Dear Ophelia Remix

Dear Ophelia Remix that I'm currently working on for a certain couple of bellydancers that apparently are Abney Park fans..... This is my first run through and I decided that I should put it up and let it sink in before I make any more changes.

A New Adventure....

Some people would consider me to be many things in my life and there is some truth to that statement. I’ve been around and experienced quite a bit in life already. But when it comes down to it, I’ve always felt strongly about only a very few different “hats” that I’ve worn or “labels” that have been applied to me. Since I was about 12, the tag of “soundman” has been one that I’ve taken seriously and been extremely proud to carry. For almost as long I have also thought of myself as a musician and more specifically a drummer. Though I do play several instruments, when it’s time to get serious about music, drums/percussion are where I’m really comfortable and where my talents truly shine.

Music has been such a big part of my life for so long, it’s really one of the major ways I define myself. Music allowed me to express my feelings and provided a strong sense of identity for me. I've played in several bands over the years and with that came playing a lot of gigs, making friends and working with other musicians. I truly felt that if I wasn’t able to be playing drums in a band, that I would be miserable and creatively frustrated. So about 5 years ago when my band at the time broke up, I figured at least a couple of the guys and myself would just start a new band. But this time there was a lot more going on in my life. My wife was pregnant and we were looking at buying a house which was putting a lot of financial pressure on us. On top of that, the guys who I figured I could keep playing music with seemed to all disappear on me. So that summer I did something I thought I’d never do; I sold my drums. I had wanted a set like that since I was a kid and it had only been a couple years previous that I had finally been able to afford such a nice set. It truly broke my heart to let them go; I even cried a bit the night I sold them. But it was the right thing to do and at the time I figured I’d pick up a new set once we got things under control financially and the time was right for me to start playing again.

Well 5 years has come & gone and due to money, an ever changing schedule and new priorities, I still haven’t replaced those drums. As was the case shortly after I sold them, I’m still not really in a position where I could commit to playing in a band due to my schedule. I certainly couldn’t keep a set at home since I have no room and the volume would be a problem. Besides, just sitting down and playing drums by myself really doesn’t interest me at all. I picked up a new hobby in paintball for awhile which gave me an outlet to replace the physicality of the drums. But after awhile it lost its appeal and I sold my gear to try something new. I tried putting together an electronic drum set, but once again a lack of people to jam with and a lack of space made that impractical.

Not playing has been softened a bit by my work, which allows me the chance to still be part of some great music on a fairly regular basis. In the last few years especially, I’ve started working with a few acts whose music I really enjoy and it brings me a lot of joy mixing their shows. There’s a band called “Hello Beautiful” that I’m currently working quite closely with on a regular basis that has been a lot of fun for me and almost makes me not miss playing at all. I would highly recommend checking them out and especially so if they’re playing a show anywhere near you. Just look for me behind the console and come say hi.

So a few weeks ago, I decided it was time to look for a new hobby that would allow me to exercise my musical creativity without the need for other musicians. So I picked up some turntables online and started putting together a DJ rig. Although it seems to have become the cliché hobby of the last few years, I’m really excited to see what I can do with it. Years ago I used to DJ corporate parties and weddings and such for a few extra bucks on the side before I had really built my audio career up. Sometimes it sucked and sometimes I had a blast, but at least I was playing music and usually having a good time doing so. But this time I’m doing something completely different than that type of DJing. This time it’s not just playing back some music, but instead I’m fusing different music together to create something new. I saw a lot of untapped potential in the area of goth/industrial/metal music that seems to be right up my alley from a rhythmic point of view. I’m working in the digital realm with really cool software that allows me a lot of possibilities while still making it possible to use good old vinyl records for control. I see a lot of opportunity for innovation and a unique take on this genre by combining loops, samples and scratch DJ techniques. So far I’m only a few weeks into this project and a lot of it has been setting things up and learning the software, but I’m very excited about what I’ve been able to put together already and I can’t wait to see where this new venture leads.

Song Of The Day

Well since I mentioned Hello Beautiful today, I think I'll make it a song of theirs. The song is called "Toxic In The City" and is off their first CD titled "Soundtrack For Scenario". A great song with a catchy melody and some very insightful lyrics about how life can sometimes veer a bit off track, especially when living in a big city.