m.0 and I just got back from an absolutely incredible trip to LA! It was our first Cali road trip together, and we did it up proper. Got in some swank Beverly Hills action, lovely beach time, and (of course) amazing conversations about NR’s past, present, and future.
Feeling insanely recharged and ready to jump back into the thick of things. 2010 just keeps getting more and more unreal!
In January, I added a Virus WhiteOut desktop synth to my little machine family. With Baby Virus standing guard over at Command Central®, I was having serious filter withdrawals… which led me to the obvious solution: get another synth for my home studio.
“Why would you guys need 3 Viruses?”
This question came up a lot on our YouTube channel.
The answer’s pretty simple…
“BECAUSE IT RULES.”
But we’d rather say that with sounds instead of words… so here’s a video of us working on some new beats in the studio.
All the sounds (except percussion) were created on the Virus, and no presets or audio loops were used. The sonic power and richness of these machines is simply mindblowing!
Last month, NR went to a local elementary school to teach kids about making electronic music. It was such a life-changing experience! To share something we’re not only passionate about, but have committed our lives to was extremely special.
These kids were bubbling over with curiosity about our futuristic blinking toys! This generation’s growing up with all kinds of technology and gadgets, so it was really intuitive for them to play with our MIDI controllers.
Some of the students already played piano; others played drums or guitar. No matter what their experience was, they were all exposed to a new concept: that you could make music with computers. Hopefully, we helped plant a few seeds out there 
It was also deeply moving to work with special needs children. Those who couldn’t communicate through words, or had difficulty with motor skills, were able to interact with these machines and express themselves. Hearing sounds they created in real-time was incredibly empowering for them… the physical therapist said it was a “dream come true” for these kids.
In the end, it doesn’t matter how many promoters you know or how many charts you top…it’s about the lives you change, the minds you inspire.
We have too many people out there trying to tear our dreams down. Too many voices telling you it’ll never happen, and why you should give up.
m.0 and I have battled these forces our whole lives… now it’s time to live our dreams, so that maybe someone out there might believe in theirs.
*Special thanks to Drew Phan and the teachers for inviting us to come in. All their encouragement and support was priceless!
Last week, we hit NYC for the first time together. It was amazing to explore the iLL.F.O.’s stomping grounds NR-stylee!
We loaded up our brains with tons of incredible stimuli: an amazing Picasso exhibit at the Met; a Chelsea gallery full of Lichtenstein still lifes; the bustling streets of Chinatown…
We even passed by the East Village hospital where the iLL.F.O. entered this world. Tracing our alien roots!
Back in the 415 with renewed inspiration, we’re ready to hit the next phase… HARD.
(Photo: Ryan “Rhines” Milles)
Synthy Fresh: Live at Decibel Festival ’09 (Innerflight Music’s Red-Eye Afterhours) by Nerd Revolt
Last week, I made my first trip back to Seattle since the move. While I got my fix of things I’ve had major withdrawal from (veggie phở, coffee, my hair stylist), it all stirred up a lot of intense emotions for me.
A few personal experiences threw me back into that all-too-familiar sense of alienation I felt up there. It made me remember the culture shock I felt after moving from NYC, which was really unnerving to go through… but it also made me reflect on how grateful I am for meeting m.0, forming Nerd Revolt, and living my dreams in San Francisco.
Here’s our first video diary for dejaded, which documents my journey back in time.
Yay… Baby Virus turns 2 this Thursday! You already know how he changed my life (if not, check out the previous Confession about him).
Here’s to many more years of nerding out with my partner in crime!
I closed my eyes.
Crowds of people, pulsating lights, bodies dancing, voices screaming– it all dissolved into space.
Tears crashed down my face. My body shook. I didn’t know what was happening, but I didn’t panic. I just sunk deeper into it.
The lush, operatic vocal of “Belfast” was slowly seeping into my ears. I was in a trance, but not a numbed-out one… I was hyper aware. With my eyes still closed, years of my life flashed through my brain– crushed dreams, destroyed hopes, deep regrets that held me back for so long. Like never before, I grasped just how amazing the present moment was.
Let’s backtrack almost a decade to 2002. It was a really innocent time for me. I was still pretty new to DJing– buying records and learning to mix… I didn’t even go out to clubs or party. For years I was mainly into indie rock and shoegaze, so I was extremely fascinated by these futuristic beats.
That was also the year I made my first proper trip out to San Francisco. Before I even landed, I looked out the plane window and felt I was home… it was the beginning of my deeply personal connection with the city. I knew I had to live there one day.
During that trip, my friend introduced me to Mouse on Mars– a fun, quirky electronic music duo from Germany. Between that and making a trip to Robotspeak (a local computer music shop), I was inspired to get a synth as soon as I got back.
I got a Roland JP-8000, and promised myself I’d learn it inside and out. I had daydreams of making music, playing live, finally getting to express my shy, alienated self…
But years later, it all felt so hopeless. My synth collected dust and I sold it for dirt cheap, and I found myself living everywhere but San Francisco. It seemed like no matter how hard I tried, I was moving farther away from my dreams.
So flash forward to the present: here I was, zoning out on the dancefloor to Orbital… taking in the moment.
I’m finally living in San Francisco. I’m in love with my synths and am learning as much as I can about sound design. I’m here with m.0– my best friend, doppelgänger, and collaborator, and we’ve got the most amazing people in our lives who believe in us.
Not only did none of this seem possible– it’s beyond what I’d even imagined.
This realization has made me even more committed to Nerd Revolt than ever.
I want to thank the universe for guiding me towards my dreams, and there’s only one way to do that…
KICK SOME NERD ASS.
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