थे सर्च continues

Well, we are still valiantly searching for a place to live. We have about a week left. We have found some sweet places and basically any of the ones we have applied for would be a great blessing to get into. We should be finding out about one today, and we need to still stay on the ball. I would rather have many choices to pick from than to have nothing with 3 days left. =) Ooooh, update...as I was working and typing this, one of the Houses called my boss as a reference for me. Woo hoo! At least we know now that we are being considered. But...the search still continues.

On the music front. Yes, this whole situation has taken a toll on me mentally and I feel unmotivated and unfocused. I am so close to making some breakthroughs, no fear though. I would rather be where I am at then not be anywhere at all. I feel blessed and know that God is reshaping me, and I hope to use me. So if I keep looking at it wide angle, I do creep a smile, in this trial. I am a step closer to a live show, I got to iron some things out, but very very close!!!

I like: Things, blue, collar, pugs, and assorted fruits. Water is good, so air. Food. Controllers.

स्तोर्म्स एंड stormdrains

It seems the closer I get to releasing some new stuff, the more busy and busy my personal life gets. Thats ok, but there is some storms a brewing. Right now, I just went through a move. I moved in with a couple buddies in this house in a really good neighborhood. We had not signed a lease contract yet, and the landlord had said we can move in and everything is good. We then would sign a lease agreement and be there a while. Well, not so much. The landlord then, after we all move in, spend A LOT of money on washer and dryers, rug cleaning, nic nacks and repairs. Goes against her word and backs out of it completly and decides to pull a power trip and tell us to leave by the 15th basically of July. Now there must be rights for us renters, right? So I go and look at California renters rights. It talks about verbal agreements and how they are binding to a point. well I figured since we both agreed on such terms then the landlord could not try and pull this type of thing. But, I wanted more. So I asked my mom to talk to her lawyer, as she was the last one to rent the place. Because technically then my mom would still be renting there as she just moved out since she did not provide written notice of leaving premises. Well after she talked with her lawyer, things changed. The lawyer basically said in this case we have no rights, and that as bad as this situation is we would have to leave. Apparently in Real Estate, if this were to go to court, verbal agreements are never usually recognized. On top of that, since my mom has already left the premises then she is technically gone and subletting to us, which is illegal per her last rental agreement. Ah yes, the storms, I am glad Jesus is in my boat, so I am not as stressed as one might think. It's just the core of it is this woman is being hideous and showing a lack of character beyond beleif. It is sorta sad to me. I also feel somewhat responsible to my buddies, and feel a bit of heartache that I allowed a crappy situation to come to fruition instead of having the cohones to get a contract signed now! Trusting this ladies word was a huge mistake, as she lied about a lot and then admitted, "ohhhh well now i remember, but I still want you out...". She was generous to give us an extra week. ehem.

Anyway this is a 'life lesson', and I cannot harbor any anger towards this woman. She obviously has something ill in her heart that more anger from another person will only fuel more. So right now me and my buddies are searching for another house in our area, and praying. I feel confident that we will be fine, we have IAM on our side. Just the whole thing compounded makes me a bit sad, betrayed and more. At least this is chisseling my charecter and my faith.

On the music front: Finished about 2 1/2 of the 4 songs for the James Bond Themed album/small EP. Started to sample a sega gamegear and games for another themed album. Also finished up an remix for Absorption, but no internet outside of work to post it up to him. So trudging slowly, like in a vat of drying glue, with a felt suit on =)

The pads

I have been playing a lot on my mpc1000. I have made a discovery. I know how I like to work. My workflow is very disjonted and disconneted, yet it works. Basically I like pads, I like em so much. I like to press a pad and have premade things play. I like pads to hit to make a beat. I dislike mouse clicking! I love to feel interactive and in 'control' of everything. Yet I never have until recently. I am actually enjoying my sound manipulation syncopation! I guess it takes others longer to find a niche than others. At least a niche in workflow which I think goes a long way.... So, now that I am in a groove I am kinda in the 'done sampling, time to finish up songs mode'. Yesterday I did a live rendition of a track, and then will go back and add stuff manually. I think it will be nice to know for myself at least that each song will be done 90% live, with 10% cleanup and addition. My new songwriting process is really quick yet slow. in a sense most of the time is spent just collecting samples and experimenting with them until I get bored, come back to them and then smash a song down. :)

I have been kicking around to see how big of an album I should do, or maybe do a bunch of 3-4 track short EP's, as I think people would be more susceptible to listening to a couple tracks than be bogged down with an epic 12 song album. I dont know, I am just trying to strategize how to get listens and interest is all. Anyway, I am getting more and more excited as I like what I am making now, and am able to do most of it live!! Whateva!

Felt like writing

Been really busy with work, and life, and getting in any practice time I can. I realized that I like writing blogs for the sheer fact of just mashing away on the qwerty. I like just kinda hashing out what I been up to or what my aspirations are, or random thoughts or poems just from the sheer fact self therapy in a sense. I guess it I realize it is fun to just write away and then look at it a couple months down the road and see how proactive I am or how lazy I been! Its all to the good though. I can't complain, God has blessed me well with fire and mana :)

Lately I have been sampling, record digging and all that for the last month. Really diving into manipulating sound, finding what I want to do, and also primarily focusing on jamming with the songs live. Been sampling a lot of King Tubby from vinyl, those grooves are just so fun! I also picked up an MPC-1000 as I want to be able to produce on my lunch breaks and what not. The MPC is really amazing but the most important thing is I am able to utilize it. Over the years I have been on a "...if I buy this then I will conquer the world!!" binge. All it has done is hold me back. But on the flipside, I have found out pieces of software or kit that I truly use as workhorses. It took me only what, 6 years? *sigh* *sigh* I get sad thinking of all the years 'wasted'. I dont know, though about it being wasted. I had to do alot I guess to find out my mentality needs to change to more developement than getting it out there. Patience. I see now it is worth it to take more time to get a more hard hitting sound then just getting sound out. I have been trying to sell stuff off that I do not use, like a bunch of software. My Xbox 360. Dunno whats next, but I have to be savage I think, less is more. At least to me. So Gods journey continues...speaking of that....

A roller coaster of beauty is what it is. Ups and downs. Trials and respits. Refinement and respiration. Breaths of the Spirit, while wearing the dustmask of the Bible. So long to go, so far I have come.

I guess I am just going to keep plugging away, nothing else I can do. The things heavy on my mind:

Girlfriend? lol
Music..
Just took over my moms house she was in, as she is moving out, having two new roomates.
Relationships..

Heavy on the heart:
Wanting to learn more and more in the Word.
Stupid worries...

=)