The Eye of the Hurricane

Image: Some new artwork for the NEW classic black sleeve jersey which is now available in the shop now.

Good morning, It’s Friday in Augustus.

On the heels of a little hurricane coming up the pacific coastline. Just a little update as things are moving along for my little “breakers” record.

Video Update: It’s been another week of post-production on the “Long is the Road” music video. I wish it moved faster but it doesn’t. Computers can only crunch data so fast even on SSD drives and IMAC computers I’m limited by computer chip power. Video is looking great so far from what I can tell by the post footage and some quick edits I’ve done. Occasionally I drop a little story on my @diamondshadder408 instagram page or the Diamonds Hadder youtube shorts page if you’re interested in seeing some of the background stuff. It’s a little race to get it done before the snow starts falling in the sierras. I tend to be distracted by winter storms in California and me and Ezra generally make a pilgrimage up to white mountain to reflect on the years work and to hunt miligoths. I can’t promise I will be done with the video before I leave, but I’m trying very hard to complete it before I get swept up in all that wandering.

Beyond the Breakers Release: For the most part, considering I didn’t really do any paid promotion on the release yet. Response has been pretty good and I’ve done two interviews in Europe so far. Both should be released in September or so. One with a magazine in Germany called Deaf Forever and another in Greece called Rock Pages. I’m so grateful. I can’t thank Michael Kohsiek and Yiannis Dolas enough for reaching out and for sharing and wanting to help promote Diamonds Hadder overseas. True warriors of the cause are these two lords. I won’t forget it. God Bless. Aside from that, the video really is the key I need to open the door I’ve been walking towards. So all energy is on that key. Quick shout out to all my new metal friends around the world that have been listening to and supporting the record. I read and appreciate every email.

Merch: A quick thanks for those people who purchased Dimonds Hadder shirts. Feel free to send me pics of you in them around town, I might use them for a music video at some point. I added a new classic black sleeve jersey style this week and some posters. I have to say I’m fairly impressed with the 24 by 36 inch poster. I have one in my studio as I get samples of anything I design before I post them. It’s a pretty formidable poster. It’s nice to see now and then at a glance. Such a long road this record, its great to have a totem to some degree.

Website: You might notice the "News" page had some glitches the last few weeks. Some of the graphics were bogging the site down. I admit it, I was getting a little lazy with the maintenance of the news page. This week I did some summer cleaning. It should be loading fine now. You can still access all the years of news through the "see it all" link at the bottom of the news feed which basically documents the making of the Beyond the Breakers record. Its down their somewhere. But the large graphic pages I designed each week, well, I have to keep them to a minimum on the NEWS page for loading reasons. Soon as I have a second or two, I'll add links to all the past news graphic strips as they are kind of fun to see.

Other things: Well that’s it for now. Under the hurricane I’ll be waiting for the interviews to go live while keeping my head down grinding away at the new music video. Lord Jules should be giving me the latest Illustration for the field note called “Klipso”. Perhaps I’ll be sharing that and the video for it soon enough as well. Lots of reflection this week as some of the interviews had me reliving my life and thinking about who I am and where I came from. It’s a sobering and humbling process looking back at life experiences. We really are a sum of all parts, measured by years and decades more so than months and weeks. The big strides, well, they happen so gradually that it’s hard to plan or anticipate them really. You just kind of notice it after the fact… that you were here and now suddenly your there. The middle is a bit messy. Anyway, try to remember that as your practicing or honing your own craft and running your own marathon. Eventually you’ll be there. Enjoy the view for now the best you can and stay the course. You are moving, even when it seems like things are still. Good luck to you.

One last thing, My girl Bella has now had her 3rd chemotherapy session. She handled this one better than the 2nd which was a nice blessing this week. Please send her your prayers.

Farewell

-j

Transcending Athênai

Image: One of about 200 stills that are connected and that will run under the "Long is the Road" music video.

Good morning, it’s Friday in August. A little update today as I break away from video editing and postproduction on the new “Long is the Road” video. A lot has been happening lately. I’ll do my best to cover it all, pardon me if I get a little deep this morning as I’m smelling autumn in the air here in LA.

Where to start. That’s an interesting 3 three words don’t you think. In life we wake each day and have decisions to make. Where to start? This week I’m feeling the echos of my past smashing into me. Ripples from waves set in motion long ago. Rocks I threw in the ocean years ago are now sending waves crashing on my shore. It’s delightful to see actually. A bit stormy in a pleasant kind of way. That’s just the way life works. I love the storms here along the pacific.

Thank you: I just wanted to start by saying thank you. The breakers record is finding it’s way across the pacific. It’s falling on kind ears and it’s echoing positive feelings so far. Look, I understand very well that it’s not for everyone. That’s life you know. Along the way of our dreams we have to cut some things loose, we have to make decisions… what you can control is being honest with what your creating. It’s the one true factor you should always consider while your crafting the world of your dreams. I’ll tell you a little story: I awoke Saturday morning to an email from someone overseas who heard my record and took it upon themselves to write me a message. I won’t tell you the whole message but there was one thing that stood out to me. It said that my record made the person feel like a kid again. That struck a chord in me. It’s about the greatest thing anyone could have eve said to me. There’s something about growing up. The memories we acquire. They linger don’t they. They certainly linger in me. I refuse to forget the things that made me. It’s fascinating to me how we somehow become the things we like in life. It happens so slowly at times that you don’t really realize it. We are the sum of all things accumulated over time. Not perfect in any one moment, but more so just a beautiful mess of everything until those things are so many that they, or you, become one again, so to say. A perfect harmony with your passions and desires. Sorry, I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed as of late with some of the kind reactions to my “breakers” record and it’s a warm feeling after so many long and cold hours in the tower. So, to some of my new friend around the world, you know who you are. Thank you for listening and for sharing with me. I appreciate it.

Long is the Road Music Video: It’s about 5 weeks now I’ve been working on the new music video for long is the road. That might seem like a long time and I suppose it is really, but that’s what it takes. And it’s actually a lot of fun. There’s been 4 video shoot days that all have to go through postproduction, grading, FX, velocity maps, grains, lights. It’s a lot. Vocal shoots are done. Generally, when I’m editing music videos, I have two IMACs running through the night batch processing files. They get set up during the day and batch while I sleep. Digital monsters crunching data file. “Punch punch punch transferring data into code.” Almost done with post. Behind the scenes of that, there are back drop zoom panning artwork clips that run through the entire song, about 200 images, those took about 3 weeks to complete, talking animations, 70’s style mood board cutaways, kind of like throwing old polaroid’s on the floor with moving scenes inside of them. An idea I had months ago during my late night LA fitness dream time workouts in the city. Then there’s the extra clips for filler stuff. Just need to shoot guitar sequences now. Perhaps this weekend. Those are the final clips I’ll be doing before I sit and do the final editing, which actually goes pretty quick once you have everything at your fingertips. I’m still on track for my 30 day estimate, 23 days left. I think it’s doable. Once I close the guitar shoot it’s just a pretty march to the finish line. Fingers crossed.

To Greece with love: Just wanted to thank Yiannis Dolas over at Rock Pages in Athens for the recent review of the "Beyond the Breakers” record. We also did an interview and I had a great time with that. I'll let ya know when the interview goes up. It was nice to look back on the making of this record, from that first dream about evermore and all the things that happened in between and after. What a journey. It’s people like Yiannis, passionate about their own craft, listening to the wind themselves for their own reasons and rhymes… searching for things out there… past their own breakers… connecting dots and reaching out into the darkness, across the pacific… that give me hope. There’s just something about heavy metal, that Transends water barriers and land masses. Some common thing that gets in our blood like a beautiful heavy virus we all share. I’m happy to be part of that infection. Anyway, from the bottom of my heart, thanks Yiannis.

A link to the Rock Pages review. www.rockpages.gr

Well that’s it for now, I really must go tend to my little IMACs and their robotic digital tasks. “AI” and computers are one thing, but robots will always need someone to build them and give them direction. At least for a few more years. NM 156, I suppose I’m up for the task for now. They sure do batch processing quite well. Hope your enjoying some loud Diamonds Hadder most nights, under dark headphones, while the storms are passing outside your own windows of life. I hope your seeing your own evermore out there and dreaming about all you can be. God bless.

-j

PS. I added a nice "Beyond the Breakers" POSTER to the shop this week. They print really well especially in the 24 by 36 size.

Digger

Image: A video still from the upcoming "Long is the Road" music video.

It’s Wednesday in August. Pardon me for a mid week update, but things are a bit busy on the video front and today I find myself with a little break from the action today.

Lots of little things are going on and I just wanted to give a little update.

First, thank you all for the recent comments on the “Stargazer” video I was involved in. I think as my Diamonds Hadder record dropped digitally a few weeks ago I’ve noticed a few more eyeballs on the stargazer video and I really appreciate the comments and thoughts. As some of you may know, I’m somewhat of an introvert who likes making art and records and not so much the art of being a social media person. I did recently make a new instagram page to mark the occasion of the record release and I imagine it will be a place I sometimes frequent as I create. I’ve noticed lots of new friends there @diamondshadder408 and I just wanted to say thanks again for stopping in and saying hey. I’m very humbled by the heavy metal community and always very grateful for any show of support.

Music Video: Well, I’m full gear into the new music video for “Long is the Road”. I have one guitar shoot left and then I start the final editing. I’ve been swimming in post production for weeks now and I’m almost turning that corner. This video is looking really cool and I'm fairly excited about it. Once it’s done, I hope to official do a proper record release here in the states. Might even go to active rock radio with “Long is the Road”. We’ll see. I am hoping for a video release in 30 days, fingers crossed. That gives me a little something to complete before my autumn pilgrimages.

Interview: I have an interview scheduled with www.rockpages.gr on the weekend. That should be a lot of fun. It’s my first real interview for the “Breakers” record. It seems the record has been floating around Greece as of late. That makes me happy. I know those people over there are true metal heads. Perhaps they’ll pass it around. I’ll try to post a link once the interview is available. Thanks Yiannis.

Bella: A little update on my girl Ezra, she’s had her second round of chemotherapy and although her spirits are a little low this week, she's doing ok. She’s one tuff girl. Rough few months ahead I imagine before I can take her to the hills above BOK again. Feel free to send prayers and love her way. She’s a real sweetheart.

Rehearsals: Rehearsals will be my autumn and winter endeavor. Just to many T’s to cross and I’s to dot before I can plunge fully into some live shows here in LA and abroad. However, I’m very much looking forward to getting out on the road in support of this record. After all, isn't that’s what this was all about in the first place?

Anyway, thanks for listening and following along. Dig!!!

-your friendly dead rabbit

PS: Some new ways to listen to some good old Diamonds Hadder:

Spotify:

Apple Music:

Amazon Music: