After a redesign of this site, the new project pages are back up and working properly. If you notice anything strange, or broken, please log into the backend and post something up there, or just send me an email.
Lots has happened since my last entry here:
I’ve begun recording this album. June produced 8 studio tracks, and 23 demos. I sent these demos to King Street to see if they were serious about doing a second album with me. Hisa chose 8 tracks which he really liked… only two of which were slated for this album project… But Hisa wanted the music to be 128 bpm, more along the lines of what most club DJ’s are actually playing these days, and further, he asked me to invite female singers into the project and add a more King Street flare. I am open to this, having explored faster tempos lately both on Sunday Soul and in recent live trips out, so I agreed, and invited Jenifa Mayanja, Monique Binham, Moonbeam Jones, and Mai to join me on this album both as backing vocalists, as well as lead vocalists. They each replied with delight.
Suddenly it looked like I was about to produce two albums at once. for me this was confusing at first, but then it all came into focus.
A. I create a faster, more techno album for King Street to be released in the early part of 2009
B. I keep on working on this handmade and heady album for us, to be released on Treehouse as promised late summer 2008.
Seems ideal to me.
The contract negotiations continue, and it’s all hanging on the outcome of this week’s 12th hour tussle. I’m worn out and looking forward to a productive weekend in the studio.
I am still at a bit of a loss to determine how I can drum up more support for this album. My dearest friends, and regular readers, as well as some long time fans, and new folks I’ve never met have already contributed. A couple of debts have been converted into the recording fund as well.. about $2,800 of the budget is not actually money in waiting, rather, deposits from gigs which have never happened were offered as contributions. I accepted this in order to close up the loose ends… but now the running total is inaccurate.
I thought that going at this fast and furious was the only way to get anywhere near the required goal. but as the months wear on I find myself scratching my head and wondering how to proceed. for now, the plan is to continue, and record this record with the budget we have. That said, if you know anyone who is into house music, into dubtribe, or loves my solo work… please please send them an ecard, or direct them to this site.
Forward!
• June 12th 2008:
My Mother wrote a letter, wanting to help introduce this project. I posted it onto the front page of this section if you want to read it. My mum’s the best.
This week has seen some action in terms of contributions. We’re up over 12% of the budget now. Yaay! Because some wonderful people have gotten behind this project and are also spreading the word, things are making progress. I love it. A community effort. That’s what this is about.
I began work on two songs last week, and have been really enjoying not worrying about the fundraising, and just getting down to recording, singing, and playing.
More soon.
• May 6th 2008:
I’ve got some news to report. Contributions have all but come to an end. I am guessing everyone who wants to contribute, or can contribute already has. There’s the little matter of something like $6,000 in promised contributions which have not materialized, but that’s the way with these things, and I’m not sweating it. This process has given me thoughtful pause, and consideration for the concept of “breaking out of my little world,” and just how much times have changed. Good for me. Humbling, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
So I’m going to go forward anyway and make this record.
Working titles:
Originally I was planning to call the album ‘Victoria.’ the idea comes from a photograph I took where some people on Duboce street had a piece of concrete replaced on their driveway. They went to great pains to protect the fresh slab from being molested. They put up barricades, flags, signs, and even kept watch. Still, one morning there it was, written deeply into the now dry concrete: Victoria.
Here’s a link to the image:
http://flickr.com/photos/fernando_graphicos/2259345175/
I saw it adorned with these little victorian children and shamelessly bourgeois images of men displaying their beards, and women in drawing rooms learning the violin. Somehow it seemed fitting, appropriate for these dubious days of hay we’re enjoying at the moment. Plus, these images fire my imagination, and ignite my heart a little bit more than I care to divulge.
Another thought was something Tami said in a rapid fire exchange during Sunday Soul… it was dirty mouthed sexy brainiac fashiononista… and once it was out there, well, it just seemed perfect. A lighter, more fun, and decidedly less self-reflexive album. Might be just the very thing.
Regardless of the title, or the graphics, the main thing is the music. And so today I begin…
After a couple of week of very little activity here, I was delighted today to find that we’re not up and over the 11% mark!
Feel like having a party!!!!
Thank you.
On a fundraising note, there are still over $5,000 in pledges out there which have not yet come in. I might normally just be grateful and feel really good inside for the pledges alone, but I’m chomping at the bit to get started recording these tracks. So if you’ve previously pledged something for the fund, and/or been thinking about sending in a little something but haven’t gotten around to it yet, please muster the courage and do it to it!
Once this fund gets up to 35% I will begin.
• March 29th 2008:
It’s been a thoughtful and very busy week. Lots of web work, and even more remixing. Gearing up for the 3 year anniversary of sunday soul!
I decided today that I just couldn’t stand not having access to my journal anymore. My journal, and much of this site has served me so well in terms of working out rubbish, ejecting short stories, and other oddities. So I decided that I would launch version 8 of my site a little sooner than I’d hoped.
Basically it just means that now there’s access to everything here. And you have a choice how you’d like to browse, and what you want to read.
I’m still working on spreading the word for this project, negotiating with King Street about a new album for them, and remixing my head off. Also… I am still working on stencils, stickers, and more creative ways to spread the word.
Thank you for the notes and thoughts and love and support!
After a wonderful trip to Denver, and an insane sunday soul (the good kind of insane) I’m back at my desk considering new tactics for this project.
An interesting side effect of promoting my cause has been interest from labels, licensing offers, and sales in the treehouse muzique shop. I’m pleased, but want to bring the point of this record home more clearly.
I also really, really, really miss my blog. I love having a journal I can empty my head into every morning, and it’s been difficult to look at this same fundraising page over and over. One thought I had was to leave the new album sidebar up and return to my journal. Another idea was to move the album project off to it’s own domain… sunshinesnextrecord.com …
I’m considering how to have stencils made, and teeny tiny stickers too. Working on it.
More soon.
• March 20th 2008:
Very interesting developments today. A certain label I’ve sent some time working with has expressed interest in developing an album with me. Hmm… I’m quickly regrouping and looking into how I might be able to do both.
Very interested in your thoughts about this.
Today we saw a happy bump in contributions. We’re up over 9% now and that’s a beautiful thing. I got word that this idea is catching on, but not in quite the way I had expected. Several other producers have begun similar projects to this one. I say “Right on!” the more the merrier. This not about me, or money for me. This is about community, artist development, independence, support and house music. When I can I plan to contribute to all similar causes in the interest of everyone reaching their goals.
I had an idea exchange with Deana about other ways to support and spread the word, the fruit of which is the idea of creating a pdf file you can download and print out as tiny stickers we can put everywhere we go, and this afternoon on a 3 mile walk I thought that maybe offering stencil templates for you to print and cut might allow you to put that funny picture of my face on every street corner in town if you want to. Are you down? I hope so. Give me a sign and I’ll do it.
