u l t r a m e e k

GO HERE

2008-12-09T09:40:00.003-06:00

Click on the link below, this is the new location for 'ultrameek' blog:
U L T R A M E E K

Find A Solution To Trouble

2008-11-17T22:23:00.002-06:00

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Trouble let me be.

What is my personal solution to Trouble? Well mine is simple really and has zero to do with making music. This may not be helpful to anyone who comes here for music...But, my music making has hit a solid wall. Between loosing a dear old friend and having the majority of my left hand numb and useless from a pinched nerve in my neck...Well, you can see how it might affect my writing.

Solution: A good book and extra sleep. The book lets me exercise my mind while resting my arm, neck and hand. The sleep lets me rest both my mind and my body. Both allow for a healthy distraction from reality.

I hope when I am done with the book that I will feel up to writing again and maybe my hand will be at least better if not one hundred percent?

Trouble.

2008-11-15T12:56:00.001-06:00

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"Trouble" by Cat Stevens and featured on the soundtrack to one of the greatest films ever made; "Harold & Maude".

Everyone just go out and love some more.

A Testimonial

2008-10-20T21:59:00.003-05:00

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I was genuinely surprised and grateful for the opportunity to be asked to give a "Testimonial" for the site New Music Strategies (which you can also find a link to in the side bar). NMS is a very informative and helpful web site for musicians, producers, promotion & marketing concerning the digital transformation that is currently in full swing.

Andrew Dubber runs the site and is ridiculously credentialed and well informed to take on the task. Andrew also manages to maintain several other sites which you can link to on the NMS page. Even though I have managed to show my ignorance and my ass in some comments I have left at NMS over the last two years, Andrew is also very personable and happy to respond to sincere and respectful inquiries.

The testimonial's change each time you refresh the page so you may not see mine at first click. That and the fact that it is not listed as "ultrameek". None the less, I felt the need to make a post here acknowledging Andrew and letting any of the folks who managed to find their way here via the link from my testimonial know the following:

I have neglected this blog recently and I am actually currently executing a move from this blog over to my Wordpress blog. I am presently getting it organized and loaded with media before I begin directing folks that way. As soon as I have the pieces in place I will lead people in that direction.

Having said that, I will now continue with the slow migration process (it is only slow because I have very little time to allocate towards it right now).

Cheers,
m e e k

OCT2008CD Track List

2008-10-12T03:05:00.004-05:00

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**CLICK ON THE IMAGE OF THE TEXT TO GET A MUCH CLEARER VIEW**

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For those few of you who received one of these the other night, here is the track list. I hope you were interested enough in the tunes to find your way here, and THANKS!

(Sorry the text is so small there...the import did not go quite as planned...I will try to revise the image soon)

I Did This the Other Day...

2008-09-28T22:16:00.002-05:00

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I Have been working on remixing an older track of mine from 2006. Below is an iMeem embed player with the current state of the mix. Just thought I would post it here for the few who might care to have a listen and maybe even give some feedback(?)

RMX weRthe1s.mp3 - Ultrameek

My First A/V Experiment...

2008-09-21T19:34:00.008-05:00

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Hi there to those of you who find your way here. Thanks for that. Below is my first attempt at editing audio and video...There are obvious flaws in the audio mix, it is a bit "hot" as the term goes in the studio environment. "Hot" means that it is a bit distorted from volume issues in the mix. Sorry for that...none-the-less, here it is and let me give credit where credit is due:

The video below comes from the movie "Appleseed Ex Machina" and is the property of Shiro Masamune / Seishinsha. I have manipulated and edited the video in minor ways to fit the audio score that I placed with it.

The music is an original piece I composed called: "Get It Done"

It was not meant to go specifically with this video. It was written over a year ago and it just happened to be the best fit in my first video/audio experiment. Little to no other effort was put into this other than finding an old track of mine to fit into the time frame of the edited video. Some parts work really well together while others are hit or miss.

It's Been a Good Year #37

2008-09-19T23:54:00.002-05:00

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I recently turned 38 and I have to say it has been the best adult birthday yet. And not for some remarkable gift or even specific moment or event. It just felt good, you know? I have all the things that matter most to me and several of the things I have selfish value for, like making music, are mine to pursue and enjoy too. Nothing monumental, just able to do it and that means a lot all by itself.

I still haven't managed to define a focus in style / genre but what I have managed to do is define a focus concerning production quality. That is huge for me; to be able to focus, understand and implement the tasks required to improve sonic quality. I am just beginning to understand how to make each sound have that tailored quality it deserves and the song deserves.

Got a wicked old school vintage-copy tin Star Wars lunch box for my birthday! Best!
(it's backwards in the photo via iSight camera, sorry)

Cheers,
m e e k

Possible Live Set (option 1)

2008-09-12T23:53:00.002-05:00

This here is a potential live set I might be playing soon. These are just the song choices and potential order I would play them. There will be edits made for the live adaptation of course.

9 2008 originalSET (option 1)

First "Mix" in over 10 years!!

2008-09-06T23:31:00.002-05:00

Have a listen...it is more of a "radio show" type of podcast thing...not so concerned with sick beat matching so much as song choice and how they created a journey (maybe?...be critical but kind, I am rusty!) - Click the link below:

9 2008 MIX v1.mp3 - DJ ultrameek

The Future of the DJ (now VJ)

2008-08-23T19:30:00.002-05:00

CONCENTRATE, FOCUS

2008-08-20T19:58:00.004-05:00

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I have been thinking about my "Strategic Alliances / Industry Connections" that I have so far failed to tap into fully.

The problem is that I come to the table with moderate to minimal offerings in terms of quality. I have managed to get myself connected to some respectable Media Music companies (production libraries, soundtracks, scores & cues), and yet I have not produced any fruit from these connections. Why?

Answer: I get side-tracked.

I need to point out that my family (wife, kids, siblings, parents) are NOT what side-tracks my progress.

It is when I am actually working on my music. I find myself just wandering through sounds that please me...the "songs" drifting all over the place with no clear direction. This is not how the majority of composing / songwriting should be done.

That type of writing has it's place and always should. But when you want to write a song, I believe it takes effort and not just ability.

The ability to make music is really innate and constant in those who tap the talent. The discipline to compose / write "songs" is a whole other consideration.

As an adult composer / producer I need to consider processes, procedures, and practices at putting the aforementioned 'effort' into my songwriting. And this needs to be applied specifically to soundtracks, scores & cues work.

Why concentrate my efforts primarily in that one avenue of Media Music?

The short answer is: my age and my lifestyle.

To elaborate; I am well past the 17 to 29 year old demographic. What that means is that music artists between the ages of 17 - 29 (and I would even say 15 to 29) are in the sweet spot for attaining popular music success. This makes sense of course because those are golden years of low responsibility and many of the hopeful young artists out there have not gotten married or had children (yet).

Once you find yourself a spouse and father, priorities are based on responsibility and that can drastically change a musicians access to the most efficient or rather common forms of promotion: Socializing, networking, playing late night gigs every weekend, etc., etc.

So having taken my 10 year hiatus from the gigs, events, clubs and parties...Well, the appeal of such a life style is much less for me and just doesn't rank very high on my priorities list.

This is where we find the conclusion of the long answer to the question: Why concentrate your efforts in a specific area of potential music success?

It just makes more sense for a reclusive, domesticated person who has a passion for making music, to find the outlet that best suits their life style.

I will continue to always pepper my works with l o n g, self indulgent, electronica...But my primary writing focus from here on forward will be more self critical. More designed and precisely constructed for a purpose.

I believe this will result in better music as well as personal satisfaction, along with brighter prospects with the production libraries I have signed on with to contribute my works to.

All my previous works (long and short) will always be available for those of you who have enjoyed the work so far...But those of you who have taken a shine to the electronica full length material will need to have patience in waiting for enough material for a full length release.

But hey! I have over 60 viable full length tracks in my back catalog...unreleased, even! So there is plenty of compiling I can do to assemble at least another four or five full length albums.

Well that's enough public soul searching from me for now.

Cheers,
m e e k

Thanks To All Of You...

2008-08-17T01:10:00.006-05:00

- - - - - - - / - - - - - - - / - - - - - - - / - - - - - - - / - - - - - - - / - - - - - - - / - - - - - - - / - - - - - - /

Thanks to all of you who graciously accepted my CD the evening of 8/16/08. I know there were not many and I will do what I can to make more available. I do hope you enjoyed it.

Anyone wanting to make contact please feel free to comment here at this blog or for those of you with the CD in your possession, there are multiple points of contact listed on the printed insert. I know it was a little bit ghetto-style packaging wise, but time was short and I am so on a budget here! I tried to provide enough contact and web addresses to at least give those of you interested some sign posts to more about me and my work.

A Brief History on the Evolution of u l t r a m e e k :

It was 1988 and I had been DJing for about a year playing everything from Skinny Puppy to the Pet Shop Boys...it was a time of learning for me. It was great to be brought into electronic music at such a diverse time in its evolution.

I bought myself a sequencer workstation by 1989 and went from being a modestly skilled drummer, bass, piano and guitar player to being a DJ turned beat maker. From 1989 to 1991 I was involved in an electronic group (there were three of us) producing "Industrial/Pop/Techno" in the vein NIN meets Information Society. An odd combination I will concede.

By 1993 I had had various residencies at clubs and had also begun making the Rave circuit between Tennessee and Missouri. I had continued to produce music with a few different partners under the name "Ventilated Whiz Kid" and eventually around the early part of 1994 I had established a fairly solid duo named "SoulFoodSystems".

"SoulFoodSystems" put together many of their own events as well as play many "Chill Rooms" at various parties of all sizes. Anywhere from 60 to 6000 heads in the place depending on the event. We specialized in a hybrid of ambient-trip hop-jungle-techno of all kinds of tempo's.

That lasted up until around 1996 when I began my relationship with Velocity Recordings Inc. under the alias': Whizdom & DJ Whize (pronounced wise!)

I released one progressive drum -n- bass / trip hop 12" vinyl on Velocity in 1997. Only 1000 pressings were made but I managed to sell all of them (to my knowledge) even though the master mix was atrocious! And believe it or not I didn't do the master mix myself.

As of 1998 I became a husband and father. At that time I decided to make the choice to live up to my responsibility as a spouse and parent. From 1998 to 2006 very little happened in the way of music production for me. In 1999 I flew up to the Velocity studios in New York to work on some tracks that never panned out. After that the next several years were spent enjoying the experience of parenthood.

2006 saw the arrival of an opportunity to begin making music again. I was able to purchase a studio rig and immediately began making music again as u l t r a m e e k and here I am.

I have spent most of my time doing "Scores & Cues" work (soundtracks) for the production library at Messy Music located on the west coast. And when I am not writing :30 to 2:00 bits of music for production libraries, I spend my time indulging myself in whatever sounds tickle my fancy for the moment.

I am still in the process of designing a "Live Rig" so that I can perform. But even until then, I have been assured by various good friends that they could loan me gear for performing live if needed.

So there you have it for those of you who received a CD and are wondering where this person producing this music came from. There are a handful of people left in the local club / electronic music scene who know me from previous decades (and those few are for the most part DJ's and producers that came up with me)...but I have the feeling there is a large group of new folks milling about who know nothing of it.

Thanks again for those of you who got a CD and even more thanks to those of you who take enough interest to find out more about me. (Oh, and sorry for those of you who might not have liked the CD at all!)

Cheers,
m e e k

A Variant On the New Noise

2008-08-14T23:32:00.004-05:00

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I have uploaded a second mix of "HaveYourCrewStepOut" on to my Myspace page:

u l t r a m e e k

It is being included on what I guess could be called an album(?)...I don't know that I would go so far as to say that. But what I have done is sift through my excessive back catalog as well as the newer things, and I compiled 10 tracks to release in various ways (all of them being FREE).

I have already made a handful of CD's that I will be handing out at a local benefit event thrown to raise money for LFO Radio a locally based electronic music Internet radio station. The event is this Saturday the 16th and it is called "hOOkUp". It will be held at The Full Moon Club which is located above Zinnies East on Madison in midtown Memphis. You can click the LFO Radio link above for more details.

I also plan to deliver the files for free per request via e-mail or even FTP. I am also planning on uploading the "album" on to my iMeem page for free download. Just trying to spread the noise and generate some interest.

Cheers,
m e e k

A Star Is Aborted

2008-08-12T19:04:00.003-05:00

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"What Does It Mean To Be A "Professional Musician"?

Read that link if you like or proceed to read the quote I lifted from it and continue on reading my praise for the original post and a bit of a rant from me.

"There are very few jobs anywhere in the world where you can conceivably use the fact that you're far too busy going to parties and getting drunk as an excuse for not doing what you're supposed to do. That record labels play the role of enabler in feeding the crass teenage rock star fantasies of the artists they sign is both astonishing and tragic."

It needs to be said / posted / printed in as many places as is humanly (computer aided even) possible!

I really enjoyed this entire post, it is probably my favorite so far regarding the musician / artist / industry and its constantly evolving digital environment. If only this lesson could have been taught more vigorously prior to the digital revolution. A much less saturated environment.

Musicians, singers, rappers, artists....we are a dime a dozen. Technology and economy have made this possible. A rampant disregard for quality television and multi media marketing have fed our youth's heads with the idea that "star" is an actual career choice...rather than the windfall of talent properly encouraged and managed. This is not to suggest that there have not always been "Industry Created Cash Cows" throughout the history of entertainment. What I am suggesting is that the vast majority of respected and remembered artists / musicians came to be recognized as "stars" because they were / are that good (or great) at what they do.

I do not think any of those you or I might place in that category just "decided" they would become a star. They most likely pursued their passion and at some point found themselves in the right place at the right time and eventually talking to the right person. And it was easier 20, 30, 40 years ago. You could not assemble a studio and produce your own record for around $5k like today. (OK haters, proceed to reiterate the immortal point that no one can actually get a full LP length professional recording accomplished for $5k)

To the point (hopefully); Every other tween, teen or 20 + pop culture misfit wants to be a "star"...sadly, some of them will succeed. Many, many, many more of them will spend a large portion of their lives trying to "arrive" only to find themselves grown adults with a considerable chip on their shoulder...and no fame or fortune.

Musicians, artists; Do what you love and do it because you love it. Be smart, be consistent all the while as you pursue your passion...and you can be in the right place at the right time and eventually talk to the right person. Those are the keys to any chance at this music gig...they have been the same since the music "business" began...The differences now are much, much, much, much more folks can afford the gear and generate noise you must filter through. But this also means that genuine artists / musicians have access to better more affordable tools to achieve their goals.

whew*
Too long

New Tune On Myspace Player...

2008-08-10T03:03:00.003-05:00

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Please proceed to the new noise by clicking the
next word: L I N K A R I F I C !

Of course it is a first draft...BUT hey, it's the first "new" thing I have done in quite a while. I am sure I will be returning to it for revisions / edits many times over...maybe?

Anyone Visiting Here Ever Heard of Lewis Taylor?

2008-08-07T21:09:00.003-05:00

Well if you have then you are wise in my book if you respect what he can do. For those of you who have not heard of Lewis Taylor, I would like to take this time to introduce you to a very talented and soulful artist.

The album cover above represents what I consider to be his best collected work. "The Lost Album" to my understanding is a collection of works he had been working on in between all the various Neo-Soul work he had released in the first few years of this decade. I consider all of his work to be 98% worth listening to daily and 100% of it to be genius! But the lost albums swirling meanderings through so many genres of influence...well it just blends all too nicely.

You can hear elements of 1970's progressive songwriting pop inclinations with hints of Al Green and Marvin Gaye while the ghosts of Hendrix and Curtis Mayfield find their spirits all over the guitar layers throughout. You can hear Todd Rundgren inspiration while Beach Boy style vocal arrangements flow through with no cheese factor at all. I know that is a lot of comparisons to throw at any one artist, but Lewis Taylor really shows such versatility, range and influence. It is just refreshing to hear an artists take the chances he has with his work and find success.

The truly remarkable aspect to it for me as a musician is knowing that he is 100% playing all the instruments, singing all the vocals including background, he is producing, mixing and essentially self releasing his work. He does it all. Bass, Drums, Guitar, Vocals, Keys...all of it! And engineering it to boot! I admire the man.

If his sound is your cup of tea I would strongly suggest heading to an iTunes store to grab one of his four LP's there...each only $9.99!

Stoned Pt. 1
Stoned Pt.2
The Lost Album (get this one first)
Limited Edition - 2004 (a collection of previously unreleased stuff)

For those of you who manage to go and check him out, I hope you like him. I am sorry for those who did not end up digging him. I did not mean to waste you time!

That link to Lewis Taylor again.

Pathetic Wasn't It?

2008-08-05T20:05:00.001-05:00

. . . . . . . . . . .
That previous post was weak as hell. I was just using it as an excuse to put up a picture. I do really like the record though! I meant every word.

I Like Radiohead

2008-08-05T19:42:00.002-05:00

And I really, really like their most recent LP "In Rainbows". And why shouldn't I? It is an excellent piece of musical art. It explores and experiments with sounds without sacrificing musicality. Many artists have a tendency to try so hard to be different that they end up with noise rather than music (in my simple opinion). Radiohead almost did this with "Kid A" so much as my personal tastes know.

"In Rainbows" is a cool drink after the tap water that has been saturating the popular music culture. To my ears I hear the blending of sounds and influences ranging from traditional western s, classic old soul, art-tech electro, 1970's pop...I could go on. The group has found a way to meander all these subtleties into cohesive modern songs, yes songs.

I also appreciate how they have gone about their business too. They seem to stay ahead of the curve as far as heavily exposed media contributers.

If you have not given it a listen, yu should go and check out "In Rainbows"

Image Content In Your Blog

2008-08-05T00:01:00.002-05:00

I read somewhere that people like images in the blogs they read. I gather that they grab and possibly hold your attention or draw you to read what the image is about. Unfortunately for you the image above has no explanation, it was just dropped in to lure you to this text. I guess it worked!

I am writing this little entry just to say I am going to try and find images to sprinkle into the actual blogs...not just the ones in the side bar. As I consider what I want to write about I will try to gather images and insert relevant links in (hopefully) all my posts. I really don't think it would be to tedious at all really. Thanks to Google image search it is easy to find plenty of "royalty free" image content. Not to mention any of my own that could liven it up?

We will see how this goes, we will see just how lazy I can be! Let's hope not.

I Hate Blogs & Social Networks!

2008-07-31T11:40:00.005-05:00

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OK, seriously it is a love / hate relationship I have with blogs and social networks. I too often feel like I am drowning in a sea of digital content and such a minuscule amount floats! The buoyancy I am in need of is the kind that speculates much, much less and deals with facts much, much more. It seems as if the majority of digital commentary (mine included, like right now even) is speculation...I speculate.

I really miss the days when you would cut and paste together a flyer and head off to the copy shop to make a few hundred to pass out...Then go set up gear and wait for the crowd to arrive and play them a song. As easy as the Internet is supposed to have made it for the musician, I would contend that the only peoples who have been gifted by this pre-supposed ease are the consumers. I will whole-heatedly agree that the Internet has made it much, much easier for the fan / consumer to get exactly what they desire in the least amount of time with the least amount of trouble.

As for the musician...well, I would contend that the Internet & technology have created a deluge of arm-chair music critics turned musician. The saturation is unheard of, unprecedented! The battle against obscurity is the deadliest it has ever been for music careers everywhere...including for major recording labels. The only hope a musician has lies with his contacts data base.

Now more than ever it comes down to "who you know". If you make good music that is all good and well but if you do not have the contacts to couple with your creations you might as well play your songs for your siblings and call it a career. You absolutely, positively have to make contact with people already embedded in the professional music environment if you want any hope of profitable progress. (And YES, profit is 99% of the reason any of us bother with establishing a Mysapce, iMeem, etc. page...no matter how you try to defend your artistic integrity)

So what will I do? I guess I will stick with what I have going on right now and be thankful for the contacts that I do have (and I do have some). I will try to make a higher quality of music so that I can actually utilize these valuable contacts I have. For me the most frustrating part is that I have at least three viable outlets for profiting from my music and I have yet to produce something any of them want bad enough. This is why I say I must step up the quality of what I am doing and spend less fucking time wandering around the net listening to arm-chair-critics dissect a hopelessly saturated music environment.

Bitchity, bitch, bitch, bitch.

Tools -vs- Talent -vs- Contacts

2008-07-28T18:19:00.000-05:00

More tools (toys) just means more ways to make whatever it is you make or do whatever it is you do. Yes the touch screen interface that can operate high end applications with the least latency will climb to the top. Yes the applications that make it easiest for each of us to do or create what we do will be utilized.

The bottom line (for the musician) always comes down to the music they are making, if they enjoy making it and if they can find the most efficient way to distribute it (no matter the platform)...Winning the battle lies in defeating obscurity.

All across the web there are blogs and comments / debates about the "best" way to make that happen. It still comes down to getting your "foot in the door". Elvis Costello does not have to concern himself with such things and neither do any of the other artists who have managed to stay around (sell music, concert tickets, etc.) for the last 10 to 20 years.

Technology just adds to the saturation in the music markets and really just concerning the "new" artists. Anyone by whatever means who manages to get their foot in the door and be heard by the right ears will find all the tools they need to succeed readily at their disposal.

Make great music, get it in the hands / ears of the right people by whatever means works and you will surely find success with or without a low latency touch screen. The "death" of this and the death of that is all relevant to your ability to make good music as much and maybe more so as your ability to make the right connections.

Almost every success story in music has a very important connection point...meaning that someone with clout heard something they liked (whether it be on a CD, at a show, on the Internet, etc.) and the rest becomes music history.

So I really don't think one tool or toy will change any of that...it will just make for further saturation and a thicker blanket of obscurity to overcome. The best advice is to make great music and get it heard by whatever means possible...If that means "Data-Paks" or Interactive CD / DVD...all of it returns to talent and connections. (And to reiterate; connections almost more so.)

Thanks...

2008-07-24T22:57:00.002-05:00

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To any of you who recently received some kind of notice via Facebook, for coming by the blog and hopefully validating my authorship of it. Sorry there is not anything too terribly interesting here (Yet I think)...but as I gain some organization and momentum hopefully this will improve.

If you managed to link to any of my music or listen to the tunes on the iMeem player to the right, well thanks for that too!

Sincerely,
m e e k

I Should Podcast...but I don't

2008-07-24T20:32:00.002-05:00

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But maybe I will once I get some shiz together for such a thing? I was just listening to the Solid Steel podcast that is free via iTunes. I have always been a fan of Ninja Tune (a fantastic and gusto driven UK label owned and operated by the great Coldcut).

Inspiration all around me as I spin my wheels ferociously.

Punk Is King and Always Has Been

2008-07-23T14:59:00.004-05:00

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A friend of mine who shall remain anonymous (the irony of that which only he and I will understand) has made me think real hard about what I am doing musically. Not by questioning me or by directly feeding me information or guidance, he steered me via his own music. I was inspired. This anonymous friend has made some truly telling music that has obviously come from his soul (or whatever you want to call it). Some of it is dark...OK, most of it but that is not the point. The point is that the music comes from something real and not just from boredom or monetary expectation. I suffer mostly from the former in regards to my music making. I do it out of pleasure from boredom.

I want to make Punk Rock music. Don't get it twisted folks, you need to know what Punk Rock is before you decide it is a drastic departure from my perceived genre of Electronica. In fact you need to break apart any preconceptions regarding genre because genre is dead except in a very broad sense of the word.

Rock

Jazz

Country

Classical

There is nothing else after those four. Those are the only four genres and everything else stems from them. Really, think about it. Once you have accepted this then continue reading.

I want to make all four and never be able to tell them apart but I do not see that happening too easily. I am tired of worry and stress over what will fit where and who will like it and who will buy it or for that matter even listen to it! Screw it I say! I want to make music that means something to me.

Rant, rant, rant.

Misguided Logic

2008-07-22T22:04:00.002-05:00

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Logic seems to have decided to go all wonky on me. I am not sure what has happened but what I do know is that my songs are not loading / playing properly as of this evening. Thanks to medication I seem to be dealing with it rather calmly...but it still has me quite concerned.

For those of you who visit and are not privy to what Logic is (see images in the sidebar), Logic is the software that I use to compose my monstrous noises that occasionally develop into what could be loosely described as music. Logic Pro is the DAW that I use and I really depend on it to be stable and reliable. It is not being either of those at this moment. Tracks are failing to load properly and sounds are missing or just plain screwy. It kind of sucks in a big way.

Now my glass half full side sees promise in the possibility of a remedy via upgrading to the latest version of Logic. Ideally the upgrade would realign the stars in my favor and re-establish stability in the overall performance of the software (in theory). I have yet to write that one true piece of music that I could say I am 100% proud of and maybe the upgrade could give me a clean slate to start over with all my future attempts at writing. The downside being that I would possibly loose the last two years worth of work...but as I mentioned; the last two years of work are really just a long learning phase for me and nothing I am ready to put my golden seal of approval on.

I am torn about how to handle it at this time and I am writing this here to kind of vent and think aloud as to what my next move is. I am inherently lazy in many regards...or rather I have been lazy up to this point. The idea of upgrading and starting fresh, utilizing all that I have learned over the last two years seems pretty appealing to me. But I can't say I won't be sad to loose some of the tunes I have grown to care about.

I have repeatedly said in comments here and on other blogs that my current stash of tunes is far from the level of quality I want to achieve in my music. Having created that state of mind within my brain is the thing that pushes me towards the thought of upgrading rather than spending the next several weeks troubleshooting whatever the problem is within the software at this time.

As for the tunes that exist across the web under the ultrameek moniker, well I say let them float freely across the web and thanks to all of you who have and currently enjoy them. But let this post be notice that those tunes may never make it past their current point of existence since I may not be able to recover, refine and re-issue them.

Stay tuned for the next chapter in the ultrameek saga that is my battle with technology and the lack of knowledge I have in mastering it! If all goes well maybe I will start up the machinery tomorrow and all will be fine but otherwise look forward to better, more well crafted tunes following what appears to be the impending upgrade to Logic Studio.

This upgrade also puts off the live rig I have been planning to assemble but I am trying to convince myself that this is acceptable and that the live rig will follow shortly after the upgrade.

It is a sad day in the oxymoronic ultrameek studio...and that means things only get better from here. Wish me luck!

Cheers,
m e e k

H O T ! ! !

2008-07-21T17:57:00.001-05:00

Holy jeez-frackin'-lawd-all-my-tee!!!!

106 degrees is too damn hot.

I am sorry that this post has little to no substance...but I am just too damn hot to think. I apologize to anyone living anywhere that is hotter than this.

Live Rig Rethink

2008-07-17T22:26:00.002-05:00

.......................................................................................
I have been doing a lot of research on putting together a live rig. After extensive reading I have determined that the considerably less expensive Mac Mini is the way to go rather than the previously considered Mac Book.

The Mac Mini at it's base configuration is only lacking an additional GIG of RAM and that is easy enough to remedy for a reasonable cost. I have the extra monitor, mouse and keyboard needed and it just makes sense to save $500! By the time I am ready to make the purchase it is looking like the base Mac Mini will be sporting around 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and that actually trumps my iMac spec.

The Mac Mini is portable at around 1/3 the size of the Mac Book and though it might be cumbersome to lug around the additional monitor and such...I am thinking of creative ways to package the rig to compensate for that. I am thinking of removing the base from the monitor and constructing some sort of fold-out hanging system for it. The keyboard and trackball mouse will not be an issue at all. Hell, it is still going to be a lot easier to carry in one load than the monster workstations I hauled around in the 90's!

So here is the imagined set up:

Mac Mini: min. 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB of RAM
17" LCD monitor
Swank-Ass slim Apple keyboard
Logitech Track Ball mouse (no surface/mouse pad issues)
Keystation 61es MIDI controller (cuz I already own it)
250GB External HD
FireBox A/I and Fire Wire pass through
Logic Pro 7

That's it. I think that will allow me to be realistically portable and power sufficient while leaving the main production rig safe at home. Of course if i am smart that set up will include my electric guitar and bass. After all I am trying to have something that can honestly be called a "live" performance.

Now as to what I would actually "do" on stage...well that has always been an issue for me. If it is a "chill" room gig then I have loads of previous experience doing that sort of gig. In essence you just sit (yes sit) behind your gear playing instruments and fiddling with knobs. Oh yeah, and of course you create your own smoke cloud as you puff your spirits and inspiration into a THC induced chill mode!

For the up-tempo / main stage gigs...well I would really prefer to put a cardboard cut-out on stage and hide behind a mountain of gear playing various instruments. I am not real big on showmanship. I wish I were, but I am just a little mellow and even if the song is pumping I tend to stay rather subdued. This is why I either need to start singing on some tunes or find myself a vocalist.

Nope. Did Not Do It.

2008-07-17T22:16:00.002-05:00

............................................................

I decided not to install Windows on the Mac. If I had a fresh unopened XP box with all the proper SP1 & 2, legit numbers, etc. etc. then I might have risked it. But my copy of XP is a gift and I even believe it is a legit disc with a legit number...the bottom line is that if something did get wrecked I could not contact either company for support.

So rather than risk all the data, music, etc. on my Mac I think I will be content with just OSX and lets face it; OSX is golden and the only reason I really wanted to boot Windows was to play games. Not a good enough reason. I have a decent Dell that has all the software I need to conduct PC business and I should be outgrowing the obsessive game desires. Of course I will not stop gaming entirely...I just might need to spring for an XBOX 360.

OMG, WTF...Apple teams up with Microsoft?

2008-07-17T16:02:00.003-05:00

.............................................................................

OK, not really...but in my house they are about to and I am really freaking concerned! I am about to install Windows XP on my Mac and it is not lacking in tension and anxiety for me.

I feel I am a rather capable computer nerd but I would really, really, really hate to loose my Mac to a faulty Windows issue...Good lord am I being a complete idiot by putting Windows on my Mac?

WAKING UP.

2008-07-15T11:48:00.005-05:00

........................................................................................

That's kind of what it feels like each time I learn something new about music; making it, marketing it, etc. etc...

Every day I am trying to think of ways to streamline this music thing that I am doing...this blog, the Myspace page, the actual songs I write...all of it! I feel like I am getting very close to a breakthrough. I would really like to put together a collective of talented people...to organize a branded talent pool of sorts. I really think the more talent the more opportunity...BUT, collectives also come with the hassle of trying to keep everyone on the same page. At least regarding what the purpose and point of the "brand" is.

Going it alone is good for that reason.

But I am surrounded by smart, talented people who could really all benefit each other...but we are all too busy with our own shit...family, work (or lack thereof), etc. etc...

Distance is no longer an issue thanks to computers and technology in general...Commitment and dedication and consistency...those are the problems.

New BASEMENT JAXX Tunes

2008-07-06T19:59:00.004-05:00

Yes, the Jaxx have been at it again and I am loving it. Basement Jaxx have recently released three newer songs on their Myspace page and I for one think they are a glorious cacophony of noise and drums. Swing by and have a listen via this link here:

Basement Jaxx: listen to TWERK, SAGA and MY TURN

It is all good noise to my ears and wildly adventurous! I am inspired! And I need a damn vocalist!

Cheers,
m e e k

Handy Man Inspires Blogger

2008-07-04T21:22:00.003-05:00

The blogger is me and the "Handy Man" is my friend Justin Hand, a local DJ and electronic musician. I was reading his post on his website (the link prior will take you)...and I was impressed with the sincerity with which he wrote. That is more of what I need to do here. Justin's posting frequency is far less than mine and that could have something to do with the substance of his posts. I for the most part have made many small posts; two or three sometimes five per week but they lack substance. I want to keep this blog fairly centered around my music and what it is doing but I think I could be more engaging in my conversations and opinions of it (and many other music related topics).

Justin spoke of his many years of participation in the dance culture and how he has seen genres and sub-genres rise and fall...all the while he continues to stay loyal to his techno inspiration. He is by no means closed to the idea or act of playing other styles of dance music. In fact he is one of the most well rounded listeners of music that I know, and I know a lot. No, Justin is fueled by techno as I am fueled by down tempo.

His dilemma that he blogged about with such sincerity as I perceived it, was understanding his passion in conjunction with his purpose as a hired DJ (or musician for that matter). His passion being the music he likes to play, make and listen to and his "purpose" of pleasing the ears and feet on the dance floors. He was well aware of the many factors of each consideration and his own tendencies. His conclusion essentially being a head full of questions.

Here are my thoughts about the dilemma I perceived: I think it has been extremely wise of Justin to consider his audience as much as he does. It has been wise because Justin has continued to sustain a fairly substantial income from DJing and I believe it is because he considers his audience every time. This is not to say that the other side to that idea is that there are DJ's who don't care about their audience. To that I would say not necessarily. The other side to that idea is more like: Dj's who consider their audience less get less gigs.

I was a DJ who considered my audience less and I suffered for it. My tastes are more obscure and random. I played more of what I wanted and less of what the event or club was needing. A small percentage of patrons appreciated the diversity but my experience has been that payed employees have a job to do. The DJ's job is to keep the place moving, keep the audience listening and dancing. Justin Hand does this every time.

On the other hand (no pun intended...but inferred), I would also advocate that he not resign the notion of doing the unexpected. By all means do something you love, that you are passionate about. If you don't feel comfortable trying it on the dance floors then center it around your original music. I am more often than not, very impressed by the original music many of my favorite DJ's of fine techno make. Sven Vath & Norman Cook just to name a couple.

If you have good business sense and you make music or DJ then you are one up on most artists out of the gate. Many artists are to stubborn or self absorbed to have good business sense...and the really good ones get PR and management! I am happy to be the obscure music enthusiast that I am in fact I don't think my tastes are nearly as obscure as I think. I also feel like my years have gained me some experience in the business of pleasing an audience. Hell there is no faster way to learn than from mistakes!

I will continue to keep organizing my media; songs, art, etc. and make my way towards that EP release I have spoken of. My plan is that by the time I finish the EP and are ready to really "launch" it, I will have saved up enough money to put together the live rig I spoke of in the previous post. I want to be able to go out and support the EP. I will have copies on CD to sell(?) at the shows I play and maybe shirts or stickers. Yes it sounds a little capitalist of me and I even feel a little uncomfortable saying it! But the fact is that if I want to create some kind of presence in the music environment then I will have to do such things. I mean what the hell? If I was at a show and I liked what I heard and had the money, I would surely buy a CD, sticker or shirt. It is the business end of being an artists that wants to make money from art.

OK, was that substantial enough of a post? (I am only asking myself, I know)

Cheers,
m e e k

To Perform Electronic Music To An Audience

2008-07-03T21:02:00.004-05:00

That is the topic for todays post. I have decided to prioritize and it appears as if performing live has jumped to the top of my list. I have put off the idea of performing live because of time and money constraints. Well money is always constrained and time is what I make / schedule it to be. So I am now going to put my budgeting skills towards obtaining a laptop...so that I can become portable!

In addition to the laptop I will also need to get a MIDI controller that will be good for performing live...49 keys (smaller, more portable), drum pads, knobs, sliders...kind of like this:

The Axiom 49 by M-Audio seems to be all about performing...with all those pads and knobs. I figure between those two items and my PreSonus FireBox audio interface, one of my external hard drives, and Logic...that should just about handle my performance needs.

I think if I am going to really generate any kind of steady momentum it will require me exposing myself to the local scene. This is something I have been shy of since my children entered this world. I spent so much time out in the scene for so many years...it really is not appealing to me at all. I think I can handle being by myself on the stage because it is really not the same as being in the middle of the amped masses!

I must be getting old, eh'?

Cheers,
m e e k

Make A Habit Of It

2008-07-02T23:39:00.002-05:00

Make a habit of posting on a regular basis. That is what I told myself when I started this blog...actually that is what several reputable sources advised me to do. That is the reason for this very post because I can't think of anything very relevant to say, but I felt compelled to keep up the habit of posting here at least twice a week minimum.

I am working on two new tracks currently. They are really, really loose right now. They are both very linear on many instruments too...meaning they are not just copied 4 bar phrases. I have a tendency to write many tunes that way; just playing each instrument through from beginning to end. Its a good workout for the digits!

I also now own a scanner (one part of my three part upgrade plan) and all that is left is the DAW upgrade and the dreaded PC upgrade...the Mac will have to keep holding its own. I have no doubt that it will, I just need the PC for many work related things and it is just more cost effective regarding all the graphics, office, etc. software I already own for PC. It sucks but really the Mac is supposed to be a dedicated music computer and my current hardware specs can handle the DAW upgrade with ease.

Well I am done here. I am going to play a game and then get some sleep.

Cheers,
m e e k

Polish, Refine, Maximize via Minimize...

2008-06-29T15:37:00.004-05:00

I have been putting some time into sorting out this blog...its' format / layout, content and just exactly what I intend for it to do.

I am fairly pleased with the results so far...my only complaint is that I do not have more substance here. I am sure this will come in time...but it bothers me now.

Music? Check.
Pictures? Check.
Information? ...need to work on this one.

I think I need to have more "About Me" information as well as more useful information all around. I am wrestling with what "About Me" information to make available...Do I want to keep it ambiguous? Do I want to try and be more personally engaging?

How do I write about myself without coming off as self-absorbed and conceited? Or do I have someone else write all the music descriptions and promotional verbiage?

Tough questions, real concerns...your thoughts are welcome as always...all three of you! (HA!)

Until something more useful comes to mind, Cheers!
m e e k

Serenity

2008-06-28T00:56:00.005-05:00

serenity |səˈrenitē|
noun ( pl. -ties)

the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled : an oasis of serenity amidst the bustling city.
• ( His/Your, etc., Serenity) a title given to a reigning prince or similar dignitary.
ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French serenite, from Latin serenitas, from serenus ‘clear, fair’ (see serene )

At last I am feeling some calm. I have been more focused and clear about the steps and processes of putting together a viable "product".

This is not to automatically assume that I will be charging any money for this product...I have several thoughts on how that would have to work.

I am significantly leaning towards the audio by itself at around 160k would be available for free. I really can't think of any reason why it shouldn't be.

But this product concept relies on a packaging idea and even a song order. These are things I am sorting out even as I write this.

I believe that the EP should have a "theme" of sorts and that the song order should be determined within that theme. Then the packaging could be digital content such as art, liner notes, etc. etc.

So to sum up; I am making progress still and ideas and creativity are in an upswing. All good stuff.

Cheers,
m e e k

What's That? Progress?

2008-06-24T20:38:00.005-05:00

Hello all three of you who manage to come here for a read!

I am happy to say that I have been making actual progress on my "2008 EP" (that's the working title).

I have selected 4 of the 5 to 6 songs...haven't decided on 5 or 6 yet...do I write one or two brand new tunes?...The selection process can be a bit OCD.

To continue; I have even made some master mix passes at three. Which is something I really tend to procrastinate about. I even think at least two of those three could pass as is.

In a nutshell: I am making progress. This is good.

Once I get all 4 or 5(?) of the tracks mixed down / finished, I will thin be putting together some kind of "Album Art", "Liner Notes", etc. etc. in an attempt to create some kind of "Product" out from and including my recorded music.

I have spoken before about recorded music and its decline in value. And how artists need to think about ways of attaching more value to your recorded music via packaging and innovation (digital and/or otherwise).

This will all be trial and error...lab work...and hopefully I will come up with something interesting and of value to a listener / fan.

I just want to be able to make that $4 to $6 purchase to have more than just music. I am still inclined to give away mp3 files for free download by themselves...but for that listener who becomes a fan and in turn becomes a "promoter" of my music...the person willing to spend a few dollars for a more intimate experience with an artists work...I want them to get more.

Your thoughts? (any three of you?) HA!

cheers,
m e e k

FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS!

2008-06-19T12:56:00.004-05:00

OK everybody...I have posted things here about talking loud and saying nothing (see: "Ferociously Spinning Wheels" post)...And here I am: Doing Nothing!

The writers block is stifling for sure but that should not stop me from getting things done. I mean there is plenty to do besides just write the tunes.

I could be tightening up many other areas of this part time hell that is independent musician life.

I have already decided that money can NEVER be the first priority but I do think that exposure might be. Right now i am just barely scratching the surface of exposure.

I need to find a niche...develop a solid concept...put together a real project.

Dance LP?
Electronica LP?
Scores & Cues LP?

I will figure it out.

m e e k.

WRITERS BLOCK!!!!!

2008-06-13T23:44:00.003-05:00

Dammit, dammit, dammit!

I have been sitting in front of my gear for the last four hours and nothing has been accomplished.

I have been sitting in front of my gear for a week now and nothing has been accomplished.

This sucks!

I am trying not to get to bothered by it but I just can't help it. I think it is time I step away from the machines and leave the music alone for a while. It is really very annoying not being able to accomplish anything.

I am writing this in hopes that it will help me get this frustration out of me.

I mean, what the fuck? I don't have any kind of deadline to meet and trying to force something out of my head is just not worth the stress.

This is a common issue for musicians to deal with but SHIT it bugs the fuck out of me!!

OK, I am done ranting now. I am going to play a game or something.

PS - DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!
m e e k

If the the Lead Singer Of The Smiths Really was A Girl....

2008-06-10T23:10:00.003-05:00

Old Morrissey would have been Inara Geaorge:

If you listened than you heard exactly what I mean...By the way; I love this song.

Cheers,
m e e k

That Player on the Right Side of the Page...

2008-06-10T08:51:00.002-05:00

See it? That is my very useful and very easy to implement iMeem play list player.

That is a perfect example of what I was discussing in the previous post. Yes I know Last FM has the same capabilities but they were not nearly as easy to make happen as that little iMeem player over there.

So far the only difference is that iMeem does not seem to want to allow me to let users download my tunes (for free of course). But just to be able to embed the tracks on this Google Blogspot is fine by me...for now.

There seems to be some intense discussions in cyberspace about what is the best way to "promote" your music.

One of these discussions is about Bruce Warlia's "Celestial Funnel" concept, that to me sounds like a musicians utopian ideal for the future of independent artists futures.

Andrew Dubber over at New Music Strategies thinks that this idea is a bit too idealistic...he could be right...but that does not mean it is impossible, just improbable.

Not that many people are reading this blog but for those of you who are, I would be very interested to hear your views on this "Celestial Funnel" concept.

Click on the link above, have a read and then tell me what you think.

Cheers,
m e e k

Last FM; Contrary to the Praise...

2008-06-08T21:15:00.002-05:00

I have found Last FM to be one of the most non user friendly sites for an artist. I say this because of what seem to be glitches in the "music management" system they have set up for artists.

Let me first admit that I am not uber-tech savvy but in my defense I thought the point of these networks was to not have to be.

My personal page is just fine and works great for exposing my iTunes habits to the world...but my artist page is less than useful to me so far. (This is in comparison to believe it or not, my Myspace and iMeem pages)

I keep hearing how great Last FM is but I guess I am just missing something(?) I upload tunes and only 60% of them seem to work properly and as far as any kind of customization goes...I just don't see it.

I don't think there need to be a ridiculous amount of "pimp my profile apps" but it would be nice to have some slight distinguishing traits to each artists page...but they all look exactly the same and that seems a bit too dull to me.

Also my personal page seems to clash with my artist page because everyone so far seems to find the personal one and not the artist one.

I plan to give it one more try but I think it will involve me deleting my existing profiles and starting from scratch with no personal page. I will also write to them to try and sort out what is most likely user error in understanding how the whole system is supposed to work.

Also: Everyone should check out Bruce Warlia's post on "The Celestial Funnel" on his Unsprung Media site.

Cheers,
m e e k

"How Many Profiles Do You Need?"

2008-06-06T13:23:00.007-05:00

That is the question a good friend of mine asked me as we discussed the bloated online music environment.

In order to keep all of the profiles current you definitely need to schedule blocks of time during the week. This time should be spent doing nothing but updating each of your online profiles. We both agreed that that is the only way to realistically keep up with the 5 to 7 different network profiles that most artists have.

Another thing I thought would help this situation is to limit the number of networks you are on. Now this idea is the polar opposite of what many "Online Strategists" suggest but given the saturation within the environment, I believe this is a crucial step in staying on top of your individual "business" plan (as it were).

I have started to narrow my choices down to the following sites:

Last FM, iMeem, Amie Street, Myspace, and Facebook

The plan is to get those five sites in stable, current running order and then just maybe park something on Tune Core, Pandora or the plethora of other music network sites.

Currently the only site I could claim to have stable is my dreaded Myspace page (it is also the one I have been on the longest so far) and of course this blog.

I mentioned in a comment on New Music Strategies, that I only have a few hundred dollars per year to put towards my music making and marketing. That is a very small amount of money and that is why these music networks are so advantageous to me.

If I don't have enough money to market myself then I have even less time! Time is not something a husband, father of two with a full time day job has to spare. My time is very limited and I would much rather spend it creating music than marketing it.

Again this is where these music networks are a great advantage to me. They are very useful.

Over the course of the next few weekends I plan to have my Last FM page sorted out very proper. They have begun using a new beta version and this new version allows anyone with free songs available on Last FM to have them podcast on iTunes.

That is a very good thing...as long as I can drive people to my sites.

Lets see what happens next!

Cheers,

m e e k

About Having a Website pt.2

2008-06-03T12:56:00.008-05:00

I have many friends / colleagues who have had websites or currently have websites and I do not see them progressing because of it.

This is not to say that you can't benefit from a good website (obviously many, many people do), but it is to say that on the scale that myself and my peers are working; it does not seem to make a difference.

We are not Google, Yahoo, Last FM, Myspace, etc. etc.

We are not even a established indie band...We are just some folks trying to make some music/art and put it out there into the world.

Thanks to things like this blog and sites like iMeem, Last FM, and Myspace it is possible to sell music without having a domain of my own...And I save quite a bit of money because of it.

I have seen sites just sit there in limbo for year after year never being attended to. I have also seen sites where the artists has put in his heart and soul to keep it up only to have it contribute no recognizable effect to his career.

I really don't want to be either of those.

I want to be an artist and a musician and not a website administrator. Maybe if success comes my way I will pay someone to handle such things...or maybe the company I sign a deal (wishful thinking) with will handle those things. But not me. That's not what I want to do.

So my plan now is this:

I will continue to keep this blog up and running (and also see about getting my Wordpress blog moving along), I will use Last FM, iMeem, Amie Street, Pandora, Myspace, etc. etc. to make my music available...and forget the idea of having a domain for now.

This is the beginning of organization for the ultrameek environment.

Stay tuned for PROGRESS!

Cheers,

m e e k

Does This Embed Feature work?

2008-06-02T22:04:00.002-05:00

I think I shall try it and see.....

ultrameek – We're The Ones

Wow! On the HTML posting edit screen, that was a lot of code...Well lets see what it looks like on the blog.

I'm pushing the publish button now:

I Am Moved...

2008-06-02T20:58:00.001-05:00

For real, moved.

I just moved my family into a new house...OK, it's new to us. I am aching and sore as I can be from moving all the heavy things we own...With the gracious help of my 60+ year old father.

I had help...hired help even, lined up to move my stuff...But they bailed on me. Left it to me and my pops. It's cool, we handled it. Ouch.

Good to be here though. Nice place, got an extra room that I get to call my "Studio" where I got all my gear. Ready to work. Make noise, make scribbles on paper and digital document.

I can't wait to have the time to sit and work on some tunes...still have some boxes to unpack. Several.

Soon as the house is in order I get to the noise.

Did I mention how much I hurt? Ouch.

Cheers,

READ THIS:

2008-05-29T12:50:00.003-05:00

This is an article I saw today.

READ IT. <-----that's a link, yeah.

Afterwards, tell me what you think.

Cheers,
m e e k

How Smart Am I?

2008-05-27T21:57:00.002-05:00

Not as smart as I would like to be. Who is?

As I prepare to move into our new house I have been thinking hard about how to set up my studio. I have been fiddling with the idea of how to operate a graphic design and music studio out of my home.

Up to this point I have concentrated solely on the music I have been making...Which I have yet to fully engage the marketing of. But in the last few weeks it has occurred to me that I should also consider design as a potential for income.

My day job as a graphic designer for a small business has made me rethink my strengths and weaknesses. I have come to the conclusion that my strengths are (obviously) creativity related and that they are not limited to music.

As I think / post "out loud" here I am finding my way in the creative industry. Trying to find my place. I realize that this is not something that will happen suddenly...Establishing my place. So I am prepared for a year or two more of getting all my things in order, getting it all sorted out to make a realistic arrival into the audio and graphic industries.

The competition is unreal, massive, seemingly unsurmountable! But of course it is not impossible to establish myself, just really, really hard.

I am currently "connected" to a few very good people in the creative community and what is left is for me to have something very solid to offer. I have told myself that in a week or two after the move...After we are settled in our new home and my studio is up and running...That it will be a matter of a few months for me to have a solid design portfolio and audio demo.

I have all the equipment needed to make this happen and all that is missing is the dedicated time needed to pull it off.

By this time next year I hope to have a serious dot com set up with all the needed ingredients for a serious push into the creative industries. For now it is this blog and my thoughts...And I think as long as I keep these things in focus I can achieve my goals.

Thanks for anyone who has bothered to read this and wish me luck. I hope one day to have something substantially more useful to offer here...But for now it is essentially a brain dump.

Cheers,
m e e k

Is Your Music a Product or a Service?

2008-05-26T22:01:00.003-05:00

This is the question many musicians need to ask themselves; Is your music a Product or a Service or both?

If you consider your music to only be a product, then in this digital age we live in you must find ways to add value to your music...outside of just the music alone.

Recorded music is not the product it used to be. It has lost a great deal of it's value due to file sharing and a pinch of piracy...But mostly file sharing.

Because people have almost limitless access to any song they desire, it is no longer viable for the musician to expect a substantial income from songs as stand alone products. There must be an incentive associated with the song(s).

Things like collectible art, liner notes, vinyl, interactive media...Anything that adds value to your music as a Product.

It is not very hard to come up with these incentives and many artists have already.

Now if you are wondering how your music can be a service just talk to any Studio Musician. That form of musician-as-service is as old as the industry.

The other word for your music as a service is Licensing.

Just turn on your television for 15 minutes and you are guaranteed to hear music as a service. A service to marketing...And I would almost bet that in that 15 minutes you will hear a song that you know.

Many musicians see licensing as the most viable option for sustained income from their songs. It is no longer so taboo to "Sell Out" to the mass media machine. In fact many artists today get their careers jump started by having their music in a commercial of some kind or in a film or on television.

Is your music a product or a service?

Cheers,
m e e k

The Monetization Blues

2008-05-23T21:10:00.002-05:00

OK, here is my follow up post to the Post Traumatic How Do I make Money From Music Syndrome post before (no, it was not actually called that).

I have taken a little time to reflect on my thoughts about making money with my music / noises. The conclusion I have come to so far is to just keep enjoying making the stuff.

I do not like the pressures of trying to make music that could fit a specific area for the sole result of making money. It is much more fulfilling for me to make it because it's what I love to do.

I listen to some of the music I have made and after so many tunes; re-occurring themes begin to emerge. Sounds, melodies, rhythms start to take on a style that I suppose constitutes my "sound".

I used to try to avoid this as much as I could and often it would disappoint me when I began to hear what I called redundancy. I do not look at it as redundancy anymore, I look at it as what distinguishes my tunes as mine.

In the two years since I started consistently making music again (after a 10 year hiatus), I have put together over 100 songs / tracks. At that rate it was inevitable that I would begin to hear redundancy in many of them.

The one benefit I see to have so much music is more opportunity to reach someone or some place. The one obvious drawback to working so rapidly is sloppiness. I believe that if I spent more time with the songs that they would gain value in my mind and the future listeners.

I believe the music would have a more soulful (not genre) and personal sound if more time was spent on it. I like the immediate gratification of laying something down and hearing it the next day...But I fear that rush to finish can be heard in the songs.

I am vowing to spend more time with my music. To give it proper attention and spend days and weeks on songs rather than hours. I believe this will help me and my music be better.

Hopefully one day my posts will turn from these self indulgent revelations and speak more about the specific songs I am making. Once they have been nurtured.

Cheers,
m e e k

Enjoying Listening

2008-05-22T22:20:00.007-05:00

I have found some really good music in recent weeks and I thought I would just drop a post here about it. I suppose this could be considered my first "Review" blog...and really a "Recommendation" blog too.

OK, first I will tackle the new Gnarls Barkley release "The Odd Couple".

I have really enjoyed this entire LP. I would even go so far as to say that I found about 85% of it to be bordering on immaculate (in my ears opinion).

What stands out to me is the fusion of so many styles / genres / influences.

Dangermouse; the majority of the music production / writing end of the duo is just unhinged. He knows no boundaries and will meld together what very few others have dared to do.

What is really remarkable is that he succeeds in braking perceived limits and makes a great "Pop" record doing it. A great Pop record laced with doses of the kind of music few to none would know where to find...or even that it had ever existed. I am referring to the out of left field "Underground" sounds that were once limited to those in the "Know" (as they would have themselves believing).

Throw into this musical pop minded mad scientists lab the awesome talent that is Cee-Lo and it really ups the value and scope of the songs. Cee-Lo is the voice, the heartfelt emotion that pulls the trend-seekers and truth-seekers alike into the fan base.

His voice hearkens back to the days of Otis Redding, Al Green, etc. etc...But his experience in the Dungeon Family Collective, which includes Goodie Mob (his renowned Hip Hop pioneers group), and Outkast brings with him emcee skills on a veteran level.

He is also an achieved song writer having penned multiple top 10 hits on Pop and R & B charts.

These two soulful and experimental artists bring a collective musical influence that is massively broad individually and twice as deep when combined. I picture both of them sitting for hours digesting some of the greatest music from all genres and then weaving them into the tapestry that makes Gnarls Barkley what it is: Excellent music that just might stand the test of time.

I haven't bothered to single out any tracks here because I think the album should be digested in it's full form. It is best discovered and enjoyed the first several listens in it's entirety.

After that, pick your favorites as I have...But I believe that list may just eventually grow to be the entire LP.

Whew! OK, that's enough for now. I will try to tackle another one soon...Maybe the latest Travis LP: "The Boy With No Name" which I will go ahead and tell you it gets as much play time as the aforementioned Gnarls Barkley LP!

Cheers,
m e e k

Overload....

2008-05-20T18:07:00.002-05:00

Overload and obscurity are my enemies!

Each day I scour the Internet to read up on what is happening in the music environment and each day I become more and more overwhelmed! The amount of sites spread across the world wide web is alarming...The amount of music is alarming...The amount of time I spend being alarmed is well, alarming.

I really enjoy what I do; Making music and noise. I often loose site of this when I find myself considering the ways to monetize this fulfilling exercise. When I focus on the monetization of my so-called "Art" it kind of brings me down...

I want to make sure that making the music is it's own reward. I believe that 99% of the time it is but that other 1% really sucks!

What can I do to keep that 1% suckness from growing? Do I stop scouring the web? Do I lock myself away so no one can hear my music but me? (I might already do that last one!)

I will contemplate this and possibly make a follow-up post about it...With any luck I will push these anxious feelings out of my mind and just continue loving what I do!

Cheers,
m e e k

I Made a New Bunch of Noise...

2008-05-19T20:18:00.002-05:00

I have posted a new tune into my Myspace pages player.

If you fancy; Drop by and have a listen. It is a short piece for my "Scores & Cues" library which means it is also not available for down load (sorry).

It is called "An Awareness" @ 104 BPM

If you manage to stop by and listen please offer any opinion / critique you mat have good or bad.
I love all responses!

Cheers
m e e k

More on Moving...

2008-05-17T13:57:00.002-05:00

OK, it looks like it will be about two weeks before I have to tear all this gear down to move it...So, I will continue to interface with it (and in turn all of you...er, all three of you! HA!)

My mood is just peachy right now. Between the upcoming move, discovering real friends exist, getting some nice kudos from a respected source regarding some of my music...I feel just swell!

I think things like that beat a anti-anxiety pill any day for getting your mood in the right place!

Now the trick is to hold on to these good feelings and continue this optimistic momentum. Is that possible? Am I capable of such a thing? I think yes!

Thanks to both of you (or maybe three) who have bothered to read this. This was one of the more personal entries in my blog-world and I promise to keep those to a minimum.

I want to make sure that this particular location for "ultrameek" stays a bit more focused on music and things concerning it and me!

Something more later? Maybe.

Cheers!
m e e k

And Now For FaceBook....

2008-05-16T10:35:00.002-05:00

OK, now I am doing the Face Book thing...I think this could be getting out of hand!

Contrary to advice from reliable sources I am going forward with my Face Book environment. I am making it a more personal, private(?) and family kind of thing and I will not be linking to it from this blog.

However I will be linking to this blog from IT.

A very old friend of mine has been kind enough to provide some very useful names and information that make Face Book a viable application for me to engage.

I can not lie, I am enjoying seeing photo's of friends and family on there and I think I may just correspond with many folks at least twice as much through Face Book as I would otherwise.

Sadly, my brother is one of those people...and he lives about three minutes down the street!

Cheers,
m e e k

MOVING!...

2008-05-14T14:41:00.002-05:00

OK, I will be moving (my physical address...which I do not volunteer to give here) and because of this I am thinking that my music, blogging, and all around digital existence will be put on hold.

I will have to take apart all the wonderful machines that comprise my digital interface and box them up for transport.

This should take place in the next two weeks and I assume I will be down for about four days or so...and then....SO MUCH TO DO!

I have music that needs to be made, things that need to be written and maybe even a video game that needs to be played!

For the two to three people who read this blog; I am sorry and I will try to sneak on to some other computer to post more un-read material for you to not read...I love saying that! Maybe someday this thing will pick up some momentum...

BUT, I really am thankful for those of you who have managed to find it and enjoy reading it...and especially those of you who have commented; Justin, Pete, Rob...heh!

I think it is very good practice for me to keep this up even if it takes years for the rest of the world to find me.

Until later,
m e e k

OK, That's it...My Brain is Pudding...

2008-05-13T20:20:00.002-05:00

Still lost as ever and can you believe it is Facebook that is wrecking my nerves now?

Thought it would make more sense to me but all i am seeing are things my wife is doing...I think I am actually logging into her account...I just don't know???

Last FM, Twitter, and Blogs...Oh My!

2008-05-12T19:00:00.002-05:00

Holy crap!

Myspace was way too easy...This blog was more or less a no-brainer...But Last FM has me realizing what a lazy S.O.B. I actually am!

Twitter is supposed to make it all easier but I think my brain is starting to melt!

I have confidence that I will get it all sorted but right this moment I am "Sorted"!

I trust what many have told me and I do think I have the capacity to get this all working to my advantage...I am just a little intimidated and as I mentioned: Lazy.

Wish me luck!

Relativity & the Electronic Musician:

2008-05-06T22:07:00.004-05:00

A thought occurred to me as I salivated over the latest & greatest software and hardware that seems to hit the market on a near weekly basis:

In 1989 I spent a considerable amount of money to get a Keyboard Workstation.

First I had a synth by Korg called the T3.

It was a fabulous sounding keyboard with a comprehensive sequencer and it ran me over $3,500! Unfortunately the one thing it did not have was a sampler which was what I was really wanting.

I went on to purchase a Ensoniq EPS 16+ which had everything I desired (and cost almost half as much!) and I was able to create wonderful noise for several years following.

As time pressed on and technology leaped and bounded I found myself wanting something more...So, in 1994 I grabbed myself an Ensoniq ASR 10 (yes I know, the DAW was well into existence at the time but I was still intimidated by computer music...What can I say?)

The ASR 10 served me quite well,allowing me to make music and perform it live at various events and I do not regret my stubbornness against DAW's one bit!

Well after a hiatus from music making (1998 - 2006 raising my children and being "responsible") I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to set up a proper computer based music production environment.

I currently own a 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo iMac, Logic Pro 7, Blue Sky 2.1 Studio Monitors, PreSonus Firebox Audio Interface, and a 61 key MIDI controller.
(All for the price of the T3!!!)

Some of you musician types may be laughing at this point...when you finish laughing, please read further.

I have noticed the phenomenal Mac Pro Quad & 8 Core, and the stunning iMac 3.06GHz . Not to mention the astounding Logic 8 Studio (at 1/2 the cost of Logic 7!) as well as other fantastic DAW's like CuBase, DP5, etc. etc.

At first I was green with envy and desperately trying to figure out just how I could go about upgrading my current set up...Then it struck me:

WHY? Why did I need to obtain more?

It has been my experience that there are essentially two types of electronic music producers:

Obtainers and Producers. Those who constantly seek out to obtain the latest and greatest...And those who actually Produce.

I want to be a Producer. I want to Produce.

I have yet to find anything that I can not do musically with what I already have. I do not need (although I can't say I don't want!) the latest and greatest. Sure it would be nice if I had a lot of extra money lying around to continually upgrade my set up, but it is not needed.

I honestly do not see any reason why I can't continue to create music I thoroughly enjoy making with what I already have. Hell, I did just fine for years with the single keyboard workstation set ups I had in the 90's.

My point in all this is to hopefully convert some of the Obtainers to Producers.

The gear is relative to the talent...Just ask any folk singer with a 40 year old acoustic guitar.(don't be mislead into assuming that I think I have talent!)

You can have a $100,000 studio and make shyte music...you know the kind, you've heard it.

I just wanted to throw this out there for those of you who feel you are being left behind by the technological leaps and bounds of the software and hardware being put out there these days.

And again let me stress that if I had the funds to spare I would surely be rocking a fat Mac Pro Quad Core with 32 Gigs of RAM!

But I do not have such funds and I don't see it plopping into my lap any time soon...so I am just thankful that I have what I do and I produce.

In 1990 I would have never imagined having virtually unlimited tracks with audio recording capability and a slew of really good effects. Anyone lucky enough to have a similarly sufficient computer music environment would do well to quit drooling over what they don't have and power up your current gear and make great music...or at least make music you enjoy making.

You know you can!

Save your money. I will...and for those haters / Obtainers out there: Good luck with that.

Cheers,
m e e k

Website? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Website...

2008-05-06T15:41:00.003-05:00

It appears that a dedicated website is a thing of the past for the Independent Musician.

Blogs are the thing now. As I understand it you can set up a blog just like a traditional website but without all the $$$ design and implementation fees normally associated with it.

Exactly how true this less $$$ theory is has yet to be tested by yours truly. At the present time I have only managed to set up this little blog here via Google Blogger.

I know this may seem taboo but I also have a WordPress account set up and I have been told that it is a much more media friendly system as well as offering a dedicated (somewhat) domain.

My interest is to make audio files available for download (Free and fee). It is the implementation of this that I need to really get into...and I am only hurting myself by not pursuing it ASAP!

I will make most of my noise available for free but there will be some choice audio items that I feel compelled to make a few pennies on. My general rule is that anything with a sample I have not paid for is free to whomever desires it...and I encourage DJ's to play these out.

You can find some of them on my dreaded Myspace page here.

If you have trouble downloading any of the free stuff please send me a message on the Myspace or leave a comment here and I will correspond until we get that noise into your dirty little hard drive!

Alright; I need to get some audio on a blog soon! I also need to figure out how to set up a shopping cart on one of these blogs...DAMMIT! I hate charging money...and I hate not knowing how to do all this shyte on my own!

Sorry, little venting there. Excuse me.

Cheers,
m e e k

WTF?

2008-05-04T23:45:00.002-05:00

Well what is the f*#@king point if this is how it all works? Myspace is worse than first thought!

Read this

It never even occurred to me to do such a thing.

Not so cheers,
m e e k

Substance Abuse

2008-05-04T23:28:00.002-05:00

No, not what you think.

I am referring to the over abundance of blogs littering the Internet concerning the "New Music Environment"...most of them having a great deal of substance.

To much even.

I click away at all the various blogs across the web (see links on the sidebar) and each of them has valuable information to impart. Unfortunately the amount of information sometimes has me spinning my wheels ferociously!

I think it is wonderful that so many bright people are out there providing such useful information. It is just that I find myself a bit hazed (akin to a deer in the headlights) after reading some of them.

I have often thought after reading some of them that it might be better for someone other than the Independent Artist to be gathering up all this info...Like the Independent Artists manager?

I have begun to feel that it is becoming to much "business" and not enough art. Sure, I think the artist should be well informed but it has struck me that the manager is the one who needs most of this information.

How many Independent Artists can afford managers? Maybe that is why these blogs exist in the first place? Maybe these helpful blogs are our virtual Managers?

Not sure really. I will flesh this out more in the future.

Cheers,
m e e k
m u s i c

Velocity Re-Launch....

2008-05-03T21:57:00.002-05:00

It looks as if Velocity Recordings Inc. is making a resurgence.

I have been invited along for the ride and I think I will be more than happy to contribute to the cause. It will be one more avenue for my noise to travel through and it will give me the opportunity to explore the potential classy side to my noise making abilities.

I will keep those who have managed to find this blog apprised of the situation!

Cheers,
m e e k
m u s i c

Ferociously Spinning Wheels...

2008-05-02T06:37:00.001-05:00

Imagine gigantic tires designed for long distance journeys and lofty destinations....Mired in the thick sludge of procrastination, distraction, anxiety and laziness.

RPM's revving in a high pitch whine, exerting vast amounts of emotional energy...

BUT, barely inching forward. Making very little progress.

This is the state of things. This is the reality of a great many talented people with amazing ideas and original thoughts.

Myself and so many others I know are wasting precious fuel and energy.

It is so easy to dream of great things, accomplishments not yet accomplished. What do we do? How do we leverage the weight of our ideas to get the vehicle moving farther?

More ideas I am sure...That only compounds the dilemma.

Sincerity, serenity, and peace must come first and everything else will follow.

If honesty, calmness, and the diffusion of anxiety is not achieved then the wheels will continue to spin ferociously.

(I know, I know...this was a self indulgent revelation.)

Cheers,
m e e k
m u s i c

Recommendation & Filters...

2008-05-01T13:05:00.001-05:00

What is a music enthusiast to do with so much music being put out nowadays?

I've been told it's all about Filters(?) and Recommendation Services(?).

I will talk about "Recommendation Services" first.

http://www.imeem.com/

http://www.lastfm.com/

Those are just two sites that offer the Recommendation Service.

iTunes also offers a recommendation system. As far as I can tell these things work by keeping up with what you are listening to or purchasing and making recommendations based on that.

I guess this is also where "Filters" come into play because these sites are filtering out what you are not listening to and focusing only on the type or types of music you have shown an interest in.

How does this benefit the independent musician? Well if you manage to get your music uploaded into any of these services...And if you categorize yourself properly then you may just find your music being funneled into someones profile.

The hard part is getting the initial exposure. Once you get some folks listening to your music the momentum should pick up and you may find yourself being listed right alongside some of your biggest influences (if you have managed to capture a similar sound quality in your music).

I still think that saturation and obscurity are the enemy for the independent musician and any hope of beating those two depends on your ability to channel your exposure to the right arenas.

Play shows, make connections with people in the "Know" and of course: Make great music.

I really do believe that Connections are a very big part of it though...you can not just make great music and hope someone hears it. You have to know someone somewhere that can put your music in the "Right" hands.

If the "Right" hands like what you are doing and Recommend it to others, this will go a very long way in helping you to achieve your goals.

Wow, you read the whole post. Good for you!

Cheers,
m e e k
m u s i c

How Will I beat Obscurity?

2008-04-29T12:52:00.001-05:00

This is the question I ask myself every day; How will I keep from becoming just another noise in the vast and rapidly growing music vortex?

How can I stand out from the other ten million people with computers and audio composition software?

The first answer that comes to mind is: Use more than just the software. Use my guitar, my bass, my drum set...but even better still; Use pots and pans, glass, plastic, wood, metal, etc. etc.

Secondly I could use my voice.

Yeah, it scares me as much as it does the few people who actually know me. I have only screamed for one punk band in my life and let me tell you: It is very difficult to hide behind a microphone stand (even if you are 6'2" and 135 lb.).

Every time I pull up a website like Imeem, Myspace, AimeStreet, etc. I see countless new producers and DJ's making a way for themselves in the world. They overshadow the established artists and in fact I do not know that I even see established acts appearing very often at all.

They scary thing is that these new artists are not around for more than a few days when someone new has taken their place. Frightening!

How does anyone compete in such a saturated environment?

Here is the secret:

Make your music for YOU and YOU alone.

Anything else that happens after you are happy with your music is just icing on the cake. If you do not do what you do for the sheer pleasure of it then you are not an artist.

Don't get me wrong...I will take money for my art. I would even admit that it is one of many goals concerning my art. Just not my first priority, if it was it would probably kill my inspiration.

I tell myself this so I can get to sleep at night...and also; Don't quit your day job!

Obama, Can I Get a Little End Times Please...

2008-04-23T12:37:00.000-05:00

It is truly frightening to see just how many web sites, blogs, etc. are running on about Mr. Obama's chances of being "The" Antichrist.

I always thought money was the Antichrist...or just greed and selfishness in general...But, these ideas about Obama are just freaking me out.

Mostly because I really, really, really like the guy. I honestly believe he is the best candidate running for our leader. That sucks if he is the devil.

I suppose I need to have some kind of real or substantial amount of "Faith" in order to believe any of this. Maybe it is a good thing I might not...have any "Faith" that is.

Maybe I do? I am never real sure.

The Music Filter & Recommendationicity of it All

2008-04-22T12:07:00.000-05:00

How do you filter all the music out there in the world to find just what you are listening for?

How does a music enthusiast find good music? How does a musician escape obscurity in the vast reaches of the World Wide Web?

Filters and recommendation are the answers but what are the filters and who will recommend what and why?

More on these things later.

Didya Getcha Backwards Gnarly On?

2008-04-19T10:43:00.000-05:00

I had just happened to purchase the new Gnarls Barkley LP off of iTunes a couple of days ago only to find the very next morning that it was available for FREE download!

You can imagine how bothered I was that I had just put down $10 for it! Then I did the smart thing and continued to read the details involved in the free download.

Imagine my relief when I realized it was one 38:45 long track and that it was all BACKWARDS!

Now for someone like me who owns a high-end audio program for my Mac, I actually could have dropped it into Logic Pro, flipped it around, and cut it up into its respective single tracks. A lot of bother in my opinion.

I am sleeping just fine knowing I paid my $10.

....A friend of mine is on the phone right now informing me that the free download has no lyrics! Nice.

Still Catching up with Myself

2008-04-17T15:34:00.000-05:00

Hello nobody!

Yep, that's right; Nobody. Nobody has read this blog yet. Why would they? No one really knows that it exists.

That's my fault.

I still don't have anything to say yet...no story to tell...no news to reveal...Hell, I don't even have any new music to tell anyone about on the dreaded Myspace page (www.myspace.com/theultrameekoxymoron).

So here I am and there you are: Not reading this. That's cool, I got time and I am still looking for a worthwhile story to tell. So until then you may continue to not read this blog.

I will let you know when you should start.

Cheers,
m e e k

DIG IT; It's my blog.

2008-04-07T14:38:00.000-05:00

This is the beginning of ultrameek's digital environment. I have established a "Google Page Creator" web page (http://ultrameek.googlepages.com/home) and now I have started a "Blogger" page too. As of right now I do not have a whole lot to say...mostly because I am on someone elses time right now...so I really can't take the kind of time I would like to make this thing proper.

Over the next several weeks I will put together something I hope will be useful and entertaining to those who find their way here. Until then please bare with me and drop by my "Myspace" page:

www.myspace.com/theultrameekoxymoron

I hope you enjoy the noise you find there and most all of it is available for free download...so go ahead, take it!

Cheers!
m e e k