Heating Up

Like most Southern Californians this summer, the daily challenge is staying cool in all this heat. Especially on the weekends, since I just started a new day job...today included a trip to the Grove and enjoying cool mist from the fountain, a relaxing dinner picnic, and some morning tennis which unfortunately caused a mild case of heat exhaustion for my girlfriend...On the music front, laying low while finances recover from the recent album release, looking to slowly build up more press and with any luck more shows in the fall. Getting back into my day job as a network engineer is a welcome break from the chaos and frustration of the LA music scene...But the songwriting bug is coming back and I expect to complete new material before the end of summer.

The deepening war in Lebanon continues to anger and defy common sense. Israel is courting disaster (once again) with the full complicity of Washington. Tomorrow's Bin Ladens sprout from the ashes of this worsening conflict, and it appears the US peace movement is on the sidelines...peace in our time, a lasting peace, will only come if we can oust these lying, warmongering thieves from their cowardly perches...

North Korean Missile Test

In light of North Korea's recent missile test, I feel compelled to state for the record:

1. These missile tests are counter-productive towards building a peaceful Korean peninsula, and thus are to be condemned in the strongest terms. I support a nuclear-free Korean peninsula as part of a global path towards non-proliferation and eventual disarmament.

2. Diplomacy must prevail. Talks between the US and North Korea should commence immediately regarding this issue, as suggested recently by Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind). The six-way process involving South and North Korea, U.S., China, Russia and Japan which has stalled should be reviewed.

3. The latest developments in this ongoing situation confirm my conviction that the future of the Korean peninsula must focus on a peaceful reunification of the divided Koreas.

No Compromise with Fascists

Springtime is a risky time for me more often than not. In just the last few years I've had to battle the twin demons of dementia and incarceration, sometimes together...And somehow I had sensed that this spring I would have to surmount another major challenge, apart from completing my album and moving, only this time it turned out to be illness. Seems slightly laughable that it takes a brush with mortality for us to sit up, stop taking our life for granted and see the world with fresh vision. I definitely have a lot of living left to do and am not interested in fetishizing death or its near cousins. I'm also at a loss to comprehend how I could so completely neglect my physical and mental health in pursuit of an artistic goal with amorphous worth...At the same time I pledge to steadfastly refuse to allow the "world" or "society" to de-value my art built with real blood, sweat and tears based on its own indifference, bigotry or pedestrian ignorance. In other words, no more suffering artist. In 2006, DMZ is up in this beotch to get PAID.

Oh, and about the title...I've always felt one of the great liberatory acts was throwing out one's TV, or at least disconnecting cable/satellite/etc. One of the grand deceptive memes still in effect is that the mainstream media hold major responsibility in force-feeding and then repeatedly recuperating this monster masquerading as the Chief Executive. I NEVER hear the OTHER side (esp. wacko so-called Christian rightists) worry about appeasing "the left," "Democrats," "progressives" etc. Why are we always so willing to bend and compromise?!? I say, fight fire with fire and do to them what they've had coming FOR YEARS- demonize and dehumanize the adversary, there are LIVES and a WORLD at stake, PEOPLE, how much worse does it need to get before we just put our tools DOWN until CHANGE is DONE!! Some of us should start thinking about we do AFTER Bush gets impeached/bounced/whatevah because it really could happen by this time next year, and if we don't the OTHER side will already have a plan to pre-empt any window of opportunity, makes sense?

So Close

Putting the final touches on the new album. The last few weeks have been magnificently intense, testing the limits of my patience no doubt. But I anticipated a rough road, and the final product has been well worth the effort. Meanwhile, the world outside seems to continue a never-ending spin to oblivion. The latest announcement that the National Guard is being sent to militarize the US-Mexico border sends chills down my spine, there is a larger scheme playing out here. And, now this report that the Mexican state is attempting to liquidate the Zapatista leadership signals that south of the border there is a broadening state of insurgency. Could the ever-present LAPD choppers overhead in the last few days, not just at night but during the day, be connected?

Sleepy Sunday

Resting peacefully at home during the quietest weekend in months. Still catching my breath from a ridiculously busy April that saw a change of residence (with last minute readjustments), road trip up to Sacramento/Bay Area, and regular rehearsals leading up to studio recording at the end of the month. Nothing can match the sense of accomplishment from completing this recording at breakneck pace, over the last week spending 5 of 6 days at Headroom Audio in West Hollywood with impressive results- 11 fully instrumented tracks from DMZ//38. Now is the time to look one step ahead to promotion and summer show booking, with the album days away from manufacturing. Only time will tell...

Diversity

Great weather...felt good to finally take this show on the road...played to a good-sized crowd at American River College in Sacramento. Lots of recent stress and rusty from not having performed in a couple months resulted in a few mistakes and first set nerves. But was feeling relaxed by the 2nd set, voice surprisingly strong and set up good connections for possible return shows in the fall.

Stretching the Limits

My apartment's a mess as I plot my Escape from Hollywood. Then it will be into the depths of Koreatown. Seems like the right cover for the lead singer of DMZ//38, and owner of Taegukki Records. Am having more fun than anticipated getting the foundation of the label set up, and imagining a future where I might be in a position to assist other up and coming artists. We Korean Americans are caught between a thriving Korean pop music industry and a deluge of contemporary US major label "entertainment" neither of which speaks directly to our experiences or questions the status quo substantially. I continue to draw inspiration from hip-hop labels from Def Jam to Guerrilla Funk and All Good Music that have demonstrated that independent success is possible. But first things first, still lots of work getting the album completed and the groundwork laid for a strong debut.