• 09/28/2008 - My Lovely Wife Lou is Pregnant
• 12/14/2007 - ArtistServer News and a new site: FreeMusicLicensing.com
• 09/18/2007 - AritstServer and ToneThis Serve Up Indie Ringtones
• 09/11/2007 - Running LightTPD and PHP on Windows
• 09/06/2007 - Compete.com -vs- Alexa.com - Comparing Website Rank
• 08/29/2007 - HostMySite.com Limits ColdFusion, Does Not Tell Customers
• 08/14/2007 - New Song: Chocolate Rain - Sonic Remix
• 08/03/2007 - If You Use Open Source, Leave the License and Credit
• 07/31/2007 - Add Links to Profiles on MySpace, Facebook, and More
• 07/23/2007 - SocialNetwork.in API Promotes Cross Site Networking

While I tend to write about development, programming, the Web, and about running a media site, My roots and original passion are in creating media. I enjoy dabbling in all things digital, but my focus has always been on music. Over the years, music has always served as an excellent context for improvising and exploring creativity. But... as my computer gained more speed, and my mind wandered around the Web, I found that my music could take on new concepts and directions if I started working with visual mediums.

Unfortunately, I've yet to move very far into video as I'd like to. If you don't have all the skills and knowlege, you do have to invest a lot of time in learning how to present a good flow of imagery. Depending on what style you are going for, you also need a fair amount of time to plan your shots, take the shots, edit them, add transitions, etc. Because of my increased interest in video, I've started watching more video on the Web. And... well... this big wave of 'user generated content' that is apparently going to change the face of media... it's not so slick, it's a bit raw, and it seems true video producers haven't joined the party as much as we need them. With that said, I can tell you that the videos I'll link below are not that great, and all but 1 was actually generated using software that generates the 'cuts' based on the music you give it http://www.MuVee.com .

While I haven't gone very far in teaching myself video editing, I have made a more progress with game maps using the Unreal Tournament game engine. Certainly, my mapping skills are novice, but I've successfully pulled together two maps, one of which took over 100hrs - most of which was time spent learning.  Game design is a job I'd love to have if I had more time. I bought a few books on the subject two years ago and even considered moving into that field. There's so much potential in games - espeically now with such 3D realism, advanced AI, fast hardware, and top notch video cards.  Why more people don't play around with the Unreal game engine boggles my mind. I'm sure it's because it's a 'game engine' and people aren't considering it for anything but games. What I hope to start using this technology for, is building 3d interactive art installations. For example, why not create some type of largescale musical instrument which is played by having characters jumping on pads, or having massive syncronized structures which chime out tones as certain parts of the structure come within a distance of other parts. Or a room with balls that bounce around and trigger sounds and animations that are associated to squares on the walls. Or... make a movie, as in "Machinima" - which is the making of movies within game engines.

Ok - enough talk - Here's the links and info on all the music, video and game maps I've released recently. The videos are all a year or more old, I just never put them out or announced them.

Songs

Song Page: http://www.ArtistServer.com/artist/song.cfm/a/0/TID/14062

A downtempo IDM track built from a loop of from my friend Todd and I clapping. Lots of sub bass in the mix. This piece seems to have a sad emotional feel, yet it projects an uplifting, positive sense across the track through the skittery melody.

Stranger Danger

Song Page: http://www.ArtistServer.com/artist/song.cfm/a/0/TID/14063

An electro breaks track that has a bit of that 'spy theme' feel to it, but a more experimental approach. The track was built from drum loops, drum samples, and a few runs of my guitar through a Tone Port by Line6 to generate the synth parts and guitar jabs.

Selfprovisation 1

Song Page: http://www.ArtistServer.com/artist/song.cfm/a/0/TID/14330

An improvised piece of music done in 4 passes. First, I recorded the main guitar part (distortion, heavy reverb, delay). Next, I recorded the second guitar part (sample+hold effect and dynamic filter), which noodles around the main guitar. Then, I plugged in a bass, layed down a track, and let it sit for a few days. I realized it needed something else, so I set up a mic and recorded the percussion parts. Influence: 'Dark Star'

Video

http://www.veoh.com/users/Sonic%20Wallpaper

The Flag Chamber
Read about it and watch: http://www.artistserver.com/artist/pages.cfm/a/9/pg/167/SonicWallpaper
(note: Veoh.com has recompressed the video so it looks a bit pixeled now - if you download the video, you'll have a better quality version).  The song 'The Flag Chamber' is a rocking breakbeat track with lots of energy.

Smokey Velvet
http://www.veoh.com/videoDetails.html?v=e62901ezY6dmBd&
This video was created by taking footage from a trip to Arizona and ran it though a piece of software called MuVee. The video features a 'shoe tree' - where people have tossed and hung around 100 shoes in a tree. The song 'Smokey Velvet' sounds like a space age lounge.

Serenus Maximus
http://www.veoh.com/videoDetails.html?v=e63005f6ZAKzPn&
the video features the burnt remains of a Manzanita grove that burnt down just East of San Diego, CA. Again, the video was generated by running video segments through MuVee.
The song 'Serenus Maximus' is an abstract ambient piece - the mid section has some great moments of silence.

There's Not Much Space
http://www.veoh.com/videoDetails.html?v=e60179CNpjCEkb
This video was created from several small video clips found on the Web mixed w/ effects, still photos and a few home captured clips. Just like the song, the video serves more as a collage of elements rather than telling you a story or idea.

Music For Wormholes
http://www.veoh.com/videoDetails.html?v=e60280AgQ3zJHq
A video of a trip to Yosemite that's been heavily chopped up and processed to a Ambient Drum-n-Bass track called: Music For Wormholes. Again, the video was generated by running video segments through MuVee.

Game - Maps for Unreal Tournament 2004 (UT2004)

My Maps can be found here: http://www.unrealplayground.com/mapper.php?id=11993

VCTF - The Flag Chamber - a vehicle Capture the Flag map

An underground arena carved from a large asteroid which was then launched into a 6 year orbit around the sun. This map provides a well balanced game with plenty of space for action on the ground, in a vehicle or on foot. Some highlights:
* viewports off each team's base, showing a view of space and the outside landscape
* a crack in the ceiling that drips water down into a pool that has formed on the terrain
* each team's base has screens showing the front entrance of each base
* includes an original song recorded for this map
* bot support

DM - Liquid Space - a Deathmatch map

A low gravity map based on an array of platforms which are being held in place by a celestial formation called Liquid Space. With nowhere to hide, and muliple levels of platforms to jump between, this map offers a fast paced game that's won with aggression and laughter. :) Full bot support.

Enjoy the music, videos - and if you don't own a copy of UT2004, pick one up - get the DVD version and you'll also get a 2nd disc filled with video tutorials covering how to develop in Unreal.