It’s late Saturday night… early Sunday morning technically. Been a long week, but a good one, filled with plenty of work and play. Am currently typing this on the A train, on my way home from Stephen‘s pad in Brooklyn, where much beer and professional wrestling (The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro to exact) was consumed. So aside from killing some time on a subway ride that (not surprisingly) is taking forever, I also want to avoid another update that’s so big that hardly anyone will get through it, hence a (relatively) brief one week later post:
- Finally got my press pass confirmed for PAX Prime on Monday, thank goodness. Not to complain, but they’re making it tougher to gain entry in such a manner, and that’s understandable, given how big the whole thing has become. Still, was seriously worried (and annoyed I’ll admit) over the possibility of not getting a golden ticket Long story short; their list of requirements was something I simply could not comply with. Thankfully the 12 plus list of links from GameSetWatch and Guyism from the prior three days alone I passed along was enough for them to say “Okay, this guy’s sorta legit.”
I also finally nabbed my plane tickets for back home as well; will be spending the last half of August in Washington State. Aside from PAX, which will essentially be the capper to the trip (and what a party it will be; seems like EVERYONE will be in Seattle this year), I’ll be helping my father enter the 21st Century. Basically, will try to get internet hooked up at my dad’s apartment, help him pick out a computer, as well as show him how to use it, along with an iPhone, plus set-up Netflix as well (might get him a Roku box as well). All because both the local Hollywood Video and Blockbuster are out of business, so he can no longer watch Jean-Claude Van Damme flicks like he used to.
Back to PAX; as excited as I am to hang with pals, especially Adam, Cory, Mare, Lamar, and the rest of the Fangamer crew (btw, for those who’ve been wondering what the heck is up with Attract Mode, all I can say is keep your eyes peeled), what I’m most hyped for is to be in Seattle to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nevermind/Ten/Badmotorfinger! Haven’t heard of any festivities or the like, but… there has to be one, right?
- I also managed to get my panel submissions in for the New York Comic Con/New York Anime Festival just in the nick of time! I’m basically aiming to repeat myself yet again; hey, folks want to hear about why the Japanese game industry is in shambles and how to get a job in games as well.
Am hoping they give The Best And Worst Games Of All Time (That You’ve Never Heard Of) another shot, due to the technical issues from last time. Hey, being able to retain 70% of the crowd once I admitted that there was a video problem, and having everyone just sit up front while I held up my tiny ass laptop screen has to account for something, right?
- Despite being knee deep in my daily duties, managed to do a decent chunk of work on the zine, the most since being sidetracked by personal drama. Am pretty happy about that! And as also noted, the delay has been nothing but good, since it just keeps getting bigger and better in all sorts of manner! Which will be become evident in due time.
Even found the time to do some research for that collectable card game I’m working on, which has also been going well. For the longest time I was trying to find someone local who played the Pokemon card game, to study from. Till it became clear that it’s not as approachable and easy to play as I had assumed. My bad for figuring that would be the case, since it’s aimed at kids (should have known from my days of reviewing Yu-Gi-Oh games for GMR back in the day).
- Guess what showed up in the mail? My brand new wallet, featuring Hellen Jo!
Been in the market for one for a while now; as nice as the magic wallet might be, which Rob first introduced to me as my Secret Santa gift about two years ago, they don’t last very long. So instead of nabbing a fourth, figured I might as well try something traditional once again… but sorta not. Was a tough call, choosing between bird people and Korean girls, but in the end…
BTW, for those who are aware of “lol white people who think every Asian girl is the hottest thing ever, they’re okay I guess” stance, it has become relaxed thanks to various utra hot Korean actresses I’ve seen in assorted NYAFF flicks. On a related note, finally found a copy of Dasepo Naughty Girls! But also, when you get down to it, Korean girls are the most caucasian looking to a certain extent. Hey, as a Korean born and raised in America, I’ve been programmed by my mom since five to dig the white girls. Anyway, here’s what it looks like when there’s stuff inside EDIT: Big thanks to Hilary for pointing out how retarded it was for me to explose my ID card number to whole world like I had…
Overall, it’s a very attractive looking wallet (obvi). But functionality-wise, I’m worried if it’ll last all that long. It utilizes a fairly high-quality plastic (or so I get the sense/would like to believe), but who knows if it’ll stand daily use over weeks and months. Though if anything else, if it breaks, I can always just go ahead and get Lisa Hanawalt’s next! For those interested, you can nab yours here.
- As noted already, been super productive, but also fairly social. Saw Cowboys & Aliens with dmauro recently; to be honest, I liked it! Mostly due to the acting; that Jon XXX really knows how to get performances from his cast (though any Iron Man fan knows this already). I guess I can understand it not being everyone’s cup of tea, though I also don’t get all the complaints about it being played too straight. Guess with a name like that, folks were expecting something far wackier (as if a more serious-sounding title would have worked at all).
Still haven’t seen Captain America yet, but have plans with pals next week, though no one I know seems all that interested in the new Planet Of The Apes. This ain’t just the James Franco fanboy in me talking: always looked interesting, and nice to hear it getting good reviews (though we know ultimately, that doesn’t mean jack). What say you (if you’re reading this) Travis? Whom I only discovered during dinner this week is just as much a Dune diehard as myself.
- When having drinks with Anthony and Derrick, I absolutely loved how, when asked “What are you playing these days?” it was quickly revealed that we’re hopelessly transfixed to Groove Coaster. It honestly is the best thing going on right now for iOS, and the first game in years to truly innovate the now stagnant music game genre since Rock Band. Seriously.
It’s also game #372 to tap into Rez better than its actual sequel; the lameness that is Child of Eden was also touched upon, which I’ll actually be going into greater detail next time! Anyway, this does a far better job clarifying Groove Coaster better than I ever could. And for the bargain basement price of just $1, there is absolutely NO reason why everyone shouldn’t have it on their iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch.
BTW, following quote was also posted shortly after that evening, via Google+…
Derrick: “Oh man, I’m Yakuza 2 drunk right now.”
me: “That’s nothing, I’m Grand Theft Auto 4 drunk right now.”
I also passed by Gray’s Papaya on the way home, the one on 8th Street and 6th Ave. Had no idea that they’re serving pizza now! Have they dropped hot dogs from the menu? Didn’t get the chance to check.
- Though speaking of, and as for last night, it was barbecued hot dogs, chocolate chip and zucchini cookies (trust me, they were delicious), plus Summer School on DVD (yes, the old Mark Hamon flick from 1986) with Dave and Raina! Fun times. Especially how Dave and I almost burned his place down thanks to the fireball we created thanks to our unfamiliarity with operating a non gas-powered grill.
BTW, for those aren’t familiar with local NYC game culture history, yesterday was also the one year anniversary of my FORT90 X BABYCASTLES show! My God, how much has happened in just twelve months. Anyhow, to mark the occasion, I put up all the pics from the event, from the currently defunct Attract Mode blog, over onto my Photo Dump Tumblr (though there’s a good chance by the time everyone checks this out, it might be pushed down by the Hellen Jo wallet pics, so just scroll down). And here’s something else I just stumbled across: a YouTube clip from that night, mostly featuring Phil Fish talking, but I’m in it a tiny bit as well (the less the better to be honest).
Oh, and back to Tumblr, over at my Repository of Random, you’ll see some selected cuts from Hilary’s Regular Show fanzine that she created for Otakon last weekend! It’s SO good. And hopefully by tomorrow/later tonight, I’ll finally have my cable access Tumblr updated at long last as well.
… BTW, as I’m writing all of this, I’m listening to…
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Review: BIAS
Those of you who remember my Blip Fest 2011 report for GSW might recall the claim that minusbaby stole evening number one, and looking back, it still sticks out as the highlight of that entire weekend. So thank God for his latest release, which distills a bit of the flavor combination that he brought front and center, and which I’m guessing some are still trying to recover from.
As much I love chiptunes, I don’t keep up with the scene and am therefore clueless as to whatever’s hot at any given moment. I’ll only know about something if a pal either recommends it or if I stumble across it by accident. So thusly, I have no idea how the rest of the chip community feels about it; perhaps they think it’s a work of genius, or maybe something utterly confounding. My gut tells me the latter is a distinct possibility, unfortunately. Minusbaby’s brand new album is not easy to get into. It’s dense, complicated, and at times, flat-out intimidating. But the man has once again demonstrated how he’s the quintessential chiptuner’s chiptuner, so it’s hardly a shocker. So I expect in the end, those who know the deal will also hail BIAS as one of the best things to happen in 2011 (if they haven’t already).
Those looking for something along the lines of Anamanaguchi or George & Jonathan might be disappointed. Whereas those are dance parties (that’s not a knock, mind you), it’s all serious business here (again, your head with shake, just… differently). Whereas those guys are still pushing the envelope, BIAS is proof positive of someone that has complete mastery of his tools and is now unabashedly enjoying himself. The only other artist I can compare him with his Nullsleep, because much like Jeremiah Johnson, Richard Alexander Caraballo has created music that can be classified as chiptunes, but has shattered the barriers that similar artists have either struggled to break away from, or willingly impose themselves with.
Basically, minusbaby is the only other 8bit musician, aside from Nullsleep, that I can play for a pal who hates chiptunes and know hell actually dig it.
BIAS is essentially much of what was put on the table via his 2010 release, Derecha, but taken to the next level. There’s a LOT going on, much of it head to head. I cannot emphasize how complex the arrangement are, with all manner of sounds fighting for dominance, but in the end, completely complimenting each other. Everything is all at once harsh, yet… and it pains me when white folks use this word, but I’ll do so anyway… also funky. The first part of the album, Algo Sucedi Cuando Nacistes and the songs that five follow, are basically what he performed at Blip with that band of his. Yet Caraballo somehow managed to channel the sounds of the live instruments he had one stage into chip audio, which I’m still blown away by. Makes me wonder which iteration comes first, but that’s a total chicken or the egg question.
Though the rest of the songs are just as exemplarily, with the amazing production quality truly shining in Courtship Manifesto. That’s another thing: it’s the first time EVER in which chiptunes has actually sounded just as good in mp3 format as it does live, where is generally the preferred method of absorbing chiptunes. Hence why I shudder to think how much brain will implode when I hear the rest of BIAS live. Till then, I will not be able to stop listening to the album, nor can I help give it the highest possible recommendation. Check it out for yourself via the Bandcamp page.
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All right, I’ve actually been home for the past hour. Time to play one last bit of Child of Eden before going to bed. Later!
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