The Actual Update

I had promised a substantial update after vanishing for the second half of the summer. It should come as no surprise that I've been too busy to update this site, but that's also unfair as lowering the level of urgency to update this "portfolio in progress" goes against its purpose.

The spring was difficult. I held together a worthwhile amount of freelance writing jobs, but the constant struggle to find steady work was taking its toll on me. I was eventually offered a job in fine dining food service on Fire Island, and I couldn't find a reason to say no. The idea of surrounding myself in a routine of manual labor seemed like an incredible break for my spirit and mental health, which were being constantly dragged down by the respective rise and fall of desirable interviews and reluctant rejections. I think everyone hated saying no because it was such a hard time for all of us - the economy, in my opinion, was at its absolute worst and while most of America remained or grew in its unemployment, the relationship between the music industry and the concept of job security was in shambles.

While the experience may not have been exact for everyone, this certainly describes the scenario for myself and many other hardworking artists that I have a personal connection to: editors, DJ/producers, label owners, publicists and [definitely, definitely] writers. By the time my birthday came around in mid-July, I went on official hiatus (if I could even call it that), and ceased to write for about two months.

Terrified of what the freelance world was going to be like when I returned, I am beyond grateful and thrilled to hold two great positions. One is a more involved writing position with NoiseCreep - AOL's metal blog that has been growing like a teenager on steroids - which requires me to be increasingly attached to the happenings in the metal world. Additionally, a very good friend connected me with Forward Management - a booking and management firm that was started by François K and his Wave Music business partner, Aurelie Brambilla. I'm now working part-time alongside Aurelie to book the artists on Forward's roster, which I'm also excited about. Electronic music - like most large and thriving genres - is full of a copious amount of crap, and it's an honor to have the opportunity to work with a particular company that has history, taste and integrity. The few people I've met who are a part of the project are truly genuine, and as far as gut feelings go the green light has been brighter than ever.

There are a few other projects, hopes and ideas on the horizon. I am still writing for Resident Advisor and already have my eye on outlets that I have been waiting for the right time to approach. The time is now!

(P.S. To fellow friends: I discovered the beauty that is Texas Hold 'em this summer, and if you feel like losing some money then bring it on.)

Back From The Fire

It's been a long month or two of silence, but it was much needed. While my summer was nothing near dreadful, it was impossible to keep up with the outside world. Fire Island is an interesting place, and the particular neighborhood I found myself in was incredibly insular, isolated from the rest of the world. An Internet connection alone wasn't enough, so I hung up my coat and sat on the beach for a month (and worked my ass of in a restaurant, to boot).

But now the pieces are being picked up exactly where they left off, and already the wheels are in considerable motion. You can expect to see much more on NoiseCreep and Resident Advisor, and I have some big plans for the coming fall. This also includes a move to Brooklyn, which, after much thought, turned out to be the wisest option for everything that I am wanting to do...which is, as always, a wide variety of things.