July 2002 Archives

You know what I dont like? I dont like people who leave all of their shoes outside their front door - one pair is ok if they are only there temporarily. I live in a unit and I hate the idea that someone is using our stair well as an Extension of their closet.. a shoe closet at that..

Since Sunday one of my PC's have been playing up.. it all started when I installed my flat mates spare DVD+RW (how does someone manage to have a spare one of these?!).. anyway.. it wouldnt boot.. when I explored I had somehow lost my boot drive.. I assume I got a power surge.. or static.. anyway.. resorting to having to reinstall WinXP.. I found that it didnt want to happen.. it kept crashing whilst trying to copy from the CD. To cut a long story short.. it has taken me all afternoon Sunday, most of Tuesday night and then finally to night.. I worked out the new DVD is conflicting with my Network card (PCI - dunno how or why).. anyway, ripped out the network card, threw in a USB network adaptor and all systems are go!

Looking for some good free music.. check this 16 Neptunes from Quark Kent.

There are 3 whales in Sydney Harbor. this is quite rare and incredible.. they are well into the harbor as well, not just near the heads.. if I didnt have to work I would probably like to get down and have a look..

ears : Matter of Fact - Duran Duran demo and 16 Neptunes - Quark Kent
eyes : Amelie
advice : dont have a cheese grater? Use a potato peeler instead..

Last night Kev and I did some more work on the Interactive Particle Theory project. I think we have recorded all of the main themes of Tullsino's Orb - we still need to get a drum loop down and then fatten it out with some layers of sound to give it some depth. We really want to over produce this music, so that its not until the 20th time you listen to it that you hear "that bell" thats deep in the mix. I think its that sort of thing which makes people coming back to listen to more - apart from it being a good tune. Which I think it is.

I was meant to go to Kev's tonight to do some more work with the Interactive Particle Theory. Too tired.. its Monday..

My flat mate showed me an advert from a leading bank which had a spitting image picture of a friend of mine.. I must remember to scan it and send it to him.. which reminds me, Rusty sent me this link - you want reality TV - look at this.. nasubi..

ears : retro [headless chickens]
eyes : dreamweaver and web editing books
advice : look both ways before you cross the road

9.28pm oh no.. I missed the secret life of us.. it really is Monday isnt it?

Today I attempted to cook Garlic Naan bread. This is something I try to do every 6 months or so. There is a very good reason I only attempt it twice a year. Wonder if I will try again in January - or I will I simply know better next time.

Oh and btw - dont mess with your routine.. I knew I should never have put my right sock on first - what was I thinking. If life is like traveling down a freeway.. then someone just pulled on my hand break and Im now facing the wrong way..

Do you believe in superstitions? I don't - but then again there are lots of little things which I do, though not really being aware that I do them - which form part of my routine. Can a routine be a routine if you dont know that it is one? Socks.

My left sock always goes on first, and my left shoe always goes on before the right one - but not before my right sock. So its left sock, right sock, left shoe, right shoe. Thats the way it always is - except for today. I tempted fate.. it was my right sock first.. hmm..

To flush or not to flush this is the question.. when you stay at someones house and you have to get up in the middle of the night to .. well you know.. [wee]. Is it etiquette to flush there and then and run the risk of waking the household, or is it accepted that you dont flush.. it gets flushed in the morning.. stale urine and all.. why isnt that one in the instruction manual?

It doesnt matter how it is put - if its "Fcuk off I dont want to see you again" or if its "I want you to know that this just isnt working" - its still rejection. It doesnt matter how you dress it up, if it is hidden in rose petals or delivered with a serving with strawberries and cream - its still rejection. It cuts as deep, the message is the same.

People say it happens to every one, we shouldnt take it personally. I dont get that.. how can you not take rejection personally? It is directly about you.

Tip #1 - dont listen to the Smiths when you are feeling down..

btw happy birthday to my dad..

It finally begins.. after many months of deliberation, I have begun work on my new and improved web site. Not knowing much at all apart from the basics of html editing - I'm sure this is going to be a slow and challenging process.

I have decided to go for the stylish approach - ok make that easy approach - nothing fancy here.. just the raw basics. Inspiration has come from a variety of websites - too many to mention. After spending several hours, days, weeks of looking at what other geeks have done online - I would like to thank them all for planting seeds in my brain. Whilst I have not intentionally set out to rip someone elses site off - its fair to say that I have been guided by those that I have liked the best.. so if you see a part of your little world in the arena.. then remember imitation is the best form of flattery.

Just don't expect anything to work right now..infact at the moment.. what you see if what you get.. none of the links here work, some of the links there may work.. I'm still building this site.. remember, the building has to be built before you can put your sofa in it. - which reminds me, why dont they call a building a "built" after it is completed?

So lets consider this site sofa-less atm.

Had lunch with Eden and Kev today. We threw around some ideas for this years tropfest. After alot of deliberation, we have settled on a horror/suspense film idea. Working title of "the scream."

It centres around the idea of alot of evil/bad things happening in this area - town. The bad things are all a result of the death of a man. The area is so evil and bad that it has caused all of the evil to warp time, and the events which lead up to his death are in actual fact a direct result of his death. Its a difficult concept - and its going to be even harder to get it across in a 7 minute film.. but as they say thats part of the challenge..

Next step.. nut out the script.. we have set Eden - the chief writer 4 weeks to get the first draft to us.. stay tuned..

Last night we commenced work on the Interactive Particle Theory's first song, called Tullsino's Orb. Want to know how it was recorded - then read on..

With a view to recording Interactive Particle Theory's (IPT) music completely digitally, I converted an old Pentium 333 fitted with a 3.5 Gig and various removable HDD's and an old 2xCDR into our now "recording studio".

Switching between the line in are a Yamaha DX7 keyboard and an Alesis drum machine, line out goes to a Fender Pro amp.

Sound is captured to disk using Cool Edit Pro and then edited and trimmed to riff and sample size - amplification is adjusted, as is any reverb or other effects before it is finally saved as a sampled WAV.

The majority of samples and riffs are captured live via the DX7.

Samples are arranged into ACID3 and the format of the song is created and arranged from there.

Drum loops are created and exported using Fruity Loops - although we havent really ventured into that arena yet.

Recording this way allows us to create what is essentially a linear product (all songs start, have an intro, verse, bridge, chorus, middle 8 and coda in a specific order - arrangement) in a non linear format.

Ever tried to paint a song? Now you get the idea.. The first notes had been played and fell together to form the tune called "Tullsino's Orb"..

Taking direct inspiration from the cold yet polished German achitechure.. autobahns, lamp posts, 1920's style.. add a sharp keyboard Riff and throw in a few layers of deep keyboards to add depth.. you have the workings of Tullsino's Orb.

Still early in development, we have written the main riff which will feature throughout the songs and also recorded either the middle 8 or a bridge.

Playing with drum loops we also captured a Drum and Bass loop which, whilst will not feature as part of Tullsino's Orb, is sure to be the basis of a future tune..

Not bad for 2-3 hours on a cold Monday Night..

What would happen if Kraftwerk took a detour in the 1980's, crossed itself with Talk Talk, with a splash of Duran Duran and Propaganda throw in for good measure and then got hooked on Bass and Drums and all things electrica and ended up in the year 2025? You would have the Interactive Particle Theory..

Interactive Particle Theory are part of the Experimental Music Unit or EMU for short. Central to EMU are myself and Kevin Cooper. Under the guise of EMU, we write and produce music for ITP and other pseudonyms.

ArC is also a product of EMU and features the trio of myself, kev and another friend as vocalist/guitarist.

Sounds complex and convoluted? Not really.. EMU is the parent reservoir of all of our musical ideas and concepts.. it is the melting pot of where we throw everything into and develop material/music from. From there the song or product will become part of one of our musical projects, be it Interactive Particle Theory, ARC or some new act.

And so it was, Interactive Particle Theory was born on 15 July 2002. Stemming from the concept of a virtual band in a working transcript set in the future of Sydney. The music of ITP can best be described as kraftwerk in the year 2025..

end. [technically its the beginning you know]