3 posts tagged “concrete”
So, I dunno if I ever told you this story...
But I'll tell you now.
Awhile back, maybe a couple years ago, I emailed one of my favorite artist-musicians my address to see if I could get some promo material for the radio station I DJ for. (I also told him about myself and my own musical efforts and about some instrument manipulations and such I was doing.) And since it was ME writing the email, it was very long. Because I ramble like crazy sometimes a lot quite often.
He goes by Toog, but his real name is Gilles Weinzaepflen. He lives in Paris. (France, not Texas.)
His music is great. And it helped me learn French a lot better/quicker.
And I love his voice.
And he's not bad on the eyes either! Dang. You know how much I love attractive people.
So, I get an email back from him.
All it says is something like "Hi, Craig---Check your mail."
And it was a response, so I guess that was all right. I wasn't expecting anything else.
And sometime later, I get a small package in the mail.
It's got some promo material (burned CD's).
And it's got a letter, too.
The cutest/best letter I've ever gotten in my life:
First of all, it was written on some really smooth paper. (I'm a sucker for paper.)
And it was written all in French with one of those really thin pens that I need to get my hands on. (Oh! Christmas gift idea! Way to go, Craig!)
And then there were some little drawings that Toog did of some things I was describing to him about myself, including a drawing of this electric toothbrush plugged into an electric guitar. (I had told him about how I like to use the toothbrush and razor on my guitar because it makes a cool noise, almost like a theremin.)
Okay, but the point of the letter---what he was proposing---was that I participate/collaborate in this album he was putting together:
See, he has this bird named Cagesan.
He's an owl finch.
And he makes these really awesome insane noises.
(I'd never heard anything like it before.)
Okay, so he has this bird. And he recorded about 5 (TOP SECRET) minutes of the bird's noises and songs and responses.
And what Toog was doing was having different artists/musicians take that recording and make music with it. We would each make our own tracks. And that would become an album. Like... Cagesan is the singer, and we're the producers.
And so I got SO excited! Because this was an artist-musician that I really admired, and he was asking me to collaborate with he and his bird on an album. Holla! (I'm all about projects and collaborations. I learn a lot from them.)
And so I made the track with this really awesome sampler/sequencer/drum machine/effects box I had at the time.
Cagesan became a lil' rockstar.
Here's a list of the artists/musicians:
CAGESAN (France)
CUBIST LITERATURE (USA)
DAVIDE BALLULA (France)
DAVID FENECH (France)
DIGIKI (Tokyo)
DJ CHIENLOUP (France)
MOMUS (London)
MONTAG (Montreal)
OLAMM (France)
OLGA (Argentina)
MC CAT GENIUS (USA)
JAMES HARVEY (England I think...)
FASHION FLESH (USA)
FELIX KUBIN (Germany)
REZNICEK (Germany)
TOOG (France)
And so yes.
Here's the Cagesan MySpace link.
And here's the website for it.
You should check it out if you've got an open mind.
I like abstract music, so totally. Yeah.
So...
Since Friday I've been house sitting for my older sister and her fiance, who are in Miami for a week. I like this place. It's very cozy and clean. And they have a treadmill. And two HDTV's. (Nice televisions make me want to watch television. And they make me cozy.)
This area of town is in the process of gentrification. There are lots of attractive condos being built, but there are also lots of houses like this:
I mean, on one hand, there are those Bratmobile lyrics playing in my head: "I've got a story 'bout D.C. to tell and I don't think yr gonna like it very well. It's about boys and girls and the rich and the poor. But what if no one can afford to live here anymore?"
But on the other hand, I think I've always wanted to live in a condo. A nice one. I've always wanted to be one of those well-off attractive white people that stay up late and dress casually and who are smart and always have booze on hand and snack food they forget about and a big screen tv with a remote they aren't really sure how to use and who are likable and crap like that.
(Please don't judge me.)
I dunno.
I think I just want money. I've never had it. I'm a fan of it.
I'm always wanting something I can't have.
And I think I'm always wanting somebody else's lifestyle. Not that I try to do/act like those whose lifestyles I want... I guess I'm just sort of envious.
I come from a poor family. And the kids in elementary school used to make fun of my clothes.
What do you expect?
ALSO...
I'm feeling like the WORST e-seller on Earth.
This whole moving-from-my-two-bedroom-apartment-to-my-mother's-one-bedroom-apartment situation has really fucked me over. My sales aren't as frequent as they once were, and I have SO MANY ORDERS to mail out. I'm so behind. My inventory is still in storage. And I can't really drive there to go get it because I don't drive... And my mother (and every other fucking person) works all day long...
I can't concentrate when I'm living with somebody else.
It makes me insane and antsy and indecisive.
In the meantime, I spend most of my time making new things because I have to keep on making money so that I have some sort of income.
But then that makes me feel like a douche because I feel like I should be shipping out people's purchases instead.
Okay, honestly...
I don't know what I want.
And I don't know what I should do about anything.
Okay, honestly x2...
I wish I could quit school and move away. FAR.
I'm so exhausted.
I couldn't make it to my psychiatrist appointment this afternoon because I don't have any money to pay for it... =/
I had $35 a few days ago, but that was for my medication.
I didn't have enough to pay for some water while I was at Walgreen's, so I shoplifted it.
(I had a 20-30minute walk ahead of me... and it was really hot and humid here in Houston...)
Maybe one day when I have money I'll go back and give the $1.39 to Walgreen's.
Because I just feel guilty.
Shoplifting is not something I do anymore. It's unethical.
I need a person to take care of me.
I'm just not good with being practical.
Not at all.
I took those at the beach in Galveston when I visited my father yesterday.
I think he hates me. Or loves me. It's one of the two.
