A new and most excellent podcast from the "Objects From The World Of Machines" series is now available, so update iTunes or point your browser to http://www.dreamdaze.org/podcast.htm and enjoy the sounds this winter evening.
Tonight's podcast is a little experimental drum'n'bass featuring some nice jazz keyboards, some glitched up drums, warped out bass and some odd ball f/x.
Everything's better with compression.
:: DJ 5:59 PM [+] ::
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:: Saturday, November 10, 2007 ::
Episode 14 of my podcast "Objects From The World Of Machines" has been uploaded to the Dreamdaze Mothership (well, the website anyhow).
Episode 14 features a mix of 6 electronica songs which I've been working on for the last couple of days.
Each makes use of a more rock-oriented bassline, glitched up rock drums and various poptronica synth lines. Each song is sprinkled with vinyl scratches and a variety of vocal samples.
Episode 12 of the Objects From The World Of Machines podcast is now available and features an electronic music mix by DJ Dazed of DREAMDAZE, inspired by last weekend's Chicago performances by SinCroNation, Wicker Basket and Protman.
The keyboard and tempo ideas in the podcast come from SinCroNation, the beats are based on Wicker Basket, and the glitched-up madness demonstrate Protman's influence.
Listen to what happens when all these artists' styles get mashed together in an original mix!
:: DJ 7:51 PM [+] ::
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Episode 11 of the DREAMDAZE podcast, Objects From The World Of Machines, features an 8-bit song by DJ Dazed of DREAMDAZE, performed live on his laptop in the kitchen of a friend in the Bay Area.
VJs must remember that video mixing IS visual percussion!
:: DJ 7:17 PM [+] ::
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I'm a member of the blank generation.
:: DJ 6:46 PM [+] ::
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:: Monday, August 06, 2007 ::
Did your band suck?
The Rules… (in no particular order, a love letter from your sound guy):
1. Shut the fuck up, seriously... if you wanna chat, see us after the show. We came to hear music not you. If you talk more than 3 times, you suck... However, it helps to at least let us know the name of your band.
2. Tune your guitar before you get on stage and don't do it again. If it falls out of tune during a 30 minute set there is something wrong with your guitar. However if for some reason you need to tune, do it muted... almost all tuners have this function, it's there for a reason... and do it during a break in a song or quickly in between...
3. Don't be a dick. I'm sorry no one came to see your band or that no one is standing up front... Berating the crowd doesn't help.
4. Drums. Drums require a top and a bottom head. Drums require tuning. If you do neither of these things your drums will be quiet and sound like wet mops. It is not the sound guy, it's you.
5. No matter how good you are no one wants to hear more than 30-40 minutes of you. You aren't that interesting. No matter what you mom/girlfriend says.
6. Try to write some different songs. The same song with different lyrics is not another song. Try to sound somewhat original... If you have a cd that sounds exactly like your band you are a cover band...
7. We saw you have merch for sale. If we haven't bought it yet... we really aren't going to. Don't beg.
8. Set up quick, play, get your shit off the fucking stage. No, really. Wrap your cables later.
9. Write a set list, think about it... try to make it flow and build. Write it down and give one to each of your band mates. "What's next?" is something we don't wanna hear.
10. No silence between songs… if you're not playing a song (with a break for applause), make noise or talk (shudder) but see rules #1&3. And please please please don't say you fucked up that last song, noone noticed.
11. We know you have a myspace page, seriously… No ones busting out pens to write it down. If you need people to know (and think they care), give them something to leave with. And please don't ever say www!
12. Singers, Listen: Learn how to use a microphone. Repeat after me, quiet = close, loud = far… near…………. FAR! Near…….. FAR! Trust me.
13. Singers with mic in hand: Don't cup the ball of the mic, it makes you louder, makes it sound like shit and makes it feedback. You don't look any cooler. I did see that issue of Metal Edge magazine you got that pose from though… I bet that soundguy was pissed.
14. Don't ask the crowd if you sound ok. Fuck you, I know how to do my job. If you sound like shit it's probably because your amp is so fucking loud I can't mix you properly. C'mon rock dog… turn down so I can make you sound good. Also, the full stack isn't really necessary anymore there are great combo amps now.
15. It's really not necessary to do a full sound check when you are playing in a room this size. I know the room and will have a good mix in about 20 seconds, trust me, I've done this before. Oh and turn down.
16. Turn your amp down to the lowest possible volume you can whilst maintaining your tone. If you are loud as fuck I can't mix the band properly and you'll sound like shit. Oh and why did you lug that HUGE cabinet out here if you want to go direct? It is funny watching you lug it around though.
17. If you're setup, don't play except for when your level is being set. We're not at Guitar Center. We're all very impressed. And for fucks sake, don't play along to the music. Seriously, it makes you look like an ass.
18. Our super fast sound check is to set the LEVEL of your instrument, we know the mics are on and work. Hit the drums like you mean it and don't turn your amp up later. See these big boxy things on the ceiling and that thing with all the knobs I'm standing in front of? That's a PA, let me use it. You'll be glad I did.
19. Do you REALLY need to hear yourself that loud in the monitors? You need your vocal onstage louder than the mains? C'mon… Oh wait, that's right, that amp is so fucking loud you can't hear your vocal over it… I forgot. Don't worry though, no one else can hear you over it either. Yeah, see those people waaaaaay back there (that didn't leave when you started playing) huddled the very back of the room holding their ears. Them.
20. This is the one rule of any PA system: Garbage in, Garbage out.
:: DJ 8:14 PM [+] ::
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Michael Jackson's Thriller as performed by Philipino convicts.
Excess ain't rebellion...
:: DJ 8:08 AM [+] ::
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:: Sunday, July 22, 2007 ::
Episode 10 of the "Objects From The World Of Machines" podcast features an electronic mix by DJ Dazed of DREAMDAZE and Velva, performed live on his laptop in the basement of his home, late at night, with no audience to enjoy the show, except for the rabbits peering in through the window.
I hope you enjoy the podcast as much as the rabbits did.
The podcast is available on iTunes (search for DREAMDAZE) or by clicking on this link to subscribe or this link to listen or download straight from the web site.
Episode 9 of the "Objects From The World Of Machines" podcast features an IDM mix by DJ Dazed of DREAMDAZE and Velva, performed live on his laptop in the "blue room" study of his home over a nice cup of coffee with no audience to enjoy the show.
It was a cup of home-roasted Guatemalen for those of you scoring at home. Very tasty.
I hope you enjoy the podcast as much as I enjoyed the coffee.
The podcast is available on iTunes (search for DREAMDAZE) or by clicking on this link to subscribe or this link to listen or download straight from the web site.
So I travel to Dallas for work this coming weekend.
I always do my best work at airports waiting for the flight and during down time in my hotel room between meetings/events/etc.
Not sure why. Maybe it's the focus that an uncluttered room that's not my own gives me. No distractions. No obligations.
It's a theory.
Anyhow, I am looking forward to cranking out some new songs for the podcast.
Eventually my Alienware will be returned from Alpha Centauri (or wherever the hell it was sent for repairs...Tennessee maybe?) and then I'll be able to work on some new songs for my next album.
The title of the new album will be "The Harvest Of Exact Calculations". I have the art for it selected already. I have 6 songs (IDM, illbient, experimental) done for it already. I might add one of my podcast episodes as a bonus track to fill it out. Or maybe edit down a couple of the podcasts to make them song length to fill out the LP.
Whatever I do, this thing will be ready for release in 2007.
:: DJ 9:24 AM [+] ::
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It's winter. It's snowing like crazy in Chicago. I'm in an ill mood.
So this podcast features an illbient mix!
:: DJ 7:08 PM [+] ::
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:: Friday, February 09, 2007 ::
Last Weekend (Tales From The Road):
Now this is an interesting story.
As you know from my Jan 24th post (see poster), Tim (from Velva) and I were supposed to gig at the ElectrOrganism event in Detroit last Saturday.
So...we head out early enough that we should get to Bert's in Detroit an hour before load in. Everything is going fine. The car is gassed up, the gear is loaded, and we're stocked with pop tarts, beef jerky, chips and Monster. It's a road trip!
We drive into Michigan and start heading east across the state, and then we hit...lake effect "snow" (read blizzard). Visibility is 0 to 20'. There's cars off the road all over the place. We drive 30 mph with our hazards on for about an hour.
Halfway across the state of Michigan, Tim calls his Detroit friends for an internet weather update. I expect his friend to undersell the severity of the storm, but instead he says, "Dude, the storm covers the state, you're in the middle of it, and it's heading to Detroit."
So Tim and I make a quick decision. We're near Kalamazoo. Bell's Brewery is Kalamazoo. Tim calls information for the number then gets directions to the brew pub.
We land at Bell's, belly up to the bar and talk to the bartender, Amy, who also happens to be the booking manager. We have a great lunch (buffalo burgers) and find out that the band from last night is still at the pub; they're stuck too.
In the meantime, I've called Joseph in Detroit to let him know that Tim and I might not make it, but we'd sit for an hour and see what happens with the weather. Joseph calls back in 15 minutes after talking to one of his guys in Lansing and tells us that the state is closing highways...so we cancel.
We let Amy know we can play later, but she figures she's going to close early due to the blizzard...so the quest for a gig begins in earnest.
Tim makes some calls and finds we could DJ a college frat party. Could be fun, but it's still early in the quest.
We trek across the street to Kraftbrau, another brew pub.
As we walk up to the bar, the bartender hangs up the phone, turns to one of the barflies and says, "Well, the first band for tonight just cancelled."
"We're in a band," I say.
So the bartender makes some calls. We settle in. The other bands cancel. We set up.
The tunes are on. The vocals are great. The visuals are great. The crowd of 10 or so dedicated patrons is in to us. The show is great.
And best of all, we met a couple who was willing to let us head back to their place and crash out in their apartment.
So, to conclude, thank you weather, Kraftbrau, and friendly Kalamazoo-ites for a fun (if random) weekend.
:: DJ 7:39 AM [+] ::
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:: Saturday, January 27, 2007 ::
Just a heads up that a new Dreamdaze podcast is available on the website.
This one was composed while on vacation in the Bahamas and is IDM-tinged.
:: DJ 7:19 PM [+] ::
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