Flags, dreams and cold sweat. Thoughts from the plastic edge.

Friday night. I still feel like I'm coming down from a very crazy few months. I'm standing on the edge of a very large chasm, looking into the depths of many possible futures. To jump or not to jump? I have so many big decisions to make, yet I've put them pretty much all on hold. The time just isn't right.

You ever get that feeling? The time just isn't right?

So I just came back from Poland. It was incredible seeing how large the family is. Here in Canada I've only really known my immediate family. Over there, the family is large and has an extensive history. It made me feel like I have really big shoes to fill. Most of the family is made of doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, etc.

And here I am.

The black sheep.

The "artist".

I picked a career in music at a time that is, in the history of histories, a difficult one for this profession.

I think great-grandpa is rolling over in his grave.

Did someone say loser?


Look at me sitting here on this digital couch trying hard to express myself [which as you probably know from my few posting I find difficult at best].

Connecting the dots between the many feelings that come and go through-out a single day is a tall order for one such as myself who's natural tendencies are closer to a hermit than a gregarious rock musician.

Speaking of which.

All right I'll say it. Fuck it. I am seriously contemplating becoming a hermit on a nearby island and making music + art and releasing it from home. I'd feel quite comfortable choosing such a destiny. The land near here is wild. Really wild. Some of the trees are over a thousand years old. There is a peace, a stillness in those dark, empty woods that I crave. A peace I believe would help not hinder the art.

So let's note it. Decision 214: Move to a large city like Berlin or on an island and live as a hermit. Possibilities? Plenty. Time? Unknown. Pressure? Fuck it.

There we have it. Another one for the mental notebook.

I can glance over to my instruments right now and see the pileup of dust. It's happened before, many times, usually after an album release too. This time, come December, it'll be almost a whole year off from recording. Inevitably, the itch comes back, dragging its sorry ass to the forefront of my brittle mind.

Next up? After more promo work for T.O.N., I'll be extending and remastering the first album, which sold out years ago and which many of you have been asking me about (I feel so guilty for not doing it earlier!!)

*Sigh*

I'm a sonic pilot with instruments made of plastic. It's dark outside, the plane has no lights, and I'm flying through clouds. When I peer back into the cabin I see you there ordering a cocktail, no fear registering in your eyes. What belief you have in your pilot!
And I'm such a flimsy human!

You ever get this feeling like you're re-energizing for something? I've had this feeling over the last week. It's very strong. Although I have some big decisions to make, I know I'll be making music for a very long time still. And I know I'm in a good place in my life. Mentally that is. There is a wonderful distant strength there that I can rely on and use when I see fit.

I've chosen not to use this strength for about two months now.

Burn out? Perhaps. Perhaps likely? Maybe? Just a wee bit?

All right it's burn out. I've been working like a maniac before my 'break' promoting the album. [I need to get back into that soon too, can't let things like that sit *wags finger at self*.]

Did you know in Poland they say "I'm going to step outside to burn" when referring to cigarette smoking?

That's so fucking appropriate.

Are you ever hard on yourself? What is the price you pay for perfectionism? What is the price for leniency? How do you compensate for your procrastinations?

You know, since the release of The Orwellian Night I've found it a far easier thing to feel good about accomplishing something. The damn album is finally out there, and should a lightning bolt strike me down at this very second I would die a happy man knowing I contributed something.

Look at that. I even put it in bold =P

While we're on the topic of accomplishments; Chain D.L.K. has just posted a review of The Orwellian Night, which you can read HERE.

The following from the author struck me:

"Only the music buying public can determine whether this album will be an underground classic or fade into obscurity."

I feel the same way. I'm here alone, and I've always been at your mercy. And I'm OK with that. As the writer and producer, I know how much work I put into the album. I know that it was the very best thing I could have made at the time. I did my job and i could sleep at night knowing I did the very best I could with the tools I had at hand.

So there we have it. Tribal Machine's true future is up to you, dear listener and reader.

Would you have it any other way?

-Sever
TRIBAL MACHINE

P.S. If you love the work, I invite you to support it.
WWW.TRIBALMACHINE.COM

And for the many who have supported it?

From the bottom of my heart, you have my gratitude :)

Thoughts from a bomb crater.

Feeling strange and remote. My thoughts are spilling out like foul milk. Mother always said don't cry over spilled milk.

Inspiration is meted out with swift justice to those ready and receptive. How are you feeling? Are you inspired? Ready? Receptive? Sometimes that's what it takes to live. To really live at your best. Allowing that inspiration to course through your veins like the harshest of liquors. Or, for the glass half full crew, like the purest of country wines.

It comes and goes doesn't it? Almost at will. I've beaten my head against the wall countless thousands of times trying to force it to surface, to get a glimpse of its light through hard, black curtains.

Yet when it comes it's not usually a sordid petite tumble of raindrops. No, it's a torrent of unfulfilled desires ready to be awakened and harnessed as brutal energies, whipped up into a frenzy for the taking. A waterfall of creativity. And so, if you're ready and strong, you can take that energy and create something out of it.

They say that if you only followed through on 0.1 % of the ideas that come into your head on a daily basis you could really change everything.

Operating on 0.03% right now. Right now! At this moment! How many ideas have i dreamed and let go? Too many. It's a total crime. I should be locked up in the prison of the unmotivated - a shallow little shack on the dirt floor of a crater somewhere in Iraq.

All right I'm warmed up. Are you?

Getting into the swing of things.

So I posted a completely new track. "Treason" is about a girl who falls in love with a guy who ends up turning her in because she is out of a job. See, in the story of the album, the song preceding this one is called "The Factory", which is about this very same girl (named Marie) who gets fired by the factory owner because she is too human, and thus inefficient.

We're being compared to robots in our work places. Even expected to behave like robots. God help you if you show feeling or emotion, caring, sensitivity or, that most ghastly of human traits - weakness! We are to be models of efficiency.

Now, it's funny that we are responsible for this system. In a way, we are like foul wandering hungry dogs feeding on each other, desperate for that next piece of meat, that shiny nickel of freedom known as monetary wealth.

You taste like chicken.

Nickel and dimed to death.

The shoe factories. The sweatshops. Your office. Batteries in the matrix.

So. Am I putting food on my table? Fuck it, I made it at home and I am selling it from home. What better way to live. There is no Miller Beer banner atop this stage! I can say and do as I please (for now!).

So back to the song.

What you hear is how it sits, finished and complete, though out of context based on the concept of the album, and missing the end segue. This track serves as the final emotional pinnacle of the record, a climax of tragedy born from a system bent on total control. Sound familiar?

I think you've guessed that "The Orwellian Night" is a parody of today. A simple narration and comment on the drivel of the corporate line, the corporate life. God help us all. Can we control this beast of burden that we created? WHat is the end result of this line of evolution?

With love,

-Sever
TRIBAL MACHINE

So the album has been released. Some thoughts + review

First off I just want to say how deeply grateful I am to the many of you that support this project. It has taken me many years to get to this stage. For the first time, I feel I can let the music do the talking for me. But beyond that, it is you that is doing the talking.

Let me explain.

Years ago I set this project up to have success through a traditional platform - record label support, touring, etc. The music industry has changed though. Some may argue for the better, some for the worse. But one thing has become real to me. This doesn't need any platform other than the one we create together.

I built it to withstand any medium at any level. I am prepared to tour intensely and for long periods and achieve the highest levels of success that the music business has to give. But I am also prepared to quietly work on this at home, play the occasional show, and let it spread organically. Right now, that is the path it is seemingly taking. The path of least resistance. It feels right, and I am shining with joy doing it.

In either case, on a public level, this project will live and die by support from you. You are its backbone. And I am happy about that. Because TM does not have a record label per se (LDP is my own label) I feel I can write freely and take my time on the projects.

With your support, this is all possible. An artist can do this from home, work at the highest caliber level, and release it from home directly back to you. You are the funding behind this work. Thus, you are part of it. You are shaping it as much as I am.

What a time we live in. I feel anything is possible, and I fear nothing.

Who knows though, perhaps one day I'll find a business guy that I can work with and we can together take this project to a whole new level. Or a team of people. A record label? Maybe. Maybe not. I am unconcerned. I am having a blast.

Right now it's day by day, order by order, personal note by personal note..

I am grateful for your support. In a way i feel like we're in this together. My work isn't squandered. It has a purpose and direction. It has listeners who enjoy it. And it has a story to tell. That's one thing about this album. I insured it wasn't about me. it was about the story I was writing, a story begun by my predecessors.

My job is to make the highest possible quality music. To think it through with maximum resolution and vigor. Quality. That is my job. To hit it out of the park. And I will always endeavor to hit it out of the park.

I feel with this record, The Orwellian Night, I have done that. I can sleep at night knowing I did the best damn job I could have done with this album. I can smile. And what gives me pleasure is you listening to it and feeling the same joy of creation I felt making it.

Let me direct your attention now to a review of the album posted this morning. You can find it HERE.

And for those of you that have been asking where you can order the album, it is only available for purchase HERE. You won't find it in a store =)

I'll be posting a new track at some point today. It may be on myspace or it may be on the homepage www.tribalmachine.com

With love and gratitude,

-Sever
TRIBAL MACHINE


Photo by Darshan Photography.

P.S. Did you want to be part of the street team? Let me know and I'll send you the access link =)

ALBUM RELEASED!

At long last, it is my great pleasure to present you the 71 minute concept album The Orwellian Night.

It's been four years since the last record, Soldiers in a War of the Mind. I am ecstatic today. A huge weight has been lifted off my back.

You can get it, as well as all the new merch from HERE.

To celebrate, I put up a totally new track, one of my favorites from the record (though they do change every few days). It's titled Two Brothers. Stay tuned though as there will be more tracks uploaded today (and over the course of the next few weeks in fact).

It's a wild time here, who knows what might happen =P

For those of you that pre-ordered T.O.N. there is a special bundle called the Icarus Bundle
that will allow you to get all the new merch on special. In fact, I highly recommend that everyone take a close look at the bundles if you're thinking about ordering merch.

I wanted to sincerely thank all of you for your unlimited patience with this album. It's been a very long and very difficult road to get to this point. With this album I am turning professional, and I do not plan on looking back. I am figuring on releasing ten albums over the course of my life. This is number three, and it's my life's work to date. There is not a second of music in the 71 minutes I regret. Every part of this album was painstakingly thought over and edited to my own particular anal brand of perfection.

Because I wrote it as a concept album, the lyrics are extremely important. Though few people buy CD's nowadays, I feel this record will be an exception because of the lyric booklet you get with the CD.

And because of the care taken with the sonics and production, you'll also want to hear this album in maximum fidelity, which can only be heard on a CD. I hope that if you're sitting on the fence, you do not go down the mp3 path but rather choose to get the CD. I feel you'll thank me for it later when you hear the scope and clarity of the album.

The Orwellian Night is designed to have success in the clubs, on the radio, in the car, on your home system, and especially on your headphones, when you sit there alone, vibing to the story and sound of The Orwellian Night.

I am extremely happy to share this album with you. I feel like this is my contribution to the world, and it was worth the time and trouble to complete. I hope you'll agree.

There will be plenty of updates to come over the new few weeks, so stay tuned. Later on today I'll be posting some more new tracks as well =)

With love,

-Sever
TRIBAL MACHINE

New song posted on our myspace page

http://www.myspace.com/tribalmachine

Just posted a new song - The Infiltraitor from the upcoming concept album The Orwellian Night.

This song was particularly difficult to finalize. There were a few versions of it and all sounded quite good, but all in all didn't fit the concept of the record.

It finally struck me that the down-tempo portion was the coolest part, so I lengthened it and made it the dominant vibe. It further dilutes and annihilates itself, sonically recombining at the very end with the rage Against the machine style Bass, thick analog synths and solo electric guitar.

In context with the story, it's a little bit like the Matrix. One guy is immune to scans done by the very powerful entity known as "Mr. Corporation". He becomes an Infiltraitor (purposefully misspelled. For those of you aware of George Orwell's doublespeak, this is a blatant example) and uses that power to find his love. They escape the system but are to be continually hunted...

Now this won't make complete sense lyrically till you hear and read the lyrics from the entire album. Speaking of which, getting some unbelievable feedback from previewers and reviewers. It's looking extremely promising.

There is so much going on right now, I'm crazy busy. Part of my new routine will be to keep you updated on what's going on. In a couple weeks there is going to be a CD release party in Vancouver. It's a rare thing to appear in public for TM of late, so if you're in the area and you're interested I'd advise showing up.

So two more weeks to go. After so many years I am quite anxious but excited. I totally believe in this record. It's my masterpiece to date. If you're one of the very few who listened to it as a whole you can attest to that. But the rest of you will hear it soon enough.

Oh and if you haven't already and you're interested in becoming a street team member
sign up on our myspace page (Reverbnation Mailing list section under video). Supply your email and check the box "Join the Street team".

All the best to you and yours,

-Sever
TRIBAL MACHINE



Photo by Darshan Photography

Farewell to a brother

I wanted to take some time and say goodbye to a brother. Tribal Machine's long-time bassist and friend, Brad Wutke, is leaving the band to pursue interests in Japan.

We are going to miss his witty humor, his fantastic musical prowess, his jam nights, his drunken hooliganism.

I met him in Nanaimo in 2002. His production skills were far more advanced than mine, and his musical genius inspired and intrigued me. I knew I had to work with him on some level.

Brad joined the band in 2005 and contributed to Soldiers in a War of the Mind and The Orwellian Night. Although we will continue to be good friends, his time with Tribal Machine has, for the near future, come to an end. I consider myself lucky to have worked with him and learned from him all these years. His talents are vast and many.

To honor his departure, I present you the last photo shoot we did together, as well as some memorable pix from years past.

If you'd like to say goodbye personally or thank him for his contributions to TM, I am temporarily putting up his email address here. I think he'd appreciate it. His email is

bradwutke[at]yahoo.ca

Of course he will continue his work on his solo music project Buyproduct

To honor his departure, I present you the last photo shoot we did together.
The photos below (the ones in an antique hue) are by Darshan Photography and shot in Feb 2010.


Brad is on the far right. Trademark grin.












































The following photographs are by Dani Boynton:










Following photos by Daniel Ferguson:


Brad live with TM in 2006




Early 2005 rehearsal, Brad is on far left.




Same rehearsal. Brad strumming away.




Our very first show in late 2004. Brad is closest on right.




Brad on far right. Early 2005 house party show. The three of us were a team for a long time now.




Below photo by Dani Boynton:
Live in Vancouver.


Brad Wutke, bassist for Tribal Machine 2005-2010.
We wish him all the best in all of his future endeavors.



Going to miss you guys much. On behalf of the band, good luck and keep in touch =)

With love,

Sever

Tips for my fellow musicians

I don't know why but in the last couple of months I've been getting a lot of mail from musicians asking for advice. So I thought I'd just throw this out there and see what happens.

A couple all-around pointers I'd give to a musician asking for it:

-Trust your instincts. Go with your gut! This is the most important rule in my humble opinion. If something sucks, learn to "feel" that in your body/soul so you can drop/adapt/change it.

-Have a good speaker system that you can reference to. It can be anything as long as you can put on another band and enjoy the mix. Once you enjoy the mix of another band on there you'll naturally endeavor to get there with your mix. For example, if you like where the bass kick sits in your speaker system then you'll naturally mix that way when constructing kicks. Learn to trust your reference system so you're not second-guessing your self at critical times. I personally have a 3 piece referencing system, and I sit on the subwoofer to really feel that sub range and know where it sits in the mix.

-Listen at low volumes. Find a good relaxed listening volume and stick to it. Learn to love the song at a medium volume. If it rocks at that volume it'll rock even more at a louder volume. A lot of people mix too loud and fool themselves into thinking the song is better than it really is.

- Hone your songwriting. Don't get fooled into becoming a mouse musician. Play play play play! A lot! And write a lot! Effects are ear candy and don't have longevity. Longevity comes from a good, well written song, no matter what genre you're talking about. Always treat effects as the icing on the cake, not the cake itself. Learn to identify the foundation of your song.

- Have something to say. This one is difficult. The best thing to do is be honest with yourself and write how you feel or what you want to talk about. It's a hurdle to get over, to suddenly write what you really want to say. Took me years to get this one down (more than ten - you'll only really hear it in the new album June 29th). And it's much harder than it sounds for us musicians. We're so psychologically stuck on what our heroes say and write about we forget we're as important and as human as they are.

- Each time you write, try to push yourself that 1%. Don't be afraid of evolution, and especially don't be afraid to try something new. Everybody is good, but only pushing yourself very hard will make something great.

- Be your worst critic. Have your standards set very high so you can compete with the best of them. Aim for the bleachers. Go for the gold. Think big and think bold. Don't let friends, family, your genre, your critics or especially yourself stand in the way of a brilliant idea. Go with it, go with the flow and see where it takes you. And especially remember that when someone criticizes your work it is an amazing opportunity for you to expand, learn, evolve. You're not going to believe everyone's opinion, but sometimes they're right and if you swallow that pride you'll evolve and become better.

-Make music you love. Sounds simple doesn't it? You'd be surprised how many musicians make stuff they hate. As soon as they're done the song they don't want to listen to it again, they even hate it sometimes! A test I give my songs is long-term listen-ability. If I like it later, say after twenty listens, I've done something right. If I hate it, I know I have work to do.

-Your enemies are your greatest teachers. And this is true for life in general I think. Years ago, before I released "The Awakening of the Animal" (I'm talking before 2002) I posted some early content online and was totally ripped up, destroyed and publicly humiliated on a popular forum. My ego was mutilated and I thought I'd never survive it, even thought my career as a musician was over. But you know what? It was a huge benefit in the long run. I strove to make my art better. It made me work really fucking hard. It took a long time to build a new foundation, but when I did it was authentic and felt right, and it pushed boundaries. So I highly recommend taking a bruising. Put your stuff up and let people take a piece out of it. That's how you'll learn. open yourself to criticism and enjoy hearing it. It's tough. It's hard, i know, but if you really want to get better you've got to do it.

-Learn from the best. There's a reason why Trent Reznor is one of the best producers that's ever lived, why so many people fell in love with John Lennon's songwriting, why people love the sound of Jim Morrison's vocal style, why Eminem is so highly respected for his lyrics. If you really want to be good, learn from the best we humans have to offer. There are damn good fucking reasons for so many of us paying attention to so few. Learn why and use those golden nuggets as tools to take your craft to the next level. You may have something big and important to say, why not learn how to say it well?

I have to stop because I'm out of time. I have press kits to mail out in the morning (just finished hitting all the major German magazines). Tomorrow I focus on Greece, Italy and Norway. So I bid you goodnight and good luck =)

I'll have updates for Tribal Machine very soon. There's a lot going on as you might guess, but believe me, it's worth waiting for =)

With love,

-Sever
TRIBAL MACHINE

Release date for Tribal Machine's "The Orwellian Night" concept album: June 29th 2010.
You can pre-order at the Tribal Machine store www.tribalmachine.com

A Picture is worth a thousand words

.......or so they say.



I'd only use two words on this one: "Hell yeah!". I fucking love these posters =P

Hoodies + T-shirts + CD's on their way this week. Dog Tag coming late next week. As you can see, posters have arrived already.

This means I'll finally be able to post an official release date next week + release that video I've been holding for the event. Plus I'll also be able to finally post a lot more tracks and start a rotation, which is something I;ve been dying to do for ages.

It's going to get stormy here =P

I've been workign 11 hours a day on Tribal Machine, four-five days a week. There's a lot that's been happening behind the scenes. I want to start sharing more of it with you guys as it's starting to get interesting. But not just about the band. Other stuff that itnrigues me as well =P

There's going to be an open listening party for "The Orwellian Night" in Vancouver probably late May. It'd be cool to meet some of you in person, so if you're up for the trip I invite you to come down and meet me and the guys. I'll keep you posted on this. If you do want to come be sure you're subscribed in some way (mailing list --> www.tribalmachine.com will do) so I can notify you in case it's not posted here.

I'm in talks to do three tours:

A short West coast tour of the US.

A six week US tour.

A full-on European tour.

Once we get touring, I am thinking that come next year onwards I won't stop. I'm thinking I'd like to tour a lot and often. I'd like to see the world that way, and above all, meet you all in person =)

With love,

-Sever
TRIBAL MACHINE

Konnichiwa!

Konnichiwa!

Things are coming along fast now. In the last few weeks I've managed to start my own publishing company specifically to publish Tribal Machine music to film. I've also managed to almost finish ordering all the merchandise as well as get the CD mostly manufactured (still waiting for it to arrive). I;ve really had to wear a lot of hats (manager, publicist etc). But that comes with the territory of being an indie musician i suppose.

I've also begun work on the new web page which you can check out in its temporary home until official publishing here;

http://www.tribalmachine.com/indextest.php

I'm just testing it out right now so don't expect it all to function quite yet, and there will be changes yet to come. But you're welcome to explore it and give me feedback as to what you think (or even introduce yourself in the mini chat. I'll be there for the next hour or so) =P

So after careful consideration the following merchandise is being made:

2x3 foot glossy Tribal Machine "The Orwellian night" poster.

Black Tribal Machine hoodies with Mr Corp. logo on front and Tribal Machine on the back. (Best Fruit of the Loom hoodie you can get)

Black Tribal Machine T-Shirts with Mr Corp logo on front and Tribal Machine on the back. (American Apparel - high quality cotton jesrey made in America. Best quality t-shirt out there)

Glossy Black Tribal Machine "Soldier in a War of the Mind" dog tag and chain (it's not a spelling mistake, it's meant to say soldier =)
On the back of the tag will be the Mr Corp. logo.

My new aim with music and merch is to get you only the best quality. Period. you will not be disappointed with any of the merch or music. I think quality is much more important than cost, and that's the stance TM is taking.

I've spent a lot of time on the phone learning what to get and how to get it. That time is almost over. Soon the time will come for the promotion campaign. I'll be on the phone a lot again sending CD's to all four corners of the globe. So if you know a radio station in your area that should have our CD please forward along some contact info (The DJ's name would be cool too).

Right now we're still looking at roughly a late April release. Those of you that pre-ordered the CD might get it sooner =)

In the coming weeks expect a video for "The Orwellian Night", new music, and new photos. As the date of release draws near, I plan on interacting more and more.

So how are you? Anything new in your life?

-Sever
TRIBAL MACHINE

P.S. If you haven't already I invite to join our new mailing list located on www.tribalmachine.com or our myspace page in the "about section" =)

Poster Design idea

Thanks for the killer feedback so far guys. Here's another possible idea for merch that's kicking about. It's a full sized movie-style poster 24X26 inches in size. This is just one quick design that's not centered properly, but you get the idea.

It'd sell for around $20 + shipping. Do you guys think this is something you'd be interested in? Would you enjoy this on your wall? Reason I'm asking all this now is because now is the time to order this stuff for the release.

Your feedback is really appreciated here guys thanks soo much =)

-Sever
TM

UPDATE: Looks like the best way to do this is for us to eat the cost. So, therefore, poster should sell for about $20 with $5 shipping to US and around $13 shipping for Europe.

Couple quick important questions for you

Hey guys we have an opportunity to make a special limited edition run of 50 Hoodies with A Tribal Machine design. They'd be black with white imagery/lettering (Sleeve , Back and Lapel). The thing is these are very expensive to order so we're not going to go through with it unless we hear that you're interested. It's a big decision so chime in either way. If we did go through with it we'd have to sell them for around $85-100 each.

For merch for the new record we're looking to go with a run of CD's, stickers (new cool ones), possibly shirts and/or hoodies. Is there anything in particular you'd like to see for Tribal Machine merch?

Let me know either way and thanks =)

-Sever
TM

I shot a purple elephant! He trampled me to death!

I shot a purple elephant! In my mind's eye, there I am, the wicked hunter in the African wilderness, it's 1912 and hunting is encouraged. I look up, and, lo and behold, I see a purple elephant! I take out my double-barrel elephant gun (with a double trigger of course) and Let him have it! Shock! It has no effect! Then, to my utter horror, the purple elephant stampedes my way and tramples me to death!

And that's how my daydream ends. Trampled to death by some sort of purple Barney elephant creature. Sigh.

It's really hard waiting. A reference of the master has come back from Tom Baker (he's the mastering engineer) in LA and it sounds amazing. Truly. It's odd though because there is a technical glitch that needs to be addressed, so the album is still in LA (as you recall it should have been manufactured by now). The Reference master is what the mastering engineer sends the artist for approval. To sign off on his work. A Mastering Engineer's job is to finalize the mix, meaning adjust volume and tweak the frequencies. Essentially, to make it playable on anything. So it should sound great and volume-equalized on every format.

It's interesting to work with a guy like Baker because he's mastered the fathers of my music. NIN, Marilyn Manson, etc. Part of me is in awe and part of me finds it funny. It's difficult to judge his work in this respect because in the back of your mind you're thinking "this guy Masters Reznor's shit man, of course it sounds great". But then the other side of me says "it doesn't matter who does it, you better just make sure it sounds the best it can possibly sound". I'm subscribing to the latter, but you know what? The fucking mix DOES sound good! He really cranked the volume and emphasized certain frequencies. Those magic ears of his...

Because so few people have listened to the album so far, I am curious what he thinks. But I don't want to ask. After all, he masters the best there is out there, day in and day out. Like 7 hours a day! His poor earsies must be really tired. Mine would be. And they are to a degree. I've been blasting this album for years. Must have lost 10 percent of my hearing to it. Sacrifices sacrifices. When you hear it, say a prayer for my poor earsies too. I guess you'd have to be religious for that to work don't you? Do I have to be religious for it to work too?

So here we are, and I'm left to deal with the back-end of things. You know, the not-so-fun behind-the-scenes stuff like register the works for publication, fill out forms, paperwork paperwork paperpkloidfnmisdf. Blah. I'd rather fuck it all up and just tour already. No I don't. I want to get it right don't I? =P

Ahh the indie route.

But anyway, it doesn't matter. Because all of this is really for you. It's you who must enjoy it and will be the final judge of almost four years of work. You've heard me talk about it for ages, and it's been post-poned for over a year now. Tantalizingly close aren't we?

Hey you know what? I found i can do something new that will really help TM. I discovered I can edit videos! So, very soon, you'll see a promo clip for TM. Let me toot my own horn a bit here and say it's a fucking exciting little video, and I had a blast making it =)

In a way i find making videos is easier than making music. See, with music, I have to imagine the visuals. And that takes work. But in videos, it's all there, right in front of me! It's like cheating! Does that make sense? Took me only a day and a half to finish the video. Then two days to figure out how to export it lol.

But I'm waiting to finalize the release date before I can release the video. And for me to finalize the release date I need the record in my hands. The circle never ends!

Today i published a short biography of Tribal Machine here on myspace. Come to think of it, we've never had one on here before have we? So stop by and give it a read when you have the time, let me know how it feels.

Coming schedule:

Completion of Mastering Process and return of Master - 2nd week of Feb
Manufacturing / Replication of CD - 3rd & fourth week of Feb
Pre-release promotion / publicity - March + April
So that puts the release date in early-mid April.

HOWEVER.

Those of you that pre-order WILL get the album sooner, and won't have to wait. Plus, you're going to get a little permanent memento from the album. A piece of it, if you will. Something I used to make the album with, whether it's scrap paper edits or pre-printed materials. All of which will be signed and numbered. A little souvenir for you, as a bonus for pre-ordering. A number of you are already going down this road. The weirdest/coolest stuff will be given away on a first come / first serve basis.

Again, that's ONLY for PRE-ORDERS, and only from www.tribalmachine.com

OK so you got this far. I have one last surprise for you. Sometime soon tonight, i am going to upload a track form the album, one that's been mastered by Baker (it's a preliminary Master, but it will work for this purpose). Might be in a few minutes, or might be in a few hours. Enjoy =)

With love,

Sever
TRIBAL MACHINE

New song + New look + Taking pre-orders now + Personal notes

Hey hey. So here we are, and I can finally put up a sneak-peek of a song that is one of the headliners of the album. So I invite you to swing by and give it a listen. It's only been like a year since the last new song was posted =P better yet, listen to the first three all in a row. That way you'll get an impression of the new album. The first consecutive impression. Then come back and give me some muchly-needed feedback.

I'm curious. What do you think of the new look? The new song? When you hear the first three all in a row, do you get the vague idea of where this album is heading?

The album has sixteen full-length songs (It will be over 70 minutes in length!).
And when you at last hear it you'll understand where the last few years have gone. I am just so sorry I couldn't get this to you before Xmas. i tried, I really did *Sigh*.

Oh and the new logo, of the guy in the hat, is a character called "Mr Corporation". That's all I can say, till you hear the song of the same name that is.

In addition, we are now taking pre orders on "The Orwellian Night". This is a way for the band to off-set the cost of this album, and the fact that we're going to lose a lot of money by missing Xmas. Those of you who go this route will get a little extra something special - pieces of the making of this album. Notes of edits, loose-leaf, etc. Just stuff that I used to make the record. It will be signed and numbered, because of course, there isn't much of it and I want it to mean something. Just a little enticement =P

So once Tom Baker (NIN, Marilyn Manson, Judas Priest, Matrix Soundtracks) masters the record it will go to press and then be available for ordering. New estimated drop-date is Feb / Mar 2010. This time around we will only have the Hard Copy available through our myspace page and homepage. And it will be an even more limited number than Soldiers was.

Oh yeah and before I forget, if you are one of those people that bought "Soldiers in a War of the Mind" through iTunes do you think I can get you to throw up a review of it on there? We could use a bunch more on iTunes, i don't know when they started the whole review thing but it's an awesome feature that we could use some help in :)

Anyway guys, now that all the blunt stuff is out of the way I can ask about you. So how are you? How are you spending your Xmas? I'm spending it at home, going to have a cozy dinner with friends and curl up with a good book or two. Watch some new films and stuff. Avatar. Sherlock Holmes. The Grinch that Stole Xmas. Keep it quiet. That kind of thing.

It's been a very stressful year and I don't feel I've taken any time really to sit and take it all in. The last couple weeks have been very strange for me. Once the record was shipped off for mastering to LA I found myself sitting around and twiddling my thumbs, in a state of high anxiety and strange worry, simply because I don't have any editing to do. Almost like I lost my purpose. Going through an orientation phase.

There is a tremendous amount of very hard work ahead. And there is absolutely no way in hell I am going to be able to do it on my own. In order for this whole thing to work, we're going to have to do it together. This band does not have a record label. It only has you really. You've shown TM great support over the years, and I am supremely grateful. I hope it continues.

The plan is to release all the songs on myspace in due time, one by one, cycling them through (back-to-back days, so every day a new song comes up). Then you'll get an idea of what this album will sound like. But you'll have to wait a bit longer for that to happen. The versions up right now are all unmastered (Gah!), and i don't feel great about putting them up in their current state. (Though I do realize you need something to go on!)

Once the band is up-to-speed and rehearsed we plan on touring for the first time (I know, three records in and no tour? How crazy is that?) Such is the sacrifice of the indie route.

And then I plan to remaster and lengthen and re-release "The Awakening of the Animal", possibly as a double CD release. Man, i really didn't know how to mix back then (2002). I didn't even really know how to mix when working with "Soldiers in a War of the Mind" (2006). That's why it sound that raw. But I've learned. I was able to put everything into "The Orwellian Night". For the very first time in my life I feel I put everything in and didn't slack. And it sounds great. It could not have gone any other way, and I am proud of the work.

I am also very grateful to my colleagues Brian Hartlen, Brad Wutke, James Furlong and Dustin Fleming for the much needed help. Each added their own touch in their own way.

But I digress. I'm tired and a little hungry. Did I leave a spare muffin in the fridge?

With love,

-Sever
TRIBAL MACHINE

Why the damned delay!?! This is a dispatch.

Here I am. I need only turn around and look at the gear all setup, looking ultra cool and professional. A life-time's work sitting and waiting for release. If my computerized studio system could show facial expressions it'd scowl at me right now. It would also say "fuck you asshole, I ain't lettin' you finish this fucking album because I need a defrag. Asshole. You're so fucking lazy."

It thinks I'm going to lose. It thinks you, the listener, is never going to hear it. It thinks my procrastination is greater than the sum of its parts. Well rest assured its wrong, and no, I'm not going crazy. Some of you may recall that years ago I'd blog and actually communicate with you. Talk to you as people not as numbers on my screen. I have a secret to tell you. I've been withholding communication. I've been saving it for post-release. But I must let the genie out of the bottle a little. Here we are. Me VS Mr. computer screen number two. So fucking faceless. You know, in the future computers are going to talk back, talk smack, and talk human. It might be you on the other end, or it might be a bunch of numbers and equations pretending to be human, fooling the simple circuitry evolution provided.

The fucking truth is, I miss you guys. I miss communicating. I've sequestered myself to finish this damned album for too long. Call it cabin fever. So what if two shots of vodka are involved? I swear ociffer my house is just around the corner.

You know, when inspiration strikes the greatest gift you can have is follow it through then and there, on the spot. Procrastination, waiting, hesitation, is the death of millions of good ideas. I'm not going to abscond on you. You know how much is left to do? 0.2%
That's just a few final edits on the in-betweens (continuation / flow or what-have-you). I have a few new toys lined up to help me finish the job. Tomorrow is a very very big day. It might be the last. And guess who gets it? I'm sending it to the best mastering engineer our genre has. The best in the world, in my opinion =P
His name is Tom Baker and he has mastered every Nine Inch Nails album since Broken, all the Marilyn Manson albums, Judas Priest, Beastie Boys, the Matrix soundtracks, Alice Cooper, Ministry, Rob Zombie, and countless others. So the next guy to hear this thing in full will be him, besides the band of course.

And soon you'll hear the final product, not in decrepit evolutionary stages of harrowing destructive editing as I've heard, but the final mastered works. I envy you, oh so much! If I was fifteen and was able to listen to this, aside from the fact that i am the creator, aside from my ego and the weight of rocks it carries, I'd be complete. I'd have a blast, like when i first heard Downward Spiral for the first time.

As a musician it's so difficult stepping outside yourself to enjoy the work. To enjoy it as a listener. It's next to impossible. All I've been hearing for over three fucking years is mistakes. What a terrible price to pay for this monster, for this beautiful work. I feel like a FOX news reporter always covering crime scenes. "And here folks we have the bullet fragment of the actual killer! What a terrible tragedy!"'

And then we have to manufacture the hard copies. Digital will be available as well of course. But I highly recommend the hard copy [CD] because this thing is TOTALLY designed to be listened in the best quality possible, front to back, as a concept album.
If you really hate CD's you'll be able to purchase a high-quality download from our website, www.tribalmachine.com [incidentally it'll have a face lift soon]. Anyway, don't waste the last four years of my life with mp3's! I'd much rather you listen to the real thing, in high fidelity. You'll thank me later.

So what's the fucking bad news? We might not be able to release it in time for Xmas. Which is terrible news because when a band releases an album after Xmas they... *drum rollll!!!* go broke! Combine that with the fact the music business is about as profitable as selling ice to eskimos these days. Fuck it. All of this is worth it.

So you may have been wondering. Why no samples in forever? Why no demos or single song uploads to whet our appetites? [it's been like a year since the last song upload, yet still so much interest!] I'm saving it for one big explosion. One release after another, day after day. That's all i can say, but when the time comes, you'll know. So hang in there. Stay subscribed, do what you got to do to get these dispatches. And don't be afraid to say hello.

I'm staring down the barrel of a shotgun. The shell is made of doubt, anxiety and worry, but I must persevere. I have absolutely nothing to lose so that's why this fucking project is going to finish. Only 0.2% to go. Tomorrow is a big day, like I said. A very VERY big day. I'll stare at my destiny in the mirror and we'll have a fight. A conversation, if you will. To persevere. Tomorrow the toys and the final round of completion. Then it must fly away, or I'll go crazy for real.

I won't leave you in the dark for such long stretches anymore. [Years!? Really?!]

I'm here and doing well. Pushing forward on my life's work. A work I'm proud of and grateful for. And when you at last hear it, at last feel the nuance, story, chaos, humanity and destruction, you'll understand. You'll see the why of it all. The reason. The method behind the madness. And until that moment, the moment when you hear it in its totality, these must remain simple words on your computer screen.

Not long to.

For now, over and out.

-Sever
TRIBAL MACHINE

P.S. For the die-hards. We still have some hard copies [CD's] left of the second record "Soldiers in a War of the Mind". You can order them from HERE. They are limited edition, and very special to us. Or you can get it from iTunes if you like digitals.

P.P.S. Myspace is not dead. You can hear me. We have each other.

P.P.P.S. There are videos coming too =P