D R E K K A N E W S A R C H I V E : 2 0 0 8 - 2 0 1 0
[ A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBIT BEHIND THE SCENES : SEVENTH DAY OF DECEMBER 2010 ]
E allora...
I am back from my November tour of Italian, and it was AMAZING! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who was so nice to me and came to the shows, put me up in their homes, fed me amazing meats, cheeses and wine, let me hang out with them on my rare days off... I love you all!
Now... winter... I am re-organizing my office and getting ready to dive headlong into far too many projects for one man to accomplish.
New bands, tons of Drekka material, archiving and assessing... it's going to be a handful!
The best way to stay up to the minute on what's going on is to check the BLUESANCT TUMBLR all the news updates and exclusive content!
For now... I am going to bed.
D R E K K A N E W S : OCTOBER 2010
[ A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBIT BEHIND THE SCENES : SECOND DAY OF OCTOBER 2010 ]
What matters on tour; round two...
So, BLUESANCT just celebrated it's 15th ANNIVERSARY with a little mini-fest here in Bloomington... Annelies Monsere and Circle Brothers were here from Belgium, plus a host of local artists both on and associated with the label.
For those who don't know yet, DREKKA/BLUESANCT have a TUMBLR page now, on which we update news and post exclusive content on a regular basis... CHECK IT OUT.
The big news here at DREKKA HQ is that in less than one month, I will be taking leaving for a three weeks tour of Italy. I am very excited to return to Italy, and once again the amazing ONGA at BORING MACHINES is helping me book the gigs and organize the trip.
I will update the tour dates on the HOME section of the site... so, if you are in Italy, or know someone who is, check there and come out and say hi!
Once I get home from tour, I will be diving headlong into completing around four near finished projects... but, more of those later.
As usual, be sure to check my TUMBLR and FLICKR pages for lots of on tour photos along the way!
See you soon!
D R E K K A N E W S : APRIL 2010
[ A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBIT BEHIND THE SCENES : TWENTY-NINTH DAY OF APRIL 2010 ]
My Spring as a Salvation Soldier
In two weeks, Sarah and I will get on a MegaBus and fly to Iceland for the first of the 'Matters of Tone' 2010 tours.
Well, first we'll take the bus to Minneapolis and fly from there, but you know what I mean.
DREKKA will be doing a tour of the entire island, the whole ring road around Iceland, for the first time! Coming with will be our good friend, Thorir, who performs under the name MY SUMMER AS A SALAVATION SOLDIER... check him out, it's gooooooooood!
I am still working on ideas, but I *may* have a new live cassette with me special for the tour. Maybe... I'll let you know, if it happens.
Tonight, I did a bunch of updates on the site...
... I added a new REVIEWS section, which I will add lots to as time allows.
... I added a couple new live things to the SOUNDS section, incl a whole live concert from the first leg of the 'Matters of Tone' tour, and an exclusive collaboration track with DREKKA and ANNELIES MONSERE... I also added links to various YOUTUBE videos of DREKKA out there.
So, for now I am going to get back to work on a couple things that may or may not be done before I leave... I just last night completed my track for the upcoming BLUESANCT comp, entitled 'TWELVE-FOOT WIZE' and including exclusive tracks from most of the bands on BLUESANCT including CINDYTALK, RIVULETS, DREKKA, ANNELIES MONSERE, CAETHUA, VOLLMAR and lots more...
I'll be posting lots and lots of photos on the DREKKA FLICKR while we're in Iceland, so check it out if you are bored at work.
D R E K K A N E W S : JANUARY 2010
[ A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBIT BEHIND THE SCENES : TWENTY-FOURTH DAY OF JANUARY 2010 ]
Welcome to the Drekka Soundsystem
2010 is here... a new decade and there is always that built in pressure to 'make this one count' or some sort of nonsense.
Here at Bluesanct HQ, we are going to simply keep on keeping on... and we hope you will come along.
2009 ended with a lot of exciting travel for me... first was the MATTERS OF TONE tour to celebrate the 13th Annivesary re-issue of my first two cassettes from 1996... then came a two week vacation in Jamaica to relax and listen to dancehall (photos of the trip can be seen HERE
I just updated the discography with three new items, all of which are also AVAILABLE NOW at the Bluesanct Mail Order site.
There are not one, but TWO new full-lengths from Drekka... one of which is even a DOUBLE CD with a hand-made book! The other is a full-length cassette, out on Digitalis Limited and already SOLD OUT at the label site. SO, get that one now, or forever hold your peace (or go find a download of it somewhere).
The other exciting new release I am involved with is the second full-length album by ANNELIES MONSERE! It took almost as long as a Drekka album to make (ALMOST), but it was worth the wait... and it features all sort of guests, from Drekka to Vollmar and rivulets to Jessica Bailiff, Circle Brothers and Puddle Parade! A Day2 Alliance all-star ensemble!
As my mind and mood allows, I have some goals for this year which I think should be reasonable and achievable:
1) Finish new Drekka album, entitled 'Tarwestraat' and begun over two years ago.
2) Finish second collected works set, with everything recorded in 1997.
3) Get rid of over 1/2 my stuff, incl most of the Bluesanct back catalogue.
4) Tours... a small east coast tour in March to see my folks, a two week tour of Iceland in June and a full month of Europe in autumn, hopefully including Scandinavia.
5) As Wim put it, to have some sort of life outside Bluesanct/Drekka.
Lots of stuff to do... and a huge list of other possible things likely to happen as well... two things coming up are a live cassette on El Tule and a live collaborative track by DREKKA and ANNELIES MONSERE for FRIENDS & RELATIVES... both are culled from recordings from the MATTERS OF TONE tour, taken from shows in Belgium... more info on those soon.
For now, welcome in 2010 and I'll be in touch soon.
As always. sorry for the rambling.
[ A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBIT BEHIND THE SCENES : NINTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2009 ]
A BRAND NEW WEBSITE FOR DREKKA
It's been years since I did a site overhaul... and with the upcoming tour and re-issue and new tape and new album... I thought it was about time.
I am working hard on filling the last few dates to be booked for the 'Matters of Tone' tour of Europe. There is a little mini-site for the tour HERE... which I will update with tour dates as they confirm.
It looks a lot like this new layout... and not coincidentally.
I just sent Brad Rose at DIGITALIS LTD the artwork and tracks for a new live cassette coming out in time for the tour... entitled 'ANCESTRAL CAVE SEQUENCE', it is a 40min live cassette recorded as a series of improvised soundtracks for a short film by Nathan Vollmar and Andrew Perry Davis. it all went down 11 Jan 08, as the opening reception for Andrew's sculpture exhibition entitled, 'Clan of the Cave Mouse'. I love the tape, which involved a stream-of-consciousness collaging of various recordings of DREKKA covers by friends over the years... voices and instruments played by Day2 luminaries such as Mark Trecka, Angelica Busque and many more... even the mysterious Icelandic teen terror, Almar makes an appearance.
I also spent a good portion of August studying the art of mastering, downloading various demos and finally settling on the amazing Izotope Ozone mastering suite... then came a 17hr session wrestling with the masters for the first two DREKKA cassettes from 1996. I am VERY happy with the results and I feel like the remastered CD version of these tapes greatly improve the sonic landscape of the original recordings, without too much changes or revisionism... they are the same recordings... just a lot more commanding.
I can't wait for the set to come out on MORC this winter. The discs are all ready to go and at the plant, so I am hoping they will be ready in time for tour.
While intensely going through every single recording I did in 1996, I came across (quite unexpectedly) almost 30min of unreleased tracks from the first two album sessions. These fit really nicely, and make the package a full 2hrs of music!
DREKKA - 'Someday I will be called upon regarding matters of tone - Collected Works: Volume One' 2CD set... coming this winter on MORC RECORDS, Belgium!
In addition to all this, AND running my record store full-time, I managed to get a few new Bluesanct releases out... head over to BLUESANCT.com for more info on those... BODUF SONGS, BODY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, SYNTHESISIA, HENRY BLOOD... all good things.
So, to recap... TOUR in NOVEMBER... TAPE in NOVEMBER... CDs in WINTER... NEW SITE...
Exciting times.
And then, after tour will come the assault on finishing an entirely new DREKKA album... the long simmering 'Tarwestraat'... it's going to be a beauty.
See you on the road.
Mkl.
[ A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBIT BEHIND THE SCENES : SIXTEENTH DAY OF APRIL 2009 ]
DREKKA TO TOUR EUROPE IN NOVEMBER 2009
It's true... it's been years... since BLUE BUS MOUNTAIN, I think... 2005? I've been over for a couple shows, and on tour with rivulets... but, it's been a while since I've done a proper Drekka tour in Europe.
The recent DREKKA/DYLAN ETTINGER TOUR I did was a lot of fun and went really well. I've got a whole set of new material, plus a couple new releases coming up... sounds like time for a tour to me, right?
Currently planning out rough itinerary, so if you have any ideas or want to host a show, let me know.
I am working like crazy to finish up the new batch of releases over at BLUESANCT... BODUF SONGS 10", SYNTHESISIA CD, BODY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST CD... and a new series on my other label, ORPHANOLOGY... all of these will be unveiled soon on the BLUESANCT SITE.. stay tuned over there for news.
Once those are all in the can and in production-land, it's all about DREKKA and my post-punk band, TURN PALE, for the rest of the year baby! TURN PALE has been stalled in the water for our third full-length, awaiting my lyrics for the songs... I've got a sort of writer's block on it, as the words I wrote a couple years ago no longer mean anything to me... I need to just listen to the album a few dozen times and let the songs speak to me... come up with a new story to tell with it.
DREKKA, on the other hand, is NOT stalled in any way... it is clambering at the gate, ready to burst through with lots of sounds and releases.
My main project right now, the archiving of all recordings to date by DREKKA, will present it's first fruits in time for the tour, I hope... MORC will be issuing a CD (possible 2CD) containing the earliest released stuff I did in 1994-1996, including the first DREKKA tape, entitled 'Grieve'. On looking back through the archives, it seems I made several different versions for this album with alternate track listings. I am consulting a couple DAY2 experts to see what these track listings were, and come up with a definitive one for the CD release. If you, somehow, have a copy of 'Grieve' on cassette, PLEASE BE IN TOUCH and email me the track listing so we can make this as accurate as possible.
In addition to the archive releases, the new DREKKA album, entitled 'Tarwestraat' is taking shape. One track from it I have been playing in my recent live sets, and it is settling in nicely. I hope to have most of the tracks ready to play out on my autumn tour, and then come home and finish the last mixing before the end of the year. I am very excited about this album, the first totally new DREKKA full-length since... 1998? And I am very thrilled to have so many amazing players on it; Annelies Monsere, Wim Lecluyse (Morc/Circle Brothers), Chris Gowers (Karina ESP) and more to come. It is going to be the best thing DREKKA has done yet, I know it!
But, before 'Tarwestraat' is finished will likely come a couple new cassette releases. The follow up to my 'PIA' cassette on El Tule (which is almost sold out, BTW) will contain field recordings and performances from my trip to Nepal in 1999. I will also have a live cassette on the tape branch of the Digitalis Industries empire containing the beautiful 'Ancestral Cave Sequence' performances from last year, done as part of an installation performance with my friend ANDREW PERRY DAVIS.
So, yeah... always too much going on... but, I plan on delivering the goods! Trust me.
I love you all.
Mkl.
[ A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBIT BEHIND THE SCENES : SIXTH DAY OF MARCH 2009 ]
DREKKA/DYLAN ETTINGER SPRING BREAK TOUR, MARCH 13-21 2009
I am heading out on tour for a an extended week, beginning FRIDAY 13th!
DREKKA and DYLAN ETTINGER (whom I will be playing drums and singing with), we will be heading east for a 'Spring Break 09' tour for a an extended week, beginning FRIDAY 13th!
Dates/venues/etc are listed at the DREKKA MYSPACE PAGE (and don't forget to friend us).
Let me know if you will be coming to a show so we can meet up.
Still working on the Drekka archive... the first fruits of which will be out later this year. My Belgian counterparts at MORC will be issuing the first in a series of releases collecting the recorded output of Drekka to date. Beginning at the... well, beginning, it will include the 'Grieve' cassette from 1996, with it's various satellite recordings from 95/96. I am super excited not only to get this series off the ground, but also to be working with MORC once again.
A couple new things coming soon, too. More info on that when they are completed.
For now, come out and see us play, if you are in the area. We'd love to see you all.
Mkl.
[ A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBIT BEHIND THE SCENES : TWENTY-SECOND DAY OF JANUARY 2009 ]
THE NEWS OF THE MOMENT IS: DREKKA - 'PIA:Flight 813/761' (C-30)!!!
The Imperial forces are guarding the new DREKKA cassette, but you can get one (if you know the password... and have $7). My good friend DYLAN ETTINGER just released this tape on his new cassette label, EL TULE. It's available NOW over at the BLUESANCT SITE.
This cassette, entitled 'PIA: Flight 831/761' is a 30 minute sound journal I recorded in the airspace of Pakistan on October 16, 1999. While travelling home from Nepal that day, my friends and I were delayed for a few hours in Karachi airport because there was a coup happening in Islamabad! We weren't in any danger, but it was still quite intense.
Side A features an extended spontaneous harmonium piece entitled 'Ke Garne' (Nepalese for 'What to do')... layered harmonium melodies blend with the sound of the airport and CNN reporting the coup live as it unfolds.
Side B features a 15 minute master-mix of the exciting in-flight entertainment offered on board PIA... enjoy the sound of the plane and an eclectic A.D.D. shitfest of sound!
This is the first in series of audio journal cassettes from the Drekka archives... the next one, recorded in and around Kathmandu, Nepal, should be out in a month or so... followed by... ?
In other news relating to Drekka and DYLAN ETTINGER, we will be heading east for a 'Spring Break 09' tour in March... most of the dates are confirmed and listed already on the DREKKA MYSPACE PAGE (and don't forget to friend us).
Let me know if you will be coming to a show so we can meet up.
I am still working on the Drekka archiving project... came across some great video footage the other day... and I am still looking for a home to a few misc. projects... so, if you've got a label and would like to add DREKKA to your roster... BE IN TOUCH!
I'll be back in a few weeks with more exciting news... or with something, at least.
Mkl.
[ A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBIT BEHIND THE SCENES : TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY OF DECEMBER 2008 ]
I got SO MANY Lego Stormtroopers, and a Jawa and DENGAR (and Obi Kenobi) for Christmas! If you ever want to get a present for the rabbit who has everything, I can ALWAYS use more Lego Stormtroopers!
Well, as you know we are in the midst of all this holiday craziness, so I haven't gotten a whole lot of work done recently. But, I will begin work again in ernest starting in January.
In the meantime, as I mentioned on the Bluesanct news page, I have a new album finished which needs a home. It's called 'Ancestral Cave Sequence' and it is a Drekka mastermix of sorts... recorded live as a soundscape for a friend's art installation, it distills the collaborative essence of Drekka into four collages using the voices of many of my friends interpretting Drekka songs.
If you run a label or feel like starting one, let me know and we can talk. And if you run a label, but don't want to release a full-length necessarily, I am always up for comps, singles, weird sized vinyl... 8-track tapes... flashdrives... whatever.
Get in touch! I got's the sounds, if you got's the means!
Well... got to dash... the new Doctor Who Christmas Special just finished downloading.
Mkl.
[ A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBIT BEHIND THE SCENES : TWELFTH DAY OF DECEMBER 2008 ]
Work on the DREKKA ARCHIVE is coming along really well... and quickly. Been coming across lots of great stuff I haven't heard in a LONG time... lots of stuff by VIR, LOVESLIESCRUSHING and the like, as well...
I played a show the other night at my friend Dylan's house... Vollmar played, too. I did a new piece... a work-in-progress for the new 'TARWESTRAAT' album I am slowly ruminating on.
It's been really fun working on stuff again, after a long time of being relatively shut down. Largely due to the unending persistence of DYLAN ETTINGER... been playing drums in his 'band' with Clark... and he's been on my ass about doing stuff. Thanks, dood!
More news and stuff after the turn of the new year... incl. info on a small east coast tour DREKKA will be doing in March (w/ Dylan)...
For now, have a happy holidaze and I'll see you on the other side.
Mkl.
[ A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBIT BEHIND THE SCENES : TWENTY-SIXTH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2008 ]
I have to run and pick up Sarah from work, but here is my new NEWS PAGE which I will be updating more frequently... I promise!
The big news of today is the discography update... it's pretty massive and it'll greatly help me in my archiving project.
I'll do another post in the next day or two. I have been going through my DATs and finding all kinds of crazy stuff. Today, I found a DAT with some Tiltmaster remixes I had done with Brian McBride (of Stars of the Lid/Pilot Ships) at his place in the late 90's. Totally forgot about those!
Lots of crazy stuff from the '19' and 'Hope...' sessions with Kirstin and Mat Devine (of Kill Hannah)... loads of lovesliescrushing and Vir stuff with Scott... it's really nice to think back to those times and remember recording in my dramped apartments in Chicago... here in Bloomington, I've got a HUGE basement to record in and I almost never take advantage of the space... I am an ungrateful louse of a man, I am!
Okay, now I am REALLY late... bye!
Mkl.