Jikkenteki

Music-wise nothing, but better quality printing for the inserts, which are also personally signed numbered by the artist and warm happy feeling of helping PAR-2 get out of thousands dollars of printing debt one disc at a time? Anyone....anyone?... oh well, I didn't think so but it was worth a shot... For the record, with shipping and all it is also probably cheaper for most people to buy the CDs directly from me than the link Jon Cocco listed in his review and on Ekto's page (directly from me the cost is $10 including shipping). PM me directly for details on the direct sale if interested.

Quick note on Jon Cocco's review (thanks, to everyone of course), The correct url for the free version is http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/jikken...ts-of-infinity/ both mp3 and wav versions are available there (or contact me directly for actual cds... The link Jon Cocco listed will actually be more than $10 due to shipping ) Jon notes that he's missing the more freestyle type of stuff from disc one of Long Walk, well then the next album should be right up your alley. Still need to write two or three more tracks for it though... Also it's Jikkenteki, not JikkentekKi

That's basically how it is in Japan for the most part. Unless you are being flown in from overseas and have fairly heavy name value, nearly everything else is "well if we make a lot of extra money we will pay you". Although the only people who have ever given me anything at all to date were the people doing the Earth Energy parties. Making a living on music in Japan (in almost any genre, but especially in the psy) is more or less impossible. Even making anything of a profit almost requires that you live in or very near Tokyo or Osaka so there is little to no travel expense involved because events can't afford to pay travel, or don't want too and with there being a million other people closer and willing to play for free, you are kind of screwed if you want to get yourself out there. Last spring there was TALK of a fairly big event actually paying me enough money that I might break even to play, but they blew all their budget on "overseas talent" and as usual it was "sorry, maybe next time". Usually for me to get to Tokyo in time to play a Friday night gig it will cost me about $300 USD (if its a Saturday gig and I can ride the over night bus then closer to $160). Thinking about gigs I've done down there in the last couple years, of the 9 times I've played down there I had to pay for transportation 8 times (two gigs where back to back days). The average travel expense for those was $300 (three were $400, a couple $240), so that's roughly $2400 in travel. The only ones I got any money for at all were the three Earth Energy parties (about $350 total) so just for travel that puts me at about -$2050 over two and a half years or so. Not to mention food, finding places to stay sometimes, etc. I have it worse than some because I live up in Northern Japan, but even the people who live in Tokyo more often than not end up playing for free most of the time, or might get like $20 or $30 which will cover your train fare and a couple drinks, (or more often than not get promised money that never comes, which has happened to me a couple times as well). Since almost everyone will play for free (especially the 8 million DJs out there), more often than not you have to take the hit in order to try and get yourself known. For some events, I know and like the people involved and don't mind so much (Earth Energy is a classic example, I volunteered to play all three of those events for free just cuz I wanted to go myself and they still gave me some money even though they didn't have to). But more and more events keep getting shadier and shadier with more and more yakuza-types squeezing their way in and tons of crappy small releases.... er... I mean events that often don't even break even on their club rental fees, much less anything for us performers. It just wasn't worth it anymore and after my laptop crapped out on me at my last live event I just said the hell with it and stopped doing them. I am definitely NOT in it for the money, but in the year period starting the summer or 06 when I started "supporting" The Long Walk Home, between live gigs and PAR-2 releases I personally lost close to $5000 out of my own pocket, which, unless a miracle happens and people start buying CDs again, I will never make back. The stress of it all almost made me quit entirely, but we changed our model to free releases, which keeps the loses and stress down and lets more people hear the music so all's well ends well I guess. If someone would actually pay me enough so I at least don't lose money I'd happily do a live set again (well actually after I can afford to by a new laptop anyways, hopefully later this year or early next year at least), but any momentum I had built up for those shows has now been completely lost so I'm not holding my breath. Hmmm, that ended up being a bit of a rant... welcome to trance business in Japan!

My first live set in the electronic world of things was in 1999 I believe at a student run bar across the street from my uni in Japan. I honestly can't remember too much about how it went as I get that and the next couple of live sets I did at the same place confused (can't remember which gig was which anymore), but it went well enough I guess. Interestingly enough my first DJ'ing gig was in early Sept 2001 just before going back to America and it was also the first time I ever tried to DJ. So basically my first attempt at beat matching vinyl was done live on the decks at a large school party with everyone dancing. Coming from a musical and studio background it was pretty obvious what I was supposed to be doing and actually my first ever attempt at beat matching went off without a problem (can't say that was true the whole night, but it was all fun in the end). I left Japan a couple days later and stayed with a friend in San Fransisco for two weeks. He'd been djing for about a year and a half at that point and after about the first week he was mad because I was as good as him after a week. Maybe I'm just gifted (which I highly doubt), but I've never understood what people find so hard about DJing.

Still better than me. I've only once made a profit on a live set and that was at a small club up here and only because of a couple of CD sales (although the cds are still very much in the red so maybe that doesn't count either?). I've been paid 10,000 yen a couple of times for some bigger parties down in the Kanto region, but travel to each of those shows cost me nearly 40,000 yen per show so do the math on that one. And people wonder why I simply can't afford to do live shows anymore....

If you ever met Shuji somehow his track titles would make more sense.... well maybe not make more sense, but be more fitting. He is more or less the same in person. I remember the summer before last he played after me at an event and was pounding on the table his gear was set up on so hard it collapsed. Doing what any proper artist would do, he got someone from the staff to hold up the table on the side with the broke legs and then continues to pound on it as hard as before. I also recall him grumbling later on that later that set he threw his underwear out into the crowd (he has been know to expose himself on occasion during live sets) and then was upset that someone made off his with undies and never gave them back afterwards. Good guy, but in his own little world at times (I mean that in the best possible way).

New Chi-A.D. album again. Fairly moody and I rather enjoy some of the bass work as well.

Chi-A.D. - Eyes Of Gaia album, np: Hint of Goa

Chi-A.D. - Eyes Of Gaia

I used my Nord Lead 1 to make the bass in this track, although as a bass patch it is a bit deeper than the typical psy-bass is these days (might be a bit tough to hear since the quality of the mp3 here isn't all that high either). If I recall correctly it is just the Nord with no eq or compression so it is possible to use the Nord to make basses, although I find myself using other things (namely Albino 3 and Absynth) more frequently.

If that is your idea of chill I'd hate to see what your idea of full on banging trance is..

Was digging through the Par-2 server when I discovered this mix I made back in 2005. It's not perfect, but I figured what the hell and decided to throw it up here. Download Here Unfortunately I can't remember all of the track list but from what I recall Shpongle - The Sixth Revelation Talamasca - The Fifth Revelation Psysex - L.S.Dance (Psysex Remix) Absolut Noise - What Can't remember this one??? Something from Space Cat's Mechanical Dream I think Zekazy - Broadcast Astrix - Coolio (Infected Mushroom Remix) Safi Connection - Human Lights D-Tek N' Dr. Panic - Psychedelic Cowboy (The Melovskys Remix) Nothing special again, but I dig it for dancefloor stuff

Any day now I will be living the proper crack 'n ho's lifestyle, just you watch, cuz I'm the greatest! Skazi and GMS ain't got shit on me!!!!! As for what new music I have gotten.... errr... I've been so broke that my last order at Saiko Sounds was in July of last year. Does a bunch of copies of my own cd count?

Another Moody Blues listener!! I grew up on the Moody Blues, ELO and Pink Floyd. I've seen The Moody Blues live more that probably any other band since my mother used to drag me to all the concerts since I was a child.

I prefer both at the same time, but more than anything I just want good music that moves me in some way regardless of the environment.

50, but actually the first ten went to friends and family so for sale 40

For those who ordered copies, due to various lame excuses I got a bit behind here, but I believe everyone's copies have now been shipped and should arrive in roughly a week or so. Also if anyone is wondering, there are still about 25 signed copies left

Slum - Deprive Of It from "Sunflowers Of Today"

Engrish Psy trance? The master is back! Slum's got a new album out and as usual, he completely embraces Engrish for every song title. :posford:

Slum - Sunflowers Of Today

Great track. NP: First listen to Testament - The Formation Of Damnation. First metal album I've been amped about for years...

I've never minded AP's rather over the top promo pictures after reading a funny interview where they said they are always trying to recreate the image of Duran Duran back in the 80's in their promo shots.

VB1 can be quite nice. It all depends on how you use it, eq it, compress it, etc...

Well not all CDR's are created equally. Kunaki's product is duplicated, but they are not the traditional "green backs" most people imagine when you mention CDR's. At this point the quality difference between a duplicated disc and a glass mastered pressed one is more an issue of the quality of the printing plant and not the metion used. Many of the cheaper traditional printing plants in many countries are actually making an inferior product, and in the dance music industry where money is seriously tight, many labels are using these cheaper factories simple out of need. Someone also mentioned the CDR's have bit-rot issues, but actually, traditionally glass mastered CD's also equally have bit-rot issues. Personally to date my experience is the opposite in that I have had a number of "real" glass mastered CD's become worthless due to bit-rot, but have yet to have a CDR fail because of it. PAR-2 was hesitant of using Kunaki for quite a while because we didn't want to sell "green backs" and various other issues. However having finally seen the real product, together with the complete failure of "Mainspring Motion" sales-wise (since its release last summer we still haven't received money for more than 30 copies, not to mention all our other releases to date, none of which have broken even), despite having almost entirely positive feedback, forced us to rethink everything. It was either close shop entirely, or go this new route focusing on free downloads and these CDs for the rare few who would buy them anyways. Having made the switch, well, our CD sales are pretty much the same, but now there is a prayer that we can actually make our money back on the new release, and in addition there aren't several hundred useless copies floating around in my closet that I can't sell. We'd "like" to continue with the traditional glass mastered method, but it simply isn't possible anymore.

I lucked out with my Eventide unit. Its an older one I used to crave back in my serious guitar days, but even today it usually sells used for over $1000 USD here in Japan. I was visiting the local "used everything" shop one day and found one in the junk section for $320. The people at the store obviously didn't know how to use it because they said one of the buttons didn't work, but when I go home everything worked perfectly (said button only works when there is a menu option for it to select, otherwise it does nothing because there is nothing for it to do). I should use it more actually, but the flangers are to die for.