Drop Box!

After playing around with SoundCloud for a few weeks, I’ve decided that I like it. I’ve found some great music through the site, and though it seems the selection is a tad limited right now, I think the site has potential.

With that in mind, I decided to simplify my life a little for upcoming compilation projects. I set up a new profile for Intelligent Machinery and added a Drop Box (look right –>) to the widget sidebar. I tested it out, and it is pretty damned easy to use. Just click on the box, browse to an audio file, fill out the relevant info and submit. The only catch being that the submission requires email verification from the submitter before I get the file. But, I figured it would be a nice alternative for people who use YouSendIt or a similar service.

Feel free to test it out, if you want.

Four Day Warning

Four Day Warning!

Deadline for submissions for Of Places and Moments is this Saturday, August 14th. The tracklist continues to grow with today’s submission from the mighty madman, Mystahr. Definitely going to be an awesome collection of sound, once it is all compiled and organized.

I have a handful of albums I want to review this week, so don’t let me forget to take care of that. Work has gotten manic here of late, with my current project all but wrapped up and days that are spent vacillating between the frenetic rush of tackling clean-up projects and the soporific downtime between such projects. I should still find time to get in a few reviews, though. I also might work in a few mini-reviews of tracks that I’m finding on SoundCloud.

A couple of pictures to share:

My newest favorite “Destroy/Destroyed Life” sticker graffiti comes from the light post across the street from my apartment.

The kids had their first encounter with a Theremin this weekend.

Monday Night Debutante Ball

I’ve got submissions for the new compilation slowly trickling in, which makes me glad that I swallowed a little pride and extended the deadline. I haven’t had a chance to listen to everything yet, but this may well be one of the most diverse compilation projects to be hosted on these pages. It certainly boasts a cast of new faces. That, in and of itself, makes me happy.

I’ve been working on a couple of extracurricular projects that won’t see light here, so I don’t have much to report on relevant subjects. I do have these pictures I can share:

More awesome cryptic sticker graffiti from around town:

Sean throwing gang signs:

The most ridiculous thing I saw last week:

Alright. Time to put on some ambient and get in some reading before I crash for the night. Until next time, etc. etc.

This is not my beautiful house

Strange as it may seem, I was true to my word last Saturday and actually spent the day being productive. I managed to capture only one live performance, which will likely be manipulated before showing up in either a Controlled Dissonance or Nest of Disorder track. After I finished that, I did some work on some other audio projects that I haven’t really thought about in a while – mainly to pad out the compilation project in the event that I get a few more entries, but not quite enough for a full release (yes – I may cheat a little on this project). I’m honestly hoping that these tracks never see the light of day: not because I dislike them, but because I would rather the compilation get enough input from other artists.

As alluded to in my last post, I got a page up for the new instrument. The Kvetchbox is pretty simple, and a tad lame, but it filled a need. The need was less for a simple and lame electroacoustic instrument and more for the satisfaction of having accomplished something. Sometimes I need to step back from a plethora of unfinished projects and tackle one simple thing to regain the motivation to finish up other projects. I’m hoping this will be that impetus and inspiration.

An old Controlled Dissonance track appeared in an ambient mix release this morning. “Filled With Stars”, from Convoluted Vol. 2, starts off the mix entitled “Explorations: Side Two”, available for download here: http://soundcloud.com/aim23
I haven’t had the opportunity to listen to any of the other mixes, but if they’re as good as this one, they’re worth hearing.

Alright. I think that’s all for now. Until next time, remember: caveat emptor, motherfuckers.

Get Hygienic!

I’ve been yammering about this for months, so it’s only fitting that I let slip a peek of the album cover. The cover is original artwork from one of the original founding members of the Mental Hygiene League, and it’s about as perfect a visual synopsis of the MHL as one could ever hope to find.

I finished up all the rest of the artwork and layouts tonight. I still need to normalize the audio from all the submitted tracks. Then zip it all up and send it to our esteemed Friend in the Netherlands for release next week.

My current random song obsession is “Veteran of the Psychic Wars” by Blue Oyster Cult. I hadn’t heard the song in 12 years when I started singing it last week. I had to track down a copy to get it out of my head. It’s a strangely awesome song, and not just because they managed to work the word “bereaved” into the lyrics.

Back to work.