zaterdag 19 maart 2016

Modern times: storage

Maybe I'm exaggerating. Maybe I'm a pompous fool. Maybe we all are. So this for the fanatical music collectors out there.....
Anyone recognizes this situation? Sure, come on, you have to! How to handle all this data I've been buiding up all these years. The digital way of organising stuff is almost getting out of hand.
I've got 6 harddisks now: 2 ssd's, 2 intern hdd's and 2 extern hdd's. Too much? Well I've been a compulsive collector of music (my own and my favourites), books and video. Some of it you can digitize, some you just have to keep plain analog. I still got all my vinyl and cd's stored up safely (these are definately shrinking now) for sentimental reasons more or less, but I've got them all backed up too. Movies on VHS tape an cassettes, well, you can't watch them after 10 years I guess. I've been collecting and organising more and more and I need more space. kb, mb, gb, tb......?
SSD harddisks are very popular (read here Benchmark Reviews), so I've added the latest 850PRO ssd I already had a ssd 840PRO from Samsung to work better (more smoothly and faster) with Po Tools.
More speed, more space, more, more, more...!


maandag 14 maart 2016

Let me hear/see THE Promo video!

Ok, ok. Not only you can hear it, there's something to watch by.
When everything goes as planned, the new album "Open Up My Parachute" will arrive globally around 4 april on the usual streaming services, like Spotify, Deezer, iTunes, Amazon. Links will follow ASAP. Fingers crossed, legs necked!

So no better way than to start off with THE promo:



Inspiration for it aka who is this "Chalky"?

What you hear is the song that opens the album: Chalky. The supporting promo video shows all the pictures that have been involved with the artwork. You can see the changes in design, colour, fonts. Yes, it's all in a lowbudget DIY way that keeps it personal and what drives me to do it like this.
My rhythmic side pushed forward and I seem to use each frame as a rhythm response to any accent in the music. Well, it's a funky track so I had to.

Who is this... "Chalky"? It's inspired by that afro-american guy, who played this cool, smooth survivor in the thrilling TV series Boardwalk Empire. Chalky (White), a ironic nickname. I liked the sound of it and it fit perfectly with this "dangerous" groove I've been working on.
Enjoy!
Chalky White

maandag 7 maart 2016

Show us your new work!

Just heard from the disribution company AMAdea that the album is approved: ready to take off. Expect to hear it around 4 april 2016 on almost any online service (see picture for proof)! Spotify, Deezer, iTunes, Amazon, Google music, to name a few.
Fingers crossed, legs necked.


Lot of services!
The artwork.
 
So sure, I'll show you my new work! Here are the Covers, title & the songlist for the new 2016 album. Which pictures did I choose?
The following steps will make it clear:

1.The original which I boosted a bit in colour?

2.The sober variation?
Yeah, that's me "full" in the face. The narcistic pose. Growing grey, but not bald yet, haha. At first not really in the mood for a selfie from the wife sitting next to me, after an endless bicycle tour. But what the heck, we were on holidays and I was looking for a bit of deserved peace and happiness..... 

3.Mr. sepia with brown coloured accents?
The original picture was in colour I kinda liked, though I wanted to put my own stamp on it. I tried B&W first, which I also liked, but eventually I chose the old fashionated sepia, which I really liked! Colour? A little accent in the lettertype.

Who cares about a title?
                                                                                                                  
Me of course. Identity! As for the title, the word "parachute"- also featured in two songs- gave me positive vibes. I never ever did jump literally, but I often opened up to a few things, both positive and negative. Dare.
So with this album, I just seem to say: "let's jump, hear/ see what happens..."
Don't pull my hair please...
                                                                                                                                                                                               
                             Open Up My Parachute

The original frontcover
Unfortunately, as I uploaded the picture to the distribution department, I had to remove the familiar "The Vanished Dutchman" name as most online stores only allow the artistname. Yeah, vanished!

Frontcover without "The Vanished Dutchman" name


Remember?
For the backcover I chose another picture- made by the wife during our holidays- that I liked. It contrasts with the cover of my previous album, where I ascend the stairs. This time I descend the stairs, walking into the unknown.Well, sort of.


                                                                
1.The original boosted colour
                                                                       


2.B&W: more mystery


                           

3.Sepia coloured with black framework
                                              
 
Back Cover (notice "The Vanished Dutchman" name present)
 (Next: promo video)




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

vrijdag 4 maart 2016

Something's coming, right?

 Slowly revealing....



It's almost working...

Update: just submitted my new songs for the distribution process. I have to wait for approval so fingers, legs crossed!

(next: show us your new work!)