Just a dash of nostalgia on a Friday afternoon. This was one of the very first Pravda23 banners created, probably around 2006. It’s a bit gritty when scaled down – click the thing for full size.

Look at this beast. Look at it. I love this beast. I bought this beast just before coming to South Korea. It’s a fully electric beast, so I have to run it through my sound system in order to hear it. I’ve been using a acoustic 120-year-old Hopf and an oyster mike up till now. So it’s time for a change of sound. With this beast.

Until I start the Version 6 recordings (still writing), here are 3 downloadables from the archive.

I’ve arrived in South Korea for a year. I’ll continue working alongside my trustworthy imaginary companion Pravda23 while I’m here. There’s music in the humid air of this industrious yet magical place, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you. If you miss me, just grab one of the Versions you haven’t heard yet! See you soon!

I gave my special friend Black Katsuhiro (Geoff) a free Pravda23 T-shirt to film this video. It’s a bit tight. Download grooooovy Afrobeat backtrack Kinetic Mystery [v5.0].

Remember to also grab a few of the other versions of my dynamic, self-updating album, The Kuleshov Effect under music.

Holy crap, now I remember why I became a musician! Amy Daneel is smoking. Hahah, geddit? But more importantly, she likes to quote movies, which is what I recorded her doing for Buried, the latest open-source track from Pravda23. You send me audio and I make music…out of you! Help yourself to a free download. And, Amy: thanks for being you, hun.

Using iron-on print paper and fabric paint, here’s how you can make a boring pair of jeans look like your own.

You’ll need:

* a pair of scissors, but DO NOT run with them haha
* a cool design. but remember: nobody’s judging you.
* one sheet of iron-on print paper (there’s a brand called Tribe – no jokes)
* a tub of light fabric paint: light as in shade, not weight
* your mom’s iron

Step one

Paint your ‘backdrop design’ onto the fabric. You have to use light coloured paint, because the iron-on print used in step 3 is only subtractive, ie, it cannot be seen on dark fabrics. Yes? Good. Lay down masking tape before you start painting if you want to create straight lines. Leave it overnight to dry and paint a second coat the next day.

If you go to the Cape Quarter in Greenpoint, you’ll find a restaurant on the corner called Manhattan. A waiter called “Hahahah!” (dunno his real name) agreed to record his voice. Using the cutlery, coffee cups and some basic gear, I created and recorded loops, basslines, guitar parts and musical elements, looping my old friend Hahahah!’s voice as part of the creative input! Go Hahahah! This is how I’m creating a collection of songs called Live From Wherever You Are, which uses the YourVoice project to collect and record ordinary folks like you. The artistic statement is that commonplace is the new sensational. Hahaha! HA!

The authorities have decided to clamp down on Pravda23 on weekdays from 8am – 6pm. Go see for yourself next time you’re driving over Wynberg Hill on the M3 towards Simonstown. Cast your vote as a Facebook comment below…

Excuse the ego trip, but every so often I just gotta remind myself why I’m doing it all. Here we go

One day, when I finally grow up, I’d like to be a magnificent artist. I will invite the world to my music performances and surprise friends with my hard-earned talent. They’ll fall over backwards, clamber for attention, and boast, “I’ve been friends with him since we were young!” Some will lick their lips, pin me in corridors and politely demand to know how I managed to succeed. I’ll tell them what I know then, what I am learning now.

I’ve updated the Old Friends Gallery with a few new…uh, old faces.

Why wait to reap the benefits of pension discounts? Send a pic to fun (at) pravda23 (dot) com and get old. Remember: eye contact and well-lit, straight, unobstructed shots. Help an old man grow the gallery (I’m shot number 6).