My first CD, the "breakup" EP turns 10 years old this month.
I started writing tracks for it back in 1996 (I was 22). Actually, the first track I wrote for it (but did not know it at the time), was "Valley." I had written it late summer of 1994 (about a failed relationship, what else?), and it saw many incarnations before the one that finally appeared on "breakup." The next 3 tracks, "Baranquilla," "Dreamstate" and "Escape" were written on an old Yamaha 8-track cassette recorder which my friend and former bandmate Chris Wimberley lent to me. The bass line and drum track for "Proton Girl" were composed on a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder and Boss DR-660 Drum Machine about the same time.
I actually entered the studio (Osceola Studios in Raleigh) to begin recording "breakup" in 1997. I traded freelance graphic design work for studio time with my old friend and producer Tom Mohbat, of Bad Dog Productions. Back then, hard disk editing systems were extremely expensive and unavailable to the average home audio producer (by contrast, now, every Mac comes standard with Garageband). So we recorded all the songs on "breakup" to Alesis ADAT Tape. Tom would sit at the board mixing on the fly while I would loop and sequence MIDI parts in Mark of the Unicorn’s Performer software on an old Mac Performa (!)
Then I had to have the CD mastered and pressed, but my studio time ran over budget. I had fallen behind on rent by about 3 months, and was essentially eating nothing but popcorn and whatever leftovers my roommate didn’t want. Between money my ex-girlfriend loaned me and a gift from my Dad, i was able to dig myself out of the hole, master and press the CDs. They were mastered at The Kitchen in Chapel Hill by Brent Lambert, who at the time was running his studio out of his home. I recall taking the finished CD home with me and listening to it over and over. I doubt I will feel that way - that newness, that sense of accomplishment - about anything I record ever again. No matter how much better the writing may be.
During this time I was working in computer services at the Kinko’s in Cary, and became friends with one of the 3rd shift managers, one Jody Barnes...who ultimately designed the cover artwork. He was also the one who suggested that taking up DJ-ing might be a good idea ;)
Then one day in April 1998, I came home to find 9 boxes sitting in my living room. In those boxes were 1,000 copies of my CD. I recall asking out loud, "what the hell do I do with all these?"...
...and I have spent the last 10 years answering that question.
Along the way I’ve had many successes and seen "breakup" (and subsequent recordings) go places I never thought they would. I have also seen failure after failure, been cheated, ignored, lied to, swindled, and ostracized, by colleagues, industry types, even close friends (or at the very least, acquaintances), and then been patted on the back by those very same people as if nothing had happened. But in the end, highs and lows, good and bad, it has all been worth it.
And I think I may have even learned a thing or two along the way:
1) At some point, you *will* want to give up. Don’t.
2) Be prepared to spend a LOT of money up-front. Be prepared to NOT break even for several years, if at all. Then be prepared to do it again.
3) Don’t assume people will simply know about what you’re doing because you think you’re talented. Tell people about who you are and what you do, in any and every way you can. If you don’t, no one will come to your shows save for your girlfriend, your roommate, a few friends, one or two random co-workers and your MOM (and even they’ll get sick of it after awhile.)
4) There is good business, and there is bad business. Very rarely are they isolated from one another, and more often than not, one can be mistaken for (or even disguised as) the other.
Thanks to all the DJs, producers, promoters, record store owners, friends (both internet and in-person), family, and colleagues who have stuck by me through thick and thin and encouraged me along the way. I succeed only because of you.
Ten years before "breakup" I was barely a freshman in high school, who had just picked up his first acoustic guitar. Ten years has now passed since "breakup". I can hardly wait to see what the next ten will bring.
With great thankfulness and humility,
JG.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
"Breakup" turns ten!
My first CD, the "breakup" EP turns 10 years old this month.
I started writing tracks for it back in 1996 (I was 22). Actually, the first track I wrote for it (but did not know it at the time), was "Valley." I had written it late summer of 1994 (about a failed relationship, what else?), and it saw many incarnations before the one that finally appeared on "breakup." The next 3 tracks, "Baranquilla," "Dreamstate" and "Escape" were written on an old Yamaha 8-track cassette recorder which my friend and former bandmate Chris Wimberley lent to me. The bass line and drum track for "Proton Girl" were composed on a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder and Boss DR-660 Drum Machine about the same time.
I actually entered the studio (Osceola Studios in Raleigh) to begin recording "breakup" in 1997. I traded freelance graphic design work for studio time with my old friend and producer Tom Mohbat, of Bad Dog Productions. Back then, hard disk editing systems were extremely expensive and unavailable to the average home audio producer (by contrast, now, every Mac comes standard with Garageband). So we recorded all the songs on "breakup" to Alesis ADAT Tape. Tom would sit at the board mixing on the fly while I would loop and sequence MIDI parts in Mark of the Unicorn’s Performer software on an old Mac Performa (!)
Then I had to have the CD mastered and pressed, but my studio time ran over budget. I had fallen behind on rent by about 3 months, and was essentially eating nothing but popcorn and whatever leftovers my roommate didn’t want. Between money my ex-girlfriend loaned me and a gift from my Dad, i was able to dig myself out of the hole, master and press the CDs. They were mastered at The Kitchen in Chapel Hill by Brent Lambert, who at the time was running his studio out of his home. I recall taking the finished CD home with me and listening to it over and over. I doubt I will feel that way - that newness, that sense of accomplishment - about anything I record ever again. No matter how much better the writing may be.
During this time I was working in computer services at the Kinko’s in Cary, and became friends with one of the 3rd shift managers, one Jody Barnes...who ultimately designed the cover artwork. He was also the one who suggested that taking up DJ-ing might be a good idea ;)
Then one day in April 1998, I came home to find 9 boxes sitting in my living room. In those boxes were 1,000 copies of my CD. I recall asking out loud, "what the hell do I do with all these?"...
...and I have spent the last 10 years answering that question.
Along the way I’ve had many successes and seen "breakup" (and subsequent recordings) go places I never thought they would. I have also seen failure after failure, been cheated, ignored, lied to, swindled, and ostracized, by colleagues, industry types, even close friends (or at the very least, acquaintances), and then been patted on the back by those very same people as if nothing had happened. But in the end, highs and lows, good and bad, it has all been worth it.
And I think I may have even learned a thing or two along the way:
1) At some point, you *will* want to give up. Don’t.
2) Be prepared to spend a LOT of money up-front. Be prepared to NOT break even for several years, if at all. Then be prepared to do it again.
3) Don’t assume people will simply know about what you’re doing because you think you’re talented. Tell people about who you are and what you do, in any and every way you can. If you don’t, no one will come to your shows save for your girlfriend, your roommate, a few friends, one or two random co-workers and your MOM (and even they’ll get sick of it after awhile.)
4) There is good business, and there is bad business. Very rarely are they isolated from one another, and more often than not, one can be mistaken for (or even disguised as) the other.
Thanks to all the DJs, producers, promoters, record store owners, friends (both internet and in-person), family, and colleagues who have stuck by me through thick and thin and encouraged me along the way. I succeed only because of you.
Ten years before "breakup" I was barely a freshman in high school, who had just picked up his first acoustic guitar. Ten years has now passed since "breakup". I can hardly wait to see what the next ten will bring.
With great thankfulness and humility,
JG.
I started writing tracks for it back in 1996 (I was 22). Actually, the first track I wrote for it (but did not know it at the time), was "Valley." I had written it late summer of 1994 (about a failed relationship, what else?), and it saw many incarnations before the one that finally appeared on "breakup." The next 3 tracks, "Baranquilla," "Dreamstate" and "Escape" were written on an old Yamaha 8-track cassette recorder which my friend and former bandmate Chris Wimberley lent to me. The bass line and drum track for "Proton Girl" were composed on a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder and Boss DR-660 Drum Machine about the same time.
I actually entered the studio (Osceola Studios in Raleigh) to begin recording "breakup" in 1997. I traded freelance graphic design work for studio time with my old friend and producer Tom Mohbat, of Bad Dog Productions. Back then, hard disk editing systems were extremely expensive and unavailable to the average home audio producer (by contrast, now, every Mac comes standard with Garageband). So we recorded all the songs on "breakup" to Alesis ADAT Tape. Tom would sit at the board mixing on the fly while I would loop and sequence MIDI parts in Mark of the Unicorn’s Performer software on an old Mac Performa (!)
Then I had to have the CD mastered and pressed, but my studio time ran over budget. I had fallen behind on rent by about 3 months, and was essentially eating nothing but popcorn and whatever leftovers my roommate didn’t want. Between money my ex-girlfriend loaned me and a gift from my Dad, i was able to dig myself out of the hole, master and press the CDs. They were mastered at The Kitchen in Chapel Hill by Brent Lambert, who at the time was running his studio out of his home. I recall taking the finished CD home with me and listening to it over and over. I doubt I will feel that way - that newness, that sense of accomplishment - about anything I record ever again. No matter how much better the writing may be.
During this time I was working in computer services at the Kinko’s in Cary, and became friends with one of the 3rd shift managers, one Jody Barnes...who ultimately designed the cover artwork. He was also the one who suggested that taking up DJ-ing might be a good idea ;)
Then one day in April 1998, I came home to find 9 boxes sitting in my living room. In those boxes were 1,000 copies of my CD. I recall asking out loud, "what the hell do I do with all these?"...
...and I have spent the last 10 years answering that question.
Along the way I’ve had many successes and seen "breakup" (and subsequent recordings) go places I never thought they would. I have also seen failure after failure, been cheated, ignored, lied to, swindled, and ostracized, by colleagues, industry types, even close friends (or at the very least, acquaintances), and then been patted on the back by those very same people as if nothing had happened. But in the end, highs and lows, good and bad, it has all been worth it.
And I think I may have even learned a thing or two along the way:
1) At some point, you *will* want to give up. Don’t.
2) Be prepared to spend a LOT of money up-front. Be prepared to NOT break even for several years, if at all. Then be prepared to do it again.
3) Don’t assume people will simply know about what you’re doing because you think you’re talented. Tell people about who you are and what you do, in any and every way you can. If you don’t, no one will come to your shows save for your girlfriend, your roommate, a few friends, one or two random co-workers and your MOM (and even they’ll get sick of it after awhile.)
4) There is good business, and there is bad business. Very rarely are they isolated from one another, and more often than not, one can be mistaken for (or even disguised as) the other.
Thanks to all the DJs, producers, promoters, record store owners, friends (both internet and in-person), family, and colleagues who have stuck by me through thick and thin and encouraged me along the way. I succeed only because of you.
Ten years before "breakup" I was barely a freshman in high school, who had just picked up his first acoustic guitar. Ten years has now passed since "breakup". I can hardly wait to see what the next ten will bring.
With great thankfulness and humility,
JG.
Monday, February 18, 2008
I lost my faith...and then I got it back...
I was out this Friday night and had two utterly contradictory experiences which I must relate.
Friday. Riviera, Raleigh. James West.
--------------------------------------
Somehow a sorority party had been booked the same night as a headliner (James West) for GruvGlu's "Submerge" event. Regardless of how it happened, I didn't see it necessarily as a bad thing. I've always held the belief, since I began my journey into EDM 10 years ago, that perhaps trying to introduce new faces to electronic music would be beneficial to the cause. It would certainly increase turnout for local events and maybe even educate some.
How wrong, or at least somewhat mistaken, I was.
It seems to me that in the Triangle (or at least Raleigh), there is a commonly held belief among the general population (ie. those not familiar with electronic music and how it is presented live) that all club DJ's are to be the "crowds' bitch" and play the same, mindless, Clear Channel programmed filth that owns conventional radio these days. To these people, I pose a question: if you were to go see Aerosmith, would you shout-out requests to play U2 songs? Doubtful. You go see a band for their music and style. Why is it any different with a DJ/Live PA? They too bring their own style and music. if you don't want to hear it, don't buy the fuckin' ticket.
Please understand, when I DJ-ed at Rush Lounge during most of 2004-early 2005, I certainly had my share of "requests," which I tried to cater to as best I could. If someone asked for a song by a particular artist, I would attempt to play the "club" remix, or at the very least, a remix of a well-known song by the same artist. 6 times out of 10, I would be complimented and asked, "where can I find this?" Only once did I ever get what I consider to be the now classic question, "Why do y'all have to play so much 'no words' music?" Only once was I ever disrespected outright, and that was by the wife of one of the (former) owners. He later apologized to me on her behalf.
And I *know* I know I turned *a few* people on to EDM, even if it was the poppier side of the spectrum.
But never in my life have I seen such disrespectful behavior as that of Friday night. Trevor and Chris O have been DJ-ing in this area for years, far longer than me, and have a combined set of tracks (and skills) that IMHO rival many in this region. Time and again, even after being politely asked to leave the DJs alone multiple times by multiple people (including Riv employees), this band of sorostitutes and their lackey boyfriends repeatedly approached the booth and disrespected the sounds and vibe.
I had planned to leave early from the beginning to make it to another event that night, but even if I'd had no other plans, I couldn't have dealt with that crowd much longer.
Deep @ Sirens Lounge - Durham
----------------------------------
My roommate and I arrived here around midnight to see a small crowd of people stand outside what appeared to be a tiny club which I'd never previously been to. I thought to myself, "oh great, another empty dancefloor."
Again, how wrong I was.
Few people were around the bar...the majority were on the floor dancing...I'd say at LEAST a 33% to 66% ratio, if not more. And for an electronic event without a headliner, it was packed! It reminded me of the some of the best events from the late 1990s in this area, when the vibe was at the very least peaceful most of the time. I even got good vibes from the owner and the bar staff. And of course Danny, Pepe, and K-Rox rocked the house!
I am and always will be curious: what is it about EDM that some people in this area *hate* so much? When have we ever forced our music on them? EDM has been relegated to everything from "illegal" warehouse parties and "off-nights" (ie. weeknights when the average person cannot attend for work, school, etc.) in this country for the last twenty years or more. Meanwhile, theirs is constantly blasted into our cars and places of residence freely and without regulation of any kind (save for my ability to hit the power). They invade our spaces and ask us to change our programming without batting an eyelash, forcing "push it" and "wild thing" and other such music (which lost relevance early in the previous *millennium*) down our throats in place of music, which - while it may or may not contain words - has substance and emotion years beyond most of the Hannah Montana crap that makes its way onto the airwaves.
But I digress...
There were *four* events which could all the classified as EDM or at least EDM-related taking place that Friday night. Even if I had the power to teleport, I could not have attended them all. I'm not a promoter, have never been a promoter and doubt I could succeed as a promoter. But I'm curious: what would happen if all the promoters in the area came together once or twice a month, collectively decided on a venue which was friendly to EDM, and then made a success of it by pooling their resources and talents?
Just a thought.
Friday. Riviera, Raleigh. James West.
--------------------------------------
Somehow a sorority party had been booked the same night as a headliner (James West) for GruvGlu's "Submerge" event. Regardless of how it happened, I didn't see it necessarily as a bad thing. I've always held the belief, since I began my journey into EDM 10 years ago, that perhaps trying to introduce new faces to electronic music would be beneficial to the cause. It would certainly increase turnout for local events and maybe even educate some.
How wrong, or at least somewhat mistaken, I was.
It seems to me that in the Triangle (or at least Raleigh), there is a commonly held belief among the general population (ie. those not familiar with electronic music and how it is presented live) that all club DJ's are to be the "crowds' bitch" and play the same, mindless, Clear Channel programmed filth that owns conventional radio these days. To these people, I pose a question: if you were to go see Aerosmith, would you shout-out requests to play U2 songs? Doubtful. You go see a band for their music and style. Why is it any different with a DJ/Live PA? They too bring their own style and music. if you don't want to hear it, don't buy the fuckin' ticket.
Please understand, when I DJ-ed at Rush Lounge during most of 2004-early 2005, I certainly had my share of "requests," which I tried to cater to as best I could. If someone asked for a song by a particular artist, I would attempt to play the "club" remix, or at the very least, a remix of a well-known song by the same artist. 6 times out of 10, I would be complimented and asked, "where can I find this?" Only once did I ever get what I consider to be the now classic question, "Why do y'all have to play so much 'no words' music?" Only once was I ever disrespected outright, and that was by the wife of one of the (former) owners. He later apologized to me on her behalf.
And I *know* I know I turned *a few* people on to EDM, even if it was the poppier side of the spectrum.
But never in my life have I seen such disrespectful behavior as that of Friday night. Trevor and Chris O have been DJ-ing in this area for years, far longer than me, and have a combined set of tracks (and skills) that IMHO rival many in this region. Time and again, even after being politely asked to leave the DJs alone multiple times by multiple people (including Riv employees), this band of sorostitutes and their lackey boyfriends repeatedly approached the booth and disrespected the sounds and vibe.
I had planned to leave early from the beginning to make it to another event that night, but even if I'd had no other plans, I couldn't have dealt with that crowd much longer.
Deep @ Sirens Lounge - Durham
----------------------------------
My roommate and I arrived here around midnight to see a small crowd of people stand outside what appeared to be a tiny club which I'd never previously been to. I thought to myself, "oh great, another empty dancefloor."
Again, how wrong I was.
Few people were around the bar...the majority were on the floor dancing...I'd say at LEAST a 33% to 66% ratio, if not more. And for an electronic event without a headliner, it was packed! It reminded me of the some of the best events from the late 1990s in this area, when the vibe was at the very least peaceful most of the time. I even got good vibes from the owner and the bar staff. And of course Danny, Pepe, and K-Rox rocked the house!
I am and always will be curious: what is it about EDM that some people in this area *hate* so much? When have we ever forced our music on them? EDM has been relegated to everything from "illegal" warehouse parties and "off-nights" (ie. weeknights when the average person cannot attend for work, school, etc.) in this country for the last twenty years or more. Meanwhile, theirs is constantly blasted into our cars and places of residence freely and without regulation of any kind (save for my ability to hit the power). They invade our spaces and ask us to change our programming without batting an eyelash, forcing "push it" and "wild thing" and other such music (which lost relevance early in the previous *millennium*) down our throats in place of music, which - while it may or may not contain words - has substance and emotion years beyond most of the Hannah Montana crap that makes its way onto the airwaves.
But I digress...
There were *four* events which could all the classified as EDM or at least EDM-related taking place that Friday night. Even if I had the power to teleport, I could not have attended them all. I'm not a promoter, have never been a promoter and doubt I could succeed as a promoter. But I'm curious: what would happen if all the promoters in the area came together once or twice a month, collectively decided on a venue which was friendly to EDM, and then made a success of it by pooling their resources and talents?
Just a thought.
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