The time has finally arrived. I have waited for this moment for at least 15 years and here it is, so Here We Go...which just happens to be the title of the album I am so excited about releasing. I have been an electronic musician since my 20s, but I have finally reached the point where I am ready to try my hand at a professional career at it. I think my debut double album Here We Go... showcases the breadth and depth of electronic music styles I love and produce, from straight ahead Dance to Acid Techno to Ambient to Experimental Hip Hop to Ethereal Choir Arrangement to Dirge to Experimental to Trance to Dub to Techno to IDM. My intent with my debut album is to mix these various styles into an organic whole listening experience that adds up to a unique vision all its own. Included above is my most popular video on Youtube, to the title track of the album. With all of the styles I use, I can almost guarantee that you will like some of the tracks and if you are an electronica, electronic dance, and/or IDM (intelligent dance music) fan, I think there's a good chance you may dig the whole album. To hear samples and purchase my album or songs from the album, go to nairboman's Here We Go... on CDbaby ($9.99 album, $1 for songs) or nairboman's Here We Go... on Itunes ($19.99 album, $1 for songs). Thank you.
9.0/10 Is The Avengers everything you could hope for after seeing the lead-in films? Yes, most definitely. The last third or so of the movie is wall to wall action, but that isn't what makes it such an awesome experience. It's in watching the characters learn about, grow to tolerate, and eventually even respect each other for their differences. In other words, this may be the most expensive dysfunctional family movie ever made. Returning from the lead-in films are Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye. Filling out the lead roles are Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Thor's currently much more menacing and psychotic brother Loki, the central villain. Joss Whedon was the perfect choice for director, not only delivering on the epic promise inherent in an Avengers film, but adding his own unique gifts in character development and interaction, as well as his jocular, absurdist sense of humor. The plot here, the standard bad guy arrives and threatens the earth, conflict ensues, and the heroes go into epic battle formula, is far less important than where it takes these characters. By the end, not only has each superhero character changed -if only a little in some cases- from the beginning of the film, but the films classic theme -learning to work together- has embedded itself as an all-important statement. These people -isolated, flawed, and egotistical- have learned that no one is an island, especially those who offer themselves up as saviors. Don't get me wrong, if you want your explosions, battles, and wall to wall visual effects, then, yes, you will be highly entertained, even awed, but the most surprising and rewarding thing about The Avengers is its humanity.
Massive Attack released this masterpiece back in 1991. At that time, no one had heard music quite like it: combining electronica, hip-hop, soul, reggae and dub is something that seems obvious now, but the resulting stew was so startlingly fresh that the press gave it a new name. Trip-hop. Since then, many artists have tried their hand at it, but none have succeeded artistically as well as Massive Attack did on this album. Perhaps part of the reason for this is that these producers from Bristol, England weren't really trying to invent a new genre so much as simply make music they liked. There are three timeless anthems on this album, "Safe From Harm", "Unfinished Sympathy", and "Hymn of the Big Wheel", but it's "Unfinished Sympathy" that continues to capture the hearts of first-time listeners more than any other track in the MA canon. Grandiose, bittersweet, and romantically yearning, its one of those tracks that instantly grabs you and doesn't let go. In between the three highlights, the remaining tracks provide one pleasure after another, featuring various vocalists and rappers, the most famous being Tricky, who became an exceptional solo artist following this release. "Blue Lines" remains an essential purchase, demonstrating that music can take on the heft of combining many different genres and still be uniquely expressive and singular. Massive Attack may not have made another album quite this brilliant, but even if they never do, they will always be remembered for this extraordinary work, sounding as fresh today as it did twenty years ago.
I am planning on publishing my Electronic Music debut double album Here We Go... on CDbaby next week and they will also send it to Itunes, Amazon, and many other outlets. After that for a week or two, I will undoubtedly do a lot of internet and local marketing for it, but following that, as I have stated before, I will put just as much time and effort into finding help from within the music business itself as I do self-marketing, particularly from a manager and/or record company, as I find the more marketing I do, the less I like it, really. If it were feasible for me to remain an independent musician without management, I would. Unfortunately, that would mean having a full time job marketing myself and that isn't necessarily my idea of a good time and what's the point of working at a job for very long, if you aren't enjoying yourself. I would end up spending much more time selling my music than actually making it. Having a manager and/or record company would free up my time and relieve some stress. Of course, I do know that choosing a manager and/or record company is serious business. You don't just sign the first contract presented you, however enthusiastic you might be to. It's still a business and with contracts at least, you most definitely have to treat it as such. I would assume the first thing to do is to make sure they actually like your music and not simply want to use it only for profit. Secondly, I would want near-full control over what I choose to do with my "image" and my music. I will always want an "image" that reflects the real me, namely a combination of eccentricity, humor, and individualism, with touches of gentleness and playfulness. Also, I wouldn't want anyone to ever tell me what kind of music to make. Advice is one thing, demands quite another. And I don't wanna be treated like a slave. I will do or not do what I want, regardless of what they would like. If I sign a contract and fully understand the contract, I will abide by it, but If I feel like I am ever being used unfairly (ie deceived or lied to), I might just break a contract, even if it loses me money. I have no ambitions to be rich but if it happens, I will be giving a lot away to less fortunate people. I am in this mostly for the art. If somebody wants to help me with the business side of it, I would be very grateful and appreciative. But that does not mean submissive. :)
