I've finally morphed the site into something closer to what I like. I've also been getting a fair amount more listens on Soundcloud. Curiously, I've been interested in genres that might seem counterintuitive to my usual turn out and attempts. One new sub-genre, “PLUGGng” has particularly snared my interest. It appears to be a sub-genre of Hip-Hop, Some of my previous offerings to my mind, seem to resemble some of its genre-indicators, so I've been exploring sounds redolent of it. As an experiment, I thought I'd add that hashtag to one of these experiments to see if anything changed, 

I got more listens, leaping from + 246 per cent to + 587 per cent in one day. It's now at + 1,071 per cent. 

It’s been a long time since I’ve updated anything here, for several reasons. They’re a combined and self-sustaining issue of health and mood. Everything has settled now, and I’m ready to resume activity. 
I’ve been generating a stream of EDM and other material with a beat — as opposed to unsupported, chorale-style sketches that lack the bass voice. The result is positive on SoundCloud — my page had reached +1500 per cent in terms of hearings. I’ts always been my deep belief that the whims and tastes of the audience should seldom be the guide for the artist’s work. If that overrides everything, then the artist is always guessing. I suppose it’s fortunate that I’m finding such mainstream ideas personally and creatively valid. 
I’ve stopped working with Rundgren’s “Interocitor.” It was simply too cumbersome for me to use. I’ve a feeling I’m not alone. It’s population appeared to be fairly narrow. 
I’ve been operating a broad campaign to find niche areas in which to sow my work — since admittedly, it is specifically designed for an obscure use. 
One place I found, was Ampwall. It’s designed as a sort for cross-disciplinary artist’s collective. Really, that’s what most music-platforms are by default. It all looked great, but its interface….again….was not intuitive. I killed that account also. 

For reasons of habit, I went to Todd Rundgren's page a couple of days ago. In actual fact, I was looking for ideas pertaining to visuals rather than out of fan loyalty. I've never considered myself a “fan” of ANYone. First, that word, “fan” is derived from the noun, “fanatic.' While I do have ”excessive interest in a subject," I try not to push it over the line to where it's easily identifiable by the casual observer. Rather, I occupy the function of a like-minded individual that's only a great distance behind those I admire on a similar tack. It may be presumptuous, but there it is.

Upon landing, I discovered Global Nation Tv, which is am extension of TR's Patronet of twenty years ago. Here's an explanation much better than any I could give:

https://www.globalnation.tv/featured-shows

I'm only just into my facility with it's even basic operations, just now. But, I'm feeling something close to exitement in regards to what this may portend. 

I'm never sure why I have these lapses in concentration. Multi-tasking as it's now called, is inherently difficult for a person of uniquely arranged mental capacities – or incapacities. My attention has been aimed at musical matters, rather than writing or visual developments here. Even rudimentary logic might suggest untrammeled focus on a task may increase length and volume of production. Of course, we're discussing matters relating to aesthetics and ideation. Very often, the relationship between work and production of this kind results in zero results. Or, I just don't like what I compose for whatever reason – usually the gulf between technical facility and idealized prefigured inspiration. 

My Tik Tok continues to gather attention at a rate faster than my other platforms. The content there (and at Instagram) is mostly pedantic and not expressive. Rundgren said once, that if a person reaches 100 thousand views, they're merely “on their way.” By that reckoning, I'm still in the shockwaves of the “Big Bang.” Facebook is the biggest disappointment. It's an arduous hurdle, to leap the crevasse between futility and promise. My growth there, remains stunted. 

The weather is more seasonally appropriate today. While the Strontiun 90 (pollen) is at abrasive levels, ideas still continue to develop. Winter is my element, but the catharsis of warm weather still has a rebooting effect. These temps and the general atmosphere they elicit, seem to beg the material that’s chordal and misty. The DL-4 has a volume-swell setting that I can’t seem to match with what I hear. Each “sheet” doesn’t seem to last long enough. Each chord-center segment is smaller than what I would like. 
I finally have the Jag playing smoothly. A lot of frets had risen and needed to be tamped back into place. The wood is starting to get some work and conditioning. The pickup configuration is counterintuitive, however. There doesn’t seem to be any real difference between available tones. The “strangle switch” doesn’t make it feel good to my ear. 

The weather is more seasonally appropriate today. While the Strontiun 90 (pollen) is at abrasive levels, ideas still continue to develop. Winter is my element, but the catharsis of warm weather still has a rebooting effect. These temps and the general atmosphere they elicit, seem to beg the material that’s chordal and misty. The DL-4 has a volume-swell setting that I can’t seem to match with what I hear. Each “sheet” doesn’t seem to last long enough. Each chord-center segment is smaller than what I would like. 
I finally have the Jag playing smoothly. A lot of frets had risen and needed to be tamped back into place. The wood is starting to get some work and conditioning. The pickup configuration is counterintuitive, however. There doesn’t seem to be any real difference between available tones. The “strangle switch” doesn’t make it feel good to my ear. 

Again…..embroiled in and exhausted by the negotiation of technical/operational hassles. Work continues on the solo thing and eighteen months later, it finally looks like the material is taking shape. I’m finding that as it seems obvious, the issues I experience are by no means, unique. When I’m in composing “mode,” I pay little attention to working on this blog or anything else, like clips for TikTok or whatever. 
Composing seems to be happening much more seamlessly. Nothing has changed — there’s no difference in my listening habits or no new techniques being learned. And all the while, I’m gaining greater facility with Reason. 
Machine learning is something on which I’ve been reading a great deal. Strangely, I’m not at all intimidated by it, or frightened of its imagined implications in regards to the human animal. Again, this thing of not being able to discern reality compared to fiction has caused alarmist views and focus on the negative aspects of what’s unknown. 
George Lucas foresaw the idea of AI only eliminating the tedium associated with work — while not only peacefully coexisting with humans, but actually also forcing then to evolve through improved workflow. 
I’ve already experienced machine learning in the form of AI-generated recording techniques, such as mastering. These are offered on SoundCloud for a small fee. I became exited by the prospect, when the stress of wondering if I can master my material lifted. 
 

There have been unexpected glitches in the last few days. My ISP had some problems with the “monsters of the sky,” and my bank account was hacked. The charges were in Arkansas at a Wal-Mart. That in way, lands in some region of redundancy, to my way of thinking. 

Those things have been alleviated. I've been experimenting with altered tunings during the last week. The one that's yielding a lot of interesting ideas, is a minor 9. It's described as:

1   E

2   A

3   F

4   D

5   A

6   D

When I discovered it, I made one change. Originally, the e on string, 1 was to be a d. Some years ago, I devised a tuning that was a combination of ST and NST. Described:

1  G4

2  B

3  G

4  D

5  A

6  C2

I wanted to expand the range below and above, and still preserve the inner string sets. This way, I could still hit chords with tighter intervals and play longer runs. The instrument would have to be set up to accommodate the vast disparity in tension on either side of the neck. 

An unexpected right turn back into winter this morning…..

Most of the mods to the site that were suggested have been implemented. It still looks “cheap” to me. Meanwhile, work continues on the solo cover material. Right now, I've got in the region of twenty tunes that have been at least, mapped. I've decided to go personal with some of it – the ones that allow for it. Some of these are:

Elenor Rigby………….Beatles

Help Me……………Joni Mitchell

Go All The Way………….Raspberries

I'm Not In Love………….10CC

Virtual Insanity………..Jamiroquai

I Saw The Light……….Todd Rundgren

Flavor Of The Month……..Posies

Three Of A Perfect Pair……..King Crimson

Bennie And The Jets………….Elton John

Don't You Worry Bout A Thing………Stevie Wonder

Tomorrow Never Knows………….Beatles

Canned Heat…………Jamiroquai

Dream All Day……….Posies

We Gotta Get You A Woman……….Todd Rundgren

Headmaster's Ritual…………Smiths

Come And Get It…………..Paul McCartney

Jazzman……………Carole King

Hello It's Me………………..Todd Rundgren

Bandzoogle offered to analyze this site and give me notes. There are design limits, so most of my ideas couldn't be realized. And, my usual and natural taste for the inexplicit serves to confuse and misdirect. Despite what a lot of people think, this has never been my intention. 

I recall my best friend (who was into computers since I met him in 1978), and his opinion of Todd Rundgren's first ever site. It featured a rendering of the “interocitor” device from the classic film, “This Island Earth.” When you hovered over certain parts of it, they directed you to its various sections. This was back in the early 2000s, when web design hadn't really settled into any distinct trends. No one could really decide whether to inform, dazzle or to do both. The old theoretical art principles applied where no one thought they would. 

When we looked at Rundgren's site, my friend said, “he failed.”

The design was too obscure and was counterintuitive to his eye. I'm constrained to point out that this was in the days before “social media” and the pack of music platforms available now. This site was a clear example of victory over taste, and really wasn't pragmatic. 

It appeared to me, that the virtual ether wasn't some new dimension where unfamiliar laws of physics would have to be explored. 

So, I've made some changes……