mistrustmusic's posterous

Why Facebook and kids

Well, I'm certainly getting a lot of hits on here about kids using Facebook. Why's that then? Dunno, really. Maybe a lot of kids go on it, and a lot of parents either want to monitor what they're doing on it or don't want them on it all. I like all this social networking thing. Don't get me wrong. Think it's great. Very useful, very now. Can't see the world going back to a Facebook-less era. However, why are parents still letting their kids as young as six or seven going on Facebook? Why? What reason? Have they forgotten how to talk? Fine - if your relatives are halfway round the world. What about Skype. What about setting up your own family social network on blog thing. Anyway. The debate still goes on and it rankles with me that I still see all my kids' friends on there. So what are the schools doing about it? Not a lot at the moment, but maybe it's finally getting through to the schools that something should be done about it. Take this for example.  Internet Safety for children.  Maybe things will start changing. So, why am I on Facebook if I'm not happy about young  kids being on it? Well, I've been in touch with a few people from school, and I'm using it to plug my music. That's it. That's all. If you're on Facebook and want to become a fan of my music, click here and "Become a Fan". I'm also on Twitter. The gratuitous plug. I did a remix for dub band International Observer a while ago. The track is called "Popcorn Slavery (mistrust remix)" and is out on the band's EP on Monday 22nd February. You can hear previews of it on my Soundcloud and Myspace pages, and it's available to download from Monday on all major music sites, and the band's own Bandcamp page. Spread the word. Here's the soundcloud player for it.... [soundcloud url=http://soundcloud.com/mistrust/international-observer-popcorn-slavery-mistrust-remix]

Filed under  //   artists   band   childhood   download   education   facebook   family   mistrust   music   remix   school   soundcloud  

Reality check for a bedroom musician

Well, I've certainly had it coming to me!At last someone in the music industry telling me how it really is. Giving me an honest opinion about my music and production skills. Or actually, limited production skills. Nice tune, shame about the production.  I finally got to meet someone from the record company that let me do a few remixes for their bands. The remixes massively raised my profile and gave me a big confidence booster, and really made me think about my own tunes and how I can improve them. However, the opinion is that I really need to get some feedback and a second opinion when I'm making some tracks. Someone to bounce ideas off in terms of mixing and production, either alongside me or on the web, before I send in a remix or put any more tracks on the web if I'm doing anything more than saying "I'm just doing this for fun. Get back on the forums and read up on "production". I could release stuff on the web, free of course, and say "Hope you like the tune, but don't mind the production." I guess if I'm honest with myself, it's ok putting out tracks on Myspace but when I'm making them for someone else to release or who has a reputation to keep, I really need to get the production-side of things sorted. Probably needed the advice and the objective comments, as I've probably been living in cloud cuckoo land or splendid isolation for a while.  After doing a couple of remixes I've done that had commercial releases, one of which made it onto a proper remix cd, I'd probably started to believe the hype. I guess that when a musician or a band starts to sell a few CDs or gets some radio airplay, they just carry on thinking that everything's coming up roses. So, the advice is that I should pick out a few of the many unfinished tracks I have sitting on the laptop, and really work hard of getting them to sound right. I'm not looking to get signed by a label. Just doing it as a hobby, for fun, but I have an incentive to get it right and to stop messing around, coming with millions of ideas and not finishing anything. An incentive. A very good incentive. I was a bit downhearted when I got the comments and feedback, but I did ask for an honest opinion! So, if there are any bands and musicians out there and you get some honest opinions about your tunes or production techniques that knock you back, take it on the chin, pick yourself up, getting working to improve what you're doing!

Filed under  //   audio   bands   cd   comments   exposure   itunes   mixing   music   music production   production   remix  

schizoid blog

Well, I'm at it again - can't decide which one of the many WP themes to use for this blog. Again. How many times do I keep changing? I just can decide. Same with my website. Can never decide about the look of it and what to include. Anyway, trying to get the blog to look like the website or the website to look like the blog? Mr Elgey once told me to pay for some hosting and use Wordpress for my site.  Maybe one day. Well, the website has now got a bit of a new look until I can decide what to include. So much for advising my stepson's dad about how to market his painting and decorating business using the internet! So, what else have I been upto recently? I'm trying to avoid all the usual Facebook toys and apps, but I've now got a "band" page, so hop on over and become a fan, and spread the word! I've also been working on another remix. This time it's for International Observer. It's due in soon, so I'm not going to tempt fate by saying what it's called. I'll announce it properly if Tom Bailey of International Observer and his label like and decide to release it. I find it quite amusing that a lot of the hits on my blog come from people searching about kids using Facebook and how to put soundcloud tracks on wordpress blogs.

 

Filed under  //   artists   audio   blogging   facebook   mistrust   mp3   music   remix   soundcloud   twitter   wordpress  

Become a fan on Facebook

I've just published my own music page on Facebook so if you like my tunes or want to spread the word, why not become a fan! mistrust

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Promote your Page too Don't forget that you can listen to some of the tracks on the soundcloud music player here on my blog!

Filed under  //   audio   exposure   facebook   free mp3   music   soundcloud  

The golden age of infinite music

Just read this article on the BBC News website about how the future of music is changing "We all know what the alleged future of music will look like. The record industry will be reduced to a smouldering ruin, the album replaced by endless individual songs and music rendered pretty much worthless by the fact that it's universally free." Read more here.... BBC NEWS | Entertainment | The golden age of infinite music. There are more and more musicians  - like myself - who are abandoning making a physical product and putting their music out for free. However, I hope that some people are still going to make a record or a CD and that I'll still be able to go into my local record store and handle a physical product instead of downloading some artwork on to my pc.

Filed under  //   band   bbc   cd   download   itunes   mistrust   mp3   music   record   soundcloud  

Ultravox covers competition

I've recently submitted a remix for the Ultravox Covers Competition on the official Ultravox website. Here's a link to all of the tracks that were submitted, so have a listen to all of them - some good tunes from all the entrants. If you're an Ultravox fan or a fan of 80s music in general, you'll probably recognise most of them. "Vienna" is amongst the 80+ tracks. Have a listen and download some of the tracks - you'll be surprised at how good they are.... Here's the remix I did: Ultravox - I Remember (gimme the money mix) - TB/mistrust remix Here are all of the entries.... Ultravox.org.uk - Media Archive : 2009 - October 10th.

 

 

Filed under  //   Apple   audio   bands   competition   music   remix   ultravox  

Up Peel Monument

[caption id="attachment_302" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="View of Peel Monument"]

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[/caption] Hello, it's been a long time since I posted a new missive on this blog! All of you who subscribe via feed readers etc must be shocked to see me posting again. Well, what have I been doing over the last few months? It seems like not a lot! Actually, I've been trying to keep fairly fit and healthy, doing a lot of walking - mainly taking Paul up to Peel Monument (see the photo - it's near Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester). It's an old folly on top of a hill, 1100 feet above sea level, and a very steep climb. I've also been taking the dog for a walk, about 2.5 miles, three or four times a week in the evenings. It feels like I've lost some weight around my middle, so it's doing something! I've also been trying to get some new tunes written, but severely lacking some inspiration. I've got some ideas in my head, proper ideas, rather than just fiddling with loops from a cover disc. I've been using a vst host called Minihost, which loads a vst plugin and lets you use your computer keyboard to place the vst instrument. It's got a built in chord maker, arpeggiator, and sequencer, which is great for fiddling around with. My 5 y.o. also likes playing with it - saying he's playing Kraftwerk's Man Machine, and the Dr Who theme tune! Expect some new tunes soon...from him, not me! Only kidding.... The Rude Mechanicals remix I did for NZ band Pitch Black is still around on the web and on the band's remix CD, Rhythm, Sound and Movement. The remix is also going to be used to promote a big music and arts festival in New Zealand, called Splore. More news to follow soon. I'm also going to meet Paddy and Mike from Pitch Black at the end of October when they play their only UK gig in London. I'm also supposed to be getting the stems to remix a track by International Observer. Other stuff....been doing a lot of Moodle stuff at work - very busy these days. I've also made a website for Paul's dad and his painting and decorating business, D and S Decorators.  Oh, and I'm now on Facebook, and Twitter, so follow me on there if you're on there....

Filed under  //   audio   blogging   e-learning   facebook   family   moodle   music   myspace   news   pitch black   social networking   twitter   walking  

..that's facebook.com/mistrust

Filed under  //   music  
Posted June 15, 2009

Facebook names! I'm now http://ping.fm/5fXZs - so hop on over and be my friend!

Filed under  //   music  
Posted June 15, 2009

Using Soundcloud in Wordpress http://ping.fm/XaX4I with corrections from Eric

Filed under  //   music  
Posted June 8, 2009