In Other News...

Carson at Costco Optical

I was trying to think of something clever to announce my brief return to blogland, but alas, nothing. Much has happened since January 2010 - We welcomed the birth of our second son, Carson Ray, just a few minutes into the new year, I left my job as a geologist with a large corporation and started my own consulting company, I discovered a large pocket of monster quartz crystals while on a training run which spiraled into a gem collecting obsession, resulting in a drop-off in my training mileage. Needless to say, the urge to run was always present, and I'm currently in the opening stages of a 'comeback'. I've signed up for a 50-miler in April 2012, and have struck a fragile balance between miles and stones. Much of this stuff deserves posts of their own and may get some extended treatment in the future.

Monster Smokies

In the meantime, loads of 'sorries' go out to those who commented on previous posts only to hang in limbo while moderation notices went to my now defunct corporate address. My music site is also a memory, but the free song downloads will soon find a new home, and I'll post a link when those are ready. (Edit: Here's the link!) Plus I need to figure out all of the new Blogger bells and whistles that have been added since I was away. Good times.

Looking forward to seeing you on the trails.

Kirk

The Dignity of Labour

Ahh, yes. 2011. I haven't posted in a long, long time. I get it!

In a previous life I was a synthpop artist. Back in 2003 I was signed to a small independent label out of Utah, released a single, XRV, in 2004 and then a self-titled album in 2005. During the recording process, I agonized over every detail, and the finished product never really mirrored the image I carried in my head. Years went by before I could even listen to the album. But lately that dissatisfaction has mellowed. Sure, that mental red pen still clicks to life whenever one of those tunes comes up on my iPod. But these days I find myself enjoying the works for what they are - simple musical snapshots in time.

A long time ago, I came to the realization that the album was not going to make me the superstar I had once hoped to be, but it still has merit as a melodic, provocative effort. The disc sold well in the synthpop circles, via iTunes, Amazon, etc., and online sales are enough to buy some new software as of late.

You can download some covers, remixes, and unreleased items here. The album is now on iTunes, and so is the bonus disc!

Download and Enjoy. 

Update January 2016: I've been working on some new material, with a possible new album scheduled for 2017. Stay tuned. 

Returning to the Groove

My piece on The System and David Frank ('The Founding Father of Electronic R&B') was a great success, eliciting input from the man himself. I hope to interview him in the coming months, where my theory that he was responsible for Scritti Politti’s breakthrough sound can be put to the test. Stay tuned!

The System - X-Periment (1984)

U2 – War, Track 10

I’m fortunate in that I reached such a landmark age without regrets. Instead of ruing over the past, I direct my focus forward. Rather than be envious of what I once was, I’m jealous of the person I hope to become. I know some who have carved themselves a nice rut and react by cheating on their mates or buying a trophy car. Still others retire from their dead-end jobs and die at home because they have no outside interests. Although I don’t have any true misgivings over the choices made over the years, I can cite at least one disappointment borne from the aftermath of those choices – my music ‘career’. I remember years ago being contacted by a talent agency who was fronted a copy of my first album. They envisioned a future too esoteric for my Midwestern laurels, and I chose to decline their offer. Sometime later, the lead singer of a Christian 'NSYNC-type act rang me up, raving about my second CD and looking for a keyboardist to join his band for a long-term residency at Disneyworld. I developed deep-seeded issues with his ego and eventually passed on the opportunity. More recently, I was contacted by the lead singer of a seminal ‘80s band to go on tour in the US and abroad. I would have made the perfect fit – I knew all of the synth parts, and could sing any of the harmonies on key. The singer, whom I had idolized for years, soon learned the depth of my reverence and pursued me even more aggressively. However, I saw this as fulfilling his ambitions and not my own and again skipped on the gig.

I have since ‘retired’ from music to pursue other passions such as trailrunning and my new family. I leave a legacy that lies wholly unfulfilled, with boxes of unsold CDs and half-finished songs that may have spawned even more prospects to turn down. Looking back, I wonder where I would be today if I had said ‘yes’ to any of those opportunities. Someone must have known that my successes were to be found elsewhere. I guess that’s why I’m always looking ahead.