Monthly Archives: July 2008

Rob O and oregano.

Posted on by Tomas Halberstad
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Rob O has now been here and we have listened, thought and talked (I was supposed to take a picture but I didn’t, I forgot). There are a few things to be done on the mixes, then were done, or rather, then mastering takes place. The whole thing should be done in two or three weeks which might seem like a long time but compared to the run time of this project it’s nothing. 

I’m pretty excited that I soon will be able to share these songs with the rest of the world.

Oregano. What ever happened to it?
When I was a kid it was the spice on everybodys lips. Whenever you bought a pizza, the last thing the pizza-guy did before he put the pizza in a box, or on a plate, was to sprinkle some oregano over it. That never happens now. I haven’t gotten oregano on my pizza for quite some time. It’s not like I miss it, or that I even like oregano that much, but somehow I feel robbed.

Egg & Milk.

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Camilla and I today went for brunch at a place called Egg & Milk (they only seem to have a MySpace page but searching the Internet they already appear to have a large following). It’s a 50′s-60′s style American diner with awesome pancakes (more awesome than mine which is strange since I stole my recipe from Nigella Lawson).

We will surly go there again although perhaps not on a Saturday or Sunday because the place was packed. We even spotted a semi-celebrity in Stefan Andersson (sitting gorging down pancakes, maple syrup running all over his face, screaming at the waitresses: “I wrote Catch the Moon! Give me more pancakes you morons!”… Well, no, not actually, I added the last part… or all inside the parenthesis.. I added that).

Rob O is supposed to come by today so that we can have a listen, a think and a talk to and about the mixes he’s been sending me. He has a water leak in his house so he’ll get here when he gets here.

And not to make anyone jealous; I leave you with a picture of my first car: Pärlan (the crappiest car ever).
Pärlan, if you’re out there… STAY OUT! 

Saturday in short.

Posted on by Tomas Halberstad
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Hi!
I’m sitting at home all alone and it’s Saturday.
The time is 2200h.
This isn’t as sad as it sounds but would be a little less sad if the Olympics or Premier League had started.
Ok, I’m not all alone, Bosse the amazing rabbit hunter is in the house but he is sleeping (as he mostly does).

Saturday the 19:th of July, 2008:

  • Woke up and immediately after breakfast Camilla, The Bo and I went to the pet store to get treats, a new harness for The Bo and dog food. The dog food came in a 14 kg sack which I had to carry all the way from the pet store to the tram (and we all know how I feel about trams, I also feel that way, the same anger, about carrying stuff, heavy stuff, for a long time, in heat) and then from the tram and home. 14 kg ain’t nothing. I hear you say. I’ve carried 34 kg for 12 km without braking a sweat. I’m also the defending district champion in long-jump. You continue. (Your big mouth is really getting you in trouble.) Well if that is the case Mr. Ican Carrie (are you perhaps related to Mr. Ass Hole?) be sure to post your phone number in a comment or mail it to me and I’ll give you a call the next time I need lifting done.
  • After a short amount of sulking over the heat and my sore arms Camilla and I took the bus and went for a fika (no we did not go to New York, the link is for your aid in understanding the word) and then went grocery shopping. It’s times like these that I miss our old car (we had to sell it in order to cut our costs which we needed to do I were to be able to go back to school).
  • My sister called and we talked a bit about this article (in Swedish). The headline reads: Poverty concerns all of us! And he who wrote the article, who incidentally is one of my professors, by that means world poverty and how we all have a responsibility, if not duty, to help end it. This is a subject I’m going to return to and discuss more fully since I feel it is a very important one.
  • Prepared dinner. Chicken salad. 
  • Took the Boo out for a walk.
  • Computered (that thing you do when you just sit infront of the computer doing random stuff) for a while. 

I’ll leave you with a picture of our old car. T4:an if you’re out there; we miss you buddy!

 

The digital age of paper books.

Posted on by Tomas Halberstad
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WeSuck Delivery AB was just here and delivered my package! Yes!
My Logic Studio 8 has arrived!

Normally when you buy/order/receive software on a disk of some sort it’s usually just that; one disk, perhaps two. This package which I just received weighed 6 kg (about 12 lbs)! And boy do I have my work cut out: It, Logic, has a user manual of a stunning 1027 pages and that is just for the basic program. There’s another manual of a neat 668 pages for all the effects and instruments. In addition you have three 100 page each books on programs included in the suite (including a “get started guide” for logic).

Reading, any one? 

Ha ha, cool shoe!

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The people that know me know that I’m kind of a sneaker-freak. Not that I collect sneakers or try to get my hands on the vintage ones that can’t be bought for money. It’s more like when I buy sneakers, which seem to be quite often, I tend to go for the more obscure stuff. You could say I’m a sneaker connoisseur.
My latest purchases include sneakers from Creative Recreation, Mad Foot, Ice Cream and a classic in Vision Street Ware. So, normally I’m not one to go for the bigger sneaker brands but this shoe drew my attention. I might get it; it’s a cool shoe. First some history: Nike has a habit of designing shoes based upon other things; they give the shoes a colorway and choose material in accordance with something. They’ve done a Newcastle Ale Shoe based on the colorway of a Newcastle Brown Ale bottle, a Old Spice shoe based on the design of the product range and so on. This next one is the best one, and the latest one.

I give you the Marge Simpson Nike SB dunk hi pro:

The little person does not count.

Posted on by Tomas Halberstad
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I get a call yesterday morning:

“Hi. My name is Ass Hole I work for WeSuck Delivery AB. We have a package for you, will you be home between 1300h and 1600h?”

“Yes.”

(Here it gets weird.)

“You wouldn’t happen to work someplace to where we can deliver your package?”

(Why would he ask this?)

“No.”

“Ok, I’ll arrive later.”

“Ok, bye.”

Did WeSuck Delivery AB come? Did I get my package? No!
Did I have to sit at home and wait between 1300h and 1600h and even, like a true Swede, thought that he might be running late and it’s ok, I’ll just wait some more. Yes! And no, he hasn’t arrived yet. I swear; had I been a big multi national company then Mr. Ass Hole would have shown up with my package, almost paying me to take it, right on time.

(I think it was my recording software arriving. Apple really ought to change delivery firms here in Sweden.)

Evil hare x 2!

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[This is a post written last night on a strange computer unable to publish, so I'm publishing it now, which makes absolutely no difference to you, since it's here, now... READ!]

The hare is haunting me.
I no longer work in Terrortory, I’m right now working in, what is referred to as, the end of the world. I am sitting at a desk, staring out, through a window, on a road. Who do you think arrives, evil staring at me sitting completely still right smack there on the tarmac? The hare! The evil death hare from Terrortory. How in the name of all that isn’t evil hares did he manage to death-like jump all the way here? I smell satanical powers and not only that, he also brought his buddy; two evil hares!
(It might be the case that these hares don’t have anything to do with the knife carrying, death stabbing, karate chop chopping hare in Terrortory. They might not even be related, but you know what we humans say about hares: you can’t tell one apart from the other “You hares all look the same. I don’t know how you can tell each other apart!”)

Song number 10!

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First I must ask you all something. When I, as I did in the headline, write song number ten, does that look wierd? I mean ten is two numbers, a one and a zero, should it the be: the numbers ten? I think not, but why not? Is it because one is a number but also a digit and ten is, as one, a number but two digits? I really have no idea (nor the energy to look it up). I will let my self live in blissful ignorance.

So, song number ten. That makes an album, or at least it wraps up all the songs me and Rob O have recorded. What will happen now is:
1. I will listen to the songs and take notes.
2. Rob O will listen to the songs and take notes.
3. We will listen to the songs together and compare notes.
That’s about as much as I know. Number 3. in my list will probably take place during the upcoming weekend.

I won’t keep you all waiting any more; here’s the write-as-I-listen-to-the-song-thingy:
This song is, as one of the ones yesterday, pretty straight forward. Low key vocals with an off-on verse-refrain. Heavy metal guitars. I think Lars-Martin sings backup vocals. The bridge is odd. It’s a hard ass pop-song! The ending has Satan playing a double bass build out of death stringed with a high voltage electric fence… and then we made it sound evil.

Hej då!

The true Sweden.

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Now, I’m not dissing Sweden. Sweden is a lovely place. What I’m doing is trying to give a nuanced picture.

This is the picture Sweden wants you to see. This is the picture the Swedish people have of Sweden. For non Swedish reading readers: in the right hand top corner there is a menu which says; orter (citys, places) choose one then click Gå (Go) then you will see the pictures taken and submitted from there.

(Come on, It’s meant to be humorous, don’t be all cranky and stuff. Link tip thank you to Tullan!)

For continued reading I recommend Arga Lappen (new posts found here) which kind of builds on the latter of the two sites linked to above. The downside is that it is in Swedish, and you truly have to understand Swedish to find it funny, so it’s maybe just a reminder for Swedes, a reminder of how we really are.

Songs number 8 and 9!

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Early bird post today. As I am writing the time time is 0957h and I’ve already taken The Boo out for his morning stroll. Early indeed.

So, it seems Rob O hadn’t passed out on his porch, nor on any other porch, nor had he been attacked by a mutant teenage ninja hare. No, seems like my mailbox was full and the imence size of an Mp3 couldn’t fit and bounced back (how 2003 is that!?). Now all is in order.

I’ve received two songs today! The one that bounced back and another one which he finished last night. That makes 9 songs and only 1 to go before me and Rob O are going to sit down for a coffee, a listen and a chat to se what we like and what we do not like. Then we will take it from there.

Ok, let’s do this write-as-I-listen thing.
Hang on, have to press play (on tape)…
Oops, wrong song… there. 
Song 8:  Is a bit of a disco tune (strangely enough). A killer refrain with a bit of rainbow vocals. Bit of an off-on-tune, calm verse, loud refrain and oh… here comes another German bridge, AWESOME! This one is a real hit song. Loving the sounds.
Song 9: This is the first song I wrote with this album, The Anger, in mind. Strange. It’s the most not-me-sounding song. Minor and sad verse but if I can say so (and I can) a really nice piece of work. It sounds pretty straight forward, acoustic guitar, synth and mostly acoustic drums. I think it was the lyrics for this song which set the standard and theme of the whole album (the title tatter telling about which). Stone hard drums in the ending.

That’s it.

Step 2; software.

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Step two I hear you all ask, has the man lost his mind!? How can one take a second step when one hasn’t taken a first!? One can’t (or perhaps one can; teleporters is the new brown). 

This is of coarse in reference to this post which I posted many a moon ago.

So, step two. Here it is:
I’ve ordered the software, the recording software that is, for my new little home recording studio. It will arrive and be installed shortly.

When I think about it, this might be step three, the second step then being me ordering the recording hardware, the sound card, which I am going to use.

Anyway it all seems to be coming along nicely, but slowly and expensively.

My studio is called Lilla Rummet (the small room) so there. Na-na-na-na-na-na!

No more Mr. Hare guy.

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I just found out that I don’t have to face the hare any more, nor the ghost, in fact, I don’t have to go to Terrortory ever again! I’ve changed shifts and in that changed my assignment (which means that I will be in a safer and calmer place for the remainder of this summer job of mine).

And some news about nothing:
Rob O’s mail is, as we say here in Sweden: paj (which translates to pie but means broken, the words have nothing to do with each other; it’s not like we’re going around calling broken stuff pie… that would be stupid… stupid pie). He tried to send me a rough mix yesterday, song 8. I’m hoping that he’ll get his pie together so that I can have a listen!

Right now he’s at work. If your reading this Rob O; stop working! Work sux!

Evil hare, no joke.

Posted on by Tomas Halberstad
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I was only kidding when I wrote all that stuff about the evil hare yesterday, you know that, right? Do I know it? I thought I did. I thought I was only writing about a stupid hare, looking scared as I drove towards him, flooding him with my headlights, stopping my car and letting him jump away and if by chance (really small chance) the hare read this blog he would also have known I was kidding.

Two things:
1. The hare does read this blog.
2. He doesn’t know I was kidding.

The hare is mad as hell (which also is where he it from).
This is how I know this: Yesterday, as I came to work, driving through the gates of Terrortory, who do you think is sitting in the middle of the parking lot, staring at me with his red devil hell and death eyes, clinching his knife (which I did not see but assume, am sure of that, he had) with his evil little claw covered paws, ready to jump at the car, cracking it open like a tin and devouring me while singing nursery rimes, looking all madhappy with blood dripping down from his two yellow, gigantic, teeth?

You’ve guessed it; the hare!

There is not only something seriously wrong with that house, standing on Terrortory, there is also something seriously wrong with that hare.

I didn’t see him for the rest of the night but I’ll bet you several Swedish money that he saw me… luring in the dark, waiting for his chance.

Blog killing powers?

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Do I have blog killing powers?
If so; can I use these to kill of every blog out there accept mine? (I would do this, not because I dislike all other blogs but because I can.)
Why am I asking these questions?
Do I have any proof, any evidence of my powers?
Yes I do. I’ve killed my first blog, just by recommending it to you yesterday.
I give you the death of http://leifgwpersson.se/ (in Swedish so if you don’t read Swedish you have to trust me).

The evil that hares do.

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I survived yet another night in the terrorrory. Sure it was scary but I pulled through. I didn’t see any ghosts, or the ghost, but I saw a pretty evil looking hare. He might have been sent from hell or it might have been the fact that the headlights of my car was flooding him with light, either way his eyes were red and evil and scary and angry looking and I really couldn’t see, since he was turned with his right side towards me, but I think he might have been holding a knife in his left paw, clinching it with his little claws, waiting for me to get out of the car so that he cold make his move, jumping with his massive back legs towards me like the evil hare that he is.

It might be that I am letting my imagination get the best of me.

Oh well, only one more night in the terrortory before I can get some sleep and distance… then after three days of leave I have to go back.

No song from Rob O today. I guess he passed out from all the beers on the porch only to be woken up by the rain, dripping on his face and as he tries to get up he notices that his shoe laces, which are still on his shoes (and the shoes are on his feet), have been tied, in very small knots, around the planks of the porch floor. Trying to undo them, not succeeding, he hears a little evil laugh behind him. He slowly turns around; there it is: the evil, red eyed hare… and it’s got a knife.

This and that rounding up the week.

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I’ve now read Albert Camus The Stranger as I previous said I would do.
Why did I read it?
Because I read another book; Jean-Paul Sartre Existentialism is a humanism and In that book there is a review, an analysis, by Jean-Paul Sartre on The Stranger by Camus.

I used to say that my favourite genre of books were those written by a Swedish male in his 30′s or 40′s writing about his childhood in the 1960′ – 70′s and 80′s and while this never was a 100% true I now really have to revise my opinion and statement (not just because of the book I’ve just read but because the books I’m reading and liking less and less seem to fit the description here above).

Back to the just read bok; The Stranger by Albert Camus was a great book. Just click on the link above and download it, then read it. It made me think quite a bit; about how we act, about what means anything and so forth. The reason I read it was, as stated above, so that I could finish another book I was reading.
I must say I didn’t quite understand Sartre’s analysis in full, I hope to one day but now a lot just passed some distance over my head. There were a lot of reference to other thinkers and/or writers and a lot of interpretation which I didn’t get. The one thing I will really take with me though is the short but giving passage of Sartre’s opinion, or understanding/analysis, of Camus use of language, in particular the way Camus present his sentences. Haven’t thought about that stuff earlier and what it does to, how it kind of manipulates you as a reader.

As I’ve said before; reading leads to reading leads to reading and I could jump to a vast number of works being related, referred to or otherwise compared to these two works (or I could just read something else all together, I really should be reading for my aesthetics exam…).
I found this on the Internet: Jean-Paul Sartre Nausea so that is what I am going to read. These two works and these two men, Sartre and Camus, seem to have had a lot in common. The after reading Nausea I have to read Camus The Myth of Sisyphus (if it is as short as the one under my link it’ll be a breeze).

Ok. Other stuff.

Rob O is taking yet another day of from mixing since he has to edit some drum sounds or something which sounded strange (it might be mixer guy code for: I have to sit out on the porch and have a couple of beers).

I have to go back out to the terrortory (no miss spellings here; word pun) tonight. The house of the death haunted ghost and scary stuff evil the 13:th. Let us all see how that goes. I might come back with a patch of white hair on the back of my head whispering I see dead people…

Tired, tired and… well… tired.

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I am massively tired today. I worked a 12h shift last night and I’m going to do one more tonight. Before I went back to school I did this fore a living. 15 days of 11 months of every year, for some 8 or 9 years. How did I manage that!? I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck, a big one, perhaps the biggest one ever (as you could imagine; that’s a really big truck… really big).

No new song today. Rob O takes a day of from mixing.

Tomorrow I will write a fuller post including my latest readings, perhaps a song-talk-a-bout and more.

I will leave you with a picture of Marv and myself during the time when London was burning.

Song number 7!

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Rob O is really throwin’ ‘em at me! One a day! For how long can this go on? I’m hoping for three more days.

Ok. So what’s this one about, how does it sound?
It’s a big one and a slow one and a sad one perhaps about giving up. It’s a ballad, the slowest of the ten songs we’re working on (if one should categorize music by tempo; I saw that in an interview once; the artist was asked: So, how does your new record sound? And the answer came: There are some ballads, some mid-tempo tracks and some up-tempo tracks. Since then I have had a hard time referring to music as tempos just because it sounds so clueless and non creative… I might be a snob).

Back to the song. It sounds huge! We’ve put the drummer in an oil tanker, stringed the bass with barbed wire, had a concert pianist drain his emotions on the keys and to top it of; put me and my vocals really close to your ear.