Arting

Posted on December 17, 2008 by Brian John Mitchell

So today was doing some stuff for the art show in Myrtle Beach this Saturday (I need to get the info about it so I can post it on this page).  I got six paintings done & one half done.  Just twelve to go.  Not sure if that magic number of twelve is really going to happen.

A distributor requested my bank routing information, sounds mysteriously like I might get a payment.  So that’s always nice.

I finished the first pass at the Heller Mason remix.  If he digs it I’ll have to re-work it a little.  When you do really minimalist remixes (in this case it is just vocals, glockenspiel, droning organ, & a two note bass line I added) the gasps for air between lines become a lot more audible.  So I’m going to edit those out if the remix is going to be really presentable, but why waste an hour if it’s not going to be used anywhere anyway.

Worked a little on the interview from fans thing for QRD.  I was told I come across as bitter.  I’d like to state for the record that I am blessed & aware of it.  I have ten fingers, ten toes, two working eyes & ears, I really don’t have anything to complain about ever & I apologize that it often comes off that I’m complaining about things in life.

Here’s a joke from a while ago that I think is funny:
Friend: “My wife says that you’re only problem is you need a good woman.  If you find a good woman, you’ll be happy.”
Me: “I hear the same thing about your wife.”

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Yellow

Posted on December 16, 2008 by Brian John Mitchell

So last night I read Daredevil: Yellow & I’m thinking about retiring Lost Kisses after issue 10 & incorporating the stories into XO.  I’m not sure yet if it will work, but I like the idea of telling personal relationship stories within the constraints of a power fantasy story.  Of course the problem is if XO is a sociopath, then how can he really have personal relationship stories.

Speaking of my comics, I thought I was going to get Lost Kisses 7 done on Saturday & all I’ve got done is the bottom of the panels, no drawings.  How will I get four done in two weeks at this rate?

Got a couple orders out & answered the follow up emails.

Talked to Gabe at Environmental Aesthetics.  He has some leads for me about doing international touring, hopefully that will work out for me.

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8 weeks

Posted on December 15, 2008 by Brian John Mitchell

So it’s been about eight weeks since the promos for Hotel Hotel & Northern Valentine went out.  So the follow ups that went out today are going to essentially be the second to last set.  I’m really not sure that all of the extra time & energy I spent on these releases made any significant difference.  Also the ads I recently placed have had the anticipated effect of just serving as me offering some financial support to folks I like rather than generating extra sales.  That’s how the world works sometimes I suppose.

For some reason Winterizing doesn’t seem to be getting the downloads anticipated.  In fact the previous Christmas comps got more downloads last week.  So that is interesting & somewhat distressing.  The other recent free downloads are sitting around only about 70 downloads.  So yeah, here’s the info again…
Remora: ensoulment
Remora
ensoulment
MP3 Album 2008 | Ping Things
1 tracks, 70 minutes
free download from Ping Things
A 70 minute aggressive ambient guitar excursion from Remora.

slicnaton/remora/northern valentine - clear field
slicnaton / remora / northern valentine
clear field
MP3 Album 2008 | Silber 072
3 tracks, 44 minutes
free download from Archive.org
The clear field recordings are a unique combination of elements of all three projects.  You hear the loops & aggression of Remora’s guitar work, Northern Valentine’s ambient shimmering glacial guitars, & slicnaton’s orchestrated glitch & deep bass tones. While hearing all three individual musicians, it still is clearly a collaboration of the three rather than one of the projects with two special guests; it is a unique sound of its own.
: Press release

small life form: alive
small life form
alive
MP3 EP 2008 | Silber 071
3 tracks, 21 minutes
free download from Archive.org
2007 marked Small Life Form’s live debut & over the next year the style refined, abandoning real horns for a piece of copper pipe, replacing organs with melodica, & vocals with feedback manipulation. Alive is collected from two live recordings in 2008.  They are massive structures built from scratch using a loop pedal, distortion pedals, & reverb units.
: Press release

Northern Valentine: stars whisper
northern valentine
stars whisper
MP3 EP 2008 | Silber 070
3 tracks, 21 minutes
free download from Archive.org
Stars Whisper is a collection of three live songs from Northern Valentine, recorded in their hometown of Philadelphia with a line-up of Robert Brown, Amy Brown, Jeffrey Bumiller, & Marc Carazo. The individual tracks were recorded at The Fire & The Rotunda (as part of “Gate”, an experimental music series).
: Press release

winterizing
Various Artists
Winterizing
MP3 compilation 2008 | Silber 069
26 tracks, 118 minutes
free download page
The 2008 installment of our Christmas compilation series.  Strangely enough there seem to be somewhere around zero covers of traditional Christmas tunes this time out.
Complete artist roster:
Varde, Hotel Hotel, Clang Quartet, Andrew Weathers, Charles De Mar, Electric Bird Noise, Glissade, Sailor Winters, Miss Massive Snowflake, Goddakk, Gorgons, Small Life Form, Lauri des Marais, Ligo, Moodring, slicnaton, Remora, Moral Crayfish, The Carnage Visors, South West Airline, Northern Valentine, Spotlight Kid, The Left Channel, Recorded Home, The Child of A Creek, Subscape Annex
: Press release
: more info

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Pedals & Fairs

Posted on December 14, 2008 by Brian John Mitchell

So today’s big news is I tried a friend’s EH Holy Grail Reverb in my effect set up & the debate was “is this not functioning properly or just poorly designed?”  It seemed to give a really quiet output & not really give me the wall of sound I was hoping for.  I don’t think it’s a good feature that you step on a pedal & it gets quiet, isn’t it supposed to be that you step on a pedal & things get loud?

So my art fair experience was kinda interesting.  It was in an art gallery, so it was an interesting mix of people selling paintings, jewelry, & pottery.  People didn’t buy my cupcakes, which was unanticipated.  I did have time there to assemble some catalogs & mini-comics & design the ad for Freeze magazine, so I got done most of what I would have at home.

I’ve been doing a lot of hammer/pull stuff while playing guitar lately.  I think it might be too retarded, but maybe it’s just retarded enough…

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mini-comicing

Posted on December 13, 2008 by Brian John Mitchell

Working on Lost Kisses 7 as I’m trying to get 10 done in time for the DVD manufacturing & I want to release it for SPACE (Small Press & Alternative Comics Expo in Columbus, OH).

Going to be at the art fair tomorrow selling comics & paintings & such.  While I’m there I’ll also be working on drawing & writing new mini-comics.

I think my $20 cell phone that I basically never use is dying.  The battery seems to not hold a charge properly anymore.  So I guess maybe I should think about getting a real cell phone & shutting off my home phone like everyone else.

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Granted

Posted on December 12, 2008 by Brian John Mitchell

Just about finished with the finalized script to xo5.  I should get it off for Melissa to draw before I fall asleep.  Changed a murder scene to be a little funnier (for those who find my murder scenes funny in the first place).

I got my stipend check for the recording sessions in the nuclear cooling tower a couple months ago.  I also got paperwork from the state that they’re willing to give me $1000 towards a Lost Kisses cartoon (I’d hoped for $1500).

Not a lot else done today that can be seen.  Worked on an ad for Freeze Magazine, but I didn’t finish it.  Had the recording session, but don’t know what the final results of it will be.

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I got making myself look busy down to a science

Posted on December 11, 2008 by Brian John Mitchell

Well, the prices for flying to see Lycia look a little high.  I thought I’d go for $300 but at $400… that’s a lot of burritos….

Spent a while writing some solicited suggestions for KFJC (Silber’s favorite station).  Maybe they’ll help a little more on getting our little empire noticed & we’ll help a little more getting their empire noticed.

Sent a request in to Rapidshare to get some folks accounts killed for posting Silber albums for downloads.  I’m not sure if it’s being a jerk on my part, but I feel like everyone who has Silber stuff knows that they are literally taken money out of my hand (& sometimes burritos out of my mouth) & the artists hands by giving the stuff away like that.

A friend of mine just did a free Christmas comp that includes an exclusive Remora track, check it out here.

Got to give a shout out to Bill Pernell for his great work interning for Silber.  Right now he’s making a database to help us contact our friends/fans more appropriately about tours & other things.

Doing a collaborative recording session tomorrow, hopefully it will go well.

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invasion

Posted on December 10, 2008 by Brian John Mitchell

Well, I finished the email promos for the internet releases.  I need to still do the contacts to the folks who use MySpace instead of email as their primary contact.  Then I need to start posting them to the newsgroups.  But I may be on track to finish it this week.

I’m thinking about flying down to Phoenix for the Lycia show in January.  Kinda screwy when finances are tight, but it’d be nice to feel like I was twenty again….

Having problems with my work space at home being invaded by my life.  I need to figure out a way to get more alone time in the house to work.

 

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name changes?

Posted on December 10, 2008 by Brian John Mitchell

So I’m working on the conversion of the script for xo#5.  As some of you know, even my power fantasy sociopath stories are rooted in real life a bit.  I need to come up with some names for three characters who are currently using their real names (the person I saw most recently that is featured in the comic I saw in 1999, so if you’re reading this it probably isn’t about you).  (Fun piece of trivia, the lead character has not been named.)  Also this one is kinda weird as it is a little lacking in comedy.  Who knows how long it will take before the art is done & by then you’ll have forgotten all about this post.

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worming around

Posted on December 10, 2008 by Brian John Mitchell

So I’m working on the script for Worms #3 & am about halfway done.  It’s getting to the point where I need to decide whether or not to let my universes & ideas intersect completely or just rip myself off.  I guess I probably can do both & no one will notice.  If you know my stories about shape-changing drug addicts, then you have an idea of what to expect.  Only since Worms is more Lovecraftian it will end in such horror that I cannot explain it to you for fear of your very sanity.
Still trying to draw more panels for Lost Kisses.  Anybody who knows me & wants to help me come up with gags over the phone, give me a shout.
Got a funny email (to me) from a radio station saying they hadn’t added Northern Valentine or Hotel Hotel yet, but the MWVM had just been put in rotation.  What the hell?  That came out in 2007.  How does it take a year to get through review?  I guess how can I complain, at least it’s at the station & getting air time.  You music directors that read my blog & think I’m kissing your ass with compliments, this is the competition.

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