I promised myself I would update/post a new entry today, so this is the last thing I do before I turn in for the evening, and I’m covering a lot of ground here so pay attention:::::

0. Eurobeat is magical. Anyone who disagrees is wrong. There is so much to learn just by listening, and so much to listen to you can’t possibly catch it all the first time around. Luckily, there are about a thousand million billion Eurobeat songs, and still in production, albeit losing a bit of steam!!?? So unfortunate ((( I wish [more] Americans could appreciate perfection like this. Its what got me into doing dance music, and I wouldn’t have it any other way at this point.

1. Is “techno” the “give-up” genre for remixing? I listen to a lot of great remixes, video game covers mostly.. there is a whole community dedicated to this idiom of music. And though I absolutely loathe the term “techno” as it sounds so n00bish and general, it seems people who aren’t even really into it are making it. Which is cool, by all means, and this is kind of hard to word properly– but it seems like a song should at least sound like something instead of just “having a techno beat.” There are also a thousand million billion videogame remixes, and a lot of it is really really diverse and with the exception of the primary theme/melody, completely different than the original. That is the essence of a successfully well-executed remix. Don’t get me wrong, of course I love a good dance or “techno” remix, but do the song justice and give it some depth, some character. Not just four-on-the-floor and whiny, thin synth lines.

2. Programming 101 – I have decided to delve into programming first by learning the architecture and assembly code of the 6502 microprocessor. I’m well aware of the detail and length of this process, but if I can make a simple .nes rom within the coming months I will be more than happy with myself. I decided on this chip instead of a more lucrative language than, say, C or Python, for several reasons:: not the least of which is the desire to release NES cart albums in the future.. but also because it is an old chip, and I think it makes sense (at least to me) to start with something old and then work my way up from there. Once I am satisfied that I know the basics, or enough to start figuring things out rather than just guessing, I think I will move up to learning C and/or C++. Anyone wishing to compare and contrast the two, in lame-man’s terms or course, please feel free. I don’t think I quite grasp the difference yet, apart from the ++.

3. Production ‘n stuff – As I learn more and more about the wonderfully deep and complex DAW known as Logic Pro 8, I plan on starting to put a sort of “demo reel” together, showcasing my variety of musical abilities in one place. My wish is to use this alongside a simple homepage as an online business card for potential gigs, jobs, or sessions. Somewhere down the road, and when it is more necessary to do so, I will find the cheapest possible hosting service available and pay for a domain name (sugesstions????), upon which I will bestow my wonderfully simple HTML webpage, as it is the only programming language I somewhat know my way around. At any rate, it will be easy and not contain anything I don’t want it to or any more than is needed. It will also not look like all of those terribly poor-designed HTML pages that you happen across on the ‘net (myspace pages included HHHHHHDSFHDHFDFH).

4. Blast Beats 101 - Yet another item to mark up on the every-day to-do list, but hardly something I can forget about. I need to practice more. I’m happy with my skill level where I am currently, but only sometimes. I need to make sure before I’m on the road for extended periods of time that I am confident in my abilities enough to not be worried whether or not my feet are going to work with me for the evening, and not against me. Inferi has a really awesome practice space that is being taken advantage of, but not enough. It is not ridiculous to try and plan on being out there every day, for at least two hours, but with school and work and the distance and gas prices I sadly may not make it out every day…. but I am setting a 4-day-a-week-2-hour-a-day bare minimum for myself. Take that.

Ok there it is. I should also add that I will try and add at least one entry a week, and to not be too redundant or long-winded, so that if people smarter than me actually read this they can offer their insights.

/blahwg