Boogie's Hiatus

As many of you know, I've got this musical project going on called the Bastard Groove Orchestra. And you probably also know I've got an album's worth of music out right now that I'm pretty proud of. Probably been hard not to notice, considering I'm the one constantly shoving it in your faces right?

I've been pitching the BGO for close to two years now, making promises on all this music that would soon be released. Before I even tried my hand at Myspace, I had a complete album ready to go. And while I teased everyone with the idea that, "Soon you too could own the music," I was sitting in my dark decrepit studio, furiously at work on the follow-up. I had a second album more than halfway done before the world could even own the first. And I was feeling pretty good about things.

Then this November, I did something nobody thought I would ever do... I actually released the first album. "Fuzzy Jank" was the name, and I spent the weeks following the release singing it's praises to anyone who would listen, and to a lot of poor folks who wouldn't.

Then the month of December rolled around, and something new happened altogether, I disappeared. Vanished without a trace. No more hyping the product, overzealous promotion, no more music whatsoever. All gone bye bye.

Now, I'm sure not having me breathe down everyone's necks has made everyone a bit happier. But some have actually been curious about what sent me running and screaming into the night. Hell, I've been pitching the greatness of the BGO for two years now, and I was pitching my musical greatness even before that. Many who have known me for years might remember that no matter what sound or genre I was toying with at the time, I had no problem saying I was better at it and more sincere with it than any other musician in the world. I am a confident motherfucker, and stand by my work. So, when I have some actual work to stand behind, I bail on everyone and disappear. So, what gives right?

Frustration baby, pure and simple.

I've lived by the mantra that if you make good shit, it'll speak for itself. So I dropped e-mails with attached songs, and sent them out into world. And I did this knowing, that all the music blogs, podcasts, and such would hear my greatness, completely flip out, and start forcing my masterpiece upon the world.

Yep, that's what I thought would happen. Now, can you guess what did happen? If you're saying "not a damn thing," you're absolutely right. Nothing happened. No great write-ups, no playing of the music, not even a nice response that said "Thank you, but you suck." Nothing.

And with a big heap of nothing on my lap, I began to question if I really was all I cracked myself up to be. Maybe my shit wasn't awe-inspiring, revolutionary, or even any good. Perhaps spending so much time in the bullshit world I created in my skull might actually not be so healthy after all.

But the thing that pushed it all over the edge was the day I discovered my computer was secretly eating my music.

My aged HP Pavilion, keeper of my musical legacy for more than seven years now, was taking musical files, and making them disappear. More specifically, it was taking "new" musical files and making them disappear. And by new, I mean the second BGO album. Every completed piece of work, save for a couple of drum tracks and 3 vocal takes, was no more.

Now, I possessed master copies of all the songs which were still safe. However, the individual tracks in my audio workstation had vanished. For those of you who don't speak musician, I'll explain. Y'see, the audio workstation on my computer allows me to look at each instrument has a separate track. The guitar occupies one track, the drums another, etc. From these tracks, I can adjust volumes, fade the sound from left to right, or edit certain sections of what I recorded. Now the master, is a self-contained version of the song that is non adjustable.

Translation, if there was anything wrong with any of the new songs, I no longer have the option of simply looking at the tracks and adjusting the problem. I would have to start from scratch and completely re-write the song.

Not a problem if there was nothing wrong with the music. But hell, I'm a perfectionist, I can easily find things wrong. So, there I sat, trying to accept the idea that I may actually have to re-record every single piece of music I have made up until this point. Considering how some of that shit was a one-time inspiration deal, I couldn't see that happening. And, my mind was already done with the album and on to the next. I had recorded all the instrument tracks I was going to use for the album and was slowly getting the lyrics and vocals together. My playing style and mindset were already moving on to new pastures. I didn't have it in me to suddenly backtrack and try to capture the old magic.

So, out of frustration and disappointment, I put it all down and walked away. And now, I'm writing this. So, what does that mean for the future of the BGO?

It means that soon I'll be back in the studio, re-writing songs, and finishing up what's left of the new album. No matter how tired and frustrated I may be, at the end of it all I'm still Boogie Man Montoya, head of the Bastard Groove Orchestra. It's who I am, and what I do best. And even if 2008 comes and goes, and still nobody gives a rat fuck about my music, I'll still keep doing it. Until the day comes where I haven't the time, or all this just ceases to be fun for me, I will always be here.

This will also mean, that eventually, the promotion, and hype will again resonate from my cocky-ass lips. Sorry to have to do that to ya, but it's part of the job.

Hope you enjoyed the vacation.