I bought a bass guitar! I just went on Trademe and had a look for a giggle. Bid up to $79 and I actually got it!

Auction finished on a sunday morning – bad move for selling to muso’s, but hey – their loss, my gain.

I’m really excited about it. At first it just seemed like something cool to do, that I could do – another thing I like about being older now – often you can actually see that somethings just not going to work out.

But since I got the thing home, and realised what a good deal I got, and started playing, I got really excited about it, I got a big rush, just playing again and getting into it.

I had actually talked about getting a bass earlier on the blog, but I can’t find any of the best examples at this point, so just for your info its not exactly just out of the blue.

For a bit of history, I played bass in our high school indie/shoegaze band “Furver” which I am tending to invoke as I move forward on the next step – originally it was my Trip Hop outfit “Further” and I think that’s what it will be whenever I collaborate on non-drum and bass projects, well you can be in my band Further.

If you want.

It’ll still be a Trip Hop thing, but also a more indie, more spaced out and even dubsteppy thing. So back to the roots, but also baring fruits!

The idea of the Bass came in seeing so many white stripes type line ups emerging in my vicinity – there was cure motel and there was the neo-kalishnikovs, both which I toured with on Short Circuit tours, neither of which had a bass player.

But it was also a concept I called “Blenheim on a Tuesday” I saw singer/songwriters playing places like Blenheim on a Tuesday and I wanted to work out how I could play a cafe in a place like Blenheim on a Tuesday, so I could tour hard, playing 5 or more gigs a week.

Not with a pumping drum and bass set. But I could if I did low key trip hop/indie/alt country vibe.

This also came from a lot of discussion between darcy and I which led to him doing Cure Motel, that we felt instruments were needed to connect with audiences when the bloom came of the rose of the dance/electronica scene that grew in the 90’s. People wanted to see action, and as long as it sounded good then, great.

The common thread of course was versatility and economy when on tour or putting together a nights entertainment, and if you dig deep enough on this blog and elsewhere you’ll see how the concept of convergence led to idea I had of how a perfect performance would pitch itself.

I can play trip hop and slung back spacious and basscious stuff at the beginning of a gig, I can make it deeper and more meaningful with a vocalist there and I can progress toward more indie and alt country vibes, they can get heavier in their indie and punky disco influence, another band could take over at that point or I could just forge ahead into nu disco, indie rave, and electro, I could do some reality compound electroclash if I wanted to or just play the instrumentals. A DJ could take over playing house, breaks, electro even dubstep, or I could be the DJ, using my own way to get to the drum and bass place, then I’m able to go to the full blown shoegaze dubstep business, it could be an epic headliner, or completely slung out to be a dreamy wind down, and then back to where we started, trip hop, dreamy beats.

36 mins – trip hop / dreampop / alt country
36 mins – indie, electroclash, nu rave
36 mins – electro / house / breaks
36 mins – drum and bass
36 mins – dubstep / dreamstep / trip hop

and though each step mixes together, each can be played an individual short set, parts can be removed or added or elongated as is suitable to the venue.

If people want a drum and bass set or a live indie dubstep fusion band they can have it.

Or they can have the show I put on, and possibly, where I had to, I could carry a whole night on my own.

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Okay this is the official Romantech blog post about the detonate festival where I try to stay on topic and avoid sinking into the metaphysical relativity of uber-capitalist post modern hedonistic lifestyles, or y’know all that self indulgent crap I’m trying to cut down on on this blog.

This little therapy session is over, and we are certainly living in the future in case you didn’t know but I think I just think that because I’m old. Well “youngish” as opposed to being young. Hate being “youngish”. But i’ll live with it and stop grinding it over.

Because today we’re not here for deep meaningful new years discussion and personal assessment we’ll just be discussing the Detonate festival in Urenui, just out of New Plymouth.

At the end of the day I played a good set and the crowd got into it, that’s the most important thing. Ultimately that’s why I do it. When I’m killing it in the mix and the crowd are going off and feeling it, I’m getting high on that vibe and getting fully energised and vibed up.

The weather was great what other interesting things of note are their to mention?

The event organiser Natalie was a delight and there were lots of explosions going off for the “detonate” part of the festival which provided a bit of novelty, especially the momentary dissonance between seeing the explosion, hearing the sound and feeling the heatwave.

There was a nice little backstage area but we didn’t end up there much for some reason, there were lots of treats, but also lots of rockers posing off. I took my camera and interviewed Clap Clap Riot briefly. I think they did a devo cover which was pretty sweet.

I kept a look our for These Four Walls as Ambrozia’s cousin is in the band apparently. As a pretty textbook post-emo hey kinda veered, I liked their overblown stuff and there was good balance between

We met a guy named Terry who tagged along with us a fair bit telling us we needed to visit Nova Scotia “off the coast of Switzerland” where apparently there are phenomenal looking women throwing themselves after the kiwi accent. Funny dude.

I think the guys before us were Hedline and MC Felony, they were older guys and the DJ, Hedline, had only been playing out for 9 months but he was still holding down a big party electro breaks vibe when we jumped on at 10pm, and the crowd were well into it, he;s managed to build it from nothing as it had been pretty hot during the day with some tech house guys and the Professor playing funk, house and funky breaks.

Some trashy bird jumped up in the booth while I was playing and started asking me about DJing and standing next to me so I instantly started putting a hard mack down on her and rubbing her butt

There were quite a few significantly good looking women there who were just going crazy to the music all night, they weren’t hanging round with their friends they were just there getting into it, good company really. Girls that look like that in Auckland don’t drop their carefully manicured guard for the merest second.

Those New Plymouth girls though, the tans on them! Witnessed some amazingly well sunned young ladies in attendance.

The midnight fireworks were great because it was short and sweet, they didn’t play it out, they just put up as many fireworks as they could in the shortest space, which was really effective.

And that’s about as much as i can be botheres writing to be honest.

]]> http://romantech.co.nz/blog/2010/01/official-romantech-and-soul-science-at-detonat-festival-post/feed/ 0 http://romantech.co.nz/blog/2009/12/romantech-soul-science-timeline-archives/ http://romantech.co.nz/blog/2009/12/romantech-soul-science-timeline-archives/#comments Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:28:12 +0000 Matt Romantech http://romantech.co.nz/blog/?p=328

Working on a Soul Science / Romantech Timeline . . . comprehensive as, bro . . . but still a work in progress . . .

2002

Romantech Track “Plate Techtonics”

Romantech Mix: “Doom”

Romantech Track: “Release”

Data:Bass Residency @ Shots
Romantech, Culprit (Detail), Teddy Edit, Bobbylon

2003

Data:Bass resumes at K rd Ballroom
Romantech, Kyren, Teddy Edit, Allie, LX, Culprit, Bobbylon,

May: Data:Bass Sampler 1 Release
Romantech Track: “Chain Reaction”
Further Track: “Disturbing Thoughts”

May 1: rumble in the jungle
Dionysus, Kyren, Culprit, Romantech, Fiction, MC Jen-I

June 21: Tansgression – Silverdale
Fiction, Kyren, Culprit, Romantech, Teddy Edit

Drive Software
Romantech Track “Lynch Mob”
Romantech Track “Good Music”

August: Data:Bass Sampler 2:
Romantech Track: Shots
Romantech Track: Almost home

August 22: Bring The Ruckus @ the K Rd Ballroom
Data:Bass Net DJ’s + Guests

Sept 12: Mindset @ Paradise Bar
State of Mind, 4tune, Kyren, Romantech,

Sept 27 DB1: Data:Bass turns 1 @ Paradise Bar
State of Mind, Fiction, Culprit,

October: Mental Illness 1
Romantech Track: Druggie Scum
Romantech Track: Disturbing thoughts
Style Over Substance Track:

Nov 8: Search & Destroy @ Paradise Bar
State of Mind, Kyren, Fiction,

Nov: Version festival & Release @ Odeon

New years Eve @ Resolution

2004:

Jan 16: Data:bass gig

Offbeat party @ Duo

PSC Party @ The Office

Style Over Substance track: Molly & John

Romantech track: Innocence

Trouble In paradise: March 5, 19, 26
Style Over Substance First Gig

April 30: Mechanisms of Mentality

Mental Illness 2
Romantech”

Further Release – “Distance”
Further Track “Disturbing Thoughts”
Further Track “Make It Last”
Further Track: “Nag Champa”
Further Track: “Walk Me Home”
Further Track “Floored”
Further Remix “
Further Track “Version” ft. Catguts

Lickwicked
Romantech Track – “Moving On”

August Short Circuit 2

K rd Karnival

Mechanica

2005

Club Bizarre Electro Shock 29 Jan

Liquid Underground Feb 12 // Feb 26

Liquid Underground vs Twisted Breaks April 9

vs Live Fusion April 23

Further Release “Sounds Good”
Further Track “Who Da Man?”
Further Track “Down The Line”
Further Track “left & Right & Wrong””
Further Track “Dogsbody Dub”

May: Short Circuit 1
Short circuit CD
Romantech Track – “Like You Do” ft. Haze
Romantech Track – “Metro Sound”
Romantech Track – “Ice Breaker
Further Track – “Nag Champa”

May 5 Re:Fuel
May 6: Queenstown
May 7: Wanaka
May 12: Jetset
May 14: Phat
May 20: 101
May 21: Guv’nors
May 28: Viper

Sept 10 Infrasound @ Plume / galatos

Oct –
Romantech DJ Mixes
Down and Out chill Out Mix
Decks In The City

Style Over Substance relaunches on Myspace as Reality Compound
Reality Compound track: I Need Myspace
Reality Compound track: Get Some Pussy

Romantech Remix: “Dizzy Boy” Bylli Crayone

Dec 23: Full Circle Xmas party @ Foci
Romantech, Carnage, Blazem, JGA, Nato, Control, Whitebait, MC Pakage

Romantech Release: Result
Romantech Track: Acid Jam
Romantech Track: The Book

2006

Romantech track: Can Only Ask
Reality Compound: Make Me
Reality Compound: Fake It

Jan 27 Mental Illness 3 part @ Foci
Romantech, Nato, Blazem, Carnage, Control, Emu, Catguts
Romantech Track
Romantech Track

Feb 4 Aqueous @ Moth

March: Soul Science @ Foci residency begins

April:
Reality Compound Release: Get Real
Reality Compound: All The Rage
Reality Compound: Sell Out
Reality Compound: Maybe Someday

Romantech Track “Sweet Ambrozia”
Romantech Track “Pacificized” ft. 4.5 Hz

May 9: Emu EP Release

June 6: Snapshot @ Khuja
Makky, Blazem, Nato, romantech, Control. JGA, Fraser S, Future 1, Absilute Value

Short Circuit 2.5 ft. Emu, Opiou, Deano, Uberloser
Short Circuit Video

6 July Welly
7 July Palmerston Nth
8 July Wanganui
12 July Queenstown
13 July Apartment 1
14 July Backstage
15 July Capitol

Romantech Release / Mix: Oceanic Chill
Romantech Track: “Where’s Baby?”
Romantech Remix: Wyvil “Mandroid” \

Artificial Intelligence Tour
Aug 4 @ 4:20, Auckland: Emma G & Jess Hartley,
Aug 5 @ Subculture

Romantech Remix: “Falling” Halluciagea

Sept 21: Base
Sept 22: Bar Xcel

Dunedin fringe
Invercargill

Queenstown
Wanaka

Oct 20/21: Greg Packer Tour
Oct 20 @ 4:20, Auckland: Emma G & Jess Hartley, Romantech, Control, Nato, MC Pakage, Format, Rhyas, Kritical,
Oct 21 @ Capitol

Romantech Release: Special Times
Romantech Track: Everything
Romantech Track: Sure Enough
Romantech Track: Long T’ing

Romantech Remix: “Shell Shock” Perceptual Chaos

Dec 16 Snapshot Christmas @ 4:20

Dec 23 Short Circuit Xmas Great Barrier Island

2007

DJ Asides @ Rising Sun Jan 26
Riddle, B-Line, Emma G, Nato, Romantech, Control

Romantech track: Positive Vibes
Romantech Track: Girlfriends
Romantech Remix: NSU “Neutron Star”

Mar 17: Make or Breaks @ Fu:
Timmy Schumacher, The Retainers, Romantech, Tech, Nabb

Mar 23: Snatch @ Foci
Riddlw, Nato, Pakage, Swindle, Blazem, Grind, Romantech, Control

Jun 16 Niceness @ Club Duo
Jess & Emma, Pakage, Nato, Grind, Kritical

Romantech Release: Such Heavy Wings
Romantech Track: Ill Fish
Romantech Track: They Shine
Romantech Track: Past Lives

Ourrr Show Upfm Compilation
Soul Science track: “Desire”

June 23: Snatch @ Foci
Jess & Emma, Blazem, Mr. Mun, Romantech, Control

DJ Suv Tour
Aug 3: Curve, Wellington w/ Liquid gold
Aug 4: Fu, Auckland w/ Funkshun, Blazem, Nato, Darnell, Upsetta + MC Pakage
Aug 7: Safari, Auckland (Special Appearance)
Aug 10: Subculture, Queenstown w/ D-Jade
Aug 11: Capitol, Christchurch w/ Urban Notion, Deall

Soul Science Release: Suv vs. Soul Science mix

Short Circuit Tour ft. Emu, Cure Motel, DJ Dusk

Sept 28: Snatch championship DJ Competition @ Foci
Darnell, Cluedo, Rafa, Nutron

Romantech Remix: Tom Bosley Experience “Self Examination Circus”

Soul Science Track: Alpha Vidi

Dec 23: Snapshot Xmas at Safari
Emma G, Darnell, Blazem, Upsetta, Nutron, Romantech, Orawen, Cluedo,

2008

Fusion Soul @ Fu Jan 27
Lobo, Solkai, The Others, Makky, Orawen, Kwrk, Cris V, Dan P, Soul Science

Beat Dungeon Sonic Confinement Compilation:
Romantech Track: Gonna Getcha

DJ A-Sides @ Fu Feb 1
Swindle, Future1, Upsetta, Cluedo, Romantech, Control

DJ A-Sides @ Whangaparoa Feb 4
Romantech, Control, Future 1

Fusion Soul @ Fu Mar 23
Future 1, Nato, Makky, Cluedo, Pakage, Upsetta, Romantech, Control

Reality Compound Video: “Scene Fuck Jam” ft. Aidan Sine

Soul Science Track: Dirty

Romantech Remix: “Forever” ft. Zeisha

Snapshot Jun 1 @ Fu
Contraban, Nato, Nutron, Makky, Cluedo, Kwrk, Romantech, Control

Soul Science Track: Conspiracy

Short Circuit 5 ft Romantech, Cure Motel, Stress Cadet, Lobo [Aus],
sept 3: Coherant, Auckland
sept 4: Palmerston Nth
sept 5: Wanganui

sept 10: Christchurch
sept 11:
sept 12: Bank cafe, Timaru

Sept 19: High Society
Nato, Contraban, Mash Up Mafia, Romantech, Control, Zpak, Kwrk, Paul G. MC Joobz

Oct 26: Snapshot Labour Day @ Fu
Funkshun, Mash Up Mafia, Control, Romantech, Zpak, Jacey, Antic, MC Bella Mafia

Dec 18: Futurebound @ Carpark

Dec 31: New Years Eve 2008 @ Fu

2009

January Short Circuit 6
Romantech, Cure Motel, The Neo Kalishnikovs
Jan 14: Wunderbar, Lyttleton
Jan 15: Red Rocks, Wanaka
Jan 16: Revolver, Queenstown
Jan 17: Tillerman’s, Invercargill
Jan 18: Fox glacier

Jan 17:Full Intention @ Fu
Control, Lobo, Nato, Zpak, Paul G, Whitebait

Jan 25: Mixed Company @ Fu
Mashup Mafia, Soul Science, Zpak, Xman

Feb 21: DJ A-Sides Sat @ fu
Control, Romantech, Zpak, Merge, Kwrk, Antic, Whitebait, MC Bella Mafia

March 8: Free A-Sides Gig
Control, Romantech, Zpak, Antic, Epod,

March 11: Downbeat Syndrome @ Lot44
Soul Science, Stray Theories, NSU, Sharkweek

Soul Science Track: Copywrong Remix

Apr 12: Full Intention 2
Control, Romantech, Zpak, Perceptual chaos, Evade, Whitebait, MC Bella Mafia

May 8: Extra Mile @ Zen

May 19: Drop It Down @ Fu
Nato, Bugsy, Control, Romantech, Zpak, Kwrk, Antic

May 31: Low Key @ Fu
Control, Romantech, Zpak, Mike E, Phil O, Jefsta

Soul Science track: Special request

October Short Circuit
Oct 16 The Dux, Christchurch
Oct 17 The Dux, Queenstown
Oct 18 Red Rocks, Wanaka

Soul Science track: Kings

Romantech remix: NSU ft. Lost In Japan “16786”

October 25 – Sunday jam
Bugsy, control, Romantech, Evade, Mike E, Zpak, MC Bella Mafia

Ocrober 31 : Rebound @ Fu
Romantech, Control, Merge, Kwrk, Evade, Surface

Nov 6: Dojo Inspectors pre release
Soul Science, Emma G,

Soul Science Release: Dojo Inspectors – Live 13 track mix

Romantech Remix: Sharkweek “Robospacejesus”

Dec 12 NSU Escape release / Zen 2nd Bday ft. Stray Theories

Romantech Remix / Video: Mister Jack “Dream A Little Dream”

How good am I updating my blog with relevant information about y’know gigs and music and stuff that’s supposed to be important?

Look I know what’s important, okay? Anyway. I’m an artist. Or something.

Basically, I play gigs, I do. I’m active in that way, and songs, music, I make it, but y’know. What is that really relevant to in the history of the universe? Anyway.

I am playing this weekend and both the NSU launch party for the EP Escape.

December 12 at Rising SUn.

I should really have facebook links and all that jazz but this is an UNDERGROUND blog, nu underground, actually, which is super artistically pure, 100% free of posers. Respectable people still might heed the name of Romantech however so I try not to swear.

But the NSU EP features the original version of a song I went on to remix, it’s title is numeric – um, I forget quite what – which is just the kind of  trivia that you’d expect to find on this kind of blog so there’s a bone for all you dogs. And the bassline is out of tune on the remix so I’ll probably spend more years in purgatory redeeming myself for that particular sin, and probably being beaten with bats. And chased.

Sin, sin, my child! And juju. Bad Juju. Both my computers are working again and my hard drive with all my songs from 2006 and 2007 has been recovered, which I guess on this blog where that stuff matters, that is a big deal. It’s relevant to my circumstances. Computers that don’t make music and also actually destroy and lose music are definitely the work of unfavourable entities in any religion I’m likely to be a part of.

So computers that are making and storing music means happy faces and less jujutastic activity where just about everything is all going to hell, basically.

We are also playing as Soul Science at the Zen 2nd Birthday. We’re like at the bottom of the flyer, oh the ignominy! What? Okay, okay alright I’ll settle down.

But both will feature Micah aka Stray Theories on Sax with us and doing his own performances of the rich deep beats he makes at the NSU party. I was totally into this because basically it was my commitment to short circuit lifestyles. And beat dungeon lifestyles. Touring, gigs, jamming, putting down beats – filming it of course – it’s about creative vision and creative freedom, man! like, Dude!

To me, this music stuff has already branched off beyond whether your new tune was better than your last one, that’s what I saying like, I make music, so what? There’s a story, there’s a journey, there’s a message and all the rest. Lifestyle, ya moafz! Creative, artistic, and keeping it fresh with community and activity.

Speaking of messages, girls wont give you their phone number, they want you to message them on facebook. I got booted off Facebook for my marketeering. I want to launch my vibe onto that, y’know – my brand (the cauldron of which is this blog into which you now peer) – but it looks like I need to be expedient for my own personal welfare.

I’ve always known that I should get organised. I’m thinking after all these recent trials, maybe for once in my life I actually will. Except I’m a lunatic, but anyway.

Finally we’ll be playing the Detonate festival in Taranaki for new years, 11-1am the sweet spot basically, but of course this will be a separate dance/dj zone.

I don’t want to be twiddling my thumbs on new years. I played Fu last year, it was awesome. There was purity in it. Definitely, it was one of my best new years ever. Basically I just chilled at home after midnight, then cruised down to fu and rocked the crowd and then cruised home again in the morning light.

But anyway, check out this creepy apartment creeper. Imagine that! I’m sure I could paint up some metaphor for how this has a deep meaning in terms something going on but really it’s just some twisted, distinctly dislocated vibes. wtfoflcopter

Alright it’s now time for the unofficial Dojo Inspectors autopsy, I’m not sure if there’ll be an official, whatever, um, basically, now it’s over, I suppose I better discuss it.

It’s actually only the gig that’s over, and this relentless schedule of like tour and then gigs every weekend after that for 3 weeks, y’know, that’s over, and that’s good.

Dojo Inspectors isn’t over, really it’s only just begun, it’s that the trauma of doing gigs under pressure was a bit much, we had to peel back our commitments and ride it out, and I am satisfied I made the right decision to weather it out and come back.

Sure, we lost the opportunity to promote the gig and the release and make the gig more successful but we held onto the priority of making sure the release was decent and not burning out on desperate measures.

You can tell that I’m upbeat even though the gig didn’t go that great, because we’re still in it, we’ll be back on it and ramping soon as rather than needing a week or two to recover. The Dojo Inspectors full mix should be ready soon and then I can kick into the more solid consistent promotion I’m used to with my business.

So the real focus is the gig. We couldn’t commit the resources and so it didn’t go that great but we were up against it and it still seems like a quiet time of year with exams on and such, which really underlines how circumstance can effect a gig.

I did also play an awful set I stopped the wrong tune twice. Oh well I guess it’s forgotten now, that’s what these gigs are like, all we really have to carry forward is the lessons we learnt, which I guess are some interesting ones, perhaps some stuff I can’t really get in deep with in the blog.

It’s just as I probably mentioned, I am interested in what new possibilities might exist for special parties happening not in a club where the environment is totally predicated on the sale of alcohol.

If the main outcome of the night becomes all about leveraging the music to sell booze, I’m not sure if that’s a successful recipe for a vibe that’s going to go off.

I don’t have anything against young people but I do regard seriously the fact that they are coming from a different angle. I don’t think we need to exclude younger people at all, I just think we need to be aware that they come with a whole bunch of built up ideas that may not match

Kids never knew about raving, they never experienced a time when it was driven purely by music and not with this club vibe, and the drinking industry. I’m not going to go into too much except to tsay I’m being pushed further to the point where doing the private party – “nu underground” concept is becoming more appealing, or at least, I feel the need to attempt to go down this path to see wat lies ahead.

Ok it’s time for the Dojo Inspectors contingency. This Dojo Inspectors business is quickly becoming a farce.

I know thats sounds like I’m overreacting, that’s because I am, I was veering off onto mad full blown panic freak outs last week before the Rebound gig on Saturday was so poorly attended, I was staggered. Fortune, a fickle mistress indeed.

Well whatever, maybe one day I truly won’t care because sometimes gigs go off and sometimes they don’t, rather than being so foolish as to think ALL my gigs must go off because I’m all grown up, even the ones like Rebound we organise in 6 days and barely promote. I know this now, just like in recent years I’ve known that the late night babble of some young dickhead is leading nowhere. But I still partied after the gigs when I should have just gone home and turned in, and I will still worry about the gigs even though there’s no point . . . and besides.

I need to let my promoting be incidental to my artistry here, y’know. A gig doesn’t matter. a gig is over. Art is a step forward in journey into meaning. Dude.

Look, the most important is that the material is good. whether or not every party flies or die it’s well, not essential.

But for the Dojo Inspectors it may be time for operation white flag, for the Thelma and Louise ending.

Well I guess it’s not that bad but needless to say I’m pretty disappointed to find myself in the mire again with everything out of control and my brain peeling back. Last week was out of control, the failed gig was a bad nightmare, probably because I wanted to believe that fu on a saturday night was bulletproof. 6 day lead and no promo or whatever. But this week when Johns computer lappy blew up and my back up box turned out to have no sound capablility well . . . well I’ve been in capitualtion.

Business has been on the backburner for weeks now and is getting decidedly swampy – first it was awash, now it’s more of a bog, but it’s cool, it’s happened enough times. Everything gets out of control, lose a couple of clients while needing to send in a clean up crew on a couple of jobs, not make as generous sums as I expected, land back on earth with a few scrapes and bruises and in a month or two it’ll be forgotten.

However, one good thing – I’m writing this in my new office, which is pretty sweet, I’m situated operating from a different, alternative loci, where I can create a different vibe. Kind of the thing I’d like to be marking with a video but we’re not there yet. I’m not ready for youtube just as I was not ready for Dojo Inspectors and patience and the ability to accept these things as they pass is the best way to maintain positive progress forward on these projects.

I am not ready, and it’s sad because I want to do my drum and bass and my youtube but I will just have to be patient and prepare diligently knowing that there is nothing that can stop me making my music and doing my video stuff if I continue to make progress toward it, and be motivated by it, to want to write and tell deep messages buried in the tracks or create challenges and strange narrative cacophonies on youtube.

The first contingency has already been launched. A 13 track mix of the main songs, which forms the main mid section of the mix.

On Friday I wrote:

“But I have come up with a plan which I’m actually pretty stoked about though you can read about it in teh dojo inspectors post previous to this one. Basically, so we don’t end up looking like dickheads we’re going to release a 13 track mix on the official release date and then release the 30 track mix later, in about a week or so.

That really buys some time, some much needed time. Likely time for me to waste agonizing over some issue but I think really the download, the music is the priority, we’ve got gigs coming out of our ears so . . . “

That’s at the point I convinced myself it was all okay and I guess I didn’t care and so I saved the post and forgot about it.

Then we had a crap nightmare gig, then, we had these computer problems which just withered me.

The 13 track mix was a good idea and in fact so good I do believe it was the right thing to do.

Release 13 tracks exclusively in the short term, just for the gig really, and replace this limited mix with the final and full 30 track mix probably within a week, at which point – I must underline – the real promotion of the mix as opposed to the gig begins.

Serious application of my marketing nous . . . or something. Well y’know, the CD’s – at least a thousand of them, the online ad campaigns and email sign ups, y’know the long game – that all opens up. The idea is to get people to listen to the music, to get it out there.

I talked to john about this – our goal is to give our music away free, with a slim chance that people will actually get in behind it, but with the real hope that we will be signed to a respected liquid funk drum and bass label. When that will be who knows. It might be next year, it might be 10 years. Will I stop writing drum and bass? I tend to doubt it, why give up? I mean, I’ve got to do it, I’ve got to make tunes, whether they’re that good or not. And if people want to hear them, and they like them, then good.

But mean time I just gotta say that putting out the 13 track mix is the best idea, but we got 3 days to make that happen. I didn’t do “tough love” I failed, we didn;t finish the full mix in time either, and we failed.

But who cares? No one even cares, if they want to hear it they can wait. There’s no point in these hype driven release campaigns anyway I should know that. It’s about the relentless build that goes on from here not just in ceaseless, rolling promotion but also a consistent series of releases.

If the gig goes shit becuase it’s the middle of exams, there’s tonnes on that weekend and we only spent $500 on the thing, then whatever. It’s about the damn mixtape being half decent and people hearing it, and we happen to be having a gig.

Who even knows, who cares if it’s ready or it’s not or if it even ever comes out. I mean I’m just saying, I’m not having a tantrum, I just want to remind myself don’t have to concern myself so stoically on this whole deal with the gig and the release of the mix.

I have one concern. That we have something on a CD we can give away to the people who show up and that if 150 actually do come, we can do somethign half decent with our music.

It’s of concern. But already I know that on Saturday it wont matter. Whatever happens wont matter and there’ll be no rest in the weeks to come perfecting this thing until it’s done to a presentable standard. But hey one day I’ll outgrow all this stuff – y’know thinking that these details matter, right?

And then we’ll do another mixtape or whatever next year and hopefully we will have learned. Hopefully if nothing else, then next time, we would have learned.

]]> http://romantech.co.nz/blog/2009/11/if-a-dojo-inspector-executes-a-contingency-plan-and-no-one-cares/feed/ 0 http://romantech.co.nz/blog/2009/10/romantechs-positive-silver-lining-sequence/ http://romantech.co.nz/blog/2009/10/romantechs-positive-silver-lining-sequence/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:29:43 +0000 Matt Romantech http://romantech.co.nz/blog/?p=247

Okay todays post is brought to you by the letter P for Positive because my Publicist’s Perspective is the. . . yeah bored with that joke now.

But no I’m serious. I’m going to at least try and be positive for this post so you don’t get the impression from this blog that I spend all my time in a fatalistic tailspin when the truth is I’m completely manic, neurotic, all of that, and I bounce and swing from one extreme to the othe rbut of course it’s only when I’m feeling defeatist that I try and use this blog to dig my way out.

I’m always committed to digging. One way or the other.

Also I started to think about this blog and what if I actually did have people reading it, would I really want to be whinging and complaining all the time about everything?

I guess that doesn’t matter if I sort it out and I get there but y’know you have to wonder whether being miserable all the time – well at least that people perceive you as miserable because you always whining – is getting me any closer to that, y’know?

Well We do sort it out. We sorted out that talking about things decreases the chance they will actually happen, and hence, I have not yet completed a DJ mix for 09 as yet.

We’re learning all the time, the possibilities and potentials are blooming like a bouquet of uh beautiful uh flowers and stuff. Kind of.

Not a great deal of people turned up for the Sunday Jam but hey, I wasn’t too fussed to be honest because I did a pretty sweet set. Better to do a wicked set to a small crowd than a bad set to a big one, seen?

Now that’s positive activity. Some dudes came up and knew Soul Science and all so that’s always good, the kids know what you’re doing.

So not a bad night. Not that many people turned up but then in was a rope in gig anyway. Not one of our big gigs, just a gig we played because that’s what we do, so in the end I don’t think it is worth getting worked up about these gigs.

I think I was just a bit paranoid about being rusty but I was fine and I dropped a good set full of nice new tunes so I was completely satisfied in that area.

I can’t deny I have been pretty stressed with business, the dojo inspectors mixtape release, I’m just moving to a new office, of course there’s the tour I talked about,  these parties, we are now playing the fu next saturday again aswell.

And my other idea that I’m not talking about because what happens when you talk about stuff.

So lots on, and getting whiney because everythings not right. At least we want to make it right, that’s why I write this blog that I hate. We can at least try and plan to sort it out somehow.

Here’s some links to some of the tunes I was playing that I bought the other night. Some great soulful cuts going out on this tweet.

such soulful drum n bass new stuff in my crate http://trunc.it/2t8hf http://trunc.it/2vetv http://trunc.it/2vf9e http://trunc.it/2ubm6

Call it therapy. I should be in therapy.

Man all my posters for the upcoming gig got taken down off K rd and suddenly I didn’t feel like such a tough guy. I got so much on.

This week has been a hard one. I need an early night. What was I going to say? Don’t jinx it. Have hope.

We have some gigs coming up and I really want to step it up. But I don’t seem to be stepping up jack. It’s somewhat concerning, I just wonder if I’m ready for the big bow out. Maybe I am.

Lord knows I’ve failed in many ways in many areas, but none so great as Drum’n Bass. And that’s what makes me grow weary. I’m sick of failing in music just when I’ve got to the point where my business is starting to dominate. I hate the anxious feelings music gets me when in business I go from strength to strength.

The prize in music, the fleeting respect of a bunch of guys for the brief time in which we face each other. Money’s not all that great either with it’s own little issues but hey, y’can’t really complain you’ve got too much money.

I dunno, I feel at times that business is pointless, it’s lead down the wrong path to a place where I have money and not much else and I’m losing touch with what it means to have creativity and artistry as a central force in my life, but now I think again, business has never left me disappointed, downcast and wracked with nerves like my music has, and I’ve only been in business half as long as music.

Business comes naturally, music doesn’t. That’s the challenge.

Sometimes with music I can’t help but wonder if I just do it because it’s something I’ve always done or wether I still truly care. I know I care about the value of artistry and the importance of creativity in providing some kind of feedback loop that bring meaning to your existance, but is that drum and bass?

Is drum and bass just a scarecrow, a spectre, a demon of my past failures I long to stare down?

I feel like I want to be free of the whole damn thing. The first proper come back gig is tomorrow and I’m still thoroughly rusty, I just can’t bring myself to care right now. I’ve got other shit going on, it seem so pointless to be worried about a gig, when the benefits of these other endeavours succeeding are significant whereas what does it matter how the gig goes tomorrow?

Whether a lot of people turn up or I play a fucking miserable set what does it matter? Y’knowm the out comes a re really inconsequential, but I guess it does come abck to that thing that y’know, if you’re going to do something half arsed then whydo it at all?

It doesn’t mean I’ll stop being creative, it just means I’ll have to find something more natural to channel it into. The club isn’t my natural environment anyway, I’ve considered that enough times, it’s not that I don’t enjoy it, it’s just not a place that favours the conditions that allow me to thrive, and of course y’know I’m getting all on this . . . what am I getting on again?

I dunno, I want to do my youtube stuff. I don;t want to stop DJing, but if the only reason I’m still pursuing all this nonsense is just because of some perceived failure from my past . . . I dunno the drum and bass scene seems like fighting over so many crumbs. I see the faces of all the young pricks involved, and how they’re just stupid think young dickjeads.

Yeah I’m getting on the nu underground vibe. That’s where I’m at. If it’s not too late I’d rather do somerthing worthwhile.

There’s this party going on called “Shift” which apparently has an “illegal underground rave” room. How ridiculous. That was kind of a sign to me that this needs to be sorted. There’s an issue to be addressed. When kids who don’t even understand the concept of an illegal underground rave are celebrating it, I kind of figure this needs to be dug up again.

Any way. I am almost rebelliously stating I am not going to do jack about this gig tomorrow, I’ve got other things to worry about. My business which is making sweet money

Y’know, life should be natural. It’s natural to lay about and be

But I cast my mind back to all the nervous times I prepared for so many gigs and where are those gigs now? Who talks about the fact I used to be such a bad DJ? Who talks about the passion that drove me to continue to do these drum and bass gigs, who even recognises that the kids at these gigs have changed, that it used to be about something, now it’s . . . I don;t know, I’m not picking on drum and bass,m I was at the mall today, and I just wonder what the hell is going on.

The mianstream has devoured the counterculture whole, kids used to turn to the counter culture to give them inspiration

I just wanna do my youtube, I wanna do my youtube about my business, and the fact that sometimes I’ve made music and sometimes I’ve put on parties and it hasn;t always gone that great but hey, here I am, and I am talking about the legend of the powdered tiger penis and about the thing I won’t mention yet on this blog because I don;t want to jinx it.

Thos are places, those are things I mean, that create meaning for me, Drum and Bass is like looking onto a pit of disappointment, with dead guys I used to know down in there, dead, drowned and decayed.

I don’t want to be dragged along with this nonsense any longer if that’s the way it has to be, god damn young kids with their arrogant ideas and pose-ocracy, it’s got nothing for me but a taunting challenge, the offer of a prize I never had . . . I never knew

So anyway, music.

That thing that this blog is supposed to be about. Well probably actually not. I just happen to make music and I just happen to blog and if the more I do it, the better it gets and the closer it gets to somewhere where it all just forges together, the all the better.

I sound pretty self assured for a guy actually started this post a week ago but didn’t get round to finishing it because y’know, I guess blogging about the music you’re making really pushes toward the edge of creative redundancy because why would you over analyze the process without just y’know getting on with making some beats?

So yes working on finishing about 8 or 9 tunes off there’s a couple that are basically finished and then blah blah blah. And doing this to that and that to this and yeah.

No but seriously I’m really applying myself right now to “Wine Cooler” and “Low Key” and well yeah, basically getting on with it!

Getting geared up for the Dojo Inspectors release, yo!

Um yeah, like actually doing it!

I guess I could write some stuff about something that’s making me terribly upset and all angsty but no, it’s just music full steam ahead.

Boring huh?

There’ll be lots of free CD’s, a free download, be doing some other stuff to promote it, but mainly giving away HEAPS of CD’s, and whatever creative stuff I can think of around that that will get the mix out there.

Also on tour in the South Island october . . .

Just about to upload these place holder pages for the new romantech archive – good gloss over exactly 27 different chapters of the musical projects I’ve been involved in.

PROJECT ARCHIVES:

Dojo Inspectors – Soul Science
Album Project 2009

Soul
Science – Music Project 2007

Beat
Dungeon Radio – Radio / Podcast 2007 -

Such
Heavy Wings – Sampler Project 2007

Special
Times – Sampler Project 2007

Reality
Compound – Mixtape series 2006-2007

Soul
Science – Club Night 2006-2007

Result!
- Sampler Project 2006

Oceanic
Chill – Album Project 2006

Get
Real – Reality Compound CD-Rom 2006

Catguts
Collaborations – Music Project 2005-2006

Reality Compound – Music Project 2005-2008

Viper
Club / Liquid Underground / DBA – Club Nights 2005

Decks
and the City – Mixtape 2005

Short
Circuit – Tour Project

Lickwicked
- Album project 2005

Who
Loves Ya? – Mixtape 2004

Distance
- Further Album 2004

Further
- Music Project 2004

Style
Over Substance – Music Project 2003-2005

Paradise
Bar Etc – Data:Bass Nights 2003-2005

Mental
Illness – Music Project 2003-2004

Data:
Bass Network – Music Project 2002-2005

Data:bass
- Club Night 2002 – 2003

Pre-August
2002

Evil
Robot – Manuscript 2000-2002

Furver
- Music Project 1995-1997