So yesterday was a tough one, I worked for maybe 100 hours and everything I did sucked.

Unicorn Constipation

There's around 20-25 tracks I want to rise up to a presentable level for the final album selection, because I know how important it is for demos to sound good and 99 percent complete. Problem is, for some of them it just never seem to click no matter how much/hard/soft/slick I try. I know by myself there is some special magic potential within the tracks, but I can't I seem to realize it. I set a much higher standard for an album release than EP release, so cheap trickses and quick fixes doesn't cut it. Perfect, or forget it.

Anyway gesternday sucked, and then suddenly today was the complete opposite.

Elephant Spa Meditation

I had to take a break from Unicorn, I was helping out the GF with an art film of hers. The short includes some wonderful footage of an elephant being washed and pampered in a zoo, and the sound is pretty all over the place. So I helped cleaning up, fixing and structuring the sound. Took most of the day, but it was kinda meditative work for me, a nice break from my own stuff. Just concentrating on making the sound of an elephant having a spa sound good.

Then I went up to visit my sister's father-in-law. A few weeks ago he mentioned his plan to "deconstruct" his radio studio, he doesn't use it anymore and perhaps there could be some gear I would be interested in? So I popped by for coffee to check it out. Now picture me with my jaw on the floor and the coffe pouring out from a forgotten held cup. I was completely surprised and awestruck by all the gear he wanted to offload.

Hardware Heaven

I had no idea. He's been collecting music and gear since the 70ies, there are probably several thousand albums, in LP, MC and tape format, turntables, oldskool reel-to-reel tape decks, MC tape decks, pro DJ CD decks, everything in two pairs, and top of the line super hifi pro pristine quality. Most of it purchased by him on his frequent stays in Asia during the 70ies and 80ies (he worked on cruise ships, and ran radio channels back home when off duty). Incredible stuff I only heard or read about.

I told him I would be super honored to have anything, but that in fact he's got very valuable gear. It should not be any problem to sell it, either completely or part-wise. But he did not want to sell it piece by piece, he had already tried and did not want the hassle. Specifically the music collection he would rather not sell in parts. So anything I wanted, I could have, the more the better for him, he just wanted it out and hopefully for someone to use. Of course I'd like to take it all, there are SO much cool stuff. I mean, SOTB 2.0 can be done on huge magnetic reel tape decks! And there is enough vinyl to keep me sampling for ages! (Better not tell my manager about the vinyl part.)

Problem for me is, I KNOW his gear is really valuable, his offer is extremely generous and I don't have any money to repay him or return the favour. I have no idea how to honor his generosity. I have to come up with something very clever to repay him.

And then, when I got back to the studio, already super exited about all the vinyl, I learned this from an email; the Gisle wiki. My jaw went thru the floor. I'm typing a separate entry on it.

From blackest black to shining sparkling silver white in a single weekend. These are crazy, crazy days.