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What Am I Doing Now? (June 2020)

June 23, 2020 · Leave a Comment

I kept the /now page stuck in January 2020 for months. I was reluctant to update things as that January time capsule quickly transformed into novelty. Have you seen those videos where the woman talks to her future self, visiting the past from only two months ahead? It feels like that when I look at the plans I laid out last January. If my past self only knew what was in store and how those bold plans went right in the bin.

Rather than give an overview of the past six months (which would be daunting), I’ll keep this in the present. I believe that’s what /now is about, anyway. So here’s what is happening now:

Work:
• I was hired by a pair of businesses to create original theme music and audio logos for their content marketing. That’s what we call a ‘side gig,’ and I happily accept those in this time of professional challenges. It would be cool to do more of this, and I created a simple landing page explaining what I offer.
• I was a featured speaker for the Giants of Video online summit. I gave an hour-long presentation on sourcing music for video and the various legal considerations that appear when syncing music with visual content.
• I also guested on the Spot Lyte On… podcast. Host Lawrence Peryer and I intended to talk about music business matters but instead quickly veered into a fun and casual conversation about fandom and loving music. I got somewhat nostalgic, which is rare for me.
• There were two new 8D Industries releases over the past couple of months: San Mateo’s Deepstaria and Monta At Odds’ Zen Diagram. Both are excellent (OK, I’m biased, but I wouldn’t put them out if I didn’t believe they were) and available as ‘name your price’ on Bandcamp.
• Newsletters are tough. I’ve shipped 17 ‘episodes’ of Ringo Dreams of Lawn Care and took my first break this past weekend. I wasn’t happy about skipping the weekend, but now I’m glad I did it. It’s a reset — what do I want this newsletter to be, and where do I want it to go? I have ideas. Subscribe here if you’re curious. 
• The licensing and sync industry joined the rest of the music world in slowing down for COVID-time. Things are revving back up as we all get (kinda) used to how things will be functioning for at least the rest of the year. I’m focusing on 8DSync through the summer, making up for lost time and aggressively pushing our current roster. I look forward to immersing myself in music publishing once again.

Personal:
• I spent the last month helping my mom buy a house. She closed yesterday. It’s next door. That’s a good thing — quite wonderful, really. She’s going to love lake life, especially if we keep having sunrises like this one.
• Caroline got another memoir offer and hasn’t even finished the one she’s presently co-writing. That’s amazing — she’s well on her way to a career as a professional memoir co-writer (if she’s not there already). I’m super-proud of her.
• I saw a tornado. And we were visited by coyotes.
• I’m experimenting with increasing my effectiveness (not productivity, thanks). Following Twitter advice from Craig Mod (now deleted, as I guess he deletes tweets after a couple of weeks), I’m no longer checking email or looking at any websites until the morning passes. That includes any news. For the most part, I don’t look at any news sites throughout the day. It’s interesting how the most essential and meaningful news stories still find their way to me while the outrage-of-the-day stories are invisible. And I’m removing myself from Facebook sometime soon — I can’t take that company anymore, and I’m embarrassed I didn’t make this move before. I’m currently figuring out how to go about it — instant cold turkey or gradual retreat. I’m open to any advice.
• I’m all in on Roam Research. Finding a way to digitally replicate Ryan Holiday’s index card system was my ‘white whale’ for the past two years. After trying many different apps and techniques — Notion, DevonThink, Ulysses, many others — and getting almost there but not entirely, I stumbled upon Roam. Immediately I realized Roam is the perfect tool for this digital commonplace book/index card system. Huzzah! Bonus: I’m also using Roam as my task manager and daily journal and starting to implement it as a CRM tool. I will soon be able to eliminate 3 or 4 other apps (including a couple that have subscription plans) and get the same functionality in a single app. (This seems like it should go under ‘Work,’ but this change has more dramatically improved my personal life.)

Consumption:
• As a form of de-stress, before bed, I’m catching up on the fiction — mostly science fiction — that I probably should have read when I was younger. I read the Foundation trilogy (just in time for this, I guess), which I enjoyed, but not blown away like some famous people were. I’m checking out Philip K. Dick — reading Time Out of Joint right now, which is amusing and good. I finished Consider Phlebus and had a lot of fun with it. I’ll continue that series. I also read some non-science fiction from a sci-fi author: Ray Bradbury’s Green Shadows, White Whale. It’s excellent and hilarious. 
• In the mornings, I am concurrently reading non-fiction: Tiny Habits, The Longing For Less, and Stillness Is The Key are recent ones. Right now, I’m into So You Want To Talk About Race and plan to follow that with other recommended books about this mess we’re in (and that we’ve been in since the country’s founding).
• I can’t believe I didn’t see Wild Strawberries until last week. Fantastic — I can’t stop thinking about it. I recently rewatched Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and it’s still my favorite film of the last couple of years. And we started The Bureau and just finished the second season. The series has us completely hooked. Other than those, there’s not a whole lot on the TV and film list. I’m reading a lot more these days, and the 8:30 PM sunsets have us enjoying lake life rather than watching TV in the evenings.

Connect:
• Right now, you can follow and message me on Twitter, LinkedIn, or micro.blog. Or you can reach out through this page. I’m always happy to hear from others floating around in this convoluted world. 

Filed Under: From The Notebook Tagged With: 8DSync, Craig Mod, Email Newsletters, Giants of Video, Lyte, Monta At Odds, now, Podcast, Reading, Roam Research, Ryan Holiday, San Mateo

What Am I Doing Now? (New Year Edition)

January 14, 2020 · 1 Comment

This month seems like the beginning of a year of transition but, when you think about it, every new year is a year of transition. The flick-of-a-switch from one numbered timeline to the next is arbitrary, but the anticipation of flicking does inspire reflection and taking of stock. This one’s more potent as it’s the start of a new decade. The self-examination was particularly intense this time.

2019 felt like an ‘in-between’ year — like I spent it preparing for something. There were accomplishments and significant moments (like marriage!), but looking back, I see a lot of things getting set up for the future.

What am I setting up? Well, this is the year of 8DSync and going all-in on music publishing and licensing. It’s an area I’ve worked in for two decades but as a side-gig to other endeavors. Now with the help of my colleagues Miguel Bustamante and Craig Snyder, I have brought 8DSync to the forefront. The move makes sense — I am more knowledgable in music publishing than any other music business field, and it’s what I do best. Time to lean in.

Beginning the year, I’m in the process of redesigning the 8DSync website from scratch. Not understanding what I was getting into, I decided to do this redesign myself. The site is looking great, but it’s a work in progress as well as a time-consuming one. I’m adding many artist and release pages over the next few months.

Some of those artists represent new signings to the 8DSync roster. We start the year with these exciting additions: Kingston, New York’s psychedelic Shana Falana, the UK roots-rock act Swampmeat Family Band, Jonathan Brodeur and his power-poptastic Bird Streets project, and a lovely downtempo label out of Ireland called WeGrowWax. There’s also a new album from Scotland’s The Little Kicks on the horizon. That’s a lot of fantastic music to look forward to straight away.

Another of my projects due for a refresh is the 8D Industries label. We took a hiatus as the artists concocted releases, but now it seems likely we’ll have new music from Monta At Odds, San Mateo, and More Ghost Than Man before next summer.

But what about Q-Burns Abstract Message, you ask? I’m working on a new batch of songs, too. It’s all quite different, and I debate even using the Q-BAM moniker, though I probably will. I’d like to have a consistent slate of releases this year — perhaps a series or 3 or 4 song EPs — which will be a challenge. I must remind myself that we make the time, we don’t find the time.

And there’s a ton of writing in my future. The 8sided blog is an integral part of my life, and I enjoy working on it. I’m meeting cool new people through it, too (drop me a line anytime). I have internal debates over what this blog is exactly — is it a place for music industry commentary, or reviews and notes on the culture, or can I get personal, or can I get silly? I’m leaning towards it being all these things. But one thing I plan to examine repeatedly is how we’ve grown to rely on the biggest corporations in history for the dissemination of our art. How do we maintain our independence as the tech-giants chip it away? That’s the theme of the blog if there is one.

For over a year, I’ve been threatening to start a newsletter. All the cool kids are doing it, and I want to hang with the cool kids. Well, it’s ready to launch, and it has a name: Ringo Dreams of Lawn Care. What’s that about, right? Just bear with me. The newsletter will be different than the blog though I’m not sure how yet. The first few ideas for issues are more personal, more story-oriented. I’ll base it on my experiences juggling all these things — the publishing company, the label, Q-BAM — and the trials of working in the music industry from outside of the music industry. I’m sure I’ll also write about interesting things I’m reading and watching and hearing, too. It will be good, and I’m setting the first issue free in a few weeks. Please sign up here.

What am I looking for in 2020? Well, besides the replacement of some of our world leaders (omg plz), I’d like more excuses to travel. I already have flights booked for returns to SXSW and MusicBiz, but would enjoy several more chances to ride on airplanes. I’d also like to pick up a couple more consultancy clients this year, whether artists or labels needing help with branding, positioning, and release strategies or companies looking for assistance with music publishing and rights management. And I’d love to advise and collaborate with a cool outsider artist, band, or label — one dedicated to a musical niche with no mainstream aspiration and struggling with being seen in 2020’s ephemeral information whirlpool. If that’s you and you’re willing to do the work, then feel free to get in touch.

One last tidbit: I mentioned SXSW above. I’m thrilled to announce that there will be an 8DSync showcase at the festival this March, featuring many of the artists mentioned above. I’ll have the details soon. I played SXSW a few times as Q-BAM in the past, but I’ve never been on the organizing side of a showcase. So that’s exciting.

OK, you didn’t ask for it, but now you’re up to date on my activities. And, as a byproduct of this ramble, I have a clearer idea of what I’d like to do over the next few months. 2020 is the year when all that table-setting in 2019 pays off. Now I’d like to hear from you. What are your big plans? Is there an opportunity for us to work together, or bounce around some ideas? I’m game. I have the feeling this could be our year.

Filed Under: From The Notebook Tagged With: 8D Industries, 8DSync, Bird Streets, Consultancy, Craig Snyder, Email Newsletters, Miguel Bustamante, Monta At Odds, More Ghost Than Man, MusicBiz, now, Q-Burns Abstract Message, Ringo Dreams of Lawn Care, San Mateo, Shana Falana, Swampmeat Family Band, SXSW, The Little Kicks, WeGrowWax

What Am I Doing Now? (September 2019 Recap)

September 18, 2019 · 1 Comment

Sunrise on Lake Holden

It’s been an eventful summer. First of all, I got married. I’ve been with Caroline for 15 years, so it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal but, okay, it’s a big deal. But we did the courthouse rather than any sort of ceremony. And then we threw a party for 20 of our closest friends and family and surprised them with the news. That was fun.

I’m asked, “does it feel different now that you’re married?” and I say, “yes, it does.”

“Really? What’s changed?”

“Now, everyone asks if things feel different.”

I’ve also moved away from consulting though I’m still open to help out artists and projects that inspire me. I’m updating my ‘About Me’ page to help explain this. I’ve decided that I can be more helpful through this blog, so I’m redirecting my focus here. The goal will be 3-5 pieces posted a week, eventually increasing the frequency to daily. I’m also plotting the long-promised newsletter. Cool things are afoot.

My friend Craig Snyder has come on board with 8DSync to help expand the roster. Craig’s knowledge of the industry is vast, and he’s already helped us make huge gains. Through Craig, we’ve added John Brodeur (check out Bird Streets, his latest project) and Swampmeat Family Band to our publishing posse. And I also brought on the full catalog of Scotland’s The Little Kicks, a terrific band I’ve known for a while. All three of these acts will have new albums at the beginning of 2020, and I’ll drop an exciting announcement related to all of this soon.

The 8D Industries label took the summer off but is revving up for the end of the year. More Ghost Than Man follows up last year’s release with So Soon The Dark. This mini-album is a soundtrack to a wild sci-fi short film which MGTM’s Terry Grant wrote, directed, starred in, did set design, voice-overs … okay, he did everything. It’s ambitious, and the film is crazy. And crazy good. Expect all of that to appear right before Halloween. And in early 2020 we’re expecting new music from Monta At Odds, San Mateo, and (hopefully) Q-Burns Abstract Message.

Last week I returned from Americanafest in Nashville. Technically, I didn’t go to the conference, but that didn’t stop me from meeting some wonderful people who were also in town. And it’s always a joy to spend some time in Nashville. In October, I’ll be in New York City for a couple of days of MondoNYC. Reach out if you’ll be there.

Daniel Johnston died. I love to root for underdogs, and he was a champion underdog. I briefly wrote about him last January. Please read some more articles about him here.

I forgot something, I know it. But I plan to shorten the time between these /now updates, so I’ll get to it next time. Surely.

Quick recommendations:

  • Long Day’s Journey Into Night
  • Tade Thompson’s Rosewater
  • Jenny Odell’s How To Do Nothing
  • Tim Maughan’s Infinite Detail
  • Seth Godin and Brian Koppleman have another amazing chat
  • Succession (I’m late to this but boy am I enjoying it)
  • a 6-hour+ (!) reissue of The Solid Doctor’s How About Some More Ether
  • Jogging House
  • Unexplained Sounds Group
  • all the music in my #Worktones series

Filed Under: From The Notebook Tagged With: 8D Industries, Americanafest, Burd Streets, Caroline, Craig Snyder, Daniel Johnston, John Brodeur, MondoNYC, More Ghost Than Man, now, Swampmeat Family Band, The Little Kicks

What Am I Doing Now? (May 2019 Recap)

May 1, 2019 · Leave a Comment

  • I’m gearing up for a few days at MusicBiz 2019 in Nashville, starting on May 5. I’m expecting terrific panels, productive meetings, new contacts, seeing some old friends, and perhaps an announcement or two from my camp. If you are in Nashville for this conference, then feel free to drop me a line and let’s meet up.
  • The first Q-Burns Abstract Message release since 2011’s “Balearic Chainsaw” is out now on 8D Industries and it’s called AUDIOTOTEMPOLE. This is a special release, and it closes a loop of sorts. These are songs spanning the years. The one with ‘1997’ in the title is that old, and I completed the newest track three months ago. I think that I can now move on to new pastures, new sounds, new — and more frequent — Q-BAM releases.
  • Additionally, on the Q-Burns Abstract Message front, I’m breaking my DJ retirement for one night to play at the Phat N’ Jazzy 25th anniversary party. There are only a few things that would get me to DJ again and this party qualifies. Twenty-five years ago I had a weekly gig playing spacey trip hop records in the backroom of Phat N’ Jazzy at The Beach Club. It was my first residency, and it’s where I honed my DJ craft. I’d probably be in a different place today if the P’n’J crew didn’t trust me to command the backroom vibe. For the May 11 anniversary party I’ll be playing the tunes from that classic era, or at least the ones I still have on vinyl.
  • Consultancy: I’m currently working with Reza of Vexillary, Deepak of Hidden Recordings, and I’ll be advising Snax once again starting next week. A big thanks to my clients for being on board and receptive to some crazy (but effective!) ideas. I’m expanding the consultancy into special one-on-one workshops over the next couple months.
  • Soon you’ll hear me blabbing about music industry stuff on the This Is Orlando and Scotch and Good Conversation podcasts. I also did a long interview with the site MyMusicMoments that I feel good about. I’ll post links to all of these in the blog once they’re online.

Listening (music):

• Simon Scott – Below Sea Level
• Khotin – Beautiful You
• Mary Lattimore & Mac McCaughan – New Rain Duets
• Kankyō Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980-1990
• Helado Negro – This Is How You Smile
• The 180 Gs – Commercial Album
• Revisited Sonic Youth’s Sister and Mission of Burma’s Vs. in a big way.

Listening (podcasts):

• Cherie Hu’s relatively new Water & Music podcast is great. Stellar music industry commentary. Check out the episode with Amber Horsburgh for starters.
• On Russell Brand’s Under The Skin, I enjoyed the conversations with Douglas Rushkoff and Derren Brown.
• Bob Lefsetz’s podcast is back, and the episode with Billy Bragg is a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed the history lesson on skiffle.
• John Livesay’s appearance on Big Questions With Cal Fussman was super-insightful on the topics of marketing and developing stories.

Watching:

• Cold War
• Free Solo (inspirational)
• Silent Light
• We finished The Americans. I was unsure for the first couple of seasons but we hung in there which paid off … the show got really good (as I’m sure you’ve heard).
• And, sure, we’re watching Game of Thrones. And Gay of Thrones.

Reading:

• Finished Bobby Fischer Goes To War which was fantastic, though it did wind down a bit mid-match (and 3/4 into the book) once it became apparent that Fischer would win. I wholeheartedly recommend it, though. One big complaint: the book mentions throughout that Bobby Fischer often listened to ‘rock n’ roll’ while preparing and practicing, but there’s no mention or clue as to the records of bands he liked. I want to know!
• I’m now halfway through Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash after multiple people coincidentally recommended it to me over the same few weeks. Confession: this is the first fiction book I’ve read since 2001. No idea why I gave up on fiction, but I’ve meant to get back into it. So far so good — I’m enjoying Snow Crash, though I still am not sure what it is about the book (or me) that inspired various friends to point me to it.

Misc:

• I started using Focusmate over the past few weeks. I’m using it right now. It’s a game-changer — expect a blog post about this soon. In the meantime, here’s the article that convinced me to give Focusmate a try.
• Civic Minded 5, my favorite concert promoters, hosted the trio of Nels Cline/Larry Ochs/Gerald Cleaver a couple of weeks back. A mind-blowing show. There were two sets — the second half of set one was explosive and set two was at times drone-y and Krautrock-y. So good. Again, I’ve never been disappointed by a Civic Minded 5 show and am grateful they are here in Orlando. Your city should be jealous.

Filed Under: From The Notebook Tagged With: 8D Industries, Bob Lefsetz, Book Recommendations, Cherie Hu, Civic Minded 5, DJ, Douglas Rushkoff, Focusmate, Hidden Recordings, Movie Recommendations, Music Recommendations, MusicBiz, Nashville, now, Orlando, Phat N Jazzy, Podcast, Q-Burns Abstract Message, Snax, Vexilliary

What Am I Doing Now? (Jan 3, 2019)

January 3, 2019 · Leave a Comment

  • Readying Monta At Odds‘ Unsuspecting album for release on January 18 on my 8D Industries label. This is a reissue of the Kansas City combo’s first album from 2005, and I’m planning for it to be the first in a reissue series for this prolific band.
  • I’m also expanding my consultancy, a big plan for 2019. I just sent a proposal to one prospective client and will be checking on a couple of others next week. There will be a website for my music publishing consultancy, which I’ll be working on in earnest once January 18 passes. I’m also debating another site focusing on my DIY label management consultancy.
  • The daily blog practice has been amazing. I’m so happy I relaunched this. So far, I only missed a few days around Christmas and NYE. But I must remind myself it’s not a competition — there’s no pressure.
  • After spending a week in the sticks (that is, a remote wooded location), I’m back home in time for some beautiful Florida weather. We’ve paddle-boarded two days in a row and it’s possible we’ll make it three. That might be it for a while as the weather looks to go downhill starting tomorrow.
  • Movie: last night we watched Leave No Trace and loved it.
  • Music: listening to Ultramarine’s terrific new album, and today’s been a Sun Ra day with the albums Crystal Spears and Sun Ra Exotica (the latter a great starting place for any Sun Ra neophytes).
  • Reading: How To Make It Big as a Consultant. At times an amusing read as it’s a little outdated but there’s plenty of useful advice within.

Filed Under: From The Notebook Tagged With: 8D Industries, Book Recommendations, Monta At Odds, Movie Recommendations, Music Recommendations, now, Sun Ra

What Am I Doing Now? (June 2018 Recap)

August 1, 2018 · 1 Comment

  • This month’s theme was motivation, or how to get it back or track. After weeks of eye complaints and restraints, and back-to-back travel from Nashville to Edinburgh, it was a challenge to rediscover my productivity mojo. I spent way too much time rearranging my Omnifocus set-up, thinking about morning routines, and optimizing for capturing a deep work mindset. The first couple weeks felt like slo-mo, a lot of running in place, not getting much accomplished. Of course, the secret is to dive in — perfect Omnifocus set-up be damned — and start. I’m finally at a solid daily clip, which is good as I’ve decided on some ambitious goals over the next few months.
  • Related to my motivation pit, current events (especially here in the US) have me down. I know I’m not alone in how this affects the work mood. Some of my peers talk about moving to another country, but I think a better solution is to create my own (mental) country. Distance me from the news, outside influences, current events — build a creative utopia of my mind. Focus on making things to make the world better. I can’t do my best work and be helpful if I’m curled up in a ball worrying about the state of things. I had already done this to a degree (this article by Ryan Holiday is an inspiration) but there was some leakage, especially from Twitter. David Moldawer says Twitter turned his phone into a ‘depression machine’ and I can relate. Though I’m not leaving social media (but tempted, see Jaron Lanier), I’ve decided to treat it as a one-way street. I’m posting, but I’m not reading. If you @ me, I’ll look and probably reply, but that’s as far as my interaction goes. And no more social media apps on my phone or tablet. Not in my country.
  • On the other hand, I’ve rediscovered Day One and Pocket and have enrolled in the subscription plans offered by both. Pocket has added highlighting on mobile devices (please add this to the browser version soon!) which makes noting and cataloging sections of interest in articles a breeze. Then I can shoot those articles into Day One, add the highlighted text and appropriate tags, and I’ve got fodder for blog posts or future reference material. I’ve also started journaling daily in Day One as paper journaling was a personal bust. I really wanted to make a paper journal work, but I find more inspiration in an electronic platform (and I start each entry with a photograph of that morning’s sunrise over our lake, which motivates) and writing by hand only reminds me how awful my handwriting is. Even I have problems deciphering my scrawl. I’m happy with this set-up, and am even moving my digital commonplace book out of DEVONthink and into Day One (no slight intended on DEVONthink … it’s a terrific Evernote alternative that I’ll use primarily for business purposes here on out).
  • The Timucua Arts Foundation and its White House concert venue are Orlando treasures, and I wish your town had them, too. Combine with local arts collective Civic Minded 5 and our city is regularly treated to mind-expanding music in a beautiful live setting. The Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Zeena Parkins performances were recent, legendary treats — and this month brought the Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit all the way from Scandinavia to deliver an incredibly intense set of explorer jazz. The stage at the White House is small and intimate, which made this unit seem larger than it already was: two drummers (creating a lovely stereo field), two bass players (alternating between stand-up and electric bass), an accordionist, a brass section that included tuba, trumpet, trombone, and three saxophones (with occasional switches to clarinet and flute), a guitarist (percussive, noisy, great), and an electronics/laptop dude who stepped in front to manically conduct the band at one point. It was as impressive as it sounds. Any time there’s a Civic Minded 5 promoted show at the Timucua White House, it’s a mandatory event.
  • I reconnected with Dave Tomaselli, whose Statra label I used to promote at 8DPromo. He’s now working with Paperchain, a technology company worth checking out. There’s a promise in their model of tracking and advancing royalties, and I’m even more intrigued by an imagined future of automated royalty calculation and payout to artists, creating a solution for labels that are allergic to and unreliable with accounting (which is like 98% of them).
  • My client Buddhist Army released the vinyl 12” version of Arthur Landing’s Spring Collection EP this month and it’s making some waves. Gilles Peterson played a track on his 6Music show, and Test Pressing published a quick interview with Arthur’s Landing founder Steven Hall.
  • What I Read This Month:

    Rework

  • What I Watched This Month:

    Bombshell: The Hedy Lamar Story
    Logan
    Silence
    Dunkirk
    A Quiet Place
    The Terror

  • What I Listened To This Month:

    IF Music Presents You Need This: An Introduction To Black Saint & Soul Note
    Arp – Zebra
    King Tubby & Prince Jammy – Ghetto Dub
    Kamasi Washington – Heaven & Earth
    Agitation Free – 2nd
    SQÜRL – Paterson (Original Score)
    Alessandro Cortini – AVANTI
    Melody’s Echo Chamber – Bon Voyage
    Skee Mask – Compro
    Technicolor Paradise: Rhum Rhapsodies & Other Exotic Delights

  • A Few Other Things I Enjoyed This Month:

    Poppinuts 001 – Eno
    Synthedelia: Psychedelic Electronic Music in the 1960s
    Djs Having Assistants Picking Tracks For Them Is A Dangerous Move
    Inside Vaporwave’s Floppy Disk Micro-Boom
    How Did A Major Label Manage To Lose A John Coltrane Record?
    A Brief History Of Our Addiction To Loudness
    Detroit is Techno City, and Techno is Black
    Robert Fripp’s Frippertronics Explained
    Speak & Spell: The Toy That Talked Back
    Legendary Experimental Composer Jon Hassell Is Still Dreaming Up New Worlds
    The Futuro House: Spaceship Living On Earth
    The Legacy of Conny Plank
    Has 2018 Killed The Pop Star?
    How Headphones Changed the World
    Remembering The Engineer Who Created Rock’s Unmistakable Fuzz
    Why No One Answers Their Phone Anymore
    How David Bowie Invented Ziggy Stardust
    No Hope, No Fear: Industrial Music In Zagreb

Filed Under: From The Notebook Tagged With: Buddhist Army, David Moldawer, Jaron Lanier, Movie Recommendations, Music Recommendations, now, Ryan Holiday

What Am I Doing Now? (May 2018 Recap)

June 1, 2018 · Leave a Comment

  • Continuing the story from last month, I spent the early part of May nursing my wounded eyeballs and anticipating a new pair of contacts to help correct my keratoconus. For the past several years I’ve used hybrid lenses for my special vision needs, which were prescribed early in their development. My new eye doctor (who is fantastic btw) recommended a more recent contacts tech, these intimidating scleral lenses. I say intimidating as they are much larger than my hybrids, and they are hard enough to tap on (while the hybrids were mainly floppy, only hard in the center). The first few days with the scleral lenses were hell as my right eye was still somewhat injured and not happy about this unfamiliar lens. Lots of pain in the first 48 hours or so. And removing the contacts with a mini-plunger was a whole new thing for me — I could use my fingers to take out the old contacts — and that took a bit of getting used to. But I am pleased to say that after a few weeks of trial and (lots of) error I am on board with the sclerals. They are comfortable, and I believe I’m getting better, clearer vision than before. The eye saga continues.
  • Good thing I got the eye issues worked out as in the second week of the month I was off to the MusicBiz 2018 conference in Nashville. This is probably my favorite industry conference, partly because it’s amicable and casual, and partly as it’s in the always fun city of Nashville. I took in a lot of panels, with Monday’s offerings being the highlights — the ‘Legal Summit’ panels were all educational, and the new ‘Podcasting Summit’ panels, hosted by Jim Griffin (my favorite panel moderator), were excellent. The issues of music licensing in podcasts were covered in depth, and I appreciated the dive into the weeds. I hung out a bit with Craig from ReverbNation and Mike D. from Chicken Ranch Records (who I’ve known since my stint in college radio when I was like 19) and caught up with longtime friends/Nashville residents Jamie Blaine and Terry Grant. I also floated around some new ideas as to where I’m taking 8D Industries, and everyone I used as a sounding board was receptive and encouraging. Stay tuned.
  • As I’m getting ready to leave for the airport Mike D. asks, “do you have time for a drink with Tyler Mahon Coe?” Thus, on my way out of Nashville, we stop at a local dive bar and have a great conversation with Tyler, who hosts the brilliant Cocaine & Rhinestones podcast (as well as the hilarious Your Favorite Band Sucks podcast). I wrote about Cocaine & Rhinestones in last month’s entry, and Tyler’s show helped me get through the worst days and nights of eye trauma. It was cool to be able to let Tyler know this in person and to relate my podcast-inspired experience listening to Neil Young’s On The Beach for the first time. Tyler was as knowledgeable and cool to talk to in person as you might imagine. I’ll continue to follow his work, and he’s planning some exciting things.
  • I’m only home from Nashville for three days, and then I’m off to Scotland. This was a long-planned vacation with my spouse and my mother, to be tourists and explore the history of the Scottish east coast. My mother has ancestors from the region (and, of course, so do I), so she was interested in seeing it all. We had a fantastic time — I recommend Rosslyn Chapel and Sir Walter Scott’s house if you’re visiting and want some history. I also had time to find my old friends Jaco (Jaco & Co) and Iain (Funky Transport). It’s been too many years since I’ve spent time in Scotland, and this vacation inspired me to plan regular visits once again. My favorite home away from home.
  • What I Read This Month:

    Thinking Fast and Slow

  • What I Watched This Month:

    Nostalghia
    A Man Escaped
    The Wages of Fear
    Borg Vs McEnroe
    The Farthest: Voyager In Space
    Dying To Know: Ram Das & Timothy Leary
    Magnus

  • What I Listened To This Month:

    Cluster – Qua
    Brian Eno – Music For Installations
    Mary Lattimore – Hundreds of Days
    Deutsche Elektronische Musik

  • A Few Other Things I Enjoyed This Month:

    Questlove’s “Creative Quest” talk at Google
    When America’s Hottest Jazz Stars Were Sent To Cool Cold-War Tensions
    Pirate Radio Stations Explode on YouTube
    How The Kent State Massacre Helped Give Birth To Punk Rock
    Ornette Coleman – The Atlantic Years
    My Dad Painted The Iconic Cover For Jethro Tull’s ‘Aqualung,’ And It’s Haunted Him Ever Since
    Yuri Suzuki’s Musical Appliances Are Designed To Enhance Your Mood
    Glenn Branca: Punk Composer Who Turned Minimalism Maximal
    Elliott Sharp Remembers Glenn Branca

Filed Under: From The Notebook Tagged With: Book Recommendations, Keratoconus, Movie Recommendations, Music Recommendations, MusicBiz, Nashville, now, Podcast, Scotland

What Am I Doing Now? (April 2018 Recap)

May 1, 2018 · Leave a Comment

  • The big (bad) news this month is an eye injury resulting from a combination of a scratched contact lens and my keratoconus. The gist of it is that I’ve been living in a world of fuzzy vision for almost three weeks. The first several days of the experience I could not spend time on screens as my healing cornea was extra-sensitive to light. My work pace was at a snail’s pace, but I somehow didn’t get too far behind. This became a learning experience, and I have a lot of thoughts. I also started listening to audiobooks (something I never warmed up to before), and it was easy to imagine that The Obstacle is the Way was written about my eye condition.
  • A big thanks to Craig at ReverbNation for turning me on to the Cocaine & Rhinestones podcast. This got me through the toughest days of wounded eyesight. Host Tyler Mahon Coe (son of David Allen Coe) is affable, coming off like an opinionated friend filling you in on his obsessions. There are times when Coe gets a little carried away with the nit-picky details (often relegated to the final ‘liner notes’ section of each episode), but it’s endearing and shows his investment in the subject. I highly recommend his history lessons about this important American music and culture. If you’re unsure, then I suggest trying out the fascinating Bobbie Gentry episode or the Rusty & Doug Kershaw episode. The latter inspired me to listen deeply to Neil Young’s On The Beach with headphones in darkness at the dead of night, one of my favorite music moments of the past few years.
  • I posted my recent article Why Streaming is the Future of DJ’ing on Medium, and it’s gotten a fantastic response. It was even reposted by the terrific newsletter Platform & Stream as the top story of the day.
  • Nirosta Steel’s The Dry Ice Remixes 12” is out. It features two hot shot remixes by my friend Sleazy McQueen in collaboration with Colombian DJ duo Vagabundo Club Social. Beautiful modern disco pressure that I can’t recommend highly enough.
  • What I Read This Month:

    The Obstacle is the Way
    Creativity, Inc.

  • What I Watched This Month:

    Stalker
    The Sacrifice
    Babylon Berlin
    Purple Noon
    Brian Eno: 1971-1977 – The Man Who Fell to Earth

  • What I Listened To This Month:

    Yung Wu – Shore Leave
    The Windows 95 start-up sound, time-stretched 4000%
    Laraaji’s stunning FACT mix 648
    Group Listening’s lovely cover of Arthur Russell’s “A Little Lost”
    Neil Young – On The Beach

  • A Few Other Things I Enjoyed This Month:

    But Does It Float (try the ‘Random’ tab)
    This interview with Steve Albini
    Great advice from Sloan on how to keep a band together
    How Miles Davis Changed Jazz
    The amazing + addictive Tones web app
    An Introduction to Conny Plank in 10 Records
    My friends David + Jennifer go to Düsseldorf and meet a Kraftwerk

Filed Under: From The Notebook Tagged With: Buddhist Army, Keratoconus, now, Podcast

What Am I Doing Now? (March 2018 Recap)

April 1, 2018 · Leave a Comment

  • I started testing a new music marketing consultancy package that I plan to unveil next month. The process in a nutshell: I interview the client and audit his or her online assets and overall presentation. I create a report with my initial insights and recommendations, and we get on a call to discuss and brainstorm. I follow this conversation with an expanded, final version of the report containing actionable tasks that the client can immediately implement. We then have a limited email exchange to go over any questions about my recommendations, and I’ll follow-up a month later to check on progress. The client is also welcome to schedule regular brainstorm sessions and audits to keep the process going. The goal is to set the client up for the next stage in his or her music career, whether it’s for an upcoming release, a tour, or just a professional ‘polish’ to become more attractive to the likes of record labels, promoters, or managers. I can work this magic for recording artists or labels — or both, as was the case with the first client to go through this procedure, the talented techno producer Deepak Sharma of Hidden Recordings. I’m excited for what this will bring and the people I’ll be meeting and advising.
  • Two new releases I’m assisting with that you should check out: Arthur’s Landing – Spring Collection EP on Buddhist Army; and More Ghost Than Man – The Courage To Lie To A Dying Man on Westerns With The Sound Off. Also, we’ve received vinyl copies of Nirosta Steel’s The Dry Ice Remixes (featuring remixes by Sleazy McQueen), and these should be hitting the cool record stores at the very beginning of May.
  • I’m always testing new systems to improve daily productivity. This month I’m trying out Cal Newport’s Daily and Weekly time-blocking scheme. In the past, I attempted time-blocking using a calendar app but found this to be too rigid. For example, there was no room to extend a task ‘on-the-fly’ for a few more minutes when nearly finished, and it was difficult to change a schedule if confronted with the unexpected. These issues, combined with nagging calendar alerts, stressed me out more than increasing effectiveness. Newport’s system allows some ‘float,’ is refreshingly paper-based, and it’s easy to rearrange the calendar if things get out of whack. I also like the idea of a Weekly Plan reminder in my email inbox. It’s become a game to have that reminder email be the only thing in the inbox at the end of the day. The early results are encouraging and, if it continues to work, I’ll do a blog post about this and the rest of my productivity system.
  • Great discovery: Kanopy. If you’ve got a local library card (and you should), then chances are you will be able to access this streaming movie service for free. You’re limited to five movies a month, and the selection is strong, including more than a few Criterion classics (French New Wave, Italian Neorealism, those samurai movies I love …) and recent independent offerings.
  • What I Read This Month:

    Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
    Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
    Wait But Why: The Elon Musk Post Series (which is basically a book)

  • What I Watched This Month:

    Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web
    Wild Wild Country
    SHOT! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock
    Journey To Italy
    and @garydvisualz took me to my first 3D blockbuster, Ready Player One

  • What I Listened To This Month:

    Gwenno – Le Kov
    Ryuichi Sakamoto & Alva Noto – Glass
    Mariah – Utakata No Hibi
    Kenneth James Gibson – In The Fields Of Nothing
    The wonderful ‘long’ versinon of Wire’s “Outdoor Miner”

  • A Few Other Things I Enjoyed This Month:

    Anil Dash on what it’s like to be a ‘non-celebrity’ with 500,000+ Twitter followers
    An interview with the mayor of the curious, Orwerllian town of Scarfolk, UK
    Planet Earth as described in the 116 photos aboard the Voyager spacecraft
    This video of Brian Eno getting giddy over his Ultra-Harmonizer in 1994
    Ten moments in the history of Cocteau Twins … some which were new to this longtime fan
    That time Sterling Morrison left the Velvet Underground for an academic life in Texas

Filed Under: From The Notebook Tagged With: Book Recommendations, Buddhist Army, More Ghost Than Man, Movie Recommendations, Music Recommendations, now, Productivity

What Am I Doing Now? (February 2018 Recap)

March 1, 2018 · Leave a Comment

  • I’ve brought on a couple of new clients for publishing representation: San Francisco’s Sleight Of Hands (check out their excellent cover of “I’m Not In Love”) and Nathan Maners. There are others in the works. Exciting times here at 8DSync.
  • I’m also working on two new projects in an advisory role: an upcoming EP from Arthur’s Landing titled Spring Collection; and a single from Terry Grant’s More Ghost Than Man project, taken from his stunning 2016 self-titled album.
  • A major project this month was the launch of Snax’s PledgeMusic campaign for the vinyl version of his excellent Shady Lights album. I was closely involved in putting this together and enjoyed collaborating with Snax and the PledgeMusic team. This company has a great crew working behind the scenes. If you are a fan of limited edition vinyl in a deluxe package or solid electronic funk music in general, then I implore you to check out Snax’s Shady Lights campaign.
  • Eagle eyes may notice that I’ve removed the Services tab from this site. I’ve decided to do fewer label services projects and focus more on music publishing, licensing, and consultancy. I’ll be revamping things here over the following weeks, and will be offering a new way that I can help independent labels and self-released artists determine and implement innovative strategies. Stay tuned.
  • The weather is warming up in Florida. We’ve already hit the mid-80s a few times, and we’re not yet out of February. I’m torn between being worried and overjoyed. Regardless, I’m resuming my Lake Holden paddle board sessions, a highlight of my day and the preferred way to meditate and think.
  • What I Read This Month:

    The Founder’s Dilemmas
    Finish

  • What I Watched This Month:

    The Square
    Hiroshima, Mon Amour
    BPM (Beats Per Minute) (my favorite 2017 movie, I think)
    Phantom Thread

  • What I Listened To This Month:

    Deutsche Elektronische Musik 3: Experimental German Rock and Electronic Music 1970-82
    Palta – Universel
    Pendant – Make Me Know You Sweet
    Patrick Cowley – Afternooners
    San Mateo – Breather
    The House In The Woods – Bucolica
    Kuniyuki Takahashi – Early Tape Works (1986 – 1993)

  • A Few Other Things I Enjoyed This Month:

    Seth Godin has a fantastic new weekly podcast titled Akimbo
    If you make true crime documentaries then act quickly to acquire the rights to this tale of the Worst Roomate Ever
    I like the writer Steven Johnson, and I’ve been wrapping my head around blockchain, so I found this article fascinating: Beyond The Bitcoin Bubble
    Artist Winston Smith designed all those Dead Kennedys album covers I loved as a teenager. It’s a pleasure to find out he’s a pretty cool dude, too.

Filed Under: From The Notebook Tagged With: 8DSync, Book Recommendations, Buddhist Army, Lake Holden, More Ghost Than Man, Movie Recommendations, Music Recommendations, now, Snax

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8sided.blog

 
 
 
 
 
 
8sided.blog is a digital zine about sound, culture, and what Andrew Weatherall once referred to as 'the punk rock dream'.

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