Knowing Where You Are...

 

Knowing Where You Are, in the sense of your creative life, as well as that other till the end one.

The above is a DJ MIX project of this years, currently 29, music tracks. I update it every time I release a new one or do a music+comic. Mostly just trims out long end reverbs. That is better for on the train and walking around noisy shopping malls or sitting in Cafes. 

Recently read of an American who said he doesn't listen to music out and about or in Cafes now as he needs to be aware of a random shooter or other such thing now.  I am in Japan, and that is a non consideration! 😀 I know where I live.

The DJ MIX project is currently 1 hour 7 minutes worth of music rendered out as a single track with consistent levels.  I listen to this fairly often out and about when someone else's music hasn't grabbed my attention.

I mostly forget it is my own stuff and can evaluate it without attachment. I quite like most of this. Hear the mistakes in some of it, but have an it is what it is attitude to it. Sometimes I think of what I should do next track, like some shred like solo or more metal band like guitar chorus.  

The tracks I put on Bandcamp have 1 to 3 listens for the majority, so I don't do this for any audience.  Having a better mix, or mastering or even more popular genre isn't going to increase the audience, when the only promotion I do is to the same few acquaintances that read this blog or my social media posts.

All for my own entertainment, doing what I like, and I don't want to hear from the mass market, or niche genre creeps.  They will have no interest in what I do, and I am not any kind of wannabe celebrity after their attention.  The majority of  social media accounts with large numbers of followers are not my thing at all.

I went to Mattias's FREAK GUITAR CAMP in OSAKA 2025, for inspiration to add something to new stuff I do. I don't particularly care to just play his course tracks like he does though.  Some new musical vocabulary for myself is all I am after.

I told him I love what you do. Which I do, but it isn't all what I want to do though.

And knowing I am a retired grandad, much nearer the end of my life and not a young dude trying to make his way as a guitar Rockstar, makes me much more laid back about it all.  I do have a sense I have to make stuff while I can, before ill health, or just an injury, makes it difficult or impossible.

I listened to a clip from an interview of an American guy recently retired to Japan who said that if his wife died before him, he would move back to his home country.  Had similar talks with wife and sister-in-law, and I am in Japan till my end, even if alone.  There is no attraction to my "home country" to decide otherwise, even if the bureaucratic paperwork on my own would be a pain in Japan.  

My Sister-in-law and Wife are going away for a 3 day, 2 night, trip to a place they grew up from early tomorrow. I will be here with just the 2 cats, which isn't alone at all. They are indoor cats, so spend all their time close by. They talk to me a lot, and one is my constant companion.  I am not the kind of person that doesn't want to be "alone". Cats allowing it, I will get on with various music and art projects and interests.

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