COLDWAVES 2020 "Lost Weekend"

Wow, when you thought online live streamed festivals couldn't get any better, COLDWAVES put together an amazing festival!! A lot of the other festivals were basically just live streamed band performances, but this festival (granted a lot of this stuff was pre-recorded)... amazing... there's all kinds of amazing videos, performances, music video commentary (Chris Vrenna, Martin Atkins, and what I do believe is the director for both "Down In It" and "Head Like A Hole" video(s), talk about Nine Inch Nails "Head Like A Hole" as well as "Down In It" and the stories around the videos and how they were made, and kinda what happened around the filming of those videos)... even premiers of new music videos and all that kind of stuff... great!! I honestly think this is the best live streamed festival so far!! Makes me want to actually be at a future COLDWAVES! If you missed it, you really missed out!! Plus, they are trying to raise funds for the Darkest Before Dawn charity... the blurb says this: 

"Welcome to Darkest Before Dawn. We are a new non-profit, based in Chicago and Los Angeles, with one simple yet urgent goal: to provide resources, support, and community for our nightlife, restaurant and music venue industry, who's late hours and isolated commutes leave them susceptible to depression, addiction and suicide. Recent data points to a high rate of chemical dependency and suicide for this demographic in our country, especially in the very industries built to provide excitement, leisure and happiness to everyone else. They are the people heading home in the early morning hours, when businesses are closed, the streets are empty, and it truly is the darkest period of time before the dawn."

I realize this is a U.S. charity, but for folks who read this blog that are from the U.S., you can check out Darkest Before Dawn here!

Here's a Canadian Musician charity... it's called UNISON! Here's a little blurb about them:

"Unison Benevolent Fund is a non-profit, registered charity that provides counselling and emergency relief services to the Canadian music community. We are here to help professional music-makers in times of hardship, illness or economic difficulties."

There's hope out there folks!!

Stay safe, stay positive!!

Nine Inch Nails, Memories, and a Live Stream!

Yes... it's been quite sometime since I've given Nine Inch Nails a good listen. I found that during this pandemic, the lyrics are a little too depressing to really focus on it and enjoy listening to it, but last night "Head Like A Hole (Soil)" randomly came on my playlist... and it reminded me, that first I love Nine Inch Nails, and second... I love industrial music... not sure why, the mix just really clicked, and I felt inspired! So, the rest of yesterday and today I've been listening to NIN's back-catalogue... and really enjoying it. Not sure what changed there... but it seems to be what I want to listen to right now.

I thought I would share what tracks in particular are inspiring me right now:

(Nine Inch Nails "Head Like A Hole (Soil)")

I remember when I first heard this track, total inspiration, has a bit of a hiphop vibe:

(Nine Inch Nails "Closer (Deviation)")

This particular track, I remember when I first got this CD, loved it! Lot's of inspiration, and I actually prefer this mix of "March Of The Pigs" rather than the original mix:

(Nine Inch Nails "All The Pigs, All Lined Up")

It's really a lot of fun right now being back to having NIN in the playlist, there's sooo many memories, and reminders of why I love industrial music in general, and there is so much inspiration. I remember when I was first jamming with my first band Adam Hates You, and we would listen to stuff like this... and take inspiration from it. There were so many ideas, and truthfully speaking, I was finding my voice (vocally, and musically) and even though we didn't really go anywhere with it (and a lot of it was, us really jamming out), there was a lot of fun... I remember at the time, going into the music instrument stores in the area (H.E.L. Music), and checking out synthesizers and figuring out what I really wanted in a synth, and how I was gonna translate the stuff that I was creating into a live show. I remember looking at initially, the Alesis Q synth if I'm not mistaken, and testing it out, and playing with the sounds and stuff... and there were some patches in it, that kind of sounded like NIN patches... there was another synth I checked out (I can't remember for the life of me, what the name of it was), but ultimately I decided not to purchase either of them... I remember walking into Mothers Music (just down the street from H.E.L), and playing around with another synth, and it looked like a really cool synth... and I looked at the price tag... and at the time I thought "At that price ($2500), it's gotta be a good synth", for some reason the name of that synth stuck with me (Yamaha EX7)... and then eventually I ended up picking it up (years and years later)... and I still have it! 

(Nine Inch Nails "The Art Of Self-Destruction, Part One)

Lot's of memories from that time. There was a little goth/industrial scene in that city (Saskatoon) at the time, and a lot, if not all of my friends were doing industrial music in some way... Adam Hates You had a rotating roster (basically whoever showed up to jam), and even though I ended up dissolving that band and moving to Calgary, Alberta... it was really a time of exploration, and my first foray into writing industrial music, and kinda figuring out what exactly I wanted to do. A friend had given me a copy of a freeware DOS program called Impulse Tracker... and that's how I wrote my first track... really experimenting, finding my voice and sound, and then eventually some of those tracks ended up turning into Twitch's first "Self-titled" release.

(Nine Inch Nails "The Downward Spiral (The Bottom)")

Definitely, not feeling nostalgic, definitely don't want to go back to those times, but definitely reminded of why I love industrial music, and what got me into it in the first place!

I hope you folks are doing well, I hope you are staying safe, I hope you are staying positive!

Shayne "Daemon_w60" Lawrence / Twitch / Trippingonacable Records

(Your Canadian Goth/Rivethead)

P.S.: We got this live stream show coming up on September 24th/2020 on our Twitch Facebook Page, which you can confirm your attendance here!

We hope you folks join us!!

System Syn: Once Upon a Second Act...

(System Syn "Once Upon a Second Act...")

We were surprised and excited to receive this in the mail not too long ago! We did a bit of an unboxing video here! Yes, we like System Syn! When this album was announced to be released... there was a video teaser of all the tracks on the album... so I took a listen to that. It sounded great! So, I decided to hold off for a little bit to actually pick it up. After it had been released online (Bandcamp) in digital format, I took a closer listen... still sounds great! So... after ordering the Chris Connelly CD's from Wax Trax! Records, that same night I ordered the this System Syn album! Being that we are in a pandemic, it took a bit for it to get here, but... it arrived a few day's ago, and I'm currently listening to it!

(CD Artwork)

This album certainly does not disappoint!! It was actually better than what I thought it was gonna be! The production, the mixing, the mastering... all excellent, and very pristine, if I say so! Everything is fairly clear in the mixes, and is audible! System Syn's main songwriter is Clint Carney, and as with past releases (if I'm not mistaken, all of them), his production partner is Ted Phelps of the electro-industrial project Imperative Reaction! I'm not sure to what level Ted contributes to the System Syn releases, but he does do some production, as well as some programming on the releases as well!

(Tray card artwork)

I do think Clint has found his producer life partner... every System Syn release has always been solid, and the production, mixing and mastering are always excellent! There is definitely a consistent mix on all the tracks... and there is a certain production quality to each track... 

...As far as the tracks go... I would say the ones that stand out to me are: "The Wreckage", "Promise", "Once Upon a Second Act..", "We Had Time", and "Weightless"! And, my favorite track being "We Had Time"... As I stated above, the album is solid all the way through!

(Back cover artwork)

Clint has done something different this time around, rather than having the support from a record label behind him, he's gone totally independent, and has put this release out himself! From what I can tell he's started to self-release under the label name of Second Act Records! So, on that note... I would highly recommend checking this album out, and consider supporting them directly, by either purchasing this album, or any of their past albums on their site here! Or, purchasing digital copy of the album on Bandcamp here!

Hope you folks are well!

Chris Connelly - "Phenobarb Bambalam" and "July"

(Chris Connelly's "Phenobarb Bambalam")

If you saw our video here, you would know recently we received in the mail from Wax Trax! Records, two Chris Connelly releases, the first one being "July", and the second one being the album "Phenobarb Bambalam". I used to have both of these in my CD collection waaaaay back in the day, when I was 19 or 20 or something like that. I got rid of them when I was trying to build extra cash for my move to Calgary. I don't regret getting rid of them, but after all these years I realized I missed having them in my collection, and I'm trying to grab stuff from the recently brought back to life Wax Trax! Records label.

(Chris Connelly's "July")

So, a little bit about these releases: when I originally received these when I was 19 or 20 from a friend, he had passed them on from a local goth/industrial DJ in Saskatoon at the time. Then I eventually sold them... I didn't want to, but I had to get rid of things that weren't essential in my collection at the time... and I needed to raise some funds (I sold a lot of stuff that I'm in the process of recollecting now).

("Phenobarb Bambalam" disc)

("July" disc)

My initial thoughts about the releases when I originally received them were, I enjoyed them... it was a little different from the stuff I was normally used to, but I thought they were still good! I also felt a little bit of a connection to Mr. Connelly, cause in the album artwork he has dreads, and at the time I had dreads as well.

(Back of "Phenobarb Bambalam")

(Back of "July")

Listening to them now... I remember what I thought when I had heard them for the first time... On these releases, Chris Connelly definitely has a Bowie vibe going on. I'm not sure if that was what he was going for, but he certainly sounds like Mr.Bowie... nothing wrong with that! I would say at least on these albums Chris Connelly sounds like a industrialized David Bowie. I still am enjoying this stuff! I would say the production values on the album, as well as the mixing and mastering are quite different from the regular Wax Trax! stuff... and I think that that might be because Al Jourgensen had nothing to do with these releases. The mixing and mastering is solid though... very clear... nothing seems buried in the mix. Listening to them again, I don't think I had the same appreciation for the music back then that I do today... I'm glad I purchased them again, and supported the label directly! I'm glad they are back in my collection, and I will say, if you are interested in industrial music history... Wax Trax! Records played a very large role in the American goth/industrial scene and were pioneers when it came to bringing European bands like KMFDM and Front 242 to the American scene as well as played a large role in the industrial metal movement (Ministry being one of the first acts to incorporate metal elements with industrial music), so head over to their website here! and order some industrial music history!!

I hope you folks are doing well!!

(Your Canadian Goth/Rivethead)

Shayne "Daemon_w60" Lawrence / Twitch

Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records CD

("Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records" Compilation)

Well, I went and purchased a new CD at a store here in Calgary called SAN K JTURI BUKS! Great little spot for books, comics, industrial music (If I'm not mistaken, they are official Wax Trax! Records dealers), all kinds of movies... and just rare stuff (they are in Eau Claire Mall, if you a curious to go check them out)! I initially went to this store to hang out with a friend who works there and just chat for a little bit, but I ended up picking up this "Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records" compilation CD! I had already ordered the Documentary, and I figured being that I had done that, I might as well pick up the compilation CD that goes along with the film! So, what is on this CD... My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Revolting Cocks, Ministry, KMFDM, Front 242, Chris Connelly... and a bunch of other stuff!

(Interior)

Being that I wasn't old enough to really appreciate what was on the Wax Trax! roster when I was younger and when these songs and bands were coming out (I was waaaay too young, and industrial music wasn't really on my periphery at this point in time), I will say for what is on this compilation, and knowing the bands now, I would say this is an excellent collection of songs and definitely displays the major bands and some of their pioneering and most iconic sounds that were on the label!! This also reminds me of my baby bat or young years as a goth... and being at events in my young adult years in my home city, and being exposed to these bands for the first time... and really loving this stuff!

(Tray Art)

It wasn't until many, many years later that I really started to appreciate what came off this label, and even really start to dig into some of the music off this label! If you watched this video here, you would know that... I would say, yes all the bands definitely sound different, but I will also say, a lot of the bands that came off this label... there was a similarity in the sound quality of the music, maybe not so much in sound design, but definitely in the way it was mixed and mastered! I also think another reason why there was a similarity in that aspect, was because Al Jourgensen had a big hand in a lot of the bands that rolled off that label, and quite frankly, a lot of the bands were side-projects of Al (Revolting Cocks, Pailhead, 1000 Homo DJ's, etc)...

(Back Cover)

So, yeah... listening to this CD, there is definitely almost a nostalgia, when hearing this kind of stuff in my early baby bat days and being at goth/industrial events in my home city, but there's also appreciation for this stuff that I hadn't had in the past, because I was too young to really appreciate it! There's also a lot of inspiration, and a lot of almost "wonder", as too be honest, some of this stuff... this is the first time hearing it! So, yes!! If you are into industrial music and don't know who Wax Trax! Records is or know of the bands on this label, or just haven't heard these particular tracks that are on this compilation... pick it up! There is a lot of history here... and if you have watched my video regarding the documentary "Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records" I will say it again here... watch the documentary!! You will not regret it, you will learn more about this transgressive genre and where it came from, and you will learn about this pioneering record label that spawned the careers of many of today's well known industrial bands!!

Mental Health... and Why I Think it's Important, Especially Now (2020)!

(Hate has no home anywhere!!)

Ok, I figured I would get into this a little bit, cause a little earlier today, I was out on my balcony, and I noticed a crowd of people hanging out at the Safeway across the street from me. There was about 10 of them... and something I've noticed about the area recently, is that there are a lot of drug users and shit coming into the area... and they are doing drugs right out in the open... wherever and whenever, could be broad daylight, could be in the evening. With the recent going-on's in the world (you know, the pandemic and shit), and everyone being affected by these things... our provincial government decided to defund the safe injection sites in the area... and now there are an influx of drug users in the area... and it is really fuckin sad... cause these people used to have somewhere safe to go, and now they are doing it wherever and whenever... and they are not getting at least some of the help that they need, and likely there are gonna be overdoses and people dying in the street in the area... now you would think the government would have kept them open, being that, right now... and especially right now, that there is a lot of stress and a lot of people suffering in the mental health department, which would lead to more people using... so you think it would be logical to keep things open, so people don't fucking die unnecessarily!

So, I'm gonna say here again, drug use... is a mental health issue! Generally, people use, cause they have an underlying mental illness that they are trying to cope with, or... they have deep seated trauma, that they don't know how to deal with, and once again... try to cope by using drugs. I could get into some commentary on why I think we should legalize all drugs, but that is maybe something I'll get into another time. But, what I'm getting at is... if these people learnt better ways to cope... without the use of street drugs, but proper counselling and maybe medication of some kind (if there is a mental illness involved)... I think that most if not all drug addiction issues would be solved! If we deal with drug addiction as a mental health issue, rather than an addiction issue... that the government thinks should be criminalized, I think society and humanity would be in a way better place, cause these people would have tools and proper coping techniques that will keep them away from using street drugs.

I also want to mention here, that I do think that racism, and hate... is a mental health issue as well. Think about all the time and energy someone puts into being hateful and angry at someone who has a different cultural background than themselves. They aren't happy. They have not found inner peace. They feel that they need to spread their hatred and anger. They feel that people of other cultural backgrounds should not live... some people are so angry that, they want, or are willing to take another persons life, because they are from a different culture, or are a person of color, or whatever. That, is a mental issue... and ultimately that boils down to a mental health issue.

So, once again I'm going to mention here, my music endeavor Twitch... we are trying to raise funds for the Mental Health Research Canada charity... so if you want to support this cause, in helping better research when it comes to mental health... and finding better ways to cope... from July 10th/2020 to August 7th/2020 we will be donating all album sales on our Bandcamp here to the Mental Health Research Canada charity! You can find more info about them here! 

We hope you consider supporting this great cause, and hey... I mean you'll get some great music out of it!!

Stay safe folks!

Databomb: Refuge

“Refuge” is about the Syrian refugee crisis, and refugees in general. The people that are fleeing these conflicts are trying to save their children, and their families. All they want is peace. They don’t want to see their brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, or children die. They are generally good people, they work, they take care of their families... they pray, but despite all of that, they are being forced out of their country, at the threat of violence... they flee to another country... will that new country take them in, and keep them safe, or will they turn them away? Who’s right in this conflict, the ones that are fleeing, or the ones threatening violence? Why is there a cynicism from other countries, and insist they should stay and fight? Praying isn’t working... and ultimately the question becomes 

“Why has our god forsaken us?”

“No one will take us in... will we never find peace?”

“Can you help us?”

If you haven’t heard “Refuge”, you can find it here: https://twitch-official.bandcamp.com/track/refuge

And if you haven’t yet, you can grab the album “Databomb” for a fiver ($5) here: https://twitch-official.bandcamp.com/album/databomb Not only will you be getting some Rivethead tunes you can mosh to, you’ll also be supporting a great charity (Mental Health Research Canada) in the process too!

Databomb: We All Want Peace

Ye, I think the title and subject of this song is obvious... I think everyone out there ultimately wants some kind of peace, not only outside of themselves, but inside themselves as well! I mean there are a few exceptions to this rule, but I generally think people who don’t want peace, are actually misguided and if they aren’t misguided, then they actually have something wrong with their brain, and the chemicals inside of it! At the beginning and at the end of this song there is a sample of a Japanese Peace bell.

Do you want peace? Internally, and externally? Let me know!

If you haven’t heard “We All Want Peace” yet, you can listen here: https://twitch-official.bandcamp.com/track/we-all-want-peace

Aaand, if you don’t have the album “Databomb” in your digital collection, I would highly suggest in grabbing it here: https://twitch-official.bandcamp.com/album/databomb You can grab it for a fiver ($5)!! All proceeds from this album, and matter of fact all our albums will be strictly going to Mental Health Research Canada charity! Not only are you getting great music, but you are also investing in amazing charity that focuses on mental health research!

Ok, Folks! I Am Not Doing This Shit Anymore!!

Ok, folks! I am not doing this shit anymore, I'm not fucking around anymore!!! In the last couple of months, you know, I know, everyone fucking knows the situation! The world is essentially standing still, due to this pandemic. There have been all kinds of things go on between the start of this self-isolation, and social-distancing periods. I mean the murder of black man George Floyd by a police officer in the states, the protests and riots that resulted after that. There's all kinds of political plays going on in the neighbors to the South of us. There's been an absolute lack of leadership, there. There's been well, I'm not sure how to comment on the leadership of our country, but we are certainly doing much better numbers wise with the pandemic than our southern neighbors. Although, the leadership in our Province is well, a fucking gong show... absolute fuckin insanity in the way things have rolled out here (Bill 1 anyone?) It's very concerning as a lot of friends and family are really unsure of how things are gonna roll out... remember this is all during a pandemic... all of this!

I know I am struggling right now, I know I have family and friends that are struggling, so.. that got me thinking, I've struggled a lot with my mental health over the last, well...21 years... it wasn't until these last... well since I started really trying to get Twitch out there and really starting to focus on live shows and performing which wasn't until around 2011-12, which is also when I realized music and performing were essentially keeping me sane! I will say between 1999 - 2004 was where I really struggled a lot! There were a lot of doctors and such getting involved. Most of them didn't know what was wrong with me. Then in fall of 2001, basically just after 9/11... I ended up getting into a bit of trouble. I would say though, even though I got into that trouble... there was a month period where I was talking to doctors... and I finally got the help I needed... and it put me on the path I am on today!! Course there were missteps between 2001 and 2004, but after 2004 I realized I can't do this mental illness thing, it's too stressful! So, I made a deal with myself, as well as some family and friends that when I'm feeling off, to let them know... and reach out (if you need to do this... do not be afraid, tell your close friends or supportive family members, what is going on... and make sure you tell them what you need, or what would be helpful for you)!

Course over the years I've managed to find coping techniques that work for me, but it wasn't until I decided to not do this mental illness thing and really take care of myself, and not fuckin end up in these mental places. Yes, I do have a mental illness, but I absolutely don't let it run my life, for me it was about deciding that quite frankly, I'm not fucking around anymore, I'm not wasting anymore time on this, I have dreams, and goals, and a life to live! So, where am I going with this... after some long and hard thoughts, I'm going to be raising the price of the latest Twitch album "Databomb" to $5 for a digital copy, or if you want to pay more, you can go ahead and do that... every sale of this album from now: July 10/2020 till August 7/2020 will go toward: Mental Health Research Canada! 

Here is what they are about: 

 

We advance outcomes-driven mental health that betters the lives of all Canadians.

Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) is a national, charitable organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of the 1 in 5 Canadians living with mental illness, as well as their families, caregivers and communities. We do this by advancing evidence-based mental health research that is problem-solving, cost-effective and usable in the real world.

We all have mental health. Mental health is the foundation for our emotions, thinking, communication, learning, resilience and self-esteem. It allows us to form healthy personal and professional relationships, sustain our emotional well-being, and contribute to our workplace and society. Mental illness occurs when a mental health disorder or condition disrupts our normal functioning. By the time Canadians turn 40 years old, 50% of us will have – or have had – a mental illness.

Because MHRC is committed to building knowledge that will have deep impact with Canadians, we place at the centre of our research process those who will use it – people with lived experience. We also consult and partner with other funders and stakeholders, including other mental health organizations, social agencies, entrepreneurs, business and government, in creative and collaborative ways.

Here's why I'm choosing this charity; first: the one thing that has resonated with me throughout this pandemic is my mental health and state, it is the one thing I struggle with, if there is no one to chat to or be social with... and I felt best bringing awareness for this charity and  the work that they do! I think it is very important for proper mental health research so we can better accommodate people who are struggling with their mental health, and to even learn from this pandemic on the effects how isolation affects our mental health, and better the ways we can deal with it! Although, the charities scope is vast... I think ultimately in the end, having better mental health research, will better help us understand human psychology and how to cope better in these situations and ultimately possibly help us find better coping techniques overall, and you know... if we have a better understanding of our psychology, and the way our minds work, and... ultimately what is going to bring us peace (personally), or some kind of peace internally, I think the entire world will be better off for it, and I do think truly humanity will start to have an understanding of each other, maybe learn to accept each others differences and such... and maybe we as a human species will actually find some kind of peace externally... and... yeah... I think you know what I’m getting at!

I hope you folks are well!

Here's the new Twitch album "Databomb"!

Databomb: Instructions To Your Revolution

Ye, some of you may know this, some of you may not, initially when we released this song, it was as an EP appropriately titled “Instructions To Your Revolution”, but this song was also meant to be on “Databomb” as well, so... I’ve felt this for a long time, I’ve always felt that positivity and optimism will change and evolve humanity into a better state! Positivity isn’t just something that falls into your lap, and one day you go from negative thinking and psychosomatic thinking, to positive thinking... positivity actually takes work, it isn’t some slogan for people to follow... it is an attitude and a mindset! I wasn’t always a positive person, there was a period of my life that I was filled with negativity and hate... but after having some severe anxiety, I realized that the negativity and hate, wasn’t serving me... and I started to work on my mindset, and my attitude changed... and gradually went from negative hate, to positive mentality. I really didn’t like being so fucking negative and hate filled... it was actually affecting my mental well-being... when I started to work on it (through taking care of myself physically, mentally and spiritually, and starting to set some goals) my mindset changed, and I started to feel better, and ultimately... after all these years, I’ve found peace, and started to find happiness! It really is amazing what we can do, when we set our mind to it! Course the journey isn’t over... there’s a lot to do, and many goals to reach, but I feel ultimately that positivity will change the world! That is what “Instructions To Your Revolution” is about!

If you haven’t heard it yet, you can find the song “Instructions To Your Revolution” here: https://twitch-official.bandcamp.com/track/instructions-to-your-revolution-2

Aaand, if you haven’t yet, you can download the album here: https://twitch-official.bandcamp.com/album/databomb I mean, I don’t know why you wouldn’t, it’s free!!

Databomb: Save The Freaks

(Our new album "Databomb")

The song "Save The Freaks" started as an idea, a loooooooooooooong time ago! There were some sound aspects that I had in my mind, that I thought that would be kinda cool to put in a song, and maybe perform too! This song is basically about being a freak/goth/rivethead/etc... and ultimately in the end accepting yourself for who you are and learning to love yourself. For me that involved exploring my dark side, the darkness within me. And personally, I don't think anyone truly knows themselves until they explore their entire being, and that includes our darkness. For me ultimately, in the end... I realized I loved the darkness (literal and non-literal), I love dark things, I love graveyards, I love cyberpunk literature, I love vampire fiction, I love the moon, I love going for walks at night, I love goth and industrial music... ultimately after exploring darkness, I realized that within darkness, you will find light... or even create it. I think the whole keyword here is "love"... these things I love, and these are the things that bring me happiness! As a piece of commentary, the dark doesn't have to be dreary or sad, or depressing, it can be a place of happiness, a place of love, a place of understanding there is beauty in it. That is what "Save The Freaks" is about!!

Here is "Save The Freaks"

If you haven't yet, you can download the album "Databomb" for free on our Bandcamp site here!

Yeah, I turn MATH this year... According to "Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy"

(You'll get the joke if you read the book!)

Yeah, I turn MATH this year! Yes, I turn 42 on this day, July 3rd/2020! So, what does that mean... fuck I had a lot of plans for this year... there were a lot of things I wanted to achieve... some of them I achieved; I released my 9th album "Databomb" this year! I released it despite the current circumstances... I mean, you know, I know, we all know the current situation the world is facing right now. I think everybody was dealt a pretty heavy blow this year... All of us having to self-isolate or social-distance to some degree, due to a world pandemic. I'm not gonna get too into the political situation in our neighbors to the south of Canada, but yeah... that's not looking good. Then the recent protests and riots surrounding the killing of George Floyd by police officers in the States. A very important issue surrounding systemic racism. Like I said, not gonna get into the dire political situation down there... but I mean anyone following current events or even connected on social media, fucking knows what's going on... all while there is still a pandemic with no vaccine. And then the current issues going on in our own country, and even our own province here in Canada. A lot of worrying situations.

("Databomb" was released, May 1st/2020)

Despite all of this shit, I'm remaining positive! Initially, when I was getting prepared to release "Databomb" I wanted to play live shows (in person) at local venues and beyond, but everything changed, and I was forced to do live streams in place of the live in-person shows. I did a series of those, up until the album release. I also did a bunch of experimental videos of the songs off the album, released some of them before the album release, and some after. Also, did a making of "Databomb" documentary style video, and did a series of "Meaning of" videos for each of the songs off the album! We, or well... I  was very productive! We also did some special stuff for the live stream performances as well, that if you didn't tune into them, you will have missed them... and I don't know if I'll ever make these "Digital Quarantine Packages" available ever again. I also ended up pairing down my performance rig, to something more portable, that is easily transportable, as well as easily set-up and torn down really quickly... like were talking 10 minutes for set-up and likely 5 minutes for tear down. I ended up replacing my old failing laptop with a new laptop, and purchasing a relatively small MIDI Keyboard of sorts, for live shows, as well as another piece that, will make it really easy for someone new to come in and play drums, even if they've had very little experience doing it!

Course there was some fallout this year, my guitar decided it was done working for good, and right when I was starting a music challenge... but that situation was remedied. I honestly don't know if I'll ever replace it... I might, we'll see... I also had a video camera mishap, and I managed to ruin my video camera, but that situation is getting remedied as we speak!

So, where are we here... it's my birthday, and I'm still hesitant about really committing to live streams... although, there is something in the works for sometime in July, but I can't get into too many details as it's not confirmed yet. Will I do live streams for now? I really don't know, I think for now, if I'm invited to be a part of a live stream show, then it is likely that I'll do it, but right now... I'm not quite ready to commit. I kinda want to see where things go, and when I have a better idea of what this whole situation is gonna look like, then I'll decide what is right!

(Lot's of inspiration out there these days)

There are other goals and plans I had for this year... some of them I've almost achieved, what they are... I can't say yet! You are just gonna have to wait for those... but I'm sure you'll be nicely surprised! There are also some things I wasn't planning on doing this year, but because of this period of self-isolation, I decided to do them and kind of expand my knowledge... I did do an Audio Mixing Bootcamp online course... some of you may have seen my post in the recent last little while regarding that. I've also done a Mastering Audio course as well! Why? I have the time now, to do these things, and it was something I was gonna do at some point in the future, but I thought now would be the perfect time. 

Keeping a mind occupied during these times is really important for mental health as well, as some of you may have come to learn during this pandemic. We can't be out and about, and this is especially important if you are single, and living on your own. Sometimes your mind wanders or thinks, or even overthinks things, or you start to regurgitate things that have happened in the past, or whatever... Keeping your mind occupied, and learning new things certainly helps with mindset, and mental health! At least it is for me!

(Despite the circumstances, Terminus did happen, but as a live stream festival)

One big thing that isn't happening this year, that has been tradition for me, is the Terminus Festival, I mean every fucking show or fest here and everywhere has been cancelled, or postponed to the following year. I will be honest though, I wasn't planning on going to the fest this year, as quite frankly the money that I was going to spend on going to the fest, I decided to spend on my own musical endeavor and purchase a new laptop... yeah, sometimes you have to make those sacrifices... for me it was well worth it, even if live shows aren't a thing right now, at least I've been able to utilize it for the live streams I have been doing! I will say though, I'm really missing the community... and being able to hang out with goth/rivethead types. I miss the shows, local bands, or larger bands that roll through here on tour! I miss being able to have conversations with like-minded people about music, as a general fan, or even discussing music gear, or just general inspiring conversations! I miss being inspired by live bands and such too! I will say though Terminus Fest did kind of happen, as most of you know, it was a live stream Fest rather than an in-person fest... So, I did attend most of that in the comfort of me own living room.

(Balzac "A Dark Affair"; Currently at the top of my list of favorite coffees)

I guess another thing that happened this year, I realized I love coffee... I mean if you've seen my Instagram account, I post a lot of photos of me in my studio, with a very large cup of coffee! I will be honest, I've become a bit of a snob when it comes to coffee, and quite frankly... why would I drink shit coffee if I don't have to?? I'm not sure where I would rank on the amount of different coffee I've had, but I'm always looking for a good, or an amazing cup of coffee... I'll list some of the stuff I've tried here: Starbucks (various types, this is my go to when there is nothing else available, and I drink this pretty much everyday, brewed in my own coffee machine), Van Houtte (can't quite recall exactly what types I've had... but I haven't had any of it since the first couple of bags), I've also had Kicking Horse (If I'm not mistaken, I've tried almost every type of ground coffee they offer... really excellent stuff, but I think I've found something better...), Balzac Coffee (I had my first and only bag a few weeks ago, the stuff I tried is amazing, and I do intend on drinking more of it in the future), I've also tried Phil & Sebastian as well (not sure exactly what type, but it was decent... I also received a bag of it from family friends for my Birthday, which I plan on brewing my first cup of it this weekend)! I've also had shit coffee too, but that stuff isn't important... just thought I would mention, I didn't go straight to the good or recommended stuff, in the beginning of this endeavor... there was a lot of garbage coffee, some of it I had to throw out, cause it was absolutely garbage.

(Reward for meeting my health goals!)

There were some other things too, last year... I decided I needed to do something about my overall health (mental, physical), and I joined a program called: Healthy Transformations... long story short, I was there more for health reasons than anything, but the plus side to it, was that I lost a lot of weight, and I'm back down to my ideal weight (when I was younger; around 170-180lbs). I also found that this diet (it really is a lifestyle, you eat this way for the rest of your life), really helped with my mental health, I feel a lot more clear headed. As a reward, for reaching my goal, I ended up getting a tattoo on my stomach of a special kind of ant, kind of as a way of not letting myself ever get that unhealthy or overweight ever again (no one, or well... at least, I don't want the tattoo look like shit cause of the stomach stretching cause of being overweight, and then returning to a my ideal range... and then the tattoo looks all stretched and warped)... it's a way for me to maintain my health! I also don't really drink beer anymore... my drink of choice now, when I want to celebrate, is gin with sparkling water.

There were a couple of other things that have happened in this last year, first I made a trip to a city that I've always wanted to live in (for the first time), and it met and exceeded every expectation I had, and I still want to live there! I initially went there to attend a synthesizer expo of sorts... it was a quick little trip, but as I stated, I still want to live there! The week after this trip, I also attended an Electronic Music Conference here for a day... my whole reason for attending was to see a well renowned audio engineer in the industrial music scene give a talk, Dave "Rave" Ogilvie! I had some questions for him, but I didn't even have to ask... he answered them. There were all kinds of other talks that various other speakers that I attended that day, but I was specifically there, for Mr. Ogilvie!

I guess the last piece here is, the last couple of years for Christmas, I've been doing 1 page comics, as a kind of a prequel to a larger story that has been in development for a looooong time! I intend on carrying on with these prequels until the long-format comic is done! I may not have mentioned that to some of you folks, but that is what the plan is... when will the long-format first issue comic be released..? Can't say yet, it's taking a little longer than expected, but... it will get done!!

So, that is what this last year has been, I've got plans for this coming year as well... but you are gonna have to wait and see what those plans and things are all about! As stated above, there will likely be some live streams happening! Something is definitely in the works for sometime in July, but as I said, it's not quite confirmed yet. All the plans really depend on what happens with the pandemic, whether there is a vaccine developed, and if one is, how soon we can be out and about again? Whatever happens, we will be adjusting to the circumstances!

(Your Canadian Goth/Rivethead)

Saying goodbye to 41 and hello MATH (42)!! And, if you haven't read it yet, do yourself a favor, read "Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy", you will not regret it!!

P.S.: Twitch also turned 21 this year, as of July 1st! I mean we celebrated the 20th anniversary last year with a retrospective here, but I can't believe we've been doing it for this long now!

Mixing Tests: The Inconsistency of The Various Audio Players

(Ye, old Trippingonacable Studios circa: 2001 - 2004, Calgary, AB, Canada)

Ye, so once again we are doing mixing tests, and the one thing we are noticing is the inconsistency of the various audio players. I mean that shit is fairly obvious, but ultimately quite annoying when you are trying to get somewhat of an idea of what your track sounds like when they are mixed down and rendered. I guess it's just annoying, when mixing a track down to a WAV and then playing it, in an audio player, like iTunes or the Windows Media Player, there are soo many goddamn inconsistencies in the audio (between the various audio players)... you begin to wonder, or at least for me, I wonder what exactly needs to be fixed in the track... even in iTunes... the EQ feature they have, fucks up the audio too... so you're not getting a very accurate picture of what needs to be fixed in the mixes.

The solution for me, for this issue..? First, turn off any EQing that the audio player inserts while playing the track (once again I know this is obvious, but some people may not be aware). Second, most music that is distributed online is via streaming platforms, like iTunes, Spotify, Bandcamp, etc... When mixing and mastering, I keep those platforms in mind. I will also say, as a tip: at least I've found, get the WAV file or whatever lossless audio format you are rendering to, to sound the best that it can, I've found once the WAV file sounds good, then rendering down to a MP3 things generally sound good!

There's also the tip of: listening to the rendered mix on various audio systems, like computer speakers, earbuds (on your iOS device), and maybe even in a vehicle sound system, much like they would in the past... to get somewhat of an idea of what your mix will sound like... you want to make sure that the audio is fairly consistent on all those systems!

I realize some of these tips are obvious, but in the past I wouldn't really think about this kind of stuff, and just kind of get an idea with just my monitors... it wasn't until recently, in the last few years that I've actually really started to listen to the mixes on various systems... to get a better idea of how everything sounds, and to make sure everything is fairly consistent across all those systems!

The overall feeling of these mixing sessions: things are going well with these mixing tests! I'm very happy with the way things are coming out, and progressing... and I'm learning a lot! I can't wait to utilize these new found skills in upcoming audio productions and endeavors!! As I already stated in a previous blog, things are really starting to make sense... and rather thinking of this as a science, ultimately it really is subjective, and you kinda got to keep in mind what you are going for in the mixing process, and make sure that all the tracks on whatever album or EP or whatever you're working on have a consistent mix between all the tracks on said album or EP!

P.S.: The image included in this blog is of Trippingonacable Studios, circa: 2001 - 2004, in Calgary, AB, Canada. We have come a long way since then. This was the first iteration of Trippingonacable Studios. We were using a custom PC with a Soundblaster sound card, Impulse Tracker (sequencing software), and eventually Jeskola Buzz Tracker (another sequencing software, but with inbuilt synths and all that kind of shit), combined with a Tascam Portastudio 414 (used as a mixer with audio connected into the sound card, so we could capture guitar samples. As well, we would bounce the audio down from Impulse Tracker to the Portastudio, do vocals on the Portastudio, then send them back into the computer as completed songs, and render them as WAV files or MP3s), as well as a shitty guitar, and a Samson Q mic. My monitoring was done on computer speakers with no sub-woofer. Lot's of fun in the old days, had no idea what the fuck I was doing, but as time has passed, obviously have gained a lot more experience, and I think better mixes of tracks and better songs!

The Joy that is "Life Is Peachy" by Korn

So, yeah... I do realize this album is probably their most angry album, but I will say... this album... every fucking song on it is solid!! I don't think there is one song I don't like, and listening to it lately... really enjoying it!! I do think their first "self-titled" release is probably their strongest, but there are a couple of songs on it that I feel are kind of filler. With "Life Is Peachy", absolutely every fucking song is solid! The other thing I like about this album, is that... it seems every fucking song runs into the next one, and it feels like a very consistent record between the tracks. Everything seems to fit together nicely! I'm not sure why the songs were placed the way they were on the album, but it feels very natural! Even the quality of the mixes and mastering, and the general quality of the audio is excellent as well! I feel it is very clear!

The track list is excellent; when "Twist" kicks in and it kind of sets the tone of the album... then "Chi" kicks in immediately after... there's all these weird sounds on the tracks, weird noises and shit... which have been created with guitars. Personally, I think it's awesome! I will say from a sound perspective, I find this album... well noisy, but not in the white noise sense, I find it noisy in the sense that there is a lot of interesting distortion on the guitars and as already stated, the weird noises and shit! It feels very crunchy I guess! Even the vocals, Jonathan Davis' vocals seem to have some kind of distortion on them, likely they're not, but there definitely a nice crunch to them (it could actually be the choice of mic they used for the recording of the vocals). I will also say, even though I found this album noisy, everything seems to cut through in the mixes... which to me makes this album even more interesting cause, despite the noise, everything seems to fit in place and makes the overall sound of the album better!!

As most of you know, Korn is a huge influence for Twitch! And, I love going back to these earlier releases and really just listening and not only just enjoying the album, cause of the sound quality of the mixes, but finding inspiration within these tracks and applying some of this to my own endeavor!! There's also a lot of memories associated with these albums, a time and place of where I was at and my first time actually listening to this album. I think when I first heard this, I was in my first band Adam Hates You! at the time... and I remember seeing the music video for the song "A.D.I.D.A.S", it was fucked... seeing the band in a morgue and writhing around and all that kind of shit... it's kind of funny, cause that song is about well, their use of the acronym is: All Day I Dream About Sex... and the video is of them in a morgue. If I'm not mistaken, that was the only song off that album, that saw a music video treatment, but such a great song!!

Even though their first "Self-titled' release was explosive from the get go, this album seems more focused and refined in the sound! Yet, still explosive!

I will say here; outside of the genre nu-metal... I don't really listen to any other metal genre... unless we are talking about industrial metal... then that is whole other beast (Fear Factory anyone?). I will be honest here, I was tempted to put something in here about sound design, but out of all honesty, I think most metal bands, don't really do a lot of sound design type stuff (unless there is major use of synthesizers; ie: Industrial Metal)... I will say though, there is a certain quality of sound here... not necessarily sound design aspects, but certainly in the way the album was recorded, mixed, and mastered!

Love this album... and I will say, out of all honesty I think my favorite tracks off this album are "A.D.I.D.A.S." and "Wicked"!

What do you folks think of this album?

P.S.: Hey we released a new album called "Databomb", you can download it here!

Mixing Tests: Subjectivity...

(Ye, things are going well!!)

Well, today's mixing test went well!! I'm starting to get a feel for doing all this mixing, and things are starting to make sense! If you've done any mixing of music or audio, you would know the process is subjective, but if you keep in mind what you are going for with your audio, between tracks... then at least I'm finding things make sense and really fit together! I will be honest, for previous audio efforts, and albums, the mixing process was really experimental for me, and stuff that I would do in the mixes would really be stuff that I've picked up from various videos and tutorials on the internet (especially YouTube)... but after doing this audio mixing bootcamp, initially I was feeling a little directionless, cause I wasn't sure what to do... but things started to make sense, after kind of deciding, what exactly I wanted my mixes to sound like, and after a lot of trial and error, and kind of working with the audio that I have/had... and then being consistent with that mixing decision through all the mixes for this testing! Also, a little query here and there from various friends with how they do their audio mixes... and also keeping in mind what I want the end result to sound like after the mastering process (if the mixes need anything in the end)!

I'm very satisfied with where things are going, there's been lot's of learning, in the beginning of my music endeavor, I really didn't have any idea what I wanted my mixes for my previous albums to sound like, and as the years passed and picking up tips here and there, for a while, I thought there was kind of science to it, but ultimately there isn't... as stated above mixing is subjective, and it really is up to the mix/audio engineers ears and what they want the final mixes to sound like, while keeping in mind what a band or artist kinda has in mind for the mixes as well. 

I would say, things are going well!

Mixing Tests: Ear Fatigue?

(Ear Fatigue?)

Ok, so there is definitely a debate whether ear fatigue is real or not. Quite frankly, I don't know... I listen to music everyday, there really is no quiet time for me (except for when I meditate), I pretty much have something going on in the background all day, every day... and when I'm writing, typically in the past I would write/record and constantly be listening to sections of the track and then sometimes the full track, to hear how it all fits together.

When I think about ear fatigue, quite frankly, that is the one thing that we ultimately can't get away from... sound, if there is wind, rustling leaves, cars going by, fans, buzzing of fridges or microwaves, people, sirens (depending on where you live), we can't actually turn off our ears (even meditating, there is some noise outside that ultimately our ears can't block). So do we actually experience ear fatigue? Being that we can't really turn off our ears... there is no silence (maybe unless you are in outer space, but that might be a discussion for another time). I will tell you though, during these mixing tests, I find actually stepping away and not listening to the audio for like 5 to 10 minutes, and then coming back to it, helps. Now, I wouldn't equate that to ear fatigue necessarily, I would more equate that as stepping away, and then coming back to it with a fresh mindset.

What are your thoughts? When you mix, do you feel you get ear fatigue? Or do you feel ear fatigue is not real?

Mixing Tests... Monitor Placement!

(Mixing Tests...)

So, I'm doing these mixing tests... you know, more as something to learn and... I'm realizing why it's very important to have your desk, and monitor placement correct... The unfortunate part in all of this, is that I don't really have the space to setup my studio, the way it should be setup, and I don't really have the room to add a couple of monitor stands to my studio either... buuuut, I know I should at least raise the monitors on my desk so they are level with my ears, cause quite frankly, I realize that I'm not hearing things properly, and I'm finding I bend over a lot so that I can actually get an idea of the "true" sound that is coming out of my monitors... gotta find a way to raise them on my desk. I know that isn't the best or perfect solution, but at least it will do in the interim, until I can setup my studio the way, or very close to the way it should be.

Any of you folks know of an affordable way to raise studio monitors on your desk?

Studio Diary: Night... Structure?

(Night... Structure?)

Yep, today's session (June 9/2020) was excellent! Very productive, got everything done at around the 8:30pm mark! Today's track was, once again a lot of fun to make! This whole process has been a lot of fun, and I'm really enjoying the new things I'm learning, and new ways I'm doing things! 

It's very exciting, and I will say this again I love working with my synth pretty much exclusively for this challenge! Moving forward... for future albums, I'm exclusively gonna be using my hardware synths (Yamaha EX7, and DX100) for all sound creation, outside of guitars!

I will say this again too, even though I don't really have the luxury of time, and once I'm done writing one album, I should move on to the next... I will say, I'm glad I did take the time away from writing/recording for the length that I did (10ish months). The sound design and programming is vastly different than what I had initially envisioned, and I think this album will be better for it! I will also say, even though I don't like the isolation, it has truly been an inspiration! After a certain point of this period of self-isolation, my ideas and thoughts around what I was gonna do for this has changed... and like I said, I think this is better because of it!

I've also got a lot of new ideas for performance aspects and the live show and all that kind of stuff! When this challenge comes to a close, the way I do things musically, will be vastly different from what I normally would have done things! The one thing that is sticking in my mind? Get the ideas out, as they come out!! Personally, I feel the songs are better off this way... and is waaaay more natural, than sitting for hours deliberating on things that ultimately don't matter in the communication of the song!

Sooo much inspiration out there! So much to do, so much to learn! Loving every minute of this!!

Studio Diary: WeeoooWeeoooWeeoo!

(WeeooWeeooWeeoo! What is this..?)

Well, another productive evening in the studio!! Once again knocked off another song! Making a lot of progress these days!! The song for this session (June 8/2020) was taken from concept to completion today! Once again, the vocals were the last thing to do, though this time around, the session was coming to a close around 8:20pm... so it wasn't quite the end of the night, but did vocals, and song done!!

So far this challenge has been a lot of fun!! I'm getting things done a lot quicker than I normally would, which ultimately is making me think that, my normal process, does not need to be as long and drawn out as it is, at least for some of the stuff I do! I have made it a goal to write at least one song per day during this challenge... it really forces me to really only utilize the tracks and not get too fuckin detailed with shit. A lot of the tracks I've written out of this process have been very minimal, I think the highest track count I got to for a song was near 18 tracks (I think)... The other thing is, is after a track is considered finished, I'm not going back to them to listen to what I have done, I just get to a point, where I feel the track is done, and finish things up, and then move onto the next song! I'm also writing the songs one at a time, typically in the past when I was working on an album, I would start a track, and work on it, till I get to a point where I have no new ideas, so I set the track aside, start a new one... and kinda work that way, and then when it felt right, I would go back to the unfinished tracks and eventually finish them. The process sometimes took weeks or months, sometimes there was a lot of listening too, but now that I'm trying to do a song a day... I'm just focusing on one song at a time, trying to get my ideas, as soon as they come out... which is helping me finish the tracks, cause I'm not really messing around all that much, everything is more focused, and I've found when getting my ideas out in this fashion, it is actually a lot easier to finish songs!!

I will also say here, I'm not recording any (new) guitars on my own, and actually, I'm using royalty free and creative commons samples for various guitar parts, as well as stuff that I recorded a long time ago, in the past that I've never used before (thank fuckin christ I built a guitar sample bank, with a bunch of stuff that I wasn't sure what to do with)!

This process has been a lot of fun!! The challenge so far has been very eye opening, in what I'm capable of, and there has been a lot of learning (I know I've already mentioned this, but... I'm just having a lot of fun, and when this challenge is done, I can't wait to share this stuff with you)!! Ultimately, this challenge will end eventually, and I'll have to figure out what the next challenge is (already have an idea, but I'll get into that another time)!

Studio Diary: Light everlasting?

(Light everlasting?)

Ye, today (June 7/2020) was a very productive day, have knocked off two songs! Today's session was full of happy accidents. I was initially gonna create a neat little arpeggiated sequence, but as I was playing, this recorded bit started playing in the background, but at a higher speed and pitch... when listening to it, in context of the song, it worked with the song, and fit exactly what I was going for! Sometimes these little happy accidents happen, and the results end up being amazing!

I will say, the first song I worked on today... I was intentionally going in one direction, but as the song started to take shape, it turned into something entirely different! I'm loving this! I'm loving this challenge, I'm loving the output and stuff that is being written, the way it's coming out, and all the learning in the process! I'm well ahead of where I want to be!!

Sooo, much inspiration out there! 

I will say this again folks, I know a lot of you typically don't do something creative, unless you feel inspired, but I will be honest, sometimes you just have to sit down and pick up the pen/brush/pencil, play guitar/keys/drums what have you, and put it on paper/canvas, record/write etc... it may not look/sound perfect, it may be crap, but at least you are doing something, and sometimes that's all it takes! I know for myself, as of lately, I've been doing something creative every day, and sometimes I don't feel like it, but if you wait until you feel like it, it may never happen or get done. You gotta do these things despite your feelings! I know I've found, after years of doing this consistently (at least once a week), the ideas come out much more quickly, and easily, and sometimes it's inspiration, and sometimes it's just me going through the motions. The last little bit I'm gonna say here, I know some of you folks have heard me say this before, but I will say it again, ultimately life is very short, if we are lucky we live to 100... 100 years isn't actually all that long... think about the last 10 years, how quickly did that go by? I think you are getting what I'm saying!

Hope you folks are staying safe and are well!