I'm actively working out the details of getting this thing out there for download outside of the website, so as to brighten the lives of countless millions, instead of, like, five people (thank you, five people, for your undying support).
This is just a subtle little reminder (not so subtle, not so little) that we're building up for a truly awesome release. Oh, yessss. Ahem. So... what, you may ask, should you expect from Raving Masses anyway? What are we going for with this thing? We'd be lying if "WTF?" wasn't a significant factor in our drive. But, you know, in a positive way. There's plenty of "WTF?" in this tiny little world that's not very.... well, life-affirming or fun. Will Raving Masses combat all this in one fell swoop? That would be nice, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
“Why don't you write more normal music?”
As I've mentioned elsewhere, MC Hot Carll is presently living in captivity, with little or no contact with the outside world. His day-to-day existence is micro-controlled by the cultish fantasists with whom he (half) chooses to live. This has made life extremely stressful, since I worry pretty much constantly for his well-being and his future. There's already a fair scent of Stockholm Syndrome about him, which may ultimately be his undoing. So, when he still had fairly regular contact before being transferred to Czech Republic, we started collaborating with a series of entertaining songs that cheered us both up and established a kind of continuity of existence for us both. Depression lurks around the man so assiduously, he's not even fully aware of it until it's truly dispelled.
Weirdcrap, and Raving Masses
So, from these small and private beginnings, we wrote an entire album, Weirdcrap, which we won't be able to release until MC Hot Carll has more of a... let's call it a healthy lifestyle.. Some of the stuff on there is his, and he needs to be able to make creative decisions unencumbered by the kind of influences that are currently making him shut down and triple-guess everything that comes under his self-censorship microscope. He is a brilliant shining gem, but he doesn't actually know it. It's part of his charm, but also somewhat of a danger.
Anyway, while we were happily collaborating on Weirdcrap, one of his captors, to whom he has a strongly protective emotional attachment and loyalty (a grown-ass man, if you're wondering) asked "Why don't you write more normal music? Like proper rave music?" I didn't let on that I'd taken slight offence at this -- after all, I'm not sure what "normal" is supposed to be, these days. And certainly not what's "normal" to such as that one. So I wrote "Banjo Madness" (you can hear it in the second coming soon promo).
Nevertheless, this was how Raving Masses was born. I thought that if I showed a little goodwill in this musical undertaking of ours, it might help, or at least help to keep the lines of communication open. I've never had any feedback from the requestor, so I have no idea whether it was well-received or not. I think maybe not. Communications are cut, apart from those which can be carried out briefly, and in secret. Probably because the normal music doesn't tick enough boxes in the criteria sheet. I don't do "normal", as they say.
That's not for lack of trying, but I've developed a reflex over the years, kind of like a gag reflex, that takes the form of lurking jokes, irony, and strange humour that pokes at a person saying, "yeah, you wanna start something?" This is especially true if I think someone needs cracking open.
Raving Masses is mostly dance music. Some, but not all, is strongly danceable, anyway. But there are more reflective things thrown in there too, because this album is also a reflection of the times and circumstances in which it was written. Some or all of it will make you want to dance, to throw your hands up and say "Yes!" to everything. It's not as heavy as the stuff I'm writing now, but it's.... strangely enjoyable. Please enjoy it, and cherish the times you have together with your friends. May it create a weird and wonderful backdrop to the times you share on this planet.
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