(Classic) Halcyon - On and On (1992)

Oh. Wow.

When I can listen to a song 18 years later and still marvel at all that went into creating it, that just means that song is so much more awesomer. :)

When I was 17, I bought a tape from Muchmusic called "R U Receiving?" Not only was it the first item ever encountered outside the internet that used futuristic ways of communication, it had some pretty kick-ass tunes on it. Notably, The Prodigy, Moby, Massive Attack. This was my first foray into tasting electronic music...to feed my appetite at the time, so to speak. My second was the purchase of the 'Hackers' soundtrack in 1995. Oh, and the 'Trainspotting' soundtrack. I guess that's how you could say I knew what kind of music I should be making, but was trying to figure out a way to make it at this time.

At either rate, this was on the 'hackers' soundtrack, I believe. And it seemed to epitomize all I've felt about music. This song *makes* you want to throw on some pajama pants before listening, because you know you're gonna be going on a journey. And some may ridicule me for this, but I only found out LAST YEAR that the vocals snips were taken from "It's A Fine Day" by ATB (also a popoular electronic group from the late 80s - early 90s).

Please listen, and enjoy. :)

Embrace (All I Know) (2010)

Hmm...what to say about this one? Well, click 'play', listen and read while you're listening:





First of all, I guess I need to explain/apologize. I was thinking I should call this the 'Fame-ish Mix' due to the last little keyboard tune at the end. If you didn't notice, it sounds a lot like the tune from the theme song for a certain fun little TV show that was popular in the 80s. Hey, it happened, I went with it, and don't know if anyone in copyright central is going to get on my ass about this or not...but anyway, this is the end result.

Other than that, I began this song about 4 months ago and almost nearly didn't post it because I was listening to it one night and it seemed to have a faint sexual undertone to it that I wasn't trying for (you'll understand when you listen to the lyrics). But it still embodies all that is ME. If I'm not working on music or listening to it, I love living/working/being in silence.

Many people I know who live alone like to turn their televisions on, or have some music for background noise. Not me. I can't stand the sound of a television going while I'm trying to concentrate on stuff. It's even more bothersome when I'm trying to visit somebody. Many a time I've been at a friend's house (or they've been to mine), just enjoying the conversation...the 'being' with that person...yet when there's a slight silence between us two, all of a sudden the other person wants to throw on some music or turn on the television to alleviate 'the silence' that just suddenly came up. Both of which I dislike immensely, because 'alleviating' the friendly silence between two human beings means introducing some noise and/or visual imagery that takes away from us just 'being' together, and talking one-on-one. You throw some music on, suddenly our conversation turns to music and then we tend to try and one-up each other in finding the best music. You turn the tv on, and eventually the both of us are going to get distracted by the noise and images and quit actually talking because we are both so focused on the television instead.

Why? Why are we as human beings so conditioned to think that if there is silence (especially shared between two people), it indicates that something is wrong? I find it odd...do they not like the idea of allowing another person to think? Are they afraid of having to think for themselves? I think the very fact that most people can't stand living and being in silence indicates that something is wrong.

Here are the lyrics:

I embrace the sound of silence.
It touches me from within.
Ever knowing, ever flowing, never changing, always growing,
It's in every place I've been.
It's all I know...

And it's all I need to know to let myself go...

Embrace the silence. We don't get it very often in this world, so enjoy it when you do, and make it when you can. You can't ever be afraid of silence.

The Future of Music Business Models

Really good article from Techdirt about the outdated model of selling music online that the industry is still trying to use. Sales of digital downloads are now on the decline, and the industry can't figure out why. Obviously, it's due to the proliferation of readily available, FREE music for download. So what can artists do to continue making money? Find out.

I like this because it references one of my idols (Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails) and uses him as an example of a decent model to fashion the new industry after. Needless to say, I admire Reznor even more for embracing the technologies and changes that have led to the downfall of other bands, and using them to his advantage.

"Numerous innovative startups have suffocated under burdensome licensing terms -- and as each one fails, it just gives consumers fewer and fewer reasons to actually use these services, wondering how long each will last until it goes out of business.

However, there is another solution: stop worrying and learn to embrace the business models that are already helping musicians make plenty of money and use file sharing to their advantage, even in the absence of licensing or copyright enforcement.

In simplest terms, the model can be defined as:

Connect with Fans (CwF) + Reason to Buy (RtB) = The Business Model"

Read the full article here.

p.s. It's not too late to get a copy of my album Pretty Songs completely free!

(Classic) Robert Miles - Children (1994)

What can I say about this song? Well, for starters it was the song that epitomized everything I ever wanted to do with my music. Before I heard this song during a particularly eye-opening epiphany at my first rave (I learned how to really dance), my early experiments with electronic music were based on the only thing I really knew of at that time: Nine Inch Nails. To me, music was an expression of anger and pain, a way to get all that out of a person. I didn't even think about the fact that it could be used to express such joy and beauty.

Weird, huh? But this uplifting piece which still brings tears to my eyes 13 years after I first heard it opened up everything for me. It's been my most influential song to date.

(Classic) Commander Tom - Are Am Eye (1995)

I've decided to start posting the electronic songs that I've grown up with and that had such an effect on my life that they have become both an Evey influence and an Evey classic. Oddly enough, the song I choose to start with is one I hadn't heard in at least 4 years now, and one I hadn't even thought about until just now. I immediately had to jump up and listen to it again.



I suddenly remembered this loud, unforgettable hard trance track from 1995 for absolutely NO reason at all, except maybe because it's 6:09am right now and I can't sleep. :) I wish I could remember where I first heard it...could have possibly even been my first rave in '97. All I know is that those crazzzy hoovers stuck with me and in my head since, because the first memory I do have of this track is hearing that breakdown somewhere else, remembering it from before, and saying, "Ohhhh....I f*cking LOVE this!" before going absolutely crazy dancing when it hit.

Hearing it now, it almost seems too sparse compared to the huge synths we have now. But it's still classic, and that's what matters.

There is nothing better than...

• Early, early mornings on what promises to be a hot summer day
• The smell of coffee when you first open the package
• The sound of trees blowing around in the wind
• Hearing a song so powerful it makes you want to cry
• Snuggling up with the one you love every night, even if it's just your blanket and pillows
• Fresh fruit, especially nectarines
• Checking your bank account and realizing you have more money than you thought
• Barbeques
• Putting on a brand new pair of socks
• The smell of spring
• Drinking cold water fresh from a waterfall
• Babies who stare at you...and then smile
• The colour purple
• Being surprised into laughter by something
• Warm summer nights
• Kittens and snuggly cats
• The northern lights
• Smelling a big bunch of lilacs
• A nice cool shower when you're really hot
• Driving in the country and singing at the top of your lungs
• Clean sheets
• The smell of sawdust
• Remembering things like this