Woof...woof....

The industry is too small for bad vibes between all of us. Be nice. Tolerate. You never know when your music hangs in their hands. It's too small a cake for us to be satisfied with our little piece. Don't let the music pay the price. It deserves better than that. It's a dog eat dog world but why must we be a bitch about it?

Photo courtesy of joe-ks.com

It's official!

Star Wars episode III has been titled! Release scheduled for 19th May 2005. Hope George Clooney doesn't die in this one!

Back to work!

After a week of much-needed break, it's time to crack the whip again! Currently, I'm working on two projects that one of which I consider as slightly off the left field. This unique job is a taerobics soundtrack for a consultation firm. After a one-and-a-half hour discussion, I am required to create a music programme that is as flexible as the workout regime. Now THAT'S what I call a challenge! Am starting work very, very soon and looking forward for the beta-testing in Old Bandar Sri Damansara where I'll be throwing kicks and punches myself!

For all of you who've been raving about how good Spider Man 2 is over the first one, I've got a spoiler. Here's a little preview of what's to come in Spider Man 3 (courtesy of Yasin. Thanks, bro!).

Ouch!

Can someone help me get this nail off my forehead?

Raja Mahafaizal, you're single because you don't want to slow down

Whether you're working all hours, busy with school, or planning a cross-country move, it sounds like you just don't have time for anyone else in your life...right now, that is. Your timing may be off in other aspects, too. Chances are, you've met that perfect person who just so happens to be married or planning their own cross-country move. So take a step back for a moment. Is there something underlying this? Could it be you're afraid to get involved for some reason or another, and are therefore attracted to people who are simply unavailable?

Whether you're secretly sabotaging yourself or not, try a little exercise. Open your mind to those who are around you (and available!) right now. Then let up on your schedule to let that someone in. That is, unless you want to get married to your goals, and not Mr. or Mrs. Right.

Nails on your forehead anyone? This way, please.

Trabye's take: Time to begin my denial phase. Ha ha!

Maintenance Day

Build and put up absorber panel no. 3, solder Motif's second cable for stereo, re-arrange Pod wires, vacuum, transfer files for completed jobs, burn backup CDs, defrag hard drives, tune the speakers... what else?

Introducing... THREE PHAT

This is incredible. As usual at this hour, I was surfing the net for music resources. I hit all my usual haunts until I came across this site.

Cybertown is a community with all your usual web-community amenities. One of the pages was titled "How to write rap music". So naturally, I went in and found this 'formula'. Not only the formula works but how it works is really scary. It's a program written in C (a software engineer's programming language for those not in the know) that does nothing but generate scores of variations of rap lyrics based on a preset rap database. Believe it or not, the song below was generated by the program.

"Get down" by Mixmastermeatbeaters
 
Get down the joint is jumpin' you'll be humpin'
Shake it feet are stompin' in the city streets
Pump the jam feel the beat with disco heat
Move it get around 'til the night is over
 
(chorus)
Get down to triple beat shake your meat
Pump it up get around in the city streets
Pump the jam to triple beat you'll be humpin'
Shake it get body heat 'til the night is over
Get up the joint is jumpin' you'll be humpin'
Pump it up feet are stompin' I'm bustin loose
 
(chorus)
Get down to triple beat shake your meat
Pump it up get around in the city streets
Pump it up get around in the city streets
Pump it up get around in the city streets
Pump it up get around in the city streets

All I need now is some phat beat and a dope bassline. Auditions, anyone?

Trabye's take: I'm definitely getting extinct. Click here to see why.

Dead WHAT society?

Went down to PALA today. Didn't make any purchase but didn't come back empty-handed, either. Meet three new members of the Malaysian chapter of Audio Engineering Society. As members, we will be attending courses, workshops, seminars and other society activities. PLUS we get 10-15% discounts on equipment from selected outlets. Cool! Kinda like an Isetan card! 

Left to right: Esma (CK Music), me and Cico Rashid
 
Trabye's take: The photographer refuses to take my advise to "lock your elbows!".... some people.... *sheesh*

Nasty musician tricks

How do you get a guitar player to play softer?
Give him a sheet of music. - courtesy of ahajokes.com

Ever had a pesky course-mate who's this over-enthusiastic-thinks-he-can-play-a-mean-guitar type of fella and seems to have all the right and cool ideas about the band's repertoire for the school dinner? Picture this: you're the designated musical director (or band leader... since this IS a non-professional outfit), an appointment based on the fact that you can play more than power chords, and that you have more gear than anyone else so that's shaving off some budget for the backline. Every position was accounted for, bar one, which is filled by a 'bidan terjun' or 'pak pacak' who seems to be a mister-know-it-all, where it comes to playing in a band (but of course YOU know better!). Your first rehearsal was frequently distrupted with outbursts of "salah tu... bukan macam tu..." and "kat kaset lain... dengar betul-betul... kau main tak sebijik..." from this particular individual.

When dealing with such 'abundance of enthusiasm' one must almost always retain his/her cool. Make no mistake, in a musical organization, a cool head does not necessarily prevail... but a cool head does help in conjuring up ways to deflate the unwanted 'hot air' off this balloon called Perasan Best. Here are some sure-shot ways to discourage him/her from playing with you again.

1. Confuse 'em - use technical jargons like "modulation" as opposed to "change key" or "kita main the ostinato tu until dal segno lepas tu masuk second coda, kita langkau the third reprise to go to the blues riff in F flat half-diminished descending arpeggio". You get the picture.
2. Play in a different key - do not tell him. The band's detuned a half step during the actual show.
3. Play a different arrangement - put in rhythmic attacks where there were none. Extend the intro and cut down the outro to an abrupt halt. Watch him 'solo' at the end...
4. Change the setlist... at the last minute - take off the song where the person has a solo spot.

On a final note (no pun intended!), of course, you need to run this by everyone in the band who share the same predicament. This public service has been brought to you by a music director who's had enough!

Trabye's take: Some of these events actually took place... seriously!

Two reasons to lose money

This month will be murder on my bank account. For the digital studio entrepreneur like yours truly and many others, it's like Halley's Comet hitting Earth around the same time as a Solar Storm. Let me shed some light.

PALA stands for Professional Audio & Light Asia, an annual exhibition that travels around Asia. This year for the first time in it's decade of existence, it lands here in KL. I was told that the decision was based on a poll by the vendors and exhibitors. For me, this 4-day expo is an important event to get acquainted with the latest in digital audio recording technology. The reasons behind spending money here are: most of the items are new, cash & carry and they are cheaper than the market price (an introductory price, if you will). Admission is for industry people only (ahem...) but the last day will be opened to the public. In case you're wondering, it's at The Mines International Exhibition Center at Seri Kembangan.

This one.... 'nuff said. Every person who is or isn't a geek but owns a/several PC(s) will be here. DVD-R/W drives will be cheaper and there will be loads of accessories (I'm a sucker for accessories...). Also, it's time to stock up on CD-Rs! So no dates next month, ladies. The Trabyemeister's broke!

Free at last...!

At least for now.

Two of the heavier jobs this month have been completed... and not a moment too soon! The experience of it was somewhat intense. First, the artiste was not available for the first session due to unforseen circumstances. Second, no other studio time was available. Third, after sourcing out and finding a new studio to work with, the new place was under threat of eviction by the landlord due to some problems with the previous management. Fourth, I had to do the entire violin session while having my back problem. Fifth, the backup vocalist didn't answer or return my call, so I had to do all the BVs myself (it was luck that got Waheeda to come in at the 11th hour to record the last bits of BVs with me). Sixth, mixed the music SIX times (I got it right on all six but FELT right on the last one!). Seventh, when D-Day came, the studio engineer went AWOL and had to wait for the boss to come down to the studio himself to transfer the Production Master DAT.

It was SO the opposite when we did Rabbani, once upon a time. On the Anta Ya Rahman production it's like, day 1: load the music, day 2: sing all the parts, day 3: mix and hand in master. Albeit the pre-production DID take like two weeks but smooth sailing, it certainly was.

Morale of the story: no two productions are the same and that's what I love about this job: it's different ALL the time and there's ALWAYS a next time for you to get better! I wish I can say the same about my love life. Enough philosophy for the insane: I'm off to the gym now (first day! woo hoo!)...

I WANT!!

"I don't need music education. I have ideas..."

Apasal kau kata kau boleh buat?

Dah tu... dia offer aku. Takkan nak tolak?

Tapi kau tak boleh buat...

Kita buat sama-sama la.

???

Budget tu nanti kita pecah sama rata.

"Buat" sama-sama? Melody engkau sendiri pun engkau nyanyi senget. Macam ni kau nak buat sama-sama? Kau nak sama rata? Okay. Kau ambiklah. Tapi ingat... duit tu bukan hak engkau. Kau mengadap kiblat kan? Kau beringatlah sendiri...

Trabye's take: I would love to say this to two specific individuals.

Satu lagi enjeksyen

Like I could use another mishap... I twisted my left ankle while walking through a dark car park on my way to meet a friend last night. Man, it was excrutiating! There was a recess on the newly laid tarmac and I stepped right into the sucker.

This year seems to be the year for physical injuries. First, I busted the second toe on my left foot by dropping a full can of soya bean milk... and soy milk is supposed to be good for you! Second, I slipped on some flower petals and plunged right into the longkang: injuring both my arms (very deep cuts!) and right knee... also tore my favourite (and only) South Park T-shirt. Third, I had the back thing and now this?? Five more months to year's end, I shudder to think what's in store for me, injury-wise.

I was so looking forward to my first week at the gym... I just registered last week! Sheesh.

I wanna be John Williams

Just a blurp. Besides, Waheeda, the other thing that's been keeping me busy these days is the soundtrack to Potret Mistik. A film by Prof. Razak Mohaideen, this is a follow up to the blockbuster Mistik (but not a sequel/prequel eventually).

I was brought on board as a music arranger by Cico Harahap, who starred the film and was given the task to produce two of his compositions for the film. If you catch the movie when it releases at the end of the year, watch out for two scenes: 'the potrait painting' and 'merc in the lake' scenes.

Meet Hannah...

This is one of many friends I made in the course of my work. An aspiring singer and an accomplished pianist (among MANY other things), I met Hannah when a record label assigned me and my colleague, Jack Teo, to produce mixed demos for her then-management as a pitch for a recording contract.

What strikes me most about this former Miss Malaysia Petite is, I didn't expect someone as 'hot' as Hannah to also be so sweet. When you've worked with loads of singers and actresses as I do, one can't help but to be stereotypical towards these artistes. This, however, IMHO, doesn't apply to Hannah. Hannah, I wish you all the best and let's get stuffed with coffee and cakes soon! Take the time to visit Hannah at her official website at www.hannahsarahtan.com.

Trabye's take: Yes, people, she CAN actually sing...!

Let's talk turkey

Singapore was the first formal business destination for me since the inception of my production house, Karya Enigma. I was there for the PALA exhibition held in October 2003, looking for prospects of business with product manufacturers and the like. Once done, I hooked up with a couple of friends and we went around town and pretended to be tourists... which some of us actually were! Of all the photos taken, this one seems to scream for a caption... so, I took it to a slightly higher level.



Trabye's take: Maybank officials, if you are reading this and think that this is a good promo idea, I can be contacted via my company's website. Cheers!