1:42pm - November 2nd 2009

My album is currently in a holding pattern & has been for the last little while. Hopefully if all goes to plan we will get back into the studio very soon & put the final touches on this thing so I can get down to the dirty business & move forward into the next stage.

I read that when David Lynch was making Eraserhead he felt like the world was passing him by & it would be a completely different place by the time he came out the other side.. Thats how I feel, but Eraserhead was 6 years & this is only 2, so suck it up Mr Norley, your floral undergarments are showing.

On friday I performed my first show in over a year. I need more.

I will release 2 records in the new year & then I should be back on schedule.

Department Preview 2: The Street I Grew Up On

This here is a rough mix of a song off the new album, probably called 'The Street I Grew Up On'.

The video is from a test reel of super 8 footage that I shot years ago for a short film that never happened. I put them together when I realised they were exactly the same length, they go together like Dark Side of the Moon & the Wizard of Oz.. Keep in mind the film isn't edited at all!

& just as a side note, the street in the film also happens to be the street I grew up on. Coincidence or something else?

Subsketch - The Street I Grew Up On from Subsketch Television on Vimeo.

CREDITS:

Camera: D.H Norley.
Basketball man: Michael Turner.
Bicycle man: Ryan Mitchell.

part 9: Building the Department - Recording Words

Subsketch - The Department of Human Services - Teaser from Subsketch Television on Vimeo.

part 8:

Well, i've been recording for the last few weeks & its going very well indeed. I've never felt this good about a record this late in the game & i'm not sure what that means. This new record is being recorded/mixed/co-produced by Benjamin Speed of New Pollutant infamy (for more info check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Speed), its definitely helped to keep things fresh & keep the self loathing brain goblins at bay. We have only one more song to finish vocals for & then we do a final mix & it'll be time to commence the ugly business end of the proceedings..

Not long now...

I mean it this time.

Be sure to tune in soon for audio & video!

part 7:

short on time (stop) commenced recording with the kind assistance of mr benjamin speed (stop) found our stride now (stop) more news very soon (stop)

part 6:

Dear Reader,

I know it’s been a minute but I’ve been busy fighting a war of somekind, hope you can forgive me.

The last record I did was made under duress, I wanted the challenge of working with a deadline, & I did manage to deliver on time but it kind of got away from me. I had no confidence in my production skills so I overcompensated with extra layers & junk & I lost sight of the songs; for the most part I was horrified by the result. It was an ugly little record indeed. Still, it was probably a necessary stepping-stone.
A necessary lesson in what not to do.

So when I started the new record I knew I needed to do things differently. I needed to set somekind of boundaries to work within. Some limitations to keep things from getting too beastly.


Some of these guidelines included:

- no live instrumentation
- less layers but work each layer harder. no layers added for the heck of it.
- there will be no song longer than 3 minutes & if a song is to exceed this time limit there needs to be a good reason for it.
- it’ll be word heavy but outward looking. Very little introspective therapy bullshit. Wahwah. Sick of doing it, sick of hearing it. yawn

I feel pretty good that I’ve stuck to these rules.. its still as difficult as always to finish the thing, but its helped to keep me on track.

Ended up doing over 40 songs, I’ll probably record 20 of them & keep about 10. I’ve lined up someone to help with the recording process, I’m pretty excited about it but I’ll keep that under my hat for the time being. Looks like I’ll start recording in a couple of weeks, I wanna record it quick, all the songs’ll be produced & written when I go in, so i’m pretty confident I’ll be able to knock it out fast & lash it together into something semi-coherent. Fingers crossed.

I’ve also been talking bout art with some people & I’ve got a clear view in my head of what it’ll look like. Even though I have no idea how I’m going to pay for any of this. Right now I feel like I would sell some of my internal organs to get it done, or pull a Rodriguez & submit myself to medical testing.. Donations are welcome.

Its getting very close. I can feel it. I’m itching to get back to performing, I can’t even remember what its like.

& if you’ve made it this far I will tell you that the album is going to be called ‘The Department of Human Services’ & it’ll be out before the year is done.

Cant wait to start something new.


Till next time,
good luck
I hope you make it.

ss

GRRRR finish GRRRRR finalise.. so easy to start.. to start.. so tricky to finish.. cant repeat it.. must be good.. dont do anything bad.. its all.. all.. just a record.. just another record.. grrrrr. shut up... just do it... nobody will care anyway either way.. i hate you.. i hate when the ungrateful song begs me for more.. i already gave you 3 verses & now you insist on a chorus too! havent you had enough!! your brother only got 1 verse & no chorus.. be thankful for what you've got by golly! shut up.. no.. play nice.. shhh.. grrrrr.

I dont know whats good anymore.. impossible to know.

you want a chorus huh?

really?

well here you go!!

'aww man.. i'm out and about with no pants
you checked around & found my dope dance
its all about the quick feet & the slow hands
if you're hoping for a sneak peak, well theres no chance..'

there!! thats what you get!


shut up you