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.

Dots on the surface
Grasping, collecting themselves
Forming lines and shapes

Somewhere underneath
Waters of confusion I’m
Surfacing for air

Sands shifting afoot
Change itself is my bedrock
Feet planted firmly

I’ve taken the last week off work with the express purpose of recording some of the mental shrapnel that’s been in my head for years. Things are forking off in all sorts of directions, and I find that through this, I’m forced to define what Pravda23 is – mostly by excluding the material which I feel it isn’t. Either way, I feel privileged to have this time. There is no shortage of creativity being applied to the recording and producing of the material. I just feel some kind of ‘wrap’ is in order, so here are a few things I’ve picked up through living out my ideal week:

1. The recording is everything. Practice hard and record it right rather than trying to fix it in the mix.

2. While recording (especially vocals), don’t even let the thought of ‘what it’s going to sound like’ cross your mind. The best takes are when you’re completely focused on the task, and dismiss the outcome. Don’t judge yourself, just do your best.

3. If you’re doing it all on your own, accept what you can and can’t do. Don’t try ‘just throw in’ some piano because you ‘used to play.’ Rather get good through practice and then play well.

4. Forget where the music is going, who’s listening to it, and if it’s good enough. You are doing this for yourself. Always have.

5. Take time. Nothing is more of a creative buzzkill than a deadline.

6. Be weird. Experiment.

7. Learn. I’ve been looking up tutorials on vocal recording techniques. Avoid the rookie errors – someone already made them and wrote a blog about it. Practice your knowledge.

8. Don’t force it. If you need a break, take a break. If you need to create, create.

9. Before you start doing anything, always get in the musical space by listening to artists which you would like to sound similar to.

10. Be disciplined but fair. Putting pressure on yourself is something that people have to do when they’re working for someone else. Your top priority is to PLAY. Have fun.

I tried something new again yesterday, with some success. I posted a comment on my Pravda23 Facebook wall saying “I’m bored. Reply to this comment and I’ll turn it into a song and post a video.”

The results were quite interesting. Obviously everyone had something song request, which I had to filter by following up with “original lyrics only, please.” Soon, the wall had loads of responses and I managed to compose, record and upload four instantaneous music videos for my fans within the space of about an hour! Each video was humorously published within 15 minutes with all the press fanfare of an established, rights-protected #1 hit record! I’m trying it out again today.

As with nearly everything I do through Pravda23 (or rather, as it does through me), the Instant Facebook Comment Music Video experiment is an attempt to keep alive my inclination to experiment with art. Thus far, I’ve experimented with:

  an unplugged performance on Signal hill
  playing in a proper township shebeen
  live improvised violin jams
  creating an album that frequently updates like software (instead of in “bulk”)
  3D-modelling
  comic art
  getting fake letters published in the local newspaper
  being digitally painted onto a projector screen while I perform

…and loads of other things.

Art is becoming more spontaneous. As the musician middle class emerges, we’re noticing a trend in audience participation, social networking and the crucial fan interactivity which keeps popular artists on their toes. The eventual goal of Pravda23 is to be able to create a spontaneous, live dance music set “on-the-fly” by combining customized software instruments, dance loops, live instrumentation and the contributions of members of the so-called “audience”.

i’m not sure it’s necessary to be able to answer the “what type of music?” question in genres. i’m in two minds about classifying music, albeit effectively. Techno-Guide has compiled an interactive category guide to electronic music genres. ever notice how people make up genres to market their band? my mixed opinion after the jump…

i have mixed feelings towards the categorisation of music. on the one hand, you fit in somewhere for the purposes of marketing your music. on the other, you pigeon-hole yourself.

look at your most famous favourite artist’s press release. if they’re a “tastemaker” artists, they list their accolades and WHY they’re #1. up-and-comers like pravda23 tend to merely reference / reflect the existing tastemakers, and thus shoulder-barge a place for themselves into that market.

again, on the plus side, listing your influences aligns you to a particular artist, or album. but on the downside, you’re second-hand-flavour.

next time someone asks, i’m gonna rabbit off my influences without naming a single genre. Pravda23 is Air, Thievery Corporation, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Vanessa Mae, Basement Jaxx, Daft Punk, Groove Armada, Depeche Mode, Gotan Project, Quantic, Telepopmuzik, Bonobo, Mr Scruff, Zero7, Parov Stelar, Moby, Four Tet, Prefuse73, St Germain…ah, it carries on.