Hi Everyone :)
If
you are interested in joining The Chain Tunes Gang, then all the
information you need to know is attached. I've received my first
package of tracks and am excited to begin working on them - once I'm
freed up from kitchen renovations :)
There are also many great initiatives underway that you may also want to participate in so check out the details below.
Yes, it's long, but that's why they're called details ;)
~Mike Cliffe / Audiofumes for Pangaea's People and Ste Van Horne
Why these projects will make a difference; don't dismiss them without considering the long term benefits. It's wordy, but please take the time to read it all, and think about all the doorways they will open:
Just thought I'd add, the Chain Tunes project will also set numerous records automatically (at the moment, there are still not enough signed up to achieve this, but there will be). For one thing, it's a new approach to making music; second, no band will ever have come close to having so many members (band name: THE CHAIN TUNES GANG); third, the project will attract publicity once it starts to escalate; fourth, your artist name will go viral along with the project.
On Reverbnation alone, there are 2,500,000 artists. There are probably well in excess of 50,000,000 artists worldwide; that's what you are competing against, so, realistically, what are the odds of making a significant impact? Being actively involved in projects that may, not only, bring about innovative change, will get your name out there more and more as the project goes viral, and automatically open up alternative routes to success, can only benefit those involved, particularly of value when you think your contribution only needs to be a small if your time is limited.
To go viral the project needs a lot more artists; you can start the viral process by bringing in other artists yourself; forward the details, post them on your pages regularly, with all the links. In fact, if you do this with all the projects, and the Pangaea's People radio show details, clicking the like button wherever you see the posts, and adding comments so the post goes back to the top of the pages, you will be putting the projects and the radio show on the map, and increasing your own exposure in the process. Following up on these things is how something goes viral, and an artist surely needs his name to go viral; otherwise, you are just reaching the same community all the time.
Some artists spend a lot of time asking other artists to click their like button; I'm really not sure what difference this will make to their chances, especially when 95% of those people that click the like button haven't actually listened to the music, so what exactly are they saying they like? With everyone doing this sort of thing, the total effect is that it all cancels each other out anyway, so doesn't it make more sense to invest that time in actual projects that will actually make a significant difference; your artist name will spread virally, you will form a meaningful association with thousands of artists, who will actually, through the project, found out what you sound like (what you are capable of as a musician). The links formed will be viral in themselves; surely all of this makes a lot more sense than spending time sending out pleas for people to click your like button, when they are not even actually listening to the music, and won't remember your name from Adam the next time they see it.
Don't dismiss the value of these projects without meditating on them; think about the outcome of these projects, and how they will benefit you in the longterm. In the music business, we are just needles in a haystack; impossible to find in the vast ocean of artists, who all have exactly the same dream as you, so we need to seek alternative routes--make things happen for ourselves, instead of waiting for some sort of miracle to happen!
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THE PANGAEA'S PEOPLE CHAIN TUNES PROJECT (Band name: THE CHAIN TUNES GANG) www.facebook.com/groups/345949968810194/
I have another project that is just about off and running, which involves permutation. If I say chain tunes it sort of explains the whole process in one go. A lot of additional permutations could be added, increasing the complexity of the creative process, but I was thinking of developing a few prototypes first, keeping things at the level of the basic chain letter idea. We lay down a bunch of rhythm tracks, in different genre styles (progressive jazz/funk/latin/thrash/techno/you name it) those files are forwarded randomly to half-a-dozen or more artists, depending on how many are involved. each of those artists complete their contribution and randomly forward it to another 6, and so on; the whole thing going viral.
This is the link for the CHAIN TUNES satellite project group; please add yourself there as well as on the main Pangaea's People group page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/345949968810194/
There are not enough members yet for these chain tunes to go viral, but it's still possible to run the prototypes in preparation for when there are enough members, say, starting with one track, send it to two artists, who send it to four artists, who send it to 8, 16, 32, and so on, doing several of these tunes, randomizing the order of artists on each, and starting with a variety of rhythm tracks.
I will add a lot more detail to this idea, but that's the concept in brief: CHAIN TUNES
This idea would be extended to other art forms, and I have ideas on how to do that, which would morph together, say, for instance, an animated movie, or a novel/script, seamlessly, which accounts for the changes in animation or literary style.
Probably the project concept that intrigues me most, because it's open to so many permutations and so much experimentation; original music and some amazing songwriting/performing teams could develop out of it--unsigned super groups :)
So if anyone has rhythm tracks ready to go, or want to put some together, get them to me, so we can get this project started; I have a few I will add to the pot, and for anyone who wants to be part of this project let me by clicking and commenting. For all of these projects I will need to have your email addresses, so if I haven't got them yet, please get them to me. And let me know if you are not on the Pangaea's People roster at Reverbnation so I can add; just so I can keep things organized, and find all your other music pages.
Can you friend my page too, if you haven't done yet, so i can connect with you across pages. Will make communicating a lot easier. I can't take the chance of sending requests out, because of the risk of being blocked by Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/stevendoes1
And for all details of all the projects posted so far, including the Mass Collaboration project, go to http://www.facebook.com/pangaeaspeople
Click on the like button. PLEASE DON'T CLICK ON THE LIKE BUTTON IF YOU'RE NOT JOINING THE PROJECTS. IT IS ONLY FOR JOINING THE PROJECTS!
Leave a comment, listing some basic details about yourself, the instruments you play, the make, recording hardware and/or software you use, the genres you feel comfortable with, in what way you feel you can contribute best, etc.
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THE PANGAEA'S PEOPLE QUIRKY KARAOKE PROJECT (band name: QUIRKY KARAOKE)
group address:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/quirkykaraoke/
Been uploading a bunch of stuff I did for fun, where I basically nicked tunes and added my lyrics--a different slant on Karaoke, if you like--all thrown together very quickly, so they are just rough takes. Reason why I'm uploading this stuff is to show it preceded the likes of Mighty Boosh and Noel Fielding's Luxury comedy by many many years, in the sense that it's meant to sound disposable and cheesy, but I reckon the lyrics are far superior, all the same, and some of this stuff could be turned into tunes that people would dig beyond a comedy show.
In my opinion, Noel Fielding leads the world in visual comedy, right now, and, not that it will ever happen, but I would love to work with the guy; so Kasabian, pack your bags, and get out of town, if you know what's good for you :)
She's a Disaster (the music to Captain Scarlett), and the other oddities are further down the playlist. If you like stuff that's odd, quirky, and off the cuff, you might be quite entertained. All the tracks include the description: my lyrics, nicked tunes; thrown together in 30 mins for fun. And that's something you need to keep in mind when you listen--they are doodles. I want to do this stuff properly, and the same goes for any tunes I'm presented with by band members, and I just want to contribute the lyrics and vocals, or with others contributing the vocals. I think it's another form of experimentation that could produce something exceptional.
It's also to prove that I can add vocals, in my own peculiar styles (I don't claim to be a serious vocalist at all), to any kind of music put in front of me; could be very useful for those who have a fabulous, early, or traditional, band sound, but are looking for someone with a vocal approach that breaks the usual rules--vocal styles that would never normally be associated with said music styles. I'm particularly looking for a bunch of artists who can repeat the kind of band sound found on many of the oddball tunes described above; well, they're not really oddball until I add the vocals, but they are well off the beaten track in many ways.
I personally feel the strange combination of vocal style, out of place lyrics, and the 60's and traditional style instrumentals I've hijacked, would be very effective! What I've uploaded so far is just a small sample of my oddball twist on Karaoke! So, in this project, I'm not looking to create out there music; it's a variety of traditional band sounds, be it country, rock, mor, jazz, folk, blues, soul, funk, whatever, to be counterbalanced by vocalization unrelated to those styles
But this is, not only about doing covers of instrumental tunes, it's also about writing new tunes in traditional styles with a zany, satirical, topping. I can see quite a few artists already on the roster who would be perfect for this project.
I think this will also link in well with some of the animation projects, indirectly tapping into the visual styles of Noel Fielding, the Residents, etc., without ripping them off, of course, as well as simply creating some intriguing, stand-alone, satirical songs!
Anyway, here's the link to the player:
www.reverbnation.com/kamikazekisses
She's a Disaster is one of dozens of tunes I did for fun, taking old instrumentals, and adding my own lyrics. The music is taken from an old children's action puppet series made in the UK, called Captain Scarlett. Amongst the long list of tunes I've played around with, I've used quite a few instrumentals from old children's TV programs. Some of them are a bit out there to begin with, so sound great with vocals added to them; catchy and quirky!
I spent very little time on them; just getting the ideas down for future use. I guess they represent a newish twist on the idea of Karaoke, and I think they would be worth doing properly with the right musicians, because new twists on old ideas can be very successful, and adding lyrics and vocals alien to the musical format being used can be incredibly effective, as has lately become apparent with bands combining the old with the new. I think this project would be great fun, and not only would the tunes produced attract a cult following, I think they would eventually have widespread appeal too, with this new twist on Karaoke possibly even becoming a cult thing. I would like to work together, on a regular basis, with several musicians, who are not only good at mimicking traditional styles, but can also thrown in a few quirks, combining the old with the new.
So, if you want to be part of this project too, as well as joining this group, email me at:
stevendoes@live.co.uk
with the words Quirky Karaoke in the subject bar; I can then add you to the Quirky Karaoke email folder :)
Kindest regards,
Steve
I'm ultra-confident the results of this project will turn heads, because the unconventional fusion of sounds and styles, tapping into a music genre that's remained underground for almost 50 years, will produce something quite alien to the listener, simply because the said genre has pretty much remained unexplored in this context. On the handful of occasions the more commercial end of said musical genre has been tapped into, the results have a been number one chart hits, but today's listeners haven't been aware of the origin of these tunes, assuming they were new tunes and a new sound, which is understandable, because they do sound so fresh and innovative.
In such a seriously overcrowded world of unsigned, independent, artists investing time and effort in experimental projects is a smart thing to do; this isn't a fairytale world, and, as the saying goes, putting all your eggs in one basket, in most cases, ends in disappointment and failure.
Along with mass collaboration, this project and the Chain Tunes project, will do more for your ambitions than taking a singular, direct, route will ever do, unless, of course, you really are the next Pink Floyd or David Bowie! Before you dismiss the value of these projects, do a little maths, realistically evaluate your chances of success (and, yes, I'm aware that person reading this could be exceptionally talented, but exceptional talent doesn't seem to count for much these days), and think carefully about how these projects might, not only benefit you, but also about how they might give you a real buzz in the process.
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Here is the info on the various projects posted so far:
Please re-post or re-tweet anything posted!
Anyone who wants to be part of the Pangaea's People world record setting mass collaboration get in touch, join the roster (open to arts across spectrum): http://www.reverbnation.com/label/emeraldislandarts
Before you dismiss the idea described below, consider the possibilities if it's successful: publicity is inevitable, and that means radio plays on numerous radio stations, especially if the finished product is impressive, and that might kick start individual careers; something that is highly unlikely to happen for most of us otherwise, regardless of how talented we might be.
This is what I've been sending out to artists, but I have a lot more to add as the ideas are continually evolving. Ideas on animation, scriptwriting, etc., as well as ideas on the various ways the music can be mapped out, the multiple routes it takes from one artist to the next, genres, transitions, etc. Anyway, if you read the basics below, you will see the possible potential for what starts out as a basic concept, but can evolve and expand in unlimited ways.
There are additional ideas I have been formulating for a while, but haven't mentioned yet, and ideas that grew out of those earlier ones continue to develop. I haven't touched on any of that yet. Below is just a simplistic outline of what is actually only the starting point of something much bigger, and something revolutionary, I think! No idea is ever truly unique in this world, but ideas can be re-invented, or an idea familiar to one sphere can be applied to another; like someone discovering a certain product intended for one use can be put to a completely different use with startling, unimagined, results.
The idea behind integrating the arts in one massive project is so the finished project can be entered in film festivals, and targeted toward other media outlets too, even the business sector. It could open up a huge list of possibilities, so it makes more sense to participate, even in a small way, than dismiss the idea outright.
It will take a few months to get a line-up together before the project starts. If the response is poor, the project will obviously be dropped.
The collaboration won't just revolve around one piece of music. Depending on the number of artists who finally come on board, we could be talking up to a dozen different arrangements, each with a different theme, and there will be no set length on these arrangements.
Particular themes may appeal to particular musicians, so they may have a more prominent role in that particular arrangement, but all musicians will still appear on all arrangements. This also ensures that there isn't a single long queue of artists waiting for the work to be passed on. Circulation will be continuous, with each arrangement having artists listed in a different order.
I will need detailed information about each artist involved so the whole project can be coordinated in a way that makes it easy for everyone involved to follow guidelines, so each artist has a overall idea of how, where, and what to contribute, to complete each passage, and forward files on. If you first contact me at Reverbnation (just an initial place of contact--this is an independent project), I can give you my email address.
Here are a few possible themed examples:
1. Aliens, one billion years in the future,responding to the time capsules sent from Earth, arrive only to find a long dead planet. Just as we, today, seek to discover why dinosaurs became extinct, the aliens set about trying to discover what brought about the extinction of all life on Earth, so they set about sequentially recreating every life form that ever existed on this planet, and every environment they existed in. The story is littered with twists and red herrings, and the theme can be expanded in many ways, but, giving a clue to where this idea is going, it is based on the theory that time is looped.
2. The Serial Killer Killer is a computer game based on the some of the ideas found in Deathrace 2000 and HIghlander (neither of which movies appeal to me, but I couldn't help noticing some of the concepts I came up with for Serial Killer Killer can be found in these and other similar movies). The game is all about serial killers killing each other to amass points. The amount of points you gain from a kill is dependent on how many kills your victim has been credited with. The theory is, that eventually there will only be one serial killer left (hence, The Highlander connection).
The game is subsequently taken from the virtual world to the literal world, with real life serial killers bumping each other off. I haven't decided whether this should simply be for the thrill of it, or whether it's something a New World Order sponsors as a way of eliminating crime. What do you think? This is an idea that would work as a movie, a book, a computer game, a tv series, comic book, even a musical lol. Hence, the need for artists of every kind, and for bodies to co-ordinate the whole thing.
The rest of these ideas are obviously satirical, so don't necessarily make much sense.
3. The Marmite Wars: The Third World War, much to everyone's surprise, breaks out between lovers of Marmite and its arch enemies; those who loathe the stuff! The war that inspired the blockbuster movie: All Quiet on the Marmite Sandwich. And who could forget the harrowing tale of The Crucible based on the Marmite Sand Witch Trials! It may all, in hindsight, seem like a bit of joke to us in this technologically advanced age but in those days superstition reigned supreme, and Marmite spread all over the land!
4a. The Alternative Fugitive: Richard Kimble's desperate search for the two-armed man responsible for killing his wife; shouldn't be too difficult in a one-armed world
4b. The Alternative Alternative Fugitive: Richard Kimble's desperate search for the two-armed man responsible for killing his wife: damn, if only this were a one-armed world, he thinks to himself!
5. Fascistnation.com: Set in the near future, Reverbnation.com successfully completes its takeover bid of Facebook, who already own half of the planet, with Google owning the other half!
or
6. Writing an alternative score for next year's Disney release of Carson of Venus, if, that is, it actually still goes ahead.
7. I also have some nice ideas for satirical short animations.
These are just a few suggestions. I have numerous ideas in the form of partly written lyrics, but the whole thing is open to suggestions, with the most workable and promising ideas being adopted. I couldn't write a book to save my life, so just take the above as outlines. My concerns cover social, environmental, political, religious, economic, moral, ethnic, legal human and animal rights; basically, anything and everything to with the condition of mankind, and the survival of this planet. And these issues will be weaved into possible projects, even those that sound glib, and. too, the alien story is, in fact, about man (the factors that will bring about his own, and the planet's, destruction), with the alien race chronicling man's history, piecing events together (a warning in hindsight), and the idea that history repeats itself (hence the time loop, and the statement that man can't change his spots). The role of the aliens, and the time loop element, also providing an explanation of how all life began; how it got here in the first place.
The serial killer story, too, has more to it than meets the eye, and is fueled, to some extent, by the idea that karma will avenge itself in behalf of all victims; so it's about the failings of the law system, among other things, to truly redress the balance. In fact, nothing can redress the balance; revenge will only do so briefly, with the blood of the victims crying out eternally. So, although, it may, on the surface, seem like exploitation of a violent act for profit, it is littered with statements about the human condition and the failings of mankind to self-govern and evolve socially.
Perhaps it might, now, make a bit more sense why I've been trying to get people to join the Pangaea's People roster, and pushing so hard, unsuccessfully most of the time, to get artists on Blip.fm, support each other on there. and on the other key musician sites like Twitter, Reverbnation, Facebook, Youtube, and, to a lesser extent, Myspace.
All of these sites can network with Blip.fm, acting as receivers, with Blip.fm acting as the transmitter. the networking sites, themselves, then act as transmitters broadcasting every post across hundreds of artist pages, which, in turn, broadcast to thousands upon thousands of pages. this is the idea of everyone being connected across all the networks, and everyone cross-promoting by re-posting every post they receive. If only a handful follow up, it doesn't work, but if everyone follows up, and sustains that activity over a long period, it will work, no question!
So, it is we, the artists, who kick start all the publicity for the mass collaboration; the media will pick up on it, and the radio plays will follow. And what is the long term intention of all this? The possibility of creating our own company (as well as kick starting individual careers), that can provide complete projects for every, and any kind, of business venture.
The idea of setting a world record is a very simple one, but its actual intent is to give birth to something much bigger!
By the way, it is not possible to copyright an idea, but publishing a rough draft of the execution of that idea is protected by law, and the details given here qualify on those grounds.
Remember, the use of all these sites is simply a means to an end. On their own, they will achieve very little for any of us. Music sites are seriously overcrowded, and what they offer is an illusion, but we can, collectively, use these tools to publicize what I believe is an innovative project that actually has major goals, which, if successful, will bring attention to individual artists in a way that will never happen through these music sites alone.
Anyone who seriously, and I mean seriously, wants to be part of all this, needs to confirm, first, that they definitely want to be part of it, and they need to read any Pangaea newsletters or emails they receive and respond so I know you've received and read the information, otherwise you will lose touch with the project, and that would be ruling yourself out, as you would have no idea what you are supposed to be doing, and I wouldn't know what you were aware of. The project needs artists who have vision, drive and ambition. The project is too big and too time-consuming to be able to spoon feed artists, so self-motivation and discipline are needed.
I will also need information about instruments you play, what models, the hardware or software you use, what genres you are comfortable with, in which aspects of a songs structure you particularly excel, whether you have mixing/producing skills, and when you might have a window in your schedule.
I need information to plot the course of the composition, the order in which instrumentation is laid down, to which there are many permutations, and ensuring that the whole composition is seamless from beginning to end. It cannot sound like it's been patched together; like some random mashup! There's plenty of that about.
And I really need the links to the different artist sites!
Regards,
Ste Van Horne
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Re: Projects
People who have signed to the Chain Tunes project email me at:
stevendoes@live.co.uk
so I can place them in the Chain Tunes email folder. By doing these simple things it's make things easier for me, and increases the likelihood that the projects will go without a hitch. It also means I can't distribute the files I've already received, which I haven't started doing yet, because I lack necessary information.
Without the return of support and cooperation, the radio shows lose some of their purpose, getting a little support in return, even in the smallest of ways, can make a big difference to how motivated I feel :)
Chain Tunes project group link: http://www.facebook.com/groups/chaintunes/
If you have already expressed interest, or if it appeals to you, please also sign up for the Quirky Karaoke project. Musicians from every background are needed, playing any conceivable instrument. And artists in tribute bands, among others, would be of great value to this project.
Quirky Karaoke project group link: http://www.facebook.com/groups/quirkykaraoke/
Again, just drop me a line at stevendoes@live.co.uk so I can place your details in the Quirky Karaoke folder.
These are innovative projects that could, if you support them, benefit you in ways you can't imagine, and you can just contribute in a very small way if time is an issue, but I do need to know who is serious about all of this, and responding to the simple requests gives some sort of indication as to who would actually follow through on said projects.
Skilled mixers/producers, etc., are vital to oversee the whole thing, to make it all sound convincing, so let me know if you are keen to deal with that end of things.
For all the Pangaea's People projects (including the Mass Collab) go to: don't click on the like button unless you are joining the projects:
http://www.facebook.com/pangaeaspeople
don't click on the like button unless you are joining the projects:
Pangaea's People roster page on Facebook (please post your links on this page, not on the others):
http://www.facebook.com/groups/361836483886200/
To friend my page so I can actually communicate with you, go to this link:
http://www.facebook.com/stevendoes1
My Facebook artist page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/THE-GAY-SILHOUETTESMETHUSELAHS-DISCO/90201438883
I also need artists to connect over on the Reverbnation Pangaea's People roster page:
http://www.reverbnation.com/label/emeraldislandarts
Following up on these things will be a big help to me, and to everyone involved. I won't really be in a position to get the projects started until the organizational aspects are in place.
Kindest regards,
Steve
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DO YOUR BIT TO MAKE IT ALL GO VIRAL; IT WILL BENEFIT YOUR OWN CAUSE AS MUCH AS THE PROJECTS :)
Just contact artists you have a good rapport with, get them hyped up about the project, so they do the same, bringing more people in; that way we avoid spamming, but the message and the adrenalin spreads. Plus most of us have Twitter for posting short messages, and just posting the names of the projects, and band names, will get them into the public consciousness; that's how the viral thing can work without spamming. The more artists are seen to do it the more it arouses curiosity, and the more people see the message being spread by numerous artists the more they take the whole thing seriously. When it seems to be the same artist, or just a few artists, spreading the word, people will dismiss it, and even be irritated by it; the same thing can be seen as spamming or as addictively viral, depending on how it's packaged and delivered, and depending on how many artists are involved, and how believable, significant and innovative they make it sound :)
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Oh, and in case anyone thinks I'm desperate; that I don't have talent of my own, or I'm too mediocre for anyone to notice--that I'm looking to ride on the shirtails of other artists, or looking for approval in some other way, because I can't cut it myself, buy a couple of hours out from your schedule and listen to about 100 of my tunes. then see if you still think the same: you may decide you couldn't have got me or my motives more wrong :)
Can all artists signing on for the mass collaboration and/or satellite projects, go to this page:
http://www.facebook.com/pangaeaspeople
Click on the like button. ONLY FOR PEOPLE ACTUALLY JOINING THE PROJECTS.
SEVERAL PROJECTS POSTED ON THE PANGAEA GROUP WALL. PLEASE HAVE A READ THROUGH THEM AND CLICK ON THE LIKE BUTTON FOR THE ONES YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN.
Leave a comment, listing some basic details about yourself, the instruments you play, the make, recording hardware and/or software you use, the genres you feel comfortable with, in what way you feel you can contribute best, etc.
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Please repost these newsletters, or re-tweet, because there is a 500 contact limit. Which means I am unable to reach several thousand fans of the Pangaea page, which also applies to your artist page, of course. That means I can't contact all those artists who have joined the Pangaea's People roster, or my artist pages, who fanned them since I reached the contact limit a couple of years ago. Of the 500 who do actually receive these newsletters only around 25 read them, which tells you just how ineffective they are.
However, if all those on the Pangaea roster, and those already signed up to the mass collab, reposted these newsletters they would be seen by a lot more artists on the Pangaea roster as well as everybody else on your contact list. And if we all did this for each other (the artists on the Pangaea roster, and anyone else that's interested) the numbers actually reached would increase considerably for everyone, so I promise to return the favor and do the same for artists when they post their own newsletters. It's a great way of getting around the 500 contact limit, which becomes an issue for all of us, bringing to a standstill continual growth.
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Here is the info on the various projects again, but more has been added:
Please re-post or re-tweet!
Anyone who wants to be part of the Pangaea's People world record setting mass collaboration get in touch, join the roster (open to arts across spectrum): http://www.reverbnation.com/label/emeraldislandarts
Before you dismiss the idea described below, consider the possibilities if it's successful: publicity is inevitable, and that means radio plays on numerous radio stations, especially if the finished product is impressive, and that might kick start individual careers; something that is highly unlikely to happen for most of us otherwise, regardless of how talented we might be.
This is what I've been sending out to artists, but I have a lot more to add as the ideas are continually evolving. Ideas on animation, scriptwriting, etc., as well as ideas on the various ways the music can be mapped out, the multiple routes it takes from one artist to the next, genres, transitions, etc. Anyway, if you read the basics below, you will see the possible potential for what starts out as a basic concept, but can evolve and expand in unlimited ways.
There are additional ideas I have been formulating for a while, but haven't mentioned yet, and ideas that grew out of those earlier ones continue to develop. I haven't touched on any of that yet. Below is just a simplistic outline of what is actually only the starting point of something much bigger, and something revolutionary, I think! No idea is ever truly unique in this world, but ideas can be re-invented, or an idea familiar to one sphere can be applied to another; like someone discovering a certain product intended for one use can be put to a completely different use with startling, unimagined, results.
The idea behind integrating the arts in one massive project is so the finished project can be entered in film festivals, and targeted toward other media outlets too, even the business sector. It could open up a huge list of possibilities, so it makes more sense to participate, even in a small way, than dismiss the idea outright.
It will take a few months to get a line-up together before the project starts. If the response is poor, the project will obviously be dropped.
The collaboration won't just revolve around one piece of music. Depending on the number of artists who finally come on board, we could be talking up to a dozen different arrangements, each with a different theme, and there will be no set length on these arrangements.
Particular themes may appeal to particular musicians, so they may have a more prominent role in that particular arrangement, but all musicians will still appear on all arrangements. This also ensures that there isn't a single long queue of artists waiting for the work to be passed on. Circulation will be continuous, with each arrangement having artists listed in a different order.
I will need detailed information about each artist involved so the whole project can be coordinated in a way that makes it easy for everyone involved to follow guidelines, so each artist has a overall idea of how, where, and what to contribute, to complete each passage, and forward files on. If you first contact me at Reverbnation (just an initial place of contact--this is an independent project), I can give you my email address.
Here are a few possible themed examples:
1. Aliens, one billion years in the future,responding to the time capsules sent from Earth, arrive only to find a long dead planet. Just as we, today, seek to discover why dinosaurs became extinct, the aliens set about trying to discover what brought about the extinction of all life on Earth, so they set about sequentially recreating every life form that ever existed on this planet, and every environment they existed in. The story is littered with twists and red herrings, and the theme can be expanded in many ways, but, giving a clue to where this idea is going, it is based on the theory that time is looped.
2. The Serial Killer Killer is a computer game based on the some of the ideas found in Deathrace 2000 and HIghlander (neither of which movies appeal to me, but I couldn't help noticing some of the concepts I came up with for Serial Killer Killer can be found in these and other similar movies). The game is all about serial killers killing each other to amass points. The amount of points you gain from a kill is dependent on how many kills your victim has been credited with. The theory is, that eventually there will only be one serial killer left (hence, The Highlander connection).
The game is subsequently taken from the virtual world to the literal world, with real life serial killers bumping each other off. I haven't decided whether this should simply be for the thrill of it, or whether it's something a New World Order sponsors as a way of eliminating crime. What do you think? This is an idea that would work as a movie, a book, a computer game, a tv series, comic book, even a musical lol. Hence, the need for artists of every kind, and for bodies to co-ordinate the whole thing.
The rest of these ideas are obviously satirical, so don't necessarily make much sense.
3. The Marmite Wars: The Third World War, much to everyone's surprise, breaks out between lovers of Marmite and its arch enemies; those who loathe the stuff! The war that inspired the blockbuster movie: All Quiet on the Marmite Sandwich. And who could forget the harrowing tale of The Crucible based on the Marmite Sand Witch Trials! It may all, in hindsight, seem like a bit of joke to us in this technologically advanced age but in those days superstition reigned supreme, and Marmite spread all over the land!
4a. The Alternative Fugitive: Richard Kimble's desperate search for the two-armed man responsible for killing his wife; shouldn't be too difficult in a one-armed world
4b. The Alternative Alternative Fugitive: Richard Kimble's desperate search for the two-armed man responsible for killing his wife: damn, if only this were a one-armed world, he thinks to himself!
5. Fascistnation.com: Set in the near future, Reverbnation.com successfully completes its takeover bid of Facebook, who already own half of the planet, with Google owning the other half!
or
6. Writing an alternative score for next year's Disney release of Carson of Venus, if, that is, it actually still goes ahead.
These are just a few suggestions. I have numerous ideas in the form of partly written lyrics, but the whole thing is open to suggestions, with the most workable and promising ideas being adopted. I couldn't write a book to save my life, so just take the above as outlines. My concerns cover social, environmental, political, religious, economic, moral, ethnic, legal human and animal rights; basically, anything and everything to with the condition of mankind, and the survival of this planet. And these issues will be weaved into possible projects, even those that sound glib, and. too, the alien story is, in fact, about man (the factors that will bring about his own, and the planet's, destruction), with the alien race chronicling man's history, piecing events together (a warning in hindsight), and the idea that history repeats itself (hence the time loop, and the statement that man can't change his spots). The role of the aliens, and the time loop element, also providing an explanation of how all life began; how it got here in the first place.
The serial killer story, too, has more to it than meets the eye, and is fueled, to some extent, by the idea that karma will avenge itself in behalf of all victims; so it's about the failings of the law system, among other things, to truly redress the balance. In fact, nothing can redress the balance; revenge will only do so briefly, with the blood of the victims crying out eternally. So, although, it may, on the surface, seem like exploitation of a violent act for profit, it is littered with statements about the human condition and the failings of mankind to self-govern and evolve socially.
Perhaps it might, now, make a bit more sense why I've been trying to get people to join the Pangaea's People roster, and pushing so hard, unsuccessfully most of the time, to get artists on Blip.fm, support each other on there. and on the other key musician sites like Twitter, Reverbnation, Facebook, Youtube, and, to a lesser extent, Myspace.
All of these sites can network with Blip.fm, acting as receivers, with Blip.fm acting as the transmitter. the networking sites, themselves, then act as transmitters broadcasting every post across hundreds of artist pages, which, in turn, broadcast to thousands upon thousands of pages. this is the idea of everyone being connected across all the networks, and everyone cross-promoting by re-posting every post they receive. If only a handful follow up, it doesn't work, but if everyone follows up, and sustains that activity over a long period, it will work, no question!
So, it is we, the artists, who kick start all the publicity for the mass collaboration; the media will pick up on it, and the radio plays will follow. And what is the long term intention of all this? The possibility of creating our own company (as well as kick starting individual careers), that can provide complete projects for every, and any kind, of business venture.
The idea of setting a world record is a very simple one, but its actual intent is to give birth to something much bigger!
By the way, it is not possible to copyright an idea, but publishing a rough draft of the execution of that idea is protected by law, and the details given here qualify on those grounds.
Remember, the use of all these sites is simply a means to an end. On their own, they will achieve very little for any of us. Music sites are seriously overcrowded, and what they offer is an illusion, but we can, collectively, use these tools to publicize what I believe is an innovative project that actually has major goals, which, if successful, will bring attention to individual artists in a way that will never happen through these music sites alone.
Anyone who seriously, and I mean seriously, wants to be part of all this, needs to confirm, first, that they definitely want to be part of it, and they need to read any Pangaea newsletters or emails they receive and respond so I know you've received and read the information, otherwise you will lose touch with the project, and that would be ruling yourself out, as you would have no idea what you are supposed to be doing, and I wouldn't know what you were aware of. The project needs artists who have vision, drive and ambition. The project is too big and too time-consuming to be able to spoon feed artists, so self-motivation and discipline are needed.
I will also need information about instruments you play, what models, the hardware or software you use, what genres you are comfortable with, in which aspects of a songs structure you particularly excel, whether you have mixing/producing skills, and when you might have a window in your schedule.
I need information to plot the course of the composition, the order in which instrumentation is laid down, to which there are many permutations, and ensuring that the whole composition is seamless from beginning to end. It cannot sound like it's been patched together; like some random mashup! There's plenty of that about.
And I really need the links to the different artist sites!
Regards,
Ste Van Horne
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Lastly, I have been posting details of other projects on the Pangaea Facebook page, and will be adding more, so please read through the different postings to see which take your fancy, and attach a comment to that effect if you are interested.
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And finally, just to repeat things--brevity isn't might strong point :)--if you don't have a blip.fm, twitter or youtube account yet please set them up and get your details to me. Activity on these sites is also critical to the success, and publicizing, of the mass collaboration and satellite projects. Every contribution adds up, and strengthens the image of Pangaea's People; enhancing it's reputation, contributing to making it a household name, and placing them names of the artists involved on more lips.
Remember, the use of all these sites is simply a means to an end. On their own, they will achieve very little for any of us; that statement is not intended to belittle anyone's contribution--it's just a harsh reality that applies to all of us. Music sites are seriously overcrowded, and what they offer is an illusion, but we can, collectively, use these tools to publicize what I believe is an innovative project that actually has major goals, which, if successful, will bring attention to individual artists in a way that will never happen through these music sites alone.
And for all music networks, this collective involvement will further their own projects, not just Pangaea's, because the cross-promotion will always be reciprocated. I get a bit distracted with all of this, so I would need a prod, so I know what I can do in return. With so much going on with all these music sites it isn't easy to keep track of all the activity generated by all the music networks and groups.
The projects were the reason why I set up the Pangaea roster from the start,, and why I've been trying to get artists to use blip.fm, twitter, youtube, facebook, as well as reverbnation, but I didn't want to dangle that carrot as a way of bringing artists in, which is why I've never mentioned them until now. In the end, I felt I had no choice because I wasn't making any progress getting artists on board without telling them the reason, and I was getting frustrated in the process; something that wasn't hard to miss in some of my newsletters and dealings with artists. If you are wondering why I tried to do it the hard way, it's because I was looking for genuine artists who are willing to support other artists without having the carrot for motivation, based on the summise that, if artists will go the extra mile when there seems to be little to be gained, they will work their socks off once they know there's a whole lot to be gained.
Regards,
Ste Van Horne
Hi All,
