Vibrant and upbeat. Some weird little samples in there that you can hear in between the percussion. Also I think this is one of my first dives into audio to MIDI, which you can hear with the melody line.
Video by Edward Jenner from @pexels.
Author: Seth Werkheiser
Your Website is Your Truth
A friend looking to possibly maybe starting down the path of a new gig. They’ve got this experience, but how do they really show it off?
“A website,” I exclaim!
“But how will people know it’s stuff I really did?
“Because your reputation precedes you. You’re a good person, you’re not a crook. If it’s on your website, it happened.”
Of course, that takes a few decades of building trust, establishing character. Day after day of trying to do the right thing, with the right people. But that’s the work.
Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels
Back to Things Without a Break
Usually a Christmas holiday break means spending time with family, dinner with friends, ice skating, nice conversations in cute coffee shops… but not this year.
That’s what makes getting “back to work” that much more difficult. There was no unwinding, no reprieve. No break from the tragedy. No break from being vigilant. No break.
So we start January with a Slack outage, which is about as on-brand as you can get for the state of the world we’re living in now.
Daily Loop #4
Playing around with keyboard and synth “patches.” I’m not really well versed with piano-type instruments. Usually I just throw a few lines together, then edit the MIDI notes later.
Video by Stef from @Pexels
Can I Live In James Gilleard’s Illustrations?
In James Gilleard’s series Japan By Car, you’re whisked away on an adventure of color and fun. I know these are just illustrations, but I swear I feel like I’m there, sitting in the passenger seat and experiencing each scene as if it’s passing by me.
Forming Good Habits in the New Year
Sticking to a new habit, especially one like running which isn’t exactly know for being enjoyable, is tough.
Think of other things you enjoy around running that you can work into your system. Treat yourself to a nice running cap, or maybe your favorite album in your earbuds. Make a playlist for Mondays, something you can look forward to. Schedule a reminder in your calendar.
In my latest Soft Run newsletter I talk about supporting your goals with systems, which I learned from Atomic Habits from James Clear.
“The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game. True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement. Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress.”
My first reason to start running was because I had friends who were runners and I wanted to join them in their adventures. It’s the same reason why I started playing music – my peers in high school were learning to play music, and I wanted to be a part of that.
Eh, maybe that’s some peer pressure, but 30 years later I’m still making music. And this will be my fifth year running.
Now, I’ve always wanted to be someone who says they do 100 push-ups a day, but never had the motivation. It never stuck. I’ve stopped and started (I wrote about it here in 2018), but ultimately I guess I really don’t want do 100 push-ups a day.
Could I make it a habit? I suppose, but I just haven’t built a system to make it happen, and I’m just not in a big hurry to do it, either.
Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels
Daily Loop #3
Snagged this guitar sound from my friend Gino DePinto’s Instagram story! Captured on my iPhone, transferred to my computer, then chopped up in Abelton Live. The drums are a little over the top, but I still think it’s a fun little loop.
These ‘Desert Crust Series’ Videos are Amazing
Sometimes you just need to watch some trippy 10 minute long videos. This collection from Andrew Benson is a treasure.
I sat with them for many months, thinking I should find some way to share them, but I was torn by not really wanting to revisit and “finish” anything and not knowing when I’d ever have an opportunity to show these in an ideal way.
Daily Loop #2
More samples from places I don’t remember, and more simple drum beats, but coupling this with stock video (from Pexel) makes things a lot of fun still.
Goodnight, Metal Friend – MIX 10
First Goodnight, Metal Friend mix of 2021, and stoked that it’s mix #10. I started doing these after COVID-19 hit in 2020, just to learn more about crafting mixes, with everything from sourcing the tunes, performing them in real time using DJ software, and making all the promo assets for social media and the web.
This Goodnight, Metal Friend mix features tracks from Hypnagogue, 37735i6, Center Void, Moksa, and System Exile, clocking just over 29 minutes of menacing, spooky vibes.