Wow! 89 Subscribers!!! General Update…

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZshA32vUACLgrOW4snqrag

https://nethracedicon.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Nethracedicon

I really can’t believe it! Just aimlessly checking WordPress here, I noticed that 89 people have subscribed to my mailing list! The last time I checked, there were only 18. That makes this blog the fastest growing social media outlet for Nethracedicon! I guess I should focus more on writing and take things more seriously, huh?

Because of this unexplainable, rapid growth in followers, I’m actually feeling quite generous! Truth be told, I am absolutely trying to sell my recordings. But, I’m not completely ignorant to the fact that, in order to be successful, especially in niche/underground genres, I need to be offering something to the listeners. Yes, even for free.

My sparse research has shown me that giving away samples of my work should only generate good things down the line. So, that’s what I’m doing now. In previous installments, I mentioned that I was going to get a few of my older albums duplicated, in a small run quantity… This has been done and the copies are currently being stored in my closet.

The physical CD’s I had pressed are “Neuron Collage,” the debut, and “Indiglo Skeleton,” my Sophomore full-length album. Both are professionally produced, full color, and come in 6-panel Digipaks. For the first few individuals who reach out saying they want a copy, I will mail you a CD of your choice, absolutely free! You pay zero money and I will handle shipping costs! My email address is simply: nethracedicon@gmail.com. All you have to do is email me, request whichever album you’d like, and you’ll get it.

As for stats, Neuron Collage runs about 39 minutes long. This is the earliest Nethracedicon material in existence and if you’re one to start from the beginning, I suggest it. The second album, Indiglo Skeleton, runs around 43 minutes, however, it has six bonus tracks on the disk (so, with those, it is over an hour total). If you’re wanting a more sizable slice of sounds, this one may be a better choice.

Another bit of news relevant to the Nethracedicon project is that my parents decided to sell the Ludwig, upright piano. I’m somewhat sad to see it go because I had actually used it on a handful of tracks such as, “Nostalgic Mist Blankets the Path,” “Dirge Monotonista,” “Memorial,” and “Sleeping Patterns.” While I have never professed to being a skilled pianist, these pieces came out very drone-like, and I personally feel they are acceptable, as minimalistic, Neo-classical. I was fond of holding the sustain peddle throughout, giving each note deeper resonance, although this also masked mistakes. I still own an electric keyboard that can mimic literally hundreds of various instruments, but still, there’s nothing like the real deal.

Additionally, the official website, nethracedicon.com, has been put on hold for the time being. I was using Bandzoogle to host the domain, and the site did garner small traffic (last I remember, it had reached more than 110 visitors). This had not resulted in any sales/orders though, and I cancelled my subscription since, even that seemingly stable presence wasn’t enough to justify the cost.

For those of you who don’t know, Nethracedicon recordings are readily available for streaming on Spotify. To find and listen to my stuff, simply search for Nethracedicon. No one else is using this absurd name, so if you come across anything under that, it’s me playing. When I went in to see what all had made it through, I think it shuffles the songs, which is fine, and for free users there are most likely occasional radio advertisements. If you’re used to ads being everywhere, it shouldn’t break the immersion, and Spotify can be a great route to go when you are looking for some new tunes.

Actually, Nethracedicon is on multiple streaming platforms, also including Deezer and Tidal, but I have yet to really use these as Spotify is, to my knowledge, more widespread. When I log-in to my Spotify account, it shows me my monthly listeners, which is helpful in gauging if there’s any audience to speak of. Currently, it’s hovering at 0, but if I see even a 1, more recordings with be sent through my online distributor.

I’m not one of those people who only cares about numbers, views, or plays. But, think of it this way… It’s like I made some statement, and the room is silent. All it takes is for that one person to say, “Yeah, I agree,” and BOOM! Validation and some degree of satisfaction occurs. So, thank you in advance to anyone who searches Nethracedicon. Nothing I’ve ever done has been phenomenal or I’d be scouted by agents and labels every week. I’m just saying that it’s palatable to me, and I’ve heard a lot of music.

Here it is, 2023, and I’ve been recording since 2005. Time duration means nothing if the substance isn’t there, but it surely possesses a certain ‘style’ that is unique. I’ve read that when people are streaming new music on Soundcloud or whatever, it’s a very tight window, something like 6 seconds, and if they aren’t captivated, it’s a skip. I can perfectly understand this, but there are some projects that deserve slightly more attention and have more of a developmental build-up to achieve it’s desired effect. Imagine if you went out fishing all day and didn’t catch a single thing. Can you even call that fishing, or are you just wasting your time? Anyways, I’ll stop.

On a more somber and depressing note, I regret to unform you all that I am no longer engaged to be married. Honestly, it was a long-shot from the very beginning of us talking that way. We had seriously discussed her coming to America, but she pretty much ghosted me, and now we haven’t spoken in many months. However, instead of hanging my head down low and crawling under a rock to hide, I’ve decided to just continue doing things exactly as I have been. “There are plenty of fish in the sea,” as the old saying goes. Someone new will come along and the main thing is to remain positive and being true to yourself. Long-distance relationships are always difficult and I certainly learned some valuable lessons from this. To everyone who is fortunate enough to have a significant other, I say, please be good to them! Real love is extremely hard to come by and needs to be recognized and honored.

Instead of recycling old tracks and making compilations, like I’ve been tempted to do, I have already begun new recordings for 2023. As of me typing now, I have 2 brand new songs completed, and they’ll be on an up-coming full-length album. If you’re interested, I announce this and give a short explanation in my most recent YouTube video. You can watch that here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iFRH2PzZZ8&t=618s

Tweets by Nethracedicon

New equipment, Engagement Announcement, and Nethracedicon.com going live soon!!!

Yet again, it’s been over a year since my last blog post… I’ve actually been waiting until I had something to write about.

Now, I have some very exciting news!

1: I am fortunate enough to have acquired a few pieces of new home recording equipment and musical instruments!

The first new piece of equipment is a Tascam: DP 24SD, 24-track digital portable studio!

Ever since the inception of Nethracedicon, I was introduced to the Roland/Boss BR-864 model digital recorder. While still in college, my then bandmate, Aaron Welch, had a BR-864 and we utilized this device to capture several Ragamuffin rehearsals in a storage unit they were renting to practice in.

Less than a year later, during my brief stay in Nashville, I and Mr. Jay Patten were visiting a music store and came across a used demo BR-864 being displayed on the sales floor. Having already used this model and becoming quite familiar with it’s functions, I decided to purchase it there on the spot for $300. I felt this was a good deal and it actually ended up being a great investment, as all of the old Nethracedicon material was recorded using this machine.

In case you’re interested in some details, I bought my BR-864 during the Summer of 2006 and it recorded for me up until the Spring of 2021. So, that equates to roughly 15 years of proper functioning. As everyone is aware, electronics do have a shelf-life and will basically cease to operate after a number of years. That is the case with this BR-864 unit. Even with a new power cord, it has gotten to the point where it won’t even turn on. I would look into ways of selling it, but honestly, after 15 years of innovation and advancement in the production/development of portable digital recorders, I highly doubt that anyone wants it.

Anyways… What I have now is much better!

For a while, I was looking at more advanced models of Roland/Boss products, such as the BR-1200 CD, and was seriously considering buying one of these, since I had already been using Boss for over a decade and liked the interface. However, taking the advice of my father, I finally settled on a factory-new recorder model from a different company, Tascam.

This thing is pretty amazing! Instead of recording 4 tracks and then having to bounce them back down and start again, I now have 24 open tracks available to record on. No more wasted time while I bounce my tracks down to 2 stereo tracks. With the Tascam DP 24SD, I can record my drums and guitars in stereo, lay on some bass and keyboards, and still have a whole row of open tracks for layering vocals and adding any additional percussion elements, etc. It truly is like a mini studio deck, allowing ample room for coverage and experimentation.

The Tascam DP 24SD even has some basic mastering functions like EQ for individual tracks, PAN, compression, and once I am finished mixing, it has a “normalizing” feature which bumps up the master volume and maximizes my WAV’s without fear of clipping. Truth be told, I haven’t figured out half of what this recorder can do. I still need to spend some time playing with all the countless guitar effects settings.

Overall, this new portable studio is a tremendous upgrade. Just so you know, we ordered it new directly from Tascam for about $450. It does have 8 input channels, all with phantom power, so I may think about buying a solid condenser microphone at some point. For now, I can make do with my two Shure 58 regular vocal mics.

In addition to the Tascam digital recorder, for my birthday last year, my parents made a huge contribution to the project and bought me a brand new Pearl Export Series drumset! I was blown away when I found out!

Pearl is one of the premier, if not top of the line, professional grade drum makers (along with TAMA, Yamaha, and Drum Workshop, etc.). I broke down my old decrepit Percussion Plus drum kit, moved it to the garage, and polished all my cymbals in preparation. In less than a week, the new Pearl drumset arrived and I assembled it right away. There is a video on YouTube documenting me getting my new drums and you can watch it here…

The sound quality and crispness of the new Pearl set cannot be overstated.

2: I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I got engaged!!!

Back in August of 2021, my long-distance girlfriend agreed to marry me! Wow! I can’t even express what this has done for my outlook on life.

She and I first starting talking back in 2019, connecting on a popular chatting website. We immediately had wonderful chemistry, most likely due to the fact that she is extremely down-to-Earth and intelligent. Now tight partners, I offered that she could become co-owner and online marketing director of Harding Records. To my great delight, she accepted and is now diligently assisting with the creation/design of Nethracedicon.com.

3: This brings me to my final important update…

Nethracedicon.com is currently under construction. This will be the official website for everything related to Nethracedicon and the home base for Harding Records. I am super excited for this site to be completed and promise to let you know just as soon as it’s live.

I’m sure you know that there were multiple different web-hosting companies to choose from. A few I was contemplating include; Wix, GoDaddy, GreenGeeks, SquareSpace, and WordPress. After months of seeing what was out there, I ultimately came across an article that mentioned BandZoogle and was instantly curious to learn more because it said they cater to independent artists, musicians, and bands. After a couple of days, I realized that BandZoogle would be my best option and chose them to launch Nethracedicon.com. The domain name was obviously available. I selected the Pro subscription which supports unlimited music uploads, so there will be a lot of tunes to choose from soon.

In popular Heavy Music News, Rob Zombie has done it again!!!

On March 12th, 2021 Rob Zombie and company released their 7th full-length studio album titled, “The Lunar Injection Kool-Aid Eclipse Conspiracy!”

I caught a glimpse of the first single, “The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition)” on YouTube last October, and as always, it got me pumped to hear the entire new record. Rob Zombie had not put out any new music in nearly 5 years and this fresh material doesn’t disappoint! The album is currently in the CD player of my Jeep! I’ve heard it from start to finish about a dozen times now, and still, I have no plans on taking it out anytime soon.

The new album has more tracks and runs longer than the previous one. It was also put out on the Nuclear Blast record label! There are 10 “proper” songs and 7 interesting interludes that connect the jams, adding depth and color to the set as a whole. Everything flows very nicely and it’s a-rockin’ ride! In my opinion, there is no “filler” material. Every song is worthy of attention and well thought out, presenting a rich musical canvas spanning multiple genres.

“The Inevitable Split,” & Burning Physical Media…

I am VERY excited about this particular release! All 14 tracks on “The Inevitable Split” were professionally mastered at Enormous Door by Mr. Jack Control in Austin, Texas! It was a pleasure working with Jack. His roster is quite extensive and he has mastered several albums by the legendary, Norwegian Black Metal outfit “Darkthrone!” I am thrilled to the bone that Jack had his hands on some of my material.

Choosing to go with Enormous Door was a tremendously good decision! Not only was Jack punctual (delivering the final masters in less than a week), but he greatly improved the overall sound quality of my rather low-fi, home recordings. What I remember him saying is that my tracks needed some “gentle compression and de-ess’ing, due to the harsh cymbals.” Whatever he did was wonderful! My drums sounds full and warm and he was even able to bring out clearer vocals and hidden, guitar resonance that was not audible in my rough mixes.

In addition to continuing to release new albums, I have begun burning physical copies of CD’s! Each of these disks are encrypted with the eMastered, HD WAV files and have professionally printed, color labels. The first 6 copies of “The Inevitable Split” are signed, dated, and hand-numbered.

If you are interested in ordering a physical CD, you can email me directly: nethracedicon@gmail.com

I currently have physical CD copies of:

“The Inevitable Split”

“Neuron Collage”

“Disturbing Delusions”

“Fear Of Death” (Demo)

“Thunderok”

“Indiglo Skeleton”

After nearly 4 years of thinking I had lost it, I found my Mino HD Flip video recorder!!!

So far, I have been filming all of my YouTube videos with my Android Moto phone or capturing PC gameplay with free OBS Studio software.  But, this little Flip recorder is fantastic for video on-the-go! 

For some random reason, I decided to rummage through my closet the other day and started finding old digital cameras, memory cards, and such.  Then, I opened one of the pouches and there was the Flip video recorder! 

It was completely dead and all of the buttons were unresponsive so I had to press the reset button on the bottom and charge it for a few days before it would even turn on properly. 

When I finally got it to work, there were 5 short videos saved on it from early October 2016, when me and Symone (my then girlfriend), had gone out to a local park at night to film and take promo pictures for my album, “Indiglo Skeleton.” 

I promptly opened up Windows Movie Maker and cut the official music video for the title track, “Indiglo Skeleton,” which is currently up on YouTube.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kzN8NeQ4_w

Strangely, I decided to use the demo track for the video instead of the album version.  I don’t know why I did this…  Maybe it was a good way to put out both recordings without it being the same old thing in both places. 

The demo track (audio for the music video), was recorded back in Spring of 2008, while the version on the album is a re-recording I made in 2015.  This should give you an idea of how long I’ve been holding onto the idea of this particular record… 

I first released “Indiglo Skeleton” on Halloween 2016, via Bandcamp.com.  Back then, I discovered LANDR online mastering and put all of my recorded material through its audio enhancement filters, cleaning everything up drastically and adding EQ/Compression that I couldn’t get any other way. 

More recently, I found another digital mastering company, eMastered, and once again ran my entire catalogue of music through its online processers in an attempt to make it sound as palatable and well-produced as possible.  Rough and primitive as my recordings are, please consider that they have been mastered not once but TWICE (in some cases, even 3 times!). 

After spending all the time, money, and effort remastering my entire repertoire of songs, I also decided to take everything down from Bandcamp and start over fresh with new HD WAV files. 

This leads me to my next exciting announcement…

I have re-released the album, “Indiglo Skeleton!”  In my humble opinion, this album plays well from start to finish, is a very appropriate length, and is relatively “cohesive” (compared to some of my other offerings), with a loose concept around darkness, light, general self-reflection, hidden inner-strengths, and astral projection.  While I have decided that it is not, in fact, my first album, it certainly needs to be prominent in my discography.

 https://nethracedicon.bandcamp.com/album/indiglo-skeleton

I was so thrilled to have the Mino HD Flip again that I also recorded very amateur, home-footage for my second music video, “Steady Construct.”

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laOPm0Isz8o

This video is a bit different, as I was the one doing all the filming, and I am not shown on camera at all.  “Steady Construct” consists of short clips that I filmed around our property, in and outside of the 2 houses. 

For those of you who have seen the video, it won’t be difficult to spot several snippets of the lovely Miss Jaclyn Glenn, as portrayed in some of her merch I have proudly displayed on my walls. 

I have been a HUGE fan of Jaclyn Glenn’s YouTube channels for years now.  Not only is she gorgeous to look at, she is also a very intelligent, thoughtful, and well-spoken young woman.  She has reached the point where she is now a self-proclaimed Atheist, which lines up nicely with my Agnostic beliefs (or disbeliefs), and can often be heard questioning the Holy Bible and Christian fundamentalist views, which I find hilarious and very refreshing. 

I even went to see her and her then boyfriend, David Michael Frank, of the band Future Sunsets, live in a close, intimate concert performance on their “Imperfectly Human” Tour in August of 2019.  I am also delighted to reiterate the fact that David and Jaclyn married in October 2020!!!  Talk about a “Power Couple!”

But, anyways…  Here we are…  almost an entire year into the COVID-19 pandemic…

Thankfully, I have not been affected by this virus, and I honestly don’t even know anyone who has.  I am very fortunate, however.  My mother will not hesitate to state that cases are rising and we must take all the necessary precautions to stay healthy and clean.  I know she’s right, but it’s seriously annoying! 

I can’t help but think of the “Resident Evil” series, with its highly infectious, zombie diseases, wide-spread panic, and governmental involvement/regulations.  It seems now that the basis for the original 1996 Play Station video game wasn’t all that far-fetched after all! 

Truth be told, this type of rapidly-spreading, apocalyptic, air-born terror even dates as far back as 1968, with George Romero’s classic, survival horror film, “Night of the Living Dead.”  For at least five decades now, some of us have been secretly afraid of our neighbors and family members turning into dangerous monsters that will infect us…  Well, now it has happened.  Thanks allot, China! (Just kidding!  I actually love Chinese food, no disrespect.)

I have been doing my best to remain sane throughout the last year…  I managed to land a decent, seasonal job for the second Christmas in a row, and have been sporadically recording new material, when inspiration strikes. 

I might as well do it now…  Here is a listing of all official Nethracedicon releases, as of this blog post:

• Neuron Collage  (album #1)
• Disturbing Delusions  (technically, a compilation of 2 EP’s, but could be considered my 2^nd album)
• Fear Of Death  (demo with no vocals)
• Thunderok  (extended single, or EP, whatever…)
• Indiglo Skeleton Demos  (obviously, demo tracks for Indiglo Skeleton)
• Indiglo Skeleton  (either my 2^nd or 3^rd full-length album, depending on how you look at it)

That being said, I still have a ton of recordings finished that have not been released yet… 

Also, (please forgive my ADD), but I have made physical copies of my releases on CD, with custom, printed labels.  The first batch of CD copies is signed, and some are hand-numbered as well, as they will be “Limited Editions.” 

Soon, I will make these CD’s available for order from the Bandcamp release pages! 

The CD’s I have produced were meticulously edited, cut, and mastered for optimal flow and quality (they are literally the best I can do, with the resources available at this time). 

If you are interested in hearing or downloading any Nethracedicon recordings, the best place to find them is Bandcamp.com.  Here, you can stream entire albums, purchase the full recordings, or get individual tracks you may happen to enjoy. 

I won’t ‘dirty up’ this blog with prices…  Just check out my Bandcamp and see for yourself.

 https://nethracedicon.bandcamp.com/music

Hopefully, I am being reasonable and not expecting too much.  I definitely realize the value of money, and I am also very aware that most people don’t even want to pay for music anymore.  Sad, but true. 

My albums and single songs have been listed for sale at what I feel are acceptable, “indie” rates.  I realize that I am not a well-known artist…  I am not signed to any label and do everything myself.  None-the-less, I have put allot of effort into my music and would be over-joyed if someone thinks any of it might be worth something. 

If you would just like to listen to Nethracedicon and have no intention of buying anything, Soundcloud is the place for you. 

I recently over-hauled my Soundcloud page, deleting all tracks and replacing them with the new, high-definition master files.  The songs available on Soundcloud are not downloadable, but you can stream them, in their entirety, an unlimited number of times.  Currently, my first 2 albums are there, but more is soon to come.

Nethracedicon is on Twitter, and if anyone still uses it, Facebook too.  Any likes, comments, and especially follows are greatly appreciated!  I will never ask for money…  However, I have been at this whole “original music” thing for quite awhile now, and would truly love to see some support or feedback.

 https://twitter.com/Nethracedicon

https://www.facebook.com/Nethracedicon

If you would like to get music directly from me instead of through some website, you can email me at nethracedicon@gmail.com and I’ll make a deal with you.  If you’re for real nice about it, I might send you the music files you want for free!  But, if you’d like to help me out, I am prepared to offer my recordings for even less than they are posted on Bandcamp for.  Just write to me, show some interest, and I’ll do my best to make you happy. 

I know people aren’t lining up to shell out their cash for this type of music, but I do have PayPal, CashApp, and Venmo. 

If you email me wanting any of my stuff, you can get the digital files and/or physical CD’s shipped straight to your mailing address.  And look, please don’t be scared to give me your email or your address…  I will ONLY use this information to get you the music, and then I will immediately forget about it/delete it.  I don’t want this to come off as “phishing.”  I’m seriously thinking of every way possible to get my music out there, to the people who may wanna have it.  I am completely “independent” in every way, with no management or distribution.  I just wanna toss out some options.

Should you be curious, please take a look around on my YouTube channel too!  There, I post my music, gameplay, short opinion “documentaries,” raw rehearsal footage, reviews/hauls, and music videos, etc. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZshA32vUACLgrOW4snqrag

If you choose to subscribe to the Nethracedicon channel, I would greatly appreciate it!  I don’t upload videos super frequently, but it’s FREE!!!  Please subscribe and click the bell to get all notifications. 

The most views I have ever received on a single video is 40…  Not very much.  I do check the channel periodically though, and I can see when someone leaves a comment.  If you do post a public comment on any of my videos, I WILL respond to it.  Don’t be shy.

As I said earlier, I have just re-released my album, “Indiglo Skeleton.”  It was originally released on October 30^th, 2016, using the LANDR master files.  Currently, on Bandcamp are the HD eMastered files, in their final form. 

When my girlfriend and I went out to film footage for the “Indiglo Skeleton” music video, we also came home with around 30 still photos of me, costumed, in various poses, and using a few different props.  These pictures were carefully narrowed down and you can see the final selections below…

By the way, if you want a signed CD copy of any of my releases, I am happy to send them anywhere in the world (internationally!).  All I ask is that you pay for shipping costs and you will get your hand-made album delivered in the mail ASAP.

If you enjoy any of my recordings, please check back because there is more to come very soon!  Regardless of plays and/or sales, I will upload another release sometime in early December.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude for anyone who took the time to read this, and for all my followers/subcribers on any platform! 

A special shout-out to all my fans in India!

Stay safe and prosper!

From Austin, Texas (the musical capital of the world),

NETHRACEDICON

Praise for the Art of Mr. Patrick Nagel

Although it has been over a year since I posted the first part of my “Art Praise” exhibitions, my taste and interests have not changed much. I started with a selection of my favorite pieces by Mr. Gil Elvgren, and now I move on to some paintings by Patrick Nagel that I really enjoy.  Please view the below…  And actually LOOK at how cool they are!

 

Patrick Nagel, unfortunately, died at the age of 38 due to cardiac arrest (Damn, I really need to quit smoking cigars!).  But the extensive catalog he left behind is both tasteful and sensual.  Several Nagel works are still used today, on display for magazine covers and even as front-pieces for beauty salons, boutiques, etc. There are many imitators, but you can easily spot a real Nagel because of his sharp, distinctive style. 

Back in 2004, my uncle (on my mother’s side) was generous enough to give me two framed original Nagel prints and they are prominently displayed on my walls.  A few Nagel paintings are quite famous, having been used in the 30th Anniversary Edition of Playboy magazine!  The Duran Duran album cover for Rio is also a famous painting (not that I like Duran Duran; I’m just saying, they used his art and probably sold many records because of it 🙂  

Patrick Nagel is most well-known for his depictions of rather stern-looking women, all with dark hair and small breasts.  This is actually a stark contrast to the traditional, “American” fascination with big-breasted, blonde bombshells.  Nagel’s ladies are undeniably elegant, but also have a sharp, piercing air about them that makes you not want to get on their bad side.  These are WOMEN, not girls.  I always imagined that these Nagel females must be very intelligent and shrewd.

Nagel was also known to paint men and animals occasionally, but I must assert that these dark, cold-faced vixens are his finest works.  A very few of Nagel’s pieces even depict homoerotic scenes, women with women, and even leather-clad men with other men!  In the late 1970’s – mid-1980’s, this was tremendously “taboo,” although it may seem tame today.  I don’t think the concept of an ALLY was even a thing yet, but certainly, Patrick Nagel would have been an outspoken one, had humanity had the social awareness we do now.  LGBTQ+ refugees should embrace Nagel as one of their own! 

This eccentric young man was very “ahead of his time” and painted not what the masses were used to, but what he wanted to see.  I will always cherish the two, original prints that I own.  

 

   

Celebrating small victories…

After my utter failure at being added to metal-archives.com and Wikipedia, I have finally succeeded in getting Nethracedicon properly defined by Urban Dictionary!  Here is the actual definition that was approved…

Nethracedicon: 

An underground, avant-garde rock/ambient music project that began in Austin, Texas. The sole member, G.H.B., has been performing all instruments, vocals, recording, mixing, and mastering since January 2007.

Nethracedicon has just released another really strange album!

#nethracedicon#rock#ambient#austin#indie#noise#underground#artist

#experimental

by Nethracedicon September 13, 2019

This may not seem like a big deal at all, but simply having Nethracedicon searchable on a site like the Urban Dictionary is a great achievement! 

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Nethracedicon

The more sites that will just recognize the term “Nethracedicon” the better.  I want to, of course, scatter as many seeds as I can so that people can find my stuff online.  I think the main problem is that nobody even knows the name…  I need people searching “Nethracedicon” on Google and everywhere else and creating more traffic to my Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Facebook, WordPress, and Twitter pages.  

I have also chosen a web-hosting company for my website.  I decided to go with GreenGeeks.com, their EcoLite plan.  The domain name is nethracedicon.com (but don’t bother trying to visit the site yet because I haven’t actually gotten a chance to design it).  Support is currently in the process of migrating all of my WordPress blogs over to my site with them and this may take up to 2 days, so I’ll just be patient.  

More is information on nethracedicon.com will be coming as it develops.

As always, thank you for reading

 

Beyond frustrating! Attempting to get Nethracedicon searchable…

After 2 solid days of trying, Nethracedicon has now been rejected by metal-archives.com (Encyclopaedia Metallum), AND Wikipedia!!!  “Oh no…  First-world problems,” right?  Well…  Yes and No.

I am a user on metal-archives.com (Encyclopaedia Metallum) and have contributed a review of the Japanese Doom band Corrupted. 

https://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Corrupted/El_futuro_en_la_oscuridad/359717/

I truly love heavy metal music and have been using Encyclopaedia Metallum as a reference to look-up bands and specific albums for over 10 years now.  The information listed on the metal-archives.com is presented in a very neat, logical, and accessible format and I have found it to be a tremendous help, especially when I wanted to look-up a rather “obscure” release. 

Naturally, I wanted to submit Nethracedicon as a new band on Encyclopaedia Metallum so I got online and went through the steps to do this.  I have several full releases and over a dozen individual songs that could easily be considered “Metal.”  The “Cruel Cycle Of Life” EP, “Disturbing Existence” EP, “Fear Of Death” (Demo), and my debut full-length “Indiglo Skeleton” could ALL be categorized as “Metal.”  What happened!?  Did they somehow overlook these releases?            

And don’t tell me that acoustic isn’t metal…  Remember Sepultura from Brazil?  They were on MTV Unplugged, back in the day, playing ACOUSTIC guitars!  Is this metal?  Is there such a thing as “Acoustic Metal?”  You tell me…

Maybe they rejected me on the grounds that I use “Alternative Rock” as one of my genre tags…  However, I must ask, can there be no cross-over what-so-ever?  Isn’t there such a thing as “Alternative Metal?”  I say there is.

What about bands such as Alice In Chains?  There could be several different genre labels placed on them; “Alternative Rock,” “Grunge,” “Acoustic Rock,” and certainly they have strong elements of “Metal” as well.  Songs like “Again” and “Man In The Box” are irrefutable “Metal” songs.

Alice In Chains are listed (in full) on metal-archives.com, even though a great number of their recordings are NOT considered “True Metal.”  Again, it’s the issue of “Acoustic Rock” here…  What about the unplugged album?  On this, there are only acoustic guitars, clean singing, and no double-bass drumming.  Is it good “Acoustic Rock,” absolutely!  I LOVE the unplugged show!  But it is NOT “Metal.”

Even tremendously popular “Metal” bands like Metallica have delved into “Acoustic Rock.”  The most famous example of this is probably the song “Nothing Else Matters,” off their ‘black album’ from 1991.  On this track, there is certainly no double-bass drumming and the “Metal-riffing” is minimal.  There is primarily acoustic guitars used and ONLY “clean” singing, yet this is universally recognized as being a part of “Metal.” 

If that is not yet enough to convince/confuse you, consider the Norwegian group Ulver…  They are most definitely included on metal-archives.com, despite only being “Metal” from 1993 to 1997. 

Now don’t get me wrong…  I LOVE Ulver!  Their early stuff is some of the finest examples of Norwegian Black Metal in existence.  BUT…  The vast majority of their output is “Dark Ambient” and now “Drone” recordings.  How is Ulver STILL considered a “Metal” band when they haven’t done anything even remotely “Metal” in more than 20 years? 

The most notorious record to support my point here must be Ulver‘s 1996 release “Kveldssanger.”  This album is ENTIRELY acoustic and most assuredly needs to be classified as “Neo-Folk.”  It is certainly NOT “Metal,” yet it is proudly displayed on Encyclopaedia Metallum as such.  Take a listen for yourself…  Is this “Metal?”

    Yet another example actually comes from a band that has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame…  Black Sabbath has a song called “Planet caravan” on their classic album “Paranoid,” from 1970…  Again, there is only clean singing, subdued guitars, and most of what you hear is a bongo drum.  Now…  Can you honestly tell me that this is “Metal?”  It sounds like The Grateful Dead to me.  None-the-less, Black Sabbath is absolutely included on Encyclopaedia Metallum. 

Basically, I could go on and on listing specific examples of songs and even full albums considered as “Metal” that are NOT “Metal.”  The fact that Nethracedicon was denied inclusion on Encyclopaedia Metallum in mere hours tells me that someone didn’t adequately look into my project and made a knee-jerk decision based on very little (if any) investigation what-so-ever. 

This saddens me, to say the least, that I was not given the opportunity for fair consideration.  All “Metal” aside, their refusal to accept my submission essentially negates any hope I have for being seen as a legitimate project.  They were effectively saying, “Sorry…  You’re not a musician,” which is extremely insulting.

Now, on to Wikipedia… 

I also submitted an article on Nethracedicon to Wikipedia for consideration and was met not once but TWICE with nothing but negativity and refusal.  Below are the actual texts from my user talk page…

“You have been blocked indefinitely from editing for advertising or self-promoting in violation of the conflict of interest and notability guidelines.

Dear Alexf, Grandmaster Editor First-Class, and associates, I am humbly requesting that my submission for page “Nethracedicon” be unblocked because I am a serious writer and wish to document my music project on Wikipedia. I have been using Wikipedia as a reference for over 10 years now and I have also contributed to the Wikipedia foundation, more than once, monetarily. I have nothing but the highest respect for Wikipedia (as an organization) and for all of its editors and policies. My article on “Nethracedicon” was deemed as “Advertising”, however, please consider that many thousands of artist/band pages might also be seen as “Advertising” just the same. Are stated facts such as “so-and-so” artist has sold X million records not viewed as “Advertising”? These types of inclusions ARE undeniably promoting the artist/band. And that is not necessarily bad, as long as the stated “facts” are accurate and proof is provided. Please, please, please remove the block on my user and restore my article for “Nethracedicon”. I agree that some of the language I used is highly debatable and without references and will be making drastic changes to the wording. I sincerely want people to know that “Nethracedicon” is a legitimate music project and has been active since 2007. I fully intend on contributing an article on “Nethracedicon” because it is important to me and no one else will. Please UNBLOCK my user and RESTORE my article on “Nethracedicon”. I am not violating policies, attacking anyone, plagiarizing, or making false claims in any way. My desire is ONLY for a new article on “Nethracedicon” to be as factual and non-biased as possible so that anyone can look up the name and find out basic information about this independent recording project. If you grant me these favours of UNBLOCKING my user and RESTORING the “Nethracedicon” article, I promise to completely rewrite the article and make strong edits to anything that may be of concern. Thank you very much for your time in reading and please do as I ask. I will do whatever you ask of me in return. I hope this request meets you in a timely manner and you can also contact me directly at nethracedicon@gmail.com. Thank you again

This blocked user‘s unblock request has been reviewed by an administrator, who declined the request. Other administrators may also review this block, but should not override the decision without good reason (see the blocking policy). Do not remove this unblock review while you are blocked.

Decline reason: Please review conflict of interest. The “thousands of artist/band pages” here (and we have articles, not “pages”) were written by independent editors in most cases, and are supported with independent reliable sources. Wikipedia has no interest in what a potential article subject wants to say about itself. What you describe as your purpose, “so that anyone can look up the name and find out basic information about this independent recording project”, is the definition of promotion on Wikipedia, and will not be permitted. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia and not a place to merely tell the world about something. For that, you should use social media or your own website. You will not be allowed to write about your project; if you want to write about World War II, or George Washington, or any subject completely unrelated to your conflict of interest, please tell what those subjects might be. If all you want to do is tell the world about your project, you will not be unblocked. I am declining your request. 331dot (talk) 21:48, 10 September 2019 (UTC).  If you make too many unconvincing or disruptive unblock requests, you may be prevented from editing this page until your block has expired” (which it doesn’t).

My honest advice to any band or music artist who wants to be added to Wikipedia is “just save it.”  You WON’T be added.  The first administrator who denied me claimed that I was simply “Advertising” and “self-promoting.”  The second admin immediately directed me to their “Conflict of Interest COI” clause.  This is copied below…

“Conflict of interest (COI) editing involves contributing to Wikipedia about yourself, family, friends, clients, employers, or your financial and other relationships. Any external relationship can trigger a conflict of interest. That someone has a conflict of interest is a description of a situation, not a judgement about that person’s opinions, integrity, or good faith.

COI editing is strongly discouraged on Wikipedia. It undermines public confidence and risks causing public embarrassment to the individuals and companies being promoted. Editors with a COI are sometimes unaware of whether or how much it has influenced their editing. If COI editing causes disruption, an administrator may opt to place blocks on the involved accounts.“

How utterly discouraging!  Don’t get mixed up by the jargon…  What this is actually saying is that NO ONE can write about themselves on Wikipedia.  This means that someone else, who doesn’t even know you, is the only person who can write on your behalf.  I truly wonder how so many articles are currently up on Wikipedia?  Who is writing and editing them?  Not all writers and editors are being paid to do so.  And, keep in mind that Wikipedia is run by VOLUNTEERS!

Anyways…  I am thoroughly pissed.  Encyclopaedia Metallum and Wikipedia are both excellent sources of knowledge and I have nothing but the highest respect and esteem for both organizations.  But what does it take to be included..?  Not every band/artist on these sites have platinum records (or even a large following).  I feel shut-out and dejected beyond belief. 

They’re denying me a place on their sites will NOT deter further activity from Nethracedicon, however.  As I clearly stated, I have been recording in earnest since 2007 and have numerous, online releases that would qualify me a spot on EITHER website. 

Allow me to break it down to you in plain talk…  I wanted to be included on their pages as a legitimate musical project…  And they just said “No.”  That’s all this is. 

You can expect MUCH more music to be released by Nethracedicon in the near future.  I once chatted with a girl who is in college about my music and she said that I will literally have to “shove it down their throats!”  So, I suppose that’s what I’ll do and see what happens.

Thank you very much to all my followers and listeners!  I greatly appreciate every one of you.  Special “shout-out” to all of my followers in India!  And thank you for anyone who took the time to read this.  I still have my ‘Freedom of Speech’ so I will continue to use it.

From ‘The Live Music Capital of the World’, Austin, Texas,  Nethracedicon   

         

 

    

The beauty of eMastered & plans for physical media…

I discovered Landr.com via Facebook ads and have been using them since May 2016 for general mastering and online distribution.  Landr, a Canadian company, is very user-friendly, affordable, and great for getting your music sent to most popular outlets.  On the mastering front, they offer a few solid options, like audio style and intensity, and their distribution services got me on platforms such as Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, and Amazon Music.

Landr’s main competitor, eMastered, has been advertising allot on YouTube lately and I finally decided to give them a try and find out which is better…  My conclusion is that the best thing to do is use BOTH!  Landr provides stellar online distribution service but where it lacks in mastering diversity and quality, eMastered takes over from there.  If you want quick and easy MP3’s, use Landr.  If you want crisp, booming HD WAV’s, use eMastered.

What I did is create the basic master using Landr, then put it through eMastered to create the final, high-definition version of my tracks.  These Landr & eMastered, double-filtered tracks will be the ones I duplicate onto physical media (as soon as I have the means).  My most recent attempt at employment brought me a Victrola record player and I have amassed a small collection of vinyl now.

Back in 2016, when I was just starting to upload music online, my girlfriend at the time said that one of my releases should be pressed on vinyl record.  The recording she was referring to is the “Dirge Monotonista EP.”  The title track, Dirge Monotonista, is the oldest Nethracedicon composition and I used to practice it on my parents’ Ludwig, upright piano possibly as far back as 2001.

The Dirge Monotonista EP is entirely instrumental and might fall into the category of Minimalist/Neo-Classical.  The title track was recorded live in January of 2007, however, it seems to have a “timeless” vibe to it that defies dates and years (and especially trends!).  Listening to it again and again, it can’t help but think that it could have been recorded at virtually ANY time…  Even hundreds of years ago.

I have decided that Dirge Monotonista will be the first officially released physical music.  After some preliminary research, it seems to me like my best option would be a 10-inch record, cut at 33 1/3 RPM.  I read that this media can hold up to 13 minutes on each side, which is almost exactly perfect!  When I finally have the money to do this, it will be a short-run, lathe cut, double-sided, in quantity of around 20 to start with.

Even though Dirge Monotonista was the very first, original Nethracedicon song, it was actually not the first to be released to the public.  This distinction goes to the “Cruel Cycle of Life EP,” also recorded in January 2007.  If the initial pressing of Dirge goes well, I am thinking of having 10-inch vinyl’s of Cruel Cycle made, unless it can fit on a double-sided 7-inch (I wonder…).

As for the full-length albums, I feel they would be best suited for Compact Disk.  The plan, as of now, is to have around 30 color digipak’s printed of the first album, “Indiglo Skeleton.”  I would really love to have 6-panel digipak’s so I can include more artwork, but they may end up being 4-panel, due to production cost.

If all goes well, I also have intentions of getting other albums put on CD, including “Memorial,” the 3rd self-titled album, “Amongst the dead,” “The Inevitable Split,” and “Depraved Rave Evolution.”

https://nethracedicon.bandcamp.com/

Big shout out to the guys in Sunn O))) for introducing me to Bandcamp!!!  Without their underground savviness, artists like myself might not have any place to host their work.

If you like the shit, be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter…

https://www.facebook.com/Nethracedicon/

Tweets by Nethracedicon

Thanks to Jaclyn Glenn and David Michael Frank of ‘Future Sunsets’ for a great show in Austin!!!  It was fun meeting you guys and hanging out on your RV!

Adoration for the art of Gil Elvgren & Patrick Nagel – Retro Pin-Ups

Since around 2007, I have been an avid fan of the art of Gil Elvgren and Patrick Nagel. Both were American painters that produced an extensive portfolio consisting mainly of very “attractive” female models. 

This blog posting will showcase a few of these artists’ prominent pieces, beginning with Elvgren…

 

 

 

 

‘Harding Records’ Releases & Activity Update…

I’ve made a comprehensive list of all ‘Harding Records’ releases and 2019 has been the busiest year so far, in terms of musical output.

If you are new or just discovered Nethracedicon, WELCOME! I’ve been posting music online since May of 2016 and rest assured that there is no slowing down any time soon. In fact, my recording has increased of late and I have ALLOT of music (completed and mastered) that hasn’t been uploaded yet.

Currently, there are 5 full-length albums, numerous EP’s, several demo’s, and 2 compilations. 

I have decided to make the EP’s just $1 and $3 for the full-length albums (plus any bonus content, including additional photos/artwork). I feel this pricing is fair for what you are getting with my creations. To put things in perspective, I once paid $40 (plus shipping) for a single CD! If you would like to purchase any of my noisy releases, your money will go directly to the official ‘Harding Records’ PayPal reserve (Nethracedicon@gmail.com).

What follows is a short recap of the recent, main releases (in case you missed them)…

The 6th album “Alone,” was posted on Feb. 4th. It features 11 original songs and cover art drawn/colored by myself. I had a hallucination that my mom told me to draw my “ideal woman,” and it turned out to be a rather inviting-looking witch with long, grey hair, wearing an orange catsuit, and perfectly round/symmetrical breasts! So, right now I’m “Alone”, but I suppose I have fantasies of being with an older woman who can make coffee tables levitate…

Next came the 7th album “Depraved Rave Evolution,” released on Feb. 6th. This one is a departure from the “typical” Nethracedicon style in that it utilizes pre-programmed, keyboard beats instead of live drumming. The album is also all instrumental with no vocals. I painted the cover art at a house party.

https://nethracedicon.bandcamp.com/music

If you want to stay “in the loop” with everything Nethracedicon, you can follow me from this blog by entering your email but the best way to get notified of anything new is to like and follow me on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/Nethracedicon/

I always post on Facebook immediately after I release new music. In addition to all new releases, I have made Facebook my personal hub for sharing sexy pin-up and erotic art by Gil Elvgren and Patrick Nagel (two of my favorite artists). I do have a Twitter account (@Nethracedicon), but Facebook sees much more action, to be honest. 

Anyone who wants to contact me may do so via nethracedicon@gmail.com.

If you actually read all this, thank you VERY much! I appreciate any interest in my art and greatly value every single follower. 

From Austin, Texas,

Nethracedicon