So yeah my blog has gone all meaningfulcore now since the other night I managed to blog myself into a state where I actually believed a whole bunch of nonsense about inner growth being more important than cash.

Didn’t last long, the next day I was a mess again, but the point is, only being a little short of cash is stopping me moving on with my art, which is just an excuse really.

3 months ago I thought I was doing fine, but I was still sitting around not pushing it. Where was the urgency, the vitality, the fundamentalism?

Why the hell even do art if it’s not important? Well exactly. Part of art is life, and my life is my business and sometimes business doesn’t go well and life is hard, and that’s what art is all about, right?

I am excited about all the sketches I’ve put down for the new project “Microscope”. And it’s time to begin incubating, but at the same time, Dojo inspectors is finally readying to hatch.

Another part of the microscope concept is that it obscures the bigger picture and really both these projects are designed to occupy people while we continue to develop.

The idea is that Dojo Inspectors will be a distraction that will be carried on in a refined way by Microscope, but the point is to feed the dogs while perfecting our skills.

It says we can release music. We do release music. We are about actually having music we have done to share. We don’t think we’ve reached our full potential but people can still hear 2 projects that we have developed to showcase our music.

So where the work on microscope is in composition and engineering, I have to get my promo on for Dojo Inspectors after not even wanting to think about it for 3 months, and lets not forget, I’m not exactly flush right now.

Same trip through, the promotion that has to be done for dojo inspectors is about working through, here’s my old list I had:

So that leaves the following list:

- write up for landing pages

- performance pages

- buttons and design for downloadable content

- integration with facebook, twitter etc.

- archives set up with relative galleries and content

• set up of primary music content for presentation and distribution
• final redesign for presentation

writing jobs = landing page / bio / performance / archive stuff

yeah that sounds like a plan for developing a website – doesn’t really say much about how we’re going to reach out to people who need the dojo inspectors.

Okay so the mix will be finished, it’ll go up, and it’ll go out on CD to the local massive, then our job is to target certain audiences more precisely using direct content, and online marketing stuff.

Most importantly we will have the content, the full mix to create leverage, all roads leading toward the download of the mix and maybe individual singles as an extra carrot.

So month after month we can continue pushing dojo inspectors until we’re sure that Microscope is ready to be deployed, in the same fashion, pushing both mixes – the rough gem debut and the refined more experimental follow up – to be concdluded by a blockbusting powershot come november with a new chapter that sets a new standard in what we’re doing.

For now, make sure the Dojo Inspectors mix is tight, make the CD’s, get rid of them, make more, and start thinking harder aboutwho is going to use that mix or songs off it to push it out to more fans, pick up emails, connections, push out, ready to drop something real at the end of this year.

]]> http://romantech.co.nz/blog/2010/04/dojo-inspectors-and-microscope-deep-drum-and-bass-carrots/feed/ 0 http://romantech.co.nz/blog/2010/01/romantech-back-on-track-with-2010-goals/ http://romantech.co.nz/blog/2010/01/romantech-back-on-track-with-2010-goals/#comments Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:50:47 +0000 Matt Romantech http://romantech.co.nz/blog/?p=351

Okay I’ve my little episode, I’m returning to normality. Let’s get out there and kick some butt futuristically and funkily!

What do we want to do in 2010?

Finish Dojo Inspectors

Must do, top priority, gotta push through and deliver something that will hold up. Alreaady started on the final push today polsihing up those minimal tunes.

Promote Dojo Inspectors + Email List

Can’t just move on, put it out and forget about it. Dojo Inspectors is the leverage to start promoting more actively

Release New tunes

There’s really nothing more to it. Dojo becoms the standard release, high standard new singles will build on our reputation. really think we need to get some vocalists in.

Release an experimental/deep/minimal project

This is a concept which is a space to fully embrace the corners of our sound without letting it invade our dancefloor mainstay especiallly the concept of hibernating for the winter and producing a twisted weird and beautiful thing for listening pleasure seems to suit.

I think the idea is an EP with a mix of everything with what didn’t make the EP, plus suitable stuff from Dojo Inspectors to pad it out.

Bass

Taking up bass in 2010 will be a challenge. Get the bass, then look at where it can be applied but why? So on tour I can take my sets wildly off on this electronic alt country trip hop dubstep vibe and in 10 years I can still be doing it and surprising people when a dj set goes live or a live set turns into a rave out.

Tour

I need to bring the team together for touring maybe mid year and tie it with a beat dungeon comp I’m thinking but it’s all about convergent goals.

Flow

Need to creative flow happening in the space by feeding individuals with talent from the network into the creative grid.

Podcasts

Already dropped one mix with the new tough love, the idea is to have a podcast or a free tune variegating alternate months

2^nd full length mix OR continued singles?

Whatever happens, must keep releasing hot new singles for free online pushing toward a point at some stage where one will get picked but until then, the tunes are likely to keep building up until next october when there’ll likely be enough to push us to want to do a dojo inspectors style release again.

]]> http://romantech.co.nz/blog/2010/01/romantech-back-on-track-with-2010-goals/feed/ 0 http://romantech.co.nz/blog/2010/01/official-romantech-and-soul-science-at-detonat-festival-post/ http://romantech.co.nz/blog/2010/01/official-romantech-and-soul-science-at-detonat-festival-post/#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 13:57:28 +0000 Matt Romantech http://romantech.co.nz/blog/?p=349

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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”

I’m going to get to work on my archives. I’m kind of sitting round, I can’t really focus on new tunes and I’m still a bit unsettled but so I need something to get on with.

Archives is something I can work on without too much effort.

I guess the idea of the archives is to be able to keep adding new material until it’s complete but what’s the organising principal?

I think it will be multi reference, like you can get an entry on 2004 or you could get an entry on data:bass or Further, so I might start of with a chronology, and note down seperate references from there.

There is lots of archiving to be done, both for romantech and for soul science.

And I also have to join the dreaded facebook.

Soul Science I’m going to go with a more audio/visual feel, it’s either audio, or images, or regular videos.

You’re basically, see stuff whether it’s old pictures or new videos, plus there’s lots of content to download

I guess that’s what it comes back to, a platform on which to build regular content. Whether it’s on soul science and it’s driven by new downloads and video content, or it’s the stuff on here which is more leaning toward the narrative, so there’s much more writing explanation etc. and tying in the significance of themes and messages.

The soul science brand will be very anti-brand I guess because I’m going to focus on quietening the message, so it’s really just visuals, music and our videos. There’s not supposed to be anything there, except what is. It’s non conceptual, there are no layers of meaning.

It’s a hard, analytical, it is what it is type situation.

I guess in a way it’s just a matter of using the tools and understanding what’s available, and how the tools will allow your audience to interact with the content in their own way.

We got visual content we want to upload and present, so I’ll be checking out flickr.

I’ll be looking into bandcamp and soundcloud as well as possibly reverbnation, ilike, imeem, last.fm maybe one or two others to provide the music content for the sites.

And of course youtube provides the video content that can be embedded into

Aweber is the paid email management solution I use, to take addresses for regular email sign ups.

While a wordpress blog can deliver the all purpose platform for publishing non primary content.

It’s easy to see it all comes about spec’ing your site out with the right aps and widgets to help your fans get what they need.

haha look at that I suddenly thought I was writing my music marketing blog.  sheesh.

I think it’s time to put in the structure of how these archives are going to appear, and what we can do with the soul science site to preserve functionality while enhancing the design appeal.

But first I need emails for soul science and dig up my old email account for romantech. That’s going to be ugly,

Then Flickr, Soundcloud and Youtube. No more posting until it’s set up! Now crack to it!

DOJO INSPECTORS – THE OFFICIAL FULL LENGTH 30 TRACK MIXTAPE SAMPLER FROM SOUL SCIENCE AVAILABLE . . . AT SOME STAGE . . . SOON . . . I PROMISE

See that’s the kind of guy I am, I whinge about the spirits of dead dojo inspectors calling my name from the grave, when really I should be blogging about how ye blessed gods bestowed upon me the gift of treasures beyond value, my history, my past, my experience, my reality . . . but not my ability to pad things out dramatically, they couldn’t take that away in the first place!

Anyway, i got my hard drive back and I’ve pretty much got all my old songs back, 06 to early 08,  Which is really great news there were 3 songs on there I really wanted to include on the Dojo Inspectors mix to provide teh comprehensive Soul Science experience, but yeah not to mention like maybe 100 other decent songs and all sorts of ancient goodies.

But that kind of brings me round to another related subject, that since I’m going mad haunted by dojo demons, and John is procrastinating over engineering 30 songs which I won’t quit worrying about and fussing coming to bare on due to my general anxious doubting nature.

That subject being the archiving process, which I was very committed to, establishing some basic accounts of what I was doing and the music I made when and why just because I guess . . . well at first it was the same as this dojo inspectors I could barely make sense of what I’ve already done which doesn’t help in trying to perceive what I’m getting at.

Sorting it out would be good, but also I feel for posterity, because when I’m dead, and even when I’m old, I want random characters to be able to come to my site and see that in 2003 I was doing this and that with these dudes and this was the music I made that you can download and these were the events and stuff that effected my work and what I ended up doing.

So yeah, archiving I’d like to do some because it does get harder as you get older, you turn around and 5 years has gone by and you forgot about that thing, and you can no longer get a copy of this thing, and . . . but  . . . gosh if only you had known in advance it would be real sweet for my archive when I’m 60 and talking to people about my life.

That was my life. I didn’t want to go crazy, I wanted to express my thoughts and idas and memories in creative ways and then well I discovered deep down that being poor was not really right for me either so there was art and business and that’s what my archive is all about, looking back with resolve, and turning to the future.

Vut I also feel strongly that in teh words of Kenny Rogers “There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’ is done”

Listen to me going all out on the archiving when I haven’t even produced a significant work which of course was the intention of dojo inspectors, to simply be a significant work in my catalogue. 30 tune mix.

THIRTY TUNES.

Now where the hell are they?

Well it’s like this.

Singles come out first.  Or maybe no because that might be too humiliating, maybe just go head on into promoting the mix, but I guess one way or the other we need to make singles available.

Maybe not the 4 track disc we originally planned but just a disc with as many of the different singles on it we want to make available for DJ use.

Website needs to be brought up to some kind of standard for real. It needs to come up to the standard where I can promote through my wonderful marketingz, but also it’s got to be a good site to want to check out.

I suppose a small media push would be worthwhile, just to see how it goes.

The final step is the production of 1000 CD’s for distribution, that’s where trademe or any other gimmicky stuff we’d want to do would come in.

What else is there? Nothing else really. I just keep doing my little online marketings, everyone who can and should will have a cd and you never know we might have a tiny little bit more recognition and a tiny little bit more respect for actually getting it done and having people here the damn thing.

DOJO INSPECTORS – THE OFFICIAL FULL LENGTH 30 TRACK MIXTAPE SAMPLER FROM SOUL SCIENCE AVAILABLE . . . AT SOME STAGE . . . SOON . . . I PROMISE

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

end!

No wait still a few more DB’s to upload.

So.

I don’t need time and motivation, resources, pffft. I am that character. Full stop. Forget it. Either I’m the character or I’m not real. And I don’t wanna be not real, I want to be the character in the story.

In the story, it doesn’t matter if I freak out I’m getting old, but people still treat me like I’m young. That I tear into narcissistic rage, or whatever, that my tunes are maybe good but maybe not, that sometimes I write drum and bass, sometimes I don’t.

What’s with that? I dunno watch the show, we try to be creative. I should be creative.

I hope that when I have a new pad, and get through this tricky sort of reanimation of my youtube ways, or more y’know, a result beyond this stalling I’ve experienced

I want to go deep on a trip into the music. What I mean is going deep inside on a journey into it, like a trip on music. Deep into the core, deep journeys lasting hours into sound, away from the energy and vibes of routines, thats what bums the trip, some kind of routine outside the space you’ve created for this music to come forward in.

I need to find space to do that, but also realise this narrative ofa world where you’re creative and that’s not rock’n roll porn star. That’s by yourself in a room with a comp vhurning this stuff out, it’s not really glamourous but it is spiritual and monk like.

Seriously!

And I’m all like . . . well I’m old I don’t have too many chances left to chase the girls in my beamer. I don’t wanna be stuck on a 6 hour music trip. I wanna be off on an adventure that is inspiring and magical. Can’t have it all.

But I like the weird hours. All the adventures and the girls can reclaim their time, the fridays and saturdays and the date nights but my business will relinquish business hours so that I might leisurely tune in to mad creative vibes on mondays and tuesdays.

And then one day they’ll be interwoven. Creative fridays and saturdays with vibes leaping up out of laptops anywhere and magic adventure crazy and in love on a monday night.

I dunno.

Balance appears to be the answer. So hard.

I guess it’s not just going to drop outta of the sky. Experience isn’t, not acquisition but actual knowledge and intuition of such things. Hard.

Will get there, will look old, will feel like crap but, hey, will get there, and then probably fall over dead eventually.

http://soundcloud.com/kurbpromo/dojo-inspectors-raw-teaser-live-mix-nov-5

Release date: Nov 6, 2009

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.

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