Maybe not...

I've been working on some new material and I had some grandiose plans for recording and releasing an EP before I leave Japan next month, but maybe not. The new stuff is good, but it's just not where it should be. And I've learned from experience that attempting to rush the recording and release of music that's not ready is a bad idea.

So I have a new and less audacious plan. When I was traveling in SE Asia I was very productive creativity-wise. I just went into it with some musical ideas and the overnight Thai buses did the rest. Afterward, I came out with most of the material on It'll Never Come Again. So I'm gonna try it again. I'll take my ideas on the road through China and India and record whatever comes out on the other side.

Also, I want to apologize to my loyal followers (if you actually exist somewhere out there). I'll try to keep up on my postings in the future and let you in on the process in a more intimate way.

See ya soon,
Kyle

Taiko

The first time I saw a Japanese taiko group perform last year, I was impressed by their precision and the incredible amount of noise they made. I thought it looked like it would be fun to bang the shit out of those drums, but I never thought I'd get the chance.

Today I had my first performance with the taiko group I've been practicing with for the last six months at the Tanabata festival in Maebashi. I played three songs: Jyoshyu is a pumped-up anthem that would be right at home at a college football game. Karakaze is named after the notoriously powerful zephyr that blows through Gunma every winter. And Tsurunomai is supposed to look like a dancing crane (which is apparently what Gunma looks like on a map).

Taiko is a totally different musical experience than what I'm used to. It's very rigid and precise. There's no room for improvisation. And there's choreography to learn. This is all very counter-intuitive for me, but it's probably helping me grow as a musician so I'm gonna stick with it at least until we leave Japan.