Taking it back to the old school, 'cause I'm an old fool, who's so cool...

In case you weren't aware that's a lyric from Whoomp There It Is which hit #2 on the Hot 100 Billboard chart in 1993.  The song is pretty tongue-in-cheek, but it serves its purpose for this post in function.  That song is now 20 years old.  20 YEARS OLD!  The song we jumped around in our bedrooms to while the sound permeated the walls of our houses and annoyed our parents is nearly legal drinking age.  Aside from that fairly obnoxious song 1993 was a pretty good year for music and films alike.  In music you had album releases like: Dr. Dre - The Chronic, Pearl Jam - Vs., The Digable Planets - Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space) among other notables.  In movies you could've ran to the theater and saw Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Philadelphia, The Firm, or Pelican Brief.  Good stuff.  I look back on those times with great fondness and still catch myself reminiscing of those days when people say 'ten years ago', weird.  I often wonder what is so different now.  Why does it seem all the happiness, innocence, and romance has died in our modern age?  To find those answers I'm going to have to jump back much further than the mid 90's.  

Labor Day Weekend (Past and Present)

Your weekend:


In the years past I've taken advantage of nearly every three-day weekend, and then some.  To be fair I took advantage of the two day weekends, too - and let's not forget Thursdays.... Anyways, in the past I've been almost happy to come back to work in order to give my liver (and kidneys) some much needed rest and relaxation.  My ears would still be ringing, face sore from smiles and laughter, and my head left spinning attempting to suture together the 'memories' I ripped through.  The memories would clear up a little from the heinous Facebook pictures I'd be tagged in, or maybe they'd become even more foggy.  No doubt a few new friend requests would be awaiting my approval on the slew of social media sites I blabbed about being proficient at over the three-day voyage.  By 11 A.M. I would've downed about 100 oz. of water trying to replace the small pond I'd exchanged over the weekend for cigarettes and beer.  This was about the time I swore off smokes once and for all; I could practically see the tar stained to my fingers.  Lunch was approaching and that was a dilemma all its own.  I knew I should eat something because the 4,000 calories I took in over the extended break from work, 95% of which came from beer, wasn't exactly the nourishment my internal organs desired.  Even knowing this I was well aware that my hangover could go from slightly troubling to insufferable with just one too many drops of grease.  Usually tragedy was averted and I came out the other side of lunch no worse for wear.  By the end of the work day I felt mediocre enough to look forward to a large dinner and 10 hours of low grade coma.

My weekend:


If you read my previous post you'll know I've given up the sauce for a bit.  The obvious effect of laying off the hooch is a totally off base name for my blog.

co·pi·ous

ˈkōpēəs/

adjective

1.

abundant in supply or quantity.

"she took copious notes"

im·bibe·ment

imˈbīb/

verb

formalhumorous

1.

drink (alcohol).

"they were imbibing far too many pitchers of beer"

Pregnancy, Consolidation, and Cellaring

Pregnancy

Yep, that's right.  Not only did this beautiful girl and I start dating, but we got a little (read: huge) surprise almost right away.  The picture pretty much sums it up, we're pregnant, and I can't even begin to put into words how immediately terrifying it is thinking about raising a child when you view yourself as one.  What if there is only one bag of fruit snacks left?  I bought them, they should be mine, but I bet the baby will get all the sympathy.  I shudder to think of the vain, vapid, and selfish thoughts that will fill my internal monologue.  Aside from my internal monologue (we'll refer to him as Jiminy from now on (you know, like Jiminy Cricket?? (like the anthropomorphization of our conscience?????))) I felt an intense swell in pride and, for lack of a better word, manliness.  Other than what Jiminiy said, and let's face it he's a sarcastic asshole, I had an internalization that this experience would allow me to become the man I've always wanted to be.  A co-worker with kids once told me something to the effect of "when you have kids you just try to get into their twenties while inflicting as few psychological scars as possible".  Seems like good advice.  Back to that 'man I want to be' thing... still trying to figure out exactly what that is, but for now suffice it to say I want to be able to juggle the following: providing for my family, excelling in my career, possibly opening my own business (another blog entry in itself), maintaining and participating in meaningful friendships, eating healthy, playing/performing music, and countless other things including becoming POTUS.  Funny thing is I can't even juggle to begin with.  All jest aside this is something I'm immensely excited about and am sure will become the topic of many later blogs if I ever have time - which I've been told emphatically "I WON'T".

Offworld Transmissions Volume 3: reviewed by a sadly underqualified blogger

A feeble attempt at reviewing the brand new Offworld Transmissions Volume 3 album.

This album starts off just as lush and expansive as I hoped.  Seathesky is one of those 'can't do wrong' producers for me and he opens the album with the sublimely liquid 'Contact'.  This song is a collaboration with Nelver (a Russian based producer) whom I was previously unfamiliar with and after a visit to his soundcloud I  could see why Seathesky would want to collaborate with him - he has serious chops and traditional/classical training.  Anyways, back to the song at hand.  ‘Contact’ is, to me, the essence of Drum and Bass; if a person were to ask me what Drum and Bass was I would show them this track.  An almost mysterious intro pushes forward to a silky smooth bassline that is topped by an ethereal piano and some disparate vocals.  This opener does not disappoint.

Bone makes another appearance after featuring on Offworld Transmissions Volume 2 with the track 'without you'.  In this installment he brings 'This Time' and it's a small departure from what I've grown accustomed to.  It contains some female vocals, but they are more linear and poignant than the typical atmospheric vocal stabs he uses - at least in the intro, once the chorus hits 'this time' is repeated and effected in various ways to move the song forward without becoming stagnant.

Phat Playaz makes his debut for the Transmissions series, but is a longtime favorite of Allan Cowie (LM1) who is a label honcho at Offworld Records.  This song, 'Seperation', follows suit with the album with its velvety smoothness and its peppered-in vocals. 

Scenic & Advisory make their obligatory appearance on the Transmissions 3 album as with every one before it.  And, as much as a didn't want to say this, the track 'Skin Deep' itself seems a bit obligatory.  While the production is great and the soundscape is massive this is the kind of song that gets lost on a compilation like this.  While I've always appreciated artists knowing their place and not trying to outshine others (that opening DJ at 9PM playing peak stuff to an empty room) this track just doesn't bring enough to the table to be remembered beyond a shrug and half smile that says: "Yeah, it was pretty good.”