Learning To Live

Finally, after weeks of discussion, The Factor Machine finally got rolling again today and the tedious shit has begun. As some of you may know, this is the first album I've done where we've been directly involved with the drum recording/editing (the aggression's FLOOD, which was pre-Ms. Emmet, was handled by the talented Jamie Duffy and former Acumen drummer Ethan Novak). Thus, it's a new process for us. Brandt, mostly due to outside intereference (and Lili Taylor), has been slow working on this, but not for lack of trying, so I've interjected myself into the process to take some of the burden off of him. This means I've had to buckle down and finally learn how to use the program LIVE, which Ash has been swearing by for some time.

As I just wrote in an E-mail to Ash "Personally, i still fucking hate that program and I have huge issues with it, BUT I do respect what it does and I'm slowly getting used to it" The program does its job, but I think the functionality and layout blows. It's fine for tech geeks, but for rock n roll...eh. However, we're gonna have some tight ass drums, but it's going to take us to 2006 at this rate. To that effect, I've proposed some ways to work efficiently and methodically to get all this done sooner or later and yes Brandt supposedly has done a lot of the headway already, but I think if we're rolling two MOGpac Moblie Units (tm J. Louche), we can get the workload done. Ash, if you're listening, we're almost ready to give you the parts to PROPAGANDA (which was the focus of my day).

While I did all this, Brand't DJ'd the whole time (You can listen to tunes while editing drums because it's all fucking math anyways) and I got to hear a lot of cool stuff. Little did I know he was getting himself drunk on white wine (spell it with me: L.A.M.E.) and was walking into walls in the village a few hours later. Anyhow he's got a real impressive vinyl collection. We then took a trip to our fave record store, Rebel Rebel, and threw done some cash on the Depeche Mode Remix Collection, which is great. I strongly urge seeking out the 3 CD version as opposed to the commercial 2 CD one as the bonus disc has the best remixes from the likes of Colder, Danny Tenaglia, Goldfrapp and a surprisingly good remix from Mike Shinoda).

After a trip to Little Italy with the lovely Ms. Bradish and before our trip upstate tomorrow to meet the newest LINK, I am spinning Cinerama's TORINO, which, according to Mr. Riley himself (who I briefly summited with last night) is the blueprint for Saintface. I'm a few songs in and I like it a lot and it DOES help me understand the sonic approach to APARTMENT STORIES better, though I think the Face has much better songs and a much better singer.

And before I run, let me shamelessly plug the Cobra's new song, DRIVERS SIDE, which is a sweet slice of freshly served Ass-Rock (or Ash-Rock?) that I feel is the next big successful piece to what is becoming an exciting and almost complete puzzle. This one is sticking in my loving memory. ACE.

F