natural vocalist, but I really want it to sound good. Especially since there are collaborations pending for this CD (Tycho almost definitely, Rai probably, Nurse Hella maybe,) I really need to hold my own as much as I can. However, it’s only certain parts that need it, so it’s not like I need to retake everything, just certain glaring omissions in my performances. So, there is title of this post explain: there is progress in my nerdcore work towards success, but sometimes I need to edit undo. Yay non-linear editing.
Anyway, while Rai and I managed to get quite a bit of work done on the song (only need to record one more verse, which might, maybe be recorded by the nerdcore documentary crew,) it was insanely hot and humid in my bedroom/studio because of the record temperatures and because the only way to get a clean enough recording was to shut the window, turn off the ceiling and shut the door, keeping in the heat of two people, one desktop and one laptop – not the most comfortable situation, but yet it was still a lot of fun. The heat left me pretty out of it at points, but really I think it was one of the most rewarding musical experiences I’ve had in a while – maybe even since my live gig. I never thought I’d really be into collaboration to this degree, but some how it’s just satisfying. I can’t wait to do more work like this, and in general I think I want to try to work like this more. When the energy is right, it’s fantastic.
So, after about 6-7 hours of recording work, we had dinner (thanks mom and thanks McDonalds – hmm Salad and Powerade,) and then I took Rai home (with detours to Bellevue Square Mall, the park across from that mall for some inline-skate action and Jamba Juice.) Alas, more general noise. This post delivers. 😉
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Delicious 320kbps mp3s!
Posted on May 12th, 2006
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 1:39 am
These will be on the nerdcore compilation, but here they are here in advance for those too impatient:
five to nine
so long kids (alt version)
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J-Nerdcore? In my production cue? It’s more likely than you think.
Posted on May 12th, 2006
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 12:07 am
This week has been weird. I mean, I kicked it off with a geek party at a friend’s abode (read: fansubs, youtube and video games,) then I get an email mentioning how a Nerdcore compilation I’m going to be on is going to be featured in Wired and on Slashdot (and oh by the way, legardary rapper Kool Keith under his moniker Dr. Octogon will be on this compilation, so this is no small fry stuff) and to cap that all off, I’m now producing my friend Rai’s first Nerdcore effort, which would be cool enough except that her lyrics are mostly in Japanese with splashes of English, or in otherwords, J-Nerdcore. That’s probably a first in someways, and in general I can’t wait to work on it. Also, I just recieved another e-mail about a Nerdcore update news show that’ll be on YouTube. I guess the Nerdcore is rising up and getting elevated as Frontalot might say.
Oh and not only did 3 people buy CDs from me this week, I ran into one of the people later, and she liked it so much she insisted on giving me 10 more bucks. Talk about shocked – someone thought my music was worth CD-store MSRP. Anyway, that 10 bucks probably promptly be put into my “promotional budget,” I.E.: who do think would be more likely to review a Nerdcore CD that’s just sent to them out of the blue – the Seattle Weekly or the Stranger?
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Klystron BEAM!
Posted on May 6th, 2006
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 3:30 am
ultraklystron vs. jj dynomite and ultraklystron – front to the back (k-beam remix)
If you like references to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Ichigo Mashimaro, Gunslinger Girl, Eva, Gundam, Star Trek, Stellvia, Fafner, Skee-lo, the bird flu, Sailor Moon, Lilo and Stitch, Nakayosi Magazine and Sealab 2021 and internet memes with a side of massive boasting, drum n’ bass and shout outs, you might want to listen to the above mp3. If you want a story or lyrical cohesion, look elsewhere. The original mix will be up when JJ Dynomite is done with it. I’ll be sure to link it here 😀
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Oh, And BTW, The New Article On Me Is Finally Online
Posted on May 2nd, 2006
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 12:07 pm
It’s almost more a summary than a review at points, but I think the critic liked it. Maybe later I’ll post a scan from the paper to go with it.
Edit: The Scan
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Pulling My Music From Myspace
Posted on May 2nd, 2006
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 11:42 am
Ok, after reading Overcompensating this week, I’ve decided to pull my music from Myspace. As it stands, there is still the possibility of my music turning up somewhere where I have no ability to control it, and I’d rather not see it on a Fox network (yes folks, Myspace is owned by NewsCorp if you didn’t know that already. We’re all a degree away from Bill O’Reilly and Matt Groening.) I mean, as it stands, the songs I’ve posted could turn up like that. However, atleast it won’t be that easy or obvious for people I think. Probably not. Ah well. Lesson learned.
PS: I’ve manually crossposted this to Myspace.
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In Liu of Some Actual Progress on OpenSource Lyricist…
Posted on April 29th, 2006
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 2:01 am
A quickie song I banged out in Reason in about an hour or so for a friend who needed it for a piece he was cutting for his portfolio. For those looking for a description as to what you’re about to download, think car commercial techno with violins. It’s very Crystal Method.
BTW, to those interested, I did get another song for OpenSource should my collabs fail to materialize. Just keep in mind I’m not releasing or printing a single copy of OpenSource until I break even on the new run of Revision or I get a collab or two to come together. Until then, patience. Patience and techy Big Beat.
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Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead
Posted on April 26th, 2006
Filed under: Music News — Karl Olson @ 3:10 am
So, the BCC student newspaper, the Jibsheet, ran a review of Revision4920, a surprisingly glowing review at that, though it’s not the first time I have recieved ink from them, and I suppose it’s the result of people expecting nothing, thus making any achievement seem interesting by comparison. I mean, I listened to an NPR review of Ghostface Killah’s lauded new CD, Fishscale, and the few clips interspersed with the over-intellectualized-though-accurate review are amazing. I might have to get that disc just for the Spongebob Squarepants references, the outstanding production and the raw acuity in the vocal delivery. Anyway, the fellow from the newspaper really dug my CD, and even enjoyed the remixes. Pretty cool deal on the whole, right? It even gets me thinking I could send the CD out to some local newspapers. Maybe Seattle Weekly or something. Just bundle it with a press packet and go.
Meanwhile, I get out of class and their is wrecked car sorta behind my car, partially parking me in but not completely. I try to pull out, but I graze the car to the left of me. I pull back into the park spot, stop, check the damage, freak out, get back in the car, re-adjust the steering and pull out cleanly, and then I’m weighing my options as to what to do next. Do I just leave? No, that’d be a really punk move, and having had my own tail light smashed-in w/o a note by some anonymous nare-do-well, I really grasped what a horrid and mean move that’d be. However, waiting for the person to comeback wasn’t necessarily feasible either, as I had no ETA on the owner of the vehicle I scraped. I check again to see how bad it is. Maybe paint will just rub off? No. It’s not damaged beyond paint rubbing off on the other vehicle, but that paint is definitely on there and it’s not easily removed. It’s not body damage, but still, it’s not easily remedied. I really screwed up. I decide after calling home to leave a note with my contact info, but even that left me feeling like an idiot and a total jerk. I probably should have just left my car at BCC and taken a bus rather than trying to get out.
Basically, any endorphin boost I might have received from that positive review was more than shattered by my own incompetence and ego. Very icarian I guess. If a claim is filed and my rates are bumped, I think I’ll cancel my trips (AX/Comicon and Comiket/Korea) this summer. I can’t justify those trips if my folks are suddenly stuck an extra 1000 bucks a year on insurance. It’d terrible of me to go to LA, San Diego, Tokyo and Korea after forcing the insurance rates up via pure idiocy, especially since my parents are already so nice to me.
I mean, it’s already looking anything beyond AX is out between my budget and my lacking a place to stay in LA for 5 days after AX, and I really hate that fly-in-fly-out stuff. I mean, I guess I have to do AX for Toon Zone cause they need the extra people (maybe Jim should just go for me, I can get him the credentials) but if I do, and the claim is filed, I’m not taking any extra spending money or anything. Just the most barebones, minimal essentials for food (and no eating out – I’ll hit a grocery store for a bag of generic cereal, some cheap bread, a jar of cheap peanut butter and a few gallons of distilled water to which I can add some gatorade mix,) shelter (hotel cost) and airfare (I should look into online deals now if I’m going to do this before the fuel cost makes airfare stupid expensive.)
I guess on the plus side, I’ll be around this summer if everything does fall through. No chance of missing out on the nerdcore documentary interview nor PAX that way.
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What is this, some kind of photoblog?
Posted on April 20th, 2006
Filed under: Pictures,Videos — Karl Olson @ 2:05 am
Of course, all pictures are courtesy of Jim from Anime Kingdom, and for those who don’t know, the girl in the blond wig is Rai, and the girl with bat wings is Lucy. One last piece of exposition: Photobucket flipped the order of the pictures, so we’re going reverse chronologically here.
And of course, we need a gratuitous movie clip with silly audio.
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Am I earning street cred or selling out with this post? Read and decide!
Posted on April 9th, 2006
Filed under: General — Karl Olson @ 2:30 am
So today (ok, Saturday,) with the aid of Lucy and Rai from Anime Kingdom, I dressed up all EGL (with the top hat from the pic below and more) as did Lucy and Rai, and Jim from AK was in toe shooting off (literally) hundreds of photos. The intent was to attend this gathering of folks who went by the name of the Seattle Glitterati Club, but since we were less interested in eating and chatting, and more interested in shooting pictures and such, we split off after only briefly saying hello to them and as they made their from a cafe to a place with food. At that point, we hit a bunch of store around Capital Hill, and then we all posed for pictures in the park, yielding a lot of very cool shots (expect a new and intentionally misleading myspace picture, just because I can and I’m silly.) Then, we decided that since are all totally lame otaku (and freezing,) we’d hit Kinokuniya/Uwajimaya for manga and eats. We go into Kino, and while I’m browsing the manga with Lucy and Rai, this dude comes up to us and hands us each a flyer for Club Noc Noc, a goth club downtown (well, they have other nights with other music but that’s not important,) because we are apparently dressed appropriately and thus must be down with that whole entire scene. Of course, jokes on him because, I’ve never dressed like that before, and thus is about as into that scene as I’m into recreational septic system maintenance (IE: not at all – well, ok I’ve listened to Industrial and EBM, and I can usually tell the difference, but that’s electronica nerd side showing,) and Rai and Lucy are 19 and 17 respectively, and thus couldn’t get into this 21+ goth club anyway.
Now for the it’s a small world twist – two weeks ago I’m hitting SakuraCon, and around about midnight between saturday and sunday, I start feeling hungry and thirsty, and I don’t want to pay the rip off prices charged at the soda machine in the convention center. So myself, a few friends from BCC (IIRC, Grace, Misu and Blake) and one of my friends from Toon Zone (Pepperidge aka Jesse) decide to strike out and find a convenience store that’s still open. With the aid a homeless fellow who gave us directions and then asked for change (great move, because he got it,) we found a convenience store that was still open. Oddly enough, it was right across the street from Club Noc Noc.
And that sort of begs an odd question, because there was a line to get into that club when I walked by it two weeks ago. Why would a guy be plugging a club that’s already so chic you can’t even get into it at 12:30am in the morning?
Anyway, back on topic, after eating at Uwajimaya (mmm.. metro mint water,) we hit Gossip for some good bubble tea (I had strawberry,) and on our way out of Gossip, we ran into this very nice lady wearing a kimono who Rai conversed with for a bit in Japanese (I should really take a course in that someday) and then Jim snapped pictures of us with. She was really supportive of our style (though I’m sort of loathed or atleast ambivalent on calling it my style cause it was more acquired than created by me I think.) And now I’m tired. Of course, it’s after 2am, so I suppose have an excuse outside of being on my feet for the better part of 4 hours. After all, I was on my feet for more time than that during SakuraCon (otoh, I’m still recovering from SakuraCon.)
Meanwhile, pics will be forth coming (even if it’s just another lo-rez flickr gallery,) and at Rai’s behest I’ll be turning out all EGL at Anime Kingdom this Friday barring something unexpected. By the way, Rai says it’s EGL, but I’m not as sure, so don’t take my word for it – come see it (because I won’t have the pictures up before friday.)
PS: It was not crossplay EGL. I won’t inflict that on the world unless someone is paying me, as John Ledford from ADV once aptly put it, “drunken pirate money,” IE: millions of dollars.