Covid Diary Supplemental

Captain's log, going a bit rotten, got some beetles and woodlice in it but hey you work with what you have eh?

Dean introduced me to an album I'd never heard today, good too:

It's odd how easily I've adapted to the formless days, the nearly-identical schedule that isn't a schedule. Jasper is happy anyway, although I do wish I could turn my 'going out for exercise' into actual exercise. We never walk fast enough but I can't begrudge him. All I'm doing is punching which isn't the best way to keep fit, although could help against burglars. I read in the Independent that sex workers are finding it hard.
I should go to the bank to put in a couple of SOS cheques - time passes and they aren't going to pay themselves in.

Have reached the part of my novel that is almost a short story in itself, concerning the creatures living beneath the Old Wreck. Still not 100% sure about it as it's a different tone to the rest and maybe not a perfect fit. Will let it roll around a bit until it either becomes something or it doesn't.

Seem to have hurt my back hitting my punchman today. Might have got stuck in too hard and twisted as I punched but will have to ease off. Programmed another set of Hydrasynth patches - I spend so long doing that but I'm fairly sure I'd have more usable stuff had I spent the same time programming, say, the Blofeld.  Which is interesting. Maybe I'm stuck in the old wavetable mentality but I think the Blofeld filters sound better too. Anyway, putting Hydra to one side for a bit so I can work on some music. Spent the afternoon playing piano and enjoyed that. Somewhere along the way I had an idea for my story, an angle for it that might slot in nicely. We'll see.

Housebound... oh well

Still coping bravely two days into my, well, you could call it confinement but actually it's like a normal week but with no feelings of guilt for not going to the gym.

I've worked on a few more Hydrasynth patches - I really must stop doing that as whole afternoons go by and all I have to show for it are  a few more weird noises, admittedly some with Macro definitions now. I'm finding the kind of sounds I wanted - and got some good programming tips from a bank uploaded today which uses the macros quite a lot just for mod matrix depths, rather than as I've been doing for fx and mutator depths and wet/dry. I still keep forgetting to hit the assign button when setting things up so that when I hit the module button I come right out of the macro edit process. Seems to me that should be automatically highlighted when you've deliberately gone into edit but maybe some people like the extra button presses.

Tomorrow I will do something different. Not sure what but the novel ain't progressing and now is really a perfect time. Well, except that today was another sunny one. I set up the punchman ready to hit but then started reading Excession again, lazy git!

Today I rang vet - have to take Jasper to have his mouth looked at. Not good I think.
Sunny day, drank beer, had almost the last of my weed, wrote some novel stuff - combed through a part nicely I think, opening up lots from here. Good how that happens, one of my favourite things actually.
Listening through the gig I did in Preston, actually, now that time has passed, I'm really rather happy with that too.

Good news from Vet about Jasper's mouth lump - amazing to see the place empty with people waiting in their cars to be seen. He has to be the best vet we've ever known so it's a relief to be able to get in.

Can't go wrong with a few 'Jasper in the sun' shots!
Mum still not well, still unclear what with. Has been getting meds via some chemist delivery service and talking to Minerva nurses (COPD) and doc on phone, but frustrating I can't go and visit. At least she's stopped concentrating on her plunging investments.

Have written quite a lot in this last few days, in the generally fast getting-things-done style that really does progress the story, even if I need to go back over it and add some details, breathers and asides. Well, maybe, we'll see how it reads later. Knocked up a weird track for Don, not one of my best, probably too odd and difficult rhythmically, but something because I know he wanted something.

An online friend, hearing of my plight, has offered to send me something to keep my creative spirits alive. People really are rallying round, bless them!

Going Viral

Gosh, here am I self-isolating and struggling to see any difference.Well, I now don't feel guilty for not going to gym. I am gonna become a total slob though so have brought out the old punchman to work off some energy. At least I can finally finish off those Hydra patches I started, maybe do some nice PPG-style ones that I'm sure it can do but which I haven't heard yet.

If I get too fed up I might sort some online performances or more reviews but so far it's sunny and my Roedelius book has finally been dispatched. I got all the stuff together for my Irish passport and sent that off this morning, making sure to queue six foot from everyone. Some are taking it seriously but not all, which might mean more stringent measures are imposed.

Wonder if I get so bored I switch on the modular?

Novel going again after a bit of a pause. I know what's coming but laziness setting in, plus some actual events are starting to mirror what I write. Am I changing reality?

I put all my bandcamp at 80% off until the end of the month (code XYZZY) which seemed a fair gesture if people are looking for something - OK a mixed bag admittedly - to wade through. A surprising number of sales generated from it, which is nice. Should do same for Ideation and Headshock; JIC already pretty cheap but will look at that too. Someone actually liked the cover artwork, something I appreciated cos sometimes I wonder if it's too amateurish. Confession: sometimes I create the artwork from scratch while the album is uploading.
I should do that other Binar CDR too - Truth Sets Us Free - as I have promised quite a few times. And finish my piano album. Yeah, should, shoulda, should've!

Anyway, signing off as I suspect there might be more blog entries, depending on how crazy I get bumming around the house.

Being Gramps

The wee man changes a little each time he comes, which is kinda nice and also fascinating. He really loves Jasper too, but Jasper is so old now and one day in the next year or so he won't be here.

Still no sign of the Hydrasynth and, as I look at the calendar, it's probably not going to be possible to get it done before I go to Scotland next month. Having waited so long, it would be mad to rush it, but it sure feels like we'll be last to the party and anything I have to say will be quite pointless at this stage, probably no influence at all (and I do have several ideas already). Yesterday I listened through a load of 'artist patches', most of which were pretty poor fare, although some of the pads were lovely. I hope I can do better in the time allotted but may not have as much programming and bonding time as I'd ordinarily want. This whole 'coming out of retirement for something cool' sounded such a good idea back at the start of October but five months on I'm feeling the moment has passed.

Downloaded a fab album from Picko yesterday, really mellow and spacious. Today I've grabbed something from a guy calling himself Flexagon, which is beautiful, almost Erland Cooperish. These two gentle releases made me think I should try and do something a bit more uplifting, although it's always a mood thing with me. My last one, one of my faves in a long time, is a bit bleak I suppose.

There's a classical concert tomorrow afternoon I was hoping to attend. Will have to see as I can't leave Pat to cope with William - he's so lively I fear it would wear her to a frazzle.

I feel slightly bad that I didn't know who Andy Weatherall was. It would probably surprise people who assume I know things about music and contemporary culture and all. I am hugely ignorant across a wide range of topics. As I've admitted in at least one of my novels: what I don't know, I make up.

Ouch, looks like I started this entry ages ago. Since then I've been to Scotland and completed the Hydrasynth review, so I think I'll just post some photos and call this one complete. We're into Coronvirus territory now which means I stay home and tinker with gear. I know: big changes.

What else? Well I heard something from Nix Nott which sounded a lot like one of my tunes, so bought the album off bandcamp. Also bought the Seasons which is a radiophonic weird tune thing with weird poetry - fab! Heard quite a lot of stuff on Radio 6 that I liked (and a lot I didn't) but most I was too stoned to note down. A heavy week of drinking and smoking, felt a bit ill with the tobacco. We did get one clear night for astronomy though which was brill.

Anyway. I think these are a different random selection to those I posted on Facebook. I took a lot of pix.