Podcast to iTunes... the Devil's Details

Google would have you believe that you need to use burnfeeder to submit a podcast to iTunes. But you don't. In fact, burn feeder doesn't give you diddly squat for error messages. Google just wants you to use all of their products so they can munch and sell even more of your data.

I am going to eventually do that Zenophonic podcast. That one where I will have all my friends on it, too. I'll be giving new artists a chance and of course pimping my own ride.

But. If you have soundcloud it's pretty easy, breezy, beautiful to submit a podcast. And guess what, you don't need burnfeeder. Google soundcloud and iTunes podcast. It's under settings--> content. You will also want to tag each soundcloud upload as available via RSS. That's under metadata.

That's finally done. W00t.

It will be tomorrow before I can look myself up but I will post the link in here retroactively.

Wh00p wh00p. Better late than never.

Zenophonic Podcast

    I'm finally getting a podcast submitted to iTunes. It's called Zenophonic. After the record label I will start one day. I could have called this podcast Zenith but then it would be weird inviting friends to play on it. It's going to have deep tech house, deep techno, and anything else that is interesting. I'm leaving it open.

    In order to publish a podcast to iTunes, i needed to make an image for the channel cover art. Here it is. i am *not*, i repeat *not* a graphic designer. This is a nice start. If you have any thoughts/suggestions... Please send them to me :-)

First Release on Eats Everything & Nick Harris's new label Edible

So here's the first release on the new label Edible founded by Eats Everything and Nick Harris. Dinner is served :-)

Zenith - That Boom 31 Okt 2015 ZENR #004

Apartment Hunting in Berlin

It's completely mental. This woman tried to scam me. At the top of wg-gesucht it says don't ever do a wire transfer! She asked me to do a wire transfer without seeing the apartment. i'd have to be a moron to do that! of course she stripped out the ad number to make it hard to complain about her. She asked for a wire transfer from a family member to me as a guarantee.

All one needs is a good fake ID & a name to put on it & poofy money stolen. She kept e-mailing, too. She said you can trust me. If it *was* actually a woman. Number one red flag someone is lying???: Trust me

 The good news is I have another affordable apartment lined up. I see it tonight. The guy seems really eager. This new one is only for a month but I am going to focus all my energy on a permanent apartment for October on wards.

This is the first month I am really really going after it. Before I was avoiding it a little to the last minute. I have had some great deals but I move too frequently. if i wanted to lay down serious $$ then i could have an apartment tomorrow. but i don't.

Don't get me wrong. I love living in this city a lot. I have some cool new lady friends. My music is coming along. It's wild what one has to go through to stay here. Luckily I'm still paying less than half the rent of my SF apartment after 9 years rent control. Apparently a recent study ranked SF as the 3rd most expensive city in the *world*.

Funny I posted about this on face borg & some person from SF said... I have a friend living in Berlin & she doesn't like it either! wh-what? I <3 it.  Just because life here has challenges doesn't mean it isn't good. Everything in life that is worth it is worth hard work. It's a wonderful city. Everyone wants to live here. So do I. </rant>

Elektron Analog 4

A really cool friend of mine recommended this synthesizer to me. I want to kiss him although I won't. He's sweet & happily married. Which is his charm. 

But back to this synthesizer. I had one in the US but you couldn't do anything like what you can do with this. There's all sorts of free sounds & patches & kits.

If you look in the lower right those black & white buttons actually represent an octave. This isn't supposed to be a full on keyboard type of synth. This is something that's much more for grooves & sequences... It's a great electronic music maker. The best part is it's so compact.

This little guy is a game changer for me. 

What can I say? I love my life :-)

My new wheels

Since man invented the wheel, a pair or set of wheels has represented freedom, fun, and dare i say... a little bit of cool factor?

I happily gave up my vehicle when i left the US. We had lovely memories. I drove across country in her. As a 1998, between the maintenance costs & the occasional $63 street cleaning ticket & insurance... I thought at times I might choke.

A girl needs her wheels though. So I introduce to you my new baby. I didn't realize I was going out to the burbs of Berlin & it would take over 2.5 hours to ride her home, 3 if you include me getting a little lost (thank you apple maps for that road that doesn't exist anymore). She was well worth it.

Creative Energy is Seriously Weird Mojo

I hadn't realized how *set* I had become. I was privileged enough to have my own apt for 9 years. In SF. One of the major art cities of the US.

I didn't realize that I wouldn't always wake up with songs in my head like I did there.

But. I'm happy to report "They're B-a-a-a-a-c-k-k-k" (funny movie reference pun is on purpose)

Hopefully this is either the last or second to last place before I get an apartment I really want. I've heard from the 2 different apartment agents of good apartments & they both say my chances look great. In Germany they don't blow smoke up your back side... They just ignore you.

In early April this guy told me I should take this shoe-box because it was in the right place & I have to make compromises

I don't think my creative energy knows the meaning of the word compromise.

I know this because I just moved into this place. The owner is a lovely artist. She didn't clean up the space too much for me. But. She's talented in so many ways. I've enjoyed hanging out with her several times. She's a very lovely & very intelligent & caring person

And. Immediately I am having lovely dreams. This morning I woke up with this track in my head. The same one from 3 years ago in SF. I've already had so many ideas this morning. It's one of these days where I feel thrilled to be alive & living in this city I love.

I wish similar happiness for you.

Apartment Hunting in Full Effect

I've finished up with as much German class as I am going to do for now. So the apartment/room search is in full effect.

Firstly, thanks to a sweet dear wonderful German friend of mine for this link. He's been there for me through thick & thin. https://jonworth.eu/how-to-find-a-flat-in-berlin/

There's a lot to even getting your paper work ducks in a row to find a place.

I literally looked at over 500 listings today! I have 1 appointment tonight & 3 tomorrow. Tonight's is by invitation only but tomorrow's 3 are cattle calls. None of these are super great locations. But my longest German friend lives within walking distance. I really do love playing football (soccer) with him & his kids. His partner is a wonderful lady. And I'm nearby a cool club so this makes this location good for me.

One place in a great location has told me i made the final cut to have an appointment. the fine print? they are available 1 August. Also. they are a little more than i wanted to pay.

There's another place i am quite a bit excited about. Also a little more than what i want to pay.

alrightey universe! hook a sister up will you?

Oh... The Irony

When I decided to stop doing software engineering to do music full time, I had a very clear reason. Getting up at 5 AM to do music before my engineering job was exhausting! I could only do 3-4 hours on a good day. It seemed that always I would finally hit on something & have to leave to go to work. It truly sucked

These days I am back getting up at 5 AM again! Wh-what? My over 3 hours of German school starts at 13:00. The bike ride there is 30 minutes & you have to be early to get a decent seat. I have over 90 minutes of homework every day if I do all the vocabulary at the end of the chapters to include conjugating the verbs. We do 1-2 chapters every day.

German school wipes me out much in the same way that my engineering job used to. It's the equivalent of taking your brain & putting it inside a blender.

I spend a while online apartment hunting every morning. That takes longer than you think.

I do my DJing/track hunting after class.

I definitely need more time with my music. So 5 AM it is.

I have 3 more months of this to be able to take my fluency exam.

I was thinking about taking a break but my closest German friend made a very good point. He told me you know you will never go back. Once you get used to an easier schedule you won't do it. It's now or never. You have to suck it up. You can do it!

So I'm doing it. It's seriously ironic that I'm back to this.

Sweet Serendipity

It's so weird lately! It seems like everything I talk about with people comes through in one way or the other... Good or bad.

For an example of the bad... Some of my German-school classmates & I talked about tickets on the U-Bahn & danged if I didn't get one the very next day! I was running late to look at an apartment & didn't even think of getting a ticket to ride.

In SF the first ticket is $117... or was when I got one. The 3rd one gets up to oh-my-unf*ing-believeable expensive... You definitely don't want to jack with that dog. Well. The bright side is it's only 40 euros in Berlin. No matter how man times. Unless you let 3 go unpaid. Could be sooo much worse. Also, the ticket-writing guys were really nice to me about my ticket. Especially considering I was not carrying proper ID.

Well. This AM I was looking at the weekend & thinking I would go see this one DJ who used to live in SF who I booked before. He's got skills. But. I was feeling shy about going there. I don't know why.

Then. l was starving after class & went to this place a friend recommended. I looked up & saw a smile & a laugh. That guy I was going to go see on Sunday was right there. I swear I thought of him a bunch today & there he was!

I just had the best time talking to him & a mutual lovely friend. I'm reminded of what it means to be an American... an American living in Berlin. It's weird how seeing someone from SF who has been through a lot of what I have been through meant to me.

The universe is screaming at me loud & clear... Get out there! I'm really looking forward to seeing my old friends again this weekend and the next.

I truly feel blessed.

Back In School

I am back in school. German school. It's pretty intense. 3 hours per day 5 days/week plus 90 minutes of homework every day. I am really enjoying it though. My professor has mad scientist hair (think Albert Einstein). He's completely fluent in smart ass in both German & English. When he told us it was time for a break I was blown away. I will say that I am definitely tired at the end of class every day. The brain workout is something.

Somehow, being in German school is really good for my music production & music production helps me with my German school. Don't ask me how!

In  > 4 months I can have my B1 which means I can work anywhere in the world that requires German fluency.

Yes I am. I am going to be successful at languages, music production, & DJing all at the same time. Don't ask me how I am going to pull this off. I know I am going to be seriously tired but it's the good tired. I am very very determined though.

For six years all I have wanted was to live in Berlin & be fluent in German. For 11 years I've wanted to make fabulous music.

Now is my chance & I want to make the most of it. I am living my dream :-)

new DJ Set: In - 23 April 2015

I can't believe I haven't posted this yet. Doh! My music is evolving towards a new direction. I hope you like it as much as I do :-) Berlin is definitely making me very happy

new music direction

i feel like i should warn everyone that the music is a getting darker.

and it's not because i am unhappy. it's because for the first time in my musical career i feel free to play this way. the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

there were parties in SF that went this way. But. sadly those people kinda booked all their own + one out of towner. there was no room for me. cry.

enough jokes. seriously. in Berlin i know there's a bigger audience for this music because the scene is bigger. it's 8 million in berlin vs 781,000 approx in SF.

i've been dying to play this way just to do something different. so i'm going to play it. w00 h00

What? Wednesday Zenith Bon Voyage Party, tonight 25 March

Tonight (Friday, 20 March) at an underground

Everyone loves an underground :-) This is going to be one of my last SF DJ sets for a while! tonight come catch me alongside Jonesy & Laura Fontaine. Please contact me directly for details... This is an underground after all

This Thursday night (24 Feb) Airpusher FlyBy

I'm super excited to be playing with Airpusher tomorrow night! They always have great music & great vibes.

What: Airpusher FlyBy

Who: Cptn Jay (AirPusher)
         JKind (AirPusher)
         Zenith (Re:Edit)

When: Thu, 24 Feb
           7 PM - 2 AM
           set time: 9 - 11 PM

Where: 1539 Folsom Street
             San Francisco

no cover

isn't the environment work a little effort?

i have worked at a restaurant in the past so i *know* that a lot of times the boss tells you to put a to go plastic utensil pack in every pick up order. i used to do it when my boss watched but i usually just had 4 or 5 of those packs in my waitress pouch & i would ask the people as i passed them their pick up order. do you need any utensils??

BUT. i really do wonder how much plastic waste & therefore environmental damage is done by this practice. think about a subway where so many plastic bags are wasted because someone can't seem to balance a napkin & a sub.

i wish the people would ask if you need a fork before stuffing it in the bag you don't need & tying it so hard you have to destroy it to get the utensils you don't need out & get the bag back to them.

i know it's easier for the people serving the food but it's also kind of selfish. you don't want to take the time to ask people so you wreck the environment instead.

it takes 5 seconds to ask. i would gladly wait longer in line if that's what it takes for the register person to ask everyone in line. isn't the environment worth it?

Selling this Yamaha PSR-77 on E-bay which includes carrying bag & other goodies

I'm selling this Yamaha PSR-77 on E-bay which includes carrying bag with a shoulder strap *and* comfortable handles, an AC adapter, & a pluggable music stand. Get it now while it's toasty

Warning... this will scare the crap out of you!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10150450657143721

No More Tangents~

I'm still a newer music producer so I am finding it very hard to not get stuck on tangents. Doh! Luckily the track I've been working on now has been stuck in my head since last summer... so I'm not likely to forget things.

When I was Berlin I got stuck off on tangents so much... I forgot part of the track that popped in my head at Berghain. DOH! I didn't do a voice memo this time either. DOH DOH

Please universe give me some discipline so I can finish these tracks...

Tonight (Wed, 14 Jan) Jason Howard & Zenith at Wish

I'm delighted that Jason Howard (aka JKind) has asked me back to play with him. We'll each be jamming 2-hour sets.

What: EQ Wednesdays

Who: Jason Howard (AirPusher)
         Zenith (Re:Edit)

When: Wed, 14 Jan
10 PM - 2 AM
set time: 12 - 2 AM

Where: 1539 Folsom Street
San Francisco

no cover

DJ Set: O:Dark: 30

You know that time of the night where you've been at the party a bit... Everything is starting to gel. What time of night is it? Not 1:30 or 2:30... it's 0:Dark:30.

Getting By with a Little Help From My Friends

I think I had been in Berlin for maybe less than 24 hours when I heard from my friends who happen to be some Techno hardware genies. They needed to stash their gear. I showed them my little roll-up piano. One of them is also an ableton wizard of 14 years. Next thing you know we were making a techno track. B was doing the beats while I did the elements on top & had input with the beats.

This process made me realize why I was having a hard time finishing with tracks I'm producing. I realized I started the wrong way. I think because drums are in my DNA i've been starting with them first. But the ideas in my head are always catchy cool melodies with all the trimmings.

So now I'm starting with the melodies & WOW! Tracks are coming out quickly & much more easily.

I just made the weirdest fun track last night. Right now I'm calling it the Caterpillar. It will be the down tempo original. Then I'm going to chop up the elements & put some dance beats underneath it & poof. Release.

Well it's not quite that easy but I'm very happily getting the music out of my head into tracks so that's what's important. I've never been able to successfully do this before so it's huge! Go technology :-)

Freshly Back in SF 14 Jan @ Wish

I'm delighted that JKind has asked me back to play with him. We'll each be jamming 2-hour sets.

What: EQ Wednesdays

Who: JKind (AirPusher)
         Zenith (Re:Edit)

When: Wed, 14 Jan
10 PM - 2 AM

Where: 1539 Folsom Street
San Francisco

no cover

Roll-Up Piano FTW

I've really been loving using this little guy for making my music. Funny thing is his box didn't even have a brand name on it... It just read: "USB Midi Roll-Up Piano".

I haven't come up with a name yet but I'm thinking perhaps Simon??? What do you think?

Jon Stewart owns Bill O'Reilly

I have been wanting to watch this for sometime... It was really enjoyable & highly recommended.

Charlie Hebdo

#charliehebdo really blows my mind. two men with machine guns walked into the morning staff meeting & asked for the guys by name... executed them & then proceeded to kill everyone in the meeting. think about that.

Charlie Hebdo could be sexist at times but i've always respected them for not being afraid to exercise their free speech. Besides sexism is kinda old news, yes? what i mean is when their paper was sexist.... i just ignored it.

they had a police man with them for protection. these guys put an ak-47 to someone's head & got the building code & marched right in. in fact, the security at most companies would not be enough to protect from something like this. i am afraid they have given other criminals ideas & that there's more of this to come & it saddens me.

i hope the people at Charlie Hebdo & their families can stay strong. i can't imagine what those who lost their loved ones are going through. my heart is with them.#jesuischarlie