*scream*

Jeff talked on emotion in music last week.

Jeff talked on intellectualism in music last week.

i don't think many people appreciate how much of a struggle that class was,
it fought against many things that I have studied over the last few years.

But i still don't feel completely satisfied.

so Plan B is to continue my own journey.

tonight I plan to move my computer out into the fire room.
its not really a dining room or an entrance-way, but it has a fire, so we'll call it the fire room. sounds... prophetic?

this is in aid of spending more computer time involved in writing/recording music, and less time surfing the internet aimlessly.

ultimately with Andrew, we've discussed music a lot in particular in playing together, so i think the next logical step is to move the computer.

J.

....baby planet nuclei...

In my recent jaunt east-ward i spent a fair chunk of time chatting with my uncle re matters of music, composition and all such things.

He also gave me a copy of his latest release, or rather the latest release of his band 'Audible 3' (www.audible3.net)

Half of the album is a recording of their concert in christchurch late 2004.
the other half is studio rehearsal's for said gig.

I was at this gig and got to experience his band in the best way possible. live.

While I do not dethrone studio albums of their brilliance or listenability; there is a certain romance to watching musicians clammer about, swinging to and fro between genius and madness, for there is where lieth art.

for my part I love the truth that everything could collapse/self destruct/explode at any minute, and it is but the sure steady hands of the confident musician who tames the wild beast.

...i digress

but i am listening to this cd now.

in the concert I remember getting bored with simply sitting and listening, instead preferring to watch...

product does not exist without due process, and process is what art should be all about I guess, after all are we not all on a journey.??

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I wrote something new this morning, or perhaps I played something out of my head that may or may not be something I have heard previously...

it was sparse and myst-like.

i need to setup some kind of recording ability, as the peices are at opposite ends of the house...

grrr...

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still loving 'hero' by divinefire, track 2 is my ringtone at the moment...hehehe

...your kindness...brings me to my knees...

my sister has my axe... i am axeless...


was practising a bit last week. have settled on a max speed of about 15-16 notes per second. might get faster, but am happy with that i think.

theres a couple of songs I should really get recorded and send to somewhere...

maybe just myspace or emusic if they'll have me.

no internet at home, will have it again next month and then will get some more from emusic, and will then have something to talk about...

...i don't know why...

Been listening to an album mark from college lent me.
by 'Coverdale & Page'

Page of course being jimmy page of led zep.

Interesting. nice to hear something different.

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...you have got to be the last one standing...

I have rediscovered Ladytron.

On the back of watching a stream of them playing at a radio station.
They weren't performing, but it was good to see them in the flesh and listen to the music at the same time.

They seem to be very good at making simple songs sound really good. In an interview they talk about how live performances make you realise how important it is to have dynamics in your songs.

I compare them to Mr. Bungle.

where Mr. Bungle have 5-7 guys on a stage playing lots of things and creating a huge complex sound.
Ladytron have 5 people on stage who play more minimally, still interesting music but not hugely complex.
I guess its what you would expect when an electronica band tries performing for a few years.

some of my favourite ladytron songs are the same four chords over and over, and yet it feels like its a whole different section of the song each time.

i guess you could say that the tension is in the repitition, which of course is right up my alley.

perhaps the metl-hed is a soft wussy techno-frek after all... hehehe, hi matt.

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Di was talking to me the other day about how sometimes we struggle to spend time with God because of distraction, and how you can make inroads in this endeavour through switching off your left brain and switching on the right.

To be more simple; painting, drawing, playing music.

I have never done this in this way for the express purpose of drawing near to God. However I do find that if I come home stressed that I can sit down and play guitar for a while and feel better.

i think this whole train of thought needs more thought (sic).


*burp?*

J.

...My Arms, Your Hearse...

Having a second listen today...

I read a review saying Opeth were more brutal/deathy in their pre BWP albums.
So far I would probably agree, more listens to get consistency and coherence though.

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Had an interesting chat with Heidi last week. She is one of the CCTV volunteers, and works at Koorong in the music department. Very interesting contact...

I through out 'death metal' just to gague reaction, and all of a sudden she starts talking about Steve Rowe and 'Mortification'... interesting story, at least the fragments she discussed, will have to find a proper bio somewhere... turns out some of their later stuff is more power metal and thrashy, compared to their earlier more death metal material. Might have a listen at some stage I guess.

Still I have my new CD, 'Hero' by Divinefire.
Divinefire are a new project from Christian Rivel (his real last name is apparently longer and trickier to say). He is the voice behind Narnia, and has a record label in Sweden? called Rivel Records that releases a whole pile of artists.
I haven't bought any narnia due to the samples I have encountered sounding quite cheesy... My journey into power metal brought narnia back into focus, and other band called 'Harmony' whose debut album I own, and like, although its not strong enough consistently for me, not a bad debut though; and I hear their second album will be faster and heavier.

back to the DF album. I like it, I like it a lot.
haven't heard the whole thing through, got halfway before I had to go off and do something, it is quite rare for me to get through an album in one sitting.
I did listen to Harmony's album in one go, but to be fair I was a tad let down by that album, expecting it to sound more like what DF's album sounds like.

The second listen to Tourniquet was a tad frustrating, they have some good stuff but i don't think i like the album as a whole, seems too punky, or too something. perhaps if they got another bandmate it would be better, am a tad suspicious of the singer handling instrument duties, though the likes of mr mustaine will always prove me chicken-. maybe it will grow on me.

still haven't had that first listen of zao, think i'm just uninterested.
this magazine that I got with the DF cd has a ad for a new album and suggests that some other band has succeded where zao failed with 'funeral of God'
guess I should have a listen, especially now that I am giving 'my arms, your hearse' a second chance.

- - - - - - - - - -

soon suspended animation will be mine, well, one day... hehe

- - - - - - - - - -

\m/

RRRRRRROOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRR

on saturday night after production... or was it sunday

I cam home, plugged in my gat and played some noise...

I love delay and I love feedback..

-------------------------------------------------

In other news I have been listening to a band called Theocracy who sound quite good... may have to add to list..

purchased 'Hero' by divinefire on sunday i think... it should be arriving sometime this week.


Divinefire is a new band led by Christian Rivel of Narnia fame.

Narnia is almost a bit too cheesy power metal for me, although i got a tingle down my spine watching a sample video of their dvd so i may end up buying that at some stage...

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Got 'Funeral of God' by Zao for very cheap... interesting concept... still can't take death metal seriously, but theres some fun to be had, and a couple of very good songs near the end of the cd, have only had one listen though...

also got a tourniquet album. the title is something to do with a microscopic realm and I can't be bothered looking it up on the internet. I'm not really a big fan of American Hardcore or grindcore either, but theres some nice songs, and occasionally the singer sings (instead of yelling). punk yelling pisses me off something chronic...

although now that i've said this ....

- - - - - - - - - -

at church the other night, wandered past one of a practise rooms, sounded like a youth band, sounded like death metal..
i had a little chuckle to myself

*chuckle*

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bada bing bada boom.

J.