Congratulations to '@Himmel_' who won the recent competition I held via Twitter. A pack of 5 Auxiliary test presses is on it's way to you this week.
Tuesday, June 28
Competition Winner
Sunday, June 26
The self-torture of an artist
"You cannot force good music, as creativity will rise and fall"
This statement is very true.
I'm no stranger to 'writers block' or just lack of creativity in general sometimes, as I'm sure most producers aren't either. It would be inhuman to be able to keep writing constantly and for the quality to remain so high. Even your favourite artists will have a stack of tracks that have probably never left the confines of their own studio - that's just the way it is.
I'm my own biggest fan. I write music for myself first and foremost and I enjoy listening to what I write, which is healthy I think. Recently, I found myself listening to some of my stuff and thinking, how the hell did I do that? or will I ever be as good as this again? Of course, the answer is yes. I always tell myself that anyway, as I always strive to do better than with previous works. It's hard though, because during the low points, you have to stay positive and break out of that bubble you find yourself trapped in and move forward.
To expand on that bubble thought; we are the creators of these walls and confinements. Forced by our set of rules or style of how we should be writing, but also we have the means and tools to break down any walls we build. The other problem I have is my need to feel like what I'm doing will be remembered in years to come, or my yearning to make timeless music each and every release. It's a constant head fuck when you are in this mode of constantly competing with yourself. It is almost masochistic in a way.
Tuesday, June 14
Competition time
Up for grabs, is 1 pack of Auxiliary test pressings. Test pressings are white label reference vinyl which are sent from the pressing plant so we can make sure the cut sounds as it should before it goes into mass production. Here's what you'll get:
AUX001 - ASC - The Touch
AUX002 - ASC - Certainties EP
AUXSYM001 - Symbol #1 by ASC
AUXSYM002 - Symbol #2 by ASC & bvdub
AUXSYM003 - Symbol #3 by Sam KDC
To stand a chance of winning this lovely set of discs, all you have to do is follow me on Twitter, then tweet "#Aux Comp" at me, with the hash-tag. Here's the link to my profile:
Sunday, June 12
Saturnine EP Out Now
For audio, check the Auxiliary Soundcloud page. Out everywhere digitally, June 13th.
Friday, June 3
Thursday, June 2
A gaijin in Tokyo
I just got back from Tokyo a few days and I'm still on a high from the experience, so what better time to write a blog update!
First of all, I'd never been to Japan before, so I was excited from all the images and my pre-conceptions about what it was like. The whole place is just alive. There's always something going on and I loved that. So anyway, I was there to play 3 gigs in the space of 5 day visit and I managed to cram a LOT into that time, mainly at the expense of sleep!
The first gig was at Module, right in the heart of Shibuya. The club was a proper old school underground dark room with a great sound system. Yusaku and all the staff made me feel very welcome and the event itself went amazingly well. I played a 3 hour set, which is a rarity for me these days, but even during my sleep-deprived state, I played a varied and well balanced set that I was very happy with.
The next gig was for the mnml ssgs Sound Garden chill-out party the day after at Orbit in Sangenjaya. This place was amazingly comfortable - like playing an intimate gig to a bunch of friends in someones living room. I played an hours worth of material from my two ambient albums that I've yet to release and I was happy with the response. It was the perfect setting to test out this music.
Finally, the last gig I played was at the internet club, Dommune, which is in between Roppongi and Shibuya. This place is already famous worldwide for providing a live stream of the night which has featured some of the biggest names of Techno, so I was very honoured to be playing there. I will admit I had a bit of trouble with my mixing this night though, as the club has a Funktion One sound system in a room that holds 50 people max! So when it got pumped up, I was hearing the system over the booth monitor which threw me for a loop at times!
As far as sight-seeing went, I managed to visit Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku, Nakano, Shimokitazawa and Akihabara. The Meiji Jingū Shrine in particular was an exhilarating experience - like nothing I've ever seen before. I'll post up some photos on here very soon.
I feel I made a bunch of new friends on this visit and I can't wait to return and see you all again. I'd like to thank:
Craig for making all of this happen - it was also lovely to meet your wife, your 8-month old daughter and your mother in law
Chris & Yuri for being great hosts - you both are amazing
Conoley - thank you for being a great host too!
Russ & Yasuyo for coming out - even though Russ looked more tired than me!
Aki and the 06S crew - was great meeting you guys
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