Monday, April 29, 2002

Girlfiends & She-Devils


Hooked up with Justin DuPre (Photographer) and Betty X to do some cover shots for the compilation we're putting out on Go-Kustom called - Girlfiends & She-Devils: A Tribute To The Feme Fatale later this year. Betty is a natural in front of the camera.

Sunday, April 28, 2002

Drum Loops & Such


Still working on the interviews. Also laid down a few quick drum parts on my son's mini-drum kit. These parts are to be used as basic drum loops for the Betty X album. I'm just banging on the kick and snare drum with sticks- no cymbals, to get a more realistic drum performance under the drum machine sections. I did a similar thing with Irish & Indian frame drums on my song Monster Monster. If it's done right it can be very effective. KsK drummer Mike Ditmore, is supposed to come over next week to do a similar drum loop recording, but more rhythmically involved. If you record the drums in sections, and then loop them in a sampler or computer program, you get a very structured, modern sound, that enables new arrangements of the song to be made very easily.

Saturday, April 27, 2002

Go-Kustom TV Editing

Working on editing the Texylvania and Sabrina RockArena interviews for Go-Kustom TV. My wife and kids are in Port Townsend, WA. for the weekend. My wife's band, OmBili, is playing a show there. I wanted to go but opted to stay home and get some TV Show work done.

Friday, April 26, 2002

Betty X and Texylvania.




We did an interview with the band Texylvania last night. Was alot of fun. If you get a chance go and see these guys live, do it. They put on a wild show. Look for the interview in an upcoming episode of Go-Kustom TV.

Wednesday, April 24, 2002

She-Devil

Added some Vibraphones and Upright Bass samples to the Betty X track She-Devil. The song is taking on a David Lynchesque quality.

Tuesday, April 23, 2002

Betty X Album

Started laying out a few tunes for the upcoming Betty X album. I'm helping with song writing, recording as well as being co-producer. One of the songs, She-Devil will be featured on the Go-Kustom Rekords compilation CD called Girlfiends & She-Devils: A Tribute To The Femme Fatale. This one should be out Fall of 2002.

Friday, April 19, 2002

Betty X and Sabrina RockArena.







Went over to the effervescent Sabrina RockArena's pad yesterday to film Betty X's interview with her. Sabrina is best know for her bass and vocal stylings for Seattle's own COOKiE, a hard hitting 3 piece rock outfit with a reputed killer pyrotechnic show. Look for the interview on an upcoming Go-Kustom TV Episode.

Oh yea- I had a real vivid dream last night. Mildly disturbing. I was a 40ish black man traveling the deep south. It was during the mid to late sixties, although some peoples clothes and cars were more current- time composited like dreams can be. I had just gotten a job at a diner and was working as a bus boy to make enough money to buy a bus ticket out of what ever town it was I was staying in. It was obviously not my home. The dream was very real and I remember as I was busing the tables, I could feel the white diners patrons staring at me, watching me suspiciously, as though I was a stray dog that had wandered into the diner unwelcomed. I worked hard and tried not to look up or around, not out of fear, but to avoid any problems with the white folks and their meals. I was almost done for the day and went over to dump some plates by the kitchen when I looked up and saw this burly redneck guy starring at me. He had on a flannel shirt and smelled like cheap bear and sweat. He grinned a sinister grin, and I could feel the hatred in him, directed squarely at me because I was black. I looked away so as not start a fight. Then he went over to the door where two of his buddies were waiting and they began talking overtly loud about there hadn't been a lynching around here for quite along time. One of them laughed and said, "That's 'cause we hung the last few niggers left around here." I could see all three of them starring at me out of the corner of my eye. A few of the other patrons chuckled. I moved back into the kitchen, pretending to get the broom, and then the three men walked out. I woke up thinking how fucked up it must have been to be black in the south back then or even in certain towns now. I really wonder why people have so much hatred for people that are different from themselves. In real life- when I was 12 years old I went with my Mom's boyfriend to a BBQ rib joint on the west side of San Bernardino, California to pickup some dinner. The west side was the older run down part of town, San Bernardino's Barrios. My Mom's boyfriend was handicapped and in a wheelchair so he stayed out in his specially equipped van while I went in to buy the ribs. Everyone in the rib joint was black, and as a 12 year old middle class white kid, I felt a little out of place, but not uncomfortable. The old man behind the counter was nice and chatty, swatting at the flies as he bagged up our dinner of hot ribs and cornbread. Remembering this, the feeling was exactly the opposite of the feeling I had in my dream last night. White kid in a black mans rib joint vs. middle aged blackman in a white owned diner...I know the dream was only a dream, but it left a serious impression on me.

Monday, April 15, 2002

Taxday :(

"Well I'm the Taxman...yea the Taxmaaaan" (my favorite Beatle tune by my favorite Beatle). I heard it on a Tax Preparation TV commercial last week. Sadly- I must say. So today it's Taxday. On a more positive note, Becky Thatcher came by yesterday and did some extremely jazzy vocals for the Flathand 5 song "Middle Man." All the basic tracking is finished for the original recordings. She also did vocals with my wife for their band OmBili Troupe three new songs- "Freedom", "Cocumba" & "Can't Stop It." Two of these recordings will make their way onto the Flathand 5 disc as well. I'm happy that this disc is almost done. It's quite a bit different from what I'm know for (gothikindustrialpunktronika), which is a good thing. I get tired of people pigeon holing me. How the fuck could anybody, except me, know all the various musical interests I have. It's like you get known for one thing, the whole damn time your visualizing doing some other kinda thing. It's like when people I just meet that know I'm a musician ask, "What instrument do you play?" It's like, "What color is the Ocean?" Which one? Are you on a boat or on the shore? High in a plane looking over the ocean? I sometimes say, "What ever is necessary." They always go, "What? - No what in-stru-ment do you play?" I repeat, "What ever is necessary." AT this point they figure I'm an evasive asshole (which is sometimes true of all of us). Then I will explain, " I started on the Trombone in grade school, later I played Electric and Upright Bass in High School & Jr. College. After that I picked up the Guitar, Keyboards and learned how to program early Music Computers and Synthesisers. Recently I learned a bit of Percussion and Slide Guitar. Now I play whatever is necessary."

Monday, April 8, 2002

Go-Kustom TV

I took the day off from my day job today (Mental Heath Day). Also finished up Episode Two of Go-Kustom TV. This show features videos by Red Team Go and Things Outside The Skin, some live footage of Betty Rage at The Junkyard in Las Vegas and short films by Brent Watanabe and Robert Judd. I'm gonna schedule Episode Two for 2-3 weeks from now. Eventually I want Go-Kustom TV to air every 2 weeks, but the lottery for a season time slot isn't until September. As it is I have to take what time slots are available and run the shows as OTO (One Time Only). This is a minor difficulty. I think Public Access is a great thing. It enables any Joe-Shmoe to put out a show (hey that rhymes). Yesterday afternoon Betty X came over to the studio to record her vocals for "Can You Hear Me" for the upcoming Flathand 5 percussion concept compilation. We actually wrote the lyrics together in a half hour before she did her vocal takes. She is easy to work with. We also began tracking a few basic songs for her new album that will be coming out on Go-Kustom early next year. It's gonna be a twangy, industrial, bluesy soundtrack inspired extravaganza. We also discussed Go-Kustom strategy for upcoming compilations and promotions. She has some great ideas and is a welcomed addition to the Go-Kustom label.

Saturday, April 6, 2002

OmBili Troupe

Last night we recorded three new basic tracks for my wife's band OmBili Troupe. They breezed right through the session nailing all the basics in just a few hours. They have progressed immensely from the last time I recorded them and their new line-up is very professional. Two of these tracks will end up on the Flathand 5 compilation. They also just got word last week that they have a slot in Northwest Folklife, one of the biggest showcases for folk and world music bands in the western United State. I'm more than a little proud of how far they've come so quickly.

Tuesday, April 2, 2002

Sciflyer

Sciflyer came over last night to record some tracks for their new album. They are on a mini-tour that started in their home port of San Francisco. We went 'til around midnight. I also interviewed them for Go-Kustom TV. We got the basics done for seven songs. Today I also dropped the program tape off for Go-Kustom TV at the Seattle Public Access studios. Its air date is Tuesday, April 9th at 9:30 PM, Channel 77 (in Seattle).

Monday, April 1, 2002

Go-Kustom TV

Finished Episode One of Go-Kustom TV. It looks pretty damn good for a first editing effort. It includes a documentary about the Clang Quartet, a short film by Brent Watanabe called Example that I star in and did music for. Also videos by Red To Violet, Swedish Whistler and The Inspectors. I also talked to Stephanie Hodovance of The Penningtones about helping with Go-Kustom expansion. She says she's in. I really want this label to grow and I can't do it on my own.