Meanderings of DJ Brian Damage

HM01 - Rekindled Hope

2006-05-18T10:43:00.000-04:00

HM01 - Rekindled Hope
by Hypnotic Melody
3:01
Composed mid 1994

Download the song: ]=- MP3 * S3M -=[

It's not my favourite, but this song is my pride and joy! The first song I'd write while learning Future Crew's ScreamTracker 3 software would open a new world for me for the next 4 years. Many thanks to Ryan Vettese aka bObby for his patience in coaching me through the learning process. His first advice stuck with me after all these years - print out the list of keys and keep it beside you!

Having amassed a pretty sizable collection of MOD music over the past couple of years I had a large base from which to "borrow" samples. I was pleased as punch to find an orchestra hit which, to me, was THE ultimate sample (how 1991, eh?). I don't know what my infatuation was with this sample, but I'd always envisioned my dream song being pretty much nothing but orchestra hits so I decided to do something about it!

Like so many others, this track began as a smattering of samples plunked pseudo-randomly into a repeating 64-beat loop. This set precedent for most of my future work; due to my progressive style I'd often begin tracking the middle portion of the song first and then devise a way to ease into it and back out. After much toying with various supporting samples and learning the hard lesson that samples were not always recorded at middle C, before long I had a masterpiece of about 2:35!

I passed the song back to bObby who approved, and all but accepted me into his MOD tracker group AToMIC then and there, but first encouraged me to extend the song at least a little. I admitted I didn't really know where else to take it, so bObby injected a few samples and jimmied up a little remix outro (starting at the 2 sirens). It was meant to be a charitable push to extend the song myself, I'm sure, but I loved the sound so much that I kept it in verbatim.

I uploaded the file to bObby's World BBS, and thus Hypnotic Melody, MOD tracker, was born! I promptly and ecstatically joined the ranks of AToMIC and immediately got started on my next production. I'd found my calling.

Remastering my old music productions

2006-04-26T13:37:00.000-04:00

Because it is so difficult for me to make the necessary banging and booming noises caused by DJing in my picky household I will begin hosting my original music on this blog, song by song. I will render songs to MP3 and remaster each track to make it more listenable. I'll make sure songs are in a suitable format for consecutive playlist listening and DJ performance.

My music (under the name Hypnotic Melody) always has been and always shall be free to share and enjoy. Some of my songs have been featured in various productions such as video games, DJ performances, remixed live productions, and TV shows, all for free! If you'd like to use my music for your project, all I ask is that you please contact me first and ask my permission and list my name in the production credits. I haven't turned anyone down yet!

Look for my first post in a day or two!

New release!

2006-02-08T22:36:00.000-05:00

Yes, the incredible has happened. I've recorded a new mix.

I hung out with a DJ in Cobourg a few days ago and we mixed records and MP3s with his timecoded vinyl. It got me in the mood for D&B so I slapped together this little ditty.

I was ecstatic about how perfect this mix was as I created it, but I cringed over and over when I listened to it afterward. Regardless, I put it up.

As a reward to my listeners who have been deprived of new material in such a long time, I encoded my mix at 256kbps 44khz stereo.

Ritalin Twiddlin
by Brian Damage
Drum & Bass
1:20:40 137.4 MB

Twiddling knobs anew

2005-12-07T16:45:00.000-05:00

Just a quickie to state, for the record, how in love I am with Traktor DJ Studio 3.0!! It's so nice and stable and the new recording options are totally rad. I had a great time playing with it today.

The beat detection is a little tighter than before and it's a little better at detecting jungle (if not the exact BPM then 50% of it). The new effects are pretty nifty but don't interest me much. The looping options are expanded in exactly the way I'd hope they'd be which allows me to do some neat tricks. The auto analyze feature is handy since it shows the whole waveform, allowing me to predict when a song will break down so I can visually anticipate my mixpoints.

Still working out some little kinks but I hope to record a little sumfin sumfin in the near future!

United States of Oppression

2005-12-02T18:03:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd share this video with you, the techno community, as a peek into the way we are percieved in one part of the world. I found this video of a presumably impromptu outdoor rave in Utah, America.

Talk about overkill. Perhaps the US suspects dance to be a means of communication with terrorists. Thanks for preventing a pre-emptive synchronized strike by various factions of honeybees, President Bush.

utah_rave_video.wmv

A promise kept and a promise broken

2005-12-02T17:51:00.000-05:00

Well, Native Instruments has released version 3.0 of Traktor DJ Studio so I've got a bit of a learning curve ahead of me, impeding the release of my next mix. However, I'll release the 40 minute tribal house mix I worked on a while back to keep you all (my scores of faithful readers, I'm sure) sated.

Brian Damage - Shamanica (56MB, 40 mins, 192kbps stereo, 44khz)

Having bought a new computer case and fiddling with wires to reconnect everything, I seem to have botched my careful connections. Unfortunately, I was forced to record this mix onto audio tape. This is the last one, thankfully, as Traktor 3 finally allows me to record direct to WAV! I did some noise reduction and gain control so thankfully the only audible hiss can be heard in the second or two before the first song comes in.

There's nothing I love more than feedback about my track selection and technique, so kindly leave a comment if you've enjoyed my mix!

From Brian Damage with love

2005-11-17T22:39:00.000-05:00

Despite my terrible neglect of my beloved hobby, I'm still here, faithful listeners. Why faithful, you ask? Well, I have the fantastic pleasure of announcing that no less than 7GB of data has been downloaded from my webserver this month!

I want to thank you all, whoever you may be, from the bottom of my heart for taking interest in my hobby. I sincerely hope you enjoy my creations and that you will share the music with your friends. I strongly believe that music is meant to be shared, free of cost, and that the internet is one of the best ways to do so. It's my privilege to pay out-of-pocket to bring an hour or so of enjoyment to the people of the world, even though I've never met most of them.

May you enjoy what is shared in this world, and share alike with those you love and those who are less fortunate.

Let's hope I remain unemployed throughout next week! I've got a feeling some new sounds will find their way onto my corner of the interweb!

Next mix delayed

2005-07-27T18:07:00.000-04:00

Due to a family visit and college nearing an end I am forced to postpone my next mix. Sorry all! Look for the next mix in the next month.

Coming soon to an earphone near you

2005-06-21T12:57:00.000-04:00

Been listening to some slower, older tracks and sets lately and I'm feeling inspired. Look for a house\tribal mix soon!

Inspired by early 90s acid techno

2005-06-07T12:44:00.000-04:00

bailing twine aspindled round a twirling starry sea
a spasming whirling funnel into singularity
with twisting, twirling, twine unfurling yearning to be free
to travel through forevermore is where I want to be

a plunge into the vertex of the vortex of the sea
I fetch and stretch and rend my mind into eternity
to join miasmic forces churning time incessantly
and watch the twine unravel from the cosmic tapestry

my body discombobulates and washes through the sea
my toes elbows my temples and my hands and feet and knees
the parts and cells and atoms drifting far away from me
the thing I was was smaller than the thing I’m going to be

I stretch into infinity
contiguous affinity
I submit to the trinity
of ever all and free

$0.14 bill this month

2005-05-17T10:13:00.000-04:00

This is the second straight month that my 5GB bandwidth cap has been exceeded, and it was almost completely thanks to downloads of my new mix, Pretzled Bread! I'm very pleased that so many people are finding their way to my site and enjoying my mixes, but I'm coming up short on comments. I'd really love to hear what everyone thinks of my work and I'd appreciate your suggestions on how I can improve. The first person to leave me feedback is going to get something special from me.

New mix posted!

2005-05-11T12:39:00.000-04:00

I've ripped the mix from tape and it turned out pretty clean. To reward you all for bearing the burden of a slight low hiss I've encoded this mix at 192kbps\44khz\stereo. Comments and criticisms are always welcome!

Brian Damage - Pretzled Bread
side A - Trance Cored | 28:05 38.5MB
side B - Rotter Damned | 27:36 37.9MB

At long last!

2005-05-10T07:48:00.000-04:00

I recorded a new mix over the break! It's not my best but it's hopefully listenable. I don't know what havoc I wreaked on my cabling while rebuilding my PC but I wasn't able to record at all, unfortunately, so I had to capture it on a tape. A tape! Happy 1985!

It's a 60 minute mix on a 60 minute tape. Side A is trance sped up to about 170BPM (as a wise DJ once said, "music sounds better fast"). Side B is is some good old fashioned rotterdam. I will try to rip the tape tonight. I hope the levels are okay!

Mix a la carte

2005-04-26T13:35:00.000-04:00

Well, it's vacation time! I've got a week and a half off which means lots of practice and hopefully another published mix. I'm so relieved that summer's here that I'm feeling generous! Whoever leaves the first comment on my blog (in the next 1.5 weeks) may request the music genre of my next mix! Ask and ye shall receive!

Back in action

2005-04-25T12:08:00.000-04:00

My various mixsets have been download more than 200 times this month! This is the first time I've been happy to pay a bill for an otherwise free service! I have agreed to pay for extra bandwidth consumption which should obliterate any 400 errors in the future. Thank you all very much for supporting me!

If you appreciate free music and would like to see it proliferate, email your country's recording industry (CRIA in Canada, RIAA in the USA, BPI in the UK, etc.) and let them know that music is art, not a commodity! Better yet, compose your own music and give it away! Respect to artists who create for love, not for profit!

Comma comma down doobie doo down down

2005-04-21T13:20:00.000-04:00

Wowie!! Thanks to the overwhelming requests for my mix sets this month my 5GB transfer limit has been exceeded! My sincerest apologies to anyone who is unable to download my mixes and songs. My guestbook is served by the same host and has been brought down as well. I believe service should resume May 1. That's what I get for being a cheapskate with a free web host.

If you are desperate for my music you are most welcome to contact me at briandamage@hyppy.zapto.org. Maybe we can work out an alternative means of distribution.

I should probably mention that Hypnotic Melody, Spyrochaete, and Brian Damage are all the same chap - yours truly! I go through names like Mark E G goes through turntables.

Welcome to my new blog!

2005-04-20T10:53:00.000-04:00

Follow the bouncing ball and live your life parallel to DJ Brian Damage!

I'm a closet DJ who hasn't really performed yet outside his basement, but I've played several streaming internet shows for various virtual audiences under the DJ name Spyrochaete. I was booked for a live show in Vancouver August 2004 but unfortunately it was busted up by John Law a few hours before my set. I guess a public park under a highway bridge isn't the best location for a techno party.

I mix a great variety of styles. I never play the same set twice and I rarely stick to one style per set. I love techno, house, trance, goa, breaks, oldskool, hardcore, happycore, gabber, jungle, d&b, electro, drill and bass, breakcore, synthpop, and a whole bunch more. Download some of my year-plus-old mixes from my web page.

I'm currently awaiting a final audition with the official radio station of The Matrix Online, RadioFreeZion. I couldn't care less about online RPGs but RFZ sure gets some crazy listener counts!

Last week an old song of mine was immortalized in the fascinating online drama serial, The Scene. Check out Episode 7 to see my old MOD tracker name, Hypnotic Melody, in a cool font in an AVI! And be sure to watch all the episodes as it's quite professionally done and the story and characters are very engaging! It's the next best thing to actually IMing!

I'm well aware that I'm writing to no one right now, but I hope you'll stay tuned!

And happy 4/20!